The System Mistook Me for a Cat

Chu Tingwu was watching her aunts and cousins play cards.

Nearby, her younger siblings were chasing after Sanwuwu, trying to play together.

The Chu family home was filled with a peaceful atmosphere. The eldest great-grandmother, wearing glasses, was playing a game.

It was July, and the weather was starting to get hot, but the house by the river was moistened by the water vapor, so it didn’t feel too stuffy. Usually, only the great-grandmother and the eldest aunt’s family lived here, but during the summer break, the younger generation would all be sent over… Other times, everyone was busy with work or school, but these days, more people had returned.

This was because Chu Tingwu and Chu Xiao had finalized their school plans, and a small celebration banquet was being held to mark their academic achievements.

During this time, Chu Tingwu had met many people. The relatives she had previously seen in Fallen Phoenix City were only those who happened to be free during that period. They had gone out of their way to visit Fallen Phoenix City, so it was only fair that she came to Heqi City to meet the rest of the family.

Of course, Chu Tingwu wasn’t here just out of obligation—she genuinely missed her great-grandmother.

Chu Xiao was accompanying the great-grandmother in playing games and wasn’t checking his phone. However, outside the main family group chat, the younger generation had created a separate group for their peers, and the topic of conversation was Chu Tingwu.

[Is this cousin approachable? Can I go ask for an autograph?]n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[Just ask Chu Xiao to help you. They’re definitely close.]

[Come on… Cousin Xiao seems even less approachable than Cousin Tingwu!]

[I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that a big celebrity is my relative. I’m too nervous to even start a conversation… Help, I’ve watched so many of her videos!]

[Maybe try starting with the cat to ease into it? Even though Cousin Tingwu has over seven million fans, isn’t Sanwuwu technically part of the account too? Go for it!]

[You go first! Petting Sanwuwu seems harder than approaching Cousin Tingwu!]

[Alright, I’m going to tell Cousin Tingwu you want to pat her head—]

[Stop it!]

Chu Tingwu turned her head and noticed someone approaching. They took a few steps, glanced around nervously, grabbed some snacks from the table, and then went back to playing on their phone.

Chu Tingwu: “?”

Huh? Weren’t they here to talk to her?

[Why didn’t you say anything…]

[I felt like Cousin Tingwu is too sharp. I got nervous as soon as I got close.]

[It’s not so much that she’s sharp, but her memory is incredible. She said she’s not a genius who can remember everything at a glance, but on her first day here, she memorized all the family relationships and everyone’s names… Terrifying. If it were me, I’d be mixing up faces for three days!]

[So she’s just like Chu Xiao, huh? I knew it (crying). I tricked Chu Xiao into eating toothpaste crackers when he was three, and he still remembers it. He holds grudges forever!!]

[Hey, I still remember you stealing my firecrackers to set off! Stop it!]

Chu Tingwu crossed her arms and continued watching the card game, but when she heard faint footsteps behind her, she paused for a moment before suddenly turning around—

Her gaze met that of her cousin’s, who had clearly been watching her and was now caught in the act.

The cousin, pretending she was just passing by to use the bathroom: “…Oh no.”

The great-grandmother noticed the commotion and chuckled, “What’s going on? Do you want to take Tingwu out to play?”

The cousin quickly seized the opportunity and said, “Yes, Tingwu, do you want to go out for a walk? You haven’t really explored Heqi City yet, have you?”

She was a third-year college student, the oldest among the younger generation. Her tone was enthusiastic but also cautious and curious. Chu Tingwu glanced around, and Chu Xiao stood up without hesitation, “Want to join, Cousin?”

The cousin breathed a sigh of relief: At least Chu Xiao was familiar with her, so she wouldn’t have to worry about running out of things to say.

As a result, when they headed out, a whole group of peers followed. Seven or eight of them chattered as they walked, with Chu Tingwu occasionally chiming in. As they reached the door, she turned her head and let out a soft “meow”—

The group fell silent as Sanwuwu trotted out of the yard, stopping in front of Chu Tingwu before turning around with a soft “meow,” as if inviting the little ones to join the outing.

