After Turning into a Cat, I Climbed My Rival’s Cat Tree 40

Chapter 40

With Lu Dingyun taking the lead, and unconventional members like Fan Tian and He Wei, the others abandoned the idea of re-choosing and placed their name tags next to the returning cast members.

Perhaps out of respect, all returning members had at least one new member, except for Teacher Ma, who had four. They were unaware that the returning members were watching the livestream.

After the selection process, the returning members, already close friends, started discussing the situation.

“Teacher Ma, Lao Qian, you two are in a tough spot.”

Teacher Ma had four new members, and Lao Qian had two, but as a pair, they could only keep four, so they had to reject two. The other two families were each short one member.

Teacher Ma and Lao Qian exchanged a look, smiling wryly. They had anticipated this. Teacher Ma was a popular choice, and Lao Qian, the show’s host, was also highly sought after.

They went off-camera to discuss who to reject, but with the livestream still running, they couldn’t be too blunt.

“Xiao Lu chose us first, so he stays,” Teacher Ma said.

Lao Qian agreed. “And he has the kitten, our little mascot.”

“The kitten and Fan Tian are close, so we have to keep him too, or he might steal the kitten.”

“And He Wei insisted on being with me,” Teacher Ma added.

They had decided to keep three of the four initial members.

Only Jiang Xiao wasn’t mentioned.

“Xiao Ling is a girl, and it wouldn’t be convenient for her to be with a group of men. Let’s send her to Rui Rui,” Lao Qian suggested.

Xiao Ling had chosen Lao Qian, and Rui Rui, a returning member, was known for being caring and good with new members.

That left Qin Dian, the magician, and Jiang Xiao.

They naturally chose Qin Dian. Not only had Lu Dingyun and the kitten shown a clear dislike for Jiang Xiao, but he was also known for being troublesome.

“And Qin Dian brought his own kitten, so they can play together with Xiao Yuan,” Teacher Ma added.

“Okay, let’s send Xiao Ling and Jiang Xiao away,” Lao Qian concluded.

Meanwhile, Qi Lesheng and Gao Han, the other two returning members, whispered to each other, understanding the situation.

Jiang Xiao would likely end up with them. They hoped he wouldn’t cause any trouble.

Gao Han wasn’t worried. He was in his forties and a straight man.

But Qi Lesheng, in his early twenties and a former idol known for his “CP marketing,” was worried about Jiang Xiao’s advances, especially since he was in a relationship.

Gao Han, knowing about his boyfriend, patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Teacher Ma and Lao Qian, after making their decision, also worried about Qi Lesheng being paired with Jiang Xiao.

Having Jiang Xiao around would be a problem for Lu Dingyun, and they couldn’t risk offending him.

So, they decided to sacrifice Qi Lesheng but would try to prevent any interactions between him and Jiang Xiao.

The two female returning members, Rui Rui and Xiao Qi, also fans of Qi Lesheng and his boyfriend, didn’t want Jiang Xiao to cause any trouble, so they decided to take him in. They weren’t afraid of him.

After Teacher Ma and Lao Qian returned, Rui Rui and Xiao Qi explained their plan.

The four male returning members were relieved.

So, when the new members arrived, the returning members divided them into groups efficiently.

Teacher Ma and Lao Qian ended up with Lu Dingyun, Fan Tian, He Wei, and Qin Dian.

Qi Lesheng and Gao Han ended up with Xiao Ling, another female guest, and two male guests.

Rui Rui and Xiao Qi ended up with Jiang Xiao and three other female guests.

Jiang Xiao, standing with five women, was clearly displeased. He glared at the male celebrities, fuming internally.

But having already offended Lu Dingyun, he didn’t dare to offend anyone else.

He would find a way to generate buzz with someone, even Teacher Ma. Once he was famous, he could always rebrand himself.

The viewers, initially annoyed by Jiang Xiao, were now amused by the group arrangements.

The kitten, held by Lu Dingyun, glanced at Jiang Xiao, who was still looking at Lu Dingyun longingly, and bristled.

Young Master Wei had never felt so frustrated.

The three families lived in three different houses, forming a triangle around a small artificial lake.

The production crew had provided manually powered boats.

The houses differed in size and style.

House number one was the largest and best equipped.

House number two was smaller but modern and well-furnished, with a vegetable garden.

House number three was the most basic, with traditional heated brick beds, no air conditioning, and a sheep pen and chicken coop, the only modern convenience being an indoor bathroom.

Lao Qian, surveying the house, sighed. “Well, we’re tough guys. We can handle this.”

Teacher Ma, optimistic, started organizing everyone.

“Let’s divide the rooms,” he said. “Two of us will have to share. And there’s a shared bathroom.”

They were all northerners, accustomed to shared bathrooms.

Teacher Ma and Lao Qian decided to share a room.

The others instinctively looked at Lu Dingyun, assuming he wouldn’t want to share a bathroom.

Wei Yuan, nestled in Lu Dingyun’s arms, staring at a white Ragdoll cat, looked up at him.

“I’ll take it,” Lu Dingyun chose the smaller room with the private bathroom, then added, “I’m gay, so sharing a bathroom wouldn’t be convenient.”

Everyone: “!!!”

Wei Yuan: “???”

The comments were filled with exclamations. So, Lu Dingyun was gay. Could the rumors about him and Wei Yuan be true?

