After getting off the vehicle, the group followed the information provided by the petitioner and circled behind a certain residential building.
“The lady said she usually feeds the cats here,” Jiang Zhen introduced to the camera while squatting on the ground. “Yesterday, she noticed that the calico cat who comes here most often to eat seemed to be sick, so she hoped we could come to help.”
“We plan to set an ambush here,” Jiang Zhen said as she took the cat food handed over by Jiang Yin. “The petitioner said she has not fed the cats today, so that hungry little calico will definitely show up.”
After speaking, Jiang Zhen waved to Jiang Yin. “Little Sister Jiang, could you please come over and help me put out some food?”
Thus, Jiang Yin appeared within the frame. To look better on camera, she had taken off her volunteer vest. She had tied her hair up casually, exuding a youthful, student-like aura.
She took a few steps and squatted in front of Jiang Zhen. As her gaze fell upon the girl, Jiang Yin realized that Jiang Zhen’s skirt today was a bit excessively short. Jiang Yin glanced at the camera’s position and quietly shifted her steps a few inches, just enough to shield Jiang Zhen’s lower body, before taking the cat food Jiang Zhen offered.
Jiang Yin had accompanied An Yu to purchase cat food for the campus Cat Association several times, so as she put out the food, she subconsciously checked the ingredients list.
“Oh, do you understand these?” Jiang Zhen leaned in, looking somewhat surprised.
“I know a bit,” Jiang Yin smiled, gently explaining the functions of several ingredients to Jiang Zhen. “This one helps with digestion and bowel movements, this one helps cats pass hairballs, and this one has other benefits.”
After a few brief explanations, Jiang Yin looked up and found Jiang Zhen staring at her with a face full of admiration.
“Ah, you are so amazing!” Jiang Zhen caught herself and hastily swallowed the nickname that was about to slip out. “Do you interact with small animals often?”
“I joined the Cat Association at school,” Jiang Yin explained while grabbing a handful of cat food from the bag.
“No wonder,” Jiang Zhen whispered in a voice too low for the microphone to catch. “I was wondering why I had never heard you mention anything about cats before. It turns out you joined a club at school.”
The voice was tiny and audible only to the two of them. After setting the food, Jiang Zhen suddenly thought of another crucial matter.
“But now that we have set this up, when will Xiao Li come over?” Xiao Li was the name the petitioner had given to the little calico cat.
The vet from Mony Hospital, who had been sent to assist them, spoke up. “Since the cat consistently eats here, it should come by soon if it is hungry today. However, to be safe, why do we not look around the neighborhood? It might be faster than waiting here.”
Jiang Yin thought for a moment and suggested, “Why do we not split into two groups? One group can look for Xiao Li, while the other stays here to wait.”
Still squatting, Jiang Zhen nodded without hesitation. “That is a good idea.” Turning to the vet, she said coaxingly, “Sister, could we trouble you to wait here while Little Sister Jiang and I go look for Xiao Li?”
“Of course,” the vet readily agreed.
“Great.” Jiang Zhen clapped her hands happily and prepared to stand up. However, before she could rise, a hand was extended in front of her.
“You will get dizzy if you stand up too fast after squatting for so long,” Jiang Yin said.
“Thank you,” Jiang Zhen could not help but smile as she took the hand. The moment their fingertips touched, Jiang Yin applied a bit of strength and pulled her up.
Jiang Yin was right. Standing up after squatting for a long time did not just cause dizziness; Jiang Zhen’s legs were also quite numb. The moment she stood straight, her weakened legs failed to support her, and her body involuntarily tilted forward.
Before a cry of surprise could leave her throat, she was caught steadily in Jiang Yin’s arms.
“It is okay,” Jiang Yin’s voice sounded in her ear. “I have got you.” Her voice was on the lower side, and as it brushed against Jiang Zhen’s ear, it caused a slight tremor in her heart.
“Thank you,” Jiang Zhen said bashfully while steadying herself by Jiang Yin’s arm. “If it were not for you, I probably would have fallen today.”
“You are welcome.” Once Jiang Zhen was steady, Jiang Yin released her hold at the appropriate time and took a polite step back. “Let us go find Xiao Li.”
After bidding the vet goodbye, the two began to walk through the neighborhood accompanied by a cameraman. The residential area was small, and a full circuit took about fifteen minutes. They walked along the internal roads but saw no sign of Xiao Li.
“The petitioner said it is quite timid,” Jiang Zhen told Jiang Yin while looking at the information on her phone. “Could it be hiding?”
“It is possible,” Jiang Yin replied, carefully parting the low shrubs by the roadside. As they were about to continue, Jiang Yin suddenly heard an extremely faint meow.
“Wait,” she squatted down and signaled for Jiang Zhen to come over, then whispered, “I think there is a cat in here.”
She pointed to a private car parked nearby. “It might be hiding under the car. I need to check.”
Saying this, Jiang Yin ignored the dirt on the ground and her on-camera image, immediately kneeling down to peer under the vehicle with some effort. Jiang Zhen was startled by her actions and wanted to squat down to look as well, but then remembered she was wearing a short skirt today, which made any such movement very inconvenient.
“It is under there,” Jiang Yin rose quickly. “Zhenzhen, can you show me the photo of Xiao Li again? I want to confirm.” Because she was worried about the cat, she momentarily forgot to address Jiang Zhen as Teacher Jiang. At this moment, however, that did not matter. Getting the sick Xiao Li to the hospital as soon as possible was the priority.
