The System Mistook Me for a Cat

Chapter 45

The written exam was not difficult for Chu Tingwu.

The test content focused on theoretical knowledge about pet emotions, habits, and behavioral patterns, which are common among cat trainers and communicators. There were also questions about pet breeding and veterinary medicine—most of which Chu Tingwu had studied, though she was unsure about a few answers.

Normally, the results of the theoretical part of the exam would be released quickly, as the multiple-choice questions with standard answers are automatically graded upon submission. However, Chu Tingwu had to wait a bit longer outside before seeing the Person in Charge approach her with a hesitant expression.

Chu Tingwu: "Did I get too many wrong?"

Person in Charge: "No, no, no, it's just that you only got these two wrong... We had a discussion in the conference room about the answers, so you had to wait a bit longer."

They suspected there might have been an error in the answers—hence the extra time spent confirming them.

These two questions were multiple-choice about pet medicine and breeding. It took quite a while for everyone to confirm that Chu Tingwu might have genuinely forgotten the answers during the exam.

As for the essay questions, as long as she wrote something, they basically gave her full marks.

Chu Tingwu: "..." It seemed there were more onlookers now.

Person in Charge: "Ahem."

"Just understanding a pet's emotions doesn't qualify as 'communication'; you also need to find ways to express and convey them," the Person in Charge led Chu Tingwu, walking in front, "We discussed and decided that the exam content judged by machines is too simple for you... How about a face-to-face test with a pet instead?"

She had spent a long time comforting An An, giving her a can of food, and then handed her over to the Assistant.

Pet communicators are naturally graded, and the Jin City Branch's assessment process is recorded and reported. Initially, the Person in Charge thought of letting Chu Tingwu try the elementary level exam—but now it seems that only testing at the elementary level might be a waste of time.

On the way, the Person in Charge also briefly introduced the employment prospects for communicators:

"Although you don't need to consider these for now, after you pass the assessment, when we receive requests for help from pet owners, we might recommend you—" she said, "You can choose to help them or refuse, depending on your ability."

The most common job is "pet teacher," who often provides home services or asks the owners to bring their pets to their studio. Some pets have bad habits, and the teacher will spend one or two sessions educating and reforming them.

Another common role is the "psychological calmer" at animal hospitals. Cats and dogs are prone to stress, and pets at home might suddenly become stressed when visiting the hospital. The calmer is responsible for soothing their emotions—of course, not by imitating cat or dog sounds, but through more scientific methods, such as creating an environment, changing the temperature, or playing sounds familiar to them.

Chu Tingwu's written exam seemed to cover only elementary content, and the Person in Charge didn't ask her to go back for additional tests... and indeed, she hadn't reviewed the more specialized knowledge required for calmers, teachers, etc. Some people who pass the communicator exam also go on to become dog or cat trainers, which can be considered a career branch.

The Person in Charge stopped at the door: "Besides, there's also the 'pet psychologist,' as animals can also suffer from mental illnesses and need specialized psychologists for animals—the psychologist observes them, understands their past stories, and then tries to help them through. I personally think you'd be very suitable for this path... of course, it's just a suggestion. Let's go in."

The room was decorated with white wallpaper, and in the center lay a Golden Retriever, Le Cang, next to a little girl playing with a ball.

Wait... a Golden Retriever?

Chu Tingwu: "Starting with a dog?"

Perhaps because the professional assessment was still relatively new, the communicator entrance exam didn't differentiate between cats and dogs, only asking candidates to fill in their general preferences before the test. She had, of course, chosen cats.

Person in Charge: "You'll be tested on both anyway."

They stood by the door, actually separated by a half-glass wall, which provided good soundproofing, so the people and the dog inside didn't notice them.

Chu Tingwu observed for a while: The little girl would push the ball away, signaling Le Cang to fetch it, but the dog would only look at the ball and, after three or four attempts, gently nudge it with his paw.

