After Turning into a Cat, I Climbed My Rival’s Cat Tree 51

Chapter 51

Figured it out?

Figured what out?!

Lu Dingyun’s words confirmed Wei Yuan’s suspicions.

He knew!

Wei Yuan’s scalp tingled, but he still tried to deny it. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Lu Dingyun, his body still slightly damp from the shower, sat down beside him on the bed.

Wei Yuan quickly scooted back, clutching the blanket, almost falling off the bed.

“Careful,” Lu Dingyun caught the blanket, pulling him back.

Wei Yuan rolled himself into a ball under the covers, only his eyes peeking out, feeling slightly safer.

Lu Dingyun’s bathrobe had come undone, revealing his toned chest.

Wei Yuan couldn’t help but glance at it.

Lu Dingyun flicked his forehead lightly. “If you want to look, just look.”

“I don’t want to look,” Wei Yuan mumbled.

Silence fell between them.

Lu Dingyun, seeing Wei Yuan’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge anything, picked up his phone and started browsing, seemingly abandoning the topic.

But while he was comfortable, Wei Yuan was growing increasingly frustrated.

Leaving him hanging like this, it was a terrible habit!

And that “figured it out?” was so ambiguous, open to interpretation.

So, did Lu Dingyun know he was the kitten or not?!

Wei Yuan frowned, struggling internally.

Just as he was about to give up and not ask, Lu Dingyun suddenly spoke. “Do you have something to tell me?”

Wei Yuan looked up at him, his eyes slightly teary, a few strands of hair sticking up, like a startled kitten.

Lu Dingyun’s heart softened, unable to bear seeing him like this. He also wanted to know the truth, so he decided to ask directly.

He put down his phone and pulled Wei Yuan out of the blanket.

Wei Yuan tried to hold onto the blanket for comfort, but he was no match for Lu Dingyun, who not only took the blanket away but also pulled him into his arms.

The warmth of his embrace and the familiar scent made Wei Yuan realize that Lu Dingyun’s arms were more comforting than any blanket.

He wavered.

He couldn’t hide this from Lu Dingyun forever, and he didn’t know when he would turn back into a kitten again, like last time, and he would need Lu Dingyun’s care.

And although Lu Dingyun was aloof, he was a good person.

Especially towards kittens, he was gentle and patient.

So, if he knew Wei Yuan was actually “Xiao Yuan,” he wouldn’t find him strange, right?

Wei Yuan slowly convinced himself.

He hadn’t confessed before because he was afraid Lu Dingyun wouldn’t believe him, thinking he was using the kitten’s identity to get close to him, since the human “Wei Yuan” and Lu Dingyun weren’t close at all.

But now that their relationship had progressed, Lu Dingyun wouldn’t think he had ulterior motives.

Having made up his mind, Wei Yuan decided to confess.

There was no time like the present.

But before he could speak, Lu Dingyun spoke first.

“Yuan Yuan.”

“Mm?” Hearing the nickname, Wei Yuan’s heart fluttered, and his courage wavered.

Lu Dingyun held him close, both of them lying on their sides, facing each other, an incredibly intimate position.

Wei Yuan’s face flushed under his gaze.

After a long silence, Lu Dingyun finally asked, his voice soft and gentle, the question that had been plaguing him: “Are you my kitten?”

His hand gently stroked Wei Yuan’s hair, as if to reassure him, afraid of scaring him with his question.

As expected, Wei Yuan froze, staring at him in shock.

Lu Dingyun didn’t rush him, patiently waiting for his answer.

After a while, Wei Yuan stammered, “W-why would you ask that?”

“Intuition,” Lu Dingyun replied.

There were too many similarities between Wei Yuan and the kitten, and they had never appeared together. More precisely, the kitten’s body and the conscious Wei Yuan had never been present at the same time.

It was too much of a coincidence.

And Wei Yuan’s behavior around him, acting spoiled and bossing him around, seemed too natural, as if he had done it countless times before.

And his familiarity with his parents, his home, everything about him.

It all made Lu Dingyun suspicious.

Wei Yuan looked at Lu Dingyun, seeing the anticipation and subtle nervousness in his eyes.

So, Lu Dingyun wasn’t entirely certain either?

Wei Yuan suddenly remembered the livestream from the night the kitten disappeared, the distraught and disheveled man, his eyes filled with panic, having lost his composure for the first time.

The memory always made Wei Yuan’s heart ache.

