Chapter 3: A Tail That Knows Comfort

It’s So Useful to Have a Tail.

Late at night, the rain outside was pouring heavily.

The high-quality soundproof glass softened the sound of the rain, turning it into just the right amount of white noise—never too loud.

Aunt Chen had received the news in advance.

Humming a cheerful tune, she made the bed and cleaned the room spotless to welcome the young master.

She had worked for the Mu family for many years and had practically watched Mu Jingyi grow up.

This was the first time she had ever seen him bring an omega home.

Ning Jiu stared blankly at the machine in front of him.

The familiar beeping of medical equipment made him instinctively afraid.

He nervously tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie.

“It’s alright. Let the doctor take a look.”

For the first time, Mu Jingyi reached out and patted the little cat’s head, smoothing down the warm cat ears beneath his palm.

Comforted by the broad, warm hand, the little cat lifted his fluffy tail and swayed it gently from side to side.

The atmosphere here was much warmer than the terrifying hospitals in Ning Jiu’s memory.

There was no harsh smell of disinfectant.

There was only the faint, intoxicating scent from Sir’s body.

Everyone here was kind.

Aunt Chen greeted him with a smile.

The doctor was patient.

And Sir remained by his side the entire time.

Ning Jiu rolled up the loose hem of his shirt, revealing his flat, slender abdomen.

Even the Mu family’s doctor—who had long been accustomed to the chaos and injuries born from conflicts among wealthy families—couldn’t help but suck in a breath.

Old wounds overlapped with new ones across the thin body.

Some marks clearly showed traces of sticks and blades.

Others had faded with time until they were nearly invisible.

Compared to the tall and sturdy men of the Mu family, the little cat was far too frail.

The injuries on his body looked even more shocking because of it.

Ning Jiu carefully observed Mu Jingyi’s expression.

His blue eyes darted about as he searched for meaning.

But he could not read a single hint from Sir’s deep gaze.

His cat ears drooped.

His tail lay still.

Ning Jiu knew he was not a perfect product from the factory.

He had always known that the way to escape the factory was not to be bought, but to flee again and again, surviving each narrow escape.

Sir’s appearance had been pure accident.

The people at the factory knew Ning Jiu looked shabby.

They had deliberately found him a clean coat and blow-dried the fur on his ears and tail so that he looked slightly less pitiful—like merchandise that might sell.

The hand that had just withdrawn returned to rest gently on the little cat’s head.

Ning Jiu tilted his head up and looked along the arm resting above him at the man standing by his side.

His beautiful eyes blinked helplessly.

“Do the wounds still hurt?”

Seeing the tail drooping over the chair, Mu Jingyi assumed the little cat was unhappy.

He remembered the police baton chasing him in the factory and thought perhaps the wounds were aching.

Ning Jiu was struck full in the chest by the gentle concern in that voice.

Afraid of being abandoned again because of his scars, the little cat forced himself to be brave.

“I… I’m fine.

It doesn’t hurt.

It’s all in the past… ah!”

Before he finished speaking, the doctor pressed against his waist and abdomen to check whether the injuries were superficial or bone fractures.

The pressure brought tears to his eyes.

He tried to curl away, but his back hit the chair and he had nowhere to retreat.

He bit his shirt hem and looked pitifully at the doctor attaching instruments to him.

The doctor almost felt as though he were bullying a little omega and offered a few soft reassurances.

He fastened the device to Ning Jiu’s wrist and let out a breath.

“No broken ribs.

All superficial wounds.

We’ll run some basic tests.”

The routine check results were within normal range.

After drawing a blood sample and packing up, the doctor adjusted his glasses and spoke seriously.

“The new wounds show signs of inflammation.

There’s a slight fever.

Take an anti-inflammatory first.

If possible, you should go to a hospital for a full examination.”

Ning Jiu found his arms filled with various pills and ointments.

He lifted his tail and used the dry fur to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

He turned to his savior and smiled.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Mu Jingyi handed him warm water from the table.

“Take the medicine and apply the ointment, then go to sleep.

You’ve had a tiring day.”

Ning Jiu nodded obediently and swallowed the pills that scraped his throat.

He followed the instructions and applied the medicine to his wounds.

The cool gel spread across his skin.

The numbing effect tingled like tiny particles dancing over the surface, quickly dulling the pain.

His hand paused over the aluminum tube.

The ointment was covered in English he couldn’t read.

Instinctively, he felt it must be expensive.

