Chapter 17 Family "He is my master!!!"...
The chilling aura that sent shivers down Cheng Shiyun's spine came from the teeth of her own kind.
The pendant around Qian Juan's neck was made from a cat's canine tooth.
A cat has only one pair of canine teeth.
Each cat's canine teeth are a different size.
To select the right size canine teeth to make a necklace, you'd need at least ten cats...
The air froze for two seconds.
Xie Shijin's gaze remained unmoved.
"Xiao Xie?"
Seeing him in a daze, Qian Juan was a little puzzled.
Xie Shijin blinked slowly, his dry eyes blinking as if recovering from some kind of tension. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Your necklace... is very beautiful."
"This?" Qian Juan lowered her head, stroking the pendant on her chest, her expression gentle. "This was made by my son, Xiao Xuan. It was a birthday gift he specially prepared for me a while ago."
"mom."
On the second floor, a bedroom door was open.
A thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, wearing loose pajamas and slippers, came downstairs.
Xie Shijin looked up and met the boy's gaze.
Almost instantly, Guo Xuan recognized the black-haired boy in front of him. His face showed surprise, and he pointed at Xie Shijin and blurted out, "It's you..."
Xie Shijin's brows furrowed slightly.
Qian Juan glanced at her son, then at Xie Shijin, her eyes subtly probing: "How come... you two know each other?"
"I wouldn't say we know each other, we just met once a few days ago at the pet hospital," Guo Xuan shrugged and said casually, "It was the day you came back from your business trip, Mom."
That night, it was pouring rain. He went to the hospital to pick up his cat and encountered a tall boy with long hair who was holding a dirty cat.
Oh, and they even gave the cat a name that sounds very human.
Guo Xuan laughed: "So you're Xie Shijin, the top science student in the province."
He had also seen the honor roll at the entrance of No. 7 Middle School.
After the college entrance examination results were released, the teacher asked all the students who were admitted to top universities to come and have their photos taken. Xie Shijin did not come, but the photo on the honor roll was the one from his college entrance examination admission ticket.
At that time, Xie Shijin's hair wasn't that long yet. Guo Xuan only glanced at him briefly at the pet hospital and thought he looked familiar, but he never expected that he was Xie Shijin.
Qian Juan glared at him, reached out and slapped his arm, scolding him, "What 'you, you, you'? That's rude. Call me Teacher Xie."
Last night at dinner, Qian Juan casually mentioned that Xie Shijin was looking for a tutor. Guo Xuan, curious about this top science student, asked his mother to fire Yuan Shao, who was doing well at his job. They wanted someone to start as soon as possible, and even increased the hourly wage by 100 yuan.
Guo Xuan pouted and said reluctantly, drawing out his words, "Teacher Xiao Xie."
"Meow--!"
A sharp meow suddenly rang out.
Cheng Shiyun was completely alarmed, her back arched like a bow drawn to its limit, her tail stood stiffly behind her body, and her pupils shrank to extremely narrow vertical lines, ready to attack at any moment.
Baseball cap, stapler.
And this maliciously distorted face.
That's him.
She would never forget that face, even if it meant her ear was stapled through.
And at the pet hospital, the voice that Cheng Shiyun vaguely heard was very familiar; it turned out to be him too.
You beast!
How could someone as gentle as Director Qian raise such a rebellious son?
"Is this your cat, Teacher Xie's cat?" Guo Xuan seemed oblivious to the tabby cat's hostility, his eyes lighting up as he enthusiastically reached out to pet it.
"Meow—!"
Cheng Shiyun bared her sharp teeth and swung her front paws fiercely.
Guo Xuan pulled his hand back quickly, but the cat still scratched his fingertip, leaving a red mark without breaking the skin.
"Tsk..."
"So fierce?"
Even with all his fingernails and teeth pulled out, he can still be this fierce?
His interest faded, and a ruthless glint flashed quickly in his eyes.
