Zheng Wei said to Ruan Ruan: "Why do women, when they reach a certain age, especially want to get married? Because as people get older, they become more and more afraid of being alone. Friends around them one by one get married and start their own families, you got married, He Luyao got married, Zhuo Mei got married, even Li Wei Juan got married, only leaving me and Xiao Bei drifting around, but she drifted too far away, I don't know if she'll come back or not. In the past, there was also a Wei Shao Yi who would argue with me, now she's been taken away by He Yi. All of you can leave, just leaving me alone, just like Zhang Ailing, dead in her apartment for several days without anyone knowing."

  Every time she pretends to be mature and complains about these things, Ruan Ruan just smiles with her mouth closed and doesn't respond. Zheng Wei says again, "I really want a companion, not necessarily a man, anything is fine, woman, child, even a ghost, as long as they can talk to me."

  In just a few days, Ruan Ruan sent over her "partner".

  That was a stray cat, Ruan Ruan said she saw it wandering around her house for several days, being blown by the wind and sleeping in the dew, poor thing, but fortunately it wasn't afraid of people, so she caught it and gave it to Zheng Wei, anyway she said as long as there's someone to accompany her, everything is fine.

  "The kitten is so cute and endearing," said Ruan Ruan. But when she brought out the cage, Zheng Wei's last bit of expectation was dashed to nothingness. The cat was a letdown, but what was even more disappointing was that this thing in the cage couldn't be described as "small" or "cute". It wasn't just its dull grey color, but also its stupid and fat face, its bloated body, and its eerie and sinister eyes.

  Zheng Wei stopped, "You really know how to pick, is this ugly cat my companion?"

  The cat seemed to understand her disdain, opened its mouth and let out a pitiful cry, which further solidified Zheng Wei's determination not to accept it. "I was just joking that day, I'd rather talk to myself than speak to it."

  Ruan Ruan coughed lightly, "This person has some distinctive features, but probably became like this after being out in the world for a long time. Just consider it a good deed, I think if it continues to wander, by winter, who knows, it might freeze to death."

  Zheng Wei put his hands behind his back, "Then why don't you show some compassion and take it in?"

  "You're not unaware of the cleanliness freak at home, if we really raise a cat, I'll be cleaning all day, and I'm afraid I won't even have time to sleep." She looked at Zheng Wei who still had an unwilling face and added another sentence, "Besides, I want kids now."

  Zheng Wei's eyes lit up as soon as she heard this, "Ruan Ruan, you've got another one?" She suddenly realized that her use of the word "another" was inappropriate and awkwardly chuckled twice.

  Ruan Ruan didn't say anything, just smiled bitterly, "No, not yet, I just hope to have a child. But we've been married for almost a year and haven't taken any precautions, yet there's still no news."

  Zheng Wei knew that she was afraid in her heart, so she comforted her, "It won't be like that, many people have gone through that and still became mothers normally, it's just temporary. You and Dr. Wu try a bit harder, you will definitely have one... by the way, is he anxious to have children?"

  Dr. Wu is no longer young and hopes to have a next generation which is also a normal requirement, no wonder Ruan Ruan is so anxious.

  Who would have thought that Ruan shook his head, "He doesn't mind, I asked him if he likes kids, he said he doesn't have a special yearning for them, but if there are any, of course, he will want them."

  "Then you can take your time, you're still so young, isn't it good to enjoy each other's company?"

  "A world of two?" Ruan Ruan burst out laughing, "His world is mostly on the operating table. So I want to have a child of my own, that's the only person in the world who will love me unconditionally and from birth."

  Zheng Wei didn't know what else to say, so he took the cat cage and said, "Since you want a child now, I can only temporarily take care of it. I'm already struggling to make ends meet myself, and I hope it won't starve to death. Don't worry too much either, sometimes we just scare ourselves, having children is also a matter of fate, when the time comes, it will come."

