“You, stay right there.” Wei Xicheng squinted his eyes toward the door, his tone laced with displeasure. Turning his head to look at the few men frozen in place, he continued, “No one’s leaving here standing today. I’ll handle this myself.”
A faint “hmm” sound came from the door, and only then did Wei Xicheng refocus on the men in front of him.
Yi Chengze watched the little “cat” now locked in a standoff with several people, letting out a soft chuckle. He almost forgot that this little cat had claws—and they hurt when they scratched. His gaze followed Wei Xicheng’s agile movements as he leaped and dodged, and he couldn’t help but recall the words he had overheard earlier: “Remember, my name is Wei Xicheng.”
Wei Xicheng… Yi Chengze’s eyes deepened, locking firmly onto the figure in the warehouse, resembling a predator in patient, prolonged anticipation before the hunt.
At the moment, Wei Xicheng had no time to spare for the man standing at the door—he was thoroughly enjoying the fight. Usually lounging around like a lazy cat, it had been a while since he’d had the chance to stretch his muscles, and his mood had grown sluggish as a result.
Although his character was supposedly a non-aggressive cat demon, his strengthened body was more than enough to deal with a few ordinary people. The youth’s figure moved swiftly among the burly men, and before long, only Wei Xicheng was left standing in the warehouse. All around him were men lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
Wei Xicheng placed one foot on the chest of the leader, squinting slightly as he asked, “Who sent you after Lin Yang?”
“Ah, little brother, we’re just doing a job for money. How could we know who hired us?” The gang leader, just a small-time thug, clearly had no spine. He spilled everything he knew without hesitation. “Y-Yeah, yeah, it wasn’t just Lin Yang—they also wanted someone named Mao Rong. But we couldn’t find his address…”
“Baby, take your foot down.”
Before the man could finish speaking, Wei Xicheng heard his voice resonate beside him. In the empty, decrepit warehouse, it sounded especially magnetic.
“Little brother, you see you’re fine now. How about letting us go? We promise not to mess with Lin Yang again…”
Yi Chengze shot a cold glance over, the icy intensity in his eyes silencing the man on the ground immediately.
“If you want to step on someone, step on me.” Yi Chengze stepped forward and gently pulled Wei Xicheng over to his side.
The man on the ground, relieved to be freed, tried to scramble to his feet, only to find himself completely immobilized.
“What’s going on?!” The man panicked, shaking his head to figure out what was happening. But his limbs weren’t bound by anything, leaving him as helpless as someone trapped in sleep paralysis.
“No need for you to handle this personally.” Yi Chengze grabbed hold of Wei Xicheng’s little “cat claw.” “Next time, let me know before you rush into something like this. I was worried.”
“It happened too suddenly, I didn’t have time,” Wei Xicheng replied with a half-smile as he looked at Yi Chengze. “Besides, didn’t you show up anyway?”
“Call it a sixth sense.” Yi Chengze turned his head, clearly avoiding the topic. Instead, he glanced at the man on the ground, his eyes briefly flashing red. The man immediately began rambling incoherently.
“A guy with the last name Yang said he’d pay a million to mess with the two boys. Didn’t need to kill or cripple them—just rough them up. Damn, these rich people really have their fun. I’ve never seen a million before. Hell, for that much money, I’d even handle a sow, let alone two guys. The only problem is that kid named Mao Rong—he’s a slippery one, haven’t been able to find him.”
Yi Chengze’s gaze grew colder. The man on the ground started convulsing, then suddenly snapped out of it, screaming, “Help! Please, spare me! I was just taking a job!”
Wei Xicheng mulled over the man’s words. A guy named Yang… Yang Yuan? In the original plot, Si Yongyi only had ambiguous interactions with Lin Yang after Yang Yuan went abroad. When Yang Yuan returned, it was only after Lin Yang had already been hurt that he reconnected with Si Yongyi.
But this time, because of his involvement, Si Yongyi’s relationship with Lin Yang hadn’t progressed as rapidly as in the original plot. So now Yang Yuan had set his sights on him, too?
While Wei Xicheng thought about it, he didn’t have solid evidence to confirm Yang Yuan’s involvement. He turned to Yi Chengze and asked, “One of them ran off near my house earlier. Can you catch him?”
“Of course.” Yi Chengze nodded. The man on the ground let out a scream before passing out. “What do you want to do with these guys?”
Wei Xicheng smirked. “Whatever they planned to do to me, let them do it to each other.”
“Got it.”
Yi Chengze nodded, pulling Wei Xicheng toward the exit. As they left, it seemed as though a transparent barrier sealed the warehouse shut. His little cat had a kind heart—but he didn’t.
“Should we go find that person now?” Yi Chengze asked, wrapping Wei Xicheng securely in his arms as they floated above the city. Wei Xicheng poked his head out, his hair brushing against Yi Chengze’s chin.
“Yes!”
……………………………..
After seeing the young boy leave his house, Yang Yuan hurried back to his villa. This matter couldn’t be tied to him in any way. He had already arranged everything—once those men finished their job, he would get rid of them too.
If it weren’t absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t have personally dealt with this situation. Having just returned to the country, he had no solid foundation or trusted subordinates. Even so, his heart was uneasy, filled with dread.
