Li Wan kept a close eye on the scrolling comments on the livestream the whole time.

Even though from the very beginning she hadn’t expected this incident to affect Fu Shilin all that much, and she only wanted to help Qiu Tian, she still felt a real chill run down her back.

As expected of the male lead in the original novel.

No matter what he does wrong, it’s as if his fans automatically put a filter over their eyes when they look at him.

How could the male lead ever be at fault?

On the contrary, anyone who stands in his way must be the villain.

And as for her own butler…

Li Wan raised her eyes toward the man beside her, who hadn’t said a word.

Truly pitiful. Too pitiful.

The rules of this world were biased toward Fu Shilin. So even though Chi Yan had never actually done anything to Fu Shilin before, given their relationship, Chi Yan could only be cast as the villain.

And in this world, a villain who opposes Fu Shilin would never be allowed to have a good life.

Li Wan furrowed her brow and gave a soft *meow,* then lifted her head to rub her face gently against the man’s cheek.

Chi Yan reached out to scratch her chin, his gaze calm and cool.

But to be honest, he wasn’t surprised.

He had witnessed too many things about Fu Shilin that defied logic since childhood.

Even his own mother was no exception.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly.

Sensing the obvious ripple of emotion in him, the little kitten felt a pang of sadness as well.

She stretched out her damp little tongue and licked the man’s chin. *Meow~*

—”Don’t be sad.”

But Chi Yan’s mood didn’t last long. Two seconds later, he raised a hand to block the cat’s face and looked down at her, expressionless. “Don’t lick me. That’s filthy.”

The little kitten: “…”

*Meow meow meow meow meow!!*

—”Stupid two-legger, do you think the great Master Cat Lord actually wants to lick you?!”

Li Wan flicked her tail in a huff and turned her back on the human. But her heart softened; when she heard him shut the laptop and get into bed, she hesitated, then thought of going over to comfort the poor two-legger again.

Yet before she could jump onto the bed, Chi Yan seemed to anticipate her move and opened his eyes. “Don’t get on the bed. You shed hair.”

Li Wan again : “…!!”

The little kitten was really about to get mad!!

Her rebellious streak flared up. If he said she couldn’t get on the bed, then she would!

Not only did she leap up, once she landed she deliberately stretched out her paws and began kneading the man’s blanket.

Let’s snag a few threads in your quilt!

Hmph!

Chi Yan ignored her. After a short while she grew tired of scratching, curled up right next to the man’s body on the blanket, found a warmer spot, and closed her eyes, quickly drifting off.

She didn’t notice that after she started purring in her sleep, a faint warmth of amusement crept into the peach-blossom eyes of the man beside her.

This cat… really is quite perceptive.

And she actually cares about him.

He lowered his gaze, his peach-blossom eyes resting on the little cat ball. After a brief hesitation, he awkwardly reached out a finger and gently hooked the kitten’s tiny paw.

*Mrr…*

The little kitten’s brow twitched, clearly displeased at having her sleep disturbed. She turned over, giving him her back.

But her tail stayed put, lightly draped over Chi Yan’s wrist, like a fluffy bracelet.

Chi Yan stared at it for a moment, then quietly lowered his eyes and closed them as well.

After Fu Shilin clarified things on the livestream, the police quickly released an announcement: the medical license of the so-called ‘vet’ that the production team invited had been bought, he wasn’t a real veterinarian.

The production team hadn’t expected such a thing to happen. They posted an apology on Weibo overnight, and the director personally came early the next morning to ask Fu Shilin whether he needed a new partner for the show.

After all, Qiu Tian had been ‘unintentionally’ put through so much by that man; it surely wouldn’t trust him anymore, and it might cause trouble for upcoming activities.

But Fu Shilin refused.

When Li Wan and Chi Yan had finished tidying up and stepped out, they happened to see this scene in the hallway and clearly heard Fu Shilin say, “After all, it was my negligence that caused Qiu Tian so much harm.

“I should make it up to him. How can I just change partners?”

The director agreed this made sense and nodded. “Then I’ll have another vet check Qiu Tian later to be sure he’s fine, and we can continue filming the show.”

Fu Shilin gave an OK gesture.

【See, I told you A’Lin was being wronged!】

【How could A’Lin ever hurt Qiu Tian on purpose? He obviously loves small animals!】

【He just looks fierce and unruly, he’s actually a really good person!】

【Our Qingqing didn’t fall for the wrong guy!!】

【Can we not tie them together? Du Qingqing was scolding A’Lin just yesterday.】

Fu Shilin finished speaking with the director, then turned his head and met Chi Yan and Li Wan’s gaze.

His movement stalled, and then he gave them a meaningful look.

“Good morning, Teacher Chi.
“Guess you didn’t sleep very well last night—after all, things didn’t unfold the way you thought they would.”

Although he didn’t spell it out, everyone could hear exactly what he meant.

【???】

【What’s going on? Why would A’Lin say something like that?】

【I knew it! I was wondering why Chi Yan and the cameraman in charge of him showed up so quickly yesterday, turns out it really was his doing!!】

【Ugh, disgusting. And his fans keep pushing that ‘pure and upright as a clear breeze’ persona, when he’s actually full of nasty tricks!!】

Li Wan frowned. *Meow meow!*

—Bad guy!!

Chi Yan picked her up, tucking her head into his arms. His expression stayed calm.

“I didn’t sleep that well,” he said lightly. “Probably the same for everyone, right? We were all worried about Qiu Tian. Qingqing, don’t you think so?”

Fu Shilin’s body stiffened. Sure enough, when he turned around, he was met with Du Qingqing’s gaze. She’d appeared behind him without him noticing.

Du Qingqing gave him a single glance before quickly looking away. “Worried, yes.”

Right now she really didn’t feel like talking to Fu Shilin.

Even though he’d put on a show last night, doing a live-stream ‘clarification,’ everyone in the industry knows the tricks.

She didn’t believe a word of what he’d said. In her mind, her opinion of Fu Shilin had already hit rock bottom.

Even if he truly hadn’t known beforehand, when they went upstairs later Qiu Tian was already barely breathing, clearly had been tortured for quite a while.

This man really had abused the dog; the so-called clarification on the live stream was just perfunctory words to placate his fans.

Thinking of that, Du Qingqing instinctively hugged Xixi a little farther away from him, then noticed Wanwan rubbing against her pant leg.

*Meow meow!*

“Wanwan! Good morning!!” Du Qingqing’s face instantly lit up with a smile. She crouched down and gently rubbed the little head. “Up so early—so impressive!”

The little kitty, hearing the praise, proudly puffed out her chest and drawled coquettishly,

*Mee-ow~*

—”Thank you, Mama Qingqing, you’re the best!!”

On the other side, Chi Yan could hardly bear to watch. He clicked his tongue softly, pinched the fur on the back of the cat’s neck and headed downstairs.

“They have cats at home; try to be a little more reserved.”

Li Wan blinked. *Meow!*

She wasn’t the least bit upset, she just assumed her own human was jealous.

Stretching out a paw toward Du Qingqing, she waved. *Meow meow!*

—”Bye-bye, Mama Qingqing!”

【Waaa, I’m so jealous of Du Qingqing! This is what it means to be a natural furry magnet.】

【No matter what, everyone else here is more like the embodiment of furry magnet than a certain someone.】

【Hahahahaha, you’re so bold for saying that out loud!】

【You know, Qingqing and Brother Chi actually make a pretty good ship, with parent vibes.】

【So nice: they both keep cats, so they must have plenty to talk about.】

【…Nah, better not. I bet Wanwan would be thrilled, but Brother Chi probably not so much.】

【Look at Wanwan, does she ever even spare this man a glance when Qingqing is around?!】

【Tragic! Too tragic!!】

【You can smell the jealousy through the screen.】

【Ah, this man… in the end he’s bowing one step at a time before Wanwan’s overwhelming fluff🚬😮‍💨】

Watching them leave, Fu Shilin could barely keep the smile on his face.

How could he not notice Du Qingqing’s change in attitude toward him?

All because of Chi Yan!!

Just you wait!!

Even though he’d already ‘clarified’ things and, on the surface, it seemed he’d smoothed it over and everyone’s attitude toward him looked like yesterday’s again, in reality the other guests were all on their guard.

Especially Li Xiaoyun, who didn’t dare let her dog Dahuang anywhere near Fu Shilin.

She hadn’t slept all night; every time she closed her eyes she saw Qiu Tian lying on the ground in that pitiful state!

She couldn’t bear to imagine, what if it had been her Dahuang who suffered…

Thinking of that, Li Xiaoyun shivered hard. The look she gave Fu Shilin was tinged with fear.

Fu Shilin, who could clearly feel it: “…”

The malice in his eyes was almost impossible to hide, but in front of the camera he had no choice but to force a smile.

【…Li Xiaoyun is going too far. A’Lin didn’t do anything to her Dahuang, so why treat him like that?】

【Yeah, he’s already clarified, why target our A’Lin like this?】

【…Uh, there’s still a lot about yesterday that doesn’t add up. That’s all it takes to ‘clarify’?】

【Understandable though. Li Xiaoyun’s a dog owner. Of course she’s afraid her own fur baby might get hurt.】

Fortunately Du Qingqing sensed something was wrong and quietly reminded her. Only then did Li Xiaoyun reluctantly rein in her emotions and appear more normal.

After breakfast the director announced the next task:

“The most important thing when raising a furry kid is, of course, watching their diet!

“As everyone knows, many dedicated pet owners make their own pet meals. Letting your beloved furry eat food you made yourself is also a big step in strengthening the bond between owner and pet!

“So, this morning’s task is for each of you to prepare a homemade meal for your pet, either cat food or dog food. We’ve already prepared all the ingredients for you.”

But when they heard the last sentence, none of the guests looked very happy.

They were all busy people; when did they ever have time to cook?

Now—

Everyone simultaneously turned complicated expressions toward their own pets.

【Hahahahahahahahaha】

【Feels like everyone’s silently saying, ‘Sweetie, you’re on your own, good luck!’ Hahahahaha】

---

Li Wan waited on the table for quite a while, her gaze gradually settling on the ballpoint pen quietly lying there.

In just two seconds, the little kitten was certain: that flirty little pen was trying to seduce her.

Li Wan perked up her ears, making sure the sound of running water in the bathroom continued, meaning her two-legger wouldn’t be coming out any time soon. Then, she cautiously and ever so slowly stretched out her mangosteen-like paw and gave the pen a gentle bat.

The ballpoint pen rolled with a *clatter* in a small circle and came to a stop.

The kitten’s round eyes followed the pen’s path, turning once before locking on their target again.

How annoying.

This is way too much fun!!

She twitched her whiskers, crept forward again with her little rump sticking up, and reached for the pen a second time.

This time she used more force: the pen rolled right to the edge of the table.

Exactly what she’d been waiting for!

The kitten wiggled her hips from side to side, gauged the angle; the pupils of her odd-colored eyes narrowed to slits. Then—hind legs pushing off with a sudden burst of power!!

*Thud*!

The ballpoint pen rolled off onto the carpet. The carpet’s friction was far greater than the smooth tabletop, so the pen wouldn’t roll any farther.

Li Wan flicked her tail leisurely, feeling rather proud of her hunting instincts. While her clueless butler was still showering, she set her sights on a new target: the water glass on the other side.

Bigger, rounder, and with water inside.

That would roll nicely if it tipped.

The kitten gave a soft, delicate “meow~,” as if politely announcing that she was helping herself. She dipped a paw into the glass, touched the water, and then bent her head to lick it twice.

Tasted just like the water in her own bowl. Boring.

She withdrew her paw, only mildly disappointed. That wasn’t the real attraction anyway.

She stealthily glanced around, pretending she was hunting in the wild, then sprang up with both front paws raised—

*Clang*!

The glass toppled. Water spilled all over the tabletop.

Li Wan wrinkled her nose, annoyed that her paws were now wet. Shaking each foot after every step, she tiptoed over to the fallen glass and kept amusing herself.

