"How many times have I told you, no peeing in front of my bedroom door!" Fatty, furious and exasperated, carried a black cat out to the yard and tossed it onto the ground.
"Be kind to the disabled," the black cat shot him a glare, his claw pointing to the bandages still wrapped around its chest and abdomen.
I set down the magazine I was reading and examined the black cat, saying, "You're recovering well. In a few days, you'll be back to work catching mice for me. I don't know why mice keep sneaking into the shop lately."
"Is there a salary?" The black cat strolled slowly to my feet.
My face darkened, and I put my hands on my hips. "Laoniang[1] saved your life, helped you guide that obnoxious kid, and even saved that 'Wangxing' fish. After all I've done for you, you still ask me for money?"
"I'm just asking casually..." the black cat hung its head, a touch of sadness in its silence.
I couldn't bear it anymore, so after some consideration, I announced generously, "No salary, but I'll make sure you have plenty of cat food."
The black cat sighed and remained silent.
The afternoon sunlight bathed both me and the black cat, making it so comfortable that I felt like dozing off. I lazily nestled in the rattan chair, sipping on the honey pomelo juice freshly prepared by Skinny, smacking my lips, and asked, "When do you plan to return to Cangtong Kai's side? It'll take at least twenty years if you want to cultivate a human form again."
"Then I'll go back in twenty years," the black cat lay down. "With my inner core, I can at least guarantee that he won't turn into that bloodthirsty monster after midnight for the next twenty years."
"Cangtong Kai's father only intended for you to be his son's bodyguard and playmate, not to make such a big sacrifice," the sweet juice flowed between my lips and teeth, but there was a slight bitterness, "If it weren't for your luck to be able to run to me with your last breath, you would have been a dead cat by now."
"So, it's really a blessing to have friendship with you," the black cat looked at me with a smile on its face.
"Just this once. If you give me trouble by yourself, it's one thing. But if you ever impersonate some wise person and write letters to others, asking them to seek my help, I'll send you to the underworld to do hard labor," I scolded the black cat and continued, "Both you and Tutu know that Cangtong Kai is the descendant of the Cat Demon King. Once someone from the Cangtong family crosses the age of seventeen, they transform into a cat after midnight, becoming bloodthirsty, especially towards fish, showing no mercy, and devouring them quickly." I spit out the straw and stared at the black cat. "Over the years, both Tutu and you had countless opportunities to leave."
"If we both left, Kai would be alone again. He doesn't know his own background, nor does he know what he's done on those nights," the black cat said lightly. "Whether it's me or Tutu, we both want his happiness to last a little longer. Kai is just a child. All he wants is the warmth and love of family and genuine care. Even if it's just a casual chat at the dinner table after school or a reminder to be careful not to catch a cold." The black cat lifted its head and squinted in the direct sunlight. "Tutu isn't a clever demon. Despite her age, she understands very little. The only thing she understands is to keep her promise. She promised to stay by Kai's side, even if it means losing her life. I didn’t understand her before, thinking she must be crazy to choose a life of normal during the day and running for her life during the night. But I came to understand later."
I chuckled with my head down, "Because you fell in love with a fish."
The black cat put its chin on the ground embarrassedly, smiling innocently, "But she fell in love with another cat."
"Ah. It's incredible that even a cocky kid like Cangtong Kai has someone in love with him," I suddenly sighed, "Love truly is an illogical and irrational thing."
"Will Tutu be okay?" the black cat lifted its head and inquired in trepidation.
"Cat demons and fish demons are natural enemies. The wounds Cangtong Kai left on Tutu can only be healed by Cangtong Kai's tears." I paused, "But Tutu's situation is a bit too bad."
The black cat instantly sat up nervously.
"Your inner core was sent into Cangtong Kai's body by Tutu. The power of a cat demon's inner core is the most harmful to her as a fish demon. That’s why her body keeps shrinking, preventing her from assuming the human form, speaking human language, and even recognizing Cangtong Kai. Only by returning her to nature and far away from the cat demon aura on Cangtong Kai can she gradually recover after a hundred and eighty years," I shrugged, "It depends on whether that idiot Cangtong Kai can understand the word I gave him. If not, I'll just have to suffer a little loss and help you sneak the fish out and release it. Oh dear, fish love is truly troublesome."
"Thank you, really," the black cat nuzzled its head against my leg. "I'll do my best to help you catch mice! No need for a salary!"
A week later, I received an express delivery. There was a USB flash drive and a check in it.
I opened the video file on the USB drive, and the monitor displayed a shaking expanse of light blue sea. In the water, there was a small, white fish with fins and a tail that spread out like lace, looking very beautiful. In the sound of the ocean waves, it joyfully swam forward, and there were no visible wounds on its body.
After swimming a certain distance, the white fish suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at the camera with its round eyes.
"Go; I should have let you go long ago."
Off-screen, there was a pleasant voice of a young man.
But the white fish just kept looking, looking...
In the video, there was only the sound of water.
There might have been something else, but it was something we couldn't hear.
After a while, the white fish shook its tail, turned around, and slowly swam away, eventually disappearing into the deep blue.
I unplugged the USB drive, thinking that in another ten or twenty years, if that kid, Cangtong Kai, truly becomes a mature man, he’ll be quite a charming guy. I plan to confirm my speculation at some point in the future.
Of course, the other thing that makes me ecstatic is that there are more zeros on this check that I can count!!! However, I will certainly not let Fatty and Skinny know, otherwise they will surely revolt and force me to give them a raise!!
I hid the check, then swaggered back into the house. It was dinner time, and Fatty and Skinny had been busy in the kitchen for most of the day. The fragrant aroma filled my life with such delight!
By the way, Fatty had originally planned to make braised fish, but I declined.
I don't like to eat fish in the first place, and I certainly won't eat it in the future, hehe...
Footnotes:
[1] Like laozi, laoniang is a self-proclaimed title used by women to convey arrogance/superiority.
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