Li Wan even suspected she was dreaming.

In that instant, the sounds of the world seemed to recede like a tide, leaving her mind completely blank, with only these few words remaining:

—“What a coincidence, I like you too.”

It was like a butterfly in spring lightly landing on her pounding heart, its wings fluttering slightly, causing her entire world to collapse and rebuild in an instant.

By the time she reacted, she had already thrown herself into the man’s arms, tilting her head up and pressing her lips to his.

The two of them pressed together, as if they could feel the heartbeat of each other’s body, sending shivers that made their faces flush.

After a while, she was released by the man, her cheeks burning red. She had clung to him like a dodder vine, and the sudden release almost made her fall.

Luckily, Chi Yan caught her in time and held her close again.

She heard the man’s low laughter, her face turning even redder as she buried her head deeper into his chest.

---

Sister Chen Jie had been right. What the entertainment industry really lacked was a cat-like beauty like Li Wan. The moment the gig she acted in aired, it became an internet sensation.

Sister Chen even created a Weibo account for her, so she could post occasionally to stay active.

But she posted very little, since she was living at her two-legger’s place. Netizens’ eyes were sharp; if anyone recognized the place, her career might be over before it even began.

Sister Chen asked if she had thought about her career plans. Li Wan thought for a moment, recalling a photo she had seen online of her butler holding an award for Best Actor.

Under dazzling golden lights, he wore a suit, holding the little golden statue, a faint smile in his peach blossom eyes, his looks godlike.

Li Wan’s cheeks inexplicably flushed as she whispered, “I want to act too.”

Sister Chen clearly noticed and smirked. She could guess even with her toes that the girl wanted to be an actress because of Chi Yan.

But out of consideration for the girl’s shyness, she didn’t tease her. She just mentioned it to Chi Yan, and soon sent Li Wan scripts to choose from.

Li Wan skimmed through them. One of the scripts was for the movie where Chi Yan had already signed on to play the villain.

The role Sister Chen Jie suggested for her was a seemingly innocent, but actually ruthless school bully. It was a minor antagonist, but if performed well, would certainly make the audience hate her.

Sister Chen said.

“Don’t mind that it’s a villain.
“You were known as a pure and sweet girl in the gig that went viral. Now, filming a villain while the heat is still on will show production teams your versatility.”

Li Wan nodded without much hesitation.

Sister Chen thought she was really obedient, patted her head, and said with a smile: “Chi Yan happens to be on set. Let him greet the director and secure the role for you.”

Li Wan hesitated but didn’t agree. She told Sister Chen she wanted to try getting it herself.

Sister Chen was a little surprised but happy that she was taking it seriously, and nodded in agreement.

Chi Yan didn’t say much about it either. Occasionally, while Li Wan practiced her acting, he would give her pointers.

He had been in the acting industry for years and had achieved his position entirely on his own; his acting was excellent.

Under his guidance, Li Wan’s skills improved rapidly, and she passed the director’s selection smoothly, joining the production crew.

Before filming began, there was a social gathering in the industry. Sister Chen had Chi Yan bring Li Wan along to make an appearance.

Although Li Wan now had some recognition, she was still a newcomer, and no one approached her.

After showing her around, Chi Yan was called away to chat, leaving her alone in the corner. She didn’t feel bored, as the desserts were self-serve, and she ate her fill.

When Chi Yan came to find her later, she was still holding a piece of tiramisu, with a bit of cream accidentally on her face.

Meeting his gaze, she froze. After realizing it, she hurriedly stuffed the entire piece into her mouth, worried Chi Yan might stop her from eating.

Chi Yan: “…”

He was amused, flicking her forehead with his fingers.

“Ow.” Li Wan let out a small sound, covering her forehead with her hand, her apricot-shaped eyes sparkling with tears, extremely cute.

Seeing her like this, Chi Yan couldn’t continue scolding her, only smiling helplessly.

“Greedy cat.
“Let’s go.”

“Ow.” Li Wan replied, trailing behind him like a little tail.

Just as they were about to leave, Li Wan saw a familiar person.

It was Du Qingqing.

She didn’t know if Qingqing was drunk, being half-dragged, half-carried by a woman toward the elevator, seemingly being taken to rest.

Li Wan hesitated for a moment about whether to greet her… after all, Mama Qingqing didn’t even know she was the little cat, Wanwan!

Because of this hesitation, she stared a bit too long and noticed something odd.

Mama Qingqing didn’t seem willing to go with the woman! She was trying to push her away, but because she was drunk, she was too weak—

Wait a minute!

Drunk?!

At an occasion like this, someone like Du Qingqing wouldn’t casually get drunk.

Something was definitely wrong!

Li Wan immediately became alert and told the two-legger beside her.

Chi Yan also looked at the two people, his gaze darkening slightly. He patted the little cat’s head: “I’ll handle this.”

He handed Li Wan over to Sister Chen, who was waiting outside.

Li Wan was a little worried, stretching her head out of the car window to keep watching.

But, as expected, her two-legger was the most reliable. Before long, he came out carrying a drunken Du Qingqing.

She held the wobbly Du Qingqing and looked curiously at Chi Yan. “What happened?”

Chi Yan smiled faintly, brushing her off, “It’s nothing.”

Seeing her sulky expression, looking unhappy, he reached out and stroked her chin. “It’s already taken care of.”

Li Wan: “……”

😾😾

She wants to be angry, but she couldn’t help making soft purring sounds.

They took Du Qingqing to a hotel, and Li Wan was responsible for taking care of her.

Mama Qingqing was very well-behaved when she was drunk. Li Wan didn’t find her troublesome at all, only that in the middle of the night, she had a slight fever twice. The little cat helped her by wiping her with a cold towel, and her temperature went down.

The little cat didn’t sleep long at night anyway. After waking, Li Wan stayed by her side the whole time.

When she noticed Du Qingqing awake, she immediately leaned in, “Mama Qingqing… uh, Sister Qingqing?”

Close call, she almost let it slip!

Du Qingqing looked a little stunned, her eyes wary. But soon, Sister Chen brought fresh clothes and explained everything.

Du Qingqing’s expression turned extremely unpleasant.

Li Wan leaned closer. “What’s going on?”

Du Qingqing shook her head, saying nothing.

Li Wan was completely confused.

But soon, she saw the full story online.

Fu Shilin had probably realized that Du Qingqing was completely disappointed in him. If things continued as they were, there would be no future for them. So, he took a reckless risk, choosing to drug her to make things irreversible.

To avoid suspicion falling on himself, he also drugged himself. But unexpectedly, Du Qingqing was taken away by Li Wan and the others, and he happened to ‘accidentally’ enter the wrong room.

As a result, the scandal of him being involved with another man spread across the entire internet. Even though the Fu Corporation kept trying to defend him, it was useless.

Li Wan squinted as she read, leaning close to her butler. “He really ‘accidentally’ went into the wrong room?”

Chi Yan, fearing she might fall, held her waist and only smiled lightly.

“……”

Li Wan realized this ‘accident’ was definitely arranged by some bad person.

After a pause, Chi Yan, calm as ever, asked her, “Do you think… I went too far?”

Li Wan shook her head without hesitation, then realized that watching the situation from the other party’s perspective, they did look a bit like villains.

She nervously shook her head. “No, not at all. Fu Shilin did the bad thing first, he’s just reaping what he sowed.”

After a moment, she quietly added, “We’re just justice on behalf of heaven.”

Her righteous words made Chi Yan chuckle softly.

When Li Wan looked up at him, he gently covered her eyes and pressed a kiss to her full, moist lips.

So good, heaven had let him meet Li Wan.

Of course, Fu Shilin’s downfall didn’t end there.

Li Wan, like a mischievous creature in a melon patch, eagerly watched more and more of his scandals appear online.

Being arrogant or using the Fu Corporation to steal others’ work was just the tip of the iceberg.

The worst part: after this incident, Fu Shilin completely gave up. He was caught in group sexual misconduct, drug use, and was banned by the broadcasting authority.

At this point, he was completely finished.

Unexpectedly, Chi Yan’s own mother, so biased toward Fu Shilin, didn’t come to ask him for help during all this.

A bit strange.

The little cat tilted her head.

But soon her confusion was resolved.

It turned out that Fu Shilin’s father believed his son’s mess was entirely due to his wife spoiling him, so he kicked her out after this incident.

This Mrs. Fu was driven to desperation by her beloved wealthy ex-husband, but she didn’t come to see Chi Yan either. Perhaps she thought in her heart that her biological son wasn’t very capable.

But it proved that people like her truly lacked self-awareness.

Soon enough, she showed up, looking completely disheveled, carrying some children’s toys, seemingly trying to awaken Chi Yan’s filial affection.

Unfortunately, Chi Yan wasn’t home, and only Li Wan was there.

Seeing Li Wan, her expression immediately soured.

Li Wan, however, smiled at her sweetly, speaking bluntly.

She politely told her to reflect on how she treated Chi Yan over the years. If she came again, Li Wan wouldn’t mind letting Chi Yan sue her for abandoning him as a minor.

She also hoped Mrs. Fu understood Chi Yan’s personality. Now, it was just the Fu family disliking her, and she shouldn’t provoke Chi Yan to go after her as well.

Li Wan’s words turned Mrs. Fu’s face pale and flushed repeatedly. Before she could assert any dominance, she slunk away.

Li Wan made a face at her retreating figure, then turned and ran inside to cook for her returning butler.

She wasn’t bluffing the annoying woman, she really would do it.

Her butler’s mental state wasn’t very stable originally. Now, finally feeling better under her care, he couldn’t be stressed again, or there would be nowhere for her to cry.

Yes.

Everything was good now!

Today was another beautiful day!

After their movie was released, it got a great response. Chi Yan won another Best Actor award, and Li Wan snagged Best Newcomer.

When he went on stage to accept his award, Li Wan looked up at him from the audience, her apricot-shaped eyes curved, her eyes shining.

Chi Yan smiled at her.

When the host asked him to give a speech, he ended with a smile.

“…and I want to thank a little cat.
“Thank you for being willing to come into my life.”

At this moment, the big screen behind them showed Li Wan’s little cat image, and everyone smiled knowingly.

“Indeed, after adopting that little cat, Chi Yan seems to be in a much better state.”

“Oh, the little cat came to save humanity!”

Listening to the audience’s whispers, Li Wan’s smile grew wider.

The spring sunlight was perfect.

They were the best version of themselves.

---

Listening to the busy signal coming through the phone, Mrs. Fu didn’t know what expression to put on her face for a moment.

The maid beside her spoke up indignantly: “Madam! Young Master is really being too thoughtless. You’ve done so much for him, even more than for your own biological son—”

Mrs. Fu glared at her viciously.

The maid immediately went silent, lowered her head, and stammered: “I-I’m sorry, Madam. I shouldn’t have said that…”

Mrs. Fu snorted coldly, putting down the phone.

“What do you know? A’Lin has been spoiled by me since he was little. The fact that he tells me these things means he’s long considered me his real mother!

“Although he usually gets impatient on the phone, he’s never been this angry…” She thought for a moment, frowned, and then gave an order, “Go! Find out!

“Find out exactly what happened with that wretch Chi Yan stealing his girlfriend.”

The maid hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, “There’s actually no need to investigate, Madam. Didn’t you ask me to keep an eye on Young Master’s variety show? What he’s referring to should be what happened on that show.

“The girl Young Master likes is named Du Qingqing. Before the show, she and Young Master were supposed to be together, but after the show, she got closer to Chi Yan instead…”

The maid explained the whole situation, without adding personal feelings, though inside she was quietly venting about her own young master.

Chasing a girl isn’t always straightforward. Considering what Young Master did and said on the show, it’s normal that the girl didn’t like him.

In any case, this shouldn’t count as Chi Yan stealing his girlfriend.

But Mrs. Fu didn’t care. After hearing it, she slammed her hand on the table: “So it really is that little brat!

“He killed his father and it wasn’t enough; I’ve already cut him off, and now he wants to come ruin me too!!”

The maid had long been used to Mrs. Fu blaming Chi Yan for everything without distinction, so she didn’t dare say a word.

She was just a servant, there’s no way she’d risk her job over this meaningless sense of justice.

Mrs. Fu grew angrier the more she thought about it. She picked up the phone to call Chi Yan, but unexpectedly, he didn’t answer!

“Bastard! How dare he not even pick up my call!!”

---

“Who’s calling? Why aren’t you picking up?”

Li Wan was curled up on the sofa, holding a cat plushie, legs up, watching TV while asking.

Chi Yan just lowered his eyes at the phone for a glance, turned off the screen, picked up his script, and said indifferently, “Nobody. Just a sales call.”

Li Wan didn’t suspect anything at first, but in less than two seconds, the phone rang again.

Uh.

She looked at him with a strange expression. He looked calm, eyes glued to the script the entire time, completely focused.

If she didn’t know him a bit, she might have been fooled. She drew out her voice: “Really just a sales call?”

Chi Yan paused and looked up at her.

Li Wan sighed, got up from the sofa, and grabbed his phone. Sure enough, looking down, she wasn’t wrong. It was the woman who had abandoned her own child, his mother.

“Not picking up?”

Chi Yan pressed his lips together, hesitated, but still took the phone and answered.

As he expected, almost immediately, the woman’s cold voice came through, launching a full-on scolding.

