Tan Ya, exasperated by her disobedient son, finally left. But before she did, she snatched Cen Nian up again and held out her phone. “Baby, look at the camera.”
With a click, a photo was taken of the beautiful little kitten looking completely dazed and adorable.
As she edited her WeChat Moments post, Tan Ya kept praising him. “Our baby is so beautiful, not like a certain wooden block,” she said, glancing at Yu Shen with exasperation.
Cen Nian watched as Tan Ya typed on her phone: Our family’s newest member, a little b,
She paused, then deleted the ‘b’ and retyped “little cutie” instead.
Cen Nian was once again moved to tears. From now on, you are my real mom.
After Tan Ya left, Cen Nian went off to play by himself. Yu Shen didn’t bother him and went to the study to attend to his own business.
Cen Nian played for a while, and once he noticed no one was around, he sneakily dragged a throw pillow off the sofa. Biting down on the pillow, which was much larger than him, he struggled to pull it into a secluded corner.
After hiding it, he pricked up his ears to listen for any movement. Once he was sure it was safe, he used his little paws to claw at the pillow’s zipper. After a few tries, he realized he had to use his mouth, tugging the zipper open bit by bit. Exhausted, he flopped onto the floor to rest for a long time.
After unzipping the inner lining, Cen Nian used his tiny paws to pull out the mottled white stuffing. He tried to set it on the floor, but the fluff kept clinging to his claws. With no other choice, he had to use his other paw to scrape it down.
Cen Nian’s patience was being tested.
His little paws scratched and clawed furiously, yet the cotton remained completely unscathed.
The little kitten narrowed his eyes and let out a series of angry, low meows. After twenty minutes of hard work, he finally felt he’d gathered enough. He zipped the cushion back up and, after confirming the coast was clear, wiggled his little bottom to drag the cushion back to the side of the sofa.
Cen Nian gazed smugly at his masterpiece. This was a perfect crime; he was sure no one would ever find out.
He trotted back on his short legs, snatched the pile of cotton he’d managed to extract, and ran into the courtyard. He called out to his friend in the tree, “I brought you some nesting material! It’s soft, warm cotton.”
He tilted his round little head back proudly.
In the study, Yu Shen heard the kitten’s calls and walked to the window. He froze for a moment at the sight of the cat, thinking it had somehow bitten into a piece of cotton candy. Just then, the bird he’d seen playing with the kitten earlier flew down.
They chirped and meowed, seemingly engaged in a deep conversation.
Yu Shen watched with keen interest.
“You actually brought me something?” The sparrow looked at the pile of cotton, then at the silly, sweet little cat. It never would have guessed that the ice-cold human was the one who’d raised it.
“Of course I did. I said I would,” Cen Nian replied. “Is it enough? If not, I’ll go steal… I mean, go get you some more.” He quickly corrected himself, not wanting to lose face in front of his friend.
“It’s enough, thanks, little one,” the sparrow said, patting the cat’s head with a wing. Then it asked, “Do you cats eat bugs? I’ve got some fresh ones.”
Cen Nian, who was terrified of bugs, puffed up his fur in alarm. “No, thank you! I don’t eat them, really, I don’t! Listen, I wanted to ask… can you tell me what kind of bad things my owner has done?”
The sparrow’s conscience told it to stop teasing the cat. But those innocent, wide blue eyes seemed to be practically begging, Come on, tease me some more!
Just a little longer, the sparrow thought. I’ll tease him a bit more, then tell him the truth.
“Alright, come closer. I’ll tell you everything.”
The two of them retreated into the shadows of the trees, out of Yu Shen’s line of sight. Yu Shen’s expression turned thoughtful as he took out his phone and searched: Can animals of different species communicate without barriers?
Cen Nian leaned against the tree trunk and sat down, her little tail still curled up to cover her “little chili pepper.” The sparrow landed beside her, its black-bead eyes twinkling mischievously. “That day, the sun shone brightly, and the night was dark and windy…”
A small cat paw swatted the sparrow’s foot. “Wait a minute. How can it be both sunny and a dark, windy night? You’re asking too much of the heavens.”
