Chapter 436

Although I knew Zhuo Xiao Mao was acting a bit off today, with his young age he looked burdened with worries, Zheng Tan never expected it to be something like this.

Speaking of which, he really had gone a while without paying attention to Zhuo Xiao Mao and Xiao Zhuo, after all Zhuo Xiao Mao wasn't like Xiao Youzi back then—Xiao Zhuo would come pick him up whenever he had free time, and if Xiao Zhuo couldn't come, Xiao Zhuo's former junior schoolmates would help out.

Now Xiao Zhuo already works as a teacher among the physics staff, and Zhuo Xiao Mao, after school, if he doesn't go home, he goes to the Physics Institute—anyway, the people there have long known Zhuo Xiao Mao, after all, this little guy has Foye backing him up, so even some stern-faced teachers will crack a rare smile when they see Zhuo Xiao Mao. Zhuo Xiao Mao going there, though it can't be said he's swaggering about, it's pretty close. Plus, Zhuo Xiao Mao is small but shrewd, with lots of little thoughts, very clever; precisely because of that, Zheng Tan has never really worried about him.

But now, hearing this, Zheng Tan doesn't know how to respond.

Is this supposed to be good news or a worry?

When Zhuo Xiao Mao wasn't even born yet, his biological father abandoned them and ran off; the "father" entry on his household register is fake—either that or it lists him as a martyr, a protective measure Xiao Zhuo secured. No matter how you say it, Zhuo Xiao Mao has grown up without a father around, and his mother was away for several years before returning; Zheng Tan even worried he might feel hurt like other kids, but in fact this kid has always had a good mindset, so Zheng Tan assumed he didn't care about it, yet now it seems impossible for him not to care.

Based on what Zhuo Xiao Mao just said, could it be that Xiao Zhuo has finally found a partner? Foye used to introduce him to many people, but nothing ever came of it—now this suggests there's been progress?

Zheng Tan looked at Zhuo Xiao Mao; this kid, after finishing his mutton skewers, tilted his head back to gaze at the sky. After saying those words, Zhuo Xiao Mao glanced at the two bamboo skewers left in his hand from the eaten meat, jumped off the chair, walked over to a nearby trash can to throw them away, then came back and continued sitting. He showed no intention of leaving.

Zheng Tan couldn't speak either; it was impossible to communicate with him.

Or else, later I could sneak a look to see what kind of person that is.

"Hei Ge." Zhuo Xiao Mao looked at Zheng Tan and said.

Zheng Tan looked at him, raised his chin to indicate he was listening. Continue.

"I'm telling you."

Zheng Tan: "……"

Zhuo Xiao Mao said that, and then he talked for an hour.

That person is Yue Cheng. He's a new teacher at the Physics Institute this year, and also a professor; Xiao Zhuo hasn't formally introduced him to Zhuo Xiao Mao. Zhuo Xiao Mao has seen him a few times at the Physics Institute, and when Xiao Zhuo isn't around, Xiao Zhuo's junior schoolmates joke to Zhuo Xiao Mao that Yue Cheng might become Zhuo Xiao Mao's dad, and Zhuo Xiao Mao, after observing, thinks it's indeed quite possible. Foye also approves of them, and people at the Physics Institute who are close to Xiao Zhuo jokingly suggest a "Zhuo-Yue" pairing, which sounds like a great match.

Anyone would have thoughts about this situation, let alone Zhuo Xiao Mao, who is more worldly than his peers. As for this stranger who might become family, saying he rejects it isn't absolute, saying he accepts it isn't either—suddenly having this person added makes him somewhat reluctant, with an unease about his life rhythm being changed.

Zheng Tan hasn't met Yue Cheng, but since Foye supports him, the other's character should be decent; it's just unclear what Yue Cheng thinks of Zhuo Xiao Mao, and Xiao Zhuo hasn't spoken up yet—probably he's just considering Zhuo Xiao Mao's feelings.

After sharing his little thoughts, Zhuo Xiao Mao's mood improved considerably; his backpack phone rang—it was Xiao Zhuo calling.

Xiao Zhuo called the gatekeeper at Xiqu Dayuan, found that Zhuo Xiao Mao hadn't returned home yet, and so called him directly.

