The two people and one cat were stunned.
Xu Tutu jumped down from his lap with his tail swaying proudly, bared his teeth at Xu Huai, and let out a fierce meow to show his displeasure.
Jian Xun’s expression shifted from envy, to shock, to doubting the meaning of a cat’s life.
To think he dared to lay a paw on his owner—no, his former owner. That was something Jian Xun wouldn’t dare to do in his entire life.
Big Brother, that’s badass.
He glanced at Xu Huai again, but there was no anger on his face. Instead, after being momentarily stunned, he held the cheek that the cat had slapped, lowered his head, and smiled foolishly.
Jian Xun widened his eyes.
Xu Tutu, head held high, strolled over to his side and lazily lay down.
Jian Xun swallowed, sneaking a glance at Shang Xuci’s suit trousers, which were made of fine fabric. Those long legs… he wondered what it would feel like to step on them.
The little cat’s eyes were filled with longing.
Shang Xuci didn’t notice the kitten’s thoughts. He raised his gaze toward Xu Huai—who had just taken a cat punch—and the man slowly lifted his head, the corners of his lips curling into a rather indulgent smile.
Shang Xuci: “…”
It was the first time he had seen such an arrogant cat, and an owner who, after getting hit, smiled instead of getting angry.
Was this the legendary cat slave?
Shang Xuci withdrew his gaze and looked down at the lion cat at his feet. The cat had an innocent expression and let out a soft, babyish meow.
Xu Huai suddenly spoke. Pressing his lips into a smile, he said, “Tu Tu hasn’t been affectionate with me in a long time. The first time we met was when…”
The human began telling a story, but Xu Tutu had no ears for it. Instead, he started giving his little brother a stern lesson.
“It’s just jumping onto a leg. If you want to, then jump—what’s the point of worrying so much?” Xu Tutu shared his experience. “Look at me, I just slapped him, and he didn’t even dare to fart.”
“I can’t,” Jian Xun replied. No matter what Shang Xuci did to him, he would never hurt the big boss. The big boss treated him so well.
Sui Sui was a cat who knew how to repay kindness.
“Tch.” Xu Tutu couldn’t figure out his thought process. Normally, it’s humans who fawn over cats—how did it turn into a cat fawning over a human with this little brother? He wasn’t a dog, after all.
“I just gave you a demonstration. Now it’s up to you.” Xu Tutu tucked his paws in and continued, “If you want to take things further, you have to dare to try.”
“Then… should I give it a try?”
Perhaps influenced by Xu Tutu’s words, Jian Xun lifted his crouched butt, his four little paws slowly swaying over to the man’s side, and lightly patted Shang Xuci’s leg with his paw.
Shang Xuci straightened his posture and lowered his head.
“Meow.”
I’m coming up.
Jian Xun gathered all his strength into his uninjured left hind leg, kicked off, and leapt onto the man’s lap, nervously clutching the fabric while purring with excitement.
He did it—he jumped up!
Jian Xun had already mentally prepared himself to be chased off at any moment; if the big boss said the word, he’d jump down immediately.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds…
The big boss didn’t tell him to get down!!
Yes!
A warm palm landed gently on his head, stroking him softly. Jian Xun couldn’t help but close his eyes, his ears twitching back and forth. His paw pads tingled—it made him want to scratch at something!
The moment he lay down on Shang Xuci’s lap, Jian Xun was so happy he nearly burst into tears.
But the happiness was short-lived. Before his bottom could even warm the spot, the man lightly patted him, signaling for him to get down.
Jian Xun obediently hopped off. Then he saw Shang Xuci take out a tissue and pat the dust from his trousers.
Was… was he being disliked?
Jian Xun stared blankly at Shang Xuci’s every move, lips pouting and eyes brimming with tears, not daring to move an inch.
After wiping his trousers, Shang Xuci noticed the cat looking up at him with such a pitiful expression. He bent down, rubbed the cat’s head, and said, “My pants got dirty.”
