God knows what I'm doing right now!
She just wanted to find a secluded corner to hide in, but who knew this place would be so alluring? Her head was in, but her butt couldn't fit in. It must be because her father had torn off her beard last night, which made it impossible for her to accurately estimate whether the gap was suitable for her body shape.
Seeing that the white cat was still squatting there without reacting, Shen Wuqiu had no choice but to walk over to her, "Meow, come out..."
"Wuqiu, is this cat catching mice? Why does it look like there's a bald patch on its butt?"
Since the white cat started leaving early and returning late, Su Yunzhi rarely saw her cat. In addition, she didn't show much dislike for the white cat in front of outsiders.
"I don't know." Shen Wuqiu squatted down and tilted his head to look into the drawer.
The TV cabinet is an old-fashioned wooden cabinet with several drawers that can be pulled out freely. The white cat crawled into the bottom drawer, which has the smallest space.
She looked over and met the white cat's bright, round eyes.
"Meow, come out..."
Meow~~
That cry sounded so aggrieved.
Shen Wuqiu was stunned for a moment. Seeing her little feet pulling back with all her might, she immediately understood and quickly pulled the drawer out a little.
With its restraints gone, the white cat immediately came to life, jumped off the TV cabinet drawer, and ran upstairs at such speed that only a white blur could be seen floating by.
After a few seconds of silence, Su Yunzhi asked, "Is it stuck?"
Shen Wuqiu remained silent.
"Aren't cats supposed to be made of water? How could it get stuck? This cat seems a little dim-witted..." Su Yunzhi said casually, then went to ask Gu Junshan and his wife, "What would you like for breakfast?"
Seeing her looking over, Daiying smiled again: "Anything is fine. We're not picky eaters. We'll eat any fish we can find."
"Alright, let's have fish soup noodles for today."
But why does this sound so familiar?
Su Yunzhi didn't remember hearing Gu Lingyu say this until she entered the kitchen. She couldn't help but sigh at how strong this family's obsession with eating fish was, that even Wuqiu, who was pregnant with their child, was affected!
This is the living room side.
Shen Wuqiu was a little worried when she saw the white cat running upstairs. She was about to go upstairs to check on it when Daiying followed her up.
The two walked one after the other, the atmosphere a little awkward. Shen Wuqiu casually asked, "Auntie, are you going up to call Lingyu?"
Daiying took her hand and went straight to the point, asking, "Does Wuqiu like that white cat from earlier?"
Shen Wuqiu was a little confused, but still nodded, "Yes, it's mine."
"May I ask you a question? Where did you find this white cat?"
"Hmm?" Shen Wuqiu looked at her. "Auntie, have you seen a cat like this before?"
Dai Ying remained calm. "No, I was just asking. It's rare for ordinary people to have cats like this."
Shen Wuqiu thought she was praising her cat for being different, so she replied, "I picked up this cat. Two months ago, when I went back to my hometown, I heard a very mournful cry in the Yai Mountain area. I was curious and went to take a look. I happened to see some stray cats bullying her. I helped chase them away, and then she started to cling to me."
Dai Ying lowered her eyes, her fingers clenching tightly again.
This good-for-nothing has actually fallen so low as to be bullied by a bunch of stray cats; it's a disgrace to her.
Taking a deep breath, Daiying regained her elegance. "And then what happened?"
"Later I simply brought her home."
Shen Wuqiu stopped at her door, then, as if remembering something, said, "Auntie, Lingyu is still very well-behaved, so please don't be too strict with her."
"Hmm?" Daiying looked at her. "Do I look like a very strict mother?"
Shen Wuqiu looked into her smiling eyes and said, "That's not what I meant."
Daiying didn't pursue her hesitation for the moment, but continued the previous topic, "And then what?"
"What do you mean, 'later'?"
"After encountering this white cat, didn't Wuqiu have any strange experiences? Like having a child?"
Shen Wuqiu looked at her, as if something was about to emerge from her mind, but then it went blank again. "I don't quite understand what Auntie means..."
Daiying took a deep breath, raised her hand and waved it. Shen Wuqiu felt a sudden silence fall over her, as if there were only the two of them in the world.
"Auntie has something she wants to talk to you about today."
Her expression suddenly turned serious, and Shen Wuqiu felt inexplicably nervous. "...What does Auntie want to tell me?"
Daiying gently placed her hand on her stomach, and Shen Wuqiu immediately felt a warm current flow into her body, a strange sense of comfort and satisfaction instantly permeating her entire body.
"Before that, you must honestly tell me whether you will insist on giving birth to these children, no matter what happens, and whether you will fulfill your duty as a mother to protect them."
That's too serious.
Shen Wuqiu was startled and instinctively took a step back: "Auntie..."
"If you don't want to have them, I can grant your wish, but I must protect them in my own way and let them come into this world ordinary."
"I don't quite understand what Auntie means..."
“Ayu said she told you how the children came to be. I think she also told you that our entire clan has been waiting for these four children for four hundred years.”
Shen Wuqiu began to feel that surreal, fantastical feeling again. She looked at Daiying and nodded blankly, "She did say that... but..."
“Our tribe has indeed not had children for a very, very long time because of these children. So, I hope you can understand our feelings. Children, if you don’t want to give birth, I will have to take them out of your womb. Of course, if you are willing to give birth to them, that would be the best outcome.”
Take it out... how do you take it out? Do you have to cut yourself open?
Shen Wuqiu subconsciously glanced down at her stomach.