Moreover, Le Cang's tail rarely wagged, his mouth closed, and his eyes wide open, resting on his folded front paws.

"His name is Le Cang," the Person in Charge introduced, "The child playing with him is a volunteer we invited. Can you see anything?"

Chu Tingwu: "Is the volunteer deaf and mute?"

The Person in Charge was taken aback and then looked at the glass side: "You noticed that first... Indeed, she's a student from a nearby special school."

Chu Tingwu nodded.

Although the soundproofing was indeed very good, when she concentrated, she could still hear the sound of the ball falling to the ground through the wall, but not the child's other sounds... so she made her guess.

Chu Tingwu: "Then Le Cang... is he a guide dog?"

Person in Charge: "Why would you think that?"

Chu Tingwu: "When he was lying down, he only nudged the ball a few times, twice because the ball was about to roll away, and once because the little girl stood up to get the ball. His gaze first noticed the blanket—it was raised and might trip her, so he went over to pick up the ball and then nudged the child with his head, indicating she didn't need to go anymore."

"There are also some small habits... which give me the impression that his previous owner probably had vision problems."

She couldn't understand dog language, and Le Cang didn't bark once, but observing his demeanor and sensing his emotions were still relatively simple for her.

The Person in Charge looked at Chu Tingwu again: "Yes."

"Le Cang was once a guide dog. After his owner passed away in an accident, he developed depression and was sent here by his owner's relatives for treatment," the Person in Charge shook her head, "Research on animal mental illnesses isn't very advanced. We consulted other colleagues and tried to find him a new blind owner."

But after being taken to the new owner's home, Le Cang was afraid to take the owner out. The big Golden Retriever blocked the door, his "woof woof" barks gradually turning into "woof whimper" cries, so the new owner had to send him back.

They judged that Le Cang could no longer be a guide dog; he had developed PTSD, like a human, and even defied his dog instincts, becoming afraid to go out when led.

Staying in the room would only worsen his condition, so the institution tried to find different volunteers for him, eventually concluding—Le Cang still wanted to help humans, and younger or older volunteers were more likely to get a response from him. Not long ago, with the help of an elderly volunteer in a wheelchair, Le Cang went out for a walk for the first time in half a year.

Person in Charge: "But the situation hasn't fully improved. When there's no suitable person to accompany him, he often lies in the corner of the room, lost in thought, and doesn't play by himself. Recently, we gave him a check-up, and his limbs have some deformation. If this continues, it will affect his lifespan."

This might be a dog trying to commit slow suicide.

His psychological issues were obvious, not a test question at all. The real test was how to solve his problem through "communication."

Of course, the Person in Charge didn't expect Chu Tingwu to actually accomplish what they couldn't, but she saw Chu Tingwu's communication skills and hoped she could do something, even a little.

Even if Le Cang wasn't a cat.

Even if the Person in Charge had never heard that this child could speak dog language.

The Person in Charge opened the inner door for Chu Tingwu, and the deaf and mute child and the dog didn't look over; the former couldn't hear, and the latter simply didn't react.

The Person in Charge stood by the door and watched Chu Tingwu walk over... When she approached, Le Cang's ears twitched, and he lifted his head to look at the new human.

The Person in Charge wasn't surprised; Le Cang would usually just glance at strangers when they encountered them.

But then, Le Cang suddenly stood up on its own, walked over, sniffed Chu Tingwu's hand, and let out a soft "woof" sound.

Person in Charge: "?"

Chu Tingwu hadn't even done anything! She was just standing there!

She watched as the girl reached out to pat the golden retriever's head, looked around, found the leash used for walking dogs, showed it to Le Cang, and then fastened it around its neck.

The golden retriever's eyes widened.

It looked at the leash, then at Chu Tingwu, and lifted a paw as if to play with it—like it usually did, it was probably about to express its refusal, but... but! Le Cang sniffed Chu Tingwu again, nudged the girl's waist with its snout, and let out a soft bark.

