Lu Huai jolted awake.

Before his brain fully registered, his body reacted first.

He instinctively reached behind him, wanting to pull the cat into his arms. Only when he felt the lump of the blanket did he gradually come to his senses.

Niannian wasn’t a cat anymore.

He probably wasn’t afraid of thunder.

Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly felt something was wrong with the blanket next to him; it was trembling.

Lu Huai froze for a moment.

Then, he frantically pulled back the blanket, digging out the little cat who had buried his head and curled up.

He was so thin.

In the night, the boy’s body seemed even more frail.

He had his back to Lu Huai. Even though he was human, he was still like a cat, curled up, his whole body trembling, his shoulders shuddering.

Lu Huai’s heart felt like it was being squeezed, aching intensely.

He quickly scooped him up, and when he saw the little cat’s red eyes, his breath hitched.

Niannian was crying.

Lu Huai was clearly flustered, hugging the little cat even tighter, gently patting his back. “Niannian, don’t be afraid, brother is here.”

The little cat’s head was buried in Lu Huai’s shoulder, his tears wetting the fabric.

Lu Huai regretted it terribly. If he’d known it would rain tonight, he wouldn’t have slept so soundly.

Niannian was still crying, but silently, almost soaking Lu Huai’s shirt with tears.

He felt both heartache and self-blame, so he simply picked him up and walked around the room, coaxing him.

Lu Huai was an orphan himself and had never experienced being coaxed, so now he could only clumsily pat Niannian’s back, humming a tuneless song.

“Don’t cry, baby.”

Hearing this term of endearment, the little cat suddenly raised his head, looking at him with wet eyes. “Who’s baby?”

Lu Huai sighed, supporting the little cat’s bottom with one hand and wiping his tears with the other. “It’s you.”

The little cat repeated hesitantly, “I’m baby.”

It sounded a little strange.

But Lu Huai still whispered, “Yes, Niannian is brother’s baby.”

Niannian hugged Lu Huai’s neck, clinging to him. “I want to sleep with brother.”

“Okay.”

“Sharing a pillow and a blanket.”

“Okay.”

Lu Huai just wanted his little cat to stop crying.

Before taking him to bed, Lu Huai washed a hot towel and wiped his face.

After lying down again, the little cat used his hands and feet to burrow into Lu Huai’s bed, clinging to him like an octopus.

They were supposed to share a pillow, but his little head was resting on Lu Huai’s shoulder.

Lu Huai didn’t move or say anything.

The room fell silent again.

Less than ten minutes later.

Niannian shifted, his voice still nasal. “Brother, are you asleep?”

It felt like being woken up by a cat to go back to sleep.

Lu Huai closed his eyes. “Not yet.”

The little cat leaned over and peeked at his eyelids. “Really?”

“…”

Lu Huai took a deep breath and opened his eyes helplessly. “What is it?”

“Can I sleep with you again tomorrow?”

Lu Huai deliberately said, “It depends on whether it rains tomorrow.”

The little cat clingingly said, “Oh.”

He patted the little cat. “Go to sleep.”

The little cat closed his eyes tightly, praying to the cat god in his heart.

Please rain, please rain!!!

.

The next day was still overcast.

Lu Huai woke up a little later. He didn’t have time to make breakfast, but thankfully there was bread and milk at home. After changing his clothes, he dug out the little cat who was sleeping with his butt in the air.

“I’m going to school. Wake up and eat breakfast after you sleep a little longer, hear me?”

The little cat’s eyes were tightly closed.

Lu Huai sighed, leaning close to his ear. “It’s raining!”

The little cat woke up instantly, his eyes wide. “Really?! Then tonight…”

“But the rain might not last until night,” Lu Huai said cruelly, stroking Niannian’s hair. “Keep praying to the cat god.”

The little cat was stunned. “How did you know?”

“Pray silently next time, okay?” Lu Huai pinched his ear. “You said it out loud last night.”

Perhaps Niannian’s prayers to the cat god worked; it rained heavily all afternoon.

During the afternoon’s PE class, Lu Huai helped move the gym equipment. Seeing it was almost time for school to end, he told the teacher and went home with his bag.

As soon as he left the school gates, Lu Huai was about to check the monitor when he heard someone call him from behind, “Brother!”

The clear, familiar voice made Lu Huai freeze.

He quickly turned around and saw Niannian on the side of the road, holding a large black umbrella, excitedly waving at him.

Lu Huai was startled and quickly walked over.

The little cat, with a smiling face, quickly leaned over, tiptoeing to hold the umbrella over Lu Huai’s head.

