Chapter Text
[Bingbing, Miao Jiu, and Liu Qingge are speeding along on a skateboard. Bingbing has a windblown derpface]
--
The skateboard zoomed down the empty streets.
Liu Qingge kicked at the ground tirelessly, even though his paws had long grown numb. He was going as fast as he could, but the scenery seemed to crawl by.
Just a bit more, just a bit more…
The chilly air whipped their faces like knives. Miao Jiu had curled into a ball, shivering from the cold. He didn’t look good.
Bingbing whined in concern and huddled up to Miao Jiu, trying to share some body heat.
It was a sign of how bad Miao Jiu felt that he didn’t snap at the dog, even curling up closer to the small heat source.
“We’ll be home soon, promise.”
Liu Qingge couldn’t find it in himself to be angry at the mutt. The most important thing was to get home fast.
—
After what felt like years, the streets grew familiar. Liu Qingge perked up as the lights from Liu’s home came into sight, and he pushed forward with renewed strength.
“Look, Miao Jiu, we’re home.”
Liu Qingge’s relief was cut short when they pulled up at the house. The front gate was shut tight.
Liu Qingge pawed the ground anxiously. Normally he would just leap over the gate, but with Miao Jiu in this condition, how were they going to get in?
Luckily, Bingbing solved the problem by letting out an ear splitting howl.
AWWOOOOOOOOOOO
It was so loud that all the houses on the street turned their lights on.
But it did what it was supposed to do; the Liu’s front door burst open.
“Qingge!”
—
Hours earlier
In the middle of the night, Papa and Mama Liu were woken by a phone call. The grim-sounding officer delivered the news every parent dreaded: their daughter had been involved in a shooting.
They rushed to the scene. Police cars and tape cordoned off the street. Mama Liu went into mama bear mode, demanding to know what had happened. After finding out who they were, they pointed the Lius towards the ambulance.
Sitting on the steps of an ambulance was Mingyan, wrapped in a blanket and talking to a paramedic.
“Mingyan!”
Seeing the parents, paramedic quickly assured them that other than some bruises on her stomach, Mingyan was alright.
“Mom, Dad, I’m fine- ” Mingyan insisted as her parents enveloped her in hugs.
“Oh sweetie…” Papa Liu practically cried with relief.
“Your daughter is a hero.” The paramedic told Mama Liu. “Thanks to her, we got here in time to save Auntie Luo. What kind of sicko shoots an old lady?”
“Why were you out here in the middle of the night?!”
“Mom- mom, they’re gone. The man took Qingqiu-” Mingyan’s lip trembled and then she burst into tears.
It was a long night of giving statements to the police. Mingyan was inconsolable, blaming herself for the loss of the cats.
When they finally started driving home, it was the early hours of the morning. Mingyan sat in the back, tears silently pouring down her face.
Papa Liu turned to her with a look of concern. “It’s alright, sweetie, I’m sure they’ll find Qingqiu and Qingge soon.”
“Cats are very intelligent, they know how to find their own way home.” Mama Liu said, trying to be positive. “I’ve heard stories of cats travelling hundreds of miles to get home.”
Mingyan didn’t say anything all the way home. She walked into the house and immediately sat down at the family computer.
“Mingyan, what are you doing?”
“Putting out a call for help to find Qingge and Qingqiu.” Mingyan sniffed.
“You’ve had a long night, surely that can wait till later.”
“I’m fine.”
“Mingyan.” Mama Liu firmly but gently pulled her up and walked her to the couch.
“I don’t need to sleep.”
“Sweetie, you got hurt.” Mama Liu’s eyes softened with tears. “We’d never been so scared before. You need to take care of yourself too, okay?
Mingyan hesitated. “But…”
“Your dad and I will do everything to help find our boys.”
After some persuading, Mingyan finally curled up on the couch under a blanket. The all-nighter was catching up with her, making her eyes heavy. She could hear her parents talking softly, discussing ways to locate the cats.
Mingyan slowly drifted off…
—
BANGBANGBANG dingdong BANGBANG
Mingyan startled awake from the noise and almost fell off the couch.
The doorbell blared continuously like someone was leaning on it while attacking the door.
“What on earth-” Papa Liu muttered, wondering if he had to call emergency services.
“Open up right now!” Sha Hualing barked through the door
“Mingyan, are you alright?!” Ning Yingying asked.
The moment Papa Liu opened the door, it burst open. Sha Hualing and Ning Yingying rushed past him, going straight to Mingyan’s side.