So, in front of the Person in Charge, Chu Tingwu led the withdrawn little dog out the door.

Person in Charge: "..."

She asked her colleague who had rushed over to take care of the young volunteer, then followed Chu Tingwu, unable to help but ask, "How... how did you communicate with it?"

You didn't even speak!

Chu Tingwu: "Like what you all do—simple communication probably can't dispel its sad emotions or make it forget its deceased owner, so I just wanted to take it out for a run."

Even normal dogs can get depressed if they don't get enough exercise.

Chu Tingwu: "As for why it listened... maybe because I smell strongly of cats, and it doesn't see me as a human, just as a cat?"

Of course, it's not just the strong smell.

Le Cang clearly smelled that she was a kitten, with both the scent of a young cat and the scent of its mother.

Though it was strange to be led out by a cat, Le Cang didn't resist.

Chu Tingwu thought for a moment and speculated, "Maybe it thinks... that people taking it for a walk might have an accident, but cats have sharp senses and won't get into trouble, right?"

In the dog's mind, people aren't as reliable as cats.

Seeing the Person in Charge didn't stop her, Chu Tingwu, with this guess, led Le Cang out of the institution and into the courtyard used for walking.

The place wasn't very big, but it seemed to be frequented by cats and dogs—because Chu Tingwu could smell their scents.

"Wait, whose golden retriever is that... is that Le Cang!?"

Le Cang going out clearly surprised the staff, and seeing Chu Tingwu holding the leash made them even more astonished—in their own territory, they could of course let Le Cang run free without a leash, but it just wouldn't play on its own, even if taken to the courtyard, it would just lie in a corner.

Now, Chu Tingwu started walking it around the courtyard.

At first, the person and the dog just walked slowly, and after a short distance, Le Cang would look back at Chu Tingwu.

No one knew what world it saw, but they could tell that Le Cang's steps became lighter and its head lifted higher.

Then, Le Cang's head began to sway, it sniffed the flowers in the flowerbed, pawed at a tree, and stared intently at a crack in the stone... so far, it was just a walk.

Chu Tingwu slowly pulled back some of the leash, walked in front of Le Cang, and then started jogging.

Le Cang hesitated for a moment, was gently tugged by the leash, and followed on all fours, gradually running ahead of Chu Tingwu.

The person and the dog jogged around the small path in the courtyard, Le Cang's long golden fur shimmering in the sunlight, rising and falling with the movement, it opened its mouth and began to breathe through it.

The jogging lasted about fifteen minutes, and when Chu Tingwu stopped, Le Cang barked twice.

Then, it seemed a bit shy, and came over to rub its body against Chu Tingwu's hand.

The Person in Charge looked very excited, she clenched and unclenched her fists several times, quickly wiped her hands, and then came to shake Chu Tingwu's hand: "Thank you, thank you, this is probably the most exercise Le Cang has had in the past half year... I took some video, can I send it to the family of its owner?"

There was no reason to refuse, so the Person in Charge then led Chu Tingwu to meet Le Cang's "Attending Doctor," who had also watched from the courtyard for a long time, very emotional, constantly asking how Chu Tingwu had managed it.

Chu Tingwu: "I think Le Cang might just not be able to accept human owners, but maybe it could try animal companions? Let an animal lead it on a walk?"

Le Cang still didn't want to go on the road, nor did it like the traffic, but it could get enough exercise in the playground or downstairs in the community.

And obviously, enough exercise was good for it.

The doctor accepted this suggestion, and the institution's action efficiency was very high, quickly turning this into a follow-up assessment content, asking Chu Tingwu to participate.

They found another volunteer dog that day, and the two dogs sniffed each other. This was a trained pug, not as big as Le Cang, and could bite the leash and lead it forward.

But once the pug was led by a human with a leash, Le Cang would look at the dog, then at the person, and then refuse to move.

