The British Shorthair circled around Xiao Yu’s legs, meowing happily: “Meow, meow, meow!”
Master, did I make a good pick?
“My god!” Xiao Yu nearly followed the mesmerized customers inside to boost his sales, but instead, he walked over and scratched the chin of Little Mi Su, praising lavishly, “Where did this absolutely fantastic cat come from? This is definitely a talent with great potential!”
The little cat unwillingly tilted its small head back, eyes narrowed into slits.
Damn that orange-scented pheromone!
Endure, kitty, endure!
A mature big cat knows when to bend and when to stand firm!
From beside his ear came the friendly sound of purring. Xiao Yu listened as if to celestial music, murmuring intoxicatedly, “Now this is real music…”
There’s nothing more satisfying than playing with a proud and untamed little kitten!
The orange-scented omega was deeply moved.
He had loved cats since childhood, but unfortunately, his pheromones just weren’t up to the task.
Why couldn’t his pheromones be something top-tier like catnip or silver vine?
Even after opening a cat café, the only cat that got close to Xiao Yu was Nancy the British Shorthair, who had rhinitis—the Brit in charge of scouting employees for the shop.
He couldn’t tell what breed this assertive, familiar little cat was. It was utterly divine, tiny enough to be a palm-sized treasure you could take anywhere for a stroll!
But—
“Little one, your demeanor reminds me a bit of an enemy of mine,” Xiao Yu said. “You’ll need to work a trial day before I decide if you can stay.”
“…”
Troublesome bad fish!
Little Mi Su instantly dropped its soft, cute act, transforming from a sweet meow-machine into a tough-as-nails cat, looking coldly at the other: “Meow.”
Fine.
Xiao Yu exclaimed excitedly, “Yes, yes! This look—three parts cute, three parts bossy, four parts deadly—is even more like it!”
The British Shorthair watched its owner, who was bouncing around without a shred of dignity, and helplessly opened its mouth: “He’s just like this, meow. Come over here, let’s talk about your basic situation.”
Little Mi Su jumped off the counter, followed them into the back room, and obediently sat next to the pet communication buttons, its little tail curled around two pitch-black paws.
Xiao Yu crouched beside it, asking the first question:
“Do you have an owner?”
The cat shook its head without hesitation.
The little cat was plump, round, glossy, and sleek. If no one was taking care of it, that meant it had exceptional independent survival skills. In terms of intelligence, it might even surpass some humans.
Xiao Yu continued, “Your trial-day wage is one can of food. If you pass the trial and get hired, room and board are covered, and you can negotiate your salary. Okay?”
The little cat, head lowered, surveyed the buttons printed with different words.
A paw pressed one: “Can!”
Then it slapped three more times emphatically: “Can, can, can!”
Xiao Yu scratched his head: “?”
The little cat opened its clear, adorable round eyes, its tail already starting to flick impatiently a few times, slapping loudly against the floor.
“Uh, uh, does that mean you like canned food?”
Xiao Yu scratched his cheek again, feeling that if he couldn’t figure it out soon, he might get slapped in the face.
Could such a small cat brain really think of so much?
As it turned out, the little cat could indeed think. He actually saw this cat show an expression of disdain and let out a long sigh!
This human seemed pretty dumb. The cat had no choice but to walk over to the glass, extend a little paw, and tap on it a few times.
From the grass, three cat heads popped up with a “pfft, pfft, pfft,” each topped with a fresh green leaf.
The big orange, orange-and-white, and cow-patterned cats asked together: “What’s up, boss? Meow?”
“It’s nothing, you can go back.” The little cat blinked, then turned back to look at Xiao Yu, who had just had a sudden realization and was smacking his palm with his fist. “Can you do addition and subtraction within ten? Meow?”
Xiao Yu: “You little cat are so loyal and righteous. I like that!”
Trial-day wage: four cans of food.
Three of them to be shared with the little cat’s good cat friends!
The staff heard that a special new employee had arrived and came out one after another to watch and take photos. The little one next to the lucky cat stood tall and straight, full of spirit as if it had served in the military!
“Baby, can ee lean against your furry chest?”
“What breed is this? Starting work before even reaching adulthood?”
“Looks like a freshly grown little kitten, just a bit small in size. Is it a teacup cat?”
“So handsome, baby, standing so upright. Our café might have to rename itself ‘Veteran Cat Café’!”
Xiao Yu leaned proudly against the front desk, looking like a parent boasting about their child’s modeling potential: “Not bad, right?”
Even if this little one couldn’t last a full day, he had already decided to give the kitten four cans of food.
Who could resist such a beautiful and adorable little kitten?
The harmonious atmosphere in the back room of the cat café was suddenly shattered by the explosive sound of a cup, followed immediately by a man’s cursing and the sound of cats scattering and fleeing!
