So this kind of scene was a first for Jiang Xiaoyu.
His actions were extremely swift and precise. Not long after, Yang Guo, hooded, was escorted into the Interrogation Room.
Jin Ge clapped his hands and said, “Handle the rest according to Criminal Investigation procedures. Everyone’s worked hard these past days. Unless something else comes up, no overtime tonight.”
The crowd cheered. But before they could even catch a breather at the Case Handling Office, they received a call: a kitten was stuck in a wall crevice and couldn’t get out.
Jiang Xiaoyu hadn’t handled such trivial matters in ages, having dealt with two murders back-to-back. He stood up. “I’ll go.”
At the scene, he found the kitten wedged at a tricky angle, extremely hard to rescue. A volunteer group was already there helping, but unable to free it, they’d called the police.
“The police are here!” The crowd shouted upon seeing Jiang Xiaoyu in uniform.
Normally, firefighters handled this, but Pine City was special—with the Case Handling Office—so such reports came to them.
Jiang Xiaoyu calmed the crowd and volunteers, learned the details, then crouched by the wall to carefully search for the cat.
It was an old flat-roofed house. The wall was barely three centimeters thick from the back face—too narrow even for a wrist, let alone an elbow. The kitten was stuck right in the middle. Frightened, it let out thin, weak mews, unable to move.
The rescue group saw Jiang Xiaoyu arrive empty-handed and deflated. “Officer, this won’t work. We can’t get it out.”
Jiang Xiaoyu said nothing. He glanced at the house, then climbed onto the roof via the window. He edged carefully to the crevice. The gap above was wider—otherwise the kitten wouldn’t have fallen in—but below was too narrow, and the wall too high. No way the kitten could climb out alone.
“Little guy, don’t be scared.” Jiang Xiaoyu softly reassured it from the kitten’s direction.
The kitten heard the voice, looked up, and seeing a human, seemed confused and afraid. A twitch wedged it tighter; its head clamped, body dangling, it emitted urgent thin cries.
“Don’t panic. Stay still, I’ll be right there.” Jiang Xiaoyu patiently coaxed. The kitten’s eyes were full of tears. After hearing him a few more times, it gradually quieted.
“Don’t struggle. I’ll grab tools and be right back.” Jiang Xiaoyu went to the roof edge, squatted, and signaled a volunteer to hand him the rope loop.
The volunteer tiptoed to pass it up. “We tried, but the kitten wouldn’t listen. Couldn’t loop its neck to pull it up.”
“I’ll try.” Jiang Xiaoyu returned to position. Their words didn’t work, but his did! The kitten below obediently followed, poking its head into the loop. Jiang Xiaoyu tightened and slowly pulled it out.
Volunteers and crowd applauded. “Wow! For problems, call the police uncle! Wait, police brother… uh, police little brother…”
Jiang Xiaoyu pressed his lips, not stopping the photos and videos, and gently wiped the tear-streaked face. Softly, “How’d you end up falling here?”
The kitten was at most a month old, speech incomplete. “Person… brother took cat, run…”
Too many people for details. Jiang Xiaoyu held it and asked volunteers, “Seen Cat Mom?” Kittens this young stayed with their mom—how’d this one wander here?
Volunteers shook heads. “No, we only found this one when we got the call.”
Something felt off. Following the kitten’s cries and scent in the air, Jiang Xiaoyu searched nearby and found a large cat brutally killed in a flower bed.
“Ah! Damn! Who did this!” A volunteer covered her mouth, nauseous. The big cat’s face was smashed unrecognizable.
Jiang Xiaoyu’s lips tightened, expression icy. Following the blood trail, he found a smaller cat nearby, pierced by an arrow.
The kitten in his arms was too young to understand, but it began wailing, “Bro…”
Jiang Xiaoyu covered its head. Likely, the killer offed the big cat; Cat Brother fled with the kitten but was caught. Desperate, it shoved the kitten into the crevice, then fell from the wall to its death.
“Too much.” The crowd buzzed. Jiang Xiaoyu’s heart was colder than ice. From childhood, he’d seen too much. How to make those scum stop?
Volunteers took the kitten. Jiang Xiaoyu borrowed a shovel from the gate guard and buried the two cats in a deep pit.
The crowd kept gossiping, but he tuned it out. Eyes downcast, he walked roadside until a figure blocked him, snapping him back.
“Why’re you here? Looking for Uncle?” Ye Lian smiled.
Jiang Xiaoyu pouted childishly. Seeing an adult, he vented his grievance and sadness. “That cat’s face was smashed beyond recognition…”
Ye Lian dropped the smile, understanding the kid’s dazed look. He pulled Jiang Xiaoyu into his arms, chin up signaling the driver to leave first, then rested his chin on Jiang Xiaoyu’s head, gently nuzzling. “Can you tell Uncle?”
He held Jiang Xiaoyu on the roadside flower bed, listening to the choked recount. “The police won’t handle this stuff. I know, I’m a cop.”
Ye Lian soothed, thinking even if he had kids, he wouldn’t be this patient. “Want Uncle to investigate? I’ll find who hurt the kittens and puppies, shoot them with arrows, smash their faces, make them kneel at the kittens’ grave and apologize!”
Jiang Xiaoyu sniffled. “Are you an idiot? Hurting people is illegal.”
