Chapter 39: Human, Cat Will Raise You

Wen Chu was still vomiting.

He asked the System in a daze: [What’s wrong with me? Did I eat too much?]

The System let out a light “tsk.”

[I was gone for a while, what have you done? Let me see—]

[No, it’s that the food in this world is too stimulating for you. You are a cloud of mist now, and it’s difficult to digest these synthetic canned foods. Eating a little is fine, but if you eat too much, you will vomit it all out.]

Wen Chu was sad: [Then I can’t eat anymore?]

The System was concise: [If Xiu’s vegetables can be grown, you can eat some stir-fried dishes.]

He could still eat. Wen Chu’s sadness was swept away. He was still vomiting listlessly, but his spirit had become active.

[Okay, then I must help Xiu grow vegetables even more.]

The vegetables grown, he and Xiu would eat them all, not giving Xiu any chance to raise others.

While Wen Chu made up his mind, everyone else was already at a loss due to this sudden turn of events.

But Xiu and Minnie were decisive and swift. In just over a minute, Wen Chu was lying in the infirmary.

Being watched by Xiu and the boss while treating a cat, the doctor was also very nervous. He quickly felt the kitten’s belly, looked at the kitten that had stopped convulsing, and said thoughtfully, “The kitten’s stomach is relatively fragile, and the canned food has many additives. It should be from overeating and being stimulated that it vomited white foam.”

“It has now vomited everything out of its stomach and is just a little weak.”

If it were that group of mischievous kids in the yard, the doctor would have already kicked their butts and told them to get off the sickbed. But this was a cat that both Sir and the boss valued.

The doctor trembled: “How about we put it on oxygen and an IV drip for the afternoon for observation? In the future, try to find some food from the Steam City for it to eat?”

Xiu nodded in agreement.

Minnie naturally had no objection; this entire Rebel Army belonged to Xiu in the final analysis.

Wen Chu had finished vomiting and had actually recovered his spirits. He wanted to tell Xiu not to waste resources, but with two other people around, he could only blink his round eyes at Xiu.

But Xiu didn’t see.

Xiu finally noticed the canned food residue on his hands, frowned in discomfort, and went to the sink next to him to wash his hands.

There was no oxygen equipment of Wen Chu’s size here. The doctor improvised a mini breathing mask for him on the spot.

By the time Xiu returned after washing his hands, Wen Chu was already lying spread-eagled on the oversized sickbed, with a paw hooked up to a saline drip and a mini breathing mask on his mouth for oxygen.

Wen Chu: “…”

Setting aside whether giving a cat oxygen was a bit extravagant, did Xiu even remember he was a cloud of mist?

Why give an IV drip to a cloud of mist!

After settling Wen Chu, Minnie left in a hurry—she still had to continue arranging matters to incite the masses, while the doctor left at Xiu’s signal.

The room was finally left with only Wen Chu and Xiu.

Wen Chu spoke weakly, “I’m already fine. I am a cloud of mist; I don’t think I need an IV…”

Wen Chu’s words paused halfway.

Because he found that his body was actually starting to turn white.

The originally pitch-black kitten started to lighten bit by bit from the mouth, turning gray in the blink of an eye.

Xiu obviously noticed too, striding forward and bending down to check his condition: “What’s going on?”

Wen Chu was also clueless; he asked the System: [What’s going on?]

System: [You were originally white, just stained with haze and coal ash. Now you’ve taken too much oxygen and are returning to your original color.]

Wen Chu had a sudden realization and repeated the System’s words to Xiu.

Xiu was silent for a moment after hearing it.

“Right, you are a polluted mist…”

Wen Chu was still turning white, and now was almost a little white cat. He hurriedly said, “Yes, I am mist. I just ate too much and was stuffed just now. I don’t need an IV drip. Don’t waste it; I feel much better.”

Wen Chu added in a small voice, “If it really doesn’t work, you can let me eat a couple more bites; I can get even better.”

