25 Chapter 25

"Cats?" Nakajima Atsushi pondered his memories of the orphanage under Bailibian's inquiring gaze. "There are no cats in the orphanage, but there are occasionally stray cats wandering around the orphanage."

Seeing Bailibian's disappointed look, Nakajima Atsushi explained, "Because the orphanage's financial situation is not very good, it is already difficult to feed us. So the only animals they raise are chickens."

"Then has there been a cat as big as a bed passing by the orphanage?" Bailibian was sure that Nakajima Atsushi was definitely not lying.

But are there really people with special abilities who don't know they have them? Or even have no idea of ​​their special abilities?

"Huh, a cat as big as a bed?" Nakajima Atsushi looked at Bailibian with clear eyes in disbelief. He suspected that he had heard it wrong, but Bailibian looked so sure that he had to think about it carefully.

But how could there be a cat as big as a bed in this world?

unless……

After much deliberation, Nakajima Atsushi finally revealed the orphanage's secret to Baili Bian. Mustering his courage, he spoke, "Although I've never seen a cat that big, there's been a man-eating tiger in the orphanage for years. I haven't seen what it looks like, but the director and others say it's a very, very large white tiger."

Worried that Bailibian was planning to go looking for the man-eating tiger, Nakajima Atsushi hurriedly said, "That tiger is quite large and cunning. We set many traps but couldn't catch it! Whether it's a vegetable patch or a chicken coop, it destroys everything it passes through! It's really dangerous!"

Perhaps because he sensed Bailibian's eagerness to try, Nakajima Atsushi became more and more panicked. Although he had never seen that terrible tiger before, the fear left by the tiger in his heart was no less than that of the other children in the orphanage.

What's more, even the dean was powerless to do anything about the evil tiger. If Baili Bian were allowed to go, he would definitely be in great danger.

"Mr. Baili's tiger is truly terrifying. You must not go looking for it. What if... it gets hurt?" Looking at Baili Bian who didn't respond, Nakajima Atsushi hardened his heart, closed his eyes, and promised, "If, if you really want to see that tiger, I can go back to the orphanage! I, I can take a picture of the tiger for you!"

"Oh? That's not necessary, Atsu-kun. Don't be so nervous," Bai Libian said hurriedly, looking at the bewildered Nakajima Atsushi. "I'm just wondering about that so-called man-eating tiger. It's been rampant in the orphanage for so many years but has never hurt anyone. It usually only eats vegetables and chicken. Is it possible that it's not a tiger?"

"What if he's really a cat? He's just gifted, so he's bigger." Looking at the confused Nakajima Atsushi, Bailibian continued, "Think about it, if he really is a tiger, he definitely won't be full just by eating chicken. And how can a tiger eat vegetables?"

Seeing that Nakajima Atsushi was beginning to waver, Bailibian continued, "Besides, the big cat you saw didn't even have the word 'king' on its head, did it? Tigers do have words on their heads."

Recalling the descriptions of other children in the orphanage, Nakajima Atsushi was surprised to find that in everyone's memory, the man-eating tiger that had never eaten anyone really did not have the word "king" on its head!

Could it be that it really is a cat?

Once you accept this hypothesis, many things will inexplicably have answers, such as why the cat never hurts people, why there are so many children in the orphanage, but they only eat chicken, and why a tiger is willing to be a vegetarian...

Looking at Bailibian with a determined look on his face, Nakajima Atsushi couldn't help but compare the ferocious beast in his mind with the cute cat on the roadside. The originally ferocious white tiger turned into a big cat with black and white stripes, and seemed to become cute all of a sudden.

"But, is there really a cat that big?" Nakajima Atsushi looked at Bailibian in confusion. Could this be a lie he made up to reassure himself?

In response to Nakajima Dun's doubts, Bailibian nodded confidently. He said affirmatively, "Mr. Dun, you have to understand that cats and tigers are close relatives. Occasionally, a genetic mutation could cause a cat to grow as big as a tiger. It's just like sometimes a hen lays a double-yolked egg. It's a matter of probability, not absolute impossibility."

This sounds like it makes sense.

Nakajima Atsushi had not received much education. The orphanage only taught him how to write and do simple arithmetic. As for biology, he knew nothing about it.

Coupled with Bailibian's natural and convincing temperament, Nakajima Atsushi actually believed that the monster he had never seen was actually a genetically mutated big cat.

The more he thought about it, the more sad he felt for the big cat he had never met before - it was so big that it would definitely be ostracized by other cats. People would mistake it for a tiger and would not dare to approach it. It would also be very inconvenient for it to catch fish. No wonder it could only steal chickens from the orphanage.

