Chapter 169

After a spring rain, the grass seemed to have turned green overnight, changing day by day; the withered yellow of winter gradually faded, and true spring warmth and blossoms arrived before people were ready.

Translate: "After a spring rain, the grass seemed to turn green overnight, changing day by day; the withered yellow of winter gradually faded, and true spring warmth and blossoms arrived before people were ready."

Check: Must not add extra. Keep meaning.

We'll output: 【1】 After a spring rain, the grass seemed to turn green overnight, changing day by day; the withered yellow of winter gradually faded, and true spring warmth and blossoms arrived before people were ready.

After receiving a phone call, Jiao Ba, who had originally planned to leave in mid‑April, decided to depart Chu Hua Shi early, first heading to the capital to meet with an old professor at Capital University, and then go abroad together. With that professor's help, everything would go much more smoothly.

Translate: "After receiving a phone call, Jiao Ba, who had originally planned to leave in mid-April, decided to depart early from Chu Hua Shi, first heading to the capital to meet with an old professor from Capital University, and then go abroad together. With that professor's help, everything would go much more smoothly."

Note: Use the exact forms Jiao Ba and Chu Hua Shi. We translated the term for capital city as 'the capital' and the term for Capital University as 'Capital University'.

Two days before Jiao Ba's departure, he had already arranged the work at the institute. Aside from two graduate students and one preparatory graduate student, there was also a third‑year undergraduate preparing to safeguard Jiao Ba's graduate student; all were assigned tasks. The student he intended to recommend had been finalized during this period, and was also a girl, just like Zeng Jing—not of the frail type. Teachers in the institute joked that Associate Professor Jiao liked recruiting students who looked strong and sturdy.

Translate: "Two days before Jiao Ba's departure, he had already arranged the work at the institute. Besides his two graduate students and one preparatory graduate student, there was also a third-year undergraduate preparing to safeguard Jiao Ba's graduate studies; all were assigned tasks. The student intended for recommendation was someone Jiao Ba had finalized during this period, also a girl, not of the frail type, just like Zeng Jing. Institute teachers joked that Associate Professor Jiao liked recruiting students who looked strong and healthy."

Note: Use the exact forms Jiao Ba and Associate Professor Jiao (for the associate professor named Jiao). For the person named Zeng Jing we need to use the romanization Zeng Jing. Also the nickname meaning 'Jiao's dad' refers to Jiao Ba. The phrase meaning 'inside the institute' is generic.

Check: The phrase likely means 'a third-year undergraduate preparing to safeguard Jiao Ba's graduate student' (i. e., preparing to guard Jiao Ba's graduate student).

We'll output: 【3】 Two days before Jiao Ba's departure, he had already arranged the work at the institute. Besides his two graduate students and one preparatory graduate student, there was also a third-year undergraduate preparing to safeguard Jiao Ba's graduate studies; all were assigned tasks. The student intended for recommendation was someone Jiao Ba had finalized during this period, also a girl, not of the frail type, just like Zeng Jing. Institute teachers joked that Associate Professor Jiao liked recruiting students who looked strong and healthy.

Besides his students, several family members were also called by Jiao Ba for private talks in turn, including Zheng Tan.

Translate: "Besides his students, several family members were also called by Jiao Ba for private talks in turn, including Zheng Tan."

We need Zheng Tan.

At that moment, Zheng Tan was sitting seriously on the cat tree, listening attentively to Jiao Ba's instructions.

Translate: "At this moment, Zheng Tan was sitting upright on the cat tree, attentively listening to Jiao Ba's instructions."

