The mascot of the wishing shop is a cat.

For three whole days, news outlets, radio stations, and all official and unofficial platforms have been searching for clues about Zhou Feiwu and Liu Yi, but to no avail. They seem to have vanished into thin air.

"They didn't really just vanish into thin air, did they?"

Lin Xiyue lay on the sofa, idly scrolling through her phone.

The intense media coverage over the past three days has put people on edge. People are reluctant to go shopping, and even the few pedestrians on the streets are rushing about, making this already sweltering summer even more unbearable.

Since there weren't many people shopping, Lin Xiyue's small jewelry shop was empty, so she just lazed around doing nothing.

"Jingle Bell--"

Suddenly the wind chimes by the door started ringing.

Lin Xiyue quickly sat up, straightened her clothes, and looked towards the door.

A girl standing in the doorway was wearing an ill-fitting short-sleeved T-shirt. She looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a slightly hunched back, an old-fashioned brown-yellow sun hat, and thick, outdated black-rimmed glasses that were rarely worn these days (most people opt for surgery). She had thick bangs, making it difficult to even see her face clearly.

"Excuse me, is what's written here true?"

Her voice was a little uncertain and cautious as she pointed to the part of the text on the small blackboard by the door that was only visible to certain people and asked.

"Of course it's true, you saw it, didn't you? Come in and have a seat, it's so hot outside."

Lin Xiyue noticed her unease and smiled as she stood up to welcome her in.

"Oh, okay, thank you."

The girl smiled, like a little bear peeking out slightly.

Oh my goodness, she has such a lovely smile!

Lin Xiyue screamed inwardly, but still wore a kind smile on her face, afraid of scaring the little girl away.

"You saw the words on the blackboard, didn't you?"

"Yes, yes. Is that really true?"

"Of course, darling! Since you've seen this, it means we're destined to meet. Relax, would you like some of my homemade cookies? It's my first time making them today, could you help me take a look?"

Lin Xiyue carefully comforted the little girl, and also took out the butter cookies she had been making that morning, asking her to try them.

"Thank you, I feel much better now."

The little girl took a bear-shaped cookie and ate it in small bites. She visibly relaxed, and her back was no longer stiff. Instead, she leaned gently against the backrest.

"Then, darling, tell me your troubles."

"Yes, that's right. My name is Bai Li, and I was originally an orphan. I lived in an orphanage until I was eight years old. Our orphanage had very good benefits, and the director and the uncles and aunts were very kind to us. It's just that because my personality wasn't very likable, I wasn't adopted until I was eight. At that time, the director, the uncles and aunts, and I were all prepared for me to grow up in the orphanage and then go out to work. Anyway, we were all in school, and I actually had a family, but there were a lot of family members."

It's clear that she enjoys her life at the orphanage and is very happy; she doesn't resemble the miserable orphans that others describe.

She took a sip of tea and continued, "I originally thought I would live in that family forever, until the spring when I was eight years old. A couple came to the orphanage. They said they wanted to adopt an older girl because their own daughter had died unexpectedly. They wanted to adopt a girl who was about the same age as their daughter, and an older girl would know what she needed to know, so they wouldn't have to worry about any problems that might arise if they found out she was adopted when she grew up. They repeatedly assured her that they would treat her like their own daughter."

"Then, they chose me because I was very quiet. By then, I was old enough to understand things and knew why they adopted me, so I always tried to be a good daughter in their eyes. They were very good to me, so good that when I was in school, they treated me better than the parents of my classmates. And they weren't the kind of people who spoiled me; they really treated me like their own daughter, and I could feel it. So, I was very happy for the next few years, and I loved them very much."

