It was worth it.
Jian Xun thought to himself: the boss would injure his arm over a cat—proof that he truly had a heart.
He didn’t want to become the boss’s weak spot. This was good. No one could threaten Shang Xuci…
Ah, but Grandpa’s mission still hadn’t been completed.
Meng Jingxue had already appeared, and Shang Xuci seemed stronger than the character in the book. He hadn’t joined the Shang Group right after graduation like in his previous life, so he shouldn’t end up as miserable as in the book.
What about him, though?
After drowning, would his soul wander around again like before?
Would it be in human form—or cat form?
Gurgle.
In a daze, he heard a thud as a dark figure sank to the bottom of the sea.
Jian Xun took a closer look, his heart pounding in panic.
It was Shang Xuci!
Idiot—doesn’t he have a fear of the deep sea? Didn’t he know he couldn’t make it to shore even if he jumped? Why did he jump?!
If he was trying to save him, then he was an idiot!
Idiot, idiot, idiot!!!
Stupid human!
Jian Xun, who had nearly given up, took a deep breath, kicked his legs hard, and swam toward the man, his front paws twisting in a spiral.
Oh, right—the system.
He still had another panel. Jian Xun quickly tried to exchange points for a small lifeboat to rescue Shang Xuci.
The man was exactly as Jian Xun had imagined: a poor swimmer, and with his fear of the deep sea, he was already overwhelmed by suffocation.
Seeing the cat swimming toward him, Shang Xuci took a deep breath and swam over, hugging his cat as they floated toward the surface.
Unfortunately, the huge waves of the deep sea kept draining Shang Xuci’s strength. There were no ships nearby. The sky was dark, the sea darker still. The cruise ship far behind them hadn’t noticed their absence. Shang Xuci held the cat tightly…
A flash of dizziness washed over Shang Xuci, and he could no longer hold on—he fainted.
Jian Xun panicked, using all his points to redeem anything that might save Shang Xuci.
A small island.
“Meow!” The lion cat nudged Shang Xuci’s head, but his eyes remained tightly closed.
He leaped onto the man’s chest, jumping and pressing down, trying to force the water from his stomach.
The cat endured the pain, leaping and pressing hard, but the man still didn’t respond.
The cat whimpered weakly, refusing to give up. From time to time, it tilted its head, occasionally pressing its nose close to sniff, checking for breath and confirming he was still alive.
The moonlight was bright, the stars twinkled, the waves roared in the distance, and the small pond before them shimmered.
Three cats suddenly appeared in the moonlight. The lead cat was perched on the reef, looking down at Jian Xun from above.
“Shang Sui Sui, do you want to save him?” the tortoiseshell cat asked in human language.
Jian Xun stared at the cat in the moonlight, bewildered—then his eyes widened in realization.
“You’re Xiao Sanhua Grandpa!”
“I am.” The tortoiseshell cat hopped off the rocks and walked over to him. “Thank you for taking care of my granddaughter, Xiaohua. I can help you save this human.”
Jian Xun didn’t know why Grandpa Sanhua had suddenly appeared on this island, but it seemed he had come especially for him. And why was he speaking human language?
Not bothering to question it, Jian Xun squatted beside Shang Xuci and said hastily, “Save him.”
“Okay,” Grandpa Sanhua said, “but you have to come with us.”
“Why?”
“It’s the custom of the cat tribe,” Grandpa Sanhua said with a smile. He turned aside, and in his place stood an old man with a white beard.
After observing him for a while, the old cat was very satisfied with Jian Xun. As long as he showed up, the day Xiao Sanhua had been longing for would finally come true.
“I promise.” Jian Xun was surprised to see him transform into a human. He sniffed, eyes determined. “But not now. I can’t leave him here—he’ll die.”
“Okay.” Grandpa Sanhua patted Jian Xun’s shoulder with his paw, and Jian Xun suddenly felt much lighter.
“This is a promise token. No matter where you are, we will find you until you fulfill your promise.”
Jian Xun said seriously, “I keep my word.”
“Good.” Grandpa Sanhua squatted in front of Shang Xuci and fed him a pill. “Don’t worry, he’ll wake up soon.”