“But getting mad at those who hurt kittens and puppies isn’t, right?”
Jiang Xiaoyu fell silent, eyes stinging again. They stayed like that awhile. Good this was a development zone—fewer people. Otherwise, two outstanding-looking men hugging on the street would’ve sparked talk.
Sun setting, Jiang Xiaoyu gathered himself, realizing their position. At 1.8 meters, tall and slender, he fit perfectly in Ye Lian’s arms, like he belonged there. Face flushing, he pushed away and stood. “Sorry.”
Ye Lian smiled, removing his suit vest and draping it over his arm. “What for?”
“Talking about this with you, sitting in your lap. Troubled you.”
“Told you, no need to say that. Trouble? I wouldn’t mind more like this.” Ye Lian pinched his nape. “It’s far. Come to Uncle’s company? Then we’ll head home together.”
A flushed-faced Jiang Xiaoyu checked the time, quickly reported to Jin Ge, told Ye Qingxu, and then followed Ye Lian to the Ye Corporation.
The industrial park was huge; half an hour later, they reached the main building. In Ye Lian’s private lounge, Jiang Xiaoyu awkwardly sat on the sofa as the assistant served tea, water, snacks.
“Please sit. President Ye’s in a meeting.” The young assistant couldn’t hide curiosity toward Jiang Xiaoyu.
Jiang Xiaoyu hung his head, gulped tea randomly. When she left, he relaxed, scanning the room.
Style matched Ye Residence: minimalist yet exquisite, perfectly arranged.
Light gray bed had a robe—likely Ye Lian’s for naps. Jiang Xiaoyu touched it: silky cool, carrying Ye Lian’s cool fragrance.
He yanked his hand back as if burned, feeling creepy. He Slapped his face. “Jiang Xiaoyu, what’re you doing!” But he couldn’t quell the heat, so he plopped back on the sofa, chugging his tea.
Phone rang: Ye Qingxu. “Daddy.”
“At Ye Lian’s? Just saw the message, turning around to pick you up.”
Jiang Xiaoyu shook head. “Too far. Go home. I’ll go with Mr. Ye later.”
Ye Qingxu didn’t want them alone, but heard the downcast tone, softened. “Okay, Daddy’ll prep dinner. Anything special you want? I’ll buy.”
No appetite, Jiang Xiaoyu mumbled, “Anything’s fine. Get what you like.”
After hanging up, he curled up on the sofa, sighed, and muttered, “If superheroes really exist, would they protect kittens and puppies? If humans and kittens opposed, who’d they side with?”
Aimless words that proved prophetic. He didn’t know yet.
Time passed; Jiang Xiaoyu grew drowsy, unknowingly shifting to cat form, curling in the sofa corner asleep.
Ye Lian finished meeting, asked assistant, “Did he drink the calming tea?”
Assistant nodded. “Haven’t seen him out. Probably asleep.”
Ye Lian nodded and gestured for the assistant not to follow, then pushed open the door to the resting room himself. The room was pitch black, but his exceptional night vision and hearing told him there was a small thing curled up on the sofa, breathing shallowly. He turned on the light and sat down elegantly to one side before digging the little black cat out from inside his clothes.
“Little Yu, wake up. We’re heading home.”
Jiang Xiaoyu opened his eyes in a daze. Once he clearly saw the handsome face in front of him, he flipped over and said, “That’s weird. How did I fall asleep? And change back into cat form?”
Ye Lian pinched his ears. “Seeing how much you were overthinking, I had the assistant brew you a pot of calming tea. Who knew you’d drink it all? Of course you fell asleep.”
Jiang Xiaoyu drooped his ears, his claws awkwardly fiddling with his clothes. “Um… could you step out first? I need to change…”
It was late, and he didn’t want to delay any longer and leave the little guy hungry. Ye Lian stopped teasing him and said, “No need to transform. Just stuff your clothes into a bag. We’ll head back like this.”
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded, not realizing how naturally he had already been scooped up into the man’s arms.
By the time they reached the foot of Ink Orchid Mansion, it was already past eight. Ye Qingxu had gotten the call early and was waiting at the door.
Jiang Xiaoyu lay on the windowsill, gazing at that slender figure in the night. He felt like he’d been overly sensitive lately—his eyes were stinging again.
As soon as the car came to a stop, he leaped out the window and dashed toward Ye Qingxu.
Ye Qingxu squatted down, arms open wide, and pulled him into a hug. He planted a kiss on him before standing up and taking the bag of clothes from Ye Lian. “Thanks for the trouble. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come in and have a bite before heading back up the mountain.”
Ye Lian’s gaze softened. “Nah, Aunt Qing made dinner. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
His tall figure settled back into the car. Jiang Xiaoyu watched from afar before suddenly opening his mouth wide and meowing loudly, “Thanks, you old bastard!”
Ye Lian chuckled and waved out the window before vanishing into the night.
Ye Qingxu carried Jiang Xiaoyu through the courtyard gate, murmuring softly, “What happened today? Wanna tell Daddy about it?”
Jiang Xiaoyu kicked his cat paws hesitantly in the air for a good while before letting out a soft meow.
In the distance, a camera clicked, snapping a photo and sending it to Jiang Fenghua.
