Jian Xun rested his chin on Shang Xuci’s shoulder, seizing the opportunity to finish his story.
“I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble abroad,” Jian Xun confessed honestly. “I had a nightmare about you getting into danger, and I was worried, so I followed you. You won’t blame me, will you?”
“I don’t blame you,” Shang Xuci said. “But you have to tell me the truth. Will you leave like you did before?”
Shang Xuci didn’t believe that Jian Xun had known he was in danger simply because of a dream. It was as if he already knew many things in advance. If Shang Xuci hadn’t been reborn, he wouldn’t have suspected so much. Illness and death were too heavy a topic—he didn’t want to reopen old wounds. But he knew Jian Xun had secrets, and he wanted him to speak.
Hadn’t he already confessed part of it?
Still, what Shang Xuci wanted most was a promise: that Jian Xun wouldn’t leave him again. After this incident, he could no longer bear it.
Jian Xun lowered his head, lost in thought. He grasped Shang Xuci’s shoulders, then summoned the courage to meet his gaze. But the heat in those deep eyes made him shudder, and he quickly lowered his lashes. His voice softened.
“If you don’t chase me away, I certainly won’t leave…”
Hearing his response, Shang Xuci’s hand gradually loosened at his side. The veins that had stood out from his clenched fist slowly faded. A heavy weight finally lifted from his heart, and he smiled with quiet satisfaction.
“There will never be that if.”
Jian Xun let out a soft hum. “Hmph, who knows? What if I meet someone I like in the future—someone like Miss Meng, who’s allergic to cats?”
He couldn’t help but voice his thoughts.
Shang Xuci, recalling the conversations Jian Xun had once had with Xu Tutu, answered without hesitation.
“No.”
Jian Xun didn’t believe him.
Shang Xuci went on, “I already have someone I like. He’s not allergic to cats—on the contrary, he loves them.” His eyes fixed on Jian Xun, watching every flicker of his expression.
At those words, Jian Xun froze as though the world had collapsed onto him, stunned and at a loss.
Who?!
Shang Xuci has someone he likes—how could he not know?!
Not allergic to cats… so Meng Jingxue was out of the question. But Jian Xun had been with Shang Xuci all this time, and he hadn’t seen him close to any other woman.
Could it be… that it happened while he was away?
Jian Xun’s nose tingled with a sudden sourness. His heart pounded, and his voice came out muffled as he asked,
“Who?”
Seeing him so dejected, Shang Xuci raised the corners of his mouth and said slowly, “Jian Xun.”
For a moment, Jian Xun’s mind went completely blank.
Shang Xuci’s deep voice was so close.
“Do you like me?”
Jian Xun had no idea what kind of like he meant, but he answered without hesitation.
“Yes.”
The cat ears on his head twitched, a little itchy. After speaking, he took the initiative to hug Shang Xuci’s arm and snuggle against him. Looking up with shining eyes, he declared, “I love you the most!”
Shang Xuci’s heart suddenly tightened. He raised his hand to touch Jian Xun’s face, his cold fingertips sliding gradually down to his rosy lips, caressing the corners of his mouth. A warm breath enveloped Jian Xun’s whole body.
A gentle kiss fell on Jian Xun’s lips.
Jian Xun’s eyes widened in disbelief. His mind went blank, his head felt weak, and his face—just moments ago calm—flushed rapidly. His heartbeat was no longer just a simple thump; the excitement filled his mind, and he felt a suffocating hunger, like he was starving.
He stared blankly at Shang Xuci, unconsciously licking his lips.
That small movement instantly snapped the strings of Shang Xuci’s restraint. He reached out, grasped Jian Xun’s chin, and in the next moment, kissed him again.
At first, Shang Xuci lingered only at his lips, teasingly licking them. Seeing no resistance, he pressed Jian Xun’s chin down, pried his mouth open, and thrust his tongue inside. Their lips meshed together, savoring every trace of his taste…
Jian Xun grew dizzy from the kiss, disoriented, his hands clutching tightly at Shang Xuci’s clothes.
Shang Xuci’s movements began to lose control. No longer content with a one-sided kiss, he bit at Jian Xun’s lips, sucking hard.
Jian Xun’s heart raced wildly. It was an experience he had never known before—fresh, overwhelming. A mixture of anticipation, confusion, curiosity, and fear surged through him, and yet, instinctively, he wanted to chase after it.
