Reluctantly Willing

“Uncle, you are lying. If I have stepmother, Uncle will not want Guo Guo anymore and Uncle will be leaving too.”

“Who did you hear that from? Uncle is not leaving.”

“But those uncles and aunts who mow the lawn say that when I have a stepmother, Uncle will leave.”

He would indeed leave this place, but only if Gu Jun let him go.

“Uncle will not leave. Uncle will always be by Guo Guo’s side. Guo Guo, you don’t need to worry…”

Guo Guo gradually stopped tearing. His sobs were gradually covered up by the sound of his breathing as he fell asleep in An Xiaoyan’s arms.

The dried up tear marks were still on Guo Guo’s face. Seeing that, An Xiaoyan sighed. He took off Guo Guo’s shoes and put him in bed. As soon as he placed Guo Guo on the bed, Gu Jun opened the door and entered the room.

Seeing the little man asleep in bed, he waved to An Xiaoyan and turned to walk to the study.

With two fewer rows of bookshelves, the study looked a little empty. Gu Jun sat on a chair facing the window and looked at the budding sycamore trees outside.

He had thought about giving up the competition with Gu Jing. He was not particularly interested in that position, but now he had to give it a try.

He could survive in a crack, but what about An Xiaoyan and Guo Guo? If he wanted to build a family of three, he needed to make sufficient preparations. At least, he could not let An Xiaoyan and Guo Guo suffer any injustice.

Chen Chen came to the villa in a hurry. When he saw Xiu Yijian in the living room, he smiled politely and went upstairs. Gu Jun asked him to come over, saying that there was something urgent to discuss.

“As you can see, I’m now competing with Gu Jing. What are my odds in winning?”

Before, Gu Jun totally had no intention in competing and Chen Chen thought Gu Jun had already given up, but today, his attitude gave off the impression that he was determined to do so.

“Based on the present situation, less than 30 percent…”

Riding on the news of his marriage with the Gao family, he received great help from the in-laws and made his ambitions very clear. Naturally, many entrepreneurs would come forward to forge an alliance with him. In contrast, Gu Jun did not make any effort within the past year. His sluggish attitude led many people to look down upon him.

“But now you have the advantage of having an heir.”

“So what if I have an heir? When Gu Jing was not married, it was very beneficial. But now that Gu Jing is married, they may soon have their own children.”

Chen Chen was aware of this too. After thinking for a moment, he thought and said, “Nan Qiang’s vote has not been made known yet. He seems to be interested in cooperating with us, but it’s not a clear vote yet.”

At the mention of Nan Qiang, Gu Jun remembered what happened and said, “That old lecher, I will not cooperate with him.”

“But…”

“No way! There is no but!”

Gu Jun puffed on his cigarette and frowned. Chen Chen could only change the subject. “If we join in the competition now, there is another way. That is to find something that can hold against Mr. Gu Jing. Once we find it, it will be very beneficial.”

“You go and investigate in secret first. By the way, come over tomorrow and follow me to a certain location.”

Chen Chen was confused, but he came the next day obediently.

So Gu Jun was sure to be away from the office for two days?

Chen Chen was baffled when they reached a pet shop. Gu Jun pulled Chen Chen in.

“What kind of pet do you want, cat or dog, two handsome boys?”

“Cat,” replied Gu Jun.

“All right, this way, please.” The pet shop worker led the two of them to the back of the shop. The countless cages along the corridor were kittens and puppies in different colors.

Chen Chen looked at many animals drooping their heads, looking half-dead and half-alive. He was a little scared. Seeing his scared expression, the pet shop staff patiently explained, “These animals were sent here as they are sick. They are currently on medication and drip. After some time, they will be well again.”

Chen Chen’s heart was more settled after hearing that. He was worried that these small animals were being used for experiments.

Walking through the corridor, they came to a small room. The temperature inside the room was noticebly much higher than outside. Upon entering the room, a stream of hot air rushed to their face.

“Sir, this is a kitten born just a year ago and is now over three months old. It is suitable for adoption. We are a regular pet hospital, as long as the cats are pure bred, we will find out its exact breed then give it the necessary vaccinations. Thus, you do not need to worry about ear mites or ringworms on the cat. We have already given it a proper checkup. That is to say, you can take it home and keep it as a pet right away.”

Chen Chen could not guess what Gu Jun was thinking, so he had to say, “Let us take a look first.”

“Alright.”

“Are we going to buy a cat? Who is it for?

“It is for An Xiaoyan. Come and help me see what he will like.”

Chen Chen was a little overwhelmed. He always thought that Gu Jun would not like cats. Otherwise, why would Gu Jun throw An Xiaoyan’s ginger cat away?

“Mr. Gu, are you serious?”

“Hmm,” Gu Jun answered, looking intently at the kitten in the cage.

Sometimes, these acts of goodwill do not necessarily have the desired effect. If he were to take the cat back, it may remind An Xiaoyan of the fate of his last one.

“Well, Mr. Gu, you’d better consult Mr. An first to see what kind of breed he likes and whether he has time to keep it.”

