Never mind.
The old woman had lived to such a ripe old age, yet she'd never seen a one-eyed cat.
"What color was the cat?"
The old woman asked again.
"Black."
Chen Xi answered at once.
This back-and-forth...
Gave the girl the illusion that the old woman really could find the cat from those clues.
But...
It was only an illusion.
"No, I haven't seen it..."
After searching all around, the old woman studied the girl's expression and shook her head hesitantly.
She had even enlisted the other old men and women who'd been dancing with her.
They'd searched all over the nearby area.
They hadn't seen a one-eyed cat.
They hadn't seen any cat at all.
"Little girl..."
The old woman hesitated.
"Your cat..."
It had probably wandered off.
Or... someone had taken it in?
No, no.
The old woman shook her head.
A cat with a disability like that...
Most people probably wouldn't take it in.
The old woman still thought the cat had run away on its own.
She couldn't help feeling sorry for it.
Leaving a master who loved it so much...
Once it was out on the streets, hungry and homeless, it would regret it.
"No..."
Chen Xi clenched her hands.
She tried to stay calm.
But her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
She didn't know what expression she was wearing.
A powerful sense of losing control began to spread through her.
She—
"Xi Xi!"
A voice more familiar than any other reached her ears.
It was Mom.
Her mind supplied the answer immediately.
Chen Xi seemed to have been pressed into pause.
All her emotions went blank for a moment.
She swallowed unconsciously.
"M-Mom..."
"What are you doing here?"
"Your dad came too."
After looking the