"But this happiness was shattered a few days ago." The little girl trembled slightly, as if recalling something particularly terrifying. Nevertheless, she recounted what happened afterward. "About ten days later, my mom suddenly brought a child home, a little girl, about seven or eight years old. She said it was her daughter, and she had come back. At first, I thought they had found a little girl at the orphanage who looked a lot like their daughter and were planning to adopt her. I was actually very happy because I would have a little sister, and I saw her; she looked exactly like the little sister in the photos. But two days later, I discovered something terrifying: this little sister was eating raw meat. I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. I found my little sister squatting on the floor eating something. I was worried that she was sick, and I was about to tell her to eat at the table when I saw her turn her head. Through the light from the refrigerator, I saw that she was eating raw meat, and her teeth didn't look like human teeth, they looked like shark teeth! Her face was covered in blood. I was terrified. I covered my mouth and watched her turn back before quietly going back to my room. I couldn't sleep all night. I thought about many things, and finally, I decided to tell my parents."

She took another big gulp of tea, as if the water gave her courage, before continuing, "I told my parents the next day, but they thought I was jealous of my sister because I was worried that they were giving all their love to her, so I was spreading rumors about her. No matter how much I denied or explained, they wouldn't listen. But that's not the worst part. The worst part is that I found out that my sister knew I knew about her because she would secretly smile at me, showing her shark-like teeth."

After saying this, she excitedly grasped Lin Xiyue's hand, her voice choked with emotion, and said to Lin Xiyue, "I always feel like something bad is going to happen, but I don't want anything to happen to my parents. They are good people and love me very much. I don't know what to do. I secretly ran away today. Look at these clothes I'm wearing, I stole them from my dad. I disguised myself so that it wouldn't find me. It's really scary. Every time I tried to come out, it would find me. These past two days, my parents have been doing strange things under its influence, and they've started abusing me. I feel like they're becoming less and less like my parents."

Lin Xiyue looked at the little girl's strange, even more eye-catching, attire and wanted to laugh, but she held back. She said to her, "You did the right thing. You're still young, so you can't be too forceful with her."

Hearing the adult's encouragement, Bai Li's eyes brightened noticeably, and she looked intently at Lin Xiyue. Seeing that trusting gaze, Lin Xiyue felt an even greater sense of responsibility on her shoulders.

"Wait a minute, rest for a bit, I'll go get ready and then come to your house to check on things. Okay?"

Lin Xiyue told her to rest for a while, and then go prepare some things to check on the "child" who was clearly problematic.

"it is good."

……

Upon arriving at the back storage room, Lin Xiyue thought for a moment and asked the system, "Can I draw cards now? The cards I have right now are useless in combat, which is very dangerous."

[Then why don't you bring your cat? It's very capable; you should trust it.]

"Hmm? Are you hiding something from me?"

[It's something you can't know right now. You know I won't hurt you.]

"Alright, but I still feel uneasy about this. What if Fugui gets injured? The only cards I have that seem somewhat useful are the Disguise Card and the Teleportation Card. Let me see my attribute panel first."

[Name: Lin Xiyue]

Gender: Female

Level 0 (60)

Health: 98 (I've been eating pretty well lately.)

Mental Strength: 95 (I told you not to stay up late, but you didn't listen.)

Ability value: 10

Abilities: Card draw

Card draw value: 100 (Life cards are slowly increasing, settled monthly.)

Package+]

Lin Xiyue looked at it and found that there was a new mental value setting in the attribute panel. She felt that this panel was like an unfinished online game, and everything was in the paid testing phase.

Lin Xiyue pursed her lips, intending to use the 100 card-drawing points she had just earned on the card-drawing interface. After praying to all the gods and Buddhas in the sky, and even all the deities from overseas that she could name, she solemnly clicked the card-drawing button.

A flash of golden light appeared before Lin Xiyue, revealing a golden card that was distinctly different from the others. Just as she reached out to take it, the card transformed into a streak of light and flew away.

???

Lin Xiyue quickly chased after him, and as soon as she opened the door, she saw the card enter Fugui's body, who was lying down to rest.

"Meow!"

Fugui was clearly startled, his back arched, and he felt as if all the fur on his body had stood on end, transforming him from a noble cat king into a black dandelion.

"Pfft... Fugui'er!!! How are you feeling? Are you alright???"