After a few tests, they found that except for Chu Tingwu, other animals had to be "independent" to walk the dog.

Chu Tingwu stroked her chin and thought: "I'll go home and bring my cat."

She went back and brought Three-Five-Five over.

The tortoiseshell cat landed in the unfamiliar environment, without any leash, only wearing a collar indicating its identity.

She looked around, her tail flicking through the air, then Chu Tingwu fastened the other end of Le Cang's leash to her collar.

The cat and dog sniffed each other, Le Cang, after a day of activity, seemed to have brighter eyes, staring at Three-Five-Five, then suddenly barked twice at Chu Tingwu.

?This is your mom!?

The golden retriever seemed to say with its eyes.

Chu Tingwu laughed and waved at it, and the subsequent walk went smoothly, with Three-Five-Five successfully leading Le Cang for a walk, jogging, and even crossing the road—

Before crossing the road, Le Cang seemed very nervous, the leash taut, but Three-Five-Five "meowed" twice, impatiently turned its head and nipped its nose, then bit the leash and led the big dog to the other side of the road.

Upon arrival, the former guide dog lowered its head to the ground, and the tortoiseshell cat licked its head twice.

The family of Le Cang's owner watched from the side, covering their mouths tightly to prevent themselves from crying.

When the dog took that step... it seemed to represent that they too had taken a step forward.

However, Three-Five-Five couldn't stay at the institution.

She was just here to help.

Chu Tingwu also took an extra test, meeting a cat with strong aggression—this cat actually had vision problems, severe astigmatism since birth, and the condition gradually worsened as it grew up.

It had already undergone surgery, but still seemed to have a strong aggressive tendency.

Chu Tingwu chatted with the cat for a while and then gave a solution: "It just didn't receive proper education when it was young, unable to judge whether humans could be approached, let it get used to clothes with the owner's scent, treat them as its own kind, and then slowly correct its habits."

Unlike Le Cang, this was a proper "test," and Chu Tingwu scored highly. Her file was quickly entered into the system, and she received her own badge and certificate.

The certificate's level was "Senior Pet Communicator," the commemorative badge semi-circular, gold with blue edges, with a faint metallic luster, the pattern a stylized silhouette of a cat and a dog.

The whole process was surprisingly fast, and after the institution issued the certificate, it would report to the headquarters for review, the review usually taking about a month, generally not causing any problems.

As soon as she received it, the staff quickly surrounded her:

"Teacher Chu, can cat language be learned, can it be learned from your videos?" This was the studious type.

"Teacher Chu, I also have a cat at home, how do you train your cat, how can it be as independent and affectionate as your tortoiseshell?" This was the type for the cat's benefit.

"Little Teacher Chu, I've actually been your fan for a long time, I didn't have the heart to ask for an autograph before, you're amazing, so proficient in cat and dog language!" This was the flattery type... wait!

Chu Tingwu: "I don't speak dog language."

"Miss Chu, you're too modest!"

Chu Tingwu: Hey!

Because of the example set by Le Cang, it was clear that no one would believe her even if she explained. Chu Tingwu stepped out of the encirclement, only to be stopped by the Person in Charge: "Le Cang's condition has improved, and the family wants to take him home after a while. They also want to ask you or Three-Five-Five to come over and help walk the dog."

"Oh, and," she added specifically, "there's pay for this."

Both humans and cats get paid for their work.

... Even An An gets paid.

Chu Tingwu: "Does the family have any interest in raising a cat?"

Upon hearing this, Teacher Cao turned around, quite shocked—but Chu Tingwu wouldn't send Three-Five-Five to someone else's home, would she?

Of course not, it wasn't Three-Five-Five.

After receiving a positive response from the family, Chu Tingwu made a call to the Jin City Police Dog Training Base, explaining the situation. The response was quick, asking the family to visit the base the next day, preferably with Le Cang.

Among the rejected police cat candidates, there must be a suitable kitten for Le Cang.

