Chapter 55
Side Story 1 (Part 2/2)
Both the human and the cat were stubborn. One wouldn’t reveal why he went to the cat cafe, the other wouldn’t reveal how he knew. They engaged in a half-hearted quarrel.
Mimi bit Shao Sui’s neck, but Shao Sui didn’t fully penetrate him.
It wasn’t that Shao Sui didn’t want to. Mimi was in heat and wanted to do it every day, even though Shao Sui wasn’t a naturally gay man, he knew it wasn’t good for Mimi’s health, so most of the time, he just helped manually.
“Baby, your heat cycles are a bit frequent.”
“You’re disliking me” Mimi mumbled.
After becoming human, the only difference between Mimi and a human’s physiology was the heat cycle, which is why he didn’t like Shao Sui mentioning it.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Shao Sui pinched his butt, the sensation incredibly pleasant. “Let’s go for a checkup sometime, see if it’s normal.”
The previous ideological education class had mentioned cat spirits also having heat cycles in their human form, but they didn’t elaborate, perhaps considering it a private matter. And it was recommended for cat spirits to go to designated hospitals for checkups.
“It’s all your fault.”
“Okay, blame me.” Shao Sui picked up Mimi and carried him to the bathroom. “Let’s wash up and make dumplings.”
Mimi bit Shao Sui, “Just wrap me in the dough, dumplings don’t have heat cycles, you can have them whenever you want.”
Shao Sui untied Mimi’s apron, tossed it into the laundry basket, and turned on the shower, “Sounds good, and Mimi is so tender and juicy, perfect for filling.”
Mimi no longer believed everything Shao Sui said, even retorting playfully, “Then you’ll have to buy lots and lots of flour and roll out a huge wrapper.”
Shao Sui imagined Mimi lying on a giant dumpling wrapper…
“Indeed, not bad.”
Mimi’s eyes widened, “How can you seriously consider it!”
Shao Sui said, “There’s an old saying—”
Mimi interrupted, mimicking a dramatic tone, “A wise man submits to circumstances.” (A Chinese proverb.)
Shao Sui swatted his butt, “…Your internet speed is impressive.”
Mimi said obediently, “Continue.”
“A Chinese…” Shao Sui almost got sidetracked, coughing before saying, “proverb says, ‘Judge by actions, not intentions, for no one’s intentions are perfect.’ It means we shouldn’t judge a person by what they think, but by what they do.”
Mimi scoffed.
Shao Sui continued, “For instance, I always think about making you lose control, but I haven’t actually acted on it, have I?”
Mimi paused for a moment, “…You’re so perverted, Shao Sui.”
Shao Sui said calmly, “Didn’t you already know I’m not a good person? Incredibly bad, in fact.”
Mimi said, “I only thought you were joking, I didn’t know you were actually bad.”
“You know now.” Shao Sui dried Mimi and said, “Get dressed.”
While Mimi was putting on his pants, Shao Sui also dried himself, “Too late for regrets now. Since you’ve become my boyfriend, you’re not escaping this life.”
Mimi mumbled softly, “I’m your hubby…”
Before Shao Sui could attack him, Mimi quickly ran out.
Their kitchen was quite large, with a separate dining area, two windows, and a nice view. The dough and dumpling filling were ready; all that was left was to roll out the wrappers and assemble the dumplings.
Mimi, eager to try, rubbed his hands together.
A few minutes later, the little cat spirit exclaimed in frustration, “Shao Sui, the filling keeps leaking out!”
Shao Sui readily replied, “Just like you, made of liquid, very slippery.”
Mimi said, “It’s made of meat.”
Shao Sui chuckled, “Use less filling, it’ll leak if you overfill it.”
Mimi asked, puzzled, “Why doesn’t yours leak?”
Shao Sui: “…”
The little cat spirit’s innuendos were always sudden and unintentional, delivered casually as everyday conversation.
“Why do we have to put a coin inside?”
“It’s a tradition, for good luck.” Shao Sui explained, “Whoever finds the coin in their dumpling will have good fortune in the new year.”
“Then let’s put in a few more, so we both get one.” Mimi said.
“Tradition dictates only one coin.”
“Okay.”
Shao Sui didn’t actually have this tradition. It was Shao Jun who liked making dumplings before New Year’s, and just like when he was a child, she believed chives were healthy and made all the dumplings with chive filling, not caring whether he liked it or not.
She would even say after he finished eating, “You used to say chives had a strange smell, that you didn’t like them, but after making you eat them a few times, you started to like them, see, you’re eating them just fine now.”