By the time Chi Yan came out, the only thing left on the table was the laptop—

The computer was too heavy for the kitten to budge.

He paused, staring at the scattered mess on the floor, briefly suspecting a break-in.

“……”

Two seconds later his eyes found the little cat perched on the back of the sofa, calmly licking her fur. “Was this you?”

Li Wan stiffened, feeling a twinge of guilt. Her fluffy tail gave a flick and she softly mewed, “Meow meow!”

—”Nope, how could such a well-behaved kitten be that naughty, meow~”

Chi Yan said nothing.

Right now he was convinced his earlier suspicion—that this cat was actually a human in disguise—was completely absurd.

What kind of normal person could be this mischievous?

Still, though a little speechless, he wouldn’t stoop to arguing with a cat. He crouched down to start cleaning up.

Li Wan heard no sound from him and, still feeling guilty, risked a glance over her shoulder. But at just one look, it was as if someone had stepped on her tail—she let out a sharp “Meow!” and covered her eyes with her paws!

Meow meow meow meow!!

How awful, how awful, how awful!!

The little kitten was traumatized!!!

How could he be so shameless! He’d come out of the shower without putting on any clothes!!!

Chi Yan : “……”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. He stood up and walked over to the kitten. “You’re actually shy?”

He paused, then teasingly pried away the paws covering her eyes, boldly saying, “Aren’t you also not wearing any clothes?”

How could that possibly be the same?!!

Li Wan whipped her tail across the man’s face, then leapt up onto the bookshelf, swiping two books off the top shelf.

Not enough. With her eyes squeezed shut in righteous fury, she let out an indignant, “Meow meow meow!!”

Hurry up and put some clothes on!!!

If her face weren’t covered in fur, her whole head would surely be scarlet by now!!

Chi Yan went silent for a moment, then gave a low laugh. After he’d had his fill of amusement, he sat down, opened his laptop, and clicked into Weibo.

He despised Fu Shilin and had been following that guy with a side account for a while.

If his guess was right, after Fu Shilin’s huge scandal about abusing a dog earlier, the director—though unable to cancel his contract outright because of the man’s powerful family—would definitely demand he clear things up quickly.

That meant tonight.

Chi Yan poured himself a glass of water, settling in to wait for Fu Shilin’s livestream. But when he lowered his head to take a sip, he found a few cat hairs in his mouth.

Tch.

Expressionless, he shot another glance at the little kitten, who was still too embarrassed to look at him, then got up to rinse the cup.

Sure enough, he’d guessed correctly. By the time he returned and sat down, his side account had already received a notification: Fu Shilin had gone live.

Chi Yan’s eyes darkened, the corners of his mouth curving without a trace of a smile as he clicked the link.

On the screen appeared Fu Shilin’s disgustingly smug face. “Good evening, my dear fans.”

He looked both guilty and regretful. “I’m starting this livestream now because I want to explain what happened tonight.”

Though he’d already lost quite a few followers over the incident, it hadn’t been long since it happened. Many fans still hadn’t heard the news.

Coming out quickly to give his side of the story was the best way to salvage his public image.

The live-chat barrage was already buzzing.

【Still explaining? What’s there to explain, why you abused the dog? Gonna livestream your ‘dog-abuse strategy’?】

【Ugh, disgusting animal abuser, blacklisted for life.】

【Haters, can you not be so extreme? Something happened, why can’t he explain?】

【Brother A’Lin, don’t blame yourself. It’s just a dog, humans will always be above any other creature!!】

【Ugh.】

【Figures, fans are just like their idol.】

【Passers-by, don’t believe it, that one was obviously a hater pretending.】

【A’Lin isn’t like that, everyone listen to his explanation.】

Li Wan twitched her ears at the noise coming from the livestream.

She kind of wanted to sneak a look, but hesitated. Her butler still wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Cat face: completely droopy.jpg

After a moment’s struggle, temptation won. She leapt from the bookshelf onto the bed, gripped her human’s clothes in her teeth, and with effort hopped onto the desk.

Squeezing her eyes shut, the little cat pawed at the clothes: “Meow meow meow.”

—“Put them on, put them on!!”

The sight was so funny that even Chi Yan’s usually cold gaze softened a little.

Since the kitten had dragged the clothes over, he gave her some face and actually put them on.

Only then did Li Wan open her eyes and lean toward the computer.

On the screen, Fu Shilin’s expression looked painfully fake. Li Wan thought he’d even looked more natural back when he was ‘abusing Qiu Tian.”

Fu Shilin spoke in a low voice: “I feel deeply guilty and sorry to all the fans who have always supported me. I’m truly sorry.”

【Aaaaah, why are they doing this to my A’Lin!!】

【He was always so defiant, so proud, aaaah!】

【Ugh, can you stop being so gross, showbiz people?】

【…Nope, we are normal fans.】

【Our Qingqing’s fans are normal too…】

Fu Shilin ignored the barrage and continued, “I admit I used electricity to control Qiu Tian, and I’m sorry to it too.

“But please believe me: before this I didn’t know the collar controlling Qiu Tian used electricity!

“When I had it custom-made, the seller only told me that if I pressed this button, the collar would simply tighten—like a leash, just a way to keep it under control. That’s why I agreed to put it on it.

“I really like QiuTian. I joined this variety show to raise a pet; meeting it was fate. When I found out the collar was shocking it, my heart hurt like a knife. How could I possibly want to hurt it?”

Yeah, right, Li Wan thought, pursing her lips.

Plenty of viewers were skeptical too:

【You didn’t know? The vet already checked, how could you not know?】

【Qiu Tian was clearly in pain from the shocks, obvious to anyone, yet you claim ignorance?】

【Hahaha, folks, this ‘clarification’ just proves he’s guilty.】

【If you didn’t know, then explain why you kicked him during the livestream.】

Fu Shilin looked at that comment and delivered his pre-planned line: “I didn’t mean to… Qiutian suddenly lunged at me and I just reacted. It was pure reflex to kick out. If I’d been able to control myself I definitely wouldn’t have.”

That, at least, sounded barely plausible, and the barrage started showing more sympathetic voices:

【Qiu Tian’s a fierce breed, guys. Anyone would be scared.】

【That’s just a normal human reflex, right?】

【Remember what Professor Zhang said about the emergency-avoidance principle? When you’re cornered you could even attack a giant panda—so of course Fu Shilin might hurt a dog to protect himself.】

【Makes sense.】

【Then how do you explain what we heard—you saying, “A beast is just a beast”?】

【Don’t deny it, the show’s livestream can be replayed.】

Fu Shilin’s expression twisted, but he forced a strained smile for the camera.
“I was trying to get Qiu Tian to take his medicine. He understood me, but he was probably still mad about this afternoon and deliberately refused to cooperate.

“So I…

He reined in his face and put on an earnest look. “I’m sorry, everyone. I know I was wrong. I won’t say that kind of thing in public again.”

Since his public image had always been crafted that way, his fans were ready to accept it.

【It’s okay, A’Lin, we love your personality. You don’t have to change to please the masses.】

【You’re a genius singer-songwriter; having your own thoughts is what makes your music good.】

So easy to fool, Li Wan thought.

A flash of triumph flickered in Fu Shilin’s eyes, though he kept his face neutral. “No, as someone in the public eye I have to take responsibility.

“This time I was indeed wrong. As for why the vet didn’t find evidence of the electric shocks, I’ve already called the police to investigate.

“And although I’ve clarified things, my actions still hurt the show’s reputation. Whatever punishment the production team decides on, I’ll accept.”

Of course, by this point, if the show tried to punish him, fans would accuse them of being heartless and bullying Fu Shilin.

Soon the barrage was almost entirely filled with supportive comments.

Though a few skeptical voices remained and some fans really did unfollow, the fallout had effectively been contained.

---

The guests downstairs heard the commotion and quickly came up.

Seeing the scene before them, they instantly understood what was going on.

No one could utter a word, until Du Qingqing, covering her mouth in shock, finally exclaimed, “You actually treated Qiu Tian like that…!”

Fu Shilin’s heart gave a jolt. Cold sweat soaked his back. He instinctively stepped forward to explain, “No, I didn’t! It was the dog who tried to attack me!!”

【See? I told you, there’s no way A’Lin would hurt a dog. He’s totally innocent!!】

【At the start it was Chi Yan who brought the cameraman upstairs on purpose, he wanted everyone to see that scene. He’s clearly framing our A’Lin!!】

【I knew it, Chi Yan is no good!!】

【Oh please, Fu Shilin’s fans are unbelievable, still defending him even now.】

【He could bring down the sky and his fans would still prop it up with their mouths. And you still say someone’s framing him?】

【Everyone knows the cameraman’s camera was livestreaming the whole time. We all clearly saw Wanwan heading upstairs to play first; Brother Chi and the cameraman just followed.】

【Then that means it’s the cat targeting A’Lin!! That cat’s so clever, did you see it? It can even open doors!!】

【It understands everything; it just wants to frame our A’Lin!!】

The barrage of comments turned into a wave of ridicule.

【I’m not even a Chi Yan fan and I can’t stand this. I’ve seen people falsely accuse someone, but blaming a cat for everything? Really?】

【No matter how smart a cat is, it’s still just a cat!!】

【I can’t stop laughing, who was it again who kept promoting himself as born to be a furry magnet?】

No matter how desperately Fu Shilin’s die-hard fans tried to whitewash the situation, plenty of fans unfollowed him on the spot, and his public reputation plummeted.

Meanwhile Fu Shilin kept trying to explain, “I didn’t mean to hurt him on purpose, he really jumped at me himself!!”

Du Qingqing stared wide-eyed at Qiutian, who lay on the floor barely clinging to life. “You say it wasn’t on purpose?!”

“Fu Shilin, then tell me, what is that in your hand?!”

Fu Shilin froze. Instinctively he tried to hide the controller behind his back. “I…”

Du Qingqing pressed on, “This afternoon I already suspected it wasn’t some sudden stress reaction. Qiu Tian obviously isn’t timid, how could he suddenly be startled like that!!
“You were shocking him!!”

Everyone’s attention snapped to her words.

Li Xiaoyun instinctively hugged Da Huang beside her. “Shocking? How?”

Du Qingqing didn’t dare look at the near-lifeless Qiu Tian on the ground. Just imagining it made her think of her own pet Xixi.

She couldn’t bear to imagine how much pain Qiu Tian felt when Fu Shilin pressed that button!

“You said you loved animals, that’s why you joined this cute-pet reality show!
Fu Shilin, you’ve really disappointed me!!”

Fu Shilin had pursued her for quite some time and always seemed decent. She’d even thought that after this show they might get together. But she never expected—

He turned out to be this kind of person!!

It was all an act!!

If he could treat his own dog like this, what if she stayed with him, clueless—how would he treat her Xixi then…?

A cold sweat broke out all over Du Qingqing.

On the other side, Zhou Jia quietly explained, “It’s probably through the collar around Qiu Tian’s neck. They sell those online, mostly labeled as ‘anti-bark collars,’ but anyone with eyes can tell what they really are…”

Everyone shuddered.

【I know about those too!!】

【I follow a blogger who rescues stray animals, two of the dogs they saved were wearing those collars!!】

【Fu Shilin is disgusting!! He even marketed himself as someone who loves animals, but he’s actually abusing his dog!!】

【No wonder he never puts a muzzle or leash on Qiu Tian, he had a secret way to control him all along.】

【The more you think about it, the scarier it gets. No wonder Qiu Tian never seemed close to him.】

At that moment Fu Shilin’s fan group also stirred. Many fans left the group, while a major fan tried to calm things down:

【Everyone, don’t worry.
【Please trust our A’Lin. He’s not that kind of person. We just need to wait for the studio’s official clarification.】

But it still couldn’t stop the rapid drop in his Weibo follower count.

“Qingqing, I…”

Facing the look of disappointment in the girl he loved, Fu Shilin was so furious he almost felt sick!

