Jian Xun’s body stiffened, his little cat nose stinging sourly. He buried his whole head down, his soft paw pads flexing slightly, and let out a barely audible mewl.
I forgive you.
The next morning, Jian Xun woke up to find the big boss staring at him. This wasn’t the first time, so he instinctively tensed up.
But to his surprise, the man’s extremely handsome face was tilted slightly downward, gazing at him without the displeasure or astonishment of before. His long, narrow black eyes and high-bridged nose gave him a striking profile. Lying on his side, his gaze held the same softness as spring willows drifting across a lake’s surface.
“Morning.”
The little cat jumped in fright, leaping up, retreating a few steps, and nearly tumbling off the bed.
Shang Xuci reached out with his long arm, catching the little kitten before he could fall and nudging him back onto the bed.
“Meow.”
Jian Xun happily expressed his thanks, wagging his tail.
Shang Xuci hadn’t expected such a big reaction from the cat. Taking a long stride, he changed clothes, put on slippers, and left the bedroom. Unlike before, he didn’t carry the cat out together with its bed, which gave the kitten a great sense of confidence and security.
Jian Xun clamped his cat cushion in his mouth and dragged it out of the bedroom. While the big boss was washing up and having breakfast, the little cat busied himself grooming his fur, cleaning every inch until spotless. Once tidy, he darted back into the bedroom to check whether he’d left any stray fur behind, hoping he could somehow erase the evidence.
Unfortunately, before he could figure out a way, the bedroom’s owner came in. Swiftly, Shang Xuci pulled off the bed sheets and quilt cover and headed toward the bathroom, calling for Sui Sui to follow before closing the door behind him.
Jian Xun cast one last reluctant glance at the bedroom before trotting after Shang Xuci. In the laundry room, he crouched to one side, watching intently as the man placed the sheets into the washing machine. From loading the laundry, to starting the cycle, to the machine rumbling to life—every detail, the kitten secretly memorized.
Noticing how the cat stretched his neck and stared without blinking at the washing machine, Shang Xuci thought to himself: cats really are creatures of boundless curiosity—anything and everything can catch their attention, and they’ll watch for hours.
Seeing Sui Sui perched on the counter, absorbed, he didn’t disturb him. Instead, he went back to the kitchen to try making a new cat meal.
This time, the main ingredients were chicken breast, pork liver, chicken gizzard, shrimp, and pumpkin. Following the recipe proportions, Shang Xuci prepared the food and then called Sui Sui over to eat.
He had to call several times before the cat finally reacted, dashing over with a swoosh. The moment he smelled the fresh meal, he happily buried his head in the bowl, eating with gusto.
“Meow, meow, meow!”
Wuwu, it’s so delicious!
The fluffy white tail swished left and right, while the little mouth kept chewing nonstop.
Shang Xuci, dressed in a black shirt, sat on the chair nearby, holding a cup of black coffee. He glanced at the kitten eating happily and unconsciously let out a breath of relief—thankfully, the kitten liked it. Relaxing, he shifted his gaze away and lowered his head to continue reviewing the documents in his hands.
In the living room, the man’s presence was calm and restrained. Other than the sound of the kitten munching away, everything was quiet and peaceful.
He had apologized, played with the cat, let it sleep beside him, and even cooked for it. Surely the little cat wasn’t angry anymore.
Shang Xuci sipped his coffee, his fingers typing quickly across the screen.
When he looked back at the cat again, the fluffy white ball was sprawled flat on the floor, paws flopped in every direction, his round belly visibly full and taut against the ground.
Not only that—there wasn’t a single piece of kibble left in the bowl. The cat dish had been licked so clean it looked brand new.
Shang Xuci’s fingers paused. He shut off the tablet and said to the kitten, “Sui Sui’s been eating a lot lately, hasn’t he?”
Jian Xun, mid-yawn: ??
Twisting his body in an awkward pose to look at Shang Xuci, he saw the man lean back in his chair, glance at him, and sigh. “If you keep eating like this, how am I supposed to afford raising you?”
Jian Xun instantly snapped wide awake.
He jumped up and hurried to the man’s feet, meowing anxiously.
No way!
Sui Sui just didn’t want to waste food.
Besides, Sui Sui was still growing!
The little cat grew flustered, looking as if he could actually understand human words. Shang Xuci found it amusing and started teasing him.
“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to take on more jobs.”
The kitten tucked his paws together, tilted his head, and reflected on whether he really had eaten a bit too much.
One bowl of fresh food, half a bowl of kibble, a small bowl of milk… hmm, he hadn’t even eaten the dried fish snacks!
Seeing the kitten’s expression turn serious, Shang Xuci picked up a laser pointer and began playing with him.
Jian Xun instantly forgot his worries and focused all his energy on pouncing after the red dot.
A whole series of coaxing measures finally made the kitten happy again. For the next few days, wherever Shang Xuci went, Sui Sui followed.
