Chapter 55 – Teasing Lin Yan
Meiqiu was playing with a small ball at home. It lifted its little paws and batted at the fuzzy pom-pom hanging from the cat tree. After getting bored, it went off to sharpen its claws.
Jinzi watched from the side and also wanted to play with Meiqiu.
But Meiqiu showed no intention of playing together. Whenever Jinzi came close, Meiqiu would hiss, making Jinzi hesitate—unsure whether to move forward or back away.
“What are you doing?” Jinzi couldn’t help asking. Sharing is a traditional virtue, or so the cat who could turn into a human had told it before. Even though it was being bullied, Jinzi didn’t want to argue with Meiqiu. “Let me play with you.”
Meiqiu ignored it and only shot it a glance.
“You’re really petty,” Jinzi said, thinking about how Lin Yan had carried it into the bedroom before. Ever since then, Meiqiu hadn’t given it a good look.
“You’re the petty one,” Meiqiu finally snapped back. As a dignified CEO, it would never be that narrow-minded.
After spending the past few days with Jinzi, aside from thinking it was a bit of a green-tea type, everything else about it was actually fine.
“Oh, good. As long as you’re not petty,” Jinzi said when it saw Meiqiu was willing to respond, immediately continuing the conversation. “He even let me sleep on the bed that day.”
A paw suddenly swung at it.
Luckily, Jinzi dodged in time.
Meiqiu’s kick struck nothing but air. Still not satisfied, it chased after Jinzi—around the corner of the table, under the chair, and then onto the sofa.
After wandering the streets for so long, Jinzi wasn’t about to lose in agility. It could always predict where Meiqiu was coming from and dodge quickly.
“Meow!!!”
Meiqiu was furious beyond measure, raging helplessly. It swore that once it turned human again, it would grab this cat and tickle it until it begged.
“Hey, didn’t you say you weren’t petty?” Jinzi said, hiding beneath Lin Yan’s computer chair as it watched Meiqiu grow more and more agitated.
“Take this!” Meiqiu lifted its paw, completely retracting what it had just said. “If you shouldn’t be on the bed, then don’t get on it!!!”
The way it said that made it sound like Jinzi was some random cat. In reality, that day it had only curled up at the corner of the bed—it hadn’t actually gone onto it at all.
“I didn’t,” Jinzi explained. Why was this guy’s temper so bad? It licked its fur and smoothed it down, revealing the two little bells caught on its collar.
After hearing that, the irritable Meiqiu finally calmed down a little.
“Behave yourself,” Meiqiu threatened. “Or believe it or not, I’ll drag you off to get neutered.”
“Heh. Aren’t you afraid he’ll drag you off to get neutered too?”
“Impossible!!!”
“Bleh~” Jinzi stuck out its tongue, full of provocation.
Meiqiu really couldn’t stand that attitude of his. Its hind legs arched backward, assuming a starting posture. All the strength in its body gathered in its rear legs. Its pupils narrowed into thin vertical lines as it locked onto the timing—
Then it sprang forward, head down, charging straight ahead.
Jinzi sensed something was wrong. One second it had been lazily licking its fur; the next, it darted aside. At the same moment, Lin Yan happened to pull his leg back.
Bang.
Meiqiu’s head slammed straight into Lin Yan’s leg.
“Hiss—” Lin Yan sucked in a breath of pain and looked down, only to see Meiqiu already collapsed on the floor.
It staggered a few steps, its back paw stepping on its front paw, its body swaying crookedly. After barely managing a few unsteady steps, it thumped to the ground right beside Lin Yan’s foot.
Its little paws, still lifted in the air, twitched from time to time.
“Oww… my head is spinning…”
“You little brat—no sense of martial ethics at all,” Jinzi said. “Good thing I dodged fast, or I would’ve been knocked unconscious by that crash.”
“Meiqiu, what’s wrong?” Lin Yan pushed back with his foot, bent down, and picked Meiqiu up with both hands.
“Meow,” Meiqiu said, deliberately imitating Jinzi’s soft, pinched voice. “It huuurts.”
“It’s okay, let me take a look. I’ll rub it a bit—it’ll be fine,” Lin Yan said as he held Meiqiu in his arms. It really did look like it had hit itself badly.
Nestled in Lin Yan’s embrace, Meiqiu twisted its little waist, blinked its eyes, and looked pitifully up at him. Its eyes were watery and bright—one look and anyone could tell how wronged it felt. It let out another delicate, clingy “meow.”
Lin Yan tilted his head and looked at the two cats. They had only just calmed down for a few days, and now they were fighting again. He didn’t quite know what was going on with them, but the noisy chaos somehow made the house feel warmer—more like a home.