The little cat instantly lowered his head in shame. He glanced at his now-grayish pink paw pads, spread his paw, and rubbed it twice against the floor.
He had dirtied the big boss’s pants.
Meow… He didn’t mean to.
Jian Xun wanted to die of embarrassment. Knowing full well the big boss liked cleanliness, he’d still selfishly jumped up—what a bad kitty he was!
Just as he was drowning in guilt, he heard the big boss say, “Next time, wash first, then you can jump.”
Next time?!
Jump again?!
He could still jump?!
Jian Xun’s damp little nose twitched as he looked at Shang Xuci in disbelief.
“Meow?!”
Really?!
Only then did he clearly see the big boss’s expression.
There wasn’t a trace of dislike—his eyes were gentle, his tone was gentle, and there was no sign of blame at all.
“Your cat really likes you,” Xu Huai said sourly. In this not-too-big, not-too-small room, his own cat was lying diagonally across from him.
“Sui Sui is a cat I picked up and brought home. He’s always been a well-behaved kitty.” Shang Xuci glanced toward the cat in the corner and added in a calm voice, “Your cat, however, seems to dislike you quite a lot.”
Earlier, he had listened to Xu Huai tell a long string of stories about him and the tabby cat. It seemed that the two used to get along well, though something must have happened later to make things turn out like this.
Xu Huai’s eyes dimmed, and he gave a bitter smile. “Maybe I broke his heart.”
Even now, he could hardly believe that his cat had actually turned into a human. With no one to confide in, he could only swallow that secret down into his stomach.
Xu Huai looked toward the cat, but the cat didn’t so much as glance at him, focusing instead on playing with the lion cat.
“He really likes Sui Sui.”
Shang Xuci nodded in agreement.
“You said you wanted to invest in my project—was that true?” Xu Huai changed his mind. Since it was about attracting investment, it didn’t really matter who it came from.
“Yes.” Shang Xuci handed him a business card.
Jian Xun pricked up his ears and widened his eyes.
The plot-change meter on his panel had already reached thirty percent.
It was done just like that?
In the original novel, Xu Huai wasn’t easy to befriend. Rumor had it that later on, his personality changed drastically—becoming withdrawn, eccentric, and difficult to deal with. He did things entirely according to his mood, and if you wanted to work with him, you had to show enough sincerity.
Shang Ye not only put a lot of effort into him, but also helped Xu Huai find his precious pet. That precious pet… could it be Xu Tutu?!
Jian Xun turned his head to look at his big brother.
The tabby cat was earnestly grooming his fur.
“Meow?”
Do you want me to groom you too?
A chill ran down his back.
Jian Xun shook his head furiously—he felt that the gaze falling on him was far too piercing for a cat to bear!
After Shang Xuci and Xu Huai finished discussing their cooperation at the café, Jian Xun had also finished listening to his big brother recount the events of the past few days. He then told him about making money by livestreaming on a certain platform.
“You don’t show your face?”
“Show my face? Why would I show my face?” Jian Xun was puzzled. He streamed games, so of course he played games—he didn’t rely on his looks to make a living.
“Who says so? In this line of work—whether you’re a person or a cat—showing your face gets you half the traffic,” Xu Tutu said. He’d never done livestreaming himself, but back when he was human, he’d loved watching other people’s videos. The only problem had been that his phone lagged badly and his internet was terrible.
“And the other half?”
“The other half, of course, comes from being good-looking. As long as you’ve got the looks, you’ll have an audience.”
“So that’s how it is. Brother Tutu, you’re amazing—you know everything.” Jian Xun gazed at him with admiration.
Xu Tutu’s tail lifted high.
“Take your big brother’s advice: instead of streaming yourself playing games, stream a cat playing games. In human aesthetics, lion cats rank high in looks—go for it without worry.”
