The little kitten lay on the ground, intently listening to the conversation between the two people. Its fluffy white front paws weren’t idle either—they nimbly reached through the crack under the door, pawing left and right.
Paw to the left, tap to the right.
Nothing there. Then, just one step further.
Its pink paw pads stretched slightly as Jian Xun lay sideways at the doorway, trying to extend his “cat arms” just a bit further.
Suddenly, he touched something. The kitten’s paw paused—interested now, it hooked onto the edge of a small rug and started dragging it toward himself. He was just about to successfully pull it over when—
Huh? Jian Xun’s expression turned puzzled. Why was this thing so slippery?
He reached up a little higher.
Smooth and bare.
Relying on his cat instincts, he patted left, then right. The urge to scratch hit him, and he gave a firm swipe—only to realize the door crack had widened. In a flash, he elongated into a “cat strip” and slipped through.
And got stuck.
As he tilted his head upward, he saw Shang Xuci’s puzzled expression. Looking down again at his paw… it was clutching the man’s slipper.
No wonder the texture felt different.
The little white cat froze.
Oops—sorry, didn’t mean to scratch you.
Jian Xun gently patted Shang Xuci’s slipper as a gesture of apology.
After the pat, he quickly retracted his paw, meowing loudly, tilting his head to try and play innocent. Shang Xuci opened the door and picked him up, placing him outside.
“What were you doing?”
“Meow meow meow.” You’re finally out!
Jian Xun purred and rubbed against Shang Xuci’s leg.
“You have a cat now?” Jiang Yuanqing had somehow walked up behind Shang Xuci and squatted down to pet the little white cat.
Jian Xun finally got a good look at Jiang Yuanqing’s face—his kitty eyes widened. So pretty!
No wonder she was the big boss’s fiancée.
Of course, Jian Xun knew this woman didn’t have the best character. After being petted twice, he snapped out of it, shook his head, and hurriedly backed away—so fast that he nearly tripped and fell.
Jiang Yuanqing laughed. “It’s even a lame little cat.”
After speaking, she gave Shang Xuci a meaningful glance. Is it true that the kind of person determines the kind of cat they raise?
The implication was obvious.
Jian Xun was both embarrassed and angry. He bared his teeth and let out a furious meow meow at her.
So rude!
And besides, the way she looked at the boss was always a bit off. That ever-present smile on her face looked totally fake.
“This has nothing to do with you,” Shang Xuci frowned in displeasure. “Miss Jiang, you’d best mind your own business.”
Her soft punches landing on cotton—Jiang Yuanqing felt stifled and forced out a stiff smile.
“I’ll just borrow the restroom.”
After coming out of the bathroom, Jiang Yuanqing smiled and said, “Well then, that’s all for today. I’ll head home first. I’ll visit again another time.”
“No need to see you out.”
Shang Xuci was filling the cat’s food bowl.
Turning back to the cat, the little white feline had its head buried, munching noisily as it devoured its meal.
Shang Xuci returned to his room to finish the remaining tasks. His company, founded with the startup capital from his grandfather, was now off the ground—there was a lot to do.
Also, this time, he didn’t plan to give up his studies. He would continue his academic pursuits.
In the study, Shang Xuci focused on his work.
In the living room, Jian Xun lay sprawled out, his belly round and stuffed.
He rolled on the floor in every direction for a bit, then stood up and continued his patrol of the territory.
Shang Xuci’s bedroom was off-limits, and the study was shut tight. That left him with the kitchen, bathroom, and balcony.
He had checked out the kitchen already, but the counters were too high—he couldn’t jump up. The balcony was large but empty—nothing fun there. The bathroom was the only place he hadn’t explored yet.
Speaking of which, his butt was starting to regain some feeling. Patting his belly, Jian Xun slowly made his way to the bathroom.
It was a dry-wet separated bathroom, stocked with everyday items in bottles and jars. There was still some water on the sink. Jian Xun climbed up and stepped on it, then used a piece of toilet paper to diligently wipe up the water on the counter.
His belly was getting tighter and more uncomfortable. He set his sights on the toilet. But whether it was his current size or the position he was in, it was impossible for him to lift the toilet lid.
He leaned over from the sink next to the toilet, stretching his paw to try and hook it—but it was just out of reach. And when he leaned too far—
He slipped and fell.
Meow!
Ow!
Two seconds later, the little white cat recovered and sat on the floor, staring at the toilet in deep thought. He then tried to stand up and scratch at the lid, but after several attempts, he still couldn’t lift it. Instead, he ended up slumped over the toilet, exhausted, his two front paws hugging the lid while one injured back leg dangled helplessly in the air.
