Chapter 5: The Kitty Was So Afraid

Li You’s tail wrapped tightly around him, his face heating up in waves, though fortunately his cat fur hid it.

The kitty flew into a rage from embarrassment and viciously raised both paws to press them on Li Ye’s nose. “Meow!!”

“…” Li Ye stared at the cat, and in a daze, he felt that this cat’s temper resembled a certain someone a bit.

Hm, the eyes were very similar too.

“Excuse me, could you make way…”

Little Wan Sis finally squeezed through the crowd. She wiped the phantom sweat from her face and looked around, discovering that her kitty was pawing at…

“Little Mimi!” Little Wan Sis’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Li Ye, then at the kitty, then back at Li Ye, unsure whether to step forward or not.

Li You heard the commotion and turned back to see Little Wan Sis with anxiety all over her face. He realized that running away like this was very inappropriate. After pondering for two seconds, he leaped down from Li Ye’s arms, hopped over to Little Wan Sis’s side in a few bounds, circled her legs twice, and looked up. “Meow~”

“You…” Little Wan Sis squatted down to stroke the cat’s head, then stood up and nodded. “My apologies, Your Highness. We’ve troubled you.”

Li Ye lowered his arm, which still held the lingering warmth of the kitty, and responded indifferently. “It’s fine.”

“It was my negligence in not holding the leash properly.” Little Wan Sis looked at the ragdoll cat squatting by her side. “This little one is very obedient and listens well. For it to suddenly run to your side shows that it really likes you.”

Li You, who had been licking his paw, froze upon hearing this and looked up. “Meow—”

He didn’t like him, not one bit!

He had only wanted to figure some things out!!

Li Ye looked at the cat without a word. After a moment, he raised his gaze. “Is this your cat?”

“Oh, no.” Little Wan Sis smiled. “To be precise, this is a cat I’ve adopted. I’m the manager of the pet shop in town, and all the stray cats in town are in my shop. This ragdoll is a new member who arrived just yesterday.”

“I know your shop. It’s very famous on Starnet.” Peisengke crossed his arms. “Are you open for business today? We’re here on a mission and need a place to rest temporarily.”

“Oh, of course. I’d be happy to lead the way for you.” Little Wan Sis stood and curtsied with a skirt lift, then squatted down again to pick up Little Mimi’s leash and stroke its head. “Let’s head home first. I’ll call the vet to the shop. Today can count as a trip out to play.”

Li You raised his head. “Meow—”

Little Wan Sis led the way in front of the troops, while the little cat walked in front of Little Wan Sis. He walked with utmost swagger, his upright tail like a fluffy feather duster.

Li You already remembered the way. He smoothly led the officers back to Little Wan Sis’s shop.

Moments later, he saw Little Wan Sis open the door to the cats’ room. The kitties swarmed out and rushed toward the officers resting in the house. They adeptly rubbed against them, and some even jumped directly onto the officers’ laps, sitting down and rubbing their faces against the officers’ hands.

“…………”

Li You was dumbfounded.

Did the little shop have this kind of service too??

He looked at these little cats he had spent the night with, realizing belatedly that not only were these kitties his roommates, they were also his colleagues!!

The cats in the pet shop were all plump and their fur glossy and beautiful, showing that Little Wan Sis took very good care of them. They weren’t afraid of strangers at all, their business skills highly proficient. They rubbed against newcomers and had the officers completely wrapped around their paws, demonstrating strong professional abilities.

Li You was utterly shocked. His gaze lingered on Peisengke, who was surrounded by cats on both sides.

“…”

He couldn’t bear to look.

Searching around further, he spotted Li Ye in the window booth, quietly drinking coffee by himself.

Several cats squatted not far from Li Ye, all tilting their heads to observe him, but none approached.

Li You huffed inwardly and turned toward the room. Suddenly, he heard Little Wan Sis calling.

“Little Mimi, where are you?”

Ever responsive Li You looked up. “Meow—”

“Come here, to Your Highness’s side.” Little Wan Sis beckoned him over.

“…” Li You, who had just extended one paw, immediately retracted it, backed up, hid inside the door, and shrank his neck. “Meow…”

“Aww, this child.” Little Wan Sis was helpless. She walked over, squatted down, and tried to lure him with a cat treat.

Li You turned his head away.

No, he wasn’t doing this line of work!

“Alright, alright, no going, no going. Then how about you and Sis go to the nice doctor brother?” Little Wan Sis coaxed.

This was acceptable. Li You took a step forward and happily accepted the cat treat.

But Little Wan Sis led him to the booth opposite the one where Li Ye sat.

The vet had indeed arrived, but since the cat cafe room wasn’t large, he sat in the booth across from Li Ye.

“…” Li You glanced at Li Ye across from him.

Li Ye’s attention was on his light brain and not looking his way.

Fine then.

The doctor brother checked his physical condition, administered the vaccine, and then left with his medical kit.

