I’m Really Scared
Chapter 75: A Scholar Can Be Killed But Not Humiliated!

Shen Dinghua squatted down and petted the tabby cat's head, resting her chin on her hand. "Xiao Shan, haven't you always wanted to raise a cat? Now you have a chance to kidnap one instead of buying it."

"According to you, this cat came to get itself kidnapped, a foolish cat?" Guan Shan laughed as he pinched the tabby cat's neck, lifting it to look it over.

From afar, the cat had seemed too clean to be a stray, and up close, it was even more apparent.

The cat was pristine, with no dirt anywhere except on its paws, as if it bathed daily.

It was very cute, with wide, fearful eyes, completely still and seemingly intelligent...

Li Li dared not move at all, his whole body stiff, feeling like Guan Shan was eyeing him as a piece of meat.

But what terrified him more was the hand patting his head.

Every time the hand pressed a bit harder, Li Li felt like his head was about to pop off.

If he dared show any sign of resistance, he might end up like Meng Ting!

The image of what he saw earlier upstairs made Li Li shiver uncontrollably, meowing softly in fear.

His voice quivered with terror, but thanks to the natural qualities of the tabby cat's body, it still sounded very cute.

Cute? Damn it, he was once one of the top ten members of "Death Hive," countless lives lost under his "Soul Capture." Now he was reduced to selling cuteness to survive?

Once despised, this cat's body was now his lifeline.

Pathetic! So pathetic!

Li Li felt so pathetic he wanted to cry.

"Since it's in the village, it might be a stray raised by the villagers... let's ask them first."

Guan Shan was puzzled, "Why is this little guy so scared?"

Shen Dinghua thought for a moment. "When I caught it, it was hiding nearby, maybe scared by the explosion?"

Guan Shan nodded, realizing the commotion must have frightened the cat.

With most villagers gathered near Han Liangjun's house, he asked around but no one recognized the cat.

"Then it probably came here on its own. Following us all the way from that far, it must be fate."

Guan Shan, still holding the cat, found a high place to sit and wait for dawn.

Xiao Shen eagerly took her camera to photograph the explosion site—Guan Shan hadn't forgotten to bring their backpacks along before leaving, proving his thriftiness.

Despite the village's remote location, the fire truck arrived promptly. Guan Shan asked around and found out Han's village, situated in the forest, frequently dealt with fires, leading to a special road being built from the farmhouse area.

Guan Shan stroked his chin, thinking, "Good material for the 'importance of reserved fire lanes' article."

Other reporters looked for material, but he seemed to have it delivered by the simulator...

Not a good thing, Guan Shan hoped the simulator would open scenes in deserted places next time.

Suddenly remembering something, Guan Shan looked at the tabby cat. "Oh... a female cat. I was planning to take it to the vet for shots and then spay it."

Li Li: "..."

Should he smile at the brutal truth that he was actually in a female cat's body?

Guan Shan pondered, "Wait—yeah, female cats need to be spayed too. If they go into heat, it'll be too torturous."

Li Li: "..."

Should he keep a positive attitude?

About the brutal fact that he couldn't escape spaying even as a female cat?

Positive, my foot! His mentality was collapsing!

Damn it, too humiliating! A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! He'd rather die than live in disgrace!

Li Li's last shred of human dignity made him kick and struggle, protesting with loud meows.

"Meow meow meow!!!"

Guan Shan watched the struggling cat in his hands, pondering before realizing, "Oh—"

He gently spoke, "It's cruel to spay a cat without having offspring. That might be too harsh for the cat."

Li Li's struggles weakened slightly, thinking, at least you know you're being cruel!

Guan Shan continued, "Let's do this: after the shots, we'll send you to a cattery for breeding. Find a few healthy male cats, have a litter of kittens, then spay you."

"!!!???"

Li Li's pupils shook, feeling utterly hopeless.

Are you human?! Is this something a human would do?!!!

Guan Shan, feeling exceptionally considerate, smiled, "Don't worry, we'll find several pretty male cats for you. All at once, ensuring good genes for the offspring. Happy? Touched?"

All at once?!

Li Li meowed in despair, "Kill me! Kill me now, you bastard!!!"

He'd rather die than face such humiliation!

He wanted to reveal himself...

But just then, Shen Dinghua returned with her camera, seeing the struggling tabby cat. She asked, "Xiao Shan, what's wrong with it?"

Guan Shan explained his decision.

Shen Dinghua blinked, then laughed, praising, "Xiao Shan, you're so thoughtful."

Guan Shan said, "Right? But the cat doesn't seem very happy..."

Shen Dinghua bent down, looking into the cat's eyes, whispering, "No, it's just—hungry."

She took a sausage from her backpack, broke it into pieces, and placed it on the ground.

Guan Shan put the tabby cat down, and it stopped struggling, quietly huddling and eating the food with tears in its eyes.

Better to live to fight another day...

Guan Shan realized, "Oh, that's it..."

"Exactly," Shen Dinghua nodded, yawning. "I'm so sleepy. Xiao Shan, let me lean on you, I need to sleep."

She sat beside Guan Shan, yawned, put on earplugs, and leaned her head on his shoulder, soon falling asleep.

Guan Shan remained still, acting as a human pillow, watching the firefighting commotion.

Near dawn, the fire was finally under control.

Han Liangjun, covered in soot, came over and sat down, looking at the charred house.

He sighed, asking softly, "You said you were A-Ying's friends, is she... is she doing well? This house was meant to be her wedding house, but we haven't seen her in seven years."

Guan Shan asked, "She never contacted you after getting married?"

Han Liangjun smiled bitterly, "She eloped with a wild boy, determined to go to the city, never looked back."

Guan Shan looked at the burnt house, confirming that Han Ying indeed hadn't returned to Han's village.

He said, "I have to tell you something. Qin Deguang—Han Ying's husband—claimed she returned a week ago, but it seems she never did."