Chapter 13
Shao Sui filled a basin with hot water.
He picked up Mimi and slowly lowered it into the water: “Meow if it’s too hot, and don’t scratch me.”
Mimi actually disliked water. No cat liked water.
The Great Meow King said so.
Mimi instinctively kicked its paws, but when Shao Sui’s large hand gently pressed its backside into the water, it felt surprisingly comfortable, the chill throughout its body dissipating.
“Soak for a bit.” Shao Sui scratched Mimi’s chin. “Little Ginger is too small, it might freeze to death if we don’t dry it quickly.”
“Meow.” Mimi nudged Shao Sui with its paw.
Shao Sui wasn’t an exceptionally kind person.
He cared about students he encountered, helped elderly ladies cross the road, offered assistance to the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in public, and was dedicated to every student in his class, but these were just his responsibilities as a citizen and a teacher.
If it weren’t for Mimi, he probably wouldn’t have cared about a cat that might freeze to death in the bushes during a rainstorm.
Little Ginger was shivering violently. Afraid of water, it kept meowing even though the water was warm.
Shao Sui had to put on gloves to hold it, waiting for its body temperature to rise before drying it with a towel and then gently blow-drying it.
“Meow, meow!!”
Mimi urged impatiently: The little chick is dry already, stop touching it!
Shao Sui placed Little Ginger in the carrier Mimi had been in. He was freezing and, disregarding any social distancing between humans and cats, quickly stripped naked and jumped into the shower.
Mimi was in the basin behind him, getting splashed.
It shook its head and stared at the strange thing between the human’s legs.
“Achoo!”
Shao Sui sneezed violently. His leg stung. He glanced down and saw a scratch, probably from searching for Mimi earlier. He didn’t pay much attention, and just as he was about to apply shampoo, he saw from the corner of his eye Mimi propping itself up on the edge of the basin with one paw, the other reaching towards his groin.
Caught off guard by Shao Sui suddenly turning around, Mimi froze mid-air.
“…What are you doing?”
“Meow?” Mimi swiped at the air, pretending to catch a mosquito, then retracted its paw and nonchalantly licked it.
Shao Sui was destined to never understand the Great Meow King’s logic.
He quickly finished his shower, changed into clean clothes, and feeling warm again, lifted Mimi, who was reluctant to leave, out of the warm water: “No drinking bathwater.”
“Meow!” You’re the one who drinks bathwater! This Great King was just washing its paws!
Soaked through, Mimi looked half its usual size, its chin pointed, only its eyes still as large as ever. Though not as beautiful as usual, it had a different kind of charm.
Towel-drying, blow-drying, Shao Sui was already proficient.
But whenever he tried to sneak in a paw-pad squeeze, Mimi would vigilantly pull its paw away, refusing to be touched. If he annoyed it too much, Mimi would even kick him.
After drying Mimi’s fur, Shao Sui wanted to carry it out; the floor was wet. However, Mimi wriggled out of his arms, hopping over the puddles and away from Shao Sui’s hand, and quickly hid on the sofa. It seemed listless, unhappy.
“What’s wrong?” Shao Sui didn’t understand. “Is your paw hurting? Let me see.”
He tried to grab its paw, but Mimi dodged him.
Shao Sui apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry, I broke my promise, I didn’t come back on time.”
The cat didn’t respond.
Shao Sui tentatively asked, “Is it because I brought Little Ginger back?”
The cat buried its head in its paws.
Shao Sui racked his brain: “Did I take too long bathing Little Ginger?”
The cat meowed, sounding like a huff, and tucked its hind paws in as well.
Inspiration struck Shao Sui: “Was it because I pinched your paws?”
“Meow!” That meow wasn’t from Mimi.
Mimi, embarrassed and angry, jumped off the sofa, swiped at its carrier, then grabbed Little Ginger by the head and dragged it out.
“Don’t bite—”
Thinking Shao Sui was trying to stop it, Mimi placed Little Ginger on the mat by the door and glared back at him, trying to look menacing.
Teacher Shao couldn’t stand it: “It hasn’t been dewormed, it might have fleas—”
Mimi, ignoring him completely, jumped onto the shoe cabinet, reached out its paw, and pressed the door handle. With a click, the door opened.
Shao Sui watched in astonishment. So that’s how the cat escaped this morning?
Mimi jumped down from the shoe cabinet, grabbed the bewildered Little Ginger, and tossed it outside in one swift motion. Then, returning inside, it turned to face Shao Sui, kicked the door shut with its hind leg, leaving Little Ginger out in the cold.
The sequence of actions was seamless, leaving Teacher Shao speechless.
It really was a demon cat.
Mimi strutted back to the sofa, avoiding Shao Sui’s attempt to pick it up, and started grooming itself.
