Jiang Xiaoyu chuckled helplessly and petted it. “You’re right too.” This set off a frenzy—a whole crowd of cats and dogs swarmed over for pets, leaving his paws sore. He was just about to put on his Big Boss authority, his little black face turning stern, when he heard a voice calling him.
“Little Yu.”
Ye Lian stood outside the fence, his handsome face perfectly complementing the hazy moonlight.
Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears heated up. He trotted over. “Why are you here? Have you eaten?”
Ye Lian raised the food box in his hand and smiled faintly. “Not yet. Do I have the honor of inviting you to keep me company?”
“Where to?”
Ye Lian didn’t say, just curved his eyes. “Follow me.”
Jiang Xiaoyu glanced at the light in the workshop, then at Ye Lian waiting outside the courtyard. For some reason, he felt a twinge of guilt. He slipped through the fence. “Then let’s hurry, or Daddy will worry if he finishes work and doesn’t see me.”
Ye Lian couldn’t help teasing. “Can’t you at least say hi to Mr. Ye first? It’s not like we’re some secret Romeo and Juliet rendezvous.”
Jiang Xiaoyu stomped hard on his shoe a few times. “Shut your mouth!”
Ye Lian put on a remorseful face, then bent down and scooped the little black cat into his arms. “Let’s go. There’s a meteor shower tonight—Uncle’s taking you to see it.”
Jiang Xiaoyu rested his paws on Ye Lian’s bent arm, his back against the man’s waist, his hind legs dangling in the air. “I’ve never seen a meteor before. Can you see them in Pine City’s environment? Does making a wish on a meteor really make it come true?”
Ye Lian walked along a remote uphill path, patiently replying, “The air quality around Ink Orchid Mansion is good, so you can see them. As for wishes, you have to make one first, then we’ll know if it comes true.”
The man’s voice was low, husky, and gentle, making Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears itch. He couldn’t help wanting to scratch his head with a foot, but being held, he couldn’t reach—instead, he kicked Ye Lian.
“Naughty.” Ye Lian chuckled softly, then pinched the scruff of Jiang Xiaoyu’s neck and placed him on his shoulder.
Jiang Xiaoyu’s face blended into the darkness, blushing unnoticed. He straightened up, perched on Ye Lian’s head, sneakily sniffing the cool, pleasant fragrance in the man’s hair.
The path was remote and rough, but Ye Lian’s steps were quick and steady. Jiang Xiaoyu tugged at his hair. “Big liar! No wonder your balance is so good!” He recalled how the man didn’t even pant during long runs, and his perfect, envy-inducing proportions. Indignantly, he said, “Your shifted form is a tiger! That’s cheating!”
Ye Lian pretended to wince. “You scratched Uncle—that hurts.”
Jiang Xiaoyu sheepishly retracted his paws and hurriedly smoothed Ye Lian’s hair. “Liar! Cats don’t use any force!”
Ye Lian laughed and stopped teasing the little guy whose belly was burning hot.
They reached a cliffside. Ye Lian stopped, set down the basket, and sat on the ground. “How’s the view? Not bad, right?”
Jiang Xiaoyu sprawled on the man’s thigh, head raised to let the mountain breeze ruffle him. “It’s pitch black—I can’t see clearly.”
Ink Orchid Mansion had few man-made traces, so there were few neon lights in the night. Even in cat vision, the darkness wasn’t very clear.
Ye Lian’s smile was a bit punchable. “Mm, Uncle forgot—your eyesight isn’t as good as Uncle’s.”
Jiang Xiaoyu ducked his head and chomped hatefully on Ye Lian’s thigh, drawing another low laugh from the man.
“Look, the meteor shower’s here.” Ye Lian pinched Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears, gesturing for him to look ahead.
The little black cat’s eyes widened. He saw starlight trailing long tails across the sky, like a grand shower of light. Each streaking meteor gleamed, outshining even the full moon’s radiance.
Ye Lian held Jiang Xiaoyu’s paws together in his palm, his gaze more brilliant than the starfire filling the heavens.
Jiang Xiaoyu tilted his head, looking up at Ye Lian’s face from below. He felt the man’s features were like Jiangnan’s hazy smoke and rain—dampening and tickling his heart. The meteor shower became mere background; they could rival the bright moon, but not Ye Lian’s eyes.
He heard him say, “Make a wish.”
Jiang Xiaoyu slowly closed his eyes and made his wish in his heart.
The meteor shower lasted a long time. By the end, Jiang Xiaoyu was so dazzled he felt numb. He lowered his head to look at the ceramic cup Ye Lian had placed in front of him. “What’s this?”
“Green Plum Wine, brewed by Uncle Chen at the start of summer. Low alcohol content—want to try some?”
Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t like alcohol and never drank, but perhaps the night was too gentle. Just the scent tempted him to give it a try.
He held the cup with both paws, lapped at it a few times with his tongue, and smacked his lips. “A bit sour, a bit sweet.”
