After chatting with Father Chen for a long while, Father Chen noticed the fatigue on Chen Mo’s face. He finally told Chen Mo to rest well and said goodbye.
Chen Mo’s current condition made prolonged activity exhausting. He couldn’t eat solid food yet, surviving only on nutrient solutions—a miserable state.
*Fine, just sleep.*
With nothing else to do, Chen Mo closed his eyes to rest. Soon after he drifted off, Father Chen—who had already left—quietly slipped back in.
He sat once more on that stool, silently gazing at Chen Mo’s face without making a sound.
By 5 PM, Chen Mo opened his eyes. No one was beside him. He glanced at the wall clock and closed his eyes again.
A moment later, a nurse entered the ward. Seeing Chen Mo still with closed eyes, she frowned slightly in confusion.
She was monitoring him that afternoon; spotting him awake should’ve prompted her to check in. But now… had he woken only to fall back asleep?
Scratching her head, the nurse didn’t dwell on it. After one last look at Chen Mo’s face, she left.
Chen Mo knew nothing of this. He was already simulating Little Ash’s life.
This time, Little Ash didn’t resist. It let out a lazy meow and fell silent.
Chen Mo recognized the greeting—he felt its warmth.
Meanwhile, Little White—who’d been interacting with Little Ash—shook its head seconds after Chen Mo possessed the body. It let out two puzzled meows.
But its simple mind couldn’t grasp that this cat now housed a different soul. After a brief pause, it simply curled back up.
Chen Mo checked the system panel.
[Current Life: Little Ash]
[Main Quest: Reach 80+ affinity with Little Ash and 80+ with Yun Song]
[Active Quest: Settle In (Reward: Meow Language—enables simple communication with cats even in reality)]
[Current Affinity: Little Ash 71 (Friendly), Little White 97 (Inseparable), Yun Song 51 (Stranger)]
[Status: Comfortable]
Little Ash’s panel was straightforward. The initial data expansion had granted 75 affinity. Chen Mo realized early gains came easiest.
Progress slowed past 70.
Most crucially, the quest reward thrilled him—it justified focusing on Little Ash for now.
He scanned the surroundings. No change from yesterday: still trapped in the cage.
No customers wandered by. A-Shan sat at the service counter, humming a tune while preparing dinner for the animals.
Lying in the cage, Chen Mo watched A-Shan lock up, then open each cage for feeding time.
Escaping during meals was nearly impossible.
His gaze settled on a first-aid kit atop a table.
He meowed twice, asking Little Ash about it. Worried about being understood?
Human-to-animal talk might fail, but as fellow cats with system-enhanced intuition, Little Ash lazily replied.
No mistake—Little Ash and Little White were far smarter than other pets.
Perhaps a system perk? Becoming a cat alone would cripple quests without communication. So the system boosted their intelligence.
Makes sense. Simulated characters grasping human traits was trivial.
If the system willed it, turning these cats into catgirls would be just as easy.
After a long exchange, Chen Mo understood: A-Shan had brought out the kit earlier for a puppy with an upset stomach.
A closer look revealed a white cloth strip taped to it, labeled “Spare.”
An idea sparked in Chen Mo’s mind.
Dinner arrived soon after—plenty of cat food and milk. As Little White lapped milk, A-Shan beamed with happiness.
Chen Mo ate heartily too. The kibble tasted surprisingly good, like buttery cookies.
Watching him, A-Shan couldn’t resist stroking Chen Mo’s back.
Chen Mo froze mid-bite. A-Shan froze too.
A-Shan gave an awkward smile and timidly withdrew his hand.
Chen Mo shot him a glare, meowed once, and kept eating.
His belly felt full, yet he kept munching.
Hesitantly, A-Shan resumed petting. Seeing no resistance, he grinned.
*Since you’re not terrible, I’ll allow you to stroke this majestic cat,* Chen Mo mused, eyeing the spare first-aid kit.
After finishing, Chen Mo dashed around the room.
A-Shan chuckled, used to it. “You’re so energetic. Your sister’s much cuter.”
He reached for Little White, but it twisted away, leaving A-Shan embarrassed.
“Meow!” Little White warned sharply.
Chen Mo seized his chance. While A-Shan was distracted, he leaped onto the table. He nudged the first-aid kit, feigning curiosity.
He pushed it once to test—then kicked it off.
Medicine bottles shattered. The noise startled every animal. A-Shan stared at Chen Mo, dumbfounded.
Five seconds passed before A-Shan rushed over, wincing. “Little master, you’re too lively! This was the last batch of medicine!”
These supplies should’ve lasted until the shop relocated next week. Now…
*How did it even knock this over?*
*Damn, Brother Guang will scold me…*
“Meeow~” Chen Mo chirped softly, guiltily apologizing inwardly. He trotted back to Little White and resumed eating despite being full.
Smashing the kit was just step one. Step two was key.
He’d eat extra now. Later, he’d fake illness—crying all night whether his stomach hurt or not. With no spare medicine, the shop would take him to a vet.
That was his escape chance.
Moments later, Brother Guang burst from the back room, his burly face tense. “A-Shan! What happened?”
A-Shan bowed deeply, frowning. “Sorry, Brother Guang. I slipped and dropped the last medicine. Only the pills survived—the rest is ruined.”
