The matter discussed with Mo Xiaojuan became the second thing Yang Yi kept from Mo Fei...
Well, debts don't weigh down the debtor—hiding one thing is the same as hiding two. As long as it wasn't something that betrayed Mo Fei or his own conscience, Yang Yi could still face it calmly.
On this matter, Yang Yi didn't need to worry too much; he basically left it to Mo Xiaojuan to handle, and he just had to provide the money.
Leave professional matters to professionals—Yang Yi liked that approach.
But some things, even if Yang Yi wasn't a professional, he still had to do. For example, building nests and cat trees for the new kittens at home.
Since there were three kittens, the cat tree they picked was quite large, looking like something out of Monument Valley when intact. But before assembly, it was just a pile of boards, cardboard tubes wrapped in hemp rope, and pieces of plush fabric.
What Yang Yi needed to do was assemble it in a corner of the living room for the little masters to play on later.
"No justice! A cat gets to enjoy such luxurious treatment!" Yang Yi sighed inwardly as he tied up the soft plush hammock.
There were three such hammocks on the cat tree, some tied low, some high, all swaying like swings.
Yang Yi thought that if he were a cat, like Zheng Tan, sleeping in a hammock with paws tucked under his belly and eyes half-closed, it would be so comfortable!
On the cat tree, there were also little houses resembling beacon towers on the Great Wall, open on two sides, placed at medium height. Apparently, cats love to burrow into such small, dark spaces, and the smaller, the better.
At the very top, there was a platform for cats to jump up and curl up on. In winter, a plush cat bed could be added, so they could hop up step by step, nestle comfortably, and look down at their poop-scooping servants with a commanding gaze...
But even as Yang Yi grumbled about the pampered lives of these feline overlords, he was still happy to welcome them. Because Mo Fei and Xixi were so delighted!
"Meow~ meow~"
"Meow~ meow~"
Two strange cat calls, one big and one small, echoed back and forth—not from the kittens, but from Mo the three-year-old and Xi the four-year-old as they played with the kittens in the corrugated cardboard box.
"Mommy, can I hold a little cat?" Xixi's big eyes sparkled like stars as she gazed happily at the kittens.
"Sure!" Mo Fei gently separated the kittens huddled together and picked out her favorite one.
The remaining two kittens, seeing their companion lifted up, raised their heads and meowed, as if calling out in concern for their friend or envying its treatment, wishing they too could be picked up and petted by their poop-scooper!
Xixi stood up nervously. Though she had been longing to hold a kitten, when it came to the actual moment, the little girl felt a bit scared and hesitant.
"I'm scared." Xixi stomped her foot, on the verge of tears, and said to her mom.
"Don't be scared. Kittens are very gentle. Come, sit down first." Mo Fei smiled as she guided the little girl. "Hold it like Mommy does, under its armpits."
Xixi obediently followed along. Though her body stiffened with tension when her mom handed the kitten to her, the kitten stayed docile in her arms and even turned its head to curiously look at her, making Xixi overjoyed.
"Mommy, look, it's not scared!" Xixi said happily, though she still didn't dare move a muscle.
"Of course, it likes you a lot!" Mo Fei laughed.
Next, Mo Fei taught Xixi how to pet a cat.
"Use one hand to hold its belly, then free your right hand to scratch its head, especially behind the ears, and here, under the chin." Mo Fei smiled. "See, it really likes you petting it like this!"
Xixi used her little fingers to gently scratch behind the kitten's ear, and the kitten squinted its eyes in contentment.
"How do you know it likes it?" Xixi asked, puzzled.
"Look, its tail is up and gently swaying. That means it's happy and is being affectionate with you!" Mo Fei laughed. (Note 1)
Mother and daughter played with the kittens for a while. Xixi couldn't hold one for too long, so she handed the kitten back to her mom and started playing with the other two.
But then, Mo Fei suddenly remembered something. She smiled and called out toward Yang Yi, "Yang Yi, come here a moment!"
Maybe Mo Fei didn't shout loudly for fear of startling the kittens, or maybe the TV noise drowned her out, but Yang Yi, busy assembling the cat tree, didn't move.
"Xixi, go get your daddy!" Mo Fei said, holding the kitten and directing her daughter.
Xixi reluctantly tore her gaze away from the kittens, then ran over, mimicking her mom's tone: "Yang Yi, come here a moment!"
Hearing her daughter call him that, Mo Fei burst into laughter, her smile blooming like a flower.
Yang Yi was baffled as his daughter dragged him over. As he walked, he said, "Xixi, remember, every time you finish playing with the kittens, you need to wash your hands, and use soap."
Mo Fei patted the spot beside her, signaling Yang Yi to sit down.
The floor was a bit dirty to sit on directly...
But Yang Yi sat down anyway. Seeing this, Xixi quickly squeezed between her dad and mom, sitting close, forcing Yang Yi to scoot over to make room, or the little one would get squished.
"There are three little kittens here!" Mo Fei said cheerfully. "Xixi, me, and you—three people. Each of us names a kitten we like, okay?"
"Okay, okay!" Xixi eagerly raised her hand, pointing at the smallest kitten in the box. "I like this one the most. I want to call it Xiao Guai."
She had held the biggest one earlier but found it too heavy and didn't like it. The smallest one felt best in her hands, and it was the most docile under her touch, lying still for the little girl to pet!
Such a well-behaved kitten should be called Xiao Guai!
Mo Fei nodded, stroking the fur of the kitten in her arms. She said excitedly, "Then I'll name this one Xiao Hui, because its fur is grayish-blue."
Huh, why not call it Xiao Hui Lan...
Or Da Hui Lan? Since it's the biggest of the three!
Yang Yi silently mocked Mo Fei's naming skills, but before he could dwell on it, Mo Fei urged him to name the remaining kitten!
Xixi also looked at her dad with wide eyes, curious about what name he would come up with!
Yang Yi didn't really want to name it, but he couldn't refuse Mo Fei, and this was a family "big event," so he couldn't weasel out.
He had to seriously think about a name.
Yang Yi picked up the remaining kitten and tried petting it. The soft little thing had very smooth fur. Watching it open its pink little mouth to meow at him, Yang Yi unexpectedly found that he actually liked this feeling.
Little kittens were the cutest!
So, what name should he give it?
(Note 1: Unlike dogs, when a cat wags its tail vigorously, it means it's anxious. A slight wag indicates interest in something. If it raises its tail toward its owner, it shows trust and affection, and it's being playful~)