The appointment with the shelter was set for Saturday. Xie Xiaobao spent the whole day at home worrying, and after thinking it over countless times, he decided his only option was to pretend he had an urgent matter and ask a friend to go in his place.
Old Wang and He Yu were definitely out of the question—they didn’t know his real identity, and if they accidentally let something slip, it’d be a huge problem.
After lying there thinking for a while, he realized the only person he could ask was his sister-in-law.
Xie Xiaobao picked up his phone and called Qu Yanning. It took a long while before the call was picked up, but it was Xie Qi’s voice on the other end.
“Hello?”
“Second Brother,” Xie Xiaobao asked in confusion, “where’s my sister-in-law?”
“He’s sleeping.” Xie Qi, wearing a bathrobe, sat on the edge of the bed, with Qu Yanning sound asleep beside him.
Xie Xiaobao checked the time and thought to himself, It’s already past twelve, why is my sister-in-law still sleeping?
“Did you need something from him?” Xie Qi switched the phone to his other hand, his voice lazily drawn out.
“Yeah,” Xie Xiaobao explained about his trip to the shelter, “I wanted to ask my sister-in-law for a favor.”
“He can’t make it,” Xie Qi refused without a second thought.
Xie Xiaobao immediately felt a little wronged. “I’ll ask my sister-in-law myself.”
Xie Qi snorted, drawing out his words, “Even if you ask him, it’s no use. We’re out traveling, we’re in Shanzhong right now.”
Xie Xiaobao:
“Alright.” After a moment of silence, Xie Xiaobao said dispiritedly, “Then I’ll ask someone else for help.”
Xie Qi had finally managed to coax someone out to travel with him, so naturally he didn’t want to waste time on his silly little brother. He gave a few perfunctory words of comfort, told him to ask his older brother for help, and hung up.
Staring at the ended call screen, Xie Xiaobao let out a deep sigh.
This was truly enough to make a cat worry.
He turned back into a cat and rolled around on the bed for a while, not sure who else he could ask for help. It didn’t seem right to bother his big brother over such a small matter—Xie Yan was busy at work, and unless it was something really important, Xie Xiaobao didn’t want to waste his brother’s time.
Burying his head under the pillow, Xie Xiaobao lay there in defeat, spacing out for a while. Suddenly, a person flashed through his mind.
“Meow!” Xie Xiaobao jumped up. How did he not think of Hu Jiuli before!
Hu Jiuli was also Yao Clan, and he usually wasn’t that busy. Asking him to come along to the shelter was perfect!
Xie Xiaobao turned back into human form and grabbed his phone to message Hu Jiuli.
Hu Jiuli immediately called him on video.
“No one comes to the Temple of Three Treasures without reason—what do you want from me?” Hu Jiuli lounged on the sofa, holding a cup of coffee, smiling slyly.
Xie Xiaobao puffed up his cheeks and spilled everything about his identity, then explained about the shelter trip, before nervously asking, “Can you come with me?”
Hu Jiuli stroked his chin and grinned, “Sure, I can go… but how are you going to thank me?”
Xie Xiaobao tilted his head, thought for a moment, then asked, “Treat you to a meal?”
Seeing his earnest expression, Hu Jiuli’s mouth twitched. He knew this silly kitten wasn’t joking, so he could only sigh and say, “Yes, treat me to a meal—the most expensive one.”
Xie Xiaobao hadn’t expected such a simple request. His furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
“No problem!”
After the two finished agreeing on their story, Xie Xiaobao finally ended the video call and went to ask Old Wang for leave.
Old Wang had something to do that day and wasn’t going either. The shelter staff had already been informed—originally, Xie Xiaobao was supposed to bring Ju Bao, but now that someone else would be going instead, he still needed to inform Old Wang and the shelter staff.
He made up an excuse about a family emergency. Not daring to call for fear he’d get too nervous and give himself away, Xie Xiaobao sent Old Wang a message, saying a friend would go in his place on Saturday.
Xie Xiaobao had always been an honest, well-behaved kid. Old Wang didn’t think much of it when he got the message, just reminded him to ask for help if he needed anything, and didn’t ask any further questions.
But Xie Xiaobao felt incredibly guilty about lying—his heart pounded for ages before he finally calmed down.
