Shang Xuci was watching him.
Jian Xun noticed and suddenly became nervous.
He wondered if the boss would like his human form.
Shang Xuci continued to study him. He had seen photos before, but the boy looked much better in person. For some reason, just looking at him gave Shang Xuci an inexplicable sense of closeness. Those deep blue eyes were so much like his cat’s—especially when they lit up with that delighted glint.
Hearing that he was here for an interview, Shang Xuci raised an eyebrow.
He remembered asking Fu Qian to change the interview location yesterday. Hadn’t the boy noticed?
A gentle breeze blew, and Jian Xun shivered, his fair cheeks flushing slightly.
Shang Xuci averted his gaze and said calmly, “Come in first.”
He brought a new pair of slippers from the entrance and had tea sent to the reception room.
“I need to go to the restroom first,” Jian Xun said softly.
The housekeeper immediately took him there, and when he came out, escorted him to the reception room.
The reception room was empty. Jian Xun sat on the sofa, holding a glass of water, his eyes darting around as he felt a little uneasy.
Ah, I really want to be a cat!
Two minutes later, Shang Xuci walked in, Jian Xun’s resume in hand.
“You’re applying for the position of cat nutritionist. Do you have a certificate? Do you know my cats?”
Jian Xun put his legs together and placed his hands neatly on his lap, looking every bit the good student. Hearing the question, he half-clenched his fists and slowly shook his head.
“I don’t have a nutritionist certificate.”
The second half of his answer came more confidently, his tone crisp.
“But I know your cats.”
Jian Xun sneaked a glance at Shang Xuci. The boss was so aloof. He pinched his fingers nervously before continuing, “Your cat is a lion cat, almost a year old. His name is Sui Sui. He’s male and hasn’t been neutered yet…”
Shang Xuci nodded slightly. This was all basic information—easily searchable online.
He cut Jian Xun off without hesitation.
“You can’t take care of my cat.”
He didn’t mince words. Shang Xuci had always taken care of Sui Sui himself, and he had no intention of letting the man in front of him do it just because of a past favor.
“You didn’t even ask me to take care of him, so how can you say I can’t?” Jian Xun muttered softly, his tone gentle but tinged with obvious dissatisfaction.
“I really need this job. Otherwise, bring Sui Sui down—I guarantee he’ll like me!” Jian Xun stared intently at him and pleaded softly, “Just let me try?”
He was completely unaware of his almost coquettish tone, and Shang Xuci didn’t notice it either. Once again, Shang Xuci looked him over and asked, “Are you really short on money?”
Jian Xun nodded obediently.
Those sapphire-blue eyes stared intently at him—wet and glistening, as if they might spill tears if he refused.
He had read Jian Xun’s profile: no parents, no formal schooling, and a life sustained by odd jobs.
Yet despite such a tragic past, his eyes were still clear, his skin fair and tender, as if he had been carefully protected from the world.
Shang Xuci didn’t want to dwell on it. Under that expectant gaze, he felt unable to speak harshly.
“Instead of taking care of the cats, you can stay and do housework.” Shang Xuci paused, eyes fixed on him. “Is that okay?”
Jian Xun nodded quickly, a broad smile spreading across his face. “I’d love to!”
He knew Shang Xuci was a good guy!
“When do you start?”
“Tomorrow.”
Shang Xuci finished his coffee and left under the boy’s grateful gaze.
…
Xinyu Company
“Hey, did you notice the boss is a completely different person today? Way friendlier and gentler?”
“Yeah, yeah! I ran into him in the elevator and said hello—he actually smiled at me!”
“It’s not just you. He’s smiling at everyone. You can tell he’s in a good mood. I almost thought he was a different person. He’s already handsome, but when he smiles… wow.”
“This morning in the meeting, the planning team’s proposal had issues, but instead of getting angry, President Shang just offered gentle suggestions. I really want to know what happened. If the boss was like this every day, work would be a dream!”
“Satisfied? He’s usually just a little aloof, but the pay and benefits are already great.”
