8: New mission
On the way home, Ye Susu kept up her polite smile.
She didn’t interrupt as the agent chattered away.
But the young agent, having gotten into the groove, even shared insider details like “how commissions are calculated,” “how many deals can be closed in a month,” and “what the base salary is like.”
Listening to him, Ye Susu couldn’t help but think about her own livelihood.
The agent could afford a car—this human job seemed pretty decent.
But soon, hearing him say that work hours were concentrated in the evenings and weekends, when clients were off work to view houses, she immediately dismissed the idea.
Leaving little Ye Xun alone at home wouldn’t work.
Besides, making a cat work was just too hard.
“Alright, it’s settled then. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., I’ll wait for you at the entrance of your complex.”
The agent’s service attitude was truly outstanding.
Ye Susu quickly thanked him.
Watching the agent drive away, a flicker of excitement finally surfaced on Ye Susu’s face.
Housing problem—solved~
“Cub, want some dried fish?”
She still remembered that.
But Ye Xun hardly needed to think before shaking his head. “It’s nine o’clock.”
This was usually when he washed up and went to bed.
And they still had to pack for the move tonight.
His own schoolbag, clothes, and toys all needed to be sorted.
“Ah…”
“Mommy’s dieting, can’t eat. If I eat at night, I’ll get cavities.”
“…”
Ye Susu’s little face instantly deflated.
But just as she was about to follow the little one inside, hoping to change his mind with a pitiful look, she saw him already starting to work.
Without a word, he obediently took his small clothes from the living room cabinet and stacked them neatly on a chair.
Then, he carefully retrieved what seemed to be a treasured toy car, about the size of his palm, from the shelf and gently tucked it into his small backpack.
Even Ye Susu’s book 100 Days of Delicious Breakfasts found its way into his bag.
Clearly, he planned to keep reading it as a picture book.
Methodical and efficient—in less than ten minutes, he had sorted all his belongings.
“I’m done, Mommy.”
Ye Susu stared in astonishment.
This child was far more capable at chores than she was.
She didn’t even have the nerve to bring up the dried fish again.
“Mommy, I’ll… go take a bath now.”
Ye Xun stole a glance at her.
She had been standing there for a while, not saying a word, just watching him.
Ye Susu snapped back to attention. “…Do you need help?”
Ye Xun blushed quickly and shook his head, puffing out his cheeks.
Ye Susu simply said, “Oh.”
With that, the little one grabbed his things and quickly slipped into the bathroom.
No dried fish after all.
Feeling dejected, Ye Susu went to the kitchen, finished frying the half-prepared small fish, scooped them into a bowl, and stared longingly as they cooled.
Then… she mercilessly packed them away.
Sigh.
She’d endure.
A noble feline would never sneak food behind her little one’s back.
Swallowing her drool, she returned to the room and started organizing the items sold on Xianyu, packing each piece of clothing according to the buyers’ orders.
After searching for a packing guide, she rolled what could be rolled, folded what couldn’t, and even stuffed in old receipts.
“Ugh, I’m definitely going to be a useless cat tonight…”
All in all, it took her nearly an hour to finish everything before she laboriously called for a courier.
By the time she was done and went to check on the little one in the bathroom, she found he had not only finished bathing but also washed his own underwear and undershirt, now hanging damply on the rack beside the sink.
Ye Susu facepalmed.
What do you do when your kid is too capable?
Sighing, she walked out of the bathroom and saw the little one, hair dried, wearing a modified version of the original owner’s old cotton pajamas—sleeves and pant legs cut short—curled up in the hallway.
Her heart clenched.
Back when she lived with her human servant, she at least had her own little princess dress.
If her servant had dared to make her wear cut-up old fabric, she would have shredded his favorite leather sofa for sure.
“Cub, what are you up to? It’s late—shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
“Mm.”
Ye Xun took out the last pair of Ye Susu’s white sneakers from the shoe cabinet, placed them neatly in their box, stacked it with the others, and patted the dust off his small hands.
Before Ye Susu could even get close, the little one had already stood up.
He tiptoed to grab his light blue pillow and small blanket from the nearby cabinet, then pattered over.
Standing at the bedroom door, he glanced at her timidly.
