When Liang Jianshi returned, the cat was hiding under a cabinet.
A small white ball, only the size of a fist, hidden deep in the darkness, breathing rapidly, her terrified, large eyes fixed on the outside.
Qilan was so frightened that her body trembled uncontrollably. From outside came Lin Anyuan’s intermittent apologies.
“Brother Jianshi, I’m so sorry. This was my fault. My cousin was being naught; his youth is no excuse. I failed to supervise him properly. I’m also responsible. I was gone for only five minutes when this happened. I came in immediately the moment it happened. Fortunately, the cat isn’t hurt…”
Outside, the little boy was wailing loudly.
Just moments ago, Qilan had narrowly escaped. The little boy tried to catch her again, and she scratched him with her paw. Later, Lin Anyuan rushed over to separate them, but Qilan was already terrified and attacking indiscriminately; she ended up scratching Lin Anyuan’s face badly, too.
Lin Anyuan had a good attitude about admitting fault, apologizing profusely to the cat, and not mentioning her own or her cousin’s injuries at all.
Inside, Qilan didn’t hear Liang Jianshi’s voice. She felt dizzy and nauseous, too unwell to pay attention to what was happening outside.
The little boy’s crying was disturbing Qilan, so Liang Jianshi’s secretary led him out.
The door latch clicked softly, and Liang Jianshi called Dr. Lu.
His voice was very low, afraid to worsen the cat’s discomfort.
Dr. Lu’s tone was quite unfriendly from the start. “Chairman Liang, don’t you have work? Harassing me eight hundred times a day, are you trying to earn back your consultation fee? When this month is up, I will no longer be your private veterinarian!”
“Come over now. I’ll have my assistant pick you up.”
Lu Tingshu: “Did I just speak in vain? I’ve already told you, bad breath isn’t a big deal! Constipation is only temporary! Even if she watches you shower, she won’t get pink eye!”
Liang Jianshi started a video call, then lay down on the floor, his head pressed against the carpet, his line of sight level with the narrow gap under the cabinet. He looked for a moment, then held the camera into the gap to show Lu Tingshu the situation.
Seeing the sight in the gap, Lu Tingshu realized something was truly wrong.
“She’s terrified, she’s having a stress reaction. I’ll handle it.”
After Lu Tingshu hung up, Liang Jianshi patiently tried many methods. Even using Qilan’s favorite treats and meat, he couldn’t coax her out.
He said all the kind words he could think of, but the cat hiding inside remained unmoved. Liang Jianshi sighed and sat helplessly beside the cabinet, keeping her company.
Not long after, Lu Tingshu hurried over. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Liang Jianshi’s athletic frame pressed flat against the floor, his head tilted against the carpet, gazing affectionately into the space where his beloved cat was hiding. That large head was wedged under the cabinet, as if he wished he could master the art of shrinking his bones to crawl in and squat with his cat.
This posture was practically a form of worship, a pilgrimage. If someone lit three incense sticks, it would be a proper offering.
Lu Tingshu almost couldn’t suppress a smile. So even this man, always at the center of the world, could be humble and helpless before a cat.
He shook his head with a smile, knelt on the carpet, stuck his rear up, and joined Liang Jianshi in observing.
Qilan quickly calmed down, though she still trembled slightly.
The two humans outside stared at her with unblinking eyes for over half an hour without blinking. It was eerie, like those horror games where players find someone hiding in a corner.
Lu Tingshu: “How did you manage as a servant? I thought you were loyal and devoted, willing to go through fire and water.”
Liang Jianshi: “I didn’t leave the hotel. I met a client in the private dining room. Less than an hour.”
Lu Tingshu: “You’ve been staying with this cat without leaving the hotel?”
Liang Jianshi: “Aside from today, I haven’t even left the suite.”
Lu Tingshu was stunned. “Don’t you have work to do, man?! What about the empire you built?”
Liang Jianshi: “That’s none of your concern.”
Lu Tingshu: “…”
“So… how did a dog get in? Doesn’t the hotel prohibit pets?”
Liang Jianshi’s mood soured when this was mentioned. “A small dog was brought in a pet carrier. Used the private elevator and wasn’t discovered.”