Gradually, Jian Xun’s breath grew short under the kiss, and he began to pull away. Shang Xuci seized his wrist, pushed him down onto the bed, and continued kissing him.
Their breathing grew ragged. Jian Xun felt dizzy, his body tingling and weak, without the strength to resist or even form a sound. Soon, he began to struggle.
Realizing he was suffocating, Shang Xuci reluctantly let him go.
He pinched Jian Xun’s soft cheek, watching his teary, glistening eyes. Pressing his tongue lightly against his own lips as if to savor the lingering taste, he looked down at Jian Xun and asked in a hoarse voice, “Even like this, do you still like it?”
Jian Xun’s whole body felt hot. His cheek, held in Shang Xuci’s hand, burned unbearably. His gaze flickered, unsettled. Only then did he begin to understand what Shang Xuci truly meant by like.
He pressed his hands weakly against Shang Xuci’s chest, trying to push him away. But the moment he moved, Shang Xuci pulled him back.
“Let me go first.” Jian Xun raised his hand to push again, his fair, smooth arms trembling faintly.
Shang Xuci’s gaze shifted slightly, though his body remained as steady as a statue.
“Answer me first.”
Jian Xun closed his eyes and whispered, “I like you.”
Then, tilting his chin up, he added firmly, “But you can’t push me like this.”
“I just don’t want you to run away.” Shang Xuci released his hand at once, instead gently caressing him. “What if you turn me into a cat again?”
Jian Xun angrily burrowed under the quilt and muttered, “No way.”
But hearing Shang Xuci say he liked him—that it was love, the kind between man and woman—filled him with joy.
“Then we can’t bring up the past.”
“Yeah.” Shang Xuci stroked the top of his head. “From now on, you can do whatever you want.”
Jian Xun nudged the quilt aside and said, “I want to change clothes and take a shower. You go out first. And I want to eat the fish Uncle Zhao cooked.”
Normally, he had to sneak around to eat Uncle Zhao’s food. But now that he was officially staying with Shang Xuci, he could ask openly—and he had been craving it for a long time.
“I’ll have him make it.”
Shang Xuci left the room. Jian Xun threw off the quilt and began searching for clothes to wear into the shower.
Hearing the water start to run in the bathroom, Shang Xuci turned his attention to his vibrating phone.
“Mr. Shang, they’ve all confessed and are willing to testify against their employer.”
“Very good. I understand. Keep a close watch on them.”
Fu Qian, who had stayed abroad to handle the matter, stood beside the bed, glancing at the man lying motionless. He continued, “I’m with Shang Yi now. The doctor says he’s out of danger, but his leg can’t be saved. Surgery is needed as soon as possible, and the family must sign a consent form. Should we inform Xu Rong about this?”
“No. Just send Shang Ye directly.”
“Okay.”
After Fu Qian finished reporting the situation, he couldn’t help but ask, “Is Sui Sui okay?”
The kitten must have been terrified that day. He didn’t know how it ended up abroad, but it had nearly died saving Mr. Shang. Now, surely, it must be treated like a treasure.
Shang Xuci glanced toward the bathroom.
“He’s fine now.”
After Fu Qian hung up, Xu Rong’s number began flashing across the screen, her calls coming one after another. When Shang Xuci finally answered, her voice was hysterical, dripping with hatred.
“Shang Xuci, how can you be so vicious! You actually attacked your own brother! He was innocent from the beginning—how could you have the guts to do that! You devil, come at me if you dare!!”
“Vicious? I return that to you,” Shang Xuci said coldly. “You reap what you sow.”
He had no feelings for Shang Yi, nor had he intended to harm him. It was the Shang family who had chosen to gather those people, and he didn’t care why they’d chosen Shang Yi.
“What do you mean?” Xu Rong demanded, her breathing ragged.
In a rare display of patience, Shang Xuci replied, “He got into trouble because of you.”
“If I had really been in their car, I’d be lying in the hospital right now.” Shang Xuci spoke each word with such force that the woman on the other end nearly collapsed.
Xu Rong’s fingers turned white around her phone. Her heart pounded violently. Did Shang Xuci know everything?
“Xu Rong, God sees what you do. Shang Yi’s current situation is your fault. If you hadn’t wanted me dead, none of this would have happened.”
