“Oh.” Maimai’s heart fluttered with a twinge of heartbreak. “I scared him. No wonder I woke up in the car.”
“He didn’t even faint when you transformed into a human.” Rongrong embellished the story, “He was really shaken up. He cares about you!”
After saying this, Wang Derong carefully cradled his milk tea, aimed his thick straw at the brown sugar pearls, and took a big sip. Happiness really could be that simple.
Reflecting on the strange stains on Cheng Lin’s clothes, the cat suddenly realized just how important Cheng Maimai might truly be to Cheng Lin.
Blushing, Cheng Maimai asked, “So, when do you think would be the best time for us to get married?”
“Cough, cough—” Wang Derong nearly choked on his tapioca pearls. “Who’s getting married?”
“Cheng Lin said two men can get married,” Maimai explained. “Doesn’t that mean he wants to marry me?”
Wang Derong: “What!”
Rongrong confirmed, “Are you guys gay? That’s not protected by Chinese law!”
Maimai asked in confusion, “What’s ‘gay’? Is it just people of the same gender dating?”
Wang Derong, a 53-year-old with conservative views, had witnessed the declassification of homosexuality as a mental illness back in the 1990s. Now, he felt like a high-speed train crashing through the boundaries of traditional morals, teetering on the brink of a new world he wasn’t quite ready to enter.
He hesitated.
Maomao: “Say it.”
Wang Derong: “Yeah, pretty much. A-anyway, little brother, if you’re dating Cheng Lin, that makes you gay. D-do you like him?”
“Of course I like him!” Maimai affirmed. “I became human just so I could stay by Cheng Lin’s side, just like how you’re with Granny.”
That was both right and wrong, but Rongrong nodded hesitantly. “Mm-hmm. That makes sense.”
The two sat in silence for a moment before Maimai pushed the Black Forest cake toward him. “Brother, you should eat this!”
Wang Derong wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. He picked up the cake fork and changed the subject. “I’m a bit shocked right now. How about we watch ‘Young Master Ze’s Overbearing Love’ for a while? The final episode’s today.”
Hard work paid off. After dramatic events like jumping into a river to save someone, risking his life, and even breaking a leg, the once arrogant Duanmu Ze finally won Qin Wenwan’s heart back. Qin Wenwan herself had transformed from the CEO’s forcibly loved caged bird into a capable and independent designer.
“I missed a few episodes.” Maimai asked, “How are things going with them?”
“Duanmu Ze broke his leg saving Qin Wenwan, so he’s in a wheelchair now,” Rongrong explained. “But it’s only temporary. The doctor fixed him up, so he’ll be able to walk just fine later.”
Maimai, holding Maomao in his arms, settled in to watch the finale with Rongrong.
The finale was a stunning display of beauty, with flowers everywhere. Amidst a grand symphony, Duanmu Ze, seated in his wheelchair, proposed to Qin Wenwan with an eight-carat diamond ring. She said yes, they kissed, and that was the end.
“Oh, so you have to propose.” Maimai seemed to have an epiphany and summarized the key point, “And you need a ring.”
“You,” Rongrong said, looking at Maimai, “Little brother, before you get married, you need to date first, alright?”
“Huh? How do you date? Do you just ask him directly?” Maimai asked, “Rongrong, have you ever been in a relationship?”
Wang Derong awkwardly turned his head. After a moment, he replied, “I guess you could say I have. After Granny passed away and I got kicked out, I liked a calico. We used to scavenge for food together in the neighborhood, and I always let her eat first.”
“And then?”
“Then… nothing,” Rongrong said. “She got adopted by an old lady from the next building. I couldn’t get into their hallway, so I never saw her again. But I did see her owner carrying a box of kittens downstairs once, giving them away to people in the building. She said they were her kittens.”
“What a pity,” Maimai remarked.
“What’s there to pity?” Rongrong shrugged. “Her master treats her well. She has a place to stay, which is definitely better than roaming the streets with me.”
“Love is complicated,” Maomao commented.
“What do you know?” Wang Derong playfully rubbed the white kitten’s head. Having come to terms with his thoughts during the show, he turned to the kitty person and said, “There’s no need to rush into marriage, right? You should at least figure out how Cheng Lin feels. Maybe start by getting to know each other better and dating first?”
Ten minutes later, another table of customers arrived, and Maimai got busy with their orders. Wang Derong stood up to leave. “Little brother, I’m heading out. I’ve got the night shift.”
Maimai quickly asked, “Brother Rong, I forgot to ask—how’s your job going?”
“My job was arranged by that annoying organization. I’m a park patrolman now, with a dorm to stay in. It’s not bad at all,” Wang Derong reassured him.
“Is it hard work?” Maimai was concerned.
“Not at all. The area I patrol is usually empty, and I sometimes turn into a cat to take a stroll in the woods. They pay the salary in advance for the month, so I’ll be able to visit Granny’s grave in a few days.” Wang Derong took off his shoe covers and waved at Maimai. “Goodbye, little brother. Thanks for hosting me. I’ll visit you again!”
Maimai reluctantly said goodbye to his friend. After work, he carefully hid the booklets Wang Derong had given him in the inner pocket of his backpack and took them home.
On the way back, Cheng Lin asked, “Were you busy today?”
