Chapter 24: Little Meow Goes to School

Chapter 24: Little Meow Goes to School

The green train puffed white steam, crawling slowly through green mountains and clear waters like a long worm.

Suisui was going far from home for the first time, and everything was new and exciting to him.

Sitting on the seat, his soft white face pressed against the window, his round eyes stared unblinkingly at the scenery outside.

After a while, Suisui raised a hand to rub his eyes, his fine eyelashes fluttering, shook his head dizzily, and said, "Daddy, baby's head is sick."

"Got a fever?" Fei Yu's hand slipped under the brim of the cat-eared hat and touched Suisui's forehead.

The baby's temperature was normal, his cheeks rosy and slightly sweaty, but no fever.

He frowned, pulled the baby close, and whispered in his ear, "Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable, baby?"

"Yes," Suisui lowered his head, rubbed his belly, and said in a stuffy voice, "Belly is sick too."

Fei Yu said urgently, "Then we'll get off at the next stop and see a doctor."

He blinked in bewilderment. When his little meow got sick, should he take his little meow to a vet or a human doctor?

A nearby passenger saw Suisui's dazed look and couldn't help asking, "How old is this child?"

Fei Yu: "Suisui is almost two years old."

Because Suisui had only turned into a little meow at seven months old, he looked younger than his actual age.

When Fei Yu handled Suisui's birth certificate, he set that day as his birthday.

The passenger said kindly, "He's so young, is this his first long trip? Maybe he's not used to it yet, just carsick. It might pass soon."

It dawned on Fei Yu, he thanked the passenger, and quickly took out a candy, feeding it to the baby's mouth.

In a gentle voice, he coaxed patiently, "Baby, keep the candy in your mouth, and you'll feel better soon."

Suisui, without fussing, bit into the sour fruit gummy and chewed and chewed.

After a while, as the train passed through a dark tunnel, he giggled, waved his little hand, and happily announced, "Baby isn't sick anymore!"

Fei Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After getting off the big green worm train, they had to board a silver-white polar bear bus.

Suisui sat on his daddy's lap, quietly watching the scenery outside the window.

The bus merged into traffic, tidy green fields receded behind, gradually replaced by various modern buildings.

As they crossed the river bridge, the skyscrapers on the opposite bank rose abruptly, appearing before the little kitten's eyes in a flash.

Suisui had never seen such a scene before. His little hands pressed against the window glass, he let out an involuntary "Wow," his round eyes wide open.

The bus passed a tall building, from which little humans carrying backpacks came out one after another.

Suisui pointed at the gate and said excitedly, "Baby wants to go to school here."

Fei Yu glanced at the sign in front of the school gate and said regretfully, "This is a middle school. Baby can't attend yet."

They passed another similar building. Suisui craned his neck and saw that the little humans coming out of here were a bit shorter than the previous ones.

Suisui was barely satisfied and immediately announced, "Then baby will go to school here."

"No," Fei Yu shook his head and said, "This is an elementary school. Baby still can't attend."

He couldn't attend this one, couldn't attend that one—the baby was completely confused.

Suisui touched his face and asked in confusion, "Then what school does baby go to?"

Fei Yu said, "Baby goes to kindergarten."

Then elementary school, middle school, university, in that order...

That's a lot of school!

Fei Yu was silent for two seconds, looking at the baby who didn't yet know what school meant, who was playing with his fingers.

A little guiltily, he whispered, "When baby grows up, you'll attend all these schools."

Suisui grinned, finally satisfied: "Okaaay."

What a studious little meow!

*

A University has a lot of students, and the nearby rental market is thriving, with water, electricity, and gas all available. You could sign the lease and move in the same day.

Fei Yu had a limited budget and planned to find a suitable apartment in the old residential area within A University's campus.

The rental agent talked a mile a minute, recommending: "Look at this place, how bright and spacious! The decor, so new!"

"To be perfectly honest, at this price, if the landlord weren't in a hurry to go abroad, you'd never get a deal like this. Mr. Lin, you really shouldn't miss out..."

Fei Yu looked around. The room wasn't big—one bedroom, one living room. There wasn't much furniture, and it was covered in dust. They'd need to clean it thoroughly before moving in.

But the upside was it was quiet, the lighting was great—Catfolk all love sunlight, especially for a little kitten like Suisui.

Fei Yu bent down and squatted, first asking for Suisui's opinion: "Does baby like it?"

Having napped on the bus, Suisui wasn't sleepy yet.

He had only lived in the cat-head house in Catcat Village before and had never seen a human house. He had been bouncing around full of energy earlier.

Now tired from playing, Suisui clung to the sofa with both hands, rested his chin on it, with sparkling eyes.

Because his voice was muffled by the child's mask: "Baby loves it!"

Fei Yu was also satisfied, but there was one more thing.

He looked at the agent, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, and asked hesitantly, "Excuse me, does the landlord allow cats?"

After all, both he and Suisui were Catfolk—when they shifted into cat form, they would inevitably shed fur.

The agent looked at the single father and son in surprise: "You want to get a pet too?"