Still, the two cats needed to be separated.
After thinking about it, today’s victim was Meiqiu, so he decided to take Meiqiu into his bedroom.
He couldn’t let anyone suspect that he already knew the truth. He still hadn’t had enough fun teasing the little cat yet.
“Come on, baby Meiqiu,” Lin Yan said in a deliberately soft voice. “Let’s go sleep in the room, okay?”
“Meow.” Meiqiu’s mouth curved into a little W-shape. “Yay.”
Jinzi narrowed its eyes. “Damn it—that’s my move. Copycat cat spirit. Shameless.”
Carried in Lin Yan’s arms, Meiqiu headed toward the bedroom. Resting against Lin Yan’s neck, it happened to catch Jinzi’s gaze and stuck out its tongue.
“Bleh~”
After going to the bathroom to clean up, Lin Yan returned to the bed and was about to change into his pajamas. But then he hesitated—Meiqiu was here. After a moment’s thought, he picked up his clothes and went back into the bathroom.
When he came out again, he had already changed.
Even a cat with the slowest reaction time could figure it out.
Lin Yan had changed clothes behind its back.
Oh, so that’s how it is.
Changing clothes without letting the cat see—how heartless.
As soon as Lin Yan lay down, Meiqiu’s paw slammed heavily into his chest.
“Ow—what’s wrong?” Lin Yan asked.
“Meow.” So tell me—when Jinzi was in here last time, did you also change clothes behind its back?
Meiqiu stared at Lin Yan with a serious expression, as if interrogating him.
But Lin Yan, of course, couldn’t understand a single word.
He only thought Meiqiu’s head still hurt. So he pulled it into his arms and gently smoothed its fur, planning to coax it with some sweet words.
“Meiqiu…”
Go on, I’m listening.
“President Lu asked me if I’d be willing to be his boyfriend,” Lin Yan said on purpose, then shyly hid under the blanket.
Meiqiu turned over. Unable to see Lin Yan’s face, it burrowed into the blanket as well.
The next second, Lin Yan popped his head out from under the covers—just as Meiqiu crawled out too. One human and one cat faced each other in silence.
“So… do you think I should agree?” Lin Yan asked.
“Meow.” You should. Meiqiu’s eyes widened slightly.
“Meow.” You have to agree. As its eyes grew even wider, it kicked Lin Yan in the chest.
“Meow! Meow! Meow!” You absolutely must agree!
Meiqiu stretched out on all fours and slammed straight into Lin Yan’s chest.
“Cough—” Lin Yan coughed several times from the sudden impact. Was it really that excited?
With a soft laugh, Lin Yan burst out laughing. He had never seen Meiqiu this worked up before. Teasing the little cat was way too fun.
“But—”
The sudden change in tone made Meiqiu freeze.
Time seemed to stop.
After waiting for a while, Lin Yan still didn’t continue. Meiqiu grew so anxious it was almost about to hiss at him.
Seeing how desperate the little cat was, Lin Yan knew his goal had been achieved. He didn’t dare stay silent any longer, afraid the poor Meiqiu might get angry enough to faint.
“But… I actually like President Lu quite a lot.”
Hearing that, the little cat immediately scooted closer into Lin Yan’s arms, rubbing its head up and down against his neck as happy purring sounds filled the air.
In Meiqiu’s mind, the very next second it had already turned into Lu Heng, holding Lin Yan tightly and kissing him hard.
This was the first time Lin Yan had ever admitted he liked me—how could I not kiss him? And then roll around together nonstop.
Ah—Meiqiu seemed to have gone into heat. Between the little bells on its collar, something small pressed forward, uncomfortably swollen.
Embarrassed, it quickly turned around.
This absolutely couldn’t let Lin Yan see it—where would it put its cat dignity? It turned its fluffy head toward Lin Yan instead.
Lin Yan felt a little confused. Hadn’t it just been excitedly rubbing against his face? Why was it suddenly shy?
Goodness, this little thing was way too cute—far cuter than Lu Heng ever was. Lin Yan hugged Meiqiu tightly, his hand gently rubbing back and forth over the kitten’s soft belly.
Meiqiu’s body suddenly stiffened, its legs stretched straight.
N-no—don’t—don’t touch any lower…
Before Lin Yan’s hand could move further down, Meiqiu flipped over onto its stomach and pinned Lin Yan’s hand against the bed.
This time, Lin Yan withdrew his hand and stopped fooling around with it.
…
“Mom,” Lu Heng said, holding his phone as he leaned back in his chair with one leg crossed over the other, gazing out the window.
The sunlight outside was bright—just like his heart. From yesterday until now, everything had felt radiant.
