Lin Lan and her companion were first drawn by the meowing of a cat coming from the mouth of a dead-end alley. That kind of narrow gap between buildings was so tight that even an adult would have to squeeze through sideways. It was a place almost no one would go, offering a secluded space for a cat to rest in peace.
The mother cat must have been dead for several days. Just by looking, one could tell the corpse was stiff and cold. As the weather gradually warmed, its body was beginning to smell, already attracting flies that buzzed and circled around it.
The kitten kept crying out insistently. Its tender mews drew curious glances from many passersby.
Some took one look and walked away. Others paused involuntarily for a moment, but the impulse in their hearts faded upon seeing the excessively narrow passage.
In the end, only a handful of people, including Lin Lan and her friend, stood at the alley entrance, staring inside.
And Lin Lan was different from the others. She understood every one of those cries from the kitten.
("Mom, eat! Hurry up and eat!")
("Mom, I caught a mouse! It's fresh, not smelly like that bad fish head!")
("Mom, I split it in half! I know you're hurt and can't chew well, so I split it. Then you can eat it!")
("Mom, get up and eat! Eat and your wound will heal, and you won't be tired anymore!")
One cry after another, heartbreakingly naive. The kitten kept pushing the piece of mouse meat right up to the mother cat's mouth, constantly nudging the corpse with its head, urging her to eat.
Just as it was becoming almost unbearable to watch, Lin Lan's arm was grabbed tightly.
"Lan Lan, let's take it back with us?" Wang Jiayi spoke while covering her mouth, her gaze fixed on the far end of the alley. "I'll take care of it."
Hearing the young miss suddenly say such a thing, Lin Lan turned to her in surprise. "Jiayi, are you sure?" Lin Lan had originally planned to adopt it herself.
"Yes, I'm sure." Shoving all her shopping bags into Lin Lan's hands, Wang Jiayi turned sideways and squeezed directly into the narrow gap. Her spring weight-loss regimen had been highly successful for the young miss's figure management. Her slender body moved swiftly and effortlessly inward, so fast that Lin Lan's reaching hand to pull her back was a step too slow.
"Jiayi, come back!" Lin Lan cried out anxiously, her grasp meeting empty air. She felt this girl was being too reckless and hasty. "Going in like this without any preparation, you're very likely to get scratched!"
No gloves, no cat carrier. Wang Jiayi's impulsive dive into the alley left Lin Lan at a loss for words. The few other strangers who had also been concerned about the kitten began murmuring among themselves.
"Is she going to be okay like that?"
"The kitten is pitiful, but it looks pretty fierce. Will that young lady be alright?"
"I was almost about to call an animal rescue organization. Why be so impatient? Wouldn't it be better to let professionals handle it?"
These comments from the onlookers weren't whispered and carried into the alley. Wang Jiayi, who heard them too, didn't turn her head. "Don't worry, I'm already vaccinated."
It's... it's just a few bites or scratches. She wasn't afraid.
As Wang Jiayi spoke, she had already reached the end of the alley. The kitten, also pressed into the corner, was hissing fiercely at her with all its might.
For a cat, the massive size of an adult human was terrifyingly oppressive. Especially for a stray kitten that had likely seen the darker sides of these giant creatures many times. Faced with this step-by-step approach, the kitten had nowhere left to retreat.
Up close, Wang Jiayi finally got a clear look at the kitten. It was a white cat with black markings. Apart from a black circle on its back and a completely black tail, its fur was white. However, that white coat had long become gray and dirty from life on the streets.
"Don't be afraid, little cat. I won't hurt you." Wang Jiayi tried her best to soften her voice. Having worked at a cat café for two months, she knew that both cats and dogs discern human emotions through tone. The young miss felt a twinge of regret. If it were Lan Lan, who was practically fluent in cat language, she'd probably have won this cat over easily. Not like now...
"Hiss—!" The kitten only answered with another fierce hiss. Completely unmoved by her efforts to show kindness, perhaps even unable to perceive it.
