Chapter 32: Don’t Take the Kitty to Get Neutered! Part 2

On the other end of the communicator, Li You, who had been watching wave after wave of mutant migrations pass by, looked up at Li Ye. The sounds from the communicator still echoed in his ears.

General Qi had said Infinite Polar Night was about to arrive.

Then came chaotic noises, followed by the exchange between General Qi and General Peisengke.

As expected, Qi Yu had gone back.

【That’s for the best.】

So thought Li You.

【Better one gets out than none.】

Moreover, it meant General Peisengke was already trying to find them.

That was good news.

However, the message “Infinite Polar Night is about to arrive” was far from good.

As expected, the migration of the mutant species throughout the entire day followed a pattern. If the Infinite Polar Night truly arrived, then the gravity in Kailenoa would remain elevated indefinitely. The mutant species perhaps sensed that the days ahead would be tough, so they migrated toward the crystal stone districts that could soothe their agitation.

If that was truly the case, then Li Ye…

The cat gazed worriedly at Li Ye.

Meanwhile, Li Ye pondered how to settle the cat.

They traveled in silence. Along the way, Li Ye captured another pack beast and had Little Black, who had transformed into a black wolf, carry it back in his mouth.

Li You watched the calm-faced Li Ye without blinking, feeling a bit panicked inside.

They returned to the lab before nightfall. Li Ye took the cat to wash its face and paws, processed the rabbit and pack beast meat, reinforced the lab’s door, and after dinner, went to extract the remaining crystal stone extract liquid.

It was not until dawn that Li You, who saw his brother drink the third can of crystal stone extract liquid, finally could not hold back any longer.

He stepped forward and tugged at Li Ye’s pant leg, meowing nonstop in his mouth.

【Say something.】

【Don’t scare me, talk to me.】

【If you’re feeling bad, pet me. You can pinch my paws.】

【Li Ye, look at me. Look at me.】

At the lab bench, Li Ye set down the unfinished crystal stone in his hand and silently exhaled. He squatted down, picked up the cat, left the lab for the room, sat on the chair holding the cat, stroked its back, zoned out for a moment, and then spoke.

“If the Polar Night doesn’t end, I won’t stay at the lab for long.” Li Ye said to the cat, “The extract liquid works, but it’s not a long-term solution.”

Li You gazed quietly at Li Ye.

He leaped up, placed his front paws on the other’s shoulders, touched Li Ye’s face with his nose, and rubbed back and forth gently.

【I believe in you. You won’t hurt a cat.】

【Just like you never hurt Li You before.】

Li Ye lowered his eyelids and pinched the cat’s scruff. “You’ve always been smart, back then and now.”

Li You froze and stared dazedly at his brother. That strange feeling spread once again.

He had felt more than once that his brother did not treat him like a cat.

“The stored food is enough for you to eat for half a month. During that time, I’ll come back to cook a proper portion for you. Maybe once a day, maybe every two days. If my condition seems off, stay in the room and don’t come out.” Li Ye touched noses with the cat. “Protect yourself.”

“If you believe in me, then listen to me.” Li Ye closed his eyes briefly, feeling the cat’s soft breaths—as if speaking to the cat, or to himself. “I don’t want to make another mistake.”

【Bro…】

Strange emotions and heartache intertwined. Li You once again felt the sadness from when he was still human. But back then, he had bottled up all the pain alone, while now they faced it together.

Neither was easy to bear.

That night, Li Ye did not leave the lab. He returned to the lab area to extract a large amount of crystal stone liquid, while the cat lay quietly in the little nest prepared nearby, watching.

The Polar Night truly began. The constantly rising gravity stirred the mutant species in Kailenoa District into unrest.

Staying in the lab, Li You heard eerie howls from outside every day. If they were close, Li Ye would go out to deal with them.

For the first three days, Li Ye showed no abnormalities.

On the fourth day, Li You woke up without seeing his brother. Anxious, he ran out of the room to search and found Li Ye in the lab area, with two demonic red horns sprouting from his forehead.

Li Ye’s black hair had grown longer, reaching his shoulders, tied back casually with a rope. Veins bulged on the sides of his forehead where the red horns grew, making him look somewhat terrifying, but Li Ye’s expression remained calm.

Though his eyes sometimes turned into vertical pupils and sometimes expanded round, this calmness eased half of Li You’s worries.

Li You raised his big tail high and trotted to Li Ye’s side, looking up. “Meow—”

【Brother!】

Li Ye paused what he was doing, bent down to pick up the cat, and while adjusting the equipment on the lab bench, said to the cat, “I’ve prepared a day’s worth of food. Today I’ll be gone for a day, and I’ll return after three meals.”

Li You froze, then bumped his head hard against his brother’s chin but stayed silent.

Li Ye held the cat in one arm, tilted his head slightly to let the cat nuzzle his chin, averted his gaze a bit, and continued, “I made you a cat tree in the next room. If you’re bored, that room also has yarn balls and a few toys. Conditions are limited; I’ll buy you better ones when we get back to the Empire later.”

He paused and added, “Be careful not to get tangled in the yarn.”

【Got it…】

Li Ye ruffled the cat’s head, turned back to the room, placed the cat in the nest, then picked up his jacket. As he prepared to leave, he glanced at the cat staring eagerly from the nest, turned back, squatted down, and brought his face close. “Want to touch the horns?”

