Ten years after her parents' divorce, the grandmother who raised Chu Tingwu passed away, leaving her to be shuttled back and forth between relatives.

At this moment, an entity claiming to be a "Cub Rearing System" suddenly appeared, wanting to bind itself to her and cultivate her into an outstanding graduate of its program.

Just as Chu Tingwu was about to refuse, she saw her personal attributes on the system interface—

[Name: Chu Tingwu]

[Species: Cat]

Chu Tingwu: Something's not right here...

Due to a bug, the system had identified her as a kitten.

Her stats were those of a cat, but her appearance remained human.

How should an exemplary human-cat be raised? Sleeping, causing mischief, eating until she became as round as a pig?

However, the reality turned out to be quite different: extreme sports, expert bird-catcher, master mouse-hunter, catching invasive fish barehanded with dynamic vision, using camouflage and tracking skills to film documentaries of rare birds, nearly making the social news as a suspected retired special police officer.

For the first lesson in cultivation, the system said gravely:

"A cub cannot live alone. We need to find you a cat mother... I've already detected a suitable candidate nearby. Go to the target location quickly, little one, and let the cat mother adopt you."

Chu Tingwu looked up as an advertisement fluttered into her hand:

[Sunshine Pet Hospital: Limited-time half-price pet neutering, one month of free food with every pet adoption]

Chu Tingwu: Who exactly is adopting whom here?

The weather was beautiful.

Soft, cotton-white clouds drifted across the sky like dust scattered overhead, wispy and ethereal.

The funeral began under such weather.

And when a light rain started to fall from the sky, the coffin transformed into an urn buried underground, accompanied by sobs of varying intensity, thus concluding the funeral.

Chu Tingwu didn't cry at all throughout the proceedings. She even held a large black umbrella, so when Shen Yue looked back at her, he only saw her cold and pristine face.

"You..." he glanced back at his current wife's slightly furrowed brow, "What did your mother say? Will she be able to come back today?"

Chu Tingwu: "She said if you don't want me, she can give me living expenses."

Shen Yue: "I was asking about her car—never mind!"

Shen Yue's face darkened under the overcast sky: "As if she could afford living expenses! Haven't I been giving you money all along? It's been ten years since I divorced your mother, why are you still acting like this immature child, giving everyone the cold shoulder? And your grandmother just passed away, how come you're not crying?"

After Shen Yue and Lu Cenyin divorced, Chu Tingwu was left in the care of Shen Yue's mother, her paternal grandmother. At that time, her name was still Shen Tingwu.

The woman who was now buried had never been known for her good temper. Upon learning that her son had divorced and gained custody of his daughter but was unwilling to raise her, she promptly changed Chu Tingwu's surname—and only informed Shen Yue afterward.

Chu Tingwu asked, puzzled: "I didn't cry because grandmother wouldn't have been unhappy if she were alive. What are you upset about?"

Shen Yue was at a loss for words.

After a moment, he changed the subject: "Since your mother said that... why don't you go to Jin City for your first year of high school after the summer vacation? How much allowance does she give you per month?"

He could give double what his ex-wife offered.

Ten years had passed, and he had become successful in his career. He was no longer the man who needed financial support from his ex-wife's family.

Chu Tingwu: "Fifty thousand."

Shen Yue: "...How much?"

Chu Tingwu silently looked at him, and only after her biological father had almost grudgingly accepted did she slowly correct herself: "I misspoke. It seems to be five thousand, right?"

Shen Yue: "...Dad will give you twenty thousand every month. Remember to take good care of yourself."

The successful middle-aged man hurriedly drove away with his wife and second daughter. The neighbor living next door helped Chu Tingwu pack the leftovers into the refrigerator, took a few bags for themselves, and then said goodbye.

But in the countryside, neighbors tend to speak loudly. Even after they had left the yard, Chu Tingwu could still hear them chatting, using the hasty yet expensive funeral as a topic of conversation—

"Ah Chu's son has made it big, that car, goodness, must be worth several million, right?"

"Sigh, what's the use of success if he hardly ever comes back? He even left his eldest daughter for Ah Chu to raise. Why doesn't he take her to live in the city?"

"Well, didn't they renovate that old house? It'll be the granddaughter's in the future."

"Our place is so remote, how much could the house be worth? Didn't they say they were going to build a tourist spot, a resort or something? That never happened..."