Before leaving, he dried Jian Xun’s wet fur.
On the roiling island, only Jian Xun, the cat, and Shang Xuci remained.
Tension kept Jian Xun’s focus on Shang Xuci.
He shuffled his feet, afraid to lie directly on Shang Xuci’s chest for fear of crushing him. Circling once, he crouched beside the man’s neck, pressing his soft head against Shang Xuci’s, his fluffy tail draped across the man’s neck in an effort to keep him warm.
Time passed. The sun rose, seabirds chirped softly, and a slightly damp sea breeze—carrying a salty, wet scent—blew gently. The white lion cat curled up with his head in his paws.
Shang Xuci’s fingertips twitched, brushing against the soft fur on his neck. He opened his eyes, only to find darkness.
Was it still night?
He reached out and touched the fur, confirming it was Sui Sui. Warm. Breathing.
The touch made the alert cat open his eyes instantly.
“Meow?”
Jian Xun was overjoyed to find him awake. Wrapping his paws around Shang Xuci’s neck, he meowed nonstop, rubbing his head against him with all his might.
Shang Xuci didn’t push the cat away. Instead, he held him close, his voice hoarse. “Sui Sui, I’m sorry.”
Jian Xun tilted his head.
Meow?
What’s wrong?
Shang Xuci took a deep breath. His whole body ached. His head throbbed as if struck by a rock, pain tearing and churning inside.
Fang Xiuyuan’s words echoed in his mind:
“Shen Yanran always knew I poisoned you.”
“She knew your father was cheating on her, knew Shang Ye’s identity, and that Xu Rong was pregnant.”
“…She knew everything, yet she chose to stand by and watch.”
“Do you know why?”
“Because she didn’t love Shang Wei at all. In fact, deep down, she hated you.”
…
“Likewise, you can’t keep this cat.”
Fang Xiuyuan’s revelation about Shen Yanran’s past surprised him. His mother had known everything. If it had been the old Shang Xuci, he might have been heartbroken. But having already died once, he felt little. At least Shen Yanran’s outward show of love had been enough.
It turned out that no one in this world truly loved him.
The moment the white long-haired cat fell into the sea, Shang Xuci’s heart nearly stopped. Without hesitation, he jumped in after it.
Fang Xiuyuan was stunned.
For the first time, Shang Xuci felt the panic of losing something precious.
Now, Sui Sui was beside him, keeping him company, even meowing with worry.
The cat was still alive—and with him.
Shang Xuci, having found him again, hugged the cat tightly, buried his face in its soft chest, and murmured, “I lied when I said you weren’t important back on deck. You are important.”
He held the cat close, carefully and tenderly, and said earnestly, “In this world, you’re the only one who trusts me unconditionally and loves me. You’re the most important.”
My treasure.
Jian Xun nudged Shang Xuci’s head to comfort him, patting him with his tail as if to say, It’s okay—you still have me.
But he was stunned by the man’s sudden confession. He even caught a faint sob in Shang Xuci’s voice…
The favorability value on the dashboard shot up to 99.
Jian Xun: !!!
Then, he felt a kiss on his forehead.
A kiss! A kiss!!!
The cat was shocked.
The cat froze.
The cat was happy!
He had finally conquered the boss!!!
“Meow!”
Jian Xun hugged Shang Xuci and kept rubbing against him, whimpering softly.
Woo, Shang Shang, I love you the most, too!
Jian Xun pouted and closed his eyes.
Can we kiss on the lips this time?!
The imagined kiss didn’t happen. Puzzled, Maomao opened his eyes—only to find the man’s sharp gaze dark and unfocused!
He stretched out his paw and waved it in front of Shang Xuci’s face, but the latter didn’t react.
Shang Shang couldn’t see?
“Meow! Meow!” Jian Xun spun around in panic, scratching at his clothes and biting his hair.
“What’s wrong?” Shang Xuci also sensed something was amiss.
If it were night, there wouldn’t be no light at all, and he could feel the warmth of the sun on his body.
A familiar feeling.
Shang Xuci instinctively looked down at the cat, but couldn’t see its eyes.
If it were night, Sui Sui’s eyes would be glowing like two bright lights!
