"Zhou Li, where are you all going?" Tuanzi stood on the edge of the bed, craning her neck to stare at them.
"Lord Dumpling wants to go out and play too!"
Tuanzi hopped off the bed and, taking quick little steps, caught up with Zhou Li, weaving around his feet and seriously hindering his progress.
Zhou Li had no choice but to pick her up, correcting, "We're going out for a run, not to play; it's tiring. Lord Dumpling is a little lazybones. You usually don't even want to walk, so just stay home. Also, Lord Dumpling, don't run around my feet. You're so tiny, it's easy to step on you."
"Lord Dumpling can run very fast," Tuanzi said, nestled quietly in his arms and staring into his eyes. "Lord Dumpling has four feet."
"Yeah, count them." Tuanzi lowered her head, extending her front paws and hind legs. "You humans only have two."
"Truly impressive," Zhou Li said resignedly.
"MEOW!" Tuanzi purred contentedly. "Say a few more nice things!"
"...What do you want for breakfast?"
"Fish soup over rice." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
"You had that just yesterday."
"Having it today too." She might be a fickle cat towards humans, but she was utterly devoted when it came to fish soup over rice.
"Pick something else."
"...You really are a little smarty-pants." Zhou Li flicked Tuanzi's forehead lightly, then added, "According to our customs here, on the morning of New Year's Day, we should eat Tang Yuan. They symbolize family togetherness... Shh, I'll tell you a secret: Aunt Jiang even wraps coins in the Tang Yuan. Whoever finds a coin not only keeps the money but also gets good luck for the whole year."
Hearing this, Tuanzi fell into deep thought, her eyes wide open.
A moment later, she tilted her head. "So if Lord Dumpling eats Tang Yuan, can Lord Dumpling be reunited with His Highness?"
Her voice was soft and childlike, her pronunciation a little mumbled, making her sound especially adorable when she said "reunited."
Zhou Li thought hard, then winked his left eye. "Maybe. I don't know either. But I think, since His Highness still hasn't appeared even though it's so late, it should be soon, right?"
"MEOW! Lord Dumpling wants to eat Tang Yuan!"
"Lots and lots..." Tuanzi gestured widely with her front paws.
Only upon reaching the dining room did Zhou Li discover that Aunt Jiang had actually prepared chicken breast just for Tuanzi, along with sheep's milk. He pursed his lips and leaned in to whisper in Tuanzi's ear, "Aunt Jiang is really good to you."
"Lord Dumpling wants to eat Tang Yuan!"
Zhou Li served her one Tang Yuan and then, under her strong dissatisfaction, added another, saying, "You have to finish them."
At the same time, Zhu Shuang and Zhu Bing also woke up.
Old Zhou told them from the side, "We wrapped a total of five coins in them. Neither of us old folks found one. Let's see which of you children or that little one manages to get one."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tuanzi meowed.
So Old Zhou laughed heartily. "This little one just loves to join in conversations. Whenever she hears someone speak, she has to make a sound too."
Zhou Li stayed silent.
The Tang Yuan had been made by Old Zhou and Aunt Jiang that morning. They were exceptionally large, so large that a normal person would be full after just four or six. Zhou Li's bowl might have contained around ten, a testament to Aunt Jiang's consideration of his recently increased appetite.
But truth be told, he wasn't very fond of Tang Yuan.
While eating, he observed Tuanzi.
The outside of the Tang Yuan wasn't hot anymore, but the inside was still scalding. Tuanzi carefully bit open the skin, the hot filling making her stick out her tongue repeatedly. After eating half of one, she already felt a bit full. She glanced furtively at Zhou Li, licking her lips a little guiltily.
Nearby, Zhu Bing was the first to find a coin.
Zhou Li found one as well.
Zhu Shuang was lucky; the remaining three were in her bowl.
Tuanzi struggled to finish one. She also drank some sheep's milk and was already feeling quite full. Moreover, she didn't find this food tasty at all. It was sticky, and since she couldn't really chew it, it made her teeth, mouth, and tongue very uncomfortable.
Feeling troubled, she glanced at Zhou Li several times, hoping he would take the initiative to help her out of her predicament.
But Zhou Li remained unmoved.
Unable to hold back any longer, Tuanzi mustered her courage and said weakly, "Zhou Li, Lord Dumpling can't eat the other one. Please put it in that red cabinet for Lord Dumpling. Lord Dumpling will eat it at noon."
Zhou Li had been suppressing his amusement for quite a while by now.
When they were leaving the house, Tuanzi still fussed about going with them. Zhou Li couldn't reason with her and finally had to carry her.
