Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

"Just because nobody wants it doesn't mean it deserves to be treated like this!" Qiu Yingying stood up abruptly, her chest heaving with anger, her eyes red and brimming with tears, which she stubbornly refused to fall. "It's a living creature too! Such a tiny kitten, it must have just opened its eyes not long ago! You poured boiling water on it, can you even live with yourself? Watching it tremble in pain, watching it almost die, how could you laugh? Have you lost your conscience?"

Her voice was urgent and loud, carrying a reckless force, raining down on the three boys like a machine gun. Perhaps it was her overwhelming presence, or perhaps it was her reddened eyes and resolute gaze that frightened them, but the three boys took two steps back, their mischievousness fading, replaced by a hint of fear in their eyes. The boy wearing the hat secretly withdrew his foot, pursing his lips, too afraid to speak.

"Let me tell you, animals have lives too. You'll get your comeuppance for mistreating it like this!" Qiu Yingying stared at them, her tone stern as if she were lecturing them. "If someone did this to you, poured scalding water on you, wouldn't you feel pain? Wouldn't you be afraid?"

The three boys were speechless after her question. They looked at each other, and finally the eldest boy muttered "Mind your own business" and ran away with the other two boys without looking back. They almost tripped over the broken glass on the ground as they ran.

Qiu Yingying had no time to argue with them, nor did she intend to tell their parents—at this moment, the dying kitten in her arms was the most important thing. She looked down at the little creature in her arms; it was wrapped in the fabric of her sleeve and no longer had the strength to meow. It just gently rubbed its little head against her palm. That soft, dependent touch made Qiu Yingying unable to hold back her tears any longer, and they fell with a "plop" onto the back of her hand, icy cold.

"Just bear with it, just bear with it a little longer, we'll be at the hospital soon, and the pain will subside soon," she muttered to herself as she hurried towards the parking lot. The cold wind stung her cheeks, tears streamed down her face, and her vision blurred, but she remained gentle in her arms, holding the kitten tightly to protect it from the cold. She had a hand warmer her mother had given her tucked into her down jacket pocket; she took it out and pressed it against the kitten through the fabric, hoping to give it some warmth.

The parking lot was empty, and her car was parked not far from the side door. As she opened the car door, her hands trembled slightly with anxiety and heartache, and she almost dropped the handle. Getting into the driver's seat, she carefully placed the kitten on her lap, wrapping it with a scarf to keep it warm from the cold wind. The engine start startled the kitten, and it whimpered softly. Qiu Yingying quickly bent down to soothe it, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we'll go to the vet, it'll be over soon."

The car sped towards the nearest vet. Qiu Yingying pressed the accelerator harder, driving faster than usual, but she was also afraid that sudden braking would hurt the kitten, so she was extra careful with every turn. When they stopped at a red light, she glanced down at the kitten in her arms. Its eyes were closed, its breathing weak, its chest rising and falling gently. Its previously matted fur had dried a little, but the burns were still clearly visible, a glaring red. Qiu Yingying reached out and gently touched its little head, silently praying, "You have to hold on, you're so small, you haven't even had a proper look at this world yet."

The pet hospital wasn't too far from the neighborhood, only a ten-minute drive. Qiu Yingying parked her car at the entrance, didn't even bother to lock it, and rushed inside with the kitten in her arms. The hospital was warm and cozy, filled with a faint smell of disinfectant, a stark contrast to the cold outside. The nurse at the front desk was organizing files; seeing her rush in, she quickly stood up: "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Nurse, quick! Save it!" Qiu Yingying carefully handed the kitten she was holding, her voice trembling with tears. "It was scalded with boiling water, its body is covered in wounds, it's dying!"

The nurse's expression changed immediately upon seeing the kitten's condition. She quickly took the kitten and turned to call out towards the treatment room, "Dr. Li! Come quick! A kitten has been burned, and its condition is very serious!"

Soon, a middle-aged doctor in a white coat walked over quickly, took the kitten and examined it carefully. His brows furrowed tightly: "Large area of ​​superficial second-degree burns, as well as mild dehydration and stress reaction. The little guy is too weak. We need to treat the wound immediately, give it intravenous fluids, and admit it to the hospital for observation."

"Okay! Okay! Doctor, you must save it! I don't care how much it costs!" Qiu Yingying nodded hurriedly, her eyes full of pleading. "As long as it can live, you can treat it however you want!"