“That’s true. But I heard President Shang’s in such a good mood because he found his cat.”
…
Office
Shang Xuci was reading documents with a pen in hand when his phone began to vibrate beside him. After finishing a stack, he checked it—his screen was filled with animated GIFs of Sui Sui at home.
Parkour, chasing cat toys, rolling around…
Mostly sleeping. Still, he couldn’t help but glance at his watch; for the first time, time felt unbearably slow.
Fu Qian walked in. “Mr. Shang, there’s a problem with Hongtu. We’d like to reschedule the meeting to 3:00 p.m. today.”
…
Ludao Garden
“Your name is Jian Xun?”
Snapping out of his daze, Jian Xun realized the butler was speaking to him and nodded quickly.
“Master just instructed me to tell you—there are rooms in the villa for employees. If you’d like, you can pack up and move in anytime.”
“Don’t charge?”
“Of course not.”
“I’ll go back and pack my things right away!” Jian Xun replied without hesitation.
After agreeing with Xu Tutu, Jian Xun checked into the villa’s small studio that night. It was supposedly a staff room, but in reality, it was even nicer than the hotel room he had rented.
Jian Xun rolled around on the soft bed, feeling utterly comfortable!
Swaying back and forth, he found it firm yet cozy, without the creaking of a hard bed. He rested his head on the pillow, sighing in contentment.
That night, the housekeeper summoned Jian Xun for a private meeting and went over the precautions for the job.
The young man seemed naive, having never experienced anything like this before. The housekeeper was a little concerned and felt it necessary to give him a few pointers to avoid potentially offending Shang Xuci.
“Master has mysophobia. First and foremost, you must pay attention to your personal appearance and keep your surroundings clean. There’s a special cleaning lady for that—just take care of your personal hygiene.”
“Also, privacy. Outside of your work area, don’t enter places like the study or bedroom without permission.”
…
“Most importantly, Master’s beloved cat, Sui Sui, must be treated like a boss.”
The villa may seem to have a lot of employees, but in reality, only a few work in shifts. The rest are hourly workers who leave after their workday.
For someone like Jian Xun, who lived and ate in the villa and was assigned relatively easy tasks, the housekeeper saw Shang Xuci’s actions as a kind of disguised charity—taking in a poor child.
Thankfully, the boy seemed obedient. He nodded earnestly at every word and listened intently, giving the housekeeper an inexplicable sense of warmth.
“Anyway, feel free to ask me anything you don’t understand.”
“Thank you, Butler.”
“You’re welcome. My grandson is the same age as you. You can call me Grandpa.”
“Okay… Butler Grandpa.”
That evening, when Jian Xun saw Shang Xuci come home, he immediately turned like a cat and rushed over, curling up in his arms and acting coquettishly until he kissed the tip of his ear. Then, clutching his dried fish pillow, he went to bed and waited for someone.
The next morning, the butler took Jian Xun on a tour of the house to familiarize him with the surroundings.
He also showed him the study and bedroom. Seeing that there was only one bedroom, and that it contained just single-person living quarters, Jian Xun breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a small glimmer of joy in his heart.
It seemed that Meng Jingxue and the boss had not yet reached the stage of living together.
After getting acquainted with the surroundings, he unknowingly passed by Shang Xuci’s bedroom again.
Jian Xun casually glanced inside. A corner of the quilt had slipped diagonally over the edge, nearly dangling onto the floor.
Jian Xun: “!!”
He suddenly remembered that the cat had forgotten to make the bed that morning! Thinking of Shang Xuci’s mysophobia and his love of cleanliness, he felt he had to tidy it up—and walked straight in.
Finally, no need to hold the sheets in his mouth!
Jian Xun straightened the sheets with both hands and folded the quilt neatly. Humming a song, he had just stepped out of bed when he turned and saw Shang Xuci standing at the bedroom door.
Jian Xun’s watery eyes instantly lit up. Filled with joy, he ran up to the man, showing off his work, lips curved in anticipation of praise.