He felt that the greatest luck of his life was meeting Lin Yan and falling in love with him—being able to act like a child in front of him, cherished and held in the palm of his hand.
This was a presence even more special than family.
“Hello? Lu Heng, why are you suddenly calling me?” his mother asked.
“Is everything going smoothly over there?” Lu Heng asked with concern.
The person on the other end of the phone seemed to pause for a moment, clearly not expecting him to ask something so caring.
Perhaps good news really did lift one’s spirits. Even through the phone, she sounded less heavy than before—most noticeably, the ends of her sentences carried a hint of cheerfulness.
For a moment, Ding Yue wasn’t quite used to it. After processing it for a bit, she replied, “Ah, it’s going pretty well. It’s just that a few of those old stubborn ones still have their objections.”
“Mm,” Lu Heng responded.
“But it’s manageable,” Ding Yue added.
“Alright.” Lu Heng’s leg was crossed as he gently bounced his foot. “Mom, I want to ask you something.”
“Go ahead.”
“Has Lin Yan ever said he wanted to see Meiqiu?” Lu Heng asked casually. He was just trying to confirm whether the other party already knew.
“Ah, no,” Ding Yue replied, then chuckled softly. “You still haven’t managed to win him over? I heard Lu Yan say—”
Lu Heng closed his eyes.
That brat—just because he delayed him for one night, was it really necessary to tell everyone he couldn’t catch up to the guy?
“Mom, you go ahead and stay busy,” Lu Heng said, then hung up without hesitation.
He remembered that Lin Yan had once messaged his mother right in front of him—so this had clearly been done on purpose to tease him.
You like teasing cats, huh?
Lu Heng lightly bit his lower lip, raising his hand as his fingertips brushed past it, a smile he couldn’t hide lingering at the corner of his mouth.
“President Lu, same as usual for lunch today?” He Lingchen asked as he entered the office.
“Mm,” Lu Heng replied. He had just been to Technical Department Four and saw people still working there—it wouldn’t be great to suddenly drag Lin Yan away. “Call Lin Yan over to eat together.”
A few minutes later, Lin Yan arrived at the CEO’s office. “President Lu.”
Lu Heng reached out, pulled Lin Yan toward him, and pressed him against the door.
Caught completely off guard, Lin Yan’s back lightly hit the solid wooden door with a dull thud.
He looked up and met Lu Heng’s deep gaze, his face instantly flushing red. What was he doing? It was all so sudden.
His hands clenched tightly around the hem of his clothes, legs pressed together, standing stiffly straight.
Pinned in place by Lu Heng, he didn’t know where to turn his head.
Because no matter which direction he tried to look, Lu Heng would follow—forcing him to meet his eyes. Somehow, Lin Yan felt that Lu Heng was far more forceful than before.
He bent his knee slightly, trying to slip out from under the arm Lu Heng had braced against the wall.
But Lu Heng wasn’t about to give him that chance.
Before Lin Yan could lower himself even a little, Lu Heng’s other arm wrapped around his waist.
With a forward pull, Lin Yan’s waist bent slightly, the distance between their faces shrinking.
“Y-you…” Lin Yan had just started to speak when he realized his voice was stuck in his throat from nerves.
Lu Heng didn’t give him the chance to continue.
The office fell so quiet that only their breathing could be heard—along with Lin Yan’s steadily quickening heartbeat.
“Lin Yan,” Lu Heng said in a low voice, firm and undeniable, “didn’t you say you like me?”
Before his brain could react, his mouth answered a few seconds too fast.
“No.”
“Is that so?” Lu Heng leaned in even closer.
Lin Yan felt Lu Heng’s warm breath brush against his cheek, carrying a faint minty scent.
He wanted to push Lu Heng away, but found his hands weakly pressed against the other man’s chest instead—more like a hesitant, half-welcoming touch.
Lu Heng leaned in closer. The distance between them was so small that Lin Yan could clearly see the slight tremble of Lu Heng’s eyelashes. When Lu Heng’s lips finally covered his, Lin Yan instinctively closed his eyes.
The contact between their lips was light, like a feather brushing past—tentative and restrained.
Lu Heng’s lips were slightly cool and soft, gently rubbing against Lin Yan’s. When Lin Yan didn’t resist, the kiss slowly deepened, changing from a brief touch into something lingering and intimate.
Lin Yan felt dizzy, as though the whole world were spinning. Without realizing it, he grabbed Lu Heng’s collar, his fingertips turning faintly pale.
This kiss was different from what he had imagined. It wasn’t forceful or domineering—instead, it carried a careful, cherishing gentleness.
Only their gradually uneven breathing remained in the air.
