Apocalyptic Crazy Kitty

Chapter 36: I Almost Lost the Cat

You’re just a human—no matter how cute you are, how could you ever be as cute as a kitty!? That’s such a stupid question! Mo Xiaoqing was left speechless by Zuo Chen’s question, momentarily at a loss for words. She’d originally hoped to use this as an excuse to get closer to the Orange Cat, but she never expected to be shut down so decisively by a single remark. After hesitating for a moment, her eyes darted about, and she continued, “Your Majesty, it’s too bumpy on my shoulder. Running like this might make you uncomfortable. I can see you have matters to attend to, so how about you deign to sit on my chest? I’ll use my arm to make a seat for you—what do you think?” At that moment, they were moving swiftly through the dense forest, skirting the scattered zombies along the way. Riding on Mo Xiaoqing’s shoulder was indeed a bit bumpy, and it prevented them from moving at top speed. Zuo Chen was still reviewing information about Weicheng and naturally didn’t give this minor matter a second thought. He nodded: “Alright.” Then he jumped onto Mo Xiaoqing’s chest. Hmm, soft… actually quite comfortable. Mo Xiaoqing struggled to suppress her inner elation; a look of triumph flashed in her eyes as she wrapped her arms tightly around the big Orange Cat in her arms, overjoyed. Oh my gosh! I finally got to hold this kitty! Just as you’d expect from His Majesty the Beast King—the feel, the bounce, the warmth—it’s so much softer than an ordinary cat! A smile involuntarily spread across Mo Xiaoqing’s face, her mouth stretching from ear to ear. She crossed her arms across her chest to hold Zuo Chen, gripping one of his front paws in each hand. Unable to resist, she gently squeezed the pads on his paws, feeling a tingling sensation spread through her whole body. Petting a cat! Petting an Orange Cat! Petting the Beast King’s big Orange Cat! Mo Xiaoqing was practically floating on cloud nine. Erzi, running alongside her with a long face, was green with envy… Why hadn’t he ever thought of this trick! This woman is just too cunning and devious—she actually took advantage of the Great King! Even the Great King fell for her tricks! Zuo Chen, of course, had no idea what these two die-hard cat lovers were thinking—and even if he did, he wouldn’t have bothered to care. Glancing up at the sky, he ordered, “We’ll spend the night in this small town. Find a clean house.” Just ahead lay Weicheng. Without sufficient confidence, Zuo Chen wouldn’t dare enter this territory of the Abyss-Dwellers lightly—especially since it was dark at night; who knew what lurked inside? System fragments were certainly important, but they were nothing compared to his own life. Several of his men, now well-versed in the area, quickly found a villa. They killed all the zombies inside, cleared away the corpses and other debris, and only then invited Zuo Chen inside. Mo Xiaoqing plopped down on the sofa, so comfortable she didn’t want to get up. At that moment, she was even more astonished by Zuo Chen’s ability to intimidate the zombies. Amid the ruins of a town overrun by zombies, they had emerged unscathed—as safe as if they were in their own backyard! Since the small town had no solar power system, the group broke up some wooden furniture and built a huge bonfire in the villa’s living room to light up the house. As they sat around the bonfire, everyone felt a touch of exhaustion and drowsiness. Ever since leaving Yancheng, they had been racing nonstop, and with two battles against the Shennu squad thrown in, they hadn’t rested in a long time. Although Evolved beings possess formidable physical strength, they can still grow mentally exhausted. After digging out some food and eating a quick meal, most of them fell into a deep sleep on the sofas and the floor. Erzi, the butler, however, sprang into action. There was a small stream right in front of the villa. Erzi drew water from it, filled the villa’s iron bathtub, and lit a fire beneath it. He quickly heated the water, then approached Zuo Chen: “Great King, the water is ready. You may take a bath.” Zuo Chen nodded, jumped into the tub, and floated on his back with his paws and belly above the water. He let out a long sigh and remarked, “That feels good…” After a day of running around, a hot bath was indeed a welcome treat. The villa’s bathroom was spacious; it was clear that it had once belonged to a wealthy family. It was a pity that after the apocalypse, they had disappeared—who knew where they’d ended up? Or perhaps the zombie whose head had just been blown off was the villa’s owner. Life is so unpredictable… Just as Zuo Chen was lost in thought, he heard a rustling sound coming from the changing room outside. Moments later, Mo Xiaoqing ran excitedly into the bathroom from the adjacent stall, holding a brush in her hand. Her eyes were shaped like hearts as she said, “Your Majesty, I’m here to scrub your back!” The moment Zuo Chen looked up, he choked on a mouthful of bathwater. Mo Xiaoqing was completely naked—her two “white rabbits” were bouncing so wildly they made his eyes spin. He felt a sudden heat in his nose; if it were capable of bleeding, he’d definitely be getting a nosebleed right then! Worst of all, a certain little “iron nail” down below reacted instantly—after a wave of heat, it was about to turn into a carrot! “Get out! Put some clothes on!” Zuo Chen roared, swishing his tail to slam the bathroom door shut with a “bang,” trapping Mo Xiaoqing inside the stall. Even though he was in a cat’s body now, his mind was still human, and his sense of aesthetics remained human—so this was bound to trigger a violent reaction. My soul is still that of an innocent and carefree college guy! “Huff… huff…” The Orange Cat took deep breaths in the bathtub, using his mental power to control the reaction in a certain area—which had turned into a little carrot—and gradually made it shrink back into the state of a nail. That was close, that was close—I almost lost face as a cat… This kind of thing is really too embarrassing for a cat… “Knock, knock…” A knock sounded at the door, and Mo Xiaoqing said, “Your Majesty, I’m all dressed.” At the same time, she chuckled to herself—who would’ve thought the Great King could actually be shy? He’s just too cute, isn’t he! “Come in,” said Zuo Chen. Mo Xiaoqing, wearing only her underwear, walked in with a mischievous smile. She took a long stride and sat down in the bathtub, cradling Zuo Chen in her arms as she began to massage and wash him. Huh? Why is the Great King not moving at all? He’s so well-behaved… He’s normally a powerful and ferocious Beast King, yet he’s so docile while bathing—this cute contrast is just too much to handle… Mo Xiaoqing thought to herself, her eyes sparkling with little stars, as she pressed the Orange Cat’s head against her chest to wash him. Zuo Chen took deep breaths to calm himself, silently repeating to himself: I can’t lose the cat, I can’t lose the cat, I can’t lose the cat… After all the fuss of getting him clean, Zuo Chen took out some roasted sweet potatoes and ate his fill. Only then did he find a sofa, sprawl out on it, and drift off into a deep sleep amid the chorus of snores. With Zuo Chen as their guardian angel that night, everyone slept soundly, and the sounds of teeth grinding, snoring, and talking in their sleep drifted from the villa’s living room from time to time. Zuo Chen also had a dream. He dreamed that he had turned into a human, though he still had a cat’s tail, which he had to wrap around his waist. One day, he arrived in a city, and suddenly the earth shook violently as a massive earthquake struck… Wait—there really is an earthquake! Zuo Chen jolted awake, feeling the entire room tremble incessantly. A rumbling sound echoed, as if a giant bubble had burst in the air. It’s coming from the southeast! Zuo Chen darted out of the villa like a streak of light, rushed to a towering tree dozens of meters high in the courtyard, and quickly climbed toward the treetop. Erzi and the others had also woken up by then and immediately followed him out, climbing up to the canopy of the giant tree as well. Following Zuo Chen’s gaze toward the southeast, they saw a crimson mushroom cloud soaring thousands of meters high. Even from a distance of over a hundred kilometers, the glow illuminated the night sky over their small town!