Li You paused, then extended a paw to gently press the red horn on his brother’s forehead.

It was hot, not scalding, and not scary.

Li You pressed with his paw pad a couple times; it felt hard and a bit smooth.

Li Ye kept his head slightly lowered to let the cat touch his horn. Once the cat withdrew its paw, he stood up.

“See you later.”

Li You followed behind Li Ye and watched him leave the lab. After the heavy door closed, the quiet, sealed space held only him.

He stood motionless behind the door for a long time, then dragged his tail back, picked up the little nest in his mouth, returned to the corner by the door, crawled inside, and stared unblinkingly at the sealed door.

From that day on, Li Ye no longer stayed at the lab for long periods. At first, he returned after leaving for a day, but later it took two days, and the time away grew longer and longer.

Li You guarded the lab alone, day after day—either in the corner inside the door or in the lab area observing the signal sources on the screens.

That day, Li You fell asleep in the lab area. In a daze, he heard movement outside, immediately opened his eyes, got up, and ran out. He saw Li Ye in the kitchen, handling food—he who had not returned for two days.

He meowed as he approached, but Li Ye called out to him.

“Don’t come over.” Li Ye did not turn around, skillfully processed the mutant species meat, his voice showing no abnormality.

Li You froze in place and watched Li Ye, whose hair had grown to his shoulder blades. His paws stamped anxiously and helplessly.

Over there, Li Ye set down his knife, stayed still for a few seconds, then turned his head.

Li You saw deep purple patterns crawling across his brother’s cheek, and his left eye’s pupil had turned pure black, as if infected by something.

Li Ye’s expression remained calm, his face not distorted. Precisely because of this, it seemed even more eerie.

Li Ye said nothing, just quietly looked at the cat on the floor, staring into those deep blue eyes like the sea. Only after a long time did he turn back and continue processing the food.

Li You’s heart nearly shattered.

This time, Li Ye prepared three or four days’ worth of cooked food, then left without a word.

Li You guarded inside the heavy door, helpless and at a loss. He returned to the lab area and pinned all his hopes on the signal sources.

Li Ye did not return for three days.

The cooked food that could not be stored long-term spoiled. Li You squatted by the stove, wanting to make something to eat himself, but his cat body was too inconvenient.

On the fourth day, Li Ye still did not return.

Nor on the fifth.

Li You tried every way to scrounge some food, even gnawing raw vegetable leaves to fill his stomach, but not seeing Li Ye was what worried him most.

That evening, after finishing the vegetable leaves, Li You returned to the lab area, lay in the nest, and fell asleep unknowingly.

He had a jumble of messy dreams.

In the dream, he saw a giant black dragon coiled in the void, listlessly sprawled out. It only opened its red eyes to glance at him before slowly closing them again.

Li You was very afraid but still mustered courage to approach the giant dragon. But as soon as he got close, the giant dragon rose and flew away.

The massive airwave nearly blew him off his feet. He raised his hands to shield his eyes. When he opened them after the blast, the dream had changed.

He stood in the fighting arena, facing a teenage Li Ye. They exchanged a few moves, and Li You was grabbed by the collar and lifted—he lost again.

The teenage Li Ye released him, called him a “dummy,” straightened his collar, and led him to buy cake.

But as soon as they reached the cake shop, the other disappeared.

Li You turned around to find a massive furnace behind him, purple flames spewing from the mouth. Firelight reflected in his eyes as he heard desperate cries.

Li You looked toward the sound and saw Li Ye rushing from afar.

That year, Li You was seventeen, and Li Ye was twenty.

Li You had forever remained at seventeen. That year, for the first time—and the only time—he saw fear on Li Ye’s face.

Standing at the top of the furnace, Li You’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked down at the massive fire pit, thinking.

If it happened again, would he still jump?

The answer was yes.

Li You closed his eyes. Despite trembling in fear, he leaped down.

It was hot, his whole body hot.

So painful, pain like never before.

Li You feared pain; the agony he felt before death was something he never wanted to experience again.

He painfully opened his eyes, flipped over with difficulty under the white light’s glow, rolled out of the nest, and sprawled on the floor.

The floor’s coolness alleviated some of the heat.

But the pain persisted, as if he were still being baked by the furnace from the dream.

Li You let out a pained “mrrrow.”

He dragged himself to the bathroom, climbed onto the sink, pawed open the faucet, and soaked in the cold water.

Still hot, so hot and uncomfortable.

Dazed, he stood up, jumped down from the sink, shook off the water, drooped his ears, dragged his tail outward, lay on the ground, and fell asleep with eyes closed.

In just a few minutes, he dreamed of being taken by his brother to the pet hospital as a cat. He even thought his brother was really going to have him neutered, but a shiver woke him.

Opening his eyes, he found himself still on the floor.

Li You sneezed hard. It felt like a ball of hot fire was pent up inside him; he really wanted to gnaw on something. He bit down on the toy fish Li Ye had prepared, hugged it, gnawed, and kicked hard with his hind legs.

Suddenly, he startled and froze.

What was he doing?

Li You anxiously chased his own tail in circles on the spot, then stopped woodenly in a daze, suddenly sprang up, ran back to the room, burrowed onto Li Ye’s bed, and curled up.

The little cat was soaking wet. He tried hard to sniff the lingering scent of Li Ye in the bedding, shivering—cold and hot at once.

He realized that he might really be in heat.