After the two cats finished chatting and said their goodbyes, Jian Xun turned his back to Xu Tutu and prepared to jump down from the windowsill. At that very moment, the tabby cat caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye and exclaimed in shock, “Why are you bald?!”
What did that mean?!
Jian Xun stomped his little paws on the floor and looked down at himself. Other than his fur being a mess, there didn’t seem to be any bald spots at all!
“Your butt. Look at your butt!” Xu Tutu reminded him.
Jian Xun dashed urgently toward the bathroom.
Xu Tutu also left, carrying a bag of cat food in his mouth. He felt sorry for Jian Xun — for a cat with fur, losing hair was no small matter, and bald spots were never a good sign.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. The little white cat could only wait for time to grow it back.
That said… could a cat fight really make you lose that much fur?
Xu Tutu pondered as he ran, praying that Jian Xun’s human wouldn’t mock him for it.
Xu Huai used to be like that! Good thing he had escaped from those devilish claws.
…
Jian Xun turned his rear toward the mirror and twisted his head to look.
One glance was fine, but a closer look was almost fatal.
The little cat’s eyes widened as he stared into the mirror, then looked at the fur on his own tail in disbelief.
Right there on his backside, a huge patch of fur was gone — almost bald!
No wonder his rear had hurt during the fight — that rotten orange cat had gone straight for his weak spot!
Despicable!
Jian Xun reached back with his paw in an impossibly awkward position, trying to push the surrounding fur over the bald patch to cover it.
But the moment he let go, the bald spot was still glaringly visible.
Jian Xun panicked. Inside, he was secretly crying. Then he remembered that he had dirtied the floor, so he stuck his butt up in the air, crying while wiping the floor. Once he finished, he hid away and started grooming himself — gently, slowly, terrified that even one more strand of fur might fall out.
He didn’t touch the area around his rear at all. Jian Xun didn’t even dare move that spot — what if it got worse?
Wuwuwu, he didn’t want to be a bald-butt cat!
Flustered and at a loss for what to do, Jian Xun decided it was best not to see it — out of sight, out of mind — and just plopped down on the floor, tail end firmly covered.
…
That night.
When Shang Xuci came home, he didn’t see the little cat waiting for him at the door. After changing his shoes, he spotted Sui Sui sitting by the sofa cushion, his little feline face sulky and gloomy.
“Sui Sui.”
The kitten was lost in thought, looking depressed, and didn’t respond.
The sudden change from his usual clinginess caught Shang Xuci off guard. He walked over, wanting to pat the kitten — but the moment he reached out, Sui Sui batted his hand away.
Then, when the little white cat finally realized it was Shang Xuci, he gave a startled, springy leap backward.
Tap tap tap.
He kept only his front side facing the man. Whenever Shang Xuci shifted to the side, Jian Xun would adjust his posture, doing his best to prevent the other from getting even a glimpse of his rear.
This unusual behavior instantly tipped Shang Xuci off. In one smooth motion, his large hand reached out and easily caught the kitten.
He claimed it was to check the kitten’s legs — but in reality, he just wanted to see what was wrong with his backside.
Jian Xun was caught in Shang Xuci’s arms, utterly flustered. His ears flattened into “airplane ears,” and his round eyes were opened comically wide as he voluntarily stretched out his short little legs.
“Meow-ha.”
Fine, look at my legs if you want — just don’t touch my butt, okay?
He had finally gotten to sit on the lap he’d been longing for, but before the warmth could even soak in — before he could even start to feel happy — his rear was suddenly lifted up.
“How did you lose so much fur here?”
Jian Xun’s last bit of hope died on the spot.
He felt like a poor, delicate maiden cat who had been sullied by some scoundrel tom, closing his eyes in despair and letting those hands do as they pleased—
In reality, after seeing the bald patch, Shang Xuci had only lightly touched the fur around it to check if the shedding was severe. It wasn’t.
