Shen Ji found the large orange cat’s behavior surprisingly human-like. Its eyes and movements conveyed clear, easy-to-understand messages, leaving him quite astonished.

He hesitated, unsure whether he should go along with the cat’s actions.

The big orange cat, after waiting for a moment, saw that Shen Ji wasn’t petting it and impatiently nudged his hand with its head. “Alright, alright, see, he touched me, so stop crying already.”

The little girl, still sniffling, peered through her teary eyes to confirm. When she saw the small furry head of the cat in Shen Ji’s palm, her face immediately brightened, and she smiled through her tears. “Thank you! See, I told you, brother Shen Ji wouldn’t hurt you!”

Shen Ji had no intention of hurting it in the first place. Seeing the big orange cat trying to comfort Yu Yuanyuan by seeking his attention, he couldn’t help but stroke it a few more times.

Originally, the big orange cat had planned to make a quick escape, but Shen Ji’s skilled touch made it freeze in place. Its feline body couldn’t resist such expert petting. Grumbling inwardly, the cat gave up and flopped onto its side, its throat involuntarily releasing a deep, contented purr.

“Meow, yes, yes, just like that, keep going,” it seemed to say.

Although Shen Ji’s aura still triggered a bit of instinctive wariness in the cat, the presence of Yu Yuanyuan and the delightful sensation of being petted soon made it lose all sense of self-control.

Under Shen Ji’s gentle strokes, the big orange cat obediently exposed its belly, completely succumbing to the pampering.

“Meow says it likes this,” Yu Yuanyuan announced, her tears completely gone. Squatting beside them, she continued her job as a cat translator. “Yes, yes, that’s what it said!”

“Yuanyuan, can you really understand what the cat is saying?” Shen Ji asked, still stroking the cat, though he hadn’t forgotten about the little girl.

This was his first time interacting with a small animal.

From childhood until now, no animal—whether a cat, a dog, or even a bird—had ever willingly come near him. In fact, whenever he approached them, they would either growl in warning or flee in fear.

If he persisted, the once-docile creatures would run as if their lives depended on it.

This was the first time Shen Ji had ever experienced being so close to an animal without it running away.

Watching everything unfold, he had a strong suspicion that this rare experience was all because of Yu Yuanyuan.

“Yep, yep!” Yu Yuanyuan nodded enthusiastically but then suddenly paused, her previous excitement fading. “Brother Shen Ji, do you not believe what I’m saying?”

“No, I believe you,” Shen Ji said calmly, glancing down at the big orange cat, which was now purring so contentedly it was nearly asleep. “This is the first time I’ve ever touched a cat. You must have communicated with it.”

The little girl, who had faced doubt and disbelief all day, sat like a small round ball on the ground, her eyes wide in surprise. Then she looked up at Shen Ji with pure joy and excitement.

To her, his words were the greatest comfort and validation she could have asked for.

Even if the whole world didn’t believe her, at least brother Shen Ji did!

“Is your dad still not here? Should I call and check?” Shen Ji glanced at the time. He’d been keeping Yu Yuanyuan company for nearly half an hour, and most of the other kids had already gone home. The once lively kindergarten had become much quieter.

Ms. Su, the teacher, had just seen off the last child except for Yu Yuanyuan. Noticing that Yu Jinxiao still hadn’t arrived, she was about to call him when a luxury car slowly pulled up in front of the school, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

The car door opened, and out stepped Gao Zhou, followed closely by Yu Jinxiao.

Yu Yuanyuan jumped up in excitement. “It’s Uncle Gao and Daddy!”

Seeing her family arrive, Shen Ji patted her on the head and stood up. “I’ll head home now.”

“Bye-bye, Brother Shen Ji!” Yu Yuanyuan waved her little hand, happily grabbing her backpack and running toward her dad.

With a burst of energy, she flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around a leg, shouting, “Daddy!”

But a second later, Yu Yuanyuan heard her father’s voice coming from beside her. “Yu Yuanyuan, who do you think you’re calling ‘Daddy’?”