Reunion
Returning to the small rental apartment, Tang Xi felt a sense of closure, as if everything had settled.
He reached up to touch the soft, furry cat ears on his head and the tail behind him that swayed unconsciously.
According to the system, now that he had obtained a permanent residence permit in this world, he was fully integrated into it.
The subconscious of everyone in this world had been altered—when people saw his cat ears and tail, they would only find them cute rather than strange.
Even if he accidentally transformed into a cat in front of others, they would instinctively forget that moment.
From now on, his world had no more hiding, no more fear of being taken to a research facility.
Tang Xi glanced at his phone to check the date. Due to the difference in time flow, although he had been away from this world for a long time, only six days had passed here. And today happened to be Sunday.
Thinking about his friends in this world, he quickly changed clothes and headed out.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets. For the first time, he walked openly with his cat ears exposed, and it felt surreal.
No matter how exciting the other worlds had been, this was the only one that gave him a true sense of peace.
The only thing he wasn’t used to was the absence of a certain voice that had always nagged at him.
If only 1551 could have come with him.
“Eh? Tang Xi?”
Hearing someone call his name, Tang Xi instinctively turned his head.
Only then did he realize that, without noticing, he had walked to the milk tea shop where he usually worked.
Luo Yuyun, a colleague who worked with him, waved excitedly when she saw him standing dazed at the entrance.
“You’re back from your trip?” She pulled him inside and had him sit down.
Tang Xi was a bit confused but still nodded instinctively. “Mm, I’m back.”
Luo Yuyun smiled warmly, always treating him like a big sister would. “Did you have fun?”
Tang Xi thought for a moment, then smiled softly. “Yes, I had a great time.”
Luo Yuyun nearly froze, then suddenly covered her face and let out an exaggerated scream. “Why do I feel like you’ve gotten even cuter?!”
Tang Xi frowned slightly and flicked his cat ears in protest. “More handsome.”
“Okay, okay, more handsome,” Luo Yuyun conceded while checking the shop’s records. “You have no idea—since you left, our sales have dropped. But at least the boss stopped coming around all the time, so my work got a lot easier.”
Tang Xi didn’t understand what his trip had to do with the boss coming or not.
A regular customer who was familiar with him joined in on the teasing. “Xiao Tang, you’re still on vacation, right? Shouldn’t you treat yourself to some cake as a customer?”
Normally, Tang Xi would shake his head vigorously and pout, insisting that he didn’t like cake.
But this time, he did something unexpected—he nodded and seriously studied the menu.
Luo Yuyun was surprised. “I thought you didn’t like it?”
Tang Xi hesitated for a moment before admitting shyly, “I changed my mind during my trip.”
Cake is YYDS1!
Back when he was a cat, he couldn’t taste the sweetness of cake and thought it was terrible. Even in his human form, he had resisted eating it. But unexpectedly, he had fallen in love with it in another world.
Not only that, but he also ordered a bunch of desserts and milk tea all at once, his tail swaying happily.
Luo Yuyun observed him thoughtfully. “Looks like you had some interesting experiences on your trip.”
He seemed like a completely different person—yet still as soft and adorable as ever.
Tang Xi lowered his head shyly and mumbled, “I also met someone interesting…”
Luo Yuyun didn’t catch that last part and was about to ask more when she was suddenly interrupted.
The very boss they had just mentioned appeared, dressed sharply in a suit.
However, he was slightly out of breath, as if he had rushed over after parking his car.
Luo Yuyun was surprised. She had only casually mentioned in the store’s small chat group that Tang Xi was back, yet the boss had shown up so quickly.
Their boss was a wealthy heir who had a company to inherit—this dessert shop was just a side project for fun.
Yet, because of Tang Xi, he took an unusual amount of interest in it.
His intentions were obvious, and even some of the regular customers had picked up on it.
Fearing for her bonus would be deducted, Luo Yuyun wisely returned to work, leaving the scene alone.
As for Tang Xi—well, maybe it was just his instinct as an employee, but he could never quite relax in front of his boss.
He timidly greeted, “Hello, Boss.”
Chu Qiaosi smiled at him. “You’re back. Did you enjoy your trip?”
It was almost the same question as before, but this time, Tang Xi only nodded a little awkwardly.
Chu Qiaosi seemed completely unfazed by his nervousness and reached out, intending to pull him aside. “Let’s sit over there.”
But before his hand could reach him, it grasped at nothing.
Tang Xi was suddenly pulled away by another pair of hands.
Stunned, he looked up—only to meet a pair of deep, dark eyes.
“Ji Wu.”
The name slipped from his lips instinctively—the name of his poop scooper.
He had never seen his human form before, yet in this moment, he knew without a doubt that this man was him.
Chu Qiaosi’s expression, which had been on the verge of anger, shifted instantly. He fixed a sharp gaze on the unfamiliar man who had appeared out of nowhere.
“You’re Tang Tang’s… friend?”
He deliberately used an overly affectionate tone, but Tang Xi, still in a daze, didn’t notice.
Neither of them looked at him. After what felt like a long time, Tang Xi finally murmured, “How did you find me so fast?”
Ji Wu had arrived in this world almost at the same time as he did.
His entire presence carried a chilling aura, as if he had come from a different era. Yet, his gaze when looking at Tang Xi was intensely warm—filled with a love no one else could understand.
“Mm, I couldn’t bear to make you wait,” Ji Wu said softly, lowering his head.
The tip of Tang Xi’s tail swayed non-stop, but he tried to act indifferent. “Oh.”
Ji Wu’s face was different from the villains he had encountered in previous worlds, yet when he looked closely, he could see traces of them.
