A Aloof Beauty Becomes a Tiny Kitten / Transmigrated as the Disabled Tycoon’s Tiny Kitten - Chapter 9

When he was tucked into the pocket, Lin Xingmo was somewhat dazed. At the very least, in his twenty-plus years of life, he had never imagined a day would come when he would be carried around in a child’s pocket.

However… it was actually quite comfortable.

The pocket wasn’t small; it was just the right size to accommodate a kitten’s body. The lining was fleece—soft and furry—making it warm and cozy inside. When he tucked his head in, it created a dark, narrow environment that provided an immense sense of security for a cat.

The little white cat stayed obediently still. Once he felt settled, he tilted his head back to look up, then rested his front paws on the edge of the pocket and poked his small head out.

Xu Yi had been observing him the whole time. If the kitten had struggled too much or seemed terrified, he would have had to cancel his plans to take it out. However, his “little treasure” was incredibly well-behaved. He told it not to move, and it truly stayed put, its tiny paws gripping the edge with only its round eyes darting about. The sight nearly melted his heart.

Xu Yi lamented once again that it was a pity he didn’t have a camera to capture such a cute scene. He rubbed the kitten’s head, then slowed his pace as he walked back to his room to pull a box from under the bed.

Lin Xingmo watched him. The box contained various items: a thick stack of award certificates, pencils, exercise books, a tin mooncake box, and a pack of… Lin Xingmo thought for a moment. Balloons?

Xu Yi took the pack of balloons and stuffed them into his other pocket. Then, he grabbed a piece of cardboard from behind the door, tucked it under his arm, and finally headed out with the cat.

Is he going to play with friends? Lin Xingmo guessed.

He leaned against the edge of the pocket, swaying gently with the hem of the jacket as the boy moved. Although the boy was as careful as possible, descending the stairs inevitably caused some jolting. Once Xu Yi noticed, he used his palm to support the pocket from underneath so the kitten could be more comfortable.

Despite this, Lin Xingmo didn’t shrink back inside. He observed the environment; he had been in a box when they returned this morning and hadn’t seen clearly, but now he realized the boy lived on the second floor. This would be quite convenient for any “prison breaks” in the future—if there was a “future.”

Once out of the building, the boy headed straight for the compound entrance. Lin Xingmo remembered the three children they had encountered earlier. Is he going to find them? At that thought, the kitten let out a human-like frown. They were far too noisy. If the boy went to play with them, he would hide in the pocket and refuse to come out.

However, Xu Yi didn’t go to find friends. He went to the general store, pulled a tricycle out from the front, and shouted to the elderly man behind the counter, “Grandpa Zhao, I’m taking the bike!”

The old man nodded with a smile and waved, but he stopped halfway, rubbing his eyes in doubt. Had he just seen a cat in Xiao Yi’s pocket? A very small one, sitting peacefully with only its furry head and two paws peeking out, looking so gentle and submissive it almost seemed like a toy.

How could a cat be that well-behaved? He stroked his own big orange cat, Niuniu, and figured he must have seen wrong.

Xu Yi zipped up his coat, and the kitten in his pocket happened to nestle right against his abdomen. He patted the kitten’s head and began to pedal the tricycle vigorously.

The boy pedaled fast. As the cold wind whistled past, Lin Xingmo squinted and shrunk back a bit, leaving only his eyes and pointed ears exposed. It was only 4:00 PM on a winter afternoon; the sunlight had lost its warmth, taking on a deep orange hue. The boy rode toward the light, his shadow stretching out long behind him.

The kitten peered around from the pocket, curiously surveying the world. Finally, about half an hour later, Xu Yi arrived at a small park.

The park was bustling. There were many children playing by the slides and sandpit, and parents were flying kites with their kids. On the way there, Lin Xingmo had seen them from afar—dozens of kites dancing high in the sky, a spectacular sight rarely seen in later years.

“So many people today.”

The boy looked pleased. He parked the tricycle at the entrance, took the cardboard from the basket, and propped it up in front of the bike with a few stones. Lin Xingmo scanned the sign and saw the words: “Collecting Cans and Plastic Bottles.”

As soon as the sign was out, business arrived.

“Brother Xiao Yi!” A few primary schoolers, seemingly in first or second grade, swarmed around. Each of them was clutching plastic bottles and cans. “We saw you coming and went home to get our bottles!”

“Brother Xiao Yi, I want a balloon!”

“I don’t want a balloon, I want money. I found several cans yesterday.”

The last child’s words drew envious looks from his peers. Xu Yi smiled and said clearly, “Okay, one at a time. The usual rules: two cans for ten cents; one can or two plastic bottles for one balloon. I’ll take as many as you have.”

At his command, the children lined up in an orderly fashion. They had clearly done this many times before. Lin Xingmo blinked in surprise at the operation.