Daiying didn't mean to scare her. Seeing that her face looked bad, she added, "Of course, don't worry, taking the baby out won't hurt you. However, I can't guarantee the baby's safety."
The scene from her nightmare suddenly appeared before her, and Shen Wuqiu almost instinctively defended herself, saying, "I'm willing to give birth to it."
Daiying breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, then took her hand and led her to Gu Lingyu's door, where they stopped.
"I'm sorry, my daughter is useless, so I, as her mother, have to say many things for her."
After saying that, Daiying opened the door to Gu Lingyu's room.
Inside the room, Gu Lingyu, who had just slipped in and transformed into human form, was fixing the bruises on her bottom in front of the mirror when the door suddenly opened. Startled, she hurriedly pulled down her skirt, which had been lifted up. When she saw her mother and sister enter together, her eyelids twitched again: "Mother, sister..."
Dai Ying pointed her slender white index finger in her direction, and Gu Lingyu immediately shut her mouth and fell silent.
Shen Wuqiu looked at her, then at Daiying, "Auntie?"
Daiying looked at her as well, "Wuqiu, before the baby is born, there is something I must tell you first."
She shouldn't be the one to say this, but who told her to end up with such a useless son?
Shen Wuqiu had a gut feeling that this wasn't good news. "...What is it?"
Dai Ying helped her sit down on the bed. After a while, she took a deep breath and looked at Gu Lingyu, who was still standing in front of the mirror: "My daughter, Ayu, she is not human."
Shen Wuqiu's mind went blank, her expression blank. After a long while, she mechanically turned her head and stared at Gu Lingyu for a long time before her eyes finally found focus. She stared blankly at Gu Lingyu, who had turned into a cat, and nodded in a daze. She tried to stand up, but she had no strength at all, so she could only continue to sit blankly on the bed.
Daiying was not surprised by her reaction.
For so many years, this has always been the reaction of humans when they first learn of their identities.
However, this expected reaction still hurt Gu Lingyu somewhat, and she couldn't help but meow.
Hearing her speak, Daiying looked at her, then glanced at the unmoved Shen Wuqiu, before walking up to Gu Lingyu, picking her up, and asking Shen Wuqiu from a distance, "Wuqiu, are you alright?"
Upon hearing his own name, suppressed memories seemed to burst forth, surging forth like a tidal wave, instantly flooding his blank mind with countless images and scenes:
"Within the Three Realms, only one of these fruits appears every hundred years. How are you going to buy it for me?"
"The fruit is a sacred object in our tribe."
"For three thousand years, our clan has relied on this fruit to conceive offspring."
"The reproduction of our clan's offspring is all achieved through intermarriage with women of your human race, allowing your human women..."
...
No wonder she could never understand what she was saying.
No wonder the white cat has been leaving early and returning late ever since she came. Before she arrived, the white cat only sneaked out for a short while in the middle of the night.
No wonder Gu Lingyu loves eating fish so much.
No wonder she started having strange dreams after meeting the white cat...
It sounds absurd and unbelievable.
And yet, all of this actually happened.
After a long silence, Shen Wuqiu raised her pale face and stared blankly at Daiying. After a moment, her eyes moved, and her gaze focused on the white cat in Daiying's arms. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "Why... is it me?"
Meow~
Seeing this, Daiying put Gu Lingyu down and released the spell on her. The white cat immediately transformed back into human form. She wanted to go forward to explain, but as soon as she got closer, Shen Wuqiu's wariness became very obvious.
She could only stand there, saying, "Sister, don't be afraid. I told you I wouldn't hurt you."
"Heh..." Shen Wuqiu sneered, "Is it because I shouldn't have helped you chase away those stray cats that night that you're punishing me like this?"
"That's not how it is." Gu Lingyu scratched her head anxiously. "It was my first time going down the mountain. My mother suppressed the spiritual power in my body, and as a result, I accidentally fell into a trap set by the mountain hunters..."
In order to explain herself clearly, Gu Lingyu didn't care that her mother was present or whether her shameful actions would anger her.
"The animal trap injured my foot, and on top of that, I was in heat and couldn't suppress my scent, which attracted the nearby cats. I'm very grateful for your help. As you humans often say, 'If you can't repay a life-saving favor, you repay it with your body,' and that's why I..."
Hearing this damned phrase, "I have no way to repay your life-saving grace, so I will repay you with my body," Shen Wuqiu was so angry she almost vomited. "Do I need to? Did you even ask for my opinion?"
“I asked you. That night I called out to you outside your window, and you opened the window for me and even meowed at me. In our civet family, that means you are willing to become a mate.”
"...Have you considered our racial differences?"
"I haven't fully recovered from my injuries, so I can't maintain human form during the day; I can only do it after midnight. I originally wanted to be in human form to be honest with you before sleeping with you, but you were sleeping so soundly that you didn't wake up even when I transformed into human form... When we slept together, you didn't refuse... and you were even a little bit enthusiastic..."
Therefore, those unspeakable dreams are not dreams at all, but actually happened!
"..." Shen Wuqiu's fear was now completely replaced by shame and indignation. More importantly, she actually felt that she couldn't refute it. For the past few nights, she had thought that this was just an unspeakable dream, so she did indeed let loose a bit in the dream...
Furthermore, with the cat's mother, an elder, present, it felt like discussing sex in front of an elder.
Shen Wuqiu covered her face, "Stop talking."
Gu Lingyu wanted to explain a few more words, but Daiying mercilessly turned her into a cat.