Chapter 2

5

Zhi Chuan went to answer the door.

I breathed a sigh of relief and deliberately changed the subject.

"What food did you order?"

He didn't answer.

His hands kept moving.

From the delivery bag, he took an enormous bath towel and came toward me.

He wrapped me snugly in it, then carried me to bed.

Afraid of falling, I clung to his neck.

His breathing grew heavier.

The atmosphere became stranger.

With no better idea, I tried another terrible joke.

"Your food service is pretty strict, huh? Asking people if they're thin every day. No dinner unless they are?"

He still ignored me.

I kept talking to myself.

We were so close I could see his eyelashes clearly.

I couldn't resist poking them.

"These are stiff."

He stopped.

Then quickly reacted, his expression darkening.

"Don't say things like that."

Only then did I realize the double meaning.

I shut up.

...

He gently put me on the bed.

At last, he answered.

"The delivery app is called Shou. The word for beast. Not the word for thin."

I nodded and muttered, "Still copied from Earth..."

He probably didn't hear.

Smiling, he rubbed my head.

"Sleep. I won't lick you tonight."

Helplessly, I pointed at the empty bed.

"How am I supposed to sleep without a pillow?"

Still smiling, he produced one from behind his back as though by magic and solemnly handed it over.

"Good night, Qianqian."

Sleepiness washed over me.

Without thinking much, I accepted it and lay down.

The pillow carried his scent.

Even my dreams were full of that particular fragrance.

Before my awareness faded, I realized something.

This big cat was very calculating.

6

Hunger woke me the next day.

It was already noon.

Zhi Chuan opened a white packet of human food.

Soy milk. Fried dough sticks. Even steamed buns.

My stomach growled.

I reached out.

He slapped my hand back.

"Wash first."

I pouted and muttered, "Cats are fussier than humans."

But I obediently went to the bathroom.

Up close, I discovered he'd already squeezed toothpaste onto my brush and poured a cup of water for rinsing.

For a moment, I couldn't tell whether I was the pet or the owner.

...

Once I'd washed, I ate without a shred of dignity.

He didn't eat human food.

He only watched me intently, occasionally wiping crumbs from the corner of my mouth.

When I'd eaten my fill, he said slowly, "Shall I take you to meet my family this afternoon?"

I said nothing.

He added, "There's lots of human food at home. You'll love it."

...Food?

Refusing now would be disrespectful to food itself.

So I pretended to be reluctant.

"Fine. But we go early and come back early."

The beastfolk world was dangerous.

I didn't want to linger somewhere unfamiliar.

7

At five, he took me to his family home.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't in the city.

It was a huge cave in the mountains.

Holding my hand, he walked in as though nothing were unusual.

Inside were tigers.

All tigers.

Bared fangs, sharp claws, terrifying faces.

Some even had pointed bony spines along their backs.

One look told me not to provoke them.

Suddenly, a white tiger approached, opening a huge, red mouth.

Saliva glistened on its sharp teeth.

I flung myself straight into Zhi Chuan's arms.

I buried my face for a long time.

Didn't dare look up.

Until I heard his helpless voice.

"Second Uncle, you're frightening her."

I froze.

Then raised my head.

"Second Uncle? Cats and tigers can be relatives?"

As soon as I asked, I understood.

Cats and tigers were both felines.

Perhaps there was a connection.

His arms tightened around me.

He gave a wicked smile.

"When did I ever say I was a cat?"

I went cold.

At last, I realized.

He wasn't a white cat.

He was a white tiger in a smaller form.

I struggled out of his arms.

He only held me tighter.

"Scared now?"

I didn't dare move. I shrank against him.

Without hesitation, I joined the ranks of the helpless.

"Please don't eat me! I don't taste good..."

My voice dwindled.

Just then, Second Uncle punched him.

"Why are you frightening this little human, too? They're timid."

After scolding him, he looked at me.

"Don't cry, girl. He's repaying a kindness. He won't eat you."

I stopped crying instantly.

"Repaying a kindness?" I asked hoarsely.

8

Zhi Chuan sighed and carefully wiped my tears with a tissue.

Then he told me the story.

"Three years ago, I accidentally wandered into a forest on Earth. They took me to the zoo in City A."

"Space was limited. To make money, they gave most of it to the cute animals humans liked. Fierce tigers like me needed room to move, but I was shut in a tiny enclosure, pacing the same route every day..."

Something stirred in my memory.

Three years ago, I'd visited City A's zoo.

I'd seen a white tiger circling a small room.

It had walked so much that a clear track marked the floor.

