Jian Xun didn’t forget to check the candy spot on the table—it was empty.
Could the boss have taken it? He’d placed it next to the water cup so he could grab it whenever he wanted.
Jian Xun slowly nudged Shang Xuci’s hand.
“There’s only one left. I’ll put it on the bedside table.”
…
Shang Xuci sat on the sofa, legs crossed, holding the cat.
“…Sui Sui’s condition is like this.”
“Yes. Thank you, Dr. Deng, for taking care of Sui Sui.”
Dr. Deng shook his head, then pulled out a phone and handed it to Shang Xuci. “The photos and videos are all in there. Call me next time if you need anything.”
The woman finished with a smile, leaving the heartwarming scene undisturbed.
Meng Jingxue was also tactful. She stood at the door, wearing a mask, and said, “Today’s examination is complete. I’ll come tomorrow. Call me anytime if you have any questions.”
“Okay.”
Click—
The moment the door closed, Jian Xun and Shang Xuci were alone in the room.
The pink cat’s nose twitched; the scent of Meng Jingxue’s perfume still lingered in the air. Gorgeous flowers were arranged on the living room table.
Everything else—cat climbing frame, cardboard boxes, cat food feeders, toys, treadmills—had been put away.
Jian Xun’s eyes stung, and he sniffled. He looked up at the man, then squatted and rose on his hind legs, resting his front paws on Shang Xuci’s shoulders, spreading them wide in a deep embrace.
Shang Xuci stroked his back, whispering almost inaudibly, “Sui Sui.”
He turned on the TV and used voice commands to play Tom and Jerry, watching alongside the cat. Although he couldn’t see, he could hear. The cat held his hand like a seatbelt.
Through the music, he could roughly grasp the style and rhythm of the animation.
By now, he was familiar with the layout of the house, able to picture the general direction of each room even with his eyes closed. He got up to go to the bathroom, and the cat hurried after him—wanting to lead the way but feeling too small. He wished he were a guide dog.
He waited outside the bathroom door until Shang Xuci came out to wash his hands. Jian Xun still helped him squeeze hand sanitizer at the sink.
Looking up, he saw white cat hair all over Shang Xuci’s black shirt.
The cat reached out to scratch it off, but the pad of his paw hit the man’s firm chest, pressing the fur in tighter.
“What’s wrong?” Shang Xuci tilted his head in confusion, having just been struck by an unexpected cat punch. Jian Xun spread his paw pads, gently tapped his chest again, and meowed softly.
Shang Xuci thought he wanted a hug, so he picked the cat up and carried him back to the living room.
At bedtime, Jian Xun eagerly ran to the bedroom, spread the sheets, pulled back the covers, and let Shang Xuci lie down first. Then he rested his head against the man’s chin, his paw pad pressed to his chest, purring as he drifted off to sleep.
Jian Xun thought, If only I could become human, I could personally take care of him during this time.
A long-awaited drowsiness overtook him, and before long, the cat in the man’s arms transformed into a fair-skinned young man. Both of them fell into a sweet dream.
The next day, Jian Xun stretched lazily—then suddenly realized he had grown arms and legs and turned into a human. Startled, he jumped, tumbling to the floor beside the bed.
The sound was loud enough to wake Shang Xuci, and the spot where his hand had been touching the cat was now empty.
“Sui Sui?”
Jian Xun, naked, covered half his buttocks, completely at a loss.
Seeing the man reach out toward him, he quickly meowed.
“Did you fall?” Shang Xuci hooked a finger toward him. “Come up, let me see.”
“Meow.” Jian Xun mimicked a cat’s voice, pushing himself up to stand. His beautiful azure eyes lingered on Shang Xuci’s hand, but his body instinctively edged toward the door.
The doorbell rang, and Meng Jingxue’s voice sounded from outside.
As Shang Xuci swung his long legs off the bed, Jian Xun nervously backed into the living room courtyard, afraid of running into Meng Jingxue.
Just as he stepped into the courtyard, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
…
Jian Xun now sat squatting on the curb outside Shang Xuci’s house, a lunch box in hand, popping another dumpling into his mouth.
“Grandpa Dai, give me a little more time. Shang Shang isn’t well yet.”
