Volume One, Chapter Fifty-Three: The Su Family Couple

In the black cat's eyes, only the outermost ring and the pupil at the center glimmered with a dark golden hue; the rest was as deep and black as its fur. Meeting such an uncanny gaze, Su Ziwen felt nothing unusual. She reached out to close the window, shutting out the chilly autumn night and the city’s myriad lights.

Tentatively, she reached out and stroked the black cat, her fingers gently scratching beneath its chin. The cat did not resist, but instead squinted contentedly, purring in delight under her touch.

Lost in the act of petting, Su Ziwen abruptly regained her senses, realizing how nearly she’d let herself be bewitched by this adorable creature. She lifted the black cat in both hands, examining it from all angles, but found no collar or ID tag. Yet, given its poised demeanor and docile nature, it hardly seemed a stray that had endured the hardships of life on the streets.

She opened the window and set the cat back outside, but it made no effort to flee—only reached up with a soft paw, tapping gently against the glass. Its intentions were clear: it had no plans to leave.

Once more, she brought the black cat inside. After several minutes of silent, mutual scrutiny, Su Ziwen decided to adopt the mysterious feline. Her instincts told her this cat was far from ordinary, but it meant her no harm. Decision made, she tucked the cat under her arm and left her room.

“Dad, Mom, I picked up a cat.” Like presenting a prized trophy, Su Ziwen held the black cat aloft, her small face peeking out from behind its form. “Can we keep it?”

Su Zhe glanced back at the cat his daughter held in the air, his voice cool and composed as he asked, “You just found it?”

“Just now.” Their exchange mirrored each other—crisp, clear, and to the point.

“My dear, here—” Xu Xueyan peeled a seedless lychee and offered it to Su Zhe, cutting off any further questions he might have had.

“Come, let me see this little cat.” Leaving a light kiss on Su Zhe’s cheek, Su Ziwen’s mother took the cat from her hands. Years of marriage had mellowed Su Zhe; he no longer blushed as easily, but he asked no more, turning his attention back to the classic film playing on television.

With practiced hands, Su Ziwen’s mother lifted the cat by the scruff and checked it over for injuries or illness. “Oh? A little princess.” The black cat, who had submitted quietly, suddenly tensed its hind legs and stiffened its tail in protest at the invasion of privacy, letting out a plaintive meow.

The examination finished quickly, and the cat was returned to Su Ziwen, while her mother went to wash her hands. As she returned to the sofa, she smiled at her daughter. “If you want to keep her, let her stay. But she’ll need a bath first, our little princess.” With that, she nestled back into her husband’s arms, and the two resumed their television.

“Alright.” Su Ziwen had no words for her parents’ antics. She couldn’t help feeling that even if one day she was suddenly told she would have a new sibling, she wouldn’t be surprised.

Carrying the black cat to the bathroom, Su Ziwen noticed it began to squirm at the scent of water. It didn’t struggle, but there was clear unease—it had never cared for water.

“Be good. If you want to stay, you have to be clean.” The cat wasn’t dirty, Su Ziwen knew, but every new resident deserved a ritual cleansing.

Seeing its protests were futile, the black cat resigned itself. Its plush fur clung to its body when wet, making its head and those golden eyes appear disproportionately large.

Only when the bath was over did the cat’s mournful whimpers subside. It burrowed into the towel Su Ziwen offered, and after she’d dried its fur, the ordeal was finally over. Leaving the cat outside the bathroom, she set about cleaning up.

The black cat made its way alone through the living room to Su Ziwen’s room. As it passed the door to the room next to hers, it paused, gazing intently at the tightly shut door before continuing on to its new owner’s sanctuary. With a graceful leap, it reclaimed its place on the windowsill, curling up on the draped curtain to await her return.

In the living room, Su Zhe shot a glance at his daughter mopping the bathroom floor and quietly asked his wife, “Xueyan, about that cat...”

A finger pressed to his lips silenced him. Xu Xueyan turned to him, beaming. “We don’t know its origins yet, but the little one’s clearly fated to cross paths with Wenwen—and perhaps even with Ayu. Letting her stay won’t be any trouble. Besides, Wenwen has always loved animals. If Ayu weren’t so terribly allergic, she’d have had a pet long ago.”

