After the light snow, no more fell, and the weather was bright and clear, though the leisurely turning cool breeze brought the chill of the north.
Jiang Xiaoyu still couldn’t be discharged from the hospital. Ye Qingxu had dressed him in a white lambskin outfit and had him lying in the sunlight by the window, hugging a plush toy.
When the doctor approached with the stethoscope, he obediently let them listen.
The doctor was a not-so-young little old man. Seeing how cooperative he was, the wrinkles on his aged face smoothed out as he said, “Baby, you’re a good little lamb.”
The stethoscope was a bit cold on contact, but Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t flinch. Instead, he grabbed it with his paw and wouldn’t let go, playing with it like a toy. The old doctor was amused into a beaming smile and turned to Ye Qingxu. “No major issues, but his limbs still have no strength. Stay a few more days.”
Ye Qingxu naturally had no objections. If not for worrying that the little cat would get bored, he would’ve wanted him to stay in the hospital until full recovery.
“How’s his consciousness recovery?” Worry was plain on Ye Qingxu’s face.
“Cognitive regression. He can only remember his own name now and can’t tell if he’s human or cat. His mental age is around six or seven.”
“Then…” Ye Qingxu held back a choke. “When will he get better?”
“Hard to say. A week, two weeks, a month, a year—it’s possible. With good care, he’ll recover.” The doctor comforted. “Let him interact more with familiar things. We’re discharging you for that reason too—recovery of cognition is faster in familiar surroundings.”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
After the doctor left, Ye Qingxu sat down. Jiang Xiaoyu eyed him, propping up his trembling limbs to crawl onto the man’s lap.
The lambskin outfit he wore was pure white all over, contrasting with his pitch-black body, making him adorably cute. Ye Qingxu smiled and scooped him into his arms. “Hungry? Daddy will get you some snacks, okay?”
The little black cat grinned. “Want milk.”
“Alright, Daddy will heat some up for you.” Ye Qingxu wore a loose hoodie that made him look young and was convenient for carrying a cat.
Jiang Xiaoyu nestled in the hood on Daddy’s back, watching the man heat milk for him.
“Daddy.” He called.
“Yeah, right here.” Ye Qingxu responded.
“Are you really my daddy?” The little black cat looked doubtful.
“Of course! Daddy gave birth to you.”
“Then why is there a bigger daddy too?” The little black cat was puzzled.
Knowing he meant Wan Keyao, Ye Qingxu paused for a moment before explaining, “Because our Little Yu has two daddies.”
“And cat-dogs, Cat Grandma, Cat Grandpa, Wife Cat!” The little black cat giggled for some reason.
Ye Qingxu’s heart softened. He stroked the paw draped over his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “Right, our Little Yu has so many, many family members.”
Ye Qingxu had never taken care of kids, let alone a cognitively impaired little cat. When he’d cared for Jiang Xiaoyu before, he was already an adult who could voice if he was cold or hot. Now with a mentally regressed little cat, he felt like a helpless new dad.
He poured the warm milk from the pot into a bottle, tested the temperature, and sighed in relief once it felt right. Then he carried Jiang Xiaoyu back to the sofa.
The little black cat held the bottle with both paws and drank contentedly. Ye Qingxu watched, his eyes growing sour again.
Someone knocked then. Ye Qingxu cleared his throat. “Please come in.”
Jiang Fenghua was wheeled in by A-Cui.
Her head injury was much lighter than Jiang Xiaoyu’s, but since she’d crashed into it herself from a bad angle, she had some neck damage too. At her age, recovery was slow, so she still wore a neck brace after all these days.
“Qingxu.” She was still a bit unnatural around Ye Qingxu, relaxing only after he greeted her, then looked at her grandson drinking milk on his lap.
Jiang Xiaoyu slurped away, feet propped on the bottle. Seeing her approach, he politely paused and meowed, “Grandma.”
Seeing Jiang Fenghua look at him inquiringly after hearing the cat call, Ye Qingxu said, “He’s calling you Grandma.”
Jiang Fenghua nodded frantically, tears falling. “Yes, yes, Grandma’s here.”
Drawing close, she touched Jiang Xiaoyu’s paw. “He’s gotten thinner.” His cat form wasn’t big to begin with, and after the ordeal, he’d lost a few taels.
A-Cui comforted, “Raise slowly, he’ll get nice and chubby.”
Seeing the elderly woman so heartbroken, Ye Qingxu pursed his lips and suddenly said, “Chubby is fine, but white probably not—his fur is just too black.”
Jiang Fenghua broke into laughter through tears. “Inherited from his grandpa. Grandpa was even blacker when young; now in old age, his fur’s gone a bit white. These curly hairs are inherited too. The family records show straight hair for generations—don’t know how these two curly treasures mutated out.”
Jiang Xiaoyu finished slurping and had Ye Qingxu wipe his mouth, then meowed again, “Grandpa.”
Ye Qingxu coaxed him, “Grandpa’s at home. In a few days, we’ll go home and you can see him.”
No word on how furious the old man was upon learning of his wife and grandson’s ordeal, but Pine City was under full alert now, crime rate plummeting.
—
The interrogation room was bright as daylight. Jin Ge sat at the table, telling the calm-faced Huang Li, “Be honest—where’d you get the police intel and system passwords from?”
Net security had traced it: Huang Lu’s escapes weren’t just from superior hacking, but an insider tipping her off.
