After Turning Into a Kitten, I Was Adopted by My Father-Figure Childhood Friend - Chapter 15

Meow Meow Meow.

Little White chewed the cat food, making a loud “crunch-crunch” sound as the bean-like kibble broke apart. He perked his ears and gave Song Xingyou an incredulous look.

“Your human really likes you,” he said firmly. His tone was slow but carried a weight of sincerity, and his ears and head even bobbed up and down “boing-boing” in emphasis.

“You need to have a little confidence, Little Meow, meow.”

Little White stood on his tiptoes and methodically leaned toward the little calico, licking the kitten’s head with what could only be described as maternal affection.

A kitten this small looked much younger than the other cats in the gang, and he was very handsome; cats liked him, and humans would surely like him too.

“This cat likes you very much, meow.”

Little White twitched his whiskers and nodded with an air of certainty.

“The cats in the Cat Gang are all family, meow.” The black cat sat primly in place, puffing out his broad chest. “Little Meow can lean against this cat’s broad chest.”

Song Xingyou froze for a second. The next moment, as if intoxicated, he dove headfirst into the other’s fur. “Kitty!”

Heavens, how can such a cute creature exist in this world!

The little calico buried himself in the fur with a flurry of meows, kicking his hind legs as he paddled through what felt like a light, airy dream. The tip of his tail swayed happily in the air, and his tiny body trembled as if he were drunk, letting out adorable “meow-uuu meow-uuu” sounds.

Song the Cat didn’t notice that the black cat, Little White, poked his head out to glance toward the living room.

The human of this house had surrendered the dining area to them, retreating to the sofa in front of the French windows to type code. The silver-white light from the screen hit his face, further blurring his expression; only his cold, detached profile was visible.

He’s a person you shouldn’t mess with, meow.

The “person you shouldn’t mess with” nonchalantly put away the phone he had been using to take pictures, staring back at Little White with a calm gaze, as if he had only glanced at them by accident.

Little White narrowed his eyes. He had clearly seen the cat photo that hadn’t yet dimmed on the screen.

The human is secretly taking photos of the cat again. This cat has seen it many times, you can’t fool a cat!

“Meow,” Little White couldn’t help but lick a paw. His deep green eyes swiveled, and he gave a crafty blink.

Only people who like cats take photos of cats. Little Meow’s human really does like him.

“I like you very much too, kitty!” declared Song Xingyou, having thoroughly enjoyed “rua-ing” the cat.

His amber eyes were round and bright. He lifted his kitten head, his whiskers trembling with joy as if he were shaking off a trail of stardust.

If Lu Jingchuan saw him like this, he would definitely be secretly jealous.

Song Xingyou was extremely stingy when it came to expressing affection toward humans, but he wasn’t stingy at all when it came to cats.

His heart went soft at Little White’s “I like you.” Years of the habit of feeding cats had given him the excellent quality of being a provider. He praised the cat repeatedly and announced loudly:

“Meow meow meow meow!” “You should come to my house to eat from now on! I’ll treat you to cat treats!”

Song the Cat patted his chest in a guarantee. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation or reluctance in his self-righteous attitude, only the generosity of a friend willing to spend a fortune.

He jumped off the dining table and turned his head to call out, “Meow meow!”

“The human, meow?” The black cat, Little White, glanced toward the living room and followed the little calico—whose tail was cocked so high it seemed to be challenging the heavens—as they walked into the kitchen one after the other.

Song the Cat jumped onto the island with practiced ease, his ears wobbling from the movement. He used a paw to claw at the cabinet door while squinting his eyes and saying smugly, “What’s a few cat treats? I’m the one who calls the shots in this house!”

What does it matter if I eat a few of Lu Xiao Chuan’s cat treats? That annoying guy used to steal my strawberry milk; I haven’t even asked him for compensation yet, hmph.

The little calico maintained a dashing posture. His messy cat paw clawed at the cabinet door a few times before he stepped inside. He poked his head out, and Little White jumped in after him.

As soon as he entered, Little White was stunned. He widened his eyes and excitedly counted the cat cans inside one by one. “Good heavens, meow! So many cans!”

“Are these all yours, meow?”

