Because he had been searching cat-related terms online, the algorithm kept recommending him countless videos of adorable cats doing cute things.
- Righteous tongue-out pose
- Deep, affectionate wink
- Tilting the head while staring at the target—deadly move
- An airy, breathy meow even scarier than “clipped voice,” faint yet irresistibly soft and cute
- …
As a cat himself, Jian Xun hadn’t even realized cats had so many “cute tricks.”
He wanted to learn them and show them to Shang Xuci.
Since he had already started practicing being cute, he should strike while the iron was hot and make a proper life plan for a cat— “The Greatly Increased Intimacy Between Boss and Sui Sui! Operation Snuggle & Conquer!!”
Jian Xun returned to his cardboard box, habitually stepping on the huge stash of cash hidden under his little blanket, stomping his paws a few times.
He picked up a piece of candy in his mouth and padded toward the study.
At the moment, his physical closeness with the boss was limited to the man’s legs.
For example, right now—
Jian Xun walked to Shang Xuci’s feet, rubbing his head against the man’s calf. The boss would reach down and scratch under his chin, then go right back to work.
Bravely, Jian Xun curled up around the boss’s slipper to nap.
Step one of Snuggle Strategy: Conquer the feet—success.
Step two: Legs.
He was already rubbing against the calves; thighs couldn’t be far behind, right?
Jian Xun gazed longingly at the boss’s knees. He especially wanted to lie across his lap.
After that would come the stomach. He would conquer the boss’s belly, then his neck, and finally—his face!
Jian Xun secretly swore to himself: one day, he would press his head against the boss’s face—really press, with all his might!
Tonight, when it was time for bed, he would attempt a brand-new strategy target.
9 p.m.
The little white cat carried his dried-fish-shaped pillow into the bedroom. Recently, it seemed he had gained the privilege of freely entering and leaving the bedroom—as long as the door was open, he could come in, and the boss wouldn’t say anything.
Tonight he was a bit late getting to bed, so the cat hadn’t had time to “make the bed.”
With a big leap, Jian Xun dropped the pillow by the bedside. He stole a glance at Shang Xuci, who was reading, then slowly shifted his gaze down to the man’s legs—and lingered.
He inched closer and closer, staring for a long while. After sneaking several glances at Shang Xuci, he finally summoned up his courage and stretched out a tentative paw. Just as he was about to press it down—Shang Xuci’s voice stopped him.
“Sui Sui, what sneaky thing are you up to now?”
Ever since he had started sleeping with the cat, Shang Xuci’s insomnia had improved, and his tolerance had grown much higher.
These days, reading for a bit before lights out was enough—he could close his eyes and fall asleep quickly. All thanks to his cat, Sui Sui.
Tonight, he had gone into the bedroom earlier than usual. Normally, the little cat would immediately dart in after him, but when he didn’t appear right away, Shang Xuci wasn’t worried. He simply turned off the light, lay down on the bed, and continued the book he hadn’t finished the night before. Before long, the little fellow arrived, pillow in his mouth.
Shang Xuci’s eyes returned to his book, though a portion of his attention remained on the cat.
His pale fingertips turned to the next chapter. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the kitten staring intently at his legs, ears twitching back and forth, clearly scheming something.
Shang Xuci paid him more attention. During this time, Sui Sui kept sneaking glances his way, even placing a paw on his thigh, digging lightly twice, as if testing something out.
The sneaky movements, the shifty eyes—it all looked suspicious.
So Shang Xuci spoke to stop him.
The little white cat quickly pulled back his paw.
“Meow～”
Then—tongue-out, head-tilt-kill, plus a wink…
Jian Xun tucked his paws in against his chest, staying put.
Attempt to lie on the lap: failed.
The kitten closed his eyes in disappointment.
The boss probably didn’t like having a cat sleeping on his lap anyway.
Meow meow meow…
Smacking his lips, Jian Xun lowered his head and drifted into a deep sleep.
Halfway through the night, his stomach growled. Feeling his way in the dark, he got up and padded to the living room for a midnight snack—only to find the automatic feeder’s bowl completely empty.
That was when he remembered: after bringing him back from the hospital, Shang Xuci had reset the feeder’s schedule and portions. Of course, no food would come out at this hour.
No helping it, then.
Jian Xun’s gaze drifted toward the pantry. His little cat-brain erupted into an inner battle.
Good Sui Sui: You just got caught last time. And now you still dare?
