Chapter 76: Wan Keyao’s Gift

This was a parasol tree with dense branches and lush leaves, sunlight flickering through the leaves in the wind like glittering gold foil.

In such a beautiful scene, a blood-drenched Milk Cow Cat was sprawled on the tree. It was barely breathing, managing a few thin, sharp cries at first—which was how Jiang Xiaoyu had heard it. But in just those short few seconds, it could no longer cry out.

Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t have time to say much to Huang Li. Under Ye Qingxu’s worried gaze, he climbed up the tree. The moment he got a clear look at the cat, his heart sank to the bottom of a valley.

Its left forelimb had been chopped off clean at the root, the stump a mess of mangled flesh with exposed white bone, blood gushing out and dyeing its black-and-white fur a dark red. A wound over a dozen centimeters long ran down its back from the top of its head to its tail, deep enough to split skin and flesh with bright red muscle exposed, even faintly revealing the shape of its ribs.

Blood trickled down the wound, pooling into a shocking puddle on the tree. It panted feebly, each breath accompanied by a faint groan. It was already a miracle that it had held on until Jiang Xiaoyu arrived.

Jiang Xiaoyu gritted his teeth, moving carefully to avoid the wounds as he scooped it into his arms. Ignoring the height, he leaped down from the tree.

Ye Qingxu jumped at his action, but luckily the kid only staggered on landing without falling.

“Oh my god, how is it this bad.” Ye Qingxu covered his mouth, having never seen such a gruesome sight.

Huang Li looked scared too, her not-particularly-fair skin gone ashen as she pointed ahead. “There’s a pet hospital not far up ahead.”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s shirt was dyed a brownish red with blood. As he ran, he said to Ye Qingxu, “Dad, you guys head over first.”

He rushed all the way, delivering the cat to the operating room. Jiang Xiaoyu’s expression was grim; there seemed to be too many incidents like this lately.

Ye Qingxu wheeled Huang Li over and followed. Seeing the kid like that, he stepped forward wanting to wipe the blood from his clothes.

“You can’t wipe it clean.” Jiang Xiaoyu said, but he didn’t stop him, turning to ask Huang Li, “What were you doing there?”

Huang Li gestured with her fingers. “I went to the hospital for a checkup. On my way out, I saw that parasol tree and thought it looked nice. I walked over and heard the cat crying.”

Last time he’d seen her, she was in long pants; today she wore a skirt that ended a bit above the knee. Jiang Xiaoyu’s gaze followed her hand movements and unintentionally fell on her legs. Much thinner than average, with severe muscle atrophy, her feet somewhat inwardly deformed, unable to rest flat on the ground and instead landing on tiptoes and the outer edges.

Jiang Xiaoyu looked away and murmured an apology.

Huang Li didn’t mind at all, waving it off with a smile. “It’s fine, it’s been over a dozen years.”

Ye Qingxu wiped the blood from the kid with tissues and asked the doctor, “How long until it’s out?”

The doctor said, “Depends if the cat has internal injuries. Just external wounds and stitches would be quick, but if there are internals…” He trailed off, but everyone knew what he meant.

The cat wouldn’t be out of the ER for a while, and waiting around was pointless. Jiang Xiaoyu, experienced with these things by now, smoothly paid the fee and left his number with the doctor.

Huang Li rolled her wheels toward the exit. “I hope it can be saved. People these days are so evil. I saw the news a few days ago about a cat that had all four limbs chopped off—it didn’t make it. And today I run into this one.”

There was a speed bump at the hospital entrance. Jiang Xiaoyu gripped the wheelchair handles, lifting it slightly to help her over. “No helping it.”

“Can’t the police do anything?” Huang Li stared at Jiang Xiaoyu and asked.

She had an ordinary face, eyes neither big nor small but very bright and earnest. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail with a fluffy blue hair tie that looked like a cat’s tail.

Jiang Xiaoyu said, “If there was a way, I’d be the first to catch them.”

Huang Li sighed. “Yeah, true.”

Ye Qingxu pulled the car up and stopped beside them, asking, “Where do you live? Need a ride?”

Huang Li grabbed the woven bag hanging from her wheelchair and pulled out a camera. “No need, no need. The weather’s nice today; I was planning to take a few more landscape photos before heading home.”

Jiang Xiaoyu exchanged contacts with her, promising to update her on the cat’s status, then bid her farewell.

By the time he got home, the sun was about to set. Jiang Xiaoyu couldn’t turn into a cat to sunbathe; instead, he turned into a cat for a bath.