This was even better than the one he’d made as a cat!
But Shang Xuci gave him a cold glance.
“Jian Xun, there’s a special auntie who cleans and tidies the bedroom. You don’t have to make the bed yourself.”
Although the young man had done him a favor, they weren’t close. Out of pity, Shang Xuci had allowed Jian Xun to stay at the villa, but he had made it clear that no one except Aunt Wang should enter the bedroom.
Jian Xun uttered a dumbfounded “Ah!” before quickly nodding.
His enthusiasm was dampened by Shang Xuci’s cold tone.
He rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Yes… he’s not Sui Sui now.”
Lowering his head, he whispered, “I understand.”
Then he walked out of the bedroom dejectedly and returned to his own room.
The man’s aloof expression lingered in his mind. Fortunately, the housekeeper had given him tasks, and as he busied himself, he gradually forgot his unpleasantness.
Jian Xun walked briskly, spending the entire morning running through various areas. Then he began his work—doing odd jobs, helping anyone who needed it, smiling broadly and calling out sweetly. He was so well-behaved that even when doing nothing, he was pleasing to the eye. The aunts and sisters at the villa didn’t let him do any heavy work, and they massaged his face daily to help restore his energy.
As work neared its end, Jian Xun transformed back into a cat and squatted by the door, waiting quietly.
Seeing the clock on the wall strike seven, the big white cat stared at the door for a long time. Then he lowered his head to look at his paws and slumped onto the carpet, a look of dejection on his face.
The cat had returned, but Big Boss hadn’t shown much interest in him. Aside from taking him out for an extra hour each evening for a walk, it felt as if their hearts had drifted apart.
In the past, the little white cat had dreamed of living in a luxurious villa—with a personal car, a personal escort to look after him, and all the attention he could wish for. He had truly longed for love.
But when Big Boss actually bought him a large house and hired a maid to care for him and keep him company, Big White Cat felt less happy than before. He felt constrained wherever he went.
So he began to miss his old little house, where he could squat in the foyer, his cat ears twitching to detect whether the footsteps outside belonged to Shang Xuci.
He could also cook for Big Boss. In such a small space, the cat could mop the floor in just ten minutes. Washing, hanging, and carrying clothes were very convenient.
He and Shang Xuci had been the only two in the room, each considering the other the only one they could communicate with—even if the boss couldn’t understand what he was saying.
The new house was large and empty, and running around felt like a struggle.
He really wanted to do something. After working as a human for a while, it was boring to be a cat, just waiting around.
Mao Mao rolled on the ground. The housekeeper picked him up and said, “Oh, my little ancestor, why did you run down here? Grandpa will take you to eat some dried fish.”
“Meow~”
The mention of food perked up the cat.
In the end, Jian Xun didn’t wait for Shang Xuci.
He returned to the cat’s room and started parkouring, playing with the cat paddleboard, and watching TV.
When he fell asleep, the maid carried him to the cat bed.
After the maid left, the big white cat opened his eyes and ran to Shang Xuci’s bedroom. He jumped up deftly and opened the door. Seeing the bed empty, he returned to his room, picked up the kitty mat, and scurried down to the downstairs entryway. He lay belly down on the cushion, head stretched out, and stared at the door with a slight pout.
Ten o’clock in the evening.
Shang Xuci opened the door and returned to his room. In the darkness, a large, round, titanium light fixture cast a faint glow.
Then a gray shadow pounced toward him. His chin felt a soft, furry touch as the cat licked him.
“Sui Sui?” Shang Xuci called, reaching down to pet the cat’s head.
“Meow.”
The cat let out a plaintive whimper.
A voice command turned on the lights, and the room brightened instantly. The cat rested its paws on the man’s broad shoulders, pressing its head against him.
“Meow!” A long, soft, sweet sound filled the room. The cat’s tail draped over Shang Xuci’s waist as it looked up at him with a grievance-filled gaze.
Why did you come back just now?