Chapter 33: Moving House

A mat was spread in the middle of the room, with a cheetah occupying most of it while a small black curly-haired cat sprawled on the remaining bit. The two cats—one big, one small with vastly different sizes—were both hugging half a watermelon and devouring it with the same posture.

Jiang Xiaoyu had half his body buried in the watermelon, silently munching while listening to Jin Ge analyze the case.

“The autopsy report on Jiang Fei is out. The fatal wound was a laceration to his abdominal aorta.” After finishing, Jin Ge lowered his head and chomped viciously into the watermelon with his large mouth full of sharp canines.

Jiang Xiaoyu lifted his head from the rind, shaking the juice off his whiskers as he asked, “Was there any surveillance footage of him leaving Luo Xi’s home?”

“That’s the weird part.” Jin Ge lifted one hind leg to scratch his head. “That afternoon, the surveillance in that area was under maintenance for half an hour, so there’s only footage of him entering the building—no footage of him leaving.”

Jiang Xiaoyu froze, mechanically taking another bite of melon before asking, “How large was the maintenance area? They wouldn’t normally do something like that, right?”

“It covered the entire neighborhood, but he was caught on camera driving out by the surveillance across the street, around 1:20 PM or so.”

“That was about the time Labrador and I arrived.” Jiang Xiaoyu rummaged his phone out of the pocket of his nearby pants and checked the call log for the exact time he’d dialed emergency services that day. “I called at 1:26, so he must’ve just left right before I got there.”

Jin Ge grunted, opening wide and demolishing the melon in two bulldozer-like bites before letting out a satisfied belch. “At that point, there were still nearly two hours before his time of death. Meaning the fatal wound wasn’t inflicted then.” A ruptured abdominal aorta would cause rapid blood loss, leading to hypovolemic shock and death within minutes.

Jiang Xiaoyu lifted himself from the rind, propping up his round belly as he shoved the trash aside, then flopped on the floor with his tummy exposed. “At least this clears Luo Xi of suspicion for now.”

Labrador perked up at the sound of its master’s name. “Master good! Scum man bad!”

Jin Ge mimicked Jiang Xiaoyu’s pose, rolling onto his back with all four paws in the air, his round belly spots stretched into ovals. He yawned lazily. “Seems that way so far, but there are still doubts. When Jiang Fei appeared on the surveillance, there was a big patch of blood on his forehead. His head injury must’ve happened then.”

Jiang Xiaoyu turned to Labrador, which had been lying nearby. “Abu, Jiang Fei really had no wounds on him when he left your house?”

“Really none!” Labrador was certain. “Dog came out and only saw Master lying on the ground. Scum man saw Dog and raised his knife to stab, but maybe he panicked or something—he turned and ran off.”

Jiang Xiaoyu suddenly thought of a possibility. “Could the head injury be from tripping and falling down the stairs in his panic?”

But he immediately dismissed it himself. “Nah, doesn’t fit. I took the stairs when I went, and there was no blood on them.” Since the fatal wound and the impact weren’t related anyway, there wasn’t much point dwelling on it. He asked Jin Ge, “What was Jiang Fei doing at Reid Europe?”

Jin Ge patted his belly with a big paw, half-squinting. “Wan Universe was holding a housewarming party at Reid Europe that day. Plenty of celebrities and big shots showed up.”

Jiang Xiaoyu recalled what Luo Xi had said. “Yang Guo was there too?”

“How’d you know?” The cheetah’s brown eyes cracked open into slits, staring at the little cat in front of him, who was covered in sticky watermelon juice. “Luo Xi tell you?”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded. “Yang Guo’s an artist under Jiang Fei, and Luo Xi is Yang Guo’s manager. If he went to Reid Europe, maybe he was there for the housewarming—or maybe—” He paused. “To find Yang Guo.”

Satiated after his meal, Jin Ge lazily swished his tail and smacked his lips, kinda wanting a smoke. “When are you moving?”

