Jian Xun was fair and impartial—whoever badmouthed Shang Xuci, he would diligently step on the hem of their skirts.
“Ah, a little kitten.” A woman spotted the small white cat and picked him up right as he was busily stepping on skirts, up to no good.
“Wow, it’s a lion cat! So cute—let me hold it too.”
Jian Xun’s body stiffened. Just as he was about to struggle free, he realized his little paw was resting perfectly on the woman’s snow-white shoulder, leaving behind a faint but visible mark.
“Meow!”
You’re the one who picked me up!
“The kitty’s clothes are so adorable.”
“And it’s so well-behaved. Let me pet it.”
At this moment, the female guests hadn’t yet realized the seriousness of the situation. They were fighting over who got to hold the little white cat.
Immersed in the joy of playing with him, they stroked the kitten while he continued causing mischief—until the music suddenly stopped. Jian Xun saw Jiang Yuanqing walking over, and his paws clenched tightly.
She’s coming.
“She must be here to show off.”
“Who knows.”
Most of the women standing here were wealthy heiresses, and naturally looked down on Jiang Yuanqing, the fallen rich daughter who had gone into acting.
Dressed in a simple, elegant white gown, Jiang Yuanqing walked over with a smile. The others instantly put on friendly faces.
“Jiang Yuanqing, why don’t we see your fiancé around?”
Jiang Yuanqing had only meant to greet them out of courtesy, but instead the first thing she heard was sarcasm.
“He’s busy,” Jiang Yuanqing replied with a smile.
She knew these women looked down on her and had no desire to linger. After raising her glass to them, she turned to leave, not even noticing the cat in one of their arms.
Before leaving, she cast the group a meaningful glance and smiled. “Where did you have your dresses custom-made? Quite original.”
“If you like them, we could introduce you,” one woman said, her words trailing off with obvious implication—Jiang Yuanqing couldn’t afford them.
Hearing this, Jiang Yuanqing didn’t get angry. Instead, she gave a light laugh. “Indeed. I think they suit you all much better.”
After she left, the other women glared after her angrily. “What does she mean, suit us better? I think she—”
Before she could finish, someone looked down and suddenly realized there were paw prints on her dress. She let out a shriek and discovered that several of her companions had them too.
“Ah! It was that cat just now!!”
Sensing trouble, the little white cat slipped away quickly while they were all in a noisy uproar.
He had to keep up with Jiang Yuanqing.
He mustn’t lose her.
Dressed in a fiery red mermaid gown, Xu Rong was without a doubt the most striking presence of the evening. Trailing behind her was her youngest son, Shang Yi, who had recently shot to fame after a song of his went viral nationwide. Dubbed a musical prodigy, he was beginning to make waves in the entertainment industry, with the promise of an even brighter future.
The boy still looked tender and youthful, but in truth had just reached adulthood. Following behind his mother, he wore a faintly impatient expression.
Xu Rong moved gracefully among the guests, exchanging pleasantries. Feeling a little tired from the endless socializing, she lifted her gaze, spotted Jiang Yuanqing, and her eyes lit up. She waved her over.
Xu Rong had maintained a good relationship with Jiang Yuanqing—or at least, that was how it looked to outsiders.
Hearing her name called, Jiang Yuanqing slowly walked over.
“Aunt Xu.”
“Come, let me introduce you. This is Jiang Yuanqing, my second son’s fianc—”
Before she could finish, Shang Ye approached with a glass of wine in hand, toasting the guests.
“What a handsome couple—truly a match made in heaven,” someone remarked with admiration.
Jiang Yuanqing lowered her head with a shy smile, while Shang Ye, ever the charming playboy, said nothing.
Only Xu Rong corrected them. “Now, don’t say such things carelessly. Miss Jiang is Xuci’s fiancée.”
At that, Shang Ye’s peach blossom eyes curved playfully. With an easy tone, he added, “Miss Jiang and I are friends. Tonight I was simply fortunate enough to stand in for my younger brother in the first dance. No need to tease me.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuanqing lowered her gaze, hiding the flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
A man like Shang Ye—attentive to women, suave, and gentlemanly—was exactly her type. After all, in relationships, women hoped to gain emotional value from their partners.