How could this happen!!

He had clearly checked beforehand. Everyone was supposed to be downstairs.
How did they suddenly come up!!

Right! It was Chi Yan!!

His eyes widened. He suddenly glared at Chi Yan and that hateful cat in his arms!!

It was Chi Yan who, for some unknown reason, brought the cameraman upstairs and exposed everything!!

Chi Yan had framed him!!

Despicable!!

Fu Shilin’s fists clenched until his knuckles cracked, but remembering the livestream, he had to swallow his anger.

A wise man knows when to submit.

Gritting his teeth, he wanted to defend himself, but just then the director from downstairs arrived and signaled to cut the livestream.

He ushered the guests away, then turned to Fu Shilin and said, “Mr. Fu, I expect you to give both our production team and the audience an explanation.”

By now Qiu Tian had already been taken away by the vet for examination. Because the vet that afternoon hadn’t found anything wrong, the director suspected the vet might be involved with Fu Shilin and had already replaced with another vet.

The director himself loved animals—his own home was full of pets—and he often took part in rescuing stray cats and dogs.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent so much money filming this kind of cute-pet variety show that isn’t even that popular in China.

As for shocking cats and dogs with electricity, no one who keeps pets at home could possibly tolerate something like that.

The director’s whole face had gone cold, though he still kept in mind the capital backing Fu Shilin; otherwise, he would have thrown him out on the spot.

Fu Shilin’s face twitched at those words, but he still managed to force a stiff smile. “I know. I will.”

Because of this sudden incident, the program team paused the live broadcast and told all the guests to take their pets back to their rooms to rest.

Back in the room, Li Wan was plunked down on the sofa to stand.

The man’s dark, slightly fox-shaped eyes carried a faint, elusive smile as he looked down at her. “You don’t like him?”

He couldn’t even be bothered to ask whether she had done it on purpose. To outsiders, this cat might just seem a little cleverer than most. But as the one who spent the most time with her, he knew very well—

She was smart like a person.

What had just happened was obviously the cat deliberately leading him upstairs so the camera would broadcast everything Fu Shilin had done.

Only… why?

Li Wan’s body stiffened. Then she blinked her wet, shining eyes and put on an innocent act: “Meow, meow~”

—Brother, what are you talking about? Little kitty doesn’t understand~

Chi Yan narrowed his eyes. “Don’t pretend.”

“……”

Seeing that she couldn’t bluff her way out, Li Wan decided she was very clever. Tilting her head, she rubbed her fluffy head against the man.

Once.

She pricked her ears, secretly peeking up at him.

Okay, no reaction.

Rub again.

She stole another glance, feeling guilty.

Still no reaction. He even took a step back.

Her butler’s heart is as hard as iron, wuwuwu Q_AQ.

She refused to give up. Once more she arched her fluffy body and fawned against him.

Only to miss that she was standing at the edge, and her paw slipped right off!

“Meow!!” Li Wan yelped in fright, but the next instant she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck and set back on the sofa.

“That’s enough.” Chi Yan couldn’t help but laugh, clicking his tongue low. “Such a fawning cat.”

With that, he casually ruffled the fur on her head, coming away with a handful of loose hair.

Looking disgusted, he picked her up off the sofa and set her on the floor. “Why are you still shedding? You’ve been eating fish oil for so long.”

Little kitty : “Meow.”

—No idea.

Well, it made sense. The original body was just a little stray, poorly fed, so of course her fur wasn’t great.

Even though she’d been eating fish oil, it hadn’t been long enough to show much effect.

Chi Yan couldn’t understand her meows. He just stared at her for a while; in appearance, there still wasn’t anything different from other cats.

…If he had to say, maybe being exceptionally cute counted.

Chi Yan pondered.

He couldn’t figure it out, so he simply set the matter aside for now.

Honestly, he was quite pleased with this cat—especially after seeing all the other animals the production had brought.

Two dogs: silly and clumsy. Xi Xi: big but timid. And that dumb rabbit—no comment.

Only his cat was, well, barely presentable.

Though he didn’t know why the cat had targeted Fu Shilin, the outcome pleased him.

As long as Fu Shilin was upset, he was happy.

After a moment’s thought, he fetched a can of cat food and put it in the bowl.

Li Wan : “!! Meow-woo meow-woo!!”

—Butler is so generous!!

The unexpected reward left her dizzy. She buried her head in the bowl and devoured it wildly.

When she finally lifted her head, satisfied, she saw the butler picking up his clothes and heading for the bathroom.

She padded over and leapt onto the small desk. “Meow meow~”

—Kitty will wait for you~

But who knew what was going through the man’s head. He just gave her a disgusted look and flicked her on the forehead.

“Not bringing you. I’m taking a shower. Lewd cat.”

Li Wan : “…!!!”

She so did not want to go!!!

“Meow meow meow!!!”

She lashed her tail several times in protest, even bared her teeth at him. Watching Chi Yan enter the bathroom and close the door, she decided all these gestures had worked as intimidation.

Hmph!

Impudent two-legged creature!

Only because the great Master Cat chooses not to hold it against you! Hmph hmph hmph!!

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. The little kitten knew perfectly well it wouldn’t splash on her, but she still stepped back a bit.

Left alone in the room, Li Wan grew a little bored. After making a perfunctory patrol of her territory, she hopped onto the desk and switched on the computer.

One glance, and she quickly pulled her head back.

There was a password.

Darn it.

Kitty, dejected-face.jpg.

Thinking of her two-legger from earlier, the tips of the little cat’s ears twitched.

This butler was so different from the night he’d had that episode.

Li Wan drifted into thought.

If Fu Shilin hadn’t stirred up all that trouble, if the world hadn’t been so biased against Chi Yan, then surely he would have always been this kind of man—

A man whose smile bloomed like peach blossoms touched with sunlight.

---

Today was the first day of the live-streamed variety show. To help the guests settle in, the production crew let everyone do as they pleased after dinner instead of scheduling more activities.

Li Wan pretended to nap on the cat tree, but in fact she was watching the guests downstairs pass the time playing mahjong. Once she was sure no one was paying attention to her, she quietly sneaked upstairs.

She headed straight for the room where Qiu Tian was kept. The door wasn’t locked, but that wasn’t a problem for her. One light hop and it swung open.

Inside it was pitch-black. Luckily she was a kitten now. Her night vision was far better than when she was human.

Tiptoeing in, she finally spotted Qiu Tian in the farthest corner.

The dog lay with ears drooping, head down, seemingly asleep. Li Wan hesitated, unsure whether to approach.

She was afraid that if she suddenly went over, she’d startle the dog, maybe even make it angry enough to bite her.

And now there was no doting owner to protect her.

While she wavered, the dog in the corner suddenly opened its eyes and said quietly, “What are you here for?”

Li Wan froze.

After a long moment she blinked her heterochromatic eyes, only then realizing she had just heard the dog speak.

Huh?

She was a kitten, how could she understand dog language?

But she didn’t dwell on it for long. She cautiously stuck her little head forward. “I came to see you.”

Li Wan pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry. What happened this afternoon was my fault. I accidentally stepped on your bowl, that’s why you got angry.”

The dog’s amber eyes flicked toward her, gave a disdainful snort, and quickly looked away.

Sensing its mood wasn’t too bad, Li Wan edged a bit closer. “Are you feeling unwell? I—”

“Don’t fake kindness!! Woof woof!!” Qiu Tian suddenly cut her off. “Go away!! Are you trying to show off how good your owner is to you? Let me tell you, I won’t be jealous. Only useless creatures that can’t hunt for themselves rely on humans!!”

‘Useless creature’ Li Wan: “…”

She opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.

“I…” She chose her words carefully. “I’m not trying to show off, and I’m not pretending. I want to help you.”

Qiu Tian gave a mocking look and slowly stood. It was a large dog, and as it rose it loomed in the darkness like a small mountain. “What are you talking about, little cat?”

Li Wan instinctively backed up a step. The oppressive presence made the fur on her back stand on end.

But soon Qiu Tian’s face went blank again and it lay back down. “You’re so afraid of me, how could you possibly help me?”

It gave a low, bitter laugh. “See this collar around my neck?”

A vague idea surfaced in Li Wan’s mind. She whispered, “…I see it.”

With hatred in his voice he went on, “My so-called owner put this on me. It’s electrified.
“He has a little button in his hand. With just one press, I end up like I did this afternoon—”

—Unable to live, unable to die.

Li Wan’s eyes widened; a chill ran down her spine.

So it was true. Fu Shilin really did such a thing to the dog.

That doctor had lied too. Qiu Tian wasn’t reacting out of fear or stress. Fu Shilin had shocked him to stop him from doing something irreparable.

“What can you possibly do about it.” Qiu Tian shook its head, trying to break free of the collar, but no matter how it strained it stayed tight around its neck. “I’ve already tried everything.”

“This afternoon, I purposely let him shock me. With so many humans around, I hoped someone would see through his methods and…” help me.

A flicker of disappointment and loneliness flashed in Qiu Tian’s eyes. “But no one did. That doctor even lied for my so-called owner!
“Humans—they’re all in it together.”

Its teeth ground audibly in anger.

Unconsciously, a trace of sympathy appeared in Li Wan’s gaze. Qiu Tian noticed and deliberately turned its head away. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s disgusting.”

“…”

Li Wan pretended not to hear. She whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of a plan. When the time comes, just cooperate with me.”

Then she explained her plan in detail.

Qiu Tian eyed her skeptically. “Why are you helping me?”

Li Wan tilted her head. “Mm… maybe because I don’t like your owner?”

A small animal’s mind is simple. It was silent for a long while; just as Li Wan was wondering how to convince it, she heard the dog’s low voice. “I understand. Go. Quickly.”

Li Wan blinked.

Qiu Tian’s brow furrowed tightly; it urged in a low voice, “Hurry, he’s coming!”

Li Wan realized it must mean Fu Shilin—or perhaps the doctor—coming to check on Qiu Tian. She nodded and leapt away lightly.

From a distance she saw that it was indeed Fu Shilin approaching. She flicked her tail to give Qiu Tian a signal and quickly bounded down the stairs.

She intended to slip back to the cat tree and pretend to wake from a nap, but as soon as she reached the bottom she met the cool, indifferent gaze of her own butler.

Li Wan halted mid-step, then sat down where she was, blinking innocently at the human. “Meow.”

—”What? Little kitty hasn’t done anything at all.”

Chi Yan’s peach-blossom eyes glimmered with an unreadable light, then he lazily turned his gaze away.

Li Wan, ever so tactful, brushed lightly against his pant leg, only to be scooped up by the scruff of her neck. “Meow?”

Against all odds, Chi Yan set her on his knee. His warm palm gently tapped her chin as he drawled lazily, “Don’t run off.”

“Meow meow meow,” Li Wan replied.

—”No way, that wouldn’t do. She still had plans, meow!”

She nestled in her human’s arms for a short nap. This spot was a perfect cat bed: a personal scratcher on call and a constant source of body-heat.

The little feline was thoroughly pleased; her fluffy tail swayed in tiny, contented arcs.

When she judged the time about right, she climbed out of her exclusive ‘cat bed,’ stretched with an arched back, and kneaded his pants a couple of times.

—Come on, follow the kitty!

But she hadn’t retracted her claws. With those two kneads she snagged the fabric and pulled a thread loose.

The odd tearing sound froze Li Wan in place. The next second she met the man’s deep, peach-blossom eyes.

“…” Well, this was awkward.

What kind of quality was that, so flimsy it couldn’t withstand a kitten’s kneading!

She blinked innocently at him, then slowly tucked her paws back beneath the long fur of her belly.

(,,>﹏<,,)

Chi Yan usually couldn’t be bothered to argue, but the rare sight of the cat looking guilty was too tempting; he couldn’t resist flicking her on the forehead.

Li Wan yowled in mock pain, bared her tiny teeth for show, and then quickly switched tactics: doglegging it by licking the back of his hand.

