Fu Yuqian’s tall frame completely shadowed Song Yu, their bodies boxed into a narrow space that magnified every detail between them. The air grew warmer, more suggestive—close enough that it felt like a kiss could happen at any second. They could hear each other’s quickened heartbeats.
Song Yu’s back was pressed against the cool wall, his face set in forced sternness.
“It was you who brought up the bet first. You had bad intentions toward Ying Qi—not me forcing you. And you plotted against me first, so is it wrong if I don’t forgive you? I still haven’t forgiven you.”
At first, his tone lacked confidence, but as he spoke, his voice grew steadier, his beautiful brows lifting in defiance, looking every bit the proud little prince.
The moment Fu Yuqian heard “plotted against,” his heart ached with regret. If he hadn’t overplayed his hand, he and Song Yu might have already rolled in the sheets by now.
“…I’m sorry.” Fu Yuqian surrendered immediately. “I’ll dance for you—girl group dance, striptease—whatever you want to see, okay?”
Song Yu turned his head away, accidentally exposing the flushed tips of his ears, and muttered angrily, “Who wants to see you strip, you shameless pervert with a head full of filth.”
“Only for you,” Fu Yuqian murmured. He couldn’t resist leaning in and planting a kiss on that ear.
He hadn’t expected such a big reaction—Song Yu’s hand flew up on reflex and slapped him.
They’d slapped each other’s faces before in filming, and sometimes when Fu Yuqian teased him, Song Yu would push him away with a paw-like shove—never with nails, and never hard. So just now, when Fu Yuqian came close to kiss him, Song Yu reacted purely out of habit… except this time, the slap landed crisp and solid on Fu Yuqian’s left cheek.
Both of them froze.
Realizing what he’d done, Song Yu quickly apologized. “Sorry, I forgot I’m in human form now—just a habit… But you kissing me without permission, isn’t that going too far?”
Fu Yuqian didn’t blame him at all. It had been reckless, so he told the truth: “It’s because you’re too cute, Xiao Yu. I couldn’t hold back. I apologize—I’ll try my best to control myself in the future.”
“If you dare kiss me again, I’ll hit you again.” Song Yu shoved him away with force, ignoring the lingering electric tingle at his ear, and walked out pretending to be calm—only to bolt the second he left the room.
Fu Yuqian found him so adorable it took everything to keep his desire in check.
Song Yu scooped up Yiyi—who had practically moved in by now.
“Yiyi, baby, today I’m taking you to pick a tomcat. How about it?”
“Okay, meow!” Yiyi was thrilled, rubbing his furry head against Song Yu’s chin, his voice sticky-sweet. “When are we going, Daddy?”
“Right now.” Song Yu didn’t want to stay home with Fu Yuqian—if the man’s wolfish side came out, Song Yu wasn’t sure he could win in a fight. Besides… he pinched his own ear. He hadn’t known they were that sensitive—if just an ear kiss did this to him, what would an actual kiss do?
He shook his head to scatter such thoughts, deciding to disguise himself and take Yiyi to find his “cat gong.”
When changing clothes, Song Yu locked the door—after all, you have to guard against fire, theft, and Fu Yuqian.
Fu Yuqian had thoughtfully moved some of Song Yu’s clothes over. Before, Song Yu had suggested returning to his own home, but Fu Yuqian discouraged the idea. First, there was the issue of Yiyi’s ownership—Fu Yuqian had no intention of giving him to Song Yu. If he did, those two heartless creatures would surely forget him completely. Second, it would be inconvenient for him to visit.
Fu Yuqian’s exact words were: “Song Yu, I’m pursuing you, so of course I’ll come here often to court you. But we’re both public figures—if we get photographed, I’d be happy to be tied to you, but what about you?”
That alone had stopped Song Yu from leaving.
