Chapter 52: Little Cat
Liang Sheng cried out to his surroundings in a breakdown. Tears flowed freely, but other than the sound of the wind and waves, no one responded to him. Eeriness and terror spread everywhere, making his skin crawl and leaving him breathless.
Suddenly, jackdaws took flight, and a swarm of dark bats fluttered over his head.
“Ah!”
He screamed again, collapsing onto the ground. He didn’t know where to hide, and there was nowhere to run.
Why leave me here alone…
Shen Xingyu, you’re so heartless…
Why didn’t you just kill me?
Why torture me this way…
He feared the darkness most of all.
This was simply a living death.
Liang Sheng sobbed in pain, hugging his shoulders and curling into a ball, trying to find some semblance of security.
He didn’t dare look—didn’t dare look at the boundless darkness around him. The cold wind snuck into his collar, blowing his thin clothes until they were bloated. It felt as if countless daggers were flaying his skin, the pain seeping from his surface down into his bones.
He had expected that defying the man wouldn’t lead to a good end, but he hadn’t imagined it would be this desperate and agonizing.
How could Shen Xingyu bear it…?
How could he bear to leave him alone on a deserted island?
They had shared a bed for seven years. They had once promised each other in a church never to part, to be together in life and death. But what was the use? Once the love was gone, any solemn vows were just a fleeting bloom.
He had still been thrown here to fend for himself.
Liang Sheng was in agony. Tears soaked the corners of his eyes; his heart had died, no longer beating for that man.
His face grew dry and cracked from the biting wind, bleeding slightly.
Another cry from an unknown animal rang out.
Terror gripped his heart tightly.
He fainted from fear.
This unconscious state lasted until noon the next day.
Liang Sheng blinked his bleary eyes. He hadn’t yet adjusted to the sudden light and took a long while to recover.
A great wind had blown all night.
His body was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves.
His hair was a mess. His small, thin frame crawled out from a pile of dead branches and leaves. Seeing the island around him was still uninhabited, his heart turned to ash.
It was real. It wasn’t a dream.
Shen Xingyu hadn’t come to take him off the island!
Liang Sheng couldn’t accept it. He fainted several more times in succession. He had never encountered such a dead end before; he could only wait quietly for death.
Rain began to fall from the sky at some point.
Patter, patter. The rain grew heavier.
Icy raindrops hit his cheeks. Liang Sheng’s brow furrowed, and he was woken by the cold again. His back and waist ached. He struggled to climb up from the ground, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the sea in the distance. Dark clouds were rolling.
He wanted to cry again.
It seemed Shen Xingyu really wasn’t going to take him away.
Liang Sheng closed his eyes in despair, forcing back his tears. When he opened them again, a tiny, humble spark of hope surfaced.
He couldn’t just sit here and wait for death. He had to get out!
He had to tell Grandfather that Su Nian had framed him! He absolutely couldn’t let someone like that enter the Shen family and cause harm!
Liang Sheng gritted his teeth. He used a tree trunk for support, propping himself up to walk. His steps were shaky, but he didn’t fall.
He couldn’t just accept his fate. He wasn’t willing!
But facing the boundless horizon, there was simply no chance of escape. No matter how unwilling he was, it seemed this was how it would end—he couldn’t get out.
“Wu…”
Liang Sheng covered his face and wailed loudly.
He didn’t know if Grandfather had noticed he was missing…
His only hope now was Grandfather.
He cried for a few minutes. Perhaps because he was too afraid of being left alone on a deserted island, he hurriedly wiped his tears. Looking at the ocean, he suddenly had the idea of trying to swim out. He hesitated for two seconds but chose not to.
As long as there was a ship out there, he could be found!
Though it was dangerous to think this way, there was no other way now.
Liang Sheng gritted his teeth and decided to give it a try.
He didn’t want to die on a deserted island. He was already lucky not to have been eaten by wild beasts last night. He simply couldn’t imagine how difficult every terrifying night would be. Without food or water, he wouldn’t live long; he might even end up in the bellies of those animals.
The more Liang Sheng thought, the more afraid he became. He glanced tremblingly at the forest behind him, which looked like the gaping maw of an abyss. He didn’t dare stay any longer. At this moment, he didn’t know where the strength came from, but he ran toward the sea as if his life depended on it.
A drone flew overhead, unseen by him.
Liang Sheng only thought about running, running into the ocean.
His hands pushed aside the surging seawater. His body shivered from the cold, but he could only grit his teeth and endure.
Fortunately, he knew how to swim, so he wouldn’t drown.
But he hadn’t swam out very far before a giant wave slammed him back onto the beach. He choked on several mouthfuls of salt.
“Ugh… cough, cough, cough!”
Liang Sheng lay on the ground, coughing violently. His face was flushed as he spat out quite a bit of water. His hair was soaking wet, clinging messily to his face. He looked utterly pathetic.
Why is it that I can’t even leave…
He was overcome with grief. Tears and the water dripping from his head drenched his cheeks, blurring his vision.
He tried several more times, but he still couldn’t swim into the sea. He didn’t know if it was because the tide was rising due to the rain, but the waves were too large. Every time, he was washed back to the shore.
Liang Sheng crawled on the beach, completely exhausted.
He felt dizzy, tired, and hungry.