Her own fiancé, however, was cold and distant. Emotional value aside, he didn’t even provide much in terms of career value. For her acting career, she had to rely heavily on Xu Rong, an established senior in the industry.
Still, she had once heard Xu Rong mention that the Shang family’s entertainment business would be handed down to the grandson. Jiang Yuanqing suspected that person might very well be Shang Ye. It wouldn’t hurt to cultivate more interactions with him.
As Jiang Yuanqing drifted in thought, Shang Ye caught sight of a shadow from the corner of his eye. The smile at his lips gradually froze. Taking a sip of wine, he said first, “You all continue chatting. I have something else to attend to, so I’ll excuse myself.”
After Shang Ye left, Xu Rong patted Jiang Yuanqing’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Stay here and keep everyone company. I’ll take Yi to the other side.”
Jiang Yuanqing nodded.
Not long after Xu Rong left, a group of wealthy ladies beckoned their similarly-aged daughters over to join the conversation.
Some of them already knew Jiang Yuanqing, while others were unfamiliar faces.
Meanwhile, Jian Xun lifted his little cat chin high, carefully eyeing the red wine glasses in their hands—waiting to see if anyone would offer Jiang Yuanqing a drink.
Then, in tiny kitten steps, he trotted over.
The women were still chatting, their topics revolving around men and careers, when a woman in a saffron-yellow dress walked over with her male companion. She handed Jiang Yuanqing a glass of red wine.
Jian Xun: !!!
“Meow!”
You can’t drink that!
The little white cat suddenly darted out, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
“Whose kitten is this? So beautiful.”
Jiang Yuanqing thought the cat looked familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it. She bent slightly and picked the kitten up.
Jian Xun’s whole body went rigid. He disliked the heavy scent of perfume on women, but being held in her arms was undeniably the best position for mischief—so he didn’t resist.
Sui Sui was the best at pretending to be obedient.
He lifted his head, his sapphire-blue eyes wide and bright. Licking his lips, he let out a soft, sweet meow~.
At first, everyone was drawn in by the kitten’s looks and its cute outfit. But the moment they noticed the necklace around its neck—an exquisite top-grade emerald—their expressions turned to shock.
“My God, isn’t that one of the Cacciua family’s priceless gems?”
Not only was the gemstone itself extraordinarily expensive, but Cacciua’s jewelry designs weren’t things money alone could buy. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this gem represented a level of prestige beyond the reach of most people present. The Cacciua family was among the world’s wealthiest aristocrats, with resources far out of their grasp. Even knowing the name was rare enough.
Leaving all else aside, that dazzling necklace instantly added a layer of mystery to the kitten’s identity. After the initial exclamations, the women’s eyes turned to the cat with admiration and envy.
What a beautiful necklace.
What a lucky cat.
To let a cat freely roam a grand hall wearing such a jewel spoke volumes about its owner’s power. The guests grew even more curious about the little white cat.
Many of them pulled out their phones to take pictures.
Sensing this, Jian Xun proudly lifted his head higher, looking every bit the arrogant young master.
“Look at that face—mouth like a Mercedes, nose like a Tesla, forehead like a Maserati. He’s the perfect CEO cat.” Someone, seeing the glittering necklace and imposing presence, flattered the kitten shamelessly.
Whoever the cat’s owner was, fawning over it could only be right.
Hearing everyone praise the kitten in her arms, Jiang Yuanqing felt as though they were complimenting her as well. Subconsciously, she lifted the wine glass to her lips.
That was exactly the moment he’d been waiting for!
Jian Xun reacted quickly. With a swift swipe of his paw, he knocked over her wine glass.
Crash—
The glass shattered on the floor. Wine splashed everywhere—some soaking into the kitten’s fur, and some staining Jiang Yuanqing’s white dress. The fabric at her chest instantly turned damp.
Startled, she couldn’t very well scold a cat in front of everyone. Covering her chest, she dabbed at the fabric with tissues under the concerned gazes of others, then prepared to head to the restroom.
