No One Loves Me (GL) - Chapter 6

Xin Geling was stunned. “You brought one too?”

Xie Zhitang explained in her usual gentle tone, “I brought it from work for you. If you would rather eat someone else’s cake, then I’ll eat this one myself.”

Her words were impeccable. She was both considerate of Xin Geling and gave her a way out.

All Xin Geling had to do was agree, and Xie Zhitang would be understanding.

But because Xie Zhitang was so understanding, Xin Geling felt uncomfortable taking her up on the offer. It would be like ignoring Xie Zhitang’s feelings right in front of her.

So she said, “It’s not that I like someone else’s cake more. Since you brought this one, I’ll eat yours.”

Xie Zhitang looked at her, slightly surprised. When she saw Xin Geling reach for the cake, she smiled and handed it to her. “What are you going to do with the other cake then?”

Xin Geling looked at the two cakes in her hand. She couldn’t eat that much dessert, so she said, “I’ll take this one back for my mom.”

Xie Zhitang smiled. “I’m sure Auntie will be very happy.”

Xin Geling looked at her silently for a while. She thought about what Grandma Chen had said and swallowed the words she was about to say.

“Let’s go inside.”

Xin Geling took her into the Cat Paws pet grooming shop, took Tangyuan out of the display cabinet, and put him in his carrier. After telling the owner that she was leaving with a customer, she took Xie Zhitang to the pet hospital.

They arrived at the pet hospital about ten minutes later.

Xin Geling spoke to the front desk staff. “We’re customers from Cat Paws Pet Grooming. We want to get this cat neutered.”

Xie Zhitang watched Xin Geling talk to the staff.

The staff member asked, “Has he been without food and water for 8 hours?”

“Yes,” Xin Geling said. “We stopped giving him food and water at around 9 a.m. this morning.”

The staff member typed on the computer. “Is the cat male or female?”

“Male,” Xin Geling replied.

The staff member continued to type. “Do you want to get a blood test and a biochemical test?”

Xin Geling turned to Xie Zhitang. “Does your colleague want to get a blood test and a biochemical test for Tangyuan? The blood test checks the cat’s blood clotting ability, and it can also detect infections and anemia. This place charges 70 yuan for a blood test, which is usually necessary. The biochemical test checks Tangyuan’s liver, kidney, and other organ functions since there are risks with anesthesia. It costs 300 yuan, but your colleague can skip it if she doesn’t think it’s necessary.”

Xie Zhitang nodded in understanding. “We’ll do both.”

She then took out her phone and paid the staff member.

The staff member asked them to wait on a nearby couch and took Tangyuan into a room to get his blood test.

“I didn’t expect you to have done so much research,” Xie Zhitang said.

In just three days, she was already familiar with all the procedures for cat neutering. She knew this was information that the pet hospital should have been providing to customers.

Xin Geling sat down. “I didn’t know anything about this before. I only researched it this morning after you asked me to arrange Tangyuan’s neutering.”

Xie Zhitang sat down as well, placing her bag on her lap. “I see. You’re very responsible. It was definitely the right decision to entrust Tangyuan’s care to you.”

Xin Geling just smiled at her praise. “It’s nothing.”

Xie Zhitang glanced at the room Tangyuan was in and asked softly, “How long does the neutering take?”

“About an hour or so,” Xin Geling replied. “If you have something else to do, you can go ahead. I’ll take Tangyuan back to the shop to recover after the surgery.”

“I don’t have anything to do,” Xie Zhitang said, handing her the cake. “Do you want to eat the cake now?”

Xin Geling thought about the dinner her mother had made for her, and she figured eating the cake earlier would give her more time to digest. “Okay.”

Xie Zhitang watched her take the cake and open it. A faint smile appeared on her face. “Is it good?”

Xin Geling took a bite, feeling the sweetness of the cake melt on her tongue. “It’s very good.”

