The Little Kitten Was Raised By Her Childhood Friend To Be His Wife - Chapter 4

Ling Xiao pushed the door open and entered, only to see the little lion cub holding Ruan Ruan, crying his heart out.

Looking at Ruan Ruan’s sleeping posture, Ling Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Xiao Ye, your brother isn’t ‘lying in a box’ (dead), he’s just sleeping.”

“Sleeping…?” The little lion’s crying subsided. He sniffed and sobbed, trying to confirm, “Is that true, Auntie Ling?”

Ling Xiao nodded. She had long since grown used to her son’s “unrestrained” sleeping positions.

Fortunately, at that moment, the little kitten slowly woke up. In the little lion’s arms, the kitten first let out a “meow” and stretched, performing a “paw flower” (spreading his toes), before slowly opening his eyes. In a soft, sweet, and blurry voice, he said, “Morning, Big Brother~”

The little lion’s face instantly turned bright red, though luckily it couldn’t be seen through all his fur.

The “lying in a box” misunderstanding came to an abrupt end.

After the two little ones finished washing up and ate breakfast, the little lion was picked up by Sang Yi to go to the nursery. He left with his head hanging low, looking very dejected, he didn’t want to go to school and wanted to stay and play with his younger brother.

Sang Yi told him that Ruan Ruan and Auntie Ling would be visiting their house today and that he would see his brother as soon as school was over. Only then was the little lion coaxed into going to school obediently.

As for Ruan Ruan, since he had just moved in, Ling Xiao wasn’t in a hurry to send him to the nursery. She planned to wait until he was familiar with the environment.

Ling Xiao still had some vacation days left from her work at the Central Star Parliament, so she could stay home today to accompany Ruan Ruan, an opportunity that was rare for him.

Ruan Ruan was thrilled that his mother could spend the whole day with him. The two spent a warm and happy parent-child day in their new home.

As the time for the gathering approached, Ruan Ruan stood in front of the mirror and proactively asked his mother to put a small bow hairclip on his head. The hairclip was creamy yellow, made of knit material, and hand crafted by Ling Xiao following a knitting tutorial. Ruan Ruan liked it very much.

The little kitten looked at himself in the mirror wearing the bow. He turned to check the left side, then the right, making sure his fur wasn’t messy.

Then, he turned his head and tilted it toward his mother, asking shyly and a bit nervously, “Mommy, will Uncle Wen and Big Brother’s big brother like the baby?”

Ling Xiao kissed the kitten’s head and looked seriously into Ruan Ruan’s sparkling eyes. She said with absolute certainty, “Of course they will.”

The little kitten let out an excited “Meow!” and reached out to his mother for a hug.

Today’s gathering was purely a small family reunion between long time friends. To cook personally, Sang Yi, who was an actress, specifically cleared her schedule. Wen Lianchuan also left work early, trading his elite business suit for decent casual clothes to wait at home.

When Ruan Ruan finally met Wen Lianchuan for the first time, he was still a bit nervous, but he greeted him very politely.

Wen Lianchuan responded warmly. He recalled when Ruan Ruan was first born, he and Sang Yi had made a special trip to visit.

At that time, Ruan Ruan was tiny, sleeping in an incubator with his eyes still closed. Ruan Ruan’s father was still there back then. The four of them, friends who had been close since their student days, stood together, watching the arrival of the new life with deep emotion.

Thinking of this, Wen Lianchuan felt both sentimental and a sting of bitterness in his heart.

Dinner was set up in the outdoor courtyard. Ruan Ruan played with the three adults in the yard while they chatted and prepared the grilled food.

Since the two lion brothers hadn’t returned from school yet, the adults took turns playing with Ruan Ruan.

However, most of the time, the little kitten stayed quietly and obediently by his mother’s side. When he couldn’t understand the adults’ conversation, he would lick his fur and his pink paws. If a topic involved him, he would answer in a milky, tender voice.

