C11 Rui Rui What?(2)

Shen Xiang lifted his gaze to the other person's unsettling habit of scratching their skin, and a shiver ran down his spine.

The explanation being offered by this woman was far more plausible than the laughable theory about animal masks that the officials had concocted. Though it defied science, when piecing together all the clues, it just made sense.

Mutation.

Animals and pets had undergone mutations, assuming human forms—not through centuries of mystical cultivation like specters, but abruptly, evolving into bipedal primates in the blink of an eye.

"I've been on the trail of this issue," Rui told him. "The two who attacked you in the complex yesterday—one was once just an ordinary guard dog, and the other, a pet lizard. They mutated a year and a half ago, taking on human form, and were corralled by certain individuals into a dangerous organization targeting humans."

"They're my adversaries as well. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so I'm hoping you'll recount exactly what happened that day. After all, this group..." Rui gestured towards the window, "has been lurking around this neighborhood lately. They were tailing you today on your way home from work. If you want to avoid trouble, tell me. I can keep you safe."

"And who exactly are you?" Shen Xiang's eyes locked onto her striking blue pupils. He could grasp the gravity of her words. For someone with a system cheat, such matters weren't too far-fetched. But what role did this woman play in all this? If she were just an ordinary person, her curiosity or vendetta-driven investigation would be understandable, but her claim to protect him...

Shen Xiang figured guns were the only way to stand a chance against them, and with the strict firearm regulations in his country, it was impossible for an ordinary person to have access to such weapons. She clearly wasn't with the authorities; if she were, she wouldn't be here asking him these questions.

Rui lifted her right hand, and as Shen Xiang watched, her nails began to elongate and sharpen into formidable weapons.

A twitch flickered at the corner of Shen Xiang's eye. His suspicions were confirmed—this individual with unusual pupils was certainly not human.

He decided to send a WeChat message to an old classmate to get this person apprehended.

Casually, he unlocked his phone, opened WeChat, and was about to send the message when Rui cut in, "I'm not here to threaten you. But I advise against contacting anyone. If they're planning to strike, they'll surely divert the special office's attention. Moreover, their surveillance on you ceased last night; they no longer consider you a person of interest. Of course, if you prefer a life under watch, that's your choice."

"I'm certainly more than human. Humans often say 'those not of our kind must have a different heart,' and it's true, our stances differ. But unlike those others, I just want to live my life quietly. I don't want it disrupted by the special office or their ilk." Rui leaned in, addressing Shen Xiang, "So, our objectives align. Shouldn't that mean we collaborate?"

"Even if you were to ask, I'm clueless as to why they attacked me. It all started over a bowl of beef rice. Surely they're not after my delivery food, right?" Shen Xiang glanced once more into Rui's azure eyes, then at the familiar scratches on the sofa, a flicker of perplexity crossing his gaze. He set his phone aside, threw up his hands, and complained, "The whole situation is absurd. I have no idea why I'm being targeted."

"It's not about the beef rice." Rui shook her head, gesturing towards the floor-to-ceiling window. "There's a cat scent there, potent and agitated. What's that about?"

"Floor-to-ceiling window? A cat?" Shen Xiang uttered in realization, "Now I remember. Earlier that day, a cat leaped onto my window ledge. It was startling, but it comically hit the glass and tumbled down, then vanished."

Rui rose and moved to the window, opening a vent to survey the area and take in the scents. After a moment, she inquired, "What did this cat look like?"

"A plump orange one, incredibly overweight, much more so than Ruila, the cat my family used to have."

Ruila was his cat's name, full name Shandi Ruila, a name with a touch of magic. And here was this person before him, named Rui. Coincidence?

Shen Xiang didn't find it coincidental.

At the mention of the name, Rui's eyelids involuntarily twitched. "They must have been after the cat, but since it lingered outside your window, you've been marked by them."

"Is there something off about that cat?"

"It's possible, but it's unclear at the moment." Rui pointed outside, adding, "I doubt a regular cat could make it up to the sixth floor."

"Could it be one of your own kind?"

"No way. Evolution is a one-way street. We might retain some traits, but it's impossible to revert to an animal form. Unless..."

Unless that cat was still evolving.

Could that be possible?

No chance. Every beast species underwent their transformation on July 15. Even the slowest evolvers were done by the end of July. And since then, no new allies have emerged.

Rui's brow furrowed. She shut the window firmly and said, "Stay within the neighborhood for now. As long as I'm here, it should remain safe."

She glanced at Shen Xiang and added, "I'll handle everything else. I need to go."

With that, she headed for the door. Shen Xiang rose instinctively, but as she reached the threshold, Rui paused and turned back to ask, "You mentioned you had a cat? What happened to it?"

"Oh, it just wandered off."

"Do you remember when?"

"How could I? It wasn't exactly a significant day..."

Bang!

"Why the door slam? What's with the anger?"

Shen Xiang grumbled under his breath before settling back onto the sofa, motionless.

Minutes later, he dabbed at the cold sweat on his forehead with a tissue, unaware of when it had appeared.

Damn it... Damn it.

Internally, he was reeling. Blue eyes, cat claws, that all-too-familiar paw print on the couch. He whipped out his phone and scrolled through his past social media posts to July 2019, confirming he had posted about a missing cat on July 16.

He stared towards the door, perplexed. The surname Rui was definitely odd.

But admit it? No way.

Shen Xiang had been aware of the peculiarity all along, feigning ignorance. He'd never confess that his cat could transform into a person. After all...

He'd often teased her with cotton swabs! If he owned up to it now, wouldn't he be torn to shreds?