Little White hurriedly rubbed his head against the kitten, causing Song’s two upright pointed ears to splay out to the sides. Song the Cat was pressed into a flat pancake. While struggling to resist, he grandly stated, “The human bought them all for me. Pick whichever one you like, and I’ll have the human open it for you.”

“And this one, and this one…”

The little calico’s tiny body wove flexibly through the cabinet stacked with cans. He pulled out a sausage wrapped in red casing. “This is a meat sausage the human bought for me.”

Then he pulled out an entire row of boxes from the corner, painstakingly tearing the cardboard to reveal individual packages of cat treats. “This one is salmon.”

“This one is rabbit.” “And King Salmon.”

…

Little White used to be a little stray. He had been pulled out from under a car hood by his owner in the dead of winter, which was how he landed a “government job” and got to eat high-end goods like canned food.

But no matter how high-end the can was, it couldn’t compare to the wind rushing past while chasing pigeons.

Little White remembered the taste of freedom, which was why he answered the Boss’s call to join the Cat Gang. As a member, Little White strictly followed the gang rules and never robbed a member’s rations.

However, Little Meow wasn’t a formal member yet, and besides, he was giving these to the cat voluntarily.

Little White’s eyes sparkled. “Are all these for the cat?”

“Of course!” Song the Cat nodded heavily. He patted Little White’s soft chest and couldn’t resist “rua-ing” him a few more times with his clumsy paws. He cocked his ears in satisfaction. “Don’t be polite.”

“These are for you.” He tapped a pile of cat treats with his paw, then pushed another pile toward Little White. “And these are for that cow cat who’s so old he talks nonsense.”

That cow cat had immediately told him to go swim in its belly. Song Xingyou had thought the bad cat was a kitten-eater, but after learning it was a house cat with dementia, his heart went soft instantly, and he sponsored the cat generously.

Taking care of a silly kitten is hard work; someone who raises a cat until it has dementia must be a person who truly loves cats. A good human.

The Cat Gang doesn’t look down on the cow cat for being mentally confused. Good cats.

Song the Cat grandly expressed that he could sponsor the Cat Gang from now on.

Before Song Xingyou joined his university’s Cat Rescue Club, there were only a few seniors doing rescues, and they had to scrape together money even for neutering.

After Song Xingyou joined, he sponsored a large sum of money for neutering and cat food with a wave of his hand. Combined with the success of several free neutering events, the club began to flourish and now had over a hundred members.

When it came to sponsoring and organizing, Song Xingyou was exceptionally experienced.

Although fighting and killing wasn’t his thing, taking down a second or third-in-command to take the top spot himself…

Song the Cat craftily placed a paw on his chin and narrowed his eyes, revealing the smile of an evil kitten.

As expected of me. Life is brilliant whether I’m a human or a cat!

“Hehe… Meow?”

Song the Cat’s evil laugh was interrupted by a sudden dampness on his paw. He was instantly horrified, his eyes widening.

Little White’s tongue was frozen in the air. He looked in confusion at the little calico who had such a big reaction, then leaned in industriously to help him groom his fur.

A very good Little White. A cat with a great sense of service.

“Meow meow meow!”

The little calico looked terrified and fought back, but he was ultimately no match for the difference in size. He was pinned down and had his head fur licked fiercely until he was covered in “kitten smell.”

Song the Cat collapsed weakly on the island, his head fur being affectionately licked by Little White. He felt as if his scalp were being scraped layer by layer by that barbed tongue.

He couldn’t help but kick his legs in rage, baring his teeth at the man taking photos with his phone. “Meow meow meow!”

Click, click, click. I’ll smash your phone tonight!

The little calico grumbled incessantly. Lu Jingchuan, who had appeared at the kitchen door at some point, had taken his fill of photos. Rarely feeling guilty from the meowing accusations, he tore open a cat treat and stuffed it into You-you’s mouth.

“Meow meow meow!” Clicking away, that’s all you know. Save me! Lu Xiao Chuan, save me!

I’m… I’m about to be licked bald!

Song Xingyou felt uncomfortable all over from the instinct of grooming that was etched into a cat’s bones. Every lick from the black cat was heavy and fast; it felt like his mother tying his hair and pulling his scalp too hard.

Song Xingyou rolled his eyes from the pulling while simultaneously being tormented by the weirdly comfortable sensation. His scalp felt numb, and he didn’t even know how to position his tail.