Ye Lian clinked his white porcelain cup against the cat’s paw. “I’m heading abroad tomorrow to be with family, so happy Mid-Autumn in advance.”
Jiang Xiaoyu drained the cup. “Happy Mid-Autumn to you too.”
Ye Lian chuckled lightly and took a big gulp. He leaned over to grab the wine pot from the basket. “Want a little more?”
Before he finished speaking, he heard the cup shatter. Then a hot body pressed against his back. Ye Lian paused, then turned his head. Somehow, Jiang Xiaoyu had shifted back to human form, flushed red and leaning against him, eyes hazy—he was clearly drunk.
Ye Lian chuckled helplessly. “That was just one small cup.”
Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t understand, belching with no alcohol scent. With eyes soft and green as new leaves, he stared blankly at Ye Lian’s face and poked him with a finger. “You’re really good-looking.”
He was completely naked, glowing like mutton-fat jade in the night. Ye Lian averted his eyes in rare panic, a bit flustered and not daring to look at that body. But the oblivious little guy got addicted to poking, drunkenly shouting, “You’re so good-looking!”
So this is what drunken antics are like? Ye Lian laughed in bemusement, unbuttoned his shirt, and draped it over Jiang Xiaoyu. The kitten wasn’t cooperative at all—like dough mixed with too much sugar syrup. While Ye Lian buttoned it, he draped his limp arms around Ye Lian’s neck, muttering nonstop. “You’re so shameless! How can you be this good-looking? You’re this good-looking…” He belched again. “…you’re meant to be dragged home by a cat to be Wife Cat…”
Ye Lian finished dressing him, suppressed the pounding in his chest, and hugged him close, replying to the drunkard, “Shouldn’t you be the Wife Cat?”
Drunk Jiang Xiaoyu was chatty but obedient, boneless as he lay in the embrace. “No, it’s you…” He hooked Ye Lian’s leg with his foot, as if comparing sizes.
Ye Lian had iron self-control beyond ordinary people, but Jiang Xiaoyu’s aimless teasing stirred him up. Unwilling to push him away, he coaxed, “Alright, it’s Uncle. Uncle take you home, okay?”
“No way!”
Jiang Xiaoyu suddenly sat up, shoving Ye Lian down. His hands roamed like fish over Ye Lian’s body. Huffily, he said, “You always pinch me—now it’s my turn to pinch you!”
The little drunk sat right on Ye Lian’s lower abdomen. Even Ye Lian, ever calm and composed, flushed and breathed harder. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the heat, his voice hoarse. “Little Yu, you’re drunk. Uncle’s taking you home.”
But the little guy was dead set on revenge, relentlessly pinching his pecs. Whether on purpose or not, his butt rubbed against Ye Lian’s abdomen, babbling, “No way, I want to have kittens with you! Men can have kittens too—I’m proof, Daddy had me. You can have kittens too! Wait, no…” He grinned foolishly. “You’re Big Tiger, so you give me a Little Tiger.”
Ye Lian was stunned by the info dump. Once sober, he was floored by the little guy’s drunken shamelessness. Pinning Jiang Xiaoyu’s wrists, he said, “You really want kittens?”
Drunk and hazy-eyed, Jiang Xiaoyu nodded solemnly. “Mm!”
Ye Lian felt all his blood rushing south. The string of reason snapped. He flipped them over, pinning Jiang Xiaoyu beneath him. His golden pupils blazed like the sun, full of predatory light. “I don’t want to do this while you’re drunk.”
Jiang Xiaoyu stared blankly, then giggled after a few seconds, reaching to pinch his smooth cheek. “I’m not drunk…”
Ye Lian covered his hand, turning to kiss and nip his wrist deeply. Wet saliva soaked the sleeve. Desire churned in his eyes as he looked at the innocent figure below. Frustrated, he laughed. He dropped his head to Jiang Xiaoyu’s neck, biting his Adam’s apple hard. “I’ll let you off this time. Next time…”
His breathing was heavy. “I’ll eat you.”
Jiang Xiaoyu was drunk and dizzy, staring at Ye Lian’s dazzling eyes, thinking foolishly: Daddy, why is the sun out in the middle of the night?
The two of them—one without pants, the other without a shirt—Jiang Xiaoyu was still snoring softly in Ye Lian’s arms. When Ye Qingxu opened the courtyard gate, he nearly jumped out of his skin in shock.
“What did you do to my son!” He had thought he was some upright and reliable gentleman, but who knew he was a beast in fine clothes!
Ye Qingxu was furious, furious like an old father who had caught Juliet sneaking off to meet her lover, so angry he was about to vomit.
Ye Lian had an entirely innocent look on his face. “It’s Ye Lian’s fault. I truly have no idea why Little Yu has such poor tolerance for alcohol. Just a capful of Green Plum Wine got him this drunk.”
Ye Qingxu, who hadn’t touched a drop himself but could get drunk just from the alcohol fumes wafting from someone’s mouth, had a stern face and hadn’t spoken yet when an angry voice sounded from behind him:
“Ye Lianzhi, put my son down!”