The sparrow coughed awkwardly. “I mean, it was clearly sunny during the day. But when night fell, it suddenly became dark and windy, revealing a sinister atmosphere.”
Luckily, it was a smooth talker. It flapped a wing to cover Cen Nian’s mouth. “Don’t interrupt the story.”
Cen Nian blinked obediently.
“That night, I was sleeping soundly when a strange sound suddenly came from the floor-to-ceiling window. Curious, I poked my head out to look and saw your owner dragging a suitcase into the yard. Then, he started digging a hole right here in this yard…”
The black-bead eyes glared at the trembling little cat. “Yes, right where you’re sitting.”
Cen Nian leaped into the air, reaching her highest jump in history. The timid cat scrambled from the shadows into the sunlight, staring warily at the tree roots with her whiskers standing straight up in alarm.
Seeing such an amusing reaction, the sparrow found it impossible to stop. It wanted to tease the little one even more.
“Your owner kept digging and digging for over an hour, carving out a huge pit in this spot. Then, he opened that mysterious suitcase.”
Cen Nian swallowed hard. “Wh-wh-what was inside the suitcase?”
The sparrow suddenly spread its wings and flapped them. “It was a chopped-up human body!”
Cen Nian’s pupils dilated even further. After two seconds of complete stillness, he fell straight backward.
The sparrow panicked. “Little one, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Cen Nian, who had just landed on the grass, suddenly remembered that there were corpses buried beneath him. He shot up like a spring, completely ignoring the sparrow that had flown over to check on him. He bolted into the house at top speed, darting straight under the sofa to hide.
His heart hammered in his chest, racing so fast it nearly overwhelmed his small body, causing a sharp pain. A mask of agony settled on the kitten’s face.
The sparrow circled outside. It couldn’t go in and couldn’t see where Cen Nian was. Its chicks were chirping for it, so it had no choice but to head back.
Next time I see the little one, it thought, I’ll definitely explain everything clearly and stop teasing him.
Cen Nian huddled miserably under the sofa, tears dripping patter-patter. My taste in men is absolutely terrible, he thought. How did I end up with a murderer?
Waaaah…
Is there any point in living like this?
No, there isn’t…
He would become a stray kitten, get all dirty and scruffy, and once he couldn’t find enough food, he’d grow skin and bones, no longer cute at all. He’d get sick, and then no one would want him. He would starve, die of disease, freeze to death, or be bullied to death by wild dogs.
The more Cen Nian thought about it, the sadder he became. He buried his face in his little paws and sobbed uncontrollably.
When Yu Shen came downstairs and didn’t see the kitten, he heard crying. Following the sound, he walked over to the sofa and glanced at the cushion. He was somewhat surprised; how could such a clumsy kitten manage to tear out the stuffing from there?
He crouched down, placed his hand under the sofa, and patted the floor. “Come out.”
Seeing him now made Cen Nian even more terrified. His mind was filled with a single thought: Don’t come over here!
Yu Shen called out twice, but the little dummy didn’t emerge. Instead, the crying only grew louder.
Cen Nian watched through tear-filled eyes as the hand withdrew. Just as he let out a sigh of relief, his vision suddenly brightened, and the pressure on his head vanished. He looked up blankly, stunned; Yu Shen, this “wild man,” had actually lifted the entire sofa.
His dark eyes stared at him. “Come out.”
Though his tone was no different from usual, Cen Nian felt he was scolding him. He cried even more aggrievedly, yet didn’t dare to defy him, fearing he would be buried alive that very night. He trembled as he shuffled out, sobbing all the while.
Mew mew… (I misjudged you. I shouldn’t have followed you back then. With this body, I can’t even dig up wild vegetables. Mew mew…)
Yu Shen had no idea what was wrong with him. He first picked up the shivering little creature, whose entire cat face was soaked with tears, making him look like the most pitiful being in the world.