However, Jian Xun gradually noticed that his food bowl seemed to empty much faster, the box of dried fish snacks had been cleared out, and only a single cat treat stick was left. He couldn’t bear to eat it, and whenever cravings hit, he would just go sniff it longingly.
That day, while Shang Xuci was working in the study, Sui Sui lay at his feet as usual, hugging his plush dried-fish toy.
Once Shang Xuci finished his paperwork, he picked up his phone to check messages and happened to see a notice in the community chat: that afternoon, there would be a pet social event where residents with cats or dogs could bring them out to play.
It was Shang Xuci’s first time raising a cat. He had never watched cat-related videos before and didn’t really know how other households raised theirs. Since he was planning to go out for a walk that afternoon anyway, he thought it would be a good chance to take Sui Sui along.
He set down his pen, looked at the kitten by his feet, and asked, “Sui Sui, do you want to go out and play?”
Jian Xun lifted his head, letting out a soft, drawn-out “Meow~”
Yes! Let’s go!
He hadn’t been outside in ages!
At two in the afternoon, Shang Xuci carried the cat carrier to the community’s pet social area. Dressed casually in sportswear and sneakers, with a water bottle in hand, his height and striking looks gave him the refreshing image of a handsome college student from afar. Not to mention, the lion cat nestled in his carrier was just as eye-catching.
Once released, Jian Xun felt a little nervous. He sat upright beside the big boss, too shy to make the first move. Just like his owner, his manner was cool and reserved as he perched cautiously on a chair, observing the other cats.
Shang Xuci soon realized that most people there owned multiple cats. His was the only “only child,” and the only lion cat present.
Many of the cat owners were young single women. When they noticed Shang Xuci’s striking appearance and composed temperament, the timid ones only dared sneak glances, while the bolder ones came over to strike up conversation. Unfortunately, his strong aura and sparse words made it hard to keep a chat going—once the topic of cats was exhausted, the atmosphere quickly fizzled out.
Jian Xun sat upright, eyes roaming, tail swishing slowly back and forth. Only when Shang Xuci gave him a nudge of encouragement did he finally take his first step toward the other cats—though it turned out to be an unlucky first step.
He heard a meow that sounded a little familiar and turned his head.
It was none other than the orange tabby he’d fought with in the neighborhood before. Now the tabby wore a gold chain around his neck, his body fat and barrel-shaped like a gas tank. His voice was no longer rough like before, but those arrogant, self-important eyes of his hadn’t changed a bit.
The orange tabby opened his mouth with a mocking drawl: “Well, if it isn’t the crippled cat.”
Jian Xun refused to back down. Imitating his tone, he shot back, “Well, if it isn’t Eunuch Orange.”
The tabby froze, then flew into a rage. “Meow meow meow!!!”
Damn it! Believe it or not, even without balls, I can still mount you!
That was a little crude, but Jian Xun wasn’t upset at all. He knew the other was mad precisely because he cared. Calmly, he meowed back: Empty threats. You think you can mount me? With that fat belly of yours—can you even catch me?
Though his body was disabled, Sui Sui was confident. He might not match a mixed-breed street cat in sheer strength, but when it came to running, he was sure of himself. Thanks to the treadmill the big boss had bought, he trained every single day!
The tabby grew even more furious, flinging his chunks of fat forward in a charge. But because of his bulk, he failed to leap properly—his paws didn’t even reach the pavilion step, and he ended up face-planting in an embarrassingly undignified sprawl.
From above, Jian Xun meowed mockingly in laughter.
“Wow, looks like my Fu Fu really likes your cat. What’s his name?” A young woman, about twenty, asked Shang Xuci.
Shang Xuci had been watching from the moment Sui Sui started meowing. He couldn’t understand the language between cats, but judging from Sui Sui’s smug little expression, he could tell the kitten wasn’t exactly making friends.
“His name is Sui Sui.”
“Sui Sui, so cute.” The woman hugged the chubby orange and asked, “How old is he?”
“Only six months.”
“So young.” The girl gently rubbed the orange tabby’s head where he had just fallen. The cat pressed against her with all his might, meowing pitifully.
The contrast was too much for Jian Xun to bear. He didn’t want to stoop to bickering with a neutered cat, but he also had no intention of playing with him. Afraid Shang Xuci might end up chatting long enough to suggest they become friends, Jian Xun quietly slipped away, hiding himself among the other cats.
“Hey, what’s your name?” A ragdoll cat blocked Jian Xun’s path, his tone a little arrogant.
Jian Xun ignored him and kept walking.
Two black-and-white tuxedo kittens jumped in front of him.
“My big brother’s talking to you.”
Jian Xun turned to look at the ragdoll cat. The ragdoll licked his front paw and asked again: “What’s your relationship with that fat orange tabby? Friends?”
“Not friends.” Although he didn’t know why the other was asking, Jian Xun answered quickly.
