Seeing Zhuang Ming nodding in agreement, Zhaozhao took his hand and walked outside.
The orange cat named Caitou was lying obediently in Zhuang Ming's arms, lazily raising its eyes to look at Zhaozhao from time to time. But when there was a gust of wind around, it would warily prick up its ears, assume a defensive posture, and tightly clutch Zhuang Ming's sleeve with its claws.
It was a very spiritual cat.
"Where did you get your cat? It seems very smart," Zhaozhao said, holding Zhuang Ming's hand. She could feel that Zhuang Ming was a bit nervous, so she deliberately found a topic to talk to him.
Zhuang Ming looked down at the cat in his arms and squinted his eyes with a smile. "I picked up Caitou. It was homeless like me, so I made it my family."
He looked up at Zhaozhao with such a clean look in his eyes that it made Zhaozhao feel a bit sad.
He was such a sensible kid. Why did his father beat him and let him live outside in such a cold winter?
Inevitably, Zhaozhao thought of A Man from Posa Village. A Man also had parents and even grandparents, but she finally died in Zhaozhao's arms.
The world was not as her senior brother had described. A child's parents might not necessarily love them, she thought.
It wasn't too far from the greenhouse to the exit of the villa community. The closer they got to the community gate, the more tense Zhuang Ming became. The palm of his hand holding Zhaozhao's was sweating.
He looked up at Zhaozhao uneasily, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Zhaozhao bent down and stroked his head. At this moment, she really looked like an adult.
"Don't be afraid. I'll take you out. It'll be okay."
"Okay!" Zhuang Ming licked his dry lips and tried to put on a relaxed expression.
The security guard at the gate recognized Zhuang Ming. His expression paused slightly, but the next moment his eyes fell on the hands that Zhuang Ming and Zhaozhao were holding, and he sighed.
The security guard averted his eyes, pretending not to see anything and not to care. He just lowered his head to look at a stack of name lists on the table in front of him.
"Let's go."
Zhuang Ming followed Zhaozhao's steps one by one. There were fine beads of sweat on his forehead, whether it was due to nervousness or something else.
One step, two steps, three steps... Nothing happened. Nothing happened until his left leg successfully stepped over the line marking the boundary of the community gate.
Maybe this time he could really succeed. Zhuang Ming couldn't help but start to have expectations in his heart. What if he could really get out this time?
He didn't need his father's permission, nor did he need his step - mother by his side. He could just leave this cage, this sad place freely and safely on his own.
A drop of sweat on his forehead fell on Caitou in his arms, wetting a small spot on the cat's orange fur.
It looked up sensitively, and when it found it was because of its little partner, it quickly licked its paw and lay down again peacefully.
On the ninety - seventh step, Zhuang Ming successfully stepped out his right leg.
This feeling was so unreal. Zhuang Ming was stunned for a moment and suddenly stopped, looking at his own legs in disbelief.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Zhaozhao noticed that Zhuang Ming had stopped. She thought something had happened to him, so she also stopped and looked at him.
"Sister..." Zhuang Ming moved his legs. "I'm out. I'm out!"
His voice sounded so excited that it made Zhaozhao smile too. "Yes, you're out."
Actually, Zhaozhao didn't quite understand Zhuang Ming's excitement. She didn't think much about Zhuang Ming's words "I can't get out". After all, the first time she saw Zhuang Ming was in that high - class club which was who - knows - how - far away from the community.
If Zhuang Ming couldn't leave this community, she couldn't have met him there.
The phone in her pocket rang. Zhaozhao guessed it should be Taotie calling to ask her when she would go back to start the live - broadcast.
She took it out and, sure enough, it was a call from home.
However, just as Zhaozhao was about to answer the call to reply to Taotie, Caitou in Zhuang Ming's arms suddenly let out a sharp meow and fell to the ground.
Along with the sharp meow were Zhuang Ming's rapid gasps and his small figure kneeling on the ground uncontrollably.
"Zhuang Ming! What's wrong with you, Zhuang Ming?"
There was no time to answer the call. Zhaozhao panicked and hugged Zhuang Ming in her arms, constantly asking.
Zhuang Ming couldn't speak. He just gasped for breath, looking as if he was about to run out of air.
"Don't be afraid. I'll take you home. I'll save you." They were outside the community. The security guard had gone into the security booth after watching them leave. There were a few pedestrians passing by on the road. Zhaozhao couldn't use magic here. She could only quickly find a deserted place.
Zhaozhao picked up Zhuang Ming and was about to walk out. Some passers - by saw that something was wrong and came forward to ask if she needed help. The situation was a bit chaotic. Zhaozhao shook her head and explained that she didn't need it.
But Caitou bit tightly on Zhaozhao's trouser leg and wouldn't let her go. It kept trying to drag her back into the community.
"Caitou, what are you doing? Let go of me quickly. Zhuang Ming is feeling very uncomfortable now." Zhuang Ming started to roll his eyes, and his face had turned bluish - purple. Zhaozhao reached out impatiently to pull Caitou away.
"Meow! Meow meow meow! Meow!" Caitou refused to let go. Even after Zhaozhao had pried open its mouth, its claws still tightly hugged Zhaozhao's calf.
"Let go. You..." A thought suddenly flashed through Zhaozhao's mind. She remembered what Zhuang Ming had said about not being able to get out. Could it be true?
For some reason, would he die if he left here?
"You want me to take him back, don't you?" Although it seemed that she was asking Caitou, Zhaozhao's steps had involuntarily moved towards the villa area.
Seeing her carrying Zhuang Ming back the same way, Caitou finally let go of the claws that were holding Zhaozhao and followed them back to the greenhouse.
Strangely enough, as soon as Zhaozhao carried Zhuang Ming across the boundary line of the community, Zhuang Ming's rapid gasps gradually eased.
His complexion was getting better, his breathing was becoming smoother, and his rolling eyes returned to normal, but they still looked unfocused.
Zhaozhao laid him down on the old cotton - padded quilt, raised her hand and made a spell gesture, trying to input magical power into Zhuang Ming to treat him.
The greenish - blue spiritual power seemed to carry endless vitality. It entered Zhuang Ming's body and infused him with energy.
Zhuang Ming finally returned to normal. He looked at Zhaozhao without saying a word, just in a daze.
"How are you? Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Zhaozhao looked at him worriedly and kept asking with concern.
"I've seen this before."
"What?"
Zhuang Ming was saying something that didn't make much sense. A line of clear tears flowed from his big eyes, and then he stubbornly wiped them away.
Outside the greenhouse, there came a puzzled voice from a worker. "Strange. Why are these trees sprouting in the middle of winter?"