Chapter 61
Side Story 5
In the end, Shao Sui, like a hawk protecting its chick, shielded Mimi and, after apologizing to He Yonggan and reasoning with him, finally managed to appease his anger.
“You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I don’t have a human.” He Yonggan said coldly.
“…” Mimi felt a pang of guilt. He had a human, perhaps he should be more considerate of the unattached He Yonggan. But he had already spent the twenty thousand yuan, and it was rightfully his.
Mimi peeked out from behind Shao Sui, “Then, I’ll pay for your meals next time.”
“I don’t need your charity.” He Yonggan scoffed, his eyes closed, then opened one eye and added, “You’re a dog if you can’t do it.”
This vow was quite serious for a cat. Mimi nodded gravely, “Okay… but no more than fifty yuan per meal, and not too often.”
He Yonggan said, exasperated, “So young, yet so stingy! May you be forever poor!”
Shao Sui chuckled and patted Mimi’s head, “Don’t say that about him.”
Mimi nuzzled him affectionately, “I don’t have a job yet, fifty yuan is already a lot.”
He Yonggan glared at them. Perhaps having experienced the heartbreak of being abandoned by a human, he still couldn’t let it go, unable to understand where he went wrong.
Perhaps this little calico would one day experience the same thing, becoming as sensitive as him.
Not a curse, just pessimism.
Mimi’s phone buzzed. He looked down, “Guan Jiu is calling us for dinner.”
Shao Sui said, “Let’s go together then.”
Mimi instinctively reached for Shao Sui’s hand, then, remembering He Yonggan’s experience, pulled back. He would have plenty of time to hold Shao Sui’s hand in the future, while He Yonggan could only touch it in his memories.
Dinner was in the back garden. The association’s cat spirits had set up several barbecue stalls, the food mainly beef and seafood, simple and suited to a cat’s palate.
A woman he had never met before greeted them with a smile, “Teacher Shao, make yourself at home.”
Mimi introduced, “This is my social training teacher, Guo Guo.”
Shao Sui felt like he was meeting his child’s homeroom teacher, responding politely, “Hello, Teacher Guo Guo.”
“Mimi did very well in training, just a bit too attached to you.” Teacher Guo Guo said. “I think for a relationship to last, both parties need to be independent.”
Shao Sui nodded, “You’re right.”
What did a kitten need independence for? Just acting spoiled was enough. Although thinking this, Shao Sui knew Teacher Guo Guo had a point.
No one could rely on another person forever. Human nature was fickle, and life was full of unexpected events. He was so much older than Mimi, he might even die first.
After Teacher Guo Guo left, Mimi said, “Shao Sui, if you feel burdened, I can be less dependent on you.”
Shao Sui was surprised, “You can adjust that?”
Mimi nodded, “Yes, very smart.”
Shao Sui felt a pang of jealousy. So I’m not that important to you after all.
“You are very important!” Mimi didn’t understand. “Would me finding a job make you less important?”
Shao Sui was both amused and exasperated. Mimi was talking about financial dependence, Teacher Guo Guo about emotional dependence, they weren’t even on the same page.
“No rush, we’ll talk about that later.”
It had been years since Shao Sui attended such a large gathering. There were nearly a hundred people, some cats lounging in the trees, rustling sounds coming from the bushes.
He sniffed the air and whispered, “Are these all cat spirits?”
Mimi shook his head, pointing discreetly, “That man over there in the gaudy purple outfit is the association’s vice president, I heard he doesn’t have any real power, but he supervises the cat spirits’ activities.”
“And Grandma Zhang, grilling the shrimp, she’s Jiaojiao’s… my friend’s, adoptive grandmother. She has several cat spirits at home, they’re all registered under the same household.”
Shao Sui sensed Mimi’s disapproval, which he understood. Grandma Zhang and the cat spirits were like grandmother and grandchildren, or mother and sons, the probability of their relationship falling apart was very low, and even if it did, the impact wouldn’t be as significant as a romantic relationship, which had too many variables.
