Chapter 56 – Confession
“President Lu… don’t mess around,” Lin Yan said softly, his voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz, trembling slightly.
But in the empty room, there were only the two of them. With Lu Heng’s chest pressed firmly against his back, even the faintest sound had nowhere to hide.
Lu Heng’s arms tightened again, drawing him deeper into his embrace. He lowered his head and placed a light but possessive kiss on Lin Yan’s shoulder and neck.
Only then did he finally let go.
He turned and walked to the suitcase at the foot of the bed, smoothly taking out his clothes and putting them on. The suitcase had been hidden by Lin Yan in the corner, yet it had already betrayed his thoughts.
Lin Yan stood there blankly, his gaze unconsciously following Lu Heng’s every movement.
After changing his clothes, Lu Heng turned back and saw Lin Yan still standing there in disarray. A trace of amusement flickered in his eyes as he said in a low, hoarse voice, “If you don’t get dressed properly soon, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to keep restraining myself.”
Lin Yan’s ears instantly burned. He hurriedly grabbed his pajamas and pulled them on.
Lu Heng walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let cold water cascade over his body, trying to suppress the restless heat surging inside him.
When he emerged, still carrying the damp scent of water, Lin Yan was no longer in the bedroom.
He went to the living room and saw Lin Yan busy in the kitchen under the warm glow of the light, his back facing him.
Lu Heng leaned against the doorframe and watched for a moment before quietly walking over. He wrapped his arms around Lin Yan’s waist from behind and rested his chin lightly on the top of his head.
“President Lu…” Lin Yan stiffened. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the knife handle, his gaze drifting aside.
“You’re still calling me President Lu?” Lu Heng’s voice brushed against his ear, warm breath carrying an unmistakable note of coaxing—and dissatisfaction.
Lin Yan pressed his lips together without answering. He set the knife down, then pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands.
Lu Heng took the opportunity to turn him around to face him. One hand remained firm at his waist, while the other gently lifted his chin. A faint curve formed at the corner of his lips as he lowered his head and kissed him softly.
Their noses brushed past each other. With a slight turn of their heads, Lu Heng chased after the kiss again.
Lin Yan braced one hand against the counter. The cool marble pressed against his palm. As if dissatisfied with the coldness, he lifted his hand and rested it lightly on Lu Heng’s arm.
The moment that small hand touched him, Lu Heng’s arm around his waist tightened even more.
Then his lips brushed lightly against the corner of Lin Yan’s mouth—just a touch before pulling away. A low “Hm?” sounded in his throat, as though he were insistently waiting for an answer.
“…Boyfriend,” Lin Yan said in a thread-thin voice, his cheeks flushed crimson.
That title clearly pleased Lu Heng.
The smile in his eyes deepened as he leaned down again and kissed him—no longer as gentle as before, but carrying a clear sense of depth and possession.
Lin Yan’s breathing grew uneven. He lifted his hand and lightly pushed against Lu Heng’s chest. “The f-food… it’s going to burn…”
Lu Heng finally let him go, turning and walking over to the sofa to sit down obediently, waiting for Lin Yan.
He wanted to make up to Lin Yan for everything he believed truly mattered. The smile he couldn’t suppress appeared on his face more often than it had in the past twenty-plus years of his life.
Jinzi was completely stunned.
What just happened? Hadn’t they only gone into the bedroom for half an hour?
And he’d already turned back into a human?
Not only had that guy come out as a person—he’d even cooked for him. And the two of them had just kissed.
What on earth had it missed?
At that moment, Jinzi jumped up beside Lu Heng.
“Wait—how did you go in there and come out human again?”
Lu Heng frowned. How could this cat still understand him?
He wasn’t sure whether the little cat could actually understand what he said, but he was in a good mood and didn’t feel like arguing. He raised his hand and flicked Jinzi lightly on the forehead.