Now that the weather was warmer, Song Yu chose a white fleece-lined hoodie with a hood, paired with slim blue jeans that showed off his long, straight legs, and white sneakers. Standing in front of the mirror, even he was impressed—where had this handsome guy come from? Tsk tsk, how were other boys supposed to compete?
He disguised Yiyi too, dressing him in a dashing little suit, and prepared to head out.
The moment he stepped outside, he saw Fu Yuqian. His expression had returned to normal, the slap mark on his cheek faded. Seeing Song Yu in a baseball cap and mask, Fu Yuqian asked, “Going out?”
“Mm. Taking Yiyi to choose a kitten.” Song Yu held up the stylish Yiyi, who let out a proud “Meow—Yes! Yiyi wants a boyfriend too!”
Fu Yuqian said, “I’ll have Liu Le handle this.”
“No way. Liu Le can’t understand what Yiyi says. What if the tomcat he buys doesn’t like Yiyi? Or Yiyi doesn’t like him? I’ve already mapped the route—we’ll just come back once we’ve bought one.”
“Then I’ll drive you two,” Fu Yuqian offered, walking over to the entryway to get his coat.
Song Yu immediately shook his head. “You can’t come. If someone photographs us, there’ll be no way to explain it. Besides, instead of wasting time on this, you should be practicing your dancing. You’re going to be filming videos for Douyin—if your dancing is bad and you lose fans, you can’t blame me or Ying Qi.”
Fu Yuqian glanced at Yiyi in Song Yu’s arms and suddenly smiled. “Alright, I’ll practice. You be careful on the road.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Song Yu waved casually, then took one of Fu Yuqian’s more inconspicuous Volkswagens and drove straight toward the cattery.
Yiyi, sitting in the passenger seat, was unexpectedly nervous, meowing to Song Yu, “Daddy, I’m scared I won’t find one, meow… what if I’m single forever?”
“You won’t,” Song Yu reassured him. “There are so many catteries, thousands upon thousands of cats—you’ll definitely find one.”
“Meow\~ I believe in you, Daddy.”
Half an hour later, they arrived outside a cattery.
After parking, Song Yu checked his reflection in the car window to make sure his mask and hat were secure, then took Yiyi inside.
The moment they entered, two angelic-looking ragdolls blocked their way, meowing sweetly. Song Yu couldn’t understand them, so Yiyi translated: “Daddy, they’re asking for dried fish. They won’t let you pass without it, meow.”
Song Yu burst into laughter—how cute.
But in his heart, he still thought his Yiyi was the cutest. To avoid making him jealous, he didn’t even glance at the ragdolls again.
Just then, the receptionist came over, gently picking up the two ragdolls and asking, “Hello, sir, how can I help you?”
“I’m too busy with work, so my cat gets lonely at home. I want to get another one as a companion,” Song Yu said.
“No problem. What breed are you looking for? We have all kinds here, all from proper breeders, completely healthy. Our after-sales guarantee is one month—if there’s any issue, you can contact us.”
“Any breed is fine,” Song Yu replied. “My cat is very opinionated, so could we let him choose for himself?”
The receptionist, well-versed in feline temperaments, smiled. “Of course. Please follow me to the backyard.”
Through a corridor, they reached the back area, where Song Yu saw a field of furry balls tumbling and chasing each other, irresistibly cute. Some cats lounged high on cat trees, dozing with half-closed eyes.
Song Yu looked at Yiyi with affectionate eyes and whispered, “Yiyi, it’s your time to shine.”
Yiyi rubbed against him, then turned and loudly meowed, “Any tomcats here who don’t like female cats and prefer mating with other tomcats, meow?”
The moment the words left him, many furry heads swiveled toward him.
Song Yu: “…” Honestly, being stared at by that many cats was… a bit much.
Soon, the furballs started meowing back in various pitches. Song Yu couldn’t understand them, so he asked curiously, “Yiyi, any?”
