Chapter Thirty-Six: The Gentle Cat

Shengyao barely managed to suppress his excitement.

Lu Meimei and Maomao’s experiences were almost a mirror image of his own with Bai Xiao. He hadn’t expected to meet such a kindred spirit—what a delightful surprise.

According to Dr. Wang, Maomao had been receiving treatment for seven years already; factoring in its age before that, it was quite healthy and long-lived for a pet cat.

Shengyao was overjoyed, but he couldn’t just leave right away. He waited while the orange cat was bathed and examined, and as he did, his heart slowly calmed.

Maomao’s good health didn’t necessarily mean there were no side effects from the doctor’s treatments.

What about the tenants and the landlord’s granddaughter, the ones the neighbors said had died unexpectedly?

Had the things that happened to Liu Yu also occurred with Maomao?

His elation turned to anxiety.

He waited until Dr. Wang finished a full check-up on the orange cat and administered its vaccines before hurriedly carrying the cat carrier and leaving.

The taxi headed straight for the Little Darling Pet Shop.

The long journey only made Shengyao more impatient.

He had no mind for small talk with Boss Le; this wasn’t the first stray cat he’d brought here, and there was another stray he’d caught a few days ago already resting in a cage nearby.

“Caught another one?” Boss Le took the carrier and the examination report from Shengyao, exclaiming, “Pegasus? That place is super expensive. It’s the priciest one around here. You must have your eye on one of the vets, right?”

Shengyao forced a smile. “No. I’m leaving this cat with you, Boss Le.”

“Oh, not that vet? Still haven’t found the right one?” Boss Le seemed to be imagining all sorts of scenarios, looking at Shengyao with a curious expression.

“It’s really not what you think. I have things to do—let’s chat next time.” Shengyao turned around and saw old Zhang.

Old Zhang came in with that stray dog called Darling. He still remembered Shengyao and greeted him, “Hey, Xiao Sheng! How’s your uncle doing?”

“He’s quite well.” Shengyao nodded, brushing past old Zhang.

He glanced down at Darling, the stray dog.

This dog had also received treatment from the doctor...

Darling wagged its tail, bounced around Boss Le a few times, then turned to pester the stray cats in the pet cages, barking and whining curiously at the quiet adult cats inside. Its lively tail never stopped wagging.

It felt... different... The thought flashed through Shengyao’s mind and then he looked away.

...

The only light in the dark TV room came from the doctor’s phone screen.

Onscreen were Lu Meimei and Zhou Hai. Only with a careful look could one spot Maomao, unmoving, perched on the shelf behind them.

Lu Meimei and Zhou Hai sat with their heads together, studying something on the phone and discussing tourist attractions.

“…If we take the expressway, we’ll get there quickly. If we set off after breakfast, we’ll have time to drop off our bags and still make it into the city for lunch,” Zhou Hai was saying, then suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! I forgot about Maomao!”

“Yeah, we can’t leave Maomao alone at the homestay.”

“We’ll just prepare its food ourselves. Look, they lend out grills, provide charcoal, and there’s even an electric hot pot. We could do hotpot instead.”

“Sounds nice.”

“This is the only pet-friendly place nearby. The scenic area is right next door. Maomao isn’t afraid of people, is it?” Zhou Hai asked, raising his head and looking around for Maomao.

Lu Meimei answered, “Not really. But I haven’t taken it to crowded places... Back in the countryside, though, it saw plenty of people...” Her voice trailed off.

Zhou Hai didn’t notice. “Then it should be fine. If it’s scared, we can just hang around the area. There’s a lake, some woods, a small hill. It doesn’t get carsick, does it?”

“No.”

Maomao sat motionless, eyes half-closed, as if already asleep.

Suddenly its back rippled, undulating like waves.

The doorbell sounded from the phone.

The doctor shifted, sinking deeper into the beanbag chair, raising the phone so his eyes were level with the screen.

The fingernails gripping the phone’s edge strained to peer sideways, as if trying to see the screen more clearly.

“I’ll see who it is,” Lu Meimei got up and went to the entryway.

“Is it a delivery?” Zhou Hai asked, sprawling against the sofa, scrolling on his phone.

Maomao’s ears perked up, nose twitching. It tensed and leapt silently from the shelf to the sofa back.

Its back arched higher and higher, the curvature strange and unnatural. Suddenly, the fur beneath its skin writhed violently. Its mouth gaped open as if torn apart, saliva dripping onto the couch and seeping in. Within a heartbeat, the writhing stilled, then abruptly, ten human fingers burst out from under the fur. The fingers intertwined and slowly unfurled like a budding flower—ten slender digits with perfect nails, beautiful to behold, yet growing from a cat’s back, and once stretched out, they writhed in a fitful, frenzied dance.

Maomao’s body seemed grotesquely distended by this unnatural growth.