  Ruan Ruan smiled at her, "Really grown up, comforting people has become a set of skills, so grand and elegant, and it's actually quite enjoyable."

  "That's it." Zheng Wei smiled brightly with a bit of sunshine, "As long as I speak sweet words, who wouldn't follow me obediently?"

  "Does that include Chen Xiao Zheng now?" Ruan Ruan asked tentatively.

  Zheng Wei's face immediately turned cold, "I rarely talk to him."

  She sent Ruan away, and she alone carried the fat cat upstairs, which was really heavy. It was the first time she had seen a stray cat that was so fat. As soon as she opened the cage at home, the fat cat looked around with its eyes rolling, then slowly walked out, strolling around to take a look, sniffing and smelling, seemingly quite satisfied with this unfamiliar territory. After circling around, it lay down in the corner of the wall.

  Zheng Wei listened to Ruan Ruan say that she had already taken it for a preventive shot. Seeing it paralyzed on the ground, although it couldn't be called cute, it was quite interesting in a silly way. She walked over and patted its head, seeing that it didn't resist, and then lifted its ears. "From now on, you'll follow me." When she rubbed its belly, the fat cat's patience finally reached its limit. It raised its paw and scratched Zheng Wei, who immediately retracted her hand in pain. There was already a blood stain on her arm, and she was so scared that she didn't even bother to settle accounts with it. She hastily put her hand under the faucet to rinse it off, then applied alcohol and still wasn't reassured. Would her youth be ruined by this dead cat? The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She grabbed the keys and rushed out the door to get a rabies shot. In the end, she was still uneasy, so she stuffed that damned cat back into its cage. She had to take it to the pet hospital to check if it was carrying any terrible viruses.

  On the way back from the pet hospital, she listlessly carried the incredibly heavy "Mouse Treasure", which was the new name she had given to her fat cat. She also brought back some weight loss cat food recommended by the veterinarian. The doctor said that this cat was a purebred Chinese native tabby cat, also known as a purebred local cat. It was very healthy, about two years old, and had been spayed/neutered. All necessary vaccinations had been given, so it was unlikely to be a stray cat, but rather an abandoned or lost pet. If there was one problem with the cat, it was that it was over-nourished and overweight, which could lead to coronary heart disease. The doctor suggested that Zheng Wei, who had just become its owner, should take it out for exercise more often and feed it lower-calorie foods. As for the wound on her hand, she just needed to disinfect it and not worry about it.

  From that day on, Mouse Treasure officially invaded her life. It was lazy and spent most of its time lying on the ground, liked to eat but was very picky, refusing to eat anything other than Royal Cat Food, and requiring a fresh package every day. It didn't like it when people spoke loudly to it, but enjoyed being gently rubbed on the belly. After getting familiar with Zheng Wei, it would rub against her legs, but wouldn't allow itself to be held, and would struggle free after staying on her lap for just one minute.

  Others said that cats were elegant and mysterious animals, but Zheng Wei thought Mouse Treasure didn't possess any of these qualities. Its eyes were small due to its chubby cheeks, giving it a sly appearance. Although it was fat, it wasn't cute at all, instead exuding a cunning aura like a petty urbanite. It loved to hide behind Zheng Wei and sneak up on her when she wasn't paying attention, then run away with a mischievous glint in its eye.

  When Zheng Wei fed it, if there were two packages of fresh food in her hand, Mouse Treasure would absolutely refuse the one that had been opened and placed in its bowl. Instead, it would stare at the unopened package in her hand and meow loudly, displaying a typical small-minded mentality. It was enthusiastic about fighting and loved to bully the little sausage dog next door, but as soon as it saw the mixed-breed wolf dog upstairs, it would immediately slink away with its tail between its legs.

