As soon as Liu Shuo received Xu Ye’s message, he put down the work in his hands and rushed to the tool room to grab a few mops.
To cheer Xu Ye on, and to show the clueless bad guy what “three people can make a tiger” means, he called on the two store treasures—provincial weightlifting champion Liu Yueyue and sanda champion Sun Yan, who were the seemingly quiet front desk clerk and beautician.
With the two strongest warriors in the shop, they saw a strange, suspicious person holding a cat from a distance, with shifty eyes and a sneaky look. He didn’t seem like a good person.
Only when they got closer did Liu Shuo realize that this masked maniac was actually Xu Ye. He didn’t understand but expressed his respect. Xu Ye must have her reasons for dressing like this, like maybe a sudden whim to work as a fish butcher or something.
The fish butcher Xu Ye was holding a cute little cat. Despite her strange appearance, the scene was heartwarming as she and the cat gazed at each other lovingly, creating such a harmonious and beautiful picture.
Around them, only curious pedestrians were watching, but there were no suspicious “drug cat” men.
Xu Ye stood still, looking at Liu Shuo and his group, her feelings were mixed, with a sense of accomplishment for saving the kitten, but also a sense of sadness that “my friend doesn’t seem very smart.”
She saw Liu Shuo’s expression shift from anger to astonishment, his little ponytail bouncing with every step as he stormed forward.
Behind him were two women—one lively and sweet, the other dignified and graceful. The front desk clerk’s little bunny hairband swayed, while the beautician, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, had “workplace elite” written all over her face.
But the two women were each holding mops in bright pink and apple green. Xu Ye thought they were about to ride off on little electric scooters any second. Besides the mops, they had rolled up their sleeves to their shoulders, revealing well-developed muscles that could only come from intense training.
As everyone around them thought a brawl was about to unfold, Liu Shuo and his two mop-wielding companions put away their weapons, surrounding Xu Ye in a huddle to have a peaceful roadside discussion.
The crowd that had been ready to call the police put their phones away, some leaving while others stayed to see what would happen next.
Liu Shuo then noticed how conspicuous they were and leaned toward Xu Ye, whispering, “Where’s that idiot? Did you scare him off?”
“You overestimate me… He left. Let’s walk and talk. We need to get him some food.” Xu Ye shifted the kitten in her arms and looked up, her eyes briefly leaving the perfect muscle definition of her four comrades.
The kitten was dejected, looking up at these four reliable yet absurd humans before peacefully lowering its head.
The strange combination of a cleaner with a mop and a fish butcher with a cat headed toward the pet store. Xu Ye reflected on what had just happened, answering Liu Shuo’s question, “That guy thought I was crazy. He said he wouldn’t argue with a crazy person, and then he just left.”
Liu Shuo glanced again at Xu Ye’s outfit and thought she wasn’t that guilty.
“Just using your own strength, you scared off a bad guy. Terrifying indeed. Tsk, we brought out the new mops to back you up, but still didn’t get to hit that guy with them.” Liu Shuo’s tone was full of regret as he eagerly waved his mop.
“Friends, we live in a harmonious society,” Xu Ye said, though in her heart, she also regretted not being able to hit that guy with two good whacks. He just ran off, which was too easy on him.
The beautician clenched her fist, snorting coldly, “If it weren’t for the harmonious society, he wouldn’t have made it.”
Xu Ye nodded in agreement, her gaze lingering on her powerful biceps.
Liu Shuo noticed the admiring look in Xu Ye’s eyes and proudly introduced the identities and trophies of his two warriors, speaking as if he were their coach.
Xu Ye’s mind was bombarded with a string of incomprehensible awards. Surrounded by two muscular champions, she retracted her own slender swan arms, “Does your store only hire martial arts experts?”
Liu Shuo shook his head, twirling his mop like a monkey king, “Coincidence, coincidence.”
The four of them returned to the store, with the other two returning to their respective duties.
Liu Shuo told Xu Ye to place the cat on a cushioned platform, and then he brought over two chairs, saying, “Wait here for a moment, I’ll get some cat food.”
Xu Ye set the kitten down, removed her gloves, and sat on a nearby stool, looking around.
The toilet in the dog park had mysteriously disappeared, and two dogs that had attended preschool were playing on the seesaw, taking turns.
The black cat raised by Huo Shuyan was lounging in front of a radio playing light music, its tail swaying gently with the rhythm.
Xu Ye couldn’t help but think: What a lovely pet store.
Liu Shuo came back with cat food and water, setting it down in front of the kitten.
