2127: Go through fire and water with no regrets. (1)

Go through fire and water with no regrets. (1)

Alas, one day, he returned home to find his beloved kitten nailed to the window sill, with a long and thick wire pierced through its throat. A young member of his family had pulled a cruel prank on him.1

He was absolutely heart-broken but stubbornly refused to shed a tear.

A jealous child within the household was frustrated with him and, having nowhere to vent the anger on, resorted to torturing his pet to death, instead.

He did not cry and merely went to bury the kitten quietly.

He might have sworn to become the strongest of the strong henceforth. No one would dare to bully him in this way again.

As the man came around from his rumination, he subconsciously clenched her protectively and tightly with his hands.

She was roused by his suffocating action. When she looked up to see his perturb face, she inquired uneasily, "What happened?"

"Nothing much."

She was stunned momentarily before commenting with a weak frown, "You are always acting in this manner."

"Hm?"

"You won't tell me what's on your mind."

His expression froze before his lips spread into a smile as he explained, "Your present look reminded me of a pet I used to have when I was young."

"A pet?" She was startled to hear that. "Have you kept a pet before?"

"Yes."

"It's unbelievable… I thought you've got no patience for small animals…"

He was tickled. "Do I look so unapproachable?"

"Yes, or at least there's this perception about you," replied the woman with certainty. She then smiled and pressed on, "What pet did you have? Was it a dog?"

"It was a snake."

Her mouth formed into a big 'O' instantly. "…"

A snake?!

Come to think of it; it's hardly surprising.

Snakes were reptiles. The cold-blooded animal aptly fit the first impression he gave to anyone.

He immediately quipped, "I'm pulling your leg." He then went on to elaborate after she rolled her eyes at him. "I prefer cats to dogs. They are quiet, docile, and affectionate. More importantly, they will sit in a corner as a quiet companion when I'm in a bad mood instead of disturbing me."

He had kept a puppy in the past, and though he loved it very much, it was too energetic for him. Back in his youthful days, he was very much preoccupied with himself and did not have the bandwidth to manage the dog's enthusiasm. As a result, he very much preferred the feline.

"Have you kept a kitten before?"

"Yes. It was a present from my mother. I can still remember that kitty's adorable, round face." After a pause, he added, "I like it very much."

"How about now? Where's the kitten?" His sharing piqued her interest. She did not recall seeing him with any pet.

"It's dead."

"Dead?!" She frowned, then asked with a heavy heart. "Did it fall sick?"

"You may not know about a complex family like the Mus, but competition is ripe even among the kids. They are probably influenced by their parents." His eyes dipped for a moment before he continued speaking. "The kitten was likely tortured to death by one of the children."

As the son of the first born, he had many enemies. His counterparts took him as a threat and he could not find a confidante among his peers.

"Poor thing!"

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