I Really Want to Pet My Wife's Cat Ears - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Five Cats

The sweet aroma of popcorn always lingered in the movie theater.

Shuo Yu and Shen Zhiyin had just finished a high-definition remastered Gothic classic. They had watched it together as children, and it had served as the primary enlightenment for Shen Zhiyin’s current personal style. Having forgotten most of the plot, it felt like watching a brand-new movie; the experience was excellent.

Old movies generally don’t have post-credit scenes. As the ending theme began to play, the audience started filtering out. Seeing this, the two friends began tidying up their trash.

Shen Zhiyin glanced at her phone and grabbed Shuo Yu’s sleeve, wearing a pleading expression. “Xiao Yu, come out for a round with me later. My sisters all want to see those long legs of yours; they’ve never seen a real-life model!”

Shuo Yu glanced at her, said nothing, and continued walking toward the exit. Unlike the “social terrorist” Shen Zhiyin, Shuo Yu hated useless social interactions. She would much rather stay home, play her game, and spend time with Mianmian.

Shen Zhiyin was used to Shuo Yu pulling a face whenever asked to go out. Truthfully, she didn’t like forcing Shuo Yu into “business mode” either—forced fruit isn’t sweet, after all. But last time, in a fit of showing off, she had flaunted Shuo Yu’s international fashion magazine covers to her colleagues, drawing a huge crowd.

To maintain her “status” in the office for the next few months, Shen Zhiyin continued to play the pity card. “Xiao Yu! Look, since you came back, I haven’t been able to go to Xiao Ka’s place to pet her cat for days. Be a pal and let me show you off a bit.”

Driven to a corner, Shuo Yu finally relented. “I’m not wearing makeup today, and I stayed up late last night so I look pretty haggard. I might break the ‘model filter’ they have. Invite them to your place in a couple of days and I’ll drop by, but let’s skip today.”

Success! Shen Zhiyin let out a devious giggle. Combined with her dark Gothic outfit, she looked positively eerie. “Deal! This Saturday at 8:00 PM. You have to show up! Just a face-reveal is fine!”

After the movie, Shen Zhiyin went to her next appointment. Shuo Yu, having nothing else to do, hailed a car to go home. She felt that her love for cats perhaps stemmed from her love for their solitude and freedom. While in the car, she asked Shen Zhiyin for the location and head-count of the party and sent a milk tea to everyone. As Shen’s best friend, she had to support her even if she couldn’t be there.

Sitting in the car, Shuo Yu idly opened her phone to see if any cats had appeared on the beach. Suddenly, a massive warning popped up—her battery was at 2%. Before the game could even load, the phone shut down. She had forgotten to charge it last night.

There’s definitely going to be a lot of stamina overflow. Every drop of stamina is vital in the early game! A wave of irritation washed over her; she almost regretted leaving the house today.

When she finally got home and plugged in her phone, the real regret arrived.

The Seawater Purifier and Trash Recycler she had bought with her monthly card were lying sloppily on the ground. Dirty water flowed through the sand—the scene was a mess. The metal top of the Cat Food Vending Machine was dented, and the glass shield was covered in deep, jagged claw marks left by cats.

Four “Evil Cats,” radiating visible black aura, paced around the area. Their voices were raspy, hideous roars, and their bodies were covered in ugly bloodstains. They seemed to know there were goodies inside the machine and were desperately trying to reach in and hook out some food.

The cat bed she had spent so much effort on yesterday was torn to shreds. The rare Shuyu Leaves were tossed on the ground like common trash.

Getting my home raided before I even finished building it… Shuo Yu’s fists tightened. She knew feral cats could be fierce, and not all cats were as well-behaved as Little White, Little Flower, and Ji Mianmian, but she hadn’t expected them to be this malicious!

Shuo Yu frantically tapped the screen to drive away these “ghostly” creatures. The system recognized them as enemies; selecting them only brought up “Expel” options rather than Mianmian’s interaction menu. She had to tap each evil cat roughly thirty to fifty times to clear the black mist from its head.

Based on the animation, Shuo Yu guessed these were cats possessed by “Evil Spirits.” As the black mist dissipated, several glowing loot items dropped. The eyes of the previously ferocious cats became clear again. Upon waking, they scurried across the beach in a panic and soon vanished.

They’re just poor cats. Her anger over her damaged hard work softened, and the rest of her frustration shifted toward cursing the game developers.

Fortunately, the three machines were premium items and very durable. Though they had some scratches, they weren’t broken. Shuo Yu followed the prompts to reset them and brought in seawater to wash the area. Soon, the safe zone was re-established.

As her view moved near the forest, the cat paw icon appeared again. She quickly shifted the camera, thinking: I wonder if the bad cats I drove away calmed down and became collectible, or if Mianmian and the others are back.

She hoped for the latter. First impressions were everything; while she understood the bad cats were controlled by spirits, she still felt a bit of a grudge about forgiving and raising them so suddenly.

