Chapter 360: Mama Is Mine
Perhaps it was because their mother tended to be rather hands-off.
The whole situation had started because Lian had become jealous of the kitten sitting on Qiong Xing’s lap.
The kitten had finally emerged from the carrier and climbed onto his lap, nibbling lightly at his hand as if demanding to be petted.
Qiong Xing had happily obliged.
When Lian saw that, she naturally wanted attention too.
However, the kitten hissed at her again when she approached.
Unable to get close and unable to climb into Qiong Xing’s lap because the kitten was already there, Lian’s frustration eventually turned into a rivalry with the cat.
"He’s... he’s my mama! Kitty, move!"
Even while angry, the fact that she still called it "kitty" was adorable.
Qiong Xing might have continued watching a little longer, but eventually Lian burst into tears.
"Waaah... Mama... Mama’s mine. Mine..."
Feeling sorry for her, Qiong Xing reached down to move the kitten.
The kitten immediately seemed to realize what he was doing and clung stubbornly to his clothes.
"I’ll pet you again later, alright?"
"Meow~"
The kitten hooked its claws into his clothing as if firmly refusing.
At this point, Qiong Xing was beginning to suspect that it really did understand everything he said.
Still, his crying child came first.
The kitten reluctantly had to move.
Once Lian was seated on his lap, she immediately wrapped her arms around him.
As Qiong Xing gently rubbed her back, her sobs gradually subsided.
"Hey, that’s not allowed."
Looking down, he discovered that the kitten had stretched out a paw toward Lian’s leg.
Whether it felt that its spot had been stolen or not, Qiong Xing was not about to allow his child to be scratched.
The moment he scolded it, the kitten drooped visibly and let out a pitiful cry.
At this point, Qiong Xing was convinced it understood human language.
As he picking it up with one hand, he settled it on his shoulder instead.
"You’ll have to stay there for now."
"Meow~"
The kitten obediently remained on his shoulder.
Qiong Xing stroked it once before returning his attention to comforting Lian.
"...Isn’t this weird!? No, seriously, this is absolutely weird!"
Albe finally could not hold back any longer.
"Albe, we’re in town. Please keep your voice down a little."
"How am I supposed to do that!? That thing is definitely not a normal cat!"
Honestly, Qiong Xing agreed.
Still, if someone asked what exactly it was, the only answer he could give was that it looked like a cat.
Even if he asked the kitten directly, he would not understand the answer.
"He’s right. That cat clearly understands what you’re saying and even responds to it. A normal cat wouldn’t do that."
Even Sarin who had been silent until now frowned suspiciously.
Katarina nodded in agreement.
"It isn’t speaking human language, obviously. But it’s reacting to both you and Lian. That’s not normal."
Everyone insisted something was strange.
The question was what they were supposed to do about it.
Leaving it behind would be easy.
But Qiong Xing worried that if they did, someone might hurt it again.
"Albe, is there any chance this kitten is a magical beast?"
If it were an intelligent magical creature or something disguised as a kitten, that would explain things.
"...Probably not. I can’t sense any magic from it. And even if there is some, it’d be so tiny that there’s no way it could maintain a transformation."
That possibility was quickly ruled out.
Neither Albe nor anyone else could identify what the kitten really was.
And if it truly possessed power, then it should never have been helplessly bullied by children in the first place.
Nor should it have become this attached to Qiong Xing.
"It hasn’t done anything harmful. Let’s just keep an eye on it for now."
Abandoning it would be simple.
But if it got hurt again, or even died, after they had already saved it, that would leave a bitter feeling behind.
Besides, nothing about the kitten suggested it intended to harm anyone.
For now, Qiong Xing decided to continue caring for it while observing the situation.
"Be a good boy, alright?"
"MeowQ"
The kitten rubbed its face against his cheek and let out an adorable cry.
Qiong Xing smiled.
...
Sometimes the people involved were completely serious, while everyone else saw things very differently.
"Mama, do you like the kitty?"
"Yes. I like it very much. It’s very cute."
With its light brown fur and blue eyes, the kitten was undeniably adorable.
Qiong Xing had always loved animals and he had grown quite fond of it.
"More than Lian?"
The innocent childlike question made Qiong Xing smile.
Qiong Xing smiled warmly at the question.
"Let’s see. I like cute little kittens, but... I love kind and adorable Lian very, very, very much."
"...Wow, look at that smug face."
Lian immediately looked up at the kitten as if declaring victory, causing Albe to sigh in exasperation.
It was unusual for Lian, who normally loved animals, to be so openly competitive. Still, from the adults’ perspective, even her jealousy was adorable enough that nobody had the heart to stop her.
The kitten let out a disgruntled growl, apparently unhappy with the outcome.
Qiong Xing gently stroked its fur while everyone continued enjoying their tea.
Not long afterward, they returned home with the kitten.
As expected, the kitten refused to warm up to anyone except Qiong Xing, and the children ended up in tears because they could not get close to Mama.
"That thing... isn’t really a cat, is it?"
"Seriously, why won’t it leave Qiong Xing’s side!?"
"Mamaaa~!"
Faced with a chorus of demands from his family to get rid of the kitten, Qiong Xing found himself at a loss.
The kitten never bit or scratched anyone, but it constantly hissed and acted as though nobody else was allowed near him.
As a result, nobody could get close.
Nobody except Qiong Xing.
The way it faithfully followed him everywhere was undeniably cute, but at this rate, it was hard to imagine the kitten ever becoming attached to anyone else, let alone being entrusted to another family.
