Translator: Vemmy. There was absolutely no editing done, I haven’t even had a chance to read through it again because I have some assignments. Corrections greatly welcome. I'm gonna tell you all in advance, the narration consistently refers to cat form Ling Mao Er as 它, so as long as Ling Mao Er is in cat form, I will refer to him as 'it', there are a few exceptions and I'll just follow what the author wrote. I assure you that it's as weird for me to type this as it is for you to read it. Mu Mu was already used to going home at night to see a cat waiting for him at his door, seeing that the Siamese had lived in his home for many consecutive weeks, who knew if the original owner would be anxious.
Mu Mu was a considerate person, if he picked up $10 he would even go look for the original owner, let alone a living, purebred cat.
He brought the Siamese to the community's pet store, "Is anyone here?" A pet store worker with an apron tied around his waist walked out from the salon holding a pair of hair clippers, shaking off a body of dog fur before he stepped out.
"Hello, do you want to buy something?"
He saw the Siamese in Mu Mu's arms immediately, "Is this a Siamese cat? It's rare to see someone keep one."
He reached out to pet it and the Siamese bared its fangs at him, making threatening hissing sounds, warning him to not touch it.
Mu Mu was a bit embarrassed, "It doesn't seem to like being touched by people aside from me."
"Some cats will have such a temperament." The clerk understood.
"I came today to ask if you have seen this cat before. Do you know who it belongs to?"
"Eh? This isn't your cat?"
"I picked it up downstairs of the fifth floor, it appeared to have been free-ranged raised."
The clerk thought for a moment, "It seems that floor eight has a tenant that raised a Siamese, I've never seen it, only heard the owner mention it. The owner of the cat was a young man, often coming here to buy fish sausage, so it left an impression."
"Then do you have their contact details?"
The clerk shook his head, "No, I haven't seen him come buy for the past few days."
"Then can I trouble you to help me ask him when you see him again?" Mu Mu left him a business card, "My phone number is on it."
"No problem!" The clerk agreed immediately.
Mu Mu brought the Siamese on a tour around the store, "Let's buy you some food."
After interacting with the Siamese for some time, Mu Mu discovered that it was very intelligent and could pick food for itself.
He set it on the shelves packed with items.
"What do you want to eat?"
Ling Mao Er was unrestrained as it pushed over a tin of cheese flavoured fish sausages.
Mu Mu smiled, "Alright then, we'll get this one."
Mu Mu chose a few other cans, paid for them, propped the Siamese onto his shoulder as usual and left with the bag in hand.
The Ke Le who went downstairs to forage for food saw Mu Mu come out of the pet store from afar, just as he wanted to greet the other, a familiar black face suddenly popped from from the other's front. He dazed for a moment and his vision was blocked.
Ke Le rubbed his eyes, he thought that maybe he had been mistaken.
Mu Mu didn't notice Ke Le, taking the Siamese through the door to unit 5. Ke Le saw clearly from behind: black paw, black tail, white butt, who could it be other than his family's [master]?
He thought that Ling Mao Er stayed out all night every day to look for female cats, who knew that he was going to Teacher Mu's house?
Ke Le was shocked, he couldn't really be going all out for an annual magazine cover… right?
The moment Ke Le walked into the pet store, the clerk saw him come in and was regretful, "Why didn't you come earlier?"
"… … Ah?"
"Didn't you keep a Siamese?"
"Yes."
"Is it at home?"
"… … ran away."
"Great! Someone picked it up."
"… … Really?"
The clerk gave the business card he had just received to him, "It was picked up by the tenant at unit 5, he just left, hurry and give him a call."
"… … " Ke Le held Mu Mu's business card, "Okay, thank you, I was worried to death."
Ke Le turned the beautifully designed business card back and forth, eventually decided to stuff it into his business card organizer.
Ling Mao Er ate three fish sausages in one go, four limbs stretched out as it sprawled on its back while laying on Mu Mu's leg and the enjoyed the latter's belly scratches.
A cat's life~ ought to be~ this~ satisfying~ ah~ ah~~
Mu Mu finished the belly scratches, scratched the chin, and then went to play with the Siamese' little face.
Ling Mao Er hugged Mu Mu's finger, bringing it to its mouth to nibble on, licking it once done with biting, gnawing again when finished licking; this was its biggest hobby.
Mu Mu was very lenient to its willfulness, furthermore, the Siamese didn't actually use strength, at the most leaving a few white tooth marks on the finger which disappeared quickly[1].
After Ling Mao Er was done with nibbling Mu Mu's finger, it started gnawing on its back paws, standing while wearing heels for a whole day was practically torture, Ling Mao Er felt that its paw pad were going to blister.
Mu Mu saw that the Siamese was energetically gnawing, those that didn't know the situation would think it was tasting some rare delicacy, and took the paw in his hand, gently massaging its soft, fleshy paw pad.
Comfortable, Ling Mao Er promptly layed down, eyes closed as it lay sideways on Mu Mu's leg, thoat producing coquettish purring sounds.
Amazing ah, the Ling Mao Er who had been breathing in the natural fragrance coming from Mu Mu's body thought, it would be great if we could continue like this for a lifetime.
The Siamese on his knees suddenly opened its eyes wide, giving Mu Mu a scare.
Ling Mao Er had been shocked by its own thoughts, it had actually thought about continuing like this for a lifetime. One must know that its lifetime wasn't like the mere hundred years of a human's short life, rather, it was a considerably slow and endless period of time.
It dare not even promise to love fish sausages for a lifetime, yet had the thought of "spending a lifetime with this human".
Ling Mao Er felt that its entire cat was no good.