  On the surface, Mouse Treasure seemed to love cleanliness, refusing to use the litter box if it hadn't been changed in two days. However, it also hated taking baths. Zheng Wei attributed all these traits to the cat's dark and sinister psychology, like that of a eunuch. She was a carefree person who didn't bother with trivial matters as long as things were passable, so she and Mouse Treasure gradually learned to coexist in harmony.

  Sometimes, when Zheng Wei came home late from social events or overtime work, Mouse Treasure would be particularly unhappy, scattering cat litter everywhere and knocking over water. Zheng Wei felt sorry for it, realizing that it was also afraid of being alone. From then on, unless absolutely necessary, she made sure to return home early to keep it company.

  Ugly or not, fat or not, sinister or not, since Mouse Treasure had coincidentally appeared in her life, they might as well rely on each other for survival.

  In late September, there were two unexpected visitors to the office of Manager Er Fen. The visit of these two guests caused Zhou Qu to rush back after receiving a phone call while inspecting the construction site. Zheng Wei happened to be returning from an errand and coincidentally caught up with Zhou Qu seeing off the guests at the door.

  She heard Zhou Qu say, "Deputy Prosecutor Lin must give us some face and let us have the opportunity to invite you to dinner. It's rare for you to come over in person, and I didn't know about it beforehand, so I made you wait for a long time. It's really too embarrassing."

  The young prosecutor, in his prime years, smiled and said, "You are one of the largest enterprises within our jurisdiction. Normally, we should strengthen communication and exchange between us. Usually, it is Liang, the deputy director of our Anti-Corruption Bureau, who is responsible for contacting you. He has done a great job, but I have been busy with miscellaneous tasks, so this is my first visit today. Let's not eat lunch now, if there are any future work needs that trouble Manager Zhou, I hope you can understand and support us."

  Zhou Qu said, "What Deputy Prosecutor Lin said is just a formality. We have always operated in accordance with the law and are willing to cooperate with the procuratorate. It's just that we can't often invite you two over, so if you don't stay for dinner, I'll be truly disappointed."

  Another older prosecutor, Zheng Wei, had met a few times, whose surname was Liang, was the deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau under their municipal procuratorate. He was usually in charge of this area of work. Director Liang usually came over and didn't refuse the invitations from Zhou Qu's leadership team, but this time he politely declined when faced with his superior, and followed up by saying to Zhou Qu, "Manager Zhou, it's not that we don't appreciate the hospitality of your company, it's just that Deputy Prosecutor Lin is quite busy, maybe next time, next time there's an opportunity, let's get together again."

  Zheng Wei stood at the elevator entrance, neither retreating nor leaving directly. She saw Zhou Qu's seemingly polite but actually distant attitude towards Deputy Prosecutor Lin and couldn't help but reveal a hint of worry. So she took the initiative to say, "Deputy Lin, Director Liang, it's almost time for us to get off work now. No matter how busy our work is, we can't delay dinner. After all, one's body is the capital of revolution. We sincerely invite you to stay, if you don't want to give us face, it would seem that we are not hospitable enough."

  Lin looked at her for a moment, pretending to ignore the fleeting awkwardness. He smiled and turned to Zhou Qu, saying, "Manager Zhou, is this your secretary?"

  Zhou Qu nodded and introduced, "Right, this is my secretary Little Zheng, a young girl, her work is pretty good."

  Deputy Prosecutor Lin smiled and said, "No need for introductions, I have a lot of history with this little girl. Not only are we from the same hometown, but our parents also work in the same unit. You could say that I've watched her grow up. I've always heard that she works at Second Division, but this is the first time I've met her at your company. Isn't that right, Zheng Wei?"

  Zheng Wei could only nod.

  Zhou Qu's face suddenly lit up with joy, "I didn't know there was such a relationship. In that case, Vice-Inspector Lin should definitely join us for dinner, put aside work matters and not mention them, old friends meet again, we should also chat together, we don't have the face to invite you, only relying on Zheng Wei's good fortune."

