TAM 13

Mo Yao didn’t actually want to step back. His head told him to stay firm, but his hind legs broke free from his brain’s command and took half a step back.

This time there was no chance to prepare. Two cats lunged at Mo Yao from the front.

At that instant, Mo Yao felt a strong force hit him so hard that his body almost flipped in the air. The spin felt like a slow scene in a movie, and when his four paws faced up, gravity dragged him down, his back slammed against the ground. Before he could catch his breath, a cat pressed down on him.

He had no time to think and couldn’t even tell which cat it was. His body tensed, and he swung his claws. His instincts kicked in, and he kicked out like a rabbit. He was sure he had hit something, but something else had also clawed him.

In an instant, cat fur flew everywhere.

At the same time, Mo Yao caught sight of the other two cats rushing toward him, but their movements were thrown into chaos by the hidden black cat’s sudden attack.

He heard a yowl, and the three cats broke apart. The black cat stood with all four claws gripping the ground, its back arched its presence fierce and overwhelming. It was clear that it had the advantage.

The cat pressing Mo Yao suddenly turned and jumped away, wary of the black cat. It backed off a few steps and faced it again.

Mo Yao scrambled up and stood behind the black cat to back it up.

The three cats menacingly growled.

Mo Yao’s gaze swept across their faces, and he suddenly realized they might be talking. What were they saying? Maybe they were planning their attack.

At that moment, Mo Yao, for the first time, regretted not being a real cat, because he couldn’t understand what they meant.

“Meow~” he called softly, trying to give the black cat a signal, but the black cat ignored him.

Then the three cats moved all at once. They all rushed at the black cat.

Mo Yao had seen cats fight before, usually full of hissing and swearing but not much real fighting. This time was different. The three cats attacked furiously, claws flashing so fast their bodies blurred.

The black cat was too dark, and with three cats surrounding it, Mo Yao couldn’t see clearly. Within moments, fur filled the air. The fight was intense.

He froze only for two seconds before realizing he couldn’t stay out of it. He stiffened his neck and threw himself into the fight.

All around him came claws, fur, and harsh growls.

Mo Yao lost track of what was happening. After a while, the space in front of him suddenly cleared. The three strays had retreated.

Three against two, yet they hadn’t won. They ran away one after another. The last one was slow, and it flopped onto the ground, belly up, showing submission. The black cat watched it coldly and didn’t chase.

Mo Yao didn’t immediately get up. He lay on the ground breathing heavily. Dust and fur still filled the air around him. His soft belly rose and fell quickly, and his heart raced. When it finally began to slow, a burning pain spread across his back.

He was scratched.

It hurt, but not enough to make him lose control. He stayed still for a long time because a thought suddenly popped into his head. Could he get rabies? Did he need a vaccine?

The black cat walked closer, step by step, and stopped in front of him.

Mo Yao still didn’t move. His mind turned in confusion. The rabies shot had to be taken within twenty-four hours, right?

The black cat lowered its head slightly and brought its nose close to sniff him.

Fear rose in Mo Yao’s mind. Was it three doses or five? Would anyone give a cat a shot at a hospital?

The black cat licked the wound on his back.

Mo Yao thought, should I go to a pet hospital? How many shots do cats need for rabies? Wait…he suddenly came to his senses. Who’s licking me?

The black cat licked him again.

Why are you licking me? Mo Yao panicked and tried to get up. At the same time, another thought crossed his mind. If there really was a virus, would the black cat get infected too?

He couldn’t get up, because the black cat pressed him down with its paw.

The black cat pressed his head to the ground, and without leaving room for refusal, licked the wound on Mo Yao’s back.

Mo Yao froze.

He sometimes watched short videos and had seen two cats grooming each other, one always strong and assertive, the other mild and obedient, too timid to resist.

Now he was that mild and foolish cat. He forgot his worries about rabies. He felt the black cat’s soft but rough tongue sweep across his back. The wound turned wet and didn’t hurt as much. The fur beside the wound was damp too and stuck flat against his back. The feeling of being pinned down was uncomfortable, but the licking didn’t feel entirely bad. Mo Yao’s thoughts grew complicated, and his mind slowly went blank.

The next day in class, Mo Yao lay on the desk. His fingers ran over a rough scratch on the surface, and the memory of being licked last night came back.