The “you’ll go hungry if you don’t eat them” from his childhood was now replaced with a casual “you started to like them.”
Shao Sui didn’t want to argue, nor did he want to say he had never liked them, Shao Jun wouldn’t listen anyway.
And after university, he only saw Shao Jun once or twice a year, no need to argue and ruin the festive mood. He could endure the chives for one meal, it was just one meal a year.
But if he said Shao Jun didn’t love him, she would spend hours carefully preparing the dumplings, just so he could find the only coin, a symbol of good luck.
Human nature was complex, not as simple and pure as a cat’s.
“Shao Sui, I don’t like shepherd’s purse.”
“Then don’t eat it, we have other fillings.” Shao Sui was rolling out the dough. “You can have corn and shrimp, or pickled cabbage and pork.”
Mimi said, “You only made chive filling.”
Of course, Shao Sui knew Mimi’s preferences. He had prepared three different fillings.
“Will you leave me during the holidays?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“I saw online that everyone goes home to be with their families during the holidays.” Mimi asked frankly, “Can you take me with you?”
Shao Sui said, “You are my family.”
Mimi didn’t understand his implication, “Of course I am, but you have other family members.”
Having finished rolling out the dumpling wrappers, Shao Sui started filling them, “What if they don’t like you?”
“Impossible.” Mimi said confidently, “Everyone likes me, except for bad people.”
Mimi was the Great Meow King, once the beloved pet of everyone on that street near the Chinese medicine clinic, adored by humans, cats, and dogs. Even at the association base, all the cat spirits liked him.
Shao Sui couldn’t resist, dabbing a bit of flour on Mimi’s nose, “Yes, our Mimi is so cute everyone loves him.”
Mimi, feeling something on his nose, tried to wipe it off, but his hands were covered in flour, so he tried to rub it off with the back of his hand.
Unable to remove it, he walked over to Shao Sui, tilting his head up, “Kiss it off.”
“No.” Shao Sui calmly continued making dumplings.
Mimi threw himself into Shao Sui’s arms, nuzzling him like a little calf.
Shao Sui’s heart melted. Just as he was about to lean down and kiss him, Mimi, having already removed the flour, turned his head away and said coldly, “Fine, don’t kiss me then, whoever kisses is a dog.”
Shao Sui was already taking allergy medication just to kiss him, what was being called a dog compared to that?
That night, Shao Sui burrowed into the warm bed and, leaning close to Mimi’s ear, barked, “Woof.”
Mimi’s ears twitched.
“Can I kiss you now?”
“Bark a few more times.”
“Woof, woof, woof! Can I kiss you now?”
“Yes, three woofs, one kiss.”
“Mmmph… this kiss is too long, it should be thirty woofs!”
Amidst the festive atmosphere, New Year’s Eve arrived quickly.
Their new apartment looked completely different now. Shao Sui had replaced all the soft furnishings before the delivery services stopped for the holidays, just to welcome the new year with a fresh start.
After his mother’s death, he had thought he would spend this year alone in his rental apartment, never imagining fate would gift him a little cat spirit.
The little cat spirit stood at the entrance, holding two spring couplets, struggling to figure out which one was the top scroll and which one the bottom.
Shao Sui, holding a roll of tape, stood aside, not offering any hints, “Mimi is so smart, he’ll definitely figure it out.”
Mimi rolled his eyes, handed the couplets to Shao Sui, and said, “I’m going to use the bathroom, wait for me!”
Shao Sui knew exactly what Mimi was up to, but he didn’t expose him, waiting patiently.
Mimi, having consulted the internet, quickly returned, pointing confidently, “This is the top scroll!”
Shao Sui: “Correct.”
Mimi: “Is there a reward?”
Shao Sui, after putting up the spring couplets, took something out of his pocket, “A big red envelope for you.”
Mimi took the red envelope joyfully and quickly put it away. He wasn’t blinded by money, his logic still online, “You already prepared a red envelope for me, that doesn’t count as a reward.”
Shao Sui picked up Mimi with one hand and carried him inside, closing the door with the other. “What else do you want?”
“I want to go out.”
“Today?” Shao Sui was surprised, “It’s New Year’s Eve, most shops are closed, we can only go to the ancient city if you want to…”
Mimi struggled to put his feet on the ground, “Now! I want to go out alone.”
Shao Sui frowned, “What for?”
Mimi: “I can’t tell you.”