“Where is he? Where’s the shitstain who hit our Yanyan?” Sha Hualing demanded.
“We came as soon as we heard!” Ning Yingying threw her arms around her friend.
“Girls, give her time to catch her breath…” Papa Liu wheezed.
Mingyan buried her face in Ning Yingying’s shoulder. “They’re gone… Qingqiu and Qingge...”
Ning Yingying squeezed her tighter, letting their friend pour out her pain. Sha Hualing paced the room, throwing out suggestions how they could find the cats.
“The police are already looking for the shooter, the best we can do is wait.” Mama Liu said tiredly.
“They’re useless.” Sha Hualing scoffed. “We should put word out on Qingqiu’s account, there are tons of people who can help…”
“You are not asking help from a bunch of internet strangers!” Papa Liu said hotly. “That’s how this whole mess started! The person who attacked Mingyan and shot the Luo woman was an internet stalker!”
Their conversation was interrupted by a long, high pitched noise.
“Awwooooooooooooooooo…”
Everyone stared around, trying to find the source of the sound.
“Is that a siren?”
“No, it sounds like some kind of animal…”
“It’s coming from outside-”
Mingyan shot to her feet. “Qingge?!”
They raced out the door and sure enough, the noise grew louder.
Outside the gate were three animals perched on a skateboard: two cats and a small dog.
“Qingge!” Mingyan hauled him up into a tight hug, sobbing into his fur as she rocked the cat. “Don’t ever leave me like that again!”
“Aiya, silly boy! Why’d you go running off?!” Mama Liu scolded as she rubbed the cat’s back.
“Where have you been? Mingyan’s been crying her eyes out all night!” Papa Liu scolded.
Liu Qingge squirmed as his family fussed over him. Yes, he was sorry for worrying them, but right now there were more important things to attend to!
“And Qingqiu’s here! Qingge brought him home.” Ning Yingying hurriedly opened the gate to let them in.
Bingbing hopped off the board, barking excitedly as she wheeled the skateboard inside.
Miao Jiu still sat on the board listlessly. He didn’t respond when Ning Yingying stroked his ears.
“What’s wrong with Qingqiu?”
Mama Liu gasped. “I think he’s about to give birth. Quick! Get him inside and call Dr Gongyi!”
That was enough to send everyone into crisis mode and they whisked the cats into the house.
“Woh! Woh!”
Bingbing ran as fast as he could to keep up with the group, but his short legs were no match and he was swiftly left behind in the yard.
Stubbornly, Bingbing pushed his legs till they were a blur.
Finally, Bingbing made it to the porch steps. The little dog determinedly began climbing each one. It was laborious work, for each step was taller than he was.
But Bingbing was determined to let nothing stand in the way of him and the pretty white cat! He’d protected him once, so he’d do it again! Especially at this critical juncture!
After a grueling climb, Bingbing reached the top of the stairs. Through the open door, he could see the humans running around to prepare a nest for Miao Jiu.
Eager to help, Bingbing hurried forward…
“Oh no, you’re not.” Papa Liu’s foot materialised in the door way, blocking Bingbing from entering.
“Woh!” Bingbing tried to dodge around the foot, but it followed his movements, pushing him away from the door.
He had to be near the pretty cat! Bingbing was still needed!
“Get lost, mutt!” Papa Liu pushed the dog out of the house with his foot.
Bingbing yipped he landed butt-first on the welcome mat. The door slammed shut in his face. He stood up on his short hind legs and pressed his front feet on the door, barking to be let in.
No answer.
Unwilling to give up, Bingbing scurried around to the back of the house and squeezed in through a gap.
Nobody would keep him away from the pretty white cat! Not anymore!
—
Within the hour, Gongyi Xiao arrived at the Liu residence.
“We set up the kittening box just like you told us.” Mingyan said anxiously. “We turned up the heat to make him comfortable, and I added all his favourite blankets and toys just in case…”
“Good job. I knew you’d be up to it,” Gongyi Xiao smiled at her reassuringly.
Everyone watched with bated breath as Gongyi Xiao carefullylooked over Miao Jiu, checking for any injuries or possible harm to the babies.
Liu Qingge paced around the vet, meowing to his mate with concern.
To everyone’s relief, Gongyi Xiao pronounced that Miao Jiu was fine, though a little cold and shaken from the ordeal.
Miao Jiu was panting and letting out small distressed meows as he licked himself frantically, which Gongyi Xiao assured them was normal for pregnant cats.
