Chapter 245: Sniff Sniff

“Could you please explain a little more clearly?”

At this moment, I couldn’t bother worrying about being tricked by her words or falling into some kind of trap. As I asked this question, I stopped sipping my tea, holding the cup still in my hand, and instead watched every movement the old woman made with utmost attention.

Maybe I was too nervous. The old woman lightly pressed her palm down toward me, signaling me to calm down.

“It’s just as I said. The blessing you received wasn’t free. From the very day you made your wish to obtain it, the price was already woven into your fate. Originally, you were meant to live into your nineties. That was the promise you made yourself back then.”

*****

Is it that Daoist temple in the back mountain? Did I make a wish back then? And what exactly did I wish for?”

Even as the old woman finished explaining, I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind her words, only feeling baffled.

As I turned the answer over in my mind, I finally connected what she said to my childhood memories in the back mountain.

The old woman silently took a sip of tea. The upper half of her face, shaded by her long hat brim, turned toward me: “That’s your second question. The one just now was a freebie. Are you sure you want to use your question on this?”

Suddenly sobered by her words, I realized I needed to think carefully about what mattered most. I couldn’t waste this rare chance on a whim.

Instead of rushing to ask, I pondered carefully for a while. Only after the old woman’s cup was empty did I finally speak up.

“Please, what exactly was the wish I made at the back mountain temple, and what price did I pay for it?”

I knew this question wasn’t broad enough to be cost-effective, but in the end, I was just an ordinary person. With time pressing, I couldn’t come up with anything more suitable.

The old woman set down her bamboo tea cup and gestured toward the door. A small grayish tabby kitten waddled in, carrying a tiny bag of tea leaves. It dropped the tea at our feet, meowed, and wobbled away again. For such a young kitten, it was surprisingly well-behaved. The old woman’s skill at training cats was certainly impressive.

Having volunteered in animal rescue, I’d been around plenty of cats and dogs. I understood the difference in intelligence and difficulty in training them. If I ever had to choose a pet, I’d probably still pick a dog—even though I liked how cats looked, I couldn’t stand how they so often seemed to ignore people, repeating baffling behaviors like little fools.

Only a small number of cats were truly perceptive, their cleverness just about on par with dogs.

I patiently waited until the old woman had steeped a fresh pot of tea before she answered my second question.

When asking for favors, you have to be patient enough. More importantly, even if someone has no reason to deceive you…

“That tabby cat who died of old age at your house—your mother gave her a name, right? Starry?”

“Yes.”

I was surprised she knew about such an old matter. Starry had left this world long ago. My mother hardly ever mentioned her anymore, and the neighbors certainly wouldn’t know the name of a cat.

If the old woman was a fraud, then her preparation was just too thorough.

“You were never meant to be involved, but because of her, you were led to the temple, giving you a chance to make your wish.”

“Is that so…”

I couldn’t recall what wish I’d made, but I did remember how Starry had led me into the back mountain, darting back and forth until we stopped in front of the temple. That memory stood out.

Many nights, I’d wondered if Starry had brought me there on purpose, maybe even knowing she would die soon. But I never dared believe a cat could be that spiritual. My ingrained beliefs held me fast, sweeping away any thoughts that seemed too far-fetched.

Now, hearing it from the old woman herself, I was half-convinced and picked up the possibility I’d once dismissed.

“I want to ask: Do you have a close relationship with any catgirl right now?”

Instinctively, I wanted to retort, “Is that question really so important?” But I held back and simply nodded in reply.

“How close are you? Are you engaged yet?”

The old woman’s tone was calm, as if she was utterly certain there was a catgirl by my side, sharing a bond with me close enough to be fiancés.

I saw no point in hiding anymore. Since I couldn’t verify her authenticity for now, I might as well reveal what I knew and see what sense she could make of it.

“No, we’re not engaged. She’s my childhood friend, and to be exact, we’re a bit ambiguous. I… probably like her, but I haven’t dared take things further. Until today, I’ve been worried about my health and whether I’d ever recover.”

At my answer, the old woman shook her head in resignation. It was the first time I’d seen her act that way.

“To think Starry ended up with such a blockhead of a master. A fate given to you, and after all this time, you still haven’t tied it together.”

“Isn’t it an exaggeration to call it fate? Was my wish back then really related to this?”

The old woman nodded. “Yes. That illness you suffered was one of the prices of your wish. As for the rest of the cost, I can’t really explain it clearly. I’m not at a high enough level. All I can tell you is that when you die, we’ll guide your soul away. What happens next is someone else’s responsibility—I don’t know.”

The more she said, the more mystical it sounded.

I curled my lips, not quite able to understand what she was getting at. She couldn’t mean my soul was headed straight for the Eighteen Levels of Hell for a thorough roasting, right? In that case, I’d better not do anything wicked, or I’d be skewered and grilled until oil dripped out.

Muttering to myself about the names of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, I gave a wry smile. “Granny, just tell me directly what wish I made back then. Don’t keep me guessing.”

Really, in a world where catgirls exist, nothing should be too surprising for me to accept.

Living carefree in the city, I’d never thought about things so far beyond the imagination. But now that the time had come, I figured it was time to face them head-on.