“There’s also a woman under that tree on the right…”
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind him, “I want to report Shao Mimi for using gendered terms for humans again! He has to retake Socialization 101!”
Mimi flinched, throwing himself into Shao Sui’s arms, then peeking out after a moment. “Jiaojiao, you scared me to death!”
Jiaojiao chuckled, “Such a scaredy-cat, I was just kidding.”
Mimi, terrified of being separated from Shao Sui again, said unhappily, “Don’t joke like that anymore.”
Jiaojiao was slightly taken aback, “Okay, are you really angry?”
Mimi sulked for a few seconds, then softened, “I forgive you.”
Shao Sui discreetly held Mimi’s hand, preventing him from checking his phone. He knew the two cat spirits often chatted, sharing funny videos, local food recommendations, and other things.
Just yesterday, they were discussing a cat spirit who had recently had kittens, despite having a partner and still being driven by his primal instincts, giving the kittens to the association and his partner remaining completely oblivious.
In human terms, having a child with someone else while in a relationship could be considered cheating.
But they were cat spirits, it seemed to be a common occurrence.
Shao Sui sometimes felt insecure, what if Mimi also couldn’t resist these primal instincts?
Although Mimi had Klinefelter syndrome and couldn’t reproduce, it didn’t mean he didn’t have reproductive instincts.
Jiaojiao extended his hand formally, “Hello, I’m Mimi’s good friend, I started university last year.”
Shao Sui had to admit he was naive, thinking all cat spirits were like Mimi, smart but easily confused, struggling to learn new things.
He shook Jiaojiao’s hand briefly and then retracted it, “How long did it take you to get into university?”
“Let’s go get some shrimp from my grandma, she makes delicious grilled shrimp.” Jiaojiao explained while walking, “I transformed quite early, around seven or eight years old in human age, I went to live with my grandma and attended school with human children, but I only got into a third-rate university.”
“That’s still impressive,” Shao Sui said sincerely.
“I just had a late start.” Mimi, who couldn’t even understand junior high material, was very dissatisfied, mumbling under his breath. He secretly grabbed the hand Shao Sui used to shake Jiaojiao’s and rubbed it vigorously, then, still not satisfied, raised it to his mouth and sniffed it a few times.
Grandma Zhang smiled and handed them a few skewers of grilled shrimp, “Have some, little cat spirits like their food plain, you can sprinkle some cumin if you find it bland.”
“Thank you.” Shao Sui took the shrimp, peeling them with disposable chopsticks and feeding them to Mimi, wondering how Grandma Zhang knew he was human. Had Jiaojiao told her?
Grandma Zhang, while grilling more shrimp, explained, “No matter how well-socialized cat spirits are, there are still subtle differences from humans, you’ll be able to tell after a while.”
Shao Sui indeed lacked such experience. He couldn’t tell with Guan Jiu and Teacher Guo Guo, they were too human-like, their social skills too polished.
Jiaojiao, beside them, said coquettishly, “Grandma, I want the biggest one.”
A boy playing marbles on the right immediately stood up, “Me too!”
Then another cat jumped down from a tree, landing on Grandma Zhang’s shoulder and extending its paw, its intention clear – I want the biggest one.
Grandma Zhang, an expert at fairness, said, “The shrimp I picked today are all the same size, I weighed them all, don’t fight.”
Shao Sui chuckled.
Grandma Zhang said helplessly, “That’s what it’s like with so many cats, if you pet one less, or give one less treat, they’ll start fighting, fur flying everywhere.”
Mimi, after finishing the shrimp, said, “I’ll go get in line for the beef, you guys chat.”
Shao Sui: “I’ll go with…”
Jiaojiao interrupted, “I’ll go with Mimi, I have something to share with him.”
Shao Sui: “…Okay.”
As the two little cat spirits walked away, Shao Sui’s heart clenched, a sense of unease washing over him.
Although he knew the association wasn’t a bad organization, this was, after all, another cat’s territory. If someone wanted to separate him and Mimi, he wouldn’t be able to resist.
He had often had such nightmares after bringing Mimi back from the base, only finding peace when he felt Mimi’s weight in his arms, or his warm body temperature.