Fei Yu's eyes shifted, and he said evasively, "I heard keeping a pet is good for a child's development."

"Don't worry, the cat is very well-behaved and won't ruin the furniture. And we'll clean up often."

The baby looked up at the agent, his round eyes above the mask were full of anticipation.

In his little milky voice, he begged: "Uncle, can we? Please please?"

The agent scratched the already sparse hair on his head, hesitated for a moment, and then stammered, "Let me ask?"

Fei Yu said sincerely, "Sorry for the trouble."

The agent dialed the landlord's phone, then turned around and couldn't help glancing at the father and son again.

The adult walked over to the child, carefully brushing the dust off his hair. The kid was still propped up on the sofa, eyes wide open, looking at him longingly.

The father and son were plainly dressed, had very little luggage, and didn't have high demands for the apartment. Being a single-parent family, their financial situation was easy to imagine.

They had apparently lived in the countryside before and came to the big city specifically for the child's education.

Even so, the father still wanted to provide the best possible environment for his child.

The agent's heart softened, a rare occurrence. He said every good word he could to the landlord on the phone, practically talked until he was blue in the face.

Finally, he coughed a couple of times, handed the contract to the adult, and announced casually, "The landlord agreed. But you have to make sure to keep it clean."

"Okay~" Suisui smiled sweetly and waved his little arms excitedly.

The agent took back the contract signed by Fei Yu, then pulled something out of his bag and handed it to the child.

He couldn't help but smile. "It's candy from the company. For the kid."

Suisui held the candy in both hands and let out an exaggerated "Wow!" "Thank you, uncle!"

After the uncle left, he still clung to the doorframe, drawling in his little baby voice and shouting outside, "Uncle, take care! Uncle, be careful! Uncle, come again next time!"

No idea who he learned that from.

Fei Yu peeled the candy wrapper and fed it to the baby, amazed. "Baby, you're such a thoughtful baby."

Suisui chewed the milk candy. Hearing his dad's praise, he immediately raised his chubby little arms above his head.

Delighted, he said, "Baby wants to be a tall baby."

Fei Yu wiped a small stool clean and lifted the baby onto it. "Baby, rest here for a bit. Daddy will tidy up quickly, and then we'll have dinner."

Suisui obediently sat on the little stool, swinging his short legs while watching his dad work.

But soon he couldn't sit still. He lifted his bottom off the stool, slid nimbly off, and pattered over to his dad.

"Daddy, baby wants to help too."

"Okay, thank you, Suisui, for helping daddy." Fei Yu gave Suisui a small cloth for show.

When dad mopped the floor, Suisui clutched his little cloth and followed dad from one side to the other, like a little tail following daddy.

When dad cleaned the windows, Suisui stood on tiptoe and used his dry little cloth to diligently wipe the white wall in front of him.

While working, the baby's cheeks looked serious, trembling from effort.

Suisui worked so hard that the little white cat quickly became a little dirty kitten.

Several tufts of hair stuck up on his head, his fair face turned dirty, and there was a smudge of gray dirt on the tip of his nose.

Fei Yu's eyes crinkled. He wiped the dirt off the baby's nose with his finger and chuckled, "Baby, you're a little dirty kitten now."

The baby giggled. "I'm a little dirty kitten baby."

But his dad's next words made him stop smiling. "Baby, have some bread to fill your stomach. Daddy will heat water for your bath."

Suisui's face fell as if the sky had collapsed. He drooped his eyes, pouted, and twisted his fingers pitifully.

After a long while, he looked at his dad and said in a whiny, pitiful voice, "But baby just bathed yesterday."

All cats hate water, and Suisui hated it even more. Every bath felt like torture.

Fortunately, Catfolk in the Cat Village could keep themselves clean, so not bathing for three or five days was fine.

"But we're not in the Cat Village anymore," Fei Yu said, squatting down to be at eye level with the baby.

Suisui looked down aggrievedly, not wanting to listen.

Fei Yu gently flicked his nose with a finger and coaxed gently, "Daddy brought the nice-smelling blankets. Baby needs to get nice and clean before going to bed."

"And little duck baby and little water ball baby, daddy brought them all."

Fei Yu patiently coaxed, "They've been in the car for a long time and are dirty. They also want a nice bath. Baby, can you help daddy give them a bath?"

Suisui looked down and picked at his fingers. After a long time, he reluctantly nodded. "Okay."

Fei Yu heated a big bucket of water, then added cold water. When he was sure the temperature was right, he put the baby into the bath.

Suisui was good. Even though he didn't like it, he obediently lifted his arms and feet to help daddy with the foam and rinsing.

He hung his head the whole time, not fussing or complaining, just holding the little ducks and pouring water over them.

Fei Yu finished rinsing Suisui as quickly as possible, then picked up a clean towel and wrapped Suisui up like a little silkworm.

After the bath, Suisui's face was rosy and his eyes were bright. He wriggled happily inside the towel, cheered himself up again, and started giggling.

Fei Yu applied baby face cream for Suisui. Suisui smelled like milk, and his face was like a round mochi.

Fei Yu smiled and poked a soft little dimple in Suisui's cheek. "Baby is a little kitten burrito."