Ah…

So cute.

Fierce but adorable!

—And that sentiment seemed to apply to both the cat and the person.

The seagull drone perched steadily on Chu Tingwu’s shoulder, unmoving, like a decorative accessory. The cousin, who was used to looking after her younger siblings (by age), had Chu Tingwu walk in the middle, occasionally turning to say a few words. She pointed to the nearby Qishui River and said, “This river, like the Guishui River in Fallen Phoenix City, is a tributary of the Xi River.”

In the past, it would take a full day and night to travel from the Qishui River to the Guishui River and reach Fallen Phoenix City.

But with technological advancements and the development of the shipping industry, traveling by water to Fallen Phoenix City now only takes about two and a half hours.

Chu Tingwu nodded and said to Chu Xiao, “It seems we could transport the horses by water.”

Chu Xiao: “==”

He… he really didn’t know what to do with those three horses in Jing City.

Because of this, Shao Lingwu had been criticized for a long time in the group chat. He was stripped of his admin status in their four-person group, becoming the only unlucky one without admin privileges—ironically, he had been the group owner.

In fact, to help everyone afford the horses, the game *Cat Can’t Learn* was created.

Players were puzzled: *Cat Can’t Learn* had “cat” in its name, featured cat-themed gameplay, and even had a cat paw as its logo, so why were all the NPCs horses? Yes, the latest update introduced a new random merchant NPC—a cute little horse. Unlike the shady merchant Raphael, this horse, though also white, had a small black star-shaped mark on its forehead, earning it the affectionate nickname “Raphael’s illegitimate child.”

Chu Tingwu: …Actually, it’s the Starcloud Charity Foundation’s horse mascot.

The profits from this new in-game store were donated to the Starcloud Charity Foundation for promotional purposes.

The inspiration for the app came from Chu Xiao’s live-streaming channel, and the four of them had brainstormed ideas together. Later, when Chu Tingwu worked on the project, she casually gave everyone shares—initially, they thought the costs would be high and profits slim, but now, the dividends were enough for Chu Xiao to afford a horse.

The cousin overheard and asked cautiously, “Uh… raising horses? Are these the same horses that inspired the game?”

With the game’s popularity and Heqi City being one of the thirty beta test cities, she was well aware of *Cat Can’t Learn* and the shady merchant Raphael. Although there were a hundred thousand beta spots, they were quickly filled nationwide—she had even heard of people planning to move to one of the thirty cities just to play the game.

What saddened her was… she hadn’t gotten a beta spot, and she felt too awkward to ask Chu Tingwu directly for one.

After all, they weren’t that close yet.

Chu Xiao explained the origins of the three horses with a grimace, and Chu Tingwu added, “It’s not ideal to keep them boarded at someone else’s stable. There’s no guarantee of safety—someone even tried to steal them once.”

Of course, the system had quickly alerted the authorities, but Chu Tingwu still found the arrangement inconvenient.

For one thing, although the stable in Jing City was spacious and well-maintained, its overly modern environment made it less appealing. Chu Tingwu felt that once she started school, she’d only have time to drive a few hours to the suburban stable for a two-hour ride, which wasn’t cost-effective. The horses would probably feel lonely too.

The riding instructor: …We only said the horses might feel lonely to encourage you to visit more often, not so you’d take them away!

Besides, the three horses technically belonged to three different people (Shao Lingwu: *sobbing*). Chu Tingwu had consulted Zhou Qiang, who also didn’t want to keep the horses in Jing City, as she felt the boarding fees were too high and overpriced.

Having money didn’t mean you should waste it.

The cousin thought for a moment and said, “If Chu Xiao wants to raise horses… there aren’t many professional stables around here. Heqi isn’t exactly a bustling city. Oh! What about renting some land at Shanwan Ranch and having the herders take care of them?”