"When I'm not around, try not to cause trouble—don't think that being abroad means I know nothing about what's happening at home… Don't play dumb; I know you understand, and even if you don't catch everything, you can grasp at least part of it, right? So let's keep it simple: in short—don't cause trouble! Of course, not causing trouble doesn't mean you're afraid of trouble… sigh, saying it this way might not be entirely precise…"

Translate: "\"When I'm not around, you'd better stay out of trouble—don't think that being abroad means I know nothing about what's happening at home… Don't play dumb; I know you understand, and even if you don't catch everything, you can grasp some of it, right? So let's keep it simple: in short—don't cause trouble! Of course, not causing trouble doesn't mean being afraid of it… sigh, saying it like that isn't quite exact…\""

We need to keep the quoted speech and punctuation. We'll output as one line.

It's probably because this is the first time he's been away from home for so long and so far; just thinking about being separated from his wife, children, and pet for at least a year makes his usual calmness fade. And what worries Jiao Ba the most is Zheng Tan.

Translate: "It's probably the first time he's been away from home this long and far; just thinking about being separated from his wife, children, and pet for at least a year, Jiao Ba's usual calm is mostly gone. And what worries him most is Zheng Tan."

"That Ye Hao—we've talked before," Jiao Ba said.

Translate: "\"We've talked to that Ye Hao before, \" Jiao Ba said."

Zheng Tan's ears twitched toward that direction as he waited for Jiao Ba's next words.

Translate: "Zheng Tan's ears swiveled toward that direction, waiting for Jiao Ba's next words."

But Jiao Ba didn't disclose the conversation's content; instead, he pulled out a card he had obtained using his own ID, and all the money on it belonged to Zheng Tan's savings. This included the "thank‑you" gifts from Zhao Le and his team for the commercial shoot, as well as the New Year's money given by Zhao Le and Fang San ye that had almost made Jiao Ba's eyes pop out, plus the sum Ye Hao had just produced. All of it was stored there, and Jiao Ba had never touched it.

Translate: "But Jiao Ba didn't mention the talk's content; instead, he pulled out a card he had obtained with his own ID, and all the money on it was Zheng Tan's savings— the 'thank‑you' gifts from Zhao Le and the others for the commercial shoot, plus the 'New Year's money' that Zhao Le and Fang San ye gave Zheng Tan, which had almost made Jiao Ba's eyes pop out, as well as the sum Ye Hao produced this time. All of it was in there, and Jiao Ba had never touched it."

Note: Use the exact forms Zhao Le, Fang San ye, and Ye Hao. Also we translated the term meaning 'New Year's money' as 'New Year's money'.

"Here, this is your card—your mom doesn't even know the details—keep it safe. Just put it in this drawer."

Translate: "\"Here, this is your card. Your mom doesn't know the details, so keep it safe yourself—just put it in this drawer. \""

We need Zheng Tan? Actually line is Jiao Ba speaking to Zheng Tan. We'll keep as is.

Not to mention Jiao Ma; even Wei Leng, Ye Hao, and Fang San ye wouldn't have thought of this at first. Jiao Ba actually deposited all that money into a card prepared for the cat, and the amount now in the card would be considered a huge sum for some people—but aside from Jiao Ba, no one knows where the money is actually kept.

Translate: "Not to mention Jiao Ma; even Wei Leng, Ye Hao, and Fang San ye wouldn't have guessed at first. Jiao Ba actually deposited all that money into a card prepared for the cat, and although the amount in the card counts as a huge sum to some people, besides Jiao Ba, no one knows where the money is kept."

We need Wei Leng, Ye Hao, Fang San ye, Jiao Ma.

Jiao Ba pulled open one of the drawers attached to the cat tree and placed the bank card inside an unlocked drawer. This drawer was Fang San ye's masterpiece—the cat tree has three small drawers that are hard to notice unless you look closely, each containing a key, and Zheng Tan has hidden his own key well; this belongs to him as private property.

Translate: "Jiao Ba opened one of the drawers attached to the cat tree and placed the bank card in an unlocked drawer. This drawer was Fang San ye's handiwork—the cat tree has three small drawers that aren't easy to spot unless you look closely, each containing a key, and Zheng Tan has hidden his key well; this is his private property."

We need Fang San ye, Zheng Tan.