Little Mi Su, who had been diligently standing guard, jumped like a startled rocket: “Meow!?”
What in the world happened?!
Xiao Yu and the staff rushed inside.
There, they found a couple looking furious. A burly, overweight man was holding up his girlfriend’s hand, which had a small red mark on it: “Boss, get over here! Look what your wild cat did! It scratched my sweetheart!”
The woman raised her nearly-healed hand, crying and wailing.
“Compensation! Unless you pay 20,000 yuan today, this isn’t over!”
“Customer, our cats are all very gentle. They are fully vaccinated and have their nails trimmed,” Xiao Yu immediately recognized this as a setup. “Also, our store has clear rules against handling the cats roughly.”
The man started yelling: “Damn it, are you saying we’re trying to scam you!?”
Xiao Yu was furious, but in business, sometimes you have to compromise: “Alright then, let me take you to get a rabies shot.”
The two continued their raucous protests, disturbing the other customers.
Little Mi Su suddenly popped out from within the crowd.
In the corner, a hairless cat was trembling and crying in fear: “They kept tormenting me, secretly pinching my skin… I only accidentally scratched them a little while trying to escape… Waaah…!”
The man had never wanted to see these cats or dogs in the first place; he was only here for his girlfriend. Now he finally had a chance to make a scene.
“No need! Just pay up now and we’ll leave!” “Don’t believe I won’t smash your shop and your cats!” “Try touching my cats!” Xiao Yu’s collar was grabbed, and he looked about to get hit. “I’ll call the police!”
Having understood the whole story, the most inconspicuous little furball in the chaos suddenly let out angry, guttural growls.
—The cat is good, the humans are bad!
The little feline judge of justice sprang into action. The woman felt something furry pounce towards her and started screaming hysterically!
“Damn it!” The man tried to grab it. “You little beast, I’ll kill you!”
But the cat was too fast to see clearly. A swift chocolate-colored lightning bolt darted back and forth between the two people, leaving merciless bloody scratches wherever it went, as if showing them what real scratches were like.
Its long-dormant hunting instincts from the grasslands had returned.
Although everyone knows cats can scratch, it’s rare to see such a ferocious little creature.
Everyone in the shop was stunned.
Amid the chaos, a customer shouted: “Well done!”
Feeling the genuine, stinging pain and fear, the troublemakers turned pale. Without caring about anything else, they grabbed their coats and rushed out the door, not forgetting to throw down a threat: “Stupid cat, you damn well wait!”
—You’d better not keep this cat waiting, villains!
The little creature buzzed with low growls all the way to the door, its fur puffed up.
Having stayed by Ji Yanxing’s side for so long, it had started to think most humans were like him. Turns out the human world could be so treacherous.
The cat was so angry it licked its lips, its ears remained flattened back for a long time as it slowly returned to the shop.
Just as it jumped up to sit neatly beside the lucky cat, Xiao Yu walked over holding a small cat collar printed with the shop’s logo. Behind him followed the timid but bright-eyed hairless cat, along with the other frightened cats.
“First of all, thank you. Secondly…”
Xiao Yu tied the shop-exclusive bib around the brave kitten’s neck—
“Trial shift passed! Welcome to ‘Meow Cat’ Cat Café!”
“Meow!” Little Mi Su let out a crisp cry, proudly puffing out its chest, making the frilly, soft-yellow bib even brighter.
That day, the little cat and its three feline followers ate the most delicious canned food they’d ever had.
“Boss, wanna go catch fish by the river tonight?”
Little Mi Su’s ears instantly perked up, but after a moment’s thought, it regretfully declined: “Can’t do nights. There’s a super fussy human at home.”
The cat had a strong sense of responsibility and planning.
Checking on the human daily was also on the cat’s schedule.
…
“He’s been leaving early and coming back late these past few days. I only see him at breakfast and dinner. He’s practically busier than I am, the group president.”
At the bar, Ji Yanxing smiled ambiguously, staring at the small ice cubes swirling in his glass. “Tell me, what could a student possibly have going on that keeps him so busy?”
His friend Hua Yunlian clinked glasses with him.
Teasing, Hua said, “Why do you care how busy he is? Didn’t you say you would never like your arranged marriage partner?”
Ji Yanxing: “Don’t misunderstand. The marriage is set. I’m just thinking this way out of a sense of responsibility towards the marriage.”
Hua Yunlian secretly rolled his eyes and downed his drink in one gulp.
“I’d say you’re the one with the most issues,” the man scoffed while casually swiping on his phone, grinning foolishly at a photo of Chen Wang, looking quite pleased with himself. “If you’re interested, just go for it. Doesn’t matter what methods you use; what counts is actually getting your wife.”
