After Turning Into a Kitten, I Was Adopted by My Father-Figure Childhood Friend - Chapter 27

The Panic and the Fever

“Sir? Sir?”

The phone on the floor crackled with stubborn static. Lu Jingchuan forced the car door open with raw strength. Ignoring everything else, his sharp gaze swept across the interior. The empty car held only a small, feverish kitten huddled on the leather seat, whimpering as it bit the tip of its own tail.

In that instant, Lu Jingchuan could not tell if he felt relief. He gathered the kitten into his arms, supporting its round bottom and covering its back like one would hold a small child, offering rhythmic and soothing pats.

“I apologize, sir. Please send all the information to my email. I will transfer the balance to you shortly.”

Lu Jingchuan was desperate to get the kitten to a hospital. He quickly ended the call with the private investigator. Even while driving, he did not set the kitten down.

Hot.

The scorching temperature made Song Xingyu extremely restless. He squirmed, nearly slipping from the man’s collar before being tucked back in. Pressed against the man’s chest, he remained dazed for a long time. The thumping heartbeat felt too intense to him, like being on a bumpy ride that rose and fell with every breath of the chest cavity.

Confused and lost, he opened his eyes several times in distress. Seeing the man’s tense jawline through the blur, he closed his eyes again, reassured.

Why did Little Lu become so big? And he is driving. Since when did he know how to drive? Is he driving Uncle Lu’s precious car in secret?

Song Xingyu was delirious, unable to distinguish the present from the past. When a pair of hands tried to move him, he kept his eyes shut and swung a paw blindly, clinging to the man’s arm.

“Little Lu, carry me on your back.”

He muttered his pampered demands out of habit. When he felt no movement, he opened his eyes indignantly, prepared to scold Lu Jingchuan for daring to defy King Xingxing. Only then did he see the adult Lu Jingchuan.

Song Xingyu suddenly felt a wave of grievance. “Oh. You do not like me anymore.”

The grown-up Lu Jingchuan did not like him. That was fine. He did not like Lu Jingchuan either. He hated him most of all! He hated him, hated him, and hated him.

Suddenly, he felt a pinch at the back of his neck. Instinctively waving his paws, he screamed in terror. “Little Lu! Save me! Save me! I am flying!”

The little calico yowled in panic, limbs flailing during the transfer. His wet eyes were full of alarm. His pointed ears flattened into airplane ears, and he tucked his tail tightly between his legs. Although it was only a short distance from the man’s arms to the doctor’s table, the kitten wailed as if it were a final parting. Lu Jingchuan instinctively took two steps forward before forcing himself to stop.

At the Vet

Under the man’s high pressure gaze, the doctor performed a quick checkup. Within two minutes, the kitten was returned to its owner. It immediately lunged to hug the man’s arm, burying its head so deep that only its round, furry backside and the tail dangling from the crook of the arm were visible.

Lu Jingchuan stroked the kitten’s back to comfort it while discussing the situation with the doctor. The doctor decided to draw blood to test for feline distemper and other diseases. Since there were no external injuries or foreign objects, they opted for conservative treatment with oral medication.

While waiting for the results, Lu Jingchuan held the kitten like a light ball of cotton. His palms were broad, bearing calluses from working with machinery. He carefully pried the kitten’s mouth open to administer the pill. The kitten immediately stuck out its tongue to gag.

Swiftly, the man blocked the exit with his finger, his expression stern. “You-You.”

With his soft tongue pressed down by the man’s finger, the kitten could not spit the pill out. It could only endure the sensation and swallow repeatedly. Driven by instinct, it began to lap up water from the man’s palm. The kitten drank sloppily, wetting the fur on its cheeks and chest, wrinkling the man’s neat clothes and leaving messy paw prints on his sleeves.

It drank hungrily, choking and gagging several times. The man kept his palm flat, patting the kitten’s back considerately. Song Xingyu’s consciousness was a blur. He only knew someone was taking care of him. In his feverish haze, he heard someone calling him.

He kicked his legs and thought unhappily. I am not called You-You. I am Xingxing. You-You gets eaten by people, but Xingxing does not.

The kitten grumbled in protest, its ears twitching and swaying leisurely. Lu Jingchuan leaned in and realized the kitten was humming. It was a melodic grumbling.

Is he humming a song? The musically challenged Lu Jingchuan wondered. He smoothed the fur on the kitten’s head. You-You is a genius kitten.

To break the fever, the doctor used chilled cloths to cool the kitten’s belly and legs. Upon touching the cold surface, the kitten’s humming stopped. It let out a long, displeased cry. “Meow!”

