Cen Nian was frightened out of his wits. He was so timid that he didn’t even dare to watch horror movies, yet the pictures on the computer screen just now were even scarier than a horror movie.
He had thought that the person who bought him was merely an ordinary, run-of-the-mill domineering CEO.
In reality, the person who bought him might indeed be a CEO, but he was by no means ordinary. Behind the scenes, he was actually a psychopathic serial killer, or perhaps he was so wealthy because he earned money by taking on assassination missions.
Now he was back home, and in the dead of night, he was still relishing those photos.
The more he thought about it, the scarier it got.
Cen Nian looked up in horror with his large blue eyes. From this angle, he could only see Yu Shen’s prominent Adam’s apple and sharply angled jawline.
Who would have thought! You look so thick-eyebrowed and big-eyed, yet you’re actually a pervert.
All four of Cen Nian’s small paws curled up tightly. The hand stroking him did nothing to soothe his nerves; instead, it terrified him even more. After all, this was a hand that had killed people.
“Meow.”
He couldn’t restrain a helpless, fearful sound.
Yu Shen lowered his head to look at the trembling kitten. Cen Nian met his gaze. Is he about to move on me now?
Fear spawned courage within him. All four little paws kicked out together toward Yu Shen. Take my Meow Meow Punch!
Soft little paws struck Yu Shen’s solid abdominal muscles, one strike after another, accompanied by fierce whining and meowing noises that sounded quite formidable.
As Cen Nian kicked, he suddenly thought: Wow, his abs are so hard…
The kitten abruptly shook his head vigorously. Cen Nian, what are you blabbering to yourself about! They’re just abs! Still, this man definitely has an eight-pack. Cen Nian had been a slender male high school student, with a thin waist, thin legs, and thin arms, and had always harbored fantasies about having muscle, but he had never gotten the chance.
Yu Shen assumed the kitten was startled, so he closed the laptop, picked Cen Nian up, and left the study. He went downstairs and placed Cen Nian into the soft, cozy cat bed prepared for him.
The moment the kitten entered the nest, he was almost buried by the plush padding, his pair of big blue eyes staring intently at Yu Shen without blinking once.
Yu Shen casually patted Cen Nian’s head. “Go to sleep.”
Only Cen Nian was left downstairs. It seemed his Meow Meow Punch had scared the man off. However, to be safe, he decided to sleep with one eye open tonight.
He tried hard to close one eye, but the other eye kept closing right along with it. His pink little nose puckered upward in the process; it was actually quite difficult.
Upstairs, Yu Shen returned to his bedroom. He didn’t turn on the lights. His tall figure stood silhouetted in the darkness, looking out the window. In this villa area, the distances between houses were vast, making the night exceptionally quiet, so quiet that it felt as though he were the only person left in the world.
His mouth suddenly felt a bit dry. Reaching toward his trouser pocket, his hand came up empty, and his movement froze. The criminal police officer Yu Shen didn’t smoke; the one who always dangled a cigarette from his mouth was the hitman A-Du. But there was no longer a hitman named A-Du in this world, only a criminal police officer named Yu Shen who knew how to smoke.
Yu Shen pulled a cigarette pack out of the nightstand drawer. Accompanied by the click of a lighter, a faint flame flickered in the dark. Sitting with his legs roughly spread wide, he bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and took one drag after another.
He had just completed a year-long undercover mission under the identity of the hitman A-Du. Now that the case was closed, he had returned to his true identity and received a month-long vacation. Following standard procedure, he underwent psychological counseling and evaluation, during which the doctor suggested he raise a pet at home.
That was why he had pushed open the door of that pet shop.
During that year undercover, no living creature had ever actively approached him. After his return, this blue-eyed kitten was the first. The shop owner had said it liked him.
He finished one cigarette quickly. He pulled a second cigarette halfway out of the pack, only to push it back in.
He stood up to go wash up again.
The cigarette pack, with only one cigarette remaining inside, was tossed directly into the trash can.
Cen Nian hadn’t fallen asleep. As the night deepened, every tiny rustle made him nervous. He curled himself into a tiny ball and cowered in the darkest corner. Only a few small nightlights were lit across the vast first floor, illuminating practically nothing.
Because of the high courtyard wall, the floor-to-ceiling window had no curtains drawn. The swaying shadows of trees were projected onto the floor by the moonlight, twisting and distorted as the wind blew, resembling withered, soul-snatching hands reaching out toward him.
The tiny kitten’s head tilted and twitched, nervously scanning here and there.
Cen Nian held out a bit longer, but he really couldn’t take it anymore. He anxiously scrambled out of the cat bed, wanting to go upstairs. Although that man was terrifying too, at least he was a known danger.
He rolled out of the bed, landing flat on his back, and encountered his life’s greatest adversary, the stairs.
Originally, he wanted to back up a bit, do a running start, and make one grand, perfect leap to get up. But the floor was far too slick; Cen Nian tumbled so badly he became completely disoriented and couldn’t tell north from south.