"Are you alright, son?" Qian Juan grabbed her son's hand, her expression tense. "Xiao Xie, is your cat a little stressed?"
Xie Shijin held the cat protectively in her arms, smoothing its ruffled fur with her palm, her voice devoid of emotion: "I'm sorry, she's a little afraid of strangers."
"fine."
Guo Xuan rubbed his fingertips and said contemptuously, "A beast, it has no humanity."
Xie Shijin's expression changed slightly, and her face paled a bit. She didn't respond to his question, but instead looked at Qian Juan and asked in a steady voice, "Excuse me, is there a restroom?"
Qian Juan nodded: "Yes, just turn left over here."
Xie Shijin took the cat to the bathroom.
Behind them, the conversation between the mother and son could be heard clearly.
"When are you going to stop this habit of teasing every cat and dog you see? I wonder if they've been vaccinated or if they have any viruses..."
"Mom, Teacher Xie's cat is really interesting, shall we get another cat?"
"Having one cat is troublesome enough, why add another? If you're really that bored, you should read more books. I'm going out later, so you'd better learn from others. No more teasing the cat..."
...
Xie Shijin turned on the tap in the sink and looked down at the cat in his arms, which was still trembling slightly.
Cheng Shiyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Guo Xuan didn't recognize her.
People who enjoy abusing cats probably don't even know how many cats they've hurt.
What's more, she shaved her fur; cats change so much over time, she's even less recognizable now.
"Cheng Shiyun?"
A warm, gentle voice rang in my ears, though upon closer listening, it sounded slightly hoarse.
Xie Shijin's fingers brushed against her back, gently soothing her: "Were you scared?"
"Me? Scared?" Cheng Shiyun scoffed. "How could that be? A little kid like you could scare me? You really think I'm a cat?"
"That's good," Xie Shijin said, closing his eyes briefly. "Let's go home."
"Why are we going home?" Little Tabby looked up, puzzled. "Aren't we supposed to be in class?"
Xie Shijin stared at her with his somber eyes: "I'm not going."
"I'll look for other jobs."
Cheng Shiyun jumped out of his arms, leaped onto the sink, and turned to look at him: "Meow? Why?"
In order to find this top science student to tutor him, Director Qian dismissed Yuan Shao and even increased his hourly wage to 300.
With such a high hourly wage and such an easy job, where else can you find a second one if you quit?
Xie Shijin remained silent, only staring intently at her.
His gaze seemed heavy, pressing down on one's heart.
The kitten blinked, its brain suddenly clearing up, and asked hesitantly, "Because of that cat tooth necklace?"
Guo Xuan abused cats.
Xie Shijin might be, perhaps, or probably afraid that Guo Xuan would hurt her?
It was a bit presumptuous of Cheng Shiyun, but this was the only reason she could think of.
The scab on my ear has scabbed over, and it doesn't hurt anymore.
Suddenly, the way Xie Shijin looked at her that night flashed into her mind; it was the same way.
It was as if he, not Cheng Shiyun, was the one who was injured.
Xie Shijin was filled with regret.
He regretted that he only started to feel sorry for her when her wounds were almost scabbed over.
But Cheng Shiyun didn't want him to worry about her, and she didn't want to be a burden.
With only one month left until university enrollment, short-term jobs are hard to find, and even harder ones.
Of course, Xie Shijin is not afraid of hardship, but Cheng Shiyun doesn't want him to work so hard.
And that cat tooth necklace.
Cheng Shiyun paced back and forth on the sink, analyzing, "Those cats have already met a tragic end and gone to Cat Planet. There's nothing we can do about it."
"But there are other cats. I observed on the way here that there are many stray cats in this area."
"Not only can you not quit this tutoring job, on the contrary, you should keep a close eye on Guo Xuan, give him a lot of homework, and make sure he doesn't have time to hurt other cats."
The girl kept talking, as stubborn as ever.
Xie Shijin: "Cheng Shiyun".
