“There’s more in that tree hollow over there,” Miss Cat said as she began to climb a tree.
Su Li watched Cat’s agile figure with a hint of astonishment.
She knew Cat was a good climber, but she hadn’t expected her to remain just as nimble after turning into a human.
Cat eventually pulled a tin candy box out of a hollow 2 meters up. Coins jingled inside at the bottom.
After that, Miss Cat led Su Li to a roadside spot to lift an abandoned flower pot, pulling a rolled-up 20-yuan bill from beneath a piece of broken tile.
Finally, she even pried off the back cover of an old cell phone and shook out three 1-yuan coins hidden in the crevices of the inner casing.
Su Li watched as she returned every hiding spot to its original state.
The broken bricks had to be placed at their original angles, and the moss on the edges of the flower pots couldn’t be crushed.
“I’m sorry, Su Li.”
“I — I got the clothes you gave me dirty.”
Miss Cat hung her small head like a child who had done something wrong.
Although she had tried to pat off the dust, the skirt Su Li had just put on her was indeed stained.
“It’s fine,” Su Li said, shaking her head.
Cat’s money consisted of various small bills and coins. Su Li was genuinely impressed by Cat’s memory; if she had hidden money in so many different places, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to keep track of it all.
“The Convenience Store Sister said cash is easily stolen, so I hid it in different places. I didn’t feel safe leaving it in the room where I’m staying now.”
Cat’s eyelashes fluttered intensely as she looked down to count the money, her fingers repeatedly smoothing out the folded corners of the bills.
“This way, even if one spot is lost… there’s still some left.”
“It’s okay.”
The sunlight slanted down, catching the stray hairs on the top of Cat’s head.
Su Li watched as she tucked the bundle into the innermost layer of a worn, patched canvas bag.
The change hidden in the cracks of the city carried a musty scent, and many of the bills were stained with dirt.
It was just like the colored plastic scraps Su Li used to find hidden under Cat’s bed when she was still a cat.
“I found it all!”
After counting the money, Cat relaxed slightly. Despite the small denominations, Su Li realized that through her own hard work, Cat had managed to save a thick stack of money.
While Cat was counting, Su Li did a quick mental estimation. There were at least several tens of thousands of yuan.
“Here.”
After smoothing out every single bill, Cat handed the money directly to Su Li. She was completely defenseless.
Su Li remained silent for a moment, then she nodded and recounted it. “I’ll transfer the money to you.”
It wasn’t convenient to deposit loose change into a bank card, but Su Li didn’t mind the small amount of trouble.
When it came to her Cat, she was more than willing to spend money.
“No — no need.”
“Doesn’t the card you gave me already have money on it? I’ll just finish spending the money on that card before asking you for more.”
Miss Cat spoke bashfully. She felt more at ease leaving the money with Su Li for safekeeping, though she worried it was causing her a lot of trouble.
Even though Su Li was her best friend, she couldn’t keep bothering her.
“It’s no trouble. In the future, when you earn money, you can give it to me, and I’ll transfer it back to you. Once you have your own bank card, you can keep your own money.”
As she spoke, Su Li added some of her own money to the total.
She had originally thought Cat might go hungry while wandering this world alone, but Cat was much more capable than she had imagined.
All told, through her hard work, Cat had saved over 30,000 yuan. It was all hard-earned money.
Seeing Cat secretly peeking at her, Su Li reached out and patted her small head.
“If you’re uncomfortable living outside, come back home. The house is quite big, and it feels a bit empty when I live there alone.”
Miss Cat nodded obediently.
“Then I’m off to work.”
Su Li waved to Cat. Even though they were currently in an empty lot, saying goodbye to Cat felt like leaving for work in the old days.
She could feel Cat’s gaze lingering on her back. Su Li turned around and smiled at her before gradually disappearing from view.
Clutching the phone Su Li had given her, Cat watched her friend’s receding back.
Suddenly, she thought of the Pooper-Scooper. In the past, she had watched the Pooper-Scooper go to work just like this, leaving her alone at home to wait for their return.
‘It would have been nice if I could have sent messages to the Pooper-Scooper with a phone when I was still a cat,’ Cat thought.
Although Su Li wasn’t as tall as the Pooper-Scooper, Su Li always gave off the same scent and feeling.
Even her behavior and gestures were no different from the Pooper-Scooper’s.
Su Li even seemed to know exactly what foods she liked to eat.
Thinking about how busy both Su Li and the Pooper-Scooper were, Cat clenched her small fists and cheered herself on.
She had to work hard to earn money too! She wanted to help lighten Su Li’s burden.
Once she made a lot of money, she could help pay the rent, buy Su Li lots of delicious things, and then cook wonderful meals for her.
At that thought, Miss Cat perked up again. She had to study hard and learn how to read.
That way, she could communicate better with Su Li. She had so many things to learn!
Staring at her reflection in the phone screen, Miss Cat looked at herself seriously for the first time.
Thinking about how Su Li had called her cute, a smile touched her lips.
She didn’t actually care about what others thought, but if Su Li complimented her, she was very happy.
Miss Cat felt that if Su Li and the Pooper-Scooper ever met, they would definitely become great friends.
After all, their personalities were so similar. It was just a pity… they likely would never have the chance to meet.
……
Following the address Bai Huizi had provided, Su Li arrived outside a villa.
Because of Bai Huizi’s previous breakdown, the two hadn’t spoken for a while.
However, Bai Huizi had transferred 50,000 yuan to her just as a meeting gift.
Suddenly, Su Li found it hard to remember why they had even been at odds.
Su Li stood at the entrance of the villa. Before long, the security system finished its verification, and she entered.
When Su Li pushed open the door, Bai Huizi was leaning against the arm of the sofa, scrolling through her phone.
She was loosely clad in a dark green silk slip dress. The thin straps had slid down to her elbows, revealing a large expanse of snow-white shoulders and neck.
The hem of the dress was crumpled up at her thighs, and her long legs were crossed over the edge of the tea table.
A fluffy slipper dangled precariously from her toe.
Hearing the door, she lazily lifted her eyelids. The silk fabric clung to her waist as she shifted, tracing a graceful S-curve against the sunken sofa cushions.
Her curly hair was spread across the pillows like spilled honey, with a few strands still glistening with unabsorbed hair oil.
A lazy voice drifted through the room.
“Little Su Li, you’ve arrived.”