It was strange. It was really strange. But he missed it a little.

This was killing him. He pulled the book over to cover his face.

When class ended, Mo Yao called out to Li Yahan, who was walking outside the classroom.

Wu Jingyan and Li Yahan were walking together. They both stopped and looked back curiously. “What is it?”

Mo Yao didn’t answer her. He looked at Li Yahan. “Do you have a cat?” He couldn’t remember when he had heard either Wu Jingyan or Li Yahan mention it, but the thought had stuck in his mind.

Li Yahan said, “Yeah. I have one at home. Why?”

Mo Yao asked, “Do you give it rabies shots?”

Li Yahan clearly knew a lot about keeping cats. She answered right away. “Yes. But if it’s an indoor cat, you can skip it since it doesn’t go out.”

“How often?”

“Once a year, I think. Why? You got a cat?”

Mo Yao didn’t reply. He said, “What if a stray scratches you? Does the vaccine still work?”

Li Yahan thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe. Is it a bad scratch? You should go to a pet hospital.”

Mo Yao only nodded.

Wu Jingyan, who had been listening, seemed annoyed. “Are you done?”

Mo Yao said, “Done. Bye.” He walked past them, then stopped suddenly and said to Li Yahan, “Thank you.”

“Oh, you’re welcome,” Li Yahan said.

Mo Yao left the classroom alone. He thought he had to find that cat and take it for a shot.

He had classes all day, so his search for the cat started after dinner. Until then, he hadn’t been sure if the cat really existed or was just part of his dream. Now he pushed that uncertainty aside. He decided that no matter what, he had to find the cat and get it vaccinated.

To do that, he went to a supermarket and bought a high-powered flashlight.

The campus was large. One main road stretched from east to west, and many smaller paths branched off toward the classrooms, gym, sports fields, library, cafeteria, and dorms. There were lawns, lotus ponds, fountains, and other places too.

Before he got halfway, he realized what he was doing was like searching for a needle in the ocean. It was impossible to find a cat that could move so freely.

Still, he focused on the student living area, since strays could find plenty of food there.

To check the girls’ dorm, he asked a classmate for help. He registered his name at the entrance, then searched the bushes behind the building with the flashlight. His movements looked sneaky, and he worried someone would think he was a pervert.

After he finished searching the whole area, he was surprised to find that he saw all the cats from his dream, the same ones that had attacked him. One white cat even acted friendly, trying to rub against him. But remembering the fight from that night, he waved the flashlight to drive it away.

Only two were missing, himself and the black cat.

By then the sky was completely dark. Mo Yao expanded his search to the classroom buildings.

Behind the fifth building near the lotus pond was a large patch of trees and grass. It looked like a perfect hiding place for cats, but it had no lights and was pitch black.

Mo Yao heard a sound. He turned on the flashlight, and the beam landed right on a couple hugging each other.

Cold sweat ran down his back. He quickly turned off the light, bent down, and slipped away.

He kept moving through the dark, relying only on sounds to guess whether there were people or animals nearby. Ahead was the lotus pond. He heard a girl’s voice by the water, faint at first, then clearer as he approached. It was Wu Jingyan.

He stopped. He turned to leave, but then he heard her say, “Si Yuan, say something.”

Mo Yao froze.

He couldn’t see anything. He didn’t know how the two of them had ended up there or what they were doing in such darkness.

Wu Jingyan didn’t get a reply, so she said, “Do you like Li Yahan?”

Si Yuan finally spoke. “What’s that to you?”

“I’m her best friend. Don’t you think it concerns me?”

“It doesn’t. You called me here just to ask that?”

Wu Jingyan said, “My birthday’s next week. How about dinner together?”

“No.”

“I asked Li Yahan and Mo Yao too. What’s wrong with all of us going?”

Si Yuan said, “I’m busy. If that’s all, I’m leaving.”

Mo Yao heard footsteps. Si Yuan sounded like he was walking away. Wu Jingyan didn’t get mad. She muttered something under her breath that Mo Yao couldn’t hear.

Then she left too.

Mo Yao bent his knees slightly, still keeping his sneaky posture, and started to leave.

He walked only a few steps before bumping into someone.

He looked up. He could only see a shadow in the dark, not the face. The person spoke first. “What are you doing?”

Hearing that voice, Mo Yao straightened up and said coldly, “What are you doing?”