Chapter 39

April 1st, sunny.

The day Xiao Yu stole dried fish.

If she ever turns human at mealtime again, I’ll try offering her real people-food.

Right now I’m too nervous—what if she needs the bathroom? How do I teach her to use the toilet instead of diving head-first into the litter tray?

Once we can actually talk, I’ll start by explaining that humans don’t bury their business in sand.

April 2nd, Thursday.

Xiao Yu’s figured out how to walk.

She still wobbles, but she can let go of my hand and stagger forward on her own.

Maybe she learned by sneaking snacks when my back was turned.

Motivation really is the best teacher.

I’m wondering if I should ditch the textbook routine. The last thing I want is to become the kind of grown-up I used to hate.

April 3rd.

I could scream.

I finished my word-count and Xiao Yu was gone.

I tore the apartment apart, then the stairwell, then the whole block—climbed from the first floor to the roof and checked every landing.

Came back to the bedroom and found her crawling out of the wardrobe.

That night, once she turned human again, she mumbled that she didn’t feel like studying.

Last month she was keen as anything—how did she become a truant overnight?

Only managed 2,000 words today. I’m dead on my feet; bedtime.

April 4th, sunny.

Walked to Yintai City, bought building blocks, jigsaws, and a pile of phonics storybooks.

Feels less like “keeping a beauty in a gilded cage” and more like raising a kid.

She’s scary fast—blocks and puzzles barely slow her down.

The picture books come with pinyin; she actually squealed when she spotted the letters.

If she gets stuck, her kids’ watch has a scan-and-learn function.

Watching her sit at the desk, tiny finger tracing the text while the watch chirped the sounds, I felt... proud?

Anyway, I finally nailed the pacing. Hope she keeps it up.

Yesterday’s drama made me forget to check: I made it through the fourth round of Starry River Recommendation—unreal.

Bookmarks are at 7,500, already beating my last book’s launch numbers.

Still nowhere near 1,000 followers, so the big promo slot is probably hopeless.

Sigh.

April 5th, Sunday.

Promised Mom I’d come for lunch. Finished my pages in the morning, tidied up, and got Xiao Yu ready.

“Xiao Yu, come down. We need to talk.”

Ai Qing held the pet carrier and looked up at the wardrobe where Xiao Yu crouched.

“Meow~” Xiao Yu stared at the box and shook her head.

“You don’t want to come? I might not be back until tomorrow—sure about that?”

She shook her head again, hopped to the floor, and scampered to the front door. “Meow~”

Ai Qing blinked, finally caught on, and glanced at the carrier.

“You don’t want to be locked in there, do you?”

Xiao Yu nodded vigorously.

Ai Qing rubbed his chin. Honestly, Xiao Yu understood him now; even without the box he trusted her not to bolt. But walking a cat outside was still risky.

After a moment he rummaged in the cabinet and pulled out a harness.

“How about this?” He knelt and showed it to her. “I clip the leash on, just to be safe. Behave today and next time we can try without it.”

He’d bought the harness ages ago. The first time she’d worn it she forgot how to walk, legs splaying like a drunk crab.

This time she hesitated, then stepped into the straps and let him buckle her in.

Maybe being human so often had made clothes normal; the harness didn’t faze her at all.

They did a practice lap around the apartment, then Ai Qing slung his backpack and they headed out.

“Oh?”

The elevator doors opened and Xiao Youqian stepped out.

Seeing Ai Qing leading Xiao Yu on a leash, her eyes lit up. She hurried over. “Taking her for a walk?”

“Not exactly. I’m going home for lunch, bringing her along.”

“Is that okay? Cats can stress out easily,” Youqian warned. “My Vera’s a total homebody—crowds freak her out.”

“Xiao Yu’s fine.” Ai Qing glanced down and grinned. “Right, Xiao Yu?”

“Meow~” Xiao Yu tilted her head and trilled.

Youqian’s jaw dropped. “She... actually understood?”

“Coincidence,” Ai Qing said quickly. “Anyway, gotta run.”

“Sure, bye!” Youqian called. “Tell your grandma thanks—business at the pet hospital is booming thanks to her referrals.”

“Will do.”

They slipped past her into the elevator. Xiao Yu padded in, curious.

Every other trip she’d been locked in the carrier, peeking through slats she could barely see through with cat eyes.

Now she funneled every trace of the warm flow inside her straight into her pupils.

The world snapped into crystal colour—greens sharper, fluorescents humming, every dust mote dancing.

She’d figured out the trick over the last few weeks: a tiny, private superpower.

It let her see the world—and the people in it—clearly for the first time.

Outside the lift Ai Qing kept the pace slow, leash loose.

Xiao Yu darted into flowerbeds, leapt onto benches, then used a stack of ornamental rocks as a springboard to land on his shoulder.

“You’re getting heavy,” he muttered, feeling her weight on his right side.

“Meow~” She had no opinion on body image; she just purred, surveying the neighbourhood from her new perch.

He glanced at her glowing eyes, crossed the road outside the south gate, and looked back once.

Someday, he thought, I’ll walk down a street with her in human form and no one will bat an eye.

“Come on, Xiao Yu. Let’s go home.”

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