Chapter 62
Side Story 6 (Part 1/3)
Mimi was extremely excited about his first trip, and a little nervous. He barely slept the night before, getting up repeatedly to check if Shao Sui was awake, muttering about when the sun would rise.
“Baby, it’s overcast tomorrow.” Shao Sui pulled the cat into his arms, his eyes closed. “Go back to sleep.”
Mimi whispered in Shao Sui’s ear, “Should we pack? I saw humans bring lots of things when they travel.”
Shao Sui turned his head and kissed Mimi’s forehead, then pulled him closer, his arm around Mimi’s waist, “Our flight is in the afternoon, we have plenty of time.”
Thankfully, it was an afternoon flight. They were still at the cat spirit association base, in the dormitory.
“Okay,” Mimi whispered.
His night vision was excellent. He counted Shao Sui’s eyelashes in the darkness, waiting for the first light of dawn. This wasn’t a difficult task for a kitten, after all, waiting for their owner was a lifelong lesson.
And Mimi was in Shao Sui’s arms.
When a faint, yellowish light appeared outside, Mimi arched his neck and rubbed against Shao Sui’s chin, signaling it was time to wake up.
Shao Sui pinched the kitten’s butt, murmuring sleepily, “You’re such a sound sleeper.”
Mimi said honestly, “Maybe because cats don’t have much to worry about.”
Shao Sui chuckled, sat up, pulling Mimi into his arms, and kissed him repeatedly.
“Let’s go home.” Mimi struggled out of his embrace, putting on his clothes and shoes. “It’s already 7 AM.”
The drive back to their apartment took almost two hours due to rush hour traffic. Many people had already returned to work after the holidays. The biggest perk of being a teacher was the long holidays, compensating for the usual workload.
Back at the apartment, Mimi went straight to the wardrobe to pack.
Shao Sui leaned against the doorframe, “We’re going south, it’s warm there.”
Mimi said, concerned, “Should I bring summer clothes? I don’t have any.”
“I bought you some.” Shao Sui said, “In the suitcase under the wardrobe.”
Mimi pulled out the suitcase and looked inside, “You packed already?”
“It’s our Mimi’s first trip, of course I have to be prepared.” Shao Sui spread his arms and gestured with his chin.
Mimi, understanding the cue, threw himself into Shao Sui’s arms, nuzzling him like a caterpillar.
“How are we getting there?”
“By plane.”
“We’re going up to the sky!” Mimi whispered conspiratorially. “You always say ‘Do you want to go to heaven?’ when you’re scolding me.”
“We’re really going to heaven today, how do you feel?” Shao Sui made a pretend microphone with his hand and held it to Mimi’s mouth.
“Excited, happy, joyful, delighted, very… happy.” Mimi racked his brain, listing all the positive emotions he could think of.
Shao Sui lifted Mimi by his armpits and spun him around, “Then let’s go!”
Mimi yelled, “Okay! —Spin me again.”
“I’ll spin you when we get back, let’s go have breakfast.”
Shao Sui put Mimi down, rubbing his sore wrists. Mimi was thin, but he was still a young man, no longer as light as a kitten, easily lifted and spun around.
People tended to get lazy in winter, and Shao Sui hadn’t worked out in a while. He needed to get back into his exercise routine. He used to be very disciplined when he lived alone, even going for runs regularly, but not anymore.
Although Mimi had mentioned exercising together, whenever he brought it up, Mimi would say sweetly, “It’s so windy outside, it hurts my ears, let’s not go today, okay?”
“Okay.”
“It’s snowing today, the ground is slippery.”
“…Okay.”
Or he would simply throw himself into Shao Sui’s arms without any excuse. With such a warm and soft body in his embrace, Shao Sui naturally wouldn’t want to go out for a run.
After brushing their teeth, they took their suitcase and went to a nearby breakfast place. Although their flight wasn’t until 1 PM, Shao Sui thought, since it was Mimi’s first trip, he would be curious about everything, so it was better to leave early and give him plenty of time to explore.
The noodle pot in the restaurant steamed, the warm tofu pudding and steamed buns arrived at their table, along with a glass of soy milk, a perfect winter morning.
Seeing Mimi enjoying his breakfast, Shao Sui also took a bite, “Is it good?”
“It’s…” Mimi swallowed and said cautiously, “Not as healthy as your cooking.”
The little cat spirit had his own evaluation criteria.
