Alley Eleven, Mao Xiaobai

In the alleyway after the rain, Little White Mao held a box of freshly bought stinky tofu, walking and eating, feeling incredibly happy. The ground was still damp, and her sandals splashed through the puddles, making a squeaky sound that she found amusing. She paid no mind to the water splashing on her feet; her only concern was what she’d eat next.

“FU~~~~” came the deep, angry growl of a cat.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” An unhappy little yellow dog barked.

Hearing the commotion, Little White Mao finally shifted her attention a little from her stinky tofu and glanced toward the courtyard wall ahead.

On the wall, a tabby cat had its tail raised, back arched in alarm.

Below, the little yellow dog kept barking.

Seeing this, Little White Mao hesitated, thinking, “If I finish this box of stinky tofu before helping out, I should still be in time.”

She thought so, so she stopped walking and quickly finished her food.

The little yellow dog continued to bark, now directing its noise at two targets: the tabby cat on the wall, and Little White Mao, who was eating the pungent tofu that smelled suspiciously like something unmentionable.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Little White Mao was down to the last piece. She finished it, wiped her mouth, and finally had time to put her hands on her hips. “Woof woof woof, what’s with all that noise? Stop barking or I’ll teach you a lesson.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” The little yellow dog was clearly brave, unafraid of threats.

“Hey! You silly dog, don’t you know your place?”

Little White Mao glanced around, making sure the alley was empty and no one would see her. Only then did she let out a genuine, deep feline growl: “FU~~~”

Cat ears appeared atop her head. She leaned forward, little hands raised in a mock attack, and growled from deep in her throat.

“FU~~~~”

The little yellow dog froze, eyes wide in confusion.

“FU~~~~”

After a moment of bewilderment, the dog whimpered, tucked its tail, and bolted away in terror.

At that instant, the panicked little yellow dog’s thoughts were something like, “Heavens, how terrifying! How can there be such a huge cat? I’m scared to death!”

Watching the dog vanish down the alley, Little White Mao grinned mischievously. “Hmph, try messing with me! I’ll scare you senseless!”

“Meow.”

The tabby cat on the wall called out affectionately, leaning its head forward, asking to be petted.

Little White Mao reached up and stroked it. “Alright, alright, don’t be so polite. Keep your dried fish for later. Remember: next time a dog bullies you, just fight back.”

“Meow,” the tabby replied, meaning, “Okay, I will.”

“Good kitty. I’m off now; take care of yourself.”

“Meow,” it said, bidding her farewell.

———

The sky after the rain was clear and blue.

That morning, Jiangbei had seen a beautiful rainbow.

In the little town of Sichuan, the streets bustled with people and the air was filled with the aroma of delicious food.

Jiangbei found a bench under a willow tree, sat down, lit a cigarette, and watched with a smile as Little White Mao continued her relentless search for culinary delights.

With nothing else to do, he calculated: six days had passed since he arrived in Sichuan. In those six days, the lively and adorable Little White Mao had done nothing but eat.

“Can she really never get enough?” Jiangbei mused. As his cigarette burned out, he took out his phone and opened the game “Mechanical Maze.” He’d spent so much time traveling lately that he hadn’t finished the game as quickly as he’d planned—only one level remained.

Little White Mao looked like she’d need more time to eat, so he decided to finish the game while he waited.

About half an hour later, he completed it.

Jiangbei smiled, took a screenshot, then logged into the game world community using his account “North River.” He entered the “Mechanical Maze” forum and posted a new thread: “Been on a road trip lately, took a bit longer, but I’ve cleared the game. Any recommendations for a new one?”

Game World was a global community, primarily in English, which was no problem for Jiangbei—he was fluent.

He was already well-known there; many users called him “Master Jiang.”

“Master Jiang, I’m just two levels away from finishing—I thought I’d finally beat you. What a pity!”

“Master Jiang, since you’re road-tripping, why not focus on that and let us try for first completion?”

“As expected of Master Jiang—please don’t post any walkthroughs!”

Someone from Blue Rain Technologies, the creators of “Mechanical Maze,” chimed in.

Jiangbei replied, “Don’t worry, I won’t post any guides. Hope your company keeps developing even more interesting games.”

———

Today’s feast had all gone into Little White Mao’s stomach. She felt utterly content.

Rubbing her full, round belly, she walked happily beside Jiangbei. As they walked, she glanced secretly at him again.

She liked this feeling.

She felt very lucky: this mission let her travel and enjoy so many delicious foods, and she could finally walk side by side with Jiangbei—the legendary figure she’d only heard about before—on the stone-paved streets.

‘Jiangbei is so nice, not the least bit aloof, so easygoing.’

‘Makes me regret being so nervous at first.’

‘Hmph, those people tried to scare me, saying Jiangbei eats Tiger-Fighting Hotpot!’

‘Hmph, am I the kind of cat to be frightened?’

Little White Mao walked on, thinking, until she realized that at some point Jiangbei had disappeared from her side.

“Huh?”

She turned quickly, searching. Fortunately, no matter where Jiangbei stood, he shone like a beacon. She soon spotted him by a willow near the arch bridge.

Little White Mao hurried over, said nothing, and simply stood quietly beside him, watching the street performer in the distance.

It was a female singer.

She was rather pretty.

‘But not as pretty as me,’ Little White Mao thought, a little smug.

The singer sang an old song.

Little White Mao recognized the melody—it was so familiar, but she couldn’t recall the name.

Until the singer reached the lyrics:

“My dearest, how are you doing?”

“Without me around, I hope you’re well.”

Little White Mao remembered—the song was “My Dearest,” a beautiful tune.

“She sings so well,” Little White Mao couldn’t help but say to Jiangbei.

Jiangbei turned and smiled. “Does she?”

Little White Mao: “Don’t you think she sings beautifully? Or do you think—”

“I think she looks quite distinctive.”

Over the past days, Little White Mao had gotten used to Jiangbei’s way with words, so she tensed a little. “Brother Jiang, what do you mean by distinctive?”

“A bit like a Barbie doll.”

Little White Mao: “......”

The singer coughed, thrown off mid-song.