As for that bank card, it genuinely surprised Zheng Tan—he never expected Jiao Ba to give him a bank card.

Translate: "As for that bank card, it genuinely surprised Zheng Tan; he never expected Jiao Ba to give him a bank card."

After putting it away, Jiao Ba patted the cat tree and said, "If a burglar came to the house, would they notice a bank card hidden inside the cat tree?"

After putting it away, Jiao Ba patted the cat tree and said, "If a burglar came to the house, wouldn't they notice a bank card hidden inside the cat tree?"

Zheng Tan flicked his tail, thinking no burglar would imagine that valuables were hidden in a cat's nest, especially in a modest household like the Jiao family's. After all, such behavior seems downright crazy to most people, and Zheng Tan believes no ordinary person would think of it.

Translate: "Zheng Tan flicked his tail, figuring no thief would think to hide valuables in a cat's nest, especially in a modest household like the Jiao family's. After all, such behavior seems downright crazy to most people, and he thought normal folks wouldn't even consider it."

We need Jiao Family.

Jiao Ba fell silent for a moment, got up and went back to the bedroom, then soon returned holding a box. Zheng Tan knew it contained the jade pendant given to him by an elderly woman when he returned to Jiao Ba's hometown for the New Year. He had rarely worn it—once because it felt uncomfortable, and another time because it was too eye‑catching; wearing it out would surely attract thieves, so Jiao Ba had kept it safe all along.

Translate: "Jiao Ba fell silent for a moment, got up and went back to the bedroom, then soon returned holding a box. Zheng Tan knew it contained the jade pendant given to him by an old lady when he went back to Jiao Ba's hometown for the New Year; he'd rarely worn it because it felt uncomfortable to wear, and besides, it was too eye‑catching—if he went out, it would surely be snatched away, so Jiao Ba had kept it safe."

Note: We need the names Jiao Ba, Zheng Tan, and Jade Pendant. Also we translated the phrase meaning 'Jiao Ba's hometown' as 'Jiao Ba's hometown'. Not a named entity.

"Put this in as well, oh, right—let me show you this," Jiao Ba said, pulling out another box and opening its lid.

Translate: "\"Put this in as well, oh, right, let me show you this. \" Saying that, Jiao Ba took out another box and opened its lid."

Zheng Tan craned his neck to look. Inside the box lay a piece of synthetic amber containing a cat's tooth—the very tooth from the cat that had once helped Jiao Ba, which he had mentioned to Zheng Tan before.

Translate: "Zheng Tan stretched his neck to look. Inside the box lay a piece of artificial amber containing a cat tooth—the very cat that had once helped Jiao Ba, which he had mentioned to Zheng Tan before."

After examining it closely and recalling the size of his own fangs when he looked in the mirror, Zheng Tan had to admit that the tooth in the synthetic amber was a bit larger than his own—just slightly bigger—but undeniably it came from a large cat, though certainly not as massive as Jueye's.

Translate: "Zheng Tan examined it closely, then recalled the size of his own fangs when he looked in the mirror, and had to admit that the tooth in the artificial amber was a bit larger than his own—just a little bigger—but there's no denying it came from a large cat, though certainly not as huge as Jueye's."

Note: We need the name Jueye.

Jiao Ba merely took out the synthetic amber wrapped around the cat's tooth to show Zheng Tan; he had no intention of putting it in Zheng Tan's drawer.

Translate: "Jiao Ba merely took out the artificial amber wrapped around the cat tooth to show Zheng Tan; he didn't intend to leave it in Zheng Tan's drawer."

After giving a few more instructions, Jiao Ba finally got up and left the room.

Translate: "After giving a few more instructions, Jiao Ba finally rose and left the room."

The day Jiao Ba left Chu Hua Shi was a Saturday. Jiao Ma drove the two children and Zheng Tan to see him off at the airport, accompanied by another teacher. Seeing the Jiao family arrive with both people and cat to send him off, the teacher found it quite remarkable, and after boarding the plane joked to Jiao Ba, "You guys even brought your cat‑son along." Jiao Ba just smiled and didn't argue.