"I wonder if Ah Chu's son, now that he's a big boss, will come and build a resort?"

Chu Tingwu closed the door and turned to survey the small courtyard.

The small courtyard

Located in the countryside of Fallen Phoenix City, it had fairly convenient transportation. There were two schools nearby, and it only took twenty minutes to walk from here to the Guishui River that ran through the entire Fallen Phoenix City, so people from the surrounding villages were all good swimmers.

The yard had been renovated, with new water and electricity installations. The ground was paved with a layer of blue bricks, now smooth and shiny from the light rain. The main house had also been refurbished, possibly because Shen Yue wanted to show off once he had money. But Chu Shuyi didn't like villas, so the house of over 100 square meters looked rustic at first glance, yet was very comfortable to live in.

Under the eaves of the first floor, there used to be birdcages hanging, but later they were modified to make nests for swallows. The second floor only had a not-so-high attic, half of which was used as a place for Chu Tingwu and her grandmother to play badminton, while the other half was enclosed to grow flowers. However, the shuttlecock often landed in the flower beds, so a small path trampled by feet eventually appeared behind the flower beds.

The wind blew, scattering dry leaves into the fish pond in the yard. The rocking chair under the eaves was still swaying. Chu Tingwu brought out a well-worn blanket from the room, curled herself up, and fell asleep on the rocking chair.

Lu Cenyin only returned after the sky had completely darkened.

The driver was Chu Tingwu's elder brother, Lu Tinglan. Although they were full siblings, the last time they met was during the New Year, so there was some unfamiliarity and awkwardness between them.

—However, Lu Tinglan felt that he was the only one feeling awkward.

His sister's expression showed no emotion, and she spoke very little, only saying thank you when she took the fast food he had brought.

Lu Tinglan waved his hand: "Mom thought you might be hungry, so we bought some at the highway service area. It should still be warm."

The mother and son first offered incense to the deceased in the living room, then accompanied Chu Tingwu to burn paper money at the entrance of the courtyard. By now, they all looked somewhat tired. Hearing the conversation between the siblings, Lu Cenyin pushed away her laptop: "Tingwu, are you coming with us to Jin City tomorrow, or have you decided to go when the summer vacation ends?"

Separated from her daughter at the age of five, in the blink of an eye, she was already fifteen... She had grown up and become unfamiliar. Lu Cenyin no longer knew how to interact with her daughter, and her daughter also seemed not to need her much.

She had suggested letting Chu Tingwu live at home, with a housekeeper to take care of meals. It was a bit far from school, but a driver could pick her up and drop her off. However, Chu Tingwu herself refused, choosing to rent a place near the school.

Lu Cenyin knew that Chu Tingwu often cooked for herself, so at least she wouldn't starve. Considering that the area around the school was fairly safe, she agreed and increased the living allowance from three thousand to five thousand.

This included the rent.

It wasn't that she couldn't give more, but there was no need for an underage child to have control over so much money.

...Besides, the child's biological father would also provide.

Of course, at this point, Lu Cenyin didn't know how much living allowance the child's biological father had promised.

Chu Tingwu swallowed her food: "I'll go by myself next month."

"That's fine, you'll need to pack your things," Lu Cenyin said, "When the time comes, call Tinglan and let him help you move."

"Ah," Lu Tinglan was taken aback, "This summer vacation—"

He would be busy next month.

Chu Tingwu: "I'll hire a moving company, it's more convenient."

Lu Tinglan: "Uh, oh, okay... Wait, let me send you a red envelope!"

The conversation, as polite as if they were mere guests, continued until the mother and son left the next day. Chu Tingwu saw off her biological relatives—

And gained twenty-seven thousand yuan in her private account.

Two thousand of that was from her brother's red envelope.

In fact, before her grandmother passed away, she had given Chu Tingwu her savings from many years, which was enough for her to live quite comfortably until she graduated from university. So Chu Tingwu wasn't short of money at all, but she didn't want to touch that savings account.

She opened her phone to check the balance. Outside, cicadas were chirping, making her feel dizzy. Chu Tingwu blinked... No, it wasn't just an illusion. The entire world in front of her seemed to shatter into colorful glass fragments, constantly reassembling, and there was an inexplicably irritating voice in her ear.

