“The one in your pocket isn’t. The one on the ground is.”
Obviously, except for the person who asked him this, everyone else misunderstood, thinking he was referring to the lion cat on the ground.
That was Shang Xuci’s fault for staring intently at the cat.
“What do you mean it’s not? Are you blind? This is Sui Sui!” Shen Huan took a deep breath and retorted, seeing the cat’s shocked expression.
She squatted down, carefully approached the cat, and petted it twice, muttering that he was the one frantically looking for the cat, and now he was also the one who didn’t recognize it. Was he so overworked that his mind had broken?
Shen Huan took the cat’s side without hesitation, patting its head gently and comforting the lion cat.
“It’s okay. He doesn’t want you. We have plenty of people who do. I’ll help you find a new owner.”
The big white cat sniffed and looked up to meet the man’s gaze.
Shang Xuci thought he was dreaming. His heels felt rooted to the ground, unable to move a step. He pursed his lips tightly, staring at the lion cat with greed.
Thinner.
Dirty.
Had he been wronged outside?
Thinking of the cat’s browsing history, Shang Xuci felt a pang of fear—afraid this was a beautiful dream that would shatter at the slightest touch.
His eyes were slightly sore, and he cried inwardly with difficulty: Sui Sui.
Feeling the aggressive gaze scrutinizing him inch by inch, finally landing on his tail, Jian Xun quickly flicked the tip of his tail—stained red by wine—and let it hang limply behind him. He then tucked his muddy hind legs behind his front paws and lowered his head to hide his dejection and panic.
“Mia~” A soft meow. The cat tried to jog his memory.
It’s me, Sui Sui.
Just a few months apart, and you don’t recognize me anymore?
Jian Xun naturally sensed his indifference and felt lost.
He also thought this man was truly despicable. Wasn’t it for him that he had run away from home?
The big white cat stared angrily up at him—then suddenly caught an unusual scent.
Cat alert!
Ears pricked up.
The scent mingled with Shang Xuci’s—a familiar scent of its own kind.
Jian Xun, now bristling, bared his teeth and hissed at Shang Xuci.
“Meow!”
Come out! Where did this little stray cat come from?
Shang Xuci stared at the cat, which was acting so aggressively toward him, and wondered how its expression could change so quickly.
A cute white cat’s head suddenly popped out of his pocket, curiously looking around, its large, moist eyes fixed on the tall, majestic lion cat.
“Meow,” a soft, kittenish voice echoed.
To Jian Xun’s surprise, the kitten brazenly stepped onto Shang Xuci’s pocket. Judging from Shang Xuci’s reaction, he was surprisingly gentle, even petting the cat in his pocket.
The big white cat’s mind went blank. He stared at Shang Xuci’s expensive black leather shoes, then, like a madman, rushed forward and stomped on them twice.
The next moment, the white furry creature transformed into a streak of lightning—flashing past his legs and darting out through the crack in the back door.
The room returned to silence. The guests continued chatting quietly, as if nothing had happened. Shang Xuci stood there, looking down at the two gray-and-white plum-shaped paw prints on his shoes, still not fully recovered.
“Brother, the cat! The cat’s gone!!!” Shen Huan gently patted Shang Xuci’s shoulder and ran after it.
He has another cat!
Another cat!
That was the only thought in Jian Xun’s mind, and he ran as fast as he could.
Run!
He’s leaving!
From the back garden, he dashed across the gravel path, climbed through the plants in the flowerbed, and scrambled desperately with his tail tucked in. He pushed through the crowd, leapt onto the wall, and looked back at Shen Huan, who was chasing him and calling out “Sui Sui.”
Seeing that she was the only one chasing, his eyes revealed loss and sadness. He meowed at her, then, without looking back, jumped off the wall and vanished into the endless stream of people.
Shang Xuci finally came to his senses—but the cat was already gone.
Then he noticed a strange smell. Reaching into his pocket to take the little white cat out, he felt something wet.
One glance told him the truth: the cat had urinated in his pocket!
Veins bulged on Shang Xuci’s forehead, and he froze in disbelief. In the next moment, he tore off his coat, disregarding all decorum, and chased after Shen Huan, who had already gotten outside.
“Did the cat run away?” he asked urgently.
“Why did you just come now? Sui Sui’s gone,” Shen Huan replied.
Shang Xuci’s face darkened. He mercilessly tossed the kitten to her.
“Your cat peed on my clothes.”
Shen Huan: !!!
Tonight’s dinner had been Shang Xuci’s main event—yet the man had rushed out of the hotel just as it was about to begin.
Rumor had it, it was all because of a cat.
The cold wind bit hard, sharper than the hotel’s warm air. Pedestrians outside were bundled in thick coats, hands stuffed in pockets, their steps quick.
Shang Xuci, stripped of his coat, was left wearing only a shirt and a thin vest.
He ran, calling out Sui Sui, not caring how he looked.
He searched for the cat like a headless fly, looking everywhere for it. Whether it was a filthy trash can, a dark alley, or even a green space with a hidden thorny flowerbed, Shang Xuci left no place unchecked.
The temperature in City A was below zero. Unlike the past few days of snow, a light drizzle had begun to fall, accompanied by a howling wind that made the weather even colder.
The number of pedestrians on the road gradually thinned. Squatting by a flowerbed, Shang Xuci suddenly felt nauseous. His stomach churned, and his internal organs burned with pain. His eyes turned red, his head swam, and his throat itched before he broke into a coughing fit.