The sound of her name being uttered by him sent a shiver down one's spine.
A bright incandescent light shone above his head, casting a shadow that enveloped Cheng Shiyun completely.
His eyelashes were long, casting a small patch of dim light and shadow beneath his eyes, creating distinct layers. But in his eyes, there was an intense, unyielding blackness, as still as the deep sea when he looked at her, where not even a sliver of light could penetrate.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Shiyun asked, waiting for him to speak.
Have you always been like this?
His gaze darkened, like a layer of fog rising from the sea, so obscure that it was impossible to discern his emotions.
Cheng Shiyun: "What?"
Xie Shijin turned his head away.
Always thinking of others, willing to wrong herself and get hurt, just to protect... complete strangers.
His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tightly. After a long while, he whispered and repeated, "I want to go home."
A very stiff and cold sentence.
The pattering water blurred the boy's originally clear and cold voice, instead creating the illusion of a plea.
"Go home, go home. I'm not stopping you from going home."
"But you want to go home so much... could it be that you lack confidence?" Cheng Shiyun raised her chin, "Afraid that you can't do it?"
She admitted that Xie Shijin was a good student, but being able to solve problems and being able to give lectures are two different things, just like a scholar who is very good at scientific research may not necessarily be able to teach students.
“If Director Qian thinks you’re not teaching well and invites Yuan Shao back, that would be a bit embarrassing.”
How could that be?
She had seen Xie Shijin explain problems to others. If the student had a good foundation, he would give a few insightful pointers and the student would immediately understand. If the student had a poor foundation, he would start by deriving the formulas and would not get impatient even if it was repeated several times.
"..."
Realizing that her attempt to provoke him was a bit foolish, Cheng Shiyun said directly, "Since we're already here...wouldn't you be stupid not to make money?"
...
"Cats are not allowed in the bedroom."
Xie Shijin was carrying a cat carrier when Guo Xuan reached out and stopped him. He turned his head and said, "It will pee everywhere and stink."
Xie Shijin said expressionlessly, "She won't."
"You are not a fish, how do you know the joy of a fish?" Guo Xuan crossed his arms. "You're not a cat, how do you know it can't?"
"All the figurines and models in my room are limited editions. What if your cat breaks them?"
What to do, what to do? You might as well just worship it.
Cheng Shiyun grew impatient, rolled her eyes, meowed twice, and said to Xie Shijin, "Put me down, I'll play in the living room by myself."
This little brat is clearly unreasonable.
Arguing with this kind of person will only make them more and more frustrated.
They charge by the hour now, so arguing here won't get you any money, why waste your time?
She, being a magnanimous woman, forgave him.
Xie Shijin lowered her eyelashes slightly, stopped arguing with Guo Xuan, went to the living room and let the cat out, telling him, "Be careful."
Guo Xuan raised an eyebrow: "You talk as if cats can understand..."
But this cat is indeed a bit special...
His eyes flickered.
An idea suddenly came to mind.
Pushing open the door, Guo Xuan's bedroom had an entire wall covered with model airplanes—all sorts of models, quite a sight to behold.
On the desk, several books were open, and pens and draft paper were scattered everywhere.
After Xie Shijin sat down, the first thing Guo Xuan asked was, "Teacher Xie, do you sell cats?"
Xie Shijin pushed aside the messy books, took out a math textbook and a stack of materials, and calmly asked, "Don't you have a cat at home?"
Guo Xuan leaned back in his gaming chair, his hands behind his head: "Yeah, I have one."
I bought it at a pet store last month for Qian Juan's birthday.
I've had it for a month, and it still scratches me every time I feed it.
Like an ingrate, you can't be tamed no matter how much you try to feed it.
But his mother loved him to death.
Xie Shijin looked up: "I didn't see the cat just now, is it sick?"
"Sick? Ah... no." Guo Xuan twirled a pen between his index and middle fingers, saying casually, "That cat is quite mischievous. It jumped off the second floor a few days ago and broke its leg. I don't know where it's hiding."