Ye Qingxu held the showerhead with his back turned, picking out body wash. Jiang Xiaoyu, a pitch-black lump, stared at the water stream and patted with his paw.

When Ye Qingxu moved, the water shifted. The Little Black Cat watched intently, then pounced with all four paws to grab it. Ye Qingxu turned back, laughed uncontrollably, and wielded the spray head like a cat toy, teasing Jiang Xiaoyu round and round.

After the bath and drying, Ye Qingxu placed the fragrant, fluffy Little Coal Ball into the basket in the yard, letting him chat with the cats and dogs.

“Boss, the cats smelled the blood on your clothes. Another companion coming?”

Jiang Xiaoyu lifted his head and nodded. “If it can survive.”

He hoped for a miracle in his heart—and the miracle truly stood by his side. Just as night was falling and he was about to sleep, Jiang Xiaoyu got a call from the hospital saying the Milk Cow Cat’s internal injuries weren’t severe and it had stabilized. Jiang Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief and texted Huang Li the update.

The first day after the National Day holiday, the sky was clear with thick clouds. He arrived early at the Case Handling Office to find the atmosphere solemn.

Another case had cropped up: the victim’s left hand chopped off clean, a deep knife wound from the head down to the tailbone, and a bloody “D” carved into the chest.

At the meeting, the moment Jiang Xiaoyu saw the crime scene photos, his mind blanked for an instant.

“I ran into it yesterday,” he said.

Jin Ge was discussing the case with the head of the Criminal Investigation Division, his brows furrowed enough to crush a fly. Hearing his out-of-the-blue words, he asked, “Ran into what? The victim?”

Jiang Xiaoyu set the files back on the table, facing the crowd’s probing stares. “I ran into a cat like this yesterday.”

Jin Ge chewed his tobacco, spat it out. “Crime scene’s on Chunhe Road. Location match?”

Jiang Xiaoyu recalled. “Right nearby. After rescuing that cat, I took it to the pet hospital close by.”

“Outrageous lawlessness!” The head of the Criminal Investigation Division slammed the table. He was Zhao Changhe, medium build and height, with an impressive record of achievements. “From the first case to this morning’s, four gruesome incidents in just a few short weeks! What are you all doing? Can’t even find a single trace of the perp?”

Lu Wanhui’s face was grim. Though he had issues in some areas, he was steady when it came to cases. “The victims have different identities, but they all share one hobby: abusing animals.” He glanced at Jiang Xiaoyu. “Officer Jiang’s previous theory holds water.”

Zhao Changhe looked over too. He generally didn’t think much of the Case Handling Office kids, but remembering Secretary Ye’s inspection before the holiday, he tapped the table with his fingers. “Does Officer Jiang have any other thoughts?”

Jiang Xiaoyu paused, then said, “I see Criminal Investigation is focusing mainly on the source of the steel needles from the first case. True, such special needles aren’t something ordinary people can buy, so that’s a solid lead. But,” he pivoted, “since the killer dared to use them, he doesn’t care if we trace the source.”

“Exactly,” an old cop mused. “This guy’s cautious and sly enough to rank among the worst I’ve handled. No way he’d leave such an obvious trail. Using the needles might just be to mislead our investigation and buy time.”

Jiang Xiaoyu stood and quickly sketched the details of the cases on the whiteboard. “The first three victims all abused animals before death; the fourth is TBD but the MO is extremely similar—tentatively link it. The killer can skin someone whole, so his anatomical knowledge is exceptional. More crucially, how did he learn about their animal abuse? And so quickly that he struck the same night with his so-called punishment.”

He took a breath.

“These abusers get twisted pleasure from the fear of weak lives toward them. It’s a show—they crave recognition and worship, need ‘audiences’ and platforms. Very likely, they have a dark web where they livestream their animal torture. The killer’s in there too, so he knows their moves inside out.”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s analysis was uniquely angled, clear and sharp, hitting the nail on the head. It not only made the Criminal Investigation folks ponder but surprised Jin Ge too—was this cat cub suddenly enlightened?

“Officer Jiang’s line of thinking is good.” Zhao Changhe surprisingly didn’t rebut; he felt the Case Handling Office slackers had something worthwhile.

Jin Ge withdrew his gaze from Jiang Xiaoyu, twirling a pen and jotting dots on paper as he thought aloud. “Let’s split up. Criminal Investigation hits the front lines for physical evidence; Case Handling digs for case commonalities. I’ll apply for search warrants to check these victims’ phones for any dark web links.”

—

Time flew when busy. By the time Jiang Xiaoyu thought to check his phone, it was past quitting time.