It stepped off the sofa in a single bound, pressing up against Zhou Hai’s back.

Ding-dong—

The elevator outside opened.

Lu Meimei, surprised, asked, “Oh, didn’t you deliver the package?”

“I didn’t come to deliver anything today. Miss Lu, I wanted to talk to you about Maomao…” Shengyao’s voice sounded from the doorway.

Lu Meimei opened the door wide, revealing Zhou Hai standing next to her.

Behind Zhou Hai stood a cat-shaped creature, nearly half as tall as a person.

The doctor bolted upright, clutching the phone tightly, his blue eyes fixed on the screen, ten fingernails shrieking with excitement.

...

Shengyao fell silent the moment he saw the unfamiliar Zhou Hai.

He didn’t want anyone to know about Bai Xiao’s resurrection, fearing complications. He assumed Lu Meimei felt the same about Maomao’s own return from the dead.

But compared to Bai Xiao’s thirty-five years in the grave, Maomao had only “died” for a moment—and was, after all, just a cat. The trouble seemed negligible.

Shengyao felt confident he and Lu Meimei could have an honest conversation, as long as no outsiders interfered.

Yet as soon as he saw Zhou Hai and fell silent, his vision blurred.

His gaze landed just behind Zhou Hai.

Though Zhou Hai’s stocky frame and the wall corner blocked his view, Shengyao could still make out a strange silhouette.

Goosebumps prickled his skin, and the hairs on his arms stood on end. It was the same feeling he’d had that night tailing Liu Yu, when he’d seen that fleshy lump growing from the man’s arm—horrifying, yet thrilling, a jolt of adrenaline.

It was nothing like what he’d felt with Darling; Boss Le had never given him this sensation; nor had Liu Yu during their second encounter.

Compared to the fleshy monster, the thing behind Zhou Hai filled Shengyao with even more dread. He didn’t dare rush in heroically as he had that night to save Yu Guangchun.

He had the distinct sense that whatever was behind Zhou Hai was observing him. Unlike the flesh monster’s open malice toward Yu Guangchun, this felt different.

“You wanted to talk about Maomao?” Lu Meimei sounded surprised.

Shengyao snapped back to himself, nodded, and glanced at Zhou Hai. “I didn’t expect you to have company…”

“This is my boyfriend.”

“Hello. What did you want to discuss about Maomao?” Zhou Hai asked, only curiosity in his tone.

Sweat dampened Shengyao’s back as he stared at the space behind Zhou Hai. “I recently picked up a stray cat. When I took it to the pet hospital, the doctor there mentioned Maomao.”

“Oh,” Lu Meimei smiled. “Come in and have a seat. Was it a tabby you found?”

“It’s an orange cat.”

“Is it healthy?”

“It’s alright. Just dewormed and vaccinated. Next up is neutering. Dr. Wang says it’s only three, so its health can’t compare to a house cat.” Shengyao tried to sound calm, but sweat was soaking through his shirt.

“Yes, that’s typical for strays.” Lu Meimei warmly invited him inside.

...

Pop.

The doctor flung his phone aside and exhaled heavily, the breath swelling out his mask.

Ten fingernails screamed, laughing maniacally, cursing, wailing—each one trying to outshout the rest.

For a moment, it was as if thousands of people had flooded the dark TV room.

As suddenly as they appeared, the crowd vanished.

The mask settled back on the doctor’s face.

A flickering light lingered in his blue eyes, not settling for a long while.

At last, he reached out and picked up his phone again.

...

As Lu Meimei turned, she saw Maomao lying on the floor and laughed. “Were you eavesdropping? Did you hear us talking about you?” She bent down and scooped Maomao into her arms.

Maomao nestled quietly in her embrace, letting her smooth its fur.

Shengyao stared at Maomao for a long time.

That thing… it really was Maomao.

Just like the lump on Liu Yu had vanished in an instant, the oddity on Maomao was gone.

Feeling awkward, Shengyao sat on the sofa. Lu Meimei was beside him, with Zhou Hai on her other side. The soda on the coffee table had been handed to him by Zhou Hai.

“Did you get a membership at Pegasus?” Lu Meimei asked with a smile. “It’s pricey, but the vets and nurses are great, the equipment and meds are top-notch, and they do thorough exams.”

“No, I haven’t signed up—I just did the check-up there. I heard from them that Maomao is the only tabby cat they see.”

“That’s right, they mostly get pedigreed cats and dogs. But our Maomao is really smart—always behaves well with the others.” Lu Meimei stroked Maomao’s head. “Most pets, if they’re not trained, react badly to other animals. I’ve seen that happen when I took Maomao for checkups, but whenever a dog saw Maomao, it calmed right down. Our Maomao grew up in the countryside, hunting birds, catching fish, even fighting the village’s geese and dogs—he’s a tough one.”

Her voice brimmed with pride.