“It’s safe now, sweetheart. You can have your babies in peace.” Gongyi Xiao stood up to join the others. “We just need to monitor him every fifteen minutes to ensure there aren’t any complications. All that’s left to do is wait.”
“Huh? That’s all? Isn’t there more we can do?” Mingyan wrung her hands.
“Animals know how to do this, so the best thing to do is leave them to it. Besides, if anything happens, I’m right here to step in.” Gongyi Xiao noted her haggard appearance with concern. “You should get some rest. I heard from your mother that you went through a lot last night.”
“I’m fine, I want to be here-” Mingyan insisted.
“Cat births can take several hours, so he won’t be done for a while.”
“What if something happens? What if he miscarries? What if the trauma makes him reject the kittens?” Mingyan looked distraught. “What if…”
“Sweetie, go to bed.” Papa Liu wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll wake you when the kittens are here.”
As Mingyan argued, she seemed unaware that Papa Liu was slowly herding her out of the room.
Mama Liu let out a deep sigh. “Thank you so much for coming on such short notice. We don’t know what we’d do without your help.”
“It’s no problem at all. Qingqiu is part of the family, he deserves the best.” Gongyi Xiao smiled as the orange cat walked right over his toes. “As does Qingge.”
“Can I offer you some tea or coffee- is that blood?!” Mama Liu gasped at the flash of red on the floor.
A bloody trail of cat prints.
They followed the trail, which circled several times around the kittening box before leading to…
“Qingge! He’s bleeding! Oh no, baby, what did you do?”
“Bleeding?! What’s happening?” Mingyan came we tut running back into the room.
Mama Liu scooped Liu Qingge up like a baby, turning him over to expose his paws.
“Hey!” Liu Qingge struggled at being held in such an undignified position. “Put me down!”
“My, my, what have you been up to, Qingge? Those abrasions look painful.” Gongyi Xiao tsked as he examined each of the bloodied paws.
Liu Qingge’s paws were completely stained with blood and dirt. Cleaning away the worst of the grime revealed the full extent of his injuries: Liu Qingge’s foot pads had been torn up by rough gravel and sharp debris.
Warehouses weren’t known for cleanliness, and in the course of rescuing Miao Jiu, Liu Qingge had barely paid attention to his own safety.
“Poor Qingge. You ran all the way to save Qingqiu, didn’t you?” Mama Liu kissed his head over and over. “You’re very heroic, but heroes need help too. You deserve lots of treats, how does that sound?”
More examination found that Liu Qingge had some bruising on his sides from being thrown and kicked, as well as a minor leg sprain from overexertion.
“It was that guy who kidnapped Qingqiu! He kicked Qingge so hard but our boy kept fighting back.” Mingyan buried her face in the cat’s ruff, begging him not to be so reckless.
“Brave cat. Good boy,” Papa Liu awkwardly patted his head. “Don’t scare us like that, okay?”
Liu Qingge meowed in protest as if to insist he was fine and to stop fussing. It was all horribly, horribly embarrassing. He was a brave tiger, not a silly little rabbit!
Mama Liu wrinkled her nose. “I’m detecting the distinct fragrance of garbage emanating from Young Master Liu. Once he has a bath, we can ask Gongyi Xiao to help bandage his feet.”
“I’ll do it.” Mingyan said immediately, motivated by the chance to be useful.
“We’ll help. Bath time, Qingge.” Ning Yingying chimed in.
“No! I need to stay with Miao Jiu!” Liu Qingge struggled futilely as he was carried away from his mate.
Throughout his bath, Liu Qingge was uncharacteristically uncooperative, always trying to escape and get back to Miao Jiu. It took the combined efforts of Mingyan, Ning Yingying, and Sha Hualing to contain him, and all three girls ended up thoroughly soaked.
Eventually, Liu Qingge tired himself out and hunched in the tub, an orange ball of defeat. He let out low growls as the girls scrubbed every inch of him.
“Qingge, behave yourself.” Mingyan scolded as she carefully cleaned his paws.
“He misses his baby momma, don’t you?” Ning Yingying cooed.
“Wow, stinky boy, what did you play in?” Sha Hualing wrinkled her nose at the greenish bathwater flowing down the drain.
After a thorough cleaning, Liu Qingge was dried off, wrapped in a towel, and brought downstairs again.
