Shang Xuci filled the bathtub with water, adjusted the temperature, and checked the items he would need. Then he walked out of the bedroom and called out to Sui Sui.
Jian Xun, exhausted from a day of filming, was slumped over a cardboard box, sound asleep. Listening closely, Shang Xuci could even hear faint snores.
He knocked on the box, but there was no response, so he reached out to pick up the cat.
If he didn’t wash him now, Jian Xun would probably wake up in the middle of the night, sneak out, and crawl onto the bed in a dusty mess. Shang Xuci couldn’t stand that.
The cat in his arms felt the “earthquake” and the water droplets hitting him, trembling as he opened his eyes.
A strange ceiling… a familiar figure. Jian Xun found himself in Shang Xuci’s arms, meowing softly and acting affectionate. No matter how he looked at it, it was a heartwarming scene.
But then he turned his head and realized—he was in the bathroom!
And right in front of him was the bathtub, the one he’d only used once.
It was filled to the brim, faint mist curling upward.
Jian Xun shuddered in fear.
He wasn’t afraid of injections or of having his fur trimmed, but he was truly terrified of water!
He was a landlubber through and through—having drowned before, water was something both humans and cats instinctively feared.
His small, fragile body made the basin of water seem even more menacing.
Shang Xuci set him down on the floor, and Jian Xun immediately clung to his clothes. The harmonious scene ended the moment Shang Xuci reached out to remove his little skirt.
Tonic! Tonic!!
The lion cat tilted his head back and let out a sharp cry, claws flailing in protest.
But Shang Xuci was faster—he held the cat by the scruff of the neck and poured a wet towel over his fluffy back.
Another explosive, high-pitched yowl followed.
By now, even Shang Xuci’s head was wet.
Neck, back, belly, butt, tail— Water dripped down Jian Xun’s body, soaking his legs before flowing into the bath mat…
Every inch of him was drenched.
Apply body wash, rub, rinse.
The cat didn’t give up, letting out intermittent, low, unhappy whimpers—wailing in agony…
No, please, please!
He tried to stop Shang Xuci by rubbing his hands, whimpering, and begging for mercy, but the man remained unmoved.
He thought sadly, Is this retribution for stepping on the big boss?!
The book didn’t even mention it.
I didn’t mean it.
“Meow, meow, meow.”
I’m sorry— isn’t my apology enough?
No matter how much he meowed, Shang Xuci didn’t stop.
The cat’s body went stiff, his limbs feeling like they weren’t his own. If the man hadn’t been holding him with one hand, he might have collapsed to the ground.
When the shower was finally over and Shang Xuci let go, his first instinct was to run.
But the man caught him again and carried him straight to the dryer.
…
Half an hour later
Jian Xun squatted in front of the mirror, gazing at himself. He couldn’t help but lick the fur on his chest.
A fluffy, white, soft, smooth, and fragrant cat had been born!
He shook his fur instinctively, feeling his body become lighter. When Shang Xuci called him, he didn’t get upset—instead, he scurried over and leapt into the man’s lap.
The pink pads of his front paws pressed against Shang Xuci, and he meowed in grievance, rubbing his soft head against him.
“Meow.”
Just now, Shang Xuci had gone too far—he didn’t care about the cat’s life or death!
The cat gave an accusing look. Shang Xuci stroked his nose and pulled out a can of fragrant canned food to comfort him. Immediately, the cat’s expression brightened, and his meows turned into a cheesy, squeaky tone.
While combing the cat’s fur, Shang Xuci realized Sui Sui was growing incredibly fast.
From a palm-sized kitten to a full-grown lion cat, his frame had filled out, his mane had thickened and fluffed, making him look majestic and beautiful.
Jian Xun cherished this transformation as a sign of his growth. Whether crunching on cat food or licking canned food, he no longer needed to hold little dried fish in his paws. Instead, he leaned over carefully to eat, afraid even the tiniest crumb would stick to him and ruin his beauty.
The first thing he did every morning when he woke up was run to the mirror.
However, beauty always came with its own problems, and Jian Xun had another worry. His fluffy body was like a newly opened white dandelion—one flick of the hand sent white hairs floating into the air, drifting to every corner with the slightest breeze.