Could a tattered little cat like him really use such good medicine?

“Can you see your back.

Do you need help?”

Mu Jingyi’s voice came from behind him.

Ning Jiu couldn’t see his back.

The spot on his left lower waist where he had been struck by a baton throbbed faintly.

He obediently handed the ointment to Mu Jingyi.

“Thank you, Sir.”

At the hollow of his lower back was a red-purple bruise.

The force that caused it must have been heavy.

Against his pale skin, the dark patch was startling.

Pain that ordinary people could not bear had been layered upon this small body again and again.

“Does it still hurt?”

Mu Jingyi held a cotton swab and gently applied the ointment.

The cool medicine touched the heated skin and made Ning Jiu flinch forward.

His slender waist curved.

He bit his hoodie and clutched his tail, mumbling, “It doesn’t hurt,” though his brows furrowed tightly.

Mu Jingyi slowed his movements with patience.

“You always say it doesn’t hurt.”

His tone was soft and helpless.

He did not press further.

He did not expose the lie.

He simply believed that this broken little cat needed a great deal of warmth before he would slowly reveal his true heart.

Cats do not grow affectionate with strangers immediately.

They need time to accept new territory.

Cats have their own rules.

Mu Jingyi had once raised a small white stray when he was young.

He firmly believed this.

He did not consider the factory at all.

“Can you tell me how this happened?” Mu Jingyi asked gently.

Ning Jiu fell silent for a long time.

Other omegas at the factory had warned him never to drive a wedge between the factory and its distinguished guests.

Even if favored, that was the one thing they must never do.

Besides, he was only a stray little cat accidentally brought home.

He had been taught not to complain or resent.

He was obedient like every fusion-type omega trained in the factory.

The most rebellious thing he had ever done was flee the omega fusion factory during a heavy rainstorm.

“Because disobedient little cats are always trying to run away.”

That was what the officer who disciplined him often shouted.

Ning Jiu pressed his lips into a thin line and waited nervously for Sir’s judgment.

He did not criticize the factory.

The one at fault was this disobedient little cat.

He believed this answer would satisfy Sir, a distinguished guest of the factory.

In the end, Sir simply patted his head.

He did not think the little cat was disobedient.

“Little cats don’t need to be obedient.”

If you treat a cat well, it won’t run away.

Mu Jingyi believed that deeply.

Ning Jiu lay sideways on the soft bed, hugging his tail.

Sir’s words echoed faintly in his ears.

No one had ever treated him so gently.

From the very first meeting, this man had been nothing like the ferocious people at the factory.

His fluffy tail covered his gradually warming face.

The fur lifted and fell with his breath.

When he felt slightly suffocated, he moved the tail beneath his chin and stared ahead with round blue eyes, contemplating his cat life.

Sir is very good.

Perhaps he is good to everyone.

It is wonderful that someone like Sir exists in this world.

The cool ointment had long since warmed against his skin.

The pain in his flesh was dulled completely.

It had been a long time since he had fallen asleep without unbearable pain as his companion.

The wounds on his body were well treated.

But the faint ache at his gland became more noticeable.

The gland was slightly swollen beneath a fresh blocker patch, hiding its original state.

His gland had long been abused.

After excessive use of cheap suppressants, he had developed strong resistance.

Even injections forced him to endure increasingly unbearable heat cycles.

When he left the factory, they injected Mu Jingyi’s pheromones into his modified gland, creating a false mark with a 100% compatibility.

A micro-dose implant had been embedded beside it.

After the anesthetic wore off, it throbbed in waves.

All of it was concealed beneath the blocker patch.

Mu Jingyi’s strict alpha upbringing would never allow him to recklessly remove an omega’s blocker patch.

And Ning Jiu’s habit of hiding his pain kept him silent.

Fortunately, such injuries were insignificant compared to his past.

They were not enough to disturb his beautiful dream.

The rain outside had stopped.

The night was exceptionally quiet.

The mattress was soft and sank just right when he lay on his side.

The blanket carried no moldy dampness.

Its fluffy lining smelled warmly of sunshine, surely dried well under the sun.

Ning Jiu smoothed the fur of his tail and used it as a pillow.

He closed his eyes.

He had never realized his tail could make such a comfortable pillow.

His dreams grew sweet.

Just before falling fully asleep, the little cat thought that tomorrow he must learn to cook a delicious fish for Sir.

That was the way a cat knew how to repay a human.