After assuming the role of “cat litter officer,” Rong Jin posted a Weibo to commemorate the occasion.
Rong Jin V: “Son.” (with a picture attached)
Chang Haoqing, holding his phone, looked at Rong Jin’s Weibo with only two words and made a sage comment, “So you’re the legend of ‘Even though we can’t be together, our children can.’…”
Chang Haoqing turned to him, asking, “Do you think the kid sees the cat as his son?”
Rong Jin: “…”
This question was indeed worth pondering.
Once this idea crossed Rong Jin’s mind, it lingered there. Eventually, he chose to ask.
When Chi Feiran was asked by him, he replied, “As a younger brother.”
He was only about fifteen or sixteen when he started raising Caesar, so how could he think of him as a son?
Rong Jin keenly felt the chasm that time had carved between them. He ended up unconsciously treating the cat as a child. But his beloved one…
Rong Jin hesitated whether to delete the Weibo post, feeling it might be inappropriate…
However, Chi Feiran had already seen his Weibo and sent a message with a laugh, “Haha, so you’re raising him as your son, huh, Rong-ge? Then I’ll treat Caesar as my son too! Otherwise, our relationship might be mismatched.”
Rong Jin silently retracted his intention to delete the Weibo, thinking to himself how adorable Chi Feiran was.
Time sometimes passes faster than imagined. In the blink of an eye, it was mid-November. Chi Feiran had also been in the spotlight for half a year since his debut, with his popularity soaring. All the songs from his first EP had accompanying music videos. The reality show he appeared on with Rong Jin had just finished airing and provided plenty of editing materials for their fans.
During breaks from recording, Rong Jin secretly saved all the CP videos he saw and meticulously categorized them. For example, he often revisited the high-sugar category for a taste, while those with deep and tragic love stories were basically shelved after collection.
After finishing his work outside the city, Chi Feiran finally returned to City A and enjoyed a brief vacation.
He contacted Rong Jin immediately, wanting to arrange a meeting.
Rong Jin asked him, “How about the 22nd?”
Chi Feiran happily agreed and began checking the gifts he wanted to bring for Xiao Mei. He had selected them while away and had them delivered directly to his doorstep. There was a wide variety of treats and accessories, all very rich.
When Chen Mengyang heard that Chi Feiran was meeting Rong Jin on the 22nd, he asked, “What are you planning to give Rong-ge?”
Of course, Chi Feiran had gifts for Rong Jin too. Despite being busy with work, he had taken the time to select gifts, not only for Rong Jin but also for his dad. He just wasn’t sure if Rong Jin would like the gifts he chose.
Unexpectedly, Chen Mengyang suddenly said, “I’m quite good at picking birthday gifts. How about I give you some advice?”
Chi Feiran was taken aback. “Birthday?!”
Chen Mengyang was equally startled. “Uh, yes… Isn’t the 22nd of this month Rong-ge’s birthday?”
As a hardcore Rong Jin fan, he was well aware of such matters. Besides, every time Rong Jin’s birthday came around, it was a big deal among fans. How could someone like him, who lived on the frontline of gossip, not know?
Chi Feiran, not being someone who spent much time browsing Weibo and being less sensitive to such special occasions, was momentarily flustered.
Oh no! I didn’t even know it was my friend’s birthday! How did I mess this up!
Although he had prepared gifts, how could he give normal souvenirs as a birthday present?!
Fortunately, he quickly calmed down and, after asking Li Yuan for Chang Haoqing’s contact information, sent a message asking if it was convenient to talk.
When Chang Haoqing received Chi Feiran’s message, he felt a tremor all over and quickly found a quiet place to make the call.
Chang Haoqing was particularly polite on the phone. “Brother Chang, hello.”
Upon learning the truth, Chang Haoqing felt weak just hearing Chi Feiran address him like that. He quickly said, “No need to be so polite, just tell me what you need!”
Chi Feiran was a bit embarrassed but stated his purpose, “Is there anything Rong-ge likes? His birthday is coming up, and I don’t know what to give him, so I’d like to hear your opinion, Brother Chang.”
Chang Haoqing: “…”
Damn, if Rong Jin finds out about this, he’ll be ecstatic!
But Chang Haoqing couldn’t tell the Little Prince that Rong Jin doesn’t need anything from him. Just wishing him a happy birthday would make him as happy as a monkey in a peach garden. He didn’t need to prepare any gifts! Even if he gave him a piece of grass, he would like it!
After calming down a bit, Chang Haoqing thought about Rong Jin’s recent behavior and softened his heart. He said to Chi Feiran, “He doesn’t have many other hobbies besides browsing the internet and playing games. You can think along those lines.”
With a direction in mind, Chi Feiran felt more confident and assured. After hanging up with Chang Haoqing, he began making arrangements.
On the 22nd, as agreed, Chi Feiran arrived at Rong Jin’s house.
Rong Jin, being such a big star, naturally lived in a top-notch place. His standalone villa was nestled among flowering trees, offering exceptional privacy.