With a clatter, the pen in his hand fell to the ground and rolled twice.
Guo Xuan leaned forward, but instead of picking up the pen, he asked excitedly, "Teacher Xie, how about you sell me your cat?"
"five hundred?"
Xie Shijin remained unmoved and pressed the pen in his hand twice.
Guo Xuan added another one: "One thousand?"
Purebred cats are about the same price, not to mention domestic shorthair cats.
There are stray cats everywhere outside, but he felt that Xie Shijin's cat had a particularly stubborn look in its eyes.
In a fleeting glance, it seemed... like a person, torturing them would be quite interesting.
Xie Shijin's gaze fell on the model airplanes next to the bookshelf, and he asked, "You like collecting model airplanes?"
Guo Xuan scoffed: "What, you know about model airplanes?"
These model airplanes are his treasures, and few people around him can explain their significance to him; even his father doesn't understand them.
Unexpectedly, the boy got up and walked to the display wall: "Su-27 'Flanker', heavy fighter jet model."
He picked up the model airplane, glanced at it, and casually commented: "The wing skin material is too thin, which will generate wind noise during high-speed flight. Without the reinforcement of carbon fiber tubes, the wings will deform during long-term flight. You also replaced the motor with a high-power brushless motor. Although the power has increased, the fuselage weight distribution has not been adjusted, and the center of gravity is forward, making it easy to nose-dive during landing and unable to land smoothly."
The more Guo Xuan listened, the brighter his eyes became. He completely changed his previous dismissive attitude and said excitedly, "Wow, you really know a lot! You're much better than those people in our class who just follow the trend and buy model airplanes, but can't even tell the difference between the models."
Xie Shijin raised an eyebrow slightly: "You want to be a pilot?"
"Of course! I want to be a pilot, to fly fighter jets..."
...
Cheng Shiyun circled the living room several times but couldn't find the cat Qian Juan had mentioned.
After a while, footsteps came from the stairs.
Qian Juan changed her clothes, picked up a delicate handbag, and went downstairs. She told the nanny to pour two glasses of water and bring up a fruit platter. Then she took her car keys and left.
With no one in the living room, Cheng Shiyun confidently surveyed the villa.
A detached villa, and a nanny too. How much do Principal Guo and Director Qian earn a month?
Could it be that he was greedy?
...Probably not.
There aren't any rocks worth millions at the school.
Before she knew it, she had walked to the window. Cheng Shiyun's hands were itching again, and she couldn't resist scratching the curtains.
Looking left and right but seeing no one, the little tabby cat sneakily reached out and rummaged around.
"Meow!"
A sudden meow from a cat.
Cheng Shiyun was startled and jumped eight feet away, her tail bobbing up.
Is there a cat behind the curtains?
Cheng Shiyun tiptoed over, scratched open the curtains with her paws, and twitched her lips.
This is not a cat.
It's a gas cylinder.
Are you feeding it cat food or pig feed? How did it get so fat?!
A large white cat was perched on the windowsill, next to a cat bowl with an empty food bowl.
The big white cat looked her up and down with its large, ocean-blue eyes, twitched its nose, sniffed her scent, and asked, "Who are you?"
Cheng Shiyun jumped onto the windowsill, taking small, cat-like steps, her tail held high: "Me? Of course I'm a great beauty!"
The white cat blinked, looking completely confused: "...What are you talking about?"
Cats and humans are not only separated by species, but also by language.
Cheng Shiyun had no choice but to rephrase it: "What I mean is, I'm a very, very beautiful cat, can't you tell?"
The little tabby cat spun around.
"..."
A beautiful cat should have clean, smooth fur, sharp teeth, and a healthy, strong physique.
The tabby cat in front of me not only had no fur, but its body was also thinner than my thigh, and its baby teeth were so shallow that they couldn't even bite through a mouse's neck.
Such cats are abandoned by their mothers as soon as they are born.
