Cultivating Immortality by Raising a Cat (GL) Chapter 45

On the wooden table, one kitten lay flat while the other stepped on it. They looked like two little fur balls stacked together. No matter how one looked, it was adorable.
Xiong Lanlan, the one who had caused this, happily patted the wooden table with her bear paw. “Look, they are playing together so quickly. Little Gray is easy to raise. Whatever your Rice Ball eats, just give it some too. It can use the litter box by itself. If it were not so small, I would not have brought it over. I would have just let it out.”
Lin Mianmian looked at the little calico, who had her head held high and was firmly stepping on Little Gray’s back. Was this playing together? Somehow, Xiong Lanlan’s words did not seem very believable.
The kitten under her paw was warm and soft. Yuan Zhaoyang stepped on its paw pads and suddenly felt a little lost. Why had she suddenly walked out? It seemed to be because she had been a little angry just now…
Right. She had been a little angry.
Why had she been angry again?
The little calico lowered her head and looked at the gray kitten under her foot. The other kitten had a silly, happy smile on its face and looked back at her with an adorable expression.
Oh. Probably because it was a little cute.
What did its cuteness have to do with her? Yuan Zhaoyang felt a bumpy discomfort in her heart, but she could not quite figure out where that discomfort came from.
When people met things they could not see clearly, or did not want to see clearly, they always liked to find reasons and excuses for themselves.
Cats were the same.
Yuan Zhaoyang moved her paw. The gray kitten under her paw twisted along with it, then slowly stretched a paw toward her.
The furry little gray paw hung in the air. Matched with the gray kitten’s obedient, cute, expectant face asking for a high five, Yuan Zhaoyang seemed to touch a little of the reason for the discomfort in her heart.
While the little calico was tangled up inside, Lin Mianmian, standing behind her and also facing Little Gray, truly could not resist the small paw Little Gray had stretched out asking to be touched. She reached out.
One tiny gray soft paw and one fair, delicate human hand overlapped before the little calico’s eyes.
Yuan Zhaoyang: “…”
“Eh…” Lin Mianmian had only just touched Little Gray’s paw and had not even had time to pinch the soft pad before her own little Rice Ball slapped her hand away.
This was the first time Lin Mianmian had been hit by the little calico. Before this, she had thought the little calico was a gentle cat who would never hit people. After all, she had only seen her hit cats.
But was this kitten’s strength a little too great? Lin Mianmian rubbed the back of her hand. Being hit by her beloved precious cat hurt her heart more than her hand.
Still, although the force was a little strong, she had not extended her claws. She had only slapped over with soft paw pads. That meant the little calico still loved her, right? Lin Mianmian comforted her wounded heart this way.
Little Gray drew its paw back in confusion, looked at Lin Mianmian, then looked at the little calico. It licked its paw and firmly stretched it toward the little calico again. It smiled and did not cry.
“Then it is settled. I am leaving.” Xiong Lanlan reached out a bear paw, gently petted the gray kitten once, and stood up to leave.
Lin Mianmian was the sort of person who was obsessed with petting cats all day, made no progress in cultivation, and had especially no resistance toward kittens. She had finally begun cultivating properly these past few days. How could an outside kitten ruin her enthusiasm for cultivating immortality? In the instant the human and cat’s paws touched, Yuan Zhaoyang had already found a proper reason to separate them.
For the sake of protecting Lin Mianmian’s road to seeking immortality, Yuan Zhaoyang instantly transformed into a righteous little cat. She actually did not really want to understand why her heart was so irritable and unhappy. The important thing was that she had found a righteous reason to do something that made herself comfortable.
Lin Mianmian, who has no self-control at all, this cat will help you. The little calico, having found herself a good reason, shook her fur and pressed one paw down on Little Gray’s friendship paw, which had been stretched out for a high five.
And so Xiong Lanlan, who had just stood up, was patting off dust and preparing to leave, saw the little calico brace one paw against Little Gray’s side and slowly push the gray kitten toward her.
“…” Xiong Lanlan, who was not stupid, began pretending to be stupid. “Little Rice Ball, play nicely with your new friend. How about changing Little Gray’s name? What about Rice Bowl? Rice Bowl and Rice Ball match better…”
The little calico was unmoved. She firmly pushed the gray kitten to the edge of the table in front of Xiong Lanlan, then turned and walked back to Lin Mianmian’s side.