[Binding... Binding successful!]

[Identifying...]

[Re-identifying...]

[Identification successful!]

Chu Tingwu suddenly stood up. In the next second, she blinked, as if startled by the sound, and nimbly jumped with one foot, landing in a crouched position with both feet together on the round dining table a meter off the ground. The table wobbled, and Chu Tingwu slightly tilted her body, then the table stabilized again.

Chu Tingwu: "..."

She had no time to ponder her current peculiar state, because the world in front of her had finished reassembling, but the perspective was still very strange, giving her a sense of information overload and dizziness—

[Hello, host. I am the Nanny-type Cub Raising System A7, your future companion. I am loaded with 17,240 species' rearing and training courses from infancy to adulthood. As long as you're willing, I will accompany you and even take care of your offspring.]

[My design model is the most excellent and suitable. I've had zero negative reviews over the years and am designed to actively seek cubs that need to be raised. You can also call me "Star's Gift". In return, can I call you "little one"?]

Chu Tingwu: "No, you can't."

System: "..."

System: "Oh... oh."

The system quickly ran a self-check, taking 0.01 seconds to confirm that the previous dialogue was standard post-production conversation without any errors. Realizing that the young host might not appreciate such a cold introduction, it immediately opened the system screen enthusiastically, displaying both text and images—

Then Chu Tingwu saw:

[Host Name: Chu Tingwu]

[Age: Underage cub (weaning period completed)]

[Species: Blue Star Feliformia - Felidae - Cat]

[Current Status: Poor balance, weak senses, impaired limb coordination, below-average running speed and endurance, small body size, no hunting ability, no self-care ability...]

[Mood: Sad]

As these words appeared, there was a Q-version pixel art "Chu Tingwu" avatar next to the screen. The tiny face had a TAT-style wide noodle tear, which was even animated.

Before Chu Tingwu could say anything, the system let out a shriek.

"Cub! Your status—"

Chu Tingwu: How did you start calling me that?

The system's voice suddenly became several times gentler: "Cub, although your status isn't great, don't be afraid. You're just not very good at using your innate powers, but your instincts are still there. As long as I'm here, you'll definitely become an excellent cat!"

Chu Tingwu: "An excellent what?"

System: "Cat, of course."

Chu Tingwu glanced at the system panel, then looked at the ground—she was still crouching on the table—and finally realized that her overly agile reaction was quite out of place.

Her head was still dizzy, the discomfort hadn't subsided... It felt as if a human body had suddenly been transformed into a cat, possessing an excessive sense of balance and heightened alertness to the slightest movement, along with unnecessarily powerful senses of smell, hearing, and sight. She felt her current state was terrible.

She touched her forehead; it was indeed very hot.

"Excellent system," Chu Tingwu said, "before I'm burned into an idiot, could you please turn off my innate powers?"

System: "?"

Chu Tingwu: "Is there a possibility... that my species isn't actually a cat?"

The system saw that the host's [Mood] had changed.

On the panel, the word "Sad" disappeared, slowly changing to—

[Mood: Irritated]

The Q-version pixel avatar started rolling its eyes.

System: "..."

Ah!!

Chu Tingwu jumped down from the table and sank into the sofa.

During her dizziness, the system mumbled something she couldn't hear clearly, and then her feeling of "overload" finally subsided.

System: "Innate power is your instinct, which I can't turn off. I just temporarily blocked your perception of accessing that power."

It was like building a dam on a river - the flow of water was indeed blocked, but it hadn't disappeared.

Chu Tingwu rubbed her forehead.

At this point, her thinking ability finally returned, and she could normally analyze what this "system" was all about—

According to the system's explanation, it was the kind of system that automatically assigns work after appearing, so it had bound itself to Chu Tingwu entirely according to its own built-in rules, and the rule was—

[That is, you need me!]

Chu Tingwu: "No, you've got it wrong."

[Wait, wait, I'm the most excellent system, I can't be wrong—]

Chu Tingwu: "I mean you've got my species wrong."

The system fell silent.

Or rather, its current data layer was actually a bit chaotic.

In the process of getting to know each other, Chu Tingwu had been trying to prove to the system that she wasn't a cat, that she was actually a human, but this seemed to touch upon the system's most core settings. Denying this would be like denying the system itself... so it was very difficult for the system to accept.