Xiu: “…”

Xiu expressionlessly stopped Wen Chu’s IV drip and oxygen.

Right, he was also just worried and muddled, actually treating Wen Chu like a little black cat.

The System chimed in at the right time: [The oxygen can be kept. Don’t forget, you are constantly being polluted by haze. At the current rate, your Lifespan will start to decrease at double the speed again in three days. But turning white once like this from inhaling oxygen can postpone it by one day.]

Wen Chu said, “Ah.”

He had already learned his lesson about the Lifespan doubling down and was now particularly sensitive to the word “doubling.” He immediately stretched out his paw to reach for the breathing mask.

Xiu, who was frowning and considering whether he should offer his hand to Wen Chu, saw his action and raised his eyebrows. “What are you doing?”

“I suddenly remembered that if I am constantly invaded by haze, my Lifespan will decrease at an accelerated rate.” Wen Chu pawed at the breathing mask. “Is this expensive? I want to take a few more breaths.”

Xiu said calmly, “It’s alright. One breath of oxygen is probably worth a hundred cans of food.”

How much??

Wen Chu almost couldn’t catch his breath and choked to death.

He immediately let go of the breathing mask and said carefully, “Then I will just take a tiny bit every day. I will find a way to pay you back, okay?”

Xiu didn’t answer, but looked seriously at the little cat that started to turn gray again after the oxygen was stopped.

“You are mist.” He repeated Wen Chu’s words again, his voice so low it sounded like he was talking to himself.

Xiu looked at Wen Chu thoughtfully. “In that case, no matter how you obtain Lifespan from me, in this world, you will eventually just turn into haze.”

“…You will definitely die in the end.”

Whether it was an illusion or not, Wen Chu felt that Xiu’s tone when he uttered the last sentence was a bit strange.

Not like sadness, but more like a desperate, reckless attitude after discovering that the last hope in the world had also been shattered.

Xiu in this world is so strange.

Wen Chu pretended not to notice Xiu’s abnormality and blinked his round cat eyes. “Because the coal ash is very thick?”

“It’s not just the coal.”

Xiu got up and walked to the window of the ward.

“The boiler rooms are running constantly, burning the blue Hearts of Steam, providing energy for the Steam City and bringing a hundred times more pollution. This place is full of dust, haze, and acid rain.”

Xiu pushed open the window.

The sky was full of haze, gray and dim, and the air on the ground was always cold and smelly.

In the distance, the boiler rooms emitted plumes of black smoke, and above the black smoke, at the end of the sky, was the looming Steam City in the haze.

And all of this was the consequence brought by the Heart of Steam he had given to humanity.

“You are just a cloud of mist. Unless you wear an oxygen mask twenty-four hours a day, it’s only a matter of time before you are completely polluted.”

Saying this, Xiu laughed self-deprecatingly.

He actually deluded himself into thinking he might be able to save this mist in the end.

“I won’t,” Wen Chu’s voice sounded from behind him.

The little gray cat jumped off the sickbed, ran over da-da-da, pawed at his black robe, and climbed up to his shoulder in a few swift movements, looking at the distant Steam City with him.

“It doesn’t matter if I can’t eat, and it doesn’t matter if I get polluted. As long as I save up ninety-nine years of Lifespan, the Lifespan won’t drop anymore.”

Wen Chu had a lot to say on the matter of accelerating Lifespan loss.

“And aren’t you guys going to overthrow the Steam City? The air in the Steam City should be very clean, right? I can live there.”

Wen Chu flicked his tail to gesture. “You just need to give me a little bit of oxygen every day; I am very easy to raise.”

Xiu turned his head, looked at the little cat that was still slowly turning black again, and laughed after a while.

“You? A delicate little thing that vomits from eating canned food, and you’re easy to raise?”

[Current Favorability: 20/100]

Xiu is being disdainful of him again.

Wen Chu lay on Xiu’s shoulder, using his round cat eyes to stare seriously at Xiu, looking him up and down.

“What? Have an opinion?” Xiu noticed his scrutinizing gaze.