  Director Liang burst out laughing, "I said Lin Deputy's hometown is indeed a place of outstanding people and talents. No wonder I thought this young girl was quite clever too. Lin Deputy, it's reasonable and justified that Manager Zhou should treat us to this meal."

  Lin Jing smiled and glanced at Zheng Wei, seeing her nodding sincerely. He then said to Zhou Qu, "Since that's the case, I'd be unreasonable if I refused again. It's better to obey than to decline."

  On the way to the hotel, Lin Jing and Liang Ju drove themselves, while Zheng Wei sat in Zhou Qu's car. Zhou Qu asked, "So you know Lin Jing, did he really grow up with you in the same compound?"

  Zheng Wei nodded, "Uh-huh, we used to be neighbors."

  Zhou Qu looked at her with a profound gaze, "I see he's quite friendly towards you, are you two familiar with each other in the past?"

  Zheng Wei was taken aback and immediately said, "When we were young, the two families still had some interactions, but he's four or five years older than me, and usually didn't play with us together. Later, he went abroad to study and it's been a long time since I've seen him. It's quite unexpected to run into him today, and it's rare that he still remembers me."

  Her words weren't entirely false, Lin Jing had always been a thoughtful child since he was young and didn't spend his days running wildly in the courtyard like those other kids. He wasn't close with any of the children around his age, except for Xiao Fei Long back then. However, at this moment, Zheng Wei didn't want to reveal her past with Lin Jing to anyone, not even Zhou Qu whom she had always admired. She didn't want to mix personal matters with work, especially since Lin Jing was now in their company with such a special identity, and she should be more cautious. If it weren't for seeing Zhou Qu's helplessness when he stayed behind as a guest, at that time she even thought of pretending not to recognize him to get past the situation, but she didn't know how Lin Jing would view her act of feigning ignorance. Seeing him effortlessly bring up their relationship with just a few light and casual words, every sentence was true yet had underlying meanings, she couldn't fathom his intentions.

  Zhou Qu drove the car, just like Zheng Wei, silent all the way. When they encountered a red light at an intersection, he suddenly said to Zheng Wei, "Today, it's all thanks to you that we were able to keep him here. You also know that these public security and procuratorate departments, if they're willing to give us some face and have dinner with us, then there might be room for discussion. But if they put on airs, it would actually be a bit troublesome. In the past, when Old Liang came over, it was always just a formality, and he wasn't difficult to deal with. However, today Lin Jing personally came to visit, saying it was just a coincidence that he was in the area, but I also couldn't guess what his true intentions were. He's younger than Old Liang, and his position is even higher than Old Liang's. His city governance is also deeper than Old Liang's, and he's also the leader of the procuratorate's economic crime division. Although I don't have any handles that he can grasp, in this sensitive period, who wouldn't be a little intimidated when they see someone from the procuratorate?"

  Zheng Wei thought for a moment before saying, "Leader, it's just like you said. If we don't give him any handle to grasp, do we still need to be on guard against him?"

  Zhou Qu sighed, "That state-owned enterprise doesn't have a few rotten apples. Zheng Wei, do you know that the special case of our China Construction's former general manager He Xushan was handled by Lin Jing? Of course, there were also people within our organization who stirred up trouble, but Lin Jing absolutely played a crucial role in He Xushan's downfall. He's not old, but he's definitely not simple."

  When the two of them arrived at the reserved private room, Deputy Manager Zhang, Secretary and Chen Xiao Zheng were already waiting there ahead of time. Not long after, Lin Jing and Lao Liang also walked in under the guidance of the service staff, Zhou Qu immediately stood up to introduce Lin Jing one by one, when introducing Chen Xiao Zheng, Zhou Qu said, "Deputy Inspector Lin, this young man is our youngest backbone among the two of us, currently my assistant, Chen Xiao Zheng. Assistant Chen, this is Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lin from our XX district."

  "Hello, Deputy Prosecutor Lin." Chen Xiao Zheng smiled and extended his hand.

