So this was the little cat’s home?
The cat’s home was a very ordinary three-bedroom apartment with a small living room. The family crowded around the coffee table in front of the TV, watching it together, while the mermaid sat a bit uncomfortably behind, observing the three cats in front of him.
The mermaid thought the little cat and its family were all quite small and miniature, especially from a bird’s-eye view, where he could see three identical black heads.
When they gathered to talk, it was like three little black dots coming together.
The mermaid wanted to lean in and join them, but as soon as he bowed his head to move closer, the three heads turned back in unison.
Thus, the mermaid had to sit back down obediently, accepting the arrangements of the three cats.
For Zhu Yan, who grew up in an orphanage, this scene felt somewhat unfamiliar yet warm.
The little cat’s family was very warm and hospitable.
The cat mother was also very enthusiastic about offering the mermaid black chicken soup with dates.
The mermaid awkwardly held the soup bowl.
The little cat nudged him, prompting him to call them “mom and dad” as they had rehearsed.
The mermaid looked down and asked the little cat with his eyes: Can I really call them that?
Shu Tang gave him an encouraging look.
After a while, Zhu Yan finally spoke.
He called out somewhat awkwardly and uneasily: “Dad, Mom.”
The cat parents looked at each other and responded warmly, both very happy.
The cat family had simple requirements for their son-in-law: a bit stronger, stable in character, and ideally someone who wouldn’t let the little cat go hungry.
Since Shu Tang was a very gluttonous cat who loved to eat fish and spent all her salary on fish, often unable to save any money, they always worried she might faint from hunger on the streets of South Island City. Thus, having a reliable and steady partner was a great thing.
Of course, there were tests involved.
The cat father asked him to help carry drinking water, and to go out with him to carry things. He found that the young man was very diligent in his work. Although he turned pale from playing with the communicator, he was physically fit and reliable.
The cat father also went shopping with him and noticed that although the young man was not talkative, he was surprisingly good at haggling.
Merely by silently raising his eyes to look at the vendor, the vendor would immediately offer a fifty percent discount.
Although the vendors would always end up with trembling legs, hastily packing up their stalls to flee.
But the price was still slashed.
The cat father was satisfied: This young man, he knows how to live.
Cat Mom asked the mermaid to help cut some ribs and found that he wielded the knife swiftly, dissecting the ribs cleanly.
Although he seemed to have a rather lethal air about him, and was perhaps too proficient.
But the ribs stewed were indeed delicious.
Cat Mom’s verdict: Clean and efficient.
Cat Dad’s verdict: There’s life in his eyes.
This was in stark contrast to their lazy daughter who would sit in front of the fridge, rummaging for ice pops and yelling “Mom!” at the slightest inconvenience.
Overall, Cat Mom and Dad were quite satisfied with this young man.
Shu Tang was nervous, and the cat sneaked around, fearing their parents might find something amiss.
But from start to finish, everything was harmonious.
Shu Tang went to probe for information, asking her parents if there was anything they were dissatisfied with.
Like him being a bit fierce, having a somewhat intimidating demeanor, or looking a bit familiar, like someone they had seen on TV before.
Cat Mom and Dad told her if she had nothing better to do, she should go scrub the toilet and not clutter up the place.
The little cat left in displeasure.
Turning around, Cat Mom and Dad then sent the two of them out to buy groceries.
In the kitchen.
The two old cats felt relieved and touched that their little cat had indeed found a reliable and good young man. Especially compared to the last matchmaking candidate, this young man was dependable and knew how to manage a household, truly a rare and good son-in-law.
However—
Cat Dad: “Honey, don’t you think her boyfriend looks a bit familiar?”
Cat Mom: “His name sounds familiar too.”
Cat Dad adjusted his glasses: “But these days, it’s not unusual for people with the same name and surname to look alike.”
Fifteen minutes later, Cat Dad and Cat Mom watched from their balcony as Zhu Yan sat with Shu Tang downstairs.
He had the same face, the same demeanor. The difference was that in the photo, the big boss was dressed in a suit; now, Zhu Yan was holding string beans, helping their daughter pick them.
