The room was utterly silent. One man and one cat remained frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped.
Shang Xuci’s mind went completely blank. He was in shock—he had actually been kissed by a cat, and once again experienced that strange and unique feeling: not dislike, but rather a quiet joy deep inside.
Silence. A deep breath.
It was the first time he had been kissed by a cat. Warmth lingered on his chin as the little kitten brushed him lightly, like a dragonfly touching water, its dewy eyes cautiously observing his expression.
The man came back to his senses, his brows relaxing, the corners of his lips curving ever so slightly into a gentle smile. His fair fingertips touched the top of the kitten’s head, stroking it softly.
Ding—
[Intimacy level +50.]
Jian Xun: !!
I can kiss him!
The little white cat immediately acted out the phrase “flying over eaves and walls”—and if you exaggerated it a bit more, it would be “tearing off the roof!” The whole cat spun around in circles with joy.
Over the next few days, whenever there was a filming schedule, Jian Xun would be sent off to the set. Shen Huan eagerly volunteered to be the “cat escort,” taking him to the crew.
When there was no filming, Jian Xun would sprawl at home playing games.
If he went to the office with the boss, he would head to his newly discovered territory—the eSports floor—to watch professional players compete. One look, and the whole afternoon would slip by.
Shang Xuci waited for the cat to come home, but after a long time there was still no sign of him. He began searching, but after making a full round without finding even a whisker, he grew anxious.
Normally, when the cat went out to play, Sui Sui would always be back at the office before the end of the workday to urge him home. But now, with no cat in sight, Shang Xuci worried someone might have taken him.
The entire company joined the search. Finally, Shang Xuci checked the security footage and saw that the kitten had taken the elevator to the eSports floor.
When he found the cat, the kitten was clutching a dried fish snack, sitting on an eSports desk, mimicking the posture of the player beside him, eyes glued to the screen.
A successful kill in the game—man and cat high-fived.
“Meow!” That was amazing!
Crunch crunch crunch!
The kitten gnawed on the dried fish.
Shang Xuci’s fists tightened with a crack, and he silently walked up behind the cat.
“Sui Sui, have you played enough?”
The kitten’s body went stiff. Everyone else immediately stood up to greet the boss, while Jian Xun trembled for a long moment before slowly turning his head to look at him.
“Meow~”
A soft, timid mewl. Upon seeing the man’s dark and chilling expression, the kitten instinctively reached out and covered his own little head with his paws.
Fu Yi frowned slightly and reached out to pet the cat. “He’s just a kitten.”
Their teammate across the desk, who had rarely ever heard Fu Yi speak more than a few words, was stunned to see him actually stand up to the boss over a cat. Silently, he gave a thumbs-up.
Shang Xuci glanced at Fu Yi without saying a word, then took a long stride and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Jian Xun jumped up with a thump, meowed gratefully at Fu Yi for speaking up for him, then bolted off after Shang Xuci without a backward glance.
Is the boss angry?
He didn’t even hug him.
Inside the car.
Jian Xun sat in the back seat, not lying on the cushion. Just like the time they left the Huapai tree, he sat with his paws on the carpet, head lowered, staring at his feet in self-reflection.
He shouldn’t have run off today. He shouldn’t have been late coming back. He had wanted to tell the boss where he went to play, but he could only speak “cat,” and the boss couldn’t understand him.
Feeling dejected, Jian Xun began thinking about how to coax the boss into a good mood once they got home.
Through the rearview mirror, Shang Xuci caught sight of the drooping head and the faint air of gloom clinging to the kitten. He sighed helplessly.
Just because I made him walk a bit, he’s already sulking?
Well… maybe he had overestimated Sui Sui’s cleverness. He’d thought the kitten could sense time like a human, but now he realized he was wrong. A cat was still a cat—endlessly curious about the world. Once they became absorbed in something, they focused so completely they forgot all about the time.
When they arrived home, Shang Xuci took two wet wipes from the car, walked to the back door, opened it, bent down, and carefully wiped the kitten’s paws. The little white cat obediently cooperated—until the moment the man scooped him up by the hips. Then his fluffy tail gave a swish, and in an instant, he transformed into a clingy maniac, rubbing his head against the boss like crazy.
Not angry anymore~
…
Film Crew.
A young man with slightly long hair, dressed in a shirt and black trousers, walked into the room, complaining to his assistant, “I really don’t get it—why did Luna insist on meeting here instead of in a recording studio?”
