After Turning into a Cat, I Climbed My Rival’s Cat Tree 37

Chapter 37

Jiang Su looked at his dejected younger brother, his expression unreadable.

But the kitten refused to meet his gaze, presenting him with only the back of its fluffy head.

Forget it.

Jiang Su turned to Lu Dingyun, his voice laced with meaning. “It seems I was right to bring you here.”

Lu Dingyun frowned slightly. “Was that the first time he reacted like that?”

Jiang Su: “Let’s just say, he hasn’t even moved a finger since the accident.”

Lu Dingyun fell silent.

When the alarm had gone off, his initial reaction had been surprise, then he had assumed Wei Yuan wasn’t reacting for the first time, not considering himself as the cause.

But now, according to Jiang Su, it seemed Wei Yuan had indeed reacted to his touch.

Jiang Su, seeing the kitten still hiding its face, suddenly turned to Lu Dingyun with a mischievous smile. “See? I told you my brother likes you.”

The kitten froze, its ears flattening against its head.

Lu Dingyun raised an eyebrow, unconvinced that Wei Yuan liked him.

Dislike was more likely.

Some people in comas were conscious, and Wei Yuan’s situation was unique, not a typical vegetative state.

So, perhaps he had simply reacted out of anger at being touched by someone he disliked.

If so, Lu Dingyun felt he had done a good deed.

Whether it was like or dislike, stimulating him enough to react was a positive development.

He enjoyed watching Wei Yuan’s performances, but he had already seen them all. If Wei Yuan woke up, there would be new performances to watch.

No one knew about Lu Dingyun’s ulterior motives.

Jiang Su glanced at the cowering kitten, amused, but they couldn’t just stand there indefinitely. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to your room to rest. Let me know if you need anything.”

Lu Dingyun agreed, carrying the kitten to the adjacent guest room.

It was a suite with a living room and bedroom, although smaller than Wei Yuan’s master bedroom.

But calling it a guest room wasn’t entirely accurate, as it contained many of Wei Yuan’s belongings.

For example, a display case filled with his childhood toys, academic awards and certificates, music albums, and various trophies and accolades from his entertainment career.

“This room has a stargazing ceiling. Xiao Yuan would sometimes come here to watch the stars and moon and would just sleep here if he was too tired to go back to his room,” Jiang Su explained.

Lu Dingyun asked, “Is it really okay for me to stay here?”

He had seen several other guest rooms.

“It’s fine,” Jiang Su assured him. “The other rooms aren’t ready. You can look around if you want.”

As an older brother, making decisions for his younger brother like this seemed inappropriate, but he felt no guilt.

After all, the kitten was right there, and it might want to see its belongings. It would be cruel to restrict it.

Wei Yuan silently gave its brother a thumbs-up but still avoided his gaze.

It knew the reason for its earlier reaction. It had been Lu Dingyun’s touch.

When Lu Dingyun had caressed its face, its heart had started racing.

When he had rubbed its lips, its entire body had tingled, then it had been plunged into darkness, hearing only its own frantic heartbeat.

Then the alarm had gone off.

For a moment, it had felt like its soul was splitting in two.

It had simultaneously felt itself lying in bed, unable to open its eyes, and also being held by Lu Dingyun, its senses divided.

Both were it, but neither was complete.

This strange sensation hadn’t lasted long, and it had fully returned to its cat form, feeling incredibly exhausted.

It had only managed to stay awake thanks to its brother.

The thought of its brother knowing it had reacted to Lu Dingyun’s touch made it want to bury itself in the movie emperor’s pecs and die of shame.

And what had its brother said?

That it liked Lu Dingyun?

When had it ever liked Lu Dingyun?!

Although it didn’t dislike him now and even had a favorable impression of him, that was just appreciation!

Like between friends!

Definitely nothing more!

As the kitten was lost in its confused thoughts, Jiang Su continued to explain the room’s features, but the kitten, unable to stay awake any longer, yawned and snuggled into Lu Dingyun’s arms, falling asleep soundly on his chest.

Lu Dingyun looked down at the purring kitten, a smile playing on his lips.

Jiang Su, seeing this, also smiled. “Then you two rest. Call or message me if you need anything.”

“Mm,” Lu Dingyun nodded, watching him leave.

Once he was alone, Lu Dingyun frowned slightly.

It wasn’t an illusion. He could sense the Jiang and Wei families’ goodwill towards him, and Jiang Su’s tone had also changed, becoming overly familiar, as if treating him like family.

But these people were shrewd and discerning. How could they accept a stranger so readily?

