Rebirth: Using Love as an Excuse for Cruelty - Chapter 23

After his argument with Ze Bai, Su Weixi seemed to be in a very bad mood.

He wore a forced smile as he asked Yu Linfei, “Is the kitten all better?”

“He’s fine.” Yu Linfei stared at Su Weixi, deep in thought. “Su Weixi, who was that?”

“…Just a friend.” Su Weixi clearly didn’t want to talk about it and immediately changed the subject. “Is Blacky two months old yet?”

“I think so. He was one month old when I got him from He Yi’s place,” Yu Linfei replied. “But Su Weixi, don’t dodge the question. Who exactly was that man?”

“…” Su Weixi went silent. After a long pause under Yu Linfei’s piercing gaze, he finally whispered the man’s name: “Ze Bai.”

“How did you end up crossing him?” Yu Linfei had obviously heard of the name Ze Bai before, as his brow furrowed the moment he heard it. He held Wen Cheng in his arms, his worry for Su Weixi’s current situation plain to see. “Su Weixi, what exactly are you hiding from me?”

“I’m really fine.” Su Weixi closed his eyes tiredly. “Linfei, let me have some peace first, okay? I’ll tell you what’s going on after some time.”

“Alright.” Knowing Su Weixi didn’t want to talk, Yu Linfei didn’t push further. He sighed. “Weixi, if you need anything, just say it. If I can help, I absolutely will.”

“Okay.” Su Weixi knew that saying “thank you” at a time like this would be unnecessary between them.

The atmosphere relaxed slightly, and Su Weixi finally turned his attention to Wen Cheng, who was curled up in Yu Linfei’s arms.

“Let’s give him the FVRCP vaccine. One shot now, then a second shot in three weeks. Don’t give him a bath or take him out to play during this time. He might have a slight fever after the shot, so give him some good food to help him recover.” Su Weixi’s voice was very gentle, but to Wen Cheng, that gentle voice sounded no different from a demon.

“Meow!!” With a blood-curdling scream, Wen Cheng tried desperately to dodge Su Weixi’s reaching hand, but Yu Linfei handed him over anyway.

“He’s this scared?” Su Weixi was surprised by the extreme reaction. He had vaccinated many pets and seen plenty of them cry out, but he had never seen a cat like Blacky who started screaming so heart-wrenchingly before the needle even touched him.

“He hates needles. He was making a fuss with me at home for a long time.” Fully understanding what his cat’s screams meant, Yu Linfei spoke with a hint of doting in his voice that even he didn’t notice. “He was screaming even louder at home just now.”

“…A smart cat.” Su Weixi smiled. He held Wen Cheng in his arms and then looked down at Hami, who was sitting by his feet wagging his tail. “Is this Fengyu Teng’s dog?”

“Yeah,” Yu Linfei said. “The dog that guy raised is incredibly stupid. He almost tried to mate with my Blacky. It made me want to have him neutered.”

“Fengyu Teng would fight you to the death for that,” Su Weixi said. “However, once your Blacky grows up, I would suggest you find a time to get him neutered as well.”

“What? Neutered?” “Meow-woo? Meow-woo meow-woo?” Both Yu Linfei and Wen Cheng froze.

“If a mixed-breed cat isn’t neutered, it can lead to many problems.” Su Weixi ignored their shock and continued educating the owner: “When he grows up and goes into heat, he’ll become very aggressive. Especially male cats, they might spray urine all over the house or try to run away. Plus, if a cat isn’t fixed, they are prone to some troublesome illnesses or even cysts. Since yours is a male, it’s not as bad; if it were a female, you’d have to worry about what to do with the kittens.”

“Wouldn’t that be too cruel?” Yu Linfei seemed conflicted. “After all, he’s a male…”

“Neutered cats live longer. Besides, Chinchilla Persians don’t come in black; Blacky is definitely a mix,” Su Weixi added. “You should think about it.”

“…” Wen Cheng indicated he was completely baffled as to how the conversation shifted from vaccinations to neutering…

“Blacky.” Looking at the dazed Wen Cheng, Yu Linfei couldn’t help but laugh. “Dr. Su says I should cut off your little brother. What do you think?”

“Meow.” Wen Cheng remained in a daze.

“…” Forget it, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Blacky was still young, so there was no need to worry about those issues yet. Yu Linfei said helplessly, “Let’s not worry about that for now. Let’s just get the vaccine done.”

“Okay.” Su Weixi nodded.

With the thought of “Yu Linfei wants to neuter me” circling endlessly in his head, Wen Cheng was placed on a table. By the time he realized what was happening, Su Weixi’s sharp needle had already pierced his skin.

“Meow!!” The agonizingly miserable cat cry made Yu Linfei freeze for a moment, but he didn’t loosen his grip. Hearing his cat scream like he was being skinned alive, Yu Linfei was afraid that the moment he let go, Wen Cheng would bolt right out the door.

