When Shi Xinyu returned, the sight of the mess and the already coagulated bloodstains plunged her into immense panic.
She took a deep breath, not even pausing to close the door, and rushed along the trail where the bloodstains disappeared.
Ying Miaomiao was hiding between the cat bed and the blanket. A section of the light blue cat bed had been soaked deep blue by her tears. Hearing Shi Xinyu return, she sniffled and buried her head even deeper.
She admitted she was indeed a bit impulsive; sneaking out was certainly her fault, but she just wanted to find clues to transform back into a human sooner…
But now, she truly didn’t know how to face Shi Xinyu. The thought of being kicked out and left to wander the streets because of her naughtiness made Ying Miaomiao shiver with cold dread.
As someone with uncoordinated limbs, she would starve to death sooner or later if she were to wander the streets as a cat.
Might as well give up and play the ostrich.
Many thoughts passed through her mind, but only a brief moment of time had elapsed.
Shi Xinyu’s footsteps were urgent. She opened the door and searched everywhere for Ying Miaomiao’s trace. Seeing the spot where she usually stayed empty, a slight sheen of sweat appeared on Shi Xinyu’s nose. She softly called out, “Miaomiao? Where are you?”
Ying Miaomiao was on tenterhooks. She wanted to respond, but like a child who had done wrong, her throat felt choked, and she couldn’t utter a single meow.
The footsteps were light. Shi Xinyu gently lifted the blanket. Seeing the black and white figure, she felt noticeably relieved.
She first checked the small cat’s injury, and only after finding that it was just a shallow scratch on her paw pad did she finally breathe a complete sigh of relief.
As if holding a recovered treasure, she avoided the wound and hugged Ying Miaomiao close.
The hand was warm and soft, with distinct knuckles. The thin calluses on the fingertips tickled the cat. She gently stroked Ying Miaomiao’s fur. Because she was held in the embrace, Ying Miaomiao couldn’t see Shi Xinyu’s expression, but she could hear Shi Xinyu’s heartbeat—steady and strong.
She murmured, “Miaomiao, you really scared me.”
Ying Miaomiao was at a loss for a moment. She had never expected this reaction from Shi Xinyu. In her memory, Shi Xinyu was a very serious person.
During meetings, she would stand in the corner, head bowed, but could still hear Shi Xinyu utter the most incisive comments in her pleasant voice. She had always thought Shi Xinyu was a sharp and stern person.
Ying Miaomiao twitched her ears, eventually choosing to stay obediently in Shi Xinyu’s arms.
“Kittens can’t run around outside. If you want to go out, how about I take you out next time, okay, Sister?”
Ying Miaomiao didn’t reply, but just rubbed against Shi Xinyu with her head. All her grievances instantly vanished. How could there be such a good person as Shi Xinyu?
Seeing the kitten was well-behaved and in good spirits, Shi Xinyu decided to quickly disinfect the wound.
Fortunately, the essential medicines at home were complete. After washing the wound with saline and disinfecting it, she began bandaging.
But—Shi Xinyu’s bandaging skills were truly poor. The wrapped paw looked like she was carrying a bowling ball. Ying Miaomiao looked at the tightly bound paw, momentarily speechless. Although she knew Shi Xinyu was afraid she might lick the wound, it was just a small scratch; wrapping it like this was far too inconvenient.
Shi Xinyu, however, was very pleased with her masterpiece. She took out her phone and took pictures of Ying Miaomiao from every angle before she was satisfied.
She rubbed the kitten’s head, “Once your wound heals, I’ll take you out to play.”
Shi Xinyu stayed with her for the day and then went back to work. Now, it was just her, a cat, at home, and aside from the minor inconvenience of her injured paw, everything was easygoing.
Ying Miaomiao was still keen on finding electronic devices at home.
Unfortunately, apart from the TV in the living room and the old computer in the bedroom, the number of electronic devices in this house was pitifully small.
However, during this time, she figured out a new form of entertainment—watching TV.
The TV remote control was right on the coffee table.
Every morning when Shi Xinyu left, Ying Miaomiao would sweetly see her off at the door. After confirming she had gone, she would use her surprisingly agile body (despite the slight limp) to grab the remote from the coffee table. Cat paws were a bit clumsy, but manageable enough for basic operation.
Heaven knows how excited Ying Miaomiao was the moment the TV turned on and she heard human voices. Her already fluffy fur momentarily puffed up like a dandelion.
However, while recovering these past few days, Ying Miaomiao discovered a serious problem:
Since becoming a cat, she was often dominated by feline instincts. Things like acting obsequiously when seeing food, uncontrollably rolling over to expose her belly when Shi Xinyu stroked her, and frequently experiencing a drop in intelligence, becoming neurotic… and so on.
At first, she thought it was an illusion, but after performing several foolish acts, even an idiot would realize something was wrong. Ying Miaomiao suddenly realized she had turned into a silly cat.
She couldn’t continue like this!
Tonight, after Shi Xinyu gets off work, she absolutely must see that phone password.
Lost in her thoughts, the kitten confidently tapped the remote control.
Shi Xinyu finished reviewing two proposals and tiredly rubbed her temples.
The last time at the police station, Ying Miaomiao’s mother claimed she was hospitalized and even provided a hospital certificate, but the whole situation seemed strange.
However, as a superior, Shi Xinyu had no other standing besides concern to inquire about Ying Miaomiao’s private family matters. After approving Ying Miaomiao’s sick leave, she only asked for Ms. Ying’s contact information.