And Wei Yuan’s mother, suffering from severe anxiety, had suddenly recovered. It was all very strange.

And even stranger, they hadn’t tried to hide anything from him, which was even more puzzling.

Lu Dingyun wasn’t one to overanalyze, so after a brief contemplation, he dismissed his thoughts.

These families lacked nothing, so they couldn’t possibly want anything from him.

And he would be leaving with the kitten tomorrow, unlikely to interact with them again.

So, instead of overthinking, he decided to enjoy a nap with the kitten.

His luggage had been brought to the room, but he was too lazy to change into pajamas, so he decided to sleep on the sofa.

He carried the kitten over, gently placing it on a soft, pumpkin-shaped pillow.

The kitten whimpered, its paws reaching out blindly as it slept.

The sofa was large and comfortable, and Lu Dingyun grabbed another pillow.

As soon as he lay down, the kitten snuggled closer, its fluffy head resting on his neck, and it fell back asleep.

Lu Dingyun’s heart softened. He took a selfie with the kitten and posted it online with the caption: “So clingy.”

Then he also fell asleep.

However, his selfie caused several trending topics online.

The most popular one was: #LuDingyunWeiYuanRelationshipExposed

Leaky Cotton Jacket, having just returned from her mountain pilgrimage, was ecstatic, having missed the previous day’s excitement.

Overwhelmed with joy, her mind was incredibly sharp, her typing and video editing speed doubling.

So, since early this morning, she had posted several analyses and videos, attempting to prove that Wei Yuan had long had a crush on Lu Dingyun, and that perhaps they had even been secretly in love with each other!

For example, at a fashion event, Lu Dingyun had worn a suit with silver butterfly embroidery, a small sunflower in his breast pocket, while Wei Yuan had worn a gold suit, his tie clip a silver butterfly.

And both outfits had been designed by the same designer, both one-of-a-kind haute couture pieces.

And at an awards ceremony, both Lu Dingyun and Wei Yuan had won the Most Popular Actor award, sharing the stage with several other top stars.

Due to their rumored rivalry, they had been deliberately separated, one standing on the far left, the other on the far right.

But they had each gone to the front to give their acceptance speeches, and while Lu Dingyun was speaking, Wei Yuan had deliberately looked away.

But he had clearly been paying attention, because when Lu Dingyun almost bumped into the host while turning around, Wei Yuan had been the first to react, even taking a step forward.

But after a quick glance at Lu Dingyun, he had stopped and pretended nothing had happened.

At the time, Lu Dingyun’s fans had criticized Wei Yuan for applauding everyone except Lu Dingyun, not even looking at him, only glancing over when he almost tripped, as if eager to see him make a fool of himself, incredibly disrespectful.

And when Wei Yuan was giving his speech, Lu Dingyun had stared at him intently, his gaze traveling from his feet upwards, focused and almost predatory.

At the time, Wei Yuan’s fans had criticized Lu Dingyun for his aggressive stare.

But now, it seemed, it wasn’t aggression, but desire! Affection! Restraint!

There were countless such “coincidences”: similar outfits, accessories, schedules… Since both were high-profile celebrities, there were many such instances, and Leaky Cotton Jacket had compiled a mountain of “evidence.”

The solo stans, already unsettled by Jiang Su’s revelation, were now even more worried.

And Leaky Cotton Jacket was a unique figure, so even though they knew she was a delusional shipper, they couldn’t help but pay attention.

So, after reading her enthusiastic analyses, both fandoms began to waver.

Could there be something between these two?

And then Lu Dingyun posted that selfie.

His fans and the kitten’s fans, as usual, gushed over the photo, praising the kitten’s cuteness.

But Leaky Cotton Jacket’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the most crucial detail. After screaming in excitement for a full minute, she rushed to her study, ignoring her staff’s knowing glances, and started typing furiously.

Five minutes later, a new analysis post appeared.

@YoungMaster’sLeakyCottonJacket:

[Sisters! He went! He really went to see him!

And he’s deliberately showing off, so subtly, who understands, ahhhhh!

Without further ado, here’s the “evidence”!

First, please use your willpower to ignore Teacher Lu’s handsome face and the adorable Xiao Yuan Yuan, and focus on the pillow beneath his head and the sofa he’s sitting on.

Doesn’t it look familiar, Young Master fans? The orange pumpkin pillow, the dark green, painterly sofa blanket, the black cabinet with intricate patterns…

If you don’t remember, look at the second picture I posted, our Young Master’s selfie from the Supermoon event earlier this year.]