The overhead fluorescent had blazed for nights; Huang Li’s face was pallid, but her spirit steady. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jin Ge snorted coldly. “Where’s Huang Lu hiding? Advise surrendering early for leniency.”
Huang Li laughed. “Leniency? No need. It’s just one bullet anyway—I’m prepared.”
The woman was disabled but iron-willed, a sealed clam impossible to pry open.
Lu Wanhui, silent beside Jin Ge till now, suddenly asked, “Are you a shapeshifter too?” Only through this incident did he learn of that department in the system, full of people who could turn into animals. No wonder when the Case Handling Office was founded, he’d begged Jin Ge but been denied entry.
Huang Li said, “I’m not.”
Jin Ge asked, “Was Huang Lu born in spotted hyena form?”
Mentioning her sister softened Huang Li’s edge, her tone flat and plain. “We’re twins. She was born that way. Ding Zhiman thought her a monster and wanted to drown her, but our mother stopped him. Even alive, she wasn’t treated as human. No ID of her own, shared my name, forever huddled in the corner waiting for scraps after meals.”
“So the medical records are yours.” Huang Li’s own history was legit, explaining no anomalies in medical or police files.
Lu Wanhui asked, “Her strength as a woman is so great because she’s a shapeshifter?”
Huang Li scoffed like she’d heard the dumbest joke. “You men always overestimate yourselves.” She haughtily lifted her chin, eyes full of contempt for Lu Wanhui’s ignorance. “She’s a spotted hyena. Even without being a shapeshifter, female ones are far stronger than males. With your build, you wouldn’t last a minute against her. She could fight a tiger, let alone you ordinary trash.”
Lu Wanhui’s face darkened at the jab. Jin Ge slapped the table and stood. “Confess the killer’s whereabouts soon, or you’ll rot here.”
Seeing Jin Ge leave, Lu Wanhui chased after.
“Master… Was that tiger Ye Lian? How’s Jiang Xiaoyu now?”
Jin Ge said flatly, “He won’t die. I’m off duty to see him.”
“You—you’re a shapeshifter too? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I wouldn’t fear or look down on you. I mean, this—this is so cool.” His tone excited, words jumbled, but Jin Ge didn’t want to hear it. He turned, poking Lu Wanhui’s chest with a finger. “A department will have you sign an NDA. On shapeshifters, ask your dad—nobody knows more than Lu Fengyan.”
Lu Wanhui froze, not getting it. How’d this involve his father?
—
Jin Ge arrived at the hospital at mealtime. Ye Qingxu opened the door warmly. “Officer Jin, you’re here. Eaten? Join us.”
Jin Ge wasn’t polite. “Thanks then.” Following Ye Qingxu, he found it a suite with living room, bathroom, kitchen—all complete.
The little black cat seemed tuckered from play, curled on the hospital bed snoring away.
“I’ll call the others for dinner. You wake him.” Ye Qingxu smiled.
Jin Ge sat bedside, poking Jiang Xiaoyu’s belly.
Disturbed, the little black cat yawned hugely, stretched lazily—front paws extended, pads slightly parted. Poked more, unable to sleep, he arched his back like a tiny bow, short round tail tip perked.
“Who are you?” He asked, opening his watery green eyes.
Jin Ge narrowed his eyes menacingly. “I’m the big leopard who eats little cats.”
But Jiang Xiaoyu giggled, shakily rising to butt his head into Jin Ge’s chest. “Kitty likes big leopard.”
Jin Ge chuckled, wrapping his arms around the warm body in his embrace. “This isn’t bad either. You’ve been playing the adult for so long—it’s time you got to be a kid for once.” He pinched and kneaded Jiang Xiaoyu’s paws with both hands, listening to the little black cat’s purring rumble like an engine. Muttering to himself, he said, “Way cuter than before. Just stay like this. Being a clueless fool ignorant of the world is so much happier. Being human isn’t as fun as being a cat, right?”
Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t get what he meant, but for some reason, he sensed that the scruffy-bearded big leopard in front of him seemed a little sad. He lifted his head to look at him and meowed sillily, “Big leopard, don’t cry.”
Jin Ge’s mouth fell open, a shimmer of moisture flickering in his half-lidded eyes. He stayed silent for a long time.
“Where’s A-Yao?”
“He’s buying cake. He’ll be here any minute.”
Voices sounded from the doorway. Jin Ge scooped up Jiang Xiaoyu’s butt and grinned as he greeted Jiang Fenghua. “Hey there, old madam!”
“Hello, hello!” The old madam—Jiang Xiaoyu’s master—beamed at him with utmost kindness. “You’re Little Yu’s lifesaver, aren’t you? I’ve always wanted to thank you properly, but I never got the chance. Glad we finally met today.”
“No biggie. That was years ago.” Jin Ge waved it off casually, then looked down at the cat cub who’d been staring at him the whole time. “Where do you wanna sit to eat? On the bed?”
Ye Qingxu pulled the baby chair over to the table and smiled. “Put him right here. He hasn’t had much appetite these past few days. I have to feed him bit by bit before he’ll take a few extra bites.”
“Whoa—” Jin Ge let out an exaggerated sigh. “Getting sick really turned you into a proper cat cub, huh? A big guy like you still needing Daddy to spoon-feed you? Aren’t you embarrassed!”
Jiang Xiaoyu had no clue about embarrassment right now. With Daddy tying a bib around him, he splayed out his paws, mouth agape, just waiting to be fed.