The little kitten leapt neatly onto the table and shook the droplets off his fur.
Mission accomplished. Jiang Yuanqing hadn’t drunk the drugged wine, which meant she wouldn’t end up in bed with Shang Ye. For now, the big boss wouldn’t be made a fool of. His plot point was complete.
The commotion drew many people’s attention.
Xu Rong immediately recognized the cat. Her fists clenched, eyes narrowing. Seeing that it was the only cat in sight, she started toward it, ready to grab it.
Suddenly, a deep, steady voice rang out:
“Suì Suì.”
Jian Xun’s eyes went wide. It’s Shang Xuci!
The man was tall and long-legged, his tailored suit accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His features were strikingly handsome, sharply defined, and exceptionally refined. Most captivating of all, though still youthful in appearance, he exuded an undeniable aura of authority—a commanding presence that set him apart.
In his pale, slender hands, he held a glass of wine. From the doorway, dazzling light spilled down across his hair, catching on the stray strands at his forehead. His jet-black phoenix eyes were like a deep, unfathomable pool—impossible to see through, dangerously mesmerizing.
Shang Xuci’s lips curved faintly as he walked forward unhurriedly. The people nearby turned their heads; young women among the guests straightened and stared at him, struck speechless.
The man seemed born to shine.
Whose son could he be?
Jiang Yuanqing froze when she heard the voice. Seeing the man slowly approach, she suddenly grew nervous.
Is he coming for me?
When she noticed Shang Xuci taking off his suit jacket, Jiang Yuanqing frowned lightly. In her current state she felt utterly disheveled, and she truly didn’t want to have any intimate contact with him in front of so many people. Instinctively, she glanced toward Shang Ye in the corner, sipping his wine and watching the scene—she especially didn’t want him to misunderstand.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Jiang Yuanqing lowered her gaze. The moment Shang Xuci stepped closer, she retreated a step, her body language showing clear rejection.
One second.
Two seconds.
Ten seconds passed.
The scene she imagined never happened. When she suddenly lifted her head, she saw that the man had draped his jacket over the little white cat and was now holding it in his arms, his expression gentle.
“I told you to wait in the room. Why did you run out?”
“Meow, meow, meow.”
The little white cat clung to his neck, rubbing its head against him in a spoiled act of affection.
It was all for you.
At the same time, Shang Wei appeared in the hall with Xu Rong holding his arm. Following Jiang Yuanqing’s figure as she slipped toward the restroom, Xu Rong withdrew her gaze and turned to the crowd with a bright smile, unveiling the man’s identity.
“Xiao Ci, you really came.” Xu Rong leaned against her husband’s side, her tone full of delighted surprise.
“With Aunt Xu’s invitation, of course I came,” Shang Xuci replied evenly, his clear voice deliberately stressing that he had come because she invited him.
Hearing this exchange, the guests finally understood. So this was the legendary second young master of the Shang family, the one who rarely showed himself in public! Weren’t the rumors that he was frail and sickly? He didn’t look that way at all. What’s more, he had specially come to attend his stepmother’s banquet—clearly, their relationship wasn’t as strained as the gossip claimed.
On the big screen, photos of Xu Rong and Shang Wei’s loving married life played to warm music, everything seemingly harmonious and perfect.
Xu Rong leaned closer to her husband and said, “It’s almost time for us to go on stage. I’ll head backstage to prepare.”
After she left, Shang Wei turned his gaze to the cat in Shang Xuci’s arms, his tone edged with reproach. “Why would you bring a cat to a banquet?”
Shang Xuci answered coolly, without warmth: “It’s my cat. If I want to bring it, I will.”
“Since Father cares so much about my cat, perhaps you’d do better to care a little more about yourself.” With that, Shang Xuci turned and walked away, still carrying the cat.
Shang Wei seethed at his son’s cold, disrespectful attitude. He spun around, about to say a few harsh words, when his eyes caught a commotion at the doorway, where security guards were blocking someone.
A woman.
Though her clothes were ragged and her expression half-mad, Shang Wei still recognized who she was.
His face changed instantly, eyes widening in disbelief.