It was as if someone had gathered all the best traits of those past villains and combined them with his own unique presence.
Tang Xi lowered his head, afraid that if he looked at his poop scooper’s face for another second, he might start crying out of sheer emotion.
Like a spoiled child finally being comforted, he hadn’t expected Ji Wu to come looking for him so quickly—without any hesitation.
Ji Wu shifted his hold from Tang Xi’s shoulders to his hand.
Tang Xi gently returned the grip, and his fluffy tail, following his heart’s desires, wrapped around Ji Wu.
At that moment, the shop seemed to thaw into a warm spring. The previously frozen atmosphere finally started to flow again.
Chu Qiaosi stared at their intertwined hands, barely managing to maintain his expression. His words came out sharper than he intended, tinged with jealousy. “Strange, I don’t recall Tang Tang ever mentioning you before.”
Tang Xi grinned sweetly. “I met him while traveling.”
Chu Qiaosi’s eyes gleamed. “Oh? So you’ve only known each other for six days?”
Ji Wu lowered his gaze. “Six worlds.”
He had spent countless years watching over this one precious treasure.
“What?” Chu Qiaosi hadn’t caught his words.
But Ji Wu had no intention of explaining. With practiced ease, he led Tang Xi to a seat.
Luo Yuyun, sensing the cold aura from Ji Wu’s glance, immediately rushed over and handed Tang Xi the cake he had ordered earlier.
“Thank you.” Tang Xi accepted it with feigned composure, but his eyes sparkled with excitement.
Ji Wu gazed at him with indulgence, picking up the fork and inserting it into the cake. “Eat.”
He even placed Tang Xi’s favorite strawberry cake right in front.
Tang Xi, usually polite and well-mannered, didn’t thank him. Instead, he seemed completely accustomed to being pampered, his expression full of trust.
Between them, their interaction was as effortless as breathing.
Luo Yuyun, who had worked with Tang Xi for so long, had never seen this side of him before. He was always so sensible.
Yet, this spoiled little expression somehow felt even more real.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Luo Yuyun quietly stepped away.
Chu Qiaosi watched them, as if staring at a world he could never belong to.
It made him restless.
Because at this moment, he suddenly realized—compared to Ji Wu, he had no advantage.
Not in looks, not in physique, not even in presence.
The only thing he could compete with was family background.
Chu Qiaosi had been the golden child since birth, and even in this situation, he refused to give up.
He walked over to Tang Xi and extended an invitation to dinner.
Tang Xi shook his head. “No need, but thank you.”
He even smiled at Chu Qiaosi, causing Ji Wu to darken with displeasure. Under the table, Ji Wu reached out and grasped Tang Xi’s cat tail, kneading it firmly from the base.
“Mm!”
Chu Qiaosi immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“N-No,” Tang Xi replied, shooting Ji Wu a glare, both annoyed and flustered.
Ji Wu eased up slightly, but still refused to let go of his tail.
Chu Qiaosi remained unaware of the under-the-table struggle. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit and handed Ji Wu a business card.
“This is my card.”
Ji Wu glanced at it once—and didn’t take it.
Tang Xi accepted the card on Ji Wu’s behalf, looking a little embarrassed. “Thank you, but Ji Wu… doesn’t have a business card.”
Chu Qiaosi felt an even deeper pang of bitterness.
Tang Xi’s attitude made it clear—he already saw Ji Wu as one of his own.
Still, Chu Qiaosi forced a magnanimous smile. “I don’t know what your friend does for a living, but maybe he’d be interested in joining our company.”
His poop scooper doesn’t even have legal status in this world. Where would he get a job?
Tang Xi found it amusing. In every past world, his poop scooper had always been someone powerful. But here? He was an illegal resident.
Good thing I can afford to take care of him. From today on, I’m the head of this household.
Before he could say anything, Ji Wu suddenly spoke.
“We’re not friends.”
Before anyone could react, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of Tang Xi’s lips—where a bit of cream had been left behind.
“We’re boyfriends.” He delivered the bombshell with an utterly calm expression.
Chu Qiaosi looked at them in utter disbelief.
Feeling a little guilty, Tang Xi quickly grabbed Ji Wu’s hand, muttered an apology, and bolted out the door with him.
In this world, same-sex relationships weren’t exactly the norm. He figured his sudden coming out had probably shocked his boss.
Trying to explain would only be more complicated. And since Tang Xi wasn’t great at handling awkward situations, by the time he processed everything, he had already dragged Ji Wu several streets away.
Panting, he finally stopped and leaned against Ji Wu for support.
Ji Wu reached out and tapped his forehead lightly. In an instant, Tang Xi’s breathlessness disappeared.
“So squeamish,” Ji Wu commented flatly.
Getting tired from just a short run—such a delicate little creature.
But this creature was his now. His treasure. And he would protect it well.
A treasure that could run away… meant he had to keep an even closer eye on it.
Having been under Ji Wu’s unwavering gaze from the start, Tang Xi finally snapped.
With a fierce little growl, he bit Ji Wu’s shoulder.
“What are you staring at?!”
Ji Wu didn’t answer. He simply wrapped his arms around Tang Xi and held him close.
“This time,” he murmured, “I was the one who found you.”
Author’s Note: If nothing unexpected happens, the next chapter will probably be the finale. The update might be a bit late tomorrow.
I don’t want to part with my little kitten—or with you all… QwQ
They were still standing in the middle of the street, and Tang Xi felt too self-conscious under all the curious gaze
- YYDS is an internet slang term in Chinese, short for “永远的神” (yǒngyuǎn de shén), which literally means “eternal god.” It’s used to express admiration or praise for someone or something, similar to saying “the GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) in English. ↩︎