This is the law of survival of the fittest in the animal kingdom.
Cheng Shiyun ignored its gaze, leaned closer, looked at its swollen ears, and said, "You're injured too."
It seems that Guo Xuan is indeed that little brat from the pet hospital.
She tried to get closer, but the large white cat, which had been weak just moments before, immediately bared its teeth at her: "Meow—!"
"Okay, okay, I won't go over there." Cheng Shiyun took two steps back, tripped over her own feet, and almost fell off the windowsill. "I'm just concerned about you. Can't you speak properly? Why are you being so fierce?"
The big white cat purred softly, warning her, "Ha! You have the scent of a human on you."
The scent of humans?
Xie Shijin?
Does she smell like Xie Shijin?
That smells wonderful.
Cheng Shiyun held up the paw and sniffed it hard, only smelling the kitten's natural milky scent.
Putting down her paws, Cheng Shiyun caught a glimpse of her paw pads and almost fainted from her own cuteness.
Help! Her paw pads are so small and so pink!
Take another drag!
The big white cat looked at her actions with an even stranger expression and pushed its cat bowl toward Cheng Shiyun: "Don't eat poop, it's dirty."
Cheng Shiyun: "?"
How does petting a cat mean you have to eat poop?
After using the litter box, cats will use their paws to dig in the litter to bury their feces and then lick their bottoms to clean themselves.
Kittens her size haven't learned survival skills yet and are usually cared for by their mothers.
But the big white cat didn't smell any scent of its own kind on her, so it deduced that Cheng Shiyun wouldn't bury her own excrement or clean herself up.
Cheng Shiyun: "..."
How can she explain that she is a cat from the People's Education Press?
She doesn't need cat litter, nor does she need to bury her own poop.
"Thank you, you're a good cat." Cheng Shiyun was still very grateful that it was willing to share its food.
The big white cat lay listlessly.
Cheng Shiyun asked, "Was your ear pierced by a stapler?"
Big White Cat: "What is a stapler?"
Cheng Shiyun wagged her tail, the little ball of fur at the tip of her tail brushing against the curtains like a feather duster: "A stapler is a little metal block that you press and it will 'clack clack' and staple things together. You know what a metal block is, right?"
The big white cat glanced at her sideways: "Do I look stupid?"
"Whether he's stupid or not, I don't know, but he's super fat."
That's a huge vehicle.
The white cat's fur stood on end again: "You're very rude."
Cheng Shiyun smiled softly and asked, "So, was your ear injured by that little piece of metal I mentioned?"
The big white cat looked at her warily: "How did you know?"
"Because my ear was injured in the same way."
There were two small holes on her thin, almost transparent ear, which have now scabbed over.
The white cat's ears were still red and swollen.
A month ago, Qian Juan adopted it from a pet store.
When people adopt pets, they never care whether the pets want to be adopted.
Pet shops house animals in small cages, while this villa is like a giant cage.
About a week ago, Qian Juan went on a business trip and told Guo Xuan to take good care of the cat.
Not long after she left, Guo Xuan caught it on the second floor and stapled its ears with a stapler. It struggled to escape but was caught again. It scratched Guo Xuan in pain, which angered Guo Xuan, so he threw it off the second floor.
Its right hind leg was broken, and Guo Xuan even tried to break its other leg.
Coincidentally, Guo Renyi happened to return and witnessed the scene. He questioned Guo Xuan about what he was doing and told him to take the cat to the hospital immediately, otherwise his mother would be angry.
Two days ago, when Qian Juan returned from her business trip and asked about it, Guo Renyi asked Guo Xuan to bring the cat back.
But after bringing it back, Qian Juan didn't have time to take care of it, and its ears repeatedly became infected and swollen more and more.
The big white cat said to Cheng Shiyun, "You must be careful of that human, don't go near him."
Cheng Shiyun was right; Guo Xuan was indeed a repeat offender.
"Meow?"