He gently stroked the cat’s head.
“Stop crying.”
“Mew…”
Yu Shen carried Cen Nian to the kitchen and warmed up some goat milk powder. He placed the food bowl in front of Cen Nian’s mouth, trying to stop the kitten’s tears with a gourmet treat.
Mew, (I won’t have any more milk after this. It’s hard to go from luxury to frugality. My life is so miserable.)
Seeing that the little dummy remained unmoved, Yu Shen put down the food bowl, carried Cen Nian back to the sofa, and opened his phone to find various videos of kittens for him to watch.
Cen Nian had indeed been crying for a long time and was feeling a bit tired. Gradually, his attention was drawn to the videos of adorable kittens, though he still sniffled occasionally, his little nose twitching.
The videos automatically played one after another. Seeing that the little dummy had finally stopped crying, Yu Shen silently made a note: The little dummy likes watching videos.
Just then, a video of a real cat suddenly appeared, and it was quite daring, filmed from a very peculiar angle.
Cen Nian blinked, but before he could get a good look, the video was swiftly swiped away. Yu Shen’s voice came from above his head: “You’re still too young. You can’t watch this.”
Cen Nian felt a strange sense of guilt, as if he’d been caught doing something naughty.
Hmph! he thought. I wasn’t even trying to watch it!
After his crying spell, Cen Nian had calmed down considerably. This man was indeed a murderous villain; such a person was far too dangerous in society. He had to find a way to notify the police.
Yu Shen noticed that the little dummy’s paws were black from walking around outside, so he carried him upstairs.
As they passed the study, Cen Nian stared at the closed door. It had always been open before, but it had been shut tight ever since he was discovered inside.
He’s even on guard against a cat, Cen Nian thought. He must have committed an even bigger crime.
Yu Shen carried Cen Nian to the bathroom, filled the sink with warm water, and carefully tested its temperature.
Seeing this, Cen Nian realized he was about to get a bath and felt a surge of excitement. But after the initial thrill, he looked at the man he was destined to betray. Since I’m about to do something terrible to him, he thought, I should be extra nice before it happens.
The kitten leaned in and rubbed his head against Yu Shen’s cheek. “Meow, ”
Forgive me, my first owner. You gave me a home, and I’m repaying you with a prison.
Cen Nian sighed again. A small swim ring, specially prepared for his baths, was slipped around his neck before he was lowered into the sink. The water was just the right temperature. After so many days in this world, this was his first bath, and Cen Nian felt as if he had ascended to heaven.
Yu Shen carefully scrubbed the little paws, which had turned the color of chocolate beans, until their original pink hue emerged. He glanced at the little dummy, who was leaning against the swim ring with his eyes closed, nearly asleep.
After cleaning all four paws, Yu Shen applied body wash and began scrubbing Cen Nian’s body.
As he scrubbed, Cen Nian’s eyes snapped open. His little beans were being scrubbed, and a moment later, his little chili pepper was touched too. His paws curled up in sheer embarrassment.
Cen Nian felt utterly defeated. Just bury me already.
After his bath, Yu Shen used a small blow-dryer to quickly dry him. His fur fluffed up instantly, making him look like a walking cloud.
Having accepted his fate, Cen Nian had already devised his grand escape plan. First, he would find a pen and paper and write down: There is a corpse in this courtyard. Then, he would find an opportunity to run away from home, locate the police station, and secretly deliver the note.
The tasks weren’t particularly difficult. He believed his skills would make this an easy feat.
That night, after completing his “life’s great work,” Cen Nian crouched in his litter box, watching a video of a kitten grooming itself for the nth time. He glanced sideways at Yu Shen.
Give up. This is absolutely impossible.
Besides, you’ve already touched and seen everything I have to offer. From now on, this job belongs to you.
A sudden wave of sadness washed over him. They had no future together.