Gongyi Xiao cleaned Liu Qingge’s wounds with antiseptic and bandaged them, wrapping gauze up past the cat’s elbows to prevent movement. “He needs to rest his legs to heal from the sprains.” Gongyi Xiao petted him on the head. “No more adventures for at least a week, okay?”
Liu Qingge grumbled. He tried to punch the vet, but he could barely lift his bandaged leg. Only twitch it clumsily.
Gongyi Xiao smiled. “I know, I know. But you’re going to be a father now, so you need to take better care of yourself.”
Mama Liu placed Liu Qingge down in a separate cat bed, but he immediately stood up to try and join Miao Jiu.
At least… he tried to stand
“What the?!” Liu Qingge swayed on his feet, balance offset by the thick layers of bandages encasing his feet.
His limbs felt very strange, like his feet were too big and clumsy, encased in bandages that were more like mittens.
He took a step, overbalanced, and fell over.
“Oh no, Qingge!” Mama Liu tried not to laugh, but it was too cute a sight.
Burning with humiliation, Liu Qingge tried to scramble back up, but his clumsy legs wouldn’t bend right. He felt a new wave of sympathy for Miao Jiu after his recovery.
“Aww, poor Qingge.” Mama Liu picked him up and put him back in the cat bed. “How about some treats? I’ll get the ones you like-”
Her words died when she caught a movement from the next room- was it an intruder? Had Mingyan’s attacker somehow followed her home?
The shadow moved, and then Bingbing came trotting into the living room like he owned the place.
“What the- how did you get in here?!” Papa Liu sputtered.
“Woh!” Bingbing chirped in greeting.
As the dog got closer, he brought with him a horrendous smell
Mama Liu gagged when she caught a whiff. “What is that?
The three girls, having just entered the room, quickly clapped their hands over their noses as they hurried to out on face masks
Papa Liu grabbed a broom and began swatting at the dog. “Shoo! Get out!”
“Woh! Woh!” Bingbing nimbly dodged the tool like a persistent dust bunny.
“No, dad, stop!” Mingyan quickly scooped up the dog before her dad could sweep him away. “Bingbing is a friend. He must’ve helped Qingge find Qingqiu.”
“Woh!” Bingbing beamed up at her, eyes shining like stars. Finally, somebody understood him!
Bingbing looked at Liu Qingge and dissolved into little yaps at his bandaged paws. Liu Qingge glared at the dog and drew himself up with as much dignity as he could manage. He wasn’t gonna let some silly mutt laugh at him!
Unfortunately, Bingbing didn’t have long to gloat.
“This stinky little dog needs a bath too.”
Bingbing yapped in confusedly as the girls bundled him upstairs. Bath? What even was that?
Bingbing soon discovered that he didn’t like baths.
The little dog cried and struggled as he was dunked into water and scrubbed multiple times. He was no match for the combined forces of the girls, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try!
“Woh! Woh! Woh!” Bingbing shook himself, pelting the girls with soap and causing them to shriek. Taking advantage of the distraction, he bolted for the door…
Only to be grabbed and dunked back in the tub.
“Wow, he’s even stinkier than the other one.” Sha Hualing grimaced as she peeled off layers of sludge that had congealed in Bingbing’s fur. “Ew, what even is this shit?”
“Poor Bingbing,” Ning Yingying cooed at the puppy. “We know you want to see the kittens, but you need to be clean first.”
“Awwoo…” Bingbing’s ears drooped. He huddled into a miserable ball so that only his nose poked above the water.
“Yes, yes, I know.”
Bingbing sadly blew a bubble with his nose.
—
After a thorough scrubbing and towel drying, Bingbing’s fur was all poofed up and fluffy.
“Here you go, boy,” Mingyan placed the dog in a tiny bed that had been set up for him in the living room.
But the moment Bingbing was set down, he tried to climb out of bed.
“Stay here,” Mingyan muttered as she grabbed the wriggling dog and put himback in the bed. Whereupon Bingbing immediately tried to escape again
“Woh! Woh! Wohhh…” Bingbing whined as his escape attempts were repeatedly foiled. This was no time to sleep! Bingbing had to guard the white cat!
Mingyan sighed exasperatedly. “Silly dog. Here, chew on this for a while.”
Bingbing yelped as a blanket was thrown over him, plunging him into a soft-scented darkness.
This blanket… smelled exactly like Miao Jiu.
With a yip of delight, Bingbing snuggled into the blanket, smearing the delicious scent all over himself. The white cat smelled as beautiful as he looked, filling Bingbing with a sense of joy and relaxation.
