This chapter is brought to you by Lilyj, thanks for the ko-fi! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･
President 15
After dinner, Tang Xi received a piece of cheese—one that looked exactly like the cheese Jerry loved in Tom and Jerry.
He leaned in to sniff it and realized it was actually made from pumpkin and chicken.
Tang Xi circled around the cheese, waving his tiny paws dramatically, directing He Wang to carry it over to the TV.
Ever since He Wang discovered that Tang Xi could understand human speech, the little kitten had become increasingly brazen. Yet, He Wang indulged him completely.
He even turned on the TV, which was currently playing a scene of a cat relentlessly chasing a mouse.
The mouse successfully escaped into its hole, while the cat, unable to stop in time, crashed into the wall and flattened itself against the entrance.
Tang Xi, feeling indignant on Tom’s behalf, took an aggressive bite of his cheese, glaring at the screen in righteous fury.
The butler, long accustomed to such scenes, was unfazed. In his eyes, the little kitten was simply fascinated by the moving pictures on the screen.
Because of the incident with Shen Chensi, Tang Xi hadn’t been to school for two days. He had just learned that he’d be returning tomorrow. After unintentionally disrupting such a major plot point, he had no choice but to go.
Even if he had to brace himself, he had to go—he needed to create a new spark between Shen Chensi and Ye Qian.
He Wang hadn’t been injured, but Shen Chensi had. If Shen Chensi could witness Ye Qian’s gentle side while caring for a patient, maybe the two of them would fast-forward straight to dating.
Tang Xi’s little mind was already calculating, his schemes clicking into place like an abacus.
He Wang sat beside him on the sofa, casually watching the little kitten juggle eating his cheese, watching TV, and daydreaming all at once.
That small head of his bobbed up and down, clearly busy with something.
After being ignored for a while, He Wang deliberately picked up the cheese plate and sighed in a troubled tone, “I think you’re already full.”
“Meow!” I am not!
Tang Xi stared at him in shock, unable to believe he would suddenly deprive him of his precious snack time.
Furious, his tiny paws swiped at He Wang’s hands—but he didn’t extend his claws, only using his soft little paw pads to pat at him in protest.
Paired with his fierce yet utterly non-threatening kitten cries, he looked anything but intimidating.
He Wang smirked mischievously. “Are you sure? Your belly already looks round.”
Tang Xi glanced down at his increasingly plump little tummy and responded confidently, “Meow meow meow!” That’s my pouch! Not belly fat!
To prove his point, he even patted his own stomach.
He Wang chuckled. “Let me check.” With that, he reached out and gently rubbed the little kitten’s belly.
Tang Xi wanted to escape, but his eyes remained fixed on the cheese in He Wang’s hand. For the sake of his snack, he endured it, obediently letting He Wang press his fingers into his stomach.
After confirming that the kitten could indeed eat a bit more, He Wang handed the cheese back, though he seemed oddly regretful about it.
Finally reclaiming his precious snack—at the cost of exposing his tummy—Tang Xi shot He Wang a wary look, letting out a protective growl as he hugged the cheese close.
He Wang chuckled softly. “Heh.”
At that moment, the butler approached from behind the sofa and leaned in slightly. “Sir, Young Master Ye has come to see you.”
Tang Xi’s ears twitched, and he lifted his head from the cheese. “Meow?” Ye Qian?
Why would Ye Qian come looking for He Wang? He usually stayed at school and never dropped by unless there was something urgent.
Yet another unexpected development not mentioned in the original plot.
He Wang picked up the restless little kitten and placed him on his lap, gently smoothing down his fur. His voice was unreadable as he replied, “Let him in.”
The butler nodded and quickly returned with Ye Qian.
For the first time, Tang Xi witnessed a meeting between Ye Qian and He Wang.
Deeply worried that the two of them might somehow spark an unexpected connection, his tail flicked anxiously back and forth.
Along with anxious, there was also a sense of wonder—almost as if witnessing the convergence of world lines.
He Wang squeezed the tip of the tail lightly and asked, “What’s wrong?”
He knew that this nephew of an old acquaintance wouldn’t have come looking for him without a reason, so he got straight to the point.
