Chapter 3

Jiang Heng circled the alley, finishing today’s territorial patrol rather perfunctorily. When the sun climbed over the alley walls, he stood before the orange cat and loudly declared,

“Big Yellow, I’m going out to find some food. You behave yourself at home.”

After a week of rain, the ground finally dried, except for irregular puddles still shimmering under the sunlight.

Jiang Heng skirted around the puddles and, as usual, admired his superior appearance:

Black nose, black fur, stubby tail…

Excellent. Today, his status remained unshakable.

He bared his teeth at the puddle, increasing his fierce aura by five points, confident that surpassing the scruffy mutt was only a matter of time.

Today, he decided to venture farther.

The village within the city was a maze of terrain. Having only recently become a cat, he was unfamiliar with the area and thus hesitant to stray too far. But with so many stray cats and dogs congregated there, survival for a young kitten like him was a daunting prospect.

After a week of familiarizing himself with the layout, Jiang Heng finally resolved to expand his explorations today, hoping to find a place with more young people to garner some sympathy.

He just wasn’t sure if his hideously ugly appearance would win anyone’s pity.

Under the glaring sun, the little kitten trotted cheerfully, tail slightly raised. Though thin, he carried himself with spirited confidence.

Jiang Heng encouraged himself silently:

There’s no food you can’t find, only kittens who don’t try hard enough!

Fueled by this belief, his heart brimmed with fighting spirit.

When thirsty, he’d find a puddle to drink from; when hungry...

When hungry, he’d find a puddle to drink from.

The puddle water was definitely unpleasant—mud mixed with sand and unknown parasites.

At first, Jiang Heng rejected it, but after a whole day of unbearable thirst, he finally gave in.

Whether he died now or later, he admitted defeat.

After all, this past week had forced him to face reality—

He wasn’t the protagonist, so no handsome, wealthy passerby would take a special interest in picking up a filthy little kitten in the village.

...

When the sun reached its zenith, Jiang Heng finally stepped out of the village.

He stood by the roadside, surveying the surroundings: a wide asphalt road stretched before him, with few vehicles, most of them trucks.

At the sight of a speeding truck, Jiang Heng’s pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively took two steps back.

His breathing grew heavy; his legs pressed to the ground, unconsciously assuming a defensive stance, his thin back trembling slightly.

Crushed, screaming, soul-piercing pain, and...

A sky awash in blood.

In that moment, he even considered turning back—to rummage through the trash heap for food.

But as he lifted his paws, the image of the orange cat lying on a cardboard box flashed through his mind.

Wuwu! There was still an old cat with a broken leg at home.

His footsteps halted. Turning his head away, he forced himself not to look at the vehicles on the road and instead continued to observe his environment.

Strictly speaking, his home wasn’t truly a city village due to the sparse population nearby. Instead, it was a vast building materials market, surrounded by factories and filled with trucks, rarely seeing any people.

Jiang Heng found a shady spot under a tree to rest, growing more disheartened by the minute.

No wonder the village’s environment was so poor—it was all polluted by dust and the roar of machinery.

The loud mechanical noise couldn’t drown out the sorrowful cries within Jiang Heng’s heart.

In an uninhabited corner, a famished little kitten quietly shattered.

But Jiang Heng only allowed himself five minutes of sorrow.

Five minutes later, he got up and continued along the road.

No matter what, outside was still better than the run-down village. Small restaurants lined the road, though none seemed busy.

Jiang Heng sneaked a wary glance into one such restaurant.

The tattooed big guy there looked formidable.

The middle-aged man looked like he could swat him dead with a single slap.

And the middle-aged woman...

Before Jiang Heng could analyze further, a bucket of cold water splashed over him, chilling him to the bone. His eyes hadn’t even opened when an angry voice rang down from above.

“Where did this little beast come from? Get out quick! You’re filthy—don’t disturb my business.”

...

Jiang Heng shook the water off and quietly walked away.

He looked up at the street ahead. Though only minutes away on foot as a human, as a cat it felt endless.

The sun climbed higher, and thirst gnawed at him, but the wide asphalt road had no puddles.

A bit further on was a small-looking restaurant. Having learned from his previous experience, Jiang Heng dared not openly stare this time.

He hid behind a large tree by the door, cautiously peeking inside.

He saw a white cat curled up by the entrance. Though a bit dusty, compared to Jiang Heng, it looked pristine.

Soon after, a woman appeared, carrying a plate which she placed in front of the white cat.

She squatted down to stroke the cat’s head.

“Eat up. I don’t have much to offer. This is leftovers from a customer who only took two bites before leaving—probably had urgent business.”

Jiang Heng’s eyes lit up instantly.

See! He told himself, a hardworking kitten’s luck wouldn’t be too bad.

He shook off the water again and felt that playing the victim suited him more than trying to be cute.

After stroking the white cat, Su Ye stood up and noticed a stealthy figure approaching from behind the tree.

Her heart skipped a beat. Honestly, it was her first time seeing such a pitifully skinny stray cat.

A tiny thing, soaking wet despite the sunny weather, fur plastered to its skin, skin stretched tight over bones. Yet its eyes were bright and clear, as if they could speak.

Catching her gaze, the kitten obediently crouched before her, softly meowing.

So pitiful.

Su Ye’s heart immediately softened.