Perhaps it would be okay just to take a short nap…
When Mingyan came to check in on him later, Bingbing was sound asleep, snoring softly as he lay wrapped in Miao Jiu’s old blanket.
—
Bingbing awoke from his snooze to the sound of coos and squeaks coming from the living room. Climbing out of bed, he padded over to the source of the sound.
“Ohh, they’re so tiny…”
“So adorable… Qingqiu is so sweet…”
The humans were gathered around the nest, though keeping a careful distance away. Bingbing wove through the legs to get to the front.
As Bingbing approached, Liu Qingge looked up from his position beside the nest where he’d been keeping vigil.
Bingbing crouched down meekly, but Liu Qingge just blinked slowly, letting the dog know it was okay to come closer.
Bingbing shuffled over to the nest, but the high sides of the bed defeated him.
Bingbing let out a small woof Liu Qingge suddenly picked him up by scruff. Then his tail began wagging, realising that he could see inside the nest from this angle!
An exhausted Miao Jiu lay there, fur matted with sweat and his own fluids. Nursing in the curve of his body were four small balls of fur: calico, orange, white-and-orange, and white.
His kittens.
Bingbing tail wagged and he let out a tiny woh .
“I know.” Liu Qingge rumbled with pride. “Me too, mutt. Me too.”
—
Days later
Carrying a gift in one hand, Mingyan raised the other to knock on the door of the private ward.
“Hi Auntie Luo, are you feeling better today…?” Mingyan wondered if she’d walked into the wrong place.
This was a hospital, but the place looked like wonderland. Every inch of room was overflowing with flowers: statuesque bouquets standing from floor to ceiling, tiny ornate pots with jewels and glitter. Sitting on chairs were large plushies holding hampers of expensive candies and teas.
The only patch not covered in rainbows was the white of the hospital bed sheets. Auntie Luo was sitting up in bed, setting down a book with her usual sweet smile.
“Hello, girls, how kind of you to visit me. Unfortunately I don’t have any bingsu for you today.”
“We wanted to see how you were doing.” Mingyan took out the get well gifts she’d brought for Auntie Luo. “I brought you a plant. And we made some cookies for you.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet! Thank you, dear.” Auntie Luo accepted the gifts and set them by her table (Mingyan couldn’t help noticing how they looked rather plain next to the clearly more expensive flowers and snacks).
Sha Hualing waggled her eyebrows and bopped one of the gigantic teddy bears on the nose. “Wow, Auntie can get it! Who’s the secret admirer?”
Auntie Luo laughed. “No, no. These are all from my son, he likes to spoil me.”
“Huh, I didn’t know you had a son. Does he make bingsu as well?”
“If only! My boy is such a talented cook. But no, he works in finance. He’s very good at it,” Auntie Luo said with the indulgence of a proud mother. “From a young age, he was always very determined to be successful. ‘Ma, I want to earn lots of money so I can buy nice things for you’” she laughed and shook her head. “Silly boy. I kept telling him, don’t spend all your time on work, find a nice girl and settle down…”
Auntie Luo cleared her throat. “Ah, there I go again. Excuse this silly old lady.” She patted Mingyan’s arm warmly. “How are you, Mingyan dearie? Did you manage to find your cats in the end?”
“Yes! They showed up at home the next morning riding a skateboard.” Mingyan beamed. “I don’t quite understand how, but I’m glad they’re back.”
“Good, good. I know how much you love those kitties. I’ve grown quite fond of them myself.” Auntie Luo said sincerely. “As does Bingbing. He has a special liking for Qingqiu.” She sighed. “I hope that poor little dog doesn’t get hungry while I’m stuck here in the hospital…”
Mingyan quickly added. “Oh, I forgot to tell you! We’ve been taking care of Bingbing for now. So don’t worry, he’s getting plenty to eat.”
“Thank you so much. I’d been so worried about him.” Auntie Luo pressed her hands together gratefully. “I hope he’s not being too naughty.”
“He’s really happy being around Qingqiu and the kittens.” Mingyan began showing videos and photos of what the animals had been getting up to:
Liu Qingge and Miao Jiu sleeping curled around their kittens. A puppy shaped figure getting closer and closer until Bingbing too was in the cuddle pile.
Miao Jiu serenely giving Bingbing a bath. Bingbing looked ecstatic; Liu Qingge did not.
Miao Jiu sprawled out on his back as the four kittens nursed. Bingbing was latched on too. As was Liu Qingge.
