There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Fang Xiuyuan finally murmured, “I understand.”
He clenched the can tightly in his hand, squeezing it until it was misshapen, and most of the carbonated drink fizzed out.
Leaning back in his chair, he opened a drawer and pulled out a medical record folder. Inside was a photo of Shang Xuci.
Shang Wei hadn’t been having a good time these past few days. The partners in the private room were all acquaintances—high-class people. They’d picked up some gossip from somewhere and were mocking him behind his back.
He’d never been particularly capable to begin with, and it was only thanks to his father-in-law’s loyal subordinates and talented people working at Shang’s that the family business remained stable.
Now that he’d lost face, frustration surged through him, and he wanted to vent. The best way to relax was to visit an entertainment venue.
A high-end club.
Shang Wei went out drinking with his buddies. As soon as he entered, a voluptuous woman approached and grabbed his hand. Her long hair brushed against his face. He touched his cheek, feeling a flicker of displeasure—but when he saw her beautiful face, his irritation instantly melted away.
“New here?” Shang Wei asked, stroking her smooth hand.
“Yes.”
“What’s your name?”
“Zhizhi. The ‘Zhi’ from Lingzhi.”
“First day on the job?”
“Yes.”
She had been bold and confident when she approached him earlier, but now her face flushed and her voice softened. She looked mature, yet carried a hint of youthful innocence. Shang Wei took a liking to her and asked a few more questions.
“Out of all the people just now, why did you choose me?”
“Because… because you look rich,” Zhizhi replied, blushing and stammering—clearly not used to lying.
Shang Wei immediately imagined that someone in her family must be sick and in desperate need of money, which was why she had come here. Her eyes were so pure, unlike those of the other women in the industry.
Accustomed to flattery, he found her honesty refreshing. That night, he ordered her exclusively and paid generously.
As they chatted, Zhizhi shyly buried her head in his arms, hiding the flicker of disgust in her eyes.
After he took her to a hotel room and promptly fell asleep like a dead pig, she reached for her phone to send a message.
Acting is so exhausting these days… but making money is even harder.
Turning off her phone, Zhizhi glanced at Shang Wei, rolled her eyes, got up naked, fetched her clothes, and went to shower.
As she moved, Shang Wei’s phone rang. He answered, spoke a few words, then hung up.
Zhizhi smiled again and asked if he wanted to shower. Shang Wei agreed.
The woman thoughtfully turned on the water for him.
Just a few minutes after Shang Wei entered the bathroom, his phone rang again. Zhizhi ignored it, playing with her own.
Ding—
The ringtone kept going, as if it wouldn’t stop unless someone picked up. Annoyed, she walked to the bathroom door, phone in hand.
“Brother Wei, your phone keeps ringing.”
Shang Wei turned down the water and said nonchalantly, “Please answer it for me.”
That guy—hadn’t he said he wouldn’t invest? And now he was calling nonstop. Shang Wei was already considering blocking him.
“Hello, Mr. Shang is in the shower and can’t answer right now. You can call him later,” Zhizhi said, not even bothering to ask the caller’s name before hanging up.
Before she could even set the phone down, the same number flashed on the screen again.
“Who are you? Why are you answering my father’s call?” a young man on the other end demanded, his tone sharp and venomous.
Zhizhi didn’t reply.
She simply listened as the young man continued to scold her.
When Shang Wei came out, she handed him the phone. “Someone claiming to be your son just called you.”
She then picked up her bag, maintaining a professional distance. After leaving a business card, she said, “Mr. Shang, I’ll be leaving now.”
Shang Wei nodded and immediately called Shang Yi.
The moment Shang Yi answered, he launched into a barrage of accusations—demanding to know why Shang Wei had treated his mother that way and how his brother was now gone.
Shang Wei coaxed him a few times, not bothering to explain.
Shang Yi hung up and turned to his mother, anger in his voice. “How could he do this to you?”
The whole family had kept the truth from him. Shang Yi only learned of his mother’s accident after finishing filming his guest role.
He rushed over, but Xu Rong was evasive and her father remained indifferent. The young master was furious.
Xu Rong was still recovering in the hospital. Seeing Shang Yi’s concern warmed her heart, and she didn’t want to bring up the miscarriage again.
That night, someone else returned home.
She knew Shang Xuci had done it on purpose—deliberately letting Shang Wei catch him cheating… Xu Rong closed her eyes.
If she had known, she never should have let Shang Xuci go.