Only once, during a gap in the conversation, did he lift his little head and timidly ask when Brother Xiao Ye would be home.

Sang Yi’s heart melted. More than once, she lamented that she wished she had another son like Ruan Ruan. Her younger son was a troublemaker, like a little demon king, while her eldest son was the complete opposite, steady and calm like a little adult. Neither of them was as well-behaved and soft as Ruan Ruan.

Just as she was thinking this, a clattering sound suddenly came from inside the house, followed by one or two gasps from the housekeeper.

Sang Yi’s mouth twitched. She didn’t need to guess to know that her little demon king son was back.

The door was pushed open with a “thwack,” and a white blur rushed straight toward the little kitten.

The little lion jumped excitedly around the kitten, letting out “aoo-woo” sounds to express his joy. Even in his excitement, he held back from pouncing on his brother, he was much heavier than the kitten and didn’t want to hurt him.

Seeing who it was, the little kitten immediately brightened up and meowed, hopping around to nuzzle the little lion.

“Brother! I missed you!”

“Big Brother! You’re back!”

The three adults laughed heartily. Looking at how clingy the two little guys were, one would think they had been separated for an eternity, when it had only been a few hours.

The little lion was so excited he almost forgot to greet Ling Xiao. After saying hello, he immediately dragged the little kitten off to play with various toys, wishing he could share every fun thing in the house with his brother. Compared to before the lion’s return, the kitten’s interest in playing had increased significantly.

Seeing their younger son give his favorite toys to Ruan Ruan while he simply stayed by his side to accompany him, Wen Lianchuan and Sang Yi knew just how much he liked Ruan Ruan.

One had to know that their younger son had a very strong sense of possessiveness over things he liked. If it were any other cub playing with those toys, he would get angry, he wouldn’t even let his older brother touch them.

The husband and wife looked at each other and smiled, sharing a silent understanding.

The two little ones were playing so hard they were both a bit out of breath.

At that moment, the door was opened unhurriedly. A young boy who looked like a seven-year-old human child walked in. He wore an academic style small suit, his golden hair was perfectly groomed, and his expression was calm, like a miniature version of a gentleman.

This was the eldest son of the Wen family, Wen Huaizhe.

Wen Huaizhe walked up to Ling Xiao, gave a steady self-introduction, and greeted her with perfect manners, earning a round of praise from her.

Wen Huaizhe’s gaze then fell on Ruan Ruan. His eyes flickered slightly, and with a smile on his lips, he walked toward the kitten.

Ruan Ruan quietly shifted a little bit behind the little lion. This was the first time he had seen this golden haired older brother who must be “Big Brother’s big brother” and he felt a bit shy and timid.

Wen Huaizhe crouched down, reached out a hand toward Ruan Ruan, and introduced himself: “Hello, Little Brother Ruan Ruan. My name is Wen Huaizhe. You can call me Brother Xiao Zhe.”

Next to them, Wen Huaiye (the little lion) suddenly bristled. He shielded Ruan Ruan behind him and shouted with great dissatisfaction: “No! Brother is mine alone! He can only call me Big Brother!”

Wen Huaizhe raised an eyebrow, looking helplessly at his silly younger brother. He tried to explain: “I am your big brother, and you are Ruan Ruan’s big brother. Therefore, according to logic, Ruan Ruan is also my younger brother.”

The little lion was so upset he began stomping his feet on the spot, “aoo-woo-ing” in protest. He didn’t care about his smelly brother’s “logic”, logic had already been eaten by his “aoo-woo.”

As he continued his protest, he caught sight of his parents in front of him. Suddenly, he thought of a way to ensure the kitten belonged only to him.

Wen Huaiye shouted at the top of his lungs, “Then Ruan Ruan is my wife! A wife can only belong to one person!”

For a moment, everyone present froze. The adults were the first to react, quickly bursting into laughter at the childish innocence of the statement.