“…”
Shao Sui was puzzled. Just one morning, and the cat’s attitude had completely changed. Although Mimi hadn’t liked having its paws pinched yesterday either, there had been a hint of playful resistance. Now it was pure indifference.
Teacher Shao reflected on his actions while cleaning, even forgetting to eat lunch.
Little Ginger hadn’t gone far, meowing in the hallway. Shao Sui glanced at Mimi on the sofa, its back to him, and quietly scooped a bowl of dry food. He carefully opened the door and placed the bowl outside.
He held his breath, trying to close the door as quietly as possible.
However, turning around, he was met with a beautiful cat face. Mimi was sitting on the shoe cabinet, staring at him.
“…”
Shao Sui’s breath hitched, feeling inexplicably guilty, as if caught in the act. A cat, no matter how cute, was still a cat. Its sudden appearance close-up was startling.
“I just…” Shao Sui tried to explain. “You don’t eat this dry food anyway, right? Just sharing a little with it.”
The Great Meow King marched angrily to the bag of dry food, batting it repeatedly, signaling Shao Sui to fill a bowl for it.
Who says I don’t eat it!
Even if I don’t, does that give you the right to give it to another cat!?
Shao Sui forcefully picked up the struggling Mimi and coaxed, “Be good, don’t be angry. I bought this dry food randomly on the first day I brought you back. It’s cheap and doesn’t taste good. Let’s give it to Little Ginger.”
“…Meow!”
Mimi pretended to struggle for a bit longer, and then Shao Sui actually let go.
Mimi, having accidentally escaped, was slightly embarrassed. It turned and punched Shao Sui.
A cat’s heart was truly unfathomable.
Teacher Shao felt this wasn’t how their relationship should be. He was providing for it, taking care of it, why was he so subservient? But he couldn’t figure out where he went wrong and could only continue to appease it.
“Achoo!”
Shao Sui sneezed again, quickly making himself another cup of cold medicine. He also sent a message in the group chat asking if anyone wanted to adopt Little Ginger, then asked the doctor if human colds could be transmitted to cats.
After receiving a negative answer, Teacher Shao lay down on the sofa dramatically, “I’m sick, I think I’m dying.”
Mimi didn’t turn around, but its ears twitched.
The male human’s scent did seem weaker, his voice also different, hoarse.
Teacher Shao sighed theatrically, “If I die, who will make Mimi’s canned food?”
Mimi glanced back.
Meeting its gaze, Shao Sui covered his mouth and coughed a few times: “I’m very sick, I need to hug a cat to recover, so I can go hunting again tomorrow and make canned food for Mimi.”
Mimi didn’t understand the connection between hugging a cat and recovery, but it had seen sick cats huddle together for warmth.
Perhaps humans also needed to hug cats when they were sick, following the same logic.
The fragile Shao Sui needed the Great Meow King’s pity.
Mimi turned around and stepped onto Shao Sui. Although its claws pricked him, Shao Sui endured it. Just as he reached out to hug the cat, Mimi grabbed the corner of the nearby blanket and pulled it over him.
“…” Shao Sui was once again amazed by Mimi’s intelligence. He pulled the cat into his arms and nuzzled it. “Baby, are you really not a kitten spirit? Hmm?”
Hmm? Mimi looked up warily. Hadn’t he failed to recognize it before? How did he suddenly discover it was a cat spirit?
And who was “baby”?
Mimi unleashed a combo of cat punches: “Meow!”
Explain yourself!
“Alright, alright, I won’t hug you.” Teacher Shao completely missed the point. “Can you at least sleep next to me?”
Shao Sui could have gone back to his bedroom and slept under the covers, but what could compare to the comfort of a kitten?
Once a human experienced the joys of a kitten, a lonely bed was no longer bearable.
Mimi stared at Shao Sui for a moment, then draped itself across his neck, its fluffy tail brushing his face.
Shao Sui’s neck felt warm, like a heating pad. He started to feel sleepy, murmuring incoherently, “Baby wants to be my scarf?”
“Meow!”
Again, which stinky cat is “baby”!?
Shao Sui, unaware of his mistake, instinctively reached out to hug the cat, but Mimi wouldn’t let him, extending its paw for another punch.
“Meow!”
This time, Mimi’s punch landed on Shao Sui’s stubble, causing no harm but hurting its own paw. Mimi licked its paw, then stared at Shao Sui’s face for a long moment.
It tentatively nuzzled its face against Shao Sui’s stubble, rubbing back and forth.
Shao Sui’s heart melted. He reached out to pet the cat: “Not letting me hug you, but acting so spoiled…”
Mimi kicked his hand away with its hind leg, then continued rubbing its face against Shao Sui’s stubble, first one side, then the other.
“Purr…”
Mimi’s tail stood straight up, its eyes narrowing, purring contentedly.
Teacher Shao finally realized what was happening. It was using his stubble as a scratching post.
Thinking about it, being unshaven had its uses. At least it attracted cats.