He reached out, gently caressing Lu Dingyun’s face, then, after a long pause, blurted out, “What time is it?”

Lu Dingyun: “?”

Wei Yuan closed his eyes, wanting to slap himself.

With the atmosphere so charged, what kind of stupid question was that?! He should have just answered Lu Dingyun’s question directly!

“It’s past eleven,” Lu Dingyun’s voice held a hint of amusement.

Well, knowing Wei Yuan, it would have been strange for him to confess so readily.

Lu Dingyun, having confirmed his suspicions from Wei Yuan’s reaction, no longer needed a verbal confirmation.

“Go to sleep,” he ruffled Wei Yuan’s hair. “The director said we’re going to Ice City tomorrow.”

Wei Yuan, annoyed with himself, seeing Lu Dingyun about to turn off the light, knew he had to say something now or never.

He grabbed Lu Dingyun’s arm, stopping him. “Yes, I am!”

He stared at Lu Dingyun with wide, bright eyes.

I confessed!

So there!

Let’s see how you react.

But Lu Dingyun, after a brief pause, simply said calmly, “Mm. Go to sleep.”

Huh?

That was it?

Wei Yuan felt like something was wrong, very wrong.

Click, the lights went out.

Lu Dingyun took off his bathrobe, pulled Wei Yuan into his arms, and gently patted his back.

Wei Yuan, after a moment of stunned silence, sat up abruptly. “No, something’s not right.”

Lu Dingyun chuckled, pulling him back down and showering his face with kisses in the darkness, finally finding his lips and kissing him deeply.

The next morning, Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun stood side-by-side in the bathroom, brushing their teeth.

Wei Yuan, after staring at Movie Emperor Lu in the mirror for a while, his electric toothbrush still, couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really know I’m the kitten?”

This was the third time he had asked today.

Lu Dingyun rinsed his mouth, replying patiently, “Yes, you’re Xiao Yuan.”

Wei Yuan finally resumed brushing his teeth.

Perhaps because a weight had been lifted from his mind, he was in an exceptionally good mood, even eating an extra meat bun for breakfast.

He had recovered most of his strength.

After breakfast, the production crew’s bus arrived.

They would be spending the day at Ice City, so they needed to dress warmly.

Since Wei Yuan had stayed at Lu Dingyun’s apartment last night, his luggage had been left there.

After seeing the other guests off last night, Lu Dingyun had thoughtfully hung Wei Yuan’s clothes in his closet.

They went to the dressing room, finding their clothing styles surprisingly similar.

Although Wei Yuan preferred flamboyant stage outfits, his everyday clothes were normal, although perhaps more colorful than most.

Lu Dingyun’s clothes were mostly black, white, and gray, with a few brightly colored pieces he rarely wore.

“Huh?” Wei Yuan suddenly noticed a familiar trench coat.

He took it off the hanger.

Two small balls of fluff fell out with the coat and rolled to his feet.

Wei Yuan was startled, but as a pet owner, he instinctively avoided stepping on them.

He yelped, but didn’t move.

Then he saw the two balls of fluff stand up and shake their fur before settling down, one on each of his feet.

“Kittens?” Lu Dingyun approached, seeing the black and white cats.

Wei Yuan’s first thought was that they were the All-Knowing Cat Duo from Ping’an Street, but looking into their bright blue eyes, he knew they were two cats he had never seen before.

Lu Dingyun was surprised. “These aren’t our cats, are they?”

“No,” Wei Yuan shook his head.

“Meow~” Little Master!

The black kitten meowed, rubbing its head against Wei Yuan’s leg excitedly.

The white kitten tried to climb up Wei Yuan’s body, meowing, “Wuwuwu, Little Master, we missed you so much!”

“They’re calling me Little Master,” Wei Yuan crouched down, and the two kittens immediately snuggled into his arms.

Lu Dingyun also crouched down, petting the kittens.

The black kitten rubbed its head against his hand. “Master, Master!”

Wei Yuan looked at Lu Dingyun in surprise. “They’re calling you Master too.”

Lu Dingyun was truly surprised now, carefully examining the two kittens.

Their fur was incredibly pure, with small tufts of fur on their ears, their eyes a beautiful ocean blue.

His heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan also seemed to have realized something, meeting his gaze.

Then Wei Yuan looked at the trench coat, a long-forgotten memory resurfacing.

He remembered the day of his car accident, changing in the dressing room, picking up his trench coat from the sofa, and a kitten falling out.

