The System Mistook Me for a Cat

Cheng Cheng lay sleeping at the feet of Chu Tingwu, who was busy reading some literature.

Professor Mi had encouraged her: "Since you have such a great opportunity, why not write a paper on the Red Rain Falcon as your topic?"

Theoretically, his work was done, and he could have returned home long ago. However, despite Professor Mi going back, he had left his graduate students behind, and they were now commuting weekly by plane... During regular online classes, he would also include Chu Tingwu, even though they didn't have an official teacher-student relationship. She was treated as a true student.

However, Chu Tingwu had never actually written a paper before.

After reading a bit about the Red Rain Falcon, she bent down and gently stroked Cheng Cheng's head.

The dog's eyes didn't open, but its tail wagged slightly.

In front of Chu Tingwu was her computer screen, but when she blinked, a virtual screen from the system appeared beside her, displaying various health reports about Cheng Cheng.

Ever since the last rain, the Yorkshire Terrier hadn't been keen on going outside much.

It wasn't a particularly lively dog that enjoyed causing havoc at home, but it didn't mind going out for walks either, especially given the large ranch they had now. However, Cheng Cai seemed to have noticed something.

Recently, Cheng Cheng's usual walks had turned into regular trips between the hotel and the staff quarters, where it would often encounter tourists. The dog would stand at Cheng Cai's side, curiously tilting its head to look at the various unfamiliar faces and the virtual projections following them.

Then it would let out a couple of "woofs," as if trying to communicate with Cheng Cai.

Most of the time, Cheng Cheng would lie beneath the hotel's shoe-changing bench, on the reception desk, or in front of Chu Tingwu's door... No one ever chased it away because it was such a friendly little dog.

Last time, Chu Tingwu even saw Cheng Cheng mediating a dispute: A family on vacation had gotten into an argument in the lobby, and as their voices grew louder, the Yorkshire Terrier anxiously trotted over to their feet, looking up and barking in a rhythmic pattern, as if it were truly speaking.

The family felt both awkward and embarrassed. After they stopped arguing, the dog made sure everything was okay before slowly walking back to the reception desk, climbing onto the table with the help of a robot, and continuing to watch the people around with its little eyes.@@novelbin@@

Because the hotel used self-check-in, human services were only available on weekends. Someone took a photo of Cheng Cheng lying there and later posted it online alongside a picture of a swallow resting on the QR code at Qingshan Temple, claiming that the cat and dog, along with the temple and hotel, perfectly matched and were both under Chu Tingwu's management.

Qingshan Temple: "?"

Taoist Zhuge had to use the official account to debunk the rumor: They hadn't received any funding from Chu Tingwu! Qingshan Temple's finances were stable and didn't need corporate support.

Netizens, however, insisted: This clearly means that the cat and dog are both under the leadership of Master Chu!

Chu Tingwu thought about it and subconsciously reached out to scratch Cheng Cheng's chin.

The dog placed its front paws in her palm, eyes squinting, appearing small and content. After Chu Tingwu let go, it opened its eyes and slowly wagged its tail.

The next day, Cheng Cai found that Cheng Cheng was still at the hotel.

When ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍she came over, the dog was playing ball with Three-Five-Five. The AI's ears twitched slightly in annoyance, but they were playing a simple game. Three-Five-Five rolled the ball along the carpet, and Cheng Cheng wagged its tail and pounced, barking proudly after successfully catching it.

But when Cheng Cai opened the door, she found the room was quite crowded, almost too full to move.

Several of the popular animated cat guides were also in the room, though they remained quiet, just watching, not participating in the game. Some followed the ball, until one cat, while running, was tripped by another cat's outstretched paw.

Cheng Cai: "..." Wait, you're all programs!

The programs started arguing within their virtual world.

Cheng Cai couldn't help but laugh and understand why some fans of the animations visiting the ranch looked like they were on a pilgrimage.

The realism of the programs exceeded the virtual, making people believe they were truly alive.