Translate: "The day Jiao Ba left Chu Hua Shi was a Saturday; Jiao Ma drove the two children and Zheng Tan to see him off at the airport, accompanied by another teacher. Seeing the Jiao family—people and cat—come to send him off struck the teacher as odd, and after boarding he joked with Jiao Ba, \"You guys even brought a cat‑son along. \" Jiao Ba just smiled and didn't argue."

We need Jiao Ma, Zheng Tan, Jiao Family.

With Jiao Ba away, the Jiao household is much quieter—at least for now. Jiao Yuan and Xiao Youzi are self‑disciplined: they wake up on time, do their homework voluntarily at home, and even help with chores.

Translate: "With Jiao Ba gone, the Jiao household is much quieter—at least for now. Jiao Yuan and Xiao Youzi are self‑disciplined, waking on time, doing homework at home of their own accord, and even helping with chores."

We need Jiao Family, Jiao Yuan, Xiao Youzi.

Zheng Tan still returns home on schedule, sure to be back by mealtime; the only difference is that he now rarely goes to the Life Science Institute. Since Jiao Ba's office often has people, Yi Xin and Su Qu—who don't have their own computers—frequently use the office PC to watch dramas and browse leisure forums when Jiao Ba is away.

Translate: "Zheng Tan still returns home on schedule, sure to be back at mealtime; the difference is that he now rarely goes to the Life Science Institute, since Jiao Ba's office often has people, and Yi Xin and Su Qu, who lack their own computers, frequently use the office PC to watch dramas and browse leisure forums when Jiao Ba is away."

Note: We need the name Yi Xin (listed as Character: Yi Xin in the glossary). Also we need to romanize the name Su Qu. Also we translated the term meaning 'Life Science Institute' as 'Life Science Institute'. Not a named entity.

Speaking of computers, Zheng Tan had been waiting for a moment when no one was home so he could turn one on and play.

Translate: "Speaking of computers, Zheng Tan had been waiting for a time when no one was home to play with one."

Early Monday morning, after Zheng Tan dropped Xiao Youzi off at school, he immediately hurried home, with nothing else on his mind—just ready to tap the keyboard.

Translate: "Early Monday morning, after Zheng Tan dropped Xiao Youzi off at school, he immediately headed home, with no mind for anything else, just ready to tap the keyboard."

We need Xiao Youzi.

Back home, after locking the door, Zheng Tan rushed straight into the bedroom and turned on the computer.

Translate: "Back home, after locking the front door, Zheng Tan rushed straight into the bedroom and turned on the computer."

He jumped onto the desk, sat in front of the computer, and waited for it to respond. The boot‑up was a bit slow, but Zheng Tan wasn't in a hurry—he had plenty of time.

Translate: "He jumped onto the desk, sat in front of the computer, and Zheng Tan waited for it to respond. The boot‑up was a bit slow, but he wasn't in a hurry anyway—he had plenty of time."

As for the mouse, Zheng Tan found one paw awkward to use, so he used both, appearing as if he were hugging the mouse.

Translate: "As for the mouse, Zheng Tan's one paw wasn't very dexterous, so he used both paws, making it look like he was hugging the mouse."

Since becoming a cat, this was apparently Zheng Tan's first time going online on his own, and he felt a little excited. While holding the mouse, he couldn't control his strength well and nearly threw it across the room. When it came time to type letters, he was too lazy to turn around and use his paws, so he had to rely on his hind legs and tail—awkward and labor‑intensive, misspelling a word over and over—but he truly believed that the saying "practice makes perfect" would work for him.

Translate: "Since becoming a cat, this was apparently Zheng Tan's first time going online on his own initiative, and he felt a little excited. While holding the mouse, he didn't control his strength well and nearly threw it away. When typing letters, he was too lazy to turn around and use his paws, so he had to rely on his hind legs and tail—awkward and labor‑intensive, misspelling a word several times, yet he truly believed the saying 'practice makes perfect' would shine through for him."