The eldest child, Su Ziyu, was three years older than his sister and suffered from a severe allergy to furry pets, having rejected countless pleas for puppies or kittens. Unlike his cool and aloof father and sister, Su Ziyu took after their mother in temperament: gentle and considerate. Whenever Wenwen was left quietly in tears after being refused, he would comfort her patiently, staying by her side until her spirits lifted.

“But isn’t Ziyu coming home for winter break? What then?” Su Zhe blocked his wife’s lips from approaching and spoke with some concern. He wanted his daughter’s wish to be fulfilled, but couldn’t disregard his son’s misfortune.

“We’ll deal with it when he’s back. Besides, he’s only allergic to pets that shed—our new member might not bother him.” Xu Xueyan’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Alright, as you wish...” He didn’t finish—the rest of his words were silenced by a soft, warm kiss. Caught off guard, Su Zhe was compelled to retreat.

“Wenwen still—” His attempted protest vanished, swallowed up by his wife’s embrace. Just as their playful struggle grew intense, a cool voice interrupted from nearby.

“I’m going back to my room.” Su Ziwen, face expressionless, closed her door behind her mid-sentence.

Seizing the moment while his wife was distracted, Su Zhe finally escaped her grasp. “I’m going to shower,” he declared, making for the bathroom, desperate for a cold rinse to clear his head.

As he turned to close the door, a fair hand reached through the gap, pushing it open again inch by inch.

“Let’s go together.” Xu Xueyan slipped inside and locked the door, her voice tender, her smile radiant.

...

Honestly, she couldn’t take her parents’ public displays of affection anymore. Returning to her desk, Su Ziwen gestured to the black cat, still perched quietly on the windowsill. The cat responded with a light leap, landing on the bed and then the desk, curling up to enjoy another round of petting.

“You really are the least trouble of all.” Su Ziwen confided softly to her new companion. The two in the next room seemed never to have learned the meaning of discretion. According to her brother, ever since he could remember, he’d seen their parents stealing kisses in every corner of the house.

Her brother had inherited some of their mother’s gentleness—not nearly as forceful, but almost overly attentive, always treating her as if she were still a child. She wondered if his allergy had improved; if not, his return would no doubt bring fresh complications.

As for that person surnamed Mo, who knew where he was wandering now? Whether he was behaving himself in some other safe haven was anyone’s guess. He, too, was a constant source of worry.

The black cat nuzzled Su Ziwen’s palm, its golden eyes narrowing to contented slits. Flopping over, it lifted all four paws and exposed its belly, reveling in her soothing strokes.

A ringtone shattered the tranquil moment. Su Ziwen darted to the bed to answer, but the name displayed was not the one she’d expected.

No surprise there. She hadn’t expected him to finish his business so quickly.

Answering the call, she greeted the caller with a smile. “Keqing...”

She returned to her desk, phone in one hand, continuing to stroke the cat with the other.

The black cat, eyes reflecting Su Ziwen’s gentle smile, licked its paw and curled up to nap.

Because Su Ziwen had kept quiet, Wu Fan had not told Ji Keqing about Mo De’s disappearance, so Ji Keqing had only called out of boredom, trapped at home and looking for someone to chat with. The girls’ conversation soon shifted from idle talk to gossip, with Ji Keqing prodding for news of Mo De.

Upon learning that Mo De and his “cousin” had left the city before the lunar tides began and had been unreachable since, Ji Keqing voiced her disappointment.

“Ziwen, do you really think Mo De has a cousin? We’ve been in the same class for over a year and never heard him mention her.” On the other end, Ji Keqing held the phone between shoulder and cheek as she painted her toenails, twin pigtails swaying with every movement.

“Maybe he’s been lying to us all along and there’s no ‘cousin’ at all!” declared Detective Ji Keqing, channeling her inner Holmes.

“I’ve met his cousin—she’s very real. Enough of your detective games,” Su Ziwen replied, dashing her friend’s speculation without mercy.