Pouring himself a glass of water, he didn’t even have time to take a sip before the doorbell rang. The chime echoed in his chest like a hammer. His hand shook, spilling a few drops of water onto the back of his hand, the sensation burning like fire.
He quickly retreated to his bedroom, changed his clothes, and ruffled his hair to look disheveled before walking to the door. Outside were two unfamiliar young men.
“Who are you?!”
Yang Yuan, a scholarly and physically weak man, couldn’t hide his panic in the face of this situation. One of the men outside was tall and well-built—if there was trouble, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
He didn’t open the door, instead shouting his question through the peephole while clutching his phone, ready to call building security at any moment.
The tall man withdrew his gaze from the head of the boy nestled in his arms and glanced at the peephole. “Open the door,” he said.
That single glance nearly stopped Yang Yuan’s heart. He clutched his chest, forcing himself to stay calm.
The motion-activated light outside had turned on, and the man’s eyes came into clear focus through the peephole. Unlike ordinary human eyes, they resembled those of a ruthless, cold-blooded predator. His slit-shaped pupils glowed faintly red under the light, an eerie sight.
Panicked, Yang Yuan tried to call security, but no matter how hard he pressed, the call wouldn’t go through. Before he could look up again, he saw the tall man outside twist the doorknob lightly, opening the door as if the lock were merely for decoration.
“Who are you? What are you doing in my house? I’m calling the police!” Yang Yuan staggered backward until his legs hit the sofa. He watched helplessly as the two men strolled into his home, completely unfazed.
“We met earlier tonight!” Wei Xicheng said cheerfully, wriggling free from Yi Chengze’s arms, only to be pulled back again. “What are you doing?”
“Just talk. Why do you need to get so close?” Yi Chengze said matter-of-factly.
…
“We haven’t met,” Yang Yuan insisted, trying to stay calm. When he looked carefully at the tall man’s eyes again, they had returned to normal. He reassured himself it was just his imagination earlier, a momentary hallucination.
“Don’t you know Lin Yang?” Wei Xicheng asked, prying at the hand gripping his waist as the two of them, still tangled together, moved to sit on the sofa.
“You’re Lin Yang? That’s impossible!” Yang Yuan exclaimed. He had thoroughly investigated Lin Yang’s appearance and knew he didn’t match this boy. Besides, Lin Yang should be “enjoying” the special treatment Yang Yuan had arranged for him tonight.
“No, I’m Mao Rong.” Wei Xicheng scratched his head, annoyed by Yi Chengze’s chin brushing against him.
“So it’s you?” Yang Yuan’s panic subsided upon hearing the name. “So you’ve figured it out?”
Wei Xicheng lazily nodded, watching him with interest.
Yang Yuan adjusted his pajamas and said, “So, what do you plan to do? Breaking into someone’s house is illegal. One call and I’ll—”
“Then call.” Wei Xicheng interrupted impatiently. “I just want to ask, what’s Lin Yang done to provoke you?”
“Don’t you know? Isn’t he in your way, too?” Yang Yuan replied, hiding the phone behind his back and nodding toward the man behind Wei Xicheng. “What, now that you’ve found a new lover, you don’t care about Si Yongyi? Lin Yang and I still have to fight for him.”
Wei Xicheng felt the arm around his waist tighten slightly. He turned his head and kissed Yi Chengze on the chin. “He’s not a new lover, he’s my old flame.”
“And now?”
“Still in love.”
Yang Yuan, sensing an opportunity, tried to call for help, only to find himself unable to move.
“Yi Chengze, is it him?”
“Mm. His scent hasn’t faded.” Yi Chengze tightened his hold on the little cat’s waist, burying his face in the crook of his neck and taking a deep breath.
“Then let’s take him to the warehouse! Yes, that’ll do!” Wei Xicheng teased, rubbing Yi Chengze’s ear. “Come on, let’s go.”
“No, you can’t do this to me!” Yang Yuan screamed as his body floated off the ground, completely paralyzed. His eyes bulged in terror. “What are you? Demons? Ghosts? Let me down!”
“Quiet,” Yi Chengze said, holding the little cat tighter. “Let’s not go. I’ll handle it and bring him to you. Okay?”
“I trust you!” Wei Xicheng patted Yi Chengze’s waist, only to have his little paw caught.
“Mm, my waist is fine.”
…
When Wei Xicheng woke up, daylight was streaming in. He found himself back in Lin Yang’s small apartment, with no sign of Lin Yang anywhere.
He stood up, but his balance faltered, and he collapsed face-first into the soft pillow. His limbs were weak, his mouth dry, and as he recalled the events of last night, Wei Xicheng felt like the fur on his face was about to burn from embarrassment. In any case, a counterattack in this cat’s life seemed hopeless.
Staggering to the bedroom, his body shifted form. The mirror now reflected a young man with a flushed complexion. His usual gentle and composed image was now tinged with the disheveled aftermath of passion. From his neck downward, his body was covered in blue and purple marks—not just scattered little “strawberries,” but even faint imprints resembling bite marks.
Damn it, I’m just a cat!