Suisui twisted around like a little caterpillar and giggled. "Then daddy should eat the baby burrito."

Fei Yu: "Why does daddy need to eat the baby?"

Suisui explained seriously, "If daddy eats the baby, then the baby won't have to take a bath."

Fei Yu said casually, "Then baby should eat daddy first. Daddy doesn't want to take a bath either."

The baby's eyes went wide, his mouth falling open in shock, as if to say, Daddy, how can you be like that!

Fei Yu's eyes crinkled with a triumphant smile. He slipped into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

When he came out in clean clothes, he saw the baby had turned into a fluffy little cat, lying on the bedding and wiggling his bottom left and right.

Although he was already two and a half years old, Suisui was still a kitten. He grew very slowly and looked only about two months old, right at the peak of kitten cuteness.

The little milk kitten was pure white without a single stray hair. The tips of his ears had two adorable tufts of ear tufts, and the fur around his neck was fluffy and thick, feeling like soft cotton candy.

His eyes were round and bright, a pure sky-blue, not yet changed to gold like his father's. When he looked at people, he seemed innocent and guileless.

The kitten hugged a little fish plushie, rubbing his soft head affectionately against the fish's head. His front paws circled the fish's body while his back feet kicked wildly, having a great time.

Seeing his dad, Suisui immediately let go of the fish, wagged his little tail, and ran towards dad, his pointed ears twitching left and right.

He nudged his dad's hand with his head, lifted his tail tip, and meowed in a babyish voice, inviting, "Dad, let's play."

Suisui was staying outside Catcat Village for the first time, and he had taken two naps on the way, so now he was extremely excited and not sleepy at all.

Fei Yu simply turned into Big Cat as well, playing with the little kitten in the room, letting Suisui have all the fun he wanted.

The father and son parkoured back and forth between the living room and bedroom, playing hide-and-seek.

When Fei Yu arched his back, stretched his body, and taught the baby to stand and scratch the scratching board, Suisui's abundant energy was finally mostly spent.

The little kitten couldn't hold on, staggered, and suddenly collapsed onto the bed.

His tongue was sticking out as he panted, and his soft little paw pads kicked aimlessly, playing with the air.

Fei Yu jumped onto the bed, curled around the kitten in front of him, covered the kitten's belly with his fluffy long tail, and gently groomed the baby.

Dad's tongue had tiny barbs, like a little comb running through the soft fur on the top of his head, and it was extremely comfortable.

Suisui purred deep in his throat and mumbled, "Dad, baby wants to dream about the Cat God."

Fei Yu: "What does baby want to say to the Cat God?"

He said slowly, "Baby wants the Cat God to bless... that Catfolk don't have to bathe."

Fei Yu smiled softly: "Okay, then Dad thanks Suisui on behalf of all the Catfolk."

Suisui: "Zzz."

Travel-weary, the little kitten in his arms was finally tired; his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

Fei Yu changed back to human form, placed the baby, curled into a kitten ball, onto the pillow, and tucked him in.

Then he opened his phone and sent a message to Pang Qiu, who was far abroad.

When he returned to the main page, he accidentally tapped something and a video suddenly popped up.

Fei Yu was startled and quickly muted the sound.

He subconsciously glanced at the pillow; Suisui, the kitten, with his chin resting on his chest and front paws hugging his hind legs, was sleeping deeply, letting out soft, gentle little purrs.

Fei Yu looked back at his phone; the video continued playing, and a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses faced the camera.

His expression was very serious, and the background read "Famous Education Expert from XX City, XX"

The educator was emphatic, and the first line of subtitles was extremely eye-catching: "Third grade is the most critical year in a child's academic career."

"If you want your child not to lose at the starting line, parents must do the following. Like and save first, then watch, so that every child can succeed!"

Fei Yu blinked, liked and saved it in a daze.

The expert then began introducing various educational tips, and Fei Yu looked enlightened, letting out an "Oh" of realization, nodding repeatedly in agreement.

At the end of the video, the expert showed his first smile and enthusiastically introduced his success package.

Originally priced at 9999, today's special price only cost 998 to take home; Fei Yu quickly stopped himself and backed out.

Fei Yu patted his chest to soothe himself; luckily Suisui hadn't even started kindergarten yet, the critical school years were still a long way off, so he didn't need these for now.

He lifted his finger, and the phone screen automatically scrolled down.

But strangely, the next recommended videos were all about education.

"Second grade is the most critical year in a student's academic career."

"First grade is the most critical..."

"Kindergarten is critical..."

A dozen or so experts in suits each held their own opinions, chattering endlessly in their own little squares, as if arguing across the screen.

Fei Yu was dumbfounded, hurriedly turned off his phone, and tossed it onto the nightstand.

The chaotic images disappeared from sight; Fei Yu looked at the little kitten beside him with worry, sleeping soundly, lying with all four paws up, snoring softly.

He couldn't help poking Suisui's pink paw pads.

Baby, what are we going to do, it seems you have many critical years in your academic career.

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Author's note: (*^▽^*) This emoji is so cute, let's all use it!