The shedding was so severe that Shang Xuci’s housekeeping efforts were practically useless, and even a robot vacuum couldn’t reach every corner of the house.
Shang Xuci gradually began combing the cat’s fur more often, and his rules about the cat entering the bedroom became increasingly strict.
Fearing he wouldn’t be allowed to sleep with him, Jian Xun would carefully groom himself before bed. In the mornings, he would take the initiative to change the sheets and put them in the washing machine. At night, he would pull out fresh sheets and skillfully spread them over the bed, smoothing them until they were neat and spotless.
After such diligent effort, he could confidently curl up and sleep with his arms around Shang Xuci’s neck.
The weather in early September was still scorching hot, and it wasn’t until the week before the Mid-Autumn Festival that the temperature finally began to cool.
Jian Xun was taken to filming by Shen Huan every day, finally finishing all his scenes the day before the festival.
…
Mid-Autumn Festival.
Shang Xuci didn’t return to the Shang family estate, instead sending Old Master Shang a box of mooncakes and some fine tea.
He stayed home—reading, watching movies, watering flowers, and playing with the cat…
To Jian Xun, it felt like Shang Xuci was living like a retiree, enjoying a quiet early retirement.
But the cat didn’t mind. The more time Big Brother spent at home with him, the happier he felt.
The night before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jian Xun was playing on his tablet when he came across pictures of mooncakes. Remembering that he hadn’t cooked for Big Brother in ages, he immediately ordered ingredients online, planning to cook the next day.
No—mooncakes!
Both sweet-filled and meat-filled.
Jian Xun decided on his homemade dried fish filling.
That day, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
Upstairs, Shang Xuci was reading. Downstairs, Sui Sui was kneading dough for mooncakes.
Hearing clanging sounds from the kitchen, Shang Xuci came downstairs with a teacup in hand.
Jian Xun was working diligently on a bench, completely oblivious to the curious gazes from outside.
One plate, one pancake.
He had just finished a plate when he turned and saw Shang Xuci, his plate nearly slipping from the meat cushion he was holding.
“Meow?”
Why did you come down?
Jian Xun had no idea how ridiculous he looked—his snowy white figure was draped in a pink apron, and since he had no chef’s hat, he wore the lace headscarf Shen Huan had given him, pinned back over his cat ears. A jeweled necklace hung around his neck, and his large, watery eyes were clear yet tinged with a hint of silliness…
Shang Xuci stared silently at the cat’s ears, his palms itching.
“You don’t have to make too much.” He took the plate from Jian Xun and patted his head. “I’ll just eat this.”
A flicker of confusion crossed Jian Xun’s face. What does he mean? Is my cooking bad? He hasn’t even tasted it yet!
He quickly tried a piece himself. The crust was crisp, and the fish filling inside was fragrant. He wanted more! Boss, don’t you like it?
Dislike the pancakes made by a cat?
Jian Xun looked at his paw. A dusting of flour still clung to his pink pads. He wiped them on his apron.
He had washed them.
Shang Xuci had no idea that his casual words had just shattered a cat’s dream.
The cat followed him closely, determined to watch him eat. He was sure that one bite would make the man take back what he’d said.
The cat stared at him intently. The pancake in Shang Xuci’s hand seemed to grow hotter under the scrutiny. He took a bite—then paused.
Turning away, Shang Xuci pulled out a tissue and spat it out.
He frowned. What kind of filling is this?
Looking back, he met the cat’s eyes.
Tears welled up in Jian Xun’s eyes, brimming with grievance.
He had just seen the boss spit it out!
The cat tore off his apron and scrambled into the cardboard box.
Shang Xuci immediately crouched down and knocked on the box, coaxing softly. “Sui Sui, do you have any other fillings? Take them out and let me try them, hmm?”
“Meow meow meow!” Jian Xun’s large body nearly filled the whole box, his butt facing the entrance, tail hanging out as he angrily spoke in cat language.
I just saw you spit it out!!!
The cat was angry, and Shang Xuci couldn’t do anything about it. He sat on the sofa outside with a book.
He cast an occasional glance at the cardboard box and sighed. “I’ll just have to order takeout myself.”
