Hotel Chronicles (1) Cats - When a Scaredy-Cat Meets a Bully

Sunlight lazily spills onto the lawn of the hotel garden, where the tabby furball (Zhaocai) lounges leisurely grooming its beautiful coat, completely unaware that another striking cat is squinting at its prey from the wall two meters away. This mysterious intruder radiates an aura of "don't mess with me." The sunlight dims slightly. Zhaocai senses danger, quickly stands up, its puffed-up tail low and back arched, hissing fiercely. The opposing tabby isn't backing down either—its raised fur makes it appear larger, amber eyes burning with warning flames, throat rumbling with intimidating growls. This is a tentative provocation. The smaller tabby strikes first, lunging at Zhaocai like a blade. Zhaocai reacts swiftly, dodging sideways and countering with a sharp swipe of its claws. Neither gains the upper hand in their first clash. What follows is a no-holds-barred brawl—rolling across the grass, front paws striking like rain, a silent but intense territorial war. Fur flies everywhere in this chaotic battle where "the loser isn't disheartened, and the winner isn't honorable." Cats know when to feign weakness, seeking human help to repel enemies and minimize harm. Leveraging its home-ground advantage, Zhaocai fights while retreating toward the kitchen, calling for the manager's aid. Moments later, the smaller tabby kicks Zhaocai, sending it crashing into the kitchen trash can—successfully grabbing the manager's attention. Unable to get up (having recently recovered from a serious illness that left its hind legs weak, akin to human polio), Zhaocai flashes a hint of panic in its eyes, raises a paw defiantly, and lets out a furious yowl. Tension thickens the air. The manager steps in just in time, forcing the smaller tabby to retreat under human pressure. Emboldened, Zhaocai charges out—only to reignite another fierce battle. Birds scatter in alarm, and even the wind seems to pause for seconds, not wanting to miss this "championship brawl." In the end, Zhaocai loses due to exhaustion, while the victorious tabby struts away triumphantly. Frozen for a few seconds, Zhaocai confirms the enemy is gone before shuffling awkwardly into the backyard bushes. It takes a long while before it finally approaches humans again, its big round eyes staring at you pitifully. Even in sleep, this "warrior breed" startles itself awake with nightmares—likely needing days to recover from the trauma of this "social disgrace." Lijiang Naxi Garden Hotel