Chi Feiran was actually a little proud because Rong Jin had bought this house from Tianyun, the developer. Heh heh, Rong-ge bought a house from his family’s company!
Rong Jin had been waiting for him early on, checking countless times back and forth. Finally, he managed to welcome him.
Although they hadn’t seen each other for a month, perhaps due to their constant communication, there was no sense of unfamiliarity when they met again, only pure joy.
Moreover, he was about to surprise Rong Jin later, which added a bit more hidden joy to his heart.
Rong Jin’s eyes curved into a smile when he saw him laugh, momentarily stunned. It wasn’t until Chi Feiran asked, “Where’s Xiao Mei?” that he came back to his senses.
Rong Jin smiled and thought that indeed, the cat was important. He replied, “Sleeping. Follow me.”
Cats were naturally sleepy animals, and Oreo was still young, so he loved to sleep even more when growing up.
As Chi Feiran followed him inside, he surveyed the furnishings in the house. Everything was pretty good, but for some reason, it felt a bit empty, lacking warmth.
But when they reached the master bedroom, that sense of emptiness was finally broken.
In the rather spacious master bedroom, there were several large cat climbing frames, as well as various styles of cat beds, scratching posts, and some scattered, unorganized cat toys. It looked a bit messy, but Chi Feiran could see the cuteness in it.
Chi Feiran instinctively lowered his voice and asked Rong Jin softly, “Where is he?”
Rong Jin also lowered his voice and replied, “Follow me.”
Chi Feiran followed Rong Jin to the bedside. Rong Jin glanced at him before bending down carefully to lift a corner of the blanket.
A chubby little milk-colored kitten was sleeping underneath the blanket. Probably because the blanket had been lifted and there was light, it had its little paws folded, covering its face. Its nose and paw pads were pink and incredibly cute.
Rong Jin said, “He doesn’t like sleeping in his bed.”
Despite buying so many beds, he still preferred sleeping with people. At first, Rong Jin thought it might not be good to sleep with him, but when he heard his tender meows, he couldn’t help but soften his heart.
After that moment of softening, he always left a spot for him on the bed.
In the beginning, he didn’t dare to sleep soundly, fearing he might accidentally crush him. But later, he found out that this little guy was extremely clever and could find his own sleeping spot. He couldn’t be crushed at all, so he relaxed.
Chi Feiran could hear from Rong Jin’s tone that there was no disdain, but rather a hint of indulgence.
He couldn’t help but smile gently and leaned close to Rong Jin’s ear, whispering, “Caesar also doesn’t like sleeping in his bed. At first, my mom didn’t allow him to sleep with me, so I secretly hid him under the covers.”
His breath, carrying a hint of laughter, brushed against Rong Jin’s ear, still warm with affection, stirring up a fierce heartbeat.
Rong Jin couldn’t help but freeze for a moment but tried to act naturally. “Did you get scolded when you were found out?”
Chi Feiran reached out and gently touched the little kitten under the blanket. Probably because of his young age, Oreo felt fluffy all over, quite different from the smooth fur of Caesar, who was already an adult cat.
He couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for Caesar’s childhood, which for him, was already a long time ago.
Shaking his head, Chi Feiran said, “No, my mom couldn’t bear to.”
Rong Jin’s gaze fell on his profile. There was a voice in his heart telling him not to keep staring, or he might give himself away. But it was hard to look away.
When Chi Feiran’s gaze shifted away from Oreo, their eyes met. Perhaps because they were standing so close, Chi Feiran suddenly felt a strange warmth spreading across his face when he looked into Rong Jin’s eyes, which had a slightly lighter amber color.
Rong Jin quickly looked away, releasing the corner of the blanket he was holding, and said, “Let him sleep for now. I’ll show you around the house.”
Chi Feiran was still tangled up in the sudden warmth he had felt earlier. He mumbled a vague agreement.
How strange. He used to feel his face warm up around Rong-ge because he almost took his song, feeling embarrassed. But everything went back to normal afterward, and he hadn’t experienced this kind of reaction for a long time. Why did he suddenly feel a bit flushed just now…
It must be because they were standing too close.
Chi Feiran thought so and casually asked, “What about Brother Chang?”
As far as he knew, Chang Haoqing usually lived with Rong Jin. However, he hadn’t seen him since he entered, and today was Rong-ge’s birthday, but there didn’t seem to be any guests…
Rong Jin calmly replied, “He’s having a hemorrhoid flare-up and went to the hospital. He might have to stay there for a couple of days.”
Chi Feiran: “…”
Chi Feiran hesitated and asked, “Should I, maybe, go visit him?”
Rong Jin said, “No need. It’s not a big deal. He’d feel embarrassed if you went to visit him.”
Chi Feiran thought about it and nodded. Indeed, hemorrhoids were quite embarrassing. It was better not to draw attention to it.
As Rong Jin opened the door for Chi Feiran, he couldn’t help but wonder what it meant to have just the two of them celebrating his birthday together.