The whole cat lay draped over the toilet like a fuzzy blanket.
Jian Xun’s feline eyes grew misty with frustration.
At first, he had only wanted to do number two, but now—he also had to pee.
And that couldn’t wait.
Jian Xun had no choice but to seek help from Shang Xuci.
The little white cat wobbled over to the study door and sat down. He raised a paw and gently tapped on it.
The sound was very faint, nearly inaudible.
“Meow~”
He waited two seconds, then lifted his paw again and knocked with slightly more force.
“Meeoow~”
This time, his voice was soft and sweet.
Still, no response from inside.
Jian Xun couldn’t hold it anymore. If he knocked one more time, he might just pee on the spot!
A raspy, hoarse duck-like screech tore from his throat—
“MEOOOW MEOOOW MEOOOW MEOOOW!!!!”
Jian Xun stared in shock. Even he was horrified by his own voice.
What an awful sound!!
Shang Xuci, hearing the strange yowling, got up and opened the door.
The little white cat stood there, tail clamped down, looking up at him pitifully.
“Meeow~”
His voice was now soft and syrupy.
He raised a paw, stood up, and mimicked a squatting position.
The meaning was clear: I need to use the bathroom.
Unfortunately, Shang Xuci didn’t understand what the cat’s posture meant. He only noticed the kitten’s legs trembling nonstop, its expression pained, and its front paws clutching its belly. Thinking the cat wasn’t feeling well, he crouched down and hesitantly patted its head, his voice gentle:
“Is your leg hurting?”
He reached out and began to lift the little white cat’s leg to check the wound.
Smack—
A cat paw slapped against him.
I’m about to explode.
Don’t touch me.
I… I… I really can’t hold it anymore—
Jian Xun was in an extremely sensitive state. Shang Xuci’s touch was pure torture—too much stimulation. And just like that—
An unprecedented rush of relief surged through him. A clear stream of “rainwater” poured from under his beautiful tailbone, splashing onto the floor. He collapsed onto the ground, covering his face with his paws in utter despair, and let out a choked sob.
“Meowwww—”
Shang Xuci felt a few drops of something hit his hand—damp. Then, seeing the puddle on the floor, his mind went completely blank, spinning with dizziness.
Taking a shaky breath on the verge of a breakdown, he bolted to the sink and scrubbed his hands furiously with soap—twice, front and back.
If it weren’t for the fact that the cat was still in the living room hallway, he might’ve rubbed his skin raw.
He grabbed a dry towel from the cabinet above the sink and quickly returned to the scene.
The cat hadn’t moved at all, still in the same position, eyes shut, whimpering in sorrow.
Shang Xuci sighed, picked him up with the towel, and set him on the floor nearby. Then, he grabbed a mop and cleaned up the wet floor.
Finally, with a cold expression, he carried the cat into the bathroom and washed and wiped its butt.
Jian Xun didn’t dare resist—not even twitch.
He had peed on the boss’s hand!
He was beyond embarrassed. His two front paws covered his face.
After being manhandled, Jian Xun didn’t forget that he still needed to poop—and he couldn’t hold that for much longer either. Since they were already in the bathroom, he took the chance to escape from Shang Xuci’s grasp, leaped onto the toilet, and sat squarely on the lid, gesturing meaningfully.
I want to poop!
The way the kitten positioned himself like a tiny human on the toilet stunned Shang Xuci. He instantly understood the cat’s intent, his temples throbbing. There was only one toilet in the apartment. He couldn’t possibly share it with a cat, could he?
Fortunately, the little white cat was only demonstrating—not actually doing it. He was trying to show Shang Xuci what he meant.
One minute later, man and cat stood in front of the litter box.
Shang Xuci had ordered one of the latest models on the market. Now that he understood the cat’s intention, he began reading the instruction manual.
Logically, the little white cat seemed smart—surely, he’d be able to use the litter box?
But… he wasn’t so sure.
Shang Xuci opened the litter box door and gave the dazed kitten’s butt a little push.
Jian Xun cautiously walked in on his three healthy, nimble cat legs, stepped to the edge, tapped the material inside, then sat at the entrance, observing the room inside that was several times larger than his own body. He sniffed the soft, sand-like substance under his feet. It didn’t smell edible. The soft, pink paw pads pressed down—it felt quite nice.
Once he was sure there was no danger, he completely forgot his physiological needs and began playing happily. He treated the box as a toy Shang Xuci had bought for him—hopping here, pouncing there, even flopping over and rolling around cutely in the sweet-smelling litter right in front of the boss.