“There were lots of customers,” Maimai replied cheerfully, hugging his bag. He didn’t mention the booklets Wang Derong had given him. “I even taught everyone how to play UNO.”
At a red light, Cheng Lin glanced over at Maimai and noticed that the cat was staring at him. When their eyes met, Maimai broke into a silly laugh.
Cheng Lin’s ears turned red as he gripped the steering wheel, trying to suppress a smile. “What are you laughing at?”
“I’m just happy to see you,” Maimai answered. He had spent the entire afternoon thinking about the major event of marriage, which involved Cheng Lin. Now, seeing him in person, he felt overjoyed.
The weather was in that awkward phase between warm and cold. It had just rained, and the wind was strong. When Cheng Lin saw Maimai carrying his coat down the stairs, he started the car, closed the windows, and turned on the heater.
After sitting in the enclosed space for a while, Maimai took a few deep breaths and caught a faint whiff of Cheng Lin’s cologne. A ticklish sensation crept over him, and he scratched his neck, muttering, “It feels a bit hot.”
Cheng Lin glanced at him again and noticed that his cheeks were indeed a little flushed. Puzzled, he asked, “Did I turn the heat too high?”
Maimai considered it and agreed with that explanation. “Mm, it does feel a bit stuffy.”
Cheng Lin turned off the heater and lowered the passenger-side window slightly. He reminded him, “When you feel it’s okay, you can close the window yourself.”
Fresh air, carrying the damp scent of rain, rushed in, cooling the stuffy heat. Maimai breathed it in, feeling the restless energy inside him start to settle.
However, the symptoms didn’t completely fade away.
Later that night, just before bed, Cheng Lin leaned against the headboard, looking at his laptop. It was like a trap, waiting for Maimai to crawl into his arms like he usually did and chat beside him.
After finishing his bedtime routine, Maimai hopped onto the bed, his slippers slapping against the floor.
As expected, the kitty person took the bait, wriggling under the covers until he was right beside Cheng Lin.
Maimai pressed his ear close to the second button on Cheng Lin’s pajama top, inhaling the faint scent of detergent. Just as he was about to ask if Cheng Lin had cried the night before, that restless feeling flared up again.
Cheng Lin barely had time to pat the back of Maimai’s head before he slipped away, lying straight on his back and pulling the quilt up to his lips. “Goodnight.”
Cheng Lin pretended not to hear him. Maimai nudged him. “Goodnight! Give me a kiss.”
Alright, why not?
Cheng Lin set the laptop on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. He rolled over, looking down at the cat before leaning in to close the distance, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “One kiss enough?”
Maimai thought about how Cheng Lin had told him yesterday that he was his favorite cat. The words carried a lot of weight and seemed to bridge their past and future. Deciding to push his luck, he said, “Not enough.”
After saying that, he puckered his lips in an attempt.
“No way.” Cheng Lin pinched his lips, turning his face away. He brushed his nose against the kitty person’s cheek affectionately.
Then, as if he could no longer hold back, Cheng Lin began kissing down from Maimai’s face to his neck, some kisses light, others firm.
Maimai felt completely enveloped by Cheng Lin’s presence, his unique scent filling his senses, overwhelming him from all sides.
Each kiss made that restless feeling grow stronger. For a moment, it was as if he had broken through a barrier, a surge of electricity coursing through his body, making him feel feverishly hot and weak.
Maimai gently pushed at Cheng Lin’s chest and tried to discuss in a shaky voice, “Maybe we should stop for tonight and continue tomorrow.”
Cheng Lin wasn’t doing much better himself. He propped himself up on his arm and rested his head on Maimai’s shoulder. He mumbled a response, then took a couple of deep breaths before rolling over to lie flat on his back, forcing himself to push down his thoughts and impulses.
They lay there, lost in their own thoughts. Usually, Maimai would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but tonight he tossed and turned, unable to find rest.
Something felt strange down there. Through his pajama pants, he gently touched the area, his body shuddering at the sensation. It felt even weirder—like an electric shock—he couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.
The memory of the kisses, combined with the lingering scent of Cheng Lin, only intensified the feeling.
The kitty person kept fidgeting, rubbing against the quilt one minute, then guiltily touching himself the next.
Cheng Lin, having already dealt with his own restless urges, was on the verge of sleep but was stirred awake several times by the disturbances. “Why are you still not sleeping? Is the quilt too warm?”
Maimai was startled. The restless feeling vanished instantly. He stretched out flat and said, “I’m going to sleep now.”
“Mm,” Cheng Lin replied, rolling over to give him another kiss.
The kiss landed softly on his forehead, Cheng Lin’s lips soft. Maimai felt that strange discomfort again, but after a long workday, exhaustion finally took over, and he drifted off to sleep.
That night, he dreamed of Cheng Lin. He hugged him tightly, showering him with kisses and nuzzles.
Then, in the next instant, it was like breaking through a barrier—
Maimai’s eyes flew open, and he realized he had turned back into a cat.
It was just after five in the morning.
The orange cat struggled out of the covers. Thanks to his excellent night vision, he quickly noticed something was off. He rummaged through the quilt and found his pajama pants. Sure enough, there was a coin-sized stain in the same spot where the ragdoll cat had left one last time.
“That’s weird,” Maimai muttered, his face turning red, “Did I wet the bed?”
