The Villainous Female Side Character Pretends to Be an Omega in the Apocalypse and Raises a Cat - Chapter 12

Yesterday, she had promised the little cat to find her some pet-friendly instant noodles. Chi Yingdong rubbed her eyes, shaking off the drowsiness before rolling out of bed.

A soft snoring sound came from the foot of the bed. Chi Yingdong turned her head and looked down.

The little cat was sprawled out on the plush carpet, its pinkish-white belly rising and falling gently with each breath.

Its paws were still unconsciously kneading the air, the soft pink pads opening and closing rhythmically.

“Little lazy cat, time to get up.”

Seeing the cat sleeping so carefree, Chi Yingdong smirked mischievously and reached out to gently tickle its soft belly.

Startled by the touch in such a private spot, the cat sprang upright in its sleep, arching its back and puffing its tail into a fluffy duster.

Its eyes, though heavy with sleep, stubbornly widened as it glared at the culprit.

However, its jade-green pupils were still hazy with sleep, glistening with moisture. Though its gaze was full of accusation, it held no intimidation.

“When did you sneak onto the carpet to sleep?”

Amused by the cat’s disheveled fur and sleepy, half-closed eyes, Chi Yingdong couldn’t help but laugh as she asked.

Meng Qinghe’s mind was still foggy. In response to Chi Yingdong’s question, she let out a few muddled “meows,” her voice soft and groggy.

Then, like a puddle of water, she flopped back down and fell asleep again.

Chi Yingdong sighed and patted the cat’s head. “Fine, I won’t bother you. Get up, it’s time to exercise.”

At the word “exercise,” Meng Qinghe finally woke up.

Her previously limp body straightened, and she shot a resentful sidelong glance at Chi Yingdong before dragging her tail slowly toward the bedroom door.

Watching the cat’s retreating figure, Chi Yingdong sensed a hint of “grievance” in the way its tail dragged along the floor.

Was she unhappy?

Chi Yingdong hurried to catch up.

In the bathroom, the faucet was turned on full blast, the water roaring loudly.

Meng Qinghe sat perched on the sink, deliberately slapping the flowing water with her paws again and again, as if venting her frustration by treating the water as a stand-in for someone.

As soon as Chi Yingdong approached, water droplets splashed onto her clothes.

The water quickly seeped into the hem of her shirt, but the cat responded with a haughty toss of its head.

Chi Yingdong glanced at her damp clothes, then crouched down to meet the cat at eye level. “Are you angry?”

Meng Qinghe turned her head away, refusing to look directly at Chi Yingdong, though she couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at her reflection in the mirror.

Seeing the confused look in the other’s eyes, she pouted in dissatisfaction.

So dense!!

She had made it so obvious, couldn’t she tell she was unhappy and didn’t want to exercise?

Chi Yingdong’s gaze accidentally met the cat’s in the mirror. Realizing the cat was secretly watching her, she felt a surge of affection and couldn’t help but smile.

“My apologies, Cat Master. Please don’t be upset. I’ll find you something delicious to eat later.”

Chi Yingdong propped her chin in her hands, her eyes slightly downturned, like a little rabbit trying to act cute.

Faced with Chi Yingdong’s deliberately pitiful expression, Meng Qinghe’s heart skipped a beat.

Since arriving in this world, Chi Yingdong had mostly worn a stern expression, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

Despite her sweet appearance, she never acted cute or playful.

Seeing Chi Yingdong like this for the first time left Meng Qinghe utterly stunned.

“Meow, meow meow meow.”

You… stop that.

Flustered, Meng Qinghe raised a paw to stop Chi Yingdong from making such an unfair expression.

But her paws slipped on the water she had splashed around, and she tumbled over!

The expected pain never came. Meng Qinghe cautiously opened her eyes and met Chi Yingdong’s anxious gaze.

Chi Yingdong had caught her.

At that moment, Meng Qinghe could clearly feel a pair of warm palms steadily supporting her, gently patting her back in reassurance.

After this close call, the unhappiness in Meng Qinghe’s heart vanished completely. Her tail lightly brushed against the back of Chi Yingdong’s hand.

The tingling sensation from the tail’s touch lingered in their hearts. Without many words, both of them let the matter pass.

Chi Yingdong grabbed a towel and wiped the water off the sink before placing the kitten back on it. “Be careful.”

“Meow.”

Understood.

“So well-behaved. Let me clean your face first.”

Chi Yingdong smiled and gently pinched the kitten’s soft cheeks before picking up a cleansing cloth.

She waited until the cloth was completely soaked in water before gently wiping the kitten’s face clean.

After softly cleaning the tear stains from the corners of the kitten’s eyes, Meng Qinghe cooperatively lifted her paw.

Holding the kitten’s paw, Chi Yingdong said seriously, “Spread your paw. I’ll clean between your toes.”

Hearing this, Meng Qinghe obediently revealed her little paw pads.

The kitten’s paw pads were pink, soft, and delightfully springy to the touch.

Under the guise of cleaning, Chi Yingdong took the opportunity to squeeze all four paws before finally withdrawing her hand.

With her face and paws cleaned, Meng Qinghe strutted proudly toward the cat food station, tail held high.

Though tiny, she carried herself with the imposing aura of a tiger.

Leaning against the doorframe, Chi Yingdong watched this adorable scene, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

Seeing the kitten pause in front of the cat food station and look around, Chi Yingdong quickly caught up.

After adding some food to the bowl, Chi Yingdong patted the kitten’s head, collected her “payment,” and withdrew her hand contentedly. “Is there anything else you need me to do?”

