Chapter 4: He’s Actually Quite Cute
“So cute.” For some reason, Lin Xia didn’t dislike the homeless man; instead, he felt a sense of familiarity. Perhaps it was because when he was in the orphanage, the matron would always bring back dirty children from the streets, and the older Lin Xia would have to take care of them.
The homeless man’s thin, frail, and dirty appearance was very much like his younger brothers in the orphanage. He wondered what they were like now.
Lin Xia sighed, shook his head to dispel his wandering thoughts, and carried the kitten upstairs.
As midday approached, the pet shop became increasingly busy, with two more part-time students arriving. Lin Xia and the three students were still barely able to cope until evening, when they finally stopped their frantic work.
“Thank you all for your hard work today,” Lin Xia said after cleaning up.
“No problem!” The hard work didn’t matter; it meant more bonuses at the end of the month. Working for Lin Xia was incredibly rewarding. The wages were higher than other places, with bonuses at the end of the month, and every Sunday, Lin Xia made a big meal to treat everyone.
“We’ll head off then!” Wang Ziyu and the others said goodbye to Lin Xia.
“Be careful on your way!” Lin Xia saw them off. He then went upstairs to check on the kitten. Finding it okay, he prepared to close up and head home with the white furball.
“Ah…” Lin Xia had just locked the door when the homeless man suddenly appeared, causing Lin Xia to stop and wait.
“Money… cat…” The homeless man pulled out a crumpled wad of small bills and coins from his worn-out bag, offering it to Lin Xia. Despite his simple nature, he understood the importance of payment for services.
“You don’t need to pay. It’s free,” Lin Xia understood the homeless man’s intention from his words and actions, quickly refusing. The homeless man’s gesture moved and amused Lin Xia; he guessed the money was given to him by others. The homeless man, offering his hard-earned twenty or thirty yuan for the kitten’s treatment, was truly both naive and kind.
“No… want… (right)?” The homeless man froze, confusion filling his eyes.
Lin Xia looked at his large, bright eyes and found him incredibly endearing. He was so cute, like a little hamster.
It was strange; the homeless man’s appearance was obscured by the mud and grime from not bathing for a long time, yet his eyes were so clean and clear, not at all off-putting.
A thought struck Lin Xia. “Where are you sleeping tonight?”
“Door… way…” The homeless man pointed to the pet shop entrance. He had no fixed place to sleep; any quiet spot would do.
“Why don’t you come home with me?” Lin Xia felt like he was luring a little hamster.
“Home…?” The “hamster” thought he had misheard, carefully asking again.
“Yes. I have lots of delicious food and a soft bed,” Lin Xia tempted him.
“Okay…” The homeless man also liked this kind pet doctor who didn’t charge him. He shyly agreed.
“Wait here for me; I’ll buy some things.” Lin Xia needed to go to the market for groceries and buy daily necessities for the homeless man.
“Okay… I… wait…” The “hamster” nodded obediently.
So Lin Xia took the white furball to the market for groceries and then went to a department store to buy clothes and toiletries for the homeless man.
“Baby, the homeless man is coming home tonight. What do you think?” Lin Xia asked the white furball.
“Aowu?” Is the homeless man brother coming over like Uncle Mingjie?
Hearing that his father was inviting the homeless man home, the white furball recalled Uncle Chen Mingjie, who often visited their home.
“Yes. But he’s homeless. Don’t be prejudiced, okay?” Lin Xia worried the white furball might dislike the dirty homeless man.
“Aowu?” Homeless? The white furball tilted its head in confusion. Were homeless people the dirty people seen on the streets?
“Aowu!” Papa, don’t worry, An’an won’t dislike him! The white furball remembered the homeless man’s dirty appearance, but it had no negative feelings.
“Baby is the best!” Lin Xia kissed the white furball; his son was kind and adorable.
Lin Xia and the white furball arrived back at the pet shop. The “hamster” was sitting on the ground. Seeing Lin Xia, he happily stood up and waved.
“Let’s go.” Lin Xia smiled at the “hamster.”
