Chapter 48
Jiang Heng and the white cat stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, then the white cat slowly lowered its head, burying its face in its belly.
“Meow~”
Good morning.
Song Zhang walked over, squatted down, and poked the cat, then turned to Jiang Heng. “It came to play with you?”
Jiang Heng didn’t really want to admit he knew this walking semi-truck.
The sun shone brightly, Lu Yichuan was nowhere to be seen, and the white cat’s stomach growled on cue.
Jiang Heng could only take it back to the villa.
As soon as the white cat entered the house, its gaze fixed on the cabinet where the cat food was kept, desire burning in its eyes, yet it still managed to say to Jiang Heng with feigned indifference, “I just came to see you, meow. I’m not thinking about food at all.”
Since it wasn’t his own cat food, Song Zhang was feeling generous. He took the bag of cat food to the kitchen, searched for a bowl, and considering the white cat’s size, finally found the small basin Lu Yichuan had used before.
He placed the basin on the floor and poured the cat food into it, the kibble rattling loudly. “Eat, make yourself at home.”
The white cat sat by the basin with feigned politeness, then opened its mouth and took a huge bite.
The short-haired kitten padded over and squeezed in beside the white cat. The white cat wasn’t possessive of its food and moved aside to make room for him.
“I’ve eaten a lot of cat food, but yours is the best.”
Jiang Heng thought, of course, high-quality imported cat food with a high meat content would be delicious. It was a pity that his own stomach, not quite used to a cat’s palate, found it too fishy, so he rarely ate it, leaving it all for the white cat.
He poked the white cat with his paw. “How did you get here?”
The white cat said between bites, “I walked.”
“What about the black cat from last night?”
The white cat, chewing on the kibble, looked confused. “I don’t know. He was gone when I woke up.”
It vaguely remembered being swatted by someone in its sleep, and then when it woke up, the abandoned building was empty.
Seeing its clueless expression, Jiang Heng found it hard to believe it was a demon.
Thinking this, he asked, “How did you turn human?”
“Ah…” The white cat opened its giant mouth and swallowed its food, then said sheepishly, “I don’t know, meow. I just…really wanted to eat a lot of things, and then I became human.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
Who said foodies had no future? This one clearly had a bright future.
After eating, realizing that the scary man wasn’t home, the white cat settled down in the garden to bask in the sun.
The sunlight made its fur look fluffy and soft, although still rather dirty, and its impressive size, sprawled on the ground, was hard for any cat to resist.
With Lu Yichuan away, Jiang Heng crouched down, wiggled his butt, and pounced on the large, fluffy mass.
Thump! Little Jiang Heng bounced off slightly, while the white cat remained motionless, even lazily flicking its tail.
Kitten on top of a giant cat. Song Zhang, captivated by the cuteness, started snapping pictures with his phone, his work-related stress melting away.
Jiang Heng buried his face in the big cat’s belly and took a deep breath, inhaling not cat fur, but mostly dust.
The white cat pulled the kitten’s head away and flicked its tail in front of him, instantly capturing his attention.
The tail was thick and fluffy, a natural cat toy. Jiang Heng immediately reached out and tried to catch it, but every time he was about to grab it, the tail would move just out of reach.
Back and forth, back and forth, Jiang Heng was completely captivated by the game.
The sun was almost directly overhead by the time Lu Yichuan and the black cat reached the summit.
The Sanqing Temple stood at the summit. Years of neglect and lack of visitors had left the once magnificent temple dilapidated, the entrance overgrown with weeds.
The teenager led Lu Yichuan past the temple to a small, crumbling building.
His expression was serious. “The Divine Cat Lord is here.”
Lu Yichuan stood beside him, following his gaze, and the first thing he saw was a…small wooden cat statue, meticulously placed in front of the building, clearly an object of worship.
He paused, then looked away from the statue to the dilapidated building.
Tall trees cast long shadows, and a faint sigh seemed to echo in the wind.
Lu Yichuan turned to the black cat. “Can I speak to Him alone?”
The black cat hesitated for a moment, then, figuring that Lu Yichuan wouldn’t dare to do anything, turned and walked away.
Under the shade of the trees, the man’s posture was straight. A few seconds later, the straight figure bent, his head lowered, and he knelt on the ground.
He spoke, “I have come uninvited, please forgive my intrusion. If there are consequences, let them fall on me alone.”
The sigh in the wind seemed to deepen.
Lu Yichuan lowered his eyes and waited quietly, then heard an ancient voice echoing in his mind.
“Young man, why have you come to see me?”
Hearing the voice, Lu Yichuan’s expression remained unchanged, but his hands, resting on his knees, tightened into fists.
Even though he had been prepared, facing something so beyond the realm of science was still overwhelming. It took him a moment to compose himself before speaking. “You know why I’m here.”
“For that child?” The ancient voice asked. “Why are you the only one here for him?”
Lu Yichuan answered honestly, “I don’t know if this place is safe; I couldn’t bring him.”
He had to see it himself first.
Silence filled the air for a few seconds.
“To be honest, you two are not a good match. That child is pure and kind, while you…you are not from the same world.”
Even kneeling, Lu Yichuan’s back remained straight. Hearing this, he looked up, his gaze fixed on the indistinct shape of the shrine within the dilapidated building.
“But we are destined to be together, aren’t we?”
“Alas…it is a karmic entanglement.”
Lu Yichuan didn’t disagree.
“I know what you seek. That white cat and the black cat were originally stray cats from this mountain. This mountain carries my spiritual energy, and they were naturally gifted. Nourished by the spiritual energy, they were able to take human form.”
