Before falling asleep, Huang Mao had messaged his coworker, Shi jie to tell her that he was going to take a sick leave today. Afterwards, he immediately fell asleep on the floor next to the bed. Covered with nothing, he curled on himself as he shivered from the cold.

In his dream, Huang Mao dreamed of the monster attacking him. He tried to run out the monster but no matter how far he had run, the ugly thing kept on catching him on the back. And just when he was about to lose it, it would get closed to him and sharp claws would aim at his head. However, before the monster could hit him, it would return back to chasing him. It kept repeating and repeating and repeating, again and again.

"...Mao..."

He could hear someone was calling his name, Who's it?

"...uang...mao..."

Who was it that calling him? Did he come to save him?

"Huang Mao, wake up!"

Huang Mao jolted awake from his nightmare and sat abruptly in surprise. His chest’s movement was undulating as he looked around him in panic. Only, after he saw it was his own home and there was no monster... did he finally heave in relief.

"Are you awake now?"

The voice was cold and indifferent but somehow, Huang Mao could hear the concern in it.

He glanced at the bed and saw the handsome man who had bandages on his arm. He stared at the man in disbelief.

"Have you turned stupid?"

Only after he heard this, Huang Mao realized last night was not a dream. It was real and it really happened. If not for this man, he would have died. So, even though the remark was sarcastic, he didn't mind it. Besides, he was his life saver.

"Sorry, Wei Qiang, I..." Huang Mao shook his head and turned towards the handsome man on the bed. "Did your wound hurt? I should change the bandages."

"It's nothing. It'll heal in a few days." Li Wei Qiang leaned on the bed and glanced at the man. "Huang Mao, I'm hungry. Do you have food?"

"Oh, yeah... You must be hungry. Wait, I'll cook first." Huang Mao didn't even have time to do his morning routine and went straight to the opened kitchen.

"Huang Mao, I want to eat fish."

"Okay, okay, whatever you want to eat." Huang Mao busied himself in the kitchen feeling the way the man demanding to eat fish was just like his Xiao Hei and soon, an appetizing aroma could be smelled.

Huang Mao put the brunch he cooked onto the table. It consisted of grilled mackerel, white rice and some pickles vegetables. He then put two pairs of chopsticks and two bowls on each side of the table.

"Is it convenient for you to eat? Do you need my help?" Huang Mao stared at the man in question.

"I'm fine, the injury is on my left arm and I still have my right hand."

Huang Mao sighed and smiled, "then, you eat. I'll wash my face first." He went to the bathroom to wash his face and brushed his teeth. Only after he came out of the bathroom, he realised that something was wrong.

He looked around his small home before his sight fell on the other man who was eating fish.

Right! How could he forget about Xiao Hei?

"Xiao Hei, where are you?" Huang Mao called his pet cat and didn't hear the reply. He furrowed his eyebrow in worry. "Xiao Hei?"

Li Wei Qiang paused his eating and turned to the younger man, "...who's Xiao Hei?"

Huang Mao said worriedly, "my cat." He then kept calling the cat's name and tried to find him in every corner of his apartment.

No Xiao Hei.

He didn't find Xiao Hei.

He looked at the window and saw the opened window, he asked his guest in nervously, "Wei Qiang, did you open the window this morning?"

Li Wei Qiang shook his head. He seemed to think for a while before he said softly, "I saw a black cat went out through that window this morning."

Huang Mao gasped, "That was Xiao Hei! I need to go out, you just rest here."

Without waiting for the other man to say something, Huang Mao was already running out of his home with his last night clothes which were his yesterday's clothes. He ran around the area around the old apartment as he called anxiously, "Xiao Hei! Meow!"

He ran around for about half an hour before he heard a faint meow. He followed the faint calling of the cat and saw his small pet was staggering as it went to Huang Mao.

Xiao Hei, "...meow."

"Xiao Hei!" Huang Mao excitedly went to pick up his cat. He heard a hiss and looked at the small body to see a ghastly cut on his kitty's left front leg. "Ah! How could you get this injury?!"

The small black cat meowed pitifully as it used its right paw to touch his hand. "...meow."

"Let's go to Dr. Mu! We need to check your injury." Without waiting, he cradled his pet cat inside his arms carefully as he walked almost ran towards the veterinary clinic.

It only took Huang Mao a short distance to the clinic and soon, he barged into the clinic door. He went to the reception, "Nurse Fang, where's Dr. Mu? Xiao Hei Is injured."

Fortunately, Dr. Mu was about to treat another customer and he was not engaged right now. Nurse Fang informed the veterinarian and Dr. Mu asked for Huang Mao to bring his cat inside while she apologised to the awaiting customer.

Nurse Fang bowed at the customer apologetic, "sorry, Miss.  We will have to postpone your dog's treatment because there's an emergency."

The dog's owner was a young lady in her teenage years. She shook her head and gave an understanding smile, "it's okay, Xiao Bai only needs its monthly checkup. I don't mind waiting. What happened to that man's cat?"

"It seems injured on its front leg. The cat had been injured at its leg before this." Nurse Fang sighed. She was relieved this customer didn't mind her dog’s treatment being postponed.

Meanwhile, Huang Mao stood worriedly at the side as he watched the vet treating Xiao Hei’s injury. Fortunately, Xiao Hei didn’t make any fuss and just let the vet do his job.

After a while, Dr. Mu finally put down his equipment and helped the cat into its owner’s arms. “He’s fine now. How did Xiao Hei get injured?”

Huang Mao looked down at his pet cat with guilt. “He opened the window and went out this morning by his own.” He then chided the cat, though it didn’t sound harsh at all, “next time, don’t try to run off by your own. What if I didn’t find you?”

Dr. Mu seeing the bad mood from the younger male, tried to cheer up the young man. But, you found him, right?” Seeing the hesitant nod from the young man, Dr. Mu pulled off his medicinal gloves and rubbed that fluffy hair. “It’s fine now. Also, you don’t go to your job today?”

Huang Mao shook his head. “No, I took a sick leave.”

Dr. Mu frowned and felt the young man’s forehead. “Are you sick?”

Again, shaking his head, Huang Mao replied, “No. I’m not. My friend is…” he trailed and remembered about Li Wei Qiang who he had left at his home. He was panicking when he found out that Xiao Hei went missing and hadn’t had time to change the man’s bandages. “Sorry, Dr. Mu. I need to go now. I forget that I have to do something. Ah! I forgot to bring my money. Sorry, I’ll pay you later!”

“It’s okay and you don’t have to pay…” Dr. Mu didn’t manage to finish his words when the young man was already gone from the clinic. He sighed and shook his head before he called his next patron.

.

.

Small Theatre

Yellow cat: "Little Black! Little Black! Where are you?"

Suddenly, a handsome male human entered his vision: "Yellow cat."

Yellow cat: "Who're you? Did you see my Little Black?"

The male human suddenly blushed.

Yellow cat: (ΦωΦ)?