Free Web NovelChapter 412: Chapter 298: A Slightly Inferior Allure
After leaving the park, he returned the exquisitely crafted golden feather—the one that could grant its wielder the power of flight—to Su Yue. Instead of going back to her place, he headed straight home.
He had won a prize from a popsicle he ate at home earlier. He’d placed the winning stick on the Mysterious Small Island, planning to redeem it at a convenience store the next time he went out.
On his way home, Lin Li stopped by a roadside convenience store and used the winning stick to redeem a new popsicle.
As he entered his residential complex and headed home, he finished the last of his popsicle. He glanced at the stick; it didn’t say "Winner." Lin Li tossed the non-winning stick into a trash can on the side of the road.
The streetlights in the complex cast a dim, yellow glow. Moths fluttered around the lamps, and occasionally, one or two would drop to the ground.
As Lin Li passed a greenbelt, he noticed a small figure squatting on the grass within it.
’That’s little Zhou Tongtong. What’s she doing on the grass here instead of being home watching cartoons?’
Seeing Zhou Tongtong squatting on the grass in the greenbelt, unsure of what she was doing, Lin Li called out to her, "Zhou Tongtong."
Hearing her name called, Zhou Tongtong turned her head. She beamed when she saw who it was and replied happily, "Lin Li."
"What are you doing?" Lin Li asked.
"I’m playing with some kittens."
"Kittens?"
"Mhm."
Zhou Tongtong stood up and moved aside. With his view no longer obstructed, Lin Li saw two kittens—one black and one white—sitting obediently on the grass. They stared at him with wide, round eyes.
Lin Li recognized Zhou Tongtong’s playmates as the two stray kittens he had seen that morning. He smiled and said, "Wow, you’re something else. It’s impressive that you got these two stray kittens to warm up to you."
"We’re friends now," Zhou Tongtong said, her chubby little face breaking into a radiant smile. She was clearly delighted to have befriended the two kittens.
"They’re still strays, not as tame as house cats. You should be careful when you play with them so you don’t get bitten," Lin Li reminded her.
"Would you two ever bite me?" Zhou Tongtong turned and asked the Little Black Cat and Little White Cat, who were still sitting obediently on the grass.
"MEOW..." the Little Black Cat and Little White Cat cried out in unison.
Having received her answer from the two stray kittens, Zhou Tongtong looked back at Lin Li. "Lin Li, Little Black and Little White said they won’t bite me."
Lin Li watched Zhou Tongtong "translate" the kittens’ words with a completely serious expression, chalking it up to childish innocence.
"Even if they say so, you should still be careful," Lin Li said, playing along.
"I trust Little Black and Little White to keep their word. They won’t bite me," Zhou Tongtong said, her voice full of trust. She then squatted down and reached out a small hand to pet the heads of the Little Black Cat and Little White Cat.
"MEEOOW..." As Zhou Tongtong stroked their little heads, the two stray kittens let out contented cries.
Seeing how close Zhou Tongtong’s bond with the two stray kittens really was, Lin Li decided not to press the issue. Instead, he asked the girl, who was still petting them, "Do you want to come over to my place for some ice cream?"
At the mention of ice cream, Zhou Tongtong, who had been stroking the kittens’ heads, froze. Her little hand stopped mid-pet. She stood up, looked at Lin Li, and nodded her head vigorously.
’Kittens are tempting to a little kid,’ Lin Li thought with an inward laugh, ’but they’re no match for delicious ice cream!’
Zhou Tongtong then trotted out of the greenbelt and followed Lin Li home for ice cream.
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