Chapter 22: A New Addition to the Family, Tianba the Cat Burglar!

The Thief Cat crept into Su Bai's room, moving with the lithe grace of a shadow, barely making a sound. Its single eye glittered with vigilance in the dim room, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. Unlike the rich aroma of braised rabbit from earlier that day, this time it caught a familiar scent: roasted sausage.

The Thief Cat’s gaze locked onto the golden, crispy ham sausage sitting on the table. Its throat bobbed involuntarily, and the corner of its mouth curled into a smug smile, as if to say, "This sausage is just sitting here with no one eating it—it must have been prepared just for me! I won't be polite then; watch me devour it!"

However, just as it prepared to pounce, the Thief Cat suddenly felt a scorching gaze fixed upon it. It jerked its head up to find Su Bai hiding in the corner, staring at it intensely. A flash of wariness crossed the cat's single eye, its body arching as it prepared to trigger its "Flash" skill to escape.

Su Bai knew that with her current strength, even with the addition of Pearl and White Jade, she was no match for the Thief Cat. Catching a creature with a teleportation skill like "Flash" head-on was nearly impossible. Thus, she changed her strategy, deciding to subdue this arrogant black cat in a different way.

"Kitty, you've stolen so much of my food, it's time you paid me back," Su Bai said, putting on a pitiful act, her voice laced with feigned grievance and helplessness. Her acting was top-tier, her very eyes conveying a miserable sense of "I’m about to starve to death." "My food is almost gone because of your thievery. Once it’s all gone, I’ll have to leave. And then, you won't have any more delicious meals." As she spoke, she kept a close watch on the cat's reaction.

Hearing Su Bai’s pathetic words, the Thief Cat’s ears flickered, and a hint of hesitation crossed its single eye. It did indeed come here to steal food every day; though it felt a bit embarrassed, it had never considered that Su Bai might leave because of it.

*Thief Cat: Is this woman really in such a bad spot? She doesn't look like it to me!*

If Su Bai really left, wouldn't it never get to eat such delicious food again? At that thought, the Thief Cat decided that wouldn't do. "Fine, I'll just steal a little less from now on," it calculated internally, though it maintained its haughty posture on the surface, acting as if it didn't care about Su Bai’s "sob story."

Seeing the cat lost in thought, Su Bai signaled behind her back, and Pearl, hidden elsewhere, began to sing. A soft, cheerful melody filled the room. The song seemed to have a magical quality, making one involuntarily relax. The Thief Cat didn't pay much attention at first, assuming it was just music Su Bai was playing, until its eyelids grew heavy and its body began to feel weary.

"What’s happening... why am I so sleepy..." The Thief Cat’s single eye narrowed, its body swaying uncontrollably. It struggled to stay awake, but the drowsiness grew overwhelming. In the final second before losing consciousness, the cat realized the truth: this woman had used food to lure it into dropping its guard, only to hypnotize it with a song!

"Damn it... this woman... too cunning... I really shouldn't have trusted a pretty woman," the Thief Cat thought, filled with resentment. But its consciousness was already fading; it lacked the strength to even activate its "Flash" skill, and its body collapsed softly to the floor.

Seeing the cat finally unconscious, Su Bai smiled. "Kitty, let this be a lesson to you: human hearts are treacherous, and a woman's mind is as deep as the sea. Scavenging from a tiger’s mouth isn't that simple!" She walked over, patted its head, and whispered, "Little thief, you can't run now."

Fearing that the effects of Pearl’s singing might wear off, given that the Thief Cat was a level 5 creature, Su Bai quickly activated her "Tame and Capture" skill. A soft ring of light emerged from her palm, slowly enveloping the cat. This time, the Thief Cat had no room to resist.

*Ding! Congratulations to player Su Bai for successfully taming and capturing a pet!*

The system notification echoed in her mind, and a flash of joy crossed her eyes. She knew she had finally succeeded in subduing the arrogant black cat.

"From today on, you are my partner," Su Bai said softly, her tone gentle. She looked at the sleeping cat, filled with anticipation. While she had initially coveted its abilities, she had grown quite fond of this gluttonous one-eyed cat. Su Bai had absolutely no resistance to cute things. As she stroked the sleeping cat, she looked at its single eye with a pang of pity. "This isn't a recent wound... could it have been like this before the mutation?"

"Next, we’ll work on building our rapport. You won't have to steal food anymore; I'll prepare it for you. Though you can't have this ham sausage—I like it too, and I don't have many left! I'll prepare more for you when I find some," she murmured.

When the Thief Cat woke up, it was full of anger and frustration. However, because it was now bound by Su Bai’s "Tame and Capture" skill, it couldn't summon a single thought of rebellion. This sense of powerlessness only made it angrier; its single eye blazed with irritation, and its tail stood high in defiance.

Seeing the cat’s reaction, Su Bai couldn't help but laugh. She knew the proud black cat must be furious, but she also understood she had to coax it—after all, it was currently her most powerful partner.

"Awake? Still angry? Don't be mad, okay?" Su Bai crouched down and coaxed it gently. She reached out to stroke its head, trying to soothe its temper. The Thief Cat turned its head away, pointedly ignoring her, though its ears flickered, clearly listening.

Seeing this, Su Bai immediately pulled a golden, crispy ham sausage from her pocket and waved it in front of the cat. "Here, this sausage is yours! Don't be mad, please?"

The Thief Cat’s nose twitched, and its single eye involuntarily followed the movement of the sausage. Its throat moved; it was clearly drawn to the scent, but it maintained its haughty posture, as if to say, "Hmph, you think one sausage can buy me?"

Su Bai laughed, "I'm not teasing you, it's all for you." She placed the sausage in front of the cat with a doting tone. The Thief Cat hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the food, lowering its head to devour it.

After the cat finished, Su Bai said solemnly, "We're a family now. I'll take care of your meals from here on out. Don't worry, stay with me, and you'll never go hungry." She smiled and added, "Since we're family, let me introduce you. This is Pearl, and this is White Jade."

Pearl flew over and chirped happily, while White Jade wiggled its body, emitting a soft "hiss" as a greeting. The Thief Cat glanced at them; it had no choice but to accept it. Perhaps joining this family meant it wouldn't have to spend its life stealing to survive.

Su Bai chuckled at the sight. "By the way, I can't keep calling you 'Thief Cat.' I need to give you a name." She rubbed her chin, thinking seriously. She looked at the cat’s arrogant posture and the domineering light in its single eye, and a flash of inspiration hit her. "I've got it! I'll call you Tianba! You look quite imposing already; this name suits you perfectly!"

The Thief Cat—or rather, Tianba—felt a sense of satisfaction upon hearing the name. It lifted its head slightly and flicked its tail, as if to say, "Finally, something that makes me happy!"

Seeing Tianba's reaction, Su Bai was pleased. "Alright, Tianba, Pearl, White Jade—from today on, we are a family!" she said with a smile.