Chapter 358: Stray Kitten
Sarin had been entrusted with the work in Katarina’s place, but whether he simply did not want to work or hated being left out, he kept following Qiong Xing and the others while trying to hide.
Since it was Sarin, he could have completely concealed his presence if he truly wanted to.
Yet he did not.
Even Qiong Xing could notice him, which meant he was deliberately making himself known.
It was a little annoying.
Honestly, it would have been more straightforward if he had simply said he wanted to come along.
"What should we do? Grandma would probably tell us to ignore him."
"She definitely would."
If Qiong Xing and the others had noticed him, there was no way Katarina had not.
The fact that she said nothing likely meant exactly that.
"More importantly, is his work going alright? The staff are probably panicking by now, aren’t th..."
"Qiong Xing?"
Qiong Xing suddenly stopped walking, causing Albe to tilt his head in confusion.
Without answering, Qiong Xing turned around.
"Grandpa. If you’ll grant me one favor, you can join us for tea later."
"I’m in! What is it?"
Although he had not been very far away, Sarin closed the distance in an instant.
The sight made Albe flinch and hide behind Qiong Xing.
People said hearing worsened with age, but that certainly did not seem to apply to him.
If anything, his hearing was abnormally sharp. It was almost enviable.
"That child. Could you help them for me?"
"Hm? That child?... Ah, I see. Got it."
Seeing where Qiong Xing was looking, Sarin immediately understood and headed off without complaint.
While waiting for him to return, Qiong Xing had Lian and the others browse the nearby shops.
"Ow! Hey, brat! I just saved you, you know! Why are you scratching me? Hey, stop running away!"
A few minutes later, Sarin returned with scratches covering not only his face but also his hands and arms.
Albe, who had no idea what had happened, took one look at him and nodded in understanding.
"Thank you. Sorry, but could you keep holding onto them a little longer?"
"Sure. But this cat is seriously trying to break free. Hey, stop squirming!"
Yes, the one Qiong Xing had asked Sarin to help was a kitten that had been bullied by a group of children at the side of the road.
At first, he had only glanced over after hearing the children making a commotion, wondering what they were doing.
When he saw them kicking something, he almost smiled, assuming they were playing ball.
Then he realized the black "ball" had moved.
Startled, he understood that it was clearly a living creature.
Seeing the children kicking and hitting it, he instinctively asked Sarin for help.
"I’m sorry. It’s alright now. We won’t hurt you."
Qiong Xing gently stroked the kitten as he would one of the children and healed its injured body.
The kitten, which had been struggling in Sarin’s arms until then, suddenly stopped moving and looked up at him.
"It hurt, didn’t it? But you’ll be alright now."
After the healing was complete, he had Sarin set the kitten down. Then he took a dish from his bag and poured some water into it.
Thinking his presence might make the kitten nervous, he stepped back a few paces.
"You must be thirsty. I’d like to give you milk, but unfortunately I don’t have any suitable for kittens, so you’ll have to make do with water fo... ah, it’s drinking."
The kitten glanced at him cautiously, still on guard, but soon began lapping at the water.
Qiong Xing felt relieved.
It must have been extremely thirsty.
"I wonder what kittens eat?"
"Hmm, I’ve never raised one, so I don’t know."
"I don’t know either."
That was a problem.
The kitten was obviously underfed and thin, and Qiong Xing wanted to give it something to eat.
Unfortunately, he had no idea what would be safe for it.
Some foods were dangerous for certain animals, and he did not want to accidentally harm it.
"Hmmmmmm... Which would you prefer?"
After agonizing over the matter, Qiong Xing finally gave up trying to figure it out.
He pulled a rice ball and an apple from his bag and placed them in front of the kitten.
He had chosen what seemed like the safest options.
If neither worked, he would think of something else.
The kitten seemed to recognize them as food.
It sniffed both items before circling around the apple several times.
Apparently, it had made its choice.
Smiling, Qiong Xing grated the apple so it would be easier for the kitten to eat.
"...Hey, why are you carrying a grater around?"
"Why indeed? I have no idea myself."
Only after the question was asked did Qiong Xing realize how strange it was.
Why was there a grater in his bag?
The mystery only deepened.
Watching the kitten steadily nibble away at the food, Qiong Xing felt relieved.
There did not seem to be any problems with either its appetite or its condition.
"Are you two cat people or dog people?"
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
Their confused reactions made Qiong Xing realize that neither of them had ever really thought about doting on animals in the first place.
As for Qiong Xing, he was definitely a cat person.
It was not that he disliked dogs.
He liked both, but if he had to choose, he preferred cats.
"Cats are so unpredictable, aren’t they? One moment they act distant, and the next they’re demanding attention and affection. Even when they get in the way, somehow you end up thinking, ’Well, it’s a cat, so it can’t be helped.’"
"Why? If it’s getting in the way, just throw it out."
"Compared to dogs, cats don’t have much loyalty. If you’re going to keep a pet, a dog would be better."
Qiong Xing had not necessarily expected them to agree with him, but he had not anticipated such complete rejection either.