"I treated Hei Ge to mutton skewers, I'll head back soon……uh……okay, Mom, goodbye." In a well-behaved tone, after Zhuo Xiao Mao finished the call, before he even put the phone back in his backpack, he switched to a troubled expression and said to Zheng Tan: "Hei Ge, I heard that person's voice again—he's right beside Mom. Hei Ge, am I really going to have another dad?"

Getting worked up like this is useless; we can only take things one step at a time. All Zheng Tan can do is go see what kind of person the other is—if he's two-faced, putting on one act in person and another behind the scenes, Zheng Tan will definitely intervene; if the person is decent, Zheng Tan doesn't plan to get involved.

After seeing Zhuo Xiao Mao to his doorstep, Zheng Tan then came out, and didn't head straight home; it's still before six, so he plans to go check out the Physics Institute.

Some people at the Physics Institute know Zheng Tan, especially the graduate students Foye has supervised; they're fairly familiar with Zheng Tan, and after seeing him they called out, but Zheng Tan ignored them, hopping onto a tree in front of the Physics Institute's gate to crouch. Xiao Zhuo and Zhuo Xiao Mao were still on campus when they made their phone call, saying they'd be back in half an hour; from the call to now it hasn't even been half an hour, so Zheng Tan waits here, sure to run into someone.

Sure enough, before long Zheng Tan saw Xiao Zhuo come out, and beside her wasn't the usual few young female teachers or students she hangs out with, but a man who looks to be in his early forties, not tall—about 1.7 meters plus a bit, not much taller than Xiao Zhuo, not particularly good-looking but not ugly either, just passable, rather ordinary; however, his whole demeanor gives off a slight sickly vibe, not obvious but still noticeable.

Someone like that……

How did Xiao Zhuo take a liking to him? How did Foye agree?

Zheng Tan recalled Zhuo Xiao Mao's biological father, shook his head—he couldn't remember. But no matter what, this guy is just too ordinary, right? Could it be personal charisma? A professor title, plus all those honors, that should add quite a halo.

Watching the two walk to the Physics Institute's parking lot, after a while Xiao Zhuo rode out on an electric scooter, and the man also rode an electric scooter.

Zheng Tan stared. Holy crap, they don't even have a four-wheeled vehicle?!

Zheng Tan had visited the Physics Institute's parking lot before; there are plenty of cars worth hundreds of thousands, even millions, especially those professors aged forty or fifty who have a say in the institute—basically everyone has a car, and even if it's not a luxury model, an economical four-door sedan is basically standard equipment, right?

Both rode slowly, and Zheng Tan followed behind. It wasn't until a fork in the road that they split—one headed back to Xiqu Dayuan, the other toward the main gate.

Zheng Tan crouched in the bushes, pondering Xiao Zhuo's earlier expression; she seemed quite pleased, her smile not perfunctory but tinged with shyness.

Over the next few days, Zheng Tan went to the Physics Institute every day to loiter, and he also heard plenty of gossip about Xiao Zhuo and Yue Cheng. At the school— not just students, teachers are also big gossips; sometimes you can see two people over fifty standing by the lawn in front of the institute gates, tea cups in hand, chatting, and eventually they bring up Xiao Zhuo.

After hearing all that gossip, Zheng Tan finally learned that Yue Cheng is actually only about thirty-five or thirty-six. He had been married once, but divorced early because he was always busy with experiments and had no time for his wife. He also had no children. After the divorce he never dated again, and his health isn't great now—he just recovered from a period of rest; previously he worked at the National Academy of Sciences, then went abroad and met Xiao Zhuo, after which they got to know each other, with Yue Cheng returning to China a year after Xiao Zhuo did; now, for Xiao Zhuo's sake, Yue Cheng has come to Chu Hua University.

"I heard they've been colleagues the whole time they were abroad," one person said.

"Really? No wonder they look so familiar, not at all like they just met," another exclaimed.

Zheng Tan pondered in the nearby tree, wondering when Xiao Zhuo went abroad for how many years; thinking it over, he suddenly startled—after Xiao Zhuo joined that project, the years he was away, Foye's excuse had been overseas research for something. Could Yue Cheng also be a member of that project?

