Qilan didn’t care. She hooked one claw onto his trousers and rubbed her head against them repeatedly, letting out tiny mews.
Liang Jianshi’s eyes widened. The world around him rapidly lost its color.
When everything returned to normal, it was to the sound of his assistant’s frantic shooing.
The cat and the assistant were playing a game of chase.
Seeing the hand about to grab her, Qilan let out a frightened “mew” and hid behind Liang Jianshi’s feet. Her heart sank. What was she even expecting from this rude, cold man? Would someone like him ever be kind enough to take in a stray cat?
Qilan quickly faced reality and gave up on the idea of conning Liang Jianshi. Just before the assistant could catch her, she darted out on her tiny paws and ran.
She ran with her head down, not watching where she was going, and got tripped over a large flowerpot. Before she could scramble out, a tall figure stood before her.
To her surprise, the man crouched down.
In Liang Jianshi’s hands was a warm little nest, made from the cashmere cardigan he had just taken off, still carrying his body heat. He moved with minimal gestures, gently offering it to the frightened kitten, patiently waiting for her.
Qilan’s big blue eyes were full of astonishment.
Seeing her frozen, the man lowered his hands a few inches, as if accommodating her tiny legs.
In the near-freezing late autumn, he was now wearing only a shirt, the cold wind blowing against his broad back.
“Come here. I’ll take you home.”
Qilan studied Liang Jianshi suspiciously for a moment. His eyes were bright, and when he looked at her, they were very gentle.
After all, she had chosen him as her meal ticket. There was no reason to hesitate. She stretched out her little paw and climbed on, somewhat tentatively curling up in his palm.
Liang Jianshi stood up, his movements unusually gentle as he draped the sweater fabric over the kitten’s small body.
Qilan suddenly found herself lifted into the air. Startled, she covered her eyes with both paws. When she came to her senses, she was wrapped up like a little cocoon, with a shadow over her head, Liang Jianshi’s hand shielding her from the rain.
The assistant beside him was holding the coat Liang Jianshi had tossed over, standing there dumbfounded. It wasn’t until the car engine roared to life that he hurried back into the vehicle.
The man in the back seat gave his orders unhurriedly: “Go to 23 Sailong Road.”
Assistant Wu and Driver Xiao Chen exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.
The pet hospital at 23 Sailong Road had a private physician system dedicated to treating show-grade pets, with exorbitant prices. Surely not for a stray cat?
Even so, neither dared to question Liang Jianshi’s words.
From the moment they got in the car, Qilan was cradled in Liang Jianshi’s arms. The man’s hand was larger than her entire cat’s body. Several times, she tried to jump out of his palm, but he effortlessly blocked her each time.
The car’s heating was strong, and Liang Jianshi’s body temperature was blazing. Soon, Qilan wasn’t cold anymore.
Only then did she start to feel a belated sense of worry.
The rumors said Liang Jianshi had a twisted personality. If he was taking a cat home, it wasn’t to mistreat it, was it?
She couldn’t help being paranoid, who wouldn’t be, after this man had nearly scalded her with boiling water earlier that day?
Her doubts persisted until they entered the hospital.
The one who came to greet them was Dr. Lu, who had studied in England. He was thirty-six, handsome and refined, and both people and animals liked him.
Dr. Lu had met Liang Jianshi a few times before. In his impression, Liang Jianshi was an aloof, arrogant young man with a blank expression. Seeing him today carrying a small kitten in his arms, such a heartwarming scene, Dr. Lu was rather surprised.
With the newly formed opinion of “Well, this guy seems pretty kind-hearted,” he smiled warmly as he reached to take the cat from Liang Jianshi, only for the other man to give him a wary look and walk straight into the hospital.
“I have an appointment. Dr. Lu Tingshu.” His voice was cold, always getting straight to the point.
Lu Tingshu stood in the rain, his smile frozen.
The receptionist’s smile was also a bit awkward. “That gentleman was Dr. Lu…”
Lu Tingshu took a deep breath and walked in. “Do I not look like a doctor?”
