Chapter 6
In the room, Wen Xin was holding the trembling black furball in his arms.
He wondered why Xiao Hei hadn’t transformed tonight, not realizing that this was a mutant’s self-protection mechanism when severely injured or weakened.
If Xiao Hei subconsciously felt that remaining in cat form was safe, his body would spontaneously mobilize energy to maintain the cat’s mimicry.
Wen Xin’s confusion lasted only a moment; soon he didn’t have the mind to think about anything else.
—The venom from the bush viper Ah Lü had intensified the pain from gene disorder. Xiao Hei kept letting out roars, his whole body convulsing in agony.
Since Xiao Hei had followed him home, Wen Xin had never seen him in such pain.
Hearing his cries, Wen Xin’s heart ached deeply.
However, in his anxiety, Wen Xin did not become flustered. He quickly closed his eyes and then opened them, displaying extraordinary calmness.
They couldn’t go to the hospital.
Xiao Hei’s body was covered with wounds from abuse; he rejected going to the hospital and even resisted leaving the community. He was hiding himself—or rather, avoiding being captured or hunted by certain people.
If Xiao Hei suddenly transformed on the way to the hospital or inside it, Wen Xin wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret in broad daylight.
He held down the struggling Xiao Hei in his arms and decisively began searching around the house.
An electric blanket, a space heater, a hot water kettle, thick quilts…
Since the bed wasn’t big enough, Wen Xin spread the quilt directly on the floor and pulled over an extension cord.
After everything was prepared, he sat with Xiao Hei in the center of the quilt.
High-calorie foods, mainly canned cat food, were placed within easy reach on his right side. The electric blanket was turned on, the space heater was placed directly in front, and the boiled water was behind him on the left, kept far from other electrical appliances to prevent accidents.
In the jostling movements, the black furball drowsily opened his eyes: “Roar.” Cold…
Wen Xin couldn’t understand what Xiao Hei was saying, but he could feel his icy body temperature.
With a beep, he turned on the air conditioner, and warm air blew into the room. In no time, the entire space became cozy and warm.
As the indoor temperature rose, Xiao Hei’s convulsions lessened significantly. Without hesitation, Wen Xin also turned on the space heater in front of them.
A wave of heat rushed over.
For humans, the room was already very warm; the skin exposed to the heater turned red.
But he simply pulled a quilt over himself and turned his attention back to Xiao Hei.
“It’s okay now, it’s okay,” he soothed the pained Xiao Hei.
Outside the window, Ah Lü took in this scene, the disdain in his eyes gradually softening.
But even without shivering from the cold, Xiao Hei was still in pain.
He struggled and rolled over, suddenly widening his eyes.
It was as if he recalled some terrifying scene; bloodshot veins crawled over Xiao Hei’s pupils, his sharp teeth and claws bared, his roars carrying an irresistible might.
Ah Lü was almost blown away but quickly hooked his tail onto the wire mesh.
Gasping, he suddenly realized.
Number One’s intimidating aura could become tangible. Even if the human inside wasn’t as sensitive as a mutant, he would surely be frightened away!
But reality exceeded Ah Lü’s expectations.
Even though Wen Xin faced the impact directly, he didn’t move. He casually pressed his aching chest and then continued to pat and soothe the furball.
“What’s wrong, Xiao Hei? Did you have a nightmare?”
Xiao Hei lay in Wen Xin’s arms, soothed by the young man’s gentle voice. Rarely clear-headed, he weakly said,
“Roar…” They’re all dead…
Xiao Hei had dreamed of mutants being pushed into the incinerator.
Those mutants, whether ferocious or arrogant, had once been vibrant but ended up lifeless.
He had personally witnessed countless bodies licked by flames; after their massive forms were burned to ashes, only a little remained, easily scattered by the wind.
It was at that moment that Xiao Hei suddenly realized how fragile life was.
This pain wouldn’t take his life this time, but someday he would die too, even if he was the strongest mutant.
Wen Xin relied on his intuition to roughly understand his meaning.
He kissed Xiao Hei’s forehead, patiently reassuring him, “Dreams are the opposite of reality; they’re illusions. Don’t be afraid of those false things.”
“Xiao Hei is here, and I’m here too—that’s what’s real.”
As he spoke, he held Xiao Hei’s paw and placed it on his own chest, where a strong, vigorous heartbeat pulsed beneath, like magma stirring in a volcano.
Xiao Hei was stunned.
