Chapter 122: World 4 【8】 Part 1

Wen Ruyue’s timely correction successfully placated the little cat Jing Ke, preventing a public assault by Jing Ke’s cat punches right there on the street.

After diligently serving as a mobile vehicle for two blocks, the little cat Jing Ke was drawn in by the aroma of a nearby food street and incessantly urged Wen Ruyue to head in that direction.

How could Wen Ruyue dare to defy the little cat’s command? She immediately changed course, walking towards the food street from which many delicious smells were wafting.

Parked cars and electric scooters surrounded the food street. Based on the banners and billboards at the entrance, a nearby shopping mall had organized this event to increase foot traffic and brand visibility.

Because the food street was set up outdoors, there were no rules against bringing pets inside. When Wen Ruyue entered carrying Jing Ke atop her, she was even given a bunch of extra small gifts.

“It’s a bit crowded here. If it’s inconvenient standing on the hat, I can carry you,” Wen Ruyue reminded her, observing the dense crowd.

“No need, the view is great from up here. I can see everyone’s heads; it’s very convenient,” the little cat Jing Ke said, thoroughly satisfied with her superior vantage point.

Wen Ruyue was about 176 centimeters tall. With her shoes and hat, she stood at roughly 180 centimeters.

The little cat Jing Ke, from head to the base of her tail, was around forty centimeters long. Sitting upright, she could perfectly enjoy the view of a two-meter-tall giant.

Hearing that Jing Ke was so keen on perching on her head, Wen Ruyue could only continue forward as directed by her feline commander, doing her best to keep her steps steady and avoid being jostled, so the little cat wouldn’t lose her balance.

“Contractor, the grilled squid up ahead looks good. I want to try some,” said Jing Ke, her high vantage point allowing her to quickly lock onto the delicacy she desired.

“Alright, is it the third stall on the left?” Wen Ruyue asked.

“Yes. I want the large squid. Tell them to cut it into small pieces, with lots of sauce, and just a little spicy,” Jing Ke instructed, not forgetting to pat the brim of Wen Ruyue’s hat to spur her into action.

Wen Ruyue headed straight for the third stall, answering with a hint of indulgence she herself didn’t even notice: “Okay, I’ll get it for you.”

Having a little cat perched on one’s head was already an eye-catching sight. But when the person doing it was a cool-featured beauty with a refined aura, the effect was far more than the sum of its parts.

Sure enough, as Wen Ruyue approached, the customers waiting for their teppanyaki squid turned their heads in unison to stare at them.

“Hello, I’d like one order of squid. Please cut it into small pieces, with mild spice,” Wen Ruyue relayed Jing Ke’s request.

“Meow, woof~” Jing Ke patted the brim of Wen Ruyue’s hat, reminding her: “And lots of sauce.”

Wen Ruyue reached up to adjust her hat’s brim, ensuring she didn’t lose her own field of vision. “Please add a little more sauce.”

“Miss, are you buying food for your cat?” asked a young woman who had just received her squid from the vendor.

“Yes, it wants to try some,” Wen Ruyue confirmed.

“Can I feed it a piece? It’s fresh off the grill! I haven’t even taken a bite yet!” the young woman asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

Wen Ruyue touched the cat’s tail resting against her neck and asked, “Little White, do you want to try a piece right now?”

Jing Ke hesitated for a moment, then chose to pull her tail out of Wen Ruyue’s grasp. The temptation of food wasn’t that great to her, and accepting food from a stranger seemed somewhat disadvantageous. She wasn’t a little cat who could be lured away by a single piece of squid!

“I’m sorry, Little White prefers to eat her own food,” Wen Ruyue immediately understood Jing Ke’s meaning, the corner of her mouth curving slightly upward.

“Oh, I see. Well, can I take a picture with the little cat then?” the young woman asked, her voice tinged with slight disappointment.

This time, Wen Ruyue didn’t refuse. By this point, no fewer than twenty people had asked to take photos with little cat Jing Ke, and she had become quite adept at cooperating for the pictures.

After waiting about fifteen minutes at the teppanyaki squid stall, Wen Ruyue finally received her order. She asked the boss for two extra skewers and carried the container over to a nearby seating area.

Without needing any prompting, the little cat Jing Ke shifted from standing on Wen Ruyue’s head to standing on her lap.

With practiced ease, Wen Ruyue stabbed a piece of squid with a wooden skewer, blew on it until it was a safe temperature, and then offered it to the little cat Jing Ke.

Jing Ke bit into it and gave it a taste. The amplitude of her tail’s wagging increased a little. “It tastes pretty good. Give me another piece.”

Wen Ruyue diligently fed little cat Jing Ke. After the cat had eaten most of the squid, she finished off the remaining small portion.

And so, under little cat Jing Ke’s command, Wen Ruyue bought a bunch of other incredibly appetizing snacks: takoyaki, ice cream, stinky tofu, spiral-cut potato skewers, and more.

Whether little cat Jing Ke was intentionally leaving food for her feeder, or simply disliked finishing things, she left about a third of the food uneaten regardless of the portion size.

After finishing their tour, it was around five o’clock in the afternoon, the time when office workers were getting off work.

