Chapter 69: Taking You Out to Play

Bai Yang was staring at Diu Diu, when suddenly he heard someone knock on the door.

"Who's there?!" Bai Yang said in a harsh tone, still laced with the anger from just shouting at the cat.

He opened the door and, seeing the person standing there, Bai Yang felt a bit embarrassed.

"Teacher Gu, so it's you, please come in!" Bai Yang quickly wiped the chair. The chair was covered with cat scratches, and since no one usually came, he hadn't cleaned it much.

Zheng Tan emerged from the bag Jiao Ma was carrying, looked around, and spotted the cat crouching on the table.

"Huh? Teacher Gu, is this cat yours?" Bai Yang handed over a cup of tea and asked.

"Yes, it's my Hei Tan. He was lost due to some incident, and only a few days ago I asked someone to help find him." Because their cat returned, Jiao Ma has been wearing a smile lately.

"Oh? So this is Black Pond." Bai Yang looked at the black cat that had leapt onto a chair, wondering if this was the black cat Li Xiaoqian had constantly praised.

Zheng Tan sensed Bai Yang's gaze and turned his head to look.

When Bai Yang's eyes met Zheng Tan's, a jolt struck his mind; he always felt something odd about the cat in front of him. Perhaps accustomed to Diu Diu's antics, seeing a cat with such a calm, even indifferent stare felt inexplicably strange, as if the creature before him were not a cat but a stranger.

If given a choice, Bai Yang would still pick Diu Diu. Let Diu Diu be noisy; when angry he can bark at him and give a little scolding. But facing this black cat, Bai Yang feels their auras clash, and even trying to shout would likely come out weak.

Zheng Tan stopped paying attention to Bai Yang and turned his head back to the cat perched on the desk. The cat seemed to distrust strangers and unfamiliar cats, especially male ones; its gaze at Zheng Tan was wary and highly defensive, likely having been bullied before. So Zheng Tan merely sat on the chair without approaching to greet it.

After wandering outside for a while, Zheng Tan became quite sensitive to the moods of both people and cats, able to detect their emotional shifts; this keen perception helped him avoid trouble, much like Li Yuanba can tell which people to steer clear of and which to confront firmly.

This time Jiao Ma brought some cat cans, which she bought on a quick stop at Xiao Guo's shop earlier. Before Li Xiaoqian left the country, Jiao Ma reassured her that she would often come to check on the cats, and she kept that promise, having free time this afternoon. She brought some supplies to look after Diu Diu and also to deliver a few messages.

Bai Yang is facing graduation. He still hasn't secured a job; although he has several options, he hasn't given any of them a definite answer. After learning this, Jiao Ba intends to poach Bai Yang. Tianyuan Genetics currently lacks outstanding managerial talent, so Jiao Ma also mentioned it. Of course, whether to go is a personal choice—forced melons aren't sweet.

Jiao Ma handed Bai Yang an invitation letter and an explanatory document prepared by Yuan Zhiyi, chatted briefly, then left again with Zheng Tan.

Bai Yang, after the others left, glanced again at the papers in his hand, carefully placed them into the drawer, and looked at Diu Diu perched on the desk edge, thinking, "When guests are around, you have to act all serious!"

"Meow—"

"What, got a comment?!"

Bai Yang lifted Diu Diu off the desk edge, resumed organizing his thesis, and even when Diu Diu climbed onto his leg to lie down, he didn't toss him away again.

When they returned to Dongqu Dayuan, Zheng Tan saw Wei Leng standing downstairs.

Come to think of it, Zheng Tan hadn't seen Wei Leng for a long time; ever since Wei Leng moved to the company side, they met rarely, only occasionally when Wei Leng called Jiao Ba and casually asked about Zheng Tan.

"Huh? Little Wei, why are you here? You came but didn't call me, just standing here waiting." Jiao Ma said.

Wei Leng smiled, "I asked the gate guard; he said you took Hei Tan out. It's almost dismissal time, you'll be back soon, so I didn't call." He then looked at the black cat waiting at the door, "Hei Tan, long time no see!"

Zheng Tan tugged his ear and gave a couple of hums as a greeting.

"Same as always, doesn't like dealing with people. Ah, I originally planned to take you out to play." Wei Leng said.

As Jiao Ma was about to swipe her card to open the door and Zheng Tan prepared to enter, they both turned their heads toward Wei Leng upon hearing his words.

"Ahem, let's go in first." Wei Leng scratched his hair, noticing Jiao Ma's slight disapproval, likely because the cat‑catching incident had made her nervous.

Zheng Tan was actually quite interested; after all, he now spent his days at school with nothing to do, and after wandering outside for over a month, his courage had grown.