“Then this was truly a destined misfortune, impossible to prevent.” Lu Tingshu sighed as he looked at Liang Jianshi, meeting a pair of deep, intimidating eyes. A chill wrapped around him, and he quickly corrected himself. “Ah… I mean… um… you’ve tried so many times, and she won’t come to you. How about you step away for a bit, and I’ll try? I’m a professional doctor, after all, I know better methods.”
Liang Jianshi cooperatively got up, but clearly disagreed with Lu Tingshu’s words. “She eats and sleeps with me. We have the closest bond. She’s not close to anyone but me. You’ve only met her once; she might not even remember you. Why would she come out?”
As he spoke, he walked to the open kitchen, took a sip of water, and turned around to see the little kitten trembling as she climbed onto the small blanket in Lu Tingshu’s hands.
Dr. Lu, overjoyed, lowered his voice to gloat to Liang Jianshi. “She’s really close to me!”
Liang Jianshi: “…”
Qilan had simply gotten hungry and wanted some goat milk, so she came out on her own.
The towel was Qilan’s usual one, made of soft, comfortable fabric. She didn’t know where Liang Jianshi had bought it, but it had a sweet strawberry milk scent. Dr. Lu wrapped her in it, and the dark environment made her feel secure.
Liang Jianshi walked to the sofa and gestured to Dr. Lu, pointing at himself.
Dr. Lu turned away, indicating he didn’t want to give the cat to Liang Jianshi. He wanted to hold her a little longer. It was rare for this cat to choose him over Liang Jianshi, letting Liang Jianshi taste the bitterness of unrequited affection brought him immense satisfaction and schadenfreude.
Liang Jianshi was displeased. He gestured: “This is my cat. I should be the one to feed her.”
They held their standoff for a moment, then Lu Tingshu reluctantly handed the towel over.
Qilan had expended too much energy and was now exhausted, drowsy, and confused. Her nose caught the familiar scent of goat milk. She smacked her lips, licking up the sweet milk foam, then stretched her head forward with the support, her teeth latching onto the nipple as she expertly drank the milk.
After two sips, she half-opened her eyes and saw that Liang Jianshi had replaced Lu Tingshu. With a startled “mew,” she scrambled away, paws slipping, and hid against Lu Tingshu.
Lu Tingshu quickly cupped his hands together, sheltering the kitten in his palms.
Seeing Liang Jianshi frozen in shock, Lu Tingshu gave a sympathetic, wry smile. “It seems your cat now dislikes you.”
Liang Jianshi straightened up, his lips pressed into a thin line, a shadow of gloom in his eyes. He stared at the floor, expressionless, sinking into a boundless silence.
Outside, thick clouds gathered. Withered leaves clung precariously to the branches. The room was so quiet that no sound could be heard.
Seeing him so dejected, Lu Tingshu felt a pang of sympathy for Liang Jianshi.
This kitten was too young, unable to withstand even the slightest harm. Even though Liang Jianshi had treated her so well before, arriving a moment too late meant losing her trust.
The margin for error was just too low. He truly felt sorry for Liang Jianshi; all his previous efforts had gone to waste.
But none of this was the cat’s fault. She was just a baby!
In truth, Qilan hadn’t meant to blame Liang Jianshi. It was just her sensitive feline instincts triggering an automatic avoidance response when the environment changed.
Back in Dr. Lu’s arms, she licked her milk and slowly fell asleep again, ignoring Liang Jianshi entirely, like a fickle, heartless cat.
With her pink little mouth half-open, Qilan slept soundly. Dr. Lu, overcome with paternal affection, couldn’t help but show off to Liang Jianshi despite his dejection. “Look, look, she’s sleeping stretched out straight, just like a human!”
“She needs a little pillow, see? My finger under her neck is the perfect height.”
“She’s smacking her lips, dreaming of something tasty, probably.”
“Oh! She’s rolled over, rolled over! Look at that little leg sticking up, that’s exactly how I sleep! Just needs a pillow to hug, hehehe…”
“Dr. Lu, have you said enough?”
Liang Jianshi finally couldn’t take it anymore.
Lu Tingshu coughed, realizing he should probably be more considerate of the abandoned parents’ feelings. “Friend, you really don’t need to look so heartbroken.”
Liang Jianshi shot him a look that made Dr. Lu sense a hint of danger.
“What I mean is, there’s still room to fix this. You can try to win her over with some cat treats, little toys, and build your bond through play.”
Liang Jianshi: “She’s not interested in those things. She’s not an ordinary kitten.”