Lin Xiyue almost burst out laughing when she saw it, but she quickly stopped herself and went to check on Fugui. After all, if she really laughed out loud, Fugui would probably ignore her for days.

"Meow~"

"I am fine."

A distinct mechanical sound rang out.

"Huh? Wealth and status?"

Only then did Lin Xiyue stare at Fugui with obvious shock.

"Meow~"

"I do not know either."

The mechanical voice rang out again, confirming that it was indeed Fugui's voice.

"Baby, let me see."

Lin Xiyue picked up Fugui and examined him closely. After searching for a while, she finally discovered that the dark green gem on Fugui's little cape was shimmering with light, faintly revealing a trumpet icon.

The problem has been found; it seems the card she drew before has possessed this gem, which is why it's automatically translating Fugui's voice. Although she still doesn't understand why it automatically finds Fugui, Lin Xiyue is quite satisfied that she can communicate with him.

After about ten minutes of experimentation, it was found that pressing and holding the gem for three seconds would turn off the automatic translation, and pressing and holding it for another three seconds would turn it back on.

"Fugui, do you still feel anything now?"

After figuring out how to use it, Lin Xiyue started to care about other aspects. After all, this was the first gold card she had drawn; it couldn't just be used to translate cat language, could it? No way! No way!

"I feel like my body's energy has been replenished, and I'm not so sleepy anymore."

"So that's why you've been sleeping so much these past few days, honey. I didn't even realize it."

"fine."

Fu Gui looked very uncomfortable.

"By the way, Bao, we're going out to help that little girl later. Are you sure you can protect us?"

Lin Xiyue asked cautiously, a little nervously.

"Of course, let's go and have dinner as soon as possible."

Fu Gui straightened his chest, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Okay, okay, wait a moment while I change my clothes and then we'll go out."

……

Lin Xiyue changed into simple casual clothes, wearing a yellow sweatshirt and light blue jeans. Although it was hot outside, it was still a bit chilly at night, and she didn't know how long she would walk or where she was going, so wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt was safer.

"Let's go, let's go to the area near your house first."

Lin Xiyue, carrying a cat carrier and with her cat by her side, stood at the door and reached out to Bai Li, who was still a little uneasy.

Bai Li glanced at her smile, then extended her hand and placed it in Lin Xiyue's, saying, "Okay, let's go. I'll lead the way."

After taking the subway and changing trains once, Lin Xiyue and Bai Li finally arrived at the residential area where Bai Li lived.

From the outside, this residential complex looks like it's from over a decade ago; you can tell it's old just by looking at it. Despite its age, security is still excellent; Lin Xiyue definitely wouldn't have been able to get in without Bai Li leading the way.

Before long, they arrived at Bai Li's house.

"Ding-dong-"

When I rang the doorbell, I heard footsteps inside; someone had come to open the door.

"Click——"

The door opened, and a woman in her forties appeared to be about to make a phone call.

“!! Lili! You’re back! It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so mean to you the other day. Lili, please don’t run away from home. You’re our only daughter.”

The woman was so excited when she saw Bai Li that she hugged her tightly and cried her eyes out.

"Mom, Mom, I..."

Bai Li was also very excited and hugged her mother back, but she also sensed that something was wrong. Just a few days ago, her mother was talking about her younger sister, so how could she be saying now that she was her only daughter?

Bai Li looked at Lin Xiyue from her mother's arms and received a reassuring look.

"Hello, ma'am."

Lin Xiyue's voice interrupted the tender moment between the mother and daughter.

"Ah, hello, hello." The woman seemed to only then realize that there was a stranger present. She awkwardly wiped her hands, stood up, and greeted Lin Xiyue.

"Here's what happened. Today I found her wandering around outside in the hot sun. I was worried she was lost, so I asked her. Bai Li said she had run away from home, so I comforted her and brought her back."

In fact, Lin Xiyue's words couldn't stand up to scrutiny at all, but the woman didn't care about these details. Instead, upon hearing that Lin Xiyue was a kind person who had helped bring her child back, she hurriedly invited her into her home and expressed her gratitude to her for a long time.