Chapter 13 — The Illusion of Spring Peaches

The young woman cradled Orange Fat back into her lap, her expression a comical mix of exasperation and amusement. "You little rascal! Bringing a girlfriend home without even telling your mother!" Meanwhile, Orange Fat was consumed by absolute shame; its ears drooped flat, and its entire face buried deep against her chest, stubbornly refusing to look anyone in the eye.

"Streamer, help me," the girl pleaded helplessly, holding the cat with one hand while waving at me with the other. "Please ask him... why did he pick up a girlfriend and refuse to tell me?" Determined to expose her pet, she tightened her grip on Orange Fat and used two fingers to pry open its eyelids, forcing the cat to stare straight into the camera lens.

At that exact moment, a cat with a completely blank expression appeared on the screen, looking as dazed and lost as if it had just been hypnotized, coupled with a pair of twitching whiskers that sent the entire livestream chat into absolute hysterics.

[AHAHAHA I give up, that face looks just like it's being interrogated under duress!]
[This expression screams "I refuse to confess, but I don't dare talk back"!]
[And to think he acted like such a hero bringing his girlfriend home, only to turn into a limp noodle the second he gets caught red-handed!]

I curled the corner of my lips, tilting my head slightly to listen to Orange Fat "muttering" in its heart: "Mom has been so busy lately... she sighs every single night... I didn't want to bother her. I'm a man, I have to take care of my own... girlfriend."

I smiled softly and told the girl, "He says he noticed you've been very busy lately and your spirits haven't been great, so he didn't want to add to your stress. He figured that as a man, he needed to look after his girlfriend on his own."

The girl froze, the corners of her eyes glistening with tears, before she pulled Orange Fat tightly into a warm embrace. "You silly boy... you have never been a burden to Mom. Neither has your girlfriend."

Orange Fat let out a soft, sweet, spoiled meow.

[Oh heavens, Orange Fat, the most precious good boy in the entire world!]
[Hearing that just makes me want to cry out of nowhere, such a good kitty!]
[Brother Orange, you accomplish what I never could—so responsible, always thinking of others... Can I just marry you myself?!]
[Wait a minute, Orange Fat is officially a "young dad" now. Have they held the engagement ceremony yet?]

After acting spoiled with its owner for a little while longer, the girl's curiosity remained unsatisfied. With eyes sparkling as if she were on the verge of tears, she turned to look at me with high anticipation. "Streamer... I want to ask one more thing. Back when I first moved here, Orange Fat used to run over to my yard every single day right on schedule. I thought he was adorable back then, so I started feeding him. Could you ask him... why he chose to come to me in the first place?"

[It must have been a special destiny!]
[Listening to this setup... it's definitely love at first sight!]
[Wuuu, why can't I ever pick up a cat with such "fate"...]

I turned my gaze toward Orange Fat and translated the girl's question. Only... Orange Fat's expression instantly turned dangerous; its ears pinned back and its whiskers quivered.

[Wait... why does Brother Orange suddenly look so fierce?]
[Looks like there's some secret he doesn't want the streamer to spill...]
[Oh my god, is there going to be another "romance drama" unfolding right now?!]

I smirked, tilting my head in a playful challenge. "Listen here, kid, I'm warning you now—these intimidation tactics won't work on me."

"Aoooo!" Orange Fat howled in protest, wrestling its way out of its owner's arms. It bolted a fair distance away, spun around, and turned its back—ears standing tall, tail flicking high in the air... pointing its fuzzy rear end directly at its owner to express its utmost "indignation."

"Don't be so shy!" I laughed, teasing it with a deliberately provocative tone. "Just spit it out, she'll only love you more for it."

"Aooooo!" Orange Fat continued to wail, sounding as though it were screaming, "Shut your trap right now!"

Unfortunately... I was not someone easily susceptible to emotional blackmail by a feline.

With a wickedly mischievous smile, I announced the earth-shattering truth: "Actually... back then, he didn't just visit your place. Every single day, he scheduled his time to go freeload meals at least five different houses in the neighborhood. He treated it like daily 'check-ins,' reporting to every single household right on time for every meal. It's just that... you were the very first person to actually pick him up and carry him home, so ever since that day, he simply decided he belonged to you."

The girl sat frozen for a few seconds, then bit her lip to hold back her laughter before collapsing onto the sofa, clutching her stomach in helpless fits of giggles. "Oh my god... is that really true? All this time... I thought I was his one and only destined love, and it turns out my cat was out here flirting with the entire neighborhood?!"

I nodded with utmost seriousness. "Indeed. Orange Fat is exceptionally sociable, with a vast network of connections and a talent for keeping all his options fully satisfied."

