Chapter 37
“An expert said so!” Mimi trotted over to Shao Sui, “Recommended cats eat more luosifen.”
The video showed a pair of eyes embedded in a lemon, with a red mouth below, opening and closing as it spoke.
Mimi didn’t realize how recognizable his eyes were, easily identifiable even without showing his face.
“This is an expert?” Shao Sui’s eyes held a hint of amusement. “It’s probably a cat spirit in disguise.”
Mimi became wary, shaking his head repeatedly, “No, no, it’s not.”
Shao Sui said, “Influencers love using these filters, their words aren’t trustworthy.”
Mimi became anxious, “How can that be? He sounded so convincing!”
Shao Sui chuckled, “You want to eat it that badly?”
Mimi bit his lip and nodded eagerly.
Shao Sui emphasized, “It smells really bad.”
“I know.” Mimi had clearly been swayed by the online reviews. “Everyone says it smells bad but tastes good.”
Shao Sui pulled out his trump card, “No kissing me after you eat it.”
Mimi nodded, “Okay, I won’t kiss you.”
“…” Shao Sui took a deep breath. “If I buy it and you don’t eat it, you’ll be punished.”
“I’ll definitely eat it!”
Shao Sui finally gave in to Mimi’s pleas. By the time the delivery arrived, Shao Sui had already finished his dinner. He put on a mask and carried the luosifen to the balcony, “Here, eat it out here.”
Mimi asked, “Can’t I eat at the table?”
Shao Sui refused mercilessly, “No.”
“Okay, I’m starting.” Mimi, imitating something he had seen somewhere, rubbed his hands together. He opened the lid and his pupils dilated. “—Humans enjoy such smelly food?”
Shao Sui said, “I don’t.”
Mimi almost threw up, covering his nose and waving his hands, “I’m not eating this!”
Shao Sui, mimicking Mimi’s earlier tone, said, “I’ll definitely eat it!”
“You can hit me, I’m not eating it.” Mimi backed away, his face full of disgust. “It’s too smelly.”
Shao Sui said calmly, “Come here, just one bite.”
Mimi took a step back, almost crying, “Do you have to force me?”
Shao Sui laughed, exasperated, “Didn’t you beg me to buy it for you?”
“I didn’t know it would smell this bizarre.” Mimi pinched his nose, his face miserable. “If I eat this, what’s the difference between me and a dog?”
It took Shao Sui a moment to realize Mimi meant that since luosifen smelled like shit, a cat eating luosifen would be like a dog eating shit. He almost burst out laughing, then quickly put his mask back on after taking it off to breathe and catching a whiff of the smell.
“Put on a mask before eating it. It cost over thirty yuan, you have to at least try it and see if you really dislike it.”
Mimi hesitated. Although Shao Sui had a lot of money, he still lived in such a small apartment, which meant he wasn’t willing to spend money. Perhaps he was saving up to buy a house, like those people online, having to be frugal.
He reluctantly put on a mask, three layers in fact.
Shao Sui picked up a few noodles, “Open your mouth.”
Mimi pinched his nose, his eyes squeezed shut, looking like he was about to be martyred. Only when the noodles entered his mouth and his tongue registered the taste did he cautiously open one eye.
“Not bad? Then finish it.” Shao Sui said coldly, “I’ve already eaten, I’m not cooking again for you.”
Mimi took the chopsticks, using Shao Sui’s hand as a table, “Hold it higher, it’s too low.”
Shao Sui held his hand at chest level, his expression unchanged.
“Too high, a little lower… perfect.” Mimi slurped down a few mouthfuls, then added, as if to justify himself, “I’m only eating it because I don’t want to waste money.”
Shao Sui nodded perfunctorily, sticking his head out the window for some fresh air.
Mimi, finally full, reluctantly put down his chopsticks, reiterating, “I’m really not like a dog, I don’t like this taste at all.”
Shao Sui cleared the table, “That’s good, then let’s not eat it again.”
