“What?” Wei Xicheng rubbed one ear with his hand while tugging at the hem of the shirt with the other, the cold draft below making him feel incredibly insecure.
“Be mine. My cat.” Yi Chengze braced one hand against the wall, leaning slightly forward to gaze deeply at Wei Xicheng, who was half encircled in his arms. His eyes were full of emotion.
To hell with his so-called deep feelings.
Wei Xicheng reached up and covered Yi Chengze’s eyes. Having someone stare at you with slit-pupiled eyes like that—it was downright terrifying.
“No way,” Wei Xicheng said, pushing the man’s body a little farther away.
“Why not?” Yi Chengze let himself be pushed back but leaned in again, even closer than before. He pulled Wei Xicheng’s hand away from his eyes and held it tightly. The little cat’s ears were twitching nonstop, so Yi Chengze reached out to pinch one lightly. To his surprise, they twitched even more vigorously.
“Don’t touch my ears!” Wei Xicheng protested. When he was human, his ears were already particularly sensitive. Now that he was a cat, they were even worse. A single touch amplified the sensation by dozens of times—it was unbearable.
“Tell me why.”
Yi Chengze had an absolute height advantage. He rested his chin on Wei Xicheng’s head, letting the two furry ears rub against both sides of his chin. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as intolerable as he thought.
Wei Xicheng, on the other hand, was far less comfortable. Yi Chengze was holding one of his hands captive, and the sensitive ears on top of his head were being ruffled by the man’s breath as he spoke, making the fur fluff up.
“Didn’t… didn’t you say you hated shedding fur? Mm—” Before he could finish, one of his ears was suddenly taken into Yi Chengze’s mouth, and something soft brushed against the tip, wetting the fur.
Stumbling through the rest of his words, Wei Xicheng’s legs started to feel weak. His other hand clutched tightly at the hem of his shirt. Although he wasn’t unfamiliar with such situations, Yi Chengze didn’t know that. Now, being in a vulnerable and passive position, it would be embarrassing if anything untoward showed.
“You’re fine just like this,” Yi Chengze murmured, gently biting the cat ears, careful not to hurt the little cat.
Wei Xicheng understood that he meant in human form, where there was no shedding involved.
“I don’t have any identification. I can’t go out like this.” Wei Xicheng’s cat-like eyes flickered, suddenly striking upon an idea. He turned his attention to his partner—this was the perfect opportunity to get an ID. Otherwise, if Si Yongyi couldn’t find him, he might go after Lin Yang instead.
“How long have you been able to transform? Hmm?” Yi Chengze pressed his entire body against Wei Xicheng’s, and out of Wei Xicheng’s sight, threads of spiritual energy flowed from Yi Chengze into him.
“Not long. Don’t get so close to me,” Wei Xicheng grumbled. He couldn’t understand why his partner was acting so strange. Although the man had always liked physical contact in their previous lives, it had never reached the point of full-body clinging.
Suddenly, he remembered the time this man had floated into Lin Yang’s home. Raising his head from Yi Chengze’s embrace, Wei Xicheng stopped clutching at his shirt and instead grabbed the man’s chin, forcing him to lift his head off his own.
“Are you a demon too?” Wei Xicheng asked, suspiciously tugging Yi Chengze’s chin from side to side to examine him closely.
Yi Chengze didn’t mind having his chin pinched. He obediently let Wei Xicheng manipulate his head, even tilting it a little to help. Looking at the now-retracted cat ears atop Wei Xicheng’s head, Yi Chengze nodded in satisfaction.
“Mm.”
“What kind of demon are you?”
“Not telling.”
…Do you think I actually care that much?
………………………………………
Lin Yang got out of the car and arrived at a Western-style restaurant. Senior Si had invited him here for a meal. Although Lin Yang felt it might be better to keep some distance from Si Yongyi, he still thought he should come to properly express his thanks.
After spending a few aimless days at home, Lin Yang became more certain that he needed to find a job himself rather than relying on favors to coast in Si Yongyi’s company. After all, he and Si Yongyi weren’t really connected in any way. Continuously accepting help only made the debt of gratitude snowball.
“Good day, sir,” a waiter greeted him, holding the door open. “How many in your party?”
“Huh? I’m meeting someone.” Lin Yang smiled awkwardly. He rarely visited places like this and always felt like he might embarrass himself if he wasn’t careful.
“Are you Mr. Lin?” the waiter asked with a smile. Upon hearing Lin Yang’s reply, he began to lead the way. “Mr. Si has been waiting for a while.”
“Oh, really? Thank you.” Lin Yang hesitated at the door to the private room, feeling uncharacteristically uneasy about meeting Si Yongyi.
The waiter opened the door for him and invited him in with polite words, “You’re welcome. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Uh, okay. Thanks.”
Lin Yang stepped into the private room to find Si Yongyi seated alone.
Seeing him enter, Si Yongyi smiled and gestured to the seat opposite him. “You’re here. Take a seat.”
“Hello, Senior.”
“Why have you become so distant after just a few days?” Si Yongyi smiled as he handed over the menu, signaling Lin Yang to order.
Lin Yang, looking embarrassed, said, “You can order, anything is fine for me.”
Ever since he realized Si Yongyi’s feelings at the banquet, Lin Yang had been unable to convince himself that some of Si Yongyi’s actions aligned with the kind-hearted senior he had always thought him to be, or with Lin Yang’s own views on relationships.
