After Turning into a Cat, I Climbed My Rival’s Cat Tree 39

Chapter 39

Lu Dingyun’s livestream had the highest viewership.

The viewers who had been watching the kitten’s livestream were bored lately and had eagerly gathered in his live broadcast room, waiting for the premiere.

As the countdown ended, the black screen lit up.

A blurry white image appeared, and after a barrage of question marks in the comments, the white obstruction moved, revealing a round kitten face.

Star-like eyes, a pink nose, black and white fur – the kitten’s appearance instantly captivated the viewers.

[Ahhh, it’s Xiao Yuan! Baby!]

The kitten blinked at the camera, tilting its head curiously, as if looking in a mirror.

The viewers gushed over its cuteness, calling it “baby” and “sweetie.”

Wei Yuan stared blankly at the camera, or rather, it was being held up to the camera by Lu Dingyun.

When the cameraman had announced they were about to go live, Lu Dingyun had suddenly lifted the kitten and thrust it towards the camera.

Both the cameraman and the kitten had been stunned. The cameraman, looking up from behind the camera, met the kitten’s equally bewildered gaze.

After a brief moment of eye contact, the cameraman chuckled, his heart melting.

Such a cute kitten, he wanted to pet it.

But he was working and restrained himself.

Lu Dingyun held the kitten up for a few seconds, then pulled it back slightly, so its entire face was visible in the frame.

A few seconds later, he finally brought the kitten back into his arms, kissing it without warning.

“Meow!” Hey!

Wei Yuan’s face burned, and it angrily pawed at him.

Lu Dingyun’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Fun.”

Wei Yuan: “…”

The viewers: “Hahahaha!”

Although everyone was used to Lu Dingyun’s special treatment of the kitten, in previous livestreams, he had still maintained his aloof and distant persona towards others, including the viewers.

But this time, he was acting differently, even joking with the audience.

Of course, they assumed he was mainly trying to tease the kitten.

A director sat beside the cameraman, each celebrity having a dedicated camera crew and director.

The director’s main responsibility was to manage the flow of the livestream and monitor the comments.

Since this was the production crew’s first time livestreaming, they were worried about awkward silences or boring content, so the directors sometimes had to intervene.

Seeing the lively comments, the director smiled at Lu Dingyun. “Teacher Lu, everyone is saying you seem less aloof today.”

Lu Dingyun, petting the kitten, looked at the camera. “Mm, I’m working.”

Director: “?”

The viewers paused, then burst out laughing.

The kitten, nestled comfortably against his abs, also found it amusing and meowed.

Lu Dingyun looked down at it, poking its nose. “I have to earn money to support you little ones.”

He was telling the truth. He had accepted this variety show for the high appearance fee, although the show would undoubtedly profit even more from his participation. But since he had agreed to be on the show, he would do his best.

Wei Yuan knew he was being sincere.

Movie Emperor Lu’s “pet sanctuary” was still under construction, requiring continuous investment, and he would need even more funds in the future, so retiring from the entertainment industry wasn’t an option for now.

And if he wanted to expand his sanctuary and create a chain of animal shelters, he would need even more money.

So, he couldn’t completely abandon his acting career, probably having to work until he was old.

Wei Yuan, now seeing hope of returning to its human form, had an idea.

If Lu Dingyun agreed, it could become his business partner, and together, they could earn more money and protect more animals.

But for now, Movie Emperor Lu had to work hard on his own.

As he had claimed, Lu Dingyun was indeed “working,” interacting with the viewers throughout the journey.

When the director asked if he knew anyone else on the show, Lu Dingyun thought for a moment.

He had worked with four of the six returning cast members before, although they weren’t close, they were on friendly terms.

He had also met and greeted about seven or eight of the new cast members.

Although Lu Dingyun was aloof, those who had interacted with him found him polite and respectful, with no airs of a movie emperor.

He attended social gatherings and dinners, always gracious when others offered him toasts.

