Chapter 63
Lin Ran, holding the hefty Maine Coon, petted its soft fur.
“Meow—” Shao Mian stretched languidly, turning to look at him.
“I’ll bring you back to the office next time,” Lin Ran said, scratching the cat’s chin.
His roommates, watching the cat’s affectionate behavior towards Lin Ran, compared to its hostility towards them, were convinced it had a split personality. Luo Xiao had almost lost a finger trying to pet it.
“Lin-zai, this means a promotion for you,” Zhu Yao said, stroking his chin.
“Huh?” Lin Ran looked at them, confused, as they explained their logic.
“You’ve won the boss’s cat’s favor! Use this to get closer to him! Promotions and raises guaranteed!”
“And use the cat as an excuse to chat with him on WeChat! Get ahead of the competition!”
Lin Ran considered this. “But everyone at Morson is nice. And I’m the only new intern. No competition,” he said, feeling the friendly, almost familial atmosphere. “But I should probably message him about the cat.”
Shao Mian, overhearing this, tensed. Lin Ran had his WeChat, but only from the livestream, where he had been placed in a special group with limited access to his feed.
Lin Ran, however, took a picture of the cat and sent it to Tao Shu.
[Ran: Mr. Tao, I accidentally brought Mr. Shao’s cat back. It must have climbed into my backpack. Can I bring it back tomorrow?]
Tao Shu, delighted to receive a message from A-Ran, his cute little dog profile picture making him smile, then saw the picture and his eyes almost popped out of his head.
[Mouse Debugging: !??] How dare that shameless demon invade A-Ran’s dorm?! And why hadn’t he thought of sending a hamster to A-Ran’s backpack?
[Mouse Debugging: Um… I understand, but maybe you should tell him directly? I’ll send you his contact info.] He knew Shao Mian wanted Lin Ran to add him. He was the only one in the company without A-Ran’s full WeChat access. He quickly sent Shao Mian’s contact, before he could object.
Lin Ran clicked on it, realizing he already had him as a friend, the mysterious big spender from the livestream.
Lin Ran: … He was speechless.
Shao Mian: … He wanted to strangle Tao Shu.
But then, Lin Ran started typing. Was this actually working? [Pondering Lion]
“Lin-zai, class meeting soon. Leaving the cat here?” his roommates asked, worried about him being late.
“I’ll be right back,” Lin Ran said, placing the Maine Coon on his desk after messaging Shao Mian. “Be good. Don’t run away again,” he said, his gentle tone and direct eye contact making Shao Mian flick his tail and look away, flustered. This human was strangely endearing. Did he also possess some kind of charm magic? But he couldn’t sense any unusual aura.
“Ee…” Little Feather, seeing A-Ran leaving, and Shao Mian distracted, quickly hid in his backpack.
“Feather? Stay hidden during class, okay?” Lin Ran said, feeling the added weight.
“Ee!” Little Feather nodded eagerly. It wasn’t like that big cat.
The class meeting, however, made Lin Ran, the usually inconspicuous entertainment representative, the center of attention. The upcoming autumn festival was a major event this year, with even celebrities invited, and their class’s magic act had fallen through.
“Lin Ran, can you handle this? I can find someone else…” Guan Qian Qian, the class president, a capable young woman from a wealthy family, asked him after the meeting. Her classmates coughed, and Luo Xiao had to call for order. Guan Qian Qian had been openly admiring Lin Ran since the start of the semester, and his roommates had thought he would be “marrying into wealth” if he accepted her advances. But he had politely declined, citing his family situation, his words causing widespread disappointment on the university’s confession wall.
His classmates, learning about his difficult circumstances, his orphaned childhood, his ailing grandmother, and his family’s financial struggles, had become even more fond of him, though he had assumed they would distance themselves. But they had simply been unsure how to approach him, his quiet demeanor and Guan Qian Qian’s failed pursuit making them hesitant. He had mistakenly interpreted their distance as fear of his “bad luck.”
“It’s okay, I’ll figure it out,” he said.
“Alright, Lin-zai, good luck,” she said, using his nickname, making him blush. Had everyone seen his livestream?
“We’ll help you! Don’t stress!” she said, waving goodbye, secretly hoping he would join her family’s company after graduation. She admired his character and believed he would succeed in anything he did.
“Lin-zai, she’s nice and pretty. Why not consider her?” Zhu Yao asked back in the dorm.
“I need to focus on my internship and the magic act…” Lin Ran said, stopping him. He felt he would be burdening anyone he dated, given his circumstances.
“Don’t be stupid, Zhu Yao! Lin-zai’s focused on his career! Thirty is a good age for romance!” Luo Xiao said.
“Thirty?!” Zhu Yao exclaimed, then yelped as a heavy paw landed on his back.
“Lin-zai’s cat! It’s so heavy! Playing with me? Hey, it’s gone!” The Maine Coon had jumped back onto the desk. Shao Mian, having overheard their conversation about Lin Ran and romance, was annoyed. The human was too young!
“Quiet! I’m watching a tutorial,” Lin Ran said, holding the cat down, trying to learn a magic trick. He had to either find a replacement or perform himself. Learning a trick seemed easier, but it was surprisingly difficult. And now, they were distracting him.