After struggling to control the mouse and keyboard, Zheng Tan registered an account on a chat program, but unfortunately the friend list showed no contacts. He actually wanted to look up his original account, but he couldn't remember the old credentials. Staring at the chat interface, he zoned out for a while.

Translate: "After struggling to control the mouse and keyboard, Zheng Tan registered an account on a chat program, but there was nobody in the friends list. He actually wanted to look for his original self, but he couldn't recall his old account. Staring at the chat interface, he spaced out for a while."

He shook his head, thinking, "Well, this will do for now—I don't know if I'll ever get any friends." Speaking of which, this is also something that can't see the light of day; all he can do is shout a few lines in the virtual world of the internet to liven things up.

Translate: "He shook his head, thinking, 'Let's leave it at that for now; who knows if I'll ever get friends.' Come to think of it, this is also a kind of thing that can't see the light of day—only in the illusory world of the internet can he shout a few sentences to liven things up."

Zheng Tan didn't dare download games randomly, and now wasn't the time for it. He had been waiting to use the computer, but when he finally faced it, he didn't know what to do.

Translate: "Zheng Tan didn't dare download games randomly. Now wasn't the time for that either. He had been waiting to use a computer, but when faced with one, he didn't know what to do."

"Exactly!"

Translate: "Right!"

Zheng Tan searched for the pet forum that Xiao Guo often mentioned. On the forum, the two most active sections were the cat and dog boards, since most city residents keep those pets.

Translate: "Zheng Tan searched for the pet forum Xiao Guo often mentioned. The two most active sections on the forum were the cat and dog boards, since city dwellers keep the most of those two pets."

We need Xiao Guo.

He opened the "Pet Cats" category, and as soon as he entered, he scrolled down and quickly found a reposted photo advertisement that had been taken a few days earlier at Xiao Guo's pet center.

Translate: "He opened the 'Pet Cats' category, went in, and from the top down he soon found a reposted picture advertisement that had been freshly shot at Xiao Guo's pet center a few days earlier."

Zheng Tan glanced at the comments below, and sure enough, the few animals that had collaborated in the photo shoot were indeed more appealing than he was. What cheered him up was that the forum also had some of his own fans, most of whom were elderly users. Especially when he saw someone comment, "blackc is the hallmark," his tail perked up with delight.

Translate: "Zheng Tan glanced at the comments below; sure enough, the few animals that had collaborated on the shoot were indeed more appealing in appearance than he was, but what balanced his mind was that the forum also had some of his own fans, most of whom were elderly users. In particular, when he saw someone say 'blackc is the gold‑standard brand,' his tail perked up with delight."

We need Zheng Tan. "blackc" is a username; we exclude as internet slang.

To post a reply, he needed to register a forum account, so Zheng Tan grabbed the mouse, tapped the keyboard, and followed the on‑screen prompts step by step—but choosing a username was a real headache; what should he call himself?

Translate: "To reply, he needed to register a forum account, so Zheng Tan clung to the mouse and tapped the keyboard, following the prompts step by step—but choosing an ID was a real brain‑teaser; what should he call himself?"

He looked at other people's usernames: "Aimao Wangcai", "Niu Niu Dian Dian Mao", "Miying", "Meow under the eaves", "Xuan Yuan Xiao Mao", "Overbearing Cat", "Miao Jia Xiao Hu", and "Hell Cat"…

Translate: "He glanced at other people's IDs: 'Aimao calls Wangcai,' 'Niu Niu Dian Dian Mao,' 'Miying,' 'Meow under the eaves,' 'Xuan Yuan Xiao Mao,' 'Overbearing Cat,' 'Miao Jia Xiao Hu,' 'Hell Cat'…"