A glint of malice flashed in her eyes. She blamed Shang Xuci for her miscarriage and only told Fang Xiuyuan about it.
Shang Yi was still too young, and she didn’t want to drag her son into this—he couldn’t stand up to Shang Xuci.
Xu Rong deliberately changed the subject. “Do you have any plans after filming?”
“Yes!” Shang Yi, sitting beside her, pulled out his phone and showed her some photos. “Look—the organizers of this sea concert have invited me.”
The sea concert was a charity fundraiser jointly organized by renowned music associations from home and abroad. It invited celebrities and acclaimed musicians from all walks of life who loved music to gather on a luxury cruise ship for a musical “exhibition.”
Performing at such an event would showcase Shang Yi’s talent, and Xu Rong was genuinely happy for him.
What she couldn’t figure out was whether Shen Feng would actually allow her son to participate.
Yinfeng Entertainment.
Shen Huan took the elevator, carrying two bags filled with cat treats and toys. When she entered, she saw the elite-looking man, Fu Qian, and greeted him with a smile.
Fu Qian glanced at the items in her hands and paused. “The boss has been helping Sui Sui lose weight lately.”
After a month on set, all the gym visits had gone to waste—Shen Huan had put on weight in all the wrong places, and the kitten had grown into a plump-faced cat.
As the boss’s assistant, Fu Qian had personally bought cat supplies and kept them in the office. Freeze-dried cookies and dried fish—known as the “three dry things”—were lined up on his desk. They had successfully helped him bridge the gap with Sui Sui. Now, the cat was always at the boss’s beck and call, and Fu Qian often accompanied him on visits to the esports floor.
“Huh? Is my cousin really that strict with Sui Sui?” Shen Huan asked. Last time, she hadn’t supervised the cat well enough, which led to Sui Sui getting hurt. Shang Xuci hadn’t blamed her, but she still felt guilty. Buying food and toys for the cat was the only way she could think to make it up to him.
Even after stocking up, Shen Huan didn’t give up. When she entered the CEO’s office and didn’t see her cousin, Sui Sui came running over, drawn by the scent, and pawed at the plastic bag.
When Shen Huan saw the cat in its little skirt, his gaze shifted to its backside, and his nose prickled with emotion. He didn’t dare touch the cat, so instead, he opened the bag and said, “Take a look—see what you want, and I’ll open it for you.”
Jian Xun inspected the snacks, sniffing here and there, pushing most aside until he finally placed a paw on a bag of dried fish.
“Meow.”
I want this.
Shen Huan immediately took out a cat-shaped plastic plate, tore open the bag, and placed the dried fish on it.
Jian Xun inhaled deeply, began chewing with enthusiasm, and glanced toward the door.
Lately, his stash of dried fish at home had been running low. Little Sanhua and Sanhua’s grandfather also loved them. As a cat who respected the elderly, loved the young, and enjoyed sharing, Sui Sui had quickly emptied his stockpile of snacks.
Shang Xuci knew cat treats were hard to hide. Since Sui Sui ate too much every day, he stopped buying dried fish altogether. Now, the cat could only rely on people on set or at the company to feed him.
But enjoying being fed came at a price—being petted, being cuddled. Even Fu Qian, a cold-faced, intimidating man, would secretly rub him a few times. Clearly, no dried fish came for free.
He could tolerate all of this.
Even kisses—though those, he only wanted from the boss.
This was a cat virtue Jian Xun had memorized.
“Wawawa~”
The white cat sighed contentedly as he ate.
Recently, Shang Xuci had announced at the company that no one was allowed to feed Sui Sui at will. Jian Xun hadn’t eaten this heartily in a long time. He transformed into a digging machine, gobbling down everything, and by the time the boss returned, there would be nothing left.
If Shen Huan hadn’t seen the auto-feeder upon entering, he would have thought Sui Sui had been starving for days. Watching the cat absorbed in its snacks, he couldn’t help but say, “Take your time—these are all yours.”
Hearing this, Jian Xun ate even faster, scooping up the remaining treats and hiding them in various corners. Then he drank some water, licked his mouth, and began grooming his fur.
By the time Shang Xuci returned, the cat had returned to its pristine state and was curled up in Shen Huan’s arms, asleep.
Shen Huan was deeply moved by Sui Sui’s adorableness. Holding the cat, he took out an invitation.
“My dad is having a concert in Shanghai, and he’d like to invite you to join him.”
“He’s back home? I thought he was staying with Auntie?”
