“Hello, Auntie and Uncle! Can I get you something to drink?” Cheng Maimai asked, his voice tinged with a touch of nervousness despite his extensive professional experience and a strong sense of service. “We have coffee, black tea, cola, and mineral water.”
The cat’s impeccable manners made a great first impression on the two elders.
As Maimai went to prepare the black tea, Huang Guigui turned her gaze back to Cheng Lin. Though she had her suspicions, she still asked, “Who is this young man?”
“My fiance.” Cheng Lin wiped his face, feeling somewhat drained. “His last name is also Cheng, but you can call him Maimai. Like the ‘mai’ in ‘wheat.’”
Since they were going to hold a wedding, it seemed only natural to inform his parents.
However, Cheng Lin had only shared the date and location, omitting any details about who he was marrying or what they were like—hoping to drop this bombshell on them so close to the wedding that they wouldn’t have time to object.
On the phone, Cheng Xianxu and Huang Guigui cheerfully agreed to attend without asking further questions. But Cheng Lin had not anticipated a surprise visit like this, catching him completely off guard.
“When we spoke on the phone last time, you didn’t mention any of this.” Cheng Xianxu asked, “How did you end up with a guy?”
It wasn’t that they had a problem with homosexuality. This fairytale couple had traveled the world for years and were very open-minded. They had no issues with their son being gay; they were just surprised.
After all, the last time Cheng Lin had called home, he had seemed reluctant to discuss his love life. So, when they heard he was already planning a wedding, they were shocked.
Mrs. Huang Guigui believed that finding someone to share your life with was no small feat.
Before Cheng Lin could respond, she quickly interjected, “Why does it matter if it’s a man or a woman? As long as they get along, even a cat or a dog is fine!”
Right on cue, Cat Maimai returned with a small tray carrying cups of hot tea. “Auntie, Uncle, here’s some black tea. Be careful, it’s hot.”
Seeing how busy he was, Huang Guigui said warmly, “Maimai, come sit down and rest. Don’t tire yourself out.”
“Auntie, the fish soup is still cooking,” Maimai replied cheerfully. “I need to go check on it.” With that, he headed back to the kitchen to check on his fish soup.
“Why aren’t you helping him out?” Cheng Xianxu reminded Cheng Lin in a low voice, “He’s been running around ever since we arrived. Isn’t it unfair?”
Cheng Lin said, “My foot is injured. Do you think he would let me walk around?”
Huang Guigui observed her son. Given his height and muscular build compared to Maimai, something didn’t seem right.
“Have you two been living together all this time?” she asked. “Is this how it always is? You just sit back like a boss while Maimai does all the work?”
Cheng Lin felt unjustly accused but chose not to argue. He figured that letting his mom think he was a bit of a slacker might actually make Maimai look better in her eyes.
Still feeling uneasy, Huang Guigui asked, “Maimai looks so young. How old is he?”
When the cat returned from the kitchen, he saw Huang Guigui raising her hand, ready to slap Cheng Lin. “You brought him to live with you when he was only 18?! You are such a jerk?!”
“I invited you to the wedding, not to tear us apart,” Cheng Lin said, dodging her swat. “He’s happy living with me.”
He thought his mom should take a conservative stance and withhold judgment until she knew the full story. But then he remembered how, once, Maimai had been so furious with him that he nearly ran away. Maybe his mom’s anger was justified after all.
Seeing this scene, Maimai rushed over anxiously. “Don’t hit him!”
Huang Guigui was determined to get to the bottom of this. “Are you only with him because he’s good-looking? Are you playing with his feelings?!”
“If I were playing with his feelings, why would I marry him?” Cheng Lin replied, pulling Maimai closer.
“Don’t his parents have any objections? Is Maimai not studying anymore?”
“He… doesn’t have any parents. He’s on his own.” Cheng Lin answered vaguely, “He works during the day and takes online classes at night. He’s far more hardworking than I am.”
In this urgent situation, although Maimai didn’t understand why things had escalated, he realized he needed to take the initiative to resolve the deadlock.
If he wanted to marry into this family, he needed the approval of his future in-laws.
Carefully choosing his words, the cat said, “Cheng Lin is my favorite person in the world. I’m determined to marry him.”
The three of them sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Cheng Lin couldn’t help but smile as he replayed “my favorite person in the world” in his mind. Meanwhile, Huang Guigui and Cheng Xianxu were stuck on the last part.
Determined. To. Marry. Him.
Maimai sat upright beside Cheng Lin, anxious yet loyal. Cheng Lin squeezed his hand, then draped his arm over Maimai’s shoulder.
In the past, even though the wife always initiated this gesture, the cat wasn’t used to it.
With Cheng Lin’s broader back and taller stature, it was an awkward fit. But Cheng Lin held his hand tightly, not letting him pull away.
