Translator: Sy
Editor: SipsTea
Chapter 11: The Shower
“Thank you so much. I feel much better now.” Zhang Yiming studied the boy’s face. “My name’s Zhang Yiming, and you are…?”
Lin Ning’s face was completely exposed by now. The glow from the evening sky settled over his cheeks, dusting it a light rose pink. The cat looked intrigued. With such a perfect face, under a scenery that looked as if it came straight out of a storybook… This boy was made for the entertainment industry.
“My name’s Lin Ning.” He hesitated, but ultimately answered. Given how handsome this man looked, and how expensive his sports car seemed, Lin Ning supposed he worked in entertainment. Giving him his name was, honestly, a pretty risky move.
Zhang Yiming stared, remembering the popular idol trainee programme from years ago. He mentally compared this Lin Ning and that Lin Ning’s face, eyes widening.
Lin Ning turned to leave. “Alright. Can’t stick around any longer — I’ve got stuff to do. Bye.”
Zhang Yiming wanted him to stay. After all, this Lin Ning seemed nothing like what the rumours made him to be. He looked honest, responsible. No way Lin Ning was that sort of person — in the industry, meeting all kinds of people, genuine or superficial, was a daily thing. Sooty clothes can always be bleached white again, but a splash of muddy water occurs all too easily. “Hold on, I…”
“I really have to go. Let’s meet some other time.” Lin Ning had figured out by now that Zhang Yiming was from the entertainment industry and didn’t care enough to learn more about him. He just wanted to make food and live a happy, quiet life in this world with the System.
One man, one cat, one System. Perfect.
“Come on, Xizai. Let’s go home.”
When the cat heard those three words, it felt as if its heart was struck. It’d been years since those words last came near its ears. They pierced a deep part of its soul, and its heart burned a little.
How could Lin Ning recognise it as family so easily?
If it were that dumb dog, would Lin Ning have accepted him as quickly?
As the cat trailed after Lin Ning’a footsteps, it stole a quick backward glance. How dare that dumb dog have the audacity to watch Lin Ning’s retreating silhouette… longingly?
!!!
The cat felt a little bitter all of a sudden. Felines are very territorial animals. The person under its territory was being watched by another man, and that got on its nerves.
The cat gave the dumb dog one last warning glare before stalking off.
***
After returning home, to appease the kitty whose food was given away, Lin Ning brought out the remaining milk cakes and roasted chicken legs.
“Let’s have dinner once we’ve showered, Xizai.”
Lin Ning wanted to carry the kitty over to get its paws washed, since it’d been stepping around outside, but the kitty didn’t seem to appreciate being hugged. Before Lin Ning could walk over to it, it shot into the bathroom like a bolt of lightning.
“Xizai?” Lin Ning poked his head into the bathroom. To his surprise, he found that Xizai had already leaped onto the sink, twisted open the tap, and was now washing its claws. It even squirted hand soap onto its paws, scrubbing thoroughly. The scene before him kind of reminded Lin Ning of an obedient child washing his hands while standing on top of a stool.
“……”
[System, am I really that good at training cats, or is Xizai just a genius?] Lin Ning was shocked. Maybe in the future world, animal intelligence also heightened, just like how humans evolved?
The System struggled for a moment before finally giving a reluctant reply, […It must be because Xizai’s a genius and wants to live with you happily. That’s why it’s so obedient.]
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[I think so, too. Like owner like pet, y’know? Since Xizai’s so smart, I’ll set a good example for it, so it’ll become smart like me.] Lin Ning answered, touched.
System: […Whatever floats your boat.]
Soon, the human and cat were seated before the dining table. The main course for the day was porridge, roasted chicken legs, and a bowl of chilled cucumber salad. The milk cakes were for dessert.
The kitty had been insistent on eating the exact same dishes as Lin Ning. Lin Ning consulted the System, and after scanning the cat, the System concluded that human food was safe for this kitty’s consumption, although it left out the part about how the cat wasn’t really a cat. Since then, Lin Ning had become much more lenient with the animal’s diet.