But Yiyi drooped his ears, buried his head into Song Yu’s chest, and muttered in defeat, “They called me a pervert, meow… and a bumpkin. Daddy, let’s go.”
Song Yu’s heart ached. He couldn’t scold a bunch of cats, so he politely told the receptionist, “My cat hasn’t found one he likes, so we’ll be leaving. Goodbye.”
Then he walked out carrying Yiyi.
The receptionist was baffled—how could this guy possibly know what their cats thought?
They went to two more catteries, but the results were the same. Male cats who liked other male cats were rare, and Yiyi was just an ordinary orange tabby—not exactly high on the popularity scale. Yiyi was on the verge of tears, his little suit losing its crispness.
Song Yu patted his head. “Don’t worry, Yiyi. There are still lots of catteries—we’ll definitely find one.”
Yiyi curled up, sulking. “There won’t be, meow…”
Song Yu’s heart ached again. Inwardly, he blamed Fu Yuqian—it was his fault for not spending time with Yiyi or caring about his emotional needs.
At that moment, Fu Yuqian, in the middle of searching for girl group dances, suddenly sneezed.
“Yiyi, it’s still early—shall we try a few more places?” Song Yu hugged him, cheering him up. “You can’t pursue love without courage. So what if you face setbacks? You’re the best, Yiyi.”
Yiyi perked up a little. “Daddy, let’s not go to those places. I was a stray before, remember? Dad Fu found me on the roadside. Let’s look on the roadside, meow.”
Song Yu had never asked about Yiyi’s past. He hadn’t expected he was a stray rescued by Fu Yuqian. He patted Yiyi’s head. “Alright, we’ll try the roadside.”
But there were very few strays in Beijing. After driving around several times without finding any, Song Yu saw Yiyi’s mood sinking again. Then he remembered—many strays ended up in shelters. They could try there.
He looked up the location of a shelter—it was in the suburbs, nearly an hour’s drive. By now, it was already noon.
Fu Yuqian called, asking why he wasn’t back yet. Song Yu stopped by a cake shop, bought bread, and opened a can of cat food for Yiyi. While eating, he said, “I’m going to check out a shelter in the suburbs.”
“Tell me where you are—I’ll send a driver. Don’t drive that far yourself,” Fu Yuqian said, worried.
“No need, I’m full of energy now,” Song Yu replied honestly. It wasn’t a lie—he used to be slightly nearsighted, but one day he woke up to a perfectly clear world. Plus, his stamina was incredible now—he didn’t feel tired at all. “Alright, I’m done eating. I’m heading over now. Bye.”
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
Fu Yuqian was helpless, but fortunately, Yiyi still had the GPS tag on his collar, so he could check his location in real time.
Following the navigation, Song Yu drove to the shelter, which was set up in a private home. Next to the gate stood a sign that read Wen Ning Pet Adoption Center.
He rang the doorbell, and soon a girl with delicate features came to open the door. “Hello?”
“Hello, I’d like to adopt a cat to keep my own cat company.”
“Alright, welcome, please come in.” The girl glanced at the orange tabby in Song Yu’s arms and smiled. “Your orange cat is really well cared for.”
Song Yu patted Yiyi’s head. “Thank you.”
Right past the entrance was a large courtyard, half of which was covered by a shed with neatly stacked cat and dog cages. The sun was shining just right, and the cats were lazily sunbathing in the yard. All of them were domestic shorthairs of various colors—no expensive breeds in sight.
The girl introduced herself as Han Xia, a volunteer who came every week to bring food for the cats. There were three other volunteers in the yard—two young men and one young woman.
Song Yu told Yiyi to give a call. Perhaps still feeling a bit down, Yiyi meowed weakly: “Any tomcats here who like mating with other tomcats, meow?”
Just like back at the cattery, that shout made the cats turn their heads to look, but instead of mocking Yiyi, they seriously answered that they preferred female cats. One black-and-white “cow” cat, however, came trotting over, looking up and meowing. Song Yu felt a flicker of excitement—could this be a gay cat?
