Chapter 677: Actually, I Love You Too
Chapter 677: Chapter 677: Actually, I Love You Too
Pippi snapped out of his overwhelming joy.
The joyous smile on his furry face faded, and his wagging tail gradually slowed to a stop.
A very serious problem suddenly occurred to him.
He realized that if he went back to find his owner, he would never see his new friends again.
Pippi slowly lowered his head.
Renee sensed the change in his mood and ruffled the fur on his head. "Pippi, why’d you suddenly go quiet?"
Pippi looked up at her, his bright black eyes filled with helplessness and confusion.
He didn’t know what to do.
"What’s wrong?" Renee scooped him into her arms. "Did you run into some trouble? Tell me about it."
"Woof... Renee," Pippi whimpered sadly. "What should I do? I really miss Stella, but I also want to stay and play with everyone."
"Pippi..." Renee started to say something, but a glance at the other furry kids out of the corner of her eye made her hesitate. After a few seconds, she stood up, still holding Pippi. "Let’s go to the study and have a proper chat."
She was worried that there were some answers Pippi couldn’t bring himself to say in front of his friends.
Michelle Fuller followed them. As she entered the main hall, she waved to Rhea Dempsey. "Aunt Rae, good afternoon!"
Once in the study, Renee placed Pippi on the desk.
Michelle Fuller closed the door, took a few steps forward, and leaned against the edge of the desk. "What’s the situation? Don’t tell me I was right, that Pippi doesn’t want to go back to Stella?"
Renee shook her head gently, a soft smile blooming in her eyes as she explained, "Pippi wants to go back to Stella, but he can’t bear to leave the friends he’s spent every day with. He’s torn."
Hearing this, Michelle Fuller reached out and sympathetically petted Pippi’s head. "My poor baby, it’s so tough. Having to make such a difficult decision at such a young age."
Pippi stared at her pitifully. "A-wooo..."
Michelle blinked, looking up at Renee. "What’s he saying?"
Renee translated directly: "’Sister Michelle, what should I do? Can you help me?’"
"Oh my gosh." Michelle hugged Pippi, her heart aching for him. "Oh, you sweet thing. I really want to help you, but I don’t know what to do either."
Renee sat down in the office chair, her long, slender fingers tapping lightly on the desk. Her clear, pleasant voice took on a more serious tone. "Pippi, just follow your heart and make the decision that feels most true to you. Everyone will miss you, but they’ll understand."
"That’s right," Michelle chimed in. "Sweetie, don’t torture yourself over it. If you miss Stella, you should go back."
"WOOF! I miss Stella," Pippi replied. "But... I also really, really miss everyone here..."
Renee couldn’t bear to see the little guy so conflicted, so she suggested, "Pippi, how about this? You go back to Stella for now. After a while, I’ll come visit you. If you’re not happy, you can always come back with me, okay?"
Pippi’s eyes lit up, and he nodded his furry head vigorously. "WOOF! Yes! But... what if I like it there, but I still really miss everyone? Can I still come back then?"
"Of course, you can." Renee agreed with a smile. After spending so much time together, she had grown fond of Pippi too. "Pippi, you’re always welcome back here."
Pippi finally let out a sigh of relief, his tongue lolling out as he broke into a grin. "WOOF! That’s great!"
Meanwhile, the furry kids in the courtyard were holding a meeting.
They were discussing Pippi’s departure.
"WOOF WOOF WOOF! I’ll miss Pippi too, but Blueberry is right. We can’t stop him from returning to his owner. We shouldn’t pressure him," the elderly Drake stated his opinion, even though he’d never had an owner himself.
Blueberry lowered his gaze and said softly, "Yes. And for Pippi’s owner to still be thinking about him after all this time... that’s truly rare."
’Some owners, once they leave, never come back.’
Cici also nodded her little head vigorously. "MEOW! Everyone should support Pippi going home!"
’You have to, have to cherish the days when your person is still around!’
For once, Pudding didn’t argue. "MEOW! Pippi’s owner must be really nice for him to want to go back."
’My old owner wasn’t good at all.’
After listening to everyone, Boo tilted his head and asked, "Woof? So what should we do?"
As soon as he barked, all the furry kids turned to look at Blueberry in unison.
Feeling his friends’ intense stares, Blueberry shook his head, a little uncomfortable. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Drake spoke up. "Woof. Blueberry, you’re the boss around here. We’ll listen to you."
Blueberry frowned, deep in thought.
After about a minute, he looked up, scanned the group, and said, "Should I go discuss it with Renee?"
Everyone expressed their agreement.
Blueberry padded to the study with light, cat-like steps. The door was ajar, and he nudged it open with his head.
Renee was on a video call with Stella, with Pippi beside her. Seeing the door pushed open, she looked over curiously. "Blueberry, you’re here."
Blueberry glanced at her, then his gaze fell on Pippi in her arms.
Pippi caught his gaze and seemed to tense up, his previously relaxed back slowly stiffening.
His eyes shifted slightly, not daring to meet Blueberry’s gaze.
Blueberry arched his back slightly and leaped nimbly, his four paws landing securely on the desk. The movement was light and graceful, making almost no sound at all.
"Did you need me for something?" Renee raised an eyebrow slightly.
Blueberry nodded his head. "Yeah. I want to ask you a question."
Renee smiled. "What question?"
Blueberry glanced at Pippi again before speaking slowly. "Everyone really supports Pippi going home, but we don’t know how to show it. So we wanted to ask you."
Hearing this, Pippi’s bright black eyes flashed with surprise and delight. "WOOF? Everyone supports me?"
"Yeah." Blueberry looked at him, his tone calm and serious. "Pippi, cherish your owner. She must love you very much."
Hearing these words, Renee stared at Blueberry in a daze. An image of the first time she met him suddenly flashed through her mind—he had been a spoiled, grumpy little kitten.
The second time she saw him, he was on the brink of death, having risked his own life to save the most important person to him.
But later, his owner abandoned him.
’He must have never forgotten, and he’s never truly let it go.’
Perhaps noticing Renee’s gaze, Blueberry lifted his chin haughtily. "So? Am I a qualified leader now?"
Renee suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes grew hot.
She blinked, cleared her throat, and offered a gentle smile. "Blueberry, you know, I love you too."
This time, it was Blueberry’s turn to be stunned.
He stared blankly at Renee, his golden eyes filled with astonishment and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of pleasant surprise.
At that very moment, a sentence suddenly echoed in Blueberry’s mind—’Blueberry, you were the very first cat I ever raised.’
As the words faded, it felt as if countless fireworks had suddenly exploded in his heart.
But he still put on a haughty front. "Wh-why are you suddenly s-saying that? It’s so embarrassing."