Grandma Zhang, noticing his anxiety, said kindly, “Don’t worry, even the worst cat spirits aren’t that bad, let them socialize, more friends, more opportunities.”
Shao Sui, reassured, asked curiously, “You take care of so many cat spirits, does the association give you a subsidy?”
“They provide basic living expenses.” Grandma Zhang chuckled and shook her head. “But it’s never enough, as you know, since you also have one, you always want to buy them nice things, and the money just disappears. I’ve already sold two apartments.”
Shao Sui suddenly felt he wasn’t good enough to Mimi. Other people sold their apartments for cat spirits, and he was making Mimi live frugally with him.
“Let me help you grill.”
“Okay, you grill the shrimp, I’ll grill some seafood.” Grandma Zhang said. “Remember to turn the shrimp often, the shells should be slightly charred, but not burnt.”
Shao Sui, doing this for the first time, was very cautious. Many cat spirits had lined up for food, blocking his view of Mimi.
“He’s that wild cat spirit’s partner.”
“His pheromones smell nice.”
“Not bad…”
The cat spirits whispered among themselves.
Shao Sui’s lips twitched, human hearing might not be as good as a cat’s, but it wasn’t that bad either.
“I can hear you.”
The cat spirits immediately dispersed, looking around or scratching their ears, as if nothing had happened.
Mimi returned with two plates of beef, raising his head proudly. “This is my hunting spoils.”
Shao Sui praised, “So impressive.”
Mimi picked up a slice of beef, “Lower your head.”
Shao Sui lowered his head and ate the beef Mimi fed him, “Want some shrimp?”
Mimi instructed, “Grill them for me!”
“As you wish.” Shao Sui often called Mimi “Da Wang” (Great King) at home, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it in public, surrounded by cat spirits with their excellent hearing, it was too embarrassing.
While waiting for the shrimp, Mimi took a plate of beef to He Yonggan in the corner.
He Yonggan had been wandering around, getting a little bit of everything, then went to a corner to eat alone.
“Still thinking about your human?”
“I’m not.” He Yonggan said. “After what she did to me.”
Mimi said, “She hurt you, you should forget about her.”
He Yonggan asked, “If Shao Sui hurt you, could you forget about him?”
Mimi said without hesitation, “Shao Sui wouldn’t hurt me.”
He Yonggan said coldly, “That’s what I thought too.”
“…” Mimi reluctantly considered the hypothetical, “Then I would allow him to hurt me… three times, after three times, I would completely forget about him.”
He Yonggan scoffed, “You’re bluffing! You can’t even say you would leave after one time, let alone forget him completely.”
Mimi, feeling slightly embarrassed, grumbled, “Anyway, Shao Sui wouldn’t hurt me.”
He Yonggan stared into space for a while, then said, “If, and I mean if, he whipped you, made you crawl on the ground, abandoned you, if it happened even once, just leave him, otherwise, you’ll end up like me, still wondering what if she hadn’t abandoned me, I could have tolerated anything…”
Mimi’s mouth formed an “O,” “How did she whip you?”
He Yonggan was exasperated, “Is that the point!?”
“Sorry,” Mimi quickly apologized, “We don’t have a whip at home.”
He Yonggan couldn’t take it anymore, “He can buy one, can’t he? It’s pointless talking to you, you lovesick fool.”
Mimi felt insulted, but it didn’t faze him. Catching Shao Sui’s gaze, he smiled, “I’m going back to eat the shrimp Shao Sui grilled for me, want some?”
He Yonggan turned his back dismissively, “Whatever.”
After a while, someone patted his shoulder.
He Yonggan, outwardly annoyed, felt a flicker of happiness. Just as he was about to turn around, he caught a familiar scent.
He froze, not daring to turn around.
The person behind him said accusingly, “Disappearing during the New Year without a word, making me put up ‘lost cat’ posters everywhere, searching until the middle of the night, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
He Yonggan muttered, “Wouldn’t my words scare you to death…”
“I’m not dead, am I?” Hu Xia, the cat cafe owner, sighed and turned He Yonggan around. “Are you coming back to the cafe after the holidays?”