In this alley so narrow only a slim person could sidle through, Wang Jiayi carefully bent down sideways. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the mother cat's remains and couldn't help but freeze again.
Around the cat's body weren't just pieces of mouse meat. There were also leftover bread crusts, a fish tail crawling with maggots, a piece of rotten meat bone... all clearly scavenged from garbage piles. Now, they were all placed around the mother cat. What it meant was unmistakable.
In the days since the mother cat lost its life, the kitten had been tirelessly searching for food to bring to her side, believing this would make her stand up again.
Wang Jiayi's already moist eyes welled up anew. She couldn't help but think of herself. Compared to this kitten who had exhausted itself for its mother, her own attitude towards her parents at home over the years made her feel utterly ashamed.
Perhaps because she stared at the mother cat's body for too long, alerting the wary kitten again. The terrified kitten, previously plastered against the wall, suddenly jumped in front of its mother. It arched its back into a bridge, fur puffed out entirely, and hissed threateningly at her. Its protective stance was plain to see.
"Jiayi!" Lan Lan called from the alley entrance. "Come out first, Jiayi! It's the same if we find some tools and come back to take the cat!"
"No, I can't, Lan Lan!" Wang Jiayi refused immediately. She stared at the kitten, seeing extreme fear in its jade-green eyes. Under her gaze, it even began trying to drag the mother cat's body backward. "If I leave now, it will definitely run away."
Even though the kitten would likely return later because of its mother's body, when that would be was hard to say.
Now learning to consider others, Wang Jiayi absolutely didn't want to waste Lin Lan's time because of this. Her good friend had already sacrificed half a day for her. She couldn't bear to drag her along, wasting an entire day just because she herself wanted to adopt a cat.
It was just a little kitten. However painful its bites or scratches might be, it was only...
"Ah!"
When she tentatively and slowly reached out her hand to grab the cat, the young miss was, unsurprisingly, scratched. Three thin, long bloody streaks appeared on the back of her hand, soon beading with blood.
Thoroughly frightened by her reaching hand, the kitten, after scratching her, seized the chance to dart swiftly between her legs. Like a tiny cannonball, it fled desperately towards the alley mouth.
"Ah! It's going to escape!" some of the people guarding the alley entrance exclaimed.
Just as the kitten was about to burst out of the alley, a shopping bag appeared out of nowhere, dropping right over its head. The kitten was moving too fast to brake, and with a soft thump, it plunged directly into the bag.
"Meow—! Meow—!" ("Let me out! Let me out!")
As Lin Lan tightened the bag's opening firmly, the kitten's cries, muffled by the bag, came through. Shopkeeper Lin didn't say a word, only pulling the bag's mouth even tighter.
"Thank you, Lanlan. You're still the best!" From the other side, Wang Jiayi also squeezed her way out of the narrow passage. Lin Lan was just about to ask about the injury on her hand when, the next second, she was startled by the mother cat's corpse held in the young lady's hands.
It wasn't just Lin Lan; the other bystanders who had been watching the situation unfold also let out cries of alarm, instinctively taking a few steps back.
"It's fine. I'm holding it with a handkerchief wrapped around it, not directly," the young lady showed Lin Lan how she was supporting the cat's body through the cloth, her composure remarkably steady.
Lin Lan: "..." You used to scream at the sight of a mouse, and now you're brave enough to handle a cat's corpse? Young lady, this behavior is quite a breakthrough, isn't it?
Silently rolling her eyes, Lin Lan deftly produced another shopping bag. Fortunately, she had bought a lot of things today; the high-quality shopping bag could easily accommodate both large and small cats. Otherwise, she would have been at a loss.
Wang Jiayi, however, seemed to keenly sense what Lin Lan was thinking and offered a somewhat bitter smile. "Actually, I'm quite scared and disgusted too. But since I've decided to raise its kittens, I should be the one to handle its burial myself." Truth be told, under normal circumstances, nothing could make her do this. But right now... she just didn't want to feel inferior to a cat.
