Chapter 5: Tibetan Mastiff
What could he say? A tabby was indeed a tabby.
The little tabby was only about an arm’s length long, yet in a split second it had caught the crow—whose body was nearly half its own size. The speed was so fast that Lin Jiangye didn’t even react in time.
After less than a second of shock, he sucked in a breath and hurriedly rescued the crow from the cat’s mouth.
“Don’t eat it! Don’t eat it! That’s not prey—it’s my helper, ahhhh! Ancestor, let go!!!”
Human screams, crow screeches, and the cat’s dissatisfied meows and warning hisses instantly filled the entire villa. Fortunately, each house here was spaced a hundred meters apart. Otherwise, the neighbors would already be lodging complaints.
After much explanation about why the crow had come, the tabby reluctantly spat out its “prey.”
Lin Jiangye quickly wiped the crow’s feathers with wet tissues and checked for wounds.
Thankfully, the tabby hadn’t bitten hard. The crow had only lost a few feathers and wasn’t injured.
Seeing that Lin Jiangye’s attention was entirely on the black bird, the tabby grew displeased.
[I can help too! I’ll definitely be more useful than it!]
The crow was stunned. After glancing at the cat’s four limbs, its beady eyes filled with disdain. A sarcastic caw rang out again.
[Stupid cat. You can’t help. Only Crow can do what human needs!]
It puffed out its not-much-larger chest.
And just like that, the villa—finally quiet—erupted once more in cat-and-bird quarrels.
As for Lin Jiangye, he chose not to intervene.
They could argue all they liked. As long as neither raised a claw, what was there for him to manage?
Once he confirmed the crow wasn’t hurt, he finally relaxed. After setting it down, he headed into the kitchen to prepare their future meals.
Winter was approaching. He needed to prepare high-calorie food for the crows—mixing seeds and grains with beef tallow and chopped organ meat, then freezing the mixture. If a crow came by later, he could simply heat it up.
This high-calorie blend was for emergencies. Normally, grains with a bit of meat would suffice.
The same went for the tabby. Although he had bought cat food, that would only be for convenience. Under normal circumstances, he preferred making homemade canned food—just heat and serve.
The moment the aroma of meat filled the air, both cat and crow forgot their quarrel. They stood beside him, eyes fixed intensely on the meat on the chopping board.
[Beef! I love beef!]
[Crow loves it too!]
He ignored their chatter and shooed them out of the kitchen.
Staring at the transparent glass door, both animals wilted.
[Is human angry…?] The kitten shifted its paws uneasily.
The little crow drooped its head too. The scent of meat lingered at its beak—more fragrant than any meat it had ever smelled.
And those seeds! Plump and surely delicious!
[Crow doesn’t know QAQ] It felt anxious, worried it had ruined things. If it really messed up, its parents would peck it bald.
When Lin Jiangye came out of the kitchen, he found two utterly dejected creatures.
“What’s wrong?”
He had only cooked a meal—why did they look so miserable?
Wait. Were they sick?
The thought alarmed him.
But their next actions dispelled that fear.
They lunged at him—one giving soft caws, the other mewling sweetly. In his ears, both translated into pure apology and pleading.
[I was wrong. I won’t argue with it again. Don’t be angry~]
[Crow won’t argue! Don’t be angry, human!]
Angry? When had he been angry?
Thinking back to their droopy expressions, he suddenly understood.
He burst out laughing, stroking both fluffy heads.
“I’m not angry. I chased you out because I didn’t want you eating raw meat. And when it’s cooking, it’s too hot. Wait until it cools a little.”
He carried them back to the living room.
There was already a cat bed and climbing tree. From storage, he took out the large birdcage he had prepared—then removed the door.
“If you want to spend winter here, stay here. I’ll prepare water and grain daily. Fly in whenever you want to eat.”
If he was home, he’d provide better food. If not, grain would do.
He had bought the largest cage available—big enough for ten crows the size of the little one.
If the weather turned harsh—snow or rain—the crows could shelter indoors. He planned to place the cage on the semi-open balcony on the second floor so they wouldn’t freeze.
If it got too cold, he’d simply open the second floor to them.
After arranging everything, he finally brought out the long-awaited food.
The moment they smelled it, both animals dove in like starving ghosts.
The crow ate in silence; the kitten made continuous contented noises.
While they ate, Lin Jiangye scrolled through his phone—and saw today’s trending topic:
Best Actor Gu Feng Murdered by Manager!
Clicking in, he discovered the news hadn’t been released by the Wen’an District police, but by a gossip blogger.
The blogger had photographed manager Sun Zhao in handcuffs being escorted by police.
The comment section was in chaos.
Gu Feng’s fans were furious, cursing Sun Zhao’s ancestors and even the studio staff.
Lin Jiangye watched impassively, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
The Wen’an Criminal Investigation Division worked quickly.
They had come at 9 a.m., stayed less than half an hour, and left. Now it was nearly 4 p.m.
