Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Cathy did not understand what had happened when Zhang Zian was holding Wendy, but she was glad that Wendy was okay. She held it in her arms fondly and comforted it softly.

  Zhang Zian went back to his seat. Just as he was trying to spot whether there were some hot girls in the venue, Fina pulled at his clothes.

  “What are you doing?” he said distressingly. “This Chinese tunic suit has been worn only twice. Don’t ruin it!”


  Fina sternly ordered him, “Go ask about the story of that cat. I felt a familiar odor on it.”


  In fact, Zhang Zian was also a little bit curious about that cat. After all, it was a breed he had never seen before, and it didn’t seem like a hybrid.

  “Well, I’ll go ask about it.”


  He covered his mouth with a fist to talk to Richard for a moment, left his seat again, and tried to be friendly with Cathy.

  “Cathy, is Wendy all right?” asked Richard.

  Cathy smiled, “It seemed a bit scared, but it is much better now. Thank you so much.”


  “Mind if I ask you a question?” said Richard.

  “Please, go ahead,” Cathy listened attentively.

  “What breed of cat is Wendy? I mean, I’ve never seen such a cat.” Zhang Zian looked at Wendy and gave a look indicating he was very interested in it.

  “Oh,” said Cathy, raising her heavy reading glasses with a loving smile in her eyes. “Wendy is an Abyssinian cat. Have you heard about it?”


  “No, it’s the first time that I have heard such a name.” Zhang Zian shook his head honestly.

  “It’s normal that you don’t know. This breed is quite rare, few people raise them, and few catteries breed them.” Cathy said proudly, “Young man, from what I hear, you are not speaking in an American accent. Are you Chinese? Or Korean?”


  “Chinese,” said Richard.

  “I’m sorry, I can never distinguish between the two countries.” Cathy apologized and smiled, “I have never left the United States in my life.”


  “It does not matter. Many Westerners cannot tell the difference,” Richard said. “I run a pet shop in Binhai City, China, and I am here in the United States for study and exchange.”


  Upon hearing that he was a pet shop owner, Cathy did not look down on him, but very pleasantly extended her hand to him. “Wow, turns out we are actually peers in the industry! Let me reintroduce myself, Catherine Donna Ryan. ”


  “Jeff Chang,” Richard introduced him as usual.

  However, upon hearing her formal introduction, and the fact that she even told him her middle name, Zhang Zian said in English, “My Chinese name is Zhang Zian.”


  “Ah, well I’m still going to call you Jeff. Chinese names are very hard for me to pronounce.” Cathy waved her hand happily, “Jeff, you really are an eager learner. It is said that this breed of cat was first discovered in Abyssinia—a place known as Ethiopia nowadays —and was brought to Europe in the mid-1800s where artificial breeding began.”


  She sympathetically stroked Wendy, whose medium-length hairs were swaying like rippling wheats. At first, Zhang Zian thought Wendy’s whole body was the same chocolate color, but after observing it closely at this moment, he found out that it was not—every hair, from top to bottom, was divided into two or three ribbons, so although they all were chocolate in color, the shades were different. As Cathy stroked it, its hair displayed beautiful and mysterious glows and shadows under the lights of the venue.

  While leisurely stroking her cat, Cathy continued, “Abyssinian cats are very poor. Due to the misery and suffering caused by World War II and the spread of feline leukemia in Europe from the 1960s to the 1970s, this breed disappeared once. After reintroducing their place of origin and breeding them back, the Abyssinian cats of present day were successfully nurtured, but they were different from the original Abyssinian cats… the situation was just like that of your Egyptian Mau.”


  “Hm? Do you recognize it?” Zhang Zian looked a little surprised and glanced back at Fina, seeing that she was staring attentively at Wendy as well.

  “Of course,” the woman smiled, “The Egyptian Mau is very rare, and I don’t get to meet an Egyptian Mau in every tournament. But since I’ve attended these tournaments many times, I’ve met them once or twice.”


  “My Wendy and your cat should have a very close bloodline,” she said. “The origin of Abyssinian cats has always been a mystery, but they are generally believed to have evolved from the ancient Egyptian Mau—didn’t you notice? It looks like a little lion— maybe the Sphinx in Egypt was modeled off it! ”


  A very close bloodline…no wonder Fina had sensed a familiar odor on Wendy, who might be a collateral descendant of Fina, and had inherited more genes of the bloodline of an original Egyptian Mau than other breeds of cats did.

  Zhang Zian imagined and was fascinated by the migration and evolution of this breed of cat.

  A moment later, he covered his mouth with a fist and whispered a few words to Richard. Richard paraphrased his words, “Cathy, I heard you’ve been to many tournaments—forgive me, but are you at the wrong booth today? Here is the place for the house cats, shouldn’t you go to the championships group with Wendy?”


  “No,” sighed Cathy. Her silver hair was shivering lightly, “I did not mistake my booth. For years, I’ve been at the booth for house cats.”


  Even Richard was surprised. Without waiting for Zhang Zian’s gesture, it asked, “Why?”