"It seems you're really determined," Lin Lan could only say that. "Let's go. We need to find a restroom. You must wash your hands thoroughly and disinfect them to be safe."
The young lady had no further objections and obediently followed Lin Lan.
The afternoon sun in late spring could no longer be described as warm; basking in it for too long brought a feeling of heat. The window-side seats, so popular in the tea house during winter, were gradually becoming places to avoid. The tea guests all proactively chose spots sheltered from the sun to drink tea and pet cats.
Wang Jiayi sat behind the water-bar counter, a waterproof bandage already on the back of her hand, her eyes fixed on the small compartment opposite. An hour earlier, the rescued kitten had been taken to a veterinary clinic for a full bath and deworming. Now it was confined in a boarding cage.
"This kitten has some stomach issues and malnutrition, but otherwise, there's nothing seriously wrong. It's not a big problem. With some careful effort and good feeding, it can recover well," Dr. Liu had said at the time. "Speaking of its coat pattern, according to traditional naming, it should be a 'Xiuqiu cat.' The black patch on its back is quite round, matching nicely with its black tail."
Recollection over, she sighed softly. "A Xiuqiu cat..."
During this time, the little Xiuqiu cat had been anything but well-behaved. It was uncooperative during both the bath and the medication application. Luckily, it was only three months old. If it were an adult cat, Lanlan the cat tamer would probably have had to step in personally.
Now, Shopkeeper Lin had confined it in the compartment for some re-education.
Actually, at that moment, it wasn't just Wang Jiayi who was paying attention to the partitioned booth; the other idle cats in the teahouse were also curious about the newly brought-in kitten.
Lying on the cat tree, the Dachshund cat swished its tail: (A new companion? Looks small but quite feisty.)
The Maine Coon next to it calmly washed its face: (A kitten just weaned. However fierce it is, that's about it.)
The Abyssinian cat seemed somewhat worried: (Did you guys smell earlier? Besides bringing back a kitten, Lanlan also had something smelly.)
The delicate chinchilla instantly covered its nose with a tiny paw: (Don't even mention it! I got close to the servant earlier and smelled her too. Her scent was even stronger than Lanlan's!)
The British Shorthair Silver Shaded and Siamese cats immediately joined in agreement: (Yes, yes, we smelled it! So smelly!)
While these various pedigreed cats were making a fuss over the scent intel, several seasoned stray cats led by Mo Mo remained utterly unfazed.
(Inexperienced.) The black mother cat, having spent years as a stray, yawned. (It's just the scent of a dead mother cat. Is the smell of a dead member of the same species really that hard to recognize?)
The pet cats, which had been raised by humans since kittenhood and had only been forced to live as strays for a short time, were instantly frightened and scattered, fleeing from its vicinity.
Mo Mo was still the boss. They really couldn't compete.
The cowardly behavior of the pet cats was nothing new to the black cat. It didn't even bother to extend a paw to swat and assert its dominance. Mo Mo had always had great confidence in its owner, Lanlan. No matter how wild or unruly the little kitten was, Lanlan had plenty of ways to handle it.
Just like that leopard cat that was becoming more and more well-behaved.
The clever black cat's guess was spot on. Even the leopard cat, which had been so fearful and hostile toward humans, was gradually softening its attitude. Let alone a stubbornly naive nursing kitten that didn't even know its mother had died. Deceiving... ahem, comforting it would be even easier.
Faced with the humans' endless tactics, the Xiuqiu cat, which had at first been irritable and resisted being taken away and bathed, had now calmed down and was obediently eating the cat food personally handed to it by Shopkeeper Lin.
From birth until now, the little kitten had always been a stray, eating irregularly and often going hungry. Where had it ever tasted fresh meat other than mice? The first bite was a revelation, and afterwards no one needed to coax it; its whole head was buried in the food.
But this frenzy only lasted a short while. The kitten in the cage, having eaten only a small portion, suddenly lifted its head and cried out to Lin Lan.
"Meow—!" (I want to save this for Mama! If Mama eats this, she'll definitely get better!)