-

After a day of busy work, when Chu Tingwu got on the bus, she couldn't help but yawn twice.

The sun hung on the horizon, and the twilight enveloped the entire city. Birds flapped their wings as they flew past the high-rise buildings. Through the car window, Chu Tingwu raised her hand to the position where the birds were and made a virtual grab—imagining herself catching the bird in her palm, feeling the soft and smooth touch of the feathers, carrying a faint warmth.

A bird on the roadside suddenly flinched, shook its wings, and took off.

?Your [Sense of Smell lv2] has upgraded to [Sense of Smell lv3]?

?Your [Vision lv1] has upgraded to [Vision lv2]?

?Your [Perception lv0] has upgraded to [Perception lv1]?

After these three prompts flashed on the system interface, the system asked:

"Are you hungry, little one? What do you want for dinner? I'll order a table of dishes to be delivered home."

Today, let's not let the little one cook.

Chu Tingwu mumbled an indistinct "hmm," her eyes glancing at the window gap, when she suddenly bent down and picked up something: "Teacher Cao, the pen cap of Teacher Wei from Class Three fell on the back seat of your car."

Teacher Cao stopped the car: "Alright, give it to me, I'll take it to him tomorrow."

A few minutes later, Chu Tingwu brought Three-Five-Five upstairs, but Teacher Cao was still sitting in the car, lost in thought.

There was no name on the pen cap, so how did Miss Chu know it belonged to Teacher Wei? Or did she know that Teacher Wei had sat in the car a couple of days ago and just happened to know that he had lost a pen cap?

Chu Tingwu didn't know Teacher Cao's doubts. She was using a brand new perspective to observe the world.

So, to the outside, her movements seemed a bit slow.

She sat on the living room sofa, with Three-Five-Five licking its fur beside her. The window was half open, letting in the evening breeze—Chu Tingwu vaguely realized: "It might rain tonight, but not for long."

She wasn't sure if she had sensed... "air pressure"?

The pen cap was the same. It wasn't just the smell. Chu Tingwu first "saw" the marks left on the window gap, then her mind automatically formed a rough shape of the object and estimated a general falling range, and then she bent down—

She touched the pen cap stuck in the gap.

She could even imagine what had happened based on the remaining smell and traces: Teacher Wei sat in the back seat, suddenly thinking of something he wanted to write down immediately. He held the pen cap between his fingers, writing on a small notebook, but when the car stopped, he instinctively leaned forward, supporting himself with his hand, and the pen cap first hit the window gap, then rolled onto his lap, finally falling to the ground with his movement.

But the window gap was on the left, and he didn't hear the pen cap fall, so he subconsciously searched the left seat and floor, and finally, as they were about to reach school, he had to give up.

—Being able to imagine it so completely was because the smell, when it entered Chu Tingwu's nose, also had a time distinction.

Before, she could smell things humans couldn't, but only vaguely judge the intensity of the smell. Now, after the upgrade, the smell became more shaped, and she could distinguish the time the smell was left by its intensity.

The enhanced vision also allowed her to easily find subtle traces with her eyes.

The world seemed to be in sharp focus for her at that moment, and time seemed to slow down:

"And this is just the instinct of a cat."

System: "Hmm?"

"I'm thinking, is it because I'm just human and have the abilities of a cat that I can discover how to better use these abilities."

The system, using a gentle tone as if talking to a little fool, said: "Of course, my little one is very amazing, but you're already a cat! You're just smarter and more sensitive than other kittens... and you'll grow a bit bigger too?"

It means she's healthy!

Chu Tingwu: "=="

She thought about how she could "better use" her abilities, then realized that being a human-cat wouldn't change the world. The small world she touched wouldn't be any different from before the upgrade.

It's time for dinner.

-

Getting certified was just a small matter. Chu Tingwu only informed a few close people and didn't make a big deal out of it.