“Meow-oo.”

—”Come on! Don’t keep Qiu Tian waiting!“

She hopped to the floor. When her dim-witted two-legger butler still didn’t move, she wrinkled her little brow and pawed at Chi Yan’s knee. “Meow-oo!”

—Let’s go, let’s go!

【Oh, poor Wanwan!!】

【Hahahahahaha, the kitty’s so anxious she’s about to speak human!】

【Go with her, Brother Chi, what are you doing?!】

【Chi Yan: unmoved.jpg】

【These two are the funniest pair of guests, can’t stop laughing, guys】

【What’s Wanwan up to? Everyone else is down here】

Chi Yan finally reacted and stood up.

Seeing the little cat hurrying to lead him upstairs, a flicker of dark amusement passed through the smile in his peach-blossom eyes.

If he remembered right, Fu Shilin and his dog were up there too.

The cameraman hesitated, then asked, “Where is Wanwan going?”

Chi Yan’s expression stayed mild. “No idea.”

Since he was already heading upstairs, the cameraman naturally shouldered the camera and followed quickly.

【Let’s see what’s going on!】

【By the way, has anyone noticed that A’Lin hasn’t appeared on camera for a while?】

Li Wan stood in the hallway, ears pricked, listening. Once she was sure, she scampered to the room where Qiu Tian was shut in. “Meow meow!”

Then she leapt up and neatly pushed the door open.

【Guys, I have a bad feeling about this】

【Seriously, every time Wanwan opens a door I think she should come work at my office】

Chi Yan’s eyes darkened slightly. He deliberately stepped aside to give the camera a clear view.

Just as he expected—
the next instant the livestream caught a dog convulsing in electric shock, using the last of its strength to lunge forward!

“A beast is just a beast!!”

Immediately, Fu Shilin gave the dog a heavy kick in the belly. Qiu Tian collapsed to the floor, gasping, and Fu Shilin looked ready to kick again!

The cameraman jumped, blurting out, “Teacher Fu!! What’s wrong with Qiu Tian?!”

Fu Shilin froze, clearly not expecting anyone to appear. He turned, the lingering ferocity on his face caught squarely on camera.

Li Wan was so startled she let out a sharp “Meow!” and sprang straight into her human’s arms.

The air fell into sudden silence.

But the livestream chat, after a brief stunned pause, quickly exploded:

【……】

【……Holy crap】

【Who on earth is still a fan of Fu Shilin? I genuinely don’t get it!!】

【This is straight-up domestic-abuser energy!!】

【What are his fans even trying to defend? That kick would floor a grown man!!】

【I’m freaked out, won’t be able to sleep tonight】

【What ‘natural furry magnet’? He’s abusing the dog, people!】

【You’ve got no proof he’s abusing anything! That dog was clearly sick, an aggressive sick dog is dangerous!】

【Didn’t the production team say he was fine? How could this happen?】

【The production team owes us emotional-damage compensation for A’Lin!!】

【Proof? He literally did it on camera!!】

【@ProductionTeam Care to explain why someone like this is on a cute-pet variety show?】

---

rokumi’s note : honestly, I thought Fu Shilin’s fans might be hired.

---

Li Wan froze for a moment when she heard the sound.

Qiu Tian lifted its head and gave Fu Shilin a single glance, but after just that one look it barked again: “Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!!”

It was even fiercer than before, as if it wanted to pounce on Li Wan!

This time Li Wan was truly frightened. She was standing on the highest level of the cat tree. While the dog couldn’t climb up there for now, all she had to do was lower her head and she’d meet Qiu Tian’s vicious, glaring eyes and the sharp teeth bared below.

“Meow! Meow!!”

In the original novel, she had been literally bitten to death by Qiu Tian!!!

She was about to panic. Instinctively she stepped back two paces, but the space there was small; one step back and—her foot slipped and she tumbled down!!

Li Wan : “Meeow!!”

—”Oh no!!!”

Her tail fur stood completely on end!!

The height wasn’t enough to kill a cat, but it would definitely hurt if she hit the ground!

And judging by the way Qiu Tian was eyeing her like prey, the moment she fell it would definitely lunge!!

Exactly like in the original plot!!

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the painful impact—but the next instant she landed in a pair of arms that felt absolutely safe.

…Huh?

Meow? Meow?

Before she even opened her eyes, she caught a whiff of the clean, cool scent that belonged to the man holding her.

It was her own human!

Everyone around them let out a breath of relief, but Qiu Tian still bared its teeth, glaring at her as though ready to spring at any moment!!

Li Wan instinctively burrowed deeper into her human’s embrace, burying her whole head against his chest.

—Wuwuwu, that scared the poor kitty, meow meow.

Chi Yan fixed the dog with a cold stare and said in a low voice, “Qiu Tian!”

The Akita seemed to sense the threat radiating from him and backed up two steps. But just as everyone started to relax, its hind legs suddenly tensed, about to charge straight at them!!

“Be careful!!”

Du Qingqing, eyes locked on them, stood up and shouted instinctively!

Fu Shilin cursed inwardly, this was bad!

That lunatic Chi Yan! What was he trying to prove?!

The dog had been chasing that cat from the start. If it only injured the stray, well, it was just a stray. If it died, it died.

But now Chi Yan insisted on protecting that wretched cat. If Qiu Tian accidentally bit him, the internet would explode in a storm of outrage!!

And Du Qingqing—she already had a good impression of Chi Yan because of that stupid cat. If this guy actually got hurt saving it…

No way!!

Fu Shilin shouted, “Qiu Tian!!”

This time, Qiu Tian acted as if it hadn’t heard him and charged straight toward Chi Yan and the cat!!

Everyone was startled.

“Watch out!! Teacher Chi!!”

“Be careful, you two!!”

Damn!

Fu Shilin swore under his breath, no longer caring about the live-stream cameras. He pressed the button in his hand!!

Suddenly the collar around Qiu Tian’s neck tightened. The huge dog froze mid-leap, then collapsed to the ground, convulsing as if struck by an electric shock!!

In moments, its eyes rolled back, tongue lolling long, white foam dripping from its mouth.

Everyone was stunned. For a long moment, no one dared move.

Finally Li Xiaoyun, still shaken, asked, “Wh-what’s wrong with it?”

Du Qingqing clutched little Xixi tighter, frowning as she stepped forward, only for Li Xiaoyun to pull her back. “Careful, Sister Qingqing.”

Du Qingqing shook her head, worried. “Did it have some kind of seizure?”

Li Xiaoyun thought that might be possible and quickly called to the director, “Hurry, get a vet to check it, this looks dangerous.”

The director was already calling someone and tried to calm them. “Don’t be scared. Just keep your distance from Qiu Tian.”

“Teacher Chi? How are you and Wanwan?”

Chi Yan’s gaze swept impassively over the dog on the floor; a moment later his usual gentle expression returned. He gave a slight shake of the head. “We’re fine.”

Li Wan poked her head out and waved a paw at the director. “Meow meow!”

—”I’m fine too!”

—It’s just that dog…

Li Wan pressed her lips together and looked at the dog’s body, still trembling slightly.

Was it her imagination, or did that dog’s reaction look less like a seizure and more like… being electrocuted?

Her furry ears twitched. Casually, she glanced toward the dog’s owner—Fu Shilin.

He was watching Qiu Tian on the ground, his face apparently full of concern. But Li Wan noticed that, while everyone else was distracted, he quickly slipped something into his pocket.

Her eyes flickered. A suspicion formed in her mind, but without evidence she didn’t act rashly.

The vet arrived soon after. He took one look at the dog on the floor and frowned. “This—”

All eyes turned to him at once.

Fu Shilin’s heart tightened and he instinctively took a step forward. “Doctor, is there something wrong with Qiu Tian?”

The doctor seemed to pick up on something, looked up at him, then quickly shook his head. “We can’t be certain yet. I’ll take him for some tests first.”

Fu Shilin let out a breath of relief and smiled. “Alright, thank you for taking care of him, doctor.”

These two are working together!!

Li Wan saw it clearly: the doctor carried the dog outside and, just as the two men brushed past each other, she caught sight of Fu Shilin slipping a hand into his pocket, as if taking something out that he’d put in earlier.

From her angle their clothes blocked the view. Anxious, Li Wan instinctively pawed at Chi Yan’s shoulder, trying to stand up for a better look.

But the next moment, she was suddenly pressed—her whole cat body—into someone’s arms. Then the base of her tail… basically her butt, was lightly patted by a big hand.

“Behave.”

Li Wan : “…!!!”

Her whole cat face flushed scarlet in an instant!!

Wicked, wicked, wicked!! Meow meow meow!!

What is he doing, what is he doing, what is he doing?!

He touched the kitty’s butt!!

Shameless pervert!!!

Fuming, she sprang out of the two-legged creature’s arms, leapt back onto the cat tree, and flicked her tail irritably with her back to the man.

Hmph!!!

Du Qingqing, who had been watching the doctor leave, turned her head and, noticing something, said in surprise, “Wanwan’s angry?”

She looked at Chi Yan teasingly. “What’s this? Even sweet-tempered Wanwan can get mad?!”

Li Xiaoyun, not very familiar with cats, asked, “Angry? How come all of a sudden? Did she get scared just now?”

“Don’t say that, even I was startled by the way Qiu Tian looked just now.”

At her feet, Da Huang barked twice—“Woof woof”—as if to comfort her, its tail still wagging high.

Du Qingqing laughed. “No, no, this is what a little kitty does when she’s angry. She’ll sit all by herself up high, back to you, and her tail will swish like a fishing line.

“Xixi does the same. I figure what the kitty means is: ‘Pay attention to me, come coax me.’”

Zhou Jia looked over, interested. “Coax her?”

Chi Yan raised an eyebrow, a certain guess forming in his mind, and glanced over too.

At those words, the little kitten’s body stiffened. In a flash—*whoosh*—she tucked that disobedient tail away.

Du Qingqing burst out laughing at the move. “Hahahahaha, Teacher Chi, what did you do to make Wanwan this mad?”

Chi Yan : “……”

【Hahahahaha, I’ll answer that. What did he do? Teacher Chi acted like a rascal and patted the little kitty’s butt!!】

【The little kitty didn’t give him a paw swipe on the spot, that’s already merciful!!】

【Wanwan: ‘Detestable human with no sense of boundaries.’ .jpg】

【Guess Chi Yan just isn’t close enough to the kitty. My cat’s been raised by me since she was tiny; you can touch her anywhere.】

【Uh, buddy above, just because you’re close to your bro, does that mean you can drop your pants and let him have fun?】

【…Well that’s crude but not entirely wrong.】

【That was really scary just now, I got spooked too.】

【What’s going on with Qiutian? He completely ignored Fu Shilin calling him.】

【Maybe he’s just not used to him. Dogs are usually the most obedient.】

【Fu Shilin must be bad with dogs. Remember Qiu Tian was once an abandoned stray.】

【Lol, how can you tell he’s bad with dogs from that? Akitas are naturally fierce; they’re not really suited as pets.】

【Must be the production team’s fault. What if he really went crazy and bit a guest?】

【When a dog goes crazy it doesn’t recognize anyone.】

【Did you notice how he looked just now? Something was off. Does this dog have some illness?】

【I knew it, the production team is bullying our A’Lin. Why assign him a sick dog?】

【??? What are you talking about? When filming with pets, guests can refuse the assignment, okay?】

【Why not put a muzzle on Qiu Tian? Everyone knows Akitas are fierce; why no muzzle?】

【Fu Shilin is exactly the kind of dog owner I can’t stand.】

【He just wants the dog to attack Brother Chi!!】

【Oh please, Li Xiaoyun’s Da Huang isn’t muzzled either. Why single out A’Lin? You’re just haters.】

【Li Xiaoyun’s got hers on a leash and Da Huang is well-behaved, okay?】

The livestream viewership kept climbing. Staff sensed something was wrong and hurried to ask the director for instructions.