Lin Xia’s home wasn’t far from the pet shop, a ten-minute walk at most. Soon, they were home. On the way, Lin Xia asked the homeless man some basic questions, but he knew nothing, not even his own name.
“Can I call you Little Hamster?” Lin Xia asked, finding the homeless man fitting the description.
“Okay…” Little Hamster smiled happily.
Back home, Lin Xia first put the white furball in front of a cartoon. He then took Little Hamster to bathe. Worried about potential germs, Lin Xia took precautions before bathing him, wearing gloves, and using a separate bathroom—he and the white furball usually didn’t use this one.
Lin Xia took Little Hamster to the bathroom, adjusted the water temperature, and turned on the showerhead.
Little Hamster hadn’t bathed in a long time; a thick layer of grime covered his body. Lin Xia had him scrub himself first before helping.
Little Hamster felt embarrassed, but Lin Xia didn’t show any disgust, carefully washing him.
This was nothing to Lin Xia. He frequently treated stray animals, having seen and touched much dirtier and more frightening things. This was just a little hamster; nothing to fear.
Lin Xia self-hypnotized.
“Oops…” As Lin Xia washed lower, Little Hamster shyly flinched, avoiding Lin Xia’s touch.
Lin Xia feigned anger, and Little Hamster, with a guilty expression, stood still, letting Lin Xia touch him, occasionally sneaking glances to see if Lin Xia had calmed down.
Lin Xia couldn’t help but laugh, his stern face cracking. “I’m not angry; I was just teasing you.”
“Oh… okay…” Little Hamster beamed, relieved that Lin Xia wasn’t angry.
Little Hamster hadn’t bathed in so long that Lin Xia had to scrub him several times to get him clean.
The clean Little Hamster astonished Lin Xia. His skin was very white; years of homelessness hadn’t tanned him. He had handsome features, delicate brows and eyes, and large eyes sparkling like jewels.
“Wow!” Lin Xia couldn’t help but exclaim. The transformation was incredible.
“Lin… Ge…” Why was Lin Ge staring? Had he done something wrong again? Little Hamster was terrified.
“It’s nothing,” Lin Xia came to his senses, realizing he’d startled Little Hamster. “You’re very handsome; you’ve surprised me.”
“Thank… you…” Was that a compliment? Little Hamster awkwardly thanked him; he was so embarrassed.
Author’s Note: Many readers have questioned this scene, so here’s an explanation(≧▽≦)/
Lin Xia didn’t rashly bring the homeless man home. First, Little Hamster reminded him of his younger brothers in the orphanage. Second, Little Hamster offered to pay for the medical treatment, showing honesty and principle. Third, Little Hamster seemed harmless. Lin Xia intended to have Little Hamster examined, and even without Chen Mingjie saying so, he would have asked someone to check.
To help Little Hamster, Lin Xia needed to clean him and find him a place to sleep. A hotel was an option, but a dirty homeless man might not be accepted. Lin Xia could have taken Little Hamster to a shelter, but the process was cumbersome, and shelters only offered temporary assistance; Little Hamster would still end up on the streets.
Lin Xia would be careful about Little Hamster having diseases. He would take precautions, wearing gloves when bathing him and personally serving his food. The white furball also had no direct contact with Little Hamster.
Lin Xia is a grown man, capable of overpowering the seemingly frail and malnourished Little Hamster. The white furball, though small, is also quite strong. To Lin Xia, someone who would bring an injured cat for treatment and offer to pay is kind, so he wasn’t worried.
Initially, Lin Xia only wanted to bring him home to clean him and provide shelter. He didn’t plan on taking him in until he was surprised by Little Hamster’s appearance. Such a handsome young man shouldn’t be left to wander the streets, so Lin Xia decided to take him in.
Some readers also criticized Lin Xia for calling him Little Hamster without asking. They had walked home together, during which Lin Xia could have asked. Little Hamster didn’t know his name, so Lin Xia called him Little Hamster.
Of course, most importantly, fiction is not reality. In real life, always remain vigilant and don’t randomly bring strangers home.
O(∩_∩)O~~