Chapter 28 – A Kiss
Lin Yan had finally gone out.
He probably wouldn’t suddenly come rushing back again.
After confirming that Lin Yan’s scent had faded, Lu Heng shifted back into human form. At this moment, he could be certain that he was able to control switching back and forth between human and cat.
One matter was settled, but another was still waiting for him — he had to go stop his mother.
He hurried out and found his car.
The car was parked by the roadside near the residential complex. The area was already packed with vehicles; he’d only been lucky when he arrived earlier because one had just pulled away.
He got into the car and took out his phone.
Secretary He had sent him a message.
Secretary He: [President Lu, Madam has arrived at the company.]
The message was sent ten minutes ago.
Lu Heng replied:
Lu Heng: [Is she still there?]
Secretary He: [Madam is still inside.]
Lu Heng: [Okay.]
He started the car and headed toward the company. It didn’t take long to arrive. He took the elevator up from the underground parking lot.
He entered the office and pushed the door open, seeing his mother sitting in his chair, facing the wall behind the desk.
“Mom.”
The chair turned around. Ding Yue looked him up and down.
“You didn’t even finish lunch. Where did you go?”
“I stepped out for a bit.” Lu Heng walked over, picked up a cup, and poured himself some water.
After the constant surge of adrenaline, even his normally well-controlled emotions couldn’t stay completely hidden.
“Alright.” Ding Yue stood up. She didn’t ask where he’d gone. Instead, she walked toward the other side, heading for the door.
“Mom, where are you going?”
Lu Heng asked casually, though he already knew her purpose.
“Going home?”
Ding Yue’s thin high heels clicked crisply against the tiles. She adjusted the shawl on her shoulders and carried the bag that matched the collar’s brand as she walked out.
“I’m getting your gift. You lost it.”
“Ah… the collar?” Lu Heng pretended not to know.
“Yes.”
“I’ll go get it for you. Losing it is my responsibility.”
Ding Yue stopped. The sound of her heels striking the floor also halted. She turned her head.
“Fine. You should be the one to get it.”
…
Lin Yan had arrived early and was already waiting in the café downstairs of the company.
He didn’t dare slack off, afraid that his actions might cause trouble — and bring resentment toward Meiqiu.
If people criticized him, he wouldn’t care at all.
But if Meiqiu were disliked because of it, that would be unbearable.
He would stew over it for a long time, always feeling that he hadn’t taught Meiqiu well enough.
The barista brought over two cups of coffee.
One was a milk coffee — Lin Yan’s favorite.
The other was an Americano.
He had seen the other person’s posts before. Coffee appeared in them often, and it was always an Americano.
No wonder they chose a café for the meeting.
Out of courtesy, Lin Yan didn’t touch the coffee.
Instead, he left the choice to the other person — just in case the other party preferred milk coffee.
He bounced his leg lightly, glancing left and right through the window, when a figure appeared.
It was President Lu.
He found it a little strange.
Someone he normally wouldn’t see even once in a month — sometimes not even in half a year — had appeared several times today.
His leg, which had been moving lazily just a moment ago, suddenly stopped.
He subconsciously looked toward the door.
And sure enough, it was President Lu walking in — and coming straight toward him.
He hadn’t quite processed it yet, but he still stood up to greet him.
Suddenly, a hand pressed lightly on his shoulder.
“Sit,” a magnetic voice brushed past his ear.
He obediently sat back down.
Lu Heng took the seat across from him and glanced at the two cups of coffee on the table — an Americano and a milk coffee.
Ever since he had drunk a cup of milk coffee last time, he had never touched an Americano again.
That bitterness seemed to repel him automatically; even the smell made him want to refuse it.
But this one was clearly the cup Lin Yan wanted, so he forced down his aversion to bitterness and drank it anyway.
He only took a casual sip before immediately frowning.
Watching him, Lin Yan thought: Is Americano really that terrible?
“President Lu, if you’re not used to it, we can switch.”
“No need.” Lu Heng set down the mug and looked up at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan was lowering his head, taking tiny sips from the rim of his cup.
The latte art on his coffee was a 3D little cat’s head — beautiful and adorable.
He didn’t have the heart to destroy it.
He pecked carefully at the edge, sip by sip.
When the little cat’s head was almost gone, he suddenly opened his mouth wide and swallowed it in one gulp.
Across from him, Lu Heng watched the foolishly grinning Lin Yan and couldn’t help but smile.
Ah… so cute.
Lin Yan laughed too. “Ah.”
