Chapter 41

Chapter 41

041

A New Feline Companion.

Wen Renjian was the one who had helped him back then, and he chose the medical department out of personal interest. Both were significant to Chu Li, and he didn't wish to abandon either.

The consequence of handling two tasks simultaneously was exerting far more than double the effort. The moment Jing Baiyuan left, Chu Li practically lived in the laboratory.

It wasn't until seven days later, when he received a call from the pet store, that he vaguely recalled having reserved a cat there.

"The kitten will be weaned in a few days. If you're ready, I can deliver it now," the shop owner said. "When would you have time to come over and settle the adoption procedures?"

Due to his subtle jealousy, Jing Baiyuan had requested Chu Li to wait until he left before bringing the kitten home. However, when the time came, Chu Li hesitated. After some thought, he told the shop owner, "I've got some matters to attend to, so I might need to board the kitten at your store for a while, allowing it to stay with its mother. Would that be possible?"

"Hmm... I'm the one taking care of the mother cat, so living together won't be an issue. But are you sure you don't want to bring the kitten home now? These few months are crucial for the development of its personality. If you take it away too late, it might not form a close bond with humans."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for telling me." Chu Li replied, "When I visited the store previously, you should be aware of my gender. My rut is approaching soon, but without an Alpha by my side, I'll have to go through it alone... Moreover, I have an intolerance to regular suppressants, so I'm worried that I won't be able to take proper care of the cat during that time. Therefore, I planned to adopt the kitten after my rut has passed. Don't worry, I won't back out. The cat will just be temporarily boarded, and I'll pay the boarding fees."

"Oh... That's not necessary." Upon hearing that Chu Li, an Omega with suppressant intolerance, was going through his rut alone, the shop owner's tone softened as he said, "I understand your predicament now. But you can visit the store often to see it, so it can get familiar with you beforehand."

"Alright, I will come by."

That was exactly what Chu Li had in mind.

Before Jing Baiyuan left, he mentioned that he had sorted out the school procedures for him, allowing Chu Li to enter and leave the campus daily.

Although he didn't plan on moving into Jing Baiyuan's residence, he could still utilize his privilege to visit the cat.

Besides, it was too early for a one-month-old kitten to be separated from its mother. It would be better to wait a few more months until the mother cat grew tired of the kittens before adopting one.

On the afternoon after hanging up the call, when Chu Li had no classes, he went to the pet store.

The shop owner was surprised by his swift visit and led him to the room where the mother cat and her kittens were.

When Chu Li arrived, the tabby cat mother was not around, leaving only a group of kittens wandering about on the floor. The one-and-a-half-month-old kittens had just learned to walk and couldn't run properly yet. The floor of the pet store was slightly slippery, causing the kittens to balance themselves by holding their tails high while walking. They occasionally meowed at Chu Li, "Mew," "Mew."

Despite being rather impolite, Chu Li found their cries... strikingly similar to those of frogs.

How adorable, each and every one of them.

Unable to resist, Chu Li squatted down. The kittens were startled by his action, puffing up and hissing as they retreated behind the cardboard box. After patiently crouching on the ground for a while, the sense of danger seemed to have passed, and the kittens approached him again.

"Meow!"

"Meow! Meow!"

The kittens mewed in a language Chu Li couldn't understand, circling around him. Lost in a sea of fluff, Chu Li felt giddy with joy, momentarily forgetting all about his academic pressures and Jing Baiyuan's expectations.

Was there anything more blissful than being surrounded by a bunch of kittens?

Alpha? What was that again? He had forgotten.

Chu Li couldn't help but lift the kittens one by one from the ground, cradling them in his hands and stroking their fur. The captured kittens meowed loudly, struggling to break free before hiding behind the cardboard box to watch him. After a while, they forgot their fear and approached him once more.

Both humans and cats were equally curious about each other.

Lost in thought, Chu Li gazed at the cats in the room when he suddenly noticed a small kitten sitting in a corner, looking eerily familiar.

Hmm... Before he could figure out why, the shop owner returned with the mother cat.

The Li Hua Cat mother was amiable, softly meowing at Chu Li as the owner placed her back in her nest. The litter of kittens cried out "mew, mew, mew" as they scampered towards their mother.

The kitten in the corner also tried to join them but was pushed aside by its siblings.

Only then did Chu Li realize with a start that this was the very kitten he had chosen.

The shop owner chuckled beside him. "This little one always gets pushed away while nursing. If not for me giving it extra milk, it would have been skin and bones by now."

Speaking of which, she fetched a small feeding bowl and asked Chu Li, "Would you like to try feeding it?"

Chu Li had spent about twenty minutes in the room, stroking every cat except the one he and Jing Bai had picked together. Instantly, he felt ashamed. What kind of scoundrel was he? He hastily took the bowl, hoping to redeem himself in the kitten's eyes.

"Mew, mew, come here for your meal."

The tiny kitten crouched in the corner and gave him a sideways glance – who was 'Mew Mew'?

The shop owner chuckled along. "Why don't you give it a name?"

Chu Li froze. After pondering for a while, he ventured cautiously, "How about... Xiao Mimi?"

Shop Owner: "..."

With the bowl of milk in hand, Chu Li's eyes widened, appearing more innocent than the tiny kittens on the ground.

The shop owner attempted to gently guide him. "Our big cat was born in July, so we named her July... You see, that white kitten next to its tail has been reserved, and its owner said it will be adorable when it grows up, so they named it Marshmallow. Then there's the one beside it, seems like an orange cat, we call it Coffee... And then there's..."