The vet nodded, said nothing more, and carried the kitten into the treatment room, closing the glass door behind him. Qiu Yingying stood outside, peering through the glass. She saw the vet carefully trimming the kitten's matted fur and cleaning its wounds with saline solution. The kitten was clearly in great pain, letting out a few weak cries that cut like knives into Qiu Yingying's heart. She couldn't help but turn away, wiping away tears with the back of her hand, feeling both heartbroken and anxious, wishing she could take all the kitten's suffering upon herself.

The receptionist handed her a glass of warm water: "Don't worry too much. Dr. Li is the best surgeon here. He's very experienced in treating burns. This kitten looks pitiful, but it's very resilient and should pull through."

Qiu Yingying took the water glass, said "thank you," and felt a little more at ease as her fingertips touched the warm glass. She paced back and forth in the corridor, her eyes fixed on the door of the treatment room, afraid of missing a single sound. Time passed slowly, each minute feeling like an hour. She remembered her mother was waiting for her at home, and took out her phone to make a call, only to find that it had slipped out of her pocket while she was running, the screen cracked, but thankfully it still worked.

She called her mother, and as soon as the call connected, her mother's anxious voice came through: "Yingying, where are you? Why have you been gone for so long? Did you buy the soy sauce? The ribs are almost cold!"

"Mom, I'm sorry," Qiu Yingying sniffed, her voice a little hoarse, "I had a little accident in the neighborhood just now, I broke the soy sauce, and I'm at the pet hospital now."

"Pet hospital? What happened to you? Are you injured?" Mom's voice immediately became more anxious.

"It wasn't me," Qiu Yingying quickly explained. "It's a kitten. Some kids poured boiling water on it, and it's dying. I brought it here to get treatment. Mom, you can eat your ribs first. Don't wait for me. I don't know when I'll be done here."

Mom was silent for a moment, then sighed, "What a tragedy, such a tiny kitten, those kids are so inconsiderate. Don't worry, take your time, be careful. If the kitten needs money, just tell Mom, and I'll transfer it to you."

"No need, Mom, I have money," Qiu Yingying said, her nose tingling with emotion, her heart warmed. "Don't worry, I'll go back as soon as I'm done."

After hanging up the phone, the door to the treatment room finally opened. Dr. Li came out, took off his mask, and said with a hint of relief, "It's all done. The wound has been treated and the IV fluids have been administered. It's out of danger for now. However, it's still too small and has a weak immune system. There's a possibility of infection later, so it needs to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days. It can only be discharged when the wound has almost healed and its condition has improved."

Qiu Yingying rushed over: "Doctor, thank you so much! How is it now? Does it hurt?"

"It will definitely still hurt, so we gave it some painkillers," Dr. Li said. "It's asleep now. You can go in and take a look, but don't touch its wound or irritate it."

Qiu Yingying nodded and gently pushed open the door to enter the treatment room. The kitten was placed in a small incubator, its wounds treated with medicine and wrapped in a thin layer of gauze. It looked a little more energetic than before. Its eyes were closed, its breathing even, and its little paws twitched occasionally, as if it were dreaming. Qiu Yingying lay down beside the incubator, quietly watching it, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

"Sleep well, and when you wake up, the pain will be gone," she whispered, as if speaking to a kitten, or perhaps to herself.

She stayed at the hospital a while longer, explaining the precautions to the nurses in detail, leaving her contact information and address, paying the hospital and treatment fees, before finally leaving. By the time she walked out of the pet hospital, it was completely dark, the streetlights were on, and the dim yellow light cast long shadows on the ground. The cold wind was still biting, but Qiu Yingying didn't feel as bad as before; instead, she felt a warmth in her heart. [The kitten recovered and found a truly loving owner.]

It was almost eight o'clock when I got home. My mother had reheated the food twice, and it was still lukewarm. My mother was sitting at the table, and when she saw me come back, she quickly stood up: "You're back? Are you hungry? Sit down and eat, I saved some ribs for you."

Qiu Yingying nodded, sat down, and picked up her chopsticks, but she didn't have much of an appetite. She was still thinking about the kitten in the incubator, her mind filled with its fearful eyes and the image of it curled up and trembling after being burned.

"Don't think about it anymore. The kitten is being cared for by the vet, it will get better." Seeing her absent-minded look, her mother put a piece of pork rib in her bowl. "Those kids who abuse cats will eventually realize their mistake."

Qiu Yingying forced a smile, lowered her head, and ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice, which tasted like nothing at all. After a few more bites, she put down her chopsticks and said she was a little tired and wanted to go back to her room to rest.