Chapter 26: Goodbye

Chapter 26: Goodbye

“Baby, do you remember what you promised Daddy? Before you see Daddy, you can’t turn into Little Meow. Can you do that, baby?”

Deep in a hidden patch of grass at A University, a pure white long-haired Lion Cat stretched out his limbs, lying flat on the lawn. He turned his head to whisper to the one beside him.

Beside the Lion Cat was a miniature kitten.

The little kitten had fluffy, soft fur, a round head, and a short, cute tail. From a distance, he looked just like a sticky rice ball.

"I can do it!" Upon hearing Daddy’s question, Sui Sui immediately meowed in reply.

His sky-blue eyes sparkled as he lifted his little head, the collar with a name tag around his neck swaying.

Fei Yu whispered, "Alright, baby, come with Daddy."

He used his paws to push aside the bushes on both sides, making it easier for the little kitten to slip through.

In a central clearing surrounded by low shrubs, a large, chubby orange cat was pacing back and forth.

His tail whipped around anxiously behind him, as if waiting for something.

Beside him, a Cow Cat was quite relaxed, half-lying on the lawn, his tail swishing lazily from time to time, though his gaze occasionally darted toward the bushes.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from one side of the bushes, and both cats immediately turned to look.

Seeing the large and small Lion Cats approaching, the orange cat and the Cow Cat quickly came over: "Boss! Sui Sui!"

"Drumstick Brother! DunDun Brother!" Sui Sui waddled over in tiny cat steps, happily running toward the two cats and nuzzling up against them.

Fei Yu flicked his tail: "Drumstick, DunDun, I’ll need you two to work hard today."

The orange cat puffed out his furry chest, tail held high, brimming with confidence.

"Boss, leave it to us. We’ll take good care of Sui Sui."

Three years had passed, and the orange cat and Cow Cat had become the leaders of the cat colony at A University.

They spent their days leading the cats in discussions about cuteness techniques and strategies for mooching off more two-legged humans.

Before work started, Fei Yu had spent the past few days transforming into a Big Cat, taking Sui Sui into the cat colony to explore the entire campus.

Sui Sui had grown familiar with the human world and wasn’t shy. In just a few days, he had become close with the two big cats.

All day long, it was "Drumstick Brother this" and "DunDun Brother that," and he no longer clung to Daddy.

A University was safe, with most teachers and students friendly to animals. Many residents in the old neighborhoods were happy to let their cats roam freely on campus.

Seeing the three cats getting along so well, Fei Yu felt reassured. He entrusted Sui Sui to the orange cat and Cow Cat.

After giving a few final instructions, he turned and headed toward the coffee shop.

The orange cat dug out his hidden stash of yarn toys and generously offered them to Sui Sui.

Sui Sui sat on the grass, batting the yarn ball around with his front paws. His claws slipped, and the ball rolled away with a clatter, sending him scampering after it.

Ding-dong, ding-dong. The school bell rang through the loudspeakers.

From the white building in front of the lawn, a flood of humans poured out, groups of three or five, chatting noisily.

The orange cat’s eyes lit up. He suddenly lowered his body and lunged toward the densest crowd.

Sui Sui dropped the yarn ball, scratched his ear in confusion, and asked curiously, "What is Drumstick Brother doing?"

The Cow Cat held the yarn ball and kicked it with his hind legs without looking up, nonchalantly: "He’s gone to mooch off humans."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the orange cat trotted back with light, quick steps.

He was carrying half a sausage in his mouth and placed it in front of Sui Sui like a trophy.

Drumstick boasted, "Sui Sui, eat up! I hunted this sausage today, and it’s delicious."

Sui Sui gasped, "Wow!" His eyes wide. He’d never seen a cat go hunting before!

He wagged his little tail, looked up at the orange cat with adoration, and said, "Drumstick Brother is so amazing!"

Drumstick’s tail was wagging like crazy as he bragged, "Of course! Humans love me. The moment I show up, they fight over who gets to pet me."

Sui Sui muttered in confusion, "Fight over?"

Why would they break their heads?

The Cow Cat wasn’t pleased. He quickly dropped the yarn ball, ran over, and argued loudly, "Humans like me way more! Who likes a fat lump like you?!"

The orange cat didn’t back down: "Crazy cat! How about we have a contest? Let’s go to the lake and see who catches more prey for Sui Sui!"

Drumstick raised his voice in a meow: "Fine! Let’s do it! Who’s afraid?!"

The two big cats argued the whole way, leading the bewildered little kitten toward the scenic lake.