Instead of taking the elevator, he walked down the dark and gloomy stairwell with Huai Xu. Tuanzi looked from him to Huai Xu and back, her small eyes filled with great confusion.
"What are you wearing?"
"A... mask-uh?" Tuanzi asked, trying to imitate the word.
"There's a virus outside."
"Why do you all have one, but Lord Dumpling doesn't?"
"Because Lord Dumpling is a Demon."
"Huai Xu is also a Demon."
"Lord Dumpling wants to wear a mask-uh too!!"
Zhou Li sighed deeply, while Huai Xu stood beside him, trying to stifle his laughter.
City dwellers were more vigilant than village folk for various reasons. That's why many people on the streets were wearing masks, even though no infections had been confirmed in Yan City yet.
Many shops were closed. Zhou Li guessed they were closed for New Year's Day rather than the epidemic, as these shops were usually closed on New Year's Day in previous years too.
He walked through the urban area and headed straight out of the city.
Binjiang Road, usually empty, was now just as deserted; not even a single car could be seen. Zhou Li could safely remove his mask. He put Tuanzi down on the ground and said tentatively—
"I'm going to start running."
"I… Lord Dumpling is going to start running," Tuanzi stood on the ground, looking up at him, repeating his words.
"Lord Dumpling can keep up with me, right?"
"..." Zhou Li bent down. "Lord Dumpling didn't say that at home."
"Hmm, I don't remember~"
"Anyway, I won't stop and wait for you. If you can't keep up, just stop. I'll run that way, and after a while, I'll run back on the other side of the road," Zhou Li cautioned.
"Because Lord Dumpling runs slow."
"Lord Dumpling is just a little kitten with short legs; of course, I can't run fast or far," Tuanzi said. "If Lord Dumpling can't run anymore, you can carry Lord Dumpling."
"You don't like Lord Dumpling anymore, do you?" Tuanzi's eyes sparkled, yet she put on a pitifully sad expression.
"..." Zhou Li averted his gaze and began to stretch. He only said, "I'm starting now. Remember what I said: if you can't keep up, just go play on the other side of the road. I'll come back for you."
With that, he set off. His steps were light, his rhythm familiar. As soon as he started running, he felt the damp, cold morning breeze on his face. It was cool and faintly carried the fishy smell of the river water.
Zhou Li glanced back. Tuanzi hadn't started running at all; she merely took a few quick, tiny steps forward in a little trot before her pace slackened.
"Zhou Li, wait for me!"
"Wait for Lord Dumpling!"
"Huai Xu, come back and carry Lord Dumpling!"
Her speed was about equal to Zhou Li's walking pace.
Zhou Li looked away and soon left Tuanzi far behind.
Huai Xu appeared on a streetlight pole above him, looking down. "Run faster! You're too slow. How about we do three round trips today? The internet says a man needs stamina."
"Oh? Why aren't you wearing a mask?"
"Everyone, come look! This guy isn't wearing a mask!"
"Huh? Why did you stop?"
"Wearing a mask now, are we?"
Without a word, Zhou Li pulled a pair of Bluetooth earphones from his pocket, put them on, played some music, and cranked up the volume. Then, he calmly glanced up at Huai Xu on the streetlight pole and resumed running.
The world quieted down.
Three round trips, totaling twenty-four kilometers. Zhou Li completed it in a time so short it would astonish many running enthusiasts. If converted to a full marathon pace, it might even break the world record.
Returning to the starting point, Zhou Li wiped his sweat and asked, "Where's Tuanzi? She was still here when I ran past earlier."
Huai Xu turned his head toward the riverbank.
Just then, the bushes by the road rustled, and a half-grown kitten, covered in leaves and dirt, darted out. The kitten held a small crucian carp, about two fingers wide, clamped in her mouth.
She looked up at Zhou Li, making soft whimpering sounds from her throat. After a moment, she realized she should put the little fish down first.
"Call me Lord Dumpling!" she demanded.
"Where did this fish come from?"
"There was someone fishing by the river. Lord Dumpling sat with him for a while, and he gave this fish to Lord Dumpling," Tuanzi said, lowering her head to nudge the fish with her little paw. "Take it back and make fish soup over rice for Lord Dumpling."
"...Lord Dumpling certainly is well-loved, huh."
"Yeah, this little thing never goes hungry, no matter where she goes!" Huai Xu remarked, his tone tinged with envy. He glanced towards the riverbank. That angler, sitting by the cold river, must have felt a warmth in his heart to encounter such an intelligent and endearing little cat, right?