Yiyi wriggled free, circled the cow cat, and asked, “Do you like me?”
The cow cat meowed again, and Song Yu could almost hear a hint of flattery in it.
Yiyi was delighted and leaned closer, trying to groom the cow cat, but the latter’s expression briefly showed wariness before settling into stillness again. That moment of hesitation made Song Yu suspicious. Animals could be cunning, but their schemes were still too shallow compared to humans.
To be sure, he asked Han Xia about the cow cat’s age, whether it had been neutered, and whether it usually played with female or male cats.
Han Xia, unaware of the cow cat’s “plot,” smiled. “Its name is Langzi—Rogue—because he loves hovering around female cats and even tricks them out of their food. He’s a real scumbag cat. But he was abandoned, and when we rescued him, he’d been starving for so long he was nearly beyond saving. Maybe because of that experience, he’s very focused on food now.”
Song Yu bent down to scoop Yiyi up. Yiyi was still confused—Langzi had just told him he liked male cats, and Yiyi had been overjoyed, almost ready to achieve the ultimate harmony of life with him.
Langzi, unaware his lie had been exposed, was still putting on a show, displaying his healthy physique and gazing at Song Yu expectantly.
Song Yu was both exasperated and amused, but mostly he felt pity. Langzi probably saw Yiyi as a rich, handsome cat who could provide endless food, so he pretended to like males. Given his tragic past, even such a lie felt a little heartbreaking.
“Do all the cats here have similar stories?” Song Yu asked. Maybe it was because he had been a cat for a while, but his empathy for them was strong, and he felt distressed.
Han Xia’s smile faded slightly. “Pretty much. Nowadays, people prefer purebred cats, which leads to a large number of strays. Without sterilization, they keep reproducing, so shelters everywhere are under a lot of pressure. But the cats are really lovely—treat them well, and they’ll return all your love.”
Song Yu’s heart softened. “Let me donate some money, then. I don’t have time to volunteer, but you can use it to buy more food or pay for spaying and neutering.”
Han Xia was surprised and quickly went inside to find the shelter manager. The manager had been in the house delivering kittens and rushed out when he heard, thanking Song Yu repeatedly.
Song Yu asked for the manager’s phone number and directly transferred two million yuan. The manager was stunned—he’d thought Song Yu might donate a few thousand at most, never expecting two million.
“Could I have your contact information? I’ll show you the exact use of every cent of your donation.” The manager was young, with gentle features. “We’re truly grateful.”
“No need, I trust you.” Song Yu was about to leave with Yiyi when he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him—or rather, on the cat in his arms. Following the gaze, he saw a large black cat.
It seemed to have some Maine Coon blood, about one and a half times Yiyi’s size, covered in jet-black fur, with cold green eyes like emeralds, sitting proudly in its cage.
Seeing Song Yu’s attention, the manager quickly introduced it. “This cat is called Your Majesty. He was also abandoned. He can be aggressive, and except for mealtimes, he mostly ignores us.”
Yiyi was a little frightened—This cat’s aura is so strong, meow.
Song Yu thought the cat was beautiful, majestic, and to his taste, but hesitated after hearing about its aggression. What if it bullied Yiyi?
He looked away and was about to leave.
But Your Majesty suddenly let out a deep, resonant meow.
Yiyi then called out in surprise, “Papa, don’t go.”
“What is it, Yiyi?” Song Yu asked.
Yiyi sounded puzzled. “Papa, this cat says he likes me, meow. He also said Langzi doesn’t like tomcats at all—he just wanted to steal my food. But Langzi told me he liked me.”
For a moment, Song Yu felt like he was watching a feline soap opera.
After Yiyi spoke, Your Majesty suddenly stood up, reached a paw out to open his cage, and leapt out gracefully. In just a few steps, he exuded the air of a king. Turning his head toward Langzi, he meowed once. Langzi immediately shrank back, giving a timid mew, as if afraid of him.