And he had an excellent memory, remembering almost everyone he met, even recalling where and when they had met and what they had talked about.

So, people often felt flattered by his attention, as it was a pleasant surprise for a movie emperor to remember a minor celebrity.

And if someone genuinely needed his help, he would offer it.

Especially on set, he would patiently answer any questions from his fellow actors.

In Lu Dingyun’s mind, this was simply a way to maintain good working relationships and avoid unnecessary trouble.

It was the young and arrogant Wei Yuan, with his fragile ego, who had misinterpreted Lu Dingyun’s polite indifference as dislike.

And that feeling of being slighted had turned into animosity and a desire to compete.

So, Lu Dingyun wasn’t worried about getting along with the other cast members. He answered the director’s question politely. “I’ve worked with Teacher Ma and a few others before. We’re on friendly terms.”

The director then asked, “Do you know that one of the new cast members is also a friend of Xiao Yuan’s?”

The kitten, which had been playing with Lu Dingyun’s fingers, paused, looking up at the director.

Lu Dingyun nodded. “Yes, Fan Tian is indeed a good friend of Xiao Yuan’s.”

The kitten understood.

Lu Dingyun had told it that Fan Tian had finished filming his drama and, thanks to his adorable interactions with the kitten, had gained popularity, rising from a fourth-tier to a second-tier celebrity, even landing a spot on this variety show.

The director, having discussed this with Lu Dingyun’s studio beforehand, knew he didn’t mind talking about Wei Yuan, so he wasn’t afraid to ask some potentially sensitive questions.

Seeing over fifty million viewers in the livestream, he felt a surge of excitement, knowing his next few questions would further boost the viewership.

He suppressed his excitement, asking casually, “Teacher Lu, did you know that Teacher Fan is also Teacher Wei Yuan’s childhood friend?”

Although Wei Yuan had tried to promote Fan Tian before, it hadn’t been successful.

People only knew they were close friends, not childhood friends.

So, did this mean Fan Tian’s family background was even more prominent than they had thought?

But that wasn’t the main point. The main point was that with the recent rumors about Lu Dingyun and Wei Yuan, and neither of them having addressed it, the director’s deliberate mention of Wei Yuan was intriguing.

Could it be that Lu Dingyun was about to publicly acknowledge his relationship with Wei Yuan?

The netizens, already convinced by the shippers’ theories, thought they had uncovered the truth, eagerly awaiting Lu Dingyun’s response.

Wei Yuan, nestled in Lu Dingyun’s arms, was also curious about what he would say.

Lu Dingyun, however, was the calmest of all.

He had known the production crew would capitalize on this topic ever since he had confirmed he didn’t mind them mentioning Wei Yuan.

So, he simply nodded. “Yes.”

Jiang Su had explained his presence at the film studio, mentioning that Fan Tian had brought him there, and he had also mentioned Fan Tian’s childhood friendship with Wei Yuan.

The director, seeing the viewership reach sixty million, was impressed, continuing his line of questioning. “Then you must be close to Teacher Fan. Will you consider partnering with him on the show?”

The show had a large cast, so the celebrities would be divided into two or three “families,” living separately.

They would also have to earn their living expenses by doing chores and completing tasks related to building communal spaces.

Many tasks required teamwork, and the returning cast members already had established partnerships. The new cast members were also answering similar questions in their respective livestreams.

Everyone assumed Lu Dingyun would naturally choose Fan Tian as his partner, but he said bluntly, “No.”

“Huh?” The director was caught off guard.

The comments were also surprised, as was the kitten in Lu Dingyun’s arms.

Although Fan Tian seemed unreliable, he was a good person, one of the few decent people in Wei Yuan’s social circle.

And with Fan Tian’s outgoing personality, partnering with him would make things easier for the introverted Lu Dingyun.

Wei Yuan, thinking only of Lu Dingyun’s benefit, hadn’t realized it was practically selling out its best friend.