Glancing at the white cat, she stood and fetched a disposable plate. She divided half of the fried rice from the white cat’s plate and offered it to Jiang Heng.

“Here, you eat.”

She didn’t know if cats could eat fried rice, but she had no money to buy anything else.

Jiang Heng was so hungry he might have starved to death otherwise. This plate of leftover fried rice was a feast.

He darted forward and opened his mouth wide.

Wuwuwu...

Fried rice! Fresh fried rice! Steaming hot fried rice!

Inside were ham sausages and eggs!

Of course, there were also scallions, which he didn’t like.

For the first time, Jiang Heng found scallions delicious.

Su Ye thought of the remaining few ham sausages and returned to the kitchen.

Jiang Heng devoured the fried rice like a whirlwind. When he looked up, he saw the white cat staring at him.

Under Jiang Heng’s glowing gaze, the white cat timidly stepped back and signaled friendliness.

“Do you... want more?”

Jiang Heng could tell this white cat was likely a pet, too timid to meet his gaze even though he was just a kitten.

Jiang Heng bared his teeth, giving what he thought was a friendly smile.

“Thank you.”

With that, he raised his bare tail and approached the white cat, giving it a smooth nudge with his hips, sending it tumbling aside.

Hooray! All mine now.

For the first time, Jiang Heng’s belly was full and round. After eating, half the plate was left, which he generously offered to the white cat.

“You eat.”

Only then did the white cat step forward to eat.

While it ate, Jiang Heng lay beside it, sunning his fur.

“Why are you here?”

He asked the white cat.

The white cat paused mid-bite, then answered honestly, “Many people came to move things from my home. I was scared, so I ran outside to play. When I came back, I found I couldn’t get in.”

Jiang Heng flipped onto his side, basking in the sun, his belly forming a perfect round arc.

“Has your owner looked for you?”

“I don’t know.” The white cat’s tail drooped, voice tinged with sadness. “I waited outside for many days. He never came back. Eventually, I was so hungry I had to leave.”

It seemed the owner was moving, and this cat was probably abandoned.

Jiang Heng sighed quietly, unsure how to comfort this new companion.

Su Ye returned with the ham sausages and smiled at the peaceful scene outside.

She divided the four sausages equally between the two cats.

“Take these back and eat. My shop’s closing in a couple of days—I won’t be able to help you anymore.”

The sycamore tree at the door sprouted fresh leaves, and in the fluttering greenery, Jiang Heng noticed the woman’s left hand had two missing fingers.

...

As the sun’s glare softened, Jiang Heng bit down on two sausages with effort and began his journey home.

After eating his fill, he finally had the energy to observe the surroundings beyond the restaurants.

Near the fork leading back to the village, he spotted a welfare center across the road.

The center was squeezed between a steel factory and a repair shop. Its sign, peeling and faded, required squinting to read.

The large characters on the sign said:

Angel Welfare Home.

He silently marked the welfare center as a future target for some opportunistic begging.

The white cat followed at a cautious distance. Approaching the alley, Jiang Heng couldn’t help but glare back at it.

“Why are you following me? I’m strong, known as Scarface in the cat world. Mess with me, and you’re really messing with trouble.”

Perhaps intimidated by his domineering aura, the white cat tucked its tail and offered up the ham sausage in its mouth.

Having just become a stray, the white cat didn’t yet understand the value of food.

Jiang Heng studied the white cat.

It seemed to be a Maine Coon, its long, smooth fur and one blue and one yellow eye—a striking heterochromia—still visible despite the dirt. It was undeniably beautiful.

Of course, that was from a human perspective.

From a cat’s view, it was just a white, plump, cowardly little guy.

Jiang Heng’s eyes flicked, and he raised his chin with a hint of pride.

“Are you planning to follow me?”

The white cat’s eyes brightened. “Can I?”

“Sure you can...” Jiang Heng replied, “But you have to recognize me as your leader. Whatever I say, you do.”

The white cat flicked its tail. “Okay.”

Jiang Heng cleared his throat and sat up straight.

“Call me ‘Boss.’”

“Boss.”

“Say it again.”

“Boss.”

Jiang Heng grinned.

Leaving the village had been a brilliant decision after all!

...

As dusk fell, the alley was faintly filled with the calls of cats and dogs.

Big Yellow, lying on a cardboard box, grew restless as Jiang Heng had yet to return. It tried to get up; its hind legs still ached, but after days of rest, it could barely stand.

It planned to look for Jiang Heng but had only taken a few steps when the lively voice of the kitten reached its ears.

“Big Yellow, I’m back! Today was incredibly fruitful!”

Four ham sausages were placed before Big Yellow. Jiang Heng introduced the new member.

“This is my new little brother. From now on, he’s part of our family. We’ll call him...”

He glanced at the white cat.

“Little White.”

As usual, Jiang Heng chattered excitedly to the orange cat, recounting the day’s adventures, making even the long, dull journey sound vivid and interesting.

This kitten was livelier than any cat the orange cat had ever seen. Even though he’d transformed into a two-legged creature, the orange cat had never seen him sad.

Suddenly, Jiang Heng paused, arched his back, and bent low to vomit.

The other two cats were startled.

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Heng felt pain in his abdomen and vomited again.

After a while, he recovered somewhat and looked confusedly at the foul-smelling vomit before him.

“I don’t know...”