Gu Jun pondered for a moment and thought what Chen Chen said made sense. He was too rash and acted in disregard of An Xiaoyan’s opinion as he simply assumed that he would like it.

“Okay. You can make your way back to the company. I’ll bring him here.”

“How are you going back?”

“The distance between the company and this shop is not that far. You can hire a taxi and I will reimburse you later. I will drive your car.”

The car was driven away. Chen Chen could not help but feel that Gu Jun was really “poisoned” by An Xiaoyan.

Two hours later, the pet shop staff was surprised to see the same man who had just visited a while ago with another man.

“Sir, have you decided on which cat to get?”

“An Xiaoyan, which one do you like?”

A group of kittens were meowing and crying in their cages. An Xiaoyan’s heart melted. He really liked these furry things.

But An Xiaoyan was confused. Doesn’t Gu Jun hate these creatures? If not, he wouldn’t have thrown the little ginger cat away.

“I don’t know, Mr. Gu, what do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“Have a cat, as I told you before.”

“It is alright, I did not put it in my heart.”

You did not put it in your heart, but I put it at the top of my heart.

“Choose one you like. Treat it as a pet for Guo Guo.”

An Xiaoyan was relieved to hear that and carefully looked through the cats to make a selection. The kittens looked the same. He felt that Guo Guo would like a cat to be more domineering. After all, boys were more playful.

“Let’s take this one.”

“This is a ragdoll cat, very suitable for young people to buy, and its fur is more beautiful than others. When it grows up, it will be very good-looking.”

However, Gu Jun still had the yellow ginger cat on his mind.

“How about the same breed as the yellow ginger cat you had the last time? Would you like to try that breed?”

“No, that’s fine.” An Xiaoyan did not want to recall that episode. The scream of the ginger cat in the cage and its innocent eyes were something that he would never forget.

Gu Jun put his hands on An Xiaoyan’s body and let him face himself. “An Xiaoyan, I did wrong the last time. Now, you choose one that you are happy with and really like.”

Gu Jun’s words seemed to be forcing him to choose a ginger cat.

“Okay, then I’ll take a yellow ginger cat.”

A smile gradually surfaced on Gu Jun’s face. He felt that An Xiaoyan must have forgiven him, at least a little.

“Take the most expensive one in the shop.” Gu Jun said to the pet shop staff beside him.

The pet shop staff picked out the best looking and carefully put it in An Xiaoyan’s arms. “Cats are very obedient. Let it get close to people when it is young, and naturally, it will be close to people when it grows up.”

Holding the soft cuddly thing in his arms, An Xiaoyan couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and touch it. It felt very pleasant.

Gu Jun saw the subconscious smile on An Xiaoyan’s face and asked the pet shop staff to pick the essential items for taking care of a cat. He was watching An Xiaoyan, who was standing beside him.

“Mr. Gu, the cost of owning a cat is a bit high…”

“That’s alright. You just have to take good care of it. Money is not a problem.”

The pet shop staff packed a big pack of cat litter, cat food, and cat climbing shelves all at once. They had never seen such a generous customer before, someone who did not even calculate the cost of each item when making their purchase. This little ginger cat was also lucky.

“When do we need to come again next time?” An Xiaoyan asked earnestly, holding the cat in his arms.

“If the cat is sick, come here quickly. And during normal days, do bring it here for a physical examination once a month. Also, give it a name when you get home. This way, the cat will recognize the owner.”

The kitten’s white paws felt soft in An Xiaoyan’s hand. It was very obedient.

“You give it a name.”

“It is alright. Mr. Gu can give it a name.”

“Let’s call it Wonton. Wasn’t that the name of your cat last time?”

It felt as if Gu Jun were saying it unintentionally, but obviously he was not.

Gu Jun thought for a long time before he remembered the name of the kitten. He wanted to let An Xiaoyan to see how he’s changed.

“Mr. Gu, is that a good name?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a compensation for what happened before. Now you must take good care of it.”

When the kitten reached home, it was very timid and afraid to move about. An Xiaoyan put it on the carpet and it curled up in a ball. Its orange fur stood in stark contrast to the brown carpet.

“Uncle, kitten.”

Guo Guo went straight to hold the kitten and rub his face against its fur. The kitten curled tighter into a ball.

“No, the kitten is still young…” An Xiaoyan hurried up and told Guo Guo to loosen his hold on the kitten. “The kitten is only a few months old. When the kitten grows up and has gotten used to Guo Guo, Guo Guo can play with it.”

“Let’s wait for the kitten to grow up together.”

“Hmm.” Guo Guo put the kitten on the sofa and leaned in front of the kitten and said, “Little kitten, you must grow up soon, so that Guo Guo can play with you.”

But unexpectedly, there was someone in the villa who was allergic to cats.

Xiu Yijian came back from work and looked at the cat’s fur scattered all over the carpet. Immediately, she felt unwell. Guo Guo took his plush toys to the kitten and let the kitten sleep on them.

“Where did this cat come from?”

Guo Guo carefully picked up the cat and said, “Uncle brought it back and let me play with it. Aunty, would you like to play with it too?”

The innocent face of the child took Xiu Yijian off guard, so she went upstairs.