Given the situation, facing Si Yongyi alone made him inevitably recall when Si Yongyi confessed his feelings for him so sincerely, and also the look he had given the waiter at the hotel, the same way he looked at Lin Yang. To be honest, Lin Yang felt very awkward.
“Well then, I’ll order.” Si Yongyi smiled and didn’t mind Lin Yang’s clear discomfort.
Lin Yang responded with a brief acknowledgment, and then there was a long silence.
Finally, unable to bear the quiet any longer, Lin Yang took the initiative to speak up.
“Senior, I’ve really been troubling you recently.” Lin Yang nervously fiddled with his fingers under the table. “I think I should find a job for myself. I appreciate your kindness, but…”
He glanced at Si Yongyi, who was resting his chin on his hand, looking at him. When their eyes met, Si Yongyi gave a slight nod, urging him to continue.
“But I feel like I should push myself more. I can’t just rely on connections to get into your company.”
By the end, Lin Yang had even started using formal titles, his heart feeling flustered. He figured that Si Yongyi probably knew he was just making excuses.
“Lin Yang, I understand that you want to improve yourself.” Si Yongyi lightly tapped his fingers on the table. “But do you know how competitive the job market is? You should also know that sometimes the resources you have are part of your own ability. Right now, there’s a better path in front of you. Can you tell me why you’d choose to go the harder way?”
Si Yongyi smiled lightly and gently cut off the words Lin Yang was about to say. “Lin Yang, I really want to help you. Don’t feel burdened by it. In the company, I won’t interfere with you.”
This statement was not untrue. Although Si Yongyi initially wanted to keep Lin Yang close to monitor him, after spending more time together, he realized that Lin Yang was a capable person.
As a businessman, Si Yongyi couldn’t lose his reason and judgment because of a little emotional matter. Besides, the one who made him lose his clarity wasn’t even back from abroad yet.
“No, Senior, that’s not what I mean. You’ve already helped me too much. I…” Lin Yang stood up, feeling awkward and lost.
Si Yongyi smiled. “Just say what you need to say.”
“I’m sorry, Senior. I still can’t accept it.”
Si Yongyi raised an eyebrow and looked at the person standing across from him. At that moment, he felt that Lin Yang was really nothing like Yang Yuan. Although they looked somewhat similar, Lin Yang was truly naive and stubborn, unable to adapt or take advantage of situations. If it were Yang Yuan and that little guy here, with such an opportunity, they would probably put on an innocent face and awkwardly accept, and then not be able to shake it off.
Thinking about this, he chuckled lightly, waving his hand at Lin Yang. “Alright, since you don’t want it, I won’t force you. Good luck.”
Lin Yang sighed in relief. He knew that Si Yongyi’s company was on a steady upward trajectory, and it might even get better in the coming years, but he would rather stay far from him, while he still hadn’t fallen for him.
Yes, after that drunken night, he actually felt a bit heartache. The kind of help and companionship that wasn’t repulsive but just right could create a sense of dependence. This feeling was dangerous. Maybe he wouldn’t fall for Si Yongyi, but he might become accustomed to his presence because of it.
“Let’s eat.”
Just as Si Yongyi finished speaking, the door to the private room was knocked. The assistant gently walked in and whispered something into Si Yongyi’s ear. Lin Yang watched as Si Yongyi’s expression changed several times, before he finally smiled and apologized. “Sorry, Lin Yang. I have something urgent. You can continue eating, this meal is on me.”
Without waiting for a response, Si Yongyi hurriedly left the room. Lin Yang was left confused, staring at the dishes on the table, feeling a pang in his heart. He knew he wouldn’t be able to eat them, so he decided to pack some for the fluffy one back home.
…
The reason Si Yongyi was in such a rush was that his assistant had informed him that Yang Yuan had unexpectedly returned to the country early and had just landed at the airport today.
On the way to the airport, it suddenly occurred to him that if Yang Yuan was back in the country, what was the point of his returning? He was going back to the country with that man.
“Turn around, we’re not going.” Si Yongyi pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking that he had moved on. But no matter how much time passed, as soon as he encountered Yang Yuan, he would become the reckless, foolish boy from back then.
“Yes, Mr. Si.”
“Wait, go to the department store at the intersection ahead.” Si Yongyi looked through the car window at the two people entering the store.
The people he had been searching for everywhere were now casually shopping with another man.
…
Despite their clingy behavior at home, it wasn’t hard for Wei Xicheng and Yi Chengze to go out. When Yi Chengze learned that Wei Xicheng had just transformed and had nothing, not even underwear, and was still wearing the clothes of his “owner,” he couldn’t resist taking the little cat out to buy some daily necessities.
Of course, no matter how much Wei Xicheng insisted that he didn’t need these things, the money was deducted from Yi Chengze’s “tuition.”
Wei Xicheng was wearing Yi Chengze’s shirt and pants. The sleeves and pant legs were so long they couldn’t be seen, and they were a bit too loose. As they walked, Yi Chengze kept rolling them up for him, but they kept slipping down.
When Si Yongyi stood in front of them, he saw a man squatting at the little creature’s feet, rolling up the clearly ill-fitting pants.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time, Mao Rong?”
Yi Chengze suddenly lifted his gaze when he heard this. The man who said he liked the little cat?
