Wei Xicheng recalled how, in the heat of the moment last night, Yi Chengze had whispered in a low, magnetic voice while nibbling his cat ears, “So that’s your real name, Wei Xicheng?” all the while galloping away with enthusiasm. Just thinking about it made Wei Xicheng’s face heat up uncontrollably.
It felt as though his cover had been blown, all the intimacy and flirtation suddenly became genuine and direct, without any pretense to shield him.
With energy restored, the system could seamlessly connect to the satellites of this world. If Wei Xicheng wanted, he could gain access to every corner of this world. As he pulled up the situation in the warehouse, he slowly washed up and got dressed.
Once he was ready, he noticed on the monitor that a disheveled man was limping out of the warehouse. Upon zooming in, he realized it was Yang Yuan.
Last night, Yi Chengze had said he’d deliver the man to the warehouse, which had taken only a few minutes. However, the subsequent events had gone unaddressed, as Wei Xicheng had been dragged into the “combat room” for a fierce (demon fighting).
Rewinding the footage, Wei Xicheng discovered that all traces of himself and Yi Chengze in the warehouse had been erased during the time they were present.
It looked as if the group of men had mysteriously gathered in the warehouse, fought each other, and then ended up entangled in compromising positions. A few minutes later, Yang Yuan entered the warehouse alone and ended up playing an adult “game” with the group. The footage was explicit and shocking in its audacity.
Being a product of advanced civilization, the system could easily integrate the footage into low-tech devices in this world. After stopping by a shop, Wei Xicheng walked leisurely toward Yang Yuan’s villa with a USB drive in hand.
Today, he intended to eliminate Lin Yang’s worries for good, so he could focus on teaching his dear laogong how to paint.
Yang Yuan forced himself to endure the discomfort in his body as he trudged home, walking for hours. By the time he finally stepped through his front door, he was shocked to find someone sitting on his sofa, smiling at him.
“You! What do you want now?!” Yang Yuan took a step back, pressing his aching back against the door he had just closed. Gasping sharply, he realized there wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t sore-especially the unspeakable area that throbbed with excruciating pain.
He had barely hoped for a moment’s reprieve, only to find the very person responsible for his predicament sitting in his home. Anger, fear, and frustration surged within him.
Recalling last night’s paranormal events, he still felt lingering fear. But with that mysterious, powerful man absent from the scene, he felt slightly relieved. In his mind, that man, possessing abilities far beyond ordinary comprehension, must belong to some secretive, powerful organization. Yang Yuan, being no more than an ant in the grand scheme, couldn’t even muster the thought of defying him.
The only comfort was that the man didn’t seem intent on killing him.
“I don’t want anything. Just take a look at this.”
In this world, Wei Xicheng’s face had an inherently deceptive quality to it. Even when he wasn’t smiling, the slight upward curve of his lips and the soft contours of his face gave him a gentle and approachable demeanor.
Suppressing his stench, Yang Yuan leaned closer to the laptop on the table.
To ensure he could see clearly, Wei Xicheng adjusted the angle of the laptop, offering him an unobstructed view.
The screen played a video.
“Ah… ah…” came the sounds of Yang Yuan, sandwiched between several men.
His face was flushed with desire, his expression one of unabashed pleasure.
The sight seemed to excite the men thrusting against him even more, leading one to slap him across the face twice while cursing lewdly.
Yet despite the degrading words, the Yang Yuan on the screen didn’t seem to care.
Instead, he swayed his hips desperately, his eyes rolling upward as he teetered on the edge of euphoria.
“No! That’s not me!” Yang Yuan slammed the laptop shut with a resounding “clap,” cutting off the obscene noises coming from the speakers. Exhausted from a sleepless night and running on the dregs of his energy, his bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at Wei Xicheng on the sofa as he stood, leaning unsteadily on the coffee table for support.
“Why?! Why are you doing this to me?”
Wei Xicheng tilted his head and shifted his posture. “Those men? They’re the ones you hired. If it weren’t for me, they would’ve had their way with someone else instead.”
Yang Yuan’s trembling hand remained pressed on the laptop, as if he were struggling to contain the storm brewing within him.