Remembering the cat fight in the neighborhood that morning, Shang Xuci wondered if the little white cat had been involved. Seeing the kitten cover his eyes with his paw, looking like life had lost all meaning, Shang Xuci squeezed his hind paw pad.
“Sui Sui, did someone bully you?” Shang Xuci narrowed his eyes, his tone icy.
Jian Xun was too ashamed to even meow.
That only confirmed it for Shang Xuci. He stood up and walked away, leaving the already crestfallen Jian Xun’s heart sinking further, at a loss.
Did the big boss think he was useless and pathetic too?!
Sure, he might be small now — but once his legs fully recovered, he’d take back his pride!
Come back…
Jian Xun leapt down from the sofa, hurrying after Shang Xuci.
Bang—
The sliding door to the balcony closed, cold and unyielding, leaving the little white cat shut inside. His beautiful feline face pressed pitifully against the glass, crying softly.
The kitten returned to his cardboard box, curled up with his tail hugged close, and quietly nursed his sorrow alone.
Shang Xuci picked up his phone and opened the window. The stuffy summer breeze brushed against his handsome face, his dark eyes deepening as he spoke into the phone in a calm tone.
Before long, he had finished watching the video of the cats fighting. What surprised him was that the one to initiate the attack was actually his own Sui Sui — and he had been fierce about it, too.
No wonder he had bolted straight into his carrier afterward.
When Shang Xuci returned to the living room and didn’t see the cat, he looked inside the cardboard box — the little kitten was lying there, shut away in his own little world.
His phone vibrated in his hand. Opening it, he saw his junior had sent over a bunch of links. Shang Xuci placed an order for all of them.
It would be a few days before he could use them to cheer the cat up.
Still, there were some things he could do now. Shang Xuci’s lips curved faintly.
“Yes, all of this money will be donated to the neighborhood’s stray cats…”
Jian Xun had been sad about his bald spot for two days now, not even going to the study to look for Shang Xuci to play. It was clear the incident had been a heavy blow to him.
When Shang Xuci consulted Gu Ming, the latter replied that shedding was normal, and that the patch of fur would grow back in time.
Later, while feeding Sui Sui, Shang Xuci mentioned this. The little cat’s drooping ears twitched, as if he understood. Then he suddenly lifted his head, his big eyes glistening like they were brimming with water, looking up at him tearfully.
“Meow!”
Really?
Shang Xuci froze, his heart pounding rapidly, fingers at his side suddenly clenching tight.
His Sui Sui, pouting and on the verge of tears, was actually… adorable.
It was as if something had struck him, stirring a secret thought in his heart. Shang Xuci quickly turned his head away, shoving aside the dark notion. The little kitten was sad, and yet, seeing that pitiful expression made a strange, guilty pleasure spread through him.
Truly… a bit perverse.
Silently condemning himself, Shang Xuci kept his face expressionless. The hand he had lifted to touch the kitten’s body stopped short and drew back.
The doorbell rang, and Shang Xuci got up to answer it.
After verifying his identity, the deliveryman helped carry several heavy boxes into the apartment. He picked up the delivery slip and said, “Sir, please sign for your package.”
Shang Xuci quickly signed his name, then took a utility knife and began opening the boxes.
He had bought almost all of the cat toys his junior had recommended — always picking the most expensive, best-quality ones. If other cats had something, then his cat had to have it too. He had added so many items to the cart that he wasn’t even sure himself exactly how many little gadgets he’d ended up buying.
Jian Xun trotted over on quick little steps to take a look.
“Meow.”
What did you buy? Why so many?
Shang Xuci lowered his eyes slightly, his hands pausing as he said, “They’re all for you.”
The cat was stunned.
Mine?!
This many?!
Two large cardboard boxes, two medium-sized ones, and four or five small ones.
With this many boxes, there’s no way he could sleep in all of them!
Clearly, Jian Xun misunderstood what Shang Xuci meant, foolishly thinking the boxes themselves were his gifts.
A pink ball bounced onto the floor.