“And you came out and immediately started kissing?” Jinzi was utterly shocked. It turned its head to look at Lin Yan, then back at Lu Heng. “He even cooked for you. How did you do that? Teach me.”
“You’re really noisy,” Lu Heng said.
“Huh? I didn’t say anything,” Lin Yan replied, holding the spatula as he looked toward Lu Heng.
Lu Heng was stroking the cat. The TV played softly in the background, while his lover cooked nearby.
Warmth filled his chest.
This—this was the home he had once imagined.
“No, it’s nothing. I was just talking to this little guy,” Lu Heng said, patting Jinzi.
The little thing was actually pretty interesting. Keeping it around at home seemed kind of fun.
“Dinner’s ready.”
Lu Heng walked over to the dining table and sat down. As Lin Yan was setting out the bowls and chopsticks, Lu Heng suddenly pulled him over and sat him directly on his lap.
“Thanks for your hard work, baby.”
The overly intimate term made Lin Yan’s ears soften instantly. He tried to stand up and sit across from him, but Lu Heng pressed him back down. He took a deep breath against Lin Yan’s chest.
“Smells so good.”
“Mm…”
“You smell good—and the food smells good too,” Lu Heng said softly, then lifted his head to look at him. “I really want to eat.”
His hand slipped inside Lin Yan’s shirt. Ticklish, Lin Yan leaned away slightly.
“Don’t mess around—don’t be like last time.”
After saying that, Lin Yan got up from Lu Heng’s lap and sat down across from him.
Lu Heng was still stuck on what he’d just heard. So Lin Yan had known that early on?
“You weren’t drunk that day?” he asked.
“I actually don’t remember,” Lin Yan replied. He lifted his chin slightly, signaling Lu Heng to look behind him. “There.”
Lu Heng turned his head and saw the surveillance camera—perfectly aimed at where the two of them were sitting now, just like last time.
But he clearly remembered turning the camera off.
Or maybe he’d made a mistake.
Either way, it didn’t matter anymore. Since everything was already out in the open, there was no point dwelling on it.
“So,” Lu Heng asked with a mischievous smile, “you’ve liked me since back then, huh?”
“No.” Lin Yan answered crisply, clearly not wanting Lu Heng to continue the topic. “Eat. Let’s eat.”
“Lin Yan, I’ve liked you since then—maybe even earlier,” Lu Heng said as he looked at him.
Some memories were simply too old, so old that even Lu Heng himself could no longer recall them clearly. When he had first joined the company, he often saw a figure downstairs feeding stray cats.
Thinking about it now, that person had clearly been Lin Yan.
Perhaps it was that kindness that had always drawn him in.
“Were you afraid when you found out I was Meiqiu?” Lu Heng finally asked the question he’d been worrying about all along. At this moment, he pretended to be casual, lowering his head as he poked at the food in his bowl.
He had thought about it before—if Lin Yan was afraid, he would try his best to restrain himself. After all, he wasn’t sure whether he might lose control after turning into a cat. What he truly feared was hurting him.
From Ding Yue, he had learned that his father had become strange after transforming back then, though that was something discovered later through assessment reports. Neither he nor his mother had actually seen his father’s violent state after transforming into a cat. And now, Lu Heng himself was very stable—unlike before, when he would suddenly lose control and turn into a cat.
Thinking carefully, those earlier transformations really had come without warning. He had tried to find patterns, but everything felt inexplicable. Now it no longer happened that way. Lu Heng wondered if hormonal changes were what had finally stabilized him.
After all, even humans were influenced by hormones—affecting mood and behavior—let alone a cat.
“I’m not afraid,” Lin Yan said, shaking his head.
When he first learned that Lu Heng was Meiqiu, what he felt wasn’t fear. It was resentment—and anger. He had been angry that Lu Heng had hidden it from him for so long.
So… had Lu Heng kept his distance back then because he was afraid Lin Yan would be scared?
No wonder his attitude toward Lin Yan had suddenly changed—it had cost him several sleepless nights.