“Hehe, okay.” Jian Xun leaned in to rub against the tabby cat, but just as his head was about to touch, it hung in midair.
“Meow meow meow??”
“Hold onto your cat. I’m taking Tu Tu home too.” Xu Huai quickly scooped up Jian Xun, set him down on an empty spot behind him, then picked up the struggling, yowling tabby. Taking advantage of the struggle, he shoved the cat neatly into a carrier.
“Brother Tutu!” Jian Xun ran over and clutched at Xu Huai’s trouser leg.
“You go back. Since I could escape once, I can escape a second time,” Xu Tutu said calmly after regaining his composure. “We’ll be in touch.”
Xu Huai left with the carrier. Jian Xun watched the man’s tall figure. At the doorway, Xu Huai paused, turned his head, and glanced back at him..
Jian Xun: “?”
Why did that bad guy glare at him?
He quickly turned around to seek comfort.
Maybe because his paws were dirty, Shang Xuci didn’t pick him up.
Once they got home, the first thing Jian Xun did was rush to the coffee table, grab a wet wipe in his mouth, and clean his paws—then carefully lick them again for good measure.
Shang Xuci had originally intended to wash the little cat’s paws himself, but seeing how eager he was to clean himself, the man felt an odd stir in his heart.
He sat on the sofa, watching Sui Sui groom himself.
Once Jian Xun was completely clean, he eagerly jumped onto the sofa, placing one paw on the man’s leg and speaking in a sweet, delicate voice: “Mua~ ao!”
I’m coming up!
Seeing that the big boss didn’t react, Jian Xun gathered his courage and jumped with all four paws onto Shang Xuci’s lap, his fluffy tail swaying back and forth.
The composed and dignified Shang Xuci was in the middle of selecting new cat food online. There were also many recommendations for cat treats, but remembering Gu Ming’s words, he ultimately decided to buy only cat food. His free hand gently stroked the cat sitting on his lap.
Curious, Jian Xun stretched his head to see what Shang Xuci was looking at on his phone.
It was cat food!
Jian Xun’s eyes sparkled. For a moment, he felt like Shang Xuci might actually be starting to like him.
Feeling pleased inside, the little cat jumped down from the big boss’s lap, sat on the sofa with his butt firmly planted, placed his front paws on Shang Xuci’s leg, puffed out his chest, tucked in his belly, and got into position.
With a determined gaze, he clenched his little cat fists and focused all his attention. “Meow meow meow!”
Dun-dun-dun—
Sui Sui No. 1 Massage Therapist at your service!
Jian Xun swished his tail, his two short front legs tapping lightly yet rhythmically on the man’s thigh. After ten rounds of cat punches, he spread his paws, pressing down slowly and gently with his soft paw pads.
“Meow?”
How’s the pressure?
Jian Xun looked up at the big boss.
Shang Xuci raised an eyebrow. From the kitten’s movements, was he… giving him a massage?
“Sui Sui is amazing—you even know how to massage,” Shang Xuci praised casually.
The little white cat lifted his head even higher, convinced that his massage technique was truly excellent—varied in style, firm in pressure. With the big boss’s praise, he felt light as a feather, as if he could float into the sky. He became even more meticulous, snorting softly as he worked hard, secretly vowing to become the most professional massage cat!
Feeling the little cat’s affection, Shang Xuci’s heart softened instantly. For the first time, the thought crossed his mind that keeping a cat might not be so bad after all. He continued to enjoy the kitten’s special service.
While massaging, the little kitten opened his mouth in a big yawn, his eyes growing heavier and slowly narrowing.
So sleepy.
His cat eyes finally closed, but his white-gloved paws kept moving—slowly, the pressure of his massage grew lighter and lighter until he stopped altogether. His head began to nod off repeatedly before his body lost control and toppled straight into Shang Xuci’s warm embrace.
Smacking his lips in his sleep, the silly little cat sprawled out on his back, all four paws in the air, fast asleep.