TAM 26

That night was strange. Mo Yao found himself back at the school in a dream.

His view was low again, and the colors around him were no longer the same. As he slowly walked, he realized he had turned back into a cat, walking along the empty campus road.

At first, he was confused. Then his thoughts grew clear, but that only made it harder to understand. The cats were still at the foster home. He no longer lived at school. It had been a long time since he last entered a cat’s body.

Mo Yao stopped walking. He looked around, not sure who he expected to see.

Then he saw the black cat. He immediately ran over.

The black cat sat with its front legs straight together, its head tilted up. The lines of its body were smooth and strong.

When Mo Yao got closer, he saw it was looking toward the roof of a small building. He followed its gaze and saw another cat standing on the roof.

The cat looked familiar but also strange. Mo Yao wasn’t sure if he had seen it before on campus.

He walked beside the black cat and called softly, “Meow?”

The black cat turned its head and rubbed its chin against the top of his head.

Then Mo Yao knew it was Si Yuan.

They both looked toward the cat on the roof. That cat jumped down. Or maybe “jumped” wasn’t right. Its movements were too light, as if the wind carried it gently down. It landed near them and walked forward slowly.

Mo Yao looked at the black cat.

The black cat pressed its head against the back of his neck, then followed the other cat. Mo Yao followed behind.

The cat in front walked past the girls’ dorm entrance and continued moving ahead.

Mo Yao saw the big male cat that was often around the school. It hadn’t been long since it was released, and its fur was still rough and messy, its face fierce. It had been standing in the middle of the road, but when it saw the cat walking toward it, it growled, then lay down slowly and exposed its belly.

The cat in front ignored it and walked past.

Mo Yao was a little scared that the big cat might suddenly attack him. Even though that cat was already neutered, it still has the aura of a fighter. Mo Yao didn’t dare provoke it, so he hid behind the black cat.

They passed the male cat lying on the ground and followed the cat ahead to the small alley beside the cafeteria.

Mo Yao noticed the shrine he had seen that evening was still there.

The cat in front continued moving, but it looked as if it were floating. Its paws didn’t touch the ground. Then it slipped inside the shrine. A moment later, the cat vanished.

Mo Yao thought the scene was strange. If they had been people instead of cats, he would have screamed that it was a ghost and run away.

But if the ghost was a cat, that wasn’t so scary. At least a furry creature always looked cute.

He snuggled closer to the black cat.

Then the shrine itself disappeared. The end of the alley turned into an empty wall.

Suddenly, something pushed Mo Yao. He lost balance for an instant, then felt softness under his body again.

He opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar room around him. After a while, he remembered he was in the rented apartment outside campus.

Without the dorm’s mosquito net enclosing him, the open room felt wide and strange in the dark, making his mind wander. He turned his head and saw Si Yuan still asleep beside him.

Why hadn’t Si Yuan woken up? Mo Yao found it odd. He pushed himself up and waved a hand in front of Si Yuan’s face.

Si Yuan grabbed his hand and pulled him close.

Mo Yao’s face ended up pressed against Si Yuan’s cheek.

Si Yuan patted his head. “Go back to sleep. It’s fine.”

“I’m not scared,” Mo Yao said.

Si Yuan’s eyes stayed closed. His voice was hoarse from sleep. “Maybe it was a farewell.”

Mo Yao understood. It probably meant they wouldn’t enter the cats’ bodies again.

At this moment, Mo Yao actually felt a little melancholy.

Si Yuan lowered his head, burying his face against his collarbone: “You can sleep well from now on.”

The next morning, Si Yuan had no work. He went with Mo Yao to bring the cats home.

They took a bus to the temporary foster home.

Mo Yao sat by the window, resting his head on his hand, watching his reflection in the glass. “I was thinking last night,” he said. “I didn’t really do anything. Do I deserve punishment like that?”

“What do you mean?” Si Yuan leaned back in his seat.

“I just opened the window, and a cat fell. I didn’t mean it. The cat didn’t even die.”

“Have you thought about something else?”

“What?”

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to punish you. Maybe it just wanted to find the cat a new owner.”

“Huh?” Mo Yao turned to look at him.

Si Yuan’s tone was calm. “Just an idea.”

“How could it know I’d adopt it? I’m just a regular college student.”

“But you did adopt it,” Si Yuan said.

Mo Yao had nothing to say.

“Don’t overthink it.”

Mo Yao nodded. “Maybe heaven already arranged it.”

The pickup went smoothly. The two cats were in separate cages. Si Yuan and Mo Yao each carried one, and the foster home gave them some cat supplies as gifts.