“Your leg is injured too?” asked Grandpa Sanhua—now a seventy-year-old with a long, graying beard—his voice slow and deliberate.
“Well, it’s only just healed,” Jian Xun replied between chews. “I’m a man of my word. I can’t just run away.”
“Yes, I know that.” Dai Mao’s tone carried a hint of annoyance. The family was pressing him hard; the king insisted on seeing what his daughter’s savior looked like. He had even sent invitations to all the cat demons in the tribe who could transform into humans, asking them to attend his daughter’s engagement party.
“Grandpa Dai, what am I supposed to do about this?”
“I haven’t told you Xiao Sanhua’s life story yet. She’s the princess of our cat demon tribe.” Dai Mao launched into the tribe’s history, taking a long detour before circling back to the point. “The king wants to see you.”
Dai Mao didn’t mention the son-in-law matter. He didn’t want to scare Jian Xun—what if he refused?
Jian Xun blinked, wearing only Shang Xuci’s white shirt, which barely reached his knees.
He finished chewing the last fried dumpling, swallowed, and asked more about the Cat King. Finally, he requested another week.
Then he asked for instructions on how to transform back into a cat.
Following Dai Mao’s guidance, he still failed to change form, so the elder cast a spell to help him transform back into a cat.
Jian Xun hurried home.
Time was running out for him, so Jian Xun cherished every moment he had with Shang Xuci even more.
Meng Jingxue was checking Shang Xuci’s eyes while Jian Xun hid to the side.
When he returned, he found his cardboard box in the utility room and dragged it back to its original spot in the living room. Now it was much easier to climb in.
“Sui Sui is in the living room,” Meng Jingxue said when she noticed Shang Xuci’s worried expression. “Maybe she ran away when she saw me coming.”
“Yeah.”
After finishing the examination, Meng Jingxue received a call from her father and left Shang Xuci’s house early. Shang Xuci then began working.
He wanted to finish all his tasks quickly so he could take some time off to play with his cat.
Every day, Fu Qian would come to Shang Xuci’s study with his laptop and documents to report on work matters, and Shang Xuci would make the decisions.
Whenever Jian Xun saw Fu Qian, he would obediently perch on Shang Xuci’s lap and meow in greeting.
Even when Shang Xuci was busy, he never forgot to feed the cat—and even gave him tasks.
“Sui Sui, my pen.”
The white cat jumped onto the table and brought the pen to him.
“Sui Sui, my water cup.”
Shang Xuci placed his hand on the table, and the cat pushed the cup into his palm.
“Sui Sui, tissue.”
Jian Xun reached out with his paw pads, pulled a sheet from the tissue box, and pushed it in front of him.
Fu Qian’s mouth fell open.
This… this teamwork.
He gave the lion cat a thumbs-up.
After the boss went blind, Fu Qian had worried about the inconveniences in his daily life. He’d also feared his temper would worsen at work. But Shang Xuci turned out to be far stronger and more composed than he’d imagined. Even in this state, he never forgot his responsibilities. He truly deserved to be called the boss!
With a blank expression, Fu Qian silently grumbled inwardly, then continued watching as the boss gave instructions and Sui Sui followed them diligently—looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
Indeed, Jian Xun puffed out his chest, feeling like he’d reached the pinnacle of his life.
The boss needed him!
This feeling of being relied upon gave him a blissful sense of self-worth.
Every time he brought something over, he would look up eagerly and meow, earning the man’s quiet gratitude.
…
Two weeks later.
Two days before Shang Xuci’s stitches were to be removed, Dai Mao came again.
Jian Xun knew his departure was drawing near.
Dai Mao told him the journey would be long and asked him to start preparing two days in advance.
Jian Xun had no idea how long “long” meant.
Besides… would the boss be furious if he discovered he was missing?
He might as well leave a note—he would return after he had repaid his debt.
If Meng Jingxue hadn’t moved in yet… and if Shang Xuci still wanted him…
Jian Xun carefully groomed his fur until it was smooth and soft. He also swiped a pair of pants to keep for himself, just in case, and placed them together with the white shirt.
Since transforming into a cat, Jian Xun had rarely traveled far, mostly staying within the vicinity of Shang Xuci’s home. This would be his first long trip, so he needed to prepare well.
