Gu Ming gloated, “Yo, what’s with the handshake? Give him a kiss instead!”
This gesture was obviously calling for a kiss.
Didn’t think Sui Sui liked Shang Xuci that much.
In the end, Shang Xuci’s hand landed on Sui Sui’s head. He gave it a pat, glanced calmly at Gu Ming, and said, “How do you know he wants a kiss? Clearly, he just wants me to pat his head.”
The man paused and added, “Right, Sui Sui?”
“Meow meow!”
No!
He actually wanted something a bit more intimate.
The little kitten’s true thoughts were exposed, and Jian Xun felt both embarrassed and annoyed. It wasn’t like he had to get a kiss!
Hmm… he just wanted to cuddle!
All for the sake of increasing the intimacy points!!
For the first time, Jian Xun was grateful that humans couldn’t understand kitten language.
Seeing Sui Sui press his head forcefully against his hand, Shang Xuci said, “Stop teasing Sui Sui. He gets shy easily.”
“Alright.” Gu Ming pulled out a cat treat. “This is my reward for Sui Sui.”
The moment Jian Xun smelled the cat treat being unwrapped, his eyes went wide, and he meowed impatiently.
Gu Ming tore open a corner and fed it to him.
With his other hand, he pulled out a cat’s personal profile form and handed it to Shang Xuci. “Since he’s your cat now, go ahead and fill this out. Later, we’ll take an ID photo. From now on, our Sui Sui will be an official cat—with all the paperwork done.”
“Oh, there’s still one thing missing—a neutering certificate.” Gu Ming looked at Shang Xuci with a smile.
At those words, the cat treat in Jian Xun’s mouth suddenly lost all its flavor. His ears shot straight up as he stared nervously at the big boss.
No! He didn’t want to be neutered!
Shang Xuci seemed to sense the little kitten’s emotions and replied quickly, “He’s still young.”
“He’s not that young. In another month or two, he can get it done.”
“We’ll talk about it when the time comes.”
Shang Xuci had never raised a cat before and didn’t know about the “benefits” of neutering. Maybe he’d never seen a cat in heat spraying everywhere, so the matter simply wasn’t on his mind.
His cat, Shang Xuci’s cat—would he ever be short of money to find a mate?!
Jian Xun was so touched by the big boss’s attitude that he could cry!
His head felt so itchy.
He really wanted to rub against something.
He only wanted to rub against Shang Xuci.
“Sui Sui, you’re not eating anymore?” Sensing that the cat treat in his hand wasn’t being touched, Gu Ming glanced at the cat.
Sui Sui gave him an unapologetic cold shoulder, trotting over to Shang Xuci and pressing his head against Shang Xuci’s arm.
Doctor Gu, you villain!
You actually want to neuter a little kitten!
And here he had thought you were a good person.
After finishing the cat’s profile form, Shang Xuci set down his pen. Ignoring the kitten nudging his head over for some cuddles, he picked up the cat carrier and motioned for Sui Sui to go in.
“I have class this afternoon. I’ll head back to school first.”
As for the cat, Shang Xuci hesitated—should he take him home or bring him to school?
The school had a dedicated cat club that rescued and cared for the strays around campus. He could leave Sui Sui there, go teach a class for his advisor, and then take the cat home afterward.
But then he thought of the cats at that place—they were pretty aggressive. Shang Xuci worried Sui Sui might get bullied, and if he left him there alone, the little guy might think he’d been abandoned, get upset, and then Shang Xuci would have to find a way to coax him again.
In the end, he decided to take Sui Sui home.
The moment Sui Sui was let out of the carrier, he bounced around, so happy he looked ready to take off. His first move was to dash toward his cardboard box. His body was only big enough to fill half the box, but he rubbed against it furiously.
Mr. Cardboard Box, Sui Sui is back again!
It seemed his decision had been the right one. A faint warmth stirred in Shang Xuci’s usually calm eyes, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
“Sui Sui, I’m going to school now. Be good at home.”
Jian Xun tilted his head. Meow meow.
When will you be back?
As if reading his mind, Shang Xuci added, “I’ll try to come back early tonight.”
