The cries were filled with fear and desperation, making Yu Yuanyuan’s heart tighten. Could Da Hua be in danger?

Jumping down from the swing, the little one anxiously ran to the gate of the yard, straining her ears to listen. When the next cat cry echoed, she could barely make out that it was coming from the bushes across the yard.

It wasn’t too far. She could check it out quickly.

Carefully, Yu Yuanyuan made her way toward the bushes. As she got closer, she heard laughter—light, carefree, and happy—but mixed with Da Hua’s angry and pleading meows.

Stumbling through the greenery, Yu Yuanyuan finally spotted two boys on the grass. They had tied a rope around Da Hua’s neck and were pulling the cat around however they pleased.

Both boys were older than Yu Yuanyuan, likely the same age as her older brother, Yu Mingxi, and their size was already intimidating. Still, her tiny figure rushed forward without hesitation. She grabbed the rope tightly with her small hands, glaring furiously.

“Stop… stop that!” Her voice was small and shaky, her attempt at being fierce resembling a puffed-up little pufferfish.

The boys paused, taken aback for a moment. Then one of them chuckled, seemingly unconcerned. “What’s the matter? You wanna play with us? Come on, this cat is so dumb.”

“Don’t hurt him! It hurts Da Hua!” Yu Yuanyuan stubbornly held onto the rope, refusing to let them pull. “Stop hurting Da Hua!”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at the boys. Then, suddenly, she noticed something odd. “Huh? There are two of you!”

The two boys were identical in every way—their faces, haircuts, even their clothes were exactly the same. Was she seeing things?

Rubbing her eyes, Yu Yuanyuan exclaimed in surprise, “I’m seeing double!”

Her outburst startled the two boys, who exchanged a bewildered glance. “What do you mean, double?”

“There are two of you that look exactly the same!” Yu Yuanyuan cried out, genuinely confused.

The twin boys rolled their eyes at each other. “Of course. We’re twins.”

“Twins? What’s that?” The puzzled little girl tilted her head, clearly not understanding.

Seeing her innocent expression, the twins grinned mischievously and motioned for her to come closer, pretending to share some big secret.

When Yu Yuanyuan got close enough, they quickly tied the rope around her chest, just like they had done to Da Hua. Now, they were dragging both the kitten and Yu Yuanyuan around the grass.

“You… you’re bad guys! You’re bad cookies, rotten eggs, meow, meow, meow!” Yu Yuanyuan was so angry she began shouting in cat language.

On the grass, the little girl and the cat both continued to protest loudly.

The twins, however, seemed to enjoy their cries. The more Yu Yuanyuan and Da Hua meowed and complained, the more amused the twins became. Despite their identical, handsome faces, the boys didn’t carry the usual warmth of other kids. Their smiles were filled with something dark and sinister.

As they dragged Yu Yuanyuan and Da Hua across the lawn, something changed—suddenly, the rope became heavier.

Exhausted from running, Yu Yuanyuan flopped onto the grass, refusing to move, letting them drag her across the grass like a cart.

But with Yu Yuanyuan now lying down and refusing to cooperate, her weight became too much. After pulling for a bit, the twins were sweating, their initial fun quickly replaced by fatigue.

“Get up!” the twins snapped, growing frustrated.

With Yu Yuanyuan acting as a deadweight, Da Hua finally managed to catch his breath, curling up on Yu Yuanyuan’s belly, trembling.

“I can’t, I’m too tired. I can’t run anymore,” Yu Yuanyuan said nonchalantly, lying flat on the grass as if she were the one in control. “You guys can pull me if you want, but I’m too tired.”

The twins took a deep breath, nearly exploding with frustration at this stubborn little girl.