The sky was growing dark. Soon, the streetlights would flicker on.
After Zhou Tongtong got home with her mom, she immediately tossed the little backpack she was wearing onto the sofa and asked her mom to get her some food for the little stray cats.
Xia Qing took the large bag of Yellow Ox Exotic Beast Meat that Lin Li had given them from the refrigerator. She took out a large chunk, diced it into cubes of various sizes, and put them in a small metal bowl for Zhou Tongtong.
"I’ll make a couple of dishes, and then dinner will be ready. Don’t be down there for too long," Xia Qing reminded Zhou Tongtong as she held the small metal bowl, ready to head out.
"Okay." Zhou Tongtong nodded. Then, carrying the small metal bowl, she ran out of the kitchen and left the house.
Their stomachs rumbling with hunger, the two little stray cats stood in the roadside shrubbery, staring longingly in the direction of Zhou Tongtong’s house.
Zhou Tongtong didn’t keep the two little stray cats waiting long. When she came bouncing out of the apartment building with the small metal bowl, the two cats meowed happily.
"Go on, eat up! Once you’re done, I have to go home for dinner," Zhou Tongtong said, placing the small metal bowl of Yellow Ox Exotic Beast Meat on the grass. She reached out and patted the two little cats on their heads.
"NOM, NOM, NOM..."
The Little Black Cat and the Little White Cat immediately dipped their heads into the small metal bowl, eating with gusto.
While the two little ones ate, Zhou Tongtong smiled and placed her little hands on them, one on each cat, gently stroking their soft backs.
At that moment, a faint Spiritual Energy Wave once again emanated from her body, and a pale golden Spiritual Light flashed in her large, bright, jet-black eyes.
Faintly, Spiritual Energy seemed to flow from her hands, which were stroking the Little Black Cat and Little White Cat, seeping into the two little creatures’ bodies and beginning to change them.
The two little stray cats’ attention was completely fixed on the Yellow Ox Exotic Beast Meat in the bowl, leaving them oblivious to the subtle changes occurring within their bodies.
Seeing the two little cats gobbling down their food reminded Zhou Tongtong of what her mom always told her when she ate something delicious. "You two, eat a little slower," she said to them. "Don’t choke."
"Meow... I’m fine. I won’t chok—URGHH..." The Little Black Cat had barely finished his sentence when his face twisted in discomfort. He was clearly choking.
"Ah!" Zhou Tongtong cried out in alarm. She immediately grabbed the Little Black Cat by its hind legs, held it upside down, and shook it vigorously.
The Little White Cat lifted its head from the bowl, watching Zhou Tongtong’s frantic actions with a worried look for its companion.
Though Zhou Tongtong’s panicked maneuver was a bit rough, it was surprisingly effective. A large cube of meat fell out of the Little Black Cat’s mouth.
"Meow... Stop shaking! I’m okay now!" the upside-down Little Black Cat yelled, still dangling by his hind legs.
Hearing this, Zhou Tongtong immediately put the Little Black Cat down. The kitten scrambled to his feet, swayed for a moment, and then collapsed onto the ground.
"Meow... My head is so dizzy!" the Little Black Cat muttered.
"Meow... What an idiot," the Little White Cat commented to its companion with a deadpan look, before lowering its head back to the bowl to continue eating the Yellow Ox Exotic Beast Meat.
Zhou Tongtong gently stroked the Little Black Cat’s fur. "You need to chew your food slowly," she chided. "Don’t do that again."
"Meow... I know." The Little Black Cat nodded. After resting for a moment, he no longer felt dizzy. He immediately scrambled up, sidled up next to his companion, and went back to eating.
Having learned his lesson, he didn’t dare to wolf down his food like before.
Zhou Tongtong crouched in front of the two little cats, cupping her chin in her hands and smiling as she watched them enjoy their meal.
A few moments later, the two little cats had eaten every last scrap of the Yellow Ox Exotic Beast Meat Zhou Tongtong had brought.
"Are you two full?" Zhou Tongtong asked with a giggle, looking at the little cats’ bulging bellies.
"Meow... We’re full." The Little White Cat nodded and let out a small burp.
"Meow... Zhou Tongtong, I have something to tell you," the Little Black Cat said mysteriously.
"What is it?" Zhou Tongtong asked.
"Meow... I can transform!" the Little Black Cat said proudly.
"Transform?" Zhou Tongtong looked at the Little Black Cat in astonishment.
"Meow... Remember how I told you there’s a really mean Big Orange Cat in the next complex who’s got it out for us?
Well, this morning, Little White and I went to find him again, and then..." The Little Black Cat went on to tell Zhou Tongtong all about how his body had suddenly grown bigger.
At first, when Zhou Tongtong heard that the Little Black Cat and Little White Cat had gone to pick another fight with the Big Orange Cat, she frowned in disapproval.
But then, when he got to the part where his body grew during the fight, becoming as big as the Big Orange Cat, her jaw dropped in astonishment.
Seeing Zhou Tongtong’s jaw agape and her cute little face filled with surprise, the Little Black Cat felt even more proud of himself.
But just as he was basking in his pride, he suddenly heard Zhou Tongtong say, "Quick, transform and show me."
"Meow... Uh, well..." Hearing Zhou Tongtong’s demand to see him transform, the Little Black Cat immediately began to stammer.
"What’s wrong? You don’t want to? We’re good friends! Don’t be so stingy!" Zhou Tongtong said, seeing the Little Black Cat stammering and looking troubled.