Lu Dingyun, after giving his unexpected answer, offered no explanation, leaving everyone confused.

The director was initially puzzled, but seeing the rising viewership and the trending topics related to their conversation, he understood.

He looked at Lu Dingyun with admiration.

As expected of Movie Emperor Lu, he excelled at everything, even variety shows, generating buzz with just two words. He was a natural!

But Lu Dingyun hadn’t intended to create any drama. He simply didn’t want to spend too much time with someone his kitten liked. What if the kitten started liking that person even more?

He already had the example of Wei Yuan’s family. He didn’t want his fickle kitten to develop affections for anyone else.

Yes, as a qualified cat owner, he was that possessive, allowing others to adore his kitten, but not allowing the kitten to like anyone more than him.

The kitten, looking up at Movie Emperor Lu’s enigmatic expression, suddenly understood the cat slave’s thoughts.

He was jealous!

The kitten snorted haughtily, then, reluctantly, jumped onto Lu Dingyun’s shoulder, nuzzling his face.

As the master, it was its duty to appease its petty human.

Soon, they arrived at the farm.

Due to its latitude and unique climate, Province M enjoyed a year-round autumn-like weather, slightly dry, with large temperature fluctuations between day and night.

But its vast maple forests, their leaves a vibrant red throughout the year, made it a popular vacation destination.

The farm chosen by the production crew was small and remote, perfect for filming.

The vehicles transporting the celebrities arrived one after another, Lu Dingyun and the kitten being the tenth to arrive.

The nine celebrities already present were all new cast members and seemed to have become acquainted.

As Lu Dingyun’s car approached, they all speculated about who it might be.

Seeing Movie Emperor Lu emerge, carrying the kitten, they rushed over, greeting him enthusiastically and even talking to the kitten.

Lu Dingyun was polite and approachable but maintained a certain distance, still not allowing anyone to get too close.

Only Fan Tian approached cheerfully, scratching the kitten’s chin and calling it “Yuan Er.”

He often called Wei Yuan “Yuan Er” as well, and Wei Yuan suspected he was doing this on purpose.

After receiving two kitty punches, Fan Tian was even more delighted.

But with the livestream on, he couldn’t just play with the kitten and ignore the movie emperor.

And he was dying to know something, so he nudged Lu Dingyun with his shoulder, waiting for him to look over before whispering, “Hey, I heard that Wei Yuan reacted after you visited him. Is there something between you two?”

Lu Dingyun glanced at the microphone on his collar, then at the camera crew filming them, and paused.

Was it necessary to be so secretive?

The image of Wei Yuan’s beautiful face and his trembling eyelashes flashed through his mind, and his intended words changed. “Mm, something like that.”

Fan Tian’s eyes lit up.

He was about to pry further when he felt a weight on his chest and instinctively reached out, feeling soft, fluffy fur.

He looked down and saw the rubber ducky kitten.

The kitten had climbed up his chest, its claws gripping his expensive leather jacket, then it reached out and covered his mouth with its paw.

Shut up, you idiot!

Discussing this on livestream, are you trying to get us killed?!

Wei Yuan was worried about Fan Tian’s lack of discretion, afraid he would ask more inappropriate questions. It knew about the online rumors.

That it and Lu Dingyun were secretly dating, that they had stayed at the same hotel and must have slept together, that it was a tragic love story, or perhaps a friends-with-benefits situation. It was all incredibly embarrassing.

If Fan Tian, the gossip monger, continued, he would definitely delve into R-rated territory.

But the truly terrifying prospect was Lu Dingyun’s unpredictable responses.

Wei Yuan couldn’t predict what he might say, so it was better to just silence Fan Tian and nip the rumors in the bud.

And its paws were dirty, and Lu Dingyun was a clean freak, so it couldn’t cover his mouth with its paws.