From Maimai’s perspective, Cheng Lin’s parents suddenly changed their attitude. They seemed to accept the situation, and the wedding plans began moving forward smoothly. After a simple meal, they rose to leave.
Huang Guigui and Cheng Xianxu had open-minded views but retained a hint of traditional thinking—they initially believed that Maimai was being oppressed or deceived. However, it turned out that Maimai seemed to actually enjoy the relationship and, to some extent, even took the lead in defining their… status. Well, that was fine too. As long as both parties were willing, it didn’t matter.
“Maimai, your fish soup was really delicious,” Huang Guigui praised, adding, “We… we’ll leave Cheng Lin to you.”
Maimai nodded earnestly, helping Cheng Lin stand up.
“In a couple of days, He Zhu will bring over your… dowry.” Cheng Xianxu told his disappointing son, “Remember to check it. Just a small token of my regard.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Cheng Lin replied, leaning on Maimai for support.
Cheng Xianxu was already at the entrance, putting on his shoes, but after watching Cheng Lin pretend to be weak and frail all day, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He finally snapped, “What are you pretending for? Your foot isn’t even that bad!”
He turned to Maimai and added, “Forget about walking; you could whip him, and he’d still be able to run.”
With a sharp “snap,” the door closed, leaving Cheng Lin feeling guilty and Maimai in disbelief.
Maimai: “You lied to me!”
“Baby, let me explain,” Cheng Lin responded weakly, clinging tightly to him. “I really did twist my ankle, but it’s been recovering well overnight. It’s much better now.”
The more Maimai thought about it, the angrier he became. “I was worried about delaying the wedding! That’s why I was in such a rush!” This was a matter of principle.
Cheng Lin suddenly realized that the cat cared about this wedding more than he had imagined.
“It was the fish soup that helped me heal.” He guiltily kissed Maimai’s eyelid and asked cautiously, “We’re still getting married, right?”
Maimai found the question absurd. “Of course we are!”
Cheng Lin embraced him, reflecting on how serious the cat had been with his sweet talk. He kissed him from his eyes to his lips, and before they knew it, they were tangled up in bed.
Lying flat with a pillow under his head, Maimai found himself in a much better mood. He always had a hard time holding a grudge against Cheng Lin.
But just as things were heating up, Maimai locked eyes with him and suddenly remembered the gift he had stashed away in his drawer—the one he hadn’t given yet. He decided it was time.
He nudged Cheng Lin and said, “Hold on! I need to get something.”
Cheng Lin misunderstood and said hoarsely, “I’ve already put it on.”
But Maimai was determined. He turned over, opened his bedside table, and pulled out a simple box.
This wasn’t exactly the best situation for kneeling on one knee, so the cat could only mimic Duanmu Ze, opening the box and looking at Cheng Lin with hopeful eyes. “Marry me.”
The ring was something he had made during craft class with Rongrong. While Rongrong had crafted a spoon to eat watermelon with, Maimai had spent ages hammering away to create a silver ring. He had even carved their initials inside, putting his whole heart into it.
He had planned to follow Duanmu Ze’s lead and find the perfect moment to propose to his beloved Cheng Wenwan on one knee.
But before he could, the next day, Cheng Lin had unknowingly taken the cat to buy matching wedding bands.
That’s when Cheng Maimai learned from the shop assistant that, aside from fashion accessories, most jewelry brands use precious metals other than silver for rings. What a snobbish world.
Now, his ring felt a little underwhelming.
“Where did this ring come from?” Cheng Lin took it out and examined it. Seeing the handcrafted, rustic details, he had a pretty good idea.
“I made it during that craft class,” Maimai replied.
“Did everyone make rings?”
“No, there were several options,” the cat explained, “But a ring lets me propose to you.”
“Why didn’t you propose a few days ago?”
“Did you forget? You took me to buy rings right after.”
Cheng Lin tried to keep his expression composed and dignified. “It’s okay; I could always use another ring.”
He sat up, holding the ring, and asked casually, “Is this ring the right size?”
Maimai let out a small “ah” and nervously admitted, “I made it to fit my finger.” That’s how the teacher taught it, so that’s how he did it.
Cheng Lin appeared calm, but inside he was struggling as hard as Cinderella’s stepsisters, trying to squeeze his ring finger into that slender silver band.
No matter how much he gritted his teeth, it just wouldn’t go on. Any further attempts might have required the fire department to step in.
Finally, he had no choice but to slip the ring onto his pinky finger. With a nonchalant smile, he said, “Pinky ring. It’s the trend nowadays.”
Maimai, who had been watching nervously, was relieved to see the crisis averted. He sincerely complimented, “So stylish!”
Two weeks later.
The wedding ceremony took place on a private lawn behind an old mansion, offering plenty of privacy.
The entrance to the mansion was narrow, and easy to miss unless you noticed the small sign nearby. The signboard under the flower arch only displayed the couple’s names with no photos, but a cartoon orange cat in the corner appeared here and there along the path, guiding guests with glowing ground lights until the trail opened up to the lawn.