The institution has debunked the profession of "pet communicator" on the internet, but in reality, they also have their own employment channels. Truly skilled communicators rarely appear on the internet, relying on a photo to scam pet owners' money.

Chu Tingwu's name quietly entered the internal recommendation system, while she herself quietly returned to school.

On Monday, when Chu Tingwu just arrived at the classroom, Chang Yile reached out to pull her sleeve: "Did you bring it, did you bring that?"

Chu Tingwu: "Yes, I put it in the book."

Chang Yixin: "What are you bringing?"

Chu Tingwu took out the thickest English book, opened it to show them the two feathers.

She hadn't intended to publicize it, but a while ago, the Fallen Phoenix City Forestry Bureau issued an official notice saying, "Kind citizens Chu and An discovered a national first-class protected animal in Zhangshan Mountain..." with a blurred photo, which was quickly identified by sharp-eyed fans as possibly Chu Tingwu.

Chu Tingwu didn't respond, but Chang Yile, a fan in real life, could directly show her screenshots and ask, so they chatted for a whole evening. The next day, Chu Tingwu brought the feathers to show them.

The classmates around them also marveled at the feathers, which couldn't be bent, so they touched them carefully—after all, it's not like they can casually enter the protected area to touch the feathers of a national first-class protected animal!

A classmate asked curiously: "Is it like this... you saved the national first-class animal entangled in thorns, and it was injured and couldn't fly, so it picked up a feather and placed it in your palm, you called the forestry bureau, and they took it for treatment—"

Chu Tingwu hesitated for a moment: "It's almost like what you imagined, just reversed?"

Classmate: "?"

Reversed? It couldn't be that the national first-class animal wanted to escape, was caught by Chu Tingwu, and in the struggle, it lost two feathers, right?

After everyone who wanted to see had seen, Chang Yile helped Chu Tingwu clip the feathers, then thought it wasn't secure: "Our school uniform's chest pocket is quite deep, why don't you just put it in the pocket?"

Chu Tingwu: "?"

Chang Yile seriously said: "What if it gets stolen?"

You can't just think it's safe because it's in school, who knows if someone might suddenly want to steal the feathers?

Although Chu Tingwu felt that even if it was stolen, she could find it back (with a success rate of 100%), but it might get damaged if taken away, so she accepted Chang Yile's good intentions.

At the end of the second period in the morning, Teacher Yuan called them to the playground—

Usually, there's no exercise on Monday, but the principal or grade director might give a speech.

Today's speech seemed a bit different, and Teacher Yuan seemed to know... because she called Chu Tingwu to the front of the formation and had her stand beside her.

The Grade Director talked about the high school entrance exam and emphasized that this was a province-wide joint exam, urging students to pay more attention. Then, the Principal also spoke a few words, starting to say:

"Besides, today we will also commend several students under the national flag."

"Chang Yixin and Chang Yile from Class 1, Grade 1, Chu..."

The Principal read out the names of the eight of them from a piece of paper, explaining the natural history museum and the adoption program, praising them for their clear-headedness in getting the plan done... and also promoting the animal adoption event two weeks after the midterm exams, explaining why the natural history museum had been closed for the past few months to the other students.

As the Principal read the speech, other classes occasionally let out "wow" sounds, and the two neighboring classes frequently turned their heads to look in the direction of Class 1.

When Chu Tingwu's name was mentioned, someone shouted "I know her," only to be reprimanded by their homeroom teacher.

Although it was just a verbal commendation, it was clear that the others were very excited.

The system, unusually, was quite restrained: "You helped the school solve a problem, isn't a little praise only right?"

It even felt that this recognition was coming too late.

After finishing the first speech, the Principal seemed not to be done yet, coughed once, and took out another piece of paper:

"I also want to commend Chu Tingwu individually, who, in a recent national competition—"

Others: Huh? A national competition? What kind of contest was it? But why didn't they explain it clearly? Did they miss something?

"She served as the youngest judge, adjudicated fairly, and demonstrated an excellent performance in the demonstration."