Foolish human. This cat has made such a helpful decision for your cultivation life. No need to thank me.
The little calico’s refusal was so obvious that Lin Mianmian felt both shocked and delighted. She was shocked because this little calico usually always seemed a bit… either sleeping or spacing out. Even when Lin Mianmian stroked her fur and teased her, she always looked unmoved and refused to shift from her nest. So she was actually this smart? She even knew how to fight for favor. As her owner, Lin Mianmian felt both proud and comforted.
“Why don’t…” Lin Mianmian also knew Xiong Lanlan going into seclusion was a serious matter. Even if she could not help Xiong Lanlan care for the kitten, she wanted to find a suitable person. There were many disciples who had entered the sect with them. But recently, everyone was somewhat absorbed in cultivation. To think of a kind person among them who was still willing to spend time caring for a kitten, Lin Mianmian needed to consider it carefully.
Before Lin Mianmian could finish, Xiong Lanlan scooped up Little Gray and placed it in the middle of the table. “It is just a kitten. They will get familiar after playing for a while. Look at your courtyard. Usually, there are only bigger cats here. Your little Rice Ball must be so lonely. With another kitten, they can tussle and play. How happy.”
Yuan Zhaoyang turned back and looked at Lin Mianmian’s conflicted face. Tch. Your cat has shown her wish so clearly, and you are still hesitating? So angry! You must think it is really cute! That is why you are hesitating so much!
Yuan Zhaoyang, who could not open her mouth to speak, was almost furious. Perhaps because anger left her no good method to choose, she turned her head and saw Fried Dough lying in the corner, sunning itself while still watching this side.
Go. Take this kitten away. Take it far away. Raise it well, and do not let it come over here normally. Yuan Zhaoyang quietly looked at the yellow cat and gave it a long string of hints with her eyes.
The yellow cat stared at by the little calico froze for a moment, then quickly got up and looked left and right, as if waiting for something. But after waiting a while, nothing happened. The yellow cat carefully glanced at the calico still looking at it, then shot to the door of the wooden house and began scratching at it. After scratching a few times without opening it, it turned back and timidly looked at the calico again. Then it ran to the sand basin in the courtyard, pooped as fast as possible, buried it well, and shaped the sand into a pretty design.
Yuan Zhaoyang looked speechlessly at the yellow cat, who had obviously let out a sigh of relief and whose face was full of wanting credit when it looked at her. She sincerely felt that there might be a problem with the source of the Moonlight Powder she had fed it.
Since Lin Mianmian still could not make a decision, then she should not blame Yuan Zhaoyang.
While Lin Mianmian was carefully thinking about which of the disciples who had entered with them would be suitable to entrust Little Gray to, she saw the little calico, who had been crouching in front of her a moment ago, jump down from the table and run to the courtyard gate without looking back.
Logically, the little calico wore the small stone from Xiong Lanlan’s array around her neck and could not run out of the courtyard. But the little calico ran straight to the courtyard gate, stood there firmly, lifted one paw and pressed it against the invisible barrier, then raised her head and glared at Lin Mianmian. It made Lin Mianmian’s heart tremble.
“No, no, no, I did not say I would raise it!” Lin Mianmian ran to the courtyard gate in three steps, scooped up the little calico, stuffed her into her arms, and held her tightly.
Xiong Lanlan said, “Isn’t it wearing that stone? It cannot run out. Or did you not open the array?”
“I did.” Lin Mianmian carefully imprisoned the little calico in her arms. “But I still hope it stays here willingly, not unhappily trapped by my array. It looks like Little Rice Ball cannot accept another kitten. To avoid Little Gray being hit by her, why don’t we put Little Gray with Feng Liang to raise?”
“Feng Liang? Who?” Xiong Lanlan, who spent all day raising children, raising cats, and making bean buns, with no time at all for socializing, looked blank.
“…The one who packed bedding for you in Yingxian City,” Lin Mianmian said. Seeing Xiong Lanlan still look blank, she added, “Later, when I went to your place to get the stone pot, she led me inside. Also, when we caught fish before, she was the second person to step forward and say she would help scrape fish scales.”
“Oh.” Xiong Lanlan’s eyes finally stopped being full of confusion. “The one who also asked whether the fish in the river could be eaten, right? Fine, her then. Ah, you humans all look so similar. You really are hard to tell apart.”