Fortunately, it was nearly time to leave work. After finishing her tasks, she also wanted to go home quickly to see her kitten.
At this moment, Ying Miaomiao was nestled on the sofa watching TV. She leaned against a cushion and giggled merrily, occasionally letting out a cheerful meow.
Click-clack, the sound of the door lock turning.
Ying Miaomiao quickly jumped onto the coffee table to turn off the TV, then, as usual, went to the door to greet Shi Xinyu. Her heart pounded. What was going on? Usually, Shi Xinyu wouldn’t arrive home until after this program ended.
As soon as Shi Xinyu pushed the door open, she was greeted by the soft cries and nuzzling of the kitten. Her expression softened considerably. She cradled the kitten in her hands, rubbed her a few times, and then buried her face in the cat’s fur, taking a deep breath.
“Our Miaomiao has grown up, knowing to wait for Sister to get off work at the door. So clever.”
Ying Miaomiao felt a little guilty. She was only being this clingy to better see Shi Xinyu’s phone without being suspected. Now, being praised like this, she just closed her eyes and rubbed against Shi Xinyu even more fawningly.
Night fell. Under the bright white light, Shi Xinyu crouched down to watch Ying Miaomiao eat. She always felt the kitten looked exceptionally adorable while eating quietly.
Since unlocking the “cat meal” achievement last time, she seemed to have become somewhat addicted. Watching the kitten eat always gave her a strange sense of satisfaction.
Ying Miaomiao did not disappoint the “chef,” diligently gobbling down the entire bowl of cat food.
Shi Xinyu measured Ying Miaomiao’s size with her hand, feeling something was amiss. Could a kitten grow this fast? She felt like she changed every day.
But since Ying Miaomiao had just finished eating, she affectionately rubbed the kitten’s head and put the thought out of her mind.
Tonight was destined to be a long night.
After Shi Xinyu got out of the shower, she was uncharacteristically nervous, a contrast to her usual laziness. She sat on the bed, her phone paused on the dialing screen. Ying Miaomiao tried to sneak a look, but Shi Xinyu immediately scooped her up and held her close.
Anxiously, she stroked Ying Miaomiao’s fur: “Do you think I should make this call?”
Then she answered her own question, “Miaomiao, why don’t you dial it?”
Before the kitten could agree, she grabbed Ying Miaomiao’s uninjured paw and pressed the dial button. Ying Miaomiao, with her sharp eyes, caught sight of the number—it was her mother’s!
She was instantly confused. Why would Shi Xinyu be involved with Ms. Ying? Was it because of the police report?
In the silence between the two, the phone rang a few times and was answered. Ms. Ying’s cheerful voice came through.
“Hello, Little Shi, what can I do for you, dear?”
Hearing the familiar voice, before Shi Xinyu could speak, Ying Miaomiao cried out excitedly: “Meow-aow, meow—Mom, I’m here, Mom—”
Before she could finish meowing, Shi Xinyu quickly “manually muted” Ying Miaomiao. A layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and her usually emotionless face showed a rare look of panic: “Auntie, I’m sorry, my kitten is a bit noisy. I called today to ask about Ying Miaomiao; how is she doing recently?”
Ms. Ying was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, she was still cheerful, but Ying Miaomiao detected something off—this was exactly how Ms. Ying reacted when she was setting a trap. An old fox.
“Miaomiao is doing very well, recuperating at a hospital in our hometown. What kind of cat do you have? I love cats.”
Shi Xinyu was initially a little restrained and flustered. Seeing that Ms. Ying didn’t mind the cat’s noise, she relaxed somewhat, but her nerves were still taut: “It’s good that Miaomiao is fine. The kitten is a little Tuxedo I adopted some time ago. She’s very cute.”
Ying Miaomiao blinked her eyes and slightly nudged Shi Xinyu’s hand. Only then did Shi Xinyu realize she had been “muting” the kitten for a while.
“Meow meow meow.” (Mom, I forgot you can’t understand cat language. I’ll steal the phone and text you later.)
Ms. Ying suddenly chuckled, “Little Shi, you’re such a good child. Thank you for your concern. When Miaomiao is better, I’ll ask her to bring you some local specialties.”
After a polite farewell, Shi Xinyu felt completely drained of energy. As if she had completed some difficult mission, she let out a long sigh of relief and lay down peacefully on the bed.
Ying Miaomiao was still scheming. She tried to flip Shi Xinyu’s phone over to see the fingerprint used to press the password.
Shi Xinyu suddenly scooped up Ying Miaomiao, holding her under the armpits so the kitten faced her: “Miaomiao, I’m so glad I have you. You truly are my little lucky star.”
Meow meow meow! If I am, please tell me the phone password!
But Shi Xinyu was a pure human and couldn’t understand the kitten’s words. No matter how much Ying Miaomiao talked, it was like playing a lute to a cow (a futile effort).
Seeing the kitten continuously meow, Shi Xinyu thought she was hungry again. She reached out and felt the kitten’s soft tummy, then became a little quiet.
She said earnestly, “Miaomiao, you’re not a ginger cat. It’s not good for a little kitten’s health to be too fat.”
“…” Ying Miaomiao was speechless. Ying Miaomiao sighed. She angrily clawed at the bed linen, only to be stopped by Shi Xinyu again.
In a fit of rage—