Thinking that way also explains why Yue Cheng, though only in his thirties, looks like he's in his early forties and even has that sickly air—just like Xiao Zhuo did when he first came back.

If that's the reason, Zheng Tan thinks Yue Cheng is actually not bad—anyone the state selects for such a project is definitely elite among elites.

Zheng Tan observed for a few more days and didn't see Yue Cheng doing anything too outrageous; when the Physics Institute's teachers and students gossiped, they never mentioned any negative news about him, and Zheng Tan reckoned it's best to stay out of it.

But just as Zheng Tan was deciding to stay out of it, Zhuo Xiao Mao called the Jiaos, saying he'd like to invite Zheng Tan over for a meal tomorrow. The Jiaos often invite Zheng Tan to eat, and the family's already used to it—Jiao Ba and Jiao Ma had no particular reaction—but Zheng Tan figured this meal must be related to Yue Cheng.

The next day, when Zheng Tan arrived, Xiao Zhuo, wearing an apron, came to open the door.

"Hei Tan, come in quick, grab whatever you want to eat—Zhuo Xiao Mao's out on the balcony." Saying that, Xiao Zhuo hurried off to the kitchen; the dishes were still in the pot.

Since it was the weekend, Zhuo Xiao Mao didn't go to school, Xiao Zhuo also temporarily set aside his institute duties, and Yue Cheng apparently did the same.

The house has two balconies; one is off the master bedroom, overlooking the large leisure area of the compound, with a broad view, while the other balcony is small—normally Xiao Zhuo uses it just to hang laundry, rarely going there, and there's no scenery to speak of, just the opposite building; Zhuo Xiao Mao normally doesn't come here.

But now, Zhuo Xiao Mao and Yue Cheng are both here.

When Zheng Tan walked onto the balcony, Zhuo Xiao Mao was busy, wearing little gloves, with Yue Cheng's help, setting up a mechanical frame—its height exceeded the railing, and the mechanical arm extending outward had two grooves.

Seeing Zheng Tan, Zhuo Xiao Mao waved, "Hei Ge, come over—I was looking at the Chinese textbook of a fourth grader next door yesterday, and it said two iron balls fall at the same time; I'm preparing to do an experiment."

Zheng Tan wasn't interested—what's the point of making such a complicated fuss over this lame experiment?

No interest is no interest, but since Zhuo Xiao Mao said so, Zheng Tan didn't know what to do, so he just crouched nearby to watch the two busy at work.

Below this side is all lawn; the mechanical frame extends outward far enough that it won't hit the concrete edge of the building, and it sticks out from the balcony's location, so no one downstairs sticking their head out will get hit.

After the frame was assembled and the timer and a few other things Zheng Tan didn't know the use of were installed, Yue Cheng looked around, saw no one nearby downstairs, and nodded.

After seeing it, Zhuo Xiao Mao pressed the button on the remote in his hand, the grooves on the mechanical arm opened, and the large and small iron balls inside dropped.

The sound of the balls hitting the ground rang out below, but the first thing Zhuo Xiao Mao looked at was the timer; then he grabbed paper and pen and began writing and drawing.

Yue Cheng also had the paper and pen Zhuo Xiao Mao handed him, but he didn't write a bunch of formulas like Zhuo Xiao Mao did; instead, after a pause, he simply wrote down a number, then watched Zhuo Xiao Mao calculate.

"Your formula is wrong." Yue Cheng pointed at the formula Zhuo Xiao Mao had written on his paper and said.

"Huh?!" Zhuo Xiao Mao flushed with indignation, basically saying, "If you can't give a reasonable explanation, I'm going to tattle to Mom."

Yue Cheng didn't mind Zhuo Xiao Mao's angry glare, chuckled, picked up the paper and pen in his hand, and said to Zhuo Xiao Mao, "You're looking at an old book, right? Let me walk you through the derivation…"

Zheng Tan: "……" What the hell are you two talking about? I can't understand a damn thing! Weren't we just talking about two iron balls falling at the same time? Now you're calculating something else? Why are you bringing up height and classical physics? Free fall, my ass! Mechanical motion, you damn old man! Formula derivation, you damn old man's ass!