Mimi froze, wanting to protest but unwilling to be compared to a dog.
The cat who had just eaten luosifen was dragged into the bathroom by Shao Sui and thoroughly scrubbed, including his hair.
Mimi still hadn’t learned how to wash his own hair, getting anxious and yelling whenever water touched his head. Shao Sui couldn’t leave him alone in the bathroom, so he bought a ladle and washed Mimi’s hair every other day.
The little dog-cat clung to Shao Sui’s waist, his face pressed against his collarbone, “Hurry up!”
The position was too intimate. Every time Shao Sui raised his hand to rub Mimi’s hair, it was like pulling him closer, their bodies pressed together, the water barely able to penetrate.
“Why are you still so soft even as a human?”
“I don’t know, do you like firm cats?”
“I like you.” Shao Sui said.
As he spoke, his heart skipped a beat, as if some emotion was about to burst forth.
That night, Mimi, as usual, slept with Shao Sui.
In the middle of the night, a vibration came from under the pillow. Shao Sui’s eyes snapped open, and he expertly turned off the alarm. Then, he carefully sat up, slowly and quietly moving past Mimi to retrieve the cat’s phone.
Compared to his initial wariness, Mimi now slept soundly, completely oblivious to what was happening.
As he turned back, Shao Sui lowered his head and kissed Mimi’s cheek.
It had been a while since he had seen Mimi’s cat form, he wondered how much weight he had gained. Human Mimi was visibly chubbier, his face no longer so thin, soft and bouncy.
Mimi whimpered, instinctively seeking the human’s embrace.
Shao Sui, thinking he had woken the cat, felt his heart jump into his throat. Fortunately, Mimi just snuggled closer, burying his face in Shao Sui’s chest and continuing to sleep. He wondered if it was stuffy inside his shirt.
Shao Sui, maintaining this awkward position, opened Mimi’s phone, muted the volume, and opened the short video app.
There were several new comments.
Female Cockroach in Black Stockings: Your current task is graduating from elementary school.
Shao Sui’s face darkened. He blocked the user immediately. He checked the video and found it was a discussion about whether cats liked durian. The top comment was, “Durian smells like shit to cats, they would never eat it.”
Mimi: You’re talking nonsense, it doesn’t smell like shit! My landlord’s cat loves durian!
Female Cockroach in Black Stockings: That means your cat also loves eating shit.
Mimi: No u! No u! (A childish comeback popular online.)
Female Cockroach in Black Stockings: No u my ass, I don’t even have a cat!
Mimi: You don’t even have a cat so why are you talking nonsense!
Shao Sui: “…”
So many mistakes in one sentence, he really did need to focus on Mimi’s elementary school education. But that didn’t mean the Female Cockroach was blameless. Anyone who insulted his cat was a bad cockroach.
Mimi, having learned pinyin, could type now, though only using the 26-key keyboard, and because of the many homophones in Chinese, he always chose the first character that appeared, leading to many misunderstandings.
And the cat spirit loved joining in online discussions. Two days ago, he commented on a cat food ad saying it was disgusting, receiving over a hundred angry replies. Mimi couldn’t type fast enough, so that evening, Shao Sui secretly helped him reply to each one, then blocked them all.
Back on the short video homepage, Shao Sui, as he did every night, started filtering Mimi’s recommendations.
As a teacher, he knew all too well the influence of the internet on an immature mind, so he marked all inappropriate videos as “not interested.”
“Do you prefer sweet zongzi or savory zongzi?” (Zongzi is a traditional Chinese rice dish, often eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. The sweet vs. savory debate is a common online argument.)
Inciting arguments, removed.
“This bite is truly rich and delicious, don’t miss out…”
Shady advertisement, removed.
“Doo-doo-doo-doo sexy isn’t slutty, beautiful isn’t demonic…”
Suggestive content, removed, even if it was a male demon.
“Meow~”
This one… even using a cat suggestively was still suggestive, removed.