“But,” Wei Xicheng continued with a sly smile, “I think we can still work together.” He gestured to the laptop in front of them.
“I can promise you that Lin Yang and I won’t interfere with Si Yongyi’s judgment anymore, and this video won’t spread. But only if you succeed in winning Si Yongyi’s heart and staying with him forever.”
These two being together meant they wouldn’t harm anyone else. After all, in the original storyline, they ended up as a pair in the end. Wei Xicheng felt there was nothing wrong with what he was doing.
Yang Yuan let out a low chuckle, took a while to raise his head, and finally said to Wei Xicheng, “Skill surpasses mine. I admit defeat. Fine.”
He had expected the person opposite him to throw down a few harsh words, but to his surprise, the young man, who had shown such ruthless methods, merely said, “Alright,” then stood up from the sofa, opened the door, and prepared to leave.
Through the boy’s departing figure, Yang Yuan saw the formidable man from the previous night standing outside the door. The man encircled the boy in his arms, sending a couple of cold glances his way, but still carefully adjusted the boy’s shirt collar in a fleeting moment of tenderness.
Yang Yuan collapsed to the floor, feeling the cold seeping into his bones despite the not-so-cold weather. He lay there for a while before forcing himself to get up and take an unusually long shower. He couldn’t afford to fall apart now. He still had to deal with the people who knew about last night. The only thing left for him to cling to was Si Yongyi.
“Is it taken care of?” Yi Chengze asked, holding the little cat paw in his hand, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
“It should be,” Wei Xicheng replied, replaying his entire conversation with Yang Yuan in his mind. He could tell Yang Yuan harbored intense hatred for him, but he was clearly suppressing it, perhaps out of fear or some hidden motive.
As he thought about it, Wei Xicheng glanced at the person beside him, only to accidentally meet Yi Chengze’s sharp gaze.
“Let’s go,” Yi Chengze said.
“Where to?”
“To fetch the cat.”
Yi Chengze rubbed the little cat paw in his hand. Last night’s experience had been so wonderful that he could no longer be satisfied with the current state of things. Whether this person was a cat or a human, they had to stay by his side.
Powerful creatures always marked their territory and possessions.
And this cat was his possession. He was also willing to become this cat’s possession.
Wei Xicheng had no idea what Yi Chengze was thinking. He reflected on this world, where no one ever explicitly defined their relationships but managed to get along so well. Looking up with a smile, he asked, “What’s my relationship with you?”
“I thought you already knew after last night,” Yi Chengze replied, rubbing the cat’s head. “If you still don’t know, I don’t mind trying harder to make it clear.”
“…”
When Lin Yang returned home, he saw a tall, upright man standing at the door holding his fluffy cat.
“And you are?” Lin Yang took two steps forward, cautiously asking. The cat in the man’s arms was sleeping soundly with its eyes half-closed. Upon hearing Lin Yang’s voice, its ears twitched slightly as if it was about to wake up.
The man gently placed a hand over the cat’s ears, muffling any noise. The cat let out a soft hum, burying its head deeper into the man’s embrace.
Lin Yang: … Little ancestor, wake up.
“I believe we can have a proper conversation inside,” Yi Chengze said, deliberately lowering his voice to avoid disturbing Wei Xicheng.
“Oh, uh, sure,” Lin Yang replied. Although he had no idea how his cat had left the house or met this man, seeing how familiar the cat seemed with him, Lin Yang couldn’t help but feel reassured for some reason.
Cats are creatures that will remember your mistreatment for a lifetime, no matter how long you’ve cared for them. Lin Yang had raised this fluffy cat for quite some time, yet it never fully let its guard down around him. Although it would sleep beside him, as soon as he made the slightest noise, the cat would inevitably open its eyes. But now, with the man gently covering its ears, the cat peacefully fell back into a deep sleep.
Lin Yang felt a pang of sadness, sensing an ominous premonition.
Sitting in Lin Yang’s home, Yi Chengze took in the environment that Wei Xicheng had lived in for quite some time. Although the place was small and a bit cluttered, it was clear that Lin Yang had treated him very well. Cat climbing frames, toys, and beds took up a significant portion of the space, and the quality of these items was obviously high.