[AHAHAHAH so Orange Fat is the nation's ultimate playboy!]
[Brother Orange—the Sea King of the feline world, with love affairs spanning the entire residential district!]
[Good grief, I was once deceived by those innocent, pure eyes, and only now do I learn the brutal truth!]
[I truly admire him; managing an entire "harem" better than I ever could...]

"But he also told me..." I chuckled softly, watching Orange Fat bury its head back into the girl's lap, and softened my tone. "He really does... love you very much. Being picked up and raised by you... to him, that is the greatest blessing in this world."

Upon hearing this, the corners of the girl's eyes immediately reddened. She sat down close, wrapping her arms around Orange Fat while stroking its fur and whispering, "It's alright, Mom doesn't mind how you came into her life. No matter what... Mom loves you just as much as always."

"Meo~" Orange Fat let out a gentle murmur, then burrowed straight into her embrace, wagging its tail coquettishly like a little child.

After observing the mother-and-child pair and confirming there were no further questions, I ended the live connection. Before I even had a chance to take a sip of water, the new connection prompt lit up brightly.

On the other end of the screen was a young woman tightly hugging a large, chubby Golden Retriever named Pumpkin, her face etched with absolute perplexity. "Streamer, could you please help me ask... lately, Pumpkin has been sulking all day long. He keeps frowning, when I call him he turns away, and no matter how I try to coax him, he refuses to eat his meals. I have no idea what he's mad about..."

As she spoke, she awkwardly forced Pumpkin's head around, pinching his cheeks to make him face the camera directly.

I glanced over... and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Pumpkin says... this household only needs him, so Mom shouldn't keep any other dogs."

The girl blinked in surprise. "Huh... I didn't keep any other dogs? I wasn't even planning to?"

I frowned, lowering my gaze to stare at Pumpkin for a slightly longer moment, before a peculiar, hard-to-describe sensation welled up in my chest. After a brief pause for thought, I looked up at the girl. "Tell you what... let's schedule a private appointment, and I'll explain it to you in a separate chat."

[No! We want to hear it too!]
[What could possibly be so private that it can't be made public? We are loyal audience members, the streamer is not allowed to hide things!]
[Hey streamer, I'll send a super yacht super-gift, you are not allowed to keep secrets!]

The girl, however, seemed quite laid-back, waving her hand with a laugh. "It's fine, streamer, just tell me out loud. I can take whatever it is."

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to phrase it tactfully. "It's possible that... in Pumpkin's eyes, anyone whom you... put a leash on and walk around... he considers to be his own 'species'."

The girl furrowed her brow. "Species...? You mean..."

I let out a sigh, deliberately emphasizing every single word. "Next time... when you take your 'boyfriend out for a walk'... you'd better keep him away from Pumpkin. The poor dog thinks your boyfriend is just another canine of the same breed."

At that exact second, both the girl and the entire livestream chat fell dead silent for a full five seconds.

Then—

[OH CRAP OH LORD OH GOD I UNDERSTAND NOW!!]
[Wait... the boyfriend was... put on a leash and walked around??]
[The image flashing in my head right now is a young woman... holding a leash... walking her boyfriend around the room like a dog... that's not right, is it???]
[This is a sin... I... I'm sorry, but I cannot stop laughing]

I pretended to straighten my expression with strict severity. "Now, everyone, remember this clearly: as long as it doesn't break the law, every single person has the absolute freedom to... explore their own hobbies. Do not judge others."

[But I... I'm single, I don't have a boyfriend, I don't have a girlfriend, and I don't even have a dog! Does that make me an outcast from society?!!]
[Wuuu, don't mention it... I'm single too, hearing this makes me want to cry.]
[Well, I'm different... I actually have a partner. Thanks to the streamer, I'm definitely going to try out this 'leash' concept tonight.]
[WILL YOU GUYS STOP BRAGGING?! LET SINGLE PEOPLE LIVE IN PEACE!!]

The following morning, Li's sleek black SUV was parked right outside my doorstep. Just as I led Mao Mao and Nhung Nhung downstairs, before I could even take a proper look, I noticed his gaze hitching momentarily, his face flashing a look of incomprehension mingled with a heavy dose of... resignation.

Li: "...What on earth is the meaning of this?"

Before him stood a rather overwhelming spectacle:
• A Le was striding proudly with the regal aura of a queen, her tail held high, walking with the precise posture of a soldier on military review.
• As for me, I held leashes in both hands for two newly picked-up dogs—one being a chubby, rotund Mao Mao, and the other a tiny, cotton-puff-like Nhung Nhung. Both of them were wagging their tails ecstatically, looking as though they were fully prepared for a grand vacation.