Wen Chu shook his head. “No.”

He was just thinking, every time Xiu is disdainful of him, is he increasing favorability while being disdainful?

Wen Chu didn’t ask this guess out loud.

On one hand, the favorability panel was hard to explain; on the other hand, Wen Chu felt he wouldn’t get an answer even if he asked.

Xiu would turn his face away and tell him to shut up, the end of his words sharp and light.

---

After Wen Chu repeatedly assured him that he was fine, Xiu carried the oxygen tank and the doctor’s self-made breathing mask, and left the infirmary with the half-black, half-white kitten.

After learning that Wen Chu could survive, Xiu was obviously much more relaxed, and the strange feeling that made Wen Chu vaguely uneasy just now also dissipated.

Wen Chu lay in the hollow of Xiu’s neck, chattering away: “So let me join your Rebel Army. It just so happens I also need fresh air. I will definitely listen to you.”

“I will be especially obedient, more obedient than anyone else.”

Wen Chu secretly pushed everyone else out.

Xiu didn’t need to eat lunch anyway, so he didn’t return to the dining hall, but took Wen Chu back to his gloomy stone building again.

While pushing open the wooden door, he looked at the black cat with interest. “More obedient than anyone else?”

Wen Chu let out a “Whimper” and wagged his tail at Xiu.

Learned from the big yellow dog.

Xiu reached out, lifted the little black cat from his hood, placed him on the bed, and looked at him with his arms crossed. “I told you not to interfere in the Rebel Army’s affairs; you don’t seem to be obedient either?”

Wen Chu was stunned, not expecting Xiu to actually take him seriously.

He explained weakly, “I haven’t interfered yet, so it counts as being obedient…”

Xiu dragged out a long “Oh.”

He extended a hand toward the little black cat.

“Then I say now, you are not allowed to eat me. Are you obedient or not?”

What kind of death choice is this.

Wen Chu looked up at Xiu, trying to find a trace of joking on the other’s face.

But obviously, Xiu in this world was either expressionless or expressionless, and the occasional smile was a sarcastic one.

Wen Chu only met a pair of cold, transparent blue eyes.

Still hiding malice.

Wuwu.

Wen Chu stretched out his paw, patted Xiu’s extended hand, and tried to play cute. “Can’t I both eat you and be obedient? If I don’t eat, I will die.”

Xiu looked down at Wen Chu, his platinum eyelashes lowered.

The little black cat was still patting the tip of his finger with its paw.

A palm-sized little black cat, its paw was also tiny, but it was a tangible touch.

“Taking everything you can get.” The Evil God mercilessly withdrew his hand.

His slender, pale hand landed on the little black cat’s head, patting Wen Chu’s head, thus cruelly revealing his true purpose.

“Since you want to eat me, then you must live well, not take any risks, and live to the end of your lifespan. Otherwise, my feeding you would be for nothing.”

Wen Chu’s round cat eyes rolled once, and he agreed, “Okay.”

Xiu looked at him for a while. In the end, he couldn’t tell sincerity from a cat’s face and had to give up.

The Evil God extended his hand entwined with black aura and held it to the kitten’s mouth.

“Eat.”

It’s just feeding a cloud of mist, not a very difficult matter.

In the end, he wouldn’t really let Wen Chu die in front of him.

…

Ten minutes later.

Xiu fiercely overturned his previous thought.

He quickly withdrew his thoroughly reddened hands into his cloak. Under the cloak, his hands still couldn’t stop trembling.

He really had not been in contact with the outside world for too long. Even now, his fingertips touching the cloak brought a wave of stinging pain.

How could it be like this, this…

Strong reaction.

Makes him look like a pervert reacting to a cloud of mist.

Wen Chu had turned back to two palms large. Looking at Xiu, he asked again with concern, “Your hands are red. Are you really okay?”

To pull his Lifespan back to five days, he had eaten every inch of both of Xiu’s hands twice.

