When Xiao Hei arrived home that day, Li Wei Qiang had already gone from there. He had washed his borrowed shirt and his bloodied costume was already missing with its person. There was only a single note written on a piece of paper. 

Thank you for treating me.

Only that sentence was written and nothing else. He wondered if Li Wei Qiang was really fine. After all, he did see and treat his wound; it seemed scary though it was mostly the surface injury. But, it was still horrible with that entire blood ba!

"Xiao Hei..." he called out to his cat that was napping on his bed. Seeing the cat was sleeping soundly, he sighed and murmured to himself. "What was that thing last night? i forgot to ask Wei Qiang about it. He seemed to know about it."

There was no answer to his question and Huang Mao went to put the grilled fish this morning into Xiao Hei's bowl and prepared the water too. So, when it woke up later, it would have food to eat while he was going to supplant his missing sleep. Currently, Huang Mao just wanted to take a shower and sleep. He didn't shower since last night and he lacked sleep. Doing just what he was thinking, the young man went to take his time in the bathroom to clean his body and washed his laundry. After hanging his laundry, he went straight to his bed and flopped down on it. 

Making sure of not crushing his cat that was sleeping on the foot of the bed, Huang Mao closed his eyes tiredly before he whispered, "Sweet dream, Xiao Hei..."

As soon as Huang Mao's breathing even, the black cat opened its eyes and stared at the human that was dead to the world. It stared for a while before there was a seemingly smile on its cat's lips. Thank you, Huang Mao. Once again, you saved my life.

It then closed its dual coloured eyes back and let the sleep to take its consciousness.

Inside the small warm old apartment, both the human and animal slept together on the same bed in harmony. On their faces, there was a content smile as if they were dreaming a sweet dream.

.

.

Fortunately, after that nightmare like night, there was no more incident happened. For a few days, Li Wei Qiang didn’t come to accompany him going back home but it was expected since the man was injured. But, that evening when Huang Mao woke up from his long sleep, he found something was slipped from under his front door.

It was an amulet and a note.

Bring this amulet with you whenever you go out of your house.

                                                                       From: Li Wei Qiang

Huang Mao immediately opened the door and tried to find the man who sent this. He hoped to see Li Wei Qiang again but no one was in front of his house. Perhaps, the man sent this when he was still asleep. He bit his lip in concern. The man’s was still injured, how could he spend time to worry about him?

Remembering that day, Huang Mao patted his pants’ pocket to make sure the amulet was still there. He sighed in relief as he felt the square shaped thing from the outer. Since that night, he had been vigilant when he walked back home during the night. Especially now that Li Wei Qiang wasn’t there with him. Holding his bag tight to himself, the young man walked faster so he could reach his home soon.

Suddenly, he heard a sound from the bushes at the road side. He stiffened and stared at that place. The bushes kept moving before something jumped out from it.

Huang Mao screamed in fright and stumbled back as he closed his eyes.

“…meow?”

Hearing the cat’s voice, Huang Mao opened his cat like eyes and saw a white cat. He then stared at the bushes before he stared down at the cat which was meowing at him. He sighed in relief and leaned down to pat the strayed cat soft fur. “Are you hungry?”

“Meow.”

Taking out something from his bag, he took a box of dried beef jerky snack he got from his regular customer, Yin Chen tonight. The man had gone to Y city for an outstation and had brought with him the specialty from that city. Pulling out a few stripes, he put it down on the ground near the cat.

“Here, eat this. It’s delicious.”

Seeing the food, the white cat immediately went to eat with gusto. Smiling at the cat, Huang Mao said good bye and continued to walk to his home. While walking, he then heard the pitter patter of small feet walking behind him. Turning around, he saw the white cat that he had fed, following him back.

“Are you still hungry?”

The cat meowed as it rubbed his body on Huang Mao’s legs.

Pulling out the jerky box from his bag, he gave another few stripes to the strayed cat. The cat immediately ate with relish and when it finished eating, it once again went to follow Huang Mao back home.

Huang Mao kept looking behind him in worry and pity. He wanted to take the cat too but he already had Xiao Hei with him and the apartment unit only allowed one pet per house. He kneeled down on the ground and petted the soft white fur. “Sorry, Xiao Bai ah.. I want to take you home too but I can’t.”

The cat meowed at him as if replying to his spoken words.

Even when Huang Mao tried to send the cat away, it wouldn’t budge. With its small feet, it kept following Huang Mao to his home. He sighed in distress, feeling sorry and guilty toward the stray when he finally arrived at the ground floor of the old apartment unit.

Turning around, Huang Mao only spoken, “Xiao Bai…” when he realised the white cat was not following him anymore. He looked around him to find the white cat, but he didn’t see even a glimpse of it. He sighed, “maybe, it did give up.”

Walking upstairs to his unit, he unlocked the door and entered. He saw his small black cat was resting on the bed. He smiled as he locked the door and opened the lamp switch, “I’m home, Xiao Hei.”

Xiao Hei, “…meow.”

Huang Mao chuckled. The cat seemed like it knew what Huang Mao was talking about. Doing his daily routine, showering and doing laundry, only he finished it all then he went to his bed. Lying on his bed, he spoke to his cat, “you want to hear a story, Xiao Hei.”

There was a lazy meow at the foot of the bed.

“Today, when going home, I met with a white cat. I gave the cat beef jerky to eat,” his words were interrupted when he heard a growl. Looking down, he saw Xiao Hei’s long tail swished in irritation. Chuckling he said in understanding, “I didn’t forget about you. I’ve saved some for you too.”

There was an approved, “meow.” 

“The white cat kept following me back home even when I tried to stop it,” Huang Mao continued, “But, when I arrived downstairs, the white cat was suddenly gone.”

Xiao Hei’s cat ear twitched in response.

“That the story,” Huang Mao chuckled as he went up to switch off the light. Lying back on the bed, he bid the black cat, “good night and sweet dreams, Xiao Hei.”

As Huang Mao closed his eyes, he didn’t realize the glint from his pet’s dual coloured eyes. The cat stared at the closed window and saw the silhouette of the cat from the closed curtain before it vanished.

 .

.

Small Theatre

Yellow cat: "Little black, this is my new friend, Little white."

Little white cat: "Hi, Little black."

Little black cat: "Hmph! I won't acknowledge you!"

Yellow cat: (ΦωΦ)?

Little white cat: "......"