Soon, it was the day of Lin Yang’s final defense. Before leaving, he clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly to his beloved pet, hoping his cat would bless him with success. Wei Xicheng, however, simply turned his backside to Lin Yang. Praying to me is useless. I can’t help you.
After Lin Yang left, Wei Xicheng returned to the bathroom. The bathroom quickly filled with the sight of a naked young man with cat ears on his head.
Wei Xicheng hurriedly showered, shook the water off his ears, wrung out his tail, and then held up Lin Yang’s clothes to see if they’d fit.
Lin Yang was already small, but Wei Xicheng was even slimmer than him. The plain white T-shirt hung loosely on his body, and as for the baggy jeans—they were so loose that his tail could sway freely inside without any obstruction.
After staring at himself in the oversized shirt for a long time, Wei Xicheng finally found a bit of comfort. His skin, like his fur, was a delicate milky white—somewhat feminine—but at least his body had decent lines. Though not very pronounced, they were still visible.
He leaned closer to the mirror to examine himself. Perfect. His skin was flawless. After fine-tuning his physical form, even his complexion looked excellent.
Wei Xicheng raised two fingers to tug at the corners of his mouth, instantly changing his aura. Gentle and kind, soft yet firm. Si Yongyi likes pure and delicate types, doesn’t he? Fine, I’ll give him a harmless little white flower with hidden claws.
The only problem was that he couldn’t get rid of the cat ears on top of his head.
Wei Xicheng sighed and rummaged through the wardrobe until he found a newsboy cap to cover them. The final result was surprisingly good. The loose clothing combined with the hat gave him an artistic flair.
Maybe… Wei Xicheng casually grabbed a red bill from Lin Yang’s stash and slung an old set of art supplies over his shoulder.
Men with talents are more attractive.
Wei Xicheng wasn’t the type to wrong himself. He couldn’t go out and find a proper job with a pair of cat ears on his head, not to mention being undocumented and technically a fugitive. But for Lin Yang—a decent caretaker and his long-term supplier of dried fish—Wei Xicheng felt this was something he simply had to handle.
Si Yongyi lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood surrounded by beautiful scenery. Wei Xicheng didn’t even bother entering the complex. Instead, he chose a spot by the lake along Si Yongyi’s usual route and peacefully began working on his masterpiece.
Tonight, there was a formal business banquet. Lin Yang would be delayed by Si Yongyi’s assistant, giving Si Yongyi enough time to return home, change clothes, and grab the data Lin Yang had prepared for him.
Wei Xicheng focused on his sketch, his pencil moving busily across the page. He was only halfway done when the system alerted him: Si Yongyi is approaching.
He ignored it and continued drawing.
Sitting in the backseat of the car, Si Yongyi casually glanced out the window—and his gaze landed on a young man sketching by the lake. Clean and carefree, with a slight upward curve to his lips that hinted at his satisfaction with his work, the boy resembled a gentle little kitten.
The sight struck a chord in Si Yongyi, a vivid memory of his college days flooding back. Back then, Yang Yuan had been just like this—always carrying his beloved sketchbook around, painting outdoors, exuding an air of serenity.
Si Yongyi took another look in the boy’s direction but was soon blocked by a tall figure that obstructed his view. His mood soured, and he frowned as the car continued into the neighborhood, leaving the scene behind.
Wei Xicheng’s hackles almost rose. The man who had thrown him out last time now had his hand resting on his hat.
Damn it.
Yi Chengze watched the visibly tense little “kitten” and found it amusing. Doesn’t he sense my aura as a demon? But the texture under his hand felt soft and pleasant.
However, the thought that this “thing” was covered in fur made Yi Chengze withdraw his hand somewhat awkwardly. The little kitten turned around, wide-eyed with surprise, and asked innocently, “Who are you?”
So naive.
His reaction was almost identical to that time when he’d been grabbed by the scruff—his body stiffened, and he tried to feign cuteness.
Yi Chengze chuckled, sliding his hand back into his pocket and rubbing his fingers together. “Sorry, wrong person.”
“Oh.” Wei Xicheng turned back and continued sketching. Although the fish he wanted to catch had swum away, the act he was putting on still needed to be convincing.
“You’re quite good at painting,” Yi Chengze remarked. He had smelled the little cat demon from afar and approached out of curiosity. He hadn’t expected it to be so clueless—brave yet naive.
Yi Chengze didn’t usually go around devouring demons he encountered. He had only meant to warn this reckless little kitten. But what he saw instead surprised him.
This little kitten’s human form was oddly appealing—round eyes, a round face, and a faint smile that made him look easily bullied. He was a bit too thin, though, there didn’t seem to be much meat on him.
Wei Xicheng felt like he was being watched by some kind of large predator. His muscles were tense with the instinctual wariness of prey, ready to bolt at any moment. When the wind blew, the coolness against his slightly sweat-dampened back only heightened his unease.
But he couldn’t run. What reason did he have to run? He wasn’t doing anything wrong—unless the person behind him somehow knew he was a demon. Wei Xicheng forced a smile. How could that be? This was a modern world, practically devoid of spiritual energy. According to the script, he was the only demon in this world.