Little White the black cat meowed his guarantee: “Little Meow, you must have left your mother when you were too young. Learn well from this cat, and you’ll surely learn how to groom yourself, meow.”

No way!

“Meow meow meow!” Lu Xiao Chuan, help!

Staring into those amber eyes brimming with anger and a brilliant luster, Lu Jingchuan felt a flicker in his heart, an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

…So similar.

Lu Jingchuan couldn’t help but reach out to cover the kitten’s eyes, but his hand honestly rescued the little calico from the black cat’s paws, even using a cat treat to lure the black cat away.

How can a kitten give him the same feeling as Xing-xing?

As a firm materialist, Lu Jingchuan couldn’t help but think that perhaps he simply missed Xing-xing too much.

After all, Xing-xing hadn’t messaged him for four days.

But out of respect for Xing-xing the principle of “the more you do, the more you mess up”, Lu Jingchuan cautiously refrained from making a rash move or appearing directly in front of Xing-xing.

No matter how smart he was or how much of a grasp he had on numbers, he was still clumsy, foolish, and poor with words in front of Song Xingyou. He remained helplessly awkward in the face of Song Xingyou’s cold remarks.

Choosing to study abroad was a mistake, Lu Jingchuan thought calmly.

When he wasn’t by Xing-xing’s side, Xing-xing surely found better friends and stopped caring about his old childhood friend. A good childhood friend should appear as frequently and persistently as bamboo shoots after rain to avoid being swept into the trash heap of history by the fickle Xing-xing.

In Xing-xing’s eyes, he must be as meaningless as discarded trash.

“You-you.” The little calico, whose head was damp, was dizzily picked up by the man by his armpits. The kitten’s eyes were misty as he met the man’s gaze in confusion. The man’s expression was solemn as he pinched the kitten’s little ear encouragingly.

“Everything depends on you.”

“Whether I can win back Xing-xing all depends on you, cute Mr. Cat!”

Lu Jingchuan, having successfully captured a phone full of kitten photos, was in a great mood. He rubbed the kitten’s ears. Song the Cat rubbed his ears back, meowing in confusion.

The man placed the kitten on the table and looked politely at the black cat. “Hello, Mr. Cat. Would you like a take-out bag?”

White Five, who was busy rolling around on the island while licking a cat treat, flicked his tail and let out two polite meows.

“Meow.”

Lu Jingchuan nimbly pulled out a plastic bag and packed the cat treats, cutting two holes in the bag so Mr. Cat could wear it over his head to carry it away.

Song Xingyou hurriedly lunged forward, hugging the man’s arm and meowing twice. His tail swayed back and forth as he “meowed” and gestured, prompting Lu Jingchuan to help divide the goods into two separate bags.

So intelligent!

Song the Cat nodded in approval, his tail wrapping around the man’s arm for a quick rub. The man’s hand itched to pet him, but the cat delivered a kick with his hind leg and flicked his tail in a polite refusal to leave.

Little You-you walked away with his tail swaying, each paw landing perfectly in the print left by the one before. Stepping through light and shadow, his sweet, juvenile voice still carried a trace of kittenhood as he gave instructions to White Five under the sunlight.

“One bag is yours, and one is for the cow cat. Don’t forget.”

“Got it, meow.” The black cat bowed his head politely. The two cats pressed their faces together, rubbing in a friendly, intimate gesture. “Little Meow, I’ll take you to see the Boss tonight, meow.”

“Once you meet the Boss, you’re family, meow.”

Song Xingyou was clearly used to being rubbed by cats and couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in enjoyment.

The little strays he used to feed always crowded around him to rub, and now that he was a cat himself, he enjoyed the feeling of two balls of fluff huddling together even more. The kitten’s body felt warm, like the afternoon sun.

Except…

Song Xingyou wordlessly blocked the cat mouth that was trying to lick his fur again, using both paws to push it away.

No need for that, thanks.

As the two cats sat together basking in the bright sunlight, Lu Jingchuan’s gaze was inevitably drawn to You-you. The snowy white fur looked even fluffier and more beautiful in the sun, like a cloud tinted by sunset.

Even if Lu Jingchuan didn’t like small animals, he had to admit that You-you was a cute, beautiful kitty.

