Chapter 23: A Cat’s Request
Although he had promised to feed the cats, it was already late. After handing the black cat over to a nearby pet hospital, Lin Jiangye went home to rest.
They agreed to set off at ten the next morning—because that was when the hospital opened.
The following day, after picking up the black cat from the clinic, Lin Jiangye headed toward its territory with the tabby in tow.
The tabby rubbed against the black cat from behind, only to be firmly pinned down and licked on the head.
The German Shepherd found it amusing and leaned in to lick the black cat as well—almost licking it down to a bare “mango pit.”
“Dog! Get lost!!!” The black cat hated dogs!
The Shepherd watched with interest, tail swishing, and asked casually what the black cat’s name was.
The black cat, still fuming, didn’t want to answer, but the tabby eagerly chimed in, “I want to know too! Tell us, tell us, tell us!”
Grumbling inwardly about clingy youngsters, the black cat finally replied reluctantly, “Just call me Sang Biao.”
“Pfft!” Lin Jiangye, driving, couldn’t hold back his laughter.
The black cat’s fur bristled instantly. “What are you laughing at?!”
At that moment, the Shepherd licked it again and introduced itself cheerfully. “I’m German Shepherd. You can just call me that.”
The black cat shook its head violently to rid itself of dog slobber, but then suddenly realized something odd. It turned to the big dog it disliked.
“Didn’t anyone ever give you a name?”
The car fell silent.
Lin Jiangye sighed quietly.
He had once asked the Shepherd its name after bringing it home. The dog had never answered—not even revealing the name it once had as a police dog.
On the surface, it seemed like it simply didn’t want to grow too close. But Lin Jiangye could feel the sorrow and pain it carried.
Perhaps the name had continued after adoption. But when it was abandoned, that name became a symbol of loss.
So Lin Jiangye had simply called it by its breed.
Sensing the sudden hush, the black cat realized it might have said something inappropriate. It thought it over but couldn’t figure out what.
Before it could speak again, the tabby shoved its way under it.
“Move aside!” Why was this youngster so clingy?
The tabby burrowed beneath it, whining sweetly, “Warmth! I want warmth!”
Exasperated, Sang Biao finally tucked the tabby under its belly. The large black cat covered the smaller one completely, leaving only a pink nose sticking out.
Soon, the car was filled with the tabby’s rumbling purrs.
Lin Jiangye smiled faintly and slowed the car.
Perhaps because the vehicle looked expensive, no other cars dared approach. The ride was smooth, and before long, the tabby fell asleep.
When they arrived, Sang Biao licked the tabby awake. The little cat blinked groggily, stretched lazily, then meowed insistently for Lin Jiangye to carry it.
“So delicate,” Sang Biao muttered. Wasn’t it already grown? Why did it still act like a nursing kitten?
Lin Jiangye chuckled, picking up the tabby and then lifting Sang Biao under its forelegs. He kissed the slightly trembling ear tip.
“Being delicate isn’t a bad thing. I can afford to spoil it.”
Sang Biao’s fur puffed slightly, and it pressed a paw against his lips.
“No kissing!”
Lin Jiangye’s eyes curved in amusement. He obediently stopped.
Sang Biao’s territory was in an old residential area with a small park—perfect for sunbathing on clear days. When it rained or snowed, the pavilion and corridors offered shelter.
Because it was an older neighborhood, residents rarely chased them away.
The downside was food scarcity. It couldn’t compare to the abundance near the market.
Lin Jiangye carried the cats to a patch of grass, where a group of stray cats lay sprawled out in the sun.
Until—
“Why are you sleeping?! Did you find food today?!”
The familiar roar exploded in their ears. The cats sprang up like popped kernels.
“B-Boss!”
They stared nervously at the big black cat in a human’s arms.
Wait—since when did Boss allow humans to carry him? Was this a fake boss?
Before they could protest, Sang Biao leapt down and smacked each of them in turn.
“What are you thinking?!”
The hefty slaps even formed a rhythm.
Lin Jiangye laughed and unpacked cans of cat food, pouring them onto plates.
“Enough fighting. Eat first.”
The rich aroma made the stray cats’ eyes widen.
According to Sang Biao, it had been gone three days. If they hadn’t found food, they had been hungry for three whole days.
Sure enough, at Boss’s signal, they pounced on the food like starving ghosts.
Lin Jiangye crouched nearby to maintain order, occasionally guiding smaller cats back into the circle if they were pushed aside.
He even picked up a few to check for signs of illness before setting them down again.
Meanwhile, a plump orange cat, already full, approached Sang Biao.
“Boss, where did you go?”
Upon learning that Sang Biao had gone to rescue the human who once fed them, the orange cat licked its paw.
“I thought you abandoned us.”
Sang Biao gave it a light smack.
Abandon them? Impossible. It was the boss!
The orange cat grinned and lay beside it in the sun.
“Boss, is it true that human can understand us?”
It found it hard to believe.
Humans were sly—what if he was lying?
Sang Biao glared at it. Was it implying Boss was gullible?
Did it look that foolish?
Seeing danger looming, the orange cat shrank back silently.
However, another half-grown kitten had overheard everything.
“Boss, is it really true?”
Sang Biao turned, prepared to smack again—but stopped upon seeing it was just a youngster.
Fine.
It gave a confirming meow.
Immediately, the kitten dropped its food and scampered toward the human.
“Human! Can you understand me?”
Lin Jiangye and the Shepherd looked down to see a small white kitten at his feet—clearly not yet fully grown.
“Yes, I can. What’s wrong?” He bent down to speak at eye level.
The surrounding kittens’ eyes widened.
“My goodness! He understands!”
“And we can understand him too!”
“Is he a toy Boss brought back? Can I borrow him?”
“He smells so good… I want to bite—no, lick! Just one lick?”
In an instant, more than a dozen cats surrounded Lin Jiangye, meowing excitedly.
From afar, some onlookers stared in envy.
To have such a “cat-attracting physique” was a dream.
Amid the commotion, the white kitten forgot what it wanted to say.
Fortunately, Lin Jiangye remembered.
He gently lifted the kitten to eye level and asked softly, “What did you want to tell me?”
Though young, the kitten looked troubled.
“Human… can you help me? I’ll give you my favorite toy.”
Its pitiful expression made Lin Jiangye gently rub its head.
“What do you need?”
Seeing he hadn’t refused, the kitten’s tail shot up happily.
“My friend was thrown out by its owner’s family. Human, can you help it?”