Besides teaching, he had something else to take care of—
The grand gift for Xu Rong was only just beginning to be prepared.
Meow meow.
Then come back early, okay?
Jian Xun circled Shang Xuci’s legs twice, the tip of his cat tail hooking lightly against the man’s calf for a gentle sweep or two.
After Shang Xuci left, Jian Xun carried the TV remote in his mouth to the sofa, sat down, and turned on the television.
That wasn’t enough!
He then went to the kitchen, rummaged through the box next to his dedicated food area, and pulled out a bag of dried fish. Next, he pushed the trash bin in front of the sofa, leaned back against the cushion in a human-like pose, and held the bag of dried fish in both paws, eating while watching cartoons.
This was exactly the kind of cat life he had dreamed of!
Crunch, crunch, chew, chew. Jian Xun felt like his life as a cat had reached its peak. Eyes glued to the screen, his tail swished back and forth without him realizing it.
After watching a few episodes, the self-disciplined little cat pressed the power button.
Sui Sui knew he couldn’t watch for too long—it was bad for his eyes.
After fiddling with electronics for a bit, he got bored and began softly humming and meowing, as if singing.
…
After being discharged from the hospital, Shang Xuci explained the situation to his advisor—he would be staying in school to complete his doctorate.
In his previous life, Shang Xuci had joined the company’s decision-making team as early as university, participating in meetings and making impressive achievements. The old man was pleased and groomed him as the heir. Unfortunately, other members of the Shang family saw him as a thorn in their side, scheming against him at every turn—even targeting his grandmother.
Back then, when Shang Xuci realized this, he decisively gave up on studying abroad and devoted himself entirely to the family business. But this time, with partial “God’s-eye” foresight, he planned to take a two-pronged approach: protect and care for his grandmother, while also excelling in both academics and business. He aimed to finish his master’s and doctoral studies in the shortest possible time.
Shang Xuci was in a combined master’s-doctorate program, holding dual degrees in law and finance. This year, he was preparing his master’s thesis and planned to pursue a Ph.D. specializing in finance afterward. Of course, he also intended to secure control of the Shang family’s power.
Today, his advisor had taken leave, and Shang Xuci was filling in to teach a class.
At 3:30 in the afternoon, Shang Xuci drove to his grandmother’s home.
It was a low, garden-style villa—an old-fashioned house without losing its charm. Flowerpots lined the steps, and the yard was filled with well-tended plants, making it clear the homeowner loved flowers.
Shang Xuci lowered his gaze slightly, walked to the door, and rang the bell.
Before long, the door opened.
“Young Master Shang.”
The door was opened by a woman in her forties. The moment she saw Shang Xuci, she broke into a smile, then turned toward the living room and called, “Madam, Young Master Shang Xuci has come to see you.”
There was some movement in the living room, and within seconds, an elderly woman with white hair—though still in decent spirits—rolled over in a wheelchair.
“Xiao Ci, here to see Grandma?”
The woman was about seventy, her features kind. She looked genuinely happy to see Shang Xuci, though she added a touch of affectionate complaint. “Honestly, if you were coming to see me, you should’ve told me in advance. Now there’s no food prepared.”
Shang Xuci walked up to her, and his hand was clasped by hers—the thin, dry, but familiar touch of an elderly person’s hand met his skin. Warmth bloomed in his chest, and his nose tingled faintly with emotion.
Grandma was still here.
In this world, there was still someone who loved him.
Thinking of how she had passed away in his previous life, he held her hand and said, “Grandma, do you remember Gu Ming? He’s back in the country too and wants to see you. Next time, I’ll take you to meet him and have him give you a check-up while we’re at it.”
“Ming Ming is back too? That child has turned out well. I’d like to see him as well.”
Seeing that Grandma didn’t resist the idea of a check-up, Shang Xuci quietly let out a breath. At this point in time, her illness could still be treated.
He thought—Heaven has not treated me unfairly. Being reborn wasn’t without purpose. At the very least, in this life, he wanted to care for her until she reached a hundred.
However, the old lady had her own principles. Shang Xuci wanted to bring her to live with him so he could look after her, but she couldn’t bear to leave the home where she’d spent most of her life with her husband. She also knew her grandson was at the age to be forging his own path and didn’t want to be a burden. With someone already taking care of her here, she felt she was doing just fine.