“A kitty!” A child spotted the cat peeking out of Xu Yi’s pocket and shouted in excitement. Clearly a cat lover, the child cried, “It’s so cute! Brother Xiao Yi, can I pet it?”

Xu Yi finished a transaction, looked down at the kitten in his arms, and gently pressed its head back into the pocket. “No, it’ll be scared.”

“I’ll trade you two cans for it!” The child held up two cans—worth ten cents or two balloons, which was a massive fortune for a child that age.

Xu Yi shook his head firmly. “I wouldn’t trade it for any amount.”

The child pouted. Seeing him hide the cat so she couldn’t even see it, she hesitated and said, “Then… then I won’t pet it. Can I just look at it? I really like cats, but my mom won’t let me have one…”

Perhaps touched by those words, Xu Yi pursed his lips and let go of the pocket. “You can look, but no touching,” he said seriously.

The child nodded, tossed her two cans into the sack in the tricycle basket, and stood aside to watch. Seeing that she was being respectful, Xu Yi ignored her and continued his business.

Lin Xingmo, having been pressed into the pocket, hadn’t really wanted to come out. There were too many children surrounding Xu Yi, and though they were lined up, their constant chattering was noisy. However, hearing the conversation, his ears twitched. He slowly straightened up and poked his head back out.

Standing beside him, staring intently, was a little girl with twin ponytails and rosy, healthy cheeks. Her eyes were bright, especially when the kitten reappeared. Lin Xingmo glanced at her, then at the sack. Two cans for ten cents… rounding it up, he had just earned ten cents. He was “creating value,” even if it was a small amount.

He looked at the other children in line. Many were staring his way; a kitten was quite the attraction for these little “radishes,” and even some toddlers from the nearby kindergarten joined in.

The white kitten unconsciously flicked its tail, though the space in the pocket was a bit cramped. Finally, he locked eyes with a toddler holding a single can. The toddler was staring in wonder; when it was his turn, he needed a nudge to snap out of it.

“One can only gets you one balloon,” Xu Yi said professionally. The toddler was about to nod when…

“Meow.” The kitten’s soft, tiny voice rang out. The toddler looked as if he’d been hit by an electric bolt; he snapped his head up, staring at the cat. The adorable white kitten tilted its head and stared back.

The toddler’s face turned red with excitement. He held his can high and shouted happily, “Brother Xiao Yi, I want to see the kitty too!”

Xu Yi’s hand, reaching for a balloon, paused. He looked at his cat, then at the child, and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Mm!” The toddler nodded vigorously.

“Just looking, no touching,” the boy emphasized.

“Okay!”

And so, Lin Xingmo earned a third can. Children always love to follow the crowd. With a few examples and the kitten’s “deliberate seduction,” several more children chose to look at the cat.

By 6:00 PM, when parents began calling their kids home for dinner, the sack was full. Lin Xingmo had successfully brought in five cans and six plastic bottles.

Xu Yi knew exactly what had happened. After packing up, he scooped the kitten out and held it in his palms, happily nuzzling it with his cheek. “Little treasure, you’re so capable! You helped me earn so much today.”

If he had traded balloons for those five cans and six bottles, it would have cost him eight balloons—roughly sixteen cents in cost. Cash would have cost even more. This was pure profit! It was worth about eighty cents, enough to buy three hot buns.

Lin Xingmo dodged the boy’s face in disdain. He had been warm and cozy in the pocket; coming out into the North wind made him shiver. Xu Yi noticed and quickly tucked him back in.

It was dark by 6:00 PM. He pedaled to the recycling center and sold the day’s haul. After subtracting costs, he had made a total of 6.7 yuan—a historic high. Xu Yi was surprised; he usually made between three and five yuan a day. This was much more profitable than picking up bottles himself.

He looked down to talk to the kitten, only to find it had fallen asleep in his pocket. Xu Yi’s gaze became incredibly soft. He reached in and carefully stroked its head, then pedaled slowly toward home.

Night had fallen completely. The damp, winter wind whipped against his face like a blade, but in his embrace, a small ball of fur radiated heat, providing a steady stream of warmth. The boy couldn’t resist reaching into his pocket to feel that softness. He could feel the sleeping kitten didn’t mind his cold palm; it even tilted its head to rub against his hand.

In that moment, all his exhaustion vanished. Finally, around 6:45 PM, he returned the tricycle and placed five yuan on the counter.

“Grandpa Zhao, here’s the rental for the month,” he said politely.

The old man sighed. “I told you it’s fine. It’s just sitting there. Use it if you need it.”

The boy was insistent. “Once or twice is fine, but I’m using it long-term. Please take it. I’m going home now.”

He walked away without looking back. When he reached his door, he saw the lights were on. His mother was home.