Shengyao let her boast for a while before hesitantly asking, “Dr. Wang said Maomao was very ill once?”

Lu Meimei’s smile faded. She lowered her head, gently stroking Maomao’s back. “That was my fault… I brought Maomao here but didn’t know how to care for him. All I did was buy cat food and litter—just what my classmates told me to get… I was busy studying and neglected him. When I finally got into grad school and things calmed down, I realized Maomao had grown thin and listless…”

Her eyes glistened with tears.

Maomao turned his head, sticking out his tongue to lick her palm.

Zhou Hai put his arm around Lu Meimei’s shoulders. “That’s all in the past. Maomao is healthy now, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Lu Meimei smiled through her tears. “I took him to so many animal hospitals. The first one was a classmate’s recommendation. The vet prescribed medicine and put him on an IV. I visited every day, stayed with him, but he just got weaker and weaker. The vet advised euthanasia… He kept licking my hand… I could tell he wanted to live, that he could hold on. We went to several hospitals, all day long, from dawn to dusk… and then we ended up at Pegasus…”

She still remembered that night—Dr. Wang was on duty. She’d sobbed uncontrollably, and Dr. Wang, moved by pity, called her teacher for help. But the result was the same; the teacher also suggested euthanasia.

She refused to give up. Maomao didn’t want to give up either. He licked her hand, rubbed her face, bumped noses with her, trying to make a sound.

Dr. Wang said Maomao was comforting her.

But she stubbornly believed he was urging her to persevere.

“I ran outside with Maomao…” She pressed her lips together. “Actually, I didn’t run at all. My legs were like jelly. I fell right outside the door. Maomao… Maomao slipped out of my arms and ran off…”

Shengyao’s eyes widened, his heart pounding, his gaze fixed on Maomao.

He saw Maomao’s emerald-green eyes.

“He ran out, darted into the bushes. It was already dark, not much light from the streetlamps. I shouted; Dr. Wang came out and helped me up. I grabbed her hand and told her Maomao still had strength. He’d run out so fast… I chased after him, ran for ages…”

Zhou Hai looked like he wanted to speak, glancing between Maomao and Lu Meimei.

“I must have fallen several more times. In the end I really couldn’t get up.” Lu Meimei suddenly smiled. “A pair of hands pulled me to my feet.” She looked at Zhou Hai. “That was Chi Ai. That’s how we met. She was out for a night run, saw me limping and finally collapsing, and rushed over in a panic. She helped me look for Maomao for hours. The two of us must have looked crazy, yelling his name until the neighbors yelled at us out the window. I didn’t care about anything…”

Lu Meimei caressed Maomao, a smile on her lips. “Then I heard a meow. Maomao came running from behind the subway station, dashed up to me, and leapt into my arms! He was completely fine! Full of energy! Strong as ever!”

Her voice was full of joy, but the two men beside her didn’t smile.

“It was so late I couldn’t go back to the dorm. Ai Ai took us in, lent me clothes, cleaned my wounds. I stayed at her place two days, afraid to close my eyes, holding Maomao, feeling his heartbeat. He really was—completely recovered!”

Maomao opened his eyes; in the green depths, Lu Meimei’s tearful smile was reflected. He jumped onto her shoulder, wrapping his paws around her neck, nuzzling her cheek.

Shengyao said nothing.

Zhou Hai hesitated, opening and closing his mouth, but said nothing.

Lu Meimei looked at Zhou Hai and burst out laughing. “You’re thinking it’s not the same Maomao, aren’t you?”

Zhou Hai forced a smile. “How could it not be? No strange cat would just jump into your arms, right?”

“Actually, Maomao wasn’t always so affectionate.” Lu Meimei hugged Maomao. “When I took him to Dr. Wang for a checkup, she gently hinted it might not be the same cat. But I know it’s him.”

As she spoke, she ran her hand over Maomao’s tail. “He has lots of scars on his tail. Old injuries. When I’d just started middle school, I awkwardly asked the nurse for alcohol and bandages to wrap them. He was hurting and bit me, but as soon as I cried out, he let go and licked my hand, watching me so carefully. He didn’t really bite hard—it didn’t even break the skin. When I put on the alcohol, he didn’t flinch at all.”

She hugged Maomao again. “He’s always been a gentle cat.”

Shengyao met Maomao’s green eyes once more.

He saw thin streams of black ink seeping from the bottom of that emerald green.

The phone rang.

Lu Meimei, pulled from her memories, frowned at the unfamiliar number.

“That guy again?” Zhou Hai frowned too. “He changed numbers again? Let me answer.”

Lu Meimei simply declined the call. “No need.”

Shengyao saw blackness fill Maomao’s eyes. The cat opened its mouth and bared four fangs; its jaws stretched unnaturally wide, revealing its tongue. Deep at the root of the tongue, there seemed to be smaller tongues, undulating like sea anemones.