Lin Mianmian the grass demon: “…”
Xiong Lanlan, who was bad at recognizing faces, left with Little Gray and her dissatisfaction about human appearances looking too similar. She left behind more than half a bucket of sweet bean buns, as well as the little calico’s belly full of anger.
“They are gone. Hey, they are gone.” Lin Mianmian held the little calico and rocked her lightly.
The latter seemed frozen in place and did not move at all.
“They really are gone.” Lin Mianmian pinched each cat paw in turn and kissed the top of the cat’s head.
The little calico gave no response at all.
Lin Mianmian: “…”
After Lin Mianmian kneaded the little calico all over and still received no response, it was like she was kneading a plush toy, one that was extremely lifelike and even warm. Having no other method, Lin Mianmian lifted the little calico and slowly moved close to kiss the cat’s face.
Sure enough, there was a response this time.
A cool, soft cat paw pressed against Lin Mianmian’s face.
But before Lin Mianmian could open her mouth to coax the cat, the little calico slipped out of her hands, ran to the door, scratched it open, and squeezed inside.
Lin Mianmian looked at her hands, which still held warmth but were already empty. She somehow felt that just now, she had not been holding a cat but a loach. She had clearly held her tightly, so how had she slipped away?
Thinking back, ever since Lin Mianmian had met the little calico, she had seen many sides of her: cute and acting adorable, cold and noble, blank and silly, puffed up with anger… But this was Lin Mianmian’s first time seeing a cat give the cold shoulder.
It was actually… cute in a way that came with a little joy? Lin Mianmian rubbed her palms. She really was not a masochist.
After this fuss, Lin Mianmian began to reflect. These past few days, she seemed to have cared too much about cultivation, and the time she spent with the little calico really had decreased quite a lot.
And so, that day, Yuan Zhaoyang discovered that although she was too lazy to respond to Lin Mianmian, Lin Mianmian seemed unable to sense it at all and kept sticking to her with a smile.
Petting her back, combing her fur, smoothing her tail, trimming her claws, secretly kissing her paws, continuing to lean close even after being slapped in the face…
So annoying. Yuan Zhaoyang thought this while slowly softening under Lin Mianmian’s repeated strokes.
That day, everything seemed to return to how it had been before Lin Mianmian became absorbed in cultivation. At night, Lin Mianmian finally made up the ending of the story about the three little cats building houses.
Hmph. Again, the kittens worked together and defeated the big gray wolf. How boring. After listening, Yuan Zhaoyang hmph-ed and turned over, deciding never again to look forward to this childish ghost’s new stories.
Lin Mianmian looked at the tiny fur ball curled by her pillow and could not help reaching out to pet her again.
She did not know what other cats were like. In any case, her little calico was truly smart and shy.
As for the matter of running away from home because Lin Mianmian had wanted to wipe her little bottom with a wet cloth, that did not need to be discussed. Normally, the places Lin Mianmian could rub and pet were always limited to the top of her head, her back, her tail, and her four paws. As for her belly, forget touching it. Lin Mianmian could not even see it. That was right. This little calico would absolutely lie on her stomach if she could and would never lie on her back.
Even kisses could only land on paws, and they were always refused. A cold cat paw pressing against her face somehow made Lin Mianmian want to try again next time. Even when it came to pooping, the cat only did it when Lin Mianmian left the room. Ever since Lin Mianmian discovered this, she would always go out for a walk after a while, then come back after calculating the time, and she would definitely scoop one lump of cat poop. Compared with the shameless cats in the courtyard, who often came back specially to use the bathroom once before going out to wander again, the little calico was simply a clear stream among cats.
What a smart, shy, and troublesome little thing…
Since her heart already held this cat, how could it fit another little animal this cat did not like playing with?
It was just that this little thing really had no conscience. At the slightest disagreement, she wanted to run away from home. Thinking of the little calico’s grand gesture of running to the courtyard gate during the day and loudly declaring she wanted to leave, Lin Mianmian’s heart moved. She poked the cat’s back.
Yuan Zhaoyang turned back coldly.
“Eh, you are not asleep. Speaking of that, you are so smart. You can understand the stories I tell, right?” In the dark, Lin Mianmian smiled rather happily. “Then from today on, let us start a new story. Once upon a time, there was a little kitten. On its forehead, there was a lightning-shaped mark. Ever since it could remember, it had always lived in the stairwell of its auntie’s house. This little kitten’s name was…”
Yuan Zhaoyang: “…”