We need to decide whether to include these IDs as named entities. They are user IDs, possibly considered fan-fiction names? The rule includes fan-fiction names. However these are example IDs from other users, not coined by the protagonist. They are still names used in the forum. Should we include them? The instruction says: 'List every NAMED entity / coined term in these lines: characters (incl. the protagonist & minor ones), places, sects/clans/factions/peoples, official & sect ranks/titles, techniques, cultivation realms/pills/treasures, named beasts/items, fan-fiction names.' These IDs are essentially user-chosen names; they could be considered fan-fiction names (since they are names used in a fictional forum). However they are not central to the story; but they appear in the lines. The rule says 'Output ONLY names that ACTUALLY APPEAR in these lines'. So we should include them if they qualify as named entities. However we must exclude 'internet slang'. Are these IDs considered internet slang? They are usernames, which could be considered internet slang? The rule says exclude internet slang, but also says include fan-fiction names. There's ambiguity. Usually usernames are not considered internet slang; they are just names. I'd lean to include them as fan-fiction names. However the list is long; including all might be tedious but required. Let's see if any of these are clearly descriptive: the phrase meaning 'Aimao calls Wangcai' is a descriptive phrase, not a single name. Actually the line lists IDs separated by commas: the phrase meaning 'Aimao calls Wangcai', the phrase meaning 'Niu Niu Dian Dian Mao', the phrase meaning 'Miying', the phrase meaning 'Meow under the eaves', the phrase meaning 'Xuan Yuan Xiao Mao', the phrase meaning 'Overbearing Cat', the phrase meaning 'Miao Jia Xiao Hu', the phrase meaning 'Hell Cat'. Each seems to be an ID: the phrase meaning 'Aimao calls Wangcai' maybe means 'Ailove cat calls Wangcai'? Actually the phrase meaning 'Aimao calls Wangcai' could be read as 'Aimao calls Wangcai'? Not sure. But they are likely IDs like 'Aimao Wangcai'? Hard to parse. However we can treat each as a name. But the instruction says to output ONLY names that actually appear. If we include these, we need to list them exactly as they appear in English translation. We translated them as: 'Aimao calls Wangcai', 'Niu Niu Dian Dian Mao', 'Miying', 'Meow under the eaves', 'Xuan Yuan Xiao Mao', 'Overbearing Cat', 'Miao Jia Xiao Hu', 'Hell Cat'. Are these considered names? They are somewhat descriptive. The rule says exclude generic forms of address (not ranks). These are not ranks. They are IDs that may be descriptive but still names. I'm not entirely sure. To be safe, perhaps we should exclude them because they are essentially descriptive nicknames or internet slang. The rule says exclude internet slang. These IDs are typical of forum usernames, which could be considered internet slang. I'd exclude them.

Given the complexity, I think it's safer to exclude these IDs from glossary, as they are not central named entities like characters, places, etc. The instruction's examples of fan-fiction names likely refer to things like "Nine Yang Divine Art" etc. Not random usernames. So I'll exclude.

"Well, these names are either 'Miao' or 'Miu'—at a glance you can tell they belong to the cat faction on the forum."

Translate: "Well, these names are either 'miao' or 'miu'—at a glance you can tell they belong to the cat faction in the forum."

No new named entities.

After thinking, Zheng Tan typed in his choice, key by key.

Translate: "After some thought, Zheng Tan began pecking at the keys one by one."

Username: Zheng Tan is a cat.

Translate: "ID: Zheng Tan is a cat"

We need to include this as a fan-fiction name: "Zheng Tan is a cat". We'll list that.

After registering, Zheng Tan shamelessly replied in a post: "That black cat is damn handsome!"

Translate: "After registering, Zheng Tan shamelessly replied in the thread, "That black cat is damn handsome!""

After a moment's thought, he added: "It's simply awesome!"

Translate: "After thinking, he added, "It's freakin' awesome!""

After browsing for a while, Zheng Tan cleared some traces, shut down the computer, and went downstairs in a good mood to stroll around—even though he could use the computer, he still preferred to take a walk outside.