The director thought for a moment. “Whatever, our show will just issue a statement clarifying Qiu Tian’s health.”

Before long, Qiu Tian was brought back. The doctor said he’d already examined him: nothing wrong health-wise.

He explained the earlier reaction was probably because Qiu Tian was frightened and stressed.

He recommended giving Qiu Tian some medicine and letting him stay alone in a room for now.

---

【Guys, is it just me, or does it feel like Wanwan gets along with everyone… except Fu Shilin?】

【Isn’t it obvious? Fu Shilin doesn’t even seem close to his own dog, Qiu Tian. Always acting like they’re strangers.】

【What, making up rumors costs nothing now? Saying our A’Lin and Qiu Tian aren’t close—Qiu Tian literally came over when A’Lin called him just now.】

【Lol, wasn’t that because he threatened it?】

【I can’t be the only one who remembers, right?】

【When this variety show was first announced, didn’t Fu Shilin market himself as some kind of ‘natural furry magnet’?】

【This is what he meant?】

【Hahahahaha, I’m laughing to death. Look at Wanwan, she doesn’t even spare him a glance.】

【I heard animals are spiritual beings. They’ll instinctively gravitate toward people who treat them well.】

【Honestly, Fu Shilin doesn’t seem like the type animals would like.】

【If one day a gossip account exposed him for abusing animals, I’d believe it.】

【Stop spreading lies.】

【Haters, can you stop pretending to be passersby? It’s disgusting.】

【Fu Shilin abuses animals [5 yuan per post]】

【Wait up, let me in on that money-making scheme too】

The livestream chat quickly veered off-topic, but on Weibo the discussion suddenly blew up.

Fu Shilin had always carried himself with an arrogant, high-and-mighty air, and he’d made plenty of enemies in the entertainment industry.

Soon, an anonymous alt account came forward : 【Fu Shilin abuses dogs】

【I used to be a minor staffer on one of Fu Shilin’s shows. I honestly don’t know how he has the nerve to market himself as someone animals love.】

【His fans say he’s caring? What a joke. It’s all an act. I saw a stray dog pitifully begging for food, and Fu Shilin straight-up kicked it. That kick looked painful as hell.】

【And people wonder why he has fans? He doesn’t even respect vulnerable people in society. How could he possibly like cats or dogs?】

Since Fu Shilin was already a trending topic, and the pet reality show <A Family of Furry Friends> had decent popularity, once this tag was attached, the Weibo thread snowballed.

Within two hours, the hashtag #Fu Shilin Abuses Dogs# shot up the hot search.

Of course, he still had a loyal fanbase, and his fans swarmed every forum and comment section to defend him.

【Got any proof? Just saying our A’Lin abused dogs, lmao.】

【Seriously? People still don’t know stray dogs are dangerous?】

【This OP is clearly one of those extremist dog lovers.】

【Especially large strays, you gotta be careful outside. A’Lin was just protecting himself, what’s wrong with that?】

【Everyone knows strays are wary of people. If one approaches you, it might already have rabies!!!】

【If you love them so much, why not take that rabid dog home and sleep next to it?】

【No evidence, just empty words and slander.】

【Claiming to be a staffer? Lmao, where’s the proof?】

【I could say I’m your Dad. You don’t support your Dad, yet you’re out here barking at strangers.】

Still, plenty of people believed it.

【I’m just a passerby, but honestly… I can see Fu Shilin doing this.】

【Same here…】

【I know it’s wrong to judge by appearances, but—guys, remember when Fu Shilin stepped on that old lady’s vegetables during a show, then accused her of trying to scam him?】

【If that’s how he treats people, no way he likes animals.】

Originally, the cast of <A Family of Furry Friends> wouldn’t have known any of this, since the production team had confiscated their phones to keep them focused.

But Fu Shilin, still stewing over the earlier competition, intimidated a staff into lending him a phone.

The staff, knowing Fu’s powerful family background, didn’t dare refuse.

Fu Shilin had only meant to check on competition-related topics, but as soon as he opened the hot search, the first thing he saw was #Fu Shilin Abuses Dogs#.

His frown deepened.

Thinking back, he did vaguely remember that incident. Yes, it happened.

But he couldn’t understand why it had blown up like this.

The stray dog had been filthy, reeking, and had tried to rub its head against his pant leg. It was disgusting.

It had wanted the leftover chicken drumstick from his bowl, staring at him with pitiful, grimy eyes.

The stench alone made him nauseous, so he simply kicked it away.

To him, it was nothing. A trivial matter. Why was it such a big deal?

Scowling, he became increasingly certain that someone was pulling strings behind the scenes to mess with him.

After all, everyone in the entertainment industry knew he came from a powerful family. His father’s side was in business, and his late mother’s relatives were in government. The uncle who doted on him since childhood had even risen to the rank of minister.

Anyone with a brain wouldn’t dare to deliberately provoke him.

Fu Shilin grew increasingly irritable and scrolled down through some comments. Many of them mentioned that scum Chi Yan.

They said Chi Yan, that hypocrite, was nothing like him.

He marketed himself as an animal lover, but in reality abused dogs, and now he was being publicly shamed.

Yet Chi Yan hadn’t said a word in response. Although he openly complained about cats shedding, he still treated his cat Wanwan well.

Cold on the outside, warm on the inside, this contrast only made him more attractive.

The two of them were rivals to begin with, and now that they were both on the same pet variety show, with public opinion turning against him, Chi Yan naturally became the biggest beneficiary.

Clearly, Chi Yan was pulling strings behind the scenes.

He knew that guy all too well. When he was young and came to his house, he was just a little beggar, a vagrant, yet still forced himself to put on a façade of dignity and composure.

Even after growing up, that man was the same—full of schemes, but outwardly as graceful as a spring breeze.

Disgusting.

And now that guy wanted to steal Du Qingqing away, knowing full well that he liked Du Qingqing!!

It wasn’t hard to imagine that if Du Qingqing saw the current online discourse, she would surely think less of him, giving that scum Chi Yan the perfect chance to swoop in.

Fu Shilin clenched his fists tightly, his eyes turning darker and darker.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. At that moment, his dog Qiu Tian was right by his feet. He lifted his leg and kicked it hard.

Qiu Tian yelped in pain, baring its sharp teeth instinctively.

But in the next second, Fu Shilin raised the controller for its collar. Its body went rigid, it let out a couple of low whimpers, and compromised by crouching on the floor.

It hurt.

It didn’t know what this device was, but it remembered the pain it brought.

And because of it, it had no choice but to obey Fu Shilin.

Fu Shilin let out a satisfied snort, then kicked it twice more until the dog could barely stand, finally easing some of his anger.

Forget it.

That so-called whistleblower hadn’t produced any evidence yet. His agent would definitely take care of it soon, so he didn’t need to worry.

As for Du Qingqing, their phones had all been handed over to the production staff at the beginning, so she wouldn’t see anything.

For now, the important thing was—

—to show both fans and Du Qingqing how much he cared for small animals, solidifying his carefully crafted ‘natural furry magnet’ image.

Then, he could use the opportunity to return all the humiliation he’d suffered back to Chi Yan.

---

Dinner was provided by the production team—lavish, with a big table full of dishes.

Just looking at it made Li Wan nearly drool. She kept sneaking glances at the table, trying to confirm if there was a giant lobster among the dishes. Hopping up onto a chair, she tried to get a clearer look.

As expected of top-tier celebrity treatment.

Not something a poor nobody like her had ever seen before, *sob sob*.

So envious, so jealous.

Unfortunately, she was now just a little kitten, and ninety-nine percent of the food on the table was off-limits.

How hateful.

The little kitten’s frustration was practically written all over her furry face. Du Qingqing chuckled softly at the sight, picked up a boiled shrimp, peeled it, and placed it in her cat bowl.

“Eat up, Wanwan.”

Li Wan’s eyes lit up. “Meow meow!!”

—”Mama Qingqing is the best!!”

She almost buried her entire head into the bowl. Chi Yan, watching, casually tugged her little cat head back out with his hand.

【Chi Yan : Disgusted.jpg (while failing to resist reaching out)】

【Hahahahaha, stealing the bamboo shoots!】

【Brother Chi, I told you long ago, one day you’d fall to the fluffy charms of this kitten🚬😮‍💨】

On the other side, Xixi wasn’t too happy about it, but quickly turned its head away.

Forget it. She’s just a little baby after all, and babies are greedy.

But the next second, its human also placed a peeled shrimp into its bowl.

Xixi froze, then looked up, meeting the girl’s warm gaze. “Eat, Xixi.”

He hadn’t even shown that he wanted it…

Li Wan caught his surprise and leaned over to explain, “Because Mama Qingqing likes Xixi a lot, so she always notices Xixi’s reactions!”

Just like her own human.

Even though he acted disdainful on the surface, Li Wan could tell he was treating her better and better.

He even noticed her burying her head in the bowl just now!

—…Was that really the case?

Xixi fell silent, then turned its head away awkwardly. “I didn’t want it. She’s just being sentimental.”

Li Wan : “……”

Fine then.

Considering its kitty pride, she played along with a couple of meows: “That’s right, that’s right. Xixi didn’t want it, Mama Qingqing just wanted to please Xixi.”

Xixi : “……”

Good thing its face was covered in fur, otherwise everyone would have seen how red its face had gotten.

It grew flustered, unable to deal with these emotions. So it bared its teeth and let out a “Hah!” at Li Wan.

Li Wan was startled. Cats were naturally timid, and though she was human inside, her body was still that of a kitten. Instinct took over, and she leapt away to a higher, safer spot.

In the process, she accidentally kicked over Qiu Tian’s food bowl.

Qiu Tian bared its teeth at once. “Woof woof!!”

The sudden commotion from the animals startled everyone. They all turned to see Qiu Tian baring its teeth viciously at Li Wan, while the little kitten trembled in fear from her perch above.

—That dog!

As if he wasn’t already being roasted enough online?!

Fu Shilin’s face instantly darkened. “Qiu Tian, come back!!”

---

Everyone started exclaiming in amazement.

Li Xiaoyun: “!! I knew Wanwan would be amazing!!”

Du Qingqing also clenched her fist, “Wanwan is so awesome!!!”

Zhou Jia hugged little Yueya tightly, “Yueya, Yueya, it’s fine, it won’t affect us sleeping on the streets Q_AQ.”

Only Fu Shilin’s gaze suddenly darkened, his eyes filled with jealousy as he clenched his fists!!

How could this be?! That guy Chi Yan is completely fake, he doesn’t look like the type of person small animals would like at all!!!

And besides—

That cat should have been his pet! If it hadn’t been for that bastard Chi Yan interfering, he would have been the one to win first place and take the spotlight!!!

He gritted his teeth, but since the cameras were still rolling, he forcibly suppressed the churning jealousy and disgust in his chest, squeezing out a stiff smile, “Wanwan is really amazing.”

【!!! Brilliant Wanwan!! Carrying Brother Chi to victory!!】

【Wanwan is really so lovable. Li Xiaoyun and Du Qingqing only just met her, but she’s already captured their hearts!!】

【Of course, pretty cats like to play with pretty people!】

【Hahahahaha omg look at Zhou Jia’s face, Zhou Jia and Yueya both look ready to run away from home!!!】

【You can’t blame him hahahahaha. Isn’t Zhou Jia the most pitiful in the whole show?】

【Right? At the start, when he heard the rules, his expression was like he wanted to hang himself on the spot hahahahaha!!!】

【Guys, is it just me, or does Fu Shilin not look very happy?】

【What’s there to be happy about? His first place got stolen.】

【He’s so petty. And his fans always try to leech off our Brother Chi’s fame, it’s disgusting.】

【Not a fan, but being fair: the director did say it was a competition. If you lose, isn’t it normal to not be happy?】

【Petty is petty. Don’t stop people from saying it, tsk tsk.】

The comment section blew up over this. The more fiercely they argued over such trivial matters, the higher the live stream’s popularity climbed. Naturally, the production team was more than happy to see it.

