After reading the messages, Gu Yizhou shook his head with a sigh. It was already so late; there was no way he was going over now.
He then typed a reply and sent it to the group chat: "Wow~ Genuinely jealous of you guys!"
The moment he sent his message, someone in the group immediately replied.
He Mingyi: "Jealous my ass! The team lead is treating us to karaoke at Jin Huanghuang. Get over here, quick!"
Chen Dong: "Yizhou, these guys are terrible singers. I heard you’re good, so hurry over!"
Song Sisi: "Brother Yizhou, did you find the cat? Everyone’s going wild for the second half, hurry up and come! @Gu Yizhou"
Chen Yuqi: "Yizhou, come on over once you’re done with your thing. We’re all here! @Gu Yizhou"
Looking at the enthusiastic invitations from his colleagues, Gu Yizhou shook his head.
After a moment’s thought, he ultimately decided to decline.
Gu Yizhou: "I just got back from looking for the cat. Didn’t find her, haven’t had dinner, and I’m covered in bug bites. I need to go home to shower and eat. By the time I’m done, it’ll probably be eleven. It’ll be too late to come over by then, so you guys just have fun without me!"
He Mingyi: "Sigh, I told you to stop looking. You can’t ever really tame a stray!"
Song Sisi: "Brother Yizhou, don’t be sad. Go get something to eat. If you like cats, I can get one for you later! @Gu Yizhou"
Gu Yizhou: "Sigh..."
Gu Yizhou: "Thanks for the kind offer, Sisi, but that’s okay. If I can’t find Xiaobai, I don’t plan on getting another cat."
...
After bantering with his colleagues for a little while longer, Gu Yizhou once again turned down their requests for him to join them for karaoke.
After replying to the last message, he was just about to slip his phone into his pocket when it suddenly started vibrating again.
"BUZZ BUZZ—"
He glanced at his phone and saw a message from his mom had popped up.
Mom: "No, I haven’t! Since you won’t find a girlfriend, I’ve been too upset to eat!"
Reading his mom’s message, Gu Yizhou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. For a moment, he was completely at a loss for words.
’To push me to find a girlfriend, my mom will really say anything. She’ll stop at nothing!’
Of course, even though his mom said that, Gu Yizhou knew she was just bluffing.
After a moment of thought, Gu Yizhou suddenly remembered that he’d forgotten to ask his mom for money today.
He decided to use this as an opportunity to bring it up with her.
Lost in thought about how to broach the subject with his mom, he arrived at his front door before he knew it.
"MROWL~!!!"
Suddenly, a wretched screech from a cat erupted right by his ear.
Caught completely off guard, he jumped in fright.
"HISS~!"
"GRRROWL~!!!"
He looked down to see Xiaobai leap up, run to the side, and start hissing at him nonstop.
"Er..."
Gu Yizhou froze for a second, then a look of delighted surprise washed over his face. "Xiaobai?"
’Xiaobai, my ass!’
’Owwwww~’
’That hurts like hell!!’
At that moment, Yan Luoxi wanted nothing more than to pounce on this damn man and bite him to death.
’I was sleeping so peacefully, having a sweet dream, and then out of nowhere this bastard steps on me!’
’So much for it being safest to stay by his side!’
’He almost crushed me to death!’
’You damn man!’
’You are so dead!!’
Yan Luoxi was absolutely seething with rage.
Seeing the large shoe print on Xiaobai’s snow-white fur, it dawned on Gu Yizhou what had happened.
He had just stepped on her.
’No wonder the doormat suddenly felt so soft!’
Gu Yizhou rubbed his nose, looking embarrassed. "Uh... Xiaobai, I didn’t see you at the door. My bad!"
"HISS~!!"
"MROW... MROW MROW...!!!"
The moment he finished speaking, Xiaobai started screeching at him.
She looked absolutely furious, as if she were cursing him out, and viciously at that.
This only made Gu Yizhou even more embarrassed.
"Alright, Xiaobai, I really didn’t do it on purpose~"
Seeing Xiaobai was still yelling at him, Gu Yizhou shamelessly scooped her up by the scruff, murmuring words of comfort.
"MROW~!"
’Get your hands off me!’
’Let me go, you damn man!’
’I’m your boss! Let go of me! I’m going to fire you!!’
Seeing that this damn man actually dared to hold her after stepping on her, Yan Luoxi cursed inwardly as she struggled to break free from his grasp.
But the scruff of her neck was held fast in Gu Yizhou’s large hand. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t budge an inch.
"There, there, Xiaobai. Be good, stop struggling!"
Gu Yizhou gently stroked the little white cat’s head, then said in a slightly chiding tone, "But still, Xiaobai, where did you run off to today? Do you have any idea how long I was looking for you?"
"Mrow~!"
His only response was a single meow.
Then he saw Xiaobai turn her head away, completely ignoring him.
At this, Gu Yizhou shook his head with a helpless sigh. He held her in one arm while using his other hand to pull his keys from his pocket and open the door.
"CLICK~"
Gu Yizhou pushed the door open and went inside.
Once in the living room, he finally put the little white cat down.
The moment he let her go, Yan Luoxi darted under the sofa to hide.
That’s right!
Right now, she couldn’t stand the sight of this damn man.
’How dare he hold me after stepping on me!’
’I’m his boss! Does he really think I’m just some pet cat?!’
’Don’t I have any pride?!’
When Gu Yizhou saw her hide away the moment he put her down, he paused for a second before it clicked.
’Clearly, Xiaobai is still angry about me stepping on her just now!’
’She really knows how to hold a grudge!’
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Shaking his head, Gu Yizhou didn’t think much of it.
Modu in September was still hot as hell. The apartment, having baked in the sun all day, was a bit stuffy inside.
Gu Yizhou first went to the balcony and opened the windows to air the place out before walking back toward the sofa.
"So, Xiaobai, where’d you run off to today?"
"And how did you even get out?"
He crouched down, looking at Xiaobai curled up under the sofa, and asked curiously.
However, Xiaobai merely shot him a glance before ignoring him completely.
’Psycho!’
’I’m a cat now, and you’re asking *me*?’
’How am I supposed to tell you?’
’Even if I said it, would you understand?’
Yan Luoxi complained speechlessly in her heart.
Gu Yizhou didn’t mind that Xiaobai was ignoring him.
In fact, he was in a great mood.
After all, Xiaobai had come back. What was lost had been found.
He had searched for so long and thought they truly weren’t meant to be, but then she came back all on her own. It was a wonderful, happy surprise.
"RING RING— RING RING—"
Just then, a phone suddenly started ringing.
Gu Yizhou froze.
He stood up, pulled his phone from his pocket, and saw it was a video call from his mom.
’Why is Mom suddenly video calling me now?’
His brow furrowed slightly in confusion. Gu Yizhou plopped down on the sofa and finally answered the call...