“But that little kitten was meant to die. Its life was extended by the arrival of his soul. That cat’s body is too weak…”
He sighed softly.
“I initially instructed the black cat to give you the red string to fulfill the karmic bond between you and that child, but I hadn’t expected that a mere dream would reveal the truth to you.”
“A human turning into a cat…that’s a terrifying thing for anyone to face. And your obsession is too deep; knowing the truth might not be a good thing, so I had them take the little one away, but I didn’t expect…”
…that the white cat would be so incompetent.
Lu Yichuan’s expression showed no disappointment. He said calmly, “Is there no other way?”
Silence.
Finally, he lowered his eyes in acceptance. “I see.”
The voice couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you sad?”
Lu Yichuan shook his head. “As long as Rongrong is alive, I don’t care what form he takes.”
“But a cat’s lifespan is short.”
“I know,” he said, “but compared to losing him forever, I’ve already gained a few extra decades. I can’t be too greedy.”
“What if he leaves again when the time comes?”
Lu Yichuan stood up, brushed the dust off his knees, his expression still calm.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll go with him. Nothing can separate us.”
The wind rustled the leaves. Just as Lu Yichuan turned to leave, the voice sighed again.
“Very well…I have a connection with that child as well. Come here…”
Lu Yichuan heard Song Zhang’s boisterous laughter the moment he entered the villa.
“Hee hee hee…so cute! I could eat a dozen of these little cuties! Ooh…”
The laughter grew louder, then was suppressed, then erupted again, like a hen laying an egg.
“Hee hee hee…”
Lu Yichuan: “…”
Before he even reached the living room, he saw Song Zhang crouching on the floor in a rather compromising position, furtively taking pictures with his phone.
Lu Yichuan’s eye twitched, and he kicked him in the butt.
Song Zhang yelped, clutched his behind, and turned around angrily, his expression immediately changing to a fawning smile when he saw Lu Yichuan. “Daddy Lu, you’re back! Don’t worry, I’ve taken good care of your cat. I even found him a friend.”
Lu Yichuan didn’t need an introduction; he could see the “friend” lying next to his cat.
The white cat, having been rolled around in the dirt of the abandoned building by the black cat every day, its thick fur trapping the dust, didn’t look that dirty, but one pat sent a cloud of dust flying, like a small snowstorm.
His pristine white kitten, after spending the morning with the white cat, now had dusty paws and a noticeably yellow tinge to its fur.
Lu Yichuan gritted his teeth. “Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on him?”
Song Zhang patted his own head. “I did keep an eye on him, every second! Didn’t you say not to let other cats lure him away? Look, he wasn’t lured away, he lured another cat in!”
Lu Yichuan picked up the dusty Jiang Heng, his face darkening even further when he saw his smudged face.
Song Zhang discreetly took a couple of steps back. “Ahaha…kittens, you know, they like to play, it’s normal. Just give him a bath.”
The man, his face grim, said coldly, “Did you know he just got his vaccinations?”
Uh…
Song Zhang shrank his neck.
Lu Yichuan carried the cat inside. “Throw that fat cat out.”
The commotion woke Jiang Heng, who, still drowsy, smelled the familiar scent before he even opened his eyes.
Not cologne, but Lu Yichuan’s own scent. A warm, sunny scent with a hint of cool water, soft and gentle.
Jiang Heng nuzzled his arm. “Lu Yichuan, you’re back…”
Lu Yichuan carried the cat to the bathroom downstairs. The bright mirror reflected their images. He held the kitten up to the mirror, his fingers gently holding its face. “Little Jiang Heng, look at your face.”
Jiang Heng opened his eyes and saw two large, dark smudges around them.
He was silent.
The man’s long fingers wiped the smudges away, picking up the dirt.
“I told you, don’t play with dirty cats. Now look, Rongrong has become a little dirty cat himself.”
Jiang Heng chuckled sheepishly. “But I couldn’t help it! Its fur is so fluffy and soft, and it’s so big, big enough for two of me to lie on!”
Who could resist such a large, fluffy creature?
Lu Yichuan adjusted the water temperature, wet a towel, and carefully wiped the kitten’s pink paw pads.
“Is it really that…irresistible?”
Hearing this, Jiang Heng hesitated. “Not…not really.”
He placed his paw in the man’s hand. “Actually, all cats are the same, it doesn’t matter how big or fluffy they are.”
He didn’t notice the deepening smile in Lu Yichuan’s eyes and mumbled, “I-if you want to…nuzzle, you can just nuzzle me. I’m…I’m also very…nuzzle-able.”
“Oh really? How nuzzle-able?”
Jiang Heng, his little face smudged with dirt, looked up. “My fur hasn’t grown long yet, but the doctor said I’m a long-haired Munchkin. When I grow up, my fur will be long and fluffy, even fluffier and softer than the white cat’s.”
“So, Lu Yichuan, just wait for me…”
The hand holding his paw paused, then continued wiping the dirt off his fur with the wet towel.
“How long do I have to wait for Rongrong to grow up?”
Jiang Heng sat obediently on the bathroom counter as the towel wiped his face, his voice muffled.
“Soon, I grow very fast.”
Feeling the gentleness of the man’s touch, he asked, “Lu Yichuan, do you like cats?”
The towel wiped the tip of the kitten’s ear, and seeing it twitch, Lu Yichuan couldn’t help but touch it gently.
“I don’t like cats,” he said.
“But I like Rongrong.”
So no matter what, as long as it’s you, I like it.