The competition ended, and the results were announced.

With only ten seconds, Li Wan—who had firmly chosen her human—was the undisputed first place. Second was Li Xiaoyun’s Da Huang. Third went to Fu Shilin’s Qiu Tian. Fourth was Du Qingqing’s Maine Coon, Xixi. And last, of course, was Zhou Jia and his rabbit Yueya, who had given up on competing.

Director : “You can start picking rooms now.”

But although they used the contest to decide the order, all the rooms were in the same villa and more or less the same quality. The show was on the relaxed side, no one was actually going to be sleeping out on the streets.

Zhou Jia looked at the pictures of the rooms and instantly sighed in relief, hugging Yueya as he let out a long breath.

“Thank you, production team. For this, I’m willing to accept a smaller appearance fee.”

Li Xiaoyun burst into laughter and pointed at the camera filming them, “Be careful, the director’s watching, Brother Zhou Jia.”

Zhou Jia quickly made a ‘zip-the-lips’ gesture, “Sorry, I take that back.”

【Hahahahahahahahaha】

【I see now, these two are the comedy duo of the show】

【Honestly, I never expected Li Xiaoyun to have this kind of personality. She always looks soft, gentle, and cute, but she’s actually really cheerful too】

【I love girls like this. I’m a fan now】

【Zhou Jia can really take a joke. Honestly, the contest wasn’t even fair to Yueya in the first place】

【Exactly, our Zhou Jia has such a great personality! Everyone, welcome aboard the fandom!!】

【Looks like only one person here can’t take losing】

【Shh! Stop mentioning it. If you keep talking, his fans are going to lose their minds!!】

【Shhh!】

【Keep your voices down. Is that really something to be proud of.jpg】

【So shameless hahahahaha】

【You don’t understand. A’Lin wanted first place so he could give the first pick of rooms to Du Qingqing】

【Waaah, he’s so in love!!】

【…】

【Why does my Qingqing keep getting dragged into this】

【Fu Shilin, can you stand on your own without tying yourself to our Qingqing

【+1, and stop trying to tie yourself to our Brother Chi too】

【No mirror at home? Or maybe just pee in one and see if you’re worthy】

【Loving the energy from the comment above】

The director signaled for the camera to turn to Chi Yan, letting him choose first.

Li Wan pushed her limp noodle-like body up with her hind legs, placing her front paws on the man’s knee.

“Meow, meow!”

—”Hurry up and pick already, useless two-legger.”

But she had only meowed twice when suddenly the scruff of her neck tightened. Someone had picked her up again.

“……”

She stubbornly met the man’s peach-blossom eyes. His gaze, however, had already returned to calm.

“I told you, you shed too much hair. Don’t rub against me.”

【！！The poor little kitten is way too wronged!!】

【Brother Chi, you—】

【Some two-legger must not! At least, they shouldn’t!!!】

Then pitiful little Li Wan was set down on the floor beside him. She lifted her small cat head and cried, “Meow, meow.”

—”Heartless human, hmph hmph hmph!”

Du Qingqing laughed at the sight. She already had one cat on her knees, so she gently set Xixi down, then waved at her, “Wanwan, come here, let Aunt give you a hug.”

Li Wan hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t resist the beautiful lady’s invitation. She hopped over in two quick bounds.

Xixi raised his eyes and gave her a disdainful glance.

Li Wan didn’t care, pretending she saw nothing, and curled up in the female lead Du Qingqing’s arms.

So comfy!!

Du Qingqing was nothing like her own heartless two-legger. Chi Yan didn’t really like cats. He would never take the initiative to scratch a kitten’s chin. But Du Qingqing did!

Under her skilled technique, Li Wan couldn’t help but start purring, her whole little kitten body going limp like a warm bun.

Du Qingqing adored her too, smiling with her brows and eyes arched. “Wanwan is so cute!”

Then she noticed her own Xixi’s gaze, and paused to explain to the kitten, “Mommy is just hugging her for a little while, okay?”

Xixi turned its head away and gave a light sneeze.

Hmph, foolish human!

It didn’t care who she hugged.

Chi Yan finally looked away as well, though in his mind still lingered the image of his kitten fawning on someone else like a little bun.

Tch.

His eyes darkened slightly.

The director urged him to pick a room first, but Chi Yan cast an unnoticeable glance at Fu Shilin, whose expression was far from pleasant, a hidden smile flickering in his peach-blossom eyes.

Fu Shilin sensed his gaze, his heart tightening.

What’s this guy planning?

And then he watched Chi Yan turn toward Du Qingqing and say warmly, “Miss Du, why don’t you choose first?”

Fu Shilin’s fists clenched instantly!

Fuck!! He really dared!!!

Du Qingqing froze.

Li Xiaoyun and Zhou Jia exchanged a look, a gossipy glint in their eyes.

Li Xiaoyun deliberately pouted and exaggerated her tone: “No way! Teacher Chi, why won’t you let me choose first! I’m a girl too!!!”

Li Wan glanced thoughtfully at her.

Truly worthy of being a host, Li Xiaoyun’s EQ was high. With just one sentence, she shifted Chi Yan’s ambiguous gesture into simple courtesy toward women.

Still, even she was a little surprised.

In the original book, it was written that the two-legger came on this variety show precisely to get close to Du Qingqing and disgust Fu Shilin. She hadn’t expected him to be so direct.

But… it was indeed effective.

Just look at Fu Shilin’s expression—tsk tsk tsk. Practically turning green.

Chi Yan smiled faintly. “Your ranking is quite high.”

Li Xiaoyun pursed her lips, then buried her face into Da Huang’s belly on purpose. The dog wagged his tail wildly, barking “Woof woof woof,” completely clueless.

Du Qingqing let out a subtle breath of relief. She thanked him, then declined: “No need, Teacher Chi.”

“You earned first place with your own strength, didn’t you, Meow Meow?” she added, turning to Li Wan.

Li Wan was too blissed out under her chin scratches, only managing to “purr purr” in response, unable to answer.

But honestly, if the spot went to Du Qingqing, she had no objection. A kitten could sleep anywhere, and if all else failed, she could always climb over and curl up in Aunt Qingqing’s arms.

So comfy!!

Purr purr purr!!!

The original plot was right. From what she had seen so far, Du Qingqing truly was a very good girl.

She even avoided wearing perfume on the show, knowing how sensitive cats and dogs’ noses were!

So considerate, meow!!

Thinking about it…

If Chi Yan really ended up with Du Qingqing, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

Her two-legger was a responsible man, he’d definitely treat his girlfriend well. Du Qingqing was warm-hearted too; maybe she could even help ease his extreme personality and psychological issues…

That is, if Aunt Qingqing’s on-camera persona reflected her real self.

Li Wan blinked. The more she thought about it, the better the idea sounded.

She could even try matchmaking, nudging them together a little. If they suited each other, they could end up together.

Way better than watching Aunt Qingqing with that scumbag Fu Shilin.

Hmph!

The little kitten thought about it, then rolled her eyes at Fu Shilin from afar.

And Fu Shilin happened to catch it: “…”

His fists clenched again. Damn it!

This cat’s attitude was just as unbearable as Chi Yan’s!!

As Du Qingqing refused, Chi Yan didn’t press. He picked a room with good lighting instead.

Soon, everyone had chosen rooms and began moving in their luggage.

Li Wan, still relishing the joy of chin scratches, followed close by Du Qingqing’s skirt as they went upstairs.

Chi Yan gave her a sidelong glance.

Tch.

Flattering cat.

【Screenshot it, guys, quick, screenshot!!】

【Look at Brother Chi’s jealous glare!!】

【At this rate, how long before he falls to the power of fluffy paws!!】

【Waiting for Brother Chi to get slapped in the face】

【+1 waiting for the slap】

---

【I say Wanwan is an angel kitty, no objections right?】

【LOL, but it was just a coincidence, what’s there to brag about.】

【Bro, didn’t you see that Wanwan really understands human speech? Stop being stubborn, your face is already swollen from the slap of truth.】

【Still the same advice, Brother Chi, hurry up and send the kid to school, don’t delay their education Q_AQ】

After Xixi came out, it stayed quietly in Du Qingqing’s arms, looking a little guilty, occasionally licking the red scratch marks on the back of her hand.

Du Qingqing’s eyes turned red. To show her gratitude to Li Wan, she crouched down and gave Li Wan a big freeze-dried snack.

She whispered her thanks, “Thank you, Wanwan.”

“Meow~”

—No need to thank me.

Li Wan was so happy to eat the treat that her fluffy big tail stood tall. She rubbed her furry cheek against the girl’s hand before slowly, proudly strutting back to her own two-legger.

Sensing her human’s gaze, she deliberately raised her chin, looking smug and full of herself.

Li Xiaoyun burst out laughing. “Brother Chi, she looks like she’s waiting for you to praise her, hahaha!”

Zhou Jia was also amazed. “She’s really smart. Aren’t cats usually more solitary? I didn’t expect her to willingly comfort Xixi on their very first meeting!”

Chi Yan paused, his eyes slowly softening into a smile. When the little cat walked up to him, he finally stretched out his hand and absentmindedly scratched her chin twice. “Good cat.”

Li Wan : “……”

—Meow meow! If you don’t know how to compliment a cat properly, then don’t force it!!

Hmph!!

But since her human’s petting movements were still a bit clumsy, the generous cat decided to forgive him this time.

Next up was Li Xiaoyun.

Her dog, Da Huang, was very obedient and cooperative, doing whatever she asked. But when one of the staff in charge of interference deliberately threw out a frisbee, Da Huang seemed like a switch had been flipped. It bolted straight after the frisbee.

“Woof woof!!”

Li Xiaoyun : “!!”

“Da Huang! We’re still in the competition, come back!!”

Hearing her voice, its tail wagged enthusiastically, but it wouldn’t budge until it proudly brought the frisbee back. Then it happily trotted back to her side.

Li Xiaoyun : “……”

She was speechless, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. In the end, she just gave its head a light pat. “Fine, you’re the best.”

Da Huang only took it as praise, wagging its tail so fast it left afterimages, trying to pounce on its owner with its wet tongue desperately licking her cheek.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoyun couldn’t stay mad, and ended up hugging Da Huang happily as they left the competition area.

Although Da Huang wasted quite a bit of time, their group still only clocked a little over two minutes, way shorter than the nearly half hour Du Qingqing’s team had taken.

Next was Zhou Jia.

His match with his rabbit, Yueya, didn’t go so smoothly. Yueya didn’t even recognize its own name and had no idea Zhou Jia was calling it.

The moment it came out of the carrier, it hopped straight over to the staff member holding the raffia grass, ears twitching as she begged adorably. After finishing, she still wanted more.

Zhou Jia had no choice. After half an hour of fruitless effort, he simply announced his withdrawal from the competition.

Holding Yueya in his arms, he sighed, rubbing its head. “Baby Yueya, it’s okay. We just have to believe the show won’t actually let us sleep on the streets.”

Everyone laughed, while he buried his face gloomily into the bunny’s belly.

Yueya didn’t like this at all. She kicked him and darted to a corner of the lawn.

“Hahahahahahahahaha!!”

The crowd laughed even harder, and the villa’s front yard was filled with cheerful noise.

After that came the male lead, Fu Shilin, and his Akita dog, Qiu Tian.

He had built a perfect ‘fluffy-animal magnet’ persona. Originally, his image was that of an arrogant young master, but his seeming bond with animals created such a striking contrast that it drew fans in.

After the program staff led Qiu Tian away, Fu Shilin revealed a confident smile and called, “Qiu Tian! Come here!”

To everyone’s surprise, Qiu Tian didn’t respond.

To outsiders, it might have seemed like Qiu Tian was distracted or hadn’t heard Fu Shilin.

