Good Man Operation Guide

Lin Shiheng laid on the sofa, his eyes squinting slightly as he watched the popular TV drama ‘You Love Me, I Love Him, But He Loves You’ with a dog-blood romantic plot.

To be honest, the plot of this drama was quite melodramatic, but he watched it with great interest. Every now and then, he would even tilt his head slightly, signaling to the girl sitting on the sofa beside him that she should comb his hair.

Meanwhile, the girl next to him, holding a pet comb, was earnestly brushing his fur while making a phone call.

“Sister Yun, is Heng Heng really timid? He seems to be adapting pretty quickly. He’s not afraid of me at all and even lets me brush his fur.”

“Huh?”

Because the phone was on speaker mode, Lin Shiheng could clearly hear the surprised voice of the woman on the other end, “Really? Heng Heng is very timid. I’ve been raising him for a few months, and every time I come home from work, he hides under the bed for a while. You just brought him back, so he should be afraid of you.”

Ji Jiaqi looked down at the cat lying on the sofa, puzzled.

Due to his long fur, his body appeared relatively large. Under his maple leaf face pattern were a pair of bright blue eyes, large and shining. At the moment, he was squinting slightly, completely engrossed in watching the TV without blinking.

He didn’t look like he had just arrived in an unfamiliar environment at all; it was more like he was in his own territory.

“Remember, never give him tap water to drink. It can cause parasites. Boil the water and let it cool down before giving it to him. Also, don’t let him eat human food. Cats can’t eat salt. And remember to close the doors and windows properly. Cats especially love to chase flying insects. If you’re not careful, he might jump out of the window chasing after a bug.”

Ji Jiaqi had done her research on all these things before picking up the cat, but now...

It was currently summer, the time when flying insects were most abundant. As the two were talking, a seven-spotted ladybug flew directly to the face of the Ragdoll cat.

(TNote: Ragdoll Cat = The Ragdoll is a breed of cat with a distinct color point coat and blue eyes. They are best known for their docile, placid temperament and affectionate nature.)

She could definitely say with certainty that the Ragdoll cat had definitely seen the bug.

For a cat that gets extremely excited at the sight of a moving object, bugs were definitely their favorite thing. Normally, it would immediately pounce on it or crouch down with lowered ears and swishing tail, preparing to ambush...

The Ragdoll cat with its clear, deep blue eyes glanced down at the small bug in front of it, disdainfully moved its body away from the bug, and then shifted its gaze back to the TV.

Ji Jiaqi: “...”

Sister Yun on the phone continued babbling, “Oh, Heng Heng is really sensitive and timid. I play music a bit louder and he gets scared and won’t come out of the room for a while. But it really loves to act coquettish. You can just put your hand on it anywhere, and it will purr and act all cute. It’s really well-behaved. If it weren’t for you, I would have had to take it with me.”

“Oh, by the way, the batch of canned food I bought for Heng Heng has arrived. Remember to pick it up. The doctor is here, so I won’t talk for long. Bye.”

Sister Yun hung up the phone, and Ji Jiaqi thought about what she had just said. She reached out her hand and carefully touched the head of the beautiful Ragdoll cat.

There was no purring, no coquettishness, not even avoidance or meowing. The blue-eyed Ragdoll cat simply turned its head calmly, glanced at Ji Jiaqi, and then coldly turned back to watch TV.

Although she had only been glanced at by a cat, Ji Jiaqi felt as if she were being stared at by an emperor sitting on a throne, full of majesty.

She subconsciously withdrew her hand and felt that what Sister Yun said was unreliable.

Ji Jiaqi and Sister Yun worked in the same company and got along well. Because Sister Yun was a crazy cat enthusiast, Ji Jiaqi also developed a desire to raise a cat. When she felt she had enough savings and a stable job to afford a little cutie, she soon happily told Sister Yun about her plan to adopt a cat.

After congratulating her, Sister Yun enthusiastically helped her choose a cat shelter. However, before they could finalize the choice, Sister Yun was diagnosed with a difficult illness. Either she had to undergo surgery, with a 50% chance of survival, or she could opt not to have the surgery, but it would be a guaranteed death.

She eventually decided to undergo surgery abroad. Sister Yun was an orphan with no boyfriend, although she had plenty of friends. However, only Ji Jiaqi remained patient, caring, and a cat lover. In the end, she entrusted the cat to Ji Jiaqi, with an agreement that if she recovered from the illness, Ji Jiaqi would return the cat to her. She would pay Ji Jiaqi the boarding fee according to the market price. If she died, then Shiheng would become Ji Jiaqi’s cat.

Today was the day of Sister Yun’s surgery. Previously, Ji Jiaqi had been sent on a business trip abroad, and the Ragdoll cat was temporarily placed in a friend’s house. It was only today that she quickly returned to pick it up.

She came not only to pick up the cat but also to wait for news from abroad. Since Sister Yun had no relatives, she had entrusted her care to a nanny. If the surgery was successful, Sister Yun would personally make a phone call. If the surgery failed, the nanny would call Ji Jiaqi.