A whisker-faded Colorful Civet Old Cat walked over to Jiang Xiaoyu, pulling him into its embrace and grooming his fur. Jiang Xiaoyu, belly round and full, said, “Tomorrow.”

“If you’re short on cash, just say so. Your master hasn’t got much these years, but he’s saved up a decent pile of money.”

He said it casually, but Jiang Xiaoyu felt a pang. Ever since Master’s Wife died, Master had lived alone. He claimed to be slacking at the Case Handling Office, but really, he wished he could stay there twenty-four-seven and never come home. Low material desires too—his only hobby was probably smoking.

Thinking of this made him think of Lu Wanhui too. Jiang Xiaoyu flipped upright from the Colorful Civet Old Cat’s embrace. “Master… you never thought of finding someone else?”

Jin Ge rolled his eyes. “Find who? You? Not even worth the hassle. Being alone is free and easy.”

He started looking annoyed after saying so much. Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t good at comforting people anyway, and he had no clue about the deal between him and Lu Wanhui, so he just dumbly went, “Oh.”

Jin Ge sneered. “You got the nerve to nag your master? What about you? Planning to spend your life with these cats and dogs? By your age, folks are at least dating if not married with kids. You? What? Before your master kicks the bucket, you gonna let him hold his grandkids or what?”

Jiang Xiaoyu had never expected Jin Ge to nag him about this. He squatted there in a daze, a pitch-black fuzzy ball, curls all over his whiskers too—looking utterly stupid.

Jin Ge rolled his eyes again, about to lecture more, when the Colorful Civet Old Cat huffed at him. “It’s still just a kitten! Don’t bully it!”

Fine—Jiang Xiaoyu’s human age was nearly twice the old cat’s, but in its mind, he was still a kitten! Jin Ge flipped upright in exasperation. “How’s it going with what I mentioned last time?”

Jiang Xiaoyu knew he meant returning to frontline duty. Head drooping, he mumbled softly, “I just got transferred to the Archives Department. Going back so soon might not look good…”

“What’s good or bad about it? You don’t care about face anyway.” Under the Colorful Civet Old Cat’s glare, he tsked and rephrased. “You don’t give a damn what others think. One word: want back with Master? I’ll pull you. Last time.”

Little Black Cat’s ears drooped. After a long pause, he said, “Can you give me a bit more time to think?” He knew his request was selfish and willful, but he really was lost.

Jin Ge yawned, stretching a paw to pat Jiang Xiaoyu’s head. “Fine. Weekend’s day after tomorrow anyway. If you don’t decide by Monday, I’m done with it.”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded and mumbled his agreement.

“Need help with the move tomorrow?”

“Nah, not much stuff. Mostly the little ones—they’ll be scared if you’re there.”

The cheetah rolled his eyes. “Didn’t feel like they were scared.” Maybe at first, but once they got used to him and saw him yelling at Jiang Xiaoyu, they’d glare like they wanted to pounce and devour him.

“Alright, Master’s heading out.” He shifted back to human form, rustling as he dressed, then left. Jiang Xiaoyu watched from afar until the cigarette glow vanished into the dark.

—

The next day, Jiang Xiaoyu first contacted Liu Qingqing, saying he’d probably move over that afternoon.

She was enthusiastic on the line. “Sure thing! Easy to move? If not, I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

“It’s easy.” Jiang Xiaoyu quickly declined and hung up. Then he opened the livestream app and sent Ye Lian a private message: Hello, thank you for the generous reward, but it’s too much—I can’t accept it. Please send your bank card number; I’ll refund the full amount minus fees.

After messaging Ye Lian, he checked replies from the other girls who’d tipped big that day. Most said it wasn’t much, no need to return it.

[Streamer, just take good care of the little ones. I could never handle the responsibility of a life myself, so you’re amazing. Please, use my tiny contribution to help them—like I got to join in the rescue too.]