Bingbing looking thrilled as two kittens took a nap on him.
Auntie Luo cooed as she gazed at the cute pictures. “Ohh, they’re so adorable. That little white one looks just like his mama.”
“His name’s Tangyuan, but we all call him A-Yuan,” Mingyan excitedly showed off pictures of the white kitten sleeping in various cute poses.
“Who’s this big boy?” Auntie Luo pointed to the orange-and-white kitten, who was significantly larger than the others.
“That’s Fanfan. He’s pretty bossy. Seems like he’s shaping up to be the leader of this bunch of furballs.” Mingyan explained, showing several videos of Fanfan stepping on his siblings to get to the food first.
“This little orange guy over here is Yangyang!” Sha Hualing pointed at the smallest kitten, who had adorably oversized paws. “Look at those fluffy mitts! I bet he’s gonna be a pro at cockroach slapping.”
“And this is Baby! She’s the sweetest little thing.” Ning Yingying showed them a picture of a pretty calico kitten asleep in her lap.
Sha Hualing’s jaw dropped. “Hey, no fair! Qingqiu won’t even let me go near her!”
“He’s a protective dad, he only lets some people near his favourite daughter.”
The four of them laughed as they shared funny stories, chatting about their love for animals.
“When the kittens are old enough, we’ll be looking for homes for them.” Mingyan explained. “So if you know anyone who’d be interested in adopting, please let me know.”
“Does your son like animals?” Ning Yingying asked.
“He does not. But I’m sure one of these cuties will change his mind.” Auntie Luo chuckled.
The talk circled around to the details of the case. The police had examined the CCTV footage of the attack and managed to identify the perpetrator as one Qiu Jianluo.
“Qiu… isn’t that some rich business family?” Auntie Luo asked.
“Yeah, he’s the eldest son. The whole family all died when the house burned down. Except for him.” Sha Hualing said eagerly. She always liked a good conspiracy. “Looks like rich boy reeeeaally wanted his inheritance and couldn’t wait for his parents to kick it. Apparently he was a real creeper around his sister-”
“Anyway,” Mingyan cut in before Sha Hualing could go down a conspiracy rabbit hole. “They found the getaway car abandoned in an industrial area, but no sign of Qiu...”
“But what they did find was traces of a struggle and a shitload of incriminating material!” Sha Hualing butted in excitedly. “Photos, trespassing, stalking… The bastard practically signed himself into jail!”
Auntie Luo gasped. “Stalking! That’s serious.”
“He was obsessed with Qingqiu. He posed as a regular fan but he was using the account to find out where we live.” Mingyan shivered. Seeing all those pictures of her and her home had given her the chills. “My dad got a new security system and had all the locks changed.”
“Good.” Auntie Luo patted her hand. “I’m glad your family is safe.”
“I hope they catch the sicko and make him pay!” Sha Hualing said emphatically. “We’ve got him on stalking and battery, and that’s even before Auntie lawyers up as well...”
Surprisingly, Auntie Luo shook her head. “I don’t plan on pressing any charges.”
“Whaaat?! Auntie, you can’t let him get away with this!” Sha Hualing protested. “He’s got to go away with murder two or something.”
“You watch too much true crime.” Ning Yingying muttered.
“I’m a simple lady, I don’t believe in taking revenge into my own hands.” Auntie Luo smiled. “You got your darling cats back, and all is well. Let it be.”
“Just like that?!”
“Just like that. Don’t fret, nobody can escape karma forever. He’ll get whatever’s coming to him.” Auntie Luo said beatifically.
Sha Hualing pouted. She took out her frustration by vigorously pummeling the teddy bear. It squeaked.
Mingyan sighed. The matter felt too unfinished to just leave things like that. “I wonder where he is now.”
Auntie Luo simply hummed.
—
In a small, concrete room with no windows, a man sat at the lone aluminium table. Talking to himself.
“…and then that wretched cat’s mate mauled me! How did that thing even learn how to ride a skateboard?”
Qiu Jianluo was in even worse condition than before. The scratches on his face had gotten infected, and the deep gashes on his leg left by Bingbing were starting to smell. But he barely seemed aware of his situation, lost in his delusions of revenge.
“When I get my hands on my Xiao Jiu again, he’ll regret everything he’s done to me. And this time, no circus of animals will be coming to rescue you.” Qiu Jianluo cackled.
