The System Mistook Me for a Cat

Perhaps it was because Chu Tingwu's identity as a "candidate" was prominently displayed, or perhaps it was written on some invisible panel that only others could see. During her preparation period, none of her friends from parkour or rock climbing came to invite her out.

The only one who persistently bothered her was the neighbor, Cao Mengmeng, along with the cats from upstairs and downstairs.

A week before the exam, the provincial education department called to ask if Chu Tingwu wanted to travel to Shangjing City in advance with the group.

After all, some students might suffer from acclimatization or experience motion sickness, which could affect their performance during the exam. Therefore, it was common to arrive a few days early to adjust to the environment.

The provincial team coach could lead the group, and they could all stay at the same hotel for easier management and communication... Of course, if Chu Tingwu had her own arrangements, they would respect her decision.

In the face of exams, it seemed that the candidates were the most important, and all rules were bent to accommodate them.

This time, Chu Tingwu decided to bring Three-Five-Five along. Since it wasn’t convenient to travel together, she declined the offer.

Man Xing, on the other hand, pushed aside all her other work and decided to accompany Chu Tingwu personally.

The system was also on edge—

For Chu Tingwu, this was equivalent to taking the college entrance exam a year early. The system quickly adopted the mindset of a parent of a high school senior... So, when Chu Tingwu's plane landed in Shangjing, she discovered that she now owned an apartment near the exam venue.

Chu Tingwu: "..."

Isn’t this a bit too much?

But having her own place was more convenient than staying in a hotel. She called Chu Xiao and Zhou Qiang, inviting them to stay with her.

That evening, she also mentioned it to Teacher Zhang, who regretfully said, "That’s fine... I was thinking of letting you stay at my place in Shangjing to prepare for the exam, but it’s a bit far from your exam venue, and it hasn’t been lived in for a while."

She didn’t bring it up earlier.

However, that house was close to several famous landmarks. If Chu Tingwu wanted to explore Shangjing before or after the exam, she could stay there. Teacher Zhang even had a real estate agent deliver the keys.

Chu Tingwu might indeed suffer from acclimatization—her symptoms weren’t severe, but her feline companion was more sensitive. She experienced slight tinnitus upon arrival, but it disappeared after a good night’s sleep.

Three-Five-Five, on the other hand, wasn’t quite used to the new environment.

Three-Five-Five stayed close to Chu Tingwu’s feet, not venturing too far, her eyes wide as she sniffed around the new apartment. On the first day, the cat mother didn’t step outside.

On the second day, Man Xing opened the door in the morning to find Three-Five-Five squatting outside, a small dead snake in her mouth.

Man Xing: "..."

Three-Five-Five held onto the snake until Chu Tingwu woke up and inspected it, then sauntered into the kitchen and dropped the snake’s body into the trash bin.

Man Xing: "..." So, this wasn’t about bringing home prey? Was she just showing off her hunting skills to Chu Tingwu?

Chu Tingwu waved her hand and vaguely acknowledged with an "Mhm."

On the third day, Chu Xiao wheeled his luggage into the room and asked, "By the way, when I entered the neighborhood, I saw a tortoiseshell cat leading a group of cats in a fight. Was that Three-Five-Five?"

He wasn’t entirely sure.

Chu Tingwu: "=v="

Yes, it was.

In just three days, Three-Five-Five had mapped out the boundaries of her new territory, assessed its safety, and even picked up a bit of the local cat dialect.

Chu Tingwu noticed her practicing in secret, even stumbling over her original meows.

Three days before the exam, Zhou Qiang and Shao Lingwu arrived.

Although Shao Lingwu wasn’t taking the exam, he was fully immersed in the experience.

He even suggested, with a touch of formality, "Why don’t we visit the university you might attend in the future?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In fact, after the provincial exam, several schools had already reached out to the group, including Shao Lingwu, asking if he wanted to apply for their direct admission programs. Wasn’t it normal to visit the university before the exam? It could boost motivation—

Zhou Qiang: "Too busy."

Chu Xiao: "Not going."

Chu Tingwu looked around, picked up Three-Five-Five, and said, "Let Three-Five-Five accompany you."

Three-Five-Five: "Meow?"

Shao Lingwu: It’s not me who wants to see it, okay!

He and the cat mother were pushed out the door, feeling utterly dejected.

Just then, the door opened again, and Chu Tingwu peeked out.

Shao Lingwu: "You..."

Chu Tingwu adjusted the camera on Three-Five-Five’s neck and said, "I forgot to livestream this month. Let Three-Five-Five help me fill in the gap."

The door closed again.

Shao Lingwu: You guys are so mean qvq

-

After sending the miscellaneous humans and cats out the door, Chu Tingwu and the others finished a set of practice papers and reviewed some challenging experimental questions. The wind rustled the curtains, and Man Xing carefully walked over to draw them closed—

Laughter and chatter drifted in from outside.

Children from the neighboring school were riding their bikes back to the neighborhood after school. The sun reflected off the metal railings, casting a shimmering glow. It was another beautiful day.