She included two pictures: Lu Dingyun’s selfie and an old selfie of Wei Yuan.

Coincidentally, their poses and angles were almost identical.

Wei Yuan was also lying on the sofa, his head on a pillow.

He was wearing black silk pajamas, his collarbone exposed, making a rock-and-roll hand gesture at the camera, completely makeup-free.

He had been watching the supermoon through the open skylight.

He hadn’t imagined that one day, Lu Dingyun would be lying in the same spot, in the same pose, taking a similar selfie and posting it online.

With the two photos side-by-side, Leaky Cotton Jacket didn’t need to say anything. Everyone understood.

The photos looked like matching couple profile pictures, as if deliberately trying to show they were taken in the same location.

Ignoring the solo stans’ shock, Leaky Cotton Jacket continued her analysis.

[Think about it, everyone! Yesterday, CEO Jiang invited Teacher Lu to his home, and we all thought Teacher Lu was just being polite on camera and wouldn’t actually go, because that’s just who he is, he doesn’t like making friends.

But today, look at Teacher Lu’s IP address: Jing City! Jing City!

Normally, no picture, no truth. Even if we said Teacher Lu went to Young Master’s house, some people wouldn’t believe it.

So, what did Teacher Lu do? Afraid we wouldn’t know he went to see Young Master, he posted a practically identical photo as proof!

What is this?! A blatant declaration of ownership! Teacher Lu, you’re our hero!]

Wei Yuan’s fans were moved to tears.

Wuwuwu, their Young Master was in a coma, and Movie Emperor Lu still loved him so much. This was true love!

Lu Dingyun’s fans were speechless, their thoughts a jumbled mess.

Finally, they could only express their feelings with one word: Damn.

The shippers were ecstatic, but their joy was short-lived, replaced by a wave of sadness.

Another fan had posted a story.

In this story, Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun were rivals, sworn enemies, but they also admired and secretly loved each other.

But due to pride and their public images, they never confessed their feelings.

Then, one day, Lu Dingyun was almost killed by stalkers chasing his car, and that same evening, Wei Yuan, as if by fate, was also chased by stalkers and suffered a severe car accident, falling into a coma.

Only then did Lu Dingyun realize he was deeply in love with Wei Yuan.

But he didn’t know how or in what capacity to visit him, so he poured all his emotions into a kitten, naming it “Xiao Yuan,” a homophone of “Xiao Yuan,” as in Wei Yuan.

Every word of affection he spoke to Xiao Yuan, the kitten, was actually meant for “Xiao Yuan,” the man.

This was true love, unrequited love, the kind of love one only realized after losing it!

Leaky Cotton Jacket, moved to tears by the story, reposted it, instantly making countless fans cry along with her.

Now, not only the shippers, but even the solo stans were convinced of their tragic love story.

Lu Dingyun’s fans even started praying for Wei Yuan’s recovery, urging him to wake up, so their Teacher Lu wouldn’t be heartbroken.

The online frenzy eventually reached the kitten.

After its nap, it was being carried around by its mother, and with nothing else to do, they browsed Weibo together.

Since her son had entered the entertainment industry, Wei Qingyao had also developed the habit of reading entertainment news, becoming familiar with various celebrities.

She naturally knew of Lu Dingyun, his rivalry with her son, and her son’s annoyed reactions whenever his name was mentioned, all making a strong impression on her.

But as an outsider, she had always known her son didn’t actually dislike Lu Dingyun.

Now, having met Lu Dingyun in person and seeing the kitten’s unconscious attachment to him, her impression of him had improved even further.

But she hadn’t considered the possibility of a romantic relationship between them.

Because as far as she knew, her son wasn’t gay.

But now, reading the fan fiction Leaky Cotton Jacket had reposted, she started to wonder.

She looked down at the kitten on her lap.

The kitten was rapidly scrolling through Weibo, as if afraid she would see something it didn’t want her to, looking very guilty.

If she had had any doubts before, now she was almost certain. Her poor son probably had feelings for Xiao Lu.

Wei Qingyao couldn’t help but worry.

Xiao Lu seemed very straight. Would he reciprocate Xiao Yuan’s feelings?

If not, wouldn’t her son be heartbroken?

She already felt sorry for her son, and now she felt even worse.

No, regardless, once Xiao Yuan returned to his human form, she would create opportunities for them.

Lu Dingyun’s parents were supposedly in Qing City. She wondered if they were easy to get along with. She could start by building a good relationship with them…

Wei Yuan, oblivious to its mother’s matchmaking plans, continued scrolling through Weibo, then switched to a video app, browsing aimlessly.

