Chapter Three: The Uninvited Guest (Part Three)

After the white tiger spoke, Tao Ming was startled—how could a kitten talk?

“What kind of monster are you?” Tao Ming clutched Ruan Ruan and stepped back, distancing herself from the strange little cat before her.

The white tiger looked at them both, wanting to explain at length, but found no suitable words in the Saintess’s memories. Helplessly, it said, “Uh, there aren’t quite the right words in the Saintess’s memories… I am a very ancient white tiger. According to the chieftain’s orders, I’ve come to bring the Saintess home.”

Ruan Ruan pointed at the little cat. “Mommy, the kitty can talk! It’s amazing!”

Tao Ming felt utterly confused, ignoring Ruan Ruan for the moment and asking the cat, “A leftover woman? I already have a child—how could I be a leftover woman? Ruan Ruan is only three and a half; it’s much too early for her to get married.”

“Not the kind of leftover woman you mean… uh, more like a magical girl, but that’s not quite right either. Do you understand?” The white tiger pressed its paw to its forehead, clearly troubled by the communication barrier.

Tao Ming rolled her eyes. “I must not have slept enough and I’m hallucinating. No more staying up late reading novels for me.”

The little cat went on, “I’ve already confirmed her bloodline from the Saintess’s hair—she is the Saintess.”

Tao Ming suddenly lost her temper. “Don’t even think about laying a finger on Ruan Ruan, no matter who you are or what you want.”

Ruan Ruan was frightened, clinging tightly to Tao Ming’s neck. “Mommy, don’t be angry. You’re scary when you’re angry.”

Tao Ming quickly patted Ruan Ruan’s back, pressing her cheek to her daughter’s and whispering softly, “I’m not angry at you, sweetheart. Mommy’s just a little scared.”

Ruan Ruan sensed Tao Ming trembling and hugged her even tighter, hanging from her mother’s neck.

The white tiger took in the scene and said quietly, “I won’t hurt the Saintess. I’m here to protect her.”

Looking at the talking cat, Tao Ming’s mind raced with unpleasant thoughts. She whispered, “This is beyond anything I can understand. Maybe I should turn you over to the authorities.”

The white tiger tried to sit up, struggled in vain, and finally said with resignation, “I can make myself invisible—if I choose, no one else can see me. Turning me in won’t work. Besides, I only found this place because of a certain object here.”

Tao Ming said nothing.

The white tiger continued, “Our chieftain—she is your grandmother. In your words, your maternal grandmother. She sent me here to bring the Saintess back.”

Tao Ming tried to recall her childhood. Her early years had indeed been different from those of other children; she had never met her grandmother.

Her current parents were foster parents—she had always known, though she pretended otherwise.

After a moment’s hesitation, Tao Ming asked, “You’re saying my grandmother sent you?”

The white tiger nodded. “I need to learn more words to explain everything properly. Is there any water to drink?”

Tao Ming stared at the white tiger. “You won’t hurt Ruan Ruan?”

The white tiger nodded eagerly. “I came only to protect her. Why would I hurt her?”

Tao Ming’s mind swirled with suspicion, but in the end, she set Ruan Ruan down.

Ruan Ruan had been silent all this time. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she asked timidly, “Mommy, can I play with the kitty now?”

Tao Ming glanced at the white tiger, who nodded urgently. “Don’t worry! I have no energy at all; I can’t even stand.”

Reluctantly, Tao Ming nodded to Ruan Ruan.

With a cheer, Ruan Ruan ran over and gently scratched the white tiger’s head with her small hand.

Feeling the warmth of the little hand, the white tiger’s mind replayed fragments of Ruan Ruan’s memories. It seemed the Saintess was a truly adorable child.

Tao Ming fetched a small dish, filled it with water from the dispenser, and placed it on the coffee table. By then, the white tiger was already wrapped in a towel, curled up contently in Ruan Ruan’s arms.

Tao Ming sighed. “You two seem to be getting on rather quickly.”

While playing with the white tiger’s paw, Ruan Ruan said, “Mommy, the kitty says her name is White Tiger. I don’t think it sounds very nice.”

