The Mysterious Delivery and the Catgirl Cure

It was the evening of March 25, 2017, at Jinxin Garden Estate, 36 Donghu Road, Chuanbei County.

As was his custom, Chen Jinquan ordered takeout as soon as he stepped through the door after work. While waiting for his food, he prepared cat food for his feline companion.

He then settled in front of his computer, opened his browser, and from his bookmarks, clicked on a video website called “Pineapple Pineapple Burger.”

For a long time, he had found stories on supernatural forums tedious. Though he maintained the habit of browsing them before bed, he sought something different to occupy his time between getting home from work and sleeping.

He had stumbled upon this video website, abbreviated as “B Station,” coincidentally on a young colleague’s computer. That colleague was brazenly watching an anime titled ‘Would You Like Some Cats Today?’ during work hours.

As a senior and team leader, Chen Jinquan had sternly reprimanded the young man. Only after the colleague promised not to slack off during work and deeply reflected on his childish anime-watching behavior did Chen Jinquan let him off the hook.

The website prompted him that his login information had expired. Chen Jinquan clicked to display a QR code, took out his phone, found a pink app hidden among his applications, opened it, scanned the code, and logged in—all in one smooth motion.

He casually placed his phone in front of the computer, then moved his mouse to click on his personal account on the webpage. Opening his watch list, he scrolled through a plethora of adorable covers until he found one featuring several cute catgirls.

He decisively clicked on it.

Miss Kobayashi’s Cat Maid! began to play.

Watching the energetic, gentle, tsundere, and goofy catgirls on screen, Chen Jinquan felt his work fatigue melt away. His stiff body softened, and his lonely heart, in that moment, found healing.

“Ah, youngsters certainly know how to have fun.”

Chen Jinquan sighed.

He felt that watching anime and chasing ‘two-dimensional wives’ were pleasures reserved for the young. As a middle-aged man, he had to indulge in such activities discreetly.

“Meow~”

A tabby cat leaped onto the computer desk. Spotting the swaying tails of the catgirls on the screen, it crouched low, ready to pounce!

However, Chen Jinquan had clearly encountered this situation before. With quick reflexes, he scooped the tabby cat into his arms.

“Are you full? If you’re full, transform for me!”

“Meow~”

The tabby cat, of course, couldn’t understand. It struggled, still eager to pounce on the catgirls’ tails on the screen.

Chen Jinquan held the tabby cat firmly in his embrace, using his exquisitely skilled hands to pet it thoroughly. In moments, the cat settled down.

“Oops, I actually forgot you’re a tomcat. Never mind, don’t transform.”

“Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~”

The doorbell rang at that moment. Chen Jinquan swiftly pressed the spacebar, pausing the video.

“It’s here so fast today?”

Carrying the tabby cat, he walked towards the front door, freeing one hand to open it.

Outside, there was no delivery rider. Instead, a delicate, rectangular wooden box lay on the ground.

The wooden box was about one and a half meters long, with a width and height of roughly thirty to forty centimeters. Its surface was dark brown, adorned with some beautiful, peculiar patterns.

“Meow!”

The tabby cat suddenly bristled, struggled free from Chen Jinquan’s arms, and fled.

“This?”

Chen Jinquan was bewildered, then a chill ran through him.

No matter how he looked at it, the box resembled a coffin!

“Who put this cursed thing at my door?!”

Chen Jinquan cursed loudly, but then he noticed a piece of paper affixed to the wooden box. He cautiously leaned closer and saw it was a delivery slip.

[Sender: Lin Luoyin

Recipient: Chen Jinquan]

Just two lines. Besides the sender and recipient, there was no address, no courier company.

Chen Jinquan was so terrified he nearly collapsed to the floor. Then he remembered something he seemed to have done last night. He quickly shut the door and stumbled, trembling, back to his computer.

He no longer cared about the adorable catgirls. He closed B Station and opened his browser history…

“It’s gone? It’s gone!”

The post was nowhere to be found. He then opened his Taobao purchase history.

The purchase record was still there. Chen Jinquan contacted customer service, but they didn’t reply immediately, so he waited anxiously.

Twenty minutes later.

“Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~”

The doorbell rang once more.

Chen Jinquan jumped, afraid to open the door.