Watching his behavior, Shang Xuci seriously doubted whether the kitten had any idea what this place was actually for. He picked up his phone and sent a message to his cousin, Shen Huan.
Shang Xuci: [When will you get here?]
Shen Huan (replying instantly): [Almost there.]
Shang Xuci briefly described the situation with the cat, and Shen Huan suggested he demonstrate to the kitten what the litter box was meant for.
So Shang Xuci held the cat in place, and within its line of sight, performed a very unprofessional pantomime—mimicking how to dig a hole and then cover it up.
Despite the lack of actual materials, the demonstration worked. Jian Xun immediately understood that this was where he was supposed to poop—not a place to play.
Well, you should’ve just said so!
He could understand human speech, after all. But this was his first time being a cat—how was he supposed to know what the thing was for?
Jian Xun picked a prime “feng shui” spot, and with a few dedicated scrapes of his front paws, dug a neat little pit. He meowed at Shang Xuci, asking him to look.
Well? Aren’t I amazing?
Seeing the kitten squatting in the little hole, Shang Xuci turned and walked away expressionless—he had no interest in watching a cat use the toilet.
After washing the cat’s butt and then handling the litter box, he now stood at the bathroom sink, scrubbing his hands for quite a while.
A few minutes later, he heard the sound of paws scratching—Jian Xun was diligently burying his business.
A certain indescribable scent lingered in the air.
Shang Xuci hadn’t expected the first crisis of his second life to be—not dealing with people—but scooping cat poop.
With his lips tightly pressed together, the man squatted by the litter box, holding a black garbage bag. The stench made his vision darken slightly, but he held his breath and, with a cold expression, finished the task.
Thinking about how this would have to be done every day if he kept the cat, he realized long-term, he just couldn’t deal with it. He really would have to give the cat away.
Jian Xun, completely oblivious to Shang Xuci’s expression, felt better than ever.
So relieving!
Jian Xun’s bloated belly finally felt much lighter. He gave his ears a shake, kept his hind legs still, stretched out his feline body, and extended his front paws in a long, slow cat-stretch. His soft pink paw pads spread wide—his paws looked just like freshly bloomed plum blossoms.
Letting out a yawn, he glanced at Shang Xuci’s figure rushing off to the bathroom after scooping poop. Then he curled back into the cardboard box, thinking to himself:Getting the boss to be a litter box cleaner? That’s a rare honor… too bad there’s no other cat to brag to.
Half an hour later, Shen Huan arrived.
“Cousin, congrats on being discharged early!” Shen Huan entered smoothly with a tea box in hand, clearly familiar with the place. She went straight to the cat’s little den, squatted down, and peeked inside.
“Wow, what a little lion cat!”
“Huh, is it injured?”
Noticing the bandage on the kitten’s hind leg, Shen Huan looked up at Shang Xuci.
He told her the entire story in detail—how he had found and taken in the cat.
As she listened, Shen Huan picked up the kitten and began stroking him with expert finesse. Her top-tier cat-petting skills sent waves of bliss through Jian Xun’s entire body, making him tremble with pleasure, as if he were born to be pampered like this.
S-So good…
His eyes narrowed in delight.
Jian Xun rolled over, exposing his soft, fluffy belly so the girl could pet him more easily.
By the time Shang Xuci finished his story, the kitten had shifted positions again—now lying on Shen Huan’s lap, softly purring as he drifted into a drowsy nap.
“Have you named him yet? What’s he called?” Shen Huan gently stroked the cat’s head, gliding her hand all the way down to his rear like she was grooming his fur.
“Not yet.” To Shang Xuci, giving a cat a name meant acceptance—a new beginning. It meant treating the cat like family and taking responsibility for it.
Naming it would mean forming an emotional bond.
But he hadn’t planned to keep the cat. That decision, including naming, should be left to its future owner.
Hearing that, Shen Huan nodded as she scratched the kitten’s chin. She understood. Ever since she was a child, she had never seen her cousin show affection toward any animal. Even when she had brought home an adorably high-ranking ragdoll cat and showed it to him, he had only glanced at it indifferently, utterly unmoved.
So when Shang Xuci messaged her about the cat this time, she had been stunned—and incredibly curious. She even cut her high school graduation trip short just to come see what was going on.
After all, bringing a cat home? That wasn’t something easy for him.
Jian Xun purred in delight under her touch, raising his neck, his breathing slowing, his face filled with contentment.
Until—
He heard the girl say, “Right, I remember—you don’t like raising cats.”
Jian Xun instantly sobered, ears perking up.
Then he heard Shang Xuci say, “That’s why I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in adopting him.”