He seemed to fall into an irresistible temptation, unable to help but listen to that sound.
Thump, thump, thump…
This was the young man’s heartbeat.
Xiao Hei’s gaze became dazed; he remembered more things and let out a hoarse roar.
“Roar.”
Everyone is afraid of me; only you are not. Everyone hits me; only you hold me.
Wen Xin interpreted it as him being affectionate and replied, “Mm, I’ll always be here.”
The black furball was silent for a moment, then suddenly curled his lips slightly—a barely perceptible smile.
Wen Xin’s appearance was actually an unexpected joy for him.
A poor creature in the pouring rain only needed a roof to shelter from the storm, but Wen Xin had brought him inside and given him an entire home.
He slowly rested his head on Wen Xin’s arm, eyes lost in thought, as if cherishing a precious treasure, gently nuzzling him.
“Roar.” Comfort me some more.
Until after three in the morning, Wen Xin remained sitting cross-legged on the floor, patiently soothing Xiao Hei.
When the furball was thirsty, he spoon-fed him water; when hungry, he fed him canned food. Except for leaning against the wall when his back was sore, he didn’t stop.
The room was constantly heated by various devices; occasionally, the young man would blink frequently from the heat, his eyes moist and bright, like a sun fallen to earth.
Several hours ago, Ah Lü should have grown bored of this repetitive scene.
But for some reason, he hadn’t moved, nor thought about returning to the shadows.
The moon was bright, then obscured by clouds; cold winds howled from afar, and the temperature seemed to have dropped further.
That night, however long Wen Xin stayed in the warm room holding and soothing Xiao Hei, Ah Lü hung on the cold wire mesh outside, blankly watching for just as long.
*
The next day, Wen Xin was awakened by his alarm clock.
Fighting fatigue, he reached over to turn off his phone, then fell back onto the bed, suddenly feeling fine fur brushing against his earlobe.
Wen Xin opened his eyes and met a pair of golden pupils.
Xiao Hei’s eyes flickered, his emotions seeming different from usual. After a while, he somewhat shyly looked away.
Wen Xin didn’t think much of it. He held Xiao Hei and checked him over. Seeing that he was indeed fine now, he breathed a sigh of relief and got up to wash and dress.
Wen Jinfeng wanted him to stay home, but he couldn’t take a long leave without reason. He had asked what was going on, but there was still no reply.
After tidying up, Wen Xin habitually said goodbye to Xiao Hei.
“I’m off. You stay home and rest.”
“Meow.”
Wen Xin went downstairs.
Affected by Xiao Hei’s aura yesterday, his chest felt a bit tight and painful. If he finished work early today, he’d go to the hospital for a check-up.
Walking along the road, Wen Xin thought for a moment and took out his phone, opening the chat with Tang Qi.
Since they had become friends, they had exchanged dozens of messages.
It might not seem like much, but for Wen Xin, it was a big improvement. With others, conversations often stalled after the initial “Hello.”
And then… nothing.
Tang Qi could chat with Wen Xin largely because he was warm-hearted and outgoing, unafraid of awkward silences.
Especially after discovering that Wen Xin also had a cat, he instantly became a fountain of knowledge, tirelessly explaining the dos and don’ts of cat ownership.
Although those tips didn’t apply to Xiao Hei, Wen Xin still listened carefully. Gradually, they began to chat more.
Knowing that Wen Xin was keen on buying canned cat food, Tang Qi would even help him find healthy, high-quality products.
With others, Wen Xin didn’t feel comfortable asking them to stock up on items, nor could he explain why.
But since it was Tang Qi, he could directly ask him to go shopping over the weekend.
Wen Xin: The commercial street is having promotions this weekend; some food items are discounted. Want to go together?
Tang Qi: What a coincidence! I’m almost out of snacks and was thinking of stocking up. Let’s go together, haha.
After agreeing on a specific time, Wen Xin exhaled. Suddenly, a small figure jumped out from the bushes, blocking his way.
Seeing Wen Xin lower his head, this small figure didn’t hold back at all, wriggling its body and meowing theatrically.
Wen Xin’s expression became strange.
A green… cat?
***
Author’s Note:
Ah Lü: Ha! Just mere humans!
Ah Lü: Only a fool would mimic a ridiculous, pitiful cat!
Ah Lü: I would never bow down to humans!
Later.
Ah Lü: This feels… surprisingly nice.
Green Cat hahahaha Clueless Ah Lu ?