“My mom is planning to return to China soon. She supports my dad in this endeavor,” Shen Huan said. “I never imagined he’d come back with a concert—or a luxury cruise. Cousin, why don’t you come with me and see it?”
“Really? Working every day is exhausting—both mentally and physically. And you have a cat. You should relax and take care of yourself.” Shen Huan rubbed the cat’s paws until they spread like little blossoms, then lowered his head and said to Jian Xun, “Isn’t that right, Sui Sui?”
Jian Xun complied.
He had to juggle work and school, and then still play with his cat when he got home. Wasn’t that right?
Shang Xuci looked at the cat with a gentle gaze, twirling the pen in his hand before shifting his eyes to Shen Huan. “Is my uncle’s birthday coming up soon?”
Shen Huan smiled. “Yes, it’s a concert at sea.”
“Okay, I’ll go.”
Although he wasn’t interested in music, his uncle Shen Xiu and his family—who had emigrated abroad—had always been very kind to him. He hadn’t seen them in a long time.
“Great.” Shen Huan waved the cat’s arm and asked eagerly, “Will you bring Sui Sui?”
Jian Xun suddenly looked up at Shang Xuci with bright, expectant eyes.
“Mia mia mia!”
He blinked his big, watery eyes, his voice sweet and pleading, staring at him intently—as if he’d burst into tears if he said no.
Shang Xuci tapped the table lightly, and Jian Xun turned into a flash of white lightning, springing to his feet.
He stretched out his claws, hooking them into Shang Xuci’s expensive suit pants.
Rubbing against his leg. Clinging.
“Stop it.” The man pinched the cat’s pink paw pads.
Knock knock—
“Come in.”
Fu Qian walked in carrying coffee and milk tea. He placed one cup on the boss’s desk and handed the milk tea to Shen Huan. Then he turned around and, out of Shang Xuci’s line of sight, gestured to the cat.
Jian Xun, already enjoying Fu Qian’s company, understood immediately. He stopped clinging and casually followed Fu Qian out.
“Wait here.”
Fu Qian walked out into the office area. Employees who had been gathered in groups, chatting and slacking off, immediately turned back to their workstations, typing so fast their keyboards were practically on fire.
The administrative office instantly fell silent.
Everyone exhaled in relief once he passed.
Secretary Fu was ice-cold. No one had ever seen him smile, and no one had ever seen him take a lunch break. Rumor had it that he boxed in the company gym. Beneath his tailored, elite attire was a muscular build. Combined with his perpetually expressionless face, his “badass” aura was only amplified, making him look even more intimidating.
A loner who only talked about work, Yinfeng Entertainment employees had only two impressions of him: “Not easy to mess with” and “The boss’s man.”
Fu Qian didn’t care what others thought. He grabbed two cat plates from his workstation and headed to the CEO’s office lounge.
He squatted down and poured some milk and cat biscuits.
“Eat.” Fu Qian nudged the plates toward the cats. “Good boy, good boy.”
Jian Xun had just finished the dried fish Shen Huan had given him, and now he began to chew his food slowly, licking his chest afterward.
Then he stood up and patted Fu Qian’s hand. Without hesitation, Fu Qian took out a comb and began grooming the cat’s fur.
Was this… the legendary “cold-faced male mother”?
Jian Xun closed his eyes in bliss.
Mmm… I’ll have to get the boss to give Secretary Fu a raise!!
The cat under his hands purred with pleasure. If an employee had walked in with documents at that moment and seen Fu Qian’s sinister smile, they would have screamed.
Meanwhile, Shen Huan was still describing the sea concert her father had organized, mumbling, “I don’t understand why he sent an invitation to Shang Yi. Didn’t he know…”
Shang Xuci interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “Was Shang Yi invited by your father too?”
“Yes,” Shen Huan replied helplessly, spreading her hands. She had also learned an instrument. When she was younger, she and Shang Yi had taken exams together, and both had been described as “mediocre”—technically competent but with no emotional connection.
Her father was very strict when it came to his profession. To impress him meant someone was truly skilled. Was Shang Yi really that impressive now?
Shen Huan was still lost in thought when Shang Xuci pulled out his phone and sent a message to Tang Manwen. A moment later, a reply came.
Shang Xuci’s lips curled faintly. This would make the concert much less boring.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a cat slipping in through a crack in the door. It expertly hooked its hind legs to close the door and strutted toward him, tail raised high like an antenna.
“Is Sui Sui’s filming almost finished?”
Shen Huan nodded. “Yes, in the next two days.”
“Very good.” Shang Xuci’s gaze stayed locked on the white cat.
