VIP gym, 10:30 PM.
Ji Yanxing finished his last set of bench presses, and the equipment was swiftly lifted and put away. A bottle of electrolyte water was considerately handed to him.
Ji Yanxing glanced at the water. “Are you that full?”
“Nope.” Hua Yunlian immediately helped unscrew the bottle cap. “Just genuinely want to be your spotter. Wanna keep going?”
The alpha, nearing exhaustion, was drenched in sweat. His form-fitting black training gear outlined his taut muscles, radiating a sense of raw power.
He gave a faint, mocking smile. “If you want a favor, just say it. This weird act of yours is creeping me out.”
Sure enough, his usually arrogant friend would never be this attentive without a reason.
Ji Yanxing took the flyer Hua Yunlian handed him, frowning as he skimmed it. “Emergency First Aid Training Workshop? What, are you trying to get a medical license?”
The flyer listed a young lead instructor named “Chen Wang.”
Hua Yunlian, observing his expression in the mirror while lifting dumbbells, explained, “It’s a small class organized by my future wife. It’s basic first aid training for regular people, teaching how to handle emergencies.”
Ji Yanxing: “And?”
“So I specially saved a spot for your little hubby. After his famous showdown at the banquet, everyone’s calling him Central City’s Little Boxing Champ. What if he knocks someone out? He could give first aid, wake them up, and then knock ’em out again. Perfect, right?”
“…” Perfect my ass!
“Tch!” Hua Yunlian patted his shoulder, looking utterly exasperated. “Think about it. Mi Su is already head over heels for you. If you encourage him to learn first aid, it’s genuinely good for him. How could he possibly refuse?”
Ji Yanxing froze mid-sip, his handsome face stiffening.
His focus involuntarily shifted. “Head over heels for me? What do you mean?”
Hua Yunlian seized the opportunity to press on. “Don’t you know who he fought with Xiao Yu over at the banquet? It’s all because of your damn charm! When that little omega heard Xiao Yu spreading rumors about you, he went ballistic!”
“… Went ballistic?”
Ji Yanxing frowned seriously. “Stop talking nonsense. That’s absurd.”
Hua Yunlian: “…”
Then maybe your smirk shouldn’t be curling up so smugly.
Ji Yanxing suddenly added, seemingly wanting more, “Analyze it a bit more for me. I still don’t quite get it.”
Hua Yunlian: “?”
…
Deep inside the walk-in closet, within the large wardrobe, a palm-sized kitten ball was curled up amidst a soft, cave-like pile of bedding.
A tiny, delicate sound came from its three-lobed mouth: “Mew…”
Even cats dream.
Usually, the carefree grassland cat dreamed of running wild, standing atop a giraffe’s head and looking down upon all other creatures.
Tonight, the cat planned to continue its reign over the savannah.
Gululu—a piece of popcorn suddenly rolled under its paw. The cat looked down, went “arf!” and ate it. Even in dreams, snacks were deliciously crispy.
But when it looked up again, the cat was so startled its fur stood on end!
A tidal wave of popcorn blotted out the sky, surging toward the little cat like a great flood. A giant poodle appeared in the sky, grinning wickedly at the kitten.
“Little furball!”
“Inherit my hairstyle! Hehehe!”
The poodle’s curly little tail wagged like a propeller. “Then Grandma can walk me with her left hand and you with her right. Our evil curly-haired duo can go bite innocent passersby together! Hehehe…”
“—!”
No way!
Under the covers, the tiny, dark paws trembled slightly. “… Mewww!”
The little one’s whiskers drooped with fear. Its front paws suddenly flailed a few times, as if trying to run.
But the cat in the dream was soon engulfed by the popcorn.
The cat was about to cry in panic. All four paws started running at full speed, like a little colt galloping in place under the covers, its legs a blur of motion.
“Meow!” The cat suddenly woke up.
The evil poodle’s grin was still vivid in its mind—this was terrible.
Feeling sorry for itself, the cat stood before the full-length mirror and saw that its short, round, sturdy body hadn’t returned to normal. Its fur and whiskers were still slightly curled.
…This look wasn’t fashionable at all.
It looked messy, as if it had been licked by a big, bad dog.
The grassland hunter cat gazed at its reflection and, for the first time, felt a sense of melancholy. For a moment, it wasn’t so confident anymore.
The cat felt its little heart aching.
Soon, the little kiwifruit, tail drooping, made its way to Ji Yanxing’s room. It hopped onto the bed, and its round mouth let out a sigh: “Meow.”
With such a major incident happening to the boss, how could a little subordinate sleep peacefully? Meow?
These immature humans were truly unreliable.
As they say, it’s lonely at the top. Being a cat of high status comes with many pains that can’t be shared, only endured alone in the dead of night.
Its paw stepped onto Ji Yanxing’s broad, muscular chest, and its little round face froze: “?”
Huh?
This… this paw-feel…
The next second, both little round paws began alternately kneading on the man’s chest. In the darkness, the little furball lost itself in bliss, emitting a purring sound like a tiny motor.
Ji Yanxing didn’t wear any scent-suppressing gear while sleeping.
So, when the scent of silver vine drifted into the little nose, the cat’s eyes gradually grew hazy and squinted, just like a “beckoning cat” figurine in a shop window.
The little paws kneaded with increasing vigor, until finally, it even rubbed its little face against him forcefully!
Meow…
The Sea Urchin Prince wasn’t completely useless—at least he was a guy with a big chest.
The cute, plump little cat face pressed against Ji Yanxing’s chest, one cheek squished flat. The dry, clean woody scent had a fatal allure, and the cat couldn’t help but roll around.
The comforting scent greatly eased the little cat’s appearance anxiety.
Lying on the alpha’s warm body, the cat soon grew drowsy. This time, there were no evil poodles or popcorn floods in its dreams.
Instead, memories from kittenhood emerged.
Nestled in its mother’s embrace, eyes closed, nursing carefree.
A tear silently slipped from the corner of the little cat’s eye.
Mom…
The little cat’s nose trembled, wanting to suckle, but Ji Yanxing’s anatomy was different from a mother cat’s. After trying for a while with no success, the cat realized this was the Sea Urchin Prince and gave up, sinking back into sleep.
All four little paws clung tightly to him, sleeping so soundly that its tiny tongue stuck out.
—Guess we’ll just have to settle for this.
When dawn broke, Ji Yanxing was awakened by something pressing against him.
Strange.
It usually swelled, but never to this extent.
The alpha narrowed his long, dark eyes and glanced down suspiciously. His heart immediately began racing wildly, wondering if he had blacked out from drinking again!
The covers had long been kicked messily to the floor. The omega slept in a terribly awkward position, lying perpendicular to the properly postured Ji Yanxing, both strangely sharing the large bed.
The person’s silk pajamas were rucked up high, revealing a slender waist so thin it seemed you could wrap a hand around it.
The sight of that pink-white skin first thing in the morning was stimulating Ji Yanxing’s nerves.
A delicate, soft, pale foot was precisely and unmistakably planted on Ji Yanxing’s most vulnerable spot.
The alpha instantly burned with heat. A large, vein-protruding hand suddenly gripped the omega’s ankle as he growled in a deep voice:
“…What are you doing?”