The shop owner rattled off a long list, including names inspired by seasons and foods, as well as some more playful ones like "Cun Nai Wan" and "233."

After listening for a while, Chu Li dryly suggested, "How about 666?"

The shop owner was speechless.

With a tone of despair, the shop owner gently suggested, "Maybe you should ask your Alpha?"

Chu Li immediately felt disdain. An Alpha? What good ideas could an Alpha have?

But when it came to Jing Baiyuan, he suddenly recalled something else and said, "Then... let's call him Little Key."

A noble gentleman; still like a deep pool, towering like a mountain.

Since Jing Baiyuan chose Yuanting, he would leave the mountain-like metaphor to his brother with a pun, naming him Little Key.

Although the shopkeeper found the name Little Key peculiar too, compared to Chu Li's previous suggestions, this one was much better. Relieved, she smiled and said, "Alright, let's call him Little Key!"

Chu Li pondered for a moment, then summoned his personal terminal and activated the camera mode, aiming it at the still-sitting Little Key in the corner.

He placed the bowl of milk on the ground and called out to the small key, "Little Key, mew, mew, come eat your meal."

As if it truly understood, the small key let out a soft "meow" and approached him, tail held high.

It lowered its head to lap at the milk in the bowl. Apparently pleased with the taste, its pink tongue darted across its nose before it bent down to drink heartily.

Chu Li recorded a short video and sent it to Jing Baiyuan, adding a message: "Look, your new sibling."

——

When Jing Baiyuan received Chu Li's message, he was already in space.

The vast expanse of dim starlight streaked past the spaceship's windows, and Jing Baiyuan smiled as he looked at his personal terminal.

He replied to Chu Li, "Why are we brothers?"

Chu Li explained, "Your name is Yuanting, and it's called 'The Key.' Naturally, we're brothers."

Jing Baiyuan, perceptive as always, detected that his Omega was trying to playfully tease him. He responded, "If that's the case, does my little key share my family name?"

Chu Li: "?"

"No, it bears the surname Chu..."

"How could my brother share your surname?"

Chu Li: "..."

A moment later, Chu Li expressionlessly turned off his personal terminal.

What's an Alpha? Let's just stick to watching cats.

---

On the screen, Jing Baiyuan was laughing, and Ya Lan, standing by his side, felt as if she were at a circus, watching a lion leap through a ring of fire.

Oh, no, it was like watching a General leap through a ring of fire.

The General was actually smiling.

She was aware that Jing Baiyuan, in his private life, was approachable and, despite his reserved nature, could easily socialize with others. However, the moment he donned his military uniform and assumed command, he became a man of few words, never discussing personal matters or his emotions, rigidly adhering to protocol as if he were an artificial intelligence (AI).

In the past, the Imperial Royal Family had attempted to slander him by exploiting this aspect of his character. They orchestrated a smear campaign online, using a group of fake accounts to spread rumors that Jing Baiyuan was not human but an AI created in a laboratory.

Human history had witnessed a major crisis when AI had once spiraled out of control, making people highly sensitive to humanoid AI.

Though the lies were riddled with inconsistencies, some still chose to believe them. During those years, the Marshal's life was far from easy... His accolades were withheld, and there were widespread calls across the empire for his removal from office.

Unfortunately, the vast empire could not find a suitable successor. While Jing Baiyuan was trapped on Blue Vein Star, the Alliance Military seized two new star systems, discovering abundant mineral deposits. Even the old mining territories that once belonged to the Empire fell prey to pirates.

In desperation, they had no choice but to release Jing Baiyuan Ting once again.

It hadn't even been that many years since the previous incident, yet they were already scheming behind his back. Sometimes, Ya Lan felt that the Blue-striped Star's nobles, who only cared about their own interests, didn't genuinely care about the Empire's future. They feared the Admiral, yet they would still try to break him, even if he was the backbone of the Empire.

Jing Baiyuan Ting's smile vanished in an instant. Knowing that Chu Li wouldn't respond anymore, he turned off his personal terminal.

He then turned to Ya Lan and asked, "Has Sai Ge replied?"

"Nope, playing dead," Ya Lan replied. "He must've been the one stirring up trouble behind the scenes for the last leak. Admiral, during your absence, I have no idea how he was putting on airs! People might've thought the entire Expeditionary Force had taken his surname!"

"Mm." Jing Baiyuan Ting wasn't particularly angry. He just said, "Speed up our journey. We must arrive at Deer Harbor Fortress before he reaches an agreement with the Alliance."

---

Back at the pet store, Chu Li spent quite some time bonding with Little Key.

By the time he was leaving, Little Key was already very attached to him. The kitten was low on energy, and after playing for a while, it fell asleep in Chu Li's arms.

After coaxing Little Key to sleep, Chu Li prepared to leave.

Before leaving, he glanced once more at his personal terminal.

The last message in the conversation with Jing Baiyuan was still the string of ellipses that Chu Li had sent, with no response from Jing Baiyuan.

Chu Li knew that his abrupt departure must have been due to a troublesome matter that needed his attention. He hadn't expected a reply when he sent the video message.

Yet, being replied to would now feel like a surprise.

Logically, he understood this, but when he realized there was no response, a small twinge of disappointment still lingered in his heart.

He patted his forehead.

What was he regretting? He should hurry home and work on his assignments.

Author's Note:

One cat departs, another immediately takes its place! (?? Strange and quirky)