Cheng Cai found Chu Tingwu in the next room and couldn't help but discuss the matter: If a program could perform so vividly that it seemed truly alive, was it human nature to treat it as a life form, or had they been deceived by the program?

Chu Tingwu: "Does it matter? I even have a system."

Cheng Cai: "The system isn't a real system."

Cheng Cai thought Chu Tingwu was joking. The "system" in her words was naturally the partner she had started making videos with, the company's other boss, a senior manager who had completed much of the work remotely... Chu Tingwu's friend.

There were rumors that "system" was actually the last heir of a wealthy foreign family, but due to a congenital skin disease that made it impossible to expose themselves to light (or possibly a psychological condition), they had to communicate remotely. It was also said that "system" had long been researching AR and VR technologies, hoping to meet Chu Tingwu through projections one day.

"Oh," Chu Tingwu didn't deny it, just smiled at Cheng Cai.

The next day, Cheng Cai saw Cheng Cheng again on the path between the hotel and the dorms, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Tingwu was accompanying Cheng Cheng "test-driving," using an autonomous sightseeing car as a template, she had the factory make a smaller one suitable for dogs.

As for the cats, like Three-Five-Five, they still preferred horses and robots, as they liked open spaces and high places.

But Cheng Cheng loved it, and a few of the guide cats also enjoyed it. The dog generously invited the cats to join, and the car—about a third the size of a regular vehicle—rolled down the path. Tourists passing by couldn't help but take more photos.

Among the majority of comments expressing surprise and amusement, a few were written by students from No. 5 Middle School, mentioning the dog's name.

Wandering and changing hands, the ownership of the dog had changed many times, and due to the recent surge in traffic at the ranch... Someone even provided information about Cheng Cheng's original owner, who had emigrated and abandoned the Yorkshire Terrier long ago. Now, they probably wouldn't have imagined that the dog's information would appear online.

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With the car, Cheng Cheng mostly used it for transportation.

Cheng Cai would check on Cheng Cheng's location every evening, and during the day, she would search for the dog while live streaming—this had become a fixed segment in the broadcast, even if she didn't mention her search, the audience could always tell.

They enthusiastically discussed the ranch's animals, from the Red Rain Falcon to peacocks, from horses to cows, from parrots to the cats... Until the dog appeared.

And so did the Red Rain Falcons, who had gotten used to the dog being around the ranch.

In fact, they had long since treated the dog as one of their own, stealing its fur until the last lazy bird completed its nest, allowing the Yorkshire Terrier to escape its fate.

As the hatchlings started emerging, chirping and begging for food, Chu Tingwu heard another thunderclap in the distance, the clouds churning, bringing the humid scent of an impending storm.

A virtual projection of a pirate-dressed cat slipped through the window into her room, and in the quiet of the night, it softly meowed at Chu Tingwu.

Chu Tingwu went down to the lobby and called Cheng Cai, also waking up the veterinarian. When the elevator doors opened, she saw the nocturnal tourists playing a virtual board game in the lobby.

The tourists were stunned. They had come downstairs to kill time since they couldn't sleep and had formed a temporary group... Was it forbidden to play games in the lobby at midnight? They hadn't made much noise.

Chu Tingwu gestured for them to continue and went to the reception desk. Cheng Cai arrived on horseback soon after.

She and the veterinarian dismounted, and Chu Tingwu found the Yorkshire Terrier hidden in the corner beneath the reception desk.

It looked at her, but its tail didn't wag.

Although Chu Tingwu didn't say anything, Cheng Cai seemed to realize something. She quickly walked over, trembling, and squeezed beside Chu Tingwu, crouching down.

The space beneath the reception desk wasn't large, but the cat guide projections glowed faintly, allowing humans with poor night vision to see the situation below.

Cheng Cheng slowly wagged its tail.

The tourists looked at each other, not daring to continue their card game: they had heard the sound of sobs coming from the reception area.

