After that night when Mama almost had an accident, Xiao Mei kept urging her to see a doctor.
At first, Mama refused.
But one day, Xiao Mei held me and said, “Nian Nian finally has a home. If something happens to you, who will take care of her? Do you want her to end up on the streets, bullied and alone, just like Xiao Nian?”
Mama looked at me. I meowed and rubbed against her, playing cute.
She finally agreed to see a doctor.
Humans don’t let cats into hospitals, so every time Mama left, she’d check the doors and windows, leave me plenty of food, and tell me not to run away.
Waiting wasn’t so bad. Sometimes I’d just sleep until Mama came back.
One day, Mama opened a can for me, checked the windows and doors, and left with Xiao Mei.
I watched from the window as they left the “Yun He Apartments” and walked out the gate.
Then I saw three or four sneaky figures watching them leave before heading into the building.
Soon, I heard voices outside the door.
“Is this the place? The crazy woman’s apartment?”
“That bitch made us spend two years in detention. Today, we’re going to teach her a lesson.”
“Yao Nian got what she deserved. She died and made us suffer. Her crazy mom is no better—she wanted us to go to jail for her daughter. Disgusting!”
I was so angry, my fur stood on end.
They kept talking.
“She’s not home. Let’s break in and trash her place.”
“But the door’s locked. How do we get in?”
One of them said, “Let’s call a locksmith.”
Soon, a locksmith arrived and asked for ID.
“Uncle, this is my house. I brought my friends over, but I forgot my keys. My mom’s out of town and won’t be back for a while.”
The others chimed in, “Yeah, this is his house!”
The locksmith hesitated.
They sounded anxious. “Uncle, we’re just kids. We wouldn’t lie to you!”
Without proof, the locksmith refused and started to leave.
I listened from behind the door and thought, “Hah! Nice try, but the locksmith’s got standards. He won’t just let anyone in.”
But before I could relax, I heard another voice.
“Young man, I’m their downstairs neighbor. I can vouch for him—he really lives here.
“It’s so sad when kids can’t get into their own home.”
It was that nasty old woman from downstairs!
She was lying to help them!
With the old woman’s word, the locksmith started working on the door.
Listening to the clinking outside, I grew anxious.
When would Mama come home? If she didn’t hurry, these bullies would break in and wreck everything!
The locksmith worked fast, afraid of getting in trouble. He finished quickly, took his money, and ran off.
The four bullies barged in, tracking mud all over the floor without even taking off their shoes.
The old woman watched them, smirking, and spat, “Crazy woman, let’s see how you handle this now!”
They walked through the entryway and appeared before me.
Three boys and one girl, all in school uniforms, bags slung carelessly over their shoulders. Their eyes roamed the apartment.
Suddenly, my fur stood on end. I sensed real danger.
“Wow, this crazy woman lives in a nice place. Heard she used to be a doctor—must’ve made a lot of money,” one said, kicking over a chair with a loud crash.
My territory was invaded by unwelcome scents. I stood on the couch and hissed at them.
“Hiss!”
When I used to fight with the big tomcat for territory, this worked.
The girl saw me and jumped, hiding behind one of the boys.
“What the heck is that? A cat?
“Ugly thing, just like that loser Yao Nian. Scared me!”
I crouched, then leaped, claws out, aiming for the boy’s face.
“Ahhh!”
He clutched his face, blood dripping between his fingers.
The others, furious, tried to catch me.
They threw their bags at me.
But I, the mighty Cat King, am too fast for such clumsy attacks!
I dodged left and right, spinning and jumping.
Not a single bag hit me.
I landed on the dining table, looking down on them with contempt.
They missed me but got scratched a few times. Now really angry, they started throwing everything in sight—cups, plates, the TV remote, cushions—everything crashed to the floor.
It got too much. Something hit my back leg.
The girl, her face scratched, screamed, “Stupid cat! I’m going to kill you!”
Chapter 06
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