“I’ll think about it.” He Yonggan’s eyes darted around nervously.
“The association found me, said you weren’t happy here.”
“Nonsense! I’m very happy here.”
Hu Xia, seeing his star cat’s human form for the first time, didn’t find it strange, just novel, “I’ve passed the association’s assessment, you can sign an adoption agreement with me if you’re willing.”
“What are the benefits?”
“There’s a spare bedroom at home, already furnished, you can live there permanently, and the cafe also needs staff, you can work here in your human form, and I’ll pay you, and if you want to try other jobs, I can also help you find some…”
“Then there will be no cat to attract customers.”
“So what, a little less business won’t hurt.”
“I’ll think about it.” He Yonggan, regaining some of his former arrogance, said.
In the distance, Shao Sui and Mimi watched the scene unfold.
James, sneaking over, snatched three grilled shrimp from Mimi’s plate, swallowing them whole, shell and all, destroying the evidence.
Mimi, looking down at his empty hand, was stunned, “You… that’s so mean!”
James patted his chest, “You have to chew the shells for the flavor.”
Mimi was exasperated, “Shao Sui grilled those for me!”
“So what if I ate a few? He can grill more.”
“…” Mimi looked at Shao Sui, aggrieved.
Shao Sui, amused and exasperated, quickly comforted him, “These are all for you, no one can steal them.”
James didn’t mind, “Guan Jiu wanted to find an adopter for He Yonggan, and since Hu Xia and his wife are good people, it seemed like a good match.”
Shao Sui peeled the grilled shrimp and fed them to Mimi, “That’s good, I hope He Yonggan can let go of his past.”
“We hope so too—”
James reached for the shrimp on the grill, but was swatted away by the vigilant Mimi, “Don’t steal mine!”
James clicked his tongue, “Little brat.”
He turned and went to raid other barbecue stalls.
Mimi, finally relieved, after finishing the shrimp, went to find more food.
The back garden was spacious and open, Shao Sui grilling shrimp while following Mimi’s figure with his eyes.
Mimi was indeed popular, even having only been at the base for a month, he knew many cat spirits, who would often try to cuddle with him when he wasn’t looking.
Mimi would dodge them, saying sternly, “Don’t do that, my human will be jealous.”
So adorable.
Mimi returned with two glasses of fruit wine, asking softly, “Shao Sui, can I have some?”
Shao Sui deliberately said, “Cat spirits have independent personalities and cat-sonalities, humans cannot restrict their actions for any reason.”
Mimi, recognizing the words, said unhappily, “You’re so petty, I only said that to surprise you, so you wouldn’t know I was buying you the gold lock.”
Shao Sui chuckled, “Go ahead and drink, but preferably beside me when you’re not… running around.”
Mimi said seriously, “I’m a cat spirit who never goes to bars, my alcohol tolerance is low.”
A passing cat spirit muttered, “Two-faced.”
Mimi pretended to be deaf, “She’s talking about that calico over there.”
Shao Sui played along, “Right, definitely not our Mimi.”
Mimi nodded, “Mm-hmm!”
The little cat spirits’ gathering was incredibly wholesome, no bragging or showing off, no negativity or pointless socializing, just pure fun.
They dashed between barbecue stalls, stuffing their faces, hanging from the exercise equipment like ornaments when they were full, transforming into cats and climbing trees to sleep when they were tired.
Although Guan Jiu said transforming back into their cat forms shortened their human lifespans, most cat spirits didn’t seem to care.
They lived freely, doing whatever made them happy.
Jiaojiao, boneless, clung to Grandma Zhang’s back, like a spirit, “Grandma, when are you going to bed?”
“After grilling another batch, I’m old, my body can’t handle this anymore.”
“Sleep in my dorm, I want to sleep with you.”
“Okay.” Grandma Zhang lowered her voice, “Let’s sneak away later, don’t let Xiao Liu and the others see.”