Fan Tian, his mouth covered by a dirty paw, was first stunned, then charmed by the kitten, kissing its paw repeatedly, almost sucking on it, much to the kitten’s disgust, which promptly kicked him away and jumped back into Lu Dingyun’s arms.

Lu Dingyun, initially annoyed by the kitten’s sudden affection for Fan Tian, looked down and met its aggrieved gaze.

The kitten held up its paw, tears welling up in its eyes.

Wuwuwu, this paw was ruined.

Lu Dingyun chuckled. “Serves you right.”

The kitten, no longer feeling aggrieved, glared at Lu Dingyun and wiped its paw on his chest.

Lu Dingyun: “…”

He silently took out a wet wipe from his pocket and meticulously cleaned the kitten’s paw.

Fan Tian, oblivious to the kitten’s disgust, proudly showed his hand to the camera. “The kitten’s paw is so fragrant and soft.”

The viewers, who had been hoping for more gossip: “…”

But even that brief exchange was enough to fuel their imaginations.

Fan Tian had said Wei Yuan had reacted after Lu Dingyun’s visit.

A patient, diagnosed as potentially being in a vegetative state, suddenly reacting, didn’t that mean he might be waking up soon?!

Wei Yuan’s fans were overjoyed, spreading the news as if he was about to appear before them any minute.

Even his anti-fans were happy, as they missed his online banter and arguments.

And Lu Dingyun’s ambiguous “something like that,” in response to the question about their relationship, was also intriguing.

So, what was their relationship?

And the fact that Wei Yuan, who had been unresponsive, had reacted to Lu Dingyun’s visit was also telling.

The viewers’ excitement was unknown to the cast members, who had all arrived by now.

They were still at the entrance of the farm, some distance from their accommodations.

The returning cast members were waiting in the houses, having already formed three “families,” ready for the new members to join.

The twelve new members would be divided into three groups of four, each joining a different family, to begin their week-long stay.

The director held up three boards, each displaying the names of the returning cast members, not photos of the houses.

“Choose the celebrity you want to live with and place your name tag next to theirs,” the director instructed.

Since it wasn’t clear which returning members were currently paired up, and each family could only have four new members, if any family exceeded the limit, the returning members would have to choose someone to send to another family.

This created instant conflict.

The new members risked offending the returning members they didn’t choose.

And the returning members risked offending the new members they had to send away.

This was the show’s main draw: testing human nature and the cast members’ emotional intelligence.

The new members were stunned, some outspoken ones complaining, while others tried to organize themselves into groups. The twelve of them chattered amongst themselves, the scene lively and chaotic.

Wei Yuan, having gained weight, was now too heavy to be carried on Lu Dingyun’s shoulder and was being held in his arms.

It was also excited. The production crew was truly good at creating drama!

If it had known the show was this interesting, it would have joined earlier. It had received invitations every season but had always declined, claiming it was too lazy for such social interactions.

No, once it returned to its human form, it would definitely participate!

Fan Tian, the troublemaker, was already trying to organize everyone, but his suggestions were all rejected.

Lu Dingyun remained silent, gradually becoming the center of attention.

Wei Yuan: “Meow~”

Wow, were they expecting Lu Dingyun to make the decision?

Well, he was the biggest star among them and wasn’t afraid of offending the returning cast members, so he was the perfect candidate to take the lead.

Lu Dingyun, seeing everyone looking at him, paused, then said, “Let’s just go in order then.”

Everyone froze.

Then they saw Lu Dingyun walk over to the director, take his name tag, and place it next to Ma Anduo’s.

Ma Anduo was a veteran actor in his sixties who had played Lu Dingyun’s grandfather in a drama before and had worked with him several times since then.

Teacher Ma admired Lu Dingyun, and Lu Dingyun respected him.

And Teacher Ma was considered the pillar of the show, everyone listening to and respecting him.

He was good-natured, emotionally intelligent, and had a calm and composed demeanor, his reputation impeccable both inside and outside the industry.