But he and his manager hadn’t been able to find it, assuming he had imagined it.

And wasn’t this the same trench coat?

And after turning into a cat, he had been black and white, with tufts of fur on his ears and blue eyes.

So, had his transformation been caused by these two kittens?

Wei Yuan, holding the white kitten, looked at it seriously. “Tell me, was this your doing?”

“Meow~” Little Master is so handsome, I like you~

The white kitten, clearly not understanding human language, purred contentedly.

“Master is so handsome too!” the black kitten said. “Little Master said he was even more handsome when he was younger, but I didn’t quite believe him.”

The two kittens chatted, and Wei Yuan, not receiving the answer he wanted, felt a strange sense of unease, listening to their conversation.

What “younger”?

He and Lu Dingyun were both in their prime.

He relayed their conversation to Lu Dingyun, who seemed deep in thought.

“We’ll discuss this later,” Lu Dingyun pulled him up. “Let’s get dressed and go.”

Wei Yuan nodded, quickly putting on warm clothes and a thick down jacket.

Lu Dingyun put on a black beanie, then gave Wei Yuan a fluffy cat-eared hat.

He had bought it when he learned they were going to the ice and snow resort, thinking Wei Yuan would look good in it.

Wei Yuan let him put it on, smiling brightly. “Do I look good?”

“You look good,” Lu Dingyun kissed his lips.

As they were about to leave, the two kittens clung to Wei Yuan’s legs.

“We want to go play! We want to go play!” the black kitten cried.

“Take us with you, wuwuwu!” the white kitten wailed.

Their cries attracted the attention of the three underlings in the living room, who stared at the two unfamiliar kittens in surprise.

“They’re going out to play, let’s go too!” the black kitten invited the three underlings to join them.

Big Orange and the others, also restless after being cooped up for days, immediately surrounded Wei Yuan, meowing excitedly.

They knew Wei Yuan was easier to persuade than Lu Dingyun.

Wei Yuan, amused and exasperated, turned to Lu Dingyun. “Let’s take them with us.”

Lu Dingyun hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

He contacted the production crew, and Wei Yuan immediately took the kittens to the cat dressing room, putting warm clothes and booties on them.

Then he attached leashes to their collars, each a different color, like a small rainbow.

Lu Dingyun, having arranged everything with the production crew, was about to find Wei Yuan when he saw him emerge from the dressing room with five fluffy kittens.

The kittens were all dressed in outfits that matched their fur colors, looking round and cuddly.

Wei Yuan was wearing a turquoise down jacket and the white cat-eared hat Lu Dingyun had bought for him, a bright smile on his face, looking like a prince from a fairy tale as he ran towards him with the kittens.

“We’re ready,” Wei Yuan reached Lu Dingyun, looping his arm through his. “Let’s go.”

Lu Dingyun smiled, letting him lead the way.

As they entered the elevator, they ran into Lu’s parents, who were returning from a walk.

“Bye, Uncle, Auntie, we’re going to work,” Wei Yuan waved.

“Okay, have fun,” Lu’s parents smiled, watching the “couple” and their entourage of kittens.

The other cast members had already left for the filming location, and Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun’s cameramen were waiting downstairs, starting the livestream as soon as they received notification that they were coming down.

[They’re coming, they’re coming, Mommy and Daddy are finally appearing, wuwuwu!]

[So, Young Master really did stay at Teacher Lu’s apartment last night! Who can still claim they’re not together?!]

[When will they finally make it official?! I’m dying from anticipation!]

Their livestream viewership was incredibly high.

As the fans excitedly discussed their relationship, the elevator doors opened, and five fluffy kittens darted out, each one incredibly adorable.

Followed by two tall figures.

A family of seven, like characters from a fairy tale.

The five kittens, small but strong, pulled on their leashes, making Wei Yuan stumble slightly.

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down, slow down!” Wei Yuan exclaimed.

Lu Dingyun chuckled, catching up and putting his arm around Wei Yuan’s waist, taking three of the leashes.

The kittens, hearing the commotion behind them, turned around, then, after the leashes were redistributed, continued running towards the car.

[Ahhh, help, so cute, such a sweet couple!]

[God, this is so heartwarming! Which artist is going to draw this? I want it as my wallpaper!]

[Our Young Master hasn’t smiled this brightly in a while (dog head emoji), and Movie Emperor Lu is so doting, haha.]

[My delicate little Young Master and his strong movie emperor husband, truly treating us like family.]

