Chapter 7: The Neighbor

"Maybe ask someone to help feed the cat?"

After thinking it over, Selene realized that right now, Mason was her best option for help. Her parents were unreliable, and other relatives were out of the question. She did have a twin sister, but their strained relationship made her an unlikely option as well.

As for friends, it wasn't that Selene had none; her closest friends were her three college roommates. After graduation, she was the only one who chose to stay in this city. While they still kept in touch and remained close, they obviously couldn't come from afar just to feed a cat. Colleagues from her previous company were even less likely to help; they were merely work acquaintances, good for a chat or a meal during work hours but not for socializing after hours, let alone asking them to feed her cat.

"Meow-" Life as a cat isn't easy. Selene sighed and, after much hesitation, finally picked up her phone and opened WeChat, clicking on Mason's profile.

[Selene: [cat peeking.jpg] Little Mason, are you home?]

During lunch, they had talked for a while, and Selene learned that Mason wasn't going back home this summer and was staying at his cousin's place.

A few seconds later, a message came back.

[Mason: Not at home, haha. I'm out eating with friends, and then we're going to a KTV to sing!]

Seeing this, Selene's heart sank.

Another few seconds passed.

[Mason: Sis, what's up? Do you need help?]

Selene, who generally disliked bothering others, quickly typed a response with her paws.

[Selene: Nothing urgent, have fun!]

Mason stared at the message on his phone, deep in thought. From their interactions over the past few days, he could tell that Selene didn't like to impose on others. If she was reaching out to him now, it likely meant she needed something, perhaps a problem with the house, but she was too embarrassed to ask her brother for help. Thinking this, Mason decided to be thoroughly helpful. He opened the conversation with Rowan, who had a lotus flower avatar, and sent a voice message.

"Bro, Selene seems to have run into some trouble, and you're at home anyway. Could you help her out?"

Selene lay belly-up on the couch, her big round eyes staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. It looked like she was going to go hungry tonight. She deeply regretted not stopping by the supermarket on her way home. It was so close, and even just a bit of meaty snacks would have spared her this misery. That round light looks kinda like a beef patty...

Ding-

Selene turned over and looked at her lit-up phone screen. Then, she was surprised. The message was from her ever-so-kind landlord.

[Landlord: Sorry, I was tied up with some stuff during the day and couldn't help. How's the house? Any issues?]

Selene raised her paw to type.

[Selene: The house is great, I really like it!]

Right after sending it, an idea flashed through Selene's mind. Maybe she could ask this helpful landlord for assistance. He seemed amiable and liked animals. Most importantly... He lived next door, making it very convenient. He was the perfect candidate to feed a cat!

[Selene: Are you free right now?]

[Landlord: Yes.]

[Selene: I had to step out urgently, and it'll be late when I get back. Could you please help feed a cat? I'm not sure if that's okay...]

After sending the message, Selene began to regret it; ideally, she should avoid entanglements with others for safety's sake. Just as Selene was about to retract her message, a reply came in.

[Landlord: Sure.]

[Landlord: What does it eat?]

... Eh? Can I order too? With an empty stomach, Selene was torn. Beef is good, chicken is tasty, and fish would be nice too... The person on the other end seemed to sense her confusion and added an explanation.

[Landlord: I mean, does it eat cat food, canned food, home-cooked, or raw meat?]

Only then did Selene realize she had misunderstood. Good lord, her landlord seemed really knowledgeable about pets! He even knew all this stuff. No wonder that golden retriever looked so sleek and well-fed! As she thought about this, Selene replied.

[Selene: The cat was a recent rescue. I don't know much about cats, just that it dislikes cat food and prefers meat. Any meat will be raw or cooked.]

[Selene: If there's no meat, I can order some now and have it delivered. You'd just need to pick it up downstairs.]

Typing it out felt so awkward. Selene thought for a moment, then opened her camera to take a "cat bowing" photo, photoshopped "Please" in big white letters, and sent it as an emoticon to her landlord.

[Landlord: No need, I have meat at home. Don't buy any.]

[Landlord: What kind of meat have you fed it before?]

What kind? She had eaten a lot.

[Selene: Pork, beef, chicken legs, chicken breast, duck legs, duck breast, salmon]

[Landlord: [smiley soybean.jpg] Got it.]