"If this is true, then the cat is so pitiful." Thinking about it, Nakajima Atsushi couldn't help but express his inner thoughts.

Before he could apologize for his rude behavior of talking to himself, Baili Bian nodded impatiently, confirming his point of view.

"Yes, yes, if there is a chance, I must treat him to a good meal!" Bailibian then told Nakajima Atsushi about his plan to raise a cat over the years.

Looking at the high-spirited Bailibian, Nakajima Atsushi actually felt a little envious of the big cat he had never met before. By the time he came to his senses, he was already working with Bailibian to perfect the preparations for the cat toys.

"Adun, do you like this?" Bailibian held up the new cat toy he had just received from the clerk.

Looking at the plush ball swaying up and down in front of him, Nakajima Atsushi subconsciously stretched out his hand and successfully caught it.

Looking at the pile of pet toys that were about to be checked out, Nakajima Atsushi said with great sorrow, "No, Mr. Baili! Even if, even if you really want to have a cat, then, that cat is not here! And he's so big, what if he accidentally hurts you! What's more, he may not be willing to be kept. What if he prefers a wandering life!"

Having been brainwashed for so long, Nakajima Atsushi is now used to calling the big cat "him" when he mentions it.

But this does not mean that he can calmly accept that a seemingly frail person like Baili Bian is raising a big cat weighing more than 200 kilograms.

"Hmm... that sounds reasonable," Bailibian pondered for a while. Just when Nakajima Atsushi thought he had succeeded, Bailibian clapped his hands and said, "It's okay. Buy it back first. I'll have a good talk with him."

How to communicate?

The following scene emerged in Nakajima Atsushi's mind - Bailibian, with tears streaming down his face, knelt in front of the big cat, begging it to give him a chance to raise him, but was ruthlessly rejected.

Realizing how rude his thoughts were, Nakajima Atsushi quickly shook his head. Mr. Baili was such a good person, how could he frame him like this!

"Okay, then let's go home first! We can buy the rest of the things in the afternoon." Looking at the time, it was almost noon. Bailibian motioned Nakajima Atsushi to follow him, and the two walked towards Bailibian's home together.

Nakajima Atsushi had originally planned to help out, but was ruthlessly pushed out of the kitchen. It wasn't until Nakajima Atsushi tasted the food that Bailibian cooked that he understood why Bailibian always ate so little when he was out - because he thought the food wasn't tasty enough.

But even so, Nakajima Atsushi still refused Bailibian's invitation to have another bowl - it's not like he could eat 12 bowls of rice every meal.

"Then let's take a nap first. After we wake up, we'll go buy some clothes for A-Dun, and then go to the furniture store in the evening. How do you think?"

Looking at the smiling Bailibian, Nakajima Atsushi lowered his head embarrassedly. He was not good at rejecting other people's kindness, but he also couldn't accept Bailibian's care with peace of mind.

"Don't bother me, Mr. Baili. I've already bothered you long enough. I'd rather not trouble you any more. I've thought it through. I'll try my luck this afternoon. Maybe there's a boss who won't mind my clumsiness and will be willing to give me a job." Nakajima Atsushi paused, his voice trailing off, but he added more firmly, "I know you don't need my reward, but I will definitely find a way to repay you!"

Baili Bian stood there in a daze, unable to describe his feeling, but his brows furrowed uncontrollably.

"But didn't we agree that we would live together from now on?"

Compared to Nakajima Atsushi's firmness, Bailibian's tone was hesitant and tentative. "I thought Atsushi, like me, wanted to have a family."

family?

Nakajima Atsushi looked at Bailibian in shock. Could an incompetent person like him also have a family?

While shopping in the morning, he listened to what Baili Bian said and thought that the other party was just comforting him out of kindness, but did he really mean it?

"I... Baili..." For a moment, ecstasy and doubt filled all of Nakajima Atsushi's thoughts. He wanted to agree, but he wanted to refuse even more - becoming a family with someone like him must be a huge burden for Mr. Baili.

Such a good man like Mr. Baili should not be dragged down by him.

Just like the dean said, a waste like him will only bring trouble and disaster.

Just like this morning, he almost made Mr. Baili fall.

How could he possibly implicate such a good person like Mr. Baili?

"But... I'm bad... I will cause trouble..." Nakajima Atsushi lowered his head, staring at the floor beneath his feet, and his tears fell to the ground before they could even flow down his cheeks.

Looking at the floor wet with tears, Nakajima Atsushi squatted down without hesitation and wiped the water stains on the floor with the hem of his clothes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I made the floor dirty... I'm really, really sorry..."

But the water stains on the ground could not be wiped clean. At this time, he remembered that the clothes he was wearing were prepared for him by Baili Bian.

Messed up again.

What a waste.