Two Cats

There's food!

Ji Mianmian immediately clenched her fist, deciding to move closer to check it out.

Resources on Cat Island were extremely scarce. Any good food that appeared would quickly be snatched up by the stronger cats.

Most of the cats here were adults, solitary by nature, and not particularly friendly to kittens. The male cats even showed hostility towards Little White and Little Flower.

Although Ji Mianmian was larger, she was different from the other cats—while they ran on four paws, she was a humanoid cat.

Two fists couldn't compete with four claws, and protecting the two little kittens often left her unable to get the best food. This resulted in Little White and Little Flower, two kittens abandoned by their mother, being malnourished and underdeveloped.

The resources on the western ear coast were usually the most barren, consisting mostly of inedible plants.

It was a place cats only came to when they were desperate for something to eat, but it was impossible to fill their stomachs here. The cats typically avoided coming over.

Ji Mianmian knew another reason why cats avoided the area: the beach directly bordered the sea, and cats often got washed away while digging for small crabs or clams.

Most cats were afraid of water, but she wasn't.

She even found the sensation of seawater flowing over her feet to be comfortable and freeing—if only it didn't leave a layer of salt crystals afterward.

The sun-baked sand was hot underfoot, so Ji Mianmian carefully chose the shaded areas to walk on.

Her instincts told her something was different about the western ear coast today, but she hadn't yet figured out what it was.

Little Flower, with a keener sense of smell, was extremely excited. "The food is just ahead!"

Ji Mianmian hid behind a coconut tree and peeked in the direction indicated, surprised to find a can of minced meat and a fried chicken leg!

The chicken leg was coated in crispy breadcrumbs, fried to a golden brown, looking like something straight from a fast-food chain—a sight that made her mouth water!

This made Ji Mianmian frown. She had woken up on Cat Island two months ago, with many memories lost. She only knew she was a humanoid cat.

Her mind often conjured up things unrelated to Cat Island, which made her uneasy.

'Fast-food fried chicken' was one of those things.

She tentatively asked the kittens, "There are two kinds of food ahead. Which one would you like to eat?"

"Canned food!" Little White and Little Flower answered in unison. The minced meat in the metal can was irresistible to them.

The fried chicken leg, on the other hand, smelled too strong, not like something edible at all.

Accepting the fact that she was different from other cats, Ji Mianmian pursed her lips and said, "Then I'll eat the other one."

^

Shuo Yu leveled up to three while chopping wood, fully restoring her energy.

However, Rainleaf, which was needed to make the cat house, had a low drop rate. She needed two leaves and had only collected one, so she kept chopping.

Finally, after obtaining the second Rainleaf, Shuo Yu noticed three flashing cat paw prints on her screen. She quickly swiped the screen back to the beach.

What she saw left her stunned.

There, crouched and eating, was a girl with cat ears on her head and a long tail trailing behind her.

The girl appeared to be of high school age, with fair skin and large, watery eyes. She wore a somewhat dirty and torn white dress. Sensing someone's presence, she looked up warily toward the sky.

She was very pretty, and her movements were fluid. Because she was scared, her ears flattened into airplane mode. The artist and modeler must have put a lot of effort into creating her.

Shuo Yu hesitated. She had only wanted to raise kittens, not cat-eared girls.

The emotional and time investment humans put into pets versus their own kind was vastly different.

When she was a student, she was the type to call 2D game characters her "wife." But now, after working for a few years, doing so would definitely earn her mockery from Shen Zhiyin!

After some thought, Shuo Yu decided to cut her losses and sighed, "Maybe I should stop here. I only wanted to raise cats, not a cat-eared girl."

Ji Mianmian, who was still wondering why a beautiful woman suddenly appeared on a floating screen in mid-air, was alarmed when she heard this.

The girl's tail swayed as she quickly thought of a plan.

She pretended to continue gnawing on the chicken leg, subtly revealing Little White and Little Flower.

As she silently counted down—'Three, two…'—she didn't even get to 'one' before the woman on the screen gasped, "Such cute little kittens! Let Auntie give you a kiss!"

Her reaction to seeing the kittens was so enthusiastic that it made Ji Mianmian feel a little uneasy.

They were all cats, so why were the four-legged ones more popular and loved?

She couldn't understand.

Ji Mianmian slowly finished eating the chicken leg, stood up, and threw the bone forcefully into the sea.

Then she grabbed a handful of sand to scrub the grease off her hands before walking to the shore to wash them clean.

After tidying herself up, she finally looked up at the woman on the screen and said, "Hello, my name is Ji Mianmian. These are Little White and Little Flower. How should I address you?"

She saw the woman's eyes light up as she muttered, "This must be the game's guide sprite. I was wondering why I hadn't reached the naming stage after getting to level three… Wait, why isn't the chat box working?"

Ji Mianmian didn't fully understand what this strange woman was talking about, but after being awake for two months, this woman was the first unexpected change, and Ji Mianmian didn't want to miss the opportunity.

She clenched her fist nervously, saying, "Just tell me your name. I can hear you."

The girl's sweet voice came through the speaker, and as if worried Ji Mianmian hadn't heard, a dialogue bubble even appeared above her head.

Shuo Yu was amazed by how intelligent the game was—there was even built-in AI voice recognition! It sounded so natural, better than most voice assistants on the market!

Intrigued, Shuo Yu immediately replied, "Mianmian, hello! My name is Shuo Yu—'Shuo' as in 'sparkle,' and 'Yu' as in 'feather.'"

