Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts

"P-Pregnant?"

After hearing what the veterinarian at the pet hospital said, Xia Yuan showed an extremely surprised expression:

"No wonder we saw its belly was so big—we thought it had just gotten this fat…"

Lin Youxi followed up, "After all, it's a stray cat. Its meals definitely aren't as good as a house cat's."

"Then, should we adopt it?"

Xia Yuan blinked her large eyes, staring at Mei Fang, then at Lin Youxi. At that moment, Lin Youxi was observing the calico cat that was currently napping with its eyes half-closed. "But I've heard that adult cats, if they've been strays for too long, won't get used to being house pets…"

Mei Fang was busy searching for information about adopting stray cats. When YuanYuan heard what Lin Youxi said, she deflated a little, "That is a valid concern… But in any case, let's first get this kitty healthy again, and then we can decide."

Mei Fang paid the hospital to take good care of the pregnant calico. On the drive back, Xia Yuan suddenly sighed, "Come to think of it, none of our families have ever really raised pets since we were little. My dad is allergic to animal fur, so—"

"My family didn't have the means, but actually, Ah Fang could raise one, right? I remember you guys used to raise a little yellow duck."

"That's… quite pitiful."

Xia Yuan tugged Lin Youxi's hand next to her and said, "Right now we're just leaving the kitty in the pet hospital temporarily, but in the end, should we raise this cat or not? I want to hear your opinions."

"I'll still say the same thing—I don't really have any issues with cats, but I also can't say I particularly like them…"

Lin Youxi looked at Xia Yuan's hopeful eyes beside her. "But raising a cat is probably going to be tough, right? And this one is a pregnant female cat, she'll give birth to lots of kittens later, and we're busy with work and school, we probably won't have the time to take care of them."

"If the three of us take turns, we'll surely be able to find the time… Ah Fang, what about you?"

"I…"

While leisurely driving, Mei Fang pondered aloud, "I think we actually have some kind of fate with this cat… After all, we live on the fourth floor, and it had so many places it could go, yet it chose to rest on our balcony…"

"Then I'll place an order right now for cat food, litter, a cat house, treats, and a teaser wand!"

"You're acting like a kid—"

Lin Youxi was just about to complain, when Mei Fang added, "Don't buy the cat house on your own. Let's look at it together… Since San is going to give birth to kittens, we need to get a bigger one."

Come to think of it, our Ah Fang is also like a kid…

Lin Youxi couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't go overboard with the preparations, okay? After all, the cat might not even be willing to live with us."

"How could that be? San was abandoned by a scummy cat, and now that she's homeless, there's no way she'd turn down our love and care!"

Mei Fang added from the side, "Even if we get dumped by this cat, it's fine. That just means we can go buy a new one."

"No, Ah Fang! If it's not this cat, I won't love another! I've already formed an emotional bond with her!"

"You've barely taken care of her for any time at all… and you already have feelings for her, huh."

In the days that followed, the three of them became busy with preparing to welcome their new family member. Xia Yuan and Mei Fang were in charge of shopping for supplies, while Lin Youxi, although not actively participating, started watching videos and reading books on how to raise a cat.

It wasn't long before San the calico had recuperated and regained her energy at the pet hospital. When it came time to bring her home, Xia Yuan and Mei Fang tried using cat treats to lure San into coming closer. The calico didn't seem wary at all—after eating the treat Xia Yuan gave her, she very naturally climbed into the cat carrier on her own.

The veterinarian at the pet hospital reminded the three of them, "Since the cat is pregnant right now, she can't be vaccinated. Vaccines contain weakened viruses, which could affect fetal development. If you're going to adopt this cat, make sure you don't get scratched during this time. Otherwise, the consequences could be serious."

"I-I understand. We'll be careful."

Just like dogs, cats can also carry the rabies virus, and without vaccinations, they can be dangerous. So Mei Fang proactively offered to be the one responsible for taking care of San.

Thanks to the attentive care at the pet hospital, San lay inside the carrier looking relaxed and content. The left side of her face was black, the right side orange. Her belly and underside were mostly white, while the rest of her body was a mix of orange, black, and white. Her fluffy appearance made her look incredibly adorable.

Xia Yuan cradled the cat carrier, peeking through it to observe San, while Lin Youxi quietly watched beside her.

"She's looking at me! This cat mama has such a wise expression… She looked at you too! I really want to pet her."

Mei Fang, who was driving, reminded Xia Yuan, "The pet hospital already bathed and disinfected her. It should be okay to touch her a bit, but whatever you do, don't make her angry. If she scratches you, that'd be bad."

"Mmhm, I got it!"

After getting home with the kitty, Xia Yuan immediately checked all the doors and windows to make sure they were shut tight. Once confirmed, she had Mei Fang release the cat.

"Hello, hello! This is your new home now, okay?"

After being released, San the calico walked gracefully around, glancing here and there. Xia Yuan used a teaser wand to entice her closer, while introducing all the cat-related setups around the home.

"This is the drinking area!"

San walked over and licked the water in the food bowl.

"This machine lets you get cat food by yourself! Look, just nudge it like this, and food will drop out."

Xia Yuan demonstrated how to activate the switch so the food would dispense from the machine. San was quite clever—after a few demonstrations from Xia Yuan, she learned how to use it.

"This is where you sleep and curl up!"

San lay for a bit inside the small cat bed. However, she didn't seem too interested in the large cat house that Xia Yuan and Mei Fang had placed against the wall.

"This is the place for doing your business. You mustn't poop elsewhere, okay? Otherwise we won't like you anymore."

San stepped onto the litter box, pawed at the litter to loosen it, and got familiar with the scent.

Xia Yuan patiently guided San through all the facilities at home, and the calico cooperated quite well throughout the entire process. She wasn't like most cats that constantly meow—she gave off the impression of being both intelligent and aloof.

During this whole time, Lin Youxi and Mei Fang didn't really have a chance to step in. They simply watched from the side as Xia Yuan took the lead. Lin Youxi couldn't help but tease Mei Fang.

"YuanYuan is so patient—she really is suited to play the mom role."

"Well, her mom is a teacher. Even when we played house as kids, she always liked playing the mom…"

Lin Youxi smiled, "Feels like when we have a child in the future, we could just let YuanYuan raise them all by herself."

"Hey hey… you're just trying to slack off, huh!"

"Moms are all the same anyway, no big deal."

Lin Youxi stuck out her tongue at Mei Fang.