“Chi Yan.
“Didn’t I warn you to stay away from my current family? You’ve already ruined your father. Do you want to ruin me too?!
“My life is perfect now. What are you dissatisfied with? Why do you have to provoke the Fu family, provoke A’Lin?!
“Arin told me you stole his girlfriend? Ha! Why are you jealous of him? He’s not like you! You’re the disaster that killed your father! How disgusting are you?! You can’t even live a proper life, so you want everyone else to be miserable like you?!
“Was my whole life supposed to owe you?!”

Li Wan was stunned by the tirade. Her cat instincts flared up, and soft triangular ears popped up on her head.

She stared at her two-legger in shock.

The last time this woman called, Li Wan knew she wouldn’t say anything nice to Chi Yan, but she never expected her to be this vicious!!

Every sentence was full of disgust toward Chi Yan.

Even though he was the biological son she bore after ten months, she wished him dead!!

Yet Chi Yan, even hearing these words, remained calm, as if accustomed to her treatment.

The shouting continued.

“A’Lin is different! He has someone who loves him!!
“Chi Yan, are you that desperate for love? Do you have to be like a bug, constantly proving your existence in front of me?! I’m telling you, no matter what you do! You can never compare to A’Lin! You’re… doomed!!”

By this point, her voice was chillingly venomous.

“If it weren’t for you! I wouldn’t have lost my husband! I wouldn’t have lost my happy family!
“If it weren’t for you! I would never have resolutely chosen to leave my home, to come to the Fu family, and painstakingly try to curry favor with them to secure Madam Fu’s position!!
“I hate you! I hate you!! If time could be reversed, I’d never have given birth to you! I’m telling you, that’s what you are! You’ll always be inferior to A’Lin!
“Even if you used vile methods to steal A’Lin’s girlfriend, so what?! In this world, plenty of people like A’Lin, but you? You’re nothing! You’re a sewer rat, unworthy of anyone’s love!!”

“!!!!”

Li Wan couldn’t take it anymore!!

Her cat ears shot up, her tail flung out, and she didn’t even bother speaking to her two-legger, she grabbed the phone straight out of his hand!

How could someone’s mouth be so foul! So annoying!!

“Shut up!!” She practically shrieked to cut off the woman on the other end of the phone, stomping her foot in rage.

“You’re the one nobody loves!!
“So what if you married into the Fu family?! You’ve been flattering those father and son for years, and Fu Shilin still only ever takes his anger out on you! You’re nothing but their trash can!!
“So what if you don’t like Chi Yan? Plenty of people like him! I like him!! I just hate Fu Shilin!! Fu Shilin’s an idiot!! And you’re an idiot too!!!”

Her whole body was shaking with anger, but her mind was still fast enough to know her meager trash‑talk skills were no match for her biological mother. So after cursing, she immediately hung up the phone, not giving the woman any chance to respond!

But she was still furious, so furious all her fur felt like it was about to explode!!

Her kitten instincts completely took over. She couldn’t sit still on the sofa at all, bouncing around like crazy.

“I’m so mad, I’m so mad!!
“How can there be such a braindead person in the world?! Such a huge idiot!!!”

Only after quite a while did she calm down a little, enough to realize the two‑legger beside her hadn’t said a single word the entire time.

“……”

Her heart skipped a beat. Almost instantly, deep worry flooded her apricot eyes. “Brother…”

Chi Yan didn’t respond.

Li Wan’s heart sank. She grew even more anxious, squeezing her little head right next to him and tilting it to look at him. “Don’t be sad…”

Of course.

Chi Yan had become the way he was because of that woman. He was deeply affected by being abandoned when he was young, so naturally he’d also be deeply affected by the things that so‑called ‘mother’ said to him.

Hearing those words just now, he must be really upset, really hurt… maybe even his headaches were acting up…

Li Wan grew more worried, but had no idea what to do. She could only keep babbling:

“Don’t listen to what she said, okay? She’s a complete lunatic! A total lunatic!!
“Those things have nothing to do with you! She’s the one who’s too cowardly to face them, so she blames everything on you!!
“It’s not true that nobody likes you! She’s the one nobody likes! I like you! I like you the most!!”

The man’s dark pupils trembled slightly. When he finally spoke, his voice was a little dry: “What… did you say?”

Li Wan didn’t realize it at first. “Hm?”

Then suddenly remembered everything she had just blurted out, and went completely red from head to toe, frozen.

“I…”

What was happening?!! How could this happen!!

How could she say something like that?!!

🙀🙀🙀

Instinctively, she wanted to turn and run upstairs to hide, but before she could move, the man grabbed her, holding her in place, not letting her escape.

Right now, Chi Yan seemed oddly calm, almost gentle. He asked, “Say it. What did you just say?”

Li Wan: “……”

AAAAAAAHHHHH—!!!!

Meow meow meow meow!! Just let her die!!!

How could a person—no, a cat—cause such a catastrophic disaster!!!

She was about to break down, her clear apricot eyes welling up, looking like she might cry any second.

She had never once mentally prepared for confessing to her butler. If the little cat had been smarter, she would have immediately played dumb, pretend she didn’t even know what ‘like’ meant. No matter how the human questioned her, she wouldn’t say a single honest word.

But now…

They both knew, it was already too late.

Her current reaction was basically having the words ‘I like Chi Yan’ stamped right on her forehead.

Li Wan knew she was done for.

The two‑legger had figured out her rebellious, forbidden thoughts. She could never again act like an innocent kitten around him or continue having any overly intimate contact.

In fact, they shouldn’t even live together anymore.

Any moment now, she expected to hear his inevitable rejection:

—“Li Wan, how could you?”

—”How could you have such filthy thoughts.”

Li Wan was genuinely about to cry.

She had dug this hole herself, and there was no way to fix it. She could only tremble silently and wait for the man’s judgment.

Finally, she heard him sigh softly, and he spoke.

He said.

“What a coincidence. I like you too.”

---

Han Yixing looked around, feeling that the whole atmosphere was extremely strange.

The girl he had invited was sitting across from him, slowly poking at sashimi with her fork. Her snow-white cheeks puffed out as she chewed, making her look like an adorable little pufferfish.

The only problem was that she didn’t glance at him once. Her attention was entirely focused on the man sitting next to her, in a posture very reminiscent of a popular online meme: (sneaky cat.jpg)

The man next to her had already taken off his baseball cap. His stunningly handsome face was particularly cold, and his deep peach-blossom eyes lightly landed on Han Yixing. The gaze alone made him feel a chill run down his spine.

He couldn’t understand what was going on.

He had only invited Li Wan. He had already prepared himself for the possibility that the girl might refuse, yet unexpectedly, she had agreed to come.

At that moment, Han Yixing’s heart had been pounding like a drum. Could it be that Li Wan also felt something for him?

When she asked if she could bring someone else along, he had, without thinking much, agreed.

He had assumed that the girl might feel embarrassed and wanted a friend for company so it wouldn’t be awkward. But upon arriving at the restaurant, the person she brought along was a man.

Slowly, the man’s gaze shifted to him. Within two seconds, the man’s knuckled hands removed his baseball cap, revealing a face that anyone in the entertainment industry would instantly recognize.

“!!!”

It was Chi Yan!

Han Yixing froze on the spot. His mind instinctively reminded him that Li Wan’s manager was Sister Chen, and as everyone knew, Chi Yan’s manager was also Sister Chen. It was normal for the two to know each other professionally.

But!!

No matter how he looked at Chi Yan, there was no way he had the kind of personality that would accompany a young girl to have a casual meal with someone else!!!

Han Yixing was completely stunned.

He had come prepared with a basket of sweet things to say to the girl, but now, facing Chi Yan’s icy expression, how could he possibly speak?!!

And so, the three of them remained in silence, eating this meal.

Li Wan also felt extremely awkward, not daring to raise her head to look at Han Yixing’s expression.

From the moment she arrived at the restaurant, she had already regretted it a hundred times!!

She should never have given in to the two-legger’s coercion and brought him—no, neither of them should have come!!

At this moment, she felt as if the air itself had solidified. She quietly stuffed food into her mouth as fast as possible, and once she was almost full, she hastily put down her chopsticks.

Next to her, Chi Yan’s gaze finally fell on her. In a low voice, he asked, “Full?”

Hearing this, Han Yixing immediately looked over as well.

Li Wan stiffened, then quickly nodded, “Mm-hm.”

“Then let’s go.” The man stood up first. Li Wan, dazed, quickly glanced at Han Yixing again, her eyes showing a hint of apology, and obediently followed behind him.

But Han Yixing didn’t notice her glance. His mind was full of the image of Chi Yan’s peach-blossom eyes, which seemed to have casually glanced at him just now.

It was like a fierce dragon curling up to guard its treasure. Facing someone trying to take it, those eyes were filled only with intense possessiveness and cold vigilance.

Han Yixing had no doubt: if he moved any closer to the girl, that man would definitely make a move against him.

He definitely would!

In an instant, cold sweat broke out all over his back. He regretted inviting Li Wan so much.

That man—

Clearly considered the girl his own possession.

Li Wan followed behind the man like a little tail, occasionally sneaking a glance at his expression.

The little cat was smart and sensitive; she had sensed that her butler was not in a very pleasant mood… well, to be precise, it had been unpleasant ever since she received Han Yixing’s invitation.

Hmm…

It couldn’t possibly be jealousy, could it?

This thought suddenly popped into her mind. The little cat was startled and quickly blushed, lowering her head in embarrassment.

But her heartbeat wasn’t under her control; it sped up on its own, as if impatient to let the man a step ahead hear the affection racing in her blood.

Li Wan pressed her lips together, trying to calm herself and restrain these thoughts.

In Chi Yan’s eyes, she was just an ordinary little cat. A pet little cat wanting to pursue a romance with him, just thinking about it was somewhat perverse.

But even if she thought that, her mind refused to be controlled.

What if… what if Chi Yan actually did have feelings for her?

After all, she was different from other little cats. She could now transform into a human.

The thought was vague and intangible, but even imagining it made her body involuntarily start to feel warm.

She felt guilty, her gaze darting left and right, refusing to land on the man in front of her for even a moment.

Suddenly, she saw someone familiar.

It was Mama Qingqing.

Du Qingqing seemed to be out attending an event. Her front door was blocked by a crowd of fans, and her manager and assistant were doing their best to manage the situation.

She had no choice but to change clothes and sneak out the back door.

Li Wan instinctively stepped in that direction, but was quickly pulled back by her own two-legger.

The man lowered his gaze at her, his tone carrying a trace of casual disapproval: “What are you doing?”

The little cat blinked innocently and whispered, “It’s Mama Qingqing.”

Chi Yan followed her gaze, his voice still lazy: “She’s avoiding the fans. Don’t go over and cause trouble for her.”

“???”

Why is it considered causing trouble?!

The little kitten was unwilling to accept it, but Li Wan also knew that what he said made sense, so she reluctantly restrained the urge to go greet Du Qingqing.

Her eyes shifted, and she suddenly thought of something, her chest starting to burn again.

Li Wan deliberately looked elsewhere, her ears warming as she casually spoke: “Brother, on the variety show before, you always liked getting close to Mama Qingqing. I thought you liked her.”

Her heartbeat pounded like a drum, and her ears were red and flustered.

Li Wan thought, fortunately, her hair was loose now; otherwise, whatever she was thinking would have been obvious long ago.

Her senses were taut, all her attention focused on what the man was about to say. If she were in her little kitten form, those fuzzy triangular ears would probably be standing straight up by now.

She keenly sensed the man’s gaze resting on her.

Li Wan clenched her fingers discreetly.

Suddenly.

The man let out a soft laugh, and, whether intentionally or not, said: “I won’t like anyone else.”

Li Wan’s mind went blank for a moment.

She instinctively looked up at him and instantly fell into those dark, peach-blossom eyes.

In that instant, it felt as if the autumn breeze had stopped.

---

Du Qingqing cautiously scanned the surrounding crowd, lowering her hat and mask as she hurried out.

Finally, once there were fewer people nearby, she exhaled in relief, preparing to remove her mask for some air—but then suddenly sensed something, her gaze sharpening.

“Who’s there?!”

She fixed her eyes on the alley entrance. After a while, a man’s figure slowly appeared at the far end.

The man slowly removed the baseball cap from his head, revealing a face she knew very well.

Fu Shilin gave her a wry smile: “It’s me, Qingqing.”

Du Qingqing exhaled, but her expression didn’t relax much. Coldly, she asked: “Why are you following me?”

Fu Shilin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke in a low voice: “I just wanted to see you.”

Du Qingqing remained indifferent: “See me? Young Master Fu, have you forgotten what you said before? There’s no need to pretend to be affectionate in front of me.”

Fu Shilin clenched his fingers instinctively: “I’m not—”

He gritted his teeth: “I didn’t mean it like that… Those words I said that day, I didn’t think them through. I really didn’t mean it like that. I truly like you, Qingqing…”

His gaze lingered on Du Qingqing with desire, but she felt not a trace of the past emotion, even finding it somewhat disgusting.

Fu Shilin saw clearly, feeling provoked, and completely lost control.

“You find me disgusting now?!
“Is he better than me? He’s a lunatic!! He got close to you just to disgust me! And now you think that lunatic is better than me?!”

Hearing this, Du Qingqing’s opinion of him worsened.

“Fu Shilin, this is between us; it has nothing to do with anyone else.
“I admit I liked you before, but now I don’t. Your clinging won’t work.”

She spoke seriously, and Fu Shilin felt as if something had completely left him.

His eyes instantly reddened, and he stepped forward subconsciously.