Wei Yuan was stunned, its heart pounding. Lu Dingyun liked men!

Perhaps due to its recent near-death experiences, its mental state was unstable, and it zoned out, staring blankly at the Ragdoll.

Lu Dingyun, noticing the sudden silence, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing,” Fan Tian chuckled awkwardly. “Just surprised by your… announcement.”

Lu Dingyun looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Didn’t you say Wei Yuan and I were together?”

Fan Tian: “…” He glanced at the cameras, remembering Jiang Su’s call, and remained silent.

Qin Dian, the magician, emboldened, asked, “Teacher Lu, are you and Teacher Wei really together?”

Wei Yuan snapped out of its daze, wanting to stop Lu Dingyun, but also wanting to know his answer.

Lu Dingyun, after a moment of clarity, said, “Probably not.”

Wei Yuan was relieved but also felt a strange emptiness, as if this scene had happened before.

Lao Qian broke the silence. “Let’s unpack.”

“Yes,” Teacher Ma said. “It’s almost dinner time. We’ll gather at house number one later. But each family has to bring some food.”

“I’ll chop wood. Can anyone build a fire and cook?” Teacher Ma asked.

Lao Qian volunteered to build the fire, Fan Tian offered to try chopping wood, and Lu Dingyun offered to cook.

They received their assignments and started their chores.

Lu Dingyun put the kitten down. “Baby, play by yourself, but don’t go too far.”

“Meow~” Wei Yuan nuzzled his palm.

The kitten went to see the sheep and lambs, its cameraman following it.

The lambs, seeing the kitten, greeted it excitedly.

Wei Yuan, influenced by its cat form, found itself increasingly fond of small animals.

“Meow~” a soft meow sounded, and Wei Yuan saw Qin Dian’s Ragdoll cat, Qin Jiaojiao.

Qin Jiaojiao, finding the cow cat attractive, flirted with it.

Wei Yuan: “…” It seemed it had just been hit on by a cat.

“Handsome, what’s your name?” Qin Jiaojiao approached Wei Yuan. “My name is Qin Jiaojiao.”

Wei Yuan, slightly alarmed by her forwardness, said, “I’m Wei Yuan. I like males.”

Qin Jiaojiao: “…” “A gay cat, what a waste of my time.”

Wei Yuan was stunned by her sudden change in demeanor.

Qin Dian and Fan Tian arrived, ready to clean the sheep pen, and Qin Dian petted both cats. “Good Tie Zhu, play nicely with your little brother.”

“Mew~” Qin Jiaojiao purred, cursing internally. Tie Zhu my ass, my name is Jiaojiao!

Wei Yuan was dumbfounded.

Fan Tian also petted the cats, expressing his desire to get one.

Qin Tie Zhu snorted, glaring at Wei Yuan. “Call me Sister Jiaojiao from now on!”

“Sister Jiaojiao,” Wei Yuan complied.

“That’s more like it,” Qin Tie Zhu said, then challenged Wei Yuan to fight the animals from the other houses.

Wei Yuan and the lambs exchanged a look, bewildered.

The viewers, finding the animals’ interactions adorable, created countless emojis and fan art.

Combined with the cast members’ antics and budding romances, the show dominated the trending topics.

Over the next few days, the viewers saw more of the cast members’ true personalities. Some gained popularity, while others were criticized.

And the animals became a major highlight, with Wei Yuan and Qin Tie Zhu leading the charge, conquering all the other pets. Lu Dingyun was clearly the most doting, caring for all the animals.

And the most popular topic was still Lu Dingyun and his Xiao Yuan, their interactions incredibly endearing, inspiring countless fan art and comics.

The livestream quickly reached its final night. Teacher Ma suggested a farewell dinner, and Lu Dingyun, praised for his cooking skills, prepared the meal.

They ate, drank, and played truth or dare, and Fan Tian even performed a girl group dance.

Lu Dingyun chatted with the older generation, drinking the least. Wei Yuan enjoyed the younger group’s lively games.

As the night wore on, a light drizzle began outside.

Wei Yuan looked at Lu Dingyun, whose group was preparing to retire.

The kitten ran over to Lu Dingyun, who picked it up and kissed it. “Baby, do you want to keep playing?”

His voice was slightly husky from the alcohol, and Wei Yuan’s heart skipped a beat.

It shook its head, nuzzling his face.

“Then let’s go back and rest,” Lu Dingyun chuckled.

“Meow!” Wei Yuan agreed.

Lu Dingyun’s camera was turned off, ending the livestream.

They left house number one, walking towards house number three in the light drizzle.

Lu Dingyun held the kitten close, keeping it warm.

Wei Yuan yawned, looking up at Lu Dingyun’s face, remembering the night it had been rescued.

Lu Dingyun.

It silently repeated his name, feeling his steady footsteps, its eyelids growing heavy.

After a while, Wei Yuan’s mind slowly stirred.

It frowned, trying to open its eyes, but its eyelids felt heavy.

Its hearing was muffled, vaguely registering faint sounds.

Gradually, the soft murmur of voices became clearer, and its memories returned.

It remembered falling asleep in Lu Dingyun’s arms.

So, what time was it now? It felt like it had slept for a long time.

And it seemed to be hearing its mother’s voice…

The conversation inside the room abruptly stopped, and the young man on the bed, his eyelashes fluttering, slowly opened his eyes.