He had been distracted earlier.
When he saw President Lu come in, he thought he was just here to say hello and completely forgot about the real purpose.
“President Lu, you’re here to get this, right?” Lin Yan reached into his bag, rummaged around, then pulled something out and handed it to him.
“Mm. Thank you.” Lu Heng couldn’t hide the smile on his face as he took the collar.
“It’s nothing. My cat picked it up outside.”
Seeing him smile like that, Lin Yan felt a little incredulous.
The domineering CEOs in novels were always cold and expressionless — he had thought that was exaggerated.
But after meeting President Lu, who always kept a stern face at work, Lin Yan realized the novels had actually been too conservative.
So when President Lu suddenly smiled like this, Lin Yan wasn’t quite used to it.
Since President Lu lived in the same residential complex, it wasn’t impossible that Meiqiu had run out and picked up the collar.
“My cat is just mischievous. He grabbed it and brought it home while playing outside,” Lin Yan explained.
Lu Heng lightly traced the collar with his fingertip and asked casually, “Is your cat very mischievous?”
“Yes, extremely.” Whenever Lin Yan talked about Meiqiu, he couldn’t help wanting to share.
“He can open doors by himself and sneak out. Locking them doesn’t help — he still manages to escape. And he even does parkour around the house, knocking things over…”
As he spoke, Lin Yan suddenly stopped.
He noticed something off about the person across from him.
The smile that had been on Lu Heng’s lips just a moment ago drooped in the next.
Lin Yan realized he might have talked too much.
“Do you like him?”
At those words, Lin Yan relaxed.
Maybe the domineering CEO simply wasn’t used to smiling, and his face had just gone stiff earlier.
“I like him,” Lin Yan answered without the slightest hesitation.
Lu Heng’s eyes brightened.
The fire burning in his heart seemed to receive more fuel, flaring hotter and stronger.
Lin Yan cleared his throat and looked up.
There was a bit of white foam on the corner of his lips.
“President Lu, you have a cat too?”
“Mm.”
Seeing the smudge on Lin Yan’s mouth, Lu Heng pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and gently wiped it away.
The gesture made Lin Yan flustered.
He immediately leaned back and said, “Thank you.”
Lu Heng was just as unsettled.
He realized he had crossed a line, turned his head awkwardly, lowered the leg he had crossed, stood up, and left behind a single sentence: “Let’s go.”
…
The grill sizzled as greasy slices of meat curled on the hot plate, steam rising thickly.
Four people were gathered around the barbecue table.
“How is it?” Wang Hao spoke with his mouth full.
“I came here with my girlfriend last time — super good, just a bit expensive.”
“Eat.” Lin Yan picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in sauce, wrapped it in lettuce, and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth. “I just got my bonus. Let’s splurge.”
Yang Yang nodded, got up, and brought back several bottles of alcohol.
“Want some?”
“Sure.” Wang Hao opened one bottle, glanced at the label, and frowned slightly. “Only 15%?”
“Don’t underestimate it.” Yang Yang poured everyone a full glass.
“This stuff has a serious after-effect.”
“Really?” Chen Xin looked doubtful.
Yang Yang wanted to brag, but with Chen Xin — who could naturally drink like it was nothing — he didn’t dare exaggerate.
“Anyway, last time I drank it, I was fine outside, but as soon as I got home, I blacked out.”
Chen Xin thought for a moment. “You mean the time you called me in the middle of the night and then didn’t say anything?”
Well.
Yang Yang shut up.
“Oh?” Wang Hao teased. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I just accidentally pressed it,” Yang Yang nudged Wang Hao with his elbow, telling him to shut up.
But Yang Yang couldn’t stop another person — Lin Yan immediately jumped in.
“Yeah, how do you accidentally do that?”
Yang Yang was completely out of words and lifted his glass, drinking half of it in one go.
“See? You drank and didn’t even invite anyone.” Wang Hao held onto Yang Yang. “Come on, brothers — cheers.”
Lin Yan didn’t say much.
He simply kept drinking and eating.
The few of them hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
Work had already drained too much of their energy, and being stuck in the office every day left them full of pent-up frustration, with no chance to complain whenever they wanted.
So now that they finally had a chance to get together, they just wanted to have fun.
They chatted about trivial work matters, complaining one after another, and soon the conversation turned into bashing the director and cursing Sun Ning.
“You have no idea — Sun Ning is unbelievable,” Chen Xin said after half a glass, finally venting everything bottled up inside.