  Lin Jing shook hands with him and said, "Hello, Assistant Chen. You should be a few years younger than me, indeed young and promising."

  "It's laughable to say that you're young and promising in front of Deputy Prosecutor Lin!" Chen Xiaozheng said with a smile.

  "There's no need to be polite, we're about the same age, you can call me Lin Jing."

  Lin Jing... Lin Jing!

  It's unknown whether Lin Jing noticed the slight tremble of the hand he had just let go of. Chen Xiao Zheng looked up to search for the prosecutor's eyes, and yes, he had always been puzzled - although they were meeting for the first time, why did he have an unforgettable sense of familiarity? How could he forget these eyes, confident and calm, with a hint of warmth in them when he was holding "his little dragon" in his arms in the photo? These eyes had once been the source of Chen Xiao Zheng's jealousy and loss in his midnight dreams, a kind of innate confidence that he yearned for but couldn't possess. If he also had this kind of self-confidence, would he be able to declare to the world without hesitation: "That is my little dragon, mine!"

  Zheng Wei stood behind them, watching as the two men's slightly prolonged handshake ended with sweat-soaked palms.

  The dishes were quickly served, Lin Jing was invited by Zhou Qu to the main guest seat, Zheng Wei accompanied at the end of the table, Chen Xiao Zheng modestly left the position close to the main table for Deputy Manager Zhang and sat beside Zheng Wei.

  Zhou Qu spoke, and everyone raised their glasses. After three rounds of drinks, several leaders had each toasted Lin Jing. Zhou Qu smiled and said, "To be honest, we're lucky to have Vice Inspector Lin here today. It's not because of our department's prestige, but because of Zheng Wei's connections. Zheng Wei, you should show some respect to Vice Inspector Lin. It's not easy to meet old friends in a foreign land, and it's even more rare that you two have known each other since childhood."

  Zheng Wei was still half asleep, and she had forgotten this rule today. Probably in her subconscious, she still couldn't bring herself to treat the person who had written "red" with one stroke as a noble guest of the company. She saw that her small wine cup was still empty, and hurriedly poured some wine. Lin Jing stopped her from afar, saying "You can just use soft drinks."

  "Ah," Zheng Wei said, and Deputy Manager Zhang immediately chimed in, "Zheng Wei, Vice Inspector Lin was just being polite, how could you really use drinks as a substitute?"

  Liang Bureau also smiled and said: "Lin Deputy, you don't know that this little old countryman's drinking capacity is quite good, I'm not necessarily her opponent."

  Lin quietly said, "I've always been against girls drinking, it's enough that they just attend."

  Zheng Wei was in a difficult position, and Zhou Qu helped her out of the predicament. "Since Deputy Inspector Lin has said so, you should just do as he says."

  Zheng Wei walked over and clinked glasses with Lin Jing, "Deputy Inspector Lin, I toast you."

  He raised his eyebrows and smiled at the people present, "The little girl has grown up. In the past, she used to follow me around calling me 'Lin Jiege' (Brother Lin), now she calls me 'Lin Fuxian' (Deputy Director Lin)." Everyone laughed, Chen Xiaozheng also smiled and said, "Yes, Secretary Zheng, everyone knows you have a history with Deputy Director Lin, being too polite is insincere."

  Zheng Wei lowered her head and took a sip of her drink, hastily returning to her seat. She truly hoped that this dinner party would end as soon as possible, every second was torture.

  The drinking culture of the Chinese is really strange, once they sit down at the table, it seems like if a few people don't get drunk, it can't be considered a successful and joyful gathering. No wonder people say, "You're tipsy, I'm tipsy, everyone's just right for signing contracts." Zhou Qu and his group of people took turns raising their glasses to toast Lin Jing and the others, each person having several cups, they drank until they were satisfied, after not too long, Liang Director was already completely red-faced, calling Zhang Deputy Manager "brother" and speaking loudly, without any of the half-point of reserve he had when he arrived. Lin Jing didn't drink less than Liang Director, her face also had a slight flush, but at least she was clear-headed and calm in conversation. Zheng Wei didn't know what his capacity for liquor was, when they were young, they often ate together, he never touched a drop of alcohol, too many things, were learned after they left each other's side.