Nodding in acknowledgment, Ji Mianmian crouched down, picking up Little White and Little Flower, who were busy eating canned food. She held them up and flashed a lively smile. "Hello, Shuo Yu. This is Little White and Little Flower. Welcome to Cat Island! Do you like cats?"

Shuo Yu responded, "I love them! But I'm severely allergic to cat fur in real life, so I can only enjoy petting them in games."

She tapped the screen and selected Little White, causing several interaction options to pop up above the kitten's head.

[Greet, Pet, Pick Up, Kiss, Belly Rub, Change Outfit…]

At the moment, only the "Greet" option was available, while the others showed that more affection was needed.

Shuo Yu tapped on "Greet."

Little White immediately perked up and softly meowed toward the sky.

A system notification appeared: [Little White Affection +2, Added to Cat Encyclopedia]

Unable to resist the adorable display, Shuo Yu excitedly rubbed her hands together and repeated the action for Little Flower.

[Little Flower Affection +1, Added to Cat Encyclopedia]

Each greeting had a 24-hour cooldown, and the other interactions still required more affection.

But after chopping wood all day, Shuo Yu was finally rewarded with the soft meows of the kittens, making her feel very satisfied.

Meanwhile, Ji Mianmian listened as Little White and Little Flower described the strange sensation of being petted by the air. She waited patiently, but the feeling never came to her.

The girl pouted, clearly unhappy with Shuo Yu's preference for certain types of cats.

Suddenly, a new dialogue bubble appeared above the cat-eared girl's head: "Why didn't you greet me? I'm a cat too!"

Shuo Yu couldn't believe the cat-eared girl in Cat Island Diary was set up this way!

She found the character's straightforwardness adorable, a quality she always appreciated in 2D characters. Without hesitation, Shuo Yu tapped the screen and greeted Mianmian as well.

Ji Mianmian felt a sudden warmth in her head, as if an invisible hand was gently stroking her.

Shuo Yu was an expert at petting, and the girl felt her bones almost melting from the comfort.

Unable to hold back, she let out a soft, tender meow.

Realizing the strange sound she had just made, Ji Mianmian's cheeks flushed. She placed Little White and Little Flower back in front of the canned food and shyly waved at Shuo Yu.

[Ji Mianmian Affection +5, Added to Cat Encyclopedia]

Shuo Yu was shocked when she saw the notification on her phone.

She had expected that Mianmian, being a special type of cat, would be difficult to win over, but her affection had increased the most!

And the cat-eared girl's reaction was even more adorable than the two kittens, making Shuo Yu instantly fond of her.

With her energy not yet maxed out, Shuo Yu didn't feel rushed to return to chopping wood. Instead, she patiently watched as the cat-eared girl took care of the two kittens as they ate.

She was curious to see what the cats would do after finishing their meal.

The kittens had small appetites, and they couldn't finish even one can.

Mianmian tried to take the cat food with her, but due to system restrictions, it was stuck to the ground, unable to be moved.

A few thought bubbles representing her contemplation appeared above her head.

Shuo Yu watched quietly, captivated by the lively little creatures on her phone screen, never growing tired of them.

The game's time seemed to sync with reality.

As half the sun dipped below the horizon, Cat Island was soon bathed in the warm hues of dusk.

Ji Mianmian glanced at the sea, a red "no" bubble appearing above her head as she gave up on taking the unfinished cat food with her.

She gently placed Little White and Little Flower back into the woven grass backpack, waved to Shuo Yu, and said, "It's getting dark, and evil spirits might appear. I have to go now."

When Shuo Yu didn't respond, Ji Mianmian waited a few seconds before turning and running off.

A few big cats had set their sights on her hiding spot, and if she got home too late, they might take over.

After replying to Shen Zhiyin's message urging her to leave, Shuo Yu switched back to the game and was dumbfounded.

Just a moment ago, the beach was lively, but now it was empty, save for a trail of footprints.

Shuo Yu suddenly felt like a lonely old lady left behind at home. Without the cats, Cat Island Diary wasn't as fun.

With a blank expression, she continued collecting materials, using up all her energy bit by bit.

Following the crafting steps, she swiped the screen to finish making the cat house and placed it next to the canned food.

The can wasn't finished, so Mianmian should bring the kittens back tomorrow. She'd invite them to stay here permanently then.

Setting an alarm for when her energy would fully recover, Shuo Yu closed the game and changed her clothes, ready to head out.

Ji Mianmian had lingered too long on the western ear coast, and by the time she hurried back to the sandy pit under the rocks, it had already been taken.

A one-eyed, tortoiseshell cat with a crippled front leg and a cloudy right eye arched its back and hissed at her. Staying out after dark meant risking capture and torment by evil spirits. This was the only safe spot it had managed to find.

The tortoiseshell cat's fur was dull and looked as if it had rolled in ashes.

Its voice was hoarse, and it exuded a sense of despair, as if it was barely holding on to life. "Mianmian, I'm sorry. The evil spirits' torment is unbearable… I got here first today… I don't have the strength to find a new safe spot…"

A safe spot could only accommodate one adult cat and a few kittens. Ji Mianmian knew that if she fought for it, the one-eyed cat wouldn't stand a chance against her in its current state.

If it were another strong cat that had taken her safe spot, she would have fought to the death. But the old, weak, and disabled were another matter.

She took the kittens out of her backpack and placed them near the one-eyed cat's paws, hissing threateningly, "You can stay here tonight, but you have to look after Little White and Little Flower. I'll come for them at dawn."

Seeing the one-eyed cat pull the kittens under its belly to keep them warm, Ji Mianmian felt relieved.

Ignoring the kittens' cries, she left the sandy pit alone.