Cat Mom clutched her chest: “Oh my goodness.”
Cat Dad gasped: “I knew it! I thought I was being followed lately because someone was after my battery.”
Cat Mom and Cat Dad found it hard to accept that their unassuming son-in-law had changed so drastically.
It was like picking what they thought was a leek by the roadside for their daughter to fry with eggs, only to come home and find out it was a jade leek.
It was still a leek, but totally not suitable for frying with eggs anymore!
And yet, they still felt like spanking their child.
Shu Tang said: “He’s so fragile and can’t take care of himself,” and yet she brought home a human-shaped nuclear weapon standing two meters tall.
Shu Tang said: “He has a stable job and earns over ten thousand a month,” and yet she brought home the highest commander of the Federation.
Yet that unreliable daughter was still nonchalantly swinging her legs and eating a popsicle, sitting next to the luminary, who ended up peeling hers as well.
So the man with the fierce reputation naturally let her boss him around.
—What a good young man, how is he just a jade-white cabbage?
Following this, the cat parents didn’t show any unusual behavior, but their feelings were complicated.
There’s a saying called “mismatched pair.”
Shu Tang wasn’t tough in character, nor was she a formidable alpha; frankly, she was a bit naive, and they worried she would be bullied. If the young man had such a status, they would be powerless to help her if the little cat got bullied.
Moreover, with Zhu Yan’s complicated background and the little cat’s naivety…
They feared she would be bullied and suffer in silence.
…
That night, the two returned to their bedroom to discuss strategies.
Cat mom immediately wanted to express her disapproval, even considering discussing with cat dad who should play the bad cop and who the good cop.
But soon, they heard a noise from next door.
They looked towards the window.
On the neighboring window sill, Shu Tang was smiling and talking on the phone.
Not far away, a tall and slender figure was also on the phone.
The two of them looked at each other and burst into laughter.
She even waved at the tall man.
Below, the luminary watched her with a smile.
The moonlight became very tender.
They had heard the name Zhu Yan. People referred to this man known as the luminary as a stern and tough person, always associating him with “human-shaped nuclear weapons.”
But at this moment, the cold weapon’s gaze was very gentle.
The moonlight flowed like water between the two of them.
Little cat then climbed out onto the balcony and was securely caught by the tall man. Little cat then sat on Zhu Yan’s shoulders, and they slowly walked towards the outside of the neighborhood, quietly discussing what to have for a late-night snack.
Their shadows stretched long under the streetlamp.
Cat mom: “The young people these days…”
Cat dad: “So, which of us is playing the bad cop?”
There was no answer to that question.
Because when little cat and Zhu Yan looked at each other, she was smiling very happily.
…
The mermaid really liked the family and home of the little cat. In fact, the neighborhood was bustling with many people, and it was somewhat noisy, but surprisingly, the mermaid felt very calm and warm here.
The nagging of parents, the taste of delicious homemade dishes, and the warmth and bustle of the family crowding around the coffee table to watch TV were all unfamiliar to Zhu Yan. But it felt very good.
Moreover, calling two young and unrelated people “mom and dad” didn’t seem difficult at all.
He listened to the little cat and her daily chatter with her family, hearing her say “our family” and including him in it, gave the mermaid a feeling of novelty and strangeness.
He asked her: Was he now part of this family too?
Shu Tang told him: Of course, and during the New Year, mom and dad even give out red envelopes!
However, all the mermaid’s red envelopes would have to be given to her.
She could collect double the red envelopes in the future!
The mermaid flicked his tail, indicating that he would hand over all the red envelope money to her.
Shu Tang also told him that if her parents scolded her, he should take all the blame; if her parents sent her to do chores, he would do them for her.
Shu Tang thought the mermaid might object or come over and hiss at her, but after thinking about it, he actually agreed.
—Because he had never received a red envelope or been scolded before.
Suddenly, Shu Tang felt a bit reluctant to tease him.
She realized that the ordinary life she took for granted was something Zhu Yan, who had been an orphan, had never experienced.
She moved into his arms, kissed his chin, and told him, “Now you have a home.”