Stuffed with food, the little cat Jing Ke was too lazy to continue patrolling her territory from atop her feeder’s head. She simply let herself be carried, beginning to feel drowsy.

As Wen Ruyue approached her apartment complex’s entrance, carrying Jing Ke, she happened to run into her neighbor, the young woman, coming out with her cat backpack.

“Little Sister Wen!” The young woman recognized Wen Ruyue immediately. She waved enthusiastically, jogging over with the front-facing cat backpack strapped to her chest.

“Sister Wen, did you take your kitty out for a ride?” Seeing the little cat Jing Ke cradled in Wen Ruyue’s arms, the young woman’s urge to pet the beautiful cat surfaced again.

“Meow~” Before Wen Ruyue could answer, Big Orange, who had been sleeping inside the cat backpack, seemed to smell a fellow feline and instantly perked up.

“Big Orange, you’re awake! Do you want to meet a new friend?” The young woman unzipped the cat backpack so her cat could come out for some air.

“Meow~” Big Orange poked its head out, shaking it. A flurry of orange-tinted fur flew from its body.

Seeing this, the young woman took an apologetic step back. “Sorry, Sister Wen, Big Orange has been shedding a lot lately.”

“It’s fine,” Wen Ruyue said, her gaze falling on the semi-transparent, breathable cat backpack. She suddenly felt a slight interest.

Wen Ruyue didn’t mind little cat Jing Ke sitting on her head all day. But her neck wasn’t made of iron. She could hold out now, but that didn’t mean she could when little cat Jing Ke turned into a big cat.

Jing Ke, who had been half-dozing in Wen Ruyue’s arms, seemed to sense her thoughts. She quickly opened her eyes and, without any courtesy, gave Wen Ruyue’s chin a completely painless cat punch.

“Are you taking your cat out for a stroll?” Wen Ruyue changed the subject, simultaneously catching Jing Ke’s raised paw and gently squeezing her toe beans.

“Something like that. I’m also taking Big Orange to the pet hospital for a bath and a check-up. Big Orange has gained weight again; he’s already exceeded the vet’s recommended weight,” the neighbor said, sounding a bit troubled.

The saying about the centrality of orange wasn’t just talk. The phrase ‘nine out of ten orange cats are fat, and the tenth is as big as an elephant’ had a basis in fact. Raising a slender, skinny orange cat was a true challenge.

Wen Ruyue glanced at Big Orange, who was nearly twice the size of little cat Jing Ke, and nodded emphatically in agreement. “Being overweight isn’t good for a pet’s health. You should try to make him run around the house more often.”

“I want to, but Big Orange doesn’t really like moving. I bought him lots of toys, but it’s the same result,” the young woman sighed helplessly, stroking Big Orange’s head, which was still covered in loose fur. “I thought about controlling his diet, but when Big Orange rubs against me and meows, I just can’t be strict.”

“Sister Wen, you understand what I mean, right? Who can resist a cat acting cute?” The young woman looked at Wen Ruyue with earnest eyes, seeking validation.

“This…” Wen Ruyue pondered for a moment. Rationally speaking, such behavior was indulgent and would only worsen Big Orange’s health.

But if a cat was rubbing against you, acting cute and saying it was hungry and wanted food… it really did seem hard to refuse.

After all, Jing Ke didn’t even need to act cute; Wen Ruyue had already allowed her to freely walk all over her head and tirelessly ventured out to buy so many snacks to feed her.

“It really is hard to refuse. But it’s best to use a two-pronged approach. Try reducing his food a little bit each day and make him move more,” Wen Ruyue said, her fingertips gently pressing into little cat Jing Ke’s toe beans.

The young woman couldn’t help but squeeze Big Orange’s paw as well. “That’s my plan, Sister Wen. With me as a cautionary tale, you must remember to control your little cat’s diet too.”

“Meow!” Big Orange seemed to realize he was being used as an example. He swatted his owner, though not heavily.

“Good boy, I’ll open a can of food for you when we’re back from the bath,” the young woman coaxed skillfully.

Hearing the word ‘can’, Big Orange immediately developed selective hearing loss and obediently placed his paw back into his owner’s hand.

The young woman shook her head helplessly. She lifted Big Orange’s paw and waved it towards Wen Ruyue. “Sister Wen, I’m off to take Big Orange to the pet hospital. See you later.”

“See you.” Learning by example, Wen Ruyue also picked up little cat Jing Ke’s paw and waved goodbye.

After the young woman and Big Orange were far away, Wen Ruyue released Jing Ke’s paw. Lowering her voice, she asked, “There wasn’t any problem with that big orange cat just now, was there? I didn’t detect the aura of a spirit or monster from it.”

Jing Ke licked her paw, which had been held. “No problem. It was just an ordinary orange cat, very healthy.”

Hearing this answer, Wen Ruyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed spirits and monsters weren’t so widespread yet; she hadn’t encountered two on a single trip outside.

After carrying little cat Jing Ke back home, Wen Ruyue, following the cat’s orders, prepared some dried meat snacks infused with spiritual energy for her to nibble on whenever she felt bored.

–

And so, as Wen Ruyue spoiled little cat Jing Ke without any limits, time marched onwards into November.