Meng Qinghe meowed and flicked her tail, signaling for Chi Yingdong to step aside.

What a little master!

Chi Yingdong said, “Then I’ll go wash up.”

Though she said this, her feet remained rooted to the spot.

After waiting a moment and confirming that Meng Qinghe had no intention of keeping her, Chi Yingdong pouted, grumbling inwardly that the kitten had abandoned her for food, and turned to wash up.

After a quick wash and changing her clothes, Chi Yingdong prepared to leave.

Meng Qinghe had just finished eating. Catching sight of Chi Yingdong about to leave out of the corner of her eye, she immediately abandoned the remaining food in her bowl and hurried after her.

She didn’t want to experience the fear and unease from last night again.

Surprised, Chi Yingdong looked at the kitten by her feet and asked curiously, “Are you coming out with me?”

From their time together, Chi Yingdong knew the kitten had a bit of a homebody streak.

Seeing the kitten wanting to go out with her now was somewhat surprising.

“Meow.”

Yes.

Meng Qinghe let out a soft meow, waiting for Chi Yingdong to pick her up.

Delighted to have the kitten accompany her, Chi Yingdong paused putting on her shoes and scooped the cat into her arms.

“Are you full? Finish eating before we go out.”

Chi Yingdong carried the kitten back inside and placed her beside the food bowl.

There wasn’t much food left in the bowl. Meng Qinghe quickly finished the remainder in a few bites.

Seizing the moment, Chi Yingdong took a slice of toast from her space and swiftly ate her breakfast.

“Meow, meow, meow.”

We can go now.

Meng Qinghe reached out a paw and tugged at Chi Yingdong’s pants.

Chi Yingdong gently stroked the kitten’s belly to confirm it was full, then the two of them descended the stairs via the emergency exit.

Before they even reached the second floor, the damp, musty smell of mold assaulted their senses.

Chi Yingdong pressed her lips together and continued downward.

The second-floor landing was crowded with waterlogged supplies. Meng Qinghe, perched on Chi Yingdong’s head, curiously observed what was inside the soaked items.

Water-damaged cardboard boxes revealed through their cracks that they contained packaged instant noodles.

A white safe bore dried gray water stains on its surface.

Everything silently recounted the harrowing events of the previous night.

Standing on the landing between the first and second floors, Chi Yingdong looked down. The floodwaters had already submerged most of the first floor, but fortunately, the rain outside had lightened considerably compared to the night before.

With no one around, Chi Yingdong retrieved a small inflatable boat from her spatial storage.

Her storage contained various types of inflatable boats, but she had chosen this one for its low cost and short lifespan, making it less likely to attract envy.

Rowing the inflatable boat out through a window, she found herself surrounded by floodwaters.

Gazing at the inundated residential complex, her strongest impression was how insignificant human structures appeared in the face of natural disasters, let alone humans themselves.

Chi Yingdong paddled the oars, the sound of them cutting through the water echoing loudly in the silence.

As she neared the complex’s entrance, she encountered the zombie she had killed the day before.

The zombie’s body floated on the water’s surface, swollen like an overinflated balloon.

Beneath its pale skin, bluish-black veins were faintly visible, and its eyes stared blankly at the sky.

The corpse drifted aimlessly, carried by the water’s slow currents.

Meng Qinghe also recognized the body, it was the zombie that had been carrying a briefcase the day before.

The sight unsettled her, and she buried her entire head in the crook of Chi Yingdong’s neck, her warm breath coming in rapid puffs against Chi Yingdong’s skin.

“Don’t be afraid,” Chi Yingdong murmured softly, sensing the kitten’s distress. With a gentle push of her oar, she nudged the corpse farther away.

In her previous life, she had seen far too many such bodies and had long grown immune to them.

Meng Qinghe didn’t respond, only burying her head deeper.

She knew that even more terrifying scenes awaited in the future, and she would adapt, she just needed a moment to collect herself.

Unbeknownst to the pair, someone had filmed them rowing away from the complex and shared the video in the residents’ group chat.

In these times, those daring enough to venture outside earned admiration from some, while others harbored deeper thoughts.

With the severe flooding outside and the government already stretched thin, the future might only worsen. What if their food supplies ran out…?

If they, too, had an inflatable boat, they could also venture out to gather supplies when the time came.

Soon, anonymous inquiries about Chi Yingdong began circulating in the group chat.

Chi Yingdong had anticipated that someone might covet her inflatable boat, but she felt no fear.

As she drew closer to the complex’s entrance, the stench outside grew increasingly unbearable, a nauseating mix of rotting corpses and sewer filth.

Meng Qinghe, having recovered slightly, lifted her head to peer into the distance. From afar, she spotted another body drifting in the floodwaters.

Just as she was trying to determine whether it was a corpse or a zombie, the creature detected the scent of the living and reacted, thrashing in the water with guttural roars.

Each roar sent ripples across the water’s surface, sending chills down their spines.

Seeing the zombie drawing nearer, Chi Yingdong’s eyes darkened. With a swift motion, she hurled an ice blade toward it.

The zombie’s head separated from its body, its skull splashing into the water.

One strike, instant death.

Meng Qinghe gazed at her furry paws, unable to resist envisioning the day she would become human.

Then it occurred to her: if that day truly came, how would she protect herself? How would she protect Chi Yingdong?

In that moment, all resistance to training vanished from Meng Qinghe’s mind.

Protecting someone isn’t just empty words, she needed real strength to safeguard those who mattered.