Shang Xuci respected her wishes and promised to visit her every week. That alone made the old lady overjoyed.
“I heard you’ve adopted a little kitten. When are you going to bring it over so Grandma can see?” Gu Zhen knew her grandson’s temperament very well—after all, she had raised him herself. Since he was young, he’d never shown any interest in animals. She was truly curious that he now had a cat.
“Did Uncle Fu tell you that?” That day, after returning from Huapai Tree, the man had picked him up. Shang Xuci hadn’t expected that even keeping a cat would be reported to his grandmother.
“That’s right. I didn’t think my Xiao Ci would start keeping a pet. Pets are good—they keep you company so you won’t feel lonely.” Gu Zhen smiled at him. “And if you had someone close to your heart to keep you company, that would be even better.”
“How have things been with Jiang Yuanqing lately? I heard that when you were at Huapai Tree, she often came to visit you. Seems she really cares about you.”
Shang Xuci sneered inwardly. She did care—coming every day to check if he was dead yet.
He deliberately changed the subject, bringing up the matter of the banquet in a roundabout way. Seeing the old lady’s puzzled expression, he thought to himself that the Shang family still had a shred of conscience. If they dared to invite her to such an event, he would make sure Shang Wei and Xu Rong paid for it.
He chatted with her until after five o’clock. Checking his watch, Shang Xuci said, “Grandma, I have dinner plans tonight, so I won’t be joining you. Next weekend, I’ll come and cook for you myself.”
“Alright.”
Before he left, the old lady went to her room and came back with a box, handing it to her grandson. She smiled warmly. “It’s from the Kachua family. You can give it to Jiang Yuanqing to thank her for her care.”
Grandma still didn’t know Jiang Yuanqing’s true nature. Shang Xuci didn’t want to tell her the cruel truth, so he simply refused. “It’s too valuable. This is yours, Grandma. You should keep it.”
Kachua—the most prominent hidden aristocratic family in Country F. Its various branches had businesses in nearly every industry nationwide, and jewelry was one of them. His mother had once been acquainted with members of their family, though Shen Yanran had never said exactly how. Every year, this noble family would send a gift. After his mother’s death, they had started sending them to his grandmother instead.
“What are you talking about? I’m old now. Wearing such beautiful jewelry is useless—it’ll just collect dust. You take it.”
Since she insisted, Shang Xuci finally accepted the gift box.
After saying goodbye to his grandmother, he drove to an exclusive luxury restaurant with excellent privacy. After giving his reservation number at the front desk, he walked into the private room.
A carefully made-up woman, looking slightly nervous, immediately stood up. Despite the makeup, the heavy, pungent perfume and her cheap clothing made it clear that she had not been doing well in recent years.
“Where’s Shang Ye?” The woman glanced behind him.
“Do you think he’d want to see you?” Shang Xuci raised an eyebrow, sat down at the dining table, picked up the menu, and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Lin Yunsu, sitting across from him, looked a little disappointed. “Anything is fine.”
Shang Xuci marked a few dishes with his pen.
While waiting, he crossed his legs, curved his lips into a faint smile, and fixed his gaze on the woman. “Let’s make a deal.”
…
7 p.m.
Jian Xun was squatting on top of the shoe cabinet, staring intently at the door.
Last time, because of the tabby cat big brother incident, he hadn’t been able to greet Shang Xuci the moment he came home. This time, he was determined to make sure the first thing the big boss saw when he opened the door was him!
Meow~
But… why wasn’t the big boss back yet?
He really wanted to call him.
Jian Xun thought to himself—he didn’t even know Shang Xuci’s phone number. If he did, he would’ve dialed already, meowed into the phone a couple of times… he wondered what kind of reaction the big boss would have.
Hehe, just thinking about it made him curious.
His aimless daydreaming was finally broken a little after eight by the sound of a key turning in the lock.
The big boss was back!
Shang Xuci pushed the door open, a beautifully packaged box in hand. The moment he stepped inside, he saw a little kitten, tail swishing, calling out to him—
“Meowow”
Welcome home.