Jiang Fenghua felt he made a good point. With an idea in mind, she called Wan Keyao. Wan Keyao picked up and, unusually, didn’t snap at her. He thought finding something for the Old Madam to do was a good idea—it would keep her from moping around all day, shedding tears over the child—so he agreed and told someone at the company to guide her.
Jiang Xiaoyu was still unaware of this, and he had no idea that soon, Stray Animal Homes bearing his name would pop up all over the city.
Right now, he was staring blankly at the balance on his wage card. He’d just been paid five thousand yuan, but after deductions for social security and medical insurance, there wasn’t much left. So what were all those zeros after the balance? Had the bank made a mistake?
He called the bank, only to learn there was no error—someone had transferred money to him. The customer service rep was exceptionally polite: “Let me check for you. There’s a note on the transfer: From Jiang Xiaoyu’s grandmother.”
Jiang Xiaoyu was dumbfounded and could only think of Jiang Fenghua. Recalling the car that had drawn the Discipline Inspection investigation before, he quickly called his superior to explain. His boss replied that they were aware and that the funds were legitimate and could be handled at his discretion.
The kid stared at that string of zeros, dazed, then called Ye Qingxu: “Daddy…” Afraid of hurting the man’s feelings, he deliberately didn’t call out too intimately. “Lady Jiang Fenghua transferred me a lot of money. What should I do? Should I return it to her?”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and after a while, Jiang Xiaoyu heard Ye Qingxu sigh. “Forget it, just keep it. After all, she cares about you and wants to do right by you.”
But Jiang Xiaoyu felt aggrieved on his behalf: “But she hurt Daddy before.”
Ye Qingxu’s heart melted into a puddle at the child’s words—how could he be so obedient and understanding? He composed himself and said gently, “That’s all in the past, just like you said—we have to look forward. Besides, that’s a matter between me and her, it has nothing to do with you. As long as you’re happy, Daddy’s content. Keep the money. Why not take it? Half your blood is from their family—it’s all yours.”
At first, Jiang Xiaoyu couldn’t bring himself to spend it. But then he picked up another stray dog with severe injuries needing major surgery. Once the money tap was opened, spending the rest felt less burdensome.
His life had always been simple—food, shelter, and travel all handled by Daddy. Aside from spending on the little cats and dogs, he had nowhere else to put his own money.
So the little ones in the yard were in for a treat. In the warm autumn, they ate till their bellies were round, sprawling across the yard like furry mountains shedding hair everywhere.
Jiang Xiaoyu shifted into cat form, wearing a thin silk undershirt—red base with emerald-gold koi patterns woven in silk thread. It looked festive no matter how you saw it.
Even though Ye Qingxu’s impression of Jiang Fenghua wasn’t great, he had to admit her handiwork was excellent, just like something an ancient noble lady would make.
The renovations to the main house were done, leaving only the soft furnishings and airing out. Ye Qingxu was still staying in the workroom, reaching out to pet the little black cat on his desk: “Go play in the yard with the cats and dogs. Aren’t you bored keeping Daddy company?”
Jiang Xiaoyu rolled over, stretching lazily toward Daddy with his paws: “Don’t wanna. They shed hair.”
Ye Qingxu chuckled, pinching Jiang Xiaoyu’s somewhat dry paw pads and pulling out some grooming oil from the drawer to rub on: “Mm, looks like the little curly one sheds less.”
With his paw pads being massaged, Jiang Xiaoyu let out a contented purr: “Kitty loves this season—not hot, not too cold.”
Ye Qingxu’s heart was melting; he couldn’t resist petting the little cat’s soft belly: “Pine City’s autumn is short. In a few days it’ll be Lidong, then it’ll get cold. But once it’s fully winter, the house will be livable. Daddy designed a double-layer bed for you—human side below, cat nest above. You can sleep up there with Cat Grandpa. The little stairs are at a good angle so he won’t have trouble climbing, and there’s a small door straight to the yard for the cats and dogs to come and go easily.”
Jiang Xiaoyu hugged Ye Qingxu’s wrist with both paws, rubbing softly: “Thank you, Daddy.”
—
Life was getting more comfortable, but work was becoming more urgent.
After Ding Zhiman’s death, the killer seemed to have gone quiet, with no further activity.
“Has Huang Li been investigated?” Jin Ge asked, taking a drag on his cigarette.
The room was full of chain-smokers, the haze so thick Jiang Xiaoyu’s vision blurred. He pulled on a mask and heard Lu Wanhui say: “We checked. Her leg is indeed disabled, her job checks out, and for now, she doesn’t seem to have much direct connection to the Rabbit Head Man. Her mother passed from illness long ago too.”
Seeing no one speak, a criminal investigator from the Criminal Investigation side asked: “Did Ding Zhiman have a lover? The Rabbit Head Man said ‘abandon wife and son,’ not ‘daughter’—maybe he had some illegitimate child?”