Song Yu didn’t fully understand what had happened.
But Yiyi let out an angry meow. “Langzi, you liar! Why did you deceive me?”
He wished he could give the Rascal a swipe with his claws.
Song Yu understood now—His Majesty was forcing the Rascal to admit he had lied, so that Yiyi wouldn’t keep holding on to any lingering feelings for him.
I could really go for some sunflower seeds right now…
His Majesty let out another low, deep meow toward Yiyi. Yiyi looked a little shy. “Do you really like me, meow?”
In His Majesty’s cold green eyes, there seemed to flash a trace of tenderness and indulgence. He meowed again.
Yiyi’s heart was moved. He tilted his head toward Song Yu and meowed, “Daddy, can we take His Majesty home, meow?”
Song Yu actually liked His Majesty too, and with Yiyi asking, he immediately agreed. Turning his head, he asked the person in charge if they could take His Majesty. The person in charge, unaware of the drama and entanglement he was missing out on, smiled cheerfully. “Of course, I trust you’ll take good care of him.” Many people came to adopt cats, and the person in charge could tell at a glance that Song Yu was someone who truly loved cats. In fact, he even thought Song Yu himself was a bit like a cat.
It must’ve been an illusion—he was clearly a very handsome man.
Song Yu crouched down and reached his hand toward His Majesty. “Well then, Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace?”
His Majesty reached out a paw to him. Under the astonished gaze of the staff and volunteers, Song Yu picked him up, and surprisingly, His Majesty made no move to attack him.
The scene was so heartwarming that Han Xia couldn’t help but take a picture.
Song Yu placed both His Majesty and Yiyi in the back seat of the car, started the engine, and happily headed home. In the back, Yiyi was still a little afraid of His Majesty, so he timidly tried to please him. “Your Majesty, I have lots of cat food and canned food, I can share them all with you.”
His Majesty’s gaze burned into Yiyi. Suddenly, he pounced on him, and amidst Yiyi’s startled cries, began grooming him gently. Yiyi froze for a moment, then enthusiastically returned the favor.
Song Yu felt like he’d just been force-fed a mouthful of cat food…
Tsk, spring really was a beautiful season.
By the time they returned to the city, it was already past 2 p.m. Song Yu first took His Majesty to a pet shop for a check-up. With Yiyi’s calming presence, His Majesty didn’t attack the vet and cooperated fully. He turned out to be a perfectly healthy male cat. He got his vaccinations, took a bath, and looked incredibly handsome.
As soon as they got home, Song Yu flaunted him to Fu Yuqian, even trying to intimidate him. “His Majesty is really strong—someone like you, he could take on eight of you. If you bully me again, watch out, His Majesty will scratch you!”
Fu Yuqian: “…”
Then, looking quite pleased with himself, Song Yu had His Majesty pose handsomely for a photo and posted it on Weibo: Today, I finally have a cat too! His name is His Majesty—majestic and mighty, just like me.
Meanwhile, half an hour earlier, the Wenning Shelter’s Weibo had also posted a photo—Song Yu holding His Majesty and Yiyi. They had thoughtfully covered Song Yu’s face with a cat sticker, only writing that they thanked a kind person for adopting the cat and donating two million yuan. They promised to publicly share the donation breakdown on Weibo for everyone’s supervision.
The Wenning Shelter’s account only had about a thousand followers. People who saw it just thought it was some rich bigwig and joined in thanking the kind-hearted person.
But once Song Yu’s Weibo post went up, the two photos were quickly connected by fans.
[So here’s the question—why is Fu Yuqian’s Yiyi in Song Yu’s hands?]
When Fu Yuqian saw the post, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.
[mfn]If you enjoy my translations, you can show your support by leaving a comment or donating to my Ko-fi. It will be much appreciated. Thank you! [/mfn]
