"Er..."
"Um... Miss, sorry about that. It’s probably a little shy around strangers."
Gu Yizhou looked at the female vet with some embarrassment. "As for the neutering surgery, let’s skip it. We’ll just let nature take its course. If it goes into heat in the future, I can always bring it back to find a mate!"
’Neutering surgery...’ Gu Yizhou thought about it and decided it was indeed a bit too cruel.
Since Gu Yizhou had made up his mind, the female vet didn’t press the issue.
She had only offered it as a well-intentioned reminder. After all, most people who own cats these days prefer to get them neutered. It prevents a lot of trouble, and neutered cats are also less prone to illness and can even live a few years longer.
But after hearing Gu Yizhou’s words, the white kitten waved its paws at him, looking furious. It bared its fangs as if to say, "You’re the one who goes into heat! Your whole family goes into heat..."
...
A dozen or so minutes later.
Gu Yizhou bought a complete set of cat-rearing equipment at the pet hospital: litter, a litter box, cat food, cat treats, canned food, and a scratching post...
This pile of stuff, plus the bath and deworming, cost him over three thousand in total.
He knew raising a pet would be expensive, but Gu Yizhou truly hadn’t expected these items alone to cost over three thousand. It nearly cleaned him out!
’This can’t go on!’
’Looks like it’s time to figure out a way to make some money!’
’Should I go back to my old trade? Research this world’s stock market and earn some cat food money?’
’Although this world isn’t quite the same as Earth in my past life, the principles of investing should be similar. My experience from my past life should still be applicable. Making a little money shouldn’t be a problem!’
’But if he had a choice, he really didn’t want to go down that road again!’
Gu Yizhou shook his head helplessly. After paying, he took the white kitten and headed home.
*
*
*
Binjiang Mansion No. 1,
Building 7, Unit 3, Apartment 305.
CLICK~
Gu Yizhou took the key from his pocket and opened the door to his home.
It was a two-bedroom apartment with old-fashioned decor, but the inside was tidy and the furniture was arranged in a cozy way. It didn’t look like the kind of place a single man living alone would inhabit.
This was due to a habit from his previous life. He had gotten used to living alone, so he always liked to make his home a little cozier to make himself feel less lonely.
After entering the living room, Gu Yizhou casually shut the door behind him before opening his backpack and letting the white kitten out.
"Here, this is your new home from now on. Go on, get familiar with it."
Gu Yizhou smiled faintly at the white kitten. "No making trouble when I’m not home, okay? You have to be a good house-sitter!"
Now that it was clean, the white kitten was as white as snow from head to toe, without a single stray-colored hair. It looked much cuter than when it had been all grimy!
"Meow~!"
The white kitten let out a disdainful meow at Gu Yizhou before leaping onto a corner of the sofa and curling up, looking bored.
Seeing this, Gu Yizhou didn’t pay it any mind.
After setting up the cat food, litter box, and other supplies on the balcony, he walked over to the sofa and scooped up the white kitten. Caught off guard, the kitten once again began to struggle relentlessly.
Gu Yizhou simply ignored its struggles. It was its first day home, after all. Everything was still unfamiliar, so it was normal for the kitten to resist a little. It would be fine after he’d had it for a while and they’d grown accustomed to each other.
’Mhm... That’s what the female vet at the pet hospital told him.’
Gu Yizhou carried the white kitten to the balcony. He pointed to the food and litter box, explaining each one and teaching it where to eat, drink, and use the toilet.
Cats are very clean animals. As long as you show them a few times, they’ll learn where to eat, drink, and relieve themselves.
’Mhm... That was also a piece of advice the female vet at the pet hospital had shared with him.’
’What could he do?’
Despite having lived two lives, this was the first time Gu Yizhou had ever raised a cat. He was a novice "poop-scooping officer," so it was perfectly normal for him not to know these things.
After diligently teaching the white kitten for a good while, until it started to get impatient, he finally let it go and allowed it to roam freely.
It was September, and the weather in Modu was still sweltering hot.
Gu Yizhou had worked up a sweat from riding his motorcycle all over the place with the kitten.
He felt he needed to take a shower. Covered in sticky sweat, he felt uncomfortable all over. So, he got up, went into his room to grab a change of clothes, and headed for the bathroom.
The moment Gu Yizhou stepped into the bathroom, the white kitten lying on the sofa suddenly lifted its head. It stared at the bathroom door for a moment, its eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. Then, in a very human-like gesture, it brought a paw to its forehead, its expression a picture of utter helplessness.
If Gu Yizhou could have seen this, he probably would have had the shock of his life!
’Holy crap!’
’Is this world different from my last one? Are animals in this world allowed to become spirits?!’
「Twenty minutes later.」
CLICK~
The lock on the bathroom door turned.
Hearing the sound, the white kitten instantly reverted to its previous, normal appearance. It lay languidly on the sofa, completely still, not even bothering to lift an eyelid.
PATTER PATTER PATTER~
Gu Yizhou pushed open the glass door and walked out of the bathroom. He was only wearing a pair of baggy floral shorts, his upper body bare. He was drying his hair with a towel as he walked toward the sofa.
Hearing his footsteps, the white kitten lifted its head for a glance. But in that instant, its eyes flew wide open!
For one reason and one reason only!
Gu Yizhou’s neat eight-pack abs had just entered its line of sight...
"Meow~!"
The white kitten immediately meowed at him, then quickly turned its head away.
That meow seemed to say, "Hey, you shameless pervert, hurry up and put some clothes on!"
Seeing it meow at him, Gu Yizhou just smiled, not thinking anything of it.
He walked over, sat down on the sofa, and scooped it onto his lap.
The white kitten was startled by the sudden assault and struggled frantically, trying to escape Gu Yizhou’s demonic clutches. But how could its weak little body possibly escape the palm of his hand?
With a slight exertion of force, Gu Yizhou seized the scruff of its neck—the arbiter of its fate. He then chuckled softly and began to pet it. Its incredibly soft fur seemed to become even smoother under his large hand.
"Meow~"
"Purrrr... purr purr purr..."
A tingly, comfortable sensation washed over it, and the white kitten stopped struggling. It closed its eyes slightly, and an involuntary purring sound rumbled from its throat. It lay languidly on Gu Yizhou’s lap, the very picture of pure enjoyment.
"Mimi, from now on, we’re a family!"
Gu Yizhou said to himself as he continuously stroked the white kitten’s head, "I should give you a name!"
Hearing Gu Yizhou’s words, the white kitten opened its eyes slightly to glance at him. It was just about to open its mouth to protest when Gu Yizhou suddenly switched hands, using his thumb to prop up its chin while his middle and index fingers began to scratch it gently.
Meanwhile, all hell had broken loose over at the Tidal Group Headquarters. All the top executives were in a panic, scurrying around like ants on a hot pan. All because their CEO, Yan Luoxi, had suddenly gone missing...