Cat Demon Raising Manual - Chapter 11

Before five in the morning, when the sky was still dark, Wu Wei would get up early to brush her teeth and wash her face. She would then ride her bike past a roadside breakfast shop to eat noodles. If she woke up late, she would buy a few steamed buns to eat on the way.

Hua Wangxuan was also an early riser, often waking up hungry between three and four in the morning, meowing loudly and engaging in a burst of energetic “parkour.”

Wu Wei was the one most affected by this. She would squint her eyes, groggily prepare the cat food, and then drift back to bed as if sleepwalking.

When her morning alarm went off, Wu Wei would turn it off and doze for another five minutes.

In the end, she would always rush off to school in a frantic hurry, spurred by Wan Jinhua’s concerned reminders.

Watching Wu Wei’s hurried figure disappear into the distance, Hua Wangxuan let out a big yawn, her sharp teeth reminiscent of a cunning snake. Her striking heterochromatic eyes gleamed with mischief.

This place had already been marked by her, it was her territory now.

Unfortunately, Hua Wangxuan wasn’t fond of cat food, nor was she particularly interested in the soft meals Wan Jinhua prepared.

Her wounds healed remarkably fast, and within just a few days, Hua Wangxuan was bouncing around energetically, causing quite a few flowers in the garden to wilt.

Wan Jinhua would get up early to exercise in the park. They didn’t believe in keeping their cat strictly indoors, adopting a free-range approach with Hua Wangxuan. When they saw her heading out to play, they would offer a reminder, regardless of whether the cat could understand human language.

“Remember to come home for meals, and don’t stay out too late.”

Hua Wangxuan meowed in response, as if to say she understood. With a rose petal perched on her head and her tail wagging cheerfully, she trotted away from the small Western-style house with light, lively steps.

Following the route she remembered, she met up with a few pretty female cats along the way, exchanging greetings. She then leaped onto someone’s wall to eavesdrop on some gossip before chasing sparrows with wide-eyed excitement in the square, leaving a trail of scattered feathers in her wake.

Hua Wangxuan rolled around in the sandpit to pass the time, and before she knew it, the sun was high in the sky.

It was already past nine in the morning.

Hua Wangxuan found Lin Zhixuan’s residential complex and instinctively took the stairs to the second floor.

After wandering around for a bit, she spotted the doorplate numbered 205. Squinting her eyes, she half-sat in front of the door, lifted her chin, and quietly listened for any sounds from inside.

Lin Zhixuan loved sleeping in. On days when she had no work, she usually left home quite late. Whenever Hua Wangxuan stayed at her place, she would scratch at the door and complain loudly for a long time before Lin Zhixuan, with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes, would finally emerge to feed her.

Today was no exception. After waiting for a few minutes, Hua Wangxuan found the inside of the apartment eerily quiet.

Her patience finally worn thin, she began meowing loudly outside the door.

Lazy woman, foolish woman, how dare you not come out to greet Her Majesty the Meow?

Lin Zhixuan, who had just gotten up to fetch water, thought she was hearing things again when she recognized the familiar meowing.

This wasn’t the first time she’d experienced such auditory hallucinations.

Ever since Mimi had left, Lin Zhixuan would often hear cat meows in various situations, as if it were a punishment for her negligence in not securing the windows.

But this time, the meowing sounded clearer and more persistent, almost as if it carried emotion.

Her face flushed from a hangover, eyes bloodshot, and overall appearance haggard, Lin Zhixuan dragged her heavy footsteps into the living room.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the cluttered table littered with toppled liquor bottles. The entire room seemed steeped in the scent of alcohol, strong enough to make one feel intoxicated just by breathing in the air.

Lin Zhixuan took a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator and drank a few mouthfuls despite her stomachache.

Her head felt heavy and dizzy as she leaned against the refrigerator door, supporting her head with one hand. She widened her eyes, as if trying to discern whether the sound she heard was real or not.

The sound grew louder, lingering by her ear.