After it was done, he got another cat treat. Li You lay on the booth gnawing on it, occasionally glancing across.

Li Ye was still looking at his light brain.

The little cat’s mind whirred, and an idea struck him.

He stood up, paced in circles on the booth, then leaped down. He patrolled a distance away, observed his working colleagues, then sauntered back and plopped down at Li Ye’s feet. He licked his paws with his head down, then sneakily glanced at Li Ye.

After a set of feints, the little cat jumped onto the booth. With unyielding audacity despite his crooked logic, he stepped onto Li Ye’s lap, claimed the thigh, curled into a cat ball on top, and lay still.

After waiting a few seconds with Li Ye not shooing him away, Li You boldly peeked at his light brain.

Messages! Some useful info!

The little cat schemed deeply, licking his fur while watching the light brain screen, afraid to miss any useful message.

At this moment, Li Ye, expressionless, had shifted his attention from the light brain screen. He lowered his gaze and quietly watched the cat curled on his lap.

Not heavy, soft, warm.

This cat wasn’t super heavy as Peisengke had said; not fat, just lots of fur, and the coat was very beautiful.

If it had only arrived at this pet shop yesterday, perhaps he could adopt it.

Li Ye thought briefly for a few seconds before dismissing the idea. He didn’t shoo away the cat that had presumptuously sat on him and returned his attention to the light brain.

Li You discovered that his brother was handling imperial affairs, and his brother’s reading speed was too fast. He didn’t even have time to lick his fur, focusing entirely on the screen. Just as he was about to fail to keep up with his brother’s page-turning speed, the kitty panicked and raised a paw to press it on his brother’s hand about to turn the page.

“Meow—!!”

Wait a minute! I haven’t finished reading!!

His meow was very loud. The other officers and kitties all looked over, and Li Ye lowered his head too.

Li You: “…”

His voice had been a bit too loud. He meowed shortly and abruptly again.

While his brother hadn’t turned the page yet, he scanned the document content at ten lines per glance, then released his paw and looked up with a “meowr”.

I’m done reading. You can turn now.

Li Ye gazed into the ragdoll cat’s eyes for a moment, then raised his sight and continued handling the documents.

Li You breathed a sigh of relief and continued staring at his brother’s light brain.

Documents, all documents, imperial matters great and small. Nothing mentioned abyss pollutants, at most some minor mutant freaks.

Li You, lying on Li Ye’s thigh and focused on reading, gained no useful information.

Zero harvest.

He irritably flicked his tail, leaped down from his brother’s lap, and turned to look at Li Ye.

This time, Li Ye was looking at him too.

“…” Li You felt a bit guilty, averted his gaze, and started feinting again—licked his paws twice, then sauntered away in a catwalk.

The officers were indeed only resting temporarily in the shop. When Li You emerged from the cat den after a while, he saw no soldiers, only a house full of tired “colleagues”.

He looked left and right, threaded through the cat crowd to the little garden outside the shop, and stood inside the white wooden fence observing the outside.

Across from the pet shop was a crossroads with a fountain in the center. It was nearly lunchtime now, so there weren’t many people on the street, but the neighborhood had undergone some changes.

Every household had white tulips hanging on their doors or windows.

They hadn’t been there when he went out earlier, it seemed.

Li You turned back to look at the pet shop door and didn’t see any flowers.

Just then, Little Wan Sis, who had gone out, returned. She pushed open the white wooden gate of the yard and walked in. Seeing the ragdoll squatting in the garden, she said in surprise, “How did Little Mimi get out here? Hungry?”

Li You turned back and discovered that Little Wan Sis, upon her return, held a big bunch of tulips in her arms.

He tilted his head, walked up to circle her, and meowed up at her.

Little Wan Sis squatted down. “What’s wrong?”

Li You leaned in and sniffed the tulips in her arms.

A faint floral scent, along with some dew—freshly picked.

“Do you like tulips?” Little Wan Sis gently rubbed the kitty’s head and murmured, “Our little prince liked them too.”

“Meow?” Li You raised his cat head and looked at Little Wan Sis in confusion.

As if understanding the kitty’s doubt—or perhaps from her own melancholy—Little Wan Sis spoke softly, almost to herself. “The empire once had a little highness, the youngest among the five highnesses. Back then, many in the empire disliked him, even hated him. Later, when the empire faced a crisis, this young highness, not even of age, resolved that terrible disaster with his own life.”

She lowered her eyes, her voice low, like telling a fairy tale. “The little highness had ocean-blue eyes. He liked flowers, liked freedom, yearned for freedom. But his short life was trapped in the pressure of how to save the empire, how to save everyone—from childhood to death, enduring torment for ten years.”

“Today marks the tenth anniversary of his passing.” Little Wan Sis hugged the tulips tightly. “This variety of white tulip is called ‘Little Prince’. Every year on this day, everyone hangs them at home. It’s how the imperial citizens commemorate the little highness, and our only way to repent.”

