Volume 1 Chapter 34: The Cat

Volume 1 Chapter 34: The Cat

The rain was pouring down, and Ning Chu’s mood was as heavy as the storm clouds above.

Only now did he realize— even if he hadn’t turned into a girl, he was still in danger.

It wasn’t that the idea of being kept by a rich woman sounded terrible. With his weak desire for work, freeloading actually sounded kind of nice. But judging from the fact that nearly everyone in this novel’s world was a pervert, his small, fragile body probably couldn’t withstand what those rich ladies might put him through.

And sure, the story itself might not have “man-on-man” romance, but what about the people outside the plot? Who knew if there weren’t men out there who just happened to like his “cute boy” type?

“Not happy?” Wen Yang chuckled, clearly enjoying his misery. “Don’t worry, next time you go on a date with the lady boss, I’ll be your wingman.”

He was already thinking about his conditions: as long as Ning Chu stopped bothering him during his own dates with girls...

“No thanks. I’m not interested in rich women.”

Wen Yang froze, confused. “Wait, why not? She’s got money, she’s gentle, she’s pretty and has a good figure. The only thing is she’s a few years older—what’s wrong with that?”

“Because I’ve got pride! I can’t just live off someone else!” Ning Chu said righteously. “Besides, I’m a man, alright? Even if I don’t make it big, I should at least be able to support myself. Depending on others isn’t real ability!”

“...”

Those upright words left Wen Yang with nothing to say.

The two of them shared an umbrella as they stepped through the school gates.

In the heavy rain, not a single student could be seen outside. Only a few food delivery riders in raincoats rushed past. The sound of the downpour was everywhere, filling their ears.

Even with the umbrella, Ning Chu’s pants and shoes were already soaked—though luckily, he was only wearing slippers.

“Can’t wait to get back and take a nap. I’m so sleepy.” He couldn’t stop himself from yawning, then turned to Wen Yang. “What about you? Going back to game, or...?”

“With rain like this, what else is there besides gaming or sleeping?” Wen Yang sighed.

That might be true for most people, but not necessarily for you.

Ning Chu muttered that in his head. Just then, something caught his eye—a small black ball curled up and shivering at the entrance of the cafeteria.

Wait...

He quickened his pace, running under the cafeteria awning. Squatting down, he got a better look at the little kitten, soaked and trembling.

“A stray?” Wen Yang followed curiously. “Doesn’t look too good... maybe caught a cold in the rain?”

“Yeah... it’s shaking badly.”

Even though the kitten was completely black, Ning Chu instantly recognized it as the one he’d fed before.

He hesitated, resting his hands on his knees, then looked up at Wen Yang with a hopeful, pleading expression.

“You want to take it back?”

“Yeah.”

Wen Yang frowned slightly, trying to keep his face neutral. “Keeping a cat in the dorm isn’t a good idea. What about during the holidays? Just dump it again?”

“I’ll take responsibility!”

Wen Yang glanced down at the dirty, rain-soaked kitten. His face was full of reluctance, but after a moment, he nodded. “Fine.”

Ning Chu immediately sensed it—Wen Yang didn’t seem to like cats.

But wait... in the novel, the plot was: one day, Wen Yang wakes up at home to find his cat had turned into a cat girl, naked, lying right next to him. Because of Wen Yang’s careful care, the cat girl conveniently went into heat and decided to “repay” him...

If he doesn’t like cats, then how would that plot even happen?

Ning Chu began to second-guess himself. If this kitten really was the one from the story, then by bringing it back himself... wasn’t he basically setting up trouble for Wen Yang?

But that cat was supposed to be kept at Wen Yang’s home, not in the dorm.

…There’s no way it’s that much of a coincidence, right?

“Black Bean~” Ning Chu’s voice had never been so gentle. He quickly gave the black kitten a nickname as he stroked its tiny body, though his mind was already racing.

If he left it there, the kitten would probably die in the storm tonight.

He wasn’t exactly a saint, but he had fed this kitten before.

And even if it really did one day turn into a cat girl, after all the times he’d already wrecked the plot and messed with Wen Yang’s love life... what, was he really supposed to lose against a cat?

Having made up his mind, Ning Chu stood up. “I’ll go buy some milk!”

“Get goat’s milk. Most cats are allergic to cow’s milk.”

“Really?”

He looked back in surprise, then nodded hard before rushing off. He came back with goat’s milk and even asked the store owner for an extra plastic bag. Carefully, he tucked the kitten inside.

On the way back to the dorm, his steps grew quicker without him realizing it.

As soon as they arrived, Ning Chu dropped his umbrella and didn’t care about his soaked clothes. He ran straight to the balcony with the kettle.

“Where’d you go? Took you long enough.” Zhang Shaoqing turned around—then froze when he saw a tiny black kitten inside the transparent bag.

“You guys... planning to keep a cat?”

“Ning Chu wants to. Looks like it caught a cold—it’s pretty weak.”

“That’s great! I love cats too.” Shaoqing rushed over happily, carefully lifting the kitten out. “But wait— what if it’s really sick? Shouldn’t we take it to a vet?”

“I’ve got a new towel here. Let’s dry it off first.” Wen Yang pulled out a fresh towel from his drawer.

Then, after rummaging around, he produced a box of cold medicine. “Ning Chu, give it some later.”

“That’s human medicine, isn’t it?” Ning Chu called from the balcony, placing the kettle on its base. He turned around, frowning. “Can that even work?”

“Why not? Just a tiny bit.” Wen Yang pinched a tablet with his fingernail, breaking off a fragment. “Mix this into the goat’s milk.”

Ning Chu realized—this guy didn’t actually dislike cats as much as he pretended. He knew what to do, step by step, way better than someone like him, who just had blind sympathy for cute animals.

“How do you know all this?”

“I’ve read a bit.”

“You have cats at home?”

Wen Yang was setting up a little corner bed with the towel. At the question, he shook his head. “No. I just get a lot of vet videos on my phone, so I picked up some stuff.”

You could’ve said that earlier!

So this kitten really was the one from the plot, huh?

If the story went as it was supposed to, Wen Yang would adopt it, then take it home during the holidays...

Ning Chu’s face darkened. His eyes dropped to the little bundle of fur, only to find the kitten staring straight at him with round, crystal-clear eyes.

“...”

‘It’s fine. It’s still just a baby. Even if it transformed right now, it’d still be underage. Wen Yang’s a virgin—he wouldn’t dare touch a loli.’

Better to start early and train this cat while it’s still young. Repay Wen Yang? No way! I rescued you—so you should repay me!

The thought made Ning Chu’s mood brighten all at once.

“When the water’s ready, put the goat’s milk in the kettle for a few minutes to warm it up,” Wen Yang instructed while toweling the kitten dry. “Don’t make it too hot. Just a bit warmer than body temperature.”

“Got it, got it!” Ning Chu replied quickly. Then he turned his head: “Shaoqing! Quit staring at it like a pervert—come help!”

“Damn it! Who are you calling a pervert?!”

<+>

Note:

Link for character illustration:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxOucqi87ss3bmqfO9zI2gYiM1Gy8Hz2