Outside the window, a small white cat, pure white all over, appeared out of nowhere.
The little white cat peered through the glass, first curiously observing Cheng Shiyun for a while, then began scratching at the glass with its paws.
Its nails were cut off, so it couldn't make any scratching sound.
On the windowsill, the previously listless white cat perked up a bit and licked the cool glass surface in response.
"You two know each other?" Cheng Shiyun couldn't help but lean closer.
The big white cat dragged its injured hind leg and slowly stood up from the windowsill. It picked up the cat food from the bowl with its mouth and fed it to the little white cat outside the window, one piece at a time, through a small crack in the window.
"It is my companion."
When Qian Juan first came to the pet store, she originally wanted to adopt the little white cat.
But the big white cat smelled something bad on Guo Xuan and helped its partner escape the night before, so Qian Juan adopted it instead.
Cheng Shiyun leaned close to the window and said, "Your wife is so cute."
It was white, with shiny fur, like a glutinous rice ball.
Cheng Shiyun's face was all squished up like a cat pancake, cat, cat, cat, let her have a sniff!
Big white cat: "..."
The tabby cat's eyes lit up; it was captivated by its mate.
The big white cat asked, "Were you captured here too?"
Cheng Shiyun shook her head: "I'm so smart, how could I possibly get caught?"
"That's good."
The little white cat was still meowing outside the window.
They are all pet cats, and their hunting ability is not as strong as that of wild cats. They often cannot get food, so the big white cat uses this method to feed its companion cat food.
Cats do not have a fixed mate mentality and may like a cat for a long time. However, they will not reject other companions, nor will they commit to only one cat for their entire lives.
These two cats, remaining loyal and devoted to each other under such circumstances, are truly rare and exceptional.
Being their child must be very happy.
child?
Cheng Shiyun blinked and glanced at the big white cat's belly.
Haha, you're overthinking it... They won't have children.
Big white cat: "What are you looking at?"
Look at your eggs!
The big white cat felt a chill between its hind legs...
Cheng Shiyun circled around twice, then suddenly asked the big white cat, "Do you want to go out?"
Go find your partner.
The big white cat shook its head: "We can't get out."
"I can help you!"
The little tabby cat squatted on the windowsill, its front paws together, chest puffed out, and tail swishing back and forth, looking proud and smug.
What bad intentions could a babbling tabby cat possibly have?
"You're too young."
"I may not live to see you grow up."
The big white cat had completely let down its guard, picked her up, and used its tongue to comb the fur on her head.
Cheng Shiyun was so hurt by the barbs on its tongue that the cat leaned back, its cheeks straining in resistance.
Her head was licked wet, like a mango pit that had been sucked twice.
...
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
The bedroom door on the second floor was open.
Xie Shijin walked out of the bedroom and first glanced around the living room.
Sunlight slanted across the curtains, casting two pairs of cat ears on them.
The big white cat's belly was as soft as a sofa. Cheng Shiyun leaned against its belly, letting it lick her head.
Brushing feels so good! No wonder kittens need to be brushed every day.
Cheng Shiyun happily kneaded her paws, moving them left and right, opening them up, closing them, and then opening them up again.
Suddenly, her little ears twitched; she heard footsteps coming downstairs.
Immediately afterwards, someone called her name.
"Little cloud, time to go home."
Cheng Shiyun was momentarily dazed.
It was Xie Shijin's voice.
Was Xie Shijin calling her by her nickname?
Why call her by her nickname...?
The little tabby cat looked blank, a little slow to react.
Only her parents had ever called her by her nickname; even Ni Jiaqi had never used it. The nickname was too childish and too intimate, so Cheng Shiyun forbade him from calling her that.
Only when she is at home will her parents call her by her nickname.
Xie Shijin was the third person to call her by her nickname.
She didn't seem angry at all, even though it was done without her permission.
Of course, she couldn't get angry. She had been dead for two years, and Director Qian and Principal Guo both knew her. It would be quite frightening if Xie Shijin called her by her full name in front of outsiders.