Suddenly, Lin Zhixuan’s eyes sharpened with clarity. She straightened up, appearing to return to her normal self, and walked to the front door. Her outstretched hand trembled slightly.

But she didn’t hesitate at all, directly opening the door.

The meowing outside abruptly stopped.

Lin Zhixuan and Hua Wangxuan locked eyes.

Lin Zhixuan held her breath, afraid that even the slightest exhale might shatter the moment and wake her from this dream. She rubbed her eyes, and the familiar figure in her vision did not vanish like a mirage.

“Meow-meow?” Lin Zhixuan called out softly.

Hua Wangxuan sat gracefully, her tail gently sweeping the dust on the floor. Her round, bright eyes carefully studied Lin Zhixuan’s face.

Woman, this mighty one has returned~

Hua Wangxuan let out a sweet, coquettish meow, her clear eyes reflecting Lin Zhixuan’s haggard appearance.

Lin Zhixuan crouched down halfway. The collar of her white shirt hung open, revealing her slender, pale collarbones and a subtle hollow. Dark circles shadowed the area under her eyes.

“Are you back?” Lin Zhixuan’s voice trembled, gentle like the first blooming buds of spring, or like sweet red bean rice cakes sprinkled with osmanthus, soft, fragrant, and tender.

Hua Wangxuan tilted her head, inexplicably feeling that Dr. Lin at this moment evoked a sense of pity. She looked at Lin Zhixuan’s slightly reddened eyes and obediently stepped forward, rubbing her head against Lin Zhixuan’s toes.

Feeling the warm, fluffy touch, Lin Zhixuan lowered her gaze to watch Hua Wangxuan’s every move. Her unsettled heart seemed to have finally found a harbor.

Slowly, Lin Zhixuan extended her index finger and gently tapped the “M” marking on Hua Wangxuan’s forehead. Once she felt the tangible reality beneath her fingertip, the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

“Welcome home.”

…

Wu Wei let out a loud sneeze, completely disregarding any semblance of ladylike composure.

The sound drew sidelong glances, and Zeng Rong stepped away, unable to resist commenting, “Did you catch a cold?”

Wu Wei pinched the bridge of her tall nose, her eyes still drowsy. “No, probably someone’s talking behind my back.”

“Did you get a cat recently? Your clothes are covered in fur,” Zeng Rong exclaimed as if she had made a groundbreaking discovery. She picked up an obvious orange cat hair from Wu Wei’s shoulder, sounding surprised.

Wu Wei usually wore dark-colored clothes. When she was with Hua Wangxuan, she hadn’t paid attention, and cat fur had clung to her everywhere.

Wu Wei looked down, her brow slightly furrowed. She patted her clothes, but it was futile, so she gave up and simply nodded in response.

“Wow, what kind of cat could win your heart? It must be super cute!” Zeng Rong immediately grew excited. Wu Wei always wore an aloof, unapproachable expression, but in reality, she was quite easy to get along with.

Once, when Zeng Rong was being extorted by local bullies, Wu Wei happened to pass by. Unexpectedly, Wu Wei stepped in, taught those troublemakers a lesson, and had kept an eye on Zeng Rong ever since.

After being rescued by her, Zeng Rong felt that Wu Wei was cold on the outside but warm-hearted, like a chivalrous, aloof heroine from ancient times.

“It’s alright, just moderately cute,” Wu Wei replied, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips. She wore the proud yet restrained expression of someone who wanted to show off but was desperately holding back.

“Come by my place another day and see for yourself. She’s quite mischievous and has a big appetite, but she’s also very clingy, the moment she sees me, she starts pawing at me.” Wu Wei feigned annoyance, but her dark eyes sparkled with warmth, as if talking about a cat had softened her usually stern expression.

The very cat Wu Wei was talking about, Hua Wangxuan, was once again clinging to Dr. Lin, stepping rhythmically on Lin Zhixuan’s white coat with her pink paw pads, almost as if giving her a massage.