The kitten, starving, wobbled over, its paws gripping the edge of the bowl, eagerly devouring the food.
“Such a poor thing. I’ll have it checked later,” Liu Shuo said affectionately, then accidentally glanced at the sofa. Seeing the black cat lying there, he nearly screamed, startling Xu Ye so much that she almost fell off her chair.
He walked over and grabbed the black cat by the scruff of its neck, scolding, “How can you be so dirty and lie on the sofa? I just changed the covers today. At least wait two days before messing it up!”
The little black cat’s limbs dangled in the air as it gave Liu Shuo a pitiful glance.
Xu Ye, feeling sympathetic, rubbed the back of her neck, imagining the same discomfort, and couldn’t help but say, “It’s just a kitten… isn’t your standard for a kitten a bit too high?”
Liu Shuo chuckled, setting the black cat down. It quickly wiped its paws on the rug before nimbly running upstairs.
“Even if it’s a pig, it’s not okay. Trust me, this cat isn’t as obedient as it looks. One day, it’ll tear up the roof.”
You can’t judge a cat by its appearance. Xu Ye was silent, gaining a new understanding of the seemingly well-behaved little black cat.
After sending Xiao Hei off, Liu Shuo sat down and, along with Xu Ye, watched the kitten’s live eating broadcast.
Xu Ye rubbed her hands, feeling a bit embarrassed. “So, are we leaving this cat here in your store? Is that too much trouble for you? I can pay for the canned food.”
“Don’t be so formal, friend. You have no idea how tempting it is for a man to grow hair,” Liu Shuo said casually, flicking his head. His shiny, beautiful black hair made Xu Ye even more envious.
Just after flipping his hair, Liu Shuo suddenly remembered something. He pointed to the kitten and said, “This time, you saved it, but Liu Yueyue and the others also helped, so it’ll probably bring us some gifts later.”
The pet store staff were all focused on their work, not looking this way.
The two exchanged a glance, silently clasped their hands together, and began to pray.
As Xu Ye finished making her wish in her heart, Liu Shuo shook his head, pointed at things, and looked like he had a lot of experience, “How could they hear you if you only speak in your heart? Love should be shouted out loud. Watch me.”
He rushed up to the kitten, his gaze sincere, his tone devout, “I beg you, my hair’s long enough, just let me grow 3 more centimeters taller.”
Xu Ye measured the height difference between herself and Liu Shuo with her eyes, feeling that he didn’t understand what it meant to be content, “You’re already tall enough. What more do you want, a bicycle?”
Liu Shuo smiled shyly, then proudly showed Xu Ye his Chelsea boots with insoles, twisting awkwardly as he said, “I have a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I’m only 3 centimeters away from 190 cm. I want to make it a round number.”
Xu Ye leaned back, her double chin appearing in surprise, “Then… your obsessive-compulsive disorder is a bit advanced.”
Liu Shuo had already made his wish. Xu Ye, following suit, crouched down beside the kitten, which was enjoying its food, and closed her eyes devoutly, “Great cat god, if it’s convenient, could you let me grow a bit more hair too?”
After making her wish, she remembered Liu Yueyue and Sun Yan, who had also helped, and cautiously pointed them out to the kitten. She continued, “Please give them some hair too.”
Liu Shuo waved his hand and, in a profound tone, stroked his chin, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. They might not want longer hair. I think another wish would be better.”
“What?”
Liu Shuo struck a bodybuilder pose and said, “Make their muscles stronger.”
“‘You’re not a fish, how do you know the joy of a fish?’” Xu Ye hurriedly rushed up to the kitten, “Great cat god, please grant my wish. His doesn’t count.”[mfn]Tl’s Note: “You’re not a fish, how do you know the joy of a fish?” means that a person cannot know what others want simply because you assume they do.[/mfn]
The kitten, carrying the wishes of four people, lifted its head from its food. Its expression was content and its gaze pure, completely unaware of the heavy expectations placed upon it by the humans in front of it.
Liu Shuo still wanted to argue with Xu Ye about which wish was more reasonable, when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, stood up, and said, “We’ll talk about whose wish is more reasonable later. Old Huo called. He must have just finished a meeting. I’ll call a car for him.”
Liu Shuo went to the other side to take the call, while Xu Ye watched the kitten for a moment longer, then lowered her head to check the latest replies on the post, curious about how the netizens were commenting on her.
She had a good sense of self-awareness. Based on her bizarre outfit earlier, she imagined the post’s tone wouldn’t be too harmonious.