Behind the mansion, the lawn was decorated with fresh flowers. Since many of the guests were cats, the wedding skipped traditional loud festivities like firecrackers. Instead, they planned a simple evening reception.
Shi Ting acted as the host, while Shi Jing and Jin Li served as witnesses.
At the main table sat Cheng Lin’s parents, along with the human’s and cat’s closest friends. Yuan Jiaming had long since recovered from the shock of realizing that Cheng Lin’s cousin was actually his boyfriend.
Huang Guigui loved the wedding’s floral decor, finding it vibrant yet tasteful. She eagerly urged Cheng Xianxu to take pictures of her.
Wang Derong was equally thrilled, attending a friend’s wedding for the first time and even securing a seat at the main table. Naturally, he kept a close eye on the various seafood dishes, hoping that Maomao and Gungun, who were at his feet, would behave and not wander off.
“…Do you promise to love and cherish each other, in wealth and poverty, in sickness and health, in good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.”
“I do!”
Cheng Lin gazed at Maimai. The cat looked especially dashing today, dressed in a sharp suit. The stylist had slicked his hair back, revealing a smooth forehead, giving him an air of sophistication.
This was the face Cheng Lin woke up to every morning, the one he missed the most during the day, and the one he longed to kiss at night.
Just before leaning in for the kiss, Cheng Lin smiled, his tone uncharacteristically honest for the first time, “I love you.”
The cat was quick to respond, joyfully echoing, “I love you too!”
Under the spotlight, Rongrong watched with teary eyes, thinking how stunning Maimai looked.
He noticed Maomao with a little flower basket around his neck, delivering the rings, and overheard Yuan Jiaming next to him exclaim, “Even the cat can do that?!”
What did he mean? Of course, their cats were very smart.
Rongrong then noticed another ring on Cheng Lin’s hand. At first, he was puzzled but soon understood.
After all, a bride deserves an extra diamond ring.
Back at the craft store, the kitty person who had taught him how to make a spoon had been really gentle. The kitty person was a Maine Coon, a few years younger than him. Later, they met up again, took a walk in the park, and bought a watermelon to share.
Rongrong knew he had to keep working hard. He wanted this kind of happiness too.
After the wedding, as the guests began to leave, Huang Guigui went inside the mansion to wash her hands and fix her clothes. When she and Cheng Xianxu came back out, they were surprised to see a large group of cats had suddenly appeared on the lawn.
There were all kinds of mixed-breed cats, with a few purebreds. Among them was a particularly large and majestic Maine Coon, circling around a Li Hua cat.
Huang Guigui covered her mouth. “Where did all these little cats come from—”
Before she could finish, an orange blur darted past her, joining the crowd of cats at lightning speed.
This round-faced, round-eyed little orange cat quickly became the center of attention in the cat world, receiving admiration and a warm welcome from all the other cats.
Amidst the chorus of meows, the leaders were a pair of black-and-white troublemakers. One was a black tuxedo cat with only a white patch on its chest, constantly bumping heads with the orange cat. The other was a pure white cat, pressing up against the orange cat to show affection.
The Maine Coon and the Li Hua sat off to the side, the Maine Coon wrapping its large tail around the Li Hua. Together, they watched a feisty little Li Hua rolling around on the grass as if trying to express something but unable to find the right words.
“Mom, Dad, let’s go,” Cheng Lin called out to them.
As Huang Guigui got into the car, she glanced out the window and saw the orange cat sprinting toward Cheng Lin, leaping into his arms.
Two months later…
“Sister Qin Lu said they’ve hired someone, so I don’t need to worry anymore,” Maimai said. “But I still need to send postcards and souvenirs to Brother Rong, Sister Shi Jing, and Sister Shi Ting.”
“Alright.” Cheng Lin double-checked to make sure all the appliances were turned off, then handed the cat carrier to Maimai.
“Maomao and Gungun are almost a year old now,” the cat continued. “Sister Shi Jing said she’ll tell me when they turn human.”
Once everything was ready, Cheng Lin grabbed his bag and changed his shoes. Hearing this, he replied, “They’re not as smart as you. It’ll probably take some time.”
They stepped out of the entrance, locking the door behind them.
Since you only get married once, why not follow in your parent’s footsteps and spend your honeymoon traveling around the world?
Maimai followed Cheng Lin, suddenly struck by inspiration. “Does this count as us running away from home together?”
“Nope,” Cheng Lin replied, tucking away the keys. “Home is wherever you are.”
Running away from life, to the ends of the earth.
Luckily, every time I look back, you’re always by my side.
(The End)
Author’s note:
Thanks for waiting, everyone! The main story ends here. I’ll be taking suggestions on Weibo for any extras you’d like to see!
Translator’s note:
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the translation. I’m taking a break, but I’ll be back with the extras once I have time.
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