A week later, at Yinfeng Entertainment.
A group of private investigators stood in a line outside the president’s office.
The female employees gathered together, chattering about what had happened. Someone inside the president’s office, pouring tea, overheard them.
“Looks like the boss’s cat is missing!”
“Ah, is it Sui Sui?”
“No wonder the boss came to the office as soon as he was discharged from the hospital. Who can stand being at home without their cat?”
“What? Is Mr. Shang injured?”
“But I understand the boss’s feelings. Sui Sui is so well-behaved. If my cat went missing, I’d go crazy.”
“Isn’t he already crazy?” one colleague muttered, pointing toward the people lined up at their office door.
They were all professional cat finders.
“Stop talking! Didn’t you see how Secretary Fu’s brows were furrowed? The boss is in a bad mood, which means we’re in for a bad day too. The publicity department just finished a meeting and said they have to work overtime…”
“Ah, I don’t want to work overtime.”
A collective groan followed.
…
The CEO’s office
Shang Xuci turned on the projector, and a folder named Sui Sui appeared on the screen. Swiveling his chair, he projected the screen in front of him and clicked open the folder.
More than a dozen photos of a white lion cat appeared, each taken from a different angle.
It had a round face and large blue eyes, its fur entirely snow-white. Its left hind leg was injured, and it walked with a slight limp. Its most distinctive feature was a black spot, about the size of a sesame dumpling, on its fluffy tail.
It had a gentle temperament and would always respond when he called “Sui Sui.”
Shang Xuci had Fu Qian print out a clear frontal photo and hand it to each detective for reference.
After all, private investigators usually specialized in human cases. But this time, their target was a cat—and its owner had promised to pay them regardless of the outcome, with ten times the fee if they successfully found it.
Who wouldn’t be moved?!
This cat—I’ll dig deep to find it!
…
Jian Xun sat on the sofa, sipping a cup of pearl milk tea, his round eyes glued to the TV.
It wasn’t until the alarm rang at four in the afternoon that he hurried to the kitchen, put on his apron, washed the rice and vegetables, and began cooking.
One meat dish, one vegetable dish, and one soup—all landed on the dining table right on time. He gathered up the trash and was about to take it out when the door opened.
Jian Xun’s eyes lit up.
“You’re back!”
A man in a black suit, carrying a briefcase, stood in the doorway with his arms outstretched.
Jian Xun rushed over and hugged him.
“You cooked?” The man sniffed the air in surprise. “Great.”
“I washed all your dirty clothes and mopped the floor.”
Jian Xun, shorter than the man, craned his neck and leaned forward, as if asking to be petted. A pair of hands ruffled his hair.
“It’s so nice of you to come.”
Getting the head pat he’d hoped for, Jian Xun took his bag, his cat tail wagging happily.
“Brother Tutu, are you tired from work?”
When they first met at school, Xu Tutu had told him about his part-time job. At the time, Xu Tutu had simply sighed, his eyes still tinged with innocence.
Now, he seemed far more refined and reserved.
Xu Tutu, as if recalling something unpleasant, sank back into a dejected demeanor, looking like his energy and blood had been drained on the road. With a hopeless expression, he shook his head.
“It’s simply inhuman.”
As they ate, Xu Tutu recounted his tragic experiences working illegally.
Jian Xun was so shocked that his mouth fell open.
In his previous life, he had just reached adulthood, living a routine life between school and home. Although the Jian family didn’t dote on him, they had never let him face the darker side of the outside world.
Thus, Jian Xun remained innocent— a simple, prospective college student.
“I can’t just tell you. Tonight, you have to tell me how you ended up like this—and why you ran away from home.”
Jian Xun’s furry ears drooped instantly. He nodded obediently.
Xu Tutu finished his last bite of food, patted his chest, and said, “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you. You can stay here as long as you want.”
…As long as his salary arrived on time this month so he could pay next month’s rent.
Looking at Jian Xun—dazed, quiet, and obediently eating—he crossed his legs and glanced around the clean, tidy room.
This little brother was really capable, and the food was delicious, too.
Recalling the day Jian Xun had called him for help, Xu Tutu still felt a flicker of surprise. Under the resentful gaze of his foreman, he had taken half a day off to pick up the boy who was living in a bridge tunnel.
He had ridden a shared electric scooter, and without asking any questions, brought him straight to his old, run-down rental. It wasn’t big—just one bedroom and one living room—but it had all the basic appliances, came at a reasonable price, and even included free mouse-catching.
Now that Jian Xun was here, he—who was never good at housework—finally had a helper.
After dinner, the two of them lay side by side on the sofa. Xu Tutu rubbed his round belly, sipped his hot floral tea, and closed his eyes in comfort.
Jian Xun snored softly as he clung to his tail.
Luckily, his eldest brother had taken him in—otherwise, he would have been sleeping under a bridge again tonight.
…
A week earlier
Jian Xun had followed Dai Mao to the Cat Demon Clan to meet the king, where he also met Xiao Sanhua.
He had assumed the Cat Demon Clan lived in big cities, owning large villas and driving luxury cars. He hadn’t expected their home to be in a small town on the southern edge.
Green tiles, stone walls, small bridges, flowing water—the place had a charming, ancient atmosphere.
The town was inhabited by cat fairies who took human form during the day and returned to their feline form at night.
Because it was an ancient town, human tourists still visited. The cats ran guesthouses, set up stalls selling handicrafts, and the more daring ones even opened small noodle shops.