  She looked sad. Silent for a moment, she forced a smile as she pointed to the CFA sign hanging on the wall. “Because they do not recognize it. They only admit Abyssinian cats in primary colors like red, blue and fawn, while the chocolate-colored Abyssinian cats are not allowed to participate in the championship group. ”


  As if feeling the pain of its owner, Wendy licked her finger and called out in a very soft voice.

  “So, do you come to attend the match for house cats every year?” asked Richard.

  Cathy nodded, “I’ve been waiting. Waiting for the day they admit Wendy.”


  For some unknown reason, Zhang Zian was vexed and he suddenly felt hot in the venue. He pulled open his neckline. He missed the sunshine and fresh air outdoors.

  “However, this is probably the last time I will participate.” Cathy suddenly chuckled loudly.

  “Why?” Richard asked again.

  She patted her walking stick, and said in an open-mindedness that even Zhang Zian could tell she was faking it, “Because I won’t be able to walk very soon.”


  “My husband died of lung cancer—and I warned him so long ago that he should not smoke so much.” She laughed mockingly in the air at someone who was not there.

  “After his death, my friend presented me with an Abyssinian cat to relieve me from boredom, and from then on, I have been fond of this breed of cat, so much so that I even became an amateur breeder focused on breeding Abyssinian cats. Wendy is my favorite. She’s the best of the Abyssinian cats that I have ever bred, and I thought it would be the first chocolate-colored Abyssinian cat to be admitted by the CFA. What a pity…It seems that my wish can only be left to others who will help me achieve it.”


  She shook her head weakly, as if trying to break free from a thin cobweb.

  “Who cares what they think? Whether they admit it or not, chocolate-colored Abyssinian cats do exist,” muttered Zhang Zian softly. Richard was stunned and quickly transcribed his words into English.

  “Fina, let’s go.” He patted his clothes and stood up to greet Fina.

  Seeing the strange expression on his face, Fina didn’t understand what happened, but still jumped from the stand.

  Cathy looked at him in astonishment, “Are you leaving? Are you not attending the competition?”


  “It doesn’t matter whether or not I attend such a ridiculous game. My name is Zhang Zian, I’m a Chinese man, and I own a pet shop in Binhai City. Cathy, if you ever come to China to travel, please allow me to try my best to host you.”


  Richard accurately translated his words.

  “I still have something to do, I’m leaving now. I wish you the best luck in the game.” Zhang Zian again shook her hand. He was using both hands, holding her one hand, with admiration and respect.

  After walking a few steps, he looked back and smiled. “Cathy, you’re the most beautiful lady I’ve ever seen in America.”


  “Really? Thanks!” Cathy held her face full of wrinkles and smiled happily like a child.

  “Really. Goodbye.” He waved farewell to her.

  …


  The patience of Jane and the videographer had almost been worn out. Seeing that Zhang Zian was leaving, Jane quickly caught up to him.

  “Are you leaving?” She asked very dissatisfiedly.

  “Um, I suddenly lost my interest in this game,” Zhang Zian replied decisively. “Goodbye.”


  Looking at his back, the videographer bitterly said, “I told you that this trip would be in vain! But you still need to buy me lunch, please remember that.”


  “Damn it!” Jane stomped angrily, “Now I can only settle for the video where he was practicing Kung Fu.”


  “You don’t want this clip anymore?” asked the videographer.

  Jane asked exasperatedly, “What’s the use in keeping it? Let the audience watch him and an old lady chatting about the history of cats? We are a local news channel, not the f**king Discovery Channel!”


  The videographer shrugged. He did not dare to provoke her while she angry, and deleted the video.

  A clever man always knew when to shut up.

  “What are you standing there waiting for? Let’s go! Go to eat your damn lunch!” She lost her temper, turned her head, and walked away first.

  The videographer covered the lid of the camera lens and followed her, wondering what he was going to order for the lunch he didn’t need to pay for.

  …


  Zhang Zian left the stadium. At this moment, no one was seen at the parking lot, for every audience member or contestant had entered the stadium. He found Tim’s minivan, got in the car, rolled down the window, and deeply inhaled some fresh air to relieve the annoyance in his chest.

  “What’s wrong? What happened to my fellow cat?” Fina jumped into the passenger seat and asked with dissatisfaction and curiosity. She hated the feeling of being kept in the dark.

  Richard completely rephrased to her everything Cathy said.

  The more Fina listened, the grimmer her face turned, and the fiercer her eyes became.

  “We dignified felines do not need recognition from humans!” she snapped furiously.

  Zhang Zian started the engine, “Forget it, let’s go home.”


  At this moment, wind started to blow.

  A gust of strong wind suddenly arrived, swirled together Fina’s stern scolding with its smell, and gushed into the stadium through the open gate.

  …


  That day, when Jane returned to that small and broken local television station, she was chastised by her boss severely. Because just moments after she left to have lunch with the videographer, an incredible wonder had appeared in the stadium hosting the CFA Tournament.

  All the cats participating in the competition broke free from the hands of their owners and referees, lied on the stands with horror, and faced the empty entrance of the stadium.

  Numerous cats were worshipping at the same time!