The countryside nights are way quieter than those in the city.
With hardly any vehicles or pedestrians, there’s no sound of civilization.
But come summer, the night becomes a cacophony of cicadas and frogs. If a city kid comes here, they might just be too noisy to ever sleep.
Lin Nan tentatively knocked on Wu Guodong’s bedroom door. Hearing no response, the trio tiptoed to the hall and pushed open the door to the first-floor lounge.
Fortunately, they didn’t wake Grandfather or Grandmother.
Though the air in the countryside wasn’t as fresh as it had been in childhood, it was still much fresher than in the city. Lin Nan stepped outside and took a deep breath, only to jump at the inexplicable feeling of being watched from a dark corner.
“About half an hour should do it.”
Even in the countryside, Grandfather’s house was no hotspot, so every family had one or two electric scooters. Otherwise, shopping for veggies would become quite a chore.
Still haunted by horror movies and nightmares, Lin Nan looked like a kitten in a new environment, wary of every sound. Once in a while, a barking dog or rustling leaves would startle her.
The entire four-lane road in front of Grandfather’s house was thoroughly monopolized by them, and they couldn’t be bothered with traffic rules, swaggering straight down the middle of the road.
Liu Xinyi walked alongside Lin Nan, with Wu Jiaming leading the way. The trio didn’t seem as harmonious as one might imagine.
“I feel like my cousin has changed a lot,” Liu Xinyi said softly behind Lin Nan. “He’s not as easy to get along with anymore.”
“It’s been too long since you last met. Who told you to go off to school in another city with your dad?” With both hands shoved into her hoodie pockets, Lin Nan occasionally glanced around the street corners without showing too much fear, trying to project an air of bravery.
Liu Xinyi had grown up here, but before starting elementary school, she followed her father to his family’s old home, quite far away, requiring a two-hour bus ride.
Lin Nan had gone once too, had a blast with Liu Xinyi’s cousin, even “deciding their future together.” But ten years had flown by, and she barely remembered what the girl had looked like.
“My sister still occasionally asks why you haven’t come over to play,” Liu Xinyi said with a boyish stride. “She finished high school and just quit studying; now she’s busy looking for a job all over the place.”
“Really?”
Lin Nan noted that although Liu Xinyi had been single all along, it was entirely due to a serious case of being too masculine in her choices.
Looking back at the girl who had pursued her in high school, her social media photos now showed her stunningly beautiful. Meanwhile, if Liu Xinyi had gone to visit each summer, she wouldn’t still be a virgin, never having experienced the joys of men.
As the two chatted, Wu Jiaming chimed in every now and then. The relationship between Liu Xinyi and him was quickly warming up, and the trio felt like they were back to their childhood…
“Remember when Lin Nan was chased by dogs everywhere when we were kids…” Wu Jiaming was about to spill some embarrassing story about Lin Nan when he suddenly stopped, staring blankly at a stray dog blocking their way.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Nan noticed him stop and looked up to find a famished stray dog.
“Grandpa just told me the other day that stray dogs around here have been aggressive lately,” Wu Jiaming scratched his head, nervously backing up while trying to protect the girls. “I completely forgot about that…”
“Cousin! Go for it! Bite it!” Liu Xinyi was all for the drama.
“Are you kidding me? Even if I could take it on, it would hurt getting bitten. A rabies vaccine costs nearly a thousand!” Wu Jiaming tried to back away slowly, but the dog advanced closer. “Quick! Find a brick or a stick, fighting with my bare hands could get me bitten, and I can’t outrun it!”
“Where would a brick come from in the middle of the road?”
Having grown up in the village, Wu Jiaming had dealt with dogs before, even sprinting from geese back in the day. If he were alone, he would’ve made a run for it. However, he had two fragile cousins with him.
Plus, it’s best to confront aggressive dogs head-on, not run.
“Why are there so many dogs all of a sudden?”
Wu Jiaming despaired as he watched wild dogs gathering from the corners of the road, what started as one had quickly multiplied into five in just a minute.
Liu Xinyi, usually so lively, was too nervous to act up, tightly clutching Lin Nan’s arm.
Lin Nan glanced down at her clenched grip.
No, for crying out loud, let me go! I can’t turn invisible, and I can’t run!
She started pondering the effectiveness of her charm magic on dogs, debating whether it only worked on men…
With her current magic skills, it didn’t seem possible to magically transport the three of them or unleash devastating spells.
“Looks like we’re stuck here tonight,” Wu Jiaming sighed, gazing hopelessly at the five snarling canines, fully resigned to the idea that he couldn’t win.
As the dogs edged closer, Wu Jiaming was about to use himself as bait when suddenly a massive chorus of cat yowls erupted around them.
The three froze momentarily, then turned towards the source and saw a bunch of glowing green eyes in the night.
The five dogs yelped and with tails between their legs, turned and ran.
Wild cats?
Lin Nan gawked as a bunch of cats approached the lamp’s light, stunned to see a black cat lounging luxuriously on a board, being carried by four other cats like a royal procession.
There were at least dozens of cats, quickly encircling the three.
“This… Cola?” Lin Nan couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Call me Lady Witch Lilith!” the black cat hopped down, swishing its tail gracefully as it strutted over to Lin Nan, puffing with pride, “No matter where I am, or what I become, I’ll always achieve greatness!”
Lin Nan didn’t understand a word of it, squatted down, and gently stroked Cola’s head. Hearing the soothing purring, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Come! Let me introduce you!”
The cat shook its tail, and a tall, impressive long-haired cat that probably had Norwegian heritage stepped out from the group.
“This is my boyfriend!”
“This is my second boyfriend!”
“These are all my harem!”
“Now we just have to wait until I go into heat!”
“Since I’ve turned into a cat, I have to experience it before turning back!”
Lin Nan couldn’t make sense of any of it; she just watched as the feline pranced around, meowing incessantly.
Wu Jiaming had seen Cola before, but only heard tales of her running off after going into heat, and now, he stared in disbelief and asked, “She’s not introducing friends, is she…”
“Surely, she can’t be that smart…” Lin Nan scanned the surroundings, realizing to her shock that the wild cats were neatly forming a perfect circle around the trio. “Could they actually be that clever?”
She suddenly started to suspect the real intelligence behind those kitties.
Liu Xinyi was still clueless about the situation; first, they were ambushed by wild dogs, and now surrounded by wild cats. She could only hide behind Wu Jiaming, trembling.