And the existence value of such a service system was to serve the host. Repeatedly denying the host would make the host unhappy, so considering how stubborn this young host was—

[Okay, okay, okay, you're a human-cat, a special kind of cat.]

Chu Tingwu: She could tell it was trying its best.

She gave up.

Chu Tingwu: "Anyway, people... cats like me can't be trained according to your arranged courses, nor can they be judged by those rules of yours."

In any case, she still had self-care abilities and the ability to live independently, right?

And what was "end of nursing period" supposed to mean, was it saying she was at least weaned?

The system accepted it.

The wind rustled the fallen leaves in the courtyard. Chu Tingwu turned on the lights in the yard, rechecked the door locks, then left only the small light in the living room on, and checked the system's newly modified panel data again...

[Name: Chu Tingwu]

[Age: Underage cub (suspected to be still in nursing period)]

[Species: Blue Planet Feliform - Felidae - Cat (with human form)]

[Current status: Instincts locked (pending unlock)]

[Improvement courses:

(Second-tier improvement courses can be unlocked after instincts are unlocked and proficiently used)]

[Current task one: Find a feline foster mother for instinct training + learning]

Chu Tingwu: "..."

[Mood: Speechless]

Chu Tingwu: ... Great, after the changes, in the system's eyes, her image had become "not weaned" yet.

She gave up, silently washed up, and then fell into bed and went to sleep.

The system in her mind seemed to say something, but after realizing Chu Tingwu had closed her eyes, all that remained in her ears was a vague and hypnotic sound like ASMR. Her furrowed brows slowly relaxed in the slight wind, and her breathing gradually steadied with the lingering scent of aromatic candles.

She fell asleep.

-

The next day, Chu Tingwu was awakened by the sound of birdsong in her mind.

After realizing she was fully awake, the system turned off the relaxation and kindly and benevolently (?) asked if she had the urge to go hunting after hearing it.

Chu Tingwu: "... My species doesn't hunt like that."

System: "?"

So she ordered some fried chicken for delivery right in front of the system.

However, the system didn't seem unhappy:

"Cub, I just accessed the Blue Planet's network and found out that most kittens can't order takeout, but you can. Your species is really excellent, cub is super great!"

Chu Tingwu: For some reason, even though she was praised, she didn't feel happy at all.

And what kind of cats were those few that could order takeout?

[Also! To match the nurturing of a special kitten like you, I've learned a lot of new knowledge from the network! Instincts can't be locked forever, completing task one is for your own good...]

No, human-cats don't seem to like phrases like "for your own good" very much—

The system immediately realized its tone was problematic, so it added a cute expression at the end to sell meng.

[Meow~]

Chu Tingwu: "Did you catch a virus?"

System: "?"

Despite saying this, Chu Tingwu did take the system's words to heart.

— Her body had already been modified by the system when they bonded (although the system didn't admit it), and she had temporarily blocked that special feline sensation, but it couldn't be blocked forever. Or if the system malfunctioned one day, she couldn't suddenly turn into an overly sensitive "cat" on the spot, which would affect her life.

So... to adapt, to learn, to use this new body, was a lesson she had to go through.

And the solution given by the system seemed to be to find a real cat to be her teacher.

Chu Tingwu finished cleaning up the table and chairs, and finally conceded: "Do you have any recommended candidates?"

A virtual screen automatically opened in front of her. Chu Tingwu leaned back, still feeling this scene was very surreal even though it was already the second day.

She looked at the center of the screen, where withered yellow grass gradually appeared in the black background. A agile animal stepped into the frame on four legs, its ears quivering slightly in the wind, its golden short fur lying flat like waves of wheat, with the parts ruffled by the wind giving off a beautiful wild beauty.

This was an adult lioness from the great savanna!

And the scene wasn't over yet... because a few lion cubs tumbled out from the corner, fighting and biting each other. This was a mother lion currently raising cubs!

[She is the most suitable candidate I've currently found on the network! Whether it's hunting and survival skills of feline animals, or combat instincts, she's at the peak of her age group. And she just lost two cubs, I can change your scent to make her quickly recognize you as—]

Chu Tingwu: "Pass."

[—her child.]

[QAQ]

She raised her hand to swat away the virtual emoticon in front of her: "I guess you mean you can find a way to drop me onto the savanna, and then have me live among the lion pride, raised as a child by this lioness?"