Yu Shen was also puzzled. The little dummy understood everything else so quickly, so why couldn’t he grasp this one thing? Besides, he’d never seen Cen Nian groom himself, not even on other parts of his body.
After Yu Shen wiped Cen Nian’s bottom clean, he called the pet store. Cen Nian craned his neck to watch.
“Hello? I bought a Ragdoll from your shop recently. It never grooms itself. How can I fix this?”
Cen Nian wiggled closer to listen.
“Find an older cat to teach it? I only have this one cat.”
“You can bring it to our shop.”
Cen Nian was horrified. The thought of being licked all over by strange cats was terrifying. He scrambled to Yu Shen’s legs and rubbed against them. “Meow, ” (Hurry up and hang up, please!)
Yu Shen looked down into the pair of blue eyes staring pleadingly at him. “Are you saying I should bring him in for a day or two to live with older cats so they can teach him how to groom?”
The kitten was washed clean, every single hair fluffy. To let strange cats lick him…
“Will it cause any harm or have any negative effects if he doesn’t learn this skill? I bathe him every day.”
“Sir, we don’t recommend bathing cats daily. It strips the natural oils from their skin, making them prone to skin diseases. If a cat grooms itself normally, once a month is more than enough. If a cat doesn’t groom itself, it’s very likely to develop skin problems. Therefore, we strongly suggest bringing him in to learn this skill.”
Seeing Yu Shen’s brow furrow a mere 0.01 millimeters, Cen Nian realized his conversation wasn’t going well. He had to save himself. He patted Yu Shen with a small paw, drawing his attention back.
Then, he started licking his paw, before tilting his head to groom the fur on his body.
“Meow, ” (See? I can lick myself.)
“Meow meow, ” (But you still have to wipe my butt. Let’s negotiate. Make an exception for me.)
After a few licks to prove his skill, he stood up and waved at Yu Shen, meowing in a tiny, pleading voice: “You’re the best person in the world! Don’t send me to learn! I hate learning!”
Yu Shen was surprised by the little dummy’s sudden grooming session but was satisfied nonetheless. “Alright, I understand. If I need to, I’ll send the cat. Sorry to bother you, goodbye.”
Seeing the call end, Cen Nian went back to licking his chubby paw. Look, look! I’m grooming myself so well!
Yu Shen crouched down and poked Cen Nian. “Can you understand what I’m saying?”
Cen Nian’s little heart skipped a beat. He’s really trying to scare me to death today! His clear blue eyes, untainted by knowledge, shone with a mix of innocence and stupidity. He continued licking his paw, ignoring the other person.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Before going to sleep that night, Cen Nian was still plotting his plan to report the matter, thinking about it until he drifted off. He was jolted awake by a clap of thunder, and by then, he had already rolled over to Yu Shen’s head.
As Cen Nian flinched in fright, Yu Shen woke up. But before he could even pull Cen Nian into his arms, the cat had already leaped off the bed and dashed toward the door.
Oh no, oh no! Lightning was flashing, thunder was roaring, and the wind was howling outside. The sparrow’s nest wasn’t even finished yet, and there were two little chicks inside! If it got blown away, they’d be soaked all night and freeze to death.
Cen Nian stared at the closed door, trying to jump onto the handle to open it. Then he would go downstairs, open the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, and let the sparrow and its chicks in for the night.
He leaped with all his might and actually succeeded this time, his paws gripping the handle. However, he lacked the strength and weight to push it down, and instead, he slipped and fell.
Cen Nian tried again twice more, his heart racing with urgency, but still failed.
It seems I have no choice but to wake Yu Shen.
Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a click. The door opened, and the hallway light flickered on, illuminating his vision and casting a tall figure right behind him, a dependable mountain he could always lean on.
Cen Nian turned his head excitedly, meeting those eyes that shone like lonely stars. At this moment, he thought Yu Shen looked incredibly handsome.
“Meow” (Thank you!)