“The Saintess may give me a new name,” the white tiger mumbled, its voice muffled as it drank from the dish.

Tao Ming sighed again. “Stop calling her Saintess. Her name is Ruan Ruan.”

She paused, then said to the white tiger, “This is all a bit too strange for me right now. I need to sort things out.”

The white tiger didn’t even lift its head. “I understand.”

Ruan Ruan, having watched her mother and the cat talk for some time, hesitated before asking, “Mommy, can I get some snacks for the kitty?”

Tao Ming, wanting a moment alone to question the white tiger, readily agreed.

Ruan Ruan happily ran to the kitchen to hunt for the rare treat.

Once Ruan Ruan was out of earshot, Tao Ming asked, “Can you really access Ruan Ruan’s memories through her hair?”

The white tiger waved a paw dismissively. “Only partially. She’s still young, so I managed to get that bit. Human memories are too complex—if it were your hair, I’d have trouble.”

Tao Ming pressed on. “What’s that stone?”

The white tiger held the stone out to her. “Your grandmother gave this to me; it’s used to connect the souls of the Saintess and myself. With a drop of blood from each of us, we’ll be linked. Your grandmother worried the Saintess had never learned how—well, anyway, she couldn’t manage it, so she gave me one. In your words, it’s high-grade stuff.”

Tao Ming examined the small stone, about three centimeters in diameter, flat, round, and white as jade, its surface covered with intricate patterns.

The white tiger waggled its paw. “My purpose in life is this very task; let’s connect at once.”

Tao Ming pushed the stone away. “I can’t accept this just yet. Besides, Ruan Ruan should decide for herself.”

The white tiger ventured, “But Ruan Ruan’s so little—you can decide for her.”

Expressionless, Tao Ming replied, “You should know from her memories that Ruan Ruan always makes her own decisions.”

With no other choice, the white tiger put the stone away.

Tao Ming checked the time—it was already six in the evening. After all this upheaval, her stomach growled. No matter what, dinner was a necessity. She called out, “What do you want for dinner?”

Ruan Ruan’s voice drifted from the kitchen. “I’ll just have snacks!”

She soon returned, arms full of shrimp chips and crisps, beaming. “Kitty, I’ll share my snacks with you!”

Tao Ming thought to herself that Ruan Ruan must really like the white tiger—she was usually reluctant to share even a single shrimp chip.

Tao Ming took most of the snacks away, leaving only a bag of crisps. “You can have snacks after dinner. What do you want to eat?”

Ruan Ruan clutched the white tiger’s paw and swung it. “You promised I could have snacks.”

Feigning sudden recollection, Tao Ming said, “Oh, I forgot. Sorry. But eat dinner first, then snacks.”

“I’ll eat whatever the kitty eats,” Ruan Ruan muttered, a little disgruntled. Mommy was tricking her again.

Tao Ming turned to the white tiger. “What do you usually eat?”

The white tiger produced the small stone again. “Let Ruan Ruan connect with me first.” After all, with the contract, both parties would grow stronger, which would help its recovery.

Tao Ming turned on her heel. “Eat or don’t—it’s up to you.”

Ruan Ruan eyed the stone curiously, wanting to touch it but hesitating. The white tiger was tempted—perhaps it should just do it secretly?

It turned to check whether Tao Ming was watching, only to see her standing at the kitchen door with a half-smile. The white tiger quickly withdrew the stone and flopped down, playing dead, as Ruan Ruan petted and scratched it.

Tao Ming left for the kitchen, then came back out. The white tiger’s eyes lit up. “Have you changed your mind?”

Tao Ming flashed a menacing smile. “You still haven’t cleaned up the mess you made when you came in!”

The white tiger could only continue to play dead.

With that, Tao Ming went out to the balcony to sweep up the broken glass and patch the holes.

As she worked, she recalled her childhood. She seemed not to have lived in Lianshao City but in a rather desolate place. The sky there was always a deep blue, never night, yet without sun, moon, or stars. Besides her parents and a few aunts, there had been no one else. Her foster mother had been one of those aunts.

Later, she moved with her foster mother to Lianshao City, and then came her foster father.

But she had been so young then that many details were lost to her now.