The plot was designed to revolve around the Child of Destiny. Since no supernatural events had occurred around the protagonist, it meant there couldn’t be any other major demons. Wei Xicheng was confident in his expertise, having worked in this line of business for over a thousand years. He considered himself a professional.
He assumed the man behind him was just a random passerby who had stopped to watch out of curiosity. If he ignored him long enough, the man would eventually leave on his own. What Wei Xicheng didn’t expect was that the man stood behind him for one or two hours without moving.
For some reason, the man’s presence reminded Wei Xicheng of the time he was grabbed by the scruff and tossed out. When his nape was held, his body became stiff and unresponsive, a reflex of this cat form. But Wei Xicheng wasn’t an actual cat. He could forcibly override his body’s instincts, though it wasn’t easy.
Remembering the man’s grip, Wei Xicheng discreetly opened the energy page of his system. His energy levels hadn’t increased. He let out a small sigh of relief. Of course. His fated lover should fall for him at first sight—there was no way it could be the guy who threw him out. No matter how similar they looked.
Thinking back to the overly attached brat from his previous mission, Wei Xicheng wasn’t so sure anymore. His method of judging based on appearance didn’t always seem reliable.
Just as Wei Xicheng closed the energy page, the man behind him leaned over, bringing his face to almost the same level as the seated Wei Xicheng. Without needing to turn his head much, Wei Xicheng caught a glimpse of the man’s sharply chiseled profile in his peripheral vision.
“Almost finished?” the man asked in a calm, indifferent tone, as if casually chatting to pass the time. “I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“Just need one more layer of color,” Wei Xicheng replied, carefully adding strokes to his painting. He still needed to create a bit more presence before Si Yongyi left for the banquet. “I only just discovered this place today.”
“Oh. What’s your name?”
“Mao Rong…” The word Mao Rongrong nearly slipped out of his mouth. Wei Xicheng paused, then repeated, “Mao Rong.”
“Which Rong?” Yi Chengze straightened, hands in his pockets, his gaze lingering on the boy’s snowy white neck. He recalled the little cat being carried away last time—wasn’t it called Mao Rongrong?
“‘Rong’ as in easy,” Wei Xicheng said without missing a beat. His face remained calm as he casually came up with a new name on the spot. Honestly, the name Lin Yang had given him was… hard to describe. It didn’t suit his elegance at all.
“Ah. I’m Yi Chengze.” Yi Chengze felt he might have been cooped up at home for too long, given his unusual talkativeness today. Or perhaps it was because the boy, like him, was a demon?
“Oh.”
Who cares what your name is? Just leave already! Otherwise, how was he supposed to figure out a way to talk to Si Yongyi? He was counting on Si Yongyi to take him into high society later, give him a chance to mingle.
“I’m pretty interested in painting. Will you come back again?” Yi Chengze asked, watching the little cat casually swipe his brush to create a painting. Yi Chengze couldn’t say exactly what made it good, but to him, it looked like something that could be framed and hung on a wall.
This little cat had clearly only recently taken human form, and yet he already had such a skill. Where had he learned it while being someone’s pet?
Under Yi Chengze’s gaze, Wei Xicheng felt as if needles were pricking his back. Finally, he couldn’t bear it any longer. Packing up his easel and paints, he stood up and faced Yi Chengze.
“I’ll probably come back. But for today, I’m heading home.”
Of course, he’d be back—he still had to hook Si Yongyi. If it hadn’t been for this guy’s interference, he might have already spoken to Si Yongyi by now.
Wei Xicheng decided he’d just crash the banquet later.
Even the way the little cat spoke was soft and sweet. Yi Chengze watched him walk away slowly with his painting supplies on his back. For some reason, his mind kept wandering back to the boy’s exposed, pale neck and his slender, elegant fingers holding the paintbrush. Completely different from his soft, squishy little paws in cat form.
The loose white T-shirt was practically hanging off him, and his thin arms swung back and forth with each step. No fur.
Yi Chengze licked his molars. Not bad. Why do I suddenly feel like having some meat for a change?
“Wait a second.”
Hearing the man’s voice behind him, Wei Xicheng didn’t even have time to consider pretending not to hear. His body, with its animal instincts, automatically obeyed the command of the stronger predator.
“You, uh… you dropped some money,” Yi Chengze said, holding up a crisp red bill. He wasn’t sure why he’d called out to him and had to scramble for an excuse.
…Ha.
Wei Xicheng thought Yi Chengze must be out of his mind.
That red bill, the only one he’d had on him when he left home, had long since been exchanged for change. No one else had been here except the two of them, so what were the chances of a random gust of wind blowing in a pristine bill?
But he needed the money. He had other places to go, and what little he had left might not be enough. Wei Xicheng stepped forward and plucked the bill from Yi Chengze’s hand, his face expressionless. “Thanks.”
As Wei Xicheng’s paint-stained fingers brushed across his palm, Yi Chengze felt a jolt of tingling electricity.
What was this? The cat had put away his fur, but now he came with static electricity?
—————————————————————————————————
Author’s Note:
Wei Xicheng: Disgusted by me? Very well.
Yi Chengze: No, listen to me. That’s not it—I’m not, I didn’t—
Wei Xicheng: I don’t want to hear it. Five cartloads of fish snacks, delivered to this address, thanks.
[Achievement Unlocked: Wealth of Five Cartloads (1/1)]