Shao Sui felt a headache coming on, unable to comprehend why Mimi would want to go out alone on New Year’s Eve, “You can’t go out if you don’t tell me.”
Mimi recited from the agreement, “Cat spirits have independent personalities and cat-sonalities, humans cannot restrict a cat spirit’s freedom for any reason—”
Shao Sui raised an eyebrow, “So what if I restrict it? Call the execution squad on me.” (A hyperbolic expression.)
“You’re being unreasonable! You’re a scoundrel!” Mimi’s face reddened. “You’re taking advantage of the fact that I can’t bear to see you die!”
Shao Sui was secretly pleased, “Tell me what you’re going to do, and I’ll consider… is it the association? Did they contact you?”
Mimi said indifferently, “They contacted me yesterday, asking if I wanted to spend New Year’s at the base.”
The answer was obvious. Mimi refused; he wanted to be with Shao Sui.
Shao Sui pulled the little cat spirit into his arms, “Baby is so well-behaved.”
Mimi covered his ears, rejecting Shao Sui’s sweet-talking, “If you don’t let me go out, I, I… I’ll never tie your shoelaces again!”
“Such a terrifying threat.” Shao Sui sighed. “How long? How far?”
Mimi held up one finger, then another.
Shao Sui said deliberately, “Two minutes?”
Mimi looked up angrily, “I can’t even get out of the building in two minutes!”
Shao Sui chuckled, still feigning reluctance, “Two hours then? I’ll have dinner ready by then.”
“You can cook later, I’m not hungry.”
“I’m hungry.”
Mimi kissed Shao Sui, “You’re not hungry.”
“…Fine, I’m not hungry.” Shao Sui conceded, then threatened, “If you’re not back in two hours, I’ll lock you in a dark room for a whole month!”
Cats have night vision, cats aren’t afraid of the dark.
Mimi wriggled out of Shao Sui’s arms and rushed to the door to put on his down jacket.
Shao Sui stood beside him, “Really can’t take me with you? It’s hard to get a taxi on New Year’s Eve.”
Mimi put on his shoes, “I’ll walk.”
Shao Sui asked, “Is it far?”
Mimi said, “The navigation app says it’s a fifteen-minute walk.”
Shao Sui’s curiosity intensified. Just as he was thinking of secretly following Mimi, the cat saw through his thoughts, “Don’t follow me, and don’t use your special powers to check my location.”
“Well, I can’t control that.” Shao Sui touched his nose. “Put on your scarf and gloves.”
Mimi slammed the door shut.
Shao Sui’s heart felt empty, restless. But he couldn’t be idle, or he would be tempted to check Mimi’s location on his phone.
But it had only been forty minutes since he finished preparing the ingredients for their New Year’s Eve dinner.
Shao Sui took out his phone and opened his chat with Mimi, pinned to the top, contact name “Mimi Da Wang” (Mimi the Great King).
During the winter break, they were practically inseparable, no need to message each other, but there were still dozens of messages every day, either emojis Mimi found online or funny short videos he wanted to share.
Shao Sui leaned against the kitchen doorframe, scrolling through their chat history, a soft smile in his eyes.
He typed: I’m right behind you [looking back.jpg]
Mimi Da Wang: Liar, I don’t smell you.
Shao Sui: Video call?
Mimi Da Wang: No.
Shao Sui: Then a phone call?
Mimi Da Wang: No.
Shao Sui clicked the voice message button and, like a resentful lover, said, “Humans usually only refuse video and phone calls when they’re cheating, because there’s someone else with them.”
Mimi Da Wang: I’m a cat.
Shao Sui started typing, but before he could finish, Mimi also sent a voice message, his voice full of indignation, “I’m so aroused by your pheromones I’m in constant heat, and you’re accusing me of cheating!”
Shao Sui struggled to contain his smile, replying, “Keep your voice down, if passersby hear you, you’ll be violating the confidentiality agreement.”
Mimi Da Wang ignored him.
Shao Sui played the voice message several times. The background noise was quite loud, mostly promotional announcements, not many voices.
A shopping mall?
Shao Sui stood by the window, braving the cold wind, waiting for a long time, finally seeing a small figure appear downstairs. Probably because it was so cold, Mimi had both hands in his pockets, hurrying towards the building.
Shao Sui timed it perfectly, opening the door just as Mimi, assuming it was unlocked by facial recognition, rushed in and bumped into his arms.
“So enthusiastic, throwing yourself into my arms.”