Lu Dingyun choosing him was expected, even if everyone else chose him as well.

Fan Tian’s eyes lit up. “Then let’s all choose Teacher Ma and let him decide,” he said, placing his own name tag next to Teacher Ma’s.

Everyone agreed, thinking it was a great idea.

So, one after another, they all placed their name tags next to Teacher Ma’s.

But after four name tags were placed, the director smiled. “Each teacher can only have four new members.”

The remaining celebrities: “…”

Besides Lu Dingyun and Fan Tian, the third person to place their name tag was Jiang Xiao, a model with an incredible physique and good looks.

Being from the modeling world, he had been relatively unknown until earlier this year, when he was photographed having sex in a car with a moderately famous male singer.

Thanks to the blurry but suggestive photo, his identity had been quickly revealed.

Then it was discovered that he had had relationships with several other male celebrities, and his popularity soared.

He had capitalized on the scandal, appearing on variety shows, making cameo appearances in movies, and even engaging in some “CP marketing” with other male celebrities, becoming infamous.

Although he was now widely criticized online, he had also gained a sizable fan base, becoming a second-tier celebrity.

The fourth person was He Wei, a male rapper.

He had just debuted this year, but his two hit songs had made him quite popular.

Hearing the director’s new rule, Jiang Xiao frowned. “Oh, what do we do now? Do we have to choose again?”

The other celebrities remained silent but clearly hoped for a redo.

After all, compared to the other returning cast members, choosing Teacher Ma was the safest option. Even if they were deliberately trying to curry favor with him, the viewers wouldn’t criticize them.

A respected veteran actor deserved their respect.

He Wei, standing nearby nonchalantly, said, “I’ll still choose Teacher Ma. You guys do whatever you want.”

Fan Tian also said, “Since it’s like this, let’s just continue choosing.”

Lu Dingyun remained silent, having been excluded from the process.

Even if they chose again, everyone would defer to him, letting him choose first, and he would still choose Teacher Ma, so the rest of the process didn’t concern him.

He busied himself with adjusting the kitten’s hat.

The kitten, enjoying the drama, its eyes shining, its tail twitching, thought, fight, fight, fight!

“Teacher Lu,” Jiang Xiao suddenly approached Lu Dingyun, smiling. “Are you going to choose again?”

He wasn’t particularly tall for a model, about 1.85 meters, slightly shorter than Lu Dingyun.

The kitten, its view blocked, looked up in surprise.

Lu Dingyun also looked at him, meeting his friendly gaze, then paused. “No.”

“Then I won’t either,” Jiang Xiao stood beside Lu Dingyun. “Teacher Lu, I’m actually your fan. I’ve admired you for years.”

Lu Dingyun nodded politely. “Thank you.”

Jiang Xiao looked at the kitten in his arms, noticing it was also looking at him.

His smile widened, and he leaned closer to the kitten, also getting closer to Lu Dingyun. “Xiao Yuan is so cute, even cuter than in the videos.”

Lu Dingyun was used to people adoring his kitten, and his eyes softened with a smile as he petted its head.

His Xiao Yuan was definitely the cutest kitten, followed by Big Orange and the tabby.

“By the way, Teacher Lu,” Jiang Xiao, still leaning close, said, “could you sign an autograph for me?”

Lu Dingyun glanced at him. “Now?”

Jiang Xiao straightened up, smiling. “Let’s wait until we get back to the house.”

With just a few words, he had seemingly become closer to Lu Dingyun.

The viewers in the livestream could see through his attempts to create a connection with Lu Dingyun for publicity. He had a history of such behavior, but he hadn’t done anything overtly inappropriate, so Lu Dingyun couldn’t directly reject him.

So, the frustrated fans could only vent their displeasure in the comments.