Wen Huaizhe’s lips quirked into a dry smile as he gave his silly brother a look of pity, as if concerned for his IQ.

Wen Huaiye tilted his head, confused. Was he wrong? Mommy was only Daddy’s wife. If he wanted Ruan Ruan to be his alone, then making Ruan Ruan his wife was the solution!

Ruan Ruan, who had just been “turned into a wife,” looked dazed. He stared at the little lion in confusion and asked softly, “Big Brother, what is a ‘wife’?”

In the end, Ruan Ruan still didn’t understand what a wife was even after dinner was finished. He asked the little lion, who only stammered and said he would explain later.

In truth, the little lion was racking his brain but couldn’t think of how to explain it. Given that he had just established his “cultured big brother” persona by telling a story the night before, he decided to secretly ask his parents first. He certainly wasn’t going to ask his smelly older brother, hmph!

After dinner, everyone went to the hall to rest. One wall of the hall was covered with photos of the family of four from various occasions.

This was Wen Lianchuan’s idea. Although fewer people used physical photos in this era, Wen Lianchuan felt that while a beastman’s life was long, these memorable moments strung together were what gave his life meaning.

So, on every important day for a family member, he would personally take photos and videos. He would then hang them up with his family so they could see them at any time.

Ruan Ruan found these photos very novel. He snuggled in his mother’s arms and looked through them one by one.

Sang Yi and Wen Lianchuan, along with Wen Huaiye, reminisced about the past nearby.

Suddenly, Ruan Ruan saw a familiar figure in a photo. He pointed it out to his mother in surprise and joy: “Mommy! Look, it’s Daddy!”

It was a photo of the four friends graduating from the top university on Central Star. The four spirited young people were wearing dark robes. Ling Xiao and Ruan Qingyuan were sharing a sweet kiss in front of the camera, while Sang Yi and Wen Lianchuan were too shy to look at each other, though their hands were secretly linked.

At that time, Ling Xiao and Ruan Qingyuan were already in a confirmed relationship, but it was at that moment that Sang Yi and Wen Lianchuan finally broke the ice and became lovers. All four were filled with happiness, about to embark on a new stage of life.

“Mommy and Daddy are kissing!” Ruan Ruan shyly covered his eyes with his paws.

As Ling Xiao looked at the photo, memories of that time flooded back. Her lover, Ruan Ruan’s father was no longer here.

A gentle smile played on Ling Xiao’s lips, but her eyes held a look of longing. Sang Yi affectionately leaned her head against Ling Xiao’s in silent comfort. Wen Lianchuan looked over, his eyes offering the same support.

Ling Xiao smiled and looked down to kiss Ruan Ruan. Ruan Ruan was too young to understand the meaning of death. He only knew that his father had taken a mecha to a place further away than the home of the stars. But if he missed his father, he could look up at the stars, and his father would know he was being thought of.

Ruan Ruan opened his eyes and stared at his father for a long time, saying silently in his heart: Daddy, I look at the stars every day. You must have seen me too, right?

Ling Xiao didn’t want everyone to stay in a state of loss for too long, so she proactively shifted the topic. There were many other photos on the wall, including a funny one of the two lion brothers with their faces covered in milk powder.

Back then, Wen Huaiye had mischievously tried to jump onto the table. Not only did he fail to make the jump, but he also accidentally knocked over a milk tin. The powder spilled everywhere, coating Wen Huaiye. Instead of stopping, he continued to roll around in the powder, and even Wen Huaizhe, who was also in his little lion form at the time, wasn’t spared. Wen Huaizhe’s head was covered in milk powder, his eyes were squinted shut by the dust, and his furry face was the picture of helplessness.

Seeing Ruan Ruan looking at this photo, the little lion panicked and tried to cover it. He felt that being covered in milk powder wasn’t “cool” enough and felt embarrassed for his brother to see it. However, the photo was hung quite high, even when Wen Huaiye jumped, he couldn’t reach it.