He immediately concluded—
He was blind.
“I can’t see,” Shang Xuci said calmly, unshaken by the revelation. His tone was as casual as if he’d just finished a bottle of mineral water.
Upon hearing this, the rapid meowing faded.
The little head stayed still, pressed tightly against him, its claws clutching his collar as it whimpered softly.
“Meow~”
Jian Xun’s heart ached even more.
In the novel, Shang Xuci had also been blind—unable to move around easily, short-tempered, and unpredictable. He had grown even more gloomy and ruthless, offending many people.
During that time, Xu Rong had been secretly plotting against him, and Shang Xuci had been utterly alone, with no one he could trust…
Looking up at the man, Jian Xun saw his expression was calm, without a trace of anger, as if he had simply accepted the fact.
“Are we on a deserted island now?” Shang Xuci asked. There was no sound around them, only silence. Soft, fine sand was beneath his feet, coconut trees swayed behind him, and the slightly bitter sea breeze brushed past… a sudden guess formed in his mind.
“Meow.”
Yes.
Shang Xuci felt around for anything useful. His phone was gone, but his watch still had a signal. He reached for the cat’s neck—the gem was still hanging there.
This way, if his uncle discovered he was missing, he could quickly locate the island using GPS. He just didn’t know how long he’d have to wait.
The man stayed silent, and the cat nervously rubbed its head against his hand.
“Don’t worry, help will arrive in the next couple of days.” Shang Xuci petted the cat with his backhand. Its fur was dry, soft, and smooth—pleasant to the touch.
His clothes were still damp. Shang Xuci took them off and hung them on a nearby rock. At this temperature, they would dry quickly.
But being blind made it difficult to navigate a strange island.
The temperature difference between day and night was significant, so he needed to be self-reliant and make sure the cat was cared for.
Having been truly blind in his previous life, being blind now was nothing new.
Adaptable and capable—
As long as he had the cat by his side, Shang Xuci felt he could overcome any obstacle.
“Meow.”
Jian Xun slowly placed something in Shang Xuci’s hand. He had found it in a simple wooden hut not far away.
It looked like it had been left by a streamer who had once been livestreaming his survival on the island. Besides the lighter, there was also a knife. Judging by the wear, it must have been there for quite some time.
Shang Xuci felt the object in his hand. It was long, and as he fumbled with the button, he realized it was a lighter.
“Sui Sui, where did you find this?”
“Meow.” Jian Xun hopped over, picked up a wooden stick, and placed it in Shang Xuci’s hand to use as a walking stick. Wrapping his tail around the man’s leg, he led him toward the temporary shelter.
If there were rocks or obstacles, he would cry out to warn Shang Xuci, acting as a guide cat.
When they arrived, Jian Xun led Shang Xuci to a flat spot to sit.
He placed all the useful items in Shang Xuci’s hand. Since he couldn’t talk, he could only hope the man would be careful with the knife.
Shang Xuci used the stick to survey the surroundings. His guess was the same as Jian Xun’s: it was a makeshift shelter built by someone long ago. Though empty, it could shield them from wind and rain.
With a lighter, a knife, and some firewood, they could handle the cold nights.
If they had food, even better.
Unfortunately, being blind made things much harder.
Ignoring his obsessive-compulsive tendencies, Shang Xuci sat down on the ground, surrounded by wood and straw, to rest. Aside from a slight pain at the back of his head, he had no major injuries.
Now that he could finally relax, a lingering fear still gripped him—the memory of the cat jumping into the sea before he lost his sight. Holding the cat close, he enjoyed a rare moment of quiet together.
Jian Xun was sensible enough not to lie directly on his lap. His damp paws rested on the man’s pants.
“Meow~”
He continued to pat his pants.
He gestured for the other person to take it off and dry it in the sun to avoid catching a cold. Shang Xuci understood and did as instructed. The cat meowed occasionally beside him to make its presence known, then meticulously licked its paws clean.
Now, the male god was wearing only his underwear.
Jian Xun shyly covered his face with a paw, not daring to look—yet still managing to peek through the gap between his toes.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he lowered his paw to stare openly.