“He doesn’t do a single bit of real work. Good thing I followed Yan-ge and got involved in that project, or I wouldn’t even have gotten a share of the bonus.”
“Small thing, small thing.”
Suddenly Lin Yan thought of something and turned to Chen Xin. “My Meiqiu keeps sneaking out. What should I do?”
“Huh?” Chen Xin looked surprised. “He still runs out even after you changed the locks?”
“Yeah.”
“I’d say he’s in heat.” Chen Xin clinked glasses with Lin Yan. “You should get him neutered soon, or he’ll keep running off.”
Lin Yan thought about it.
Neutering his little cat felt a bit cruel. He wanted Meiqiu to have a complete life.
After all, it was a perfectly normal part of his body. Cutting it off suddenly always felt like it couldn’t be good for him.
That issue could wait.
They drank a few more rounds.
Lin Yan began to feel lightheaded.
The alcohol wasn’t even that strong — yet after only a few cups he was already dizzy.
He stopped properly joining the conversation.
He just nodded along and gave vague responses, no longer truly participating.
I can’t drink anymore.
That was the only thought in his head.
While he was still somewhat clear, he went to settle the bill.
When he returned, he vaguely heard someone’s name.
Lu Heng.
“President Lu is actually a really good person.”
He didn’t even know why that sentence slipped out.
Lin Yan shook his head, stared hard at the alcohol in front of him, then, as if possessed, picked up the last bottle they had opened and drank it all.
“Hey—”
“Engineer Lin’s alcohol tolerance is… really… really good.”
In truth, all of them were a bit drunk. Only Chen Xin remained relatively sober. She looked at the group and shook her head.
It seemed she had a big mission ahead — getting all of them home safely.
By the time everything was settled, it was nearly midnight.
Lin Yan refused Chen Xin’s offer to walk him upstairs, saying that a girl should head home early.
After declining her help, he staggered into the elevator and struggled his way back to his apartment.
When he unlocked the door, he saw a pair of glowing eyes staring at him in the darkness.
“Meiqiu.”
He called out and turned on the light. The kitten that had been standing in the entryway disappeared in a flash, then hopped onto the shoe cabinet and leaned in to sniff him.
A strong smell of alcohol rushed into its nose.
The cat sneezed.
“Hehe, Meiqiu.” Lin Yan’s body swayed uncontrollably, leaning from side to side.
Still, he forced himself into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.
The moment he collapsed onto the bed, his mind finally relaxed — and that was when the alcohol took over, slowly eroding his remaining clarity.
He felt terribly dizzy.
The after-effects of the alcohol were absurdly strong. Lin Yan felt like the world was spinning.
One part of the blanket sank down under pressure. Lin Yan knew it was the little cat.
He lifted his hand to pet him, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t reach.
In the end, he gave up. His hand fell heavily onto the blanket with a dull thump, hitting the soft padding beneath.
Meiqiu was right by Lin Yan’s head, watching him with his eyes tightly closed, his hand moving lazily up and down.
He had definitely drunk too much — completely wasted.
From this close, Meiqiu could hear Lin Yan’s uneven breathing.
Each soft breath brushed against the fur on his chest.
He wanted to make sure Lin Yan was truly drunk, so he lifted a tiny paw and pressed it over Lin Yan’s mouth.
Lin Yan let out a muffled sound but didn’t move.
Yep — confirmed. He was completely drunk.
Meiqiu curled himself into the blanket and lay on his side beside Lin Yan, staring at him deeply.
Then the kitten’s body began to change, from a small ball of fur into a human form.
One of Lu Heng’s feet slipped out from under the blanket.
He pulled the covers over Lin Yan carefully. Lin Yan shifted slightly.
Lu Heng froze, afraid of waking him. After a moment, Lin Yan’s breathing fell heavily against his throat again.
He was sleeping soundly.
In the dim room, there were only the two of them.
Sleeping Lin Yan was very well-behaved — his eyelashes resting on his cheeks, lips softly pursed and closed.
Lu Heng thought, He’s kissed me so many times. Sneaking one kiss from him shouldn’t be too much, right?
With that thought, he leaned in. His lips brushed gently against Lin Yan’s. Unwilling to pull away so quickly, he lingered for a brief moment.
Tilting his head slightly, he left another light kiss at the corner of Lin Yan’s mouth.
Then he withdrew and lay back down beside him.
Just then, Lin Yan opened his eyes and moved the lips that had just been kissed.
“President Lu… why are you on my bed?”