With Old Wang’s side sorted, Xie Xiaobao packed his bags on Friday night and went to Hu Jiuli’s place early.
Hu Jiuli’s apartment was right next to his studio. Xie Xiaobao took a cab over, and Hu Jiuli, worried he’d get lost, was already waiting downstairs.
When Xie Xiaobao saw him, he happily waved and trotted over.
“Let’s go, I’ve been waiting for you a while.” Hu Jiuli took his luggage and led him upstairs.
Following behind, Xie Xiaobao felt a bit embarrassed. “Sorry to bother you these two days.”
Hu Jiuli shot him a sideways glance and laughed, “You’re not that old, but you sure know how to be overly polite.”
Xie Xiaobao grinned, his round eyes curving into half-moons.
“We’re here.” The elevator stopped at the nineteenth floor. Hu Jiuli held the door open for him to go first.
Hu Jiuli’s apartment was huge and extravagantly decorated. As soon as he walked in, the crystal chandelier in the living room dazzled Xie Xiaobao’s eyes.
He stared in amazement at the lavish living room, exclaiming, “This is your place?”
Hu Jiuli set the luggage aside, looking smug. “So, what do you think? Pretty nice, right?!”
Xie Xiaobao answered honestly, “It looks like a hotel.”
Hu Jiuli’s eyebrow twitched. “I’ll just take that as a compliment.”
Xie Xiaobao laughed, “I meant it as a compliment.”
Not wanting to embarrass himself further, Hu Jiuli stopped showing off and resignedly led him to the guest room.
After resting at Hu Jiuli’s place for the night, Xie Xiaobao got up early the next morning to get ready, then went to wake up the still-sleeping Hu Jiuli.
Half-awake, Hu Jiuli stared at Xie Xiaobao, still not fully conscious. Only after Xie Xiaobao urged him to wash up did he finally come to his senses.
Once they were ready, car keys in hand, Hu Jiuli crossed his arms and looked at Xie Xiaobao, who was about to head out. “You’re just going out like that?”
Xie Xiaobao looked down at himself in confusion. “Is there a problem?”
“Today, your identity is a cat.” Hu Jiuli lifted his chin. “If you’re going to play the part, do it properly. Hurry up and change back—I’ll carry you out.”
Xie Xiaobao thought about it and agreed. If he was caught on camera outside, it’d be a problem.
Turning back into a cat, Xie Xiaobao tucked his paws together and sat on the floor, tilting his head at Hu Jiuli with a meow.
Hu Jiuli clicked his tongue, bent down to pick him up and set him on his arm. While he was at it, he stroked his fur and praised, “Feels pretty nice—just a little worse than mine.”
Xie Xiaobao meowed at him twice and slapped his hand with his tail, telling him to stop messing around.
After retrieving the car from the garage, Hu Jiuli let Xie Xiaobao sit in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt before walking around to the driver’s side.
The shelter was in the suburbs. Even without traffic, it’d take nearly an hour to drive there. With more cars on the road on Saturday, it’d take at least an hour and a half.
By the time they arrived at the shelter, it was almost ten o’clock. The staff, having received their message, was already waiting.
The area where the shelter was located wasn’t very accessible—there was only a bus every half hour. Luckily, they drove over. Hu Jiuli found an open spot to park, then carried Xie Xiaobao over.
The staff member responsible for receiving them had been waiting by the door for a while. When he saw Hu Jiuli, he hesitantly walked up.
“Are you Mr. Hu?” Hu Jiuli was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, clearly not an ordinary person. The staff’s attitude was a bit reserved.
“Hello.” Hu Jiuli smiled, lifting Xie Xiaobao a bit higher. “This is Ju Bao. His owner had something come up, so I’m bringing him for the day.”
After confirming their identities, the staff led them inside. The shelter’s environment wasn’t great—Hu Jiuli could tell it was converted from some old residential buildings. Inside was a simple reception area and an employee break room.
First, they had Hu Jiuli register and put on a work uniform, then the staff led them to the backyard to see where the animals lived.
“Are there usually no visitors here?” Hu Jiuli noticed the staff seemed a bit reserved and took the initiative to make conversation.