What takeout? That stuff isn’t clean!!!
The cardboard box shook a few times, and Jian Xun tugged at his ears with his paws, trying not to listen to what the man was saying.
The room was completely silent.
Jian Xun opened his cat pupils and twitched his ears, but there was no movement. Unable to hold back, he shifted his position and changed direction.
He nudged the box door open just enough to peek out, leaving only his big eyes visible.
Big Boss’s shoes, Big Boss’s legs, Big Boss’s belly, Big Boss’s…
He saw Shang Xuci looking right at him with a smile.
Snap.
The box door closed.
Ten seconds later, Jian Xun stepped out.
The cat simply didn’t have that much patience.
A phone lit up on the table. The lion cat walked over, pretending to glance at it casually, and let out a sigh of relief when he saw no order had been placed.
Okay, everyone has different tastes. Maybe the boss just doesn’t like fish?!
He remembered that whenever he cooked for Shang Xuci, the dish the man touched the least was fish.
Hmm! It must not be the cat’s fault!
In less than a minute, Jian Xun had convinced himself. With his paws in his pockets, he slowly inched closer to Shang Xuci.
Then he felt a hand resting on his back.
Jian Xun immediately rubbed against it.
…
Noon.
Jian Xun delivered his carefully crafted fish mooncakes to Xiao Sanhua, Grandpa Hua, and the kitten. They all gave unanimous praise. Puffing out his chest, he proudly lifted his little cat face.
See? My cooking skills are just fine!
The cat, his confidence fully restored, strutted back with a proud and majestic air.
Back to accompany Shang Xuci for a nap.
Oh no—no lazy afternoons! I have to work hard and get our intimacy level up to 80!
Eyes shining with determination, the cat busily began mopping the floor and picking up loose fur.
Shen Huan came to visit. When she saw Sui Sui mopping the floor with a towel, her mouth dropped open in shock, and the mooncake box in her hand slipped to the floor.
“Oh my god! Sui Sui, you can actually do chores!!” Shen Huan exclaimed. She set the cat snacks on the counter, quickly pulled out her phone, and began taking pictures.
Click—click—
Not content with just photos, Shen Huan also recorded a few videos.
As she filmed, she felt an odd urge to cry. How could one cat be so different from another? She was just thankful her rebellious son didn’t even mess up the sheets—let alone do housework.
Shen Huan took a deep breath. This… this, isn’t it enviable?!
“You can’t possibly cook too, right? Woohoo…”
After the cat finished mopping the last patch of floor, he put the towel back in its place, folded it neatly, and reached out a paw toward her—as if asking her to take a photo.
Shen Huan sat on the living room sofa, biting her handkerchief fiercely.
Shang Xuci came downstairs and found her glaring at him resentfully.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Cousin, is this really your first time getting a cat?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you teach him? I just saw Sui Sui mopping the floor.”
Shang Xuci took a sip from his coffee, his tone faintly amused.
“The kitten learned on its own.” He paused, glanced toward the kitchen where the cat’s shadow moved, and added, “It has many skills.”
Just then, Jian Xun came over with a bag of mooncakes in his mouth. He set it in front of Shen Huan, filled the water dispenser with warm water, and called out to her.
Shen Huan froze, emotions churning.
Damn, now I want to steal the cat even more.
Flattered, she took the cup, curiously opened the bag, and took a sip—under Shang Xuci’s half-smile.
…The taste was indescribable.
With both menacingly expectant eyes fixed on her, Shen Huan swallowed it with gritted teeth.
She didn’t take a second sip.
“What’s this stuffed with?”
“Fish.”
“!!!”
Shang Xuci hadn’t told her it was made by a cat.
“What a weird cake. I don’t like it,” Shen Huan said, shaking her head.
But then she unintentionally met the cat’s gaze—his expression dimming as he stared at her—and quickly raised her voice. “This is delicious! There’s even a mooncake just for cats!”
Shen Huan opened one for him, but Jian Xun simply turned his face away.
Jian Xun scratched at the blanket, ignoring her. Another tasteless person!
He picked up the fish mooncake she had tossed aside and ate it right in front of her.
Shen Huan stared and said blankly, “It really is a cat.”