Left with no other option, he cried out, “Meow!”
“Meow meow, ” (Come save me and carry me up, please, I’m begging you!)
At first, he was still using a sweet, pinched voice, but eventually he couldn’t maintain it. Opening his “abyssal maw,” he managed to let out a raspy, husky tone.
In the quiet night, the meows echoed continuously, growing more urgent yet weaker by the second.
Suddenly, a narrow strip of warm yellow light spilled down from upstairs, casting a beam right onto the stairs and landing squarely on Cen Nian.
Yu Shen, awakened by the noise, appeared at the top of the stairs. Backlit by the glow, his silhouette appeared even taller and broader. Looking down, he saw the tiny kitten standing upright, resting two paws on the stair step, bathed in golden light as its little head tilted back to stare straight up at him.
Yu Shen saw a clear sense of need in those eyes, a pure, simple need for him. The hand hanging by his side tightened slightly.
He slowly walked down the steps.
Cen Nian let out a tense, weak “meow.” Something felt off; the shirtless man carried an aura entirely different from his daytime appearance. It was as if his suspicion was confirmed: that refined business suit was merely meant to restrain his wild nature.
Of course, he had also been spot-on about the eight-pack abs.
As Yu Shen drew closer, Cen Nian’s head leaned further and further back until, plop!, he hilariously tumbled backward. He scrambled back up and sat upright again. He was the one who had called the man down, yet he was also the one who was terrified. He tried to sneak backward, but because his legs were weak, he ended up landing flat on his rear again.
It wasn’t until Yu Shen scooped him up from the ground that his tumbling marathon for the night finally came to an end.
Cen Nian caught a lingering trace of gloom in the man’s sharp brows. Not daring to look at the various scars covering his body, he straightened up in fear, clasping his two front paws together to bow repeatedly.
“Meow, ” (Don’t be angry, I’ll dance for you!)
Yu Shen didn’t know what it was doing; it almost looked like it was trying to punch him, but it seemed it didn’t like being downstairs alone. Furthermore, it wasn’t shaking anymore, so it really had been frightened by the photos earlier.
Turning around, he carried the somewhat strange kitten back to the bedroom.
Yu Shen fetched a pillow, placed it on the floor, wrapped a towel around it, and set down the kitten, whose little paws were still bowing non-stop.
Finally showing a hint of interest, he watched the kitten as it poked its head around, inspecting its new surroundings. Then, those blue eyes fixed on him, froze for a second, and instantly zipped shut as the kitten fell asleep on the spot.
It even let out a soft, purring kitten sound.
Cen Nian: Terrified.
Yu Shen stared at Cen Nian silently for a long time. Even with his eyes closed, Cen Nian could feel the sharp gaze pinned on him.
Could he have figured out that I’m actually human?
Yu Shen thought: This little thing actually has eyelashes, long, curled, and thick.
The room plunged into darkness once more. Cen Nian, who hadn’t actually fallen asleep, thought it was fine at first. But when he opened his eyes and saw nothing but the pitch-black underside of the bed, unable to discern what was lurking in the dark, he felt this sleeping spot was still unacceptable.
He was too close to the ground; who knew if something might crawl up from the floor in the middle of the night while he was asleep?
Cen Nian endured it for a bit, estimating the distance between himself and the bed. As long as he made a light jump and caught the bedsheet, he could get onto the bed without a trace.
Cen Nian acted immediately, completely forgetting his previous fear of Yu Shen. His personality was a mix of timid and reckless.
Cen Nian stretched his two front legs forward, lowered his body, and raised his hindquarters. Once in position, he sprinted forward, ” Don’t look down on us munchkin cats; we rely on technique!
With a dull thud, accompanied by a pathetic “Meow!”, the completely technique-less Cen Nian crashed heavily onto the floor.
Yu Shen leaned over the side of the bed and saw the kitten’s forehead flattened from the impact. Its big blue eyes drooped downward in an aggrieved, pitiable expression, brimming with watery tears.
Cen Nian’s head was ringing; he felt as though his brains had been rattled out.
Soon, he was scooped up by that familiar large hand. Yu Shen placed the restless kitten next to his own pillow.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have bought a cat, but rather a quiet goldfish or something similar.
The fur around the kitten’s eye sockets was damp with tears, making it genuinely endearing. Even someone with Yu Shen’s tough disposition softened, reaching out to gently rub Cen Nian’s head.
“Meow.” (Yes, right there, rub it some more.)
Cen Nian rubbed the bumped spot against Yu Shen’s palm. His little head wasn’t even as big as Yu Shen’s palm. After Yu Shen petted him for a while longer, Cen Nian, finally satisfied with his lodging, stopped making a fuss. As expected, sleeping on the bed was the right choice.
After hearing the kitten’s steady breathing, Yu Shen looked over. The kitten that was supposed to be beside the pillow was now resting its head right on the edge of the pillow, all four paws sticking up in the air, its pink, three-part mouth twitching rhythmically.