Which meant—within six hours, they had found evidence pointing to Sun Zhao.
He reached out and ruffled the kitten’s head.
“Good news. The bad man who killed your human has been caught. He’ll stay in prison from now on.”
The tabby froze, then slowly lifted its head, mouth still smeared with food.
A moment later, tears welled up again.
Lin Jiangye gently wiped its mouth and held it close, stroking its warm fur.
“When humans do bad things, they go to prison. It’s a small room. They don’t eat well and have to work every day. That’s punishment.”
The kitten didn’t understand prison—but it understood that the bad man’s fate wouldn’t be good.
That was enough.
“When it’s the seventh day after his death, I’ll take you to see him.”
But they didn’t wait that long.
On the fourth day, Gu Feng’s family returned.
The killer had confessed. They were preparing the funeral.
They invited Lin Jiangye—first to apologize for their earlier accusations, and second because they hoped to bring the cat. If Gu Feng’s spirit lingered, surely he would worry about the kitten.
“I’ll come.”
They visibly relaxed.
What they didn’t expect was that Shang Fuyan would also attend.
Lin Jiangye wore a black suit. Even the kitten wore a small white flower in mourning.
When they arrived, the young man’s tall, elegant figure drew attention from many in the entertainment circle. Several managers’ eyes lit up upon seeing his face.
If not for the funeral setting, they would have approached him immediately.
From the moment they left home, tears hadn’t stopped in the kitten’s eyes. Seeing Gu Feng’s memorial portrait, it cried softly.
All beings had spirits. The kitten understood death, understood separation. It knew how thin and weak it once was—and how much Gu Feng had helped it grow.
They were supposed to become family.
“His assistant later told us that Gu Feng’s allergies had improved. That’s why he wanted a cat. He was under so much pressure…” Gu Feng’s mother wept.
From her words, Lin Jiangye finally understood the case.
Gu Feng did want to change managers. Not because he was ungrateful—but because he could no longer endure Sun Zhao’s behavior.
Sun Zhao had indeed built his career, but at the cost of endless work and unsavory drinking engagements.
Even after winning Best Actor, Sun Zhao continued arranging such events. That was the final straw.
Unfortunately, Gu Feng failed to keep his plans secret. Before he could act, Sun Zhao found out—and resolved to kill.
Using his access to the villa, Sun Zhao disabled the cameras and chose a time when Gu Feng was alone. He avoided other surveillance and slipped in.
But the plan faltered. Instead of using the knife he brought, during a heated argument he grabbed the trophy and killed him.
“Which left key evidence,” Shang Fuyan said quietly behind Lin Jiangye.
The red fragment was nail polish—applied to Sun Zhao’s little finger by his daughter while he slept. During the struggle, it was scraped off by the trophy’s edge. The fragment contained traces of his skin tissue.
“We also found footage from other streets capturing him in disguise. The evidence is solid.”
Shang Fuyan’s deep eyes turned toward the portrait.
The entire division owed thanks to that cat. Without it narrowing their suspects, they couldn’t have solved the case within two days.
Public pressure had been mounting.
Now, with the case closed swiftly, fans were praising the police.
Shang Fuyan bent down. His usually cold eyes softened like spring water.
He gently stroked the kitten’s head.
“Thank you.”
Lin Jiangye was surprised—then approving.
The tabby had helped immensely. Of course it deserved thanks.
As they left, Lin Jiangye carried the canned food Gu Feng had prepared for the kitten.
The family had given it all to him.
He also learned the name Gu Feng had chosen.
“He wanted to call you Tibetan Mastiff.”
Seeing the kitten’s confusion, he explained—a large, strong, fierce dog loyal to its owner.
The kitten had never seen one. But it liked the part about loyalty.
[Human, I’ll grow big like a Tibetan Mastiff and protect you!]
Lin Jiangye’s eyes widened, then filled with warmth.
He didn’t say a tabby would never grow that large.
Instead, he held the kitten close, meeting its gaze.
“Thank you, Tibetan Mastiff. I’ll rely on you to protect me.”
He understood its heart and wouldn’t dampen its resolve.
After they left, a figure stepped from the corner.
Shang Fuyan.
He watched their retreating backs for a long moment before frowning slightly.
Was it his imagination?
It almost felt like the man and the cat were conversing.
—
Author’s Note:
Yesterday I asked my best friend what name she would give a tabby cat.
Friend: Is it fierce?
Me: Not fierce, very well-behaved.
My buddy: Tibetan Mastiffs!!!
Me: Well… what if we name Tibetan Mastiff?
My friend: Sweetie! That’s the contrast I wanted!
Okay then… [melted]
(Why didn’t I name the tabby cat? Because I already have a tabby cat named Fairy Grass [sprinkling flowers] My tabby! So cute [sprinkling flowers])
P.S.: In real life, it’s best not to keep cats and birds together, but since this is a novel, I did. [Let me see…]