Liang Jianshi glanced at him. “Then please lead the way.”
Lu Tingshu leaned against the reception desk, thinking to himself that just moments ago he had used the word “kind-hearted” to describe Liang Jianshi, what a sin!
Then he thought again, this was a cash cow who had paid double the consultation fee to jump the queue. He supposed he could tolerate it for now.
After reassuring himself, Lu Tingshu once again reached for Qilan. “I’ll take the cat to the fourth-floor office for an examination.”
Liang Jianshi covered Qilan with his right hand, now looking at Dr. Lu with clear hostility. “I can take the cat to the fourth floor myself. No need to trouble you, Dr. Lu.”
Watching Liang Jianshi climb the stairs, Lu Tingshu nearly fainted from anger right there. “Chairman Liang, are you afraid I’m going to steal your cat?”
Liang Jianshi, the ‘shi’ in his name must stand for ‘insufferable.’
Once they reached the office, Qilan was placed on the examination table. The damp, messy fur on her body had already dried.
Lu Tingshu checked her nose and teeth, then reached to feel her belly. Qilan hadn’t yet fully embraced her identity as a cat; instinctively, she tried to flinch away. Lu Tingshu, clearly skilled at handling cats, quickly caught hold of her paw.
But even the technically proficient Dr. Lu didn’t succeed. Liang Jianshi slapped his hand away before it could reach Qilan’s chest and stomach.
Lu Tingshu stared at his reddened hand in disbelief. “Chairman Liang, what is the meaning of this!?”
Liang Jianshi pressed his lips into a thin line, shielding the cat against his lower abdomen. “Is there… a female vet?”
Lu Tingshu craned his neck forward as if looking at a complete fool. “So… you won’t let me touch her because she’s a female cat, and you think a man shouldn’t lay hands on her?”
Liang Jianshi said nothing.
Lu Tingshu let out a frustrated laugh. “Chairman Liang, my sincere advice: dress your cat in clothes next time you bring her in. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Before Liang Jianshi could get angry, Qilan got angry first.
What are you saying? In front of a lady.
But all that came out of her mouth was a “meow,”
Lu Tingshu recognized the emotion in the mew and couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha, you’ve got a little temper, huh?”
Qilan was mortified. She lowered her head and backed up a few steps.
Liang Jianshi noticed her little reaction and rubbed her head with his big hand, as if comforting a small child. “Dr. Lu, after all that examining, is there anything wrong with the cat’s health?”
Dr. Lu decided to let it go for the sake of how adorable and well-behaved the cat was. “From what I can see, aside from being a bit dirty, this cat is healthy. Since you won’t let me press her belly, let’s take an X-ray; that’ll put your mind at ease.”
The X-ray also showed no issues. Dr. Lu responsibly explained some things a first-time cat owner should know and gave him a book to read at home.
Liang Jianshi left with the cat, satisfied. Before departing, he had a rare smile on his face as he said, “Thank you for your trouble, Dr. Lu. I’ll need you to look after my child in the future.”
Lu Tingshu watched Liang Jianshi’s retreating figure in disbelief.
He hadn’t misheard, had he? The man was acting so disdainful, yet planning to come back to him? Liang Jianshi, the ‘jian’ in his name must stand for ‘shameless.’
On the way back, Liang Jianshi rested Qilan on his arm and fed her milk from a bottle.
The goat’s milk was sweet and soothing, very comforting to her starving little body.
The mouth structure of a cat is different from that of a human. No matter how careful Qilan tried to be, milk still dribbled out, messing up Liang Jianshi’s shirt.
The assistant in the front seat offered to help and was promptly rejected.
After a while, Qilan’s neck got sore from craning up to drink. She changed position, standing on her hind legs to drink. But she wasn’t a bipedal creature now; her body wobbled unsteadily. Liang Jianshi, understanding her need, supported her paw with his hand.
Resting on his hand made drinking much easier.
The assistant and driver watched through the rearview mirror, trying not to laugh. “Look, this cat needs someone to hold her paw while she drinks.”
Driver Xiao Chen also chuckled.