“Good, not friends.” The ragdoll’s expression instantly softened.
Curiosity sparked, Jian Xun stepped closer and asked: “You have a grudge against him?”
“Just fought a few times.”
Back when the orange tabby wasn’t fat yet and didn’t have a home, he often tried to steal the ragdoll’s wife—calling outside the window every day right on time, asking her out. The ragdoll had already been disliked by his wife for being ugly, and then along came a strong, handsome cat. She was instantly smitten and would sneak out through the window every day to fool around with the tabby. The ragdoll complained to his owner’s mom again and again, but she didn’t understand cat language. Instead, she thought he was being harsh to his wife and accused him of giving her the cold shoulder.
The ragdoll had suffered in silence!
Luckily, heaven had eyes. One day, he got news that the orange tabby had been neutered. That was the happiest day of the ragdoll’s life. His wife finally settled down and returned to him.
After hearing this, Jian Xun silently mourned for the orange tabby once again. But later, he picked up gossip from other cats: that ragdoll never had a wife at all. The “wife” was actually a calico, a friend of his owner’s, often brought over to play. She was supposed to be his arranged mate, but from the very first glance, she hadn’t liked him one bit.
“By the way, where do you live? Who’s your human?”
Jian Xun gave his apartment number without trouble.
“Oh, that little unit on the east side?” The ragdoll shook his head with a troubled air. “Not like me. My family’s whole third floor is my room—way too big, honestly. And whenever I go out, there’s a nanny tagging along. You can’t even play properly with that kind of supervision.”
Jian Xun: “…”
A whole floor to himself. A personal nanny. A personal chauffeur.
Got it—this cat was here to show off.
But why target him of all cats?
As if noticing his doubts, the ragdoll puffed out his little chest proudly.
“This isn’t my first time at one of these gatherings. I know all the nearby cats, and I know what kind of families they come from.”
Then his gaze swept over the little lion cat. Not mentioning his human at all—that was clearly a sign he had nothing worth boasting about.
Because of the photos, all the kittens here were dressed up nicely. Some wore skirts, some had accessories, even that ex-stray orange tabby sported a gold chain. But this little lion cat had nothing.
Obvious sign of a poor family.
To confirm his suspicion, the ragdoll asked Jian Xun more questions. The answers lined up: a small apartment, ordinary brand kibble, ordinary brand toys, ordinary brand litter.
But when he heard Jian Xun say he slept in a cardboard box, the ragdoll’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
W-What…? In this day and age, there are still pet cats that sleep in cardboard boxes?!
The ragdoll’s gaze toward Jian Xun grew even more pitying.
“Then your human must be really poor.”
“Not even someone to wait on you.”
“A big house, a villa, a giant litter box—that’s what a kitten should have.”
The ragdoll, who had never suffered hardship and only mingled with cats from families on the same social level as his owner’s, looked genuinely worried about the environment Jian Xun described.
Jian Xun, meanwhile, reflected quietly. His big boss was still in school, not yet focused on work, and within the family business he wasn’t favored, so of course he didn’t have much money. No wonder he had said recently that he could hardly afford to raise him.
Yes… otherwise, why would he have suddenly started cooking cat meals by hand?
Jian Xun kept this matter close to heart. When they got home, he didn’t touch his kibble and instead lay on his cat cushion pretending to sleep.
Shang Xuci thought he was just tired from playing, so he called out before heading into the kitchen.
The moment the door shut, Jian Xun snapped open his cat eyes and dug out the old tablet he had hidden away.
He opened a search page: #How much does it cost to raise a cat for one month?#
The answers online varied, so he took the highest estimate and did the math himself. The figure was… not small.
No way!
I can’t eat the big boss into poverty!
Jian Xun then searched for the pet channel Shen Huan had once livestreamed, logged into the account Shen Huan had made for him, and looked to see if there was any way to earn money.
After scrolling through videos all night, he realized the channel mostly featured owners filming their cats’ funny behaviors, paired with silly background music and commentary.
In the end, Jian Xun chose the easiest option: playing games.
He recorded a short clip of himself playing a fruit-slicing game, uploaded it to the account, then hugged his plush dried-fish toy while endlessly refreshing the stats to see if the view count would rise.
Scrolling and scrolling, the little kitten grew drowsy and fell asleep.
When he woke, morning light had already arrived. After washing his paws with careful licks, he poked his head out of the cardboard box to look around.
The bedroom door was still shut—the big boss hadn’t gotten up yet. He quickly ducked back into the box, impatiently pulled up the tablet, and swiped to check.
The stats showed only one hundred views, with two followers: one was Shen Huan, the other a stranger who had followed not long after the account was created.
Jian Xun had no idea whether such numbers were good for a newcomer cat. Converting the views into earnings, it wasn’t even enough to buy a single dried-fish tail. The little kitten instantly drooped his head in disappointment.