Lin Zhixuan, wearing a double-layered mask, looked at her with a mix of helplessness and affection as she brought Hua Wangxuan to her workplace.

She wanted the cat to become familiar with more places, so that if Hua Wangxuan ever ran off again, there would be another location where she might be found.

Lin Zhixuan’s light-colored eyes lifted slightly, a smile playing at the corners, which surprised a regular customer who had just arrived.

Even the untouchable ice queen had her moments of stepping into the mundane world.

Soon, the customer’s attention was drawn to Hua Wangxuan.

A cat had appeared in the clinic, and judging by the calico’s relaxed and familiar demeanor, it was clear Lin Zhixuan had brought her along intentionally.

“Dr. Lin, is this your cat? She’s so pretty, and with heterochromia too! Where did you buy her?” the customer asked.

A gentle smile graced Lin Zhixuan’s lips as she replied softly, “Yes, she’s my cat.”

“I didn’t buy her, I found her.”

“She seems very well-behaved. Is she male or female?” The customer couldn’t take their eyes off Hua Wangxuan.

Lin Zhixuan’s hands paused briefly while preparing medication. She glanced at Hua Wangxuan, who was lounging by the entrance as if inviting customers in, and swallowed lightly.

“She’s female.”

“Oh, that’s perfect! Dr. Lin, would you consider breeding her? My baby is also a long-haired cat, and he’s been in heat lately, marking everywhere. I can’t bring myself to neuter him, he’s so handsome, it’d be a shame not to pass on his genes.”

“No, thank you.” The customer’s words caused Lin Zhixuan’s expression to darken. Her fingers stiffened as she held the medication, and she cut the customer off abruptly.

“She’s still young. I don’t want her to go through pregnancy.”

“Oh, of course. As a mother, you don’t want your baby to suffer. I understand.” The customer, still unwilling to let it go, kept sneaking glances at Hua Wangxuan. Before leaving, they added cheerfully,

“Dr. Lin, my cat won’t be neutered anytime soon. If you change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime.”

After seeing the customer out, Lin Zhixuan looked at the oblivious Hua Wangxuan and let out a soft sigh.

Such an attention-grabbing little cat.

With some free time, Lin Zhixuan applied a layer of ointment to herself and took her allergy medication as scheduled.

Hua Wangxuan was less mischievous today, spending most of her time in a light doze.

Hua Wangxuan had a feeling that her final tribulation wasn’t too far off.

According to the experiences of her elders, as long as she did good deeds and accumulated virtue, the ninth tribulation might not be as difficult as she imagined.

Hua Wangxuan, always one to fear death, was half-convinced.

Xiao Hei, the Linqing black lion cat, was fearless and ignorant, and had undergone her tribulation before Hua Wangxuan. After transforming into human form, she left Maocheng to learn about the human world under the guidance of another elder. Under this elder’s tutelage, Xiao Hei realized that getting rich these days was tough, but becoming an internet celebrity suited a cat like her, blessed with beauty but lacking academic credentials.

Having chosen her path, Xiao Hei began wandering around, transforming into the netizens’ “traveling frog.”

Hua Wangxuan felt a twinge of envy for Xiao Hei’s carefree life. She, too, longed to transform into human form as soon as possible. She had already mapped out her future plans, becoming an internet celebrity seemed like the perfect path for a cat like her, who had nothing but her looks going for her. She intended to become a mukbang streamer.

The thought of waking up and immediately diving into a feast sounded absolutely delightful.

As Hua Wangxuan lost herself in these thoughts, a puddle of drool uncontrollably trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Lin Zhixuan happened to notice Hua Wangxuan’s damp mouth and anxiously leaned in to check on her health.

Without warning, a cold thermometer was slipped into Hua Wangxuan’s mouth.

Blinking groggily, Hua Wangxuan stared in a daze at Lin Zhixuan’s worried face. Why did this human woman always insist on sticking tasteless sticks into her mouth?