But ever since Li Wan turned into a fluffy little kitten, communicating with other furry creatures seemed easier. She had the distinct feeling that Qiu Tian actually didn’t like Fu Shilin at all.

That was strange.

Li Wan looked thoughtful. After a bit of pondering, she realized something. Fu Shilin wasn’t at all the way he presented himself. He didn’t actually like fluffy animals, and his relationship with Qiu Tian was likely not what he pretended.

Originally, she had been scared of this cold, aloof large dog, since in the original storyline she died at its jaws. But now—

Li Wan glanced at it with her heterochromatic eyes, and without meaning to, a trace of sympathy surfaced there.

The crowd quieted down, everyone’s attention instinctively shifting to Fu Shilin’s group.

Fu Shilin felt humiliated by Qiu Tian’s behavior; stiffly tugging at the corner of his lips, he uncharacteristically explained to the camera: “Qiu Tian is probably just too nervous. It’s not usually like this at home.”

He lowered his voice and spoke again, “Qiu Tian, come here.”

This time, there was a faint, almost imperceptible warning in his tone.

At last, QiuTian moved. It cast him a cold glance, then slowly walked toward him.

But Fu Shilin’s expression did not soften.

This dog—!!

It was all that disgusting Chi Yan’s fault. Originally, he had been assigned the obedient little kitten named Wanwan, but midway through, Chi Yan snatched it away.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up paired with this disobedient, vicious dog.

Not only did it refuse to listen, but it was fierce and large. Even Fu Shilin had to hesitate at the thought of laying hands on it.

The director, noticing his sour mood, quickly pressed the stopwatch. “Three minutes and twenty seconds! Qiu Tian is still very smart!”

That was the second-best result, only behind Li Xiaoyun’s group.

Hearing the score, Fu Shilin finally smiled again, leading Qiu Tian as he walked over to Du Qingqing.

But Du Qingqing was still holding her own pet, Xixi. Worried it might get scared, and stepped back twice in a row.

A flash of gloom passed through Fu Shilin’s eyes.

All this because of that damned dog!!

If things had gone according to his plan, he would’ve been assigned that white long-haired kitten. He and Du Qingqing could’ve naturally struck up conversation around it, and by the end of the variety show, he was sure their relationship would have advanced further.

But now, because Xixi was frightened, Qingqing didn’t even want to come near him!!

And then there was Chi Yan…

At the thought of that name, Fu Shilin gripped Qiu Tian’s leash hard.

Don’t think he didn’t know what that bastard was scheming by joining the show. That bastard was jealous of him.

That guy thought Fu Shilin had stolen his mother, so now he wanted to steal the girl Fu Shilin liked.

Ha.

As if he even deserved to.

Dark hostility surged inside Fu Shilin, but since Du Qingqing was watching, he forced a gentle smile. “Qingqing, don’t worry. I’ll ask the production team later if I can give you my turn at choosing a room.”

Du Qingqing, a little awkward, politely declined after thanking him. “No need, this is a competition.”

Fu Shilin wanted to insist, but Du Qingqing had already shifted her gaze, “It’s Wanwan’s turn next.”

Her smile was far more genuine now, “Wanwan is so clever, I’m sure she’ll get a great result.”

Fu Shilin did not agree.

It was just a cat. Everyone knew cats were less intelligent than dogs. No matter how clever, how clever could it be?

Besides, with Chi Yan’s personality, how close could he possibly get to a cat?

Fu Shilin’s eyes darkened, though on the surface he nodded agreeably. “Yes, that’s right.”

When something went wrong later, it would be hilarious.

【Aaaaahhhh I’m dying!! My CP is the best match ever!!】

【Handsome guy, pretty girl, handsome guy, pretty girl!!】

【Stop forcing this ship! Look at Du Qingqing’s expression—does she look even slightly interested in Fu Shilin?】

【That makes it even better! She doesn’t like him at all, but this rich young master is head over heels!!】

【Am I the only one who feels something’s off… Why does Qiu Tian look like it doesn’t like Fu Shilin?】

【Nope, just your imagination. Our A’Lin is a natural fluffy magnet! There’s never been a furry who doesn’t like him!!】

【That’s just the Akita’s personality, they always look fierce and cold.】

【But Qiu Tian clearly likes A’Lin—he came right over after A’Lin called twice.】

【Aaaaahhhh, Wanwan go go go!!】

【Brother Chi is a clean freak, so it’s all up to Wanwan to win him a good room!!】

【Don’t be ridiculous, everyone knows cats are less obedient than dogs.】

【Wuwuwu, poor Brother Chi, don’t let him end up second-to-last!!】

Li Wan was already in the cage. She bounced twice, looked at her human in the distance, twitched her whiskers, and wore a proud expression.

—Just wait!

Master Cat is about to carry the two-legger to victory!!!

“Ready! Go!!”

At the director’s signal, the cage’s door opened, and Li Wan shot straight toward her human!

When cats really want to run, their speed is always frighteningly fast. The cage was about fifteen meters from Chi Yan, but in the blink of an eye, Li Wan was already in front of her human!

She stared at her butler’s deep peach blossom eyes, a faint trace of surprise flashing there!

Only a meter and a half left!

The cat lowered her tail, suddenly pushed off hard with her hind legs, and jump!!

“Meowww!!”

She dove straight into the man’s arms!!

The rapid thumping of her little chest and the rushing wind mixed together with the faint scent of laundry detergent on the man, for some reason making her heart skip a beat!

Right after, the director’s excited voice rang out!

“Thirteen seconds!! Wanwan takes first place!!!”

“Meow meow meow!!!”

—First place, first place!!!

This kitten and her two-legger are the best in the world!!!

Chi Yan was suddenly covered full in his arms, the cat rubbing her fluffy face insistently against him. Reflexively, he felt a bit put off.

All that fur!

But when he lowered his head and met those heterochromatic eyes sparkling with excitement, even his peach blossom eyes softened slightly, one brow quirking up. “Not bad.”

Li Wan couldn’t care less about that.

What did he mean by not bad, this tsundere butler clearly wanted to say she was amazing!!!

---

At first, everyone thought Xixi was just a little scared and didn’t dare to come out. But after more than twenty minutes passed, no matter how people outside called to it, it didn’t respond at all.

Du Qingqing was terribly worried. After speaking to the director, she stepped forward, trying to coax the cat out of the cage.

But for some reason, the cat inside seemed to suddenly not recognize her anymore. Noticing her approach, it even hissed at her twice, sounding fierce.

Startled, Du Qingqing jumped back a step. Even when Xixi first came to her home, it had never shown such a strong aggressiveness.

She frowned tightly and looked at the director. “What should we do?”

The director hadn’t expected Xixi’s socialization to be this poor, and everyone looked at each other in dismay.

Li Xiaoyun thought for a moment and suggested, “Why don’t we put Xixi in a quiet place inside the villa first? Maybe once it’s alone, it’ll slowly calm down.”

Everyone felt that made some sense, so the director had staff step forward to carry the carrier into the villa.

But unexpectedly, whenever anyone other than Du Qingqing approached, Xixi became even more agitated, even baring its claws.

The staff considered putting on gloves and forcibly carrying the cat, but Du Qingqing’s heart clenched and she stopped him. “Why don’t I do it instead? It’s very scared. It’s already in a bad state. If it’s stimulated again, it might have a stress reaction.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Du Qingqing, while Li Wan looked thoughtful.

It seemed the female lead’s character wasn’t much different from the original novel. She really was a kind person.

Du Qingqing slowly crouched in front of the cage and reached out her hand. The cat inside glanced at her, still looking terrified, but upon recognizing her, it didn’t show any intent to attack.

Du Qingqing managed to rest her hand on Xixi’s head. Feeling her reassurance, the cat gradually calmed down, though it still had no intention of coming out.

Zhou Jia offered, “Sister Qingqing, since Xixi still trusts you, why don’t you just carry the carrier straight inside?”

Fu Shilin finally spoke as well. “Xixi is timid. We should hurry and move it to a quiet place.”

Of course, Du Qingqing knew this made sense. She gritted her teeth, nodded, and bent down to lift the carrier. But no one expected—a sudden change!

Xixi suddenly panicked, yowling loudly, its cries sounding especially pained. It even tried to stick its paw out to scratch Du Qingqing.

Although she had prepared herself mentally, its sudden frenzy still gave her a big fright!

Fortunately, her reason was intact. She instinctively held the carrier tighter, afraid of dropping it and scaring Xixi even more.

But seeing how terrified Xixi was, she couldn’t keep carrying it. She had no choice but to set it back down.

Once placed down again, Xixi seemed to feel safe. It calmed, curled up quietly inside, and warily watched the outside world.

Li Xiaoyun and the others looked worried. “Sister Qingqing, are you okay?!”

Du Qingqing shook her head. Xixi had accidentally scratched her just now, but the wound wasn’t too big.

Compared to her minor injury, she was far more worried about Xixi inside the carrier.

Fu Shilin noticed the red mark on the back of her hand, his gaze darkening. “Let me do it.”

“We’ll just carry it in by force and let it calm down on its own. Qingqing, your hand is injured, you need to be treated.”

But Du Qingqing blocked him.

“No! Xixi is already very scared. If it has a stress reaction, then—”

Fu Shilin, barely able to control his emotions, blurted out, “But it’s just a—”

He at least remembered the cameras were rolling, so he swallowed the rest of his words.

Du Qingqing sensed something in his tone and looked puzzled, but no one lingered on his slip.

Because just then, they heard another sound—a soft, tiny meow.

“Meow?”

—”Are you okay?”

Everyone instantly turned toward the little white kitten that had stepped forward. It shook out its fur and walked straight toward the cage.

Du Qingqing was stunned and looked toward Chi Yan. “She…”

Li Xiaoyun exclaimed, as if realizing something, “Is she talking to Xixi inside the carrier? Is she comforting it?!”

Fu Shilin, upset from seeing the woman he cared for get hurt, felt sour at the sight of the two cats. He immediately sneered. “How is that possible? Cats can’t be that smart. It’s not like they’re humans in disguise!”

【Wanwan big points!!】

【Wanwan is so kind!! Just now it ignored the freeze-dried treats, and now it’s even comforting another cat!!】

【No way, does anyone really believe that?】

【Fun fact: cats rarely use vocalizations to communicate with other cats. Comforting? LOL. Cats don’t have human emotions.】

While people were talking, Li Wan had already walked up to the carrier. To avoid startling Xixi again, she even brushed against Du Qingqing’s skirt to nudge her back a little.

Du Qingqing felt the tug and froze. “You… want me to step back a bit?”

Fu Shilin frowned. “It’s just a cat. What could it possibly do? We should just carry Xixi inside.”

—Hmph!

Li Wan got annoyed the moment she saw that guy. She blatantly rolled her eyes at him, then patted the girl’s knee with her soft, pale mangosteen-like paw. “Meow~”

—”Yeah, that’s right.”

Du Qingqing was completely baffled.

She didn’t know why, but she kept feeling like… this little kitten could actually understand what she was saying.

Following her cue, she stepped back a couple of paces. Everyone’s gaze, just like hers, was now fixed on the long-haired white kitten outside the carrier.

Including Chi Yan.

His peach-blossom eyes deepened slightly, as if he was pondering something.

He knew the kitten was smart, but he hadn’t expected her to be this smart.

Sensing his gaze, Li Wan suddenly turned her head, flicked her ears toward her two-legger, and went, “Meow~”

—”Don’t worry! Master Cat said she’s got your back!!”

Li Xiaoyun chuckled. “Why does it really feel like she’s talking?”

Chi Yan paused a little, but there was now a faint smile in his eyes.

Li Wan shifted her attention back to Xixi inside the carrier and softly mewed: “Meow~”

—“Are you okay?”

Xixi froze at her voice, then his ears quickly flattened back into airplane mode. “Hiss!!”

—“Go away!!”

Fu Shilin burst out laughing right then. “See? I told you, this cat can’t be trusted. If it ends up agitating Xixi even more, things are just going to get worse.”

