Chapter 469 - 468: IF Storyline: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 37

Chapter 469: Chapter 468: IF Storyline: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 37

Ye Ming was a very responsible person. Since he had accepted the cat from his student, he was determined to raise it well and not let the student down.

Besides, this was a precious little life that had to be treated with care and kindness.

Frustrated, he turned on his computer, his expression unknowingly growing serious. He opened an academic journal database and began searching for papers on how to scientifically raise a cat.

After looking for a while, he found that the papers all stuck to discussing logic and principles. Ye Ming didn’t find the answers he was looking for, because there weren’t any papers on how to raise a newborn kitten.

He lowered his head and glanced at the cat again. Shi Lan, having become a tiny kitten, had eaten and drunk her fill and unknowingly fallen asleep, sprawled out in a very relaxed and comfortable position.

Ye Ming jumped, thinking the cat had died. He nervously poked its head with his finger.

The kitten didn’t wake up, but its tiny black tail twitched. Ye Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

’Thank goodness, thank goodness. It’s not dead.’

To avoid disturbing the sleeping kitten, Ye Ming walked out onto the balcony and called his parents. They were likely traveling at the moment, and it took a while for the call to connect.

Ye Ming’s parents had always been at ease about their son. Usually, if there was nothing important, Ye Ming wouldn’t contact his family and disturb his parents’ round-the-world trip.

Once the call connected, Mrs. Mother asked with a smile, "Son, what’s wrong?"

Ye Ming hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Mom, I wanted to ask, have you ever raised a cat?"

"A cat? Ming’er, you want to raise a cat? If you want one, Mom can fly one back for you this time. Oh, one of those little yellow kitties, the kind with the character for ’king’ on its forehead~"

Ye Ming was quiet and reserved, but his mom’s personality was the complete opposite. She was endlessly talkative and loved to joke around.

Ye Ming shook his head helplessly. "Mom, I’m talking about a normal little kitten."

"Oh, Mommy’s never raised one of those~"

Mrs. Mother’s reply sounded a bit regretful. They happened to be traveling abroad at the moment, and it was possible to buy and raise a small tiger there. As long as the paperwork was in order, it was even allowed back home. Given their family’s financial situation, it was completely feasible. She never expected her son to turn it down.

He clearly loved going to the zoo to see the big tigers when he was little.

’As expected, children are much cuter when they’re young.’

Mrs. Mother was deeply nostalgic for her son’s childhood. Ye Ming, unaware that his mother’s thoughts had drifted so far, gave up on asking further when he heard they hadn’t raised a kitten. He just reminded them to stay safe and have fun before hanging up.

Unable to get help from his parents, Ye Ming searched online, then, still feeling uneasy, made a quick trip to the library to borrow some books and bring them home.

He was gone and back in a flash. When he returned, the kitten was still sound asleep on the sofa.

This time, Ye Ming quietly stared at its little belly as it breathed, watching it rise and fall, and his heart settled down.

While the kitten slept, Ye Ming flipped through the cat-rearing guides he’d borrowed from the library, combined their advice with some suggestions from online, and finally had a bit of a plan. At last, he was no longer a completely clueless novice.

Shi Lan slept for a long time. She woke up briefly midway through, felt the warmth of the sun from outside, and continued to sleep soundly.

When she finally woke up for good, it was because she was hungry again. She could smell the aroma of food.

Ye Ming was making lunch.

Shi Lan hooked her claws into the sofa and watched him curiously. She saw him wearing a blue-checkered apron, very seriously stir-frying something.

The fragrance in the air was rich. Shi Lan’s nose twitched, and she couldn’t help but jump off the sofa. Probably because she was still so small, her body staggered, and she nearly fell right on her bottom, but she quickly steadied her tiny frame.

Ye Ming appeared to be focused on cooking, but he was actually glancing toward the sofa from time to time. The kitten had been asleep for so long that if he hadn’t confirmed its breathing was normal, he would have thought it was really dead.

Ye Ming was a little worried. When he turned his head and saw the cat nearly fall, he immediately put down his spatula, walked over, and gently scooped it up. "Little one, are you alright?"

Shi Lan let out a soft "meow." Having eaten something that morning, her cry wasn’t quite as weak, but it was still very quiet.

Ye Ming looked into the cat’s emerald-green eyes, gently petted its head, and then carried it over to the television. Beside it, he had placed some kitten kibble soaked in milk. He had read online that this took the kitten’s chewing ability into account and would make it less difficult to eat.

Shi Lan sniffed at it. She must have been spoiled by her previous owners, because the smell of this cat food made it a little hard to even consider eating.

Shi Lan backed away two steps in refusal, her tiny cat face a mask of disdain.

Ye Ming looked at the cat, then at the food. He didn’t get angry. Instead, he went back to the kitchen and brought out the homemade kitten food he had prepared.

He had considered both possibilities. Because some people online said that some cats weren’t suited for homemade food, he had tried the kibble first. He hadn’t expected this little kitten to refuse it.

The homemade food was a paste, a sticky lump that looked rather unappetizing. However, Ye Ming had molded it into the shape of a cute cat head, and it smelled very fragrant.

Shi Lan swallowed and took a tentative bite. Her eyes brightened almost imperceptibly.

Maybe it was because she’d had too many luxurious feasts, but suddenly eating such simple fare felt like a novel and delightful experience.

’Delicious!’

After getting past the initial uncertainty of trying something new and confirming that it was delicious, Shi Lan felt no more reservations and began to happily savor it. She wasn’t ravenous this time, so she ate rather gracefully, her small, delicate bites exuding an air of elegance.

Seeing the cat finally eating, Ye Ming let out a small sigh of relief. However, he still didn’t dare to leave, squatting beside it and watching intently so he could immediately notice any adverse reactions.

After watching for a while, a hint of a smile unknowingly touched his eyes. ’Such a little thing, but not possessive of its food at all. Its appetite is pretty big, though. It actually ate all the food I made.’

After the cat finished eating, he took a tissue and gently wiped its mouth, then washed the bowl and brought it a bowl of water. ℴℴ𝘮

Shi Lan was very satisfied with his caretaking. After taking a few sips of water, as a sign of encouragement for her owner, she walked over to his leg, rubbed against it, and graced him with an affectionate nuzzle.

Ye Ming didn’t dare to move a muscle. The cat was too small; he was afraid he might accidentally step on it.

After the nuzzle, Shi Lan heartlessly jumped back onto the sofa to lie down and rest. Daytime was the perfect time for sleeping.

Ye Ming gave a helpless smile. Suddenly, his nose twitched. He smelled something burning and remembered the dish he’d left in the kitchen.

He hurried back to the kitchen to deal with it.

A little while later, Ye Ming finally got to eat his own lunch. His schedule was light today, with only two economics classes in the afternoon, so he had time to cook for himself instead of eating at the cafeteria.

Shi Lan sat on the sofa watching him. Seeing that he had been so busy he hadn’t even had time to take off his apron, she couldn’t help but feel that cooking was indeed a very tiring task.

Thinking of the meal he had personally cooked for her, she hopped down again and gave him another affectionate rub to show her gratitude before returning to the sofa.