The System Mistook Me for a Cat

System: "Innate power is your instinct, which I can't turn off. I just temporarily blocked your perception of accessing that power."

It was like building a dam on a river - the flow of water was indeed blocked, but it hadn't disappeared.

Chu Tingwu rubbed her forehead.

At this point, her thinking ability finally returned, and she could normally analyze what this "system" was all about—

According to the system's explanation, it was the kind of system that automatically assigns work after appearing, so it had bound itself to Chu Tingwu entirely according to its own built-in rules, and the rule was—

[That is, you need me!]

Chu Tingwu: "No, you've got it wrong."

[Wait, wait, I'm the most excellent system, I can't be wrong—]

Chu Tingwu: "I mean you've got my species wrong."

The system fell silent.

Or rather, its current data layer was actually a bit chaotic.

In the process of getting to know each other, Chu Tingwu had been trying to prove to the system that she wasn't a cat, that she was actually a human, but this seemed to touch upon the system's most core settings. Denying this would be like denying the system itself... so it was very difficult for the system to accept.

And the existence value of such a service system was to serve the host. Repeatedly denying the host would make the host unhappy, so considering how stubborn this young host was—

[Okay, okay, okay, you're a human-cat, a special kind of cat.]

Chu Tingwu: She could tell it was trying its best.

She gave up.

Chu Tingwu: "Anyway, people... cats like me can't be trained according to your arranged courses, nor can they be judged by those rules of yours."

In any case, she still had self-care abilities and the ability to live independently, right?

And what was "end of nursing period" supposed to mean, was it saying she was at least weaned?

The system accepted it.

The wind rustled the fallen leaves in the courtyard. Chu Tingwu turned on the lights in the yard, rechecked the door locks, then left only the small light in the living room on, and checked the system's newly modified panel data again...

[Name: Chu Tingwu]

[Age: Underage cub (suspected to be still in nursing period)]

[Species: Blue Planet Feliform - Felidae - Cat (with human form)]

[Current status: Instincts locked (pending unlock)]

[Improvement courses:

(Second-tier improvement courses can be unlocked after instincts are unlocked and proficiently used)]

[Current task one: Find a feline foster mother for instinct training + learning]

Chu Tingwu: "..."

[Mood: Speechless]

Chu Tingwu: ... Great, after the changes, in the system's eyes, her image had become "not weaned" yet.

She gave up, silently washed up, and then fell into bed and went to sleep.

The system in her mind seemed to say something, but after realizing Chu Tingwu had closed her eyes, all that remained in her ears was a vague and hypnotic sound like ASMR. Her furrowed brows slowly relaxed in the slight wind, and her breathing gradually steadied with the lingering scent of aromatic candles.

She fell asleep.

-

The next day, Chu Tingwu was awakened by the sound of birdsong in her mind.

After realizing she was fully awake, the system turned off the relaxation and kindly and benevolently (?) asked if she had the urge to go hunting after hearing it.

Chu Tingwu: "... My species doesn't hunt like that."

System: "?"

So she ordered some fried chicken for delivery right in front of the system.

However, the system didn't seem unhappy:

"Cub, I just accessed the Blue Planet's network and found out that most kittens can't order takeout, but you can. Your species is really excellent, cub is super great!"

Chu Tingwu: For some reason, even though she was praised, she didn't feel happy at all.

And what kind of cats were those few that could order takeout?

[Also! To match the nurturing of a special kitten like you, I've learned a lot of new knowledge from the network! Instincts can't be locked forever, completing task one is for your own good...]

No, human-cats don't seem to like phrases like "for your own good" very much—

The system immediately realized its tone was problematic, so it added a cute expression at the end to sell meng.

[Meow~]

Chu Tingwu: "Did you catch a virus?"

System: "?"

Despite saying this, Chu Tingwu did take the system's words to heart.

— Her body had already been modified by the system when they bonded (although the system didn't admit it), and she had temporarily blocked that special feline sensation, but it couldn't be blocked forever. Or if the system malfunctioned one day, she couldn't suddenly turn into an overly sensitive "cat" on the spot, which would affect her life.

So... to adapt, to learn, to use this new body, was a lesson she had to go through.

And the solution given by the system seemed to be to find a real cat to be her teacher.

Chu Tingwu finished cleaning up the table and chairs, and finally conceded: "Do you have any recommended candidates?"

A virtual screen automatically opened in front of her. Chu Tingwu leaned back, still feeling this scene was very surreal even though it was already the second day.

She looked at the center of the screen, where withered yellow grass gradually appeared in the black background. A agile animal stepped into the frame on four legs, its ears quivering slightly in the wind, its golden short fur lying flat like waves of wheat, with the parts ruffled by the wind giving off a beautiful wild beauty.

This was an adult lioness from the great savanna!