Not healthy didn’t mean not delicious, but healthy often meant not as tasty.
Shao Sui said, “Then we’ll eat at home from now on.”
Mimi sat up straight and changed his tone, “It’s actually quite healthy, just not as healthy, having it occasionally won’t hurt us.”
“Who said that?”
“Some experts film their videos in breakfast places.”
Shao Sui chuckled. In Mimi’s eyes, anyone who claimed to be an expert, whether an online influencer or a marketer, was an expert.
He took a picture of Mimi eating, his cheeks puffed out, and sent it to Cheng Ke, who had been complaining about being home alone with her cat during the holidays, effectively shutting down her constant stream of complaints. He added the caption: “Having breakfast with baby.”
Cheng Ke: “…”
Shao Sui ignored the unsent messages piling up on his screen, unable to suppress his upturned lips.
Shao Sui thought, besides working out, he also had to improve his cooking skills when he got back. His cooking was passable, but he usually ate simply when he was alone, the ingredients basic, no special techniques.
And it was all about the natural flavors, while humans preferred more complex dishes.
“Will the plane hit a bird in the sky?”
“Usually not, birds can’t fly that high.”
“But the plane is very low when it takes off.”
“There are bird chasers at the airport.”
“Okay.”
Mimi, taking his first flight, was a bit apprehensive, asking questions non-stop.
Since it was just after the holidays, the airport was crowded, taxis moving at a snail’s pace.
“So many people,” the cat commented.
“Yes, indeed.”
After getting out of the taxi, Shao Sui pulled Mimi along with one hand, the other pushing their suitcase, entering the terminal. Since Mimi looked so innocent and naive, they looked like a pair of brothers.
Mimi also held Shao Sui’s hand tightly, “Hold me tight, don’t lose me.”
So many people, if he got lost, he wouldn’t be able to find Shao Sui.
Shao Sui: “Let’s tie a rope, then I won’t lose you.”
Mimi considered it, “But my cat spirit friend online said walking a human on a leash is indecent.”
“?” Shao Sui chuckled, not realizing Mimi had asked online about this, “Don’t make friends with random strangers online.”
Mimi didn’t understand, but he was obedient and agreed readily. He had to listen to Shao Sui outside, otherwise, he would be abandoned like those children in short videos, left on the streets by their parents.
“What are we doing now?”
“Checking in.”
“What’s checking in?”
Shao Sui said, “Telling the plane I’m here.”
Mimi didn’t understand, “How do we tell it?”
Shao Sui chose a self-service kiosk with no line and cleared his throat, “I’ll put your ID card here, then there will be a facial recognition scan, and you just say ‘Arrived!’ to the camera, then the plane will know you’re here.”
Mimi, worried he would mess it up, said, “Show me first.”
Shao Sui tried to persuade him, “It’s very simple, there’s a first time for everything.”
Mimi didn’t listen, letting go of Shao Sui’s hand and secretly observing other passengers at the kiosks, occasionally glancing back at Shao Sui, afraid he would leave him.
Shao Sui, suppressing a smile, checked himself in first. Soon, the little cat spirit ran back, punching Shao Sui’s chest.
“You always trick me!”
“I’m sorry.” Shao Sui apologized seriously. “I’m just… uncultured.”
Mimi, speechless, completed the facial recognition scan and collected the boarding pass, “What’s next?”
Not even a “please.”
Shao Sui still couldn’t resist teasing him, “Check in your luggage and cat.”
Mimi scoffed, “Don’t be ridiculous, they don’t know I’m a cat spirit, I can’t be checked in with the luggage.”
“Keep your voice down,” Shao Sui threatened. “If they hear you, you’ll have to travel in the cargo hold.”
Mimi immediately shut his mouth, deciding not to speak to Shao Sui before they boarded the plane.
They had packed everything into one suitcase, exceeding the size limit, so it had to be checked in. They arrived early, so the line wasn’t long.
Mimi, seeing such a vast space for the first time, the ceiling dozens of meow-meows high, imagined himself clinging to the rafters, too scared to jump down.
He still couldn’t help turning to Shao Sui and whispering, “Cats would die if they fell from there, right?”
Shao Sui looked up, “How would they even get up there?”
“…” Mimi decided to forget about that stupid question, instead observing the luggage conveyor belt.
Suitcases of all shapes and sizes were placed on it and transported into a black hole, as if being devoured.