“…Cub,” Ye Susu recalled how her human servant used to talk to her and repeated the words, “ahem, good night. Stay adorable tomorrow too, okay?”
She gently pressed down the stray hair on his head.
Just like her servant used to do to her.
Little Ye Xun’s eyes instantly sparkled.
But then, in a flash, he turned around, showing Ye Susu only his back before scampering into the bedroom with his small feet pattering—seemingly shy, his little ears slightly flushed.
Ye Susu: “…?”
Inside the bedroom—
Ye Xun, carrying his small blanket, walked to the bed in his slippers.
He glanced back to see Ye Susu close the door partway and noticed the camera by her vanity was off, then let out a small sigh of relief. Carefully placing his pillow on the bed, he climbed up with his short legs and gently lay down on the left edge of the large bed.
Closing his eyes, he began counting numbers he’d learned in kindergarten.
But scenes from the day kept flashing through his mind.
Ye Susu’s smile, Ye Susu’s words, Ye Susu helping him with the shoe covers, Ye Susu apologizing to him again…
A moment later, Ye Xun opened his dark grape-like eyes again, rolled over, and sat up.
Under the moonlight by the bed, he lifted his small hand, looked down at it, then brought it to his nose and sniffed gently.
Soon, he puffed out his cheeks in disappointment.
Ye Susu’s scent was no longer detectable.
During his bath, he had been very careful not to use any soap.
But he still couldn’t smell it anymore.
She usually didn’t get close to him in front of others, but earlier, at that uncle’s house, she had held his hand for a long time… The last time she’d been this close to him was during the New Year at Grandma’s.
That time, she had seemed really happy, teaching him numbers while counting the lucky money he’d received.
On their way home by train that evening, she had held his hand once at the station.
Ye Xun lowered his head, hugged his knees, and nuzzled his nose against the blanket.
When she was in a good mood, she would be closer to him.
If wishing upon the moon worked… then he hoped Mommy would be in a good mood every day.
Beside the bed, the small alarm clock ticked softly.
In the chilly air, he shivered slightly and quickly burrowed into the blanket, lying back down.
Mm.
Starting today, he’d go to bed earlier.
From now on, he’d wake up early and do a little more work for Mommy.
Maybe then her mood would stay as good as it was today.
With that thought, Ye Xun tightly shut his eyes and didn’t dare open them again.
Soon, his breathing grew even and steady.
Back in the living room, Ye Susu tried her best to keep quiet.
She walked on tiptoe, using the balls of her feet like a cat’s paws, moving silently and carefully, afraid of waking Ye Xun again.
The courier arrived on time, and she shipped out all the items from Xianyu.
Then, relying on memory, she pulled out the suitcase and large bags from the living room cupboard and packed the clothes the little one had sorted.
By the time she was done, she had worked up a light sweat. Leaning against a small chair in the hallway, she checked her phone.
The message she posted on her social feed had already racked up a row of replies.
[rr: 666, Susu, you’ve made it big! How much does this place cost?]
[Juice: OMG, this place is stunning… and you didn’t even include a selfie?]
[Light: So envious. Susu, now that you’ve turned things around, treat us to a meal~]
[Xiao Luzi: This place is amazing. Can I come over to do a live stream?]
…
These were all streamers or content creators the original owner knew.
Their relationship was casual—mostly mutual promotion to boost traffic.
Ye Susu scrolled through them, glanced briefly, and didn’t reply.
Only when she saw a message hidden among them did her finger pause.
[Xia Ningmeng: Moving?]
“Xia Ningmeng?”
A high school friend of the original owner?
Ye Susu tilted her head, murmuring to herself.
Just then, her WeChat buzzed repeatedly.
A glance made her eyes widen.
[You received a red envelope from Xia Ningmeng: Congratulations on moving!]
[You received a red envelope from Xia Ningmeng: Buy some candy for little Ye Xun.]
[You received a red envelope from Xia Ningmeng: Buy toys for little Ye Xun.]
…
Six red envelopes in a neat row, flooding the screen.
Ye Susu scrolled further through the chat history and realized this “Xia Ningmeng” was basically a money-sprinkling fairy.
Every time the original owner posted something like “my kid started daycare,” “my kid got praised by the teacher,” or “my stream gained more followers,” Xia Ningmeng would send red envelopes.