A minute later, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

Hesitating for a moment, Chen Jinquan answered the call.

–Hello, sir! This is Swift Express! We scheduled a home delivery service with you this afternoon. We’re at your door now, please open up, thank you!–

–Oh, oh! Coming right away! Coming right away!–

Hanging up the phone, Chen Jinquan remembered the courier company had indeed called him that afternoon to schedule a delivery. This meant the item currently being delivered was the doll he had purchased on Taobao.

So what exactly had that earlier delivery been?

Was it too much stress, causing hallucinations?

“Mimi~ Mimi? Where are you? Come out!”

Chen Jinquan clapped his hands and called out. From the corner’s shadow, a tabby cat emerged, sauntering with a lazy, elegant gait.

“Come, Mimi!”

He squatted and clapped his hands, and the tabby cat lightly jumped into his arms.

“Mimi, you saw a black box at the door just now, didn’t you?”

The tabby cat rolled over in his arms, seemingly finding a more comfortable position, and paid him no mind.

“I was so scared, I’m asking a cat…”

Chen Jinquan sighed and shook his head, then walked to the entrance and opened the door.

Outside, two couriers in Swift Logistics Company uniforms stood. After nodding in greeting to Chen Jinquan, they collectively lifted a wooden box into the house.

Seeing that the wooden box was identical in size to the black box he had seen earlier, a chill ran down Chen Jinquan’s spine.

“Wait!”

“Is there a problem, sir?”

The two couriers looked at Chen Jinquan with confusion.

“Take it outside first! I… I’ll inspect the goods first!”

“Sir, you can inspect it inside as well. If there are any issues, like needing a return, we’ll help you carry it out then.”

The couriers explained patiently, but Chen Jinquan insisted on inspecting the goods outside.

Once the wooden box was carried out of the house, Chen Jinquan retrieved a long-unused cleaver from the kitchen.

Standing before the wooden box, Chen Jinquan hesitated once more.

After all, it was an adult doll…

But, remembering the previous strange encounter…

Chen Jinquan made up his mind, squatted down, and raised the knife.

“Sir, your takeout!”

“Eh? Old Chen, what did you buy?”

Suddenly, a food delivery rider approached, and the neighbor opposite also opened his door.

Chen Jinquan’s hand, holding the knife, paused slightly. He looked at his neighbor, then at the delivery rider, considered for a moment, and said:

“All of you, come over! Yes! Yes! And you two couriers, gather around, closer, make it tight.”

Several men surrounded Chen Jinquan and the wooden box. Chen Jinquan looked at each person and said:

“So, I’ll open it?”

“Go on! Old Chen, what kind of treasure is it, anyway?”

Neighbor Old Wang asked with a laugh. Chen Jinquan felt somewhat awkward, but he decided to go for it. Honestly, whether the previous incident was a hallucination or not, he was terrified to open this wooden box alone. At this moment, he simply wished for as many people as possible.

Chen Jinquan lowered his head and cut the tape and ropes on the wooden box. The surrounding men also lent a hand, and soon, Chen Jinquan pried open the wooden box’s top panel…

“Hiss~”

Every man present gasped in a collective intake of breath.

Then, the hallway fell into a deathly silence.

“Ahem, let’s move it inside. Thanks, fellas.”

Chen Jinquan broke the stillness.

There was nothing wrong; it was exactly the model he had ordered on Taobao last night. The texture and the weight, which required two people for delivery, undeniably indicated a top-tier realistic doll.

The seller hadn’t engaged in picture fraud. Could the person who posted about it last night truly have been sharing in good faith?

Strange.

Such a high-quality item, yet it only cost 898 yuan!

Could something this good actually exist?

Chen Jinquan fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, the two couriers had already carried the item into the house.

After they came out, Chen Jinquan signed the delivery slip. The food delivery rider also handed Chen Jinquan his takeout. As they left, the three young men seemed to have encountered something amusing, chatting and laughing all the way down the hall.

Neighbor Old Wang flashed Chen Jinquan a wide smile, gave him a thumbs-up, then closed his door and headed downstairs.

At this moment, Chen Jinquan was alone once more.

“Meow~”

The tabby cat leaned against the doorway, letting out a lazy meow.

Hearing it, Chen Jinquan walked through the door with a blank expression.

The door closed automatically.