His eyes felt hot, his cheeks held an abnormal flush, and his body began to feel cold from the inside out.
He couldn’t move.
It felt so awful…
Forget it. If he died like this, that would be fine, too.
At least he’d be free…
In this short life, he was lucky enough to have ten years of happiness. Although the rest were full of painful days, he was satisfied. At least someone in this world had loved him; he had no more regrets.
Liang Sheng thought in a daze, slowly closing his eyes. The world fell silent instantly.
While half-conscious, he felt someone feed him medicine and water. A wave of warmth mixed with bitterness flowed down his throat, but it didn’t do much. His body was still so hot, so miserable.
Suddenly, a large hand stroked his face. It was icy and cool, seemingly trying to cool him down.
Liang Sheng felt very comfortable. He instinctively leaned into the other’s palm, his head nuzzling and rubbing against it. His hands tightly clutched that arm, pressing his chest against it to alleviate some of the heat.
The owner of the arm didn’t pull away. Instead, they held him tighter and leaned down to kiss him.
The other’s lips were soft and cool. Liang Sheng’s mind was unclear; he didn’t know what this was, but he instinctively wanted more coolness to lower his temperature, so he bit the other’s lips, desperately absorbing that chill.
The person seemed to freeze for a moment. They hadn’t expected Liang Sheng to suddenly take the initiative, so they logically deepened the kiss.
Liang Sheng closed his eyes in satisfaction, the corners of his mouth tilting up slightly. He buried his flushed face in the person’s chest, coveting a mother’s embrace like a small child. He babbled nonsense under his breath:
“So cool… like it so much… so comfortable…”
Looking at the dazed, acting-spoiled Liang Sheng in his arms, the man’s breathing hitched. He seemed to be restraining himself.
He pulled his hand back with restraint, abandoned the feverish little idiot, and turned to leave.
This sleep lasted a long, long time. Liang Sheng felt his cheek itching; something was licking him.
Opening his eyes, a chubby calico cat appeared before him, its round eyes watching him.
“L-little cat?”
His throat was terribly hoarse. Speaking felt like swallowing knives. Liang Sheng coughed hard several times and slowly sat up. He no longer remembered what he had done during the fever, nor did he remember someone being with him.
The cat gave a “meow,” extending a pudgy little paw to scratch his palm as if offering comfort.
After staying on a deserted island for two days and two nights, the sudden appearance of a living creature naturally surprised Liang Sheng. He hurriedly reached out to pull the cat into his arms, sobbing, “Where did you come from… how did you find me…”
The cat couldn’t speak. It could only rub its furry head against his face.
Liang Sheng held it tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time. He was too afraid—afraid the cat before him would disappear, leaving him to face the darkness alone again.
Suddenly, the cat broke free from his arms and jumped to the ground.
Liang Sheng was confused, worried it was leaving.
But it didn’t. The cat just dragged a fish out from behind a large tree, ran back, and placed the fish in front of him, pointing with its paw.
“D-do you want me to eat?”
Liang Sheng was surprised. Looking at the cat “making biscuits” (kneading with its paws), he felt a long-lost warmth in his heart. His fear lessened significantly.
“Meow~”
The cat responded obediently.
Liang Sheng’s eyes were moist. He hurriedly picked up the cat and pressed a kiss to its head. “Thank you…”
Although he didn’t know why a cat would suddenly appear on a deserted island, it was better than being alone.
With the cat to accompany him, Liang Sheng had hope for survival again. He patted his dirty cheeks, telling himself not to cry, and then gathered some wood.
Recalling the island survival skills he had learned before, he knelt on the ground and began awkwardly trying to make fire by friction.
He had never tried such a primitive way of living. He failed several times, rubbing his fingers until they bled.
Fortunately, the cat stayed by his side, even licking his fingers with its little tongue to tell him not to be nervous.
Liang Sheng gritted his teeth and persevered, his cheeks becoming smudged with black soot.
It wasn’t until the sky grew dark that he finally succeeded in creating a flame. He threw in some leaves to help the fire grow.
Looking at the burning wood, he breathed a long sigh of relief. He felt much more at ease; as long as there was light, he wasn’t afraid.
He gathered some dry grass to lay on the ground, used small stones to secure the firewood, and then sat by the bonfire to keep warm.
The cat curled up in his arms, letting out a comfortable yawn.
After being busy all day, his stomach was growling.
Liang Sheng felt very hungry. He skewered the small fish the cat had brought him and placed it over the flames to roast.
He had roasted fish outdoors like this before, but always with family or friends. He had never been alone…
The flickering firelight reflected on his face, dim and bright by turns. Tears welled in his eyes—he looked so broken, pitiful, wronged, and bitter.
The cat gave a couple of cries, pulling him back from his daze.
Liang Sheng blinked his wet eyes and realized his fish was about to burn. He hurriedly picked it up.
The aroma was mouthwatering. The cat jumped around greedily.
Liang Sheng knew it was hungry, too. He used small branches as chopsticks, picked a piece of meat, and placed it before the cat:
“Alright, eat up!”
The cat opened its mouth and began to eat with a smacking sound.
Liang Sheng smiled and stroked its head while eating his own portion.
Though there were no seasonings and the taste was bland, it was the best roasted fish he had ever eaten.
Indeed, when a person is hungry to the extreme, they aren’t picky about anything.
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