In the dead of night, the scene was eerie yet slightly comedic. The ranch workers arrived unexpectedly, their sobs restrained to the point of suffocating silence. After a while, they saw Cheng Cai crawl out from under the table, cradling a familiar-looking puppy.

Three-Five-Five jumped onto the table, and then, a horse passed through the hotel's main entrance, entering the lobby with perfect courtesy.

But the tourists were even more polite—they stood up, issuing quiet gasps of surprise.

Because with a single "meow" from Three-Five-Five, as if by magic, cats began to emerge from every corner of the hotel. Finally, Egg Yolk arrived, running in from the back door, stepping on the ghostly silhouettes of the other cats.

In the spacious room, the flickering light from the cards shimmered faintly. Rain began to fall, first just a scattered murmur, but soon it poured heavily, slapping against the ground.

The sound of rain dulled Cheng Cai's sobs, and the veterinarian shook his head.

But the tourists couldn't help but take a step back—

They knew the tour guide cats numbered in the hundreds, but they had never imagined witnessing a gathering of hundreds of cats.

They perched everywhere—on the floor, on tables, on wall decorations, even on chandeliers. Some cats could even "fly"!

Because, in the animated series, they had invented technology and used it to fly.

But when fiction met reality, and countless light shadows converged in the hotel lobby, the humans bathed in that light were shrouded in an unreality.

Three-Five-Five raised a paw and gently tapped Cheng Cheng's head.

The puppy's tail drooped as it lay in Cheng Cai's arms. Finally, it extended a front paw, asking Three-Five-Five not to pick fights with the other cats... Although it hadn't actually smelled the scent of the lion cat, and Three-Five-Five wasn't picking fights either. The other "cats" simply wouldn't fight with her; she was quite the impressive presence...

That early morning at 4 AM, the official account of the ranch, Chu Tingwu's personal account, and Cheng Cai's personal account simultaneously released an obituary for Cheng Cheng.

The Yorkshire Terrier's grave was built on a hill across from the livestock farm, the one the cows would circumnavigate on their way out. While Cheng Cheng wasn't a herding dog, being old, small in stature, and not very agile, she had once been carried by Cheng Cai onto the back of a gentle cow and seemed utterly delighted.

The gravestone was round, engraved with these words:

"You, a reliable and gentle friend, may your life be free of quarrels, filled only with joy."

There was no elaborate ceremony; just a small handful of ashes buried beneath the gravestone. Flower seeds were scattered in front of the tomb, and Chu Tingwu decided to plant flowers there. However, before they left, a bouquet of flowers could be placed there.

Humans observed from a distance. The grass beneath the rain was still damp, and Cheng Cai chose the same kind of rose that the Yorkshire Terrier would always pass by on its way to school.

Then, a small red-beaked bird descended from the sky, its spotted wings shimmering in the sunlight. It swooped down, snatched a petal, and flew away.

Cheng Cai was dumbfounded. She blew her nose, glanced at Chu Tingwu, and finally said, "Well, that happened."

The next day, tourists who had heard about the ranch's beloved puppy's passing were searching for Cheng Cheng's grave... when they saw a familiar little car slowly pass by.

Inside the car was the Yorkshire Terrier, clearly... wait, that's a projection!

Just like the tour guide cats, only the car was real—the dog was an illusion.

They followed the car, tracking it to the gravestone. A Red-billed Goshawk landed on the tomb, and the puppy's projection poked its head out of the car, barking twice.

Red-billed Goshawk: "..."

The bird, clearly annoyed, flew away.

The projected puppy wouldn't get out of the car. Most of the time, it seemed like a real tourist, driving its car along random paths around the ranch. Only when it detected nearby human quarrels or animal disputes would it poke its head out.

Thus, those in the know considered it a "memorial," while those unaware thought it was a new feature of the ranch, chasing the customized sightseeing car around, and somehow managing to experience the most exciting spots on the ranch.

Your ranch's tour guide dog is far more responsible than the tour guide cats!