“Ee…” Little Feather, however, tugged at his sleeve, having been watching the tutorial with him.
“What is it? Hungry?” Lin Ran asked gently.
Little Feather shook its head and pointed at the video, then at itself. It could do that! It was a bird! It could solve A-Ran’s problem!
Lin Ran, however, hesitated. Was it cheating to use Little Feather’s magic?
“Ee ee!” Little Feather insisted.
“Should I make you a little magician outfit?” Lin Ran wondered, imagining a tiny hat and cape, the bird emerging dramatically from his own hat. He could make matching outfits for Sootball and Snowball too.
He then frowned, remembering Snowball. He should visit him. His parents and manager were still a concern.
Just then, his phone rang. A video call from An Xun. He smiled and answered.
“A-Ran…” An Xun’s soft voice, like a cub calling for its parent, made Lin Ran’s heart melt. He seemed to have just finished filming.
“Why are you calling? Something wrong?” Lin Ran asked, wanting to reach through the screen and hug him. Seeing his adult form made him appreciate the little cub even more.
“I miss you,” An Xun confessed. He didn’t know why, but he had felt a sudden urge to hear A-Ran’s voice. And he had a surprise for him.
“A surprise for me?” Lin Ran asked, and An Xun realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud.
“Yes,” he mumbled, not wanting to reveal it yet. There was something else he wasn’t sure how to tell him. His ear hadn’t hurt all day. It was a significant improvement, but looking at his parents’ profile picture, now replaced by a picture of his baby brother, he hesitated, then typed:
“My ear hasn’t hurt all day.”
“That’s great, Snowball! But why didn’t you tell me before? Tell me next time; I’ll try to visit,” Lin Ran said, his heart melting at Snowball’s soft confession. Was it related to his actions in the Time Mirror? Did different timelines affect each other? If he healed Little Feather in the game, would the real Little Feather also heal?
“Okay!” An Xun said, happy, but also worried about bothering A-Ran. His parents had said university students were busy.
“Lin-zai— Your turn for the shower!” his roommate’s voice called out.
“Coming!” he replied.
An Xun, holding the phone, asked, “Can you log into ‘Demon World’ early tonight?”
“Of course! I’ll come find you, Snowball,” Lin Ran said without hesitation.
An Xun’s heart fluttered. A-Ran smiled often, but his smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners, always made him feel happy. He liked A-Ran, very, very much.
“Ee, ee—” Little Feather, about to interrupt their conversation, was stopped by a golden paw pinning its tail feathers down. It was instinctively afraid of Shao Mian, even in his Maine Coon form. And he was stepping on its beautiful tail feathers, which A-Ran had praised!
Shao Mian, glancing at the little bird, realized Lin Ran was raising the Feather Clan cub, and quite well, it seemed. It wasn’t hostile towards Lin Ran, just possessive. He, the most possessive of them all, judged the little cub, oblivious to his own hypocrisy.
He then looked at Lin Ran, who had just ended the call, and fell silent, a strange thought forming in his mind as he watched the human’s happy expression. What kind of demon wouldn’t be attracted to him?
An Xun, watching A-Ran hang up, felt a surge of happiness, wanting to run around as a snow leopard. A-Ran had talked to him, despite being busy.
Fu Yan, his manager, entering the room, was surprised by his cheerful demeanor. He was usually so expressionless.
“Your university performance is confirmed. And we’ve arranged a promotional event at the university too,” he said. S University was prestigious; it was a good opportunity. He suspected An Xun had requested this to see that university student.
“Okay,” An Xun said, his indifference making Fu Yan feel like he was talking to a wall. He was still young, but he was already difficult to manage. He should renegotiate his contract. He was confident he could convince Lu Ya and her husband; they would agree to anything for money, especially now with a second child. It was common for child stars’ parents to have another child for support in their old age. He even saw a picture of Lin Ran holding a snow leopard cub as An Xun’s phone wallpaper. He suspected An Xun was seeking a parental figure, but this wasn’t good.
“You’re young and easily manipulated. Don’t trust strangers so easily,” he warned, then stopped, feeling a chill as An Xun looked at him, a silent threat in his gaze. If he had looked closer, he would have seen an ice shard forming behind him. But An Xun, remembering A-Ran’s words, let it dissipate, the temperature dropping slightly.
“I’ll… go now. Don’t forget your alarm,” Fu Yan said, hurrying out, relieved to be away from the unsettling presence. He felt ridiculous for being intimidated by a child.
An Xun, however, looked at the ice magic in his hand, realizing he could now control it in the real world. According to the “Demon World” forum, this meant his transformation was progressing. Most humans died during this stage, unable to withstand the demonic energy. He was now a true half-demon. And if he was a monster, then he would be A-Ran’s little monster. A-Ran wouldn’t dislike him. He hugged his tail, waiting for A-Ran to log into “Demon World.”
That night, as Lin Ran logged in, he received several notifications:
[Cub affection: Max! Claim your rewards!] As with Sootball, Snowball’s affection had reached 100 after the Time Mirror quest. He wondered what the reward would be.