He gently stroked the fur on the little cat’s back, receiving a response in the form of Wei Xicheng unconsciously flicking his tail.
Seeing his own cat sleeping so soundly in someone else’s arms, Lin Yang felt too embarrassed to ask for it back. Instead, he poured a glass of water for Yi Chengze and said, “Sorry, my cat has troubled you.”
“It’s not your cat,” Yi Chengze replied.
“Eh?” Lin Yang’s hand holding the cup trembled slightly, causing it to make a loud noise against the glass table.
Yi Chengze shot him a dissatisfied look and gently stroked the still-dreaming cat, calming it back down.
“What do you mean?” Lin Yang, usually gentle in temperament, was still human. After raising this cat for so long, now suddenly someone was saying it wasn’t his. Anyone would be upset, especially since Lin Yang had considered the fluffy cat his only friend and family in this unfamiliar city.
“It’s like this, Mr. Lin.” Yi Chengze, who was never one to use pleasantries with people he didn’t care about, spoke bluntly. “As you can see, Chengcheng is my lost cat. Today, I happened to pass by here, and when he saw me, he jumped down from the window you hadn’t closed properly.”
Yi Chengze’s tone carried an unmistakable hint of reproach. Lin Yang didn’t have time to think about whether he had closed the window before he left. His mind drifted back to the day he first met the fluffy cat. The poor little thing had been nothing but skin and bones, dirty and obviously struggling outside.
He took the cat in and, to his surprise, in just two or three months, the little stray had turned into the charming creature it was now.
Lin Yang’s heart ached. His instinct told him the man in front of him was probably telling the truth. Words and expressions could be deceiving, but some small details were undeniable.
“How can you prove that the fluffy cat is yours?” Lin Yang, determined to take responsibility for the cat, insisted on ensuring he hadn’t made the wrong decision, even if the man was truly the original owner.
“That’s simple,” Yi Chengze said, pulling out his phone and showing Lin Yang an album. The album contained pictures of the cat’s growth from kitten to now. He then gently shook the cat’s head. “Chengcheng? Wake up.”
Wei Xicheng, still groggy, opened his eyes. “What’s going on? What Chengcheng?”
Yi Chengze placed the cat in the middle of the table. “Chengcheng, you decide.”
Wei Xicheng, wobbling, looked around. He hadn’t just taken a nap—how did it come to this? Hadn’t he agreed with Yi Chengze to explain things properly to Lin Yang? This abrupt choice would surely hurt someone’s feelings!
Taking two steps, Wei Xicheng saw Lin Yang’s slightly anxious gaze on the left and Yi Chengze’s deep, unwavering gaze on the right.
Sigh. Between familiarity and distance, he was obviously closer to the old lover. Wei Xicheng glanced at Lin Yang and then pounced into Yi Chengze’s arms. After all, he couldn’t be Lin Yang’s cat forever.
Lin Yang’s expression dimmed instantly, but he still lifted his head and said to Yi Chengze, “Please take good care of him, don’t let him run away again. I was so heartbroken when I found him.”
“I will.” Yi Chengze’s voice was firm. He would watch over him for a lifetime.
“Are you taking him now?” Lin Yang stood up. From what he observed, this man seemed to be from a well-off background, so at least the cat would be well taken care of. “I’ll pack him up.”
“Mm.” Yi Chengze had intended to say no, but when he saw the little cat tugging at his clothes, he understood what the cat wanted.
Lin Yang sent the man and the cat off. He felt a deep sense of loss. With the cat gone, the house felt emptier, as if something very important had been taken away. The atmosphere seemed less lively.
He forced a bitter smile, heading downstairs to buy a late-night snack. But in his favorite local store, he saw the young waiter he had met twice before sitting and eating. The waiter flashed a bright smile at him when he saw Lin Yang.
“What a coincidence, we meet again…”
—————————————————————————————————
Author’s note: Lin Yang, wiping away his tears: How could my cat just run off with someone else? I’m so blue.
Yi Chengze, wiping away Wei Xicheng’s tears: If you ever run off with someone else again… you know what will happen.
Next chapter: A new world awaits, and the old lover is about to carry the whole show.
thanks for the update..