He hurriedly meant to call Ye Qingxu, but unlocking the screen revealed a message already sent: Dad has dinner with a client tonight. Someone else will pick you up.

Jiang Xiaoyu quickly replied: I can take the bus back myself. No need to trouble others.

He said that, but these days it had always been Ye Qingxu driving him to and from work. Now that no one was picking him up, he felt a bit empty inside. Just as he reached the entrance of the government building, he saw a stretched limousine parked by the roadside. Leaning against the car door was a person with a tall, slender figure, handsome features, and an air of refined elegance—who else could it be but Ye Lian?

The man curved his eyes in a smile. “I was wondering when Officer Jiang would get off work. If you didn’t come out soon, I was going to go in and find you.”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up, and he hurried over with a grin he couldn’t suppress. “Why are you here? When did you get back?”

Ye Lian’s lips hooked up slightly. “Just landed. I heard Mr. Ye say no one was picking you up, so I volunteered.”

This guy’s looks and demeanor were truly outstanding—even some veteran cops who’d seen it all couldn’t help stealing glances. Feeling a bit awkward, Jiang Xiaoyu pushed Ye Lian toward the car. “Then let’s go.”

The driver wasn’t Yan Feilang; it was some unfamiliar face. At first, Jiang Xiaoyu sat prim and proper, far away from Ye Lian. But once the partition rose and the driver couldn’t see, he perked up.

Kitten’s eyes sparkled brightly as he quietly scooted toward Ye Lian.

Ye Lian crossed his legs, elbow propped on the windowsill, watching to see what this little guy was up to.

Jiang Xiaoyu reached Ye Lian’s other hand resting on the seat and poked at it with his finger. Then he actually asked, “Are you my Wife Cat now?”

This little thing could be all twisted up one moment and bluntly straightforward the next. Ye Lian chuckled, not bothering to correct him that he wasn’t Wife Cat but Husband Cat. He simply replied, “Yes.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was like a kid who’d gotten candy, contentedly holding Ye Lian’s finger and sitting up straight obediently.

That was it? Nothing more?

Ye Lian raised a brow and gave a slight tug, trapping the kitten’s fingers.

Jiang Xiaoyu felt Ye Lian’s long, strong fingers clamp tightly between his, their fingers intertwining. His heart pounded, his face heated up, and he couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Ye Lian.

Ye Lian looked at him with a half-smile, eyes shimmering with waves of light, a meaningful smile playing at his lips. Mischievously, he pinched Jiang Xiaoyu’s hand again, his jade-like fingertip circling restlessly in his palm.

Blushing, Jiang Xiaoyu yanked his fingers back and muttered softly, “What are you doing?”

“What did I do?” Ye Lian drawled lazily in question. Clearly, this little guy had come over to tease him first, grabbed his hand, and now innocently asked what he was doing?

Ye Lian leaned in, planning to stop holding back and nip at his flushed ear tip. But then Jiang Xiaoyu reacted like a rabbit suddenly snapping out of it, pointing out the window. “Can we stop for a bit? I want to check on the cat we rescued yesterday.”

What a mood killer.

Ye Lian straightened up helplessly and pressed the partition to instruct the driver to pull over.

—

That cat was down to three legs, hooked up to an IV, wrapped head to toe in bandages. Its eyes were half-closed—not like sleep, but more like it was forced to squint from weakness and pain, its body trembling lightly now and then as if the nightmare still lingered.

“The wound on its back is very deep—over a hundred stitches.” The doctor held a clipboard, jotting notes. “But luckily, no major organ damage, and its will to survive is strong. It should pull through.”

Jiang Xiaoyu slipped his fingers through the cage bars, softly comforting the cat inside. “You’re so strong. You didn’t give up hope even after such a severe injury.” If it hadn’t let out that desperate cry for help, no one might have heard it, and it would have died quietly on that tree.

“I’ll call you Mighty—no Three Legs.” Jiang Xiaoyu said.

Ye Lian was already familiar with his straightforward naming style, but even he couldn’t help raising a brow at that. Looking at Jiang Xiaoyu’s serious, serene profile, he narrowed his eyes in thought. Since Jiang Xiaoyu was born from Ye Qingxu, he probably had the ability to bear children too?

He’d never looked forward to offspring before, but now he was thinking that if they had kids in the future, they definitely couldn’t let Jiang Xiaoyu name them—otherwise, it’d end up something like Little Black or Little White.

It had to be said that Ye Lian lived up to Wan Keyao calling him a stinky fox in tiger’s clothing—scheming and farsighted enough to hit the nail on the head.