Life here was leisurely and comfortable.
A few years ago, some cats who had ventured into big cities couldn’t stand the pressures of human life and returned to sell salted fish instead.
Dai Mao acted as tour guide, eloquently extolling the town’s charm.
It might be poor, but it had water, fish, and was self-sufficient.
Dai Mao boasted endlessly, afraid that Jian Xun might not want to stay.
The king warmly welcomed him, preparing a fish feast that Jian Xun would never forget. Jian Xun was so busy eating that he didn’t even hear the king’s words.
Finally, he noticed the other cats staring at him in bewilderment, as if asking, What’s wrong?
The king repeated himself.
“Are you willing to be the little princess’s fiancé—to protect and cherish her, to always prioritize her happiness and well-being? No matter what happens, she’ll be your only little cat for life, and you’ll never betray her…”
The moment Jian Xun heard the first word—fiancé—his head began to buzz. He lowered his eyes to glance at the shy Xiao Sanhua sitting beside him.
Jian Xun: “…”
So they were looking for a son-in-law.
Jian Xun shook his head.
“I don’t want to.”
The instant the words left his mouth, the gazes around him turned strange, and the once-quiet hall erupted in whispers.
“Oh my god, a crippled cat dared to reject our Flower Princess!”
“How dare he refuse her in front of the king? He’s not giving her even the slightest respect.”
“Hmph, where did that bumpkin come from? Look at how shabby his clothes are. And yet the king praises him—what a jerk.”
“Didn’t you see that face? In human terms, he’s a handsome guy. It’s no wonder the Flower Princess is smitten.”
“Didn’t you say she fell for him because he saved her?”
“Shh—stop talking. Look, the little princess is getting heartbroken.”
Xiao Sanhua stared at him in disbelief.
Brother Sui Sui… didn’t like her?
She couldn’t understand.
If he became her fiancé, he could live in comfort and never again be a human’s pet. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
The king, however, was deeply embarrassed by the public rejection—especially since his youngest daughter had only just been found and he cherished her dearly.
Jian Xun’s refusal offended him. The king confiscated his bag and, dropping all pretense of courtesy, cast the Meow Curse upon him.
Neither fully human nor fully cat, Jian Xun’s ears and tail could no longer be retracted.
He tried every possible way to escape. Xiao Sanhua, noticing his unhappiness, pleaded for mercy on his behalf. A week later, she managed to return his bag—but most of its contents were gone.
His canned cat food, his dried fish… all confiscated.
The stingy king even made him pay for the fish feast he’d eaten earlier.
That one meal completely emptied his red envelope.
In the end, Jian Xun managed to slip away.
He took what little canned food he had left and hid under a bridge— until he contacted Xu Tutu, who took him in.
…
Night fell.
Jian Xun and Xu Tutu huddled together on a cramped bed. Xu Tutu had transformed back into a cat, and Jian Xun absentmindedly stroked his tail as he recounted his story.
What a weakness.
The poop scooper had found true love.
A cat’s return of gratitude.
A string of complicated reasons had driven Jian Xun to leave home.
Xu Tutu was dumbfounded. After a moment, he finally remarked, “You’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“I… I just don’t want to cause him any trouble.” Jian Xun grabbed the cat’s ears and leaned sideways, making the bed creak.
“He must hate me to death.”
“How dare he!” Xu Tutu instantly transformed back into human form and snorted. “Look at you! You’re just too obedient and well-behaved—you don’t even recognize your place in this relationship.”
Even though Xu Tutu already knew Jian Xun was like this, he couldn’t help lecturing him this time.
What cat is afraid of its owner?
“We cats are on top, humans are on the bottom. If we’re happy, we stay together. If we’re not, we just leave!
Cats can do whatever they want—who dares to interfere in cat business?! Why listen to humans?”
Sure, there were countless stray cats abandoned on the streets. But those were just the unlucky ones who had met the wrong people—there were still some good humans out there.
“You just care too much about him. Is he really that good?”
“Yes.” Jian Xun nodded. “He took me home, bought me lots of toys and food, took me to the gym, played with me, slept with me… and even jumped into the sea for me.”
Xu Tutu raised his chin.
“That’s what he should do.”
Jian Xun: “…Nothing is supposed to be done.”
Seeing him still speaking up for the man, Xu Tutu was furious. He knew exactly where Shang Xuci stood in Jian Xun’s heart, but he just couldn’t stand his younger brother’s cautious, protective, almost worshipful attitude toward a human.
“You… you’re just submissive and overthinking things.”
“Besides, would he dare hit a cat?!”
“I can live without him.”
Xu Tutu rolled over, pinching his round belly.
“Look at me! I became human and I’ve been living comfortably ever since. I work and earn money, I can eat as much canned food as I want, and I can shower if I feel like it—or not if I don’t!”
“We want to be new-age, independent-living cats!” Xu Tutu declared passionately.
Jian Xun wiped away the bit of spit that had landed on his face and whispered,
“But… your house…”
“What about my house? It’s a little small, sure, but it keeps me out of the wind and rain!” Xu Tutu perked up, speaking with confidence. “When I save enough money, I’ll buy a big car and a big house—with a garden and a fountain!”
And he’d catch fish in that fountain.
“Brother Tutu, can I ask you a question?”
Sliding into bed, his two round eyes peeking out, Jian Xun stared at him shyly.
“Anything.”
“How much do you make a month?”
“This number!”
Xu Tutu proudly held up ten fingers.
“One thousand yuan!”