Twelve bought a small animal.

At the street market outside the Lantern-Passing Temple, Luo Yu spent one hundred yuan on two white jade snuff bottles, intending to use them to store his Clear Spirit Pills. Upon returning home, he went on to refine a second batch, and, having learned from his previous attempt, he saw a notable increase in his success rate—over twenty pills were formed this time.

According to Master Shui Jian, nine out of ten attempts would usually fail in pill refinement, but Luo Yu’s success rate now approached seventy percent. The discrepancy between what was written in the books and his actual results made Luo Yu suspect that it was all about maintaining a stable flame.

Lounging on the living room sofa with his legs propped up, Luo Yu thought smugly, “It doesn’t seem that hard to make these pills after all. Could I really be one of those legendary dual water-and-wood spiritual roots?”

Now, with over thirty pills, both snuff bottles were filled to the brim. Luo Yu picked up one Clear Spirit Pill, tempted to swallow it on the spot. After all, he had refined this batch himself, and based on the ingredients, there shouldn’t be any issues, right?

Father Chu, watching from the side, remarked coolly, “Do you know more about medicinal herbs than a pharmaceutical researcher? Before any new drug is released by a professional company, it must be tested. Are you really planning to just eat it?”

Luo Yu sheepishly put the pill down. “Maybe I should buy a rabbit and keep it for testing?”

Father Chu, still engrossed in his book and not looking up, replied, “I don’t care what you bring home, but don’t turn the house upside down.”

Given permission, Luo Yu leapt off the sofa with delight. “Yes, Father!” He grabbed his wallet and car keys and dashed out.

“Don’t forget to buy a cage!” Father Chu called after him.

After parking the car, Luo Yu entered the pet market, looking around for his target. Passing by the dog section, he paused to watch an Alaskan Malamute. The model dog had a body length of nearly a meter, a handsome big head, a bushy tail, and a lion-like mane—majestic and impressive. The heat made it pace restlessly on the display platform, tongue lolling, and Luo Yu felt a pang of sympathy. Despite his fondness for Alaskans, he knew sled dogs tended to be a bit daft and mischievous, and Father Chu would never allow one. Even Luo Yu thought it best to just admire them; if he ever did get a dog, the local Chinese mutt would be best—smart, loyal, obedient, and brave.

Bidding farewell to the dogs, he moved on to the cat section. Luo Yu had intended to just breeze through, but suddenly spotted a reddish-brown kitten in one store, baring its teeth menacingly at another kitten behind it. That single glance, that wild beauty in such a small creature, utterly captivated Luo Yu. He made up his mind on the spot: he had to take it home!

He rushed into the shop and asked the owner for the price. “Three thousand,” the owner said. Luo Yu was shocked. “What kind of cat is this? Why so expensive?” The owner glanced at him indifferently. “That’s already with a discount—originally fifteen thousand. To be honest, there’s a bit of a problem with the cat’s leg; otherwise, I wouldn’t let it go so cheap… Ever heard of the Egyptian cat goddess from the Pharaoh’s tomb?” Luo Yu nodded. The owner continued, “This is her descendant—a purebred red Abyssinian. If you nurse it back to health, you’ll be making twelve thousand! Just think of it!” The owner’s sales pitch made the kitten sound like a divine being, leaving Luo Yu a little dazed.

Three thousand… Luo Yu mulled it over, then looked closely at the kitten: wide-set ears, slender limbs, almond-shaped eyes, an air of sharp, enduring grace. Nearby, the mother cat exuded the aura of a mysterious queen—noble, elegant, peerless. Surely this kitten would grow up to be the same. Luo Yu, full of longing, thought: “Why not? Three thousand isn’t that much. I can just sell two bracelets to make up for it!”

He bought the kitten, picked up a bag of cat food, and headed home, completely forgetting about the rabbit until he reached the front door. Wait—wasn’t I supposed to buy a rabbit?