“What? Made progress yourself?” Ji Yanxing asked.
Hua Yunlian: “Isn’t Dr. Chen in a lot of debt? I thought of a little plan and became his creditor. Now I get to see him every day.”
Ji Yanxing vaguely caught a whiff of something that might belong on a legal affairs TV show: “Your outlook on love is really unhealthy.”
He completely disapproved of his friend’s shady behavior of forcibly twisting an unwilling melon until it broke.
If he were to treat the pampered darling according to that playbook…
The omega would definitely cry until he was breathless, his cheeks flushed red.
His dark eyes gradually deepened in color.
Ji Yanxing’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He said in a low voice, “Even if I liked someone, I would take it step by step, like a gentleman.”
The big rogue Hua Yunlian gave a cold laugh and patted his shoulder.
“Right, as long as he’s not the type to keep the wife at home while fooling around outside, you, Gentleman Ji, should be able to hold his little hand by the time you’re eighty.”
Ji Yanxing: “…”
He had always been confident in his own charm and knew the pampered darling loved him to pieces.
But how could he be sure Mi Su didn’t have someone else?
Had the pampered darling ever been in a relationship? If so, had he completely broken up with his ex?
Acting so mysteriously these days… Could it be that the pampered darling and his ex were… complicated?
Ji Yanxing even imagined that Mi Su had been secretly in love with him for a long time but couldn’t have him, so he found a low-budget substitute to ease his longing? That simply wouldn’t do.
The alpha’s expression grew darker the more he thought about it.
He was not only the genuine article but also about to become the official spouse.
He absolutely would not allow any melodramatic plotlines in his marriage.
That night, Ji Yanxing knocked on Mi Su’s door, entering only after receiving permission, his expression calm: “We need to talk.”
The omega had worked at the cat café all day and was exhausted.
Mainly because the little cat had discovered the cat treadmill was too much fun and had spent the whole day racing a Bengal cat, running like crazy.
His fair little face wore a dazed expression: “Oh, then wait for me a sec.”
Mi Su turned and went into the en suite bathroom.
Ji Yanxing sat on the sofa. The air carried a faint, elusive scent of chocolate caramel. Two seconds later, he felt a strange, intense heat rising and took a deep breath.
Mi Su’s scent became even more pervasive.
It was as if he were pressing against the omega’s soft body, inhaling the scent of his skin.
Before his body could get even stranger, Ji Yanxing stood up and looked around.
The room was tidy, the bed covered with Mi Su’s carefully stacked and piled bedding that formed a kind of den. In Ji Yanxing’s eyes, it looked glaringly messy.
The alpha stood silently for a long moment, then walked over and smoothed out the covers for him, turning down one corner of the bed like turndown service.
This way, he could sleep better.
“What are you doing!?” A somewhat annoyed, delicate, questioning voice rang out.
Ji Yanxing turned his head for just a glance. Steam and fragrance rushed at him. His brain buzzed, and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.
See no evil. The alpha sharply turned his head away, his voice strained: “Why aren’t you wearing any clothes!”
Mi Su spun around openly.
“So cool-!”
Being human did have its advantages; he didn’t hate water as much when showering. The omega didn’t notice at all that Ji Yanxing had suddenly flushed red from head to neck. He even added:
“Bare, no fur!”
“… You!”
He simply couldn’t take it anymore. The man squeezed his eyes shut, taking rapid, deep breaths and swallowing hard, his voice hoarse: “Have you lost your mind…”
“Didn’t you want to talk to me?”
Mi Su leaned closer. The sweet, soft, alluring fragrance seemed to grow hands, wrapping tightly around the alpha: “Hurry up, hubby.”
Hurry up with what?!
Ji Yanxing had no time left to correct his habit of skipping words. The tall, robust alpha seemed backed into a corner by a delicate omega. Panicking, he tried to flee the room.
Unexpectedly, his foot caught on something. The CEO, who had valued dignity and elegance since birth, fell down solidly.
And, in the process, pinned his completely unclothed omega fiancé onto the thick carpet beneath them.
“Mmm…” The startled Mi Su looked up at him with wide, wet, frightened eyes.
With a slight movement, Ji Yanxing realized he was gripping the other’s thigh.
His large, veined hand unconsciously tightened.
Soft, slender thigh flesh bulged slightly between his fingers, white, tender, and fragile like tofu.
Ji Yanxing’s head buzzed. His gaze was no longer under control.
Snap. A soft, crisp sound.
The inhibitor bracelet cracked.
A drop of nosebleed landed precisely on Mi Su’s white, jade-like collarbone. The omega trembled instinctively, making the scene even more wanton.
“… Hubby, what’s wrong with you?”