That red flower was the most beautiful, fragrant, and largest one Maomao had ever found while strolling through the garden!
No matter the color, condition, or shape, it was undoubtedly the most eye-catching.
Gu Zhen was slightly stunned. “For me?”
The lion cat stared at her. “Meow.”
“A birthday present?”
“Meow.”
“Oh my god, Maomao picked a flower just for Sister Gu!”
“Yes, it looks like she carefully selected it. Look how beautiful it is.”
“I’m so envious! It makes me want to get a cat.”
“My cat is so sweet—even when I pet her. Sui Sui is such a good cat.”
When Grandma saw the snow-white cat staggering over with a red flower in its mouth, her heart was completely captivated. She was filled with admiration and praise.
Even Gu Ming, who stood nearby with a serious expression, couldn’t help but smile.
The old lady was overjoyed. Unconcerned with the cat’s dirty feet, she immediately picked it up, kissed its head, and said with a smile, “Thank you, Sui Sui.”
The cat curled up its paws and whimpered softly.
Gu Zhen’s heart melted. This was the first time she’d ever received flowers from a cat, and they were the most beautiful of all. Her joy overflowed. She immediately took off the jeweled necklace from her neck and asked the cat, “Grandma, can you give this to Sui Sui?”
The big white cat tilted its head back. “Meow.”
The old lady smiled as she placed the jade necklace around the cat’s neck, then leaned closer for a look. “It’s really beautiful.”
Shang Xuci said, “Grandma, just give it to him. He already has plenty.”
He usually only wore it for photos. Normally, he kept it in his treasure box. Besides, this one had been a gift from Grandpa.
“Sui Sui is so well-behaved, so why not give it to him? Besides, if you never find a companion, who else will I leave this to?” the old lady said with a sigh, stroking the cat. “It’s better to give it to Sui Sui.”
When the big white cat heard that the necklace around its neck had been a gift from Shen Tianlei to Gu Zhen, it stopped tilting its head and reached out with its claws, trying to pry the necklace off.
“Then you might as well give Suisui something he actually likes.”
“What would he like?”
“Give him a red envelope.” Shang Xuci paused, noticing how the big white cat visibly stiffened at the words red envelope. He continued calmly, “He’ll like that.”
Who doesn’t like money?
Xu Tutu, not far away, nodded in agreement. Shang Xuci was being practical. Those gemstones might belong to Sui Sui, but Jian Xun wouldn’t be able to handle them.
Money, however, was different.
Gu Zhen said firmly, “I’m happy today. I’ll give her the necklace and the money too.”
“I’ll prepare a big red envelope for Sui Sui later.”
The big white cat meowed even more sweetly, so happy it couldn’t wait to pick a few more flowers.
But that didn’t matter. Sui Sui would bring Grandma more flowers in the future—as long as it made her happy.
The lion cat lay back on Shang Xuci’s lap, its tail swaying from side to side as it basked in the sunlight filtering through the leaves and the man’s warm touch.
Gu Zhen sat nearby, surrounded by kind and energetic elderly ladies, chatting warmly. Whenever someone praised Gu Zhen or Shang Xuci, the ladies’ smiles never faltered.
The heartwarming scene felt almost unreal to Shang Xuci, and a faint smile curled at his lips.
Besides being reborn, what else had changed?
Probably just raising Sui Sui—the most precious gift God had given him.
The cat lay quietly for a while before getting up and padding back into the house.
Meng Jingxue, who was allergic to cats, breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing how much the elderly lady loved the cat, she felt bad for disturbing her, so she kept a little distance.
Coming out of the bathroom, she noticed Jian Xun entering the house. Confused, she asked around and was surprised to learn that this young assistant actually lived with Shang Xuci. Could the rumors be true?
Meng Jingxue narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, and followed him out.
It was tea time.
The table was laid with fresh fruit, crispy bread, and exquisite desserts, along with chilled wine, fragrant herbal teas, and a selection of ice cream.
But the warm and beautiful afternoon took an unexpected turn.
Gu Zhen had been chatting peacefully with her sisters when she suddenly developed heart palpitations and collapsed. Fortunately, Gu Ming was right beside her and immediately performed emergency measures before rushing her to the hospital. Shang Xuci went with them.
Jian Xun and the others only learned what had happened later from the housekeeper. Jian Xun grew restless at home, too afraid to call Shang Xuci and disturb him, so he could only worry. Finally, Shang Xuci got back to him, saying that the old woman was out of danger but would remain in the hospital for observation.
Jian Xun let out a long sigh of relief.
“Humans are truly fragile,” Xu Tutu murmured.
“Yes… Grandma was fine just moments ago.” Jian Xun had been nearly frightened to death when he heard the news. He thought the storyline from the book was beginning all over again.
If Gu Zhen died, there would be no one left in this world who loved Shang Xuci.
No—that wasn’t true. Cats woul d always love him.
Xu Tutu seemed to sense Jian Xun’s thoughts and asked seriously, “Jian Xun, will you always stay by his side, never leaving him?”
Shang Xuci, who had returned to retrieve something, froze in place. His heart tightened, and every second he waited for the answer felt unbearably long.
Jian Xun thought carefully. He knew he had become a cat with a mission, and he wasn’t sure if he would be forced to leave once it was complete.
Sui Sui’s fish wasn’t delicious, he couldn’t make money, and he was a male cat who couldn’t give birth to kittens. Food, clothing, and shelter—all of it was provided by Shang Xuci.
The man didn’t even like cats. He wouldn’t have raised one on his own. And yet, he had adopted this cat that offered nothing but companionship and a bit of cuteness.
