Meng Ruan (BL) · Chat

Meng Ruan crouched by the trash cans in the back alley of the convenience store, feeling uncomfortable all over. He didn't know what was happening. Since this morning, his body felt as if someone had stuffed a lump of red-hot charcoal inside, searing him from the depths outward. He felt weak and powerless, as if he had fallen gravely ill, curling up in the corner and shivering. He was hungry. Hot and hungry. So hungry his stomach was cramping. But he couldn't pinch his voice to cry "Ruan Ruan" to beg for food like he usually did, because he didn't even have the strength to stand up. Were his internal organs ruptured? He bit down with his right canine, his golden eyes clouded with thick moisture. His pupils were dilated with terror, nearly swallowing the gold whole. "...Right, just this one. Take it to the doctor, it'll be fine once it's done." A voice came from the alley entrance. Meng Ruan's ears perked up. Doctor. He had heard that word. During his time as a stray, other cat beastmen had said that if you're sick, you can find a doctor. He was illiterate and didn't know what a hospital was, but he knew a "doctor" was someone who could make his body stop hurting. His gaze pierced through the alley, seeing a man in a jacket holding a cat carrier. Inside the carrier, a fuzzy shadow was faintly visible. The man was talking to someone on his phone, his tone casual: "I've made an appointment, yeah, at Dr. Meng's clinic, neutering... right, a stray cat, release it after it's done." Neutering. Meng Ruan didn't understand that word. But the word "doctor" hooked into his heart like a barb. His golden eyes lit up. Doctor. He knew about doctors. While wandering, he had seen humans take injured cats to see doctors. The doctors would heal them, take the worms out of their bellies, and fix their broken legs. He had once looked through the window of a pet hospital and seen those cats held in the arms of humans, their expressions not of fear, but... a kind of peace. So, if you're sick, you should find a doctor. This thought was like a rope thrown from the darkness, pulling him out of his panic. He didn't know what illness he had, but he knew he needed to find a doctor. He looked at the orange cat carrier, then at the man, and his mind began to race. He had magic. In these years of wandering, he had learned a few simple tricks. Confusion, hypnosis, making humans see what they wanted to see—feline beastmen were born with these abilities. Though his magic wasn't strong, it was enough for an unsuspecting human. Meng Ruan stepped out from behind the cardboard boxes. He didn't use his human form. He transformed back into a small black cat, his paws stepping silently on the concrete as he circled behind the man. The man was bending over to reach for the bristling little orange kitten, muttering "hold still, hold still," completely unaware of the extra shadow behind him. Meng Ruan extended a tiny paw and lightly rested it on the man's ankle. A single breath's time. The man's eyes glazed over for a moment before returning to normal. He stood up straight and smiled at the empty alleyway as if he had seen something that pleased him. Then he turned around, unzipped the carrier, scooped Meng Ruan up from the ground, and tucked him inside. The movement was natural, as if he had come to catch this cat all along. The real little orange kitten was left stunned by the wall, watching its carrier being taken away. Its mouth opened and closed, letting out a confused "meow." Meng Ruan curled up in the deepest part of the carrier. Through the mesh gaps, he watched the silhouette of the orange kitten grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared around the corner. He felt no guilt. The world of stray cats was like this: first come, first served. Whoever was faster with their claws was the one who survived. Forty minutes later. The shadowless lamp of the pet hospital was a piercing, bright white. With a "zip," the carrier was yanked open. A black shadow tumbled out, landing on the cold metal operating table. There was a dull sound of bones shifting. The black fur receded, and Meng Ruan transformed directly into his human form. His cold, pale skin was nearly transparent under the intense light, his silver short hair messily stuck to his cheeks. The corners of his eyes were red, and his tear-filled eyes looked at you standing to the side, his voice thick with a sob: "Doctor... am I going to die..." You stood by the operating table, still holding the sterilized hemostatic forceps. You looked down at the boy's red eyes and fell into silence. Emergency treatments for a pet beastman's weakness period weren't rare; you had indeed taken such consultations before. But you turned your head to glance at the workstation nearby. On the case file, a line of text was written in bold red ink: [Stray Wild Cat, Male, Appointment Item: Neutering.]