That fat little cat has grown complacent. I’ll have to teach him manners again. Qiu Jianluo giggled, fists clenching as he imagined the little cat at his mercy.
This time, I’ll go through with my plan and have his teeth removed. Then his legs. Xiao Jiu will make such a cute marshmallow. Soft, harmless, pliable…
From the wall, the black security camera glinted.
Qiu Jianluo yelled at the camera. “Hey, you! I know you’re watching! You can’t keep me here, I know my rights! I want my lawyer!”
The red light on the security camera blinked off. The door opened.
“Finally,” Qiu Jianluo grumbled and straightened his torn shirt. “Now listen here, you snot nosed-”
His words dried up when he saw who exactly stepped into the room.
It was the Boss himself.
Sweat broke out on Qiu Jianluo’s neck. That meant that the fleet of police officers that had swarmed the warehouse and scooped up Qiu Jianluo… weren’t police officers at all.
He should have known; the Boss had connections in every echelon of society.
Moving with the fluidity of a panther, the Boss sat down in the opposite chair. Qiu Jianluo couldn’t help the stab of envy as he looked at the man who had it all: immeasurable wealth, status of being top dog in the criminal underworld, and looks that could put any idol to shame. And he was still in his early twenties!
Life was truly unfair, Qiu Jianluo seethed.
“You’re late.” The Boss sounded pleasant. Deceptively pleasNt
Qiu Jianluo gulped, throat suddenly dry. “Yes, I- I was going to pay you back-”
The Boss didn’t respond. The man slowly began taking off his gloves. Every creak of expensive leather made Qiu Jianluo twitch.
“Th-this time, I have a guaranteed way to access my funds!” Qiu Jianluo fished around in his pockets for the document he’d gotten Miao Jiu to sign. He eagerly shoved the crumpled, ink-stained paper across the table, doing his best to flatten it out.
“S-see! I have here a signed statement from the true arsonist claiming responsibility for the destruction of the Qiu estate!
“Ah yes, the cat. I heard all about that.” The Boss said boredly, not even sparing a glance at Qiu Jianluo’s efforts to make the paper more presentable. “I’m surprised you have the time to play with animals, considering your current financial standing.”
“No, no! Don’t you see? This absolves me of any guilt, so I’ll be able to reclaim my inheritance-“
“I don’t care about the cat. Answer me this,” The Boss set down his gloves and for the first time fixed him with a piercing gaze. “Why did you shoot one of my men?”
“That… ah…” Qiu Jianluo sputtered as he tried to respond. “I’ll find a way to get the money!”
“Money. How boring,” The Boss said lazily. “If this was just about you being behind on payments, I’d have your legs chopped off and be done with it. But that was before I received something highly interesting from my contact in the police force.”
The Boss snapped his fingers and a projector light beamed an image onto the wall. A video file began playing, showing CCTV footage of a familiar street and familiar bingsu shop.
“That’s-” Qiu Jianluo’s blood boiled as he watched the events of the second worst day of his life.
On the screen, Mingyan and Auntie Luo stood outside the closed shop talking to each other. Next to them were the two cats, Liu Qingge on a leash and Miao Jiu in a stroller.
In the grainy patch of darkness, Qiu Jianluo could make out his own hooded figure lurking in the shadows. Waiting.
The events played out as they had before. He punched Mingyan and grabbed the stroller. Auntie Luo tried to stop him from leaving. Without hesitation, Qiu Jianluo shot her in the stomach. Auntie Luo crumpled to the ground, Mingyan hurrying to her side.
“Stop.” The Boss ordered. The video paused on the frame of the old lady lying on the ground.
Qiu Jianluo stared in confusion. What did any of this have to do with him?!
The Boss stood and folded his hands behind his back. “Do you know why I’m showing you this?”
“…no?”
“Tell me who those people are.”
Qiu Jianluo furrowed his brow. “That little bitch is Liu Mingyan, she’s the one who stole Xiao Jiu from me!”
“And with her?”
“That’s- what, the old lady?” Qiu Jianluo scoffed. “How should I know?!”
The Boss smiled. “Pity. Knowing that would have prevented you from an unfortunate fate.”
“Wha-” Qiu Jianluo’s eyes widened as the other man walked around to stand by his chair. He cringed away as the Boss leaned a hand on the back of his chair.
“That’s my mother you shot.” The Boss looked down at him with a smile - if it could even be called that, because everything in his expression promised nothing but pain.
