"Meow~" × n
When the food appeared before them, the kittens immediately crowded around impatiently, their fluffy little heads huddled together.
Seeing this, a doting smile rippled across Cipher's lips.
Fortunately, she had come prepared; the food bowls were filled to the brim, enough for every little fellow to eat until their bellies were round.
"Meow~" × n
Cipher gazed quietly at the cats as they ate, reaching out from time to time to stroke their soft, plush fur.
This was one of the few hobbies she had in her current life.
Nowadays, Cipher wandered around under the title of the "Cat Phantom Thief," still an unregistered resident.
To avoid endless trouble, she had rarely set foot in public places lately.
After all, the recent operations of the Canglan City Ability Bureau were ridiculously strict, and with certain unlucky "wealthy targets" also looking for her, she could easily draw fire if she wasn't careful.
Although Cipher was confident she hadn't left a single trace, who could say for sure that no Ability Users with special powers would appear?
As an experienced chivalrous thief, she always kept the alarm bells ringing in her mind, never relaxing her vigilance for a moment.
Lately, she had even rarely used the money she stole on a large scale, fearing it would attract unnecessary trouble.
To the point that she had almost become a stray cat herself recently.
She silently calculated that she would wait at least until this storm passed before arranging a stable place to live.
It wasn't that she was afraid of being caught—with her skills, she was more than capable of protecting herself.
The problem was that her identity as a Cat Girl was different from others; she was a natural, mobile trouble-maker, and she could get caught up in all sorts of disputes if she wasn't careful.
Just imagine, how could organizations like the Ability Bureau and the Church let a Cat Girl with such a special identity go?
Thinking this, Cipher turned her gaze back to the kitten curled up at her feet.
"In a few weeks, I'll definitely buy a big house. Then, I'll give you all a good bath and make you nice and comfortable."
Cipher spoke softly, a faint smile touching the corners of her mouth as she reached out to gently stroke a kitten's small head.
"Meow~"
Just as Cipher was envisioning the future, a soft, sweet meow caught her attention.
Looking down, she saw a cat with pure white, smooth, and silky fur constantly rubbing against her feet.
Cipher playfully stuck out her tongue, squatted down, and gently poked Xue's fluffy head.
"Oops, sorry Xue, I almost forgot about you!"
As she spoke, she nimbly pulled a few pieces of bread from her bag and held them to Xue's mouth.
Xue's round cat eyes instantly lit up, and she leaned in to take small nibbles.
Seeing this, Cipher shook her head and pulled out a few cleanly prepared fish from inside.
She was already very familiar with this place—it wasn't her first time here.
She had specifically prepared several soft, warm blankets for the cats, along with a bunch of miscellaneous small items, but the most conspicuous was the brazier for the fire.
Of course, the latter was for her to roast fish.
While carefully roasting the fish, Cipher couldn't help but say to Xue, "Xue, you really should change your picky eating habits. Even though our lives are simple, we shouldn't be too picky!"
Xue was the name Cipher had given to this cat.
Like the other stray cats, she was a poor little homeless thing.
But the difference was that her condition was much better than those skin-and-bones cats—her fur was glossy and smooth, and her size was almost that of an adult cat. How did she look like a stray?
However, she just didn't like eating cat food. What a "Little princess" temperament!
However, Xue didn't care about any of that.
After finishing the bread, a pair of big, beautiful eyes stared intently at the sizzling, oily roasted fish in front of her.
Xiaoxue: (✧∇✧)
Cipher: ("▔□▔)
Cipher felt that she was probably ill.
Even though they were both cats, she was actually trying to reason with a foodie meow.
Although Xue was indeed incredibly smart...
A moment later.
Sizzle!!!
Cipher: (๑＞＜๑）
Xue: （✪ω✪）
Cipher squatted on the ground, the roasted fish in her hand sizzling with an overflowing aroma.
Both big cat and small cat were instantly attracted by the scent, their round eyes wide, and their tails wagging excitedly like little flags.
Just as the cats were about to enjoy the roasted fish,
one of Cipher's ears suddenly twitched, and her previously excited expression vanished instantly.
It was replaced by a look of utter fury.
"Damn it, to interrupt This Cat from enjoying roasted fish at such a crucial moment."
As she spoke, Cipher quickly stood up, her ears listening carefully to the sounds coming from not far away.
This place was dark, remote, narrow, and hidden, so almost no one ever found it.
But now, with her keen sense of hearing, Cipher precisely captured the sound of crisp footsteps nearby.
This left Cipher quite speechless.
Although there weren't many passersby on the road, all those various gazes still made Cipher feel uncomfortable all over.
To avoid trouble, she had dived into the alleys and then "swished" back like a gust of wind, shaking off any tail perfectly.
But who would have thought that some scatterbrain would stumble around and actually find this place?
"Is it a stalker, or just a coincidence?" Cipher thought quickly, all while keeping an eye on the roasted fish for fear it would turn into charcoal.
She was leaning more towards the former.
After all, this place was remote and dilapidated with nothing special about it. Who would come here unless they were looking for trouble?
So, Cipher handed Xue a roasted fish and instructed her earnestly.
"Stay here with your little friends and don't run around, okay?"
Having said that, she didn't care whether Xue understood or not. She turned and left like the wind, leaving only the aroma of roasted fish drifting in the air.
Tap, tap, tap!
The footsteps in the alley were clearly audible, standing out exceptionally in the silence.
The figure of a young girl moved nimbly through the alleys.
Suddenly stopping, she lightly touched her chin with a finger and muttered to herself in confusion,
"That's strange. How did that girl suddenly disappear?"