Sure enough, a netizen took a photo of Xu Ye holding the kitten from a different angle, pointing it out in a panic:
【25F: Who’s going to save this stray girl? This person clearly doesn’t look like a good person! That man already ran away because of her!】
There were five fewer floors of replies in front of the 25th comment, likely because the users in those floors deleted their comments themselves.
Xu Ye clicked on the image posted by this netizen, and saw a messy-haired, oddly styled, sneaky version of herself.
The photographer’s technique was particularly tricky, capturing the moment just as she was about to stand up while holding the kitten: standing in a classic horse stance, her bottom arched more roundly than the kitten’s face, her back curved, and her face covered with messy strands of hair.
Not even the unsuspecting netizens could avoid laughing, and Xu Ye herself wanted to cry after seeing it.
【25F: I’m so anxious! If I hurry from the flower bed, will I still make it in time?】
【26F: What’s the use of going? Even if you’ve trained your arms, you can’t beat a human, let alone this person, who clearly looks insane.】
【27F: Why did the man run just now? He could’ve saved the girl from this person’s hands!】
Xu Ye, the villain, was scolded for ten floors straight by unaware netizens. However, it wasn’t really scolding, as they were just worried about the kitten’s safety. The harshest criticism was calling her “crazy.”
Xu Ye painfully tied her hair and continued reading the “bad reviews.”
【36F: There’s hope! The pet shop guy came to save the stray girl with a mop! I’ve used up all my photo opportunities, so I can’t broadcast it in real-time anymore. Friends, just bear with me while I explain it.】
【37F: I still have some extra photo opportunities! Let me share the picture with everyone. Look at how agile our store guy is, and how mighty he looks!】
Netizen on the 37th floor posted a picture, and Xu Ye clicked on it and saw it several times. Her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter as she saved the picture to her album.
The photographer’s skills on the 37th floor were even more tricky than the one on the 25th floor. Liu Shuo’s leg was raised in a happy arc, his mouth wide open as if he were about to eat someone. Sun Yan was captured with her legs in a V-shape, leaning on the mop as if about to take off. Liu Yueyue was mid-air, her left foot pushing off her right in preparation to leap.
None of the three of them looked good, but the photography was so skillful it could be called a gift.
Simple and adorable netizens praised the photos on the 37th floor, struggling to find words, complimenting the brave stances of Liu Shuo and the others:
【38F: Exactly! The people in the photos look… like people, very mighty!】
【39F: The guy looks… you can’t judge a book by its cover.】
【40F: The other two people also… have a lot of spirit.】
While everyone was waiting for the kitten to be successfully rescued and for crazy Xu Ye to get a good beating, the scene shifted. The remaining netizens saw an unbelievable scene.
Xu Ye sat up straight. Her moment of redemption was here!
【41F: Yay! The guy ran over! He raised his hand! He’s lifting the mop! He’s getting ready to hit the cat thief! He’s… huh?】
【42F: Don’t leave us hanging! What’s happening to the guy?】
【43F: Why are they talking? Wait, I’ll check… Oh my god! The guy and the cat thief are in cahoots!】
Great, not only did she fail to redeem herself, but she dragged Liu Shuo into it as well.
Although the netizen on the 43rd floor misunderstood Liu Shuo, informed netizens quickly stood up to clarify:
【44F: Don’t say that our store guy is in cahoots with the cat thief. They know the person dressed strangely, so she can’t be a bad person.】
【45F: The store guy and his friend are both really nice. They took me in when half my fur was pulled out. Now I’m all fluffy.】
【46F: The store guy and that strange-dressed person both went into the store. They gave the stray kitty some food. Here’s the proof, everyone, take a look.】
【47F: The strange-dressed person and the people in the shop all know each other. Just let it go, they’re good people.】
【48F: She’s actually a good person? This is more shocking than finding out my crush is not only… but also…】
【49F: She’s actually a good person? This is more shocking than… wait, please tell us your story on the next post.】
【50F: 48th floor, I beg you, start a new thread and tell us everything.】
With the live broadcast of the netizens, Xu Ye, who had successfully cleared her name, felt victorious as she watched the replies below, full of disbelief. A strange sense of satisfaction filled her heart. After all, it was just a little shock for the kitten, not much more.
In her cheerful mood, Xu Ye added fuel to the fire and replied to the post:
【53F: 48th floor, please tell us what happened! Please explain!】
Author’s Note:
Xu Ye: I wished for everyone to get some hair.
Kitten: Am I that amazing?