Opinions flew back and forth, but Jiang Xiaoyu still felt something off about Huang Li. Facing Jin Ge, he said: “I still think Huang Li is worth following up. I want to go question her.”
Before Jin Ge could respond, Sun Kexin from Criminal Investigation spoke up: “I’ve already questioned Huang Li. On the night Ding Zhiman died, she was working overnight at the Funeral Home with a perfect alibi. Besides, with her legs like that, she can barely stand—why waste time on her? Is Officer Jiang just grasping at straws now?”
She’d tried chatting him up before, but just days later she was throwing barbs. Jiang Xiaoyu ignoring her didn’t mean he had no temper—especially since both Daddy and Wife Cat had told him to claw back directly.
He wouldn’t actually scratch anyone, but he calmly countered: “Officer Sun, as police, we can’t rule out any potential lead lightly. Since we have no current angles, rather than wait for the killer’s next move, why not investigate everyone connected? I don’t think repeated questioning in this situation is a waste of time.”
He said it all in one breath and was a bit stunned himself—this was the first time he’d fought back when someone tried to hurt him, instead of just fleeing to protect himself.
Sun Kexin had been on the job about as long as Jiang Xiaoyu—not long—and had never been called out so bluntly. Her face flushed red; she wanted to retort but couldn’t find the words.
Just then, Jin Ge spoke: “Then you go.”
With the go-ahead, Jiang Xiaoyu stood and left.
—
Huang Li worked at the Funeral Home in the suburbs across the river. Crossing the bridge again, Jiang Xiaoyu felt like it was yesterday.
A few months ago, Ye Qingxu had brought him over this bridge. He’d shifted back to cat form from a food allergy, leading to their father-son reunion.
Just months later, he’d learned to drive and was crossing alone—to investigate a case, no less.
How wondrous.
He arrived at the Funeral Home right as lunch break ended. Jiang Xiaoyu flashed his badge to the gate guard, explained, and was led to an office to wait.
Soon, the sound of wheelchair wheels approached. Huang Li rolled in wearing a red knit cardigan. Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu, she paused, then smiled: “The guard said a cop was looking for me—I thought it was that female officer from the other day. How come it’s you, Officer Jiang?”
Jiang Xiaoyu stepped forward, pushing her to a seat before saying: “There are still some details about Ding Zhiman I need to clarify with you.”
At the name Ding Zhiman, Huang Li’s face dimmed for an instant. Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu waiting, she nodded with a forced smile: “Ask away.”
Instead of asking about her relationship with Ding Zhiman, Jiang Xiaoyu said: “Have you seen the Rabbit Head Man’s video?”
Though the video had been taken down quickly and banned network-wide, processing hadn’t been instant that first night—plenty of people had seen and shared it.
Huang Li paused, then answered honestly: “I have.”
“Any thoughts?”
Her slender fingers gripped the armrest, knuckles whitening. Faintly, she said: “I have no feelings for him. If anything, he died pretty miserably.”
“What do you think of what the Rabbit Head Man said?” Jiang Xiaoyu watched her closely—not intensely pressuring, but enough to unsettle.
Huang Li remained calm: “You know my job is… unique. It’s made me somewhat indifferent to life and death. What that guy said? I think there’s some truth to it—and it has nothing to do with whether Ding Zhiman was my father or not. If they can hurt animals, why can’t someone hurt them? Besides, everyone online was saying it—he had it coming.”
Her voice was slightly hoarse and low, sounding truly detached.
Jiang Xiaoyu asked a few more questions; she answered flawlessly, no slips.
“Our unit has surveillance. I’ve been working overtime on bodies every day—you can check,” Huang Li added.
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded. With nothing else, he stood: “Want me to push you back to your workstation?”
Huang Li smiled: “If it’s no trouble.”
Jiang Xiaoyu pushed her slowly along. The Funeral Home’s AC was cranked high—chilly. Glancing down at Huang Li, he suddenly asked: “Where’s that blue fuzzy hair tie of yours?”
Huang Li was stunned for a moment. Then, touching her red hair tie, she smiled and said, “It broke, so I switched to a new one.”
“I thought you really liked blue. The last few times I saw you, your hair tie was blue, your skirt was blue, and even the pendant on your camera was blue.”
Huang Li laughed. “Just a coincidence. I don’t have any strong preference for colors.”
Jiang Xiaoyu smiled too. He wheeled her to the designated door, stopped his footsteps, and pulled out his phone. “It’s getting late, so I’ll head back first.”
“Okay, drive safely.”
Jiang Xiaoyu hummed in acknowledgment. As he turned to leave, his hand slipped, and his phone fell onto Huang Li’s lap, which was covered by the blanket.
“Sorry, I didn’t hold on.” As he said this, he bent down to pick it up.
Huang Li pressed down on his hand as it approached her legs. “No worries, I’ll get it for you.”
