Hearing this soft murmur, Wei Xicheng smacked Lin Yang in the face with a paw, then turned around and presented his backside to him. Absentmindedly, he kneaded Lin Yang’s chest with his paws.
Lin Yang chuckled, scooped the cat up, and held him directly above his face. He nuzzled Wei Xicheng’s fluffy cheeks and said, “It’s not really a bad thing. I just don’t know how to properly thank Senior Si.”
Wei Xicheng’s cat eyes widened in disbelief. So your way of thanking someone is through physical repayment? Stop holding me! I feel like scratching you right now.
Still, he understood. Si Yongyi had never hidden his intentions toward Lin Yang. With his gentle voice, countless acts of help, and far greater life experience, it was only natural for Lin Yang to develop feelings of admiration and gratitude over time.
This combination of emotions would make Lin Yang more vulnerable. At his young and curious age, it was understandable for him to want to try something with Si Yongyi. But Wei Xicheng knew what would happen later in the storyline, and that made all the difference.
Lin Yang stroked the cat’s head, then placed Wei Xicheng back on the bed. He shuffled toward the kitchen in his slippers, saying, “Hungry? I’ll get you something to eat.”
Watching Lin Yang’s retreating figure, Wei Xicheng felt a twinge of affection. The kid could be a bit single-minded at times, but he had a kind heart and approached everyone and everything with genuine sincerity. Even if Lin Yang wanted to explore something with Si Yongyi, Wei Xicheng couldn’t let him go down that dark path in the future.
Lin Yang poured out some cat food for his fluffy companion and quickly took a shower to wash away the alcohol stench.
After the shower, not only was the smell gone, but Lin Yang’s head felt much clearer.
Deep down, he was well aware: no matter how sweet Si Yongyi’s words might sound, someone like him—a small, insignificant person—could never end up with an elite figure like Si Yongyi in the long run.
Perhaps he didn’t know much about relationships, never having experienced the highs and lows of love. He still held onto beautiful, innocent expectations. He longed for a sincere relationship but didn’t know how to navigate one.
Even tonight, though Senior Si had kept up his usual courteous behavior and offered to take him home, Lin Yang wasn’t oblivious. He had sensed the barely concealed impatience and irritation beneath the surface. When Lin Yang declined the offer and saw the visible relief on Si Yongyi’s face, it had been impossible to miss.
Was it because of that waiter?
Lin Yang dried his hair, looking at his reflection in the mirror. When he saw that waiter today, besides his initial admiration, he couldn’t explain why there was also a strange sense of familiarity and warmth.
Forget it, no use thinking about it.
“Fluffy!” Lin Yang called as he stepped out of the bathroom, only to see his cat sprawled on the pillow, grooming itself. The cup and magazines on the bedside table had all been knocked to the floor.
Wei Xicheng remained unbothered. He had stopped trying to control his strange impulses long ago, and honestly, he felt completely refreshed and at ease after indulging them.
“Meow,” he responded nonchalantly, as if to say, A cat takes responsibility for its actions—this has nothing to do with anyone else.
“Fluffy, get off my pillow.”
Wei Xicheng glanced at him briefly, then resumed licking his fur. Lin Yang had just showered, and his soft hair clung to his forehead. Despite his fierce tone, he looked utterly lacking in authority.
…
Lin Yang had recently passed his thesis defense. Since he’d agreed to join Si Yongyi’s company next month, he didn’t have to job hunt for the time being. Over the next few days, life between him and his cat was harmonious. However, it was a nightmare for Si Yongyi’s assistant, who was desperately searching for someone.
The assistant, looking miserable, knocked on Si Yongyi’s office door. Seeing the boss’s dark expression, which seemed about to drip water, he felt a wave of despair. He had used every resource at his disposal but still couldn’t locate the boy named “Mao Rong.” What else could he do?
“Still no results?”
“No, Mr. Si.”
“Expand the search range and do it again.”
Si Yongyi’s mood was far from pleasant. When Yang Yuan and that man left back then, they hadn’t informed him, and that man had pulled strings to ensure he couldn’t track them down. Now, years later, he was tasting that same frustration again.
After the assistant left, Si Yongyi stared at the tightly shut office door and chuckled at himself. So this is what that kid called “liking”? He knew better than to believe it, but lately, whenever he thought of Yang Yuan, he couldn’t help but recall the words that boy had said to him that day.
It was as if he had returned to the past, seeing a younger version of himself and Yang Yuan.
He would not make the same mistake twice.
Si Yongyi twirled the pen in his hand. His gaze landed on a stack of data reports on his desk, and suddenly, he thought of Lin Yang, the shy young man with a gentle smile.
He dialed his assistant’s number. “Schedule lunch with Lin Yang for me this afternoon.”
Compared to Si Yongyi’s clueless search, Yi Chengze had a much easier time. The faint aura of demonic energy surrounding Wei Xicheng was like a beacon. He could find Lin Yang’s home even with his eyes closed.
Invisible, Yi Chengze stood in Lin Yang’s apartment complex, looking at the third-floor unit. He pressed his lips together and, in the end, chose to do what Wei Xicheng had done—he floated directly in through the window.
“Meow!”
Wei Xicheng was startled. He had been lounging on the windowsill with his eyes half-closed when he felt a cold gust of wind against his back, making his fur stand on end. Opening his eyes, he saw a man hovering outside the window, staring directly at him.
This is terrifying! Enough to give a cat a heart attack!
Calmly, Yi Chengze pushed open the window and stepped inside with his long legs.
“Meow meow meow?” Wei Xicheng was shocked. Why is my lover not human either? What’s going on in this world?
“Speak human language. I don’t understand.” Yi Chengze frowned, grabbing the scruff of the cat’s neck. He lifted him to inspect him carefully and, after confirming there were no injuries, set him down.