Wen Huaiye whimpered and clung to Wen Lianchuan’s leg, trying to get his dad to help “destroy the evidence.”

Wen Huaizhe walked over to Wen Huaiye’s side, smiling like a little adult. He mouthed to his silly brother: “Impossible.”

Wen Huaiye: QAQ

After looking for a while, Ruan Ruan suddenly said to Wen Huaiye in an envious tone, “Big Brother, it snows inside your house!”

It turned out the little kitten had mistaken the milk powder on the ground for snow. He had never seen snow before, his mother had told him that snow was white.

Wen Huaiye hadn’t expected Ruan Ruan to react this way. Since Ruan Ruan wasn’t making fun of him at all, the little lion’s eyes lit up again.

Wen Huaizhe raised an eyebrow but didn’t deny Ruan Ruan’s whimsical idea.

The next photo captured the day Wen Huaizhe transformed into his human form for the first time. The young boy in the photo wore a pointed hat and was draped in ribbons, looking very happy. Sang Yi and Wen Lianchuan hadn’t forgotten to put a decorative hat on Wen Huaiye too, but he looked a bit sulky in the corner, hanging his furry head with a disgruntled expression.

Ruan Ruan looked at Wen Huaizhe in the photo, his eyes full of envy and anticipation. “Wow, Brother Xiao Zhe transformed!”

For a beastman, the importance of the childhood transformation could not be overstated; it marked the true beginning of growth.

Wen Huaiye, who still couldn’t transform, shouted urgently, “Brother, I’ll be able to transform soon! On the day I transform, I’ll definitely be super tall and super strong! Just… just like my Daddy! Even taller than my big brother!”

Wen Huaizhe: “Heh… logically speaking, that’s impossible.”

Wen Huaiye looked at his brother defiantly. When his brother had transformed, he had asked his parents why he couldn’t. They told him he was younger than his brother and his time hadn’t come yet.

But now he was older and nearing the age of transformation. Once he transformed, he would definitely be taller and stronger than his brother! (Proud face)

Wen Huaizhe: “…”

Ruan Ruan, however, was a very supportive audience. He believed his brother’s words implicitly and nodded heavily. “Mm-hmm! Big Brother will be tall and strong!”

Wen Huaizhe: “…”

He let out a long, helpless sigh. Forget it, there was no point in talking logic with these two “younger brothers.”

The three adults knew these were just the innocent words of children. The world of cubs was pure and precious, so none of them interrupted or corrected them.

The Wen family also advocated for encouraging education. Sang Yi pointed to the next photo of Wen Huaiye to encourage him: “Xiao Ye will definitely get better and better.”

A month ago, the little lion had participated in a cub cross country race. The competitors were all predator cubs of similar age. They had to cross obstacles and avoid traps in a wild environment.

In the end, Wen Huaiye won the championship. In the photo, he stood on the podium with a flower wreath on his round head. However, his fur was dirty and stained with grass, and there was a cut above his right eye from the race. Because it hurt, his eyes were a bit watery, but he had held back his tears, looking into the lens with a stubborn expression.

Wen Lianchuan added, “Xiao Ye insisted on participating. He practiced for a long time before the race. Luckily, the injury wasn’t serious.”

Ling Xiao praised him sincerely: “Xiao Ye is very brave.” She looked down at Ruan Ruan in her arms and noticed that while he was staring intently at the photo, his expression had turned unhappy.

Ruan Ruan turned to his mother and said he wanted to get down. Though a bit confused, Ling Xiao set him on the floor.

The little kitten ran over to the little lion and meowed, rubbing against his brother’s leg. Out of habit, the little lion lowered his head to nuzzle the kitten.

However, the little kitten stuck out his tiny tongue and gently licked the spot where the little lion had been injured. His eyes were full of heartache as he asked softly, “Does it still hurt, Big Brother?”

At that, the little lion froze in place.