Cāi Cāi

Chapter 58:Act VIII: The Cat Who Wants to Become Human (2)

When Xiang Cai carried Cen Manchuan's heavy head on his shoulder, his heart became inexplicably heavy.

The musical on the stage, for the first time, no longer attracted him.

Fortunately, Xiang Cai had read the fairy tale in advance, so he was clear on the ending of the story.

The human cat broke into the town and met a lovely girl. They were different in many ways. She liked cooking, but he only appreciated mouse burgers; he didn't understand the importance of money, but she worked hard for a living; she was a human and he was a cat.  The only thing they had in common was the fact that they were wholeheartedly in love with each other.

At the climax of the story, the magic was about to be dispersed, and the hero's form was about to change back from human to cat again. The heroine knelt down under the magician's robe and prayed to him to turn herself into a cat, so that she could stay with her lover.

Eventually, the kind magician withdrew the confines of the magic and allowed the lovers to stay together.

The magician stroked the hero's hair and said the famous line: "There is something that only humans have, and that thing is called love."

This was a happy ending that everyone would like.

But when Xiang Cai looked at Cen Manchuan, who was sleeping soundly beside him, doubt rose in his heart.

—Even though the cat became human, the differences between the little couple still remain. He always liked to eat mice, and she could not accept sleeping on top of a cabinet all her life.

...Love, could it really reconcile such vast differences?

Cen Manchuan stayed asleep until it was over. Xiang Cai nudged him awake and handed him a tissue to let him wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm sorry ..." Cen Manchuan lowered his tail in guilt. "I played with them in the afternoon and became too tired, so I ..."

"It's okay, I understand." Xiang Cai touched his head, just like the magician in the play stroked the cat's head.

It was only then that Cen Manchuan realized his buddies had disappeared. He scolded them with a swear word and rushed out to find them.

Xiang Cai wasn't in a hurry, and he didn't have the mind to play with those childish straight men. So, he took the initiative to slow down and unhurriedly walked out alongside the flow of people.

After leaving the theater, he made a few laps outside the court and easily found those big boys in the smoking area.

They were leaning lazily against the wall. Except for Cen Manchuan, everyone had a cigarette in their mouths, skilfully inhaling the smoke.

Someone handed a cigarette to Cen Manchuan.

Cen Manchuan waved his hand and refused: "I quit. Xiang Cai doesn't like the smell of smoke. It makes his throat uncomfortable and affects his singing."

Xiang Cai laughed silently. He didn't go over, but found a corner where they couldn't see him, waiting for them to finish.

He didn't intend to snoop on the sensitive topics between those brothers, but their words seemed to grow hands and feet, actively pouring into Xiang Cai's ears.

"Chuan Zi, why did you call your brothers over here to watch this stuff on a hot day? The ones on the stage are babbling, and the audience is full of bear children, so noisy."

[T/N: Chuan 'Zi' = Um, I think it's just something his friends added on to his name to make a nickname, I guess?]

Cen Manchuan rubbed his nose: "Wasn't it you who wanted to see at Xiang Cai? You've seen my boyfriend now, so how is he? How's his temperament?"