The limit per envelope was 200 yuan. At times, she’d send ten at once; other times, six or seven.
“This is impressive.”
In all her years, Ye Susu had never met such a “celestial” friend.
Her own circle only consisted of freeloaders who stole her cat food.
If she hadn’t combed through her memories and confirmed there was nothing shady, Ye Susu would have suspected the original owner was being kept by this Xia Ningmeng.
Who sends red envelopes to a friend like this?
She hesitated over whether to accept them this time.
Then, a voice message came through: “Is there anything your new place still needs? My aunt works at Baile Furniture, so I can get you a discount. I’ll buy it for you.”
Ye Susu: “…”
This human’s heart was too generous.
From her memories, the original owner had only treated Xia Ningmeng as a piggy bank.
Five years ago, Xia Ningmeng was sent abroad to study, and the original owner drifted apart from her.
They only reconnected after she returned this year.
The original owner found out her friend came from a wealthy family and had landed a job paying tens of thousands per month, so she accepted the red envelopes without hesitation.
But Xia Ningmeng genuinely cared for the original owner.
Seeing her as a single mother struggling financially, she wanted to help improve their lives in any way she could without expecting anything in return.
Ye Susu held her forehead. “Sigh.”
Seeing how the original owner only replied with an emoji after accepting each red envelope, it was clear she hadn’t cherished Xia Ningmeng’s kindness.
After a moment of thought, Ye Susu didn’t accept the red envelopes.
Instead, she tapped on the contact she’d just added today, Catnip.
[Bro, is it okay if a friend comes to visit my new place tomorrow?]
She wanted to invite Xia Ningmeng over for lunch at the new apartment, partly to thank her for all the help over the years on behalf of the original owner.
As for the money… she’d have to find a way to repay it slowly.
As a noble cat striving to become a great demon, she couldn’t owe a human a favor.
Propping her chin in her hand, she waited for a while but didn’t receive a reply from the landlord.
Males were particular about territorial rights.
If you marked someone else’s territory without permission, you’d get bitten.
Ye Susu tapped her fingers, deciding she might as well go to sleep. But as she went to wash up, her phone buzzed.
[Catnip: In your room, feel free.]
Meow!
Ye Susu covered her mouth as it involuntarily stretched into a grin.
She loved this human invention called WeChat, where you could even change display names—absolutely brilliant.
Quickly, she sent a thank-you reply, then cheerfully extended the invitation to Xia Ningmeng.
Perhaps it was too late; the other party might have already been asleep, as there was no immediate reply.
Ye Susu, easygoing as ever, didn’t dwell on it.
After finishing her bedtime routine, she tiptoed into the bedroom and stood by the bed, peering at the little one under the moonlight.
Seeing his long lashes rise and fall with each breath, she found him utterly adorable. With careful, deliberate movements, she climbed onto the large bed and lay down beside him with a smile.
Watching the child’s sleeping face, her grin slowly widened.
Day one of raising a child for the 100th lifetime—successfully completed.
As expected, she was clever and capable, elegant and noble, sweet and cool—she could do anything.
Gradually, her eyes closed.
Soon, she dreamed of rolling joyfully through fields of catnip.
Rolling and rolling, she seemed to glimpse the handsome, stern profile of a man.
Her lips curved upward, and in her dream, she happily shredded his cable-knit sweater into eighteen pieces.
So, satisfying.
…
Beep beep beep!
The next morning, Ye Susu, still smiling in her sleep, was jolted awake by the obnoxiously loud alarm.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she got a fright!
Bleary-eyed and yawning, she realized she had clumsily flung her right arm across the soft, small body of the little one…
And little Ye Xun was staring at her with innocent, slightly flustered eyes.
Yikes!
She snatched her arm back, instantly wide awake!
The little one’s mouth instantly trembled, and his large grape-like eyes misted over.
“Wait, Cub, I didn’t mean to!”
As Ye Susu panicked, a crisp notification chimed in her ear.
[Daily Missions.]
[1. Optimize the child’s environment: Clean the house once, for over 30 minutes.]
[2. Improve the child’s mood (Current: Low).]
Ye Susu: “!??”
The author says:
My favorite stir-fried rice noodles place is now open, but the delivery fee is 20. Me: …Yikes, suddenly I’m not hungry anymore QAQ
**