The Obsessive Beauty’s White Moonlight - Chapter 12

Su Niannian and Qi Ning took the kitten to the nearest 24-hour veterinary clinic.

Su Niannian had expected the tiny creature—hardly bigger than her palm to fail, but miraculously, after the vet performed emergency treatment, the kitten managed to stand up on its wobbly legs.

Once its fur was washed and blow-dried, its true appearance was revealed: a delicate-featured, bright-eyed orange tabby that looked like it had a very healthy appetite.

“She’s quite healthy,” the vet said, handing the kitten back to Su Niannian.

Having seen the kitten at death’s door earlier, Su Niannian was still worried. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

“Yes,” the vet replied, looking equally surprised. “Not even a cold. This little thing is remarkably resilient.”

The orange kitten seemed to know that Su Niannian was its savior. As soon as it stood up, it began to mew-mew at her, its tiny, milky voice enough to melt anyone’s heart.

“She probably wants you to hold her,” the vet suggested.

Su Niannian had never held a cat before. Despite the vet’s guidance, she was clumsy and stiff, terrified that the tiny thing might slip from her arms. Fortunately, the kitten was incredibly well-behaved; it nuzzled her arm before emitting a satisfied, rhythmic purr.

The sight of the kitten’s total, adorable trust softened Su Niannian’s heart completely. She instinctively looked toward Qi Ning.

“Want to keep her?” Qi Ning asked. She had been uncharacteristically quiet since they found the cat.

“Can I?” Su Niannian flushed slightly. After all, she was a guest in Qi Ning’s home herself.

Qi Ning sensed her hesitation and smiled casually. “Of course you can.”

Su Niannian’s mood instantly brightened, and she gave Qi Ning’s hand a joyful tug—an action that sent the doctor’s mood soaring.

The vet looked on with relief. “It’s been very difficult to find adopters for kittens lately. It’s for the best if you’re willing to take her in.”

The kitten flicked its tail. “Mew.”

Su Niannian rubbed the kitten’s head, and it meowed back as if in response.

“Let’s give her a name first so I can record it in the medical file,” the vet said.

Before she could even overthink it, a name popped into Su Niannian’s mind. “Her name is Tongtong.”

Qi Ning interjected dryly, “Tong as in ‘Trash Can’ (Laji Tong)?”

Su Niannian: “…”

The Vet: “…”

The Kitten: “…”

“Since she was picked up next to a trash can, she’s called Tongtong,” Qi Ning said, lifting the kitten by its tail. As the kitten meowed and flailed, she set it back down with a flat tone. “Turns out it’s a female.”

The kitten: “Meow! Meow! Meow!”

“It’s Tong as in ‘System’ (Xitong), not ‘Trash Can’!”

Su Niannian corrected her in a small voice. Noticing the kitten seemed sensitive to the words “trash can,” she even reached out to cover Tongtong’s ears when she said them.

“Mm. ‘Tongtong’,” Qi Ning said, looking the kitten straight in the eyes, the curve of her lips unnervingly flat. “Be a good girl for Niannian.”

An animal’s pure instinct made Tongtong’s fur stand on end. “Hiss-mew!”

By the time they finished shopping for pet supplies, it was late. Looking at the dark, heavy sky, Su Niannian realized they hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

After setting up the cat bed and seeing Tongtong start to frolic, Su Niannian turned to Qi Ning. “Do you have ingredients at home? I’ll make dinner.”

“Hmm?” Qi Ning, who had been staring at Tongtong, snapped out of her daze. Su Niannian’s offer was unexpected. “You know how to cook?”

Most painters she knew cherished their hands above all else and avoided the kitchen and its potential hazards.

“I didn’t live with my parents growing up, and I didn’t like having strangers in the house, so I learned a bit,” Su Niannian explained as she walked toward the kitchen.

We ate quite a feast earlier, so we can just have some simple home-cooked food for tonight, Su Niannian thought, opening Qi Ning’s refrigerator.

The entire fridge was packed with various types of alcohol. Aside from that, there was only a bunch of green onions and a few eggs.

Qi Ning, suddenly remembering she hadn’t hidden her stash: “I don’t usually cook.”

Her lifestyle was, in fact, quite poor. She drank alcohol or coffee when thirsty and ordered takeout when hungry. The only time the stove had been used this month was last night when she heated milk for Su Niannian.

Su Niannian silently added “grocery shopping” to her mental to-do list. “I’ll just make two bowls of clear broth noodles, then.”

“In the future, tell me what you like to eat. I’ll prepare it so you can eat when you get home from work,” Su Niannian paused, feeling the statement sounded a bit too intimate. She quickly added a clumsy cover-up: “Since I’m staying at your place, it’s only right that I do some chores.”

She was thinking about improving Qi Ning’s eating habits, forgetting that she herself was someone who lived irregularly, often skipping meals and sleep when caught in the grip of a painting.

Qi Ning’s eyes flickered. Since she was very young, she had accepted that she would likely grow old alone. She had never expected to return home to the sight of a warm meal.

She wanted to let Su Niannian leave even less now.

In the middle of the night, Su Niannian woke to a strange noise. She stared into the darkness for a long while before realizing that Qi Ning, who should have been sleeping beside her, was gone.

“Qi Ning?”

No one answered, but the sound coming from the bedroom door grew louder.

Su Niannian walked hesitantly to the door. The more she listened, the more it sounded like something scratching?

Tongtong: “Mew-wuuu!”

“Tongtong?” Su Niannian picked up the scratching kitten in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

The cat bed was in the corner of the living room. She had no idea how the recently-weaned kitten had managed to find its way here. Even while being held, Tongtong wouldn’t settle; she rested her tiny head on Su Niannian’s arm and meowed toward the study.

Su Niannian was focused on finding Qi Ning, so she simply rubbed the restless kitten. “You can’t go wandering around, okay?”

After checking the entire apartment, Su Niannian was certain: Qi Ning wasn’t home. Not only was she gone, but she didn’t pick up her phone.

It was 2:00 AM. Had Qi Ning encountered an emergency? She was a doctor, maybe an emergency call? But a private clinic doctor shouldn’t have emergency duties.

Looking at the worsening rain outside and thinking of the serial killer still at large, Su Niannian grew anxious. She felt a sudden impulse to go out and look for her.

Just then, Tongtong leaped from her arms and darted into the study.

“No!” Su Niannian gasped, immediately following.

She entered the study to find Tongtong jumping onto the bookshelf, trying to paw at a few heavy volumes.

“Tongtong, come down,” Su Niannian said, her tone hardening.

She reached out to grab the over-energetic kitten, but Tongtong was faster. She hooked her claws into the spine of a German dictionary and yanked it off the shelf.

The next second, accompanied by the abrupt sound of gears turning, the entire bookshelf rotated backward, revealing a pitch-black secret passage.

The damp scent of rain mixed with the sharp, overwhelming smell of disinfectant wafted from within.

It was deep, dark, and terrifying.