Ugh, this male lead is so annoying!

Li Wan wanted to slap him across the head with her paw, but now wasn’t the right time. She continued soothing Xixi: “Don’t be scared. The humans outside don’t want to hurt you. They’re all very friendly.”

Xixi gradually quieted down. “They moved me away from my home and brought me here. They just want to hurt me!”

Through the gaps of the cage, it looked at her and frowned. “You’re so clean, you must’ve been raised by humans since you were little. Don’t trust them too much. Humans are bad!!!

“You don’t know because you’ve never experienced it. I wandered outside for a long time! They’ll lure you with food on purpose, then torture you! They’ll rip out your claws, forcefully!! It hurts so much!!

As it spoke, it seemed to recall the pain, whimpered pitifully, and licked its paw.

Li Wan knew some people abused cats, but she’d never truly heard it from a victim before. Just listening to it made her feel the pain herself.

She thought of Xixi’s past.

It was a purebred Maine Coon, bought from a pet shop by its first owner. But when the owner had to move, afraid of the outside world, the man simply abandoned it.

It wandered outside for a long time. When the show crew found it, it was badly injured. Its tail and paws were broken, and its claws had been deliberately torn out.

It was miserable.

Thankfully, later it followed Du Qingqing, who treated it very well.

Xixi said sadly : “If you have a good owner, that’s a blessing. But if your owner treats you badly, you should leave him quickly. Stay away from humans.”

Li Wan felt like it was about to cry, so she quickly comforted it clumsily: “Hey, my owner really is nice to me! And your owner treats you well too!”

Xixi snapped back angrily: “No, she doesn’t!! She’s siding with the humans outside, trying to hurt me!!”

It was hard for Li Wan to explain that they were on a variety show right now. She could only insist : “Really, really! If you don’t trust humans, can’t you at least trust me?! Isn’t she your human Mama? How could she hurt you? She just thinks you’re scared and wants to hold you away from these people.”

Xixi wavered, “But… it was her who brought me here.”

“Uh…”

Li Wan racked her brain, then explained the live broadcast in terms a cat could understand: “This is Mama Qingqing’s task too! If she doesn’t complete her task, she can’t take you home. By being here, we’re also showing humans how wonderful us kitties are! That way, fewer bad people will abuse cats!!”

Xixi glanced at the camera. According to this little white kitten, many humans were watching them through that dark hole.

He slowly started to believe her and relaxed a little.

Seeing this, Li Wan boldly walked into the cage, rubbed her head against it, and greeted it in the feline way of showing friendliness: “So don’t be afraid, okay? Your human Mama will protect you! If you keep hiding from her, she’ll be really sad!!”

Xixi instinctively turned its gaze to Du Qingqing, who was watching it with deep concern.

She really did look worried about it.

Xixi remembered it had accidentally scratched her just now, and flicked its tail irritably.

Li Wan pressed on : “You should go comfort her.”

Xixi agreed. With a “Meow~” he finally stepped out, rubbed against Du Qingqing’s ankle, and purred, “Meow, meow.”

—”I’m sorry, Mama.”

Du Qingqing’s eyes widened. “!!!”

She immediately turned to Chi Yan. “Teacher Chi! Your cat Wanwan really coaxed Xixi out!!!”

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【Guys, was it just me, or did the kitten just roll her eyes?】

【Wanwan’s expressions are really so rich…】

【It doesn’t look like a kitten at all, she’s so smart.】

【See, see, like owner like cat. It’s just as rude as its owner.】

【LOL, who’s really the rude one? Look at Fu Shilin’s face, he looks like he wants to fight our Brother Chi.】

【Who gets it, guys. A’Lin only came to this variety show for Qingqing, they’re true love!!】

【True love my ass, true my f***ing ass. Our Qingqing has never shown the slightest interest in Fu Shilin, what’s with this shameless clout-chasing.】

The director noticed that most of the live comments were revolving around Fu Shilin, Chi Yan, and Du Qingqing, so he deliberately kept the camera on them a bit longer.

Then he began announcing the first task after the show officially started:
“Teachers, you’ve all been with your pets for a week already. Our first task is to test the closeness between each of you and your pets.

“This will be a small competition. We’ll put the animals inside cages, then have the staff and all of you stand together to lure them in different ways.

“We’ll record how long it takes for each animal to run over to its owner. At the end, we’ll rank everyone according to time. And of course, since it’s a competition, there will be rewards and punishments.

The director smiled, “The production has prepared five lodging rooms. During filming, all Teachers will be staying here. The conditions vary, better rankings get first pick.”

After he finished laying out the rules, the guests all showed different expressions.

Li Wan tilted her head to observe. The female lead Du Qingqing and the popular young actress Li Xiaoyun looked the most relaxed.

Especially Li Xiaoyun, who flashed a bright smile right away. She patted her dog Dahuang’s head, bumped fists with him, and said, “Dahuang! Do your best!!”

Her Dahuang was super supportive too, barking a few times in response and wagging his tail like a helicopter propeller.

The one who looked the most miserable was idol Zhou Jia. Hugging his rabbit Yueya, he seemed completely hopeless, resting his chin on the rabbit’s head, “Yueya, Yueya… Papa hasn’t treated you badly, don’t let Papa lose too shamefully, wuwuwu!”

Beside him, Li Xiaoyun almost laughed out loud and teased him on purpose:
“Brother Zhou Jia, don’t worry, it’s not that Yueya dislikes you, it just… doesn’t really understand what you’re saying~”

Everyone laughed. Zhou Jia slumped back against the sofa, making a surrender gesture: “Brothers, Sisters, please let me off, I’m begging you.”

More laughter followed.

Li Wan flicked her ears, and looked toward the one person whose expression was stiff.

Fu Shilin.

His Akita dog, Qiutian¹, stood silently beside him. He still held the leash, but the dog was already straining to stand as far away as the leash allowed.

When Fu Shilin’s gaze landed on it, Qiutian’s tail didn’t wag at all. It even deliberately turned its head away, ignoring him.

Fu Shilin’s face froze, a flicker of displeasure flashing quickly in his eyes. He tugged the leash hard, and Qiutian reluctantly shuffled a few steps closer.

Eh?

Li Wan blinked, puzzled.

In the original plot, Fu Shilin actually got along pretty well with Qiutian.

Even though later in the story, after he got together with the female lead Du Qingqing, he sent Qiutian away so it wouldn’t fight with Du Qingqing’s cat Xixi², he was still good to Qiutian.

So why did it look like…

Fu Shilin and Qiutian’s relationship was even stiffer than Zhou Jia’s with Yueya.

【Guys, I say Zhou Jia’s the most tragic one this round, no objections, right?】

【Hahahahaha, if he comes in last place, that’s the most understandable thing. Rabbits are cute, but compared to cats and dogs, their intelligence is just a little lower.】

【Wuwuwu, my Qingqing and Xixi together are such a perfect match!! Beautiful woman and handsome cat!!】

【And our Brother Chi and Wanwan are handsome guy + beautiful kitten!!】

【Hahaha, Li Xiaoyun and Dahuang look so close! As expected of a Chinese rural dog! I say Dahuang’s the smartest of all the pets here, who’s going to argue?】

【…Uh, can Dahuang open doors? Can he invite guests to sit down and pour them water?】

【Can Dahuang find medicine for his owner?】

【???? What are you guys even saying? Are these things pets are supposed to do?】

【If they could, they’d already be sent off to school, don’t you think?】

After the guests digested the rules, the director quickly announced the start of the competition.

The order was decided by drawing lots. The first pair drawn was Du Qingqing and her cat Xixi.

Xixi was clearly very attached to her, clutching at Du Qingqing’s clothes with all four paws as it was pried away.

Du Qingqing also looked reluctant, watching as it was locked into the cage.

After the director announced the start of the competition, the staff brought out all sorts of things cats love—cat treats, freeze-dried snacks, teaser wands, even catnip.

Du Qingqing was stunned. She hadn’t expected the production team to prepare so thoroughly. Still, she wasn’t too worried. She’d spent the whole week with Xixi, and Xixi trusted her the most.

Li Wan was equally surprised.

Although she had once been human, she was now a bona fide kitten. She never imagined that humans could control cats this easily!!

Especially with freeze-dried snacks!!!

Just looking at them, she could practically feel the crunch and savoriness, that rich meaty aroma, so delicious a kitty might want to swallow her tongue along with it.

Unable to help herself, Li Wan padded forward two steps, only to suddenly realize she’d been scooped up by a long-fingered hand.

“……”

Meow? Meow??

She blinked her heterochromatic eyes in a daze, tilting her head to see which scoundrel had grabbed her. Before she saw anything, she already heard Li Xiaoyun and Zhou Jia laughing.

Li Xiaoyun was practically in stitches. “Brother Chi, your cat seems a little… hungry.”

“Hahahahahahaha!!!”

“It’s fine, Brother Chi, don’t worry. I’ll take last place, you can take second to last!”

Zhou Jia slapped his thigh laughing. His rabbit, Yueya, startled by the vibrations in his chest, perked its ears and craned its neck to look around. Finding nothing amiss, it slowly curled back up and closed its eyes again.

Chi Yan : “…Greedy cat.”

Only then did Li Wan realize what had happened. She blinked her heterochromatic eyes, feeling her ears flush bright red.

How awful!!

How could this happen!!

She gave a sharp “Meow!” and used her little mangosteen-like paws to cover her face.

【Hahahahaha, even the little kitty knows how to be shy!!】

【Hahahahaha, Wanwan really is a meme factory!!】

【?? How can you laugh? Cats aren’t like humans. Their actions are all instinct!】

【Xixi hasn’t even reacted to the bait yet, but she already wanted to go forward, why is she so hungry?!!!】

【I told you Chi Yan doesn’t actually like cats! He must not be feeding Wanwan enough! Poor Wanwan, treated like this!!】

【He’s an animal abuser!!】

【Stop making up rumors! Wanwan wasn’t excited about regular cat food at all, it was clearly the freeze-dried snack that got her going!】

Li Wan, of course, had no idea what was being said on the livestream comments. After being set down, she just curled into herself again.

The competition on Du Qingqing’s side officially began, drawing everyone’s attention. Li Wan secretly lifted her head for a peek.

Just then, she heard a faint chuckle.

Hm?

The kitten blinked and looked up, straight into a pair of dark peach-blossom eyes, gleaming with laughter.

To be fair, for someone who could serve as the male lead Fu Shilin’s foil in the original plot, her own two-legger was undoubtedly strikingly handsome.

Especially when those peach-blossom eyes carried a smile, as if the clouds had parted after a storm and sunlight spilled over blooming petals.

Even Li Wan was a little dazed.

When she realized it, she quickly shook her head, turned away with her face burning red.

Damn it.

The human was using his looks to attack her!!

At the same time, she felt even more regretful.

Right now the two-legger still seemed fine, able to smile, but in the original plot, this pet-variety reality show marked a turning point. After joining, his reputation nosedived, and under multiple pressures, Chi Yan’s condition worsened. He grew darker and gloomier.

But now she was here!

This little kitty would protect her useless butler!!

The director said this competition would affect the room assignments. Chi Yan, that finicky neat-freak, would care deeply about where he slept. What could a kitten do? A kitten could only try hard to help her owner sleep better!!

Charge!!!

Meanwhile, Du Qingqing’s competition was in full swing.

The staff were brandishing their props, trying to lure Xixi. Though they lowered their voices so as not to scare it, to Li Wan—all too aware as a fellow feline—every single item looked irresistibly tempting.

But though the contest had been going for some time and everyone expected Xixi to come out quickly and head for Du Qingqing, in reality it stayed crouched in the cage, trembling and refusing to emerge no matter how Du Qingqing called.

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1. 秋天 (qiū tiān) literally means autumn. ↩︎
2. 熙熙 (xī xī). 熙 (xī) is a Chinese character generally referring to brightness, prosperity, and harmony. ↩︎

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