"Did I make you cold?" Mu Mu's deep and resounding voice came from above.
The voice that usually made people feel relaxed was suddenly filled with a sense of danger, Ling Mao Er realized that he was already exceptionally reliant on this man, so much so that there was a possibility of overstepping a boundary.
It was impossible for human and demon to have a good end, it must strangle these kind of thoughts in its cradle.
The Siamese suddenly flipped around, ran to the window and profoundly gazed out at the flourishing nightscape of the metropolis, deliberately giving a cold shoulder to Mu Mu behind him.
"… …" Mu Mu: This erratic and volatile temperament is so similar to a certain person.
Ignored by the Siamese for half the night, (the Siamese insisted on sleeping on the sofa in the first half of the night, Mu Mu didn't know what was wrong and could only comply, then the Siamese ran back to the bed in the second half of the night. Mu Mu woke up to see the cat soundly asleep on his chest and was also quite speechless), Mu Mu arrived at the outdoor studio the next morning.
He arrived too early, Ling Mao Er hadn't arrived yet, so Mu Mu decided to take his camera and take photographs of the surrounding scenery and vegetation to pass time. A clean and fresh youth suddenly intruded into his lenses, glaze clear, facial features delicate, as if he had walked out from a manhua.
Out of a photographer's subconscious instinct to preserve beautiful objects, Mu Mu unhesitatingly pressed on the shutter, before remembering that this kind of behaviour was considered a violation of other people's photography rights.
That youth noticed that there was someone who secretly took a photo and walked towards him.
Mu Mu took the initiative to apologize, "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to offend you, I will delete the photo immediately."
The other party raised their eyebrow, appearing quite angry, "You don't recognize me ah?" (T/n: RIP)
The familiar voice caused Mu Mu to remember someone, he cautiously identified, still disbelieving, "… … Ling Mao Er?"
Ling Mao Er gave a displeased "hmph".
"Sorry, um," Mu Mu also felt that he had been very discourteous, "but the past two times … … wasn't it … … it had not occurred to me that your malleability was so strong, the gap between the feeling before makeup and after makeup is really very big."
Even he couldn't help wanting to mock himself, if he was Ling Mao Er, he would also have grounds to be angry.
As expected, Ling Mao Er's expression darkened, "Having seen me in heavy makeup, now that you've seen me without makeup, you've started disdaining me, right?" (T/n: doesn't this sound like a couple where the boyfriend saw the girlfriend's natural face for the first time and was shook?)
"How could that be, contrarily, I find that your appearance now warms the heart and delights the eyes[2], so I couldn't help but take a photo of you just now."
If described with poetry, it would be "hibiscus from the clear water, carved by nature" [3] (T/n: I have no idea, pls refer to footnotes). However, Mu Mu wasn't good with graceful words and flowery speech, he could only think beautiful lines like these inside his heart.
Ling Mao Er heard the praise and his complexion cleared a bit but his tone was still sarcastic, "To not even be able to recognize someone before and after makeup, how could you say that you can recognize at a glance if someone's had cosmetic surgery."
Mu Mu really admitted defeat[4] this time, repeatedly smiling as he shook his head, expressing abashment.
Ling Mao Er was fully aware that Mu Mu's action of taking a snapshot was the best proof, an illusionary tail was already smugly swaying but his face still feigned a displeased appearance.
However, Mu Mu was puzzled by a question, "Are you really 19?"
"Exactly 19." And then add about another five, six, seven or eight hundred years.
Regarding exactly how much? Asking a demon for their age is taboo.
"I'd believe you even if you said you were 16."
"Even if Teacher Mu said you were 36, I would believe you."
Mu Mu smiled, "No, I'm only 32 this year."
Ling Mao Er looked up at the sky, "Sure enough, I should call you uncle[5] ah."
Mu Mu gestured towards the camera in his hands, "then… … the photo from just now?"
"You can keep it, you'll have to take more in a bit anyways."
The staff members progressively finished preparations and notified the two people to begin work.
"The task for today's shoot isn't very difficult, you are to take the role of an innocent, introverted youth, walking while lowering your head to look through your phone, then imagine an extraordinary beauty coming from the phone, expression should be shocked first and then love at first sight."
Ling Mao Er nodded, "OK."
Mu Mu wasn't worried at all about the task for today's shoot because, just by standing there, Ling Mao Er was already a painting, as an experienced photographer, he could imagine the beauty of the completed picture.
As expected, Ling Mao Er's innocent youth was excellent, surprise was expressed just right, everything was smooth and successful, only when they reached the love at first sight did they encounter a problem.
Mu Mu stopped the photoshoot, "Expression is lacking, there isn't a love at first sight kind of feeling."
"I don't know what love at first sight feels like."
"Imagine the feeling of being in love is also okay."
"I've also never liked anyone."
"That's not possible, right? Not a single one?"
Ling Mao Er thought for a moment, "The one I like the most is myself."
"Isn't that perfect? You've just seen another version of yourself, you should fall in love with the other at first glance."
[1]稍纵即逝 – Fleeting
[2]赏心悦目 – idiom meaning pleasing, delightful.
[3]清水出芙蓉，天然去雕饰 – From a poem by Li Bai,《经乱离后天恩流夜郎忆旧游书怀赠江夏韦太守良宰》, I couldn't find an english translation~ I don't even know what the title means. I translated it literally because today, I've decided to give up on Chinese.
is the poem~
[4]认栽 – Accept the charge, setback.
[5]大叔 – While it means uncle, Ling Mao Er is using it to call Mu Mu old. Mu Mu’s an old man.