By the second time, Xiu’s palms were scorching hot, and he was already curling his fingers and unconsciously dodging. If he weren’t a cloud of mist, he wouldn’t have been able to eat more than a few bites.

Xiu turned his head away and adjusted his breathing. “I’m fine.”

Wen Chu was still very worried. “But your hands look like they are about to break. Next time I can eat from another place, the neck is also…”

“Shut up.”

Alright, another topic Xiu didn’t want to talk about.

Wen Chu helplessly shut up.

Xiu regretted it after blurting it out.

He felt he might have taken his anger out on Wen Chu, his tone too harsh.

Xiu pursed his lips, looked at the little black cat lying on the bed, and softened his voice a little. “From now on, you eat where I tell you to eat. No eating random places.”

The neck that had been eaten by Wen Chu once still had a faint burning sensation.

Just being eaten on the hand was like this. Xiu absolutely couldn’t imagine what the consequences would be if Wen Chu ate other places.

Wen Chu nodded repeatedly. “I will be obedient.”

He didn’t think much of it, just reflected on whether he had not controlled his strength and hurt Xiu while eating.

Xiu is the type that is hard to satisfy and can’t be fucked to death.

With this stereotype, Wen Chu had absolutely no idea that Xiu in this world would become so sensitive that he would react under his black robe just from having his black aura eaten away and being exposed to the air for a moment.

Wen Chu just thought optimistically that playing pitiful was very effective on Xiu.

He just vomited once, and Xiu agreed to raise him. Becoming Xiu’s lover was completely within sight.

---

At night, Xiu used the excuse of taking care of the sick Wen Chu to skip dinner.

And the “sick” Wen Chu, with Xiu’s permission, had turned into mist and curiously explored the entire yard this afternoon, getting a general idea of the Rebel Army’s situation.

The entire western area outside the main city was already controlled by the Rebel Army, and this courtyard was like the Rebel Army’s headquarters.

Those living here were Minnie’s trusted followers and underage children who needed care, so their living conditions were better than those outside.

While floating back, Wen Chu came to an important conclusion—compared to others, Xiu’s stone building was abnormally empty.

Even when he was in the hospital, there would be a bedside table next to his bed.

Moreover, according to his observation of others’ dormitories he had infiltrated today, a normal dormitory should also have a thermos, a table, chairs, kerosene lamps, and so on.

Night fell. The other stone buildings lit up their kerosene lamps one after another. The back kitchen was cleaning up utensils, Minnie was reviewing with her subordinates, Dorothy was comforting Catherine in her bed…

From afar, Wen Chu saw Xiu’s unlit stone building, standing silently in the corner as if swallowed by darkness.

Even the window was only a small one on the third floor.

Wen Chu floated in through the window and saw Xiu sitting on the bed.

Xiu hadn’t taken off his black robe. His long golden hair was hidden tightly under the black robe, and his whole person was integrated with the darkness, sitting silently for a long time like the stone building.

Wen Chu remembered Xiu was in this posture when he left.

He quickly floated to Xiu’s side, re-solidified into a little black cat, and landed thud on Xiu.

Xiu was startled and subconsciously moved to grab the sudden uninvited guest, but slowly withdrew his hand after seeing it was Wen Chu.

“Did you have fun?” he asked casually.

“I wasn’t playing; I was observing the topography, landscape, and local customs.” Wen Chu defended himself.

He squeezed to Xiu’s side, pawed, and wriggled into Xiu’s arms. “But I am very happy to be with you now.”

Xiu paused, not responding to Wen Chu’s words.

Wen Chu could continue on his own: “By the way, Xiu, why don’t we have a lamp in our home? I saw others have those kerosene lamps that can be extinguished on a timer, and also clothes can’t just be hung on the wall, they should be put in a wardrobe…”

The newborn little mist was always curious about everything and enthusiastic about accepting all new things, chattering endlessly with Xiu about the examples of human life he had observed in the afternoon.

Our home.

Xiu chewed on this word repeatedly, continuing to look at Wen Chu silently.