It hurt to watch.

Moved by pity, I'd recorded a video and posted it online.

Asked people to pay attention to the animals' living conditions.

Unexpectedly, it went viral.

The zoo improved its facilities and gave that tiger a larger space.

I couldn't help exclaiming, "The power of the internet!"

Seeing I'd remembered, he rubbed my head.

"You remember now? My benefactor."

I nodded, then shook my head.

I stole a glance at him, afraid he might offer himself in repayment.

Not that I'd exactly lose out...

But...

Before my thoughts could run away, he continued.

"Then my family found me, and I went home with them. A big tiger disappearing must have given you all a fright."

I propped up my chin.

"Why do you keep emphasizing 'big tiger'?"

A little embarrassed, he glanced at me.

"So somebody doesn't mistake me for a white cat again."

...Ha. My turn to be embarrassed.

To break the awkwardness, I joked, "Speaking of big, that part of you..."

I'd thought beastfolk wouldn't understand.

Instead, his lips curved.

"Haven't you already seen it?"

Aah!

When had I seen it?!

Did a glimpse through trousers count?

I went red to the ears.

Only then did I realize a tiger was teasing me.

I was about to get angry.

He put a box of three-flavor fried chicken in front of me.

I took a drumstick and bit off a huge mouthful.

"So good. Smells amazing. Junk food really is irresistible."

Perhaps because I was enjoying it, Second Uncle brought over more human food.

Grilled rice-paper snacks. Meat rolls. Iced milk tea. Even assorted treats.

He smiled kindly.

"Eat up, girl. This brat's all talk. Ignore him."

I nodded and took a sip of milk tea.

My favorite jasmine flavor!

I drank several more mouthfuls.

With my stomach comforted, my mood improved considerably.

9

After we'd eaten, Zhi Chuan suggested, "Let me take you stargazing."

I shook my head.

"No. What if we run into snakes or wolves and you can't fight them?"

He suddenly laughed.

In a blink, his body expanded to several times its size, as though showing off his true form.

His voice was confident.

"Qianqian, I'm king of the beasts. Nobody will bully you with me here."

The enormous figure frightened me a little.

I hurriedly waved.

"I know, I know. Change back. Please."

He seemed to enjoy my pleading.

A moment later, he was back to his smaller form.

Then he took my hand firmly and led me out of the cave.

...

We walked a long way.

Near the mountaintop, I spotted a beautiful rock.

He pulled me over to sit on it.

The instant I sat, I began pounding my aching legs.

Seeing that, he attentively helped massage them.

But his hands were a little too strong.

I drew a sharp breath.

"Ow! Gently!"

He paused, then hurried to say, "All right. I'll be more careful."

His beautiful eyes seemed capable of bewitching someone.

A few seconds of eye contact changed the air between us.

To ease my embarrassment, I looked up at the stars and changed the subject.

"Which one's Earth?"

He looked up, too.

Then he took my hand and gently pointed toward the biggest, brightest star.

"That one. The closest planet to us."

I nodded, lost in thought.

He said nothing, simply sitting quietly beside me.

10

After hesitating for half an hour, I finally said what was on my mind.

"Zhi Chuan, if you really want to repay me, help me get back to Earth."

He was silent for a long time.

I went on.

"I'm a third-year student. I haven't graduated. Then suddenly I ended up here. I miss my parents. My friends. I want to finish university. My school isn't top-ranked, but I worked hard to get in. Hundreds of thousands of students took the exam in my province that year. I ranked thirty thousandth..."

I kept talking.

He listened patiently the whole time.

By the end, tears had gathered in my eyes.

He hurried to hand me a tissue.

"Don't cry. I'll find a way to send you home."

...

He was a tiger who kept his word.

The next day, he found a way to remove my pet registration number.

That meant I could enter and leave this world freely.

On the third day, he'd packed my luggage.

He was ready to see me off.

Excitedly, I jumped into the portal.

But he stayed where he was, looking sad.

I tilted my head.

"Cat, what's wrong?"

He sighed.

"Human, this is as far as I can take you."

Of course.

However far you accompany someone, eventually you must part.

I forced a smile.

"Cat, thank you for looking after me. Come visit Earth sometime!"

He didn't answer.

He only lowered his head. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

A sudden sense of loss rose inside me, with an ache I couldn't name.

Then, just as the portal was closing, he looked up and shouted, "Lin Qian! My human registration is nearly ready! Wait for me!"

"Wait for me."

I returned to Earth.

Half a year passed.

I never saw him again.

But those words kept returning to me.