Even with some awful humans, there were plenty of cute ones. Jiang Xiaoyu petted Labrador, which had come over. “Abu, do you like humans?”

Labrador answered without hesitation. “Dog likes Master.”

“What about others?”

It looked troubled, frowning its dopey face in thought for a bit before saying, “They good to Master, Dog likes.”

Jiang Xiaoyu chuckled helplessly.

—

Since he’d warned the moving company ahead of time, they were mentally prepared for lots of cats and dogs—but they still gawked when they saw. “At least fifty, right?”

Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t great at chitchat and mumbled, “Sixty-one.” Then he focused on packing.

Luckily, he didn’t have much. Some old stuff he couldn’t take he just left; the new place was fully furnished anyway. Thinking this, he felt embarrassed again—like he’d taken advantage of Ye Lian, even if the guy didn’t know…

Meanwhile, the ‘uninformed’ ‘taken-advantage-of’ Ye Lian was attending a pet communicator class.

A young communicator blushed heart-throbbingly at the elegant, handsome man before her. “What does your kitty act like normally?”

Ye Lian thought. “Bites if you so much as touch it lightly.”

Ye Lian took an interest. “Then how should it be punished?”

“When a kitten is naughty, you can pick it up by the scruff of its neck and lightly pat its butt. It’s best to do it right when it messes up—don’t punish it long after the fact, or it’ll confuse the cat.”

“Oh?” The deliberately drawn-out tone was ticklish to the ears. “Spank its butt? Won’t that make him even angrier?”

“Well, it depends. Some kittens realize it’s punishment when spanked, but others find it pleasurable and will even coquettishly beg their owner to keep going.”

“There’s such a thing?”

“Of course. Kittens have tons of nerve endings around their butts, so they’re super sensitive to light touches and pressure.” The communicator clicked on the computer, and a video appeared on the screen: A girl raising her palm to lightly pat a kitten’s tail base over and over. The cat looked utterly blissed out, meowing nonstop, rolling all over the floor but refusing to leave. It even turned around, stuck up its butt, and flicked its tail, clearly begging for more pats.

Ye Lian narrowed his eyes and chuckled softly. “How interesting.”

“Does your kitty have any other issues?”

“He’s disobedient.” Ye Lian said with keen interest. “He always forgets to come home.”

“There are many reasons for that.” The communicator said, “Some kittens have strong wanderlust—the outside world is full of allure to them. Others retain their hunting instincts and want to go catch prey. Some might just be bored at home and want to run out to play.”

“But most cases are actually the last one.” The communicator paused, then blushed under the man’s arched brow urging her on. “When cats are in heat, they get a strong urge to go out and find a mate.”

Ye Lian let out a short laugh. “Oh?”

—

Jiang Xiaoyu directed the movers to put the luggage in the yard. On this sweltering hot day, he suddenly shivered.

“Could the cold still not be fully gone?” he muttered, nudging away a frisking dog with his foot. “All of you, get inside—the heat out here is killer.”

At his words, the cat and dogs all rushed inside whooshingly. The mover watched in amazement. “So smart! It’s like they understand human speech.”

Jiang Xiaoyu scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

The house had central AC, so the unit Jin Ge had originally bought him wasn’t needed anymore. He planned to check the secondhand market in a few days to sell it or trade for something else.

After bustling all afternoon, they finally got everything more or less sorted before the sun set. He wiped the sweat beading on his forehead and suddenly felt an unprecedented surge of enthusiasm looking at his new home.

“Little Raccoon, you guys sleep in the living room for now. In a few days, once I set up a play area in the yard.”

The Half-Eared Tabby mewed once, seeming excited too. “Boss, Cat likes it here.”

Unlike the previous dusty brick-tiled house, this place was clean and tidy, backed by vast grassland and a small river, with refreshingly fresh air.