“Qingqing, I’m sorry! I spoke without thinking! I’m sorry!!
“I didn’t mean it that way. I really like you! I cherish you! I…”

But Du Qingqing no longer wanted to hear him. She sighed and walked toward the alley entrance.

Fu Shilin widened his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. As they brushed past each other, he instinctively reached for her hand.

Du Qingqing stopped, turning to look at him: “Let go.”

She took a deep breath, her tone still carrying a hint of past tolerance: “Fu Shilin, don’t make a scene.”

“…”

In that moment, Fu Shilin felt as if his body had fallen into an icy pit. He couldn’t think of anything, blankly letting go of her hand.

Du Qingqing had already left.

The surrounding air no longer carried any trace of her presence.

Shivering from the cold, Fu Shilin finally couldn’t bear it any longer. He slowly crouched to the ground, covering his face and crying out loud like a wronged child.

After a long time, he gradually calmed down, his expression returning to its usual cold and harsh demeanor.

It’s all because of Chi Yan, all because of him!!

If it weren’t for him, Du Qingqing wouldn’t have left! They should have been together already!!!

Chi Yan won’t let him be happy!! He won’t let Chi Yan off either!!!

Just wait and see!!!

His expression darkened further. He took out his phone and made a call. The call was quickly answered, and a woman’s gentle, loving voice came through: “A’Lin, why do you have time to call your mother—”

Fu Shilin sneered and cut her off.

“Don’t pretend.
“Your son Chi Yan stole my girlfriend!! What do you intend to do?! He’s doing this because of you!!
“I’m telling you, you’ll never become the real Mrs. Fu!! Every little scheme in your heart, I’ll tell my Dad everything!
“Now your son dares to take my girlfriend, will you later help him take our Fu family’s fortune too?! You wretch!!”

Mrs. Fu’s voice instantly panicked.

“What’s wrong, A’Lin? A’Lin?
“Chi Yan stole your girlfriend? What happened, A’Lin—”

Before she could continue, Fu Shilin decisively hung up the phone.

---

“Good! That scene was done really well! Passed! Get ready, we’ll shoot another shot in a bit!”

Li Wan let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the young idol she was paired with. “Thank you, Teacher Han!”

When she smiled, her eyes curved like crescents, her pupils clear, and in the glow of the setting sun, her cheeks looked so fair they seemed to glow.

The young idol’s name was Han Yixing. When their eyes met, his cheeks turned red, and he didn’t dare look at her directly, just muttering awkwardly.

“No need to thank me! You’re really amazing!
“You don’t have to call me Teacher Han; I’m not famous or anything!”

Besides, he had a good eye. Li Wan was supposedly a newcomer, but in reality, she had been brought by the legendary Sister Chen, known for turning the then-nobody Chi Yan into a triple award-winning actor and top agent.

Sister Chen had sharp judgment; everyone said anyone she picked would become a big star. Since she valued Li Wan this much, even caming along personally with this small rookie, it wouldn’t be long before he would have to call Li Wan ‘Sister¹‘.

And Li Wan was indeed worthy of such attention.

Her face alone would be hard to match anywhere in the entertainment industry, and her acting was decent. Although still a little raw, it was easy to imagine that after Sister Chen placed her in a top director’s project for training, the transformation would be staggering.

She was genuinely beautiful.

Han Yixing secretly lifted his gaze and glanced at the girl again.

The girl happened to look up and, noticing his gaze, instinctively gave him a small smile. Her eyes curved slightly, her dimples faintly visible, sweet like an expensive pink grape.

Han Yixing’s cheeks instantly flushed red.

But Li Wan didn’t notice this. Her attention was on her phone, scrolling repeatedly, unable to find a message from a certain butler.

She was a little upset.

At this time, Chi Yan should have been home and noticed she wasn’t there. Yet this annoying two-legger hadn’t sent a message asking where she’d gone!

How annoying.

She puffed out her cheeks in frustration and shoved her phone into her pink little backpack.

If Chi Yan didn’t care about her, she wouldn’t care about him either.

But after thinking for a moment, she pulled the phone back out, staring blankly at the chat screen, hesitating whether to send a message first.

After all, the butler was very busy.

If he wasn’t done yet, he might still be out.

She was eating Chi Yan’s food and living in Chi Yan’s place. It seemed only proper to show a little concern for the two-legger who went out ‘hunting’.

But he had only been gone for a couple of days. If she kept sending messages, would she seem completely unrestrained?

The little cat frowned, tangled in thought.

Even Sister Chen, who was talking with the director nearby, noticed something was off. She came over. “What’s wrong?”

She glanced at Li Wan’s phone and understood instantly, almost feeling like she’d been hit in the face with pure couple energy.

Clearly, Li Wan was missing Chi Yan.

Sister Chen pursed her lips. She found such intentional or unintentional provocations from young couples rather distasteful. But seeing the girl genuinely upset, with a storm cloud hovering over her head, she couldn’t help but smile helplessly. “If you want to message him, just do it. Tsk, why the hesitation?”

Li Wan froze.

When she realized, her cheeks felt like they’d been set on fire, flushed all the way to her fair, translucent earlobes.

She immediately sensed that Sister Chen misunderstood and hurried to clarify, “No… it’s not like that. I just wanted to ask if he’s back home yet.”

Sister Chen raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Li Wan was so embarrassed she barely dared to look at her, nodding repeatedly in small movements. “Yes, yes.”

“Okay,” Sister Chen’s eyes softened, finally letting the almost-ripe little girl off the hook. “You don’t need to ask. Chi Yan noticed you weren’t home and immediately thought of me. He just called and said he’s coming to pick you up.”

Li Wan blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

Sister Chen, charmed by her, couldn’t help reaching out to ruffle her hair. “Chi Yan’s coming for you. Focus on your shoot; once you’re done, we’ll go back.”

Li Wan felt dizzy, but when she remembered the two-legger would be watching her shoot the next part of the scene, she became excited.

Fortunately, this scene was a sweet campus drama that required portraying a subtle romantic tension between the two protagonists. Her current state fit perfectly.

The director was delighted with her performance and even complimented Sister Chen during the break: “Where did you find this treasure? Has she never acted before?”

“Not quite yet,” Chen Jie replied, beaming with satisfaction, her face almost wrinkling from smiling. “Our Wanwan is a newcomer, so she’ll need the director’s guidance in the future.”

“Of course, of course!” The director extended a hand to shake Sister Chen’s.

Li Wan wore the navy sailor uniform prepared by the crew. The red scarf made her look particularly youthful. Combined with her young age, standing in the sunlight, she looked fresh and delicate, just like the admired, high-achieving girl in high school everyone’s eyes followed.

Many in the crew watched her, and Han Yixing, standing closest, was hit hard by her beauty. Every time he met her gaze, his heart raced like it might leap out of his chest.

Damn, he felt his heart fluttering.

He couldn’t blame himself.

He believed that in front of such a beautiful and easygoing girl, few boys wouldn’t feel their hearts stir.

Although he knew he might not be good enough, he still wanted to try.

After the director called it a wrap, he ran to a nearby convenience store and bought an ice cream for Li Wan. “Here, this is for you.”

It was still hot outside, and most of today’s shoot had been under the sun. Li Wan had long wanted something cold.

She hesitated, thinking ice cream wasn’t anything fancy. Unable to resist, she took it. “Thank you.”

“No need!” Han Yixing scratched the back of his head shyly. “Actually, I should be the one thanking you. My acting isn’t great, and thanks to you going through all those NG takes with me, the director didn’t get mad.”

That wasn’t really an issue.

Li Wan didn’t take his words to heart. She shook her head and complimented him in return: “No, no, Teacher Han, you’re already excellent.”

Han Yixing’s cheeks flushed even more, and he didn’t dare look at her. He wanted to invite her to a meal, but the words rolled around in his mouth and wouldn’t come out.

Li Wan didn’t notice his awkwardness at all; her attention was entirely on the man next to Sister Chen, wearing a baseball cap.

That was Chi Yan!

Her very own butler!!

He really came to pick her up!

The little kitten’s heart leapt with joy. She bounded toward her two-legger and was almost about to pounce into his arms. But, he pushed her back with a finger against her forehead.

“Meow?”

Li Wan tilted her head and realized that the two-legger didn’t seem to be in a very good mood.

The little kitten froze.

What… was wrong?

Could it be that he was angry because she had contacted Sister Chen on her own about entering the entertainment industry?

Thinking that, the little kitten felt a pang of guilt. If she were in her cat form right now, she probably would have buried her head in her fluffy tail, leaving only her two tiny, soft triangular ears peeking out to observe the two-legged human.

Sister Chen, however, could see everything clearly. There was almost a mischievous smile on her face, like she was watching a good show.

Ah-ha!

This wasn’t anger over the girl working, it was because he saw someone else giving his little girl an ice cream!

Sister Chen cleared her throat twice and teasingly fanned the flames.

“Wanwan, was this ice cream from that little idol Han just now?
“Does he like you? His eyes were sparkling when he looked at you, and his face was as red as a boiled shrimp!”

Li Wan gasped and instinctively slowed down her words: “No, I don’t think so.”

They’d only known each other for one day, after all.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her small backpack. It was a message from Han Yixing. He said he wanted to invite her to a meal to thank her.

Sister Chen noticed Li Wan’s expression change, leaned over to take a look, and her gaze instantly turned flirtatious. She looked straight at Chi Yan and said: “Tsk.

“See what I mean? He’s fallen for our Wanwan. Look, he’s even sending a message to invite her to eat!”

Just as she expected.

Chi Yan’s usual cold expression grew even colder. His peach-blossom eyes looked like knives carving into her.

Sister Chen didn’t feel threatened at all. She deliberately blinked innocently at him.

Ha! Of course! It was not like someone was trying to steal Wanwan from him! It’s just since he hadn’t confessed sooner, and now someone else was inviting the little girl to eat, and he’s not happy!

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho, the unhappy guy.

Li Wan felt awkward, her ears burning. She instinctively looked up at her two-legger.

Seeing no change in his expression, she paused and felt a bit disappointed.

After all, it was just her one-sided crush… He only saw her as a little kitten who didn’t understand much.

Li Wan pressed her lips together. Just as she was about to refuse, she heard the two-legger speak.

“Why refuse?
“He already said he wants to thank you. It’s just a meal. Go.”

Li Wan felt even more upset.

Chi Yan was so annoying!

If he didn’t like her, fine. But he didn’t even care whether she went to eat with another guy!

Even if he only saw her as an ordinary little kitten, his own pet, that still made him her adoptive father!

She goes out to eat with another man, and he not only doesn’t worry, he actually agrees!

The little kitten was about to get mad!!

But the next words the man said froze her on the spot.

Chi Yan said coldly: “I’ll go with you.”

Li Wan: “…?!!”

---

1. meaning Li Wan would be much bigger name than Han Yixing in the industry ↩︎

---

Li Wan was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor. It took her a while to realize that just now, when she’d been talking to Xixi, she’d used cat language the whole time.

Chi Yan could usually guess most of what she wanted to express, but he was still a human. There was no way he understood cat speak.

Li Wan let out a long breath.

Seeing how she’d been scared half to death, Chi Yan’s eyes carried even more amusement. He reached out and poked the little cat’s head. “Stupid cat.”

Li Wan : “!!!”

The little cat was going to get mad! Really going to get mad!!

She flicked her tail, shifted positions, and pointed her butt at the two‑legger.

But to her shock, the stupid two‑legger didn’t interpret her gesture as a threat at all. Instead, he let out a low laugh, as if he found it adorable. He looked like he was even in a good mood.

“……”

Li Wan got even angrier, and also felt wronged, her whole heart full of ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’

Yet the shameless butler leaned close to the back of her ear and, still smiling, asked softly, “Did I offend you? Why are you avoiding me?”

In that instant, all the fur on the little cat’s body stood straight up!

She felt as if all the thoughts she tried to hide were completely seen through by Chi Yan.

Under his gaze, she didn’t dare move a single muscle. A wave of heat shot straight to her head, and her heart thumped wildly, like it was about to leap out of her throat.

No.

This wouldn’t do.

If she reacted like this whenever Chi Yan questioned her, wasn’t she basically admitting she was guilty?!

Cold sweat dampened the pads of her paws. She didn’t dare look back at the man behind her.

She thought a long time had passed—but in reality, it had only been one breath. With great difficulty she managed to steady herself a little.

She forced her dazed little head to turn back, her heterochromatic eyes still clear. *Meow?*

—“What are you talking about?”

Little cats don’t understand, you know.

The man stared at her for a long moment, narrowing his eyes.

Li Wan’s heart nearly stopped. She was on the verge of tears. If she were in her human form right now, she would definitely have broken down crying and confessing everything.

She really had done something unforgivable. She actually wanted to sleep with the two‑legger who raised her. What kind of animal did that make her?!

Li Wan was falling apart.

Fortunately—

Just as she was about to be forced into choosing between crying and admitting defeat or running away, the man finally spared her.

He exhaled lightly, and his tone returned to its usual casual drawl. “Stupid cat.”

Of course he knew why the little cat was acting so strangely around him. Or, to be precise, this was all his doing.

How could he spend so long quietly teasing her and expect the little cat to stay calm and aloof, as if she were watching a fire on the opposite shore?

There was no such unfair thing in the world.

Li Wan stayed frozen on the spot.

She didn’t understand why he called her ‘stupid cat’ again.