Some students who knew what competition Chu Tingwu had "participated" in burst into laughter:

The school had a tradition of announcing and rewarding students who achieved rankings in national competitions, also offering bonuses. Chu Tingwu's parkour competition was indeed national in scope, and her performance was indeed very strong, but the awkward part was that she was not a contestant but a judge, and the judge's performance was not scored.

It seemed the school had struggled for a long time before deciding to announce it as usual, quietly omitting the word "parkour," perhaps considering it more of a recreational sport rather than a serious athletic event, not recommending it to other students.

But the Principal wasn't finished yet.

"The school also received multiple letters of thanks. In daily life, Chu Tingwu helped a passerby find a lost pet, called an ambulance for a neighborhood resident who had a medical emergency, and even caught a—a—rat in a street warehouse—"

When reading the last three words, the Principal's speed also slowed down, his brow furrowed, as if he felt there was something off about this script.

But glancing at the back, he continued.

"I hope everyone can learn from Chu Tingwu's spirit of helping others—"

Chu Tingwu heard someone next to her whisper: "Catching rats is a skill, not a spirit."

Fortunately, the Principal didn't hear: "—and become useful members of society and family."

He took out another piece of paper, clearly not done yet.

"Besides these letters of thanks, we also received two additional letters from official institutions."

"It's evident that Chu Tingwu from Class 1, Grade 1, has a very rich extracurricular life. Not long ago, she collaborated with the Jin City Police Dog Training Base, helping them select suitable kittens as candidates for the police cat program, and there have already been some initial results. The kittens that were not selected have also entered other systems, developing into guide cats, companion cats, and guard cats, giving both the cats and their families a new lease on life. In this process, Chu Tingwu made significant contributions, for which the base sent a special letter of commendation!"

He coughed, asking the students to stop murmuring, and continued: "Another letter of thanks came from the Fallen Phoenix City Forestry Bureau. During the National Day holiday, Chu Tingwu discovered a White-necked Long-tailed Pheasant, a national first-class protected animal, on the mountain. After controlling the pheasant without harming it, she protected it on the spot and immediately reported it to the forestry bureau—"

Standing beside her, Yuan Zhixiao: ...wait, how did she control it?

"Now the White-necked Long-tailed Pheasant has returned to the protected area, and the forestry bureau specially sent a letter of thanks to Chu Tingwu for her contribution to wildlife protection."

At this, Yuan Zhixiao nudged Chu Tingwu and whispered in her ear: "Go up and receive the award."

The Principal's position was similar to that during military training, on the stage, with stairs on both sides, but Chu Tingwu ran straight ahead. The Principal continued reading a few more sentences, glancing at her with a puzzled look as she approached.

Then, he saw Chu Tingwu from Class 1, Grade 1, leap onto the stage with one hand on the edge, and stand beside him just as his words ended.

Principal: ...

He could have read slowly, really, no need to rush up like that.

"Ahem," he picked up the certificate, the red envelope with gold lettering, the fountain pen, and the notebook, "This is the certificate and the bonus. Let's applaud for Chu Tingwu."

As the applause rang out below, Chu Tingwu opened the certificate and bowed.

The Principal smiled and clapped, until Chu Tingwu looked up, her fingers holding two bright feathers... and they looked so much like the national first-class protected animal he had searched for yesterday?

—In fact, Chu Tingwu had taken the feathers out of her pocket beforehand, thinking they might bend during the bow.

Watching this girl jump off the stage effortlessly again, the Principal had forgotten to remind her about using the stairs, his mind filled with a philosophical puzzle:

Why did they look so similar? In the letters of thanks, were there perhaps a few more details that hadn't been mentioned?

-

The letters of thanks would be displayed on the glass wall in the corridor, of course, and if Chu Tingwu wanted, she could take them.

Chu Tingwu eventually left the two official letters from the institutions and took the others written to her.