Their little home, and a big family.
In the night breeze, the wind chimes gently swayed.
Before going to sleep, Shu Tang pulled out an old diary from her childhood, excitedly sharing it with the mermaid.
Shu Tang felt it was time for the mermaid to learn about her glorious past in kindergarten, elementary, and middle school, so she made the mermaid sit on a small stool and listen to little cat boasting about her dominant early life.
But the mermaid had very good hearing.
Shu Tang said she was smart from a young age, the neighbor’s cat mom: “This child has been dumb since she was young.”
Shu Tang claimed she was a reincarnated prodigy, the neighbor’s cat dad: “She couldn’t even learn the Federal language at three years old.”
Shu Tang asked the mermaid what he thought.
The mermaid, unflinchingly: “Impressive.”
Thus, from the descriptions of the neighbor’s cat parents, the mermaid learned what Shu Tang was like as a child.
In fact, in the eyes of the cat parents, the child was a bit slow and dim-witted.
Shu Tang had a hard time learning the common language when she was young; she often burst out with strange pronunciations while speaking.
She also liked to sit in a stroller and stare blankly at the world outside. This habit continued until she started elementary school, making her parents worry that she might not be very bright.
It wasn’t easy as she grew up, still unreliable, always causing her parents concern.
But Cat Dad and Mom only had this one child.
Thus, the mermaid knew: They couldn’t bear to let their little cat face the harshness of the outside world.
Cat Dad and Mom didn’t mind if their daughter’s partner looked a bit strange or not quite human, as long as the little cat liked him; but they worried about her future.
They were very good parents.
And Zhu Yan’s identity and his uniqueness might just be the greatest storm in the calm life of their little cat.
That night, the mermaid sat in the darkness, thinking for a long time.
If it were the old Zhu Yan, he might have wavered because of their worries, his high moral standards perhaps shrinking back in the face of this newfound paternal and maternal love;
But the current mermaid selfishly did not want to let go, nor step back.
He decided to have a good talk with the little cat’s parents.
…
The next morning.
The naive little cat, of course, didn’t notice her parents’ hesitance to speak.
Shu Tang did not want her parents to outright reject the mermaid upon hearing of his identity, so she planned to gradually let them learn who Little Rose really was, and then slowly come clean.
But the mermaid did not agree with her plan.
So, that morning, the mermaid took the initiative to speak with Cat Dad and Mom.
This creature was actually very uneasy, unsure of how to approach the little cat’s parents.
Facing the towering Zhu Yan, who was known as a “human-shaped nuclear weapon” and had been through countless trials, Cat Dad and Mom saw him look nervous and stiff.
He did not deny his extraordinariness or his danger. But this creature proved to them that he had the capability to protect their little cat. He told them he would protect his little cat with his life.
He looked at them a bit nervously.
This nervousness stemmed from the creature’s deep love for the little cat.
He knew the little cat also cared deeply for her parents. He hoped their love could receive Cat Dad and Mom’s blessing, and that she wouldn’t have to make a choice between them, to have the best of everything in the world.
This tall monster never mentioned that “he loves her” from beginning to end, but his nervousness and discomfort continuously told the cat parents this fact.
They felt a bit helpless and somewhat tender-hearted.
…
The conversation went smoothly.
By the time the kitten came back with the ice cream, the other three acted so normally that Shu Tang was completely unaware of the conversation that had occurred.
However, that night, Shu Tang finally confessed to her cat parents about Zhu Yan’s identity, and the kitten felt very uneasy.
She had always been a very obedient and good child, knowing that her cat parents wanted her to find an ordinary person to live a simple but safe life with.
The most rebellious and disobedient thing she had ever done was to be with Little Rose—
He was neither ordinary nor plain, and being with him might lead to some dangers and possibly stray far from the “stability” her parents hoped for.
“But being with him, I am very happy.”
She awaited her cat parents’ objection.
But they did not object.
Shu Tang thought it was because the mermaid’s fishing skills had won over her cat parents; or perhaps her eloquence had improved overnight, touching her parents.
But she was wrong.
It was because they wished for her happiness.