Her burning little cat brain still hadn’t regained its normal function—otherwise she wouldn’t have completely ignored the obvious fondness in his voice.

She tried to think it through, but before she could, her two‑legger was called away by the director again.

Li Wan finally relaxed.

But at the same time, the little cat wasn’t happy at all.

—Scumbag.

She cursed silently.

He already knew she was upset and avoiding him on purpose, yet he didn’t even care enough to ask why seriously. He just tossed out a lazy question and called it a day.

Annoying jerk.

Even if… he wasn’t like her—and didn’t have all those strange, greedy feelings—still, they’d known each other for so long.

She was Chi Yan’s one and only little cat, and Chi Yan was her one and only butler.

Annoying.

The more she thought about it, the more sulky she got. She tucked her tail in, leapt down from the cat tree, and went upstairs to play by herself.

At night, she still didn’t want to sleep next to Chi Yan. Just thinking about the dream she had last night made the little cat blush and her heart race uncontrollably.

Gathering her courage, she ran to Mama Qingqing and Xixi’s room to beg for shelter.

Xixi looked at her like it couldn’t bear to watch. It wanted to chase the little kitten back to her own room, but considering how sulky she’d been the past two days, it reluctantly looked away and magnanimously allowed her to stay.

After all, she was only a two‑ or three‑month‑old kitten.

Du Qingqing was a little surprised.

“Wanwan?
“You want to sleep with me?”

Li Wan nodded furiously. *Meow meow!*

—”Yes yes!!”

She absolutely could not handle another night like yesterday!!

Du Qingqing laughed. She didn’t refuse, but said, “Okay, but I have to tell your Papa first. Otherwise he’ll worry and come looking for you.”

Li Wan didn’t like that.

She really didn’t want to see Chi Yan right now, but from Mama Qingqing’s perspective, she was someone else’s child. Of course she had to inform the parent.

She surrendered to fate and prayed that the two‑legger would be as easygoing as he had been during the day. Maybe he’d let her stay without fuss.

But reality proved she was dreaming.

Chi Yan showed up right after the call, knocked on the door, and, right in front of Mama Qingqing, grabbed her by the scruff and carried her away.

Li Wan: “……”

Wuwuwu…

😿😿😿

—Mama Qingqing, save me, wuwuwu…

Chi Yan brought her back to the room and tossed her onto the bed.

The little cat rolled over, preparing to quietly burrow into the blanket and not face the awful situation.

But of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

The little kitten’s tail was deliberately pressed down by the bad guy, and she couldn’t break free.

Li Wan was on the verge of a breakdown, watching the two-legger crouch by the bed and look at her at eye level.

He began to speak: “Wanwan.”

He looked utterly innocent. “Did I do something to upset you?”

Li Wan remained silent.

But the butler was no longer as easy to fool as during the day. Those peach-blossom eyes staring at her were deep and focused, as if he would absolutely not let her go until she explained everything.

She was about to cry, but it was obvious that crying wouldn’t save her.

The little kitten could only tremble and shake her head: *Meow… meow.*

Really, there was nothing she could do, Q_AQ.

Chi Yan clicked his tongue lowly. “Then why are you hiding from me?”

Li Wan didn’t dare look into those eyes at all.

Just the slightest sense of his gaze made her body feel like it was heating up again.

The fragments of last night’s dream resurfaced in her mind against her will.

Mist filled the bath, his knuckled hand reached out from behind, clasping hers in an intertwined grip, while the other hand kneaded her waist, his movements suggestively intimate.

Li Wan’s head and cat ears flushed crimson, as if the little kitten had ceased to be a cat and melted into a puddle of soft, fluid mush.

She couldn’t handle it. Her pair of differently-colored eyes were now misty, carrying a clear plea:

—Don’t ask.
—Don’t speak.
—Please.

Chi Yan was momentarily stunned.

He had clearly been intending to tease the little kitten into confessing her unspeakable thoughts.

But when he met those wet, imploring eyes, it was as if a soft rabbit had bumped against his heart, and he let go.

Enough.

He stood up as if nothing had happened and said in a normal tone: “I’m going to wash up; you sleep on your own for now.”

Li Wan was dazed.

That’s it… over?

But indeed, the man had left. She blinked, her mind still a mess, and wobbled back to her cat nest.

She couldn’t share the same bed with Chi Yan anymore. Her mind wasn’t clean; in his eyes, she was still just an ordinary… no, slightly special little kitten. He didn’t know her heart was full of erotic thoughts.

It was unfair to Chi Yan; it was taking advantage of him.

She was too bad.

The little kitten reflected on herself until the lights were out. Watching Chi Yan get into bed and cover himself, her eyes were slightly damp.

She was a bad cat.

She barely slept all night.

Not only did she feel guilty toward Chi Yan, but she was also guarding against him picking her up and bringing her into his bed while she slept.

The little kitten really couldn’t bear it.

But, unexpectedly, Chi Yan didn’t act like last night.

Li Wan didn’t feel relieved; in fact, she felt even worse.

Perhaps, she thought, perhaps last night it wasn’t Chi Yan who brought her onto the bed.

It was herself, unknowingly, who had moved onto the man’s bed.

She was too… lewd.

Li Wan was utterly on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, after the production team and that bad guy Fu Shilin terminated their contract, this second episode of the variety show didn’t last much longer.

Soon after, once this episode ended, they each returned home, and Li Wan no longer had to share a room with the man she fantasized about.

Once home, Chi Yan didn’t stay long either. As a popular triple-golden award-winning actor, he was very busy and had to leave for his schedules after only a few days’ rest.

Li Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief. With no one around, her reckless, love-struck brain could finally cool down.

But that wasn’t enough.

She really couldn’t always be around Chi Yan.

After careful consideration, she decided to contact Sister Chen, Chi Yan’s agent who had previously extended an olive branch, expressing that she wanted to enter the entertainment industry.

Sister Chenwas action-oriented and already interested in her. Without consulting Chi Yan, she quickly arranged a gig.

It was a shoot with a rising young actor, a slightly popular ‘sweet boy’ type.

Chi Yan returned home that afternoon after finishing his schedule. Not seeing his little kitten at home, he called Sister Chen and found out about it.

He immediately frowned. “I said she’s not suited for this industry.”

Chen Jie thought, “The contract’s signed; it’s too late to regret now,” and smiled on the surface: “Wait, are you really planning to keep her forever?

“Chi Yan, she’s a person, not a cat or dog. She has her own life. She wanted to work. As an adult, she has the right to make her own choices. You can’t keep restricting her.”

Chi Yan replied without hesitation, “She can do anything if she wants to work. Sister Chen, you know this industry very well…”

Sister Chen shook her head with a smile.

“Chi Yan, you’re overthinking because you care too much.

“Do you think just because you can succeed in this industry, she can’t? Besides, if anything happens, aren’t you there to protect her?

“Fine,” she sighed, “if you really disagree, I can’t do anything. Clearly, she listens to you more.

“But I think you could first watch her at work and then make a decision.”

Chi Yan pressed his lips into a straight line. Thinking of the girl’s sparkling apricot eyes, he finally felt a temporary sense of relief.

He asked Sister Chen for the location and went with her to pick up Li Wan after her first shoot.

---

But he had no intention of telling the little kitten about these dark things.

For such a soft little cat, it was best if she could just be held in his palm, untouched by the darkness and wind outside.

Li Wan didn’t notice anything wrong. After getting excited by herself for a while, she plopped back onto the bed and lazily flicked through Weibo with her small, pouting feet.

When she came back to her senses, the man was kneeling beside her with a foot bath, holding her ankles and guiding her feet into the water.

The little kitten was startled and nearly jumped up. After realizing what was happening, she stared blankly at the man crouched in front of her.

Her two-legger really wasn’t suited for doing things like this.

He gave off the impression of a dignified winter night, his whole presence noble and composed, as if it were perfectly normal for him to stand on a spotlighted awards stage or in a luxurious restaurant.

But now…

No matter how she looked at him, it felt strange.

Yet the man’s thick, black eyelashes drooped slightly, and his fingers moved gently on her ankles, as if handling a rare treasure.

“Boom,” Li Wan felt as if a sudden flame had ignited inside her. Her delicate, translucent earlobes turned a messy pink, and she stammered as she spoke, “You… I—I already took a bath!”

Chi Yan seemed not to notice the little cat’s panic. He submerged her feet in the warm water, his voice still calm.

“Weren’t you weren’t running around barefoot just now?
“Dirty.”

Li Wan froze even more.

Perhaps because all her attention was focused on her feet, her skin suddenly felt extraordinarily sensitive. Every movement of his hands felt unusually noticeable.

A little ticklish.

But this ticklishness wasn’t like usual. It seemed to radiate from her blood, flowing into her heart and making her entire face flush.

“I…”

The little kitten didn’t realize that her voice was soft enough to almost squeeze out water, like she was being coquettish. “I can do it myself.”

Chi Yan didn’t lift his eyes.

So the little kitten didn’t know that his deep peach blossom eyes were filled with dense desire.

His voice was low.

“It’s fine.
“It’ll be done soon.”

The girl’s feet were fair and delicate, her soles tinged with a soft pink, as if lightly blushed.

Chi Yan could clearly sense her reactions. Though he liked it, he restrained himself and worked faster.

He was on the verge of losing control.

But for now, Wanwan was still too young and naive. If he acted on impulse, she would definitely be scared.

It really finished quickly.

But when Li Wan heard him say, “It’s done,” it felt to her as if a century had passed.

A thin layer of sweat formed on her skin, her face burning red. If she were a marshmallow, she would have melted into sweet syrup by now.

She lifted her head to look at Chi Yan, her almond-shaped eyes misty, the corners red, looking pitiful yet carrying an indescribable aura.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Li Wan felt the color of his eyes seemed especially deep at this moment, like an unfathomable deep sea. One glance could drag the soul straight into a whirlpool.

Li Wan pressed her lips together, her ears burning even redder.

It felt strange.

They hadn’t even spoken, yet the atmosphere in the room was like water in a pot, heating higher as time passed.

It felt a little…

Ambiguous.

The moment the word popped into her mind, Li Wan felt her chest seared, and she didn’t dare think any further.

How could she… think such messy thoughts? That was her butler, after all.

Fortunately, the man didn’t look at her. Carrying the foot bath, he returned to the bedroom, letting Li Wan finally breathe properly.

She tried desperately to calm herself, but because this was Chi Yan’s room, filled with his unique presence, the more she tried, the faster her heart raced.

“Mmm.”

She pressed her lips together, hesitated, then suddenly “popped” into little kitten mode and darted out the door.

It was already quite late. Everyone had returned to their rooms, and the villa’s first-floor living room became the quietest place.

Li Wan jumped onto the cat climbing frame by the floor-to-ceiling window, lying in the capsule like a salted fish, staring blankly at the garden outside.

It wasn’t until the evening breeze blew through the window that she felt the warmth in her feet slightly ease.

Just then, she heard a sound from the platform above the capsule. Looking up, she was startled.

It turned out she wasn’t the only cat here.

Xixi was a little exasperated: “I got here first. Didn’t you see me?”

Li Wan, still in a daze, apologized: “Sorry.”

Xixi clicked its tongue lightly.

It was a sensitive cat and noticed that this little white kitten seemed to have some trouble, so it pricked up its ears unconsciously: “What’s wrong with you?”

Li Wan: “Huh?”

Xixi flicked its tail: “Are you upset?”

It thought, since this little white kitten was still young, if she really was upset, as the older one, it could try to guide her.

Li Wan stayed quiet for a moment, slightly touched. She climbed out of the capsule and tried to nuzzle it : “Uuuu, Xixi, I thought you didn’t like me very much, but you’re just like Mama Qingqing, such a good person… no, you’re a good cat!”

But Xixi took two steps back: “What are you doing?”

The little male cat seemed a little angry: “I don’t mean anything like that! You smell too strong. Don’t get it on me!”

Huh?

What smell?

Li Wan stared at him blankly.

Seeing her expression, Xixi realized that this poor little kitten had been separated from her mother from an early age and probably had no idea what was going on now.

He pouted slightly, thinking as an older cat he should patiently explain: “You smell… like you’re in heat.”

In heat?!

“!!!!!”

Li Wan froze even more, and her mind flashed back to the scene of the butler washing her feet just now.

The man’s fingers were clearly jointed, with faint calluses on his palms, and wherever they touched, a shiver ran across her skin. His hands were beautiful; veins subtly traced across the backs, and even when he held her ankle, there was an air of lofty elegance.

Very… sexy.

“!!!”

Realizing what she had just been thinking, Li Wan’s head went *boom,* and it felt as if both her cat ears were on fire.

Xixi took two steps back repeatedly: “Control your thoughts! So disgusting!”

But Li Wan couldn’t hear anything anymore.

Her mind was left with only one sentence: ‘The scent on you is… making me aroused.’

Aroused!!

The little kitten felt like the sky was collapsing!!

Could it be that she was really this… desperate? Chi Yan was her two-legger! She was his little kitten!!

How could she have any improper thoughts about Chi Yan!!

Wuwuwuwuwuwu!!!

Seeing her on the verge of breaking down, Xixi roughly guessed what she might be thinking and comforted her.

“Don’t worry too much.
“All kittens go through this stage, and given your age, it shouldn’t be true estrus—it’s probably pseudo-estrus.
“Hang in there; this feeling will fade soon, and you’ll return to normal.”

After a long while, Li Wan finally drew a bit of strength from its words: “Is… is that really so?”