  Secretary Fang raised his glass to toast Lin Jing for the third time. Just as Lin Jing had taken a sip of tea, Chen Xiao Zheng stood up again with the wine jug in hand, "My turn to toast Vice-Inspector Lin. I hope you can give me more guidance in our future work." The jug contained 56-degree liquor, at least half a catty (about 300 grams) was left inside. Lin Jing's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

  "What's this, although we're not old friends, Lin Deputy Inspector's face can't be sold to Secretary Zheng alone, some should be shared with us too." Chen Xiaozheng said half-jokingly, and the deputy managers nodded in agreement.

  Lin Jing took another sip of tea and didn't say anything. He just poured more wine into his cup, making it equal to the amount in front of him. "No need for guidance, we can learn from each other."

  Zheng Wei glanced at Chen Xiao Zheng, Lin Jing had just drunk three cups, and hadn't even caught his breath. What was the point of being bitter and forcing each other at this time?

  However, Chen Xiao's face was expressionless and he didn't look at her.

  Lin Jing raised his cup, and the wrinkles between his eyebrows deepened. Zheng Wei couldn't help but think of his stomach, which had never been good since childhood. In her anxiety, she didn't care about so much, and before her brain could react, she stood up to stop him, "But drink slowly, why rush?"

  Chen Xiao Zheng looked at her with a hint of a smile, "Indeed, the bond between us who grew up together is strong. Where did Lin Deputy Inspector's capacity for liquor go? Why are you being so painstakingly protective?"

  Zheng Wei bit her lip, feeling sad about his words, but more so, she was annoyed that they didn't see eye to eye. Since he had said it like that, she would deliberately make a show of protecting him, and smiled, revealing her teeth, "Since we're talking about the bond of growing up together, then I'll drink this cup of wine for Vice Inspector Lin instead, what's the big deal?"

  She filled her glass to the brim, clinked it against Chen Xiao Zheng's without a word, and downed it in one gulp. She drank too quickly, choking on the liquid, her face flushing bright red as she turned away to cough violently.

  Chen Xiao Zheng's regret and remorse slowly consumed him, but he forced himself to appear nonchalant, his hand hastily reaching for the napkins on the table. However, Lin Jing immediately stood up and walked over, patting Zheng Wei's back, saying "I'm not one who can't hold my liquor either."

  From the moment Lin Jing stood up, Chen Xiao Zheng's hand holding the napkin froze on the tabletop, the napkin quietly crumpled into a ball in his palm, unseen by anyone.

  Zheng Wei coughed slowly after Lin Jing's gentle pat, and said in a low voice, "No need, you go back and sit." Most people watched this scene with great significance, only Zhou Qu looked on coldly, not saying a word.

  When it was time to leave, everyone sent each other off until they reached the hotel entrance. Except for Zheng Wei, everyone else had driven their own cars over. Only Chen Xiao Zheng lived in the same company compound as her. Zhou Qu said, "Assistant Chen, why don't you take responsibility for sending Zheng Wei back? Be careful on the road."

  "Sorry, Manager Zhou, we have something to attend to later and need to rush off. I'm not sure how far Vice Inspector Lin's place is, would you mind giving Secretary Zheng a ride?"

  Zheng gave him a cold glance, with a smile on his face.

  "Of course no problem, Zheng Wei, then let's go, see you all later."

  After everyone got on their respective cars and left, Zheng Wei shook her head and said to Lin Jing, "You've had a lot to drink, I'll just take a taxi."

  He took her hand without saying a word and walked towards his car.