Chapter 43: Treasure Island (12) A deity untouched by worldly concerns...
A night breeze rustled the cat's soft fur, and the lights of the night sky outlined its clear silhouette.
For a moment, I don't know why, but we ended up admiring the illuminated autumn valley side by side, and time seemed to slow down and stretch out.
When it was time to leave, Ah Kun called to her from a short distance away: "Let's go, it's time to go back."
Still a little reluctant to leave, but it was getting late, the kitten said goodbye to the other party, jumped down the low wall, and ran to catch up with Ah Kun and Uncle Lin who had turned around.
Hearing the sound, the boy turned around, bent down and reached out his hand to her. She then used the boy's arm to jump onto his shoulder.
Before leaving, I couldn't help but turn back and look at the low wall where I had just been.
The black cat remained seated in the same spot, the flowing starry sky becoming a backdrop, its golden eyes piercing through the bustling crowd and quietly landing on her.
Chichi gently twitched the tip of its tail in that direction as a final farewell.
She thought to herself that she would find a way to come over next time, and maybe she could run into him again and spend more time together.
Only after turning the corner and reaching the parking lot, when the place was no longer visible, did she turn back and rest her head against Ah Kun's neck, leaving the valley behind.
Back in Ruifang, Chichi jumped out of the car first when it stopped outside the gate. Instead of running into the courtyard, he ran towards the street where the car had just entered.
Ever since she learned that there were people in the world who could understand her language, she has gained another human friend.
She enjoys observing humans and immersing herself in their world. Although she can understand human language, they cannot always read her thoughts, until she meets the "NPC" mentioned by 1221.
The kitten felt that the other person had the same traits as itself. They would occasionally drift away from this world and mostly play the role of observers.
She was going to the magnolia tree courtyard to find someone to share the lights that filled the sky tonight.
Regardless of whether the other party responds enthusiastically, she is always happy to share her experiences with the kitten.
I slowly made my way through the familiar streets to the courtyard where the magnolia leaves were lush.
The moonlight was like water, and the shadows of the leaves were dappled on the ground. Sure enough, Duan was there, still sitting in his wheelchair, as if he had never left.
Chichi's eyes lit up, and she nimbly jumped onto the other person's lap.
“I’m back from watching the sky lanterns,” the kitten said, sitting upright on the other’s lap. “I released one more. Ah Kun said the ‘King of Lanterns’ he bought contains all the wishes one can make, but I still secretly made a small wish in my heart.”
"What?"
The other person lowered their eyes slightly, their clear gaze falling on the kitten's honey-colored eyes, which were sparkling with excitement.
She was even happier to hear him speak: "I hope to see you again in the next world."
The rustling of the magnolia leaves paused for a moment, then resumed, and the courtyard fell silent for a brief time.
Chichi's ears twitched, and the next second, her pale lips moved very slightly, not even a curve, just a barely perceptible loosening.
The other person raised their hand, which was slightly cool to the touch, and gently stroked the kitten's fluffy head.
He slowly and comfortably squinted his eyes.
"I also met a cat today. Although its eyes were golden, it looked a lot like yours..." Chi Chi looked around and asked, "Have you ever owned a cat?"
The other person paused in the hand that was stroking her head before uttering two words sparingly.
"No."
The other person withdrew their hand, their gaze turning to the twilight outside the courtyard, where the streetlights twinkled, reflecting a faint glow in their dark eyes.
Chichi keenly sensed something amiss; as a kitten, she always trusted her intuition more than words.
When humans answer simple questions that require no thought, even a slight delay can cast doubt on the authenticity of the answer.
This is a technique that 1221 taught her.
Since the other party doesn't want to talk about it, there's no need to press for details. Some things are better known the more you know them. Everyone has a story behind them, and some stories need to wait for the right time to be told.
This is also the lesson the system taught the kitten.
Over the years, I have learned a lot in a daze, and now I can slowly understand the complex emotions of human beings.
When that hand stroked its head again, the kitten forgot what it was going to say, rolled over and rubbed its face against the other hand, purring contentedly.
On such a gentle night, I didn't want to go out and wander around at night, so I obediently lay on the other person's lap to catch up on sleep.
After getting enough sleep, she felt hungry and her stomach was empty. On the other hand, the person who was in a wheelchair all day had never been seen sleeping or eating during the time she had been visiting him.
If the other party weren't like an ordinary person who can't walk freely without a wheelchair, the kitten would have thought that the other party was an otherworldly being.
"1221, will other NPCs also stop eating, drinking, and sleeping like him?"
After leaving the magnolia tree courtyard to find food, Chichi asked the system.
“NPCs have to do things according to the program settings.” As soon as he left that man, 1221 felt relaxed again and explained to him what NPCs were. “If they are set to eat, drink, and sleep, they will do so; if they are not, they will not do it.”
"Who programmed him?"
I belatedly asked a crucial question.
This is a very complicated issue, concerning the creator of the entire quick-travel dimension and system. I don't know how to explain it to the kitten. Telling it the truth would contradict some of the things I said before.
1221 hesitated, then said, "This—"
"Never mind." Chichi wagged its tail knowingly. "Hesitation is probably just trying to come up with an excuse to fool the kitten."
1221 was so anxious she almost broke out in a cold sweat: "How could I lie to you? It's just that there are some things you don't need to know. Let's just have a happy trip."
"Why are you saying the same thing as him?"
She kept thinking about how she had asked that person's name last time, and that was the same answer they had given her.
She's just a kitten; she doesn't need to know too much.
But she always felt she needed to know, or rather, she already knew.
"Alright, let's go find some food."
The kitten pretended not to hold grudges, but actually used the tip of its tail to swat away the ball of light that was trying to come closer and say something, then proudly tilted its head back, no longer listening to the other's rambling.
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