Knowing when to stop, Lu Heng pulled back. He looked at Lin Yan, their gazes tangling together like invisible threads. Then he turned his head slightly and placed a soft kiss at the corner of Lin Yan’s mouth.
“Still not going to agree?” Lu Heng asked, his voice slightly hoarse as his fingers lightly brushed over Lin Yan’s swollen lips.
Lin Yan stared at him blankly, unsure how to respond. Then he suddenly pushed him away and fled. “I’m hungry.”
“Alright. Let’s eat,” Lu Heng said as he sat down beside him, making no move to continue the earlier topic.
If Lin Yan liked teasing cats, then Lu Heng would simply enjoy teasing Lin Yan.
“The cat you adopted—have you given it a name yet?” Lu Heng asked casually.
“No. He’s very well-behaved,” Lin Yan replied. His mind was still in a mess from what had just happened, and his answers came out a little disorganized.
“So the previous cat wasn’t well-behaved?”
The chopsticks holding a piece of meat paused slightly. What did President Lu mean by that?
Lin Yan quickly denied it. “No, no—he was well-behaved too.”
At home, he could tease Meiqiu however he wanted. But now that the real person was sitting right in front of him, Lin Yan didn’t dare tease at all and could only answer honestly.
“That cat’s name is Jinzi,” Lu Heng said while eating.
“Oh. Jinzi… that actually suits him.”
Wait a second—was President Lu naming the cat just now?
Lin Yan’s thoughts were in complete chaos. He had no idea what he was even doing anymore. In the end, he decided not to speak, planning to finish eating and leave as quickly as possible.
When he returned home, Lin Yan saw that Meiqiu was still there.
On the way back, he’d been thinking—had President Lu already realized that Meiqiu was actually him?
But after giving it more thought, it didn’t seem like it. Carrying that doubt with him, he returned home. Seeing the house cat waiting there finally put his mind at ease—he probably still didn’t know.
Autumn was gradually setting in, and the sky darkened earlier each day. After getting home, Lin Yan went into the bedroom and turned on the light. He used his foot to kick the door, intending to close it that way, while both hands gripped the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head.
Just as his head emerged from the shirt, he heard the sound of the door closing.
It seemed that kick from earlier had done the trick.
However, the light was turned off as well.
The room instantly went dark. The curtains were drawn tightly shut—without moonlight or streetlights from outside, everything before his eyes dissolved into pitch-blackness.
“Eh?” Lin Yan muttered in confusion. “Why did the light turn off too?”
The very next second, a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him back against a solid chest.
The direct contact of skin sent a sharp jolt through Lin Yan’s mind. The sense of reality hit all at once. He immediately tried to run forward, but the person behind him reached out with both arms and held him tightly, leaving him unable to move.
Lu Heng rested his chin against Lin Yan’s shoulder and neck. His low voice, carrying a faint smile, sounded softly beside Lin Yan’s ear.
“Lin Yan—was teasing the cat fun?”
It was over. He really had been found out.
Lin Yan shyly turned his face aside. At this moment, more than anything else, he felt unbearably embarrassed—because he wasn’t wearing any clothes.
And Lu Heng also…
“President Lu…” Lin Yan’s voice lacked confidence. “I was just—”
“Just what?” Lu Heng’s breath brushed around Lin Yan’s shoulder, warm and slightly damp, stirring the very tip of his heart.
Lin Yan didn’t dare make a sound.
“What did you just call me?” Lu Heng asked softly against his ear.
For a moment, Lin Yan felt as if he had nowhere to hide. Being held so close, the tingling sensation nearly drowned him. His clothes slipped down his arms and fell to the floor.
“President Lu,” he said again.
“Hm?” Lu Heng tightened his arms slightly, pulling him closer. He took a deep breath. “Don’t you usually call me ‘baby’?”
“Ah—do I?” Lin Yan refused to admit it.
“You don’t?”
“Don’t call me President Lu,” Lu Heng said quietly. “Keep calling me ‘baby.’”
“Meiqiu…” Lin Yan’s heart softened completely, even his ears burning red—but he still couldn’t say it.
He was just too shy.
“Mm, that’s not right.” Lu Heng shook his head, then lifted his face and gently bit Lin Yan’s earlobe. “Say it again.”
“Ah…”
Lin Yan let out a muffled sound but still didn’t say it. What was all this? Still, he felt he had to remind President Lu of something—he was being pressed too tightly, and it was uncomfortable.
“President Lu… you—you’re not wearing clothes.”
“I know,” Lu Heng chuckled softly, clearly with no intention of letting him go. He spoke close to Lin Yan’s ear again. “Lin Yan, I think I’ve gone into heat. What should I do?”