Although Cheng Shiyun knew that Xie Shijin probably called her by her nickname for this reason, a sour and hot feeling still inevitably spread from her heart.
It's a hard feeling to describe, it's like... even if she turned into a cat, there would still be people calling her name.
It seems that she has left an even stronger mark on this world.
"Little Cloud?"
The boy called her.
The three simple words, as if he had gently caressed them with his lips, drifted softly and ambiguously to her ear.
The big white cat asked, "What's wrong?"
The little tabby's ears twitched.
Do cats blush?
have no idea.
It's terribly hot anyway.
Cheng Shiyun raised her paw and rubbed her face haphazardly, saying, "I'm leaving. Someone's here to pick me up and take me home."
A hand with clearly defined knuckles drew back the curtains.
The afternoon sun streamed in, bright and warm.
The little tabby cat was perched on the windowsill, next to a semi-trailer truck.
There were several small, red, swollen holes on her half-hanging ear. Xie Shijin squinted her eyes slightly.
He crouched down and greeted the big white cat in a friendly manner: "Hello."
The big white cat turned around, leaving him with its huge, fat butt.
It's obvious she doesn't like him at all.
"..."
Xie Shijin looked at the little tabby cat: "Let's go home, little cloud."
The little tabby cat pounced.
He opened his arms, reached out his hands, and caught her steadily.
However, just as she nestled into the boy's arms, the big white cat bit Cheng Shiyun by the scruff of her neck, snatched the little tabby cat back, and hissed at Xie Shijin.
"Ha—! Get out of here!"
Cheng Shiyun felt an itch on the back of her neck and scratched it with her paw: "Dabai, he's not a bad person, don't be mean to him."
The big white cat licked her chin and earnestly warned her, "Don't get close to humans, and never trust them."
"Humans are all bad."
Because they have been hurt by humans, they harbor resentment towards them.
Cheng Shiyun instinctively wanted to explain, "How could that be? He's not an ordinary human, he's mine..."
mine……
It got stuck.
Xie Shijin met her gaze.
Sunlight slid down his hair and fell on his face, turning his light brown pupils golden.
The boy's gentle and focused gaze fell on her.
My heart suddenly started beating faster.
Suddenly, Cheng Shiyun didn't know how to describe her relationship with Xie Shijin.
We weren't exactly close, but we were classmates for a year after all.
We're not that close, really.
But that doesn't stop her from being a cat now, and Xie Shijin wants to keep her.
The little tabby's eyes lit up, and it meowed, "He's my master!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Xie Shijin chuckle softly.
As if amused by her words, the boy smiled, his long eyelashes drooping slightly, and his eyes filled with a hint of laughter.
Although he had a handsome smile, it inexplicably made Cheng Shiyun feel embarrassed, and she asked him hesitantly, "...What are you laughing at? Is it that funny?"
She was originally her owner.
Owner.
Owner……
...I hope Xie Shijin isn't getting the wrong idea.
How could he possibly have bad intentions when faced with such an adorable kitten?
Oh.
Humans, oh humans, they're all such bad things.
Cheng Shiyun bared her teeth fiercely.
It's so cute it's almost overwhelming.
The big white cat couldn't understand: "Your relationship is strange."
In the cat's world, there are only family, partners, and friends; there are no complex interpersonal relationships like those of humans.
"Master is... is..."
Cheng Shiyun froze, her body lifted into the air.
The boy reached out, pulled her into his arms, stroked her back, smoothed her fur, and then looked at the big white cat: "Family."
He paused, then his gaze returned to the little tabby cat.
My heart skipped a beat.
Cheng Shiyun looked up at his face, warmed by the sunlight.
Backlit.
Within easy reach.
She heard the boy repeat it softly.
“I am her family.”
-----------------------
A word from the author: Family is family! Family forever!
One more chapter! [Lop-eared rabbit head]
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