It hurts so much!! He’s actually giving me a shot! Aaaah! Wen Cheng meowed and cried non-stop, staring at the hand Yu Linfei used to hold him down with a gaze full of blood, tears, and resentment.

“…Stop looking at me like that, it’ll be over in a second.” Seeing Wen Cheng’s pained gaze, Yu Linfei felt an odd surge of guilt.

“There, there, all done. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” It had only been a few minutes. Su Weixi looked at the pair with amusement; it was truly his first time seeing a cat condemn its owner with its eyes.

Yu Linfei betrayed me after all. Feeling as though he had suffered extreme torture, Wen Cheng’s mood hit rock bottom. The time it took to get the shot felt ten times longer to him. It wasn’t until Su Weixi’s joking voice rang out that he felt Yu Linfei’s hand loosen slightly.

“Meow meow meow meow.” Yu Linfei, I’ll never trust you again. The faint meows expressed Wen Cheng’s pained heart. He turned his butt toward Yu Linfei and covered his face with his paws.

“…” Yu Linfei suddenly felt a lot of pressure.

“Hey, Yu Linfei, your cat is way too intelligent.” Seeing Wen Cheng’s human-like actions, Su Weixi didn’t know what to say. He thought for a moment, took a small pinch of powdered stuff from a nearby cabinet, and held it out to Wen Cheng.

…What is this? Smelling the cool, fresh scent, Wen Cheng couldn’t help but reach out his tongue and take a lick.

Then, he went stupid.

Oh my! So many circles spinning over my head, Wen Cheng felt he had never been this happy. He looked at the seven-colored dried fish floating above his head and couldn’t help but reach out his paws to grab them, meowing incessantly.

“What is this?” Watching Wen Cheng meowing dizzily and rubbing himself against the table like he was on drugs, Yu Linfei was stunned.

“Catnip.” Su Weixi shrugged. “A powder extracted from a plant cats love. It can keep a cat in a hallucination for five to ten minutes.”

“It’s not addictive, is it?” Although Yu Linfei thought Wen Cheng’s silly behavior was very cute, he was still a bit worried.

“No,” Su Weixi said. “I’ll give you a little. it can boost a kitten’s appetite and help him cough up hairballs. Just don’t use too much; if you use it too often, it loses its effect.”

“…Alright.” Yu Linfei nodded with satisfaction.

And so, the sorrow Wen Cheng had been brewing for so long died at the hands of a pinch of Su Weixi’s catnip. By the time he snapped out of it a few minutes later, he was already sitting in Yu Linfei’s car, with that stupid dog Hami panting next to him.

“…” What on earth did Su Weixi feed me?! Having a vague memory of his silly behavior just now, Wen Cheng’s face turned dark. They actually dared to do that to me!! These stupid humans dared to do that to me!!

“Blacky, be good, don’t be angry.” Seeing Wen Cheng sitting upright and solemn in the passenger seat, Yu Linfei couldn’t help but laugh. “It was catnip. Did Blacky like it?”

Like it my ass! What the hell was that stuff? It made even the noble me lose my mind! Humans just love using these weird things to harm us cats! Wen Cheng gave a scornful meow.

“…” Fine, his cat would always be this tsundere. Yu Linfei thought weakly. He reached out to pat Wen Cheng’s head and blurted out, “You have to get another one in three weeks. Blacky, you won’t be scared then, right?”

What? Wen Cheng’s round eyes widened instantly. What was Yu Linfei saying?

“Mhm, I knew my Blacky was the cutest.” Detecting a hint of cunning in Yu Linfei’s smile, Wen Cheng listened to Yu Linfei’s happy talking to himself: “You won’t be scared next time, right?”

Like hell I won’t! Rushing toward the car window at top speed, Wen Cheng reflexively extended his claws and started scratching.

“…My glass…” Yu Linfei said helplessly. “Blacky, stop scratching!”

Wen Cheng ignored him and kept scratching!

“…If you keep scratching, no more dried fish.” Yu Linfei continued to threaten him.

Hmph, thinking you can bribe me with mere dried fish? In your dreams! Wen Cheng scratched even harder.

“…No chicken liver either.” Yu Linfei stayed calm.

Oh… chicken liver… Wen Cheng’s movements slowed down slightly.

“And now your yogurt is gone, too.” Yu Linfei used his ultimate weapon.

“…Meow-woo.” Wen Cheng’s ears drooped unhappily, and he returned to his seat.

…His poor glass. Yu Linfei looked at the scratch marks Wen Cheng left on the window, his heart full of sadness. It’s just a shot! How can Blacky, who has so much fun bullying Hami be this scared?

“Awooo.” Hami, not knowing why Yu Linfei was looking at him, was still happily wagging his tail.

“…” Alright, he got it. Looking at Hami’s innocent face, Yu Linfei suddenly understood. His cat was just a little brat who bullies the weak and fears the strong.

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