Standing at the door, Luo Yu held the kitten before him, staring into its big eyes a bit guiltily. “Such a tiny thing shouldn’t make too much trouble, right?” The kitten answered in a soft, milky voice, “Meow~” Luo Yu was instantly smitten again. He’d heard that cats loved cleanliness, so probably it wouldn’t soil the house?

As he lingered at the door, he heard Father Chu inside: “Did I just hear a cat?”

Caught, Luo Yu sheepishly entered the living room, holding up the kitten in front of Father Chu, trying to curry favor. “I bought a cat… Look, doesn’t it resemble you? Surely a cat like this was meant to live in our home, so I brought it back.”

Father Chu was annoyed. “You said you’d buy a rabbit. Why did you bring home a cat? Can you even keep that in a cage? What if it breaks things?”

“I’ll teach her well and make sure she behaves,” Luo Yu promised, placing the kitten on the sofa. The little cat staggered a few steps, plopped down, and tilted her head at Father Chu, mewing, “Meow?”

Father Chu stared expressionlessly at her for five seconds, then, unable to resist those adorable eyes, gave in and rubbed his forehead. “If she breaks anything, you’ll have to pay for it.”

Luo Yu’s mood instantly plummeted.

After deciding to keep the little Abyssinian, Father Chu noticed the problem with her leg. The two of them examined the bump on her leg. “She might need surgery,” Father Chu said. “The owner says she’s too young for that now. If we wait until she’s grown, her bones might have set crooked,” Luo Yu replied. After some contemplation, they both fell silent, realizing how tricky the situation was.

Suddenly, Father Chu asked, “Are you planning to use her for drug testing?”

Luo Yu took out the snuff bottle, opened it, and sniffed the contents, hesitating. “Maybe… I should go buy a rabbit after all?”

But just then, the kitten seemed to catch the scent of the pills and immediately pounced for the bottle, mewing urgently and pawing at it, clearly eager.

This left both Father Chu and Luo Yu dumbfounded. Did she somehow know there was something edible inside? She hadn’t seen the pills yet. Or was she just attracted to the cute little bottle? The two exchanged a glance, capped the bottle, and set it on the sofa for the kitten to play with. Sure enough, she was after the pills, pawing insistently at the lid.

Father Chu commented, expressionless, “I’ve heard animals can sometimes identify useful herbs and will eat them to heal themselves.”

Luo Yu grew excited. “Should we let her try one?”

“I’m not saying anything. If you decide, the consequences are yours to bear,” Father Chu replied.

Luo Yu grew uneasy. The kitten, now impatient, yowled sharply at both of them.

In a moment of resolve, Luo Yu told her, “My dad says the consequences are yours. Are you sure about this?” The kitten meowed emphatically.

Luo Yu poured out a pill, dissolved it in a small bowl with water in the kitchen, and set it before the kitten. She rushed up and began lapping it up. She drank and drank, and though the water level only dropped a little, she finally had her fill, then curled up beside the bowl and contentedly licked her paws. When Luo Yu tried to take the bowl away, she immediately jumped up, fixating on it and yowling in protest.

“Just leave it there for her,” Father Chu advised.

Luo Yu found a white wicker basket, lined it with a thin cotton pad, tossed in a small summer mat, and set it beside the sofa as a nest for the kitten, placing the bowl nearby. The kitten promptly made herself at home. “She’s pretty easy to care for,” Luo Yu thought.

“We should give her a name,” he suggested cheerfully, telling Father Chu about the breed and pedigree. “She’s an Abyssinian? Then let’s call her Bastet, after the Egyptian cat goddess,” Father Chu replied. Luo Yu agreed, “Nice name! But is she male or female?” They picked up the kitten to check, but she squirmed impatiently, refusing to cooperate. After some fumbling, Father Chu found a row of little bumps on her belly.

“She’s a girl,” he said calmly.

Luo Yu, satisfied, didn’t bother to check himself. “Bastet sounds like a man’s name, though. Should we pick another?” “The cat goddess was female,” Father Chu replied. Luo Yu fell silent—if the goddess herself could have a man’s name, then their little cat could too.

“Bought a little animal—update complete!”