Elena walked over and took a look. "Is this the one that stole chicken eggs in your previous life?"
"Its name is Silver," Saina corrected.
"It had the same name in its previous life."
"It has the same name in this life too."
Elena looked at the cat, then at Saina, but said nothing more.
Elonore ran over, her eyes sparkling as they fixed on the fat cat. "So fat."
"Obviously. It even stole one of the ribs." Saina carried the cat back beside the stone table and picked a small rib from the bowl, setting it on the tabletop.
The fat cat leaned over to sniff it, then snatched it up in one bite and crunched away with loud crackles.
Saina crouched beside it, watching it eat as her fingers scratched under its chin. The cat's purring hummed through the quiet courtyard.
They could no longer eat the meal. More precisely, after the cat had taken three ribs, Saina could not bear to eat any more and fed them all to it.
Su Li finished his soup and set down his bowl. "That's about enough. It's getting dark. Time to clean up."
"Wait." Saina stood, holding the cat in her arms. "Where's it going to live?"
Su Li glanced at her.
Her meaning was clear.
"In my previous life, it slept by the courtyard gate. In winter, it froze itself into a little ball. That won't do this time—we need to find it a place."
Elena gathered the bowls and chopsticks beside them. "Then let it sleep under the porch by the gate. Spread out an old cloth and that's that."
"That's too cold."
"You want the cat to sleep inside?" Elena set the dishes on the table. "No. It sheds. What if my clothes get covered in cat