The little kitten tilted her head back in despair, looking at Xixi.

This expression was indeed cute.

No wonder Mama Qingqing always liked to pet her.

At this age, still an undeveloped kitten, having a sudden pseudo-estrus panic was perfectly normal.

Thinking this, Xixi’s tone softened with some indulgence: “If it really can’t be helped, find another male cat to mate. That’ll fix it immediately.”

The cat didn’t have a concept of random mating, nor did it think ‘mate’ was something too awkward to say. It spoke as if it were perfectly natural.

Li Wan: “……”

She was stunned, unable to respond for a long while.

By the time she recovered, Xixi had already jumped down from the cat tree after dropping that line and quietly returned to Du Qingqing’s room.

“Or you can just go get some fresh air.
“You’re so annoying. Absolutely do not come near me these two days!”

It wasn’t that smelling such scents would make it physically restless; its… bits were long gone.

It just reminded it of the fact that they weren’t there anymore.

*Meowww…*

Truly a sorrowful matter for a cat.

After it left, the living room fell silent again.

Li Wan sat alone for a long time before slowly accepting the reality of her pseudo-estrus.

It was fine.

She tried to console herself.

She was already a little kitten, happily eating her cat food—what was wrong with having a pseudo-estrus?

Ha, ha.

Her little cat face looked pitiful as she cried a bit, and though her mind was still a mess, the scorching heat in her body gradually cooled under the night breeze, perhaps dulled by the sheer shock of the words pseudo-estrus.

Once she calmed herself down, she cautiously returned to her soft, plush kitten bed provided by the production crew.

Perhaps her mind was too full, because she didn’t have insomnia and soon fell into a deep sleep.

But she didn’t know that…

After hearing the kitten’s breathing gradually steady, the man who should have already been asleep on the bed suddenly opened his eyes and quietly sat up.

Chi Yan silently watched the small white fluff in the kitten bed.

He still remembered what this little kitten looked like when she was first sent to him.

Her fur had been cleaned, but her chin was still dark, whiskers uneven, and the rest of her fur messy and dull. Some parts were badly matted, and during the production crew’s bath, it couldn’t be combed out, so it had to be cut, leaving bald patches here and there.

Thin, little meat on her bones—such a pitiful little kitten.

Now, she looked completely different.

The missing fur had grown back, and after a few trims, she looked perfectly neat, with some meat on her body. Sleeping there as a tiny bundle, she looked like she had been carefully nurtured.

Adorable.

He had raised her to be this way.

Possessiveness silently spread in the man’s eyes.

How could he allow anything else to take his little kitten away?

She was born to stay with him forever.

Chi Yan closed his eyes, forcefully suppressing the intense, dark obsession in his peach-blossom eyes, and returned to his usual calm, composed appearance.

He moved very lightly as he walked over to the sleeping little kitten and picked her up.

Kittens were alert creatures, especially those who had once been strays, but once Li Wan sensed his scent, she merely shifted in his arms, curling herself into a more comfortable position. She didn’t even open her eyes before sinking back into deep sleep.

She trusted him that much.

The man’s gaze clung tightly to the little kitten. After a long while, a short, indistinct chuckle floated out from the darkness.

“Heh.”

---

“Mm…”

A girl’s voice drifted out from within the foggy bathroom, inevitably tinged with damp heat — sounding as if in pain, yet also like she was drowning in pleasure.

The voice felt strangely familiar to Li Wan. The kitten’s strong curiosity pushed her to slowly part the mist and move forward step by step.

Finally, the ambiguous sounds grew nearer.

She followed the sounds and froze on the spot.

It was a large bath.

A girl was pressed against the cold wall of the bath by a man. She faced away from him, and her fair, delicate back was marked all over with bluish-purple kiss marks.

She seemed to be suffering, yet also deriving intense pleasure. Her swan-like neck arched back uncontrollably, and her body trembled finely as if unable to endure it.

“Mm… Brother…”

She made a sound involuntarily, and Li Wan froze. The voice was exactly like hers—

And the man moving behind the girl… his face finally emerged through the heavy steam.

It was Chi Yan.

With a loud *boom,* Li Wan’s world collapsed. She jerked awake and realized she had been dreaming.

A spring dream.

She had had a spring dream.

And the subject of that dream was the last person she should have such thoughts about. Her butler, Chi Yan.

Her eyes widened. Her chest rose and fell violently until her breathing gradually steadied. Only then did she notice her current situation.

Last night, she had deliberately slept in her cat bed to avoid any suspicion. Yet somehow she’d woken up back on the human bed.

Her butler’s familiar scent surrounded her, strong enough to make her feel safe. And at the same time, made her whole body feel feverish.

“……”

Li Wan bit down hard on her lip. Finally unable to handle it anymore, she let out a soft, wet sob and scrambled out of the room as quickly as she could while still trying not to make noise.

It was barely dawn. The villa hadn’t yet woken.

The little cat sat beside the cat tower for a long time before she finally sorted out what she had just done.

She…

She was a kitten raised by the two legger. And yet she had such bold, ridiculous thoughts about the two legger.

Far, far out of line.

Back when she was human, she had never liked anyone. But now, as a cat, she had fallen for her butler instead.

…Or maybe she didn’t actually like him.

Maybe she was just horny.

Thirsting after her butler’s body.

Realizing this made Li Wan even more distressed. Her gaze turned empty as she licked her dry lips.

She absolutely could not face the two legger.

How could she be like this?

If Chi Yan knew what kind of unspeakable thoughts she was having, he would definitely think she was a pervert.

…She wasn’t even the same species.

Li Wan felt like dying.

Her little brain was a jumbled mess, like a ball of yarn hopelessly tangled around her paws, no matter how she tried to sort it out.

After two hours of thinking, when people in the villa were starting to wake and begin their day, she finally managed to piece together a plan.

No matter what—

She needed to stay away from her butler for now.

…Maybe if they kept some distance, her bold, shameless impulses would settle down.

So when he woke and tried to find her, she hid, secretly watching him from afar.

And honestly, it wasn’t entirely her fault she had such shameless thoughts about him, Li Wan thought. She couldn’t take all the blame.

Chi Yan was simply too good-looking, every feature perfectly aligned with her tastes.

What was the little kitten supposed to do?

The little kitten was helpless too!

After a while, when more and more people filled the living room, she finally emerged into his line of sight, reluctantly informing him that he didn’t need to keep searching, the kitten was safe.

But she still deliberately ignored the human.

Even during breakfast, when some of the canned food smeared onto her whiskers and Chi Yan tried to wipe it off for her, she immediately jumped away. Instead, she walked over to Du Qingqing and let her do it.

Li Xiaoyun blinked in surprise.

“Hey!
“No wonder something felt off this morning! Wanwan didn’t glue herself to Brother Chi today!”

Du Qingqing raised a brow.

“What’s going on?
“Did Brother Chi and Wanwan have a fight?”

Li Wan felt so guilty she wanted to bury herself alive. She hugged her burning cat ears.

Chi Yan simply smiled. “Probably upset I offended her somehow. She’s sulking.”

His tone was light, but to Li Wan it sounded loaded with meaning.

Thank goodness she was a kitten right now. Her face was covered in fur, so no one could see her true emotions. Otherwise, she really would bang her head on tofu and die.

Xixi, however, seemed to notice something. When the guests were busy with a task, it asked, “What happened between you and your Papa?”

At the word ‘Papa’, Li Wan’s whole cat body jolted. Her shame skyrocketed.

Right. Lots of furry babies saw their owners as parents, and many humans saw their pets as their children!

Using human terms, Chi Yan was basically her adoptive father…

And she had impure thoughts about her adoptive father?!

Even worse!!

Li Wan was on the verge of tears, her apricot eyes shimmering with intense moisture as she cried out in despair:

“Xixi…
“I… I actually like my Papa… Wuwuwuwu, I actually want… forbidden… love… wuwuwuwu…”

Xixi tilted its head, and after some effort, managed to pick out a few words from the little white kitten’s muffled, hiccupping voice, at least piecing together what she was trying to say.

It had seen the world and casually flicked its tail.

“It’s okay. Don’t cry.
“It’s just your Papa, so what’s wrong? We cats don’t have incest laws anyway.”

“……”

Li Wan completely broke down, letting out a loud “Waaah!”

Xixi’s eyes widened. It couldn’t understand why its comforting didn’t help, and why the little kitten seemed to be getting even worse?!

It perked up its ears and spun its head, thinking quickly, but didn’t think for long. It saw the little kitten’s human coming from a distance.

Xixi thought for a moment, then leapt aside twice, deciding to leave the space for them.

After all, humans have a saying: ‘He who tied the bell must untie it.’ Let them solve it themselves!!

When Chi Yan walked over, his kitten had buried her face in the fluffy mat, softly whining, sounding just like she was imitating a human crying.

He couldn’t hold back and a smile immediately appeared in his eyes. He didn’t speak, just quietly watched her from the side.

After a little while, the kitten seemed to notice something. Her pitiful *wuwuwu* gradually quieted. Like a little turtle, she slowly lifted her head, revealing her clear, dual-colored eyes on the fluffy mat.

They looked at each other.

It felt like time had stopped.

And Li Wan: “….”

“….”

“….”

What… what… what is happening?!!!

She had been crying seriously just now and had no idea when this annoying human had crept up behind her!!

The things she just said… there’s no way he heard them, right?!

Just thinking about it made Li Wan feel like the sky was falling T_AT!

Her little kitten self could never be human again in this lifetime!!!

---

The production team was very thoughtful, choosing a scenic spot that was well-known locally.

The scenery here was indeed beautiful. Even the scorching summer seemed to soften as they passed through, with the wind flowing through layers of overlapping leaves, rustling softly.

Their picnic spot was by a small stream, and the gentle sound of the water made even the cicadas’ buzzing seem gentle in the background.

Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many tourists around. From a glance, only a few scattered small tents could be seen. By the time they reached the place where they planned to set up their tents, other people’s voices were basically inaudible.

Li Wan had hardly ever gone on a picnic with friends. Back in high school, there was a picnic organized by her uncle’s family.

At that time, her aunt had said that having one more person would cost a lot more, so Li Wan lied, saying she had to prepare for next week’s exams, and didn’t go.

Now that they had arrived, her excitement bubbled over. She sniffed around here and there on her leash, while Chi Yan walked slowly behind her, leash in hand, making it look like the little kitten was taking the foolish human for a walk.

*Meow meow!*

When she saw a small bug, she tugged twice to break free and pounced toward it—but she knew her limits. She understood that running around recklessly as a little kitten could be dangerous. She would run a little and then stop, sitting still to wait for her butler.

【Folks… I don’t know if I should say this.】

【Haha, if you won’t say it, I will. Brother Chi really looks like he’s being walked by Wanwan like a big dog!】

【Damn it!】

【It’s actually a bit cute!!】

Once they reached the spot, they began setting up the tents themselves. They planned to pitch three tents in total. Du Qingqing and Li Xiaoyun, the two girls, were arranging the picnic mats.

The animals were tied nearby, but Li Wan had more freedom. When she got tired of playing around, she would go bother her butler.

It was quite amusing.

Li Wan tilted her head, looking at the man silently indulging her.

Humans were such fickle creatures. She still remembered how disgusted Chi Yan had looked when they first met, and yet, in such a short time, he was now indulging her like this.

Sigh.

Indeed, what the netizens said was right: if someone at home doesn’t approve of keeping a little kitten, just hand them over to the kitten!

The kitten will soon tame the disobedient human!!

And she just happened to be the cutest, most sensible little kitten in the world!!

The little cat puffed up its chest proudly.

After tidying up, the guests settled around, chatting casually.

Although everyone still didn’t feel very close to Fu Shilin, the relaxed environment made the atmosphere far less stiff than before. Even Du Qingqing had unintentionally exchanged a few words with Fu Shilin.

Everyone was leisurely, except for…

Li Wan looked toward her butler.

He hadn’t really said much.

Although the little kitten knew that the two-legger weren’t exactly virtuous, he usually maintained a good facade in front of others.

Now, however, he didn’t seem interested in pretending and kept daydreaming.

The little kitten blinked and quietly observed him.

Xixi walked over and invited her: “Mama said she’ll take me to the shallow water to catch fish. Do you want to come?”

Li Wan hesitated. Although the idea of playing in the water with Mama Qingqing was tempting…

She looked at her butler and declined: “Never mind, you go ahead.”

Xixi tried to persuade her again but, following her gaze, instantly fell silent.

Well, it wasn’t unaware. This kitten only liked to stick to her own butler.

Xixi walked over to follow Du Qingqing, who waved at Li Wan: “We’ll be back soon. I’ll bring some little fish for Wanwan!”

The other guests were also occupied with their own things. Li Wan glanced around, finally stood up, shook her fur, and jumped onto her human’s lap.

*Meow meow?*

—”What are you thinking?”

Hearing the sound, Chi Yan’s thoughts were abruptly pulled back, and his gaze landed on the little kitten in his arms.

Her eyes were truly beautiful—moist, clear, without any impurities, like a fine piece of craftsmanship that reflected brilliant light under the sun.

He paused. The little kitten hadn’t really done anything, but at that moment, he inexplicably felt a gentle warmth in his chest.

It was as if a beggar walking through a harsh winter night suddenly received a precious ray of sunlight.

He curved his lips slightly and said in a calm tone: “I wasn’t thinking anything.”