Its heart was still pounding.

After getting the tablet, it had instinctively opened Weibo to check the trending topics and had almost fainted seeing the headline.

How had it and Lu Dingyun’s relationship been exposed?

It quickly clicked on the trending topic, seeing the most popular post. It was you again! Leaky Cotton Jacket!

Then it saw Lu Dingyun’s selfie. It had been asleep at the time and hadn’t known he had taken a photo.

And it really did look like a couple’s profile picture, compared to its own earlier selfie.

Wei Yuan couldn’t describe its feelings and, lost in thought, forgot it was in its mother’s lap.

It browsed the shipping super topic, seeing all the “undeniable evidence” unearthed by fans, almost believing it had been in a relationship with Lu Dingyun all along.

Then it saw the angst-ridden fan fiction.

Its feelings were complex, but it had to admit, the story was quite moving.

“So pitiful…”

Its mother’s sigh startled it, and it quickly closed the story, scrolling down frantically.

It had exited Weibo and was now browsing videos, but perhaps because “Wei Yuan” and “Lu Dingyun” together generated so much buzz, the recommended videos were all about their supposed love-hate relationship.

Wei Yuan stopped scrolling, embarrassed, wanting to knead its paws.

It didn’t dare look at its mother.

Although it was indeed a little bit gay, it wasn’t entirely sure whether it preferred men or women.

It had considered itself bisexual and hadn’t planned to come out to its family so soon. What if it ended up with a girlfriend?

But now, it seemed the internet had outed it.

As it was panicking, Wei Qingyao gently petted its head. “Don’t worry, baby, Mommy will help you.”

Wei Yuan, which had been bracing itself for a storm, was stunned.

What? Help with what?

It looked up at its mother, puzzled.

Wei Qingyao frowned slightly, her eyes filled with determination.

Wait a minute…

Wei Yuan had a bad feeling.

But Wei Qingyao didn’t give it time to think, carrying it straight to Lu Dingyun.

Lu Dingyun was talking to Jiang Tianzong and Jiang Su, and they all stopped when she approached.

The conversation that followed started so quickly that Wei Yuan didn’t have time to process anything.

But the topic seemed strange.

Why was its mother asking about Lu Dingyun’s family, seemingly particularly interested in his mother?

Lu Dingyun, noticing this, became more cautious with his answers.

Wei Qingyao, having regained her mental clarity, was also her usual sharp self.

Seeing Lu Dingyun’s wariness, she smiled. “Xiao Lu, Xiao Yuan reacted as soon as you arrived today. If he wakes up, it will be entirely thanks to you. You’re our family’s benefactor. I want to thank you properly and also hope to build a lasting relationship with you and your family.”

Her reason for inquiring about his family seemed plausible.

Wei Yuan understood.

Its mother wanted to thank Lu Dingyun for saving it and taking such good care of it.

It stopped overthinking.

Lu Dingyun was indeed its benefactor, and it would repay him properly.

Lu Dingyun, although finding her explanation slightly far-fetched, understood a mother’s gratitude and politely declined her offer of excessive thanks.

That night, he stayed at the Jiang residence.

But before going to bed, he visited Wei Yuan’s room again, carrying the kitten.

The family doctors suspected that his touch had triggered Wei Yuan’s reaction and suggested he try again.

As for how to try again, he would simply repeat his actions from that morning.

So, the seven members of the Jiang and Wei families gathered around, watching expectantly.

Lu Dingyun: “…”

Ahhh!

The kitten, mortified, banged its head against the movie emperor’s pecs.

Jiang Su, seeing their awkwardness and his family’s hopeful expressions, chuckled.

“Alright,” he said, “let’s all go outside. We’re crowding them, there’s no atmosphere.”

Everyone understood and quickly left the room.

The door closed, and only Lu Dingyun, the unconscious Wei Yuan, and a mortified kitten remained.

Silence filled the room.

Wei Yuan was incredibly embarrassed, but it also wanted to return to its body, so it decided to try again.

It took a deep breath, slowly lifting its head from Lu Dingyun’s arms.

It saw Lu Dingyun’s face, his expression thoughtful.

Did he not want to touch it anymore?

Wei Yuan, instantly forgetting its embarrassment, felt a surge of annoyance.

It raised its paw, ready to pat his pecs to get his attention, when Lu Dingyun spoke. “Baby.”

The kitten paused, tilting its head.

Lu Dingyun, looking at the unconscious man, said slowly, “What do you think would happen if I kissed him?”