“You were waiting for me!” Mimi’s nose and cheeks were red from the cold. “I wasn’t late, you can’t punish me.”
He wasn’t late indeed, just a few minutes short, Shao Sui felt slightly disappointed.
“What did you buy?”
Mimi said unhappily, “You know how to shop now? You checked my location again.”
Shao Sui’s eyelid twitched, “When did you learn about location sharing?”
Mimi, clutching his loungewear, went into the bathroom, closing the door and mumbling, “I asked Guan Jiu, she said there’s no such thing as special powers, you must have turned on location sharing.”
Shao Sui: “Did she say anything bad about me?”
Mimi said, “She said you’re very controlling, not a good thing.”
Shao Sui: “What do you think? Are you afraid of me?”
Mimi didn’t reply, then after a while, opened the bathroom door, walked out, and kissed Shao Sui, “Turn around.”
Shao Sui, thoroughly manipulated, obediently turned around. Mimi took the opportunity to run into the bedroom, closing the door and rummaging around for a while before emerging as if nothing had happened.
Shao Sui peeked into the bedroom, but didn’t find anything unusual.
“Hiding something?”
Mimi flattened his ears, pretending not to hear. “Shall we make dumplings? I’m so hungry, it’s freezing outside, I don’t want to go out anymore.”
His phone buzzed. Shao Sui checked and saw a transfer of ten thousand yuan from his father, Shi Yingjie, labeled “New Year’s gift.”
He didn’t accept it, tossing his phone onto the sofa and following Mimi into the kitchen, “You won’t go out just because you said so, will you?”
Mimi said, “It’s so windy outside! If you have to go out, I’ll transform back into a cat, and you can carry me inside your down jacket.”
Shao Sui chuckled, deliberately teasing him, “I also have some personal matters to attend to.”
“Not allowed.” The Great Meow King was very possessive. He pointed at his nose. “I’ll know where you are.”
Shao Sui couldn’t resist, lowering his head and kissing Mimi’s reddened nose.
Mimi said smugly, “My location tracking is better than yours, I can find you even without a phone.”
Shao Sui started cooking, “How terrifying.”
Mimi said, “You check my location all the time, and I don’t find you terrifying.”
Shao Sui chuckled, “So I can check it whenever I want now?”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t.” Mimi said, “Guan Jiu taught me how to turn off location sharing, but I didn’t.”
Shao Sui: “Why?”
Mimi handed him some vegetables, “Relationship experts said sharing your location helps build trust between partners. I’ll definitely forget sometimes, so you can check yourself.”
“Check whenever I want?”
“Not when I tell you not to.”
The little cat spirit’s logic was bizarre.
“And I can also see your location.” Mimi removed the yellowed leaves from the vegetables. “Although my nose is very sensitive, I can’t just go out looking for you every time I want to know where you are, it’s too troublesome.”
So location sharing on phones was a truly great invention.
Shao Sui: “Give me the vegetables.”
Mimi presented them with both hands, “You don’t have to be so insecure anymore, I’m only in heat because of you, I won’t look for other people or other cats.”
Shao Sui felt his life force draining away.
The biggest trouble with having a cat spirit was the constant urge to hold him and kiss him to death.
By the time dinner was ready, it was completely dark outside, and the sound of fireworks filled the air, their colorful reflections on the windows.
Mimi watched for a while before Shao Sui called him for dinner.
“Want some alcohol?”
“Just a little.”
Shao Sui poured Mimi half a glass of fruit wine, “After tonight, our Mimi will be twenty years old.”
[Translator’s Note: In Chinese culture, age is calculated differently—one year is added on New Year’s Day regardless of birthdate. This is known as ‘nominal age.’]
“Yes!” Mimi said, “And you’ll be twenty-nine!”
Shao Sui: “…Did you peek at my ID card?”
Mimi, holding his glass, took a small sip, “I didn’t peek, I looked at it openly, it was in the drawer.”
“…”
Mimi’s alcohol tolerance was low. After one glass, he was tipsy, crawling into Shao Sui’s lap with his bowl, insisting on eating dinner there.
Shao Sui gladly obliged.
Mimi instructed, “Peel the shrimp for me!”
Shao Sui: “As you wish, Your Majesty.”
Mimi rubbed his face against Shao Sui’s stubble, “It’s a bit prickly.”
Shao Sui expertly peeled the shrimp and fed it to Mimi, “Because your skin is more sensitive in winter.”
Mimi suddenly stood up and pulled down his pants.