Dr. Lu frowned in confusion. “She’s so young, and she was a stray before. There’s no reason she’d resist the allure of a teaser toy. Is she really that aloof? That’s so impressive…”
Liang Jianshi: “Mm. She probably takes after me.”
Dr. Lu: “That’s really unfortunate. It’s not a good thing.”
Liang Jianshi: “?”
Dr. Lu: “Since you’ve tried all those methods and they didn’t work, how did you get close to her before?”
Liang Jianshi: “Sleeping.”
Dr. Lu: “Are you sure she got comfortable with you just from sleeping?”
Liang Jianshi’s brow furrowed, and Dr. Lu immediately realized the ambiguity in his words and lightly slapped his own mouth.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
Qilan didn’t know how long she had slept. When she woke up, she saw Liang Jianshi working at his desk again.
He rested his chin on his hand, looking a bit tired.
Being the richest man wasn’t easy either.
Qilan rested her cat’s head on the sofa, watching him secretly. In the dim light, the man with a high nose and deep-set eyes exuded an indescribable maturity and steadiness.
She never denied Liang Jianshi’s good looks and charm. Having admired the handsome man to her satisfaction, she stretched contentedly.
Liang Jianshi rubbed his brow and leaned back in his chair, spotting a white paw stretching out from behind the sofa, straightening, spreading its toes, grasping at the air.
His beloved cat was awake.
Liang Jianshi rose from his desk and scooped up a spoonful of shrimp paste at the perfect temperature. “You’ve been drinking goat milk for so long. Want to taste some meat?”
Qilan’s eyes were wary. She sat with her paws together at the far end of the sofa.
“How cunning. He can’t win my affection, so he’s trying to tempt me with food.”
She wouldn’t give this man any chance to feel smug. With a little huff, she jumped off the sofa, leaving Liang Jianshi, who had been trying so hard to feed her, frozen, his spoon extended and his gentle smile stiff in the cold air.
Qilan wasn’t really angry at Liang Jianshi. She just wanted some quiet time. She found a box and squatted inside, zoning out. She had no idea that Liang Jianshi was racking his brain over her behavior. He came over and started fiddling with the box she had been sitting on. After some adjustments, he installed a gaming console and asked if she wanted to play. Only then did Qilan realize what the box she had been squatting on actually was.
Since he was working so hard to misinterpret her, she played a couple of rounds with him. At some point, she ended up sitting on his lap. His hand slowly moved toward the top of her head, waiting for the chance to stealthily ruffle her fur, silently mending their relationship. Qilan rolled her eyes at him. Just when he let his guard down, she bit his hand and left, leaving Liang Jianshi to be besieged by monsters alone.
Later, he brought out a mystery box game filled with tempting prizes; whatever you drew, you got. Qilan initially thought it was childish. But then she stuck her paw in and pulled out a television. The TV was promptly delivered and set up. Then she drew a million dollars. Her little cat paw began to tremble.
“Was Liang Jianshi not treating her like a cat at all…?”
So what if he had money? This was money Liang Jianshi was giving to Lanlan, not Qilan.
Thinking about this made her depressed, and she ignored Liang Jianshi even more.
Perhaps Liang Jianshi had never been so defeated by anything in his life. Unable to handle the blow, he grew cold and didn’t speak to Qilan for three hours.
When Qilan felt better and went to find him, Liang Jianshi faced the floor-to-ceiling windows covered by curtains with an indifferent expression, like a man whose heart had been broken by a heartless woman, ready to let go and start over, no longer pining over a cat, losing his former composure and dignity.
Seeing him like this, Qilan didn’t initiate a reconciliation either. She turned to leave, but Liang Jianshi noticed and stepped forward to block her.
Caught off guard, Qilan was backed into a corner. Then she smelled something…
Oh no, catnip!
“Liang Jianshi actually resorted to such a dirty trick! Despicable!”
Qilan couldn’t control the urge to rub against him, but her dignity demanded restraint!
…Yet she still succumbed.
In the quiet night, the top-floor suite echoed with the sounds of glass shattering and things being knocked over, along with faint gasps.
Resorting to catnip, his secret weapon, had been a last resort after repeated failed attempts to win her over. But he never expected this cat to be so rough. Instead of rubbing against him, she bit him, bit him hard, chased him, scratched him, forcing the dignified chairman to perform a desperate tango across the living room in the middle of the night.