Bad Sui Sui: Last time was daytime. Now it’s night. What’s there to be afraid of?!
Good Sui Sui: Did you forget how he scolded you after the hospital?
Bad Sui Sui: So what? If the little kitty doesn’t eat more, how can he accomplish big things!!
Good Sui Sui: You’re supposed to be a good cat. You’re on a diet. Just hold out a few more hours until breakfast!
Bad Sui Sui: Eating when you’re hungry is the most natural thing in the world. If you wait a few hours, you’ll starve! Besides, since you’re dieting, what harm is there in eating a little extra now?!
Jian Xun nodded to himself: That’s true. He was dieting—so what if he ate a little more? No, wait—Sui Sui swore! He’d only eat one dried fish snack. One!!!
Bad Sui Sui: It doesn’t have to be dried fish. You could try something else.
He remembered Shang Xuci had kept some tasty treats in the kitchen cupboard.
Easily swayed by Bad Sui Sui, Jian Xun trotted off on his short little legs toward the pantry.
…
The next morning, Shang Xuci found scattered crumbs on the floor in front of the pantry. When he opened the cupboard, the stash of cat snacks he had hidden away had been rummaged through, left in complete disarray—obviously tampered with.
The veins at Shang Xuci’s temple throbbed. He called out in a low, stern voice: “Sui Sui!”
The sunbathing Jian Xun immediately perked up and scampered over—then froze.
His gaze also landed on the crumbs on the floor.
S… save me.
He had forgotten to clean up the scene last night!
Trying to play cute, Jian Xun let out a “mua～,” rolled onto his back, and showed his belly in an innocent act.
I don’t know anything.
“You ate the cat treats?”
“Meow.”
The little cat protested.
I did not eat the cat treats!
Seeing the little kitten staring back at him with clear, innocent eyes—flatly denying everything and refusing to even glance at the crumbs on the floor—meowing with such righteous confidence, Shang Xuci’s lips curved faintly. With one hand, he lifted the cat and carried him to the desk in the study.
Jian Xun, dizzy and bewildered, plopped down in front of the computer, utterly confused about what was going on.
He watched as Shang Xuci tidied up some documents on the desk and then turned on the computer.
Now, one man and one cat both stared at the screen.
The off-white curtains embroidered with pale roses swayed gently, a faint breeze drifting in through the window, as if even the wind wanted to join in.
Jian Xun’s ears twitched as he curiously watched the boss click open a file.
Then—the cat froze, utterly stunned.
On the screen, a big dark blob was moving around the room. In the pitch-black night, only a pair of bright little “light bulbs” shone, glimmering as they made a straight dash toward their goal.
The sound of the cupboard being opened triggered the smart home system, switching on the motion-sensing light in the kitchen. And there it was—a small white cat, using both front paws to open the low cupboard by the floor, squeezing inside with a rustle, only to come back out empty-pawed a moment later.
He plopped down on the floor, looking as though he were thinking deeply, then deliberately closed the cupboard door.
Next, his gaze swept across the kitchen again. He jumped onto the counter, craned his head back, and eyed the cupboards above.
Two seconds later, the kitten stood upright—and finally went for the cupboard!
It was almost too easy. The little white cat pried the cupboard open, climbed inside, and the door closed automatically behind him.
For a moment, everything fell quiet again. The kitchen cupboard remained still, as though the cat had simply gone in there to nap.
After a minute, the sound of rustling plastic bags came from within. Then the cupboard door cracked open a little.
The very first thing to emerge was the white tip of a tail, twitching lightly in the air.
Next, a pair of “snowy-white gloved” paws reached through the gap, both firmly clutching a bag of sliced bread. The cat held the entire loaf steady, then let go with one paw. With the other, he hooked a claw into the plastic wrapping, lowering it carefully, steadily, until it landed gently on the kitchen counter.
Success!
He did it!
The little kitten poked his head out, eyes darting about with a guilty, sneaky look—yet also carrying an air of helpless grievance. After glancing around nervously, he leapt down from the counter with agility, grabbed the sliced bread in his mouth, and landed on the floor to eat.
Chomp, chomp, chomp.
Heehee—stolen food really does taste better!
Like a little lion cub, the cat hugged the loaf and savored it with great relish.
Crumbs scattered all over the floor, looking exactly like the mess Shang Xuci had just seen earlier.
Stealing from the boss—while the entire act, every move and every moment, was captured under his very eyes—Jian Xun felt like his whole furry self was about to shatter into pieces.