Li You looked at her, unable to speak, unable even to meow.

Why did she know about his past? He hadn’t told anyone about his plans…

And why commemorate him? Didn’t everyone dislike him before?

A tumult of emotions filled Li You’s heart. He watched as Little Wan Sis hung the tulips on the pet shop door, then saw her come over.

“Let’s take a walk in the Memorial Garden. There will be lots of people there today; the villagers have to maintain order.” Little Wan Sis fitted him with the chest harness and rubbed his cat ears. “But everyone is very well-mannered, so our job isn’t arduous. This trip counts as visiting Your Highness Youyou.”

“…” Your Highness Youyou gazed at her and let out a soft meow.

So strange, going to his own memorial garden to visit himself…

Li You actually followed along, mainly because he quite liked looking at flowers. He still found it odd, though—why did Little Wan Sis know he had endured for ten years? That was something he had buried deep in his heart, unknown even to Li Ye until his death.

The sun was lovely today, and there were many people in the Memorial Garden—local planet residents and visitors from other planets come to pray. Everyone entered orderly, offered a tulip, and left orderly. There was no noise here; all visitors were very quiet.

Li You followed Little Wan Sis for a full circuit. By the end, he was nearly bald from all the petting by the worshippers. Unable to withstand everyone’s enthusiasm for fluffiness any longer, he kicked with all four legs and hid inside the Sunlight Palace.

No matter how Little Wan Sis coaxed him, he wouldn’t come out, so in the end, he stayed alone in the Sunlight Palace temporarily.

Finally escaped the ordeal.

Li You looked left and right with his head down and discovered that his fur had been rubbed into a frizz.

This would take a lot of time to lick smooth.

The little cat was depressed and began diligently grooming himself. When tired, he walked deeper into the Sunlight Palace, found a shady spot, curled up, and went to sleep.

He slept until he naturally woke. Li You shook himself and stood, flicked the fur from his body, stretched his limbs, and looked outside the Sunlight Palace.

The sunset glow— it was already evening.

Little Wan Sis hadn’t come to pick him up; she was probably still busy.

Li You wandered around on his own. His stomach was a bit hungry. Remembering how Little Wan Sis had gone to the storeroom for milk last time, he decided to fend for himself and trotted around on four legs searching for the storeroom.

The area was too large. Li You walked a long time before spotting a half-open door. Inside was pitch black like ink, and the frosted glass door didn’t look like a storeroom door.

But there were no other doors around. Li You pondered for a few seconds, then buried his head and squeezed through the door crack into it.

Very dark, couldn’t see the path.

He walked slowly, creeping step by step. Once his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, he grew bolder, raised his nose to sniff around, smelled floral fragrance, and nothing else.

Taking a couple more steps inside, Li You started to lose his bearings. He looked back at the way he came and saw only the distant light from the door crack behind him.

The little cat slowly lowered his raised paw and stopped advancing. He pondered whether to turn back.

Before he could decide, a pair of hands appeared from the pitch-black above. Li You was caught by those hands, his four paws dangling in the air.

He blanked for two seconds, then struggled frantically. A click sounded by his ear.

The lights came on.

“…” Li You, wriggling his body, froze. His gaze shifted upward to see his brother’s face.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward.

He mewed weakly, his four suspended paws fidgeting awkwardly in the air.

This was not the storage room, but a lounge. The lit lamps were not bright, and the dim light illuminated Li Ye’s face, with flickering shadows as if shrouded in mist. Half of his body was in the darkness, and his red pupils gleamed faintly, like a candle on the verge of extinguishing.

After staring for a while, Li You, who was already feeling guilty and anxious, could not hold up any longer. He averted his eyes slightly, his suspended paws helplessly pawing at the air, and let out a soft “mew” from his mouth.

Li Ye leaned against the wall in the corner, gazing into the cat’s eyes. A moment later, he placed it on his lap and lowered his gaze to continue staring at the cat.

Li You lay on his brother’s lap, his ears drooping, not moving an inch.

‘The atmosphere felt so strange…’

A moment later, a palm with slightly cool body temperature covered Li You’s head. The hand moved gently, somewhat unpracticed as it stroked his head.

His brother was petting him.

Li You was stunned for a while. He moved a little, but his brother’s other hand pressed him down, and he immediately did not dare to move again.

How strange—his brother had not used much strength at all, and the touch could even be called gentle, but why… did it feel a bit scary?

An unrefusable dominance lingered around him. Li You felt a chill down his back.

The next moment, he heard his brother’s voice.

“Li You.”

Li You froze, his eyes widening.

Li Ye gazed quietly into the cat’s eyes, as if peering through them at someone.

His voice was calm word by word, yet it seemed laced with bone-chilling cold.

“Little deceiver.”