ABFMV Chapter 4 Part 1

Xu Linlang held a small white kitten in her arms. The dirt on its fur had already been wiped away; its coat was as soft and dense as snow velvet.

Curled up, it was nothing more than a tiny ball. Even in her embrace, it felt insubstantial, as though she were holding nothing at all.

If someone told her the kitten was only three months old, she would believe it.

Xu Linlang didn’t even dare to hold it too tightly. Its body felt boneless-soft, yet when she touched it, she realized there was hardly any flesh beneath the fur.

It gave off the impression of malnourishment, lacking the healthy weight a normal kitten should have.

The little white cat tilted its head to look at her. Those brilliant golden eyes were calm, utterly steady, without the slightest trace of unease.

Only coldness. And disdain.

Xu Linlang froze.

How could a cat have such an expression?

Back in the arena, when it had faced a lion’s attack, its gaze had been the same—life and death alike seemed meaningless to it.

Even when she saved it in the end, it hadn’t shown any obvious relief or excitement. It was nothing like the sweet, innocent kitten it appeared to be.

Could it be that living so long in the brutal environment of the arena had twisted its nature, making it solitary and withdrawn?

She knew that in modern times, some stray cats, after enduring too much abuse, grew indifferent or even hostile toward people once adopted.

Many adopters, unable to deal with such difficult personalities, would eventually return them.

Returned strays often became even more withdrawn—in other words, they stopped trusting humans altogether.

An animal lover once filmed a documentary about this: how an adopted kitten changed from hostile rejection to cautious acceptance.

At first, if the owner so much as stepped within a meter, the kitten would bristle, retreat, and glare warily.

Sometimes it even extended its claws in threat.

At mealtimes, it never ate right away. Only when the area was empty would it creep forward silently to eat—fast, frantic bites, then a lightning-quick retreat.

Who could imagine what it must have gone through?

In the documentary, the owner’s voice carried a bitter smile: “Can you picture it… a cat that’s afraid of a cat toy?”

For a moment, the screen went silent before the comments erupted in outrage.

Words of condemnation poured in, denouncing those who abused animals.

And yet, words alone seemed powerless. The damage was already done—irreversible. All that could be done now was to treat the cat so well that the kindness might one day outweigh the scars.

Soon after, the owner brightened and, facing the camera, called the cat a “cool little Lone Ranger.”

Only after more than a hundred days of gentle care did the kitten finally take the initiative to curl up against its owner’s body.

That moment left countless viewers wiping their eyes in secret—Xu Linlang among them.

Back then, while watching, she silently made a promise: if she ever got a cat, she would make sure it lived a happy life, the happiest little darling in the world.

And now, she had a cat.

Its snow-colored coat gleamed, its ears were small and pink, its profile handsome, its eyes dazzling.

Even the curve from its full forehead down to the tip of its nose was perfectly proportioned.

Aside from its frail body, it had everything Xu Linlang adored.

The only problem was its temperament—distant and aloof.

The little white cat seemed to sense her gaze. Its calm eyes darkened, showing a mix of gloom and… expectation.

But not the hopeful kind. More like an as I thought kind of expectation.

Was it waiting for her to hurt it?

Xu Linlang’s hand, still holding a damp towel, hesitated.

She hadn’t known much about the arena before, but after visiting today, she understood at least a little of its cruelty and bloodshed.

There were no rules there—only strength. At best, the world was divided into predators and prey.

How had this little white cat managed to survive in such a place?

One thing was certain—it hadn’t been easy.

But since she had brought it back, it was now her responsibility. Its temperament didn’t matter.

She believed that if she treated it sincerely, sooner or later, the kitten would come to accept her.

Looking at its small, skinny form, her eyes softened with pity. She asked the housekeeping robot to bring her ear-cleaning solution and fresh cotton swabs.

Gently holding the kitten’s ear, she rotated a cotton ball soaked in the solution inside its outer ear canal.

Qi Ye’s body trembled. He thought she would torment him like that pair of beastfolk had.

But when he closed his eyes, a refreshing, soothing sensation spread through his ear. The discomfort he had always felt there vanished in an instant.

Startled, he opened his eyes and saw the young woman holding him carefully, patiently cleaning his ears.

As the daughter of a noble household, she could easily have ignored him or handed him over to servants.

Yet she treated him like a precious treasure, tending to him with her own hands.

She hadn’t even changed out of her soiled dress.

The scent of the solution tickled his overly sensitive feline nose, making him sneeze.

For a moment, his pale golden eyes went blank with surprise.

Xu Linlang couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

The kitten lifted its head, only to see her smiling at it. Annoyance flickered across its expression.

Almost at once, it wriggled free from her arms, planted itself stiffly at the other end of the bed, its posture radiating solemn dignity.

Xu Linlang couldn’t quite explain how she knew, but the little face clearly looked serious to her.