Jian Xun’s eyes instantly locked onto it, his tail swaying unconsciously. Curious, he padded over and circled it twice. His soft, slightly damp pink nose leaned in for a gentle sniff, then he cautiously reached out a paw to tap the ball.
With that light paw swipe, the pink ball rolled toward him. He quickly hopped back a few steps, then leaned forward again, intrigued.
This time, he pushed it with his front paw — and when the distance wasn’t far enough for his liking, he applied more force. The ball rolled even farther, and Jian Xun’s gaze followed it intently. The moment it stopped, he dashed after it, his movements growing bolder and more skilled.
From the side, Shang Xuci watched him play. Soon, the little kitten wasn’t just pushing the ball anymore — he began using his head to nudge it, or trying to kick it into the air with his hind legs before leaping up to catch it. Every time he touched the ball, he let out a delighted “meow-woo.”
Eventually, the ball rolled to a stop at Shang Xuci’s feet.
At the time, Shang Xuci was assembling the kitten’s scratching board.
Jian Xun glanced at him, then lay down on the floor and reached out a paw, straining to hook the ball back.
This time he managed to pull it out — only for it to roll straight under the sofa. Jian Xun ran over to keep trying, even shoving at the sofa with his body in hopes of getting the ball back.
By the time Shang Xuci had finished assembling all the cat toys, Jian Xun was still reaching under the sofa for the ball.
“Sui Sui, come here.” Shang Xuci rested his hand on a cat tree that stood a head shorter than himself.
Jian Xun looked up at him.
Then his gaze was gradually drawn to the towering multi-level cat tree under Shang Xuci’s hand, filled with tunnels, little wooden houses, and glass pods.
Was this… for him?
“Go on, try it,” Shang Xuci said.
Jian Xun placed his front paws on the lowest platform, gave a strong push with his hind legs, and leapt up lightly. He looked around, as if searching for his next foothold.
With a bit of trial and error, and under Shang Xuci’s approving gaze, Jian Xun supported himself with his healthy hind leg, hooked his front paws onto the edge of the cat tree, and pulled himself up to the next level. Each time he reached a new tier, he would wag his tail happily, then call out excitedly to Shang Xuci with a bright meow.
Look at me! Aren’t I amazing?
At last, he reached the very top. Standing at the summit, Jian Xun surveyed the entire room from above, then proudly lifted his head, puffed out his chest, and closed his eyes to savor his victory.
The little cat began to purr and knead the platform with his paws.
It was clear that Sui Sui truly loved it.
“There are other toys too. You can play with whatever you want,” Shang Xuci said.
Only then did Sui Sui realize that from here, he didn’t have to crane his neck so high to see the big boss. He stretched his neck, trying to nuzzle him, but the distance was still just a bit too far, so he could only meow at him in an excited, squeaky tone.
Shang Xuci was so tall. Normally, when he looked up at him, he couldn’t keep his head tilted for too long before his neck started to ache. Now, at least, the height difference felt a little smaller — though he still had to look up.
He must be close to one meter ninety.
After testing out the cat tree, Jian Xun moved on to a bird toy, a wobble doll, a running wheel… and finally, a giant plush dried-fish toy that he instantly fell in love with.
That plush fish was several times bigger than he was — it couldn’t even fit into a box.
And the moment he saw the fish-shaped plushie, he reacted like Pavlov’s dog, his mouth filling with saliva.
Two words: Must. Bite.
He wanted to hug it and gnaw on it.
Clearly, he had overestimated himself. Struggling to hold the fish and bite it, he rolled over without thinking and ended up flat on his back, all four paws in the air, his little head dazed.
With a quick kip-up, he sat upright, then turned around to see the spacious living room now filled with things that all belonged to him. The little kitten was overjoyed.
I can have this many toys too?!
He walked over to Shang Xuci’s feet, pressing his soft pink paw pads against the man’s shoes, gently kneading them.
“Meow-woo~”
Thank you, Shang Xuci.