A sign beside it listed prohibited items for checked baggage and carry-on luggage, and a passenger in front of them was arguing with a staff member about why power banks weren’t allowed in checked baggage.
Mimi also whispered, “Why not?”
Shao Sui explained, “Because batteries might spontaneously combust when squeezed or impacted.”
Mimi understood, “Then the luggage in the cargo hold will all be burnt to a crisp.”
Shao Sui said, “Not just the cargo hold, everyone will be in danger.”
“So scary.” Mimi wanted to warn the passenger in front of them, but Shao Sui, seeing Mimi’s tail rise, knew what he was going to do and quickly covered his mouth before he could speak.
“Mmmph…!”
“The security officer won’t let her check it in anyway, kittens shouldn’t worry about such things.”
Mimi was slightly dissatisfied. This was about the safety of a cat spirit and his human!
Thankfully, the passenger was eventually persuaded, taking out the power bank and leaving resentfully.
“See, pets without proper documentation are also prohibited items.” Shao Sui pointed at the sign and whispered, “So be careful, hide your tail, don’t expose yourself.”
Mimi was incredibly nervous, “I won’t show my tail.”
Teasing the kitten was too much fun. Mimi was familiar with their daily routine and couldn’t be easily tricked, but in an unfamiliar environment, he was easy prey.
“Mm-hmm.” Shao Sui said seriously, “And even if you’re discovered, I can’t get you the necessary documents.”
“Why?”
“Because you were too rebellious before, so I didn’t get you rabies shots, you don’t meet the requirements for air travel.”
Mimi became even more nervous.
Shao Sui, feeling slightly guilty, explained some precautions, like switching his phone to airplane mode after boarding, not wandering around except to use the bathroom, and that slight turbulence was normal…
The security line was long, and Mimi, standing in the front, felt insecure, grabbing the back of Shao Sui’s shirt, “Can you put your hand on my shoulder?”
“Okay.” Shao Sui placed both hands on Mimi’s shoulders.
As they got closer, they had to separate for the security check. Mimi carefully observed the person in front of him, reminding himself, “Raise your arms, then turn around…”
However, as soon as he walked through the metal detector, it beeped twice, startling him into explaining to the security officer, “I’m not a prohibited item!”
It was normal for the metal detector to beep when it detected metal objects, but Mimi’s overly defensive explanation made the officer suspicious, pulling him aside and asking him to remove his down jacket and shoes for a more thorough check.
Mimi, thinking he was about to be arrested, looked at Shao Sui pleadingly.
Shao Sui quickly went through security and joined him, explaining, “It’s his first time flying.”
The security officer said understandingly, “No problem, you can go now.”
After putting his shoes back on and walking away, Mimi immediately clung to Shao Sui’s waist, “That was so scary!”
Shao Sui felt a little guilty, it was probably his earlier teasing that made Mimi so nervous, “My fault, I should have explained it more clearly.”
“You can’t think of everything.” Mimi, having calmed down, said understandingly. “I was just overreacting.”
Shao Sui examined Mimi’s face, relieved to see he wasn’t having a panic attack, “No, you did very well, cooperated with the inspection, didn’t resist, right?”
Mimi nodded, too embarrassed to admit his mind had gone blank, he had no idea what to do.
The rest was simple, just find their gate and wait for boarding, about an hour or so.
Shao Sui asked, “Do you want to have lunch here, or eat the airplane meal?”
Mimi said, “Airplane meal.”
Shao Sui suppressed a smile and agreed, not mentioning that this particular airline’s food was notoriously bad.
Only after boarding the plane and settling into their seats did Mimi truly relax. Shao Sui had chosen a window seat for him, so he could see the view.
He had originally wanted to book a morning flight to see the sunrise, but the timing was tight, seeing the city lights at night on their return trip wouldn’t be bad either.
Mimi turned off his phone and sat stiffly in his seat, “It’s a bit cramped.”
Shao Sui felt a twinge of guilt. Having just bought an apartment, he wasn’t very liquid, and air tickets were expensive, he hadn’t been able to afford first class, and it was too late to upgrade now.
They spoke simultaneously—
“When we get back…”
“When I earn enough money, I’ll buy you the best airplane…”
Mimi, sensing the ambiguity, quickly added, “The best seat on the plane.”
The little cat spirit never complained about being poor, knowing he had to work for a better life.