Indeed, he wasn’t thinking of anything in particular. He was just recalling some events from long ago, so distant they now felt dreamlike.

Back when he was still in kindergarten.

At that time, his father hadn’t had the accident, and his family was the kind people envied for their perfect life. His mother still treated him well.

They had once had a picnic here too, just less than fifty meters from this spot.

Over the years, the basic infrastructure of the scenic area hadn’t changed much. The trees and plants were the same, the stream was the same, and even the sunlight filtering through the dense leaves now was almost identical to how he remembered it.

In a daze,

He seemed to be back there.

He had only wandered a little farther out of curiosity. If someone came near, his mother would gently call him back.

It was as beautiful as sunlight playing on bubbles.

But now, everything was different.

The man’s dark peach-blossom eyes dimmed slightly, and the corners of his lips quietly straightened a little.

Li Wan saw it clearly.

For some reason, her own eyes began to sting as well. She really didn’t like seeing her butler show that kind of expression.

She wasn’t stupid. Even if Chi Yan never said it directly, she could more or less guess what it was about.

Nothing more than that biological mother who pushed all the blame onto a young child and then mercilessly abandoned him.

Li Wan pursed her lips.

She couldn’t understand it no matter how she thought about it.

Her own parents also passed away when she was very young. Back then, her family had a small business. Her father made a bad investment and lost a lot of money. In a rush to get to the company, he got into a car accident.

Her father lay in a hospital bed for half a year. Her mother ran everywhere for money during that time. When her father eventually couldn’t hold on and passed away, her mother—crushed beneath a mountain of debt—chose to end her own life. Even then, they were still thinking about her.

To make sure she could grow up healthy and safe, her mother paid off as much debt as she could. Afraid that loan sharks would come looking for her daughter, she transferred Li Wan’s household registration to her uncle and publicly claimed she was his child.

Later, she entrusted her to her uncle, and worried that her aunt might mistreat her, she gave her uncle’s family a lot of money.

Maybe her parents lacked the ability, but Li Wan had always been certain of one thing since childhood: they loved her very much.

Comparing that to this, she understood even less. Her two‑legger was also a piece of flesh that came from his mother. How could that woman treat him like that?

How could a mother be so heartless?

And it wasn’t as though that woman didn’t know how to be a mother. On the contrary, hadn’t she been doing just fine playing mother to Fu Shilin?

Li Wan shook her head slightly, sighed, then lifted her little head and pressed her fluffy ears against the man’s neck.

*Meow. Meow meow.*

—”Don’t be sad. This little cat will always be here with you.”

---

Fu Shilin looked around, making sure none of the guests were paying attention to him, then sneakily stood up and followed the direction Du Qingqing had left in earlier.

He hadn’t walked far before he saw Du Qingqing sitting on a stone protruding from the creek, playing in the water.

Today she wore a mint‑green long dress, her smooth hair braided and draped over her chest. She had lifted her dress, and her fair calves were submerged in the crystal‑clear stream. She looked just like an elegant, pure ancient‑style washerwoman.

His taste was truly impeccable.

Such a Du Qingqing, only he was worthy of her. How could that bastard Chi Yan possibly compete with him?!

A heavy possessiveness gradually filled his gaze as he stared fixedly at Du Qingqing’s back.

It was Xixi who noticed him first. The cat tensed up, swimming from the center of the creek to the rock, shaking off water while glaring at him warily: *Meow!!*

Hearing the sound, Du Qingqing looked over and saw him. She seemed surprised, but also as though she really didn’t want to see him. She frowned. “Fu Shilin? Did you come for something?”

Fu Shilin forced himself to take a few steps forward. “Qingqing, can’t I come find you even if I don’t have anything to say?”

Du Qingqing was speechless and rolled her eyes at him, not bothering to look again.

A knife twisted in Fu Shilin’s heart, and at the same time, he hated Chi Yan even more—hated him so much he wanted to eat his flesh and drink his blood, wanted to see him hated by the whole internet and never recover for the rest of his life.

Du Qingqing used to treat him very well. If it weren’t for that damned Chi Yan, they might already be together.

Fu Shilin took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“Qingqing, I came to explain things clearly.
“I know your impression of me right now must be terrible. But I really like you. I know you used to have feelings for me too. It’s only because of the things that happened lately that you…”

He gave a bitter smile. “What I said yesterday wasn’t my true intention. I like you—I respect you—”

The more he talked, the more wronged he felt. His eyes even reddened as he acted, adjusting his posture so that the more pitiful half of his face faced her.

He felt he had already done everything he could. Du Qingqing was so soft‑hearted, there was no way she wouldn’t forgive him!

However—

Du Qingqing cut him off directly. “Enough.”

Her expression was calm, as though his tear‑filled, heart‑splitting speech stirred nothing in her.

“Fu Shilin.
“Don’t you think the things you’re saying sound ridiculous? I know exactly what kind of person you are. You don’t need to put on a show in front of me.
“From the way you treated Qiu Tian before, I already saw you clearly. We’re not suitable. We shouldn’t be together.
“As for the things you said yesterday, whether they were sincere or not, you know that very well. I’ll just consider it a misjudgment on my part. No need for explanations.”

Fu Shilin froze.

He had expected her impression of him to be bad, but he never imagined she had already decided not to give him any chance.

All his earlier confidence evaporated, replaced by panic.

“Qingqing—
“I’ve already explained the past. I’ve already clarified things for the fans…”

Du Qingqing remained indifferent. “I saw your clarification. Whether it reflects the truth, you know better than anyone.”

Fu Shilin stiffened. He felt as if even his soul had turned cold. His lips moved, but no words came out.

After a long silence, like something suddenly snapped in his mind, his expression twisted.

“Du Qingqing, don’t push me.
“Don’t forget who I am! Someone like you, being liked by me is your blessing! With just one sentence from me, you can forget about ever surviving in this industry again!!”

Fu Shilin waited for the girl in front of him to show a look of fear, but no matter how long he waited, Du Qingqing’s expression remained calm.

She sighed, her tone still cold:

“Do as you please.
“Young Master Fu, it seems you still don’t really understand me. Honestly, if you had said something like this earlier, I might have actually been scared.
“You know I love acting. My goal is to become as excellent an actor as Brother Chi. If you threatened me, telling me I couldn’t act anymore, I might indeed have been afraid. But now…”

She smiled.

“I’ve thought it through.
“Acting is my passion, but it’s not my whole life. If I can’t act, I’ll feel regret, but I won’t regret my choice.”

Fu Shilin’s gaze froze.

Suddenly, he felt fear.

The Du Qingqing in front of him seemed no longer to be the girl he had imagined. After experiencing so much in the entertainment industry, she was still herself, but she had already grown.

He couldn’t threaten her.

Fu Shilin clenched his fists tightly. A sense of panic, as if he were about to lose something important, spread through his entire body. He couldn’t help but take a step forward: “Du Qingqing!”

Du Qingqing frowned slightly, but her tone remained steady:

“Fu Shilin.
“We’re on the show, the variety program is still live, countless people are watching. What exactly are you planning to do?”

“!!!”

Fu Shilin seemed to be jolted awake by her words. His face turned pale, and he immediately turned and ran backward.

Only after he had gone far did Du Qingqing slowly retract her gaze.

She actually felt a bit regretful.

She had never denied that she once had feelings for Fu Shilin. She had thought that, despite his high status, he had a pure heart and that his liking for her came from genuine affection.

But now…

She shook her head and lowered it, starting to use a towel to slowly dry Xixi’s wet fur.

---

Today, Li Wan had been taking care of her butler’s mood all day.

She was afraid her butler would feel upset thinking about his biological mother, so she clung to him, trying to cheer him up, completely unaware that as she tried to please him, a faint smile gradually grew in his peach-blossom-shaped eyes.

On the other side, Li Xiaoyun and Zhou Jia noticed and exchanged a glance, both finding it quite amusing.

Teacher Chi seemed like a very aloof person, but privately, he was actually quite fun, teasing the little cat until she was completely fixated on him.

The little cat’s attention was limited, and since it was all given to her butler, there was hardly any left for anyone else.

So, when they returned, she suddenly realized she hadn’t seen Fu Shilin for a while.

Huh?

She was a bit curious.

Logically, with Mama Qingqing present, why would that annoying guy have left first?

Just then, she heard the voices of the director and assistant director:

“I really can’t stand it. Fu Shilin, why did I even agree to let him join this variety show?!
“Our show never intended to make much money! And now look at this mess!!
“And Qiu Tian—damn it. He was just a stray dog. Originally, he would have been euthanized for not being adopted, and we brought him onto the show to do a good deed. And now look! Qiu Tian would have been better off dead!!
“Ah, I really didn’t expect him to be this kind of person. He looks all proper, but he’s so cruel to dogs!!”

“I’ll find Qiu Tian a new home as soon as possible.”

“Not just Qiu Tian. Honestly, I can’t stand this. When we get back, you talk to Fu Shilin’s agent about canceling the contract. I swear!!”

“But their Fu family…”

“Their Fu family? Just return the money, find new investors. If no investors, then forget it. This was meant to be a public welfare variety show! Damn it!!
“I just can’t believe it. This is a law-abiding society, how can the Fu family just ruin me like this?!
“Sounds like they’re the only ones dominating the market—ugh!”

“……”

Even though they were trying to lower their voices, it was clear that the two directors were extremely frustrated with Fu Shilin’s behavior.

Li Wan’s ears perked up more and more as she listened, but unfortunately, she couldn’t hear clearly beyond that point.

Her curiosity was almost unbearable. What had Fu Shilin done to make the two directors explode like that?

She leaned her head out of the car window, intending to listen more carefully, but in the next second, a large hand pressed her head down and shoved her back into the car.

Chi Yan lowered his gaze at her, his tone casual: “Stay safe.”

His voice was pleasant. Li Wan felt something brush lightly against her heart, and she instantly obeyed, burying her head in her paws.

Wuwuwuwu.

This human was quite charming!

Yet he seemed unaware of anything, reaching out with a slightly cool hand to pinch the tip of her ear.

“!!!!”

Li Wan’s ears were extremely sensitive. The pinch made her shiver, her ears burning as the warmth instantly spread through her whole body, making her feel like her entire little cat body had melted into a puddle.

In a daze, she heard the man chuckle softly and ask, “Why are you so hot? Wanwan?”

Li Wan pressed her lips together, trying to calm her racing heartbeat, pretending to be asleep without a sound.

It wasn’t until they got to the hotel that she finally remembered her curiosity about Fu Shilin. After playing a bit with the two-legger and finishing dinner, she ran back to her room and took out her phone to scroll through Weibo.

What she found was quite shocking. This matter with Fu Shilin isn’t small at all. It directly pushed this variety show to the top of the trending list, with the headline: #Fu Shilin Abuses Dogs#.

Accompanying the article was a live video from the show that hadn’t been edited in time. Qiu Tian was tied to a tree, and Fu Shilin was shown aggressively punching and kicking it, all while cursing and swearing.

The reaction from netizens was intense:

【Holy sh*t!!!】

【This trash is even allowed on a pet variety show?!!】

【I’m seriously disgusted. Who actually believed that garbage’s previous ‘clarifications’? Look at how he’s abusing Qiu Tian!】

【Unbelievable. Why hasn’t the production team kicked him off yet?!】

【Why else? It’s because his family is rich!!】

【Wasn’t the Fu family already investigated last time? They got caught, yet so many people still praise him?!】

【It’s just a dog! You guys are cyberbullying our brother over a dog? Can you not be so disgusting!】

【What is his studio even doing? Send these people a lawyer’s notice already!!】

【Little girl, study more before coming out to fangirl.】

【This kind of person even has fans?! It’s because people like him are still active in the entertainment industry that others copy this kind of pet abuse!!】

【I beg CCTV¹ to pay attention and just ban this dog-abusing trash!!】

【Can the production team have any conscience? They’re getting all this viewership and hype thanks to the animals, yet they let Fu Shilin abuse them!!!】

Soon after, the show’s production team released an announcement, roughly stating that Fu Shilin’s behavior was indeed excessive. They strongly condemned his actions, decided to terminate his contract citing breach, and would sue him for damages.

At this point, Fu Shilin’s pet abuse was indisputable. No matter how much some of his younger fans tried to justify him, it was useless. The number of his followers plummeted.

Because the Fu Corporation had already been reported previously, they didn’t dare openly support him this time; at most, they secretly hired a few internet commenters to give him some backing.

But this time, public anger was undeniable. Fu Shilin had been nailed to the pillar of pet-abuse shame. The more people defended him, the angrier netizens became, practically wishing to tear him apart alive.

Even Fu Shilin, who had quickly clarified via live broadcast last time, inexplicably didn’t respond this time. Many fans had been waiting for him to explain, but seeing him act like this, they lost all patience.

What’s there to wait for? Clearly, he felt guilty.

Many fans now considered him a fraud. He not only abused a pet but also deceived them and broke their trust. They immediately unfollowed and lashed out at him, harsher than some random strangers would.

For a time, Fu Shilin became a public enemy. Even some notorious entertainers quietly posted criticisms of him, using it to build their own image of integrity.

Li Wan had never felt so satisfied online. Netizens had practically tailored a meme just for her feelings: (The thrill of seeing someone you’ve always disliked finally exposed for being as bad as you thought!.jpg)

Although she didn’t actively join in the cursing, she registered an account and quietly liked all the critical comments under his Weibo posts, scrolling and clicking along happily. She was overjoyed. It was so satisfying!!!