The kitty lowered its head to take a bite of the chicken, but it slid around the plate, so it propped its furry little paw leg. For a moment Lin Ning couldn’t tell which feast was better — the meal in his mouth, or the cat’s itty bitty paw.
Cute! Lin Ning screamed internally. Maybe he could take this opportunity to grab Xizai while it was distracted, then force a paw scrub on it… No, how about a bath?!
“Go on, have some more.” Lin Ning gingerly pushed a few more slices of cucumber and minced pork onto Xizai’s plate.
The cat eyed him suspiciously, suddenly feeling a chill run down its spine.
A few minutes later, Lin Ning poked on a small piece of milk cake happily. “Want a bite, Xizai?”
The cat took a cautious step backwards. Instinct told it something scary was about to happen. Even though the milk cake looked delicious, and it had a sweet tooth… N–no. Never lose sight of the big picture for the sake of a small reward — it couldn’t lose its pride as a cat!
Lin Ning placed the milk cake a centimeter away from its mouth. “C’mon, there’s a good boy. Since it’s not harmful to your body, I won’t force make you eat cat food from now on. I’ll give you some dried fish if you eat this now.” He’d come to learn that Xizai could not resist dried anchovies. Whenever he pulled out some of the fish, Xizai’s eyes would stay glued to them. It always worked like a charm.
The temptation was too much. The cat had to take a bite. The soft, sweet sensation that melted on its tongue was an experience it never had before. Combine that with the pop of sourness the cube of fresh strawberry on top added, and it was heavenly. The cat couldn’t help but close its eyes in pleasure, a paw raised unconsciously to scratch its head. A dollop of butter dotted its nose.
“Ka-chack—” the sound of a camera shutter broke through the silence. The cat stiffened, turning its little face to glare at Lin Ning. Even though it was a giant cat with a commanding presence, with that spot of butter booping its nose, Lin Ning couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge that deterrence at all.
Lin Ning put down the photon tablet. He happily whipped out some anchovies, knowing the kitty was about to throw a tantrum. “From now on, I’ll record all the details of my Xizai’s happy life! Ha ha! You’re adorable when you eat!”
He pushed the anchovies towards the kitty. The cat made guttural noises at the back of its throat. Ah! It was the kind of cat that could never be appeased once it got mad! The kind of cat that didn’t let go of its principles for dried fish!
Lin Ning clasped his hands together, cooing apologetically, “Alright, I’m sorry. I just wanted to save some memories of you growing up. How about you eat your food, then we take a bath together?”
And now he wants to take a bath together? Its fur stood on its ends. The cat took a shaky step back.
Lin Ning’s long, slender fingers picked up an anchovy, then stuffed it into the kitty’s mouth. The cat gasped. The fish fell out.
What is this human doing?!
A few minutes later, after cleaning the table, Lin Ning prepared himself to drag the cat into the shower with him. The cat slapped away Lin Ning’s hand, scurrying away. It crouched low on its stomach on top of the bookshelf and stayed there, glancing downwards.
Suddenly, it was blinded by a flash of soft white glow.
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Lin Ning stood shirtless beneath it, the only thing covering him was a towel wrapped around his waist. His skin, white as a jade, was smooth and soft. Because he had a background in dancing, Lin Ning’s body was slender and athletic, covered in a thin layer of muscles. He wasn’t pale in a sickly way at all — his skin glowed healthily. As the human raised his head, arms reaching out to the cat with a bright smile, it was as if a thousand stars shot into its eyes, freezing him in place. Dashing eyes, gentle demeanor, soft red lips — he was stunning.
“Come on, Xizai. Let’s play in the water! It’ll be fun! Don’t be afraid,” Lin Ning cooed. “Come on, jump down. I’ll catch you.”
!!!
The cat’s face went bright red. Even the tips of its ears burned pink.
This human! How could he come out not wearing anything?! Didn’t he know that people shouldn’t go around touching other people like that?!