After getting her confirmation, Xie Zhitang relaxed and looked at the display cabinet across from them. The back of the cabinet was a clear, shiny mirror that reflected their figures waiting on the sofa.

They looked like a pair of friends.

Or maybe, a more intimate relationship.

“Do you have a favorite flavor?” Xie Zhitang asked.

Xin Geling thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. I like all kinds of cakes.”

Just then, a girl walked into the pet hospital, carrying a cat, and went straight to the front desk. “Hi, I’m here for a vaccine.”

The staff member asked, “Which shot?”

The girl took out a booklet and handed it to her. “The second one. We got the first one here.”

The staff member took the booklet. “Okay, please wait a moment.”

“Okay, okay.” The cat must have been a little heavy, as the girl lifted it up. When she turned around, she saw Xin Geling on the sofa. “What a coincidence!” she exclaimed.

Xin Geling looked up, recognizing her as the girl who had given her a cake earlier.

The cake she was eating was not the one the girl had given her… and the girl had seen it.

Xin Geling hadn’t expected this situation and froze for a moment. “What a coincidence,” she replied.

The girl’s eyes were naturally drawn to the cake in Xin Geling’s hand. She immediately noticed that it wasn’t the one she had given her. She wasn’t sure if Xin Geling had thrown it away or given it to someone else, but she felt a flash of embarrassment and didn’t know if she should continue to speak.

As she hesitated, she felt another gaze on her and looked over. She met the eyes of a gentle and beautiful woman who exuded a mature and calm aura.

The woman smiled at her warmly. The girl felt her kindness and smiled back.

Just then, the cat in the girl’s arms suddenly broke free and jumped down.

“Kele!” the girl exclaimed in alarm, quickly trying to catch him. “You have to get a shot soon! Don’t run around!”

The little black cat named Kele, despite his short legs, was surprisingly fast and cunning, dodging his owner.

The staff member also joined the cat-catching chase. Xin Geling put down her cake and got up to help.

The little black cat scurried around, but luckily, the door was closed, so he couldn’t escape.

Xie Zhitang watched the three of them try to catch the black cat. In the blink of an eye, he darted past them and came toward the sofa. Xie Zhitang thought the little black cat was going to hide under the sofa and was about to block him.

Instead, the cat jumped onto the coffee table, went to the half-eaten cake, lowered his head, sniffed, and was about to lick it when a pair of slender, pale hands grabbed his body.

The little black cat immediately became agitated and struggled fiercely. Xie Zhitang was caught off guard, and the cat’s hind legs kicked her wrist, leaving thin scratches.

She hissed in pain and was about to let go when a familiar pair of hands quickly took the cat from her.

Xie Zhitang looked up to see that it was Xin Geling. “Sister,” she said.

After Xin Geling took the cat, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. “Here, take him to get his shot.”

The girl thanked her profusely. “Thank you! I’m taking Kele to get his shot now.”

Xin Geling watched her take Kele away, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xie Zhitang looking down at the scratches on her wrist. When she saw the red blood seeping out, she took Xie Zhitang’s hand. “Did he scratch you?” she asked.

Xie Zhitang nodded, her brows slightly furrowed. “He kicked me.”

Xin Geling looked at the front desk, which was currently empty. She put down Xie Zhitang’s hand. “Wait here for me.”

With that, she went to find someone to get some disinfectant.

She came back with cotton swabs and alcohol from the staff member and sat down next to Xie Zhitang. “Give me your hand.”

Xie Zhitang noticed how Xin Geling’s body was angled toward her, their knees slightly touching.

She held out her hand. “Okay.”

“It’s going to hurt. Just bear with it,” Xin Geling warned her before she started.

“Mhm,” Xie Zhitang hummed.

Xin Geling began to gently apply the alcohol to disinfect the scratches. When she wiped the bleeding micro-wounds, Xie Zhitang’s hand trembled, but she didn’t say anything.