The female assistant quickly reminded him, “Little ancestor, there are too many people around—watch what you say~”
“I know, I’m just saying.” Shang Yi frowned slightly. He truly didn’t understand Luna—she had invited him to compose for Director Kang Gai’s work. If she trusted him, why not have him do the theme song or the ending song? Why choose a minor insert song instead?
And his mother too—always pushing him to flatter foreigners, when clearly Hua music was the real top trend.
“Xiao Yi!”
“Sister Yuanqing!” The young man turned toward the voice. When he saw the woman, his eyes lit up and he quickly walked over.
“Are you filming right now?”
“Yes, just a small supporting role.” Jiang Yuanqing smiled, taking Shang Yi’s hand and leading him to her seat. “But our Xiao Yi is really doing well now—already a music producer!”
As she praised him, she took out some snacks to feed him. “Can you eat this flavor?”
“Yes.” Shang Yi’s pale cheeks turned slightly red. Modestly, he said, “It’s nothing really—just an insert song. And it’s not all my own work; the whole team contributed.”
Jiang Yuanqing smiled faintly. She began unboxing a new set of cosmetics she had just bought, tossing the packaging aside. When she saw the cleaning lady enter, she waved and called out, “Auntie, could you throw this away for me?”
The cleaning lady walked over slowly to take out the trash. She picked up the garbage bag, moving sluggishly, her gaze sneaking a cautious glance at Shang Yi from the corner of her eye.
Shang Yi didn’t notice at all and continued in a low voice, “It was Luna who asked me to come, said she wanted me to look for inspiration. Director Kang Gai also offered me a cameo—he said there’s a role for a qin player that would suit me. It’s not a big part, so I came to take a look.”
“That’s great. You’re welcome to come find me anytime.”
“Mm.”
The cleaning lady froze in place, her hands clutching the black plastic bag tightly, a flash of coldness passing through her eyes.
“Auntie, there’s nothing else to throw away,” Jiang Yuanqing said stiffly when she noticed the cleaning lady hadn’t moved.
The woman adjusted her mask and nodded, then quickly turned and left.
Autumn had already arrived some time ago, but the weather was still sweltering and stiflingly hot.
Jian Xun lay sprawled out on the floor, basking in the air conditioning. He had even called over Little Calico and Grandpa Calico. The two cats didn’t want to come inside, so Jian Xun left the door slightly ajar, letting the cool air pour out. Side by side, the big and small cats tucked their paws in and squinted their eyes in bliss, enjoying the breeze.
After lunch, Shen Huan came by to pick up the kitten. Today, Sui Sui had a scene to film—right during the most favored moment of the female lead’s cat—so the kitten would also get to enjoy a life of luxury.
Knowing Sui Sui would be wearing a gemstone necklace, Shang Xuci had a real one sent over. Inside it was a tracker, so there would be no fear of the kitten wandering off and getting lost while playing.
Jian Xun knew it was his gemstone necklace. He strutted with confidence, and whenever the gem disappeared into the thick fluff of his chest, he would adjust his posture and use his paw to pull it out into view, proudly showing off his treasure.
Today, however, he wasn’t in the mood for that. Upon arriving at the set, he lazily sprawled across Chen Chi’s lap.
These past few days, whenever he was on set, Chen Chi would feed him until his little belly was round and full. Back home, he would pass his untouched cat food directly to Little Calico and her grandpa.
Chen Chi was handsome, his voice pleasant, and his expression gentle whenever he stroked the cat’s fur. Whenever he had free time, he was either feeding the kitten or playing with a yarn ball or teaser wand. Photos of the two of them together had made the trending search list several times.
The top-tier celebrity’s team didn’t mind—hype with a cat was much easier to handle than hype with a person.
But Jian Xun wasn’t as lively and playful as before. He had even begun to feel a little anxious. The book hadn’t specified the exact time of the incident, but judging by the filming schedule, it should be around this period that Chen Chi would be harmed. He had to stay on high alert, paying close attention to every sound and movement around them. Only when he had already cleared an area of danger would he allow himself to relax like this.
He had memorized the scent of everyone on set. If a suspicious stranger appeared, the cat would immediately notice.
That day, after finishing his scene, Jian Xun was enjoying a massage from Shen Huan. Once Shen Huan’s attention was no longer fully on him, he slipped away to patrol and inspect the surroundings as usual.