Zheng Tan's whiskers twitched, twitched again, twitched and twitched again. Still, he turned and went inside. There his intellect was suppressed, his self‑esteem bruised, so he might as well just watch TV.

When they went downstairs to pick up things, Zhuo Xiao Mao called Zheng Tan to come along. Yue Cheng followed behind and went down together. While going downstairs, Zhuo Xiao Mao kept introducing Zheng Tan to Yue Cheng. Yue Cheng listened with a constant chuckle, showing no impatience at all.

Although the ground below was grass, Zhuo Xiao Mao later tumbled about, experiencing both free fall and projectile motion. There were too many things thrown down, and some still rolled far away. After finally gathering everything, Zhuo Xiao Mao put it all into his little box, which also contained Yue Cheng's two rather special little magnetic beads that Zhuo Xiao Mao had long coveted.

Yue Cheng reached out to help Zhuo Xiao Mao carry things, but Zhuo Xiao Mao, on his short little legs, hurried a few steps holding the box, shouting, "No, no!"

Before Zhuo Xiao Mao had gone far, Yue Cheng quickly stepped forward, hooked his arm, and scooped Zhuo Xiao Mao up, swinging him in a circle in midair.

Zhuo Xiao Mao, clutching the box tightly, screamed.

Children also like to scream, but unlike older kids and adults, their screaming doesn't necessarily mean they are frightened or panicked; it shows they are excited and happy.

Zheng Tan had never heard Zhuo Xiao Mao scream like that before; this child usually acted more mature than his peers, and even though he was young in class, he often handled situations more steadily than others. He seemed out of place, not like a little kid. But now, Zheng Tan felt for the first time that this child was really just a little brat.

"And Hei Ge, Hei Ge!"

Hearing Zhuo Xiao Mao's shout, Zheng Tan, who was thinking about something, was about to look over when he realized he himself had been scooped up.

Yue Cheng scooped up Zhuo Xiao Mao with one hand and Zheng Tan with the other, saying, "Come on, let's go up and eat!"

The meal was fairly harmonious; Zhuo Xiao Mao quickly got along with Yue Cheng, without the earlier awkwardness, and Zheng Tan felt happy for the child in his heart.

A week later, Yue Cheng proposed to Xiao Zhuo; the proposal box contained a ring and a small gold medal.

Each small gold medal proves its owner's contribution to the country and also signifies that they possess a privilege others lack, belonging to a specially protected class of people.

Xiao Zhuo placed the two gold medals together.

With the double gold medal protection, Zhuo Xiao Mao's protective umbrella gained another layer.

In the warm spring when flowers bloomed, everything seemed to begin exuding vitality. The bell rang for the end of class at the attached elementary school, and a group of children with backpacks surged outward.

Zheng Tan crouched in a tree watching the little brats run out; Zhuo Xiao Mao was among them, but Xiao Zhuo and Yue Cheng didn't come to pick him up, and a graduate student took Zhuo Xiao Mao toward the physics department.

Zhuo Xiao Mao looked very excited; today he could enter the lab to observe an experiment, and along the way he asked many related questions, which the graduate student patiently answered.

When he looked up at the flowers on the tree, Zhuo Xiao Mao saw Zheng Tan crouched on a branch, and his smile widened even more.

"Hei Ge, Hei Ge!" Zhuo Xiao Mao waved.

Zheng Tan hesitated a moment, jumped down from the tree, and looked to see what the child wanted to say.

Who knew that the next thing Zhuo Xiao Mao would blurt out was: "Let me tell you…"

Zheng Tan turned and ran. (To be continued…)

ps: Yesterday in the chapter's afterword I mentioned the conclusion, never expecting so many people to post in the book review section. I'm glad everyone likes Returning Cat, and I thank all the readers who have consistently supported Returning Cat. It will definitely conclude; it's been a year, and for this book that's long enough—this subject can't be too long, or it'll become filler, and with this year's harmonious atmosphere, even Chen Ci doesn't dare write certain things. Moreover, in the remaining days, I hope everyone will continue to accompany Returning Cat to the end.