“Good.” After receiving that answer, Lu Heng pressed his lips together and smiled.
“Lu—”
Before the word could fully leave his mouth, Lin Yan was silenced by a warning look from Lu Heng. But now he didn’t know what he should call him either.
Baby? No—that was too embarrassing.
Meiqiu? Definitely not.
Forget it. He didn’t want to dwell on that right now.
“So… back then, were you worried that I’d be scared?” Lin Yan asked.
“Mm.” Lu Heng was terrified inside—uncertain and insecure—which was why he’d gotten trapped in his own hesitation and couldn’t get out.
He had never really seen many healthy relationships. You could even say he’d never experienced normal emotions at all. His understanding of love was incomplete, and he simply didn’t know what to do—so in the moment, he chose to run away.
“Is that why Auntie suddenly came and took you away?” Lin Yan voiced the question that had been bothering him.
Took you away—that wording sounded kind of strange when he thought about it.
“Actually, I didn’t know she already knew I could turn into a cat,” Lu Heng replied.
Then he felt a bit thirsty. He stood up to pour some water, and poured Lin Yan a glass as well.
“Oh.” Lin Yan took the glass and drank in small sips. His legs swayed unconsciously, his whole body relaxed.
“Later, I realized that I missed you every day,” Lu Heng said, finally letting out everything he had been holding in. “When you got sick, I was worried. I ran over like a madman. Only after I confirmed you were fine did I feel at ease.”
The gently swinging legs came to a stop. Lin Yan hadn’t expected Lu Heng to say something so directly.
“Actually, none of that is important,” Lu Heng said, then lifted his gaze to look at him.
Their eyes met. Lu Heng’s gaze was clear yet deeply affectionate. Being looked at like that made Lin Yan feel flustered.
“Then… what is important?”
“That I long for you. Every day, I long to have you.”
In this world, it was already difficult for two people to meet. To fall in love was even rarer.
Between the two of them, their connection carried something almost dreamlike—something that made it impossible not to sink into it.
Lin Yan wanted to say something, but suddenly didn’t know what to say. He was about to lower his head and focus on eating when he caught sight of Jinzi on the other end of the sofa, looking as though it had just heard something unbelievable and rushing over in a panic.
Just like Meiqiu before, it jumped onto the table.
It sat neatly beside Lu Heng, tilted its head, and slowly leaned closer.
Lu Heng was waiting for Lin Yan’s answer—when he turned his head, an enormous cat face filled his vision.
“Meow, meow, meow~” Jinzi lifted a paw, spread its little toes, and smacked Lu Heng in the face. “Where did you learn all that cheesy nonsense?”
Wait—this thing could understand him?
Or did it only understand him?
Lu Heng nearly rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
He grabbed Jinzi, pulled its paw off his face, and lifted it away from the dining table.
“Darling, I’ve got something to take care of for a moment,” Lu Heng said as he walked off.
Lin Yan didn’t quite understand. All he’d heard was Jinzi yowling loudly. It sounded like… scolding?
A moment later, Lu Heng pinned Jinzi down on the sofa for what could only be described as a harsh interrogation.
“Be gentle,” Lin Yan reminded him with a laugh.
“Got it, babe,” Lu Heng replied, smiling without warmth.
Jinzi tried to struggle, but unfortunately, the one restraining it was also a cat—and knew exactly which way it would try to move. It was firmly pressed into the sofa.
All four limbs immobilized.
“Can’t you read the room?” Lu Heng dragged Jinzi closer, grinding his teeth as he whispered, deliberately lowering his voice. “Didn’t you see I was confessing?”
No sense of timing?
Of all cats to say that, only a big gray cat like Lu Heng would dare accuse Jinzi of lacking awareness. Jinzi had survived all these years precisely because it knew how to read situations.
And now he was questioning that?
“Meow.” Jinzi rolled its eyes. “Bullshit.”
A confession? That was the first time Jinzi had ever heard of such a thing.