Jiaojiao nodded immediately, “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Mimi overheard and said sternly, “I’m going to report you.”
“Don’t be a snitch, I’ll send you a New Year’s red envelope.” Jiaojiao took out his phone. “I haven’t slept with Grandma in a long time, those new cat spirits are so annoying, always marking their territory like dogs.”
Mimi instantly earned two hundred yuan, splitting it with Shao Sui.
The gathering would continue until tomorrow morning, the little cat spirits full of energy, sleeping for a while then waking up to eat again.
Mimi sipped his wine, “Shao Sui, aren’t you drinking?”
Shao Sui said, “I’m driving, no drinking and driving.”
Mimi said, “You can also sleep in my dorm and go back tomorrow.”
Shao Sui was surprised, “They haven’t taken back your room?”
Mimi nodded, “Guan Jiu said they usually wait until wild cat spirits can live independently before taking back their rooms, so we know we have a place to return to even without humans.”
Quite thoughtful and heartwarming.
Shao Sui, no longer worried, also had two glasses of wine. Alcohol tolerance was indeed innate. He rarely drank and still didn’t get drunk easily, while Mimi, after just a few sips, was already tipsy, flopping against Shao Sui.
Mimi suddenly asked, “Shao Sui, will you buy a whip and… whip me?”
The passing cat spirits looked over warily.
Shao Sui quickly covered Mimi’s mouth, amused and exasperated, “Why would I whip you?”
“I don’t know,” Mimi mumbled. “He Yonggan’s former human used to whip him, sounds scary.”
“…” Shao Sui vaguely understood, it was the… BDSM kind of whipping.
Although some people were into that, he wasn’t, he rarely even let Mimi show his tail, firstly, because such things were just extras, not essential, secondly, because cats generally didn’t like their fur getting sticky.
Although Mimi didn’t say anything, Shao Sui knew, wanting Mimi to also enjoy their lovemaking.
Shao Sui whispered, “Can you still walk?”
Mimi’s face was flushed, and he nodded.
Shao Sui and Grandma Zhang handed over the barbecue stalls to the other cat spirits, ready to retreat to the dormitory. Jiaojiao, who had been waiting, transformed back into a cat and jumped onto Grandma Zhang’s back.
Grandma Zhang patted Jiaojiao’s butt, “It’s been a while since I carried my baby…”
Mimi, competitive, said, “Me too.”
Shao Sui said, “Then climb on.”
Mimi, drunk, couldn’t transform back, tugging on his ears in frustration.
Shao Sui chuckled and bent down, “I’ll just carry you like this.”
Mimi struggled to climb onto Shao Sui’s back, constantly sliding down, until Shao Sui held his legs and helped him up.
He nuzzled Shao Sui’s neck, whispering, “Shao Sui, you smell so good.”
“How good?”
“So good I’m always in heat, no other human or cat smells as good as you.”
Shao Sui wasn’t sure if this was just Mimi’s biased perception, he had never thought he had a particularly special scent, but to Mimi, he was the best.
Mimi rubbed against Shao Sui’s neck, trying to cover him in his scent, “I’m going to mark you! Let every cat spirit know you’re my human.”
Shao Sui guessed it was because he had been around so many cat spirits tonight, his scent a bit mixed, and Mimi wasn’t happy.
“How are you going to mark me? You’re not going to pee on me, are you?”
“I’m civilized!” Mimi, displeased by the suggestion, tugged on the back of Shao Sui’s collar, exposing a small patch of skin, and bit down.
Shao Sui understood. Mimi had been reading ABO novels recently.
As a former homeroom teacher, Shao Sui had confiscated countless novels and knew a bit about ABO dynamics, “marking” meaning biting the neck.
Mimi the cat also liked biting things, especially him.
“Done marking?”
“Almost.” Mimi mumbled, his teeth grinding slightly.
In the cold winter wind, Shao Sui carried Mimi back to the dormitory, their body heat mingling, a comforting warmth, as if he could walk like this forever without getting tired.
Shao Sui occasionally wondered how he deserved a cat spirit like Mimi.