“Okay.” Jiang Zhen quickly opened her photo gallery and handed the phone to Jiang Yin. After a quick glance, Jiang Yin said with certainty, “It is Xiao Li. We need to find a way to get it to come out.”
“I brought some more cat food,” Jiang Zhen said, immediately opening the small bag she was carrying. “And the vet gave me some cat treats and freeze-dried snacks.”
“Give me the cat treat. Sister Zhenzhen, could I trouble you to call the vet over?” Jiang Yin asked.
“I will do that.” Jiang Zhen could not kneel on the ground like Jiang Yin, so she did her best to help in the ways she could.
Jiang Yin tore open the cat treat and lay down again. “Xiao Li, come and eat something.” She waved the treat, trying to catch the kitten’s attention.
Whether it was because Xiao Li was naturally timid or because it was more fearful of humans after being injured, the cat remained huddled under the car. It remained motionless despite Jiang Yin’s attempts to lure it with treats, food, and snacks.
“What should we do, Sister Vet?” Jiang Zhen stamped her feet anxiously. “I saw that the fur around its neck has fallen off. Could it be very seriously ill?”
“Preliminary judgment suggests feline ringworm,” the vet said, also bending down to kneel and take a look. She added worriedly, “It is quite severe. We need to get it out as soon as possible.”
“I will crawl in a bit further and try to grab it directly,” Jiang Yin said as she struggled to stand up to communicate with Jiang Zhen after another failed call. “Teacher Jiang, if I fail to catch it, I will have to rely on you.”
Entrusted with this important task, Jiang Zhen nodded firmly. Seeing Jiang Yin lying flat on the ground, she turned to the cameraman and said, “Could we stop filming this part? Our volunteer and the vet are both crawling on the ground. It would not be good for their image if this were broadcast.”
The cameraman nodded and turned the lens toward the neighborhood scenery.
“Xiao Li,” Jiang Yin slowly reached out her hand while softly soothing the cat. “Do not be afraid. We are taking you to see a doctor. Be a good kitty and come out. Do not be afraid.”
Since the filming had stopped, Jiang Zhen squatted to the side without reservation, ready at any moment to arrest Xiao Li should it try to bolt. On the other side, the vet held a fresh grilled sausage she had bought, trying to tempt Xiao Li with the aroma.
She needed just a little more room. Jiang Yin moved slightly. Perhaps intimidated by the formation of the three humans, Xiao Li remained uncharacteristically still under the car. If Jiang Yin could reach just a tiny bit further, she could grab it by the scruff.
However, the moment her fingertips touched Xiao Li, it let out a raspy meow. Like a startled bird, it leaped up, extending its sharp claws.
But Jiang Yin, who had extensive experience catching cats on campus, was faster. At the moment Xiao Li jumped, she firmly gripped the skin on the back of its neck. Unexpectedly, the moment it was caught, Xiao Li’s sharp claws swiped fiercely across the back of Jiang Yin’s hand. Stung by the sudden pain, she instinctively loosened her grip. Having regained its freedom, Xiao Li broke away from her hold and bolted from under the car in several bounds.
“It is out!” the vet cried out, moving to catch the frantic cat.
Jiang Zhen, who had been poised and ready, pounced as soon as she saw the black shadow dart out. She dropped hard onto her knees, pressing her hands firmly down on the struggling Xiao Li, and shouted, “I have got it! Come help!”
The vet rushed over and immediately took Xiao Li from Jiang Zhen’s hands. With lightning speed, she tossed the still-howling cat into the already open carrier. The execution was seamless.
“Great! We finally caught it!” Kneeling on the ground, Jiang Zhen turned excitedly toward Jiang Yin, only to notice the red scratches seeping with blood on the back of Jiang Yin’s hand.
“A-Yin! You were scratched by Xiao Li!” With a face full of worry, Jiang Zhen stood up and walked to Jiang Yin, nervously cradling her injured left hand.
“It is nothing. I will just get a vaccine,” Jiang Yin said, her gaze falling on Jiang Zhen’s legs. “Your knees are injured too.”
Only then did Jiang Zhen look down to find that both of her knees were scraped. Her right knee had seemingly been hit by a stone and was even bleeding. She had not noticed while catching Xiao Li, but now that Jiang Yin had pointed it out, a dull pain began to throb in her legs.
“Should we continue filming the show?” The vet walked over with a frown, carrying the cat carrier. “The two of you should go to the hospital to get treated first.”
“I will let the production team know,” Jiang Zhen pulled out her phone. “Sister, please take Xiao Li back to Mony Hospital first.”
“No problem, leave it to me,” the vet said, looking at the two young girls with concern. “I will inform the crew of the situation when I get back.”
With that, she left the scene first. After Jiang Zhen finished communicating with the directors, she said to Jiang Yin, “Filming is suspended. Let us go to the hospital first. Sister Song and the others will meet us there later.” As she spoke, the cameraman turned off the camera and left with the other staff members.
“Okay,” Jiang Yin nodded and stood up from the ground. “Are your legs okay? Can you walk?”
“I can,” Jiang Zhen said, taking a step forward. Her expression looked confident, but the next second, she winced in pain.
“It is still a bit painful,” she stopped, clutching her leg. “A-Yin, can you let me rest for a bit? In a while, I will be able to walk.”
“I will carry you on my back,” Jiang Yin said.
“What?” Jiang Zhen’s eyes widened in disbelief.