Just as good-looking as Xing-xing.

After Song Xingyou and White Five finished their “meow-meow” discussion—covering everything from gang business to human quirks—they said a friendly goodbye.

White Five jumped to the floor, meowed twice, and proactively went over to rub against the man.

Lu Jingchuan remained unmoved, staring coldly at the cat. His dark pupils held not a single shred of appreciation for the creature.

Human, you are so cold.

“Little Meow, your human is terrifying!”

White Five let out a meow. After sniffing the man’s cold, sharp scent and sensing an aura of extreme danger, he immediately tucked his tail and ran off in cowardice.

“?”

Confused, Song Xingyou folded his ears and circled back to Lu Jingchuan. He pressed against the man’s arm, his furry tail flirtatiously brushing the back of the man’s hand.

The man’s hand was undeniably attractive. His neatly trimmed fingertips were clean and beautiful, his finger bones long, and his skin fair; the faint blue veins winding over them added an air of sexiness.

Song Xingyou stared for two seconds, then tilted his head, rubbing all the cat-drool on his face onto the man’s hand.

A little cat turned into a soft puddle, sensuously rubbing against the man’s hand over and over. The man was like an indifferent husband facing a succubus-like wife, completely unmoved.

Are you even capable?!

Knowing exactly how good-looking he was, Song Xingyou flew into a rage. He snapped upright to see what the man was actually doing.

“Meow meow meow?” You have a cat here and you won’t even pet it? Are you on some kind of lifelong abstinence vow?

Song Xingyou punched and slapped his way up to the man’s shoulder, poking his head out from a height. One look, and both his ear tips flattened into angry airplane ears.

Sending, sending, sending again!

Your face is practically turning green from the light of the messages you’re sending, you “simp”!

Song Xingyou couldn’t help but roll his eyes, feeling both sour and angry. He thought huffily:

Dammit! Lu Xiao Chuan is actually being a simp behind my back!

I’m stealing your phone tonight to message that “Princess” person. If I let you catch a wife, I lose!

Nighttime, 1:00 AM.

The man, who usually went to bed early at ten, was currently in a deep sleep. Song Xingyou, who had specially waited for this moment, clenched his paws and opened his brilliant, amber-gold eyes, shaking his head to wake himself up.

Let me see who this “Little Ancestor” really is!

He stepped lightly onto the nightstand, glancing back several times with a strong sense of counter-reconnaissance. His pointed ears were as alert as radar as he listened for any movement, cautiously pawing at the phone.

The screen lit up automatically, its glow reflecting off the kitten’s face.

The kitten’s mouth curled into an evil “Grinch” smile as he used his tail to shield the light from the man.

The screen clearly reflected a beautiful cat face, resting a chin on a paw with a serious expression.

Lu Xiao Chuan’s passcode…

Song Xingyou scratched his ear, his furry paw swiping at the screen as he instinctively entered the code.

His own birthday.

As soon as the six digits were entered, the gray lock screen vanished into the home page. The layout was minimalist, with the daily schedule updated as the desktop wallpaper.

What an old fogey.

Song Xingyou muttered. Suddenly, a noise made him jump. He looked toward the dimness outside the window and saw two glowing green fires in terror.

“Meow-uuu!” A weird cat-call trailed off, sounding even more hair-raising in the whistling cold wind.

Song Xingyou was already feeling guilty for his “crime.” He rushed to the window and let out a series of hushed “hissing” sounds. “Stop yelling! You’re going to wake him up!”

While he was feeling nervous about his bad deed, White Five’s silhouette blended perfectly into the darkness, leaving only two ghostly green eyes. He tilted his head in confusion. “Little Meow, meow?”

“Fine, fine, I’m coming.” Song Xingyou sighed, wearing a “I really can’t do anything about you” face.

He laboriously pawed the window open and flipped out in a few bounds. The bead on his little cloak accidentally clicked against the windowsill.

In the darkness, Lu Jingchuan opened his eyes. Failing to find a beautiful kitten by his pillow, he reached for his phone on the nightstand.

The lock screen had been bypassed.

Lu Jingchuan’s gaze darkened. He clicked on the tracking app; a map automatically generated, showing a small green dot clearly moving out of the property’s boundaries.

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