When her butler finally returned to the room, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She hopped over without even putting on her shoes:

“Brother!!
“Look! Quick, look!!!”

Chi Yan lowered his gaze along with her pointing, his eyes landing first on the girl’s sparkling apricot-colored eyes, and he paused.

Li Wan didn’t notice anything odd and continued excitedly.

“It’s Fu Shilin! He’s been exposed!!
“Everyone knows he abused Qiu Tian, and the production team announced they’ve terminated his contract!! We won’t have to see him for the next few days!!”

Chi Yan raised an eyebrow but wasn’t surprised at all.

Or, to be precise, he had perhaps played a tiny part in pushing things along.

---

1. CCTV (China Central Television) is the national tv broadcaster in China. ↩︎

---

Th-This… is this really true?

Li Wan’s whole cat form froze, her little brain completely stalled. She didn’t even dare recall what had been running through her mind since watching the live broadcast yesterday.

She could feel the smile in the man’s peach-blossom eyes growing stronger. Flustered beyond words, she simply twisted her head and, *bang*, transformed back into a kitten, burrowing herself into the blanket.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed she heard a low chuckle from outside the blanket, coming from the man.

Li Wan’s furry face heated even more, and she pretended not to have heard anything.

Damn it.

So embarrassing for a cat!!

Fortunately, her two-legger was magnanimous and didn’t make a fuss. Soon, he patted her little head through the blanket. “I’m going to shower. You play by yourself.”

The little kitten let out a soft *meow*, acknowledging that she had heard him.

Only after she heard the bathroom door open and close did she quietly crawl out from under the blanket.

The necklace box that Chi Yan had put away was on the bedside table.

The little kitten peeked toward the bathroom, making sure the two-legger wasn’t watching, then painstakingly opened the box.

The necklace was truly beautiful, worthy of being chosen by Mama Qingqing.

Although the stones weren’t real pink diamonds, they still sparkled brilliantly under the light.

This was a gift from the two-legger.

Though not expensive—he’d bought her many pricier things before—this was Chi Yan’s first genuine gift to her.

The little kitten’s eyes reddened slightly as she looked at it. Sniffling softly, she nudged her furry head against the necklace.

Thank you, butler.

Thank you, Chi Yan.

Chi Yan really was the best two-legger in the world!

---

Perhaps because the guests had a rough time the previous afternoon, the production team finally decided to be considerate. They arranged a picnic for the next day, providing all the necessary items, so the guests only needed to bring themselves and their pets.

Since the destination was a scenic area far from where they were, they had to wake up early.

Chi Yan was fine. He’d been in a good mood the night before, and listening to the little kitten’s purring, his sleep quality had improved dramatically.

Li Wan, however, was miserable.

The night before, the two-legger had slept without wearing a shirt. He said his pajamas were still damp, so he was lying naked on the same bed as the little kitten.

Even though sharing a bed wasn’t new for one person and one cat, and Li Wan was in her cat form, she still couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning.

It was as if, without that layer of clothing, the two-legger had broken a seal. The scent of his body wash, mixed with the unique aggression of an adult man, was especially strong in the dark. Whenever she got too close, it felt as though she might be overwhelmed by this inexplicably blush-inducing, heart-pounding smell.

By the time dawn approached, she had no choice but to crawl out from the blankets and curl up in a small corner on the floor.

But the floor could never match the comfort of the two-legger’s bed. She barely managed a nap before the production team’s wake-up alarm rang.

“…”

Li Wan was utterly exhausted, but she was a clean little cat. Even though her eyes could barely stay open, she insisted on crawling to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Chi Yan was still in the middle of washing up.

She jumped onto the sink and waited for the two-legger to finish and help her.

But she was really tired, so tired that she could barely control her furry body. Her butt tilted, knocking over Chi Yan’s toothbrush cup with a *clatter*.

“!!!”

The little kitten’s drowsiness vanished instantly. Her fur bristled as she froze, and when she realized what had happened, guilt immediately spread across her furry face.

Ah, he’s definitely going to be mad!

That thought flashed in the little kitten’s head, and she quickly put on an innocent expression, looking up at him with her watery, dual-colored eyes.

It wasn’t intentional!

But to her surprise, Chi Yan didn’t say anything. He merely glanced at her lightly, picked up the cup, refilled it with water, and put it back on the sink.

Wow.

The little kitten blinked slowly.

She felt a silent tolerance.

But, as everyone knows, a cat is never one to forgive so easily.

Li Wan observed cautiously for a while. Seeing that the human’s attention was still on her, she reached out her plushy, little claws in front of him.

Look at me.

*Meow*.

Her little paws eagerly dipped into the water cup.

“…”

The human still didn’t react, and it was as if all his usual cleanliness quirks had vanished.

“!!!!”

The little kitten thought this was the most fun thing ever!!!

She tried to dip her paws into the cup again, but before she could succeed, her head was lightly tapped by the human.

“Tsk, don’t be naughty.”

Li Wan obediently lowered her tail from the sink, the dark tip of it curling slightly like a girl’s secret thoughts.

On the way, Li Wan didn’t wiggle at all and fell asleep in the two legger’s arms almost immediately.

The cameraman in front saw this and smiled. “Wanwan, didn’t sleep well last night? You’re out cold the second you got on the car.”

“Yeah.”

A flicker of a smile passed through the man’s peach-blossom eyes, though his tone remained calm.

The little kitten’s soft tail draped over his wrist, fluffy and warm, tickling his skin slightly.

He mischievously pinched the tip of her tail, intentionally preventing her from moving. The sleeping little kitten noticed, frowned, let out a tiny whimper, and shifted her sleeping position.

【?? Who said Brother Chi doesn’t like the little kitten? I can see he likes her so much!!】

【The cat is willing to snuggle up to him, cat is good. Human disturbing cat sleep, human is bad!!!】

【Cats are good, humans are bad!!】

【Hahaha, how can someone be so cheeky? I really admire this, look at the little kitten getting impatient】

【Tsk tsk, Wanwan’s temper is really good. If it were my brat, I’d get a slap right in the face!】

【As an old fan of Brother Chi, I’m really thankful for Wanwan. With her around, Brother Chi feels so much warmer】

【I want to say it too】

【Thank you, little kitten Wanwan!】

【From a passerby perspective, Brother Chi is really better than Fu Shilin. Fu Shilin is a dog-abusing pervert, ugh】

Meanwhile, Fu Shilin read the comments clearly, his face darkening as if someone owed him millions and refused to pay.

The cameraman in front dared not speak, and the atmosphere in the car froze.

Suddenly, Fu Shilin seemed to remember something, sneered coldly, veins bulging as he gripped his phone.

—Chi Yan!!
—Bastard!!
—Don’t think you can just snatch Du Qingqing from me! Do you even know who you are?!!!

His expression grew darker and darker.

But at this moment, everything was against him. Du Qingqing already had a worsening impression of him, and seeing these comments online made it even worse.

This couldn’t go on.

---

Li Wan was stunned again.

It was that necklace she thought had been a gift for Mama Qingqing.

It was also the source of her earlier sulking.

Why had it suddenly been brought out to appease her?

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and an overwhelming sense of guilt surged through her like a massive tidal wave, dragging a kitten who wasn’t exactly skilled at swimming along with it.

This was originally a gift for Mama Qingqing.

Yet now, because of her own childish tantrum, her two-legger had chosen to use this necklace to placate her first.

In that instant, it almost felt like the kitten held a higher place in her two-legger’s heart than the girl he liked.

The kitten was shameless; she truly felt a sense of joy from her human’s action.

But…

How could this be right?

Panic set in.

She reflected on how mean she was being.

She really wanted to stretch out and take that beautiful necklace, to say thank you to Chi Yan.

But reason told her she couldn’t.

That necklace had originally been bought for Mama Qingqing. Even though her two-legger hadn’t given it to Mama Qingqing yet, there was no doubt it belonged to Mama Qingqing.

Setting aside the fact that she was just a minor character in the original novel, and Chi Yan was just the villain, looking purely at this situation, she still couldn’t do that.

The kitten felt even worse. Her head was a jumble of thoughts, too tangled to sort out. All she wanted was to revert to her cat form, to wrap herself up in her fluffy, soft tail.

She thought this, and she acted on it.

With a *thump,* she transformed back into a small, white, cotton-like kitten in front of Chi Yan.

Even so, she still yearned for the necklace in her butler’s hand, the one that didn’t belong to her.

She forced herself to resist, keeping her gaze lowered as she quietly walked to her feeding area and began eating.

Today’s canned food seemed to have been opened too long and was slightly oxidized. Though it was supposed to taste sweet, like tuna, it was somewhat bitter to her.

Annoying.

She started sulking, leaping twice onto the cat tree, sharpening her claws, then staring blankly at the darkness outside the window.

Chi Yan watched the fluffy little kitten’s back, confused.

He didn’t understand what the kitten was thinking or why she was upset, but he could tell she didn’t want to interact with him.

This made him even more restless.

It was the first time since Li Wan had come to his home that she had actively shown that she didn’t want to engage with him.

Previously, the kitten always followed him around.

Without the warmth she brought, the monster’s heart became cold and damp again.

He watched her tail dangling from the space capsule, restraining his darker thoughts as they slowly grew.

If he could, he thought, he might as well just tie this cat up and keep her.

Keep the cat and himself together, whether she wanted it or not. When she opened her eyes, the only human she would see would be him.

The thought was intoxicating. Desire blossomed in his dark peach blossom eyes. If the kitten paid even a little attention to him, her soft fur would surely bristle in alarm.

But before the kitten noticed, he collected himself, hiding the desire in his heart. He sighed, calmly put the necklace away, and turned to give the kitten a different can of food.

---

The next day, Li Wan still didn’t come downstairs for breakfast.

She felt a little sad and guilty about her own despicable thoughts from yesterday, unable to face Mama Qingqing, who had always treated her so kindly.

A kitten’s hearing was very sensitive.

Even though she hadn’t gone downstairs, most of the activity below reached her ears.

Fu Shilin seemed to know that her two-legger had given Mama Qingqing a necklace and spoke sarcastically to Chi Yan during breakfast.

As before, Chi Yan brushed off Fu Shilin’s words effortlessly, but Fu Shilin seemed genuinely provoked this time, getting angrier and angrier, his words increasingly excessive.

Du Qingqing couldn’t stand it anymore and said: “Fu Shilin! That’s enough!”

Fu Shilin’s eyes reddened with anger. He slammed the table, stood up, and glared at Du Qingqing.

“Enough? What do you mean ‘enough’?!
“Du Qingqing, I’m talking to Chi Yan. What’s it to you?! Or are you so low that you’re with Chi Yan just because of a necklace worth a hundred bucks?!
“You like cheap things, why didn’t you say so? If you had, I could’ve given you ten, a hundred, back when I was pursuing you, I could’ve had you—”

*Slap!!*

Du Qingqing hadn’t been this angry in a long time. She didn’t even think about the fact that they were still live-streaming. She just slapped Fu Shilin directly.

She had always maintained a gentle, goddess-like image. The sudden action left everyone present stunned.

Li Xiaoyun reacted quickly, running to her side: “Sister Qingqing……”

Zhou Jia said, “Teacher Fu, what you said is too much……”

But fearing Fu Shilin’s unpredictable temper, he didn’t press further and quickly stopped speaking.

Fu Shilin realized he’d gone too far, but being the eldest son of the Fu family, accustomed to being pampered since childhood, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize in front of the cameras.

So, the two of them glared at each other, eyes red, necks stiff.

Du Qingqing’s hands shook with anger.

Only at this moment did she truly start to doubt whether she had been blind before. How could she have liked someone like Fu Shilin, such trash?!

She sneered coldly.

“Fu Shilin.
“Whether I’m with Brother Chi or not, what does that have to do with you? Who do you think you are?”

These words basically denied even the flirtation they had before.

Fu Shilin finally got scared. Ignoring the burning pain on his face, he reached out to grab Du Qingqing: “Qingqing, I—”

But Du Qingqing seemed not to notice him. She stepped back and turned to go upstairs.

She truly didn’t want to see Fu Shilin. Even the tasks assigned by the production team that afternoon, she had asked for leave to skip.

Li Wan listened, feeling a bit worried.

After all, in the original novel, Fu Shilin was the official match for Mama Qingqing. They had had a period of flirtation before, and anyone saying that Mama Qingqing never had feelings for Fu Shilin would be lying.

Now, although Mama Qingqing no longer has that kind of interest in Fu Shilin, hearing him publicly humiliate her so ruthlessly in front of the cameras must still hurt her heart.

Li Wan stomped her little paws on the spot, worried about Du Qingqing and wanting to comfort her.

But then she remembered what had happened yesterday, and her whole little cat body wilted.

She wasn’t exactly a ‘good cat’ either. She had done things that were unfair to Mama Qingqing, how could she have the right to comfort her?

Actually, she had already figured it out.

Yesterday’s outburst wasn’t because she was jealous of Mama Qingqing.

Since coming to this world, the person she had interacted with the most was her own two-legger, Chi Yan. Chi Yan treated her very well, and she regarded him as family.

Family is important. And coming from her old world, where hardly anyone cared about her, suddenly having Chi Yan naturally made her cherish him greatly.

She was just afraid that if Chi Yan liked someone else, he would stop caring about her.

Once she realized this, she felt a little exasperated with herself.

This kind of worry was completely unfounded. Even if he was family, it was his freedom to choose who to be with.

