Seeing the hint of anticipation in his daughter's eyes, Yang Guo patted her shoulder and said softly, "Go ahead, play with your friends. Since we're out today, have a good time!"
With her father's permission, Yang Luoqi walked over to Xixi and the others on her own. This child was truly reserved; even though she was already overjoyed, she didn't bounce and skip like Lan Xin, showing that her upbringing was quite refined.
In the ensuing conversation, Yang Yi learned that Yang Guo was a teacher, specifically a professor of foreign literature—not at Jiangcheng Media University, but at another university in the Tingshan District university town.
Yang Yi received several parents one after another, including Chen Shiyun's father, Chen Guoqiang, a boxing coach—he'd met him before—and Chen Shiyun's mother; they came as a family. Nan Zhaoyu also arrived with his father. Notably, his father, Mr. Nan Yiyun, was a renowned calligrapher—no wonder Nan Zhaoyu loved reciting poetry. Nan Yiyun was nearly fifty years old, having had a child later in life, and doted on Nan Zhaoyu immensely.
Most of these parents were older than Yang Yi, except for Chen Guoqiang, who was around his age. Fortunately, everyone had life experience, so despite the age differences, they could chat, and with the common topic of children, the atmosphere was quite lively.
Leaving the adults aside, the kids went wild. Without their kindergarten teachers watching over them today, they were like birds escaping a cage, chirping and flitting about, turning the coffee shop into a chaotic but delightful mess.
"Xixi." Yang Luoqi, still thinking about the kittens, seized an opportunity to tug at the little girl, who was grinning from ear to ear, and said in her soft, gentle voice, "Can you take me to see Xiao Guai and the others?"
"Yeah, let's see Xiao Guai! I want to see Xiao Guai too!" Lan Xin chimed in loudly.
"Great, great! I've never seen a blue cat in my whole life!" four-and-a-half-year-old Chen Shiyun added enthusiastically.
"Pfft, you've never seen a blue cat? I've seen tons!" Lan Xin proudly lifted her head. This girl had a bit of a rivalry with Chen Shiyun, probably because they often compared whose voice was louder.
"Hehe, okay then, I'll ask my daddy to take us upstairs!" Xixi laughed, turning and running toward her father.
But her friends, all energetic four- and five-year-olds, couldn't sit still either. Giggling, they ran after Xixi. Yang Luoqi trotted along with them; the little lady seemed to be loosening up a bit under the influence of her peers.
"Slow down, look, you're sweating!" Yang Yi, hearing the commotion, quickly turned around and caught the little girl as she pounced. He crouched down and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with his hand.
"Daddy, can you take us upstairs to see Xiao Guai?" Xixi said sweetly, smiling. Behind her, seven or eight kids stood—some weren't very familiar with Yang Yi and looked at him with a bit of shyness, while others like Lan Xin and Chen Shiyun, who knew him well, joined in with a chorus of agreement.
Yang Yi couldn't leave his post; he couldn't just abandon a group of adults downstairs. So he asked Ding Xiang, who looked a bit uncomfortable in the crowd, to take the keys and accompany the kids upstairs to play.
Ding Xiang was no match for the kittens' appeal. Once upstairs, the kids left her behind and swarmed after Xixi, shouting and laughing as they rushed toward the kittens lazily rolling around and playing in the living room.
"Meow!" Xiao Hui, the most alert, sensed trouble, rolled over, and bolted, scrambling up the cat tree in a few quick moves and slipping to the top shelf via the ladder. Duoduo was dozing with its eyes half-closed, and Xiao Guai was a step too slow...
The two kittens were immediately surrounded by the rowdy kids. The boldest, Chen Shiyun, couldn't wait and grabbed at Duoduo, who had just woken up and was licking its paws and rubbing its face. Xiao Guai, of course, was picked up by Xixi.
"Look, this is Xiao Guai, my Xiao Guai!" Xixi happily held Xiao Guai up for everyone to see.
"Meow..." Xiao Guai, lifted high and stared at by a bunch of kids with "mischievous" looks in their eyes, struggled nervously. Its tail curled up and tucked between its legs, signaling fear.
Earth is too scary—I want to go back to Cat Planet, meow...
"So cute!" Yang Luoqi's eyes glazed over. The adorable clumsiness of these little kittens was irresistible to humans.
Except for Chen Shiyun, who was eagerly holding down the struggling Duoduo and poking at its fur to study it. After a moment, she shouted, "Xixi, you're wrong! It's not a blue cat—it's black."
"How can black look like this?" Lan Xin tried to grab Duoduo from Chen Shiyun's clutches. Having finished her "research," Chen Shiyun let go.
"Fine, it's gray!" Chen Shiyun scratched her head. "Anyway, it's not blue."
Xixi was carefully handing Xiao Guai over to Yang Luoqi, who was already brimming with affection. Hearing Chen Shiyun, she quickly explained, "No, it is blue, just a darker shade. My mom says it's gray-blue."
"Alright then!" Chen Shiyun nodded, but she seemed a bit bored. She found the gentle kittens uninteresting—her family's big dog was way more fun, jumping around and even catching plates with its mouth.
The other kids weren't as resistant as Chen Shiyun. Duoduo and Xiao Guai wailed as they were passed around, hugged, and kissed, while Xiao Hui, who had escaped to the shelf and refused to come down, dodged the ordeal.
"...My Xiao Guai is the smallest but really impressive! Last time I went barbecue with my dad, it even caught a little bug." Xixi excitedly shared little stories with her friends.
"I'm so jealous of Xixi! I really want a kitten too, but my grandma doesn't like cats, so we can't have one." Yang Luoqi gently stroked the fluff on Xiao Guai's forehead, sounding wistful.
After who knows how long, Yang Yi came upstairs. He clapped his hands and laughed, "Kids, time to go downstairs! Uncle has prepared lots and lots of good food for you. If you don't come down now, your parents will eat it all!"
Food?
Chen Shiyun was the first to jump up, unable to contain herself. Lan Xin was second—at the mention of food, especially food made by Xixi's dad, the chubby girl couldn't sit still.
"I want to eat barbecue!" Lan Xin shouted, drooling.
"Me too... us too!" Spurred by the loud voices, the kids immediately abandoned the kittens, yelling like a marketplace.
Relieved, Duoduo also leaped onto the cat tree, trembling all over, refusing to come down again. Xiao Guai, passed around so much it could barely walk, stumbled onto the cat tree and crawled into the little "mine cave," still shaken, with only its butt and tail sticking out, wagging back and forth.
But the kids had no time for the kittens anymore. Even Xixi forgot about them, grabbing Yang Luoqi's hand and giggling as she joined the crowd rushing downstairs.
"No, you have to wash your hands first!" Yang Yi blocked the little ones helplessly, pointing to the bathroom.
After petting cats, you have to wash your hands—especially before eating!
Thanks to Fibonacci's Rabbit, Night Solitude, Maple Snow Leaf Nan, and East-West-North-South Person for the ten-thousand-tip rewards!! {づ￣3￣}づ