The sun was bright. By Mirror Heart Lake on campus, willows shaded the banks. The lake was calm and still, reflecting the pure, cloudless sky.

The three kittens hid in the thick grass, peeking out cautiously.

Spotting something, the Cow Cat’s eyes lit up. He turned to Sui Sui and instructed, "Sui Sui, watch this!"

"Okay!" Sui Sui nodded seriously, staring intently at the Cow Cat.

The Cow Cat shot out like a little cannonball.

Under a willow tree, a young couple was cuddling intimately, sharing meat skewers and whispering sweet nothings.

Suddenly, a black-and-white blur sprang out of nowhere, twisting around their ankles and letting out loud, rough meows.

The guy let out a series of screams, completely ignoring the girl beside him, and ran off without looking back.

The girl stared in disbelief at her fleeing boyfriend, hands on her hips in fury: "And this is what you meant by ‘I’ll always protect you’?"

Looking down at the innocent Cow Cat, she said gratefully, "Thank you, little cat, for helping me see what a jerk he is. Help yourself to the skewers."

The Cow Cat trotted back with the skewer in his mouth, triumphantly: "See? I’m way better."

Sui Sui looked at him with worshipful eyes and cheered, "DunDun Brother is amazing!"

"What’s that! We can’t even eat it," Drumstick shouted in protest. "Sui Sui, wait here! I’m going to find something even bigger!"

With that, the orange cat turned and ran off toward the east side of the lake without looking back.

The Cow Cat let out a snort, then turned and ran in the opposite direction. "Just you wait! In the end, I’ll definitely have the most prey!"

As Suisui was grooming his fur, when he looked up, the orange cat and the Cow Cat were both gone.

Suisui blinked in confusion: Huh?

Drumstick Brother and Dundun Brother had gone hunting.

Then baby wants to hunt too and bring something back for Daddy to eat.

The little kitten puffed up his cheeks, pushed his round head through the grass with effort, and ran out all wobbly.

Suisui held his tail up high and trotted along the path, looking around for a hunting target.

Suddenly, a huge crowd of people came pouring from the intersection.

So many people! Suisui let out a "wow" and was immediately drawn to them.

If each person gives baby one treat, then baby will have lots and lots.

Eyes sparkling, Suisui padded over to them.

"President Song, as such a young and talented person, your willingness to take time to attend your alma mater's forum is an honor for the school..."

On the west side of Mirror Heart Lake, the school leaders were beaming, surrounding the man at the center like stars around the moon, enthusiastically describing the campus scenery.

The man at the center was tall and upright, standing out from the crowd, his calm gaze fixed on the lake.

He remained silent, with a stern expression; his dark eyes were like calm, still water, his cold demeanor starkly contrasting with the spring scenery around.

"President Song, please take a look. Last year the school invested heavily to improve the water quality of Mirror Heart Lake, and the results are now evident!"

"Your generous donations have greatly benefited our school..."

"Meow——"

Just as the school leader was speaking enthusiastically, a sudden babyish meow interrupted him.

Out of nowhere, a little white cat ran over, dove into the crowd, and stumbled and wobbled between people's legs.

"Where did this stray cat come from? Shoo, shoo!" Director Zhang's face changed abruptly, and he was about to lift his leg to shoo it away, but someone stopped him.

Secretary Zhou Xun blocked him, with a phony smile: "Director Zhang."

Director Zhang's heart skipped a beat, and he saw President Song, who'd been silent all the way, suddenly raise his eyelids and glance over.

The man's dark eyes were deep and somber, showing a hint of displeasure.

Zhou Xun's smile didn't reach his eyes, and he said, "If the school's humanities foundation can't keep up, no matter how good the hardware is, it's just an empty shell. What do you think, Director Zhang?"

"Secretary Zhou, you're right." Director Zhang's face turned sour, and he forced a smile to agree.

The little kitten moving among the tall crowd was very small, like a moving little cotton ball.

Nobody dared move, afraid of accidentally disturbing this fragile cotton ball.

Suisui stumbled along, and when he looked up, all he saw were dark long legs, almost blocking out the blue sky.

The little kitten's head was spinning, and he completely confused himself.

Too many people, who should he ask for food first?

No matter what, baby wants it now!

Suisui puffed up his cheeks, picked the nearest person, nuzzled his soft head against his ankle, and rubbed vigorously.

Feeling a soft warmth at his feet, Song Ji was slightly stunned and looked down.

The white cat in front of him was still a kitten, very small, only the size of his palm, with a round face, pure white fur, and especially fluffy neck fur.

Song Ji's heart trembled slightly, and a strange feeling suddenly came over him.