That smiley emoji... It gave Selene a strange feeling. It wasn't that Selene stereotyped, but almost all the influencers she interacted with were young people, trendy and up-to-date, fluent in internet slang, using a wide array of quirky emoticons, rarely the system's default ones unless for work. Was this guy really 26, not 46?

As she was lost in her thoughts, another message beeped.

[Landlord: Forgot to ask, the code?]

The code? Oh right... Great, she had completely forgotten- The landlord had mentioned yesterday that the previous door's lock was insecure, so he had it replaced with a smart lock and advised her to change the code.

[Selene: I haven't gotten around to changing it, it's still the default code, just come on in.]

After sending the message, Selene zoned out again. Actually, she didn't even know what her landlord looked like. She only knew he was named Rowan, 26 years old, very tall, owned a large golden retriever, liked gardening, was good at drawing, had a gentle disposition, and was quite helpful. Nothing else.

Selene didn't know why she felt so trusting of someone she had never met, inviting him into her home. Relationships between people are truly fascinating. Some you know for years and yet remain just acquaintances, while others you trust deeply after just a couple of days, like old friends.

Selene looked around the house, which radiated warmth everywhere. He's a good person. Selene trusted her instincts.

Rowan arrived quickly. Selene was just halfway through an episode on her tablet when she heard the neighbor's door open, followed by footsteps in the hallway. She hurriedly turned off the tablet and jumped onto the entryway cabinet, waiting for Rowan to enter.

The person outside started entering the code. Driven by curiosity, Selene moved closer to the door to get a good look as soon as it opened.

Beep- The door gently swung open. "Excuse me." Before seeing him, Selene heard a crisp male voice. The voice was very pleasant, like a spring breeze, refreshing and delightful.

Then, the young man who appeared at the door... was quite a surprise. The white light from the hallway flooded into her dark home as the door opened wider, and more striking than the light was the man's face-it was irresistibly captivating. If extreme beauty is a weapon that disarms in an instant, then the man before her was the epitome of effortless lethality. And what's more outrageous... He seemed to make no effort to temper his looks, even accentuating them with slightly longer hair than most men, casually tied back with a hair tie, which added a touch of nonchalance. The small, elegant silver earring on his exposed left ear glinted under the light.

Compared to his gentle and harmless demeanor, his looks were excessively flamboyant. ...far from what she had imagined.

He seemed to notice her too, looking up at her. The moment Selene's eyes met those beautiful phoenix eyes, she instinctively looked away, grateful she wasn't in her human form-otherwise, she would have blushed furiously. But then, she was a little cat now. With this realization, Selene's gaze returned to Rowan. A little cat can unabashedly stare at a handsome man!

But at this moment, what the handsome man was carrying seemed even more appealing to her. What is that scent? It smells amazing! Selene felt her eyes going straight, helplessly watching the plate in Rowan's hands.

Rowan, seeing the eager little cat on the countertop, couldn't help but chuckle. This seemed to be a rather bold kitten, unafraid of strangers. He took a couple of steps forward and gently placed the plate on the countertop. Selene, no longer concerned with admiring the handsome man, lunged at the plate.

However, Selene couldn't tell what meat it was because it appeared to be steamed then mashed, the minced meat slightly warm and very fragrant. Selene couldn't wait to start eating.

With the first bite, she almost cried. This "cat meal" was deliciously juicy, nearly bursting with flavor. The texture of cooked meat was different from raw, and while Selene found both delicious, as a human, she psychologically preferred cooked food

.

Selene devoured everything, even drinking up the meat juice. Only when Selene lifted her head from the plate, full and satisfied, did she realize Rowan had been standing there watching her eat. Although his gaze was incredibly gentle and non-threatening, Selene still belatedly felt a kind of embarrassment she had never experienced before...

It's normal for people to watch cats eat; she often watches fluffy eating shows online. But she wasn't a real cat! Selene decisively jumped off the counter and darted into the bedroom, diving under the covers to escape reality. Rowan, witnessing this, couldn't suppress a few low chuckles before leisurely picking up the plate, closing the door, and heading back to his own apartment.

No one knew, a certain orange cat had already wrapped herself into a ball under the covers from embarrassment. Who would understand, having too keen hearing can be a bother.

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