To be honest, compared to the ordinary "Good Samaritan" on the school certificate, the content of the letters of thanks was much more interesting, such as this one, which wrote "Thanks to Chu for saving my internet cable from being chewed by a mouse," and another that said "Although my cat likes to chew internet cables, shoes, and rummage through trash, I still love her very much," unintentionally forming a strange connection.

After class, friends came over to see the letters of thanks she had received, and Chu Tingwu put the feathers back in place. An Shiyan handed out chocolates and suddenly said: "Chu Chu, if you're worried about the feathers breaking, why not store them in acrylic?"

She suggested that Chu Tingwu first put the feathers in a large transparent self-sealing bag, iron them flat, and then attach acrylic boards or photo display boards on both sides, making them into a decorative item at home: "After all, it's quite meaningful."

"You can also customize it, printing a gold-embossed introduction on the acrylic board—"

An Shiyan became very excited when talking about these things, she liked designing decorations and was familiar with some materials and processes, quietly showing them her designs for adoption nameplates and interfaces: "We can make a mini program, it looks more formal!"

Chang Yixin listened for a while and reminded: "It looks pretty, but you'd better not be busy with this recently, the midterm exams are next week."

An Shiyan gave her an "ok": "Don't worry."

The midterm exams were indeed more formal than any previous exams. Chu Tingwu heard Chang Yixin quietly explain to her: "Our midterm and final exam scores from Grade 1 seem to be used as references to decide if we'll be placed in the advanced class during the division in Grade 2."

Or called the "competition class"?

In Grade 2, there would be another division, with fewer people in the advanced class. Outstanding students in the advanced class not only had to learn the knowledge for the college entrance exam but also participate in various competitions. Some competition rankings added points, while others aimed for the opportunity of being recommended for admission.

As long as there were no mistakes, Chang Yixin should be stable in the advanced class, while Chu Tingwu's grades just hung on the edge.

The exam venue also changed; previously, it was just moving tables and changing classrooms, but this time they went directly to the experimental building, where the tables were spaced further apart and absolutely no books or papers could be brought in.

Chu Tingwu was fine, but on the day of the exam, Three-Five-Five crouched at the door of Class 1, Grade 1, letting out a puzzled "meow."

The senior teacher on duty also paused, looking at the tortoiseshell cat and then at the students, waving at the cat: "Out, not allowed in."

Three-Five-Five: "=="

Dai Mao had once again relocated to the experimental building. As the weather turned colder, she started to shed more fur, making her look like a large, brown-gray furball from a distance.

This furball reached the experimental building and climbed up floor by floor until she finally spotted her offspring in the classroom at the end of the third floor.

Chu Tingwu was hunched over her exam paper, while Three-Five-Five perched on the windowsill and let out a soft "meow."

The teacher overseeing this math exam happened to be Teacher Yuan.

Before Chu Tingwu could even raise her head, several students around her had already looked up—clearly not fully focused on the exam.

Teacher Yuan: "……"

Dai Mao had already jumped off the windowsill and was squeezing through the half-closed door, ready to go find her family—but then Teacher Yuan reached out, slipped her hand under Dai Mao's front paws, and lifted the cat up.

Three-Five-Five: "?"

Dai Mao was quite large, and Teacher Yuan wasn't particularly tall. Knowing that Three-Five-Five was a formidable fighter, she held the cat by her upper body and carried her out of the classroom, with Dai Mao's hind legs almost touching the ground.

Teacher Yuan: "You can't disturb the exam, you can't go in."

After a moment's thought, she added—

"And if someone thinks you're passing answers to Chu Tingwu, what then?"

Just then, the Grade Director happened to be passing by on his way to the office to fetch some water: "……?"

That evening, before the school day ended, the Grade Director couldn't help but stop Teacher Yuan: "Xiao Yuan, if the pressure is too much, you can also take a few days off."

See, they all thought the cat could solve high school math problems.