Chapter 26: Little Black, I Miss Kasyapa...

“Ka-ya~ Do I look good?”

At the desk, little Fujiang had changed into a newly bought blue dress. She held onto the lamp post, playfully kicking her right leg back as she looked coquettishly at Yuda Ka-ya.

“You look good.”

“Hehe~ Hug me~”

With a sweet squeal, Yuda Ka-ya lifted her in the palm of his hand up to his face. The little one nuzzled against his cheek.

Just as Yuda Ka-ya and little Fujiang were interacting, a restless cat’s cry suddenly came from outside the window.

“A cat?”

Hearing the meow, Yuda Ka-ya sprang up from his chair and looked outside.

He hadn’t forgotten that there was still a little one at home. So before going out every day, he always made sure to lock the doors and windows tightly, fearing that some small predator might sneak in and threaten little Fujiang.

“I’ll go check it out.”

“Okay~”

After Yuda Ka-ya put little Fujiang down, she walked barefoot obediently into the delicate little villa that Yuda Ka-ya had specially bought for her.

Speaking of the villa, Yuda Ka-ya felt a twinge of suspicion. It was something Fujiang had bought when they went out today.

The reason: it looked exquisitely crafted, meant to be placed at home.

If Fujiang’s expression hadn’t been so normal, Yuda Ka-ya would have strongly suspected that she had discovered little Fujiang’s existence.

But if she had found out, then so be it. Even if Fujiang flew into another rage, little Fujiang had promised never to grow up, so he would protect her life at all costs.

“Meow, meow~!”

Downstairs, the anxious cat cries continued. Yuda Ka-ya glanced around but couldn’t spot the cat anywhere.

Just as he was about to turn on the streetlight, with a sudden thud, a slender black cat leapt right in front of him.

“Meow~”

Upon seeing a person, the black cat’s voice softened immediately.

“Where did you come from, little thing?”

He tentatively held out his finger in front of the cat’s eyes, hoping it would remember his scent. Unexpectedly, the black cat rubbed against him right away.

Watching the cat start to purr after just a couple of strokes, Yuda Ka-ya’s fondness for cats surged unexpectedly.

He scratched its belly, rubbed its head, and inhaled deeply. Just as he was about to head back inside to get it some food, the black cat let out a series of urgent meows.

Turning around, the black cat sat in the yard, its vivid green eyes gazing at him intently.

“Meow~!”

The black cat meowed as it began to walk forward.

---

“You want me to follow you?”

“Meow~”

Was this cat too intuitive?

The thought flashed briefly through Yuda Ka-ya’s mind. After a moment’s consideration, he followed the black cat out of the yard.

Trailing behind the black cat, he watched the little creature’s silhouette intermittently merge with shadows under the streetlights. Curiosity bloomed within him, wondering where the cat was leading him.

The warm evening breeze brushed against his face along the street, while hidden mosquitoes in corners and grass sang their lively chorus.

Guided deftly by the black cat, Yuda Ka-ya arrived at a park.

In the shadowed corners, homeless people lay resting, either alone or in groups.

As Yuda Ka-ya took in the surroundings, the black cat suddenly slipped into the greenery.

Watching the cat disappear, Yuda Ka-ya felt puzzled. Just then, the fragile, distinctive voice of Jiayezi echoed softly from the darkness.

“Little Black… where have you run off to again…”

“Meow~”

“Naughty cat…”

“Meow…”

Why was Jiayezi here? Why hadn’t she gone home?

Little Black? Was this the same black cat that had locked eyes with her corpse after her death?

Questions flooded his mind. Before Yuda Ka-ya could figure out why Little Black recognized him and why it had brought him here, Jiayezi’s frail yet deeply longing voice came again.

“Little Black, I miss Ka-ya-kun…”

“Meow…”

“I know Ka-ya-kun said that if I was kicked out, I could go to his place, but…”

The sound of a plastic bag tearing.

“Sorry… the money I make selling scrap can only buy bread, and I still need to buy curry rice at school. I can’t waste any…”

“Meow~ woo, woo…”

The cat’s characteristic purring as it ate was heard, followed by the girl’s despondent voice.

“I can’t go to Ka-ya-kun’s house; it would only cause him trouble… it would make him quarrel with Fujiang-san…”

“And besides… besides, how could a gloomy, withdrawn girl like me ever be liked…”

“I don’t want to see Ka-ya-kun suffer…”

“Meow…”

---

“It’s okay, Little Black~ We’ve slept outside before, don’t worry, I’ll find a place to hide if it rains. It won’t be like last time, getting soaked under the bridge~!”

“Meow…”

Snap.

While Jiayezi and Little Black were interacting, the sound of dry leaves and weeds being crushed came from nearby.

In the dark, Jiayezi’s body visibly trembled.

“S-s-sorry… I-I’ll leave right away…”

Her anxious, guilty voice came as she hurriedly glanced back at the shadow outside the greenery.

Thinking it was a homeless person eyeing her spot, Jiayezi fearfully gathered her recycling bag, her scavenging cart, and the cleaned bottle she used for drinking water, bundling them all together.

Then she stood up hastily, bowed repeatedly, hugged Little Black, and prepared to leave.

“Jiayezi…”

Watching Jiayezi’s humble, bowed figure retreat, Yuda Ka-ya felt deeply distressed.

Not to mention that he already knew her personally, even as a normal person, seeing a girl driven from home to live on the streets was heartbreaking once the reasons were known.

Hearing his voice behind her, Jiayezi shuddered and quickly resumed walking out, even quickening her pace.

“Stop!”

Seeing this, Yuda Ka-ya knew she was trying to avoid him. He quickly took a step forward and grabbed her.

“Where do you want to go? Where do you plan to go? Where else can you go!?”

The rapid-fire questions stunned Jiayezi. Facing Yuda Ka-ya’s stern gaze, she bit her lip, nearly in tears.

“I… I don’t want Ka-ya-kun to be troubled… I’m just a nuisance…”

Under the dim streetlight, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Yuda Ka-ya sighed deeply.

“Jiayezi.”

“You’re not a nuisance… You… forget it, let’s go home.”

After struggling to find the right words to comfort her, Yuda Ka-ya roughly took her hand and headed home.

At Yuda Ka-ya’s house, Jiayezi looked at the slippers he handed her—the ones she wore last time—and nervously pressed her toes together inside them out of shyness and tension.

“Hurry up and put them on, then come sit with me on the sofa.”

Watching Yuda Ka-ya pile up the dirty, grimy trash he had brought over in a corner, then settle her down before heading to the kitchen, Jiayezi felt warmth like the gentle winter sun. The bright light made her body feel comfortable, just like little Black beside her, prompting her to squint her eyes slightly in contentment.