He remembered how Tu Tu had almost become a stray last time, so he decided to pack a small bag for the journey.
He quickly found a piece of floral fabric and began filling it with essentials. Then he pulled out his little cat bag and packed it with canned food, kibble, and the dried fish he’d earned from his livestreams—stuffing it until it could hold no more.
He planned to give this bag to Grandpa Dai Mao for safekeeping. After meeting the king, he would learn how to switch between human and cat form freely. That way, if he were ever kicked out, he’d still have a way to survive on his own.
Of course, he firmly believed the boss would never kick him out.
Spreading out the floral fabric, Jian Xun crawled into his cardboard box and began unearthing his hidden treasures.
The big red envelope he had saved—when he was away from home, he would definitely need it.
Buttons, a token of his bond with the boss—he liked to take them out when he was bored and think of him.
His little dried fish pillow—when traveling in unfamiliar surroundings, he needed it to fall asleep.
His phone—a new model his boss had bought for him. Communication was crucial these days; he needed it to go online and stay in touch.
His cat skirt—it had accompanied him through his most difficult time, when he was losing his fur. When it tore, his boss had carefully sewn it back together. It was deeply meaningful to him, so of course he wanted to bring it along.
…There were many other things that held deep meaning for him, but unfortunately, he couldn’t take them all.
His gaze reluctantly fell on the cardboard box.
This little home, which had been with him since he first entered his boss’s house, had given him countless moments of warmth and security, and had witnessed his growth from kitten to adult.
Jian Xun was most reluctant to part with it.
He extended a paw and gently patted the cardboard box, as if greeting an old friend. “Old man, wait for me!”
The cat packed neatly, folding his clothes and putting his belongings in order.
Finally, he carefully wrapped the floral fabric into a bundle suitable for hanging around his neck—unaware of the curious eyes watching him from the window.
Jian Xun counted the remaining cat food, canned food, and dried fish, lining them up neatly, ready to finish them before he left.
The next day, Meng Jingxue visited Shang Xuci’s home and happened to see the white long-haired cat pushing a heavy backpack toward the door.
An old man stood there, mumbling something. Meng Jingxue couldn’t hear clearly from a distance, but she could read his lips.
It was probably something like, “keep it for you,” “go far away,” and “leave together.”
A few minutes later, the old man left. The cat went back inside, picked up the bundle, slipped his head through the loop, and let the knotted fabric rest on his back. He adjusted his movements to make it more stable—and to test whether he had the strength to bear the weight.
Meng Jingxue had a suspicion.
She took advantage of the cat’s absence to bring something up.
“I’m curious and want to ask you a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Since you know Jiang Yuanqing has no feelings for you, why don’t you break off the engagement?”
“Her family has done me a favor. As long as she doesn’t initiate the breakup, I have no objection.”
“What if she does? I think she really likes your brother.” She knew Shang Xuci was blind, and Jiang Yuanqing knew that too—yet, as his fiancée, she had never visited him. She had only called to say hello.
“What are you trying to say?”
“If you two break off the engagement, would you consider me?” Meng Jingxue asked half-jokingly.
Her father only had her, and her marriage would likely be a matter of sacrifice and arrangement. Since that couldn’t be changed, she figured she might as well choose someone she loved and marry sooner rather than later, so she could balance her career and personal life.
“Not considering it,” Shang Xuci replied without hesitation.
Meng Jingxue’s face immediately fell. “So decisive? Why?”
Was he saying he found her completely unattractive?
“You’re allergic to cat hair.”
And he only wanted his cat.
Anyone could leave him—except the cat.
No.
It couldn’t be Sui Sui.
“I won’t let Sui Sui leave, and Sui Sui can’t leave me either.”
Meng Jingxue had never expected to lose to a cat.
Hearing the absolute conviction in his voice, she sat back on the sofa, shaking her head, her tone deliberately slow: “That’s not necessarily true.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t leave Sui Sui, but Sui Sui doesn’t necessarily need to leave you.” Meng Jingxue paused, then added, “I’ve seen the kitten packing its belongings these past few days.”
“Looks like it’s getting ready to leave.”