"How terrifying!"
"How could that man hurt his own kind!"
"..."
The voice was exceptionally clear, and Renee Jennings's gaze locked directly onto Nini's back.
'The man of the house hurting his own kind?'
Throughout the meal, Nini kept muttering to herself. She had clearly been badly frightened recently.
Mrs. Forrest heard the meows and said wistfully, "If only I could understand what Nini is saying."
After dinner, Renee Jennings went over to Nini.
The little creature flinched at the stranger's approach.
"Nini," Renee Jennings said softly, "who is the man of the house you were talking about?"
Nini froze, then twisted its head to stare at her in astonishment with its golden eyes.
'This person can actually understand what cats are saying?'
Renee Jennings reached out and tapped its nose.
Nini snapped out of it and cried urgently, "It was at that place where they mixed up the cats! It was so scary! *Sob*..."
"Don't be afraid," Renee Jennings said, scooping the cat into her arms. She whispered, "What happened? Can you tell me, taking your time?"
Nini looked up at her. "That house was absolutely terrifying! The man would go crazy and beat the woman every single day!"
"Whenever the woman spoke, the man would hit her. He even cut her with a knife!"
"The woman was often beaten until she was covered in blood! *Sob*, it was enough to scare a cat to death!"
Nini had been there for half a month and was so traumatized it had become completely withdrawn.
When the man was smashing things, he'd hit the cat several times. It hurt so much!
When Mrs. Forrest saw Renee Jennings holding Nini, she said in pleasant surprise, "Nini's actually letting Renee hold her! Could it be that she knows you're her savior?"
Ever since Nini came home, she wouldn't let anyone hold her, which had everyone worried sick.
"Maybe I just have a way with animals," Renee Jennings said. As soon as she finished speaking, the system's voice rang in her mind.
[System 009: Congratulations, Miss Jennings, on completing the mission. Reward obtained: Rat Dictionary and one million cash.]
[System 009: New Mission: Rescue. Success Reward: Bear Dictionary. Failure Penalty: Lightning Strike.]
Renee Jennings thought System 009's notifications were getting increasingly casual.
'Good thing I'm smart and a quick study.'
Renee Jennings chatted with Mrs. Forrest and managed to get the address of the family who had taken Nini by mistake.
「The night was pitch-black, the wind bone-chilling.」
Renee Jennings, dressed in a black down jacket, stood by the flowerbeds of Building 6, her head tilted slightly up as she gazed at a fourth-floor window.
That was the British Blue's home.
At that moment, the British Blue was huddled under the sofa, trembling.
'Is this boyfriend the stupid woman found a demon or something?! He pulls out a knife to cut people at the slightest provocation!'
Albert Archer stood up from the sofa. The British Blue jumped in fright, thinking, 'Oh no, the stupid woman is in for it again!'
Albert Archer grabbed the blood-stained utility knife from the coffee table and violently threw open the bedroom door.
The woman on the bed, covered in wounds, trembled violently. Her disheveled hair was splayed across her bruised face, her eyes filled with terror.
She tried to pull away, but her wrists were cuffed to the headboard. All she could do was curl into a ball, trembling.
"Don't come any closer..." Josephine Keller pleaded, her voice thick with tears.
Albert Archer grabbed her hair and snarled, "You bitch! You brought all this on yourself!"
He slid out the utility knife's sharp blade, his expression savage.
Outside, a Magpie flapped its wings, watching the scene unfold through a small gap in the curtains.
Renee Jennings returned from a convenience store with a hot coffee in one hand and a bag of birdseed in the other.
The Magpie flew to her. "CHIRP! CHIRP! That scared the feathers off me!"
Renee Jennings glanced at the bird that had landed on her shoulder. "What did you see?"
She hadn't dared to go up and knock on the door without knowing more, so she had asked the Magpie for help.
"That short-hair is terrifying," the Magpie chattered. "He used a knife to cut off the long-hair's finger! There was so, so much blood! And he wouldn't let the long-hair scream!"
Renee Jennings's heart clenched, and a chill ran down her spine.
The British Blue reached the bedroom doorway. Seeing its owner being hurt, its eyes widened, its back arched, and its tail shot straight up.
With a yowl, it pounced, sinking its teeth into Albert Archer's hand. But the man viciously flung it aside, and its small body slammed into the cold glass of the window.
But it didn't give up and lunged at him again.
Down below, Renee Jennings saw the distant shadow of the blue cat slamming against the window. Her brow tightened, and she pulled out her phone to call the police.
The Magpie flew back to her side. "I heard the short-hair say, 'I'm going to kill you right now.'"
"What about the cat?" Renee Jennings asked urgently.
The Magpie replied, "The four-legged beast isn't moving."
Renee Jennings gritted her teeth and strode into Building 6.
At the door to apartment 403, Renee Jennings pressed the doorbell, her heart hammering in her chest.
After half a minute, she pressed it again.
Finally, there was a noise from inside. "Who is it?"
Albert Archer wiped the sinister look from his face, opened the door, and put on a cautious smile. "Hello, may I help you?"
Renee Jennings studied him and sneered inwardly.
'He's a good actor.'
'But two can play that game.'
She tucked her hair behind her ear and said with a bright smile, "Hello, I live upstairs. I heard you have a cat, is that right?"
"That's right." Albert Archer nodded. "Has it been causing you any trouble?"
"Oh no, not at all." Renee Jennings quickly waved her hands. "Actually, I recently got a cat myself, and I was hoping to get some tips on how to care for it. I was wondering if you had a moment?"
Albert Archer's gaze subtly raked over her from head to toe.
'Her looks and her body are both top-notch.'
He adjusted his glasses. "Of course."
Renee Jennings walked into the living room, glancing at the closed door to her left.
"My last name is Archer. And you are, Miss...?" Albert Archer asked as he poured her a glass of water.
Renee Jennings: "My last name is Bishop."
"Miss Bishop." Albert Archer sat down beside her. "What kind of cat did you get?"
Renee Jennings: "A Ragdoll. Mr. Archer, is your little one not around?"
"It's playing in the room."
"Could I meet it?"
Albert Archer said gently, "I'll go bring it out."
The British Blue had been thrown several times. Its whole body ached, and even breathing was painful.
When Albert Archer picked it up, the cat thought its turn for torment had come. But as soon as it was out of the bedroom, it caught a familiar scent.
'Sweetness!'
Albert Archer, holding the British Blue, sat down closer to Renee Jennings. "Miss Bishop, this is my little one."
The British Blue was extremely weak, but it struggled to open its eyes to look at Renee Jennings, its anxiety palpable.
'Sweetness, what are you doing here?!'
'Ahhh! Were you captured by this demon too?!'
'Sweetness, run! Get out of here!'
Renee Jennings frowned, feigning confusion. "Is it not feeling well?"
Albert Archer shook his head and chuckled. "It's just sleepy. It's a lazy thing, sleeps all day long."
"May I hold it?"
"Of course."
Renee Jennings held the British Blue, her heart aching as she imagined how lively and playful it must have been just a few days ago.
Its meows grew fainter. 'You have to get out of here. The stupid woman is being tortured by this demon... but a cat can't save her.'
'Even though the stupid woman is... well, stupid! She's always been good to me!'
'If you can... please... get lots and lots of people to come save the stupid woman... '
Albert Archer knew the British Blue's temperament well. It was always cold and aloof with strangers.
But its behavior toward Renee Jennings was all wrong.
A sinister look crept into the eyes behind his glasses. "Who are you, really?"