“Was that really a confession?” Jinzi stared at him uncertainly. “What does ‘confession’ even mean?”
“That’s when you confess to the person you like,” Lu Heng said irritably. Perhaps only here could he be a complete person—able to be himself freely and without restraint.
Otherwise, who would believe that a billionaire CEO was crammed into a rental apartment, arguing with a cat?
“Then you’re really embarrassing the cat race,” Jinzi said. It had thought it was something grand—yet the two of them had managed to blush red just chatting at the dinner table.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“When us cats like someone, it’s called going into heat. And when we’re in heat, we get straight to it. Do you understand?” Jinzi said disdainfully.
Lu Heng froze.
The strength in his hands loosened slightly.
So every time he felt that urge… it was because of a cat’s instinct?
Noticing the pressure on its legs ease, Jinzi seized the moment. It kicked hard, broke free, and leapt to the corner of the sofa.
Now no one could catch it.
Daring to say it had no sense of timing—Meiqiu, you’re still too inexperienced.
Lu Heng stood there in a daze. This little cat had far too much street wisdom. He couldn’t learn from it—he’d turn into a bad cat.
Soon, he heard Lin Yan getting up to clean, so he stopped paying attention to Jinzi and went over to help.
After all, Lin Yan was the most important one.
After dinner, Lin Yan tidied up while Lu Heng helped beside him. He didn’t do housework often, but he liked staying near Lin Yan.
Whatever Lin Yan asked him to do, he obediently did it.
And Lin Yan seemed to have gradually grown used to Lu Heng being at his side—from the initial awkwardness and shyness, to calm familiarity. He even started ordering Lu Heng around naturally.
When it was time for bed, Lin Yan went into the bedroom as usual.
And just like Meiqiu used to, Lu Heng quietly slipped in after him and lay down on Lin Yan’s bed.
“Wait—why are you in here?” Lin Yan turned around to find Lu Heng already lying beside him.
“Don’t we sleep together every day?”
This time, Lin Yan didn’t know what to do.
Before, it had always been Meiqiu lying beside him. Now it was a person. Even though Meiqiu was Lu Heng, it still felt strange.
President Lu really had no sense of embarrassment at all—while Lin Yan was already blushing uncontrollably.
Then Lu Heng suddenly pulled him into his arms.
“Lin Yan, I like you.”
Hearing it spoken aloud felt completely different from merely knowing it. Lin Yan’s whole body softened slightly, a tingling numbness spreading through him.
He lifted his hand and naturally rested his head on Lu Heng’s arm, nestled fully in his embrace.
“I… do too.”
Hearing Lin Yan say it himself made Lu Heng laugh softly, his arm resting over Lin Yan’s shoulder.
The cat’s heat clearly wasn’t going away.
Lying beside Lin Yan every night yet unable to move made Lu Heng ache with restraint.
“Lin Yan.” Lu Heng turned over and pinned him gently beneath him.
Lin Yan clutched the blanket and looked up at him. “Mm?”
“If you’re not used to this, I can go back to how things were before,” Lu Heng said. Even though he wanted more, he still wanted to respect Lin Yan.
“N-no… this is fine,” Lin Yan said, biting his lip and turning his gaze away.
Lu Heng suddenly remembered what Jinzi had said.
In an instant, something gained the upper hand—his body reacting beyond his control.
A muffled sound escaped his throat.
Lin Yan seemed to sense something. His face flushed deeply, heat spreading through his entire body as his own reaction mirrored Lu Heng’s.
The other man noticed too.
He lowered his head naturally, gently brushing kisses along Lin Yan—over his cheek, to his lips, then to the edge of his ear. Warm breaths washed over him again and again.
In the dim room, an intimate atmosphere wrapped around them.
Lin Yan’s exposed back was tightly held by strong hands as he responded to Lu Heng’s heated kiss.
A low groan left Lu Heng’s throat.
“Lin Yan.”
“…Mm?”
“…Help me.”