The system muttered that this was the most efficient method, and that this lioness was really excellent!

Chu Tingwu decided to add the word "excellent" to her list of disliked words, right under Shen Yue's name.

"Don't be ridiculous," she sighed, "I don't know much about it, but I can guess this is a celebrity lion, the kind that has documentaries and is constantly followed by cameras... She even has a tracking collar on her neck. If I, a human, suddenly appear in the lion pride, without even changing into a cat form, do you want me to be trending globally tomorrow?"

Lions are indeed feline, but let's go for some normal felines.

After a brief discussion between the person (human-cat) and the system, they finally decided to go out.

The system currently only collected online information and data, but if it could have close contact, its judgment of "foster mothers" would be more accurate.

System: "I must find you the best mother!"

Chu Tingwu: "I actually have... never mind."

Lu Cenyin couldn't hear this anyway.

-

Although Fallen Phoenix City had a beautiful name, it was at most a second-tier city. It had scenic spots and commercial districts, but they weren't famous or top-notch. Only the Guishui River that ran through the city had some reputation online — a wildly popular historical drama had filmed here a few years ago, and now the riverside's mock-ancient street was full of costume shops and antique stores.

Chu Tingwu rode her bicycle, first arriving at the Guishui River... In her memory, there were several pet shops hidden among the costume and antique shops, operating neither too well nor too poorly.

However, following the map navigation, Chu Tingwu stopped at the entrance.

The system commented in her mind: "This one won't do, weak limbs, oversized body, no ferocity... This one won't do either, gluttonous, timid. This one — this one has congenital intelligence issues!"

"That's normal," she got back on her bicycle, "because this place has changed from a pet shop to a cat cafe."

And that cat with "intelligence issues" was actually the cafe's best-selling cat, with its award certificate posted on the wall.

The remaining pet shops didn't receive high ratings from the system either. After all, they only sold purebred cats. Although these trained purebred cats still possessed feline instincts, such as balance and reflexes, they couldn't meet the system's high standards—

And they were all kittens, too.

A gentle breeze blew along the riverbank, where many people were fishing, not disturbing one another. Chu Tingwu stopped to watch for a while when suddenly she heard someone cry out.

"My seven-pound fish!"

It seemed someone's fish had been stolen, causing most people to turn their heads, wanting to see who the little fish thief was—Chu Tingwu's mouth twitched slightly. She was nearby and saw everything clearly:

The one who had snatched the fish was actually a chubby yellow tabby cat with white paws.

Moreover, that fish didn't look like it weighed seven pounds; it was three pounds at most.

The angler had tied the fish with a line and hung it on the railing. As a result, this stray yellow tabby cat leaped nimbly, skillfully pulled the fish down, and fled while eating it. By the time the angler noticed, half the fish had already been devoured.

Chu Tingwu: "This one?"

If this were a human-cat, shouldn't its body be full of strong, fighting muscles?

The system didn't respond. Chu Tingwu approached the big cat. The cat twitched its ears, then glanced at her sideways, seemingly deciding there was no need to run away. Just then, a net suddenly swooped down towards the cat—

Chu Tingwu and the cat both jumped at the same time.

"Whoa!"

The person trying to net the cat was also startled by her reaction. There were two people, a man and a woman. The man wielded the net while the woman held a cat carrier. They first worked together to put the yellow tabby into the carrier, then the woman, who looked like a college student, came over to apologize: "I'm sorry, little sister. We're catching cats for neutering. Did we scare you?"

Chu Tingwu: "Neutering?"

"Yes, yes," the woman skillfully pulled out her employee ID and then her phone to show her a public account platform. "We're from a nearby pet hospital. We regularly provide free neutering for stray cats in the area... Oh, I saw you watching for a while. Do you like cats? Are you interested in adopting one?"

Chu Tingwu: "Umm..."

Would spaying a female cat affect her hunting ability (or her skill in teaching kittens)?

She urged the system in her mind, and the system finally replied: "It won't have any effect. Neutering isn't a bad thing for cats."

[...But this cat is male.]

Just then, the grumbling yellow tabby exposed his, not her, unremoved bells.

Chu Tingwu: "...Oh."

System: "..."

Oh no, the child seems to have a gender recognition disorder. What should we do?!

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