They took a taxi back to the apartment and released the two cats from their cages.

The fat cat immediately ran under a table and refused to come out no matter how much they called. The black cat was calm. It jumped onto the cabinet and watched the two of them quietly.

Before they brought the cats home, Yu Zhenzhen had given Mo Yao a few reminders, so he knew not to force the cats out. He just needed to prepare water and food and let them get used to the new space.

Si Yuan leaned against the bed reading a book.

Mo Yao said, “Let’s give them proper names.”

“Wasn’t it already Xiao Hei?” Si Yuan said.

The black cat stared at them with bright eyes.

“Isn’t that too plain?”

“I’ve always called it Xiao Hei.” He hadn’t seen it during the day, but in his mind, that had been the black cat’s name.

“What about the other one?” Mo Yao asked curiously.

Si Yuan said, “Meow.”

Mo Yao looked at him. “Who names a cat Meow?”

Si Yuan raised his eyes. “People can be called Meow.”

“What?” It took Mo Yao a few seconds to realize what he meant. Si Yuan was teasing him. When his name, Mo Yao, was said quickly, it sounded like “Meow.”

Mo Yao grabbed a pillow and hit him on the head. “My name doesn’t sound like Meow. It sounds like Miao, with the fourth tone!”

Si Yuan said, “Then call it Miaomiao.”

Miaomiao hid under the table, curling itself into a ball.

Their apartment was close to school, so it was easy to go back for every meal.

That day, Si Yuan didn’t have to rush to work, so he didn’t need his bicycle. He walked with Mo Yao back to campus.

“Are you really happy living with me and the cats?” Mo Yao asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Si Yuan said.

“I can’t tell if you are.”

Si Yuan held out his hand. “Want to check?”

Mo Yao looked at the students passing by and hesitated for a moment, but then took his hand. “What am I supposed to check?”

“Feel my pulse.”

Mo Yao pressed his fingers against his wrist and felt the steady beat under his touch.

Si Yuan’s face stayed calm. “The moment you touch me, my pulse speeds up. You could listen to my heartbeat too.”

Mo Yao pulled his hand back. His own heart had already quickened. He forced it down and said, “Stop talking nonsense.” Then he turned and walked ahead.

Si Yuan walked beside him. “I’m like this. I’m afraid if I show I like something too much, I’ll lose it.”

“What do you mean?” Mo Yao slowed his steps.

“When I was a kid, I picked up a stray dog. One night my dad got drunk and killed it,” Si Yuan said. His voice was monotonous as if he were describing something long buried.

Mo Yao’s tone grew heavy. “Why?”

“He said he couldn’t stand how useless I was,” Si Yuan said. “I don’t even know what useless meant to him. Maybe he just couldn’t stand me.”

“Where’s your dad now?”

“Dead.”

Mo Yao didn’t know if he should say something, though he did feel sorry for him.

Si Yuan said lightly, “He drank himself to death. He doesn’t matter anymore.”

Mo Yao stretched out his hand. “Here.”

Si Yuan took it.

Mo Yao placed Si Yuan’s fingers over his wrist. “Now feel.”

Si Yuan tilted his head slightly, as if concentrating.

“How is it?”

Si Yuan said, “Yeah. You like me.”

Mo Yao laughed and said, “Let’s say I do.”

After dinner, Mo Yao went to look at the small alley beside the cafeteria. The shrine was gone. Only an empty food can remained on the ground. He didn’t know which cat had eaten the offering he’d left yesterday.

Back at the apartment, Mo Yao lay down for a nap, and Si Yuan sat at the desk working on a report.

Mo Yao didn’t actually fall asleep. He was staring at Si Yuan’s back in a daze. Then his face tickled, and he turned his head to see Xiao Hei on the nightstand, reaching a paw out to tap his face gently.

Mo Yao sat up suddenly, and wanted to touch Xiao Hei, but Xiao Hei dodged.

He turned toward Si Yuan to tell him Xiaohei had come close on its own, but then noticed that Miaomiao had somehow jumped onto Si Yuan’s lap.

It had probably been there for a while already, lying relaxed with its tail draped to one side.

Si Yuan held a pen in one hand and used the other to scratch Miaomiao’s head.

Miaomiao purred softly.

Mo Yao didn’t want to disturb them. He slowly pulled the blanket back over himself and closed his eyes with a smile.‎

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The End.

[Author’s Note]

This story was always meant to be a short piece. I actually wanted to make it even shorter. It took a long time, but it’s finally finished. I wish everyone a happy life.