Wei Yuan, held by Lu Dingyun, could hear Jiang Xiao constantly trying to start conversations, and although Lu Dingyun’s replies were curt, Jiang Xiao maintained his enthusiasm and smile, as if they were close friends.

Wei Yuan didn’t know about Jiang Xiao’s past, but it instinctively disliked him.

Especially the way he used the kitten as an excuse to get closer to Lu Dingyun, which annoyed it even more.

When Jiang Xiao was practically standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Lu Dingyun, Wei Yuan’s anger flared.

It glared at Lu Dingyun, patting his chest with its paw. “Meow!”

Lu Dingyun, who had been watching the others place their name tags, looked down. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Meow!”

What’s wrong?!

You ask what’s wrong?!

The kitten pointed its paw at Jiang Xiao, its expression furious.

He’s practically in your arms, can’t you see? Are you pretending?!

Or do you actually want him to get close to you?!

Lu Dingyun! The kitten is angry!

Wei Yuan cursed Lu Dingyun internally, unable to express its anger in words, so it resorted to meowing and punching his chest.

The punches had no effect, but Lu Dingyun finally understood.

The kitten didn’t like this person.

He looked at Jiang Xiao, his voice cold. “I don’t like people getting too close to me. Please keep your distance.”

He paused, then added, “And stay away from my cat.”

He then carried the kitten to a more secluded spot.

Wei Yuan, having achieved its desired outcome, still felt frustrated.

Lu Dingyun petted its head, soothing it. “Baby, just tell me if you don’t like someone, and we’ll stay away from them.”

Although his words were supportive, Wei Yuan still felt unhappy.

It didn’t understand why, but it was just annoyed.

It didn’t like strangers getting too close to Lu Dingyun, and it especially didn’t like Lu Dingyun’s passive attitude earlier!

“Hey!” Fan Tian approached again, gesturing to the cameraman, then led Lu Dingyun away.

He turned off his microphone, glanced at the disgruntled Jiang Xiao, then looked at Lu Dingyun with a complex expression. “Movie Emperor Lu, I misunderstood you earlier.”

“What?” Lu Dingyun frowned.

Fan Tian scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly. “I thought you were letting that guy get close to you, so I even cursed you on Wei Yuan’s behalf. Sorry about that.”

Lu Dingyun was puzzled. “What does this have to do with Wei Yuan? And doesn’t everyone here want to get close to me?”

“Huh?” Fan Tian’s mind short-circuited.

In Lu Dingyun’s eyes, Jiang Xiao was no different from the other cast members or even the crew.

He knew that with his status, everyone wanted to connect with him, and Jiang Xiao was no exception, so he hadn’t thought much of it.

If the kitten hadn’t disliked Jiang Xiao, he wouldn’t have even noticed him getting closer.

He was completely oblivious to Jiang Xiao’s intentions, not realizing he was deliberately trying to create an ambiguous atmosphere.

Fan Tian couldn’t understand Lu Dingyun’s thought process, but he still said what he wanted to say. “I shouldn’t be meddling, but since you and Wei Yuan are together now, you should stay away from other men. Especially that Jiang Xiao, he’s slept with several of our friends. Don’t fall for his tricks.”

He petted the kitten’s head, then walked away, leaving Lu Dingyun and the kitten stunned.

Wait a minute.

Wei Yuan couldn’t process this.

When had it and Lu Dingyun gotten together?

And had Jiang Xiao just been flirting with Lu Dingyun? So, it had been angry because Lu Dingyun was being flirted with?

Absurd!

Utterly absurd!

Wei Yuan curled up into a ball, trembling slightly, afraid to delve into its feelings.

Why would it be angry about Lu Dingyun being flirted with?!

It couldn’t think about this anymore!

Lu Dingyun was also lost in thought.

After a while, he slowly stroked the kitten’s fur, murmuring, “Are Wei Yuan and I together?”

Wei Yuan: “…”

It was one thing for others to misunderstand, but why was he questioning it himself?!