Xin Geling looked up at Xie Zhitang and noticed she was quite close. Close enough to see the small strands of hair on her flawless forehead.

Her gaze moved down. Xie Zhitang’s gentle eyes were slightly lowered, and her nose was straight and delicate. For some reason, she had a soft, sweet scent.

Xin Geling continued to wipe until all the micro-wounds were disinfected. She put down the tools and asked, “Do you… want to get a shot for prevention?”

“Huh?” Xie Zhitang looked at her, confused. “Didn’t you say that a cat with a vaccine wouldn’t have rabies?”

“That’s what they say,” Xin Geling said, “but if you can afford it, you can get a shot for prevention.”

People are different. Under the same circumstances, some people have the ability and willingness to take an extra safety measure for their health, while others just leave it to fate.

Xie Zhitang understood what she meant and smiled faintly. “No need. It’s not a serious injury.”

Xin Geling respected her choice. “Okay. Be careful when you shower.”

After the warning, Xin Geling was about to continue eating her cake.

Xie Zhitang watched her take a scoop, seemingly unbothered that the cat had almost licked it.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to eat it anymore.”

Xie Zhitang had worked for four years, and her social skills were outstanding. She had a lot of experience communicating with all kinds of clients. Even if a client was rambling incoherently, she could always find the right way to get through to them, helping them regain their focus and guiding them to articulate what kind of proposal they wanted or what features they wanted to highlight.

She was very good at steering a conversation in the direction she wanted.

“Why would I not?” Xin Geling asked.

“Because the cat almost licked it.”

“Even if it had, it would be fine,” Xin Geling said. “I would just eat the parts he didn’t lick.”

“Sister, you’re not bothered by anything,” Xie Zhitang said.

Xin Geling took another spoonful. “Not really.”

Xie Zhitang rested her chin on her hand and looked at the door. Outside the transparent glass door, the street was bustling with people, and the sky was filled with layers of sunset colors.

“Why did that girl say ‘What a coincidence?’ Was she your customer?”

Xin Geling thought about the girl, and also the cake she was eating. “Yes, she’s the girl who gave me the cake. I hope she’s not overthinking things.”

The smile on Xie Zhitang’s face faded a little as she recalled the girl’s face, which was pretty and pleasant. “She’s very young.”

“Sister, do customers often give you little gifts in this line of work?”

Xin Geling thought about it. “No. She’s the only one. She probably just didn’t want to waste it.”

Xie Zhitang didn’t agree. “Does she live nearby?”

“Yes.”

“What street?”

“Huh?”

Xie Zhitang realized she had been a little too forward. “Nothing. I was just asking. Sister, I’m a little hungry.”

Xin Geling was surprised. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

“No, I came straight here after work.”

Xin Geling asked, “Do you want me to go out and get you some food?”

Outside was the bustling street. When night fell, many small vendors would set up their stalls. The variety of food was much more than it had been seven years ago, and there were countless restaurants as well.

Xie Zhitang was about to say yes, but then she thought about how Xin Geling had only been working for three days, so she changed her mind. “No need. Just give me a bite of your cake. It’ll be enough to hold me over.”

Xin Geling looked at the half-eaten cake, put down her spoon, and offered it to her.

Xie Zhitang took the spoon and ate a bite, completely unbothered that it had already been used.

It was rude to stare at someone while they were eating, so Xin Geling looked away. But Xie Zhitang only ate a few bites before stopping.

“Thank you, Sister. I’m full,” Xie Zhitang said, looking at the cake that was still half-eaten. She looked apologetic because she had used the spoon. “I’m sorry…”

Xin Geling heard her apology and knew what she was talking about. “It’s fine.”

She continued to eat, not thinking that there was anything wrong with what had just happened.

But as she ate, she wondered if it was because Xie Zhitang was sitting so close to her, the faint scent of violet perfume wafting over and distracting her thoughts. It was as if the cake had taken on the faint scent of violets as well.

The cake seemed a little sweeter.