As if a long, long time ago, there was also a little kitten of this size, like a little ball of fluff, nuzzling and rubbing at his feet.

But how could that be? In his memory, only Pearl would get so close to him.

And Pearl...

Song Ji's eyelids drooped, and he instantly tasted bitterness on his tongue.

Seeing this bold kitten, the crowd gasped — this kitten had to go for the most stern and unsmiling President Song!

Just as everyone was holding their breath for the kitten, they saw the tall, imposing man suddenly bend down and kneel on one knee.

The man looked at the little kitten that had come up to him, and his usually cold eyes showed a rare gentle expression.

Seeing him come closer, Suisui got even more excited and immediately lay on his back on the grass, wriggling.

He stretched out his little paws, belly up, revealing his soft belly as he meowed in a babyish voice.

Hey, human! Baby is here to hunt! Please give baby some yummy food!

At the sight of the little kitten's bright blue eyes, Song Ji's gaze darkened slightly, and he asked softly, "Are you lost?"

Suisui shook his head and meowed twice: "Meow meow!"

Baby not hungry, baby finding food for Daddy!

The nameplate on his collar swayed into Song Ji's view as he shook his head.

The small golden nameplate was engraved with a few lines: "Little cat Suisui is on a stroll, he'll find his own way home. If worried, owner's phone number: 149xxxx"

A faint, barely visible curve appeared at the corner of Song Ji's mouth.

Meeting the little kitten's expectant blue eyes, he paused.

Hungry?

Song Ji parted his lips and calmly asked the group: "Is there any food suitable for a kitten?"

The crowd, standing frozen like statues, finally started moving again, frantically searching their bags.

One of them pulled something out and asked hesitantly: "I cooked chicken breast for lunch — I'm on a diet — and it's unseasoned. Can the kitten eat it?"

"Yes, thank you."

Song Ji took the sealed bag from her, tore it open, and skillfully shredded the large chicken breast into strips, offering them to the kitten.

Suisui opened his mouth and took a bite, chewing tentatively.

Baby's not eating; just tasting for Daddy.

When the tender flavor of chicken burst in his mouth, Suisui opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Delicious, delicious!

The kitten twitched his nose in satisfaction, rolled happily on the grass, then quickly sat up and looked at the man with eager eyes, silently urging him.

Baby eats very little, could you give a little more?

Song Ji curled his lips. This look was quite similar to Zhen Zhu.

Song Ji fed him a few more times, and the kitten suddenly turned his head and closed his mouth tightly, refusing to eat.

Song Ji understood and stopped feeding. He asked, "Do you remember the way back?"

Suisui meowed loudly, "Meow, meow." Of course I remember.

Song Ji asked no more, and fed the remaining small piece of chicken breast to his mouth. Suisui opened his mouth and took it with an "aww", then trotted away.

After running quite far, he still remembered to look back with the meat in his mouth, casting a serious gaze at the half-kneeling man, memorizing his appearance.

Human, thank you for giving baby the prey. Baby will repay you!

As the kitten walked away, Song Ji patted his suit trousers and stood up calmly.

The man's face returned to its previous aloof expression. He nodded slightly and said, "Let's continue."

The leader who had contributed the chicken breast tidied his clothes and stepped forward enthusiastically, saying, "I heard that when President Song was in school, he was a key member of our school's Cat Association."

"Now under the school's management, the Cat Association has entered a phase of procedural management. Talented students emerge in succession, and the stray cats on campus are well taken care of..."

*

Fei Yu was worried about Suisui, so as soon as he got off work, he hurried to the small garden.

In the middle of the clearing, two big cats were huddled together, arguing endlessly, each believing their own prey was more impressive.

Suisui was lying on his side, resting on his front paws, staring eagerly at the small piece of chicken on the leaves.

The kitten smacked his mouth a few times, then shook his head with a very serious expression.

No, no, baby can't eat this. It's for Daddy.

After waiting for a long, long time, Suisui finally saw Daddy and jumped up from the ground in surprise.

The kitten, who had been holding back all day, finally couldn't help it. With a "pop", he turned into Little Meow and eagerly threw himself into Daddy's arms.

Clutching Daddy's neck affectionately, he said, "Daddy, baby missed you."

"Daddy missed baby too," Fei Yu said with a smile, quickly picking up the baby. "Baby, were you happy today?"

Suisui: "Happy! Daddy, look at this!"

Suisui mysteriously lowered his head and took out the chicken piece from his chest, eagerly holding it out to Daddy.

Looking at Daddy expectantly, he said, "Suisui's prey today. Baby won't eat it; Daddy eat it!"