Besides, Mama Qingqing had always been very kind to her and genuinely liked her. There was no possibility of the things she was worried about happening.

The little cat was just being too petty.

The more Li Wan thought about it, the more she felt she had done wrong. When Chi Yan came upstairs, she deliberately acted extra affectionate, arching her body to rub against her two-legger’s pants leg.

Chi Yan was a bit surprised, picked her up, and said, “Not mad anymore?”

Li Wan: *Meow meow.*

—”Kitty wasn’t mad at all.”

She wanted to speak, but felt that this fluffy body was cute but not convenient for communication. Biting her own clothes, she trotted to the bathroom and soon returned as a girl.

She sat on the sofa and patted the spot opposite her, signaling for the two-legger to come over.

In this form, her mood seemed restored.

Although he didn’t know why, Chi Yan indeed relaxed and came to sit down.

The little cat looked serious: “Brother, be honest with me, do you like Mama Qingqing?”

Chi Yan: “????!”

For a moment, he doubted he had heard correctly.

But the little cat assumed that his silence meant consent, and continued: “It’s okay, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If you like her, then you like her.”

Actually, as she said this, she still felt a little uncomfortable inside, a sour tightness in her chest.

But she had already made up her mind not to let this emotion grow.

After all, the two-legger, though she raised him, was an independent individual. It was his right to like someone else and form another little family.

Li Wan suppressed the heavy feeling in her heart and murmured softly.

“It’s just right.
“Fu Shilin went too far today. Mama Qingqing must have been so sad and hurt. You can go comfort her, take this opportunity. Although taking advantage of someone’s weakness isn’t gentlemanly, but—”

“Wait,” Chi Yan laughed, crouching in front of her across the coffee table, “Who said I like your Mama Qingqing?”

Though tall, his crouched posture made him slightly shorter than Li Wan, who seemed like a tiny figure in front of him. He looked down at her just slightly.

His eyes were deep.

Li Wan met his gaze but didn’t feel any pressure. Instead, due to their positions, she felt the two-legger’s infinite patience toward the little cat.

No matter what she said, it felt like he would unconditionally accept her.

Li Wan felt her heart burn a little. Her ears flushed instantly, but she dared not show it. She could only silently lower her head slightly so the man couldn’t see her expression clearly.

“Ah… isn’t it?”

Chi Yan could see her clearly.

To be honest, he wasn’t upset at all. On the contrary, he felt a bit excited, as if the blood in his body was slowly heating up.

He had assumed the little cat he raised was still young, didn’t understand much, and would need more time to raise.

But now it seemed otherwise.

Hot blood surged into his chest, warming his whole body.

Yet he didn’t show it, only rolling his Adam’s apple slightly, keeping a composed appearance.

“Wanwan, I don’t like her.”

Li Wan didn’t quite believe him.

The more she thought, the heavier her heart felt, her tone nearly breaking through: “Then why did you deliberately buy a necklace for her yesterday?”

She spoke quickly and unclearly, but Chi Yan heard her perfectly.

Suddenly he understood what had happened yesterday, why the little cat had suddenly gotten angry.

A stronger smile appeared in his eyes. His heart felt poked by something soft. Looking for it, he realized it was the soft fur of the little cat’s tail.

So cute.

He stood up, retrieved the box with the necklace, and handed it to Li Wan.

Li Wan was a bit stunned. Feeling emotional, her almond-shaped eyes were moist, looking especially endearing.

Chi Yan said softly: “It wasn’t for Du Qingqing. It’s for you.”

He guessed that the little cat might have seen the live broadcast or online comments, so he explained: “I asked Du Qingqing which looked better. I just thought since she’s a girl, you would like what she chose even more.”

---

The female lead and the villain went out alone on a date, and the livestream comments were extremely intense.

Netizens who previously thought Chi Yan and Du Qingqing had zero CP chemistry suddenly changed their minds, saying:

【I was wrong, ‘Parents CP’ is also great to ship.】

【Their personalities are so similar. Aren’t they basically a match made in heaven, wuwuwuwu】

【Don’t say it… I’ve always been against the two of them getting together because I’d be losing both my ‘husband’ and my ‘wife’, wuwuwu. But looking at them now… they really do look compatible.】

【Same here 😢 I lost my ‘husband’ and my ‘wife’ at the same time wuwuwuwuwu】

【Hahaha, why not just ship the CP together?】

Li Wan read to this point and paused, lifting her head to look at the two figures on the screen.

To be fair, the netizens weren’t wrong. Handsome man, beautiful woman, perfect height difference, they looked compatible from every angle.

But Li Wan tilted her head, realizing she wasn’t as happy about it as she imagined.

Logically speaking, with her butler’s situation, having someone as gentle as Mama Qingqing to comfort him should be the best outcome. She used to think so too.

But now…

Li Wan thought about it and decided her unhappiness must be because if Chi Yan and Mama Qingqing got together, then he wouldn’t need the little kitty as much.

After all, ever since the little kitty crossed into this world, he was the closest to her and treated her the best.

Li Wan comforted herself.

It would be great if he ended up with Mama Qingqing. Mama Qingqing really was a good person and treated her well too. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about Chi Yan being with someone else in the future and giving her a ‘stepmom.’

But the little kitty still felt down; her mood stayed gloomy until she saw Chi Yan buying a women’s necklace on screen.

They earned 400 yuan from today’s mission. Chi Yan and Du Qingqing each got 200.

Cat toys weren’t expensive; after buying hers, there would definitely be some money left for other things.

But she didn’t expect Chi Yan to buy a necklace.

The live comments blew up even more. Everyone said the necklace was for Du Qingqing. The barrage of 【I’m shipping this!!!】 nearly blinded her eyes.

And they were probably right.

Because when Chi Yan was picking the necklace, he specifically asked Du Qingqing which one looked good.

Du Qingqing seemed surprised at first, but once she recovered, she showed a shy and subtle smile.

Caught on camera, she actually looked like she was blushing.

They looked even more like a perfect pair.

Li Wan got even more upset, her nose feeling sour.

She wallowed in sadness for a while, thinking it was because Chi Yan had a girl he liked now and was forgetting his little kitty.

And also, today’s mission was completed thanks to her and Xixi braving their fear of water and fish. Some of the reward money belonged to them too.

But Chi Yan used her share… to flirt.

The more Li Wan thought about it, the gloomier she felt. She rolled across the bed and buried her head in the blanket.

But after a moment, she calmed down and weakly refuted her own thoughts.

It wasn’t quite right to say Chi Yan used her share to flirt… He did buy her a gift too; it was just a cheap little bouncing ball that cost a few dozen yuan.

He also worked hard during the mission. Using the leftover money to buy Du Qingqing a gift was reasonable.

Besides, it’s Mama Qingqing!

Mama Qingqing was so nice to her. What’s wrong with buying Mama Qingqing a gift?

Li Wan started feeling guilty again, thinking she was being too petty.

But no matter what, she just couldn’t cheer herself up. Finally, she got mad at herself and decided to punish herself by not watching the livestream anymore.

Then she scrolled through Weibo for a while, saw lots of people scolding Fu Shilin, and his reputation tanking further. Only then did she feel satisfied and managed to forget her sour mood.

Not long after, all the guests came back, and the villa got lively again.

As usual, Chi Yan watched Fu Shilin stomp around angrily for a while, then separated from the group and returned to his room.

The room was dark, he hadn’t turned on the lights. Only a sliver of streetlamp light seeped through the curtains.

Fortunately, his night vision was good. He easily avoided obstacles and reached the bed, where he spotted the little cat lying there.

Or rather, maybe he shouldn’t call her a little cat. Li Wan was currently in her girl form.

The pretty, sweet-looking girl lay curled on the bed, hair spread out, sleeping soundly. Her cheeks were flushed, and for some reason she seemed to be frowning, as if having an unpleasant dream, making her look even more childlike.

Cats had sharp senses. She seemed to detect his presence, her nose twitching slightly.

Chi Yan was utterly charmed.

Such a little cat, lying on his bed, seemed to be covered entirely in his scent, marked with something uniquely his.

The shadowy, monstrous part of him couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight.

He didn’t try to wake her. Instead, he simply stood there in the dark, quietly watching.

The little cat trusted him.

She slept peacefully in the dangerous territory of a dark monster with not a trace of fear.

This feeling made Chi Yan feel strangely warm, and irresistibly, something in his heart tingled—as if a soft, sweet cotton-candy-like flower was blooming without his permission.

But he didn’t dislike it.

But in the darkness, he quietly, meticulously savored this unexpectedly tactile sensation over and over, as if he were a devoted high school student determined to fully master a math problem.

The more he studied it, the itch in his chest intensified, even making his fangs restless.

It wasn’t enough.

The monster’s chest throbbed, his entire bloodstream boiling and clamoring.

He should bite this little cat—completely unaware of danger—straight into his mouth, grinding her fair, delicate skin with his teeth, listening to her moist whimpers of pleasure and pleas.

Just like that.

The monster got himself excited, his eyes growing brighter, strangely vivid in the darkness.

He even forgot that the little cat’s senses were a hundred times sharper than a normal human’s.

Li Wan was already awake.

But she didn’t want anything to do with her two-legger. The moment she saw him, the negative emotions she’d been deliberately made to forget that afternoon surged back, flooding over her.

Actually, Li Wan knew she was being unreasonable.

Her tantrum was petty.

But…

As everyone knows, little cats don’t need a reason to get angry.

Fortunately, the little cat’s subconscious caution remained intact.

She waited for Chi Yan to notice that she didn’t want to interact, to realize she was upset, and to retrieve his long-lost expression of care to soothe her.

But the two-legger just crouched at the edge of the bed, staring at her without moving.

That was… strange.

If she were in her cat form right now, her fur would be bristling as if ready to explode.

But Li Wan quickly remembered that he could be neurotic at times and didn’t overthink it. Instead, she began comparing patience with the two-legger.

As it turned out…

This little contest only proved that the little cat was clueless about her own limits.

Really—

Who could compare their craziness with a monster?

Especially when the monster was already crazy by nature.

Li Wan gave up after a short while.

Feeling aggrieved, she opened her eyes to look at the man in front of her.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Chi Yan seemed… not quite normal just now.

How to put it…

It felt as though he could swallow her whole at any moment.

The little cat shivered, frozen for an instant.

But it lasted only a moment.

When she looked again, Chi Yan had returned to his usual demeanor.

Li Wan blinked, a little dazed.

The little cat’s attention shifted quickly, and in the next moment, she noticed the man holding a gift for her.

It was an exquisite box.

At first, Li Wan didn’t think of the cheap little ball worth a few dozen yuan, but the necklace he had carefully chosen.

She had glanced at it during the live broadcast of the show and remembered the sparkling rhinestones set in it.

About a hundred yuan.

Not expensive, but pretty.

For some reason, Li Wan’s heart started racing, and a chaotic sense of anticipation arose in her chest.

After a brief hesitation, she asked in a little cat’s unique, shy tone: “Is this a gift for me?”

Chi Yan nodded, signaling her to open it herself.

Li Wan could almost imagine how the rhinestones would catch the light in the room, her eyes fixed tightly on the gift box.

After all, who would use such beautiful packaging for an ordinary little ball?

But she was disappointed.

Inside the box was… that blue little ball.

To be fair, the little cat did like round objects that could roll far when touched.

But now, she faced the ball not as an ordinary cat, but as herself, Li Wan.

Her eyes grew warm. She felt unusually aggrieved but couldn’t articulate exactly why.

She really was a very awkward person.

And very annoying.

She regretted it.

If she hadn’t been so self-indulgent, she might have been happier.

No.

Perhaps she couldn’t be happy anyway.

After all the tantrums she had thrown, she finally admitted to herself: she simply didn’t want Chi Yan to give gifts to any other girl.

Not even to Mama Qingqing.

She was just a little cat.

Selfish, petty… so what?

Chi Yan was her human, after all.

He was a bad two-legger, utterly unfaithful to his cat.

Li Wan knew that whether the two-legger was faithful to a little cat had nothing to do with giving gifts to other girls or being with them.

But so what?

What’s wrong with a little cat throwing a chaotic tantrum?!

Little cats are naturally unreasonable.

Angry, her round apricot eyes rimmed with red, she pushed the ball into the two-legged creature’s arms and turned away.

So annoying.

Chi Yan was a little surprised.

The slow-witted human didn’t know why the little cat was angry. He hesitated, frowned, and asked with concern: “What’s wrong?”

The little cat ignored him.

He asked repeatedly, “Wanwan? Wanwan?”

From his voice, Li Wan sensed his concern for the little cat, which somehow soothed her just a bit.

Guessing that he wouldn’t stop without a reason, she let out a heavy nasal sound and said randomly.

“You’re annoying.
“You went shopping with Mama Qingqing and didn’t bring me! You’re annoying!!”

Chi Yan was speechless.

He wasn’t stupid. He quickly guessed this probably wasn’t the real reason, but it was obvious the little cat didn’t want to say more.

The monster was slightly restless.

He sensed her unhappiness and, unable to soothe her, wanted to hold her in his mouth to prevent her from running away.

But the little cat wouldn’t like that.

To maintain his image, he had to pretend to be normal, suppressing the dark urges within, and feign belief in what she had just said.

However, he remembered another, perhaps more effective, way to calm the little cat.

He took out the necklace he had prepared as a surprise for her: “I brought you a gift.”

Under the light, the necklace quietly reflected a beautiful glow.

---