The Shanwan Ranch she mentioned is actually a moderately popular tourist spot in Heqi City. An out-of-town businessman had leased the ranch, turning part of it into a resort while hiring locals to tend to the livestock, including sheep and yaks. Local children often visit to play, and some people come for picnics or camping. The ticket prices are quite affordable.

Moreover, the ranch is conveniently close to the main urban area, and a tributary of the Qishui River runs through it, providing more spacious grazing grounds for horses compared to traditional stables.

She knew this because her father happened to be the village head of the neighboring village near Shanwan Ranch and was quite familiar with the area.

Chu Tingwu thought the suggestion was a good one. The three horses could be kept together, and if convenient, they could all be moved here. Since the Chu family lived locally, they could easily visit whenever they had free time, making it more convenient than keeping them in Fallen Phoenix City.

—Perhaps because of their familial ties, Chu Tingwu felt it was more reasonable to ask them for help rather than her friends.

With this in mind, her younger siblings started chatting about going to Shanwan Ranch for a visit. The ranch was accessible by bus, and amidst their chatter, they bought tickets. Her niece, meanwhile, sent a message to her father. However, when the bus arrived at Shanwan Ranch, she frowned at her phone.

Chu Tingwu: “Is something wrong?”

She immediately sensed the shift in mood from those around her.

“Ah!” Her niece snapped out of her thoughts. “My dad says it might not be possible to board the horses here anymore…”

Chu Xiao: “?”

The niece continued, “The owner of Shanwan Ranch has gone bankrupt and is putting the ranch up for sale. If it doesn’t sell, it might go to auction.”

And then, no one knows what will become of the land.

Thinking about this, she felt a pang of melancholy.

After getting off the bus, she felt even more disheartened. She noticed that the staff were no longer working, and the ticket booth was empty, with litter scattered across the grass. The group curiously peered into the ticket booth, but although no one stopped them, they felt too awkward to just walk in.

However, Sanwuwu strutted right in without hesitation.

To a cat, no place is off-limits except the kitchen. And since cats don’t need tickets, she quickly wandered inside. The niece exclaimed, wanting to alert Chu Tingwu, but Chu Tingwu shook her head.

Not long after, Sanwuwu reappeared, but this time, she was riding a cow.

The cow, seemingly unfazed by the concept of tickets, casually strolled to the entrance. The niece glanced at Chu Tingwu again, who simply shook her head and meowed at Sanwuwu:

“This one isn’t wild!”

Sanwuwu: “?”

The calico cat looked utterly confused and seemed to insist: The cow agreed, meow!

Chu Tingwu and the cow locked eyes. The cow swished its tail and ambled over to Chu Tingwu, looking up at her as if she were just another small animal.

Meanwhile, the others around her were busy on their phones, but in a group chat Chu Tingwu couldn’t see—

[See? I told you! She can talk to animals. “She must be a real princess!”]

[What kind of princess is she? Are we supposed to be the seven dwarfs?]

[But there are nine of us here. The eldest cousin is kind-hearted, so she’s obviously the good hunter. Chu Xiao is the tallest, so he can play the stepmother.]

[I refuse to participate in this childish role-playing.]

[Wait, why are you even in this group?!]

“You have been removed from the group chat and can no longer send messages.”

Chu Xiao: “...?”

Not only did they exclude Chu Tingwu from the group, but they kicked me out too? Fine, you’ve lost your beta testing privileges. ==

He turned his head just in time to see Chu Tingwu crouched down, petting the cow.

Chu Xiao: “You…”

Chu Tingwu murmured, “You look like—”

The system had scanned the environment and deemed it excellent—lush mountains and clear waters. It concluded that the cow’s milk quality was high, and the meat from the other cattle and sheep would likely be excellent as well. The system had been pondering how to handle Chu Tingwu’s meals once school started. Since she was a carnivore, it would be better for her to cook her own food, and sourcing the ingredients herself might be the best solution.

Chu Xiao: Are you planning to turn this cow into your steed?

After hearing the system’s explanation, Chu Tingwu patted the cow beside her and praised, “You’ll definitely taste delicious!”

Chu Xiao: …

Is this really what a princess would say!?