“Meow!” Wei Xicheng anxiously scratched at the window, his claws producing a piercing noise against the glass. Forget how strange Yi Chengze is—Lin Yang is still at home! How am I supposed to explain talking like a human or turning back into one? What if I scare the poor kid into a heart attack?
“You want me to leave?”
Seeing the little cat’s fur puff up, Yi Chengze grabbed the paw that was still scratching the glass and checked it carefully. Then, he placed the cat on the bed, only to immediately pick him up again. The bed was full of another human’s scent, which Yi Chengze found unpleasant.
“Fluffy?” Lin Yang’s voice called out from the living room.
“Meow meow!” Wei Xicheng turned his gaze toward the door, then quickly nodded. Alright, it’s clear now that Yi Chengze already knows I’m a cat.
“Fluffy, I’m heading out for a bit!” Lin Yang’s voice drifted further away. “I’ve left food for you—don’t forget to eat!”
Wei Xicheng had barely let out a sigh of relief when the man before him frowned more deeply. Yi Chengze’s thin lips pressed into a tight line, and after a long moment, he finally asked, “Does he know you can understand human speech?”
“Meow.” Wei Xicheng shook his head, unsure whether Lin Yang had left yet.
“He’s gone.”
“Oh,” Wei Xicheng replied instinctively. But before he could react further, his world spun as Yi Chengze lifted him onto his shoulder, opened the window, and leaped outside, heading straight for the neighborhood from before.
What the heck?! What kind of creature is my lover?
Wei Xicheng twitched his cat nose and sneezed. His own speed couldn’t compare to this. And more importantly, this man was actually flying! Unlike himself, who needed to rely on objects to leap between surfaces, this man didn’t even touch the ground. He simply floated.
In an instant, Wei Xicheng found himself
at Yi Chengze’s home.
Tsk tsk tsk, Wei Xicheng couldn’t help but marvel. The last time, when he had stayed on Yi Chengze’s balcony in his original form, he’d been mercilessly thrown out.
Now, not only was he invited over, but his host had personally come to fetch him.
Life sure is unpredictable.
Before he could finish his train of thought, Yi Chengze, with a frosty expression, said,
“Turn into your human form. You’re shedding.”
Hah, I’ll leave right now if you keep this up!
“I’m not shedding-”
Before Wei Xicheng could finish, he saw Yi Chengze pick two stray hairs off his body.
The disdain in Yi Chengze’s eyes was impossible to miss. Holding the two unfortunate cat hairs, Yi Chengze rolled them lightly between his fingers until they disintegrated.
“I bought dried fish.”
“Then give me… some clothes. I’m naked.” Even though they were old partners by now, saying this still felt a bit embarrassing.
Yi Chengze’s gaze fell on the furball. For once, he reached out to smooth down the cat’s fur. Doesn’t this count as clothing?
For a moment, flashes of a milk-white neck, furry ears, and paint-streaked fingers flickered before his eyes. His body instinctively recalled the tingling sensation of fingertips brushing against his palm.
Wei Xicheng noticed the man slipping into some strange state and became suspicious. Just as he was about to ask what he was thinking, a long finger extended toward him, stopping near his mouth. The man’s voice followed.
“Lick.”
WTF.
Does he really think I’m a pushover?!
“Mm…”
Snapped out of his thoughts by a low hum from the man, Wei Xicheng quickly spat out the man’s finger. Yi Chengze’s pupils had turned into thin vertical slits, faintly tinged with red. Wei Xicheng didn’t want to lick the man’s finger, but it felt like some strange force compelled him to obey.
Crap. Wei Xicheng’s face flushed red.
Fine, I’ll lick it. But why the heck does he have to make such… indecent noises?!
“Change back into your human form. I left clothes for you in the bathroom.”
“Meow!”
Without sparing a glance at the fleeing little cat, Yi Chengze withdrew his finger and lightly touched his lips, wiping off the slight moisture. Then, with the tip of his tongue, he licked it clean. His sensitive taste buds easily picked up the little cat’s flavor-cat food.
“Yi Chengze! Where the heck did you put the pants?!” A furious shout erupted from the bathroom no more than three seconds later, filled with both anger and embarrassment.
Oh, I forgot about that.
Hands in his pockets, Yi Chengze strolled toward the bathroom.
Through the frosted glass, a vague human figure was visible. Yi Chengze placed a hand on the glass, feeling its cool surface.
He didn’t want to devour this little cat so quickly, but at the same time, he wanted to leave his mark on him as soon as possible.
“Yi! Cheng! Ze! If you’re so free, bring me some pants!”
From inside, Wei Xicheng could also see the shadowy figure on the other side of the door. The figure’s hand pressed against the glass, making it even more conspicuous.
“There aren’t any pants that fit you. Make do.”
Do you even hear yourself?! Wei Xicheng thought. “You’re insane! I’m freezing down here!”
“Feels refreshing.”
Yi Chengze slid the glass door open.
Inside, Wei Xicheng had already put on a shirt. The oversized white shirt was neatly buttoned all the way up, and the sleeves were long enough to cover his hands. The hem barely reached his thighs, just enough to cover his butt.
His legs were straight and slender, with smooth, flawless lines.
Yi Chengze narrowed his eyes slightly, making no effort to hide the possessiveness in his gaze. His voice, low and husky, carried a hint of danger.
“Be my cat.”
—————————————————————————————————-
Author’s Note:
“Be my cat, I want to hold you close and mess around~ Look at you, all soft and tender-bam, a fist~ Wanna tangle with you, duel in passion~”
I randomly heard this song today, and the lyrics feel so fitting for this story! Hahaha!
The song is “Be My Cat” by MDSK (Man Shu Ke).