He didn’t know the exact time the incident would happen, but any scene involving “water” made Jian Xun especially cautious.
The props department was a key area!
His pink nose sniffed at all the gourds, ladles, water jars, and kettles in the props room. Finding nothing unusual, he leapt to the floor and padded toward the restroom.
Suddenly, as the cleaning lady passed by, a strange scent hit his nose.
That smell!
Jian Xun took several deep sniffs of the air, but couldn’t catch the scent again. Still, seeing how hurriedly the cleaning lady was moving, he quietly followed her.
Sui Sui Detective No. 3—on the case!
The four soft pink paw pads landed silently on the floor as he crept after her, watching as she slipped into the props room and closed the door.
Two minutes later, she emerged, lowering her cap and mask, hunching her shoulders, and walking along the wall—seemingly avoiding the surveillance cameras on purpose.
The kitten paused at the doorway for two seconds, then stood up and opened the door. Click—easy entry. Guided by his sharp nose, he began sniffing row by row.
Just as he caught that unusual scent again, someone entered the room.
Jian Xun quickly hid.
The props department head, Sister Zhang, and Xiao Zhao walked in—a man and a woman, chatting as they entered.
“Didn’t expect the role of the musician to be played by Shang Yi. I remember he’s President Shang’s younger brother? He didn’t get in through connections, did he?”
“You’re overthinking it. Jiang Yuanqing is the boss’s fiancée, and you saw for yourself she had to go through an audition just to land a supporting role. How could she possibly open the back door for a younger brother she’s not even close to?” The two talked as they checked the props needed for the afternoon’s shoot.
After gossiping for a bit about the rumors between the two Shang brothers, they circled back to the main topic.
“True. I heard Shang Yi is the music producer for our drama. Why would someone like that bother taking on a tiny supporting role? It’s just a cameo.”
“Yeah, exactly. Not like the extras running around with everyone else,” Sister Zhang said. “Director Kang is very strict. For the scene this afternoon where someone gets splashed with dirty water, he specially had harmless but foul-smelling water prepared to make the reactions realistic. Do you think those young actors can endure that?”
Xiao Zhao, a tall, broad-shouldered man, paused his work and replied seriously, “If Director Kang picked them, they must be professionals with solid work ethics. Everyone values this opportunity.”
Jian Xun was standing on an unsteady cardboard box, eavesdropping. Maintaining such an awkward position wasn’t easy, and both cat and box wobbled precariously, creaking.
Xiao Zhao caught the faint sound, glanced toward the noise, but, uncertain, continued, “Besides, Chen Chi is in that scene. If a big star like him isn’t complaining, no one else will either. They’ll just hope the smell doesn’t linger too long.”
Hearing that key name, Jian Xun, crouched behind a pile of miscellaneous boxes, looked up. He saw a strong, muscular arm reaching for a bottle, and he hurriedly leapt out.
“Meow!” The lion cat planted himself in front of the bottle, eyes serious, letting out a low, warning growl.
You can’t take that suspicious bottle!
Xiao Zhao froze for a moment, then, recognizing the cat, snapped out of it and laughed. “Oh, it’s Sui Sui. What are you doing here, huh? Be good, listen to Uncle, and come down.”
Sister Zhang spotted the cat too—snow-white fur, beautiful eyes, and an expensive gemstone necklace hanging around his neck. Her heart skipped a beat.
So it was true—rich people’s cats were rich too!
“Sui Sui, come down from there, alright? What if you fall? Look, Auntie’s got a cat treat for you!” Sister Zhang, delighted that the treat she’d been carrying finally had a use, felt her heart itch at the sight of the boss’s adorable cat. She had long wanted to pet him for some good fortune.
Jian Xun kept meowing at them, but in the next moment, he was scooped up. A pleasant, intoxicating scent surrounded his nose. When the woman tore open the cat treat and held it to his mouth, he turned his head away in refusal.
And then—his soft pink tongue betrayed him and moved on its own!
Damn it.
After finishing the treat, Jian Xun meowed earnestly, scolding the woman and the cat treat for ruining his mission. The very next second, another cat treat appeared in front of him.
Pat-pat.
Slurp-slurp.
The kitten clutched the cat treat, licking it as if the world had faded away, utterly unwilling to part with it.
It smelled so good.