Shao Sui’s heart skipped a beat, thinking Mimi was drunk and acting out. Just as he was about to stop him, he saw a fluffy tail emerge from behind Mimi.
Mimi, relieved, burrowed into Shao Sui’s arms, sitting on his lap.
“I don’t know how to peel crabs either.”
“…I’ll help you.”
Although there were only two of them, their New Year’s Eve dinner was lively and warm. The tipsy Mimi was even more affectionate, clinging to Shao Sui, who even had to carry him to the bathroom.
After dinner, Shao Sui cleared the table, and Mimi jumped onto his back, his legs and tail dangling.
“Shao Sui, I think I need to pee.”
Shao Sui carried the cat while cleaning up, “You’re just drunk.”
Mimi mumbled, “I only drank one meow-meow.”
Shao Sui chuckled, “What kind of unit of measurement is a ‘meow-meow’?”
Mimi, holding onto Shao Sui’s shoulders, raised his fist, “This King’s exclusive unit of measurement.”
“So impressive.”
The cat was about to fall off, so Shao Sui held him securely with one hand, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and then, turning around, scooped the cat into his arms and carried him to the sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala. (A televised New Year’s Eve variety show in China.)
Mimi, still dazed, wondered how he had gone from Shao Sui’s back to his arms?
He tried to sit up and figure it out, but his mind was too fuzzy, so he just lay down, his warm ear against Shao Sui’s heart.
“It’s thumping.”
“If it stops thumping, I’ll be dead.” Shao Sui grabbed the restless cat’s tail, stroking it from base to tip.
“Then keep thumping, you can’t die.” Mimi said. “Other people have fish for New Year’s, you have a cat, and I have a human.”
Shao Sui responded with an “mm-hmm,” “We’ll still be together for New Year’s fifty years from now.”
Mimi pinched Shao Sui’s lips, “Don’t dislike me when I get old. He Yonggan was abandoned by his owner’s wife after he got wrinkles.”
“How could I?” Shao Sui held Mimi’s hand, gently massaging it. “I’m nine years older than you, you not disliking me now is already a blessing.”
And most cat spirits were innocent and youthful, even as they aged.
Shao Sui suddenly realized, “You went to the cat cafe to see He Yonggan?”
Mimi, emboldened by alcohol, revealed the truth, “Yes! I convinced He Yonggan with my silver tongue to return to the organization! The reward is twenty thousand yuan!”
Shao Sui recalled the wanted wall. He hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time, everyone had their own destiny, he wasn’t particularly concerned about anyone besides Mimi, even if he knew where He Yonggan was, he wouldn’t have reported him to the association for the twenty thousand yuan, and later, he simply forgot about it.
“Why didn’t you just tell the association where he was?”
“He Yonggan didn’t want to go, I had to persuade him.” Mimi felt he had earned this money ethically.
Shao Sui raised an eyebrow, no wonder Mimi had asked him how to check his bank balance a couple of days ago.
“He Yonggan won’t be angry that you earned twenty thousand yuan from him, will he?”
“He probably will.” Mimi said sullenly, “He’s very petty, I’ll avoid him in the future.”
Shao Sui lowered his head and kissed Mimi, “So what did you buy with the money today?”
Mimi, regaining some of his composure, said, “I’ll tell you at midnight.”
At midnight, they were in bed. The slightly tipsy Mimi was incredibly soft and pliant, his eyes teary from being ravished, but he still kept an eye on the clock on the wall.
And Shao Sui, deliberately teasing him, made it impossible for him to focus.
“You have to go out!” Mimi said anxiously, wiping his eyes and checking the time. As soon as the hour, minute, and second hands aligned, he pulled a gift box from under his pillow. “Happy New Year, Shao Sui!”
Shao Sui opened the box and saw a solid gold safety lock pendant necklace, worth twenty-one thousand yuan. Which meant, besides the reward money, Mimi had also used some of his allowance or the red envelope money he received today.
Shao Sui was speechless for a moment, “Baby…”
“I spent a long time choosing it, this one is the heaviest!” Mimi had no concept of aesthetics, just knowing to buy the most expensive one within his budget.
“There was another one that cost over eighty thousand, but I couldn’t afford it.”
“This one is perfect, I love it.” Shao Sui kissed the little cat spirit’s forehead.
Actually, he felt a pang of heartache, gold prices were so high these days, buying such a thing. But knowing it was a gift from Mimi, Shao Sui’s heart melted, filled with warmth.
“I’m glad you like it.” Mimi lay back down and said commandingly, “You can continue now.”