Before they could laugh much, they suddenly heard Liang Jianshi’s voice from the back. “She’s still young. Don’t laugh at her.”
The two restrained themselves and changed the subject.
“Chairman, have you thought of a name for your little fur baby?”
Qilan had a ring of milk foam around her mouth and now looked up curiously at Liang Jianshi.
She had been told she was a white lion cat with pure snow-white fur and clear lake-blue eyes. Liang Jianshi’s eyes, in dim light, had a hint of dark brown, a trait of mixed heritage.
Now they looked at each other, and Qilan thought she saw amusement in his eyes.
Before she could be sure, her thin, soft ear was gently flicked by his fingertip, and she heard his soft voice.
“Lanlan.”
Qilan’s vertical pupils widened.
Lanlan, that was her nickname, too!
What a coincidence!
The car was driven straight into the garage by the hotel valet. Qilan was carried in Liang Jianshi’s arms to the private elevator inside, drawing many astonished and admiring glances along the way, from guests checking in, as well as hotel staff.
A woman checking in at the front desk asked the manager in surprise, “Do you allow pets now?”
The manager smiled politely. “In principle, we do not, ma’am. However, that gentleman is the owner of this hotel. The suite he’s staying in is not considered a guest room open to the public, so the management rules are different. We hope you understand.”
Hearing this, watching the tall, young figure walk away, the guest let out a long sigh of admiration.
So this was how the richest man lived.
And Qilan was about to live as the richest man’s cat.
The moment she entered the room, she noticed it had changed. The vast hall was filled with workers coming and going, busy building a cat playground for her, cat trees, scratching posts, climbing shelves, a cat swing… all kinds of novel and whimsical cat toys.
There was too much dust in the hall, and Qilan sneezed. Liang Jianshi quickly carried her into the study.
Once in the study, Qilan immediately spotted the piano by the window.
It was hard to believe that to make space for her cat playground, Liang Jianshi had moved his beloved piano, the one he cared for so passionately that he had fired a poor female employee over it, into the study.
For a moment, Qilan wasn’t sure whether she stood at the top of the food chain or the bottom.
Qilan sat obediently on the desk. The smell of food made her nose twitch again.
Liang Jianshi laid a towel across his hand and picked her up with the other. Every movement was gentle, as if afraid that even a little more force might hurt her.
Qilan thought she must be a starving ghost reborn, drinking milk eight times a day.
But then again, she really was a starving ghost, wasn’t she?
The essence of a starving ghost was a bottomless pit! If she didn’t eat Liang Jianshi out of house and home, she wasn’t a true Chinese tabby cat!
With that thought, she stretched out her paw with a clear conscience. Seeing Liang Jianshi not moving, Qilan opened one eye and gave him a meaningful look. Somehow, Liang Jianshi understood.
He reached into his pants pocket, pulled out his hand, and supported the young lady’s right paw. Satisfied, the young lady closed her eyes again and continued lapping up the milk with soft smacks.
The cat playground outside had been finished. Assistant Wu came in to report and found his chairman, the man known for his ruthless efficiency, bent over, legs slightly crouched, elbows on the desk, one hand holding a bottle, the other supporting a cat’s paw, gazing intently at the cat drinking milk.
Because he was too tall and the desk was a bit low, his leg muscles had started to cramp slightly, but the hand holding the bottle was rock steady.
Was this really necessary…?
The assistant stood by in silence until Qilan finished her milk, then flopped backward onto the towel, belly up, savoring the moment with her eyes closed in bliss.
Liang Jianshi wiped the milk foam from the cat’s mouth, steadied his back as he stood up, and walked a bit stiff-legged toward the bathroom.
Qilan jumped off the desk to explore her cat playground. She looked around and felt something was off. Finally, one of the workers asked, “Hey? Where’s the cat bed?”
Another worker, more experienced with cats, said knowingly, “The chairman’s right, cats usually don’t sleep in beds. They sleep with people. So why buy a cat bed?”
Qilan’s fur stood on end.
Liang Jianshi wanted to sleep with her tonight!?