Ye Qian remained composed. “I’d like to ask for your help.” Though they weren’t close, he had always held deep respect and gratitude for this person who had been supporting him all along. That was the only reason he came when he truly needed help.
Tang Xi’s round eyes darted between him and He Wang, who was holding him. He didn’t dare let his guard down for even a second, afraid that He Wang and this visitor might spark some kind of unexpected chemistry.
Even with his tail being pinched, he didn’t have the presence of mind to pull it back.
Ye Qian’s gaze followed He Wang’s hand and noticed the little kitten in his arms. A flicker of surprise flashed across his face before he quickly composed himself.
Tang Xi had already gotten used to these kinds of reactions over the past few days—it seemed that everyone had the exact same response to the fact that He Wang owned a cat.
Shock. Confusion.
He Wang casually blocked his view of the kitten and said coolly, “Speak.”
As expected of a villain—even when facing his future love interest, he remained aloof.
Hopefully, that would continue.
With that thought, Tang Xi quietly pushed aside the large hand covering his face and kept a watchful eye on the two of them.
“My class—classmate was bullied,” Ye Qian said after a slight hesitation, deliberately using the word “classmate” instead of “desk mate.” “I hope you can help warn those thugs. Otherwise, they’ll keep coming back for revenge.”
It would take nothing more than a few words from He Wang to handle this.
He Wang didn’t even look up. “Your classmate?”
For once, his interest was piqued. Ye Qian wouldn’t even come to him if he himself had been bullied, yet now he was asking for help on behalf of someone else.
This so-called classmate—was he the same boy He Wang had seen being harassed by those thugs the other day?
At the mention of his desk mate, Ye Qian’s expression softened slightly. “Yes, his name is Tang Xi. He’s very well-behaved. He got tricked by a guy named Shen Chensi from our school and accidentally got caught up in this mess. He hasn’t come to school for two days now.”
The teacher said Tang Xi wasn’t seriously hurt, so if he wasn’t coming to school, he was probably just scared. Thinking of this, Ye Qian felt a mix of helplessness and heartache.
“Tang Xi.”
He Wang slowly repeated the name as if savoring it.
Hearing his name come out of the villain’s mouth, Tang Xi’s fur bristled. He buried his head into He Wang’s arms, leaving only his fluffed-up little tail exposed. He even tried to convince himself that if he couldn’t see them, they wouldn’t see him either.
Little did he know that He Wang had already noticed his every reaction.
“Well, what a coincidence.” He Wang took a sip of tea and spoke unhurriedly. “The Shen family came to visit yesterday.”
They had come to thank him for saving their son. And now, this nephew of an old acquaintance also happened to know that boy—coming all this way to plead for him.
What a little troublemaker… always stirring things up.
The image of the boy’s familiar cat eyes lingered in He Wang’s mind, and the way the little kitten in his arms was reacting only confirmed his absurd suspicions.
He let out a low, unreadable chuckle and gently stroked the trembling little creature in his arms.
Ye Qian was momentarily stunned. He knew a little about the Shen family, but he hadn’t expected that the carefree, delinquent-like Shen Chensi from school was actually one of them.
The Shen family only had one heir and doted on him immensely.
That meant this matter wouldn’t even be his concern anymore. There was no way the Shen family would let those thugs continue to cause trouble.
But to his surprise, He Wang still agreed to help deal with them.
With his request granted, Ye Qian left with a much lighter heart than when he arrived. Before he left, he took another glance at the particularly adorable little kitten.
He Wang, as always, handled things swiftly and decisively.
Right in front of Tang Xi, he made a call, specifically instructing that those thugs should never dare set foot in this city again.
The Shen family would likely resort to mere threats or a simple beating to scare them off. But He Wang’s intervention ensured they would face a far harsher punishment.
Upon overhearing this, Tang Xi, realizing that the bad guys were about to get what they deserved, felt a sense of satisfaction.
And once Ye Qian left, He Wang’s usual intimidating presence returned. With the tension gone, Tang Xi quickly forgot whatever he had been afraid of. He wiggled his little backside and went back to eating the leftover cheese.
Completely oblivious to the way the man behind him was watching, like a predator eyeing its prey.
Author’s note: It’s going to be exposed~