Jiang Xiaoyu pursed his lips in a smile. “Once I put my stuff away, I’ll come out and make you guys food.”

But after finishing up, he was so hot he tugged his collar to sniff himself—yep, he reeked. “Forget it, I’ll shower first.”

The bathroom wasn’t big but was well-zoned. Amid the swirling steam, a fair figure faintly appeared and vanished. His skin was very pale, glistening like jade under the vapor, with shallow but fluid muscle lines and just the right amount of power.

He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, letting the water rush over his face. Dense lashes held glistening droplets; water trailed from his hair tips, down his slender neck, pooling shallowly at his collarbone.

The water roared, but he seemed to hear the doorbell. Jiang Xiaoyu opened his eyes, shut off the shower, shook his head—and yep, the doorbell was really ringing.

The Labrador and the cat-dogs were huddled together. Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu come out, they hurriedly covered their eyes. “Cat Officer, why aren’t you wearing clothes again?”

Jiang Xiaoyu glanced at it, thinking it was overreacting. “No one’s here.” Right now, he’d completely forgotten how, when he’d first seen Ye Lian shirtless, he’d thought the same about him not wearing clothes.

He quickly toweled off, grabbed a loose T-shirt, and headed to the door while pulling it on. “Who is it?”

“Officer Jiang!” Liu Qingqing’s bright voice rang out. “I brought you some food!”

—

Jiang Xiaoyu sat awkwardly in a corner of the sofa, with Ye Lian beside him. The two watched Liu Qingqing bustle about efficiently.

“Officer Jiang just showered?” Ye Lian’s eyes curved. “Your hair’s still not dry.”

Only then did Jiang Xiaoyu realize his hair was dripping. He awkwardly lifted a hand to tousle the wet strands, feeling his cheeks heat up—not sure if from the recent shower or the teasing in Ye Lian’s words.

“I’ll go blow-dry it.” He bolted up and into the bathroom, not even thinking how rude it was to leave a stranger alone in the house.

The Labrador had met Ye Lian before and accepted his presence fine, even reassuring the fluffballs squeezed together nearby. “It’s okay—this is Cat Officer’s friend.”

The Tawny Dog, who could understand it, shrank its neck. “These two humans are kinda scary.” Couldn’t put a paw on it, but they felt super intimidating, kinda like the old grandmaster did to dogs.

Liu Qingqing laid out bowls of food, delighted. “Wow, so many little kittens that aren’t scared of me!”

Ye Lian didn’t comment on the “not scared.” When Jiang Xiaoyu came back out, he smiled and said, “Alright, let’s eat.”

Liu Qingqing pulled a bottle of liquor from her apron. “Officer Jiang, wanna drink some?”

Jiang Xiaoyu shook his head repeatedly. “Thanks, Qing Auntie—no alcohol for me.”

“Oh, that’s fine too.” She laughed carelessly, then dug out a bottle of little green lime juice from her apron. “Drink this instead.”

At the table, she kept piling food onto Jiang Xiaoyu’s plate—a little mountain built up in his bowl. He’d eat one bite, and it’d get refilled. By the end, the level hadn’t gone down at all…

“Qing Auntie, I really can’t eat any more…” Jiang Xiaoyu looked pleadingly at Ye Lian. “Let Mr. Ye have some.”

“That lord doesn’t eat this stuff—too picky and fussy. If it weren’t for you, Qing Auntie wouldn’t bother cooking for him.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was stunned, hard-pressed to link the difficult guy in her words with the refined, elegant man before him.

After the meal, Jiang Xiaoyu thanked Liu Qingqing profusely. The woman waved grandly. “No need, no need! You two good friends chat. I’m off!”

She’d come in like a boss on horseback, left with sleeves flapping in the wind—utterly dashing and straightforward.

Left behind were the awkward-faced Jiang Xiaoyu and the leisurely Ye Lian. With just one glance between them, Jiang Xiaoyu flushed and looked away.