Seeing a flash of white in the grass, Shuo Yu breathed a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at her lips. It was Mianmian. She zoomed in immediately.

The girl who had been happily calling her “Sister” by the bonfire last night now looked utterly dejected and lonely—even more pitiable than when she was huddled in that tiny cat bed. Her long dress was torn in several places, making it significantly shorter, barely covering her.

Shuo Yu was amazed at how detailed the expressions and movements of the cat-ear girl were. Her heart ached for her. She clicked Ji Mianmian and chose the [Greet] interaction.

Sensing she was being watched, Ji Mianmian’s tension reached a breaking point. She didn’t understand why, after one night, the spirits that usually only appeared at night could now possess cats and roam in the sunlight. She was terrified that the daytime spirits could drag her into their “mental world,” so she had hidden in the grass until Shuo Yu appeared.

“You’re finally here!” Feeling the warmth on her head, Mianmian’s high-strung nerves instantly relaxed. She looked up, searching the air for Shuo Yu’s presence.

They have the same pitiful expression, but why is it so heart-melting when Mianmian does it, while I feel nothing when Shen Zhiyin does it?

Shuo Yu clicked “Pet” again, touching Mianmian’s head on the enlarged, exquisite character art.

Shuo Yu: “It’s me. I’m late. Those cats didn’t bully you, did they?”

“No, I knew you would come! I hid well over here; the spirits didn’t find me at all!” As the distance between them closed, Mianmian looked up and could see the woman with red lips and black hair. When the phantom hand appeared, she blushed and even stood on her tiptoes to proactively meet the touch.

Shuo Yu was nearly melted by how good this cat-ear girl was. However, she didn’t quite believe Mianmian’s words, saying sternly, “You must hide from the spirits, but be careful. I see your dress is torn.”

Ji Mianmian shook her head, showing off her “special skill”—her sharp cat claws extending and retracting. She laughed softly. “I cut it myself. One-Eye was hurt, so I used a strip of cloth from my dress to bandage it.”

“Are Little White and Little Flower okay?” Shuo Yu frowned. Mianmian had told her about that poor tortoiseshell cat last night, and she knew the kittens had been left in its care.

Ji Mianmian replied, “They’re fine. I left food when I left and checked the surroundings; it’s safe. I’ve been waiting here for you. One-Eye might need some medicine for its wound… I don’t have money to give you right now, so I might have to owe you…”

The girl’s head was slightly lowered as she spoke, and Shuo Yu couldn’t see her expression clearly. She immediately replied, “Wait a moment, I’ll check if the mall sells medicine.”

“Thank you, Sister.” Hearing this, Ji Mianmian let out a sigh of relief, her response deeply sincere. Yesterday, Shuo Yu had proactively bought her food, so she accepted it without psychological pressure. But today, asking for medicine made her feel very embarrassed.

[Ji Mianmian Favorability +10]

[Ji Mianmian Favorability +5]

[Ji Mianmian Favorability +8] …

The medicine gift pack required Level 10 to purchase. Shuo Yu couldn’t wait, so she topped up 128 Yuan to buy an “All-in-One Medical Relief Station.” The moment she closed the payment page, her screen was flooded with favorability increase notifications.

128 Yuan was enough for a decent manicure. She had felt a bit of a sting when spending it, but seeing Mianmian’s favorability surge to 116 points, she instantly felt: Who needs a manicure? Worldly possessions are nothing compared to my wife’s happiness!

Shuo Yu placed the new medical station on the beach. This one looked high-end—a single-story building of about sixty square meters. Walking through the door triggered an automatic triage process; the station could detect a cat’s health and dispense basic medicine for Cat Coins.

Shuo Yu studied the controls for a while, then picked out a bottle of wound cleanser and some trauma gel for Mianmian. “I don’t know how serious One-Eye’s injury is. Try these first. It would be best to bring it here for treatment.”

“Thank you, Sister. Thank you so much.” Ji Mianmian put the items into her back-basket and bowed.

As Mianmian turned to leave, Shuo Yu quickly tapped the screen to make her stop. Amidst the girl’s confusion, Shuo Yu bravely clicked the “Change Outfit” button. A set of neatly folded clothes fell from the sky in front of Ji Mianmian.

Shuo Yu subconsciously swallowed. “Mianmian, your dress is torn. Wear this…”

Ji Mianmian examined the clothes carefully. They were folded perfectly, in simple black and white. It looked like a long dress, complete with sleeves, a headband, and small leather shoes. It looked much better than her current rags. She actually liked it quite a bit.

Shuo Yu felt relieved seeing another favorability prompt. Modern people have attached too much “meaning” to maid outfits—kink, servitude, being controlled… even though this was a conservative Victorian-style long maid dress, she had been worried the cat-ear girl would think she was being treated like a servant and lose favorability.

Currently, Shuo Yu hummed a tune as she scrolled through her phone. She watched as the cat-ear girl walked back into the medical station, several shy little emojis appearing over her head: “I’m going to change now. Sister, no peeking!”

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