The old woman suddenly chuckled softly. “The wish you made has always been by your side. You don’t dare accept her, so why keep pressing me? Do you know how catgirls came into this world? We—and you—aren’t people from this world at all.”

“……”

*****

“Zhi Nian.”

“Hmm? What is it, nya?”

The little catgirl curled up beside me let out a gentle hum, lifting her gaze to look at me. Her cheeks and ears were soft and rounded, glowing in the amber light like cubes of apple dusted with honey. I couldn’t help but want to lean in and nibble her.

Right now, we were sitting on a long wooden bench at the end of the road, a tall streetlamp casting light nearby. It was nearly dawn, and the streets were almost deserted.

You could say the whole world seemed silent—leaving just the two of us here.

“If I told you I wasn’t from this world, but a villain from another parallel world, what would you think of me?”

I thought it was just a casual question, but the moment I spoke, Zhi Nian’s eyes started trembling violently, as if she was completely shocked by what I’d asked.

“Um… Ah, that… I, I don’t know.”

Zhi Nian’s eyes darted all around, her flustered look making me wonder if I’d said something wrong. Why was she so nervous? Or did she just not know how to answer?

Thinking about it, I realized that if an ordinary person was asked such a question, they probably wouldn’t know what to say either. After all, it made no sense. What was the difference between you from another world and you from this one? For most, there was no distinction—they only knew the “you” before them.

Besides, I was also confused by the old woman’s words, unable to figure out how much meaning I’d missed.

Still, as the old saying goes, “since you’re here, make yourself at home.” Even if I really was some villain from another world, now that I’m here, I should live as everyone else does, just like I always have.

Most importantly, there were cats to tease in this world, and a catgirl who “loved” me to keep me company. What else could I possibly worry about?

With that thought, I stopped caring what the answer to my question was. I just patted Zhi Nian’s little head, soothing her overtaxed mind—she didn’t have to think about it anymore.

After all, even I, who made up the question, had no idea what the answer should be. I couldn’t exactly break down a catgirl’s body structure and dig into the logic and reason for their existence, right?

Since that old woman, always cryptic but never wrong in her way, had made such a pronouncement, I’d just go along with it.

Watching the little catgirl wriggle into my arms, sneaking cuddles as if I didn’t notice, I saw her tail had long since wrapped itself around my forearm and refused to let go.

I wondered: Did the wish I made as a child amount to asking for a clingy catgirl childhood friend like this? What was I thinking back then, anyway? It really is a mystery.

Still, I couldn’t dislike this little catgirl—if anything, I cherished her too much.

Listening to Zhi Nian, who claimed she was “dizzy and needed comfort,” tugging at my shirt, sniffing at my chest with her tiny nose, I had no choice but to gently pat her back and cradle her under the hips to make sure she could rest comfortably in my arms.

Luckily, it was so late at night, and this was a deserted suburb. The only traffic was a few cargo trucks. All the people out walking or running stalls had long since gone home. It was just the two of us—the good-for-nothing, idle students—still wandering around outside at this hour.

If this were a strict household, we’d have been soundly beaten for this. Or in a rigid school, we’d be boarding students, allowed home only Sunday mornings for a bath and a meal before returning to endless night classes.

Just thinking about it is terrifying. Fortunately, our school isn’t that strict, though sadly the teaching isn’t great either. Most of the time, we’re left to study on our own.

Zhi Nian worked pretty hard, of course—except for the days she dragged me out to skip class and wander the city. When she was actually in class, she was very attentive. The results just weren’t too obvious.

Looks like I’ll have to spend more time helping Zhi Nian catch up on her lessons.

Zhi Nian’s soft cat ears flitted against my neck like mischievous butterflies, flicking back and forth with hesitance and boldness all at once.

“It’s so quiet tonight.”

I gazed at the empty road ahead. This suburb had only recently been developed, so the traffic was sparse—especially at this hour, when minutes would pass between cars, each gliding silently by without disturbing the tranquility.

Zhi Nian softly murmured in reply, then nudged closer into my arms.

I lowered my gaze to see her expression, only to find the hair on her forehead messy and her lashes shadowing her eyes beneath the lamplight.

All I could see was Zhi Nian’s fingers unconsciously twisting her skirt. She’d wound up a thick bundle of pleats, just revealing the fine white stockings beneath.

Whenever Zhi Nian was deep in thought, she’d twist at her skirt or her shirt. I was a bit similar, but instead of twisting fabric like hair, I’d just rub things repeatedly, like rolling cigarette ash—though I barely ever smoked.

A gust of wind suddenly swept past, bringing with it the dry fragrance of wild grass.

“Smells so nice.”

Zhi Nian’s voice was so faint it was almost swallowed by the wind. For a moment, I thought I’d imagined it.

I took a deep breath, wrinkling my nose. The scent I picked up was more than just the green of wild grass. There was also the faint milky lavender fragrance coming from the catgirl in my arms. Whether it was her own scent or from the laundry detergent, I couldn’t tell, but either way, it was lovely.

I’m not obsessed with smells, but the feeling of breathing fresh air really does lift your spirits.