“If you can’t afford it, why have children! Other people can spend tens of thousands traveling after graduating high school, but I can’t even get a xx brand phone…”
Negative sentiment fueled by consumerism, the comment section either a pity party or a fight, removed.
After an hour of refreshing and filtering, confirming there were no more strange videos on the homepage, Shao Sui closed the app.
Was that all? No.
Shao Sui opened another app and continued filtering. He had been doing this for over a week now, just to create a clean online environment for Mimi.
Mimi in his arms stirred, probably dreaming he was a cat again, kneading Shao Sui’s chest, his fingers curling into claws. Almost making Shao Sui… react.
Mimi asked drowsily, “What are you doing?”
“Checking on your homework.”
“Okay.”
Probably another phrase he learned online.
Shao Sui, feeling a twinge of guilt, comforted himself, which parent didn’t do this? The internet these days was a mess, what if Mimi learned bad things?
He had adopted a cat and was responsible for guiding it on the right path.
The internet was a double-edged sword, convenient but also potentially destructive to one’s values, especially for immature minds. A blank slate was easily stained.
Even though Mimi was inherently good-natured, Shao Sui didn’t dare to take the risk.
Besides, a cleaner online environment meant less frustration for Mimi. Shao Sui had seen Mimi sulking several times on the surveillance camera, both amusing and heartbreaking.
The next morning, Mimi sat on Shao Sui’s waist, kneading his chest, “Wake up!”
Shao Sui asked weakly, “What time is it…”
“Six point six… no, wait.” Mimi turned to look at the clock, carefully counting, “Each interval is five minutes, one, two, three, four, five, six… six times five is thirty, it’s 6:30 now!”
Shao Sui, having stayed up late “committing crimes” for several nights in a row, had dark circles under his eyes and felt incredibly sleepy.
He pulled Mimi into his arms and squeezed him, “Let’s squish baby into a cat pancake, okay?”
Mimi grumbled uncomfortably, struggling unsuccessfully, then biting Shao Sui’s chin, “I don’t want to be a pancake, get up!”
Shao Sui sat up abruptly, meeting Mimi’s hazel eyes.
What did he just call Mimi? Baby?
Shao Sui pretended nothing happened, “Good morning.”
Mimi, the devil incarnate, said, “You’re going to be late.”
Shao Sui glanced at the time. Shit! He quickly jumped out of bed and started cooking noodles, brushing his teeth and washing his face while waiting for the water to boil.
He said casually, “I set up linked payment on your phone.”
Mimi asked, “What’s linked payment?”
Shao Sui said, “Like an allowance. You can buy things yourself, but the limit isn’t high, so you have to budget.”
The internet not only showed the extravagant lives of other people, but also the extravagant lives of other cats. Shao Sui couldn’t provide Mimi with a luxurious life, but he could at least make the little cat spirit comfortable.
Mimi, however, wasn’t very happy, “I don’t need to spend money, you don’t have to be so frugal.”
Shao Sui didn’t know how he connected “linked payment” with being frugal, saying with a wry smile, “It’s not a lot of money, just a thousand yuan, it’s not being frugal.”
“Really?”
“Really, don’t worry about spending it.”
Shao Sui didn’t dare to give him too much. Mimi, at this stage, was curious about everything, and he might buy a bunch of useless things. Afraid it wasn’t enough, he added, “You don’t have to pay for daily necessities or food, just tell me what you need.”
“Thank you!” Mimi, having just brushed his teeth, his breath smelling of lemon, kissed Shao Sui. “Shao Sui, I like you so much.”
Shao Sui suppressed a smile, “I also set up WeChat for you, you don’t have to call me all the time, you can send me voice messages or texts, and I’ll reply when I’m free.”
Mimi’s eyes widened instantly, “Can I also video call you!?”
“Yes.”
“When did you do all this?”
Shao Sui pretended not to hear, bringing the noodles to the table and teaching Mimi how to use WeChat.
“Your profile picture is so beautiful!”
“You can change it to whatever you want.”