He stared at it for a moment, then extended a finger to gently poke it. The fingertip was immediately caught and sucked on several times. He could clearly feel that this was a soft, warm little life right beside him, completely defenseless.
The feeling was novel and subtle. But Yu Shen didn’t dislike it.
When Yu Shen opened his eyes again at dawn, he felt a light weight and warmth against his right arm.
He glanced over: the kitten was hugging his arm with all four paws. However, because its legs were too short, it couldn’t wrap around at all. Its tiny tail had slipped into the gaps between his fingers. It was sleeping soundly, the corners of its mouth curled upward, its usually large eyes squeezed into two content slits.
With every breath, its fluffy little belly pressed against his arm again and again.
Yu Shen thought: You really don’t stay still while sleeping, do you?
Using two fingers, he pried open one small paw. Just as he was about to pry open the second, the first paw hugged right back, accompanied by a disgruntled grunt.
The little paws held on even tighter.
Yu Shen let out a soft chuckle and untiringly pried open the paws again, repeating the process about ten times. Finally, the paw swung back and spread wide, splat! slapping right onto his arm. He could see the sharp tips of the claws starting to scratch downward.
He pinched the scruff of the kitten’s neck and used a bit more force to pull Cen Nian off in one go.
By the time Cen Nian woke up, Yu Shen was no longer in the bedroom. Stretching his four limbs on the bed, he twisted left and right, playing by himself for a while before jumping off the bed.
Still breaking with his face, he trotted out of the bedroom in cat steps and reached the top of the stairs, hearing commotion down below.
He proudly raised his non-existent little neck, acting like the master of the house. In reality, he wasn’t even as tall as a single stair step, yet he let out a majestic “Meow” (Come get me, this kitty is up and ready to eat!)
After a good night’s sleep, the big-hearted Cen Nian had slept away all his fear of Yu Shen.
Soon, Yu Shen’s tall and straight figure appeared in his line of sight. Cen Nian tilted his adorable head and started with a sweet, high-pitched vocalization: “Meow.”
His large blue eyes flashed with joy at seeing his owner, and he eagerly raised a paw to head down the stairs.
Footsteps sounded as Yu Shen walked up.
Cen Nian pulled back his testing paw, his little cat mouth curving into a sly, secret grin. He wasn’t actually going to walk down; with his ability, he would just roll down. He was merely putting on a show for Yu Shen.
If you don’t come carry me, your precious little cat is going to fall,
Steadily gathered up by Yu Shen’s strong arms, Cen Nian secretly took a sniff. The man smelled very clean, a crisp, subtle scent that humans could barely detect.
He actually quite liked it; it was refreshing and invigorating.
Just as he was brought downstairs, the doorbell rang. Yu Shen, who was originally taking Cen Nian to get food, changed direction. After confirming the visitor’s identity on the smart peephole, he opened the door.
Cen Nian: Let me see who’s delaying my mealtime.
Walking in was a delicate, handsome young man who instantly gave Cen Nian a gentle, peaceful impression, earning his immediate favor.
“Brother Shen, I’m here to… Wow! Brother Shen, is this your cat? You actually got a cat? It’s so cute!”
Cen Nian held his head high with pride. Of course, I am the most adorable kitty in the world.
In the next second, he was picked up by He Zhiqiu. The perfume on He Zhiqiu was a bit strong, making Cen Nian sneeze. Seeing a few tiny droplets appear on his camel-colored coat, He Zhiqiu’s movement froze imperceptibly for a moment. He looked up at Yu Shen: “It even sneezes; that’s just too cute.”
Cen Nian was using his little paw to secretly rub the spot he had soiled. Really sorry for getting your clothes dirty.
Luckily, this guy has a good temper and didn’t blame me.
“Brother Shen, this is a gift I brought for you.” He Zhiqiu held onto Cen Nian without letting go, scratching him under the chin.
“Brother Shen, my grandmother knew you were on vacation, so she specifically asked me to come visit her with you.”
He looked at Yu Shen with expectation and subtle tension, saying meaningfully, “She said she misses you very much.”
Yu Shen’s gaze remained entirely on Cen Nian, who was squinting his eyes in sheer bliss from the chin scratches. “Thanks for the gift. I’m going upstairs to change.”
Before turning around, he glanced at Cen Nian once more, but Cen Nian wasn’t looking at him at all.
Yu Shen’s eyes darkened slightly, and he went upstairs.
Meanwhile, controlled by his feline instincts, Cen Nian was thoroughly enjoying the chin scratches; it felt so good! Just as he was reveling in it, he suddenly felt his body drop. Before he could react, he slammed hard onto the floor.
“Meow!” (That hurt like hell!)
Falling straight from heaven, Cen Nian looked at He Zhiqiu in complete bewilderment and innocence. He Zhiqiu, who had just adored him a moment ago, was now shaking out his coat in disgust and glaring down at him with utter hatred.
“Damned thing, ruining my brand new clothes.”
Cen Nian was in disbelief. This guy actually had two faces, and he had dropped him on purpose!!