Humans could live a hundred years, while cats only lived a little over a decade. How long could he really stay by Shang Xuci’s side?
And after finally getting the man to accept him as a cat, Jian Xun had turned back into a human. He wasn’t sure Shang Xuci would like him that way.
“I don’t know,” Jian Xun said. “If I could, I’d want to be with him forever.”
If he had a choice, he would certainly stay with Shang Xuci. He knew he was overthinking things and being a little greedy. He wanted Shang Xuci to have a partner who truly loved him and brought him happiness—yet at the same time, he didn’t want that to happen.
The love he had worked so hard to gain from Shang Xuci might one day be taken away by someone else, and Maomao would be very sad.
“You saw at the birthday party today. Grandma wants Da Lao and Meng Jingxue to be together, and Meng Jingxue really likes him. I know they’ll be together in the future,” Jian Xun said, lowering his lashes.
Shang Xuci unconsciously clenched his hands, silently protesting: No way.
He wanted to hold Jian Xun close, but he also wanted to know what Maomao had felt during her absence. Suppressing the strong urge, he forced himself to stay calm.
“During the time I was gone, I missed him terribly. Every day—while washing dishes, while slacking off at the factory and getting bullied, even after receiving my first paycheck…”
“I was happy to know he’d been looking for me, and even happier to know he wasn’t with Meng Jingxue.” Jian Xun’s voice was slow and soft. During the time he lived with Xu Tutu, he had never once mentioned Shang Xuci unless Xu Tutu asked, pretending not to care. But in truth, he cared deeply.
“Am I being selfish? I want it all. Now even I hate myself a little.”
Xu Tutu shook her head. Jian Xun had never told him these things before. Only after Gu Zhen’s accident, when faced with life and death, did he finally begin to confide in him. Xu Tutu was deeply moved.
At the same time, he said firmly, “No, cats can’t be selfish. You feel that way because your owner hasn’t given you enough of a sense of security.”
Jian Xun shook his head. “I think it’s the opposite—I haven’t given Big Boss enough security. Since I came back, he’s been even more controlling with the cat. He doesn’t let me leave the house without permission, and he even put a surveillance camera in the cat’s room.”
He touched his arm and continued, “He put a GPS on me when I returned. You know I’m unstable after switching from human to cat. Honestly, I really want to be human again. I could talk to him, communicate with him… He’s very lonely.”
Hearing the cat’s confession, Shang Xuci drew in a deep breath.
“You really love your owner.” Xu Tutu’s eyes softened with envy. It seemed Shang Xuci was utterly devoted to his cat—unlike Xu Huai…
As he trailed off, Jian Xun asked, “What about you? Don’t you miss him at all?”
Jian Xun could understand if Xu Huai hadn’t treated the cat well, but from what he had seen, Xu Huai did care for Xu Tutu. The last time he’d gone to the Xu family’s house, Xu Huai had been obsessed with the cat, even surrounding himself with countless substitutes.
“Occasionally,” Xu Tutu admitted after a moment’s thought.
In fact, after Jian Xun told him that Xu Huai had a tabby cat identical to his own, Xu Tutu couldn’t resist sneaking a peek. But when he saw the cat’s arrogant demeanor and his toys being trampled on, he was so furious that he smashed through the window and broke the man’s favorite cat cup—along with all the toys. If he couldn’t have them, he wouldn’t leave them for another cat either!
Shang Xuci’s expression darkened as he watched the two of them chatting so freely. Were they really that close? Jian Xun was telling him everything.
The sun gradually sank, tinting the sky a faint orange-red. The scattered clouds looked ablaze, their edges glowing with golden light.
Xu Tutu stood, leaning on his crutches. “I’ll be going home first.”
Jian Xun rose with him. “Brother Tutu, I won’t be able to take care of you for the next two days. Grandma’s still in the hospital, and I’m worried about the boss, so I want to stay with him.”
“It’s okay,” Xu Tutu said, patting his leg. “My leg’s lame, so it’s hard for me to move around. But at least I can walk—it’s not a big problem. Just focus on looking after Shang Xuci and his grandmother.”
Although Xu Tutu didn’t know Gu Zhen well, he had eaten with her that day. She had been kind, even asking about his leg. She was a good person.
He also hoped the old lady would recover soon.
“Yes,” Jian Xun nodded. “The boss said you’re my friend, so you can still come to Ludao Garden. When your leg heals, I’ll ask Uncle Zhao to cook you something delicious.”
“Okay.”
A gentle breeze blew, carrying with it a sweet, almost magical aroma. Xu Tutu’s nose twitched as if enchanted. His limbs went weak, and he stumbled uncontrollably toward the source of the fragrance.
“What’s that smell?”
Jian Xun caught a whiff too, and suddenly remembering something, he covered his nose. His eyes widened as he shouted, “Don’t go over there!”
There’s an abyss ahead!!!
Xu Tutu’s cat ears flicked, his tail shot straight up, and he tossed his crutches aside. Hopping on three legs, he leapt toward the catnip.
“Xu Tutu!” Jian Xun cried, hurriedly pulling on a mask and chasing after him. As he reached out to grab the boy, his own cat ears and tail popped out. He quickly tried to cover them with his hands, but two hands weren’t nearly enough. Nervously glancing around, he saw no one nearby and finally sighed in relief before tugging at Xu Tutu again.
Just then, Shang Xuci leaned back slightly, catching a glimpse of not one but two swishing cat tails. His gaze shifted upward—and froze.
Xu Tutu, sniffing at the catnip, and Jian Xun… both had furry cat ears.
Xu Tutu is also a cat?
Xu Tutu… Tu Tu!
Wait—wasn’t Xu Huai’s cat also named Tu Tu?!