And the scene wasn't over yet... because a few lion cubs tumbled out from the corner, fighting and biting each other. This was a mother lion currently raising cubs!

[She is the most suitable candidate I've currently found on the network! Whether it's hunting and survival skills of feline animals, or combat instincts, she's at the peak of her age group. And she just lost two cubs, I can change your scent to make her quickly recognize you as—]

Chu Tingwu: "Pass."

[—her child.]

[QAQ]

She raised her hand to swat away the virtual emoticon in front of her: "I guess you mean you can find a way to drop me onto the savanna, and then have me live among the lion pride, raised as a child by this lioness?"

The system muttered that this was the most efficient method, and that this lioness was really excellent!

Chu Tingwu decided to add the word "excellent" to her list of disliked words, right under Shen Yue's name.

"Don't be ridiculous," she sighed, "I don't know much about it, but I can guess this is a celebrity lion, the kind that has documentaries and is constantly followed by cameras... She even has a tracking collar on her neck. If I, a human, suddenly appear in the lion pride, without even changing into a cat form, do you want me to be trending globally tomorrow?"

Lions are indeed feline, but let's go for some normal felines.

After a brief discussion between the person (human-cat) and the system, they finally decided to go out.

The system currently only collected online information and data, but if it could have close contact, its judgment of "foster mothers" would be more accurate.

System: "I must find you the best mother!"

Chu Tingwu: "I actually have... never mind."

Lu Cenyin couldn't hear this anyway.

-

Although Fallen Phoenix City had a beautiful name, it was at most a second-tier city. It had scenic spots and commercial districts, but they weren't famous or top-notch. Only the Guishui River that ran through the city had some reputation online — a wildly popular historical drama had filmed here a few years ago, and now the riverside's mock-ancient street was full of costume shops and antique stores.

Chu Tingwu rode her bicycle, first arriving at the Guishui River... In her memory, there were several pet shops hidden among the costume and antique shops, operating neither too well nor too poorly.

However, following the map navigation, Chu Tingwu stopped at the entrance.

The system commented in her mind: "This one won't do, weak limbs, oversized body, no ferocity... This one won't do either, gluttonous, timid. This one — this one has congenital intelligence issues!"

"That's normal," she got back on her bicycle, "because this place has changed from a pet shop to a cat cafe."

And that cat with "intelligence issues" was actually the cafe's best-selling cat, with its award certificate posted on the wall.

The remaining pet shops didn't receive high ratings from the system either. After all, they only sold purebred cats. Although these trained purebred cats still possessed feline instincts, such as balance and reflexes, they couldn't meet the system's high standards—

And they were all kittens, too.

A gentle breeze blew along the riverbank, where many people were fishing, not disturbing one another. Chu Tingwu stopped to watch for a while when suddenly she heard someone cry out.

"My seven-pound fish!"

It seemed someone's fish had been stolen, causing most people to turn their heads, wanting to see who the little fish thief was—Chu Tingwu's mouth twitched slightly. She was nearby and saw everything clearly:

The one who had snatched the fish was actually a chubby yellow tabby cat with white paws.

Moreover, that fish didn't look like it weighed seven pounds; it was three pounds at most.

The angler had tied the fish with a line and hung it on the railing. As a result, this stray yellow tabby cat leaped nimbly, skillfully pulled the fish down, and fled while eating it. By the time the angler noticed, half the fish had already been devoured.

Chu Tingwu: "This one?"

If this were a human-cat, shouldn't its body be full of strong, fighting muscles?

The system didn't respond. Chu Tingwu approached the big cat. The cat twitched its ears, then glanced at her sideways, seemingly deciding there was no need to run away. Just then, a net suddenly swooped down towards the cat—

Chu Tingwu and the cat both jumped at the same time.

"Whoa!"

The person trying to net the cat was also startled by her reaction. There were two people, a man and a woman. The man wielded the net while the woman held a cat carrier. They first worked together to put the yellow tabby into the carrier, then the woman, who looked like a college student, came over to apologize: "I'm sorry, little sister. We're catching cats for neutering. Did we scare you?"

Chu Tingwu: "Neutering?"

"Yes, yes," the woman skillfully pulled out her employee ID and then her phone to show her a public account platform. "We're from a nearby pet hospital. We regularly provide free neutering for stray cats in the area... Oh, I saw you watching for a while. Do you like cats? Are you interested in adopting one?"

Chu Tingwu: "Umm..."

Would spaying a female cat affect her hunting ability (or her skill in teaching kittens)?

She urged the system in her mind, and the system finally replied: "It won't have any effect. Neutering isn't a bad thing for cats."

[...But this cat is male.]

Just then, the grumbling yellow tabby exposed his, not her, unremoved bells.

Chu Tingwu: "...Oh."

System: "..."

Oh no, the child seems to have a gender recognition disorder. What should we do?!