Chu Xiao seemed to think it was time for a break and tried to start a conversation: "So, are you planning to go to Tsinghua or Peking University?"

...Not the easiest topic to follow up on.

Man Xing, with a "==" expression, went to fetch drinks, while Zhou Qiang said, "Probably Tsinghua’s economics department."

Admission through competitions allowed priority in choosing majors. She had received an invitation earlier and, after comparing the career paths of graduates from different fields, decided on economics.

Chu Xiao, on the other hand, planned to continue his studies in biology. He was a pure academic and would likely attend Peking University. Chu Tingwu pulled up a school on her phone to show them—

It was Huake University, located two streets away from Peking University, but their animal conservation program was ranked first in the country.

The two nodded, not finding anything unusual. Chu Tingwu mentioned that if she got into Huake, she could also attend classes at the neighboring film school, which was even closer than Peking University. She could take more systematic directing courses there.

Man Xing was in the kitchen making egg tarts, staring at the sunlight streaming onto the balcony. The balcony looked like it was covered in golden shards, and a long-haired tortoiseshell cat might leap in from the windowsill at any moment... She felt a sense of disorientation:

When she first met Chu Tingwu, she seemed like just a child, but now she was already discussing university plans with her friends. Do all children grow up this fast?

In contrast, Three-Five-Five seemed unchanged.

Human time flows, but cats seem to freeze after reaching adulthood—forever strong, forever sharp, forever shedding fur with the seasons.

The cat she was pondering swatted at Shao Lingwu.

Shao Lingwu had borrowed a bicycle from the neighbor, and Three-Five-Five was perched in the front basket. The two were now touring the Tsinghua campus.

As one of the country’s most prestigious universities, Tsinghua attracted daily visitors. Shao Lingwu and the cat blended right in. He wore a dark blue cap to tame his curly hair and enthusiastically explained to Three-Five-Five—

"This is the university. Maybe one of them will study here in the future, and we can try out the Tsinghua cafeteria..."

As he spoke, a family was also touring the campus. Unlike Shao Lingwu, who only had a cat for company, the family seemed to have brought everyone along, surrounding their child and discussing what it would be like to attend Tsinghua.

Shao Lingwu was pushed aside but didn’t mind. He lifted Three-Five-Five’s paw and waved it at the family, commenting, "This must be the whole family coming to support the exam, huh?"

Three-Five-Five: "Meow?"

Shao Lingwu: "During the college entrance exam, even more parents come to wait outside the exam venue, pick up their kids, and even wear special outfits to cheer them on. Some even prepare gifts beforehand—regardless of how the exam goes! It’s a way of showing support no matter the result. But I guess Chu Tingwu doesn’t have that?"

Since he knew the livestream was ongoing, Shao Lingwu avoided using Chu Tingwu’s full name and instead used a nickname.

He said "no" not because Chu Tingwu had no one to accompany her, but given Man Xing's status... she couldn't prepare a gift or reward for Chu Tingwu. If anything, it would be more appropriate for Chu Tingwu to give her a bonus.

Three-Five-Five: "Meow!?"

The tortoiseshell cat sat up in the bicycle basket and swatted at Shao Lingwu.

The audience found this amusing, and those familiar with Three-Five-Five commented, "Is Mom angry?"

[Three-Five-Five must have understood, right? I think Chu Chu should send her to university.]

[Three-Five-Five probably already has a Ph.D. We should call her 'senior sister.']

[I was surprised when the livestream started today, but then I realized it was Three-Five-Five hosting, so it made sense... Teacher Chu should focus on studying. Exams are the most important thing right now.]

[She even made Three-Five-Five host the stream to brush us off. I'm so touched, I could cry!]

[...You don’t have to be so easily moved!]

Everyone knew Chu Tingwu had been busy recently. Some fans even discovered that she had been attending classes in another livestream under a viewer account, as her fans would receive notifications whenever she logged in. Among her fans were even some who had taken the national civil service exam, having just started university a year or two ago. They joined the fan group of the account "Xiao Xiao" to share exam questions and study materials, which was a unique way of showing their support.

The person beside her had left, but Three-Five-Five’s expression under her long fur still seemed serious.

Shao Lingwu glanced at the comments and thought for a moment, then asked Three-Five-Five, "Are you thinking about what gift to prepare for A-Chu?"

—Oh right, this mom was also here to support her during the exams.

But what should she prepare?

The human and the cat parked the bicycle and sat on a bench, their expressions equally solemn.

Shao Lingwu: "Speaking of which, there’s also Xiao Xiao and Qiang Qiang—"

These two were also examinees! They couldn’t favor one over the other, right?

Three-Five-Five: "=="

She sat upright, her back even straighter.

People passed by—students from Tsinghua University chatting as they walked:

"What gift do you want most this year? Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you."

"Then steal the final exam paper for me."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. Anything’s fine, as long as it’s the thought that counts."

Shao Lingwu pondered: "Hmm..."

Three-Five-Five also pondered: "Meow..."

[My intuition tells me...]

[They’re definitely not thinking about the same kind of gift!]

Mom, as long as the thought is there, it’s enough! Really!