Ever since Ji Jiaqi joined the company, possibly because both of them were orphans, the older Sister Yun had taken great care of her. In Ji Jiaqi’s heart, it was no different from having an older sister. Now, waiting for news, her heart was clearly in agony, but she had to put on a smile and call Sister Yun.

The entire afternoon, Ji Jiaqi absentmindedly brushed the fur of the Ragdoll cat, while the beautiful and dignified cat seemed uninterested, maintaining its relaxed pose and watching TV with narrowed eyes.

At 11 o’clock in the evening, Ji Jiaqi, stiff on the sofa, received a phone call.

“Miss Ji, the surgery failed.”

For a moment, Ji Jiaqi almost thought she had fallen asleep exhausted and was having a nightmare.

Lin Shiheng was watching TV. Cats’ vision was naturally different from that of humans, but with enhanced perception, his eyesight was good, although still within the range of human abilities.

However, his hearing was much more sensitive than when he was human. For example, at this moment, as he laid on the living room sofa, he could still hear Ji Jiaqi crying in her room, her voice muffled by the blanket.

Perhaps the previous half-hour of wailing had exhausted her, and now Ji Jiaqi’s crying had turned into soft sobbing.

The Ragdoll cat, lying on the sofa in a relaxed pose, twitched its ears and, listening to the laughter of the two women coming from the room, guessed that Ji Jiaqi was now watching a recording while crying.

The departed had passed away, and the living could only alleviate their grief by reminiscing about the past.

Lin Shiheng moved his whiskers and narrowed his round blue eyes, looking out the window.

At this moment, in the clear sky, tiny invisible greenish-gray ashes were drifting.

For the girl who was frail in his memory, perhaps leaving the world early wasn’t a bad thing for her.

Ji Jiaqi cried until three in the morning before finally running out of strength to continue. She had originally intended to fall asleep in a daze, but just before falling asleep, she suddenly jolted upright.

She wasn’t alone now; she had Shiheng to take care of!

So Ji Jiaqi, who had been lying flat on the bed, got up again and decided to go to the living room to sleep with the cat.

Although he didn’t behave as timidly as Sister Yun had described, Ji Jiaqi still decided to follow Sister Yun's instructions and sleep with the cat every night, to prevent him from feeling lonely.

With her eyes swollen to the point of almost being invisible, Ji Jiaqi effortlessly lifted the plump Ragdoll cat.

As if remembering the days when Sister Yun showed off her cat, she choked back a sob and spoke in a teary voice to Lin Shiheng, “Don’t be afraid. Even though Mommy is gone, you still have Auntie.”

“Auntie will take good care of you. I’ll take time off next week to get you neutered.”

Spaying was something Sister Yun had emphasized several times. After all, if a male cat wasn’t neutered, he would cry and urinate everywhere in the middle of the night. Moreover, it’s highly likely that he might jump out the window due to the sound of stray cats outside. Shiheng hadn’t been old enough to get it done before, but now it’s about time.

Quietly nestled in the arms of the litter poop scooper, Lin Shiheng showed no expression: “...”

(TNote: Poop scooper = a playful or sometimes insulting way to call someone that obsessed with pets, always cleaning up after them.)

He wasn’t worried about losing his ‘boy bits’. Judging by the increasing levels of green dust in the air, if they wouldn’t wait until next week, the pet hospital wouldn’t be able to open its doors.

Throughout the night, Ji Jiaqi had been having nightmares. Even though the pampered Ragdoll cat, Shiheng, was perched next to her pillow, every time she closed her eyes to cry, he would extend his furry, tender, pink paw and gently pat Ji Jiaqi’s head.

With only a few pats, the girl who cried in her dreams quieted down.

After a while, she furrowed her brow and softly sobbed again. Concerned Shiheng extended his pink little paw to pat her once more.

Until dawn broke and Ji Jiaqi’s alarm clock rang, she yawned and sat up. Although her eyes were swollen, she wasn’t as sluggish as she had imagined.

StrangePShe usually had nightmares when she’s sad at night, and the next day she would feel out of sorts. But today, she actually felt quite energetic.

Remembering the bad news she received last night, Ji Jiaqi’s mood sank again. She got up and prepared to freshen up. However, in a blink of an eye, she saw the beautiful figure of the plump Ragdoll cat, sleeping soundly with closed eyes by her pillow.

Even though her heart was still heavy, seeing such a cute little creature upon waking up softened Ji Jiaqi’s gaze.

She reached out her hand and lightly stroked the incredibly smooth and soft fur, which felt smoother than satin.

Indeed, it was a cat—just lazying around.

After finishing her morning routine, double-checking that all the windows were securely closed, and making sure there was cat food and fresh water, Ji Jiaqi finally grabbed her bag and headed out.

Even if it was difficult, she still had to endure and continue working. According to Sister Yun’s wishes, she wanted to be cremated and buried abroad. Ji Jiaqi also wanted to visit the grave overseas, so she had to work hard and save up vacation days.

Ji Jiaqi stepped out of the door, made sure it was locked securely, and then entered the elevator with a weary expression.

If only one day I could stop working.

In a small county far away from her, a man who had been running a fever for several days suddenly opened his eyes and mercilessly bit his sleeping wife.

A scream echoed through the entire county.