“Wait! I had no idea the old lady was your mother, you have to believe me!” Seized by panic, Qiu Jianluo tumbled off the chair. “Forgive me, please! Luo da ge! Luo da ge! ”
Qiu Jianluo scrambled to bow his head to the floor, babbling pleas for forgiveness.
It fell on uncaring ears. The Boss wasn’t the forgiving type, and he hadn’t gotten to where he was by being soft-hearted.
Screams and gruesome sounds soon filled the room, but nobody heard or cared.
—
Exhausted from the birth, Miao Jiu slept deeply as their four kittens nursed from him. Their little ears twitched as they drank.
Liu Qingge couldn’t stop admiring their little family. He was so proud of Miao Jiu, his beautiful mate for being so strong and brave. They had done this together. Against all odds, Miao Jiu was home safe and their babies were well.
They had four healthy, beautiful kittens: Nyan Yingying, Nyan Fan, Nyan Yixuan, and Nyan Yuan…
…Huh, why was there a fifth grey furball?!
It wasn’t even a kitten!Bingbing had snuck into the nest and was attempting to nurse next to the kittens.
“Get out of here! You’re too old for this,” Liu Qingge grabbed Bingbing by the scruff of the neck and pulled the puppy off Miao Jiu with a ‘pop.’
“Woooooh- woh woh…” The little dog cried pitifully as he was torn away from the milky warmth, but Liu Qingge didn’t have sympathy.
Yes, he was grateful for the mutt’s assistance in rescuing Miao Jiu, but that was where it ended! Bingbing really was too presumptuous, he had no right to sneak into Miao Jiu’s nest and cosy up next to the kittens!
The mutt was lucky that the humans were nice enough to take him in!
Liu Qingge was ready to dump Bingbing straight into the trash where he belonged. A purr from the nest stopped him in his tracks.
“He can stay, Qingge. It’s okay, I don’t mind.” Miao Jiu said sleepily.
“But…”
“He’s hungry.” Miao Jiu purred. He blinked slowly at the puppy. “Come here, little one.”
Liu Qingge looked longingly at the trash can, before reluctantly letting the dog go. Bingbing eagerly scrambled back into the nest, squeezing in next to the kittens like he belonged there.
Sleepy and content, Miao Jiu blinked softly, curling his tail around the five little furballs attached to him.
Liu Qingge pouted, disgruntled at being left out.
Sensing the gaze on him, Miao Jiu opened one eye. “You got hurt while saving me.”
“I’m fine.” Liu Qingge immediately tried to loaf to hide his bandaged feet, but ended up toppling over on the floor. Liu Qingge tried to pick himself up, but the bandages made it difficult. He settled for a half-crouch half-lounge
“Stop that before you hurt yourself even more!” Miao Jiu chuffed. “You don’t need to be a hero all the time.”
Liu Qingge’s ears drooped slightly. “I always want to be your hero. I promised to be your claws.”
Miao Jiu licked one of the kittens on the head. “Right now, does it look like I need claws?”
“…you can never be too careful.”
“Qingge…” Miao Jiu trilled creamily. “Come here, you silly tiger. You deserve a reward.”
“I- I’m fine.”
“You know you want to.” Miao Jiu blinked slowly. “Come here.”
Bashfully, Liu Qingge stepped into the nest. careful not to jostle any of the babies. Miao Jiu purred as his mate settled in, curling his larger form around them.
Liu Qingge cleaned Miao Jiu’s face affectionately, deeply inhaling his scent.
Miao Jiu smelled good. Of milk and comfort and home. They were home.
“Qingge…” Miao Jiu nuzzled his head.
With that, Liu Qingge squeezed next to their offspring and began to suckle as well.
—
When Mingyan came to check on the cats, she was greeted by an adorable sight.
Liu Qingge encircled the whole cat family like a protective orange wall, his head pillowed on Miao Jiu’s chest. Miao Jiu was at the centre of the nest, snoozing lightly as the kittens and Bingbing nursed.
Wow, the pregnancy hormones really did make Qingqiu more open to adopting other animals! Mingyan took a bunch of pictures and videos to capture the cosy moment.
Liu Qingge’s head tilted, causing Mingyan to notice what exactly he was doing.
“Qingge! Perverted dad, you’re stealing your kids' food!”
—
[The babies are here!!! 🐱🐱🐱🐱 ( 🐶)] - 96M ♡
Summary: Qingge & Qingqiu joyfully welcome four ( 1) additions to the family!
Follow for more cat adventures!