Coughing non-stop.
…
[Warning: The target’s darkening value has spiked during the rescue mission. The character’s emotions are fluctuating excessively. Please reach the target within one minute and continue the mission, otherwise the rescue will fail.]
The previously silent panel suddenly emitted a mechanical sound, startling Jian Xun so much that he jumped out of the flowerbed.
Then he saw the man frantically searching for the cat.
It’s so cold… why is he wearing so little?!
His heart softened.
Without a word, Jian Xun rushed to Shang Xuci’s side.
Shang Xuci pressed his fist to his lips to muffle his coughing, but the action only made it harder to breathe. His vision darkened, and he was about to collapse when he saw a lion cat sprinting toward him.
Bang!
Shang Xuci fell to the ground.
…
The dazzling sunlight crept in through the window, adding a touch of warmth to the cold furnishings in the room.
“He’s fine now. You can go home and rest.”
“Is he really okay? When will he wake up?”
“He just fell asleep from exhaustion. He’s been under a lot of pressure lately, and his lifestyle has been irregular. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in ages…”
He could vaguely hear voices beside him, but he couldn’t make out the words clearly. One belonged to an unfamiliar, youthful boy, the other to Gu Ming.
Where was he?
Where was Sui Sui?!
Shang Xuci remembered that the last time he closed his eyes, he had seen Sui Sui running toward him. Was it just a dream?
Thinking of the cat, Shang Xuci struggled to open his eyes.
“He’s awake.”
Shang Xuci sat up, rubbing his forehead, and asked, “Where’s the cat?”
Once his mind cleared, he looked at Gu Ming.
Gu Ming pulled Jian Xun, who was about to leave, and introduced him to Shang Xuci.
“This brother brought you to the hospital. I didn’t see the cat at the scene.”
Jian Xun was wearing a mask and kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look at Shang Xuci.
Shang Xuci simply glanced at Jian Xun, then lowered his head and murmured, “How could that be?”
Jian Xun quietly retreated and transformed back into a cat.
Then he returned to the house and scratched at the door.
Pa-chi-pa-chi-chi.
He jumped up and opened the door.
After entering, he closed it gracefully with a soft kick, then stood at the doorway, gazing toward the ward.
The patient was already asleep.
The cat quietly ran to the bedside, stood up, placed its front paws on the edge, stretched its head forward, and stared at him. Then it jumped onto the bed, squatted next to the man’s pillow, and nudged him.
After sniffing twice more, the cat frowned and retreated to the end of the bed.
Gu Ming came to check on the room and saw the cat curled up at the foot of the bed, surprise flickering in his eyes. He whispered to the accompanying nurse, “This cat belongs to Mr. Shang. No need to chase it away.”
“Okay.”
The cat didn’t leave until evening.
The aftereffects of the cat family’s curse hadn’t completely worn off yet. Jian Xun couldn’t remain in cat form for long—except when sleeping, which allowed him to sustain it longer.
He wanted to stay until Shang Xuci woke up and saw him first.
When Shang Xuci woke again, it was already dark. Dizzy, he sat up—only to meet a pair of beautiful, deep blue cat eyes.
Shang Xuci’s lips were dry as he whispered, “Sui Sui.”
Outside the hospital door, Gu Ming’s hand slipped from the doorknob. He quietly closed it again.
The awkwardness from their daytime encounter faded, leaving just one man and one cat alone in the room.
Jian Xun curled up at the end of the bed, his long, fluffy tail tucked into his arms, his hands in his pockets, staring at him calmly.
He didn’t know how to face Shang Xuci. Men might not be able to smell it, but to a cat, the strong scent clinging to him was like a mark—one that made other cats dislike him.
After his hasty escape and his voluntary return, Jian Xun was nervous and uneasy. When Shang Xuci’s gaze met his, he looked away guiltily.
Luckily, he was now a cat, so he could pretend to understand nothing.
Jian Xun remained motionless, waiting for Shang Xuci to speak.
Shang Xuci’s lips were pale, his eyes dark-rimmed, and he looked incredibly haggard.
He opened his mouth, wiggled his fingers, and called again, “Sui Sui.”
His voice was rough and hoarse.
Jian Xun meowed softly but did not move.
Shang Xuci had reflected on his behavior at the banquet the previous day, and now, seeing the clingy cat keeping its distance, he felt uneasy.
“When I said it wasn’t my cat, I wasn’t talking about you.”
“I was just… so surprised. I didn’t expect you to come to my house.”
He had hired a nanny to help clean the place where he used to live. He would go back occasionally, just in case the cat came home and found no one.
He had believed the note was from his cat.
He said he’d come back—and he meant it.
Shang Xuci’s voice was hoarse yet gentle, his gaze on the cat warm, his expression firm and focused.
Jian Xun was moved by his sincerity and took a small step forward.
Shang Xuci smiled and continued, “I don’t have any other cats.”
“The cat in my pocket was Shen Huan’s kitten. She shoved it into my pocket that day.”
“And it peed all over me.”
Shang Xuci lifted his arm to sniff at his sleeve, his brows knitting slightly.
No wonder Sui Sui hadn’t wanted to get close to him.
Between the smell of urine, the frantic search for the cat, and the sweat from his fever, he almost hated himself.
“I’m sorry. I should have found you sooner.”
“Don’t run away from home again.”
“I’ll be worried.”