It flipped over, curling its limbs into a small triangle like a rice ball, and buried its head to sleep in a huff. The warm furball snuggled against the man’s abdomen like a living hot water bottle. If poked, it would grumble. If handled, it would turn to nip a finger.

“This kitten has quite a temper,” the doctor remarked.

The attached Lu Jingchuan replied seriously, “You-You is just sick.”

He only acts this way because he is unwell. Just like when Xingxing is sick.

Lu Jingchuan lost track of time caring for You-You until the blood test results arrived an hour later. The doctor announced there were no abnormalities. The fever was likely caused by a scare while outside. Since there were no signs of stress, the owner just needed to provide extra care.

Lu Jingchuan noted every instruction. He wiped the corners of the kitten’s mouth and smoothed its messy fur. He was organized, tidying his belongings and throwing trash away before crouching down. He spoke softly to the curled up kitten. “You-You, shall we go home?”

The kitten moved sluggishly. Its wet, amber-gold eyes held a pitiful gaze. It let out a weary meow and finally placed a paw in the man’s palm. Supported by strong hands under its belly and bottom, Song Xingyu felt a sense of security and curled into a ball, licking his dry lips.

He had heard the doctor. Stress? Hmph. I do not get stressed.

He licked his lips in disdain. The bitter taste of the medicine made him want to lose his temper, but his body was too limp. He could only kick the man’s palm to vent. When even those kicks lacked strength, Cat Song became even angrier.

Dammit! What did Da Fu say today? Teaching me how to fight? Fine. As soon as I get back, I will apprentice under him. Once I have the skills, I will show Lu Jingchuan what I am made of!

Cat Song threw a dreamlike punch in the air. Unaware of his silliness, he pricked up his ears. Vitality returned to his body. His eyes sparkled, and his whiskers twitched with pride.

Become a Kung Fu Cat! Ha!

The Investigation

Song Xingyu’s eyes were bright, his tiny brain having already forgotten the previous distress. Once they were home, Lu Jingchuan opened his laptop to read his emails.

The high commission had been worth it. The private investigator had packaged all available surveillance footage from those two days, even highlighting recordings where the target appeared.

This was bad news!

Twisting himself into the shape of a drumstick, Song Xingyu rested his chin on his paw. He could not resist peeking over. Leaning against the man’s arm, he appeared relaxed but was actually exploding with tension, his paws tensing up.

Click. The man opened the video.

The first clip showed Song Xingyu returning to his dorm after a meeting. His figure passed a street shop. He looked displeased, muttering to himself and swaying as he walked like a drunkard.

It is a drunk Xingxing. His lips are so red, and even his ears are flushed. How could those people let Xingxing drink so much?

Lu Jingchuan frowned, but his eyes were glued to the screen, his dark pupils following the figure greedily. He switched through the footage. As the timestamps progressed, the young man’s elegant, slender silhouette became clearer.

He had already reached the base of the dormitory building.

“You-You.”

The man’s voice was deep and carried a hint of sternness. He stopped the kitten’s reaching paw.

“Meow!”

Cat Song, who had been trying to delete the footage, pretended to be busy by licking his paws in the air. He could not bear to watch anymore. He jumped off the desk, but despite his resolve, his limp limbs made him slide across the floor.

No, no, no! I am about to be exposed!

Lu Jingchuan rose to give chase, but at that moment, his three hour alarm went off. For the first time, he felt that time was cruel. Song Xingyu had not returned his call or sent a single message.

Lu Jingchuan stopped in his tracks. He lowered his eyes. The surveillance footage was paused on the young man’s back, while the glowing phone in his hand flickered through countless apps. He had added Song Xingyu on every platform: messaging accounts, blogs, music clouds, and even reading apps.

His finger was poised over the emergency call button. His mind raced through his explanation. If Xingxing’s roommate was telling the truth, it meant Xingxing hated him so much he did not want to say a single word. In that case, he would be wasting police resources.

If it were a lie, Xingxing had not replied to anyone in eight days. The last reply to Lu Jingchuan was eleven days ago. This did not fit Xingxing’s habits, even when he was throwing a tantrum.

Lu Jingchuan dialed the police. In the moment of waiting for the connection, he understood clearly: even if Xingxing hated or blamed him, he had to ensure his safety.

“Hello,”

The moment the call connected, a notification for a Special Follow popped up on Lu Jingchuan’s computer. He watched as a familiar cat avatar appeared on the screen with a question.

[Xingxing]: I heard you were looking for me?

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