The kittens were so adorable that even the cameramen and driver couldn’t help but smile.

Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun quickly got into the car with the kittens.

The usually mischievous kittens were now well-behaved, nestled in their owners’ arms, looking out the window.

Wei Yuan took out some cat treats, giving one to each kitten, which purred and nuzzled him contentedly, their cuteness overwhelming.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, everyone remembered the missing “Xiao Yuan” and felt a pang of sadness.

But Lu Dingyun had urged everyone to move on, and he himself seemed to have recovered from his grief, so the viewers also avoided the topic.

Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun knew that although “Xiao Yuan” was still with them, to the viewers, it was a painful memory.

But they couldn’t reveal “Xiao Yuan’s” identity, only hoping time would heal their wounds.

When they arrived at the ice and snow park, the other cast members were already there, enjoying the various activities.

This was the best part of the show. There were no mandatory tasks or competitions, just pure fun and entertainment.

Lu Dingyun and Wei Yuan, with their entourage of kittens, were instantly the center of attention.

Many tourists stopped to stare and take photos, but to avoid causing a commotion, they politely declined requests for photos.

The other cast members, however, had no such reservations, rushing over to cuddle the kittens.

Since there had been the black and white kittens at Lu Dingyun’s apartment last night, everyone assumed these were the same cats, not thinking much of it.

The kittens, not at all shy, interacted with the humans playfully.

Big Orange suddenly noticed some Corgis pulling sleds, their owners enjoying the ride, which looked incredibly fun.

“Meow!” it called out to the others. “Let’s pull that thing too, and let Boss/Little Master ride on it.”

The other cats agreed enthusiastically.

Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun, who had been discussing what to do, were suddenly surrounded by the kittens, tugging on their pants legs.

“What’s wrong?” Wei Yuan crouched down, petting Xiao Bai’s head.

“Meow!” Ride the car!

Xiao Bai nuzzled his hand, then ran towards the sleds with the other kittens, Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun following.

They rented a sled, but instead of using the dogs provided, they let the kittens pull it.

Wei Yuan, initially worried the kittens wouldn’t be strong enough, didn’t want to ride, but the kittens nudged him persistently until he sat down.

“Be careful, don’t hurt yourselves,” Wei Yuan warned.

The kittens, only partially understanding his words, but sensing his concern, meowed in response, then, led by the tabby, started running.

Lu Dingyun gave the sled a gentle push, and it glided forward, the wind blowing Wei Yuan’s cat ears back.

“Woohoo!” Wei Yuan cheered, waving at Fan Tian and the others as he passed by.

The other cast members, watching enviously, wished they also had a team of kittens.

Wei Yuan, his arms outstretched, enjoyed their envious gazes, feeling incredibly smug.

But pride often came before a fall. As the kittens pulled the sled towards Lu Dingyun, Wei Yuan waved at him excitedly.

His long down jacket had bunched up under him when he sat down.

Now, raising his arm, he tried to adjust his jacket, losing his balance.

The sled wobbled, and with the kittens running so fast, it flipped over, sending Wei Yuan tumbling into the snow.

The kittens stopped abruptly, running back to him.

Lu Dingyun also rushed over, lifting him out of the snow.

Wei Yuan, bundled up in thick clothes, wasn’t hurt, just slightly dazed.

He met Lu Dingyun’s gaze, then burst out laughing.

Lu Dingyun also chuckled, gently booping his nose.

The kittens, worried, surrounded Wei Yuan, and he picked them up one by one, kissing them. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

The kittens, reassured, started playing again.

“Come take some photos!” Qi Lesheng called out from beside a giant ice sculpture of a rose.

“Coming!” Wei Yuan replied, then he and Lu Dingyun, pulling the sled with the kittens on it, joined the others.

They took group photos with the other cast members, the kittens the perfect “props,” their fluffy figures appearing in every shot.

Then, encouraged by the others, Wei Yuan and Lu Dingyun took a “family photo” with the kittens.

Wei Yuan was slightly embarrassed, but Lu Dingyun simply took his hand and led him to the ice sculpture, where they sat down side-by-side, the kittens immediately jumping onto their laps and shoulders.

With the beautiful rose as a backdrop, Wei Yuan leaned his head against Lu Dingyun’s shoulder, Lu Dingyun’s hand holding his inside his pocket.

They exchanged a look, smiling, one vibrant, the other gentle, the kittens posing for the camera.

Meow~

Happiness, captured in this moment, and extending into the future.

==End of Main Story==