"Little Wei, you know Hei Tan was caught. It was hard to get him back, and now we're all nervous about him, just like today when I personally took him to the pet center for a check‑up instead of bothering Xiao Guo." Jiao Ma said.

"I of course know that, but I've also mentioned this to Professor Jiao." Wei Leng replied.

"What did he say?" Jiao Ma asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Professor Jiao said, watch Hei Tan's own thoughts."

In fact, when Wei Leng asked Jiao Ba, he didn't expect that answer; after all, which household lets a cat decide for itself? Even if this cat is a bit different from others, it's still just a cat.

Jiao Ma thought for a moment and said, "Where do you want to take it to play?"

"Don't worry, it'll be within the city, my buddy's territory. Taking him there will let them get to know him, so if Hei Tan runs off or something else happens later, they can help. I've already asked them to look for cats before; the underground cat‑smuggling routes are supplied by them. Besides, Hei Tan doesn't run wild; I've taken him out once before…"

Seeing Jiao Ma glare at him, Wei Leng cleared his throat and fell silent; taking a cat out without the owner's consent was indeed improper. Even though nothing untoward happened afterward, the fact that he acted first and asked later always felt off.

"Hei Tan, how will you decide?" Jiao Ma asked. She knew her cat was unique and could understand human speech. Yet Wei Leng's plan worried her; the cat had just barely settled after a hard return, and now she'd be taken out frequently with those people—what if he becomes wild?

Zheng Tan, crouched on the coffee table, glanced at Jiao Ma on the left, then at Wei Leng on the right, lowered his head, and shifted to the right, then again, and again.

Even without looking, one could tell Jiao Ma was uneasy now. Yet Zheng Tan truly didn't want to stay confined forever; after all, deep down he's still a person, a young soul, sometimes lazy like a cat. Nestling in the courtyard, basking in the sun, taking a stroll is enough. But being locked here forever… Zheng Tan was somewhat reluctant; he must admit that the brief outing stirred his restless side. When he was human, he loved driving around aimlessly; even as a cat, it's the same.

Jiao Ma was silent for a moment, waved her hand, and said, "Alright, if it chooses, we'll follow its will. Will it go home tonight?"

"Don't worry about that; I'm always with it. Even if it can't return tonight, I'll personally bring it back the next day. It won't stay out forever, and I don't take it out daily." Wei Leng assured.

Jiao Ma nodded, "Let's have dinner here then; it's already mealtime."

This time Wei Leng didn't stay; he said he had business outside and left, promising to come back tomorrow afternoon to pick up the cat.

As soon as Wei Leng left, Jiao Ma called Jiao Ba, opening with a question about Zheng Tan.

Zheng Tan didn't know what Jiao Ba had said; Jiao Ma still looked somewhat disapproving, but didn't press further.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Jiao, sitting in his office, hung up the phone and rubbed his temples. He knew Wei Leng's request for his cat must involve some task, and he had initially planned to refuse, but recalled the phone call with Fang Shaokang a couple of days earlier. Fang Shaokang, after learning that he and Yuan Zhiyi and a few others ran a company, had lent a hand, facilitating a deal. With Fang's third son as intermediary, the other side treated Tianyuan Genetics well, and the two parties quickly reached a cooperation agreement.

Yuan Zhiyi was thrilled for a long time; the company's development progressed faster and smoother than he expected, and the accelerator turned out to be just cats. Afterwards, Yuan Zhiyi even clamored to come and worship the cats, but Jiao Ba refused. It's better to keep such matters out of the public eye.

Before leaving Chu Hua Shi, Fang Shaokang called Associate Professor Jiao, and they discussed Zheng Tan. Just before hanging up, Fang Shaokang said, "Don't keep holding onto your cat. A cat like Hei Tan is destined to be uncontainable, not something ordinary people can control. Your cat is truly clever. Let go a bit; maybe it'll give you a big surprise."

Whether it's surprising or not, Associate Professor Jiao didn't mind; he only wished his cat to stay healthy.

The next day, Zheng Tan was perched on a branch in the courtyard, dozing with half‑closed eyes. He had wandered the courtyard in the morning to no avail, then roamed the campus for a loop; by afternoon he was idle, so he lay there to recuperate, remembering that Wei Leng said he'd take him out tonight.

After dinner that night, Wei Leng arrived.

In this month, the sky was still bright after dinner, and Zheng Tan followed Wei Leng downstairs.

This time Wei Leng didn't ride his motorcycle; he drove a modest‑looking small car. Even if it looked shabby, it was four‑wheeled, far better than being strapped in a backpack on a motorcycle.

"I borrowed this car from someone; don't go messing around on the seat," Wei Leng said from the driver's seat, turning his head toward the crouching Zheng Tan in the back.

Zheng Tan ignored him; random defecation is something those bladder‑less birds do, not something he could possibly do. (To be continued…)

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