“There are.” When it came to familiar topics, the staff became noticeably more talkative. “Several universities in Shi Li often have the Student Union organize volunteers to come here.”
“It’s just that since Ju Bao was coming today, the Director was worried the students would get too excited and something might go wrong, so there are no volunteers this week.”
“I see.” Hu Jiuli scratched Xie Xiaobao’s chin and teased, “You sure have a lot of face.”
Xie Xiaobao meowed, pushing his hand away with his paw, curiously surveying the shelter.
After entering, there was a courtyard, with several doors connected to it. Through the doors, he could vaguely see figures peeking out.
“A lot of the little animals are pretty timid,” the staff explained, “This is where they usually play and bathe. But except at mealtimes, most of the animals stay in their own nests. Only the bolder or more active ones come out for a walk.”
Xie Xiaobao jumped to the ground and curiously walked a few steps forward.
The cats and dogs near the courtyard either hid inside the doors if they were timid, or, if they were more aggressive, barked at him eagerly.
The staff tapped the ground with a bamboo pole, quieting the noisy animals.
“It’s always like this with strangers at first. Once they get used to you, they’re very friendly,” the staff explained, worried Hu Jiuli would be upset. “These kids are sensitive, so the Director suggested Ju Bao come first to get familiar.”
“It’s fine,” Hu Jiuli stepped back, letting Xie Xiaobao try to fit in by himself.
Xie Xiaobao lowered his body, ears perked straight forward, his big round eyes wide open. After being refused entry, he patiently lay down, cautiously inching forward, trying his best to appear non-threatening.
“What an idiot.”
A rough meow came from the courtyard wall. Xie Xiaobao’s ears twitched, and he half-raised his body to look back—on top of the wall sat a large black cat, its emerald eyes fixed on him like a predator eyeing its prey.
Xie Xiaobao shrank his neck, but bravely greeted her, “Hello, are you a cat living here?”
The Black Cat gave him a disdainful glance, flicked her tail, leapt down from the high wall, and quickly slipped into a room near the wall.
Unwilling to give up, Xie Xiaobao tried to follow, but was suddenly met with a fierce roar from the Black Cat, her rough voice low and intimidating. Startled, Xie Xiaobao retreated two steps, his ears instinctively flattening against his head.
“Are you alright?” The staff came over to pet Xie Xiaobao, worried he’d been scared.
“Xiao Hei is always like this—she’s got a wild temper. Even the shelter’s fiercest Dog King is afraid of her.” The staff realized he might be making things sound worse, so he quickly added, “But as long as you don’t provoke her, she won’t attack. Xiao Hei is very smart.”
Hu Jiuli picked up the dispirited Xie Xiaobao, frowning. “Why keep cats and dogs together? Don’t they fight?”
The staff looked a bit troubled too. He sighed, “As you can see, our conditions are like this. There’s no budget to build a separate cat house.”
“There used to be wire mesh dividing the place, but Xiao Hei is wild—she couldn’t be contained. After a few fights and dividing up the territory, things finally settled down and now they can get along.”
“Can the cats just come and go as they please?”
“Just Xiao Hei,” the staff patiently explained. “Xiao Hei was originally a stray. She came to the shelter when she was pregnant. After giving birth, two of her kittens stayed at the shelter, but she herself only comes by to visit occasionally—she doesn’t live here full-time.”
Hu Jiuli glanced at the shabby yard. It really wasn’t fair to expect too much. The fact that the shelter had lasted so many years was already a miracle.
Hu Jiuli and Xie Xiaobao spent most of the day at the shelter, but perhaps because of Xiao Hei’s hostility, even the dogs seemed unfriendly toward him. No matter what Xie Xiaobao tried, he couldn’t manage to blend in with the shelter animals.
In the afternoon, the staff saw them out, looking a bit apologetic.
Hu Jiuli waved it off, looking quite carefree. “It’s alright. I’ll bring Ju Bao again when I have time.”
Xie Xiaobao was completely dispirited, but he still mustered the energy to politely meow goodbye to the staff.
Hu Jiuli took him home, but even after they got back, Xie Xiaobao was still listless. No amount of comforting from Hu Jiuli seemed to help, so he could only let the little cat have some quiet time to himself.