If he had to describe this public shaming, Jian Xun thought it was even more humiliating than getting his balls cut off.
A true social death—on the spot.
He tried to escape, but the man caught him with one hand.
“Meow.”
I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have stolen your bread!
Jian Xun obediently admitted his mistake, meowing several times to Shang Xuci.
Seeing the kitten surrender so meekly, Shang Xuci asked calmly, “Wasn’t breakfast enough for you?”
“Meow.”
No, that was for nighttime.
Jian Xun ran to his leg, curling the tip of his tail around the man’s calf, rubbing his head against him.
It was a clear act of coaxing and currying favor. Shang Xuci sighed, grabbed the mop, and cleaned the floor.
Since having a cat, aside from the cleaning lady, he found himself personally tidying up much more often.
Shang Xuci made himself a cup of coffee and carried it into the living room, the kitten trailing close behind.
Sitting in a relaxed posture, the man crossed his long legs, holding a coffee cup in one hand while teasing the cat with a wand toy in the other.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Setting the coffee cup down, Shang Xuci picked up the phone to read the message.
It was a message from his professor about an academic exchange conference, to be held at the university where he had studied. Many alumni would be invited back to give talks.
This kind of exchange was held every year. In the past, Shang Xuci had always declined, but this time he agreed.
Because he knew he would meet someone there—the very partner who, in his previous life, had helped revive Shang Ye’s company and later became a major obstacle when he tried to take back control of the Shang family business. How had they met? He didn’t know the exact details, only that it happened at this exchange conference.
The cat wand in his hand never stopped swaying. The kitten crouched low on the floor, rump wiggling with anticipation, his fluffy white back legs coiled like springs, ready to strike—
Sprint.
Balance.
Leap.
Pounce!
Jian Xun successfully caught the feathered ball, hugging it and giving it a bite. But an outside force suddenly flicked the toy out of his grip.
His round eyes followed the feather’s movement, wholly focused, readying himself for the next “hunt.”
After replying to the message, Shang Xuci set his phone on the table and continued teasing the cat.
All Jian Xun cared about was pouncing on the feather. Without thinking, he followed the arc of the toy, leaping straight onto the table—where one paw landed squarely on the phone screen. Instinctively, he glanced down—just in time to see the boss’s reply to his professor.
An academic exchange conference, huh?
He remembered from the book: it was at this very conference that Shang Ye had met Xu Huai, a computer genius—and later, one of the boss’s strongest rivals.
He had to go too!
Jian Xun’s eyes shone with determination.
Later, when Shang Xuci was no longer in the living room, the cat dragged out the tablet and continued scrolling through the backend. Seeing that the dried fish balance hadn’t increased, his little paw trembled slightly.
How could he make things more fun? How could he make money?
He flopped into the pet section and started watching videos.
Meanwhile, Shang Xuci, now changed into sportswear, turned the bedroom doorknob and came out—only to see the kitten absorbed in playing on the tablet. He licked his paw, then instinctively reached for something nearby, but his paw closed on nothing several times.
Ah—he had no more cat snacks.
Jian Xun finally snapped out of it, ears pricking at the sound of footsteps, and looked up at Shang Xuci.
The man gestured toward him. “Come with me to the gym.”
Jian Xun had never been to a gym before. Hearing the boss’s words, he happily leapt over in excitement.
Yes! He could go out and play!
Since it was Jian Xun’s first time at the gym, Shang Xuci didn’t make him work out alongside him, letting the kitten freely explore this brand-new world.
At first, Jian Xun watched the boss running on the treadmill. After staring for a while, he grew bored and began strolling leisurely around the room, occasionally stretching here and there.
Then he discovered a very handsome guy.
The man was only wearing a tank top, but even so, the faint outline of his muscles, the powerful, explosive strength of his thighs—Jian Xun’s little cat eyes went wide and dazed.
He licked his lips and trotted off to find a perfect spot with the best view.
Inside the gym, people were working up a sweat, accompanied by heavy breaths and the clanking sounds of machines.
After finishing his run, Shang Xuci removed his earphones and instinctively looked around for his cat.
He spotted the kitten not far away, tail swishing lazily, and the corners of his lips curved slightly.
With his long legs, he strode over and called out to him. But the kitten ignored him, eyes locked with full concentration on something else.
Following the glowing gaze of the cat, Shang Xuci looked over—
At a 1.8-meter-tall man with eight-pack abs!