A dark thought flickered across Shang Xuci’s mind. Shang Yi was lucky—at least his life had been saved. If he had died, what kind of expression would Xu Rong have worn then?
But since she loved Shang Yi so deeply, she would be devastated if he became disabled.
The woman cursed and sobbed into the phone. Shang Xuci’s voice remained icy.
“It’s too early to cry. Save your tears for your father. After all, he won’t escape the charge of intentional homicide.”
A long silence followed on the other end.
Click.
The bathroom door opened.
Shang Xuci’s goal of provoking Xu Rong had been achieved; soon, the truth would be exposed. He didn’t care to say any more. He hung up the phone and draped a towel over Jian Xun’s head.
“Who were you talking to on the phone just now?” Jian Xun asked.
“Xu Rong.” Shang Xuci didn’t hide anything as he wiped Jian Xun’s head with a towel. “This accident was planned by her and her father. We have all the evidence—both physical and testimonial. Now all that’s left is to arrest the perpetrators.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Jian Xun nodded. The plot change had already reached ninety-five percent, almost complete. There were no more crises left—except for the lingering question of whether the old man would reappear and take him away.
But Jian Xun wasn’t too worried. After all, the old man had promised to grant him a wish once the mission was complete. He could simply wish to stay. There was nothing worth lingering for in that other world anyway.
Shang Xuci had no idea that Jian Xun had just made a very important decision.
Obediently, Jian Xun let Shang Xuci wipe and blow-dry his hair.
At last, he enjoyed the whole fish feast prepared by Uncle Zhao. Eating and drinking to his heart’s content, he leaned back with his eyes closed, rubbing his belly.
“You’ll live here from now on.”
“But Brother Tutu’s leg isn’t healed yet,” Jian Xun said, opening his eyes. “I want to wait until he’s better before moving back in.”
“You can invite him to live here with you.” Shang Xuci’s manor villa had more than enough room, and with their current relationship, the suggestion wasn’t difficult to make.
“I’ll ask Brother Tutu.”
That evening.
Jian Xun changed into clean pajamas and went to the study.
Shang Xuci was still busy handling Shang Jia’s affairs. After the accident that day, he had postponed his appointment. Fortunately, with Xu Huai’s help, the contract had finally been settled—the other party agreed to purchase Yuanqu, debts included.
Shang Xuci had also obtained information on Du Guan. Reading carefully through one section, he was surprised to find that the man had ties with Shang Jia. No wonder he had used Xu Rong to target the Shang family.
Jian Xun sat beside him with a tablet. Resting his head on his folded arms, he stared intently at the screen.
Seeing him slumped over like a boneless heap, Shang Xuci frowned.
“Sui Sui, sit up straight. It’s bad for your eyes.”
Jian Xun ignored him and glanced sideways.
“Shang Shang, do you have headphones?”
He remembered how Maomao used to watch the tablet, and Maomao would complain about the volume being too loud. He thought Shang Xuci’s words just now had been a subtle reminder.
Shang Xuci raised an eyebrow and handed him his Bluetooth headphones.
When Jian Xun mentioned the earphone incident, Shang Xuci’s heart stirred.
“You remember?”
“Of course I do. I remember every moment we spent together.” Jian Xun yawned, then asked eagerly, “Tonight, do you want Sui Sui to sleep with you—or Jian Xun?”
He blinked playfully and added, “It’s free.”
Shang Xuci knew the little guy was teasing. He glanced at the time and answered calmly, “Sui Sui.”
Jian Xun: “?”
So… is his sweet-smelling little cat no match for a meowing one?
Ten o’clock in the evening.
Jian Xun’s transformation into a cat never lasted long. The warmth clinging to his ears sent a shiver through his body, and a few seconds later, a naked young man emerged from beneath the blankets, his cheeks flushed.
Shang Xuci’s hand brushed against smooth skin, and his heart stirred slightly as his gaze fell on the young man’s head.
The furry cat ears twitched.
Jian Xun, held tightly in his arms, had forgotten he wasn’t wearing any clothes after changing back from a cat into a human. When he realized, he froze, too nervous to move. Raising his head only made it worse—Shang Xuci’s steady gaze left him even more flustered, his breathing uneven.
After a long hesitation, he stammered a few words.
“I… I like sleeping naked.”