Mimi chose a picture of himself as a cat for his profile picture, looking at it with increasing delight, and even before they separated, started sending messages to Shao Sui.
Seeing himself as the only contact in Mimi’s chat list, Shao Sui felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Before leaving, Mimi, as usual, volunteered to tie his shoelaces. As he stood up, Shao Sui proactively kissed him.
The little cat spirit’s eyes lit up, his good mood guaranteed for the day.
However, things weren’t as smooth for Shao Sui at school.
“Xiao Shao, Xiao Shao, didn’t I tell you not to date this semester!” Director Cao said, exasperated. “And now, not only are you dating, but it’s a man!”
There were several photos on Director Cao’s desk, candid shots of Shao Sui and Mimi from when they went out half a month ago.
They looked intimate, holding hands, Mimi clinging to Shao Sui, looking like a couple.
“It’s not what it looks like.” Shao Sui said calmly. “Forget it… even if it is, my private life shouldn’t interfere with my work, should it?”
There were good and bad parents, and the same applied to teachers. There was a teacher in the senior high department who was having an affair with a parent, and he was still working at the school. There was no reason for him to be affected by Mimi.
Director Cao was exasperated, “Is this ordinary private life!? It doesn’t matter that I don’t mind homosexuality, but parents do! If this blows up, they’ll think you’re corrupting the students! If they find out their child is gay, they’ll blame you, can you handle that!?”
Cheng Ke, as the homeroom teacher, was also present, mediating, “We need to find a solution, the person reported you anonymously, which means they don’t want to completely ruin your reputation yet.”
Director Cao paced anxiously, “It must be that Wu Xiao, oh, this is infuriating!”
Shao Sui asked, “How were they delivered?”
Director Cao slammed his hand on the desk, “A delivery person brought them, gave them to the security guard. I happened to be passing by, and the delivery guy, hearing the guard call me Director Cao, just gave them to me. Otherwise, these pictures might have already spread throughout the school, you know how much those security guards love to gossip!”
Shao Sui was suspicious, “Really a delivery person?”
Director Cao said, “He was wearing a uniform, had an order slip, no mistake.”
Cheng Ke hesitated, “Should I talk to Wu Xiao?”
“Wu Xiao is just a student, does he have the ability to follow me?” Shao Sui shook his head, “Don’t do anything rash without evidence, don’t drive the kid to suicide.”
Director Cao laughed in exasperation, “Then who else could it be?”
Although Shao Sui also suspected it was Wu Xiao, he couldn’t just accuse a teenager of doing something wrong without concrete evidence. That would be slander.
“Let’s wait and see.”
Shao Sui continued his usual routine, not treating Wu Xiao any differently, asking him questions normally in class. The child even approached him after class, asking for help with a problem, and Shao Sui patiently explained it to him, not mentioning the anonymous photos.
However, this incident did affect Shao Sui’s mood.
“You haven’t been happy these past few days,” Mimi said, “Is it because I eat too much and spend too much money?”
Shao Sui chuckled and patted Mimi’s head, “Why would you think that? It has nothing to do with you, it’s work-related.”
“Okay.”
Mimi, determined, announced, “Shao Sui, I’m sleeping in the study tonight.”
“?” Shao Sui asked, “Why are we sleeping separately?”
Mimi said seriously, “Because I’ve grown up.”
The excuse Shao Sui used to reject Mimi’s request to share a bed had come back to bite him. Suffering at work, rejected at home, his life was truly hopeless.
He followed Mimi to the study door, but Mimi turned around, holding the doorknob, “Go to bed, good night.”
Shao Sui’s heart sank. Not even a goodnight kiss.
“Wait a minute.” Shao Sui cupped Mimi’s face and kissed his forehead coldly. “I’m leaving.”
Mimi said politely, “Good night.”
The door closed with a bang, shutting Shao Sui out, his already cold heart turning to ice.
Why!?
Where was his clingy cat spirit? Did he find out about his morning erections and think he was a pervert? Couldn’t accept it?