—

As if word had gotten out, instances of cat and dog abuse in Pine City had dropped off lately. The previous four cases were confirmed to have a common thread, just as Jiang Xiaoyu had guessed: the killer was copying the abusers’ methods on animals, meting out identical punishments to them.

The police station had traced clues from the victims’ phones to a group of several hundred abusers. But just as they planned to infiltrate for leads, the group was suddenly disbanded.

Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation’s steel needle lead had finally turned up the seller—a steel mill employee taking private orders to make custom items per client specs. But since the deals were shady, they only transacted online; he didn’t know the buyer’s name, the delivery address was an abandoned shack, and even the transaction account led nowhere.

Despite pulling all-nighters, no further clues emerged, and the case hit a deadlock.

After half a month of nonstop work with no days off, Jiang Xiaoyu’s yard was finally tidied up on his long-overdue rest day. With proper spots for the cats and dogs, Ye Qingxu planned to start designing the interior.

He held Little Black Cat and walked to the newly transplanted magnolia tree in the yard. A small swing was tied to the trunk, lined with a soft cat bed—that was the sunbathing spot he’d prepared for Jiang Xiaoyu.

“Daddy’s going to draw some design drafts.” He petted Little Black Cat’s head and placed the orange-and-white Little Cat Doll next to Jiang Xiaoyu before hunkering down at the stone table by the tree to work.

Jiang Xiaoyu curled up in the soft swing cat bed, his fluffy black fur gleaming in the sunlight. One cat paw slipped through the netting, its pink paw pad dangling and swaying right above Ye Qingxu’s head.

Daddy Ye reached up and pinched it, eliciting a purring rumble from the kid. He smiled with pursed lips, then heard the doorbell ring at the yard gate.

Ye Qingxu got up to open the door and saw a Bugatti Chiron parked outside, tied with a big bow.

Two men in crisp suits held a delivery slip and smiled brightly. “Are you Mr. Jiang Xiaoyu, by any chance?”

Ye Qingxu’s face darkened, as if he’d figured it out. “I’m his father. What do you want?”

They checked their info and confirmed. “Are you Ye Qingxu, sir? Hello. We have a car here—a gift from Mr. Wan Keyao to Mr. Jiang Xiaoyu. Could you sign for it?”

Ye Qingxu eyed the car with its massive bow, racking his brain on what to do, when Little Black Cat poked his head out curiously, padding over.

“Daddy, did you buy another car?”

In front of the two strangers, Ye Qingxu didn’t reply. Instead, he nodded as if deciding. “Hand it over. I’ll sign.”

Stuff for the kid—take it if it’s free. It was what Little Yu deserved.

The two men sighed in relief and promptly handed over the slip with smiles. “Right here is fine, sir.” After Ye Qingxu signed, they gave him the keys. “Insurance and plates are all set. Ready to drive.”

Ye Qingxu thanked them, and once they left, he picked up Jiang Xiaoyu. “This is… from Wan Keyao for you.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was set on the Nissan blue hood, a bit dazed as he said to Ye Qingxu, “But I don’t know how to drive.” Back in college, many classmates got their licenses, but it cost money, and Jiang Xiaoyu never thought he’d own a car, so he never bothered.

He pawed at the hood a couple times. It looked great, but he couldn’t use it. “Daddy, why not return it to him?”

Ye Qingxu, however, saw it as the kid’s rightful stuff. He opened the door, placed the cat in the driver’s seat, and said calmly, “How can you return a gift? You’re grown now—might as well learn. If Daddy’s busy with work and can’t pick you up, you can drive yourself to and from the station.”

Jiang Xiaoyu stepped on the leather seat, fidgeting. “But this car’s super expensive, right? Taking it like this feels off…”

“What’s bad about it? By rights, the whole Wan Family should be yours.” Ye Qingxu sneered. He’d come to terms with it—take whatever they sent. It was Little Yu’s due.

“It’s not expensive. You can drive it to work. If it breaks, have Wan Keyao get another.” A multimillion-yuan car, downplayed by Ye Qingxu as “not expensive.”

But that wasn’t the point. The point was…

“I don’t know how to drive!” Little Black Cat spun in anxious circles.

“It’s simple. Daddy will take you to sign up with a private instructor. A few days and you’ll get it. The car has assist systems—it’s like driving a toy car. Not hard.”

Ye Qingxu was optimistic, having no idea this kid had inherited someone’s utter ineptitude for driving, to the point where instructors would turn beet-red even with bribe-red envelopes dangling.