Lu Huai suppressed his anger. “Who told you to come out yourself!”

The smile on Niannian’s face faltered, his voice softer. “It’s raining, I wanted to pick up brother.”

Lu Huai was almost overwhelmed by the surge of anger and worry. He had come out like this? He’d crossed several intersections and traffic lights? What if a car hit him?

But with a thousand words of reproach, seeing the little cat’s longing eyes, Lu Huai couldn’t say a word.

He lowered his head and touched Niannian’s cheek. “How did you find the school?”

The little cat was actually very sensitive. He had already sensed Lu Huai’s displeasure, carefully observing Lu Huai’s expression, cautiously saying, “Brother brought me here before.”

Lu Huai was stunned, then remembered that during a sports meet, he had put the little cat in his backpack. Others were eating snacks in the back, and he was petting the cat.

He pursed his lips, saying nothing more, taking the umbrella, mostly shielding the little cat’s head.

After walking a few steps, Niannian whispered, “Brother, are you angry?”

Lu Huai whispered, “No.”

Niannian hesitated. “Then can I come pick you up again?”

Lu Huai actually still wasn’t comfortable letting the little cat go out.

He just wanted the little cat to stay home, so that every time he came home, he could hold the little cat in his arms.

But Lu Huai knew he couldn’t do that.

Niannian wasn’t a cat anymore.

He couldn’t selfishly keep him at home.

“You can.”

When Lu Huai reached the next intersection, he suddenly turned a corner.

The little cat quickly said, “Brother, you’ve taken a wrong turn. Going straight is the way home.”

“Mm, we’re not going home yet,” Lu Huai said. “I’m taking you to buy a phone.”

Hearing that they were buying a phone, the little cat was indeed happy. He only had a phone watch before, a second-hand item from a street stall, which broke after a couple of days. He could only longingly wait for Lu Huai to come home to play games on his phone.

But when Lu Huai came back, he was busy again, eating, testing the characters he learned that day, dragging him to take a bath, and not letting him play after turning off the lights at night, making him sleep obediently.

The little cat counted on his fingers; he could only play puzzle games for half an hour at most each day.

Turning a corner, they soon reached a mall.

As soon as they entered, the little cat excitedly leaned on the glass counter. He thought every phone was beautiful, each newer than his brother’s phone, with a larger screen.

Lu Huai let him choose himself.

The salesperson was a young lady, enthusiastically introducing various phones to Niannian. The little cat listened attentively, his eyes widening in surprise with each introduction. “Wow, this one is so good!”

She gave him plenty of emotional value.

The salesperson introduced several of the latest brand phones, the cheapest costing seven thousand yuan.

She was confident that she would make a big sale today.

Who knew that the little cat turned his head, pointed at the phone priced at 666 yuan, and smiled at Lu Huai. “Brother, I want this one.”

The salesperson’s face turned green. “Little brother, this is a senior citizen’s phone.”

Nowadays, students care about appearances; who doesn’t want a new phone? Hearing it was a senior citizen’s phone, they would all be disgusted.

The little cat exclaimed in surprise, “This one is so great, it can be used until I’m old! Brother, did you hear that!”

The salesperson, “…”

Lu Huai felt a pang in his heart; he knew Niannian was deliberately choosing the cheapest one.

He was silent for a few seconds before walking over and ruffling the little cat’s hair. “Let’s look around some more.”

Considering the balance in his bank account, buying a very expensive one was impossible. In the end, he bought a mid-range phone for the little cat.

When paying, the salesperson didn’t dare to say a word, afraid the little ancestor would change his mind and buy that phone that could be used until he was old.

After buying the phone, Lu Huai bought a SIM card, saved his number, and told the little cat, “Remember to text brother when you go out.”

The little cat lovingly touched the phone. “Okay!”

Then he looked up at Lu Huai. “Brother, I can also earn money.”

Lu Huai smiled. “Okay, what does our Niannian want to do in the future?”

The little cat blurted out, “Be a police officer.”

Lu Huai was stunned. “Ah?”

This little guy with small arms and legs had such big ambitions.

The little cat patted his chest. “We calico cats are born to be police officers.”

“…”

Lu Huai said expressionlessly, “Did Chen Fei tell you that again? He’s watched too much Black Cat Police Officer. Don’t listen to him.”

Niannian whispered, “Then I want to be a rich man.”

“That’s easy,” Lu Huai casually said. “Play fewer games and read more books. I’ll give you a test tomorrow. If you pass, you can be a rich man.”