He didn’t understand whether Wen Chu was too artless or too scheming, to be able to classify them as family in such a natural tone.

Wen Chu was completely unaware. His mind was focused on how to talk to Xiu while secretly and imperceptibly wriggling into Xiu’s quilt.

The little black cat moved a little with every sentence, moved a little with every sentence, and finally successfully got into the quilt.

But the moment he touched the bedboard, Wen Chu regretted it.

So hard, so cold, not even as good as Xiu’s knees.

Wen Chu stepped on the bedboard in disbelief. “How can you sleep in such a hard and cold place?”

Xiu glanced at him and said faintly, “I don’t need to sleep.”

The bed was also just a randomly found abandoned mechanical bed with a piece of cloth laid on it.

Wen Chu climbed back onto Xiu’s knees. “But I need to sleep. This bed is so hard; I won’t be able to sleep.”

Xiu: “…”

“Delicate.” He sneered coldly, lifting the little black cat and placing him in his arms.

“Make do for one night. I’ll make you a new bed tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Wen Chu thought Xiu meant to replace the whole bed and happily agreed.

Actually, Wen Chu not only wanted to change the bed, he also wanted to add a wardrobe, a carpet, and a few lamps.

But he had no money; he was a kept man.

And he had promised Xiu this morning to listen to him.

But it doesn’t matter.

Wen Chu lay in Xiu’s arms, thinking righteously, Xiu offered to change it himself.

He is a smart mist; with just a few words, he made Xiu improve his own life.

This world’s Xiu only wanted to destroy the world and didn’t know how to take care of himself. But it didn’t matter; he had already thought of a way to make money and help Xiu. He could take care of Xiu in return.

Xiu, however, was thinking with lowered eyes.

Just in time, Minnie is going to the main city tomorrow to gather intelligence. Have Minnie buy some clean cloth and cotton to make a separate cat nest for Wen Chu.

His bed was indeed too cold, not suitable for this delicate kitten to sleep on.

Oh, right, and also—

“You go to the classroom to audit tomorrow morning. At least don’t be an illiterate… Wen Chu?”

Xiu only realized halfway through his sentence that Wen Chu had stopped responding at some point.

He looked down and found that the little black cat had fallen fast asleep in his arms at some point.

Wen Chu was a cloud of mist after all. When he fell asleep, he couldn’t control his form very well. The little black cat rose and fell with his breathing, one moment turning into a puddle of black liquid, the next suddenly solidifying, and the next having nine tails again.

Xiu smiled and tapped Wen Chu’s little cat head.

Wen Chu grunted in his dream, stretched his limbs violently, then covered his face with his two front paws, curling up into a ball to hide his head and continue sleeping.

What a carefree cloud of mist.

Xiu stopped teasing Wen Chu. He lay down as gently as possible, holding Wen Chu, and covered him with the thin quilt so Wen Chu could sleep more comfortably.

Next to the bed was the oxygen tank he had brought back today.

He didn’t lie to Wen Chu about the price of oxygen. Clean air on the ground was second only to the Heart of Steam in value, and the Rebel Army’s stock was not large.

But it doesn’t matter. Xiu never intended for Wen Chu to give him any money.

If it was for Wen Chu, it wasn’t a waste.

Xiu looked at the dim moonlight coming in through the third-floor window and whispered, “Wen Chu, huh…”

Encountering this troublesome and noisy mist, which transcended cause and effect and was persecuted by the world he created, just before destroying the entire world.

Xiu couldn’t say whether this was salvation or retribution.

If being devoured by Wen Chu bite by bite is his retribution… then he doesn’t mind enduring it this way.

Xiu hugged the cat in his arms tightly. For the first time, he didn’t spend the late night alone pondering the endless cause and effect and the future of the world, but felt a bit sleepy.

He and his little cat fell asleep together.

---

Author’s Note:

Xiu is suffering from memory loss.
Otherwise, he would definitely realize that if Wen Chu is quiet, he must be ()()