Fei Yu was pleasantly surprised and happily ate the chicken, not forgetting to thank the baby: "Baby is so amazing, already knows how to hunt."

Suisui giggled contentedly.

Fei Yu: "Daddy also went hunting today and got money. Is baby hungry? Does baby want to eat takoyaki? Does baby want to eat fish?"

Suisui licked his lips and immediately raised his little fist to declare, "Baby will eat!"

The father and son said goodbye to the orange cat and the cow cat, and happily walked towards the food street outside the school.

*

The tedious socializing ended. Song Ji sat tiredly in the back seat of the car, pressing his fingers to his forehead and closing his eyes halfway.

The driver didn't come today. Zhou Xun sat in the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, and asked softly, "President Song, go back to Yunzhu?"

After a long while, a muffled "Mm" came from the back seat.

Zhou Xun guessed that President Song was in a bad mood and cautiously brought up another matter, "By the way, President Song, the coffee shop manager sent a message."

"Due to the expansion of the coffee shop business, she hired a new delivery driver. According to her, the new employee is meticulous and has relevant work experience."

There was no sound from the back seat, which meant consent. Zhou Xun then stopped talking and focused on driving.

The Maybach drove discreetly along the tree-lined road. Song Ji opened his eyes, and his thoughts surged in his mind along with the scenery flashing outside the window.

He silently rubbed his fingers, thinking about the little kitten from earlier in the day.

His mind soon conjured up another pure white Lion Cat. The difference was that its eyes were pure gold, as bright and dazzling as the sun.

It was Zhen Zhu... and also Fei Yu.

Why did Fei Yu know Zhen Zhu's whereabouts so well? Why did Fei Yu say he could understand cat language?

Why did Fei Yu leave without a word after that chaotic night...

Because Fei Yu was the Lion Cat that suddenly appeared on campus and that he planned to adopt.

Over these years, Song Ji had spent a lot of effort to verify his conjecture.

He searched for a long time and finally found fragments in ancient books.

It is said that some special cats can, by chance, transform into human form, make friends with humans, talk heart-to-heart, and freely discuss romance.

But they must never reveal their ears or tail in front of humans.

Otherwise, at best, they lose their cultivation and return to the mountains to cultivate again; at worst, they are driven away by frightened humans and lose their lives.

Every time he thought of this, Song Ji blamed himself greatly.

Back then, Fei Yu saw that he was suffering from the drug's effects and offered to help. But he caused the other to accidentally reveal his true form, losing all cultivation.

Forced to hide his tracks and return to the mountains.

He had imagined countless times in a self-torturing way.

Fei Yu was just a little cat; perhaps he didn't even understand what "help" meant.

But after realizing his own feelings, he, relying on the drug and on Fei Yu's willingness to help, was overjoyed and did whatever he wanted to Fei Yu...

If he had flatly refused back then, would Fei Yu not have left?

Even as a friend, he could at least stay by Fei Yu's side.

His heart twinged with pain. Song Ji's throat felt dry, and he couldn't bear to think further.

His gaze pained, he casually swept over the street scene outside the window.

But that glance made his pupils contract, and he stood frozen in place.

"Stop the car!"

Zhou Xun was startled. He had never heard President Song use such an intense tone, and he hurriedly pulled the car over to the side of the road.

Before he could react, he heard a bang, and his normally composed boss had already gotten out of the car.

Outside the car, Song Ji's tall figure stood there in a daze.

At the street corner, the slender figure he had yearned for day and night was standing with his side to him in front of a fish ball stall.

Three years had passed. The boy had grown into a young man, his figure tall and slender, standing by the roadside like a gentle breeze and bright moon.

His delicate features were still beautiful, his almond eyes round and bright, staring eagerly at the fish balls in front of him, his pink, soft lips slightly pursed with anticipation.

Fei Yu!

His heart stopped, then began pounding wildly. Song Ji's mind went blank, wondering if this was yet another vivid dream.

He wanted to step forward, but he was afraid that once he approached, Fei Yu would vanish completely in an instant, just like in his dreams.

He felt a sharp pain in his palm—his nails had dug into his flesh. It's not a dream!

Song Ji held his breath and was about to step forward.

But the next moment, his elated mood plummeted to the bottom.

He saw that Fei Yu was also holding a child's hand. The child was tugging Fei Yu's arm, revealing the close relationship between the two.

The child tugged twice, but Fei Yu still didn't react, so the child just looked up and called out in a clear voice—

"Daddy."

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Author's note: Later, Song Ji said: It turns out ancient texts can be wrong too.

Coming, coming!