The taxi sped through the sleeping city.
Streetlights streaked across the windows like falling stars. Inside the back seat, Xu Jin leaned heavily against Grandma Liang's shoulder, his breathing uneven, skin fever-warm. Liang Chen sat beside him, one hand steadying Xu Jin's back so he wouldn't collapse sideways with every turn.
No one spoke.
The driver glanced in the mirror once, then twice, then decided not to ask questions and simply drove faster.
Yunhu sat on Grandma Liang's lap, unusually still. His small paws pressed into her coat, claws not out, just holding on. His round eyes never left Xu Jin's face.
Liang Chen noticed that.
He wasn't sure why it touched him.
They arrived at the hospital entrance, bright and sterile against the dark night. Nurses rushed out with a stretcher. The neighbor who had helped earlier waved quickly before returning home. Grandma Liang stayed close, guiding Yunhu into her arms as Xu Jin was wheeled inside.
The automatic doors closed behind them, sealing the outside world away.
Inside, everything moved fast.
Questions. Thermometers. Blood pressure cuffs. IV bags. Paperwork.
Liang Chen answered what he could:
Name: Xu Jin.
Address: Apartment 1208.
Age: Early twenties.
Everything else? Unknown.
The nurse glanced at him.
"Are you family?"
Liang Chen hesitated for only a second.
"…Neighbor," he said.
The nurse nodded anyway. In emergencies, labels mattered less than presence.
Grandma Liang sat on a row of plastic chairs, Yunhu in her lap, whispering nonsense soothing sounds to calm both the cat and herself.
After examination, the doctor finally came out.
"Severe stomach irritation, dehydration, fever. Likely caused by poor eating habits and exhaustion. Not life-threatening now. But he needs monitoring tonight."
Relief loosened something in Liang Chen's chest.
They were led to a hospital room with two beds.
Xu Jin was placed on the one near the window. IV line taped to his arm. Blanket pulled up. Monitor beeping steadily.
The overhead light was dimmed. Only soft bedside lamps remained.
Grandma Liang set Yunhu down gently on the empty bed.
The kitten stretched, shook his fur, then immediately hopped down to investigate the new territory with eager tail flicks.
"Careful," Liang Chen murmured automatically, though he wasn't sure whether he meant Xu Jin or the cat.
For a while, Xu Jin slept.
Liang Chen stood by the bed, unsure what to do with his hands. He finally pulled a chair closer and sat down.
He looked at the young man properly for the first time.
Not the smug bidder in the pet shop.
Not the noisy neighbor behind the wall.
Not the dramatic "angel" patient.
Just… a boy. Tall. Messy hair. Lips slightly parted. Brow faintly furrowed even in sleep.
Liang Chen exhaled quietly.
"You're trouble," he said under his breath. "I can already tell."
A soft rustling interrupted him.
Yunhu had climbed onto the chair beside him, front paws on Liang Chen's thigh, stretching upward like a tiny white mountain climber.
Liang Chen froze.
The kitten sniffed his sleeve, then nudged his hand.
Asking.
Liang Chen looked toward Grandma Liang. She had already laid down on the second bed, glasses off, eyes closed, pretending to sleep but clearly listening.
Liang Chen sighed softly.
"…Fine."
He lifted Yunhu into his lap.
The kitten immediately curled into a perfect fluffy ball, purring like a tiny engine.
Liang Chen's fingers moved almost unconsciously, stroking warm fur, tracing the curve of small ears.
"So this is the demon," he whispered. "You caused all that noise."
Yunhu flicked his tail against Liang Chen's wrist in reply.
Liang Chen tried not to smile.
He failed.
A sudden sound made him look up.
Xu Jin stirred.
His head rolled slightly on the pillow. His eyelids fluttered open, unfocused.
"…Angel…?" he murmured.
Liang Chen leaned forward.
"Can you hear me?"
Xu Jin squinted.
The dim lamp haloed Liang Chen's silhouette. Cardigan. Calm face. Eyes reflecting soft light.
"…Still here," Xu Jin whispered. "…Not heaven… persistent."
Liang Chen's eyebrow twitched.
"You're in a hospital," he said quietly. "You're safe. Rest."
Xu Jin swallowed.
"…Cat…?" he croaked.
Liang Chen lifted Yunhu slightly.
"He's here."
Yunhu, hearing his human's voice, hopped down immediately and bounded onto the hospital bed, landing squarely on Xu Jin's chest.
Xu Jin let out a weak grunt but smiled faintly.
"…Traitor demon… came back…"
Yunhu licked his chin once.
Liang Chen watched the scene with an expression he would later deny having.
Fondness. Concern. A strange sense of responsibility.
The fever made Xu Jin drift in and out of clarity.
Sometimes he mumbled nonsense.
"…Dad… board meeting… no eggs… never again…"
"…Professor angel… tea smell… unfairly handsome…"
Liang Chen closed his eyes once, briefly, in secondhand embarrassment.
Grandma Liang shifted in her bed and whispered sleepily, "He likes you."
Liang Chen hissed quietly, "Grandma."
She chuckled and turned over.
Xu Jin continued mumbling.
"…Red cats expensive… professor pouting… adorable…"
Liang Chen decided this was a good time to drink water. Far away from hearing range.
Eventually, the fever eased.
Xu Jin's breathing evened. His grip on Yunhu loosened as he sank into proper sleep.
The kitten curled beside his arm like a guardian spirit.
Liang Chen leaned back in his chair.
The hospital room was quiet now.
Monitor beeps. Occasional footsteps in the corridor. Grandma Liang's gentle breathing from the second bed.
And the soft purring of a cat who had finally gotten his wish — to be patted without a wall between them.
Liang Chen stroked Yunhu's back slowly.
"So," he murmured, "you're the cat between us."
Yunhu flicked his ear.
Liang Chen looked at the sleeping Xu Jin again.
A stranger.
A nuisance.
A neighbor.
And now… someone he had carried through the night.
He didn't know what this meant yet.
But he knew one thing.
Tomorrow would be awkward.