Translate: "After browsing a while, Zheng Tan cleared some traces, shut down the computer, and went downstairs in a good mood for a stroll; although he could use the computer, he still preferred to wander outside."

Of course, if there weren't someone following him, his mood would be even better.

Translate: "Of course, if there weren't a person following him, his mood would be even better."

Er Mao slept until nine thirty; by then the cafeteria had nothing left, so he bought an egg pancake and a boxed meal from a stall at the school gate, saving the boxed meal for when he got hungry—just pop it in the microwave and it's ready. Er Mao isn't picky; even if the food is cold, he'll eat it straight away. As soon as he entered the compound, he saw Zheng Tan heading out, so he immediately took a bite of his egg pancake, grabbed the now‑cooling boxed meal, and followed behind.

Translate: "Er Mao slept until nine thirty; by then the cafeteria was out of food, so he bought an egg‑wrapped crepe and a boxed meal from the stall at the school gate, saving the boxed meal for when he got hungry—just microwave it and it's ready. Er Mao isn't picky; even if the food's cold, he'll eat it straight away. Just after entering the campus, Er Mao saw Zheng Tan heading out, so he immediately bit into his crepe, grabbed the now‑cooling boxed meal, and followed behind."

We need Er Mao, Zheng Tan.

Er Mao wasn't really close to Zheng Tan, keeping a distance of about ten meters, but Zheng Tan's several attempts to shake him off failed. After a few tries, Zheng Tan gave up and decided, "If you want to follow, just follow."

Translate: "Er Mao wasn't all that close to Zheng Tan, keeping a distance of about ten meters, but Zheng Tan's several attempts to shake him off failed. After a few tries, Zheng Tan just gave up—if Er Mao wanted to follow, let him."

We need Er Mao, Zheng Tan.

Walking along the sidewalk, whenever they reached a wall, Zheng Tan would jump up onto it.

Translate: "Walking along the sidewalk beside the road, when they reached a wall, Zheng Tan jumped onto it."

In the days leading up to Jiao Ba's departure, Zheng Tan had stayed on campus and hadn't gone out; this was the first time he'd ventured out recently. The road was still the same, with no major changes.

Translate: "During the period before Jiao Ba's departure, Zheng Tan had stayed on campus and hadn't come out; this was the first time in a while he'd ventured outside. This road was still the same, with no major upheaval."

We need Jiao Ba, Zheng Tan.

As they passed an intersection, Zheng Tan glanced into a side alley and saw a cat of unknown breed perched on a tree—a black‑and‑white spotted cat.

Translate: "As they passed an intersection, Zheng Tan glanced into a side alley and saw a cat of unknown breed perched on a tree—a black‑and‑white patched cat."

What made Zheng Tan stop wasn't how special the cat looked—it was just an ordinary stray, like him—but he wondered what it was staring at.

Translate: "What made Zheng Tan stop wasn't how special the cat looked—it was just an ordinary stray, like him, with nothing remarkable about its appearance; he wondered what it was staring at."

The spot where the flower‑patterned cat was perched was about five meters above the ground, and it fixed its gaze on the second‑floor window of the building in front of the tree, motionless.

Translate: "The flower‑patterned cat was perched about five meters above the ground, fixing its gaze on the second‑floor window of the building in front of the tree, completely still."

Zheng Tan had originally thought the cat was dozing off, since he himself often sits motionless on a tree when napping. But after shifting his angle a bit, he realized the cat wasn't sleeping at all—its eyes were wide open, its ears pricked alertly, and it twitched slightly in response to the ambient noise. (to be continued…)

Translate: "Zheng Tan had thought it was dozing, since he himself looks just as motionless when he naps on a tree; but after shifting his angle a bit, he saw the cat's eyes were wide open, not half‑closed, its ears pricked alertly, and they twitched slightly with the surrounding noise. (To be continued…)"

ps: (2.21) Sorry, I came back tonight and first went to sleep, then I overslept.