He spotted milk foam on the cat’s mouth and a suspicious speck of biscuit crumb. His narrow eyes narrowed even further.
Fu Qian, who had just finished washing the cat’s handkerchief, noticed his boss’s gaze and immediately spotted the “evidence” on the cat’s mouth. He strode over quickly and wiped the milk foam away with the handkerchief.
“Mee~”
The lion cat blinked its large, innocent eyes. Once Fu Qian withdrew his hand, it turned its back to Shang Xuci and licked its lips, then its paws.
What a close call! I was almost caught.
Secretary Fu, why didn’t you wipe Mie’s mouth before Mie came in?
The cat meowed at Fu Qian.
Fu Qian folded the handkerchief and tucked it into his pocket. Looking down at the cat, he said sternly, “You’re welcome.”
Jian Xun: “…”
That afternoon, Shen Huan took Jian Xun to a performance.
Today’s scene took place in the fields. The protagonist’s family faced their first rebellion. The wife fled with the cat, stumbling into the fields. The cat bravely defended its master, taking an arrow to the leg, but the protagonist arrived just in time.
This was the cat’s most action-packed scene yet, making it quite challenging. Fortunately, Jian Xun was an exceptionally intelligent and clever cat. Under the guidance of his martial arts coach, he executed each move in the script with precision.
The fake fall, however, had to be repeated several times. His snow-white fur became caked with mud, turning the white lion cat into a mud cat.
Shaking off dirt and gravel, and despite wearing a skirt, he fixed the masked men with a majestic glare—body low, fur bristling, and a low, warning growl rumbling in his throat.
The warning didn’t work. The cat charged forward, launching himself at the villains, slashing with sharp claws and darting around with agility.
An arrow whistled through the air, aimed at the wife, who was sitting on the ground with a sprained ankle. The cat leapt to block it.
The arrow pierced his right leg. He let out a cry of pain and collapsed, fainting from the injury. Horrified, the lady scrambled over and gathered him into her arms.
The sound of horse hooves thundered behind them as the hero appeared—silver spear in hand—rushing to their aid…
Crack!
The “injured” cat instantly sprang back to life, leaping from the lady’s arms and bounding straight to Shen Huan to eat some freeze-dried treats.
Kang Gai gave him a thumbs-up.
“Sui Sui is amazing!” Shen Huan praised.
If only her kitten could act in a real movie—her mother would be overjoyed!
The shoot wrapped at four in the afternoon. Shen Huan took the cat home, promising to bring plenty of dried fish next time she visited.
Jian Xun, touched by her thoughtfulness, clung to her for a long time before seeing her out.
After sending Shen Huan off, he ran to the courtyard to play with his pet, then returned just in time to wait outside for Shang Xuci to come home.
He glanced down at his feet—they were caked in mud.
Jian Xun couldn’t bring himself to lick them. He decided he’d wipe them with a wet tissue first, then give them a proper cleaning at home.
Five-thirty.
Shang Xuci arrived.
As he pushed open the courtyard door, a cat’s meow greeted him.
“Meow~”
Shang Xuci looked up. The white cat with a small, variegated face met his gaze. Its expression was blank, hind legs spread wide but tucked discreetly behind its gray front paws.
“Mia~”
You’re back!
The lion cat knew he was filthy, so for once he refrained from rushing over to rub against Shang Xuci’s legs. Under the boss’s gaze, he looked embarrassed and gave a quiet shiver.
“How did you get so dirty?” Shang Xuci asked as he took out his key and unlocked the door.
Jian Xun followed him inside and squatted obediently by the entrance, waiting for the man to wipe his feet.
After about two minutes, Shang Xuci returned, now in light home clothes. He wore a black apron and carried a small stool in one hand. Setting the stool down by the door, he picked up the cat and held him in his arms. He began wiping his paws with a pink handkerchief, checking the rest of his body as he went.
Jian Xun tilted his head toward Shang Xuci’s stomach, staring curiously at the black apron with a cat pattern. He stretched out a paw and pressed down on it.
What’s this?
What a huge bump.
Does the boss have a little belly too?
With mischievous intent, he pressed harder and stomped down.
The man hissed in pain and groaned, “Don’t move.”
Shang Xuci quickly pinched the cat’s paw.
Jian Xun: Meow?
He glanced carefully at where he had stepped.
It seemed to be… his crotch. !!!
Realizing what he’d done, the cat bolted, darting into the cardboard box…
Human human human human human human human human human human 🫨