Chapter 39: A Cat That’s Really Good at Brainwashing Itself

Yan Feilang was holding the Husky’s leash as man and dog stared in shock at the scene before them.

Ye Lian casually scooped up the Little Black Cat by the scruff of its neck and placed him in his arms, then lightly lifted his eyelids to glance indifferently at Yan Feilang.

The rough man abruptly turned his head and kicked the Husky’s butt with one foot, the two of them fleeing without looking back.

Jiang Xiaoyu covered his face with his ears, not daring to look at anyone. He simply buried his head in his arms, curling up like a hedgehog.

“So bold when biting, but now you know to be shy?” Ye Lian pinched his short tail that was tightly pressed against his butt. Seeing him stay still like a clam shell, Ye Lian smiled helplessly and didn’t tease him anymore.

After getting home and finishing dinner, Liu Qingqing held the sachet and admired it endlessly. “Little Officer Jiang can even do handicrafts? This is way too rare.”

It was clearly just a simple job of stuffing ingredients, yet she praised it like it was something amazing. Jiang Xiaoyu’s paws opened and closed a few times as he crouched on the chair, feeling a bit shy and happy inside.

The old butler twitched his mustache and said it was just average—what was so special about it? Liu Qingqing beside him reached out to snatch it. “Then give it to me.”

“Nonsense! Have some manners!” The old rooster-faced man glared fiercely. “How do you treat your elders? I’ve told you, kid!”

Liu Qingqing turned away awkwardly and muttered under her breath, “Tsundere jerk.”

Ye Lian had already gone back to the study first. Jiang Xiaoyu stood at the staircase, one paw resting on the first step, hesitating to take the next one, his eyes full of reluctance. After a long while, he finally lifted his other paw onto it and muttered softly, “The cat is just going upstairs, not looking for him.”

The Little Black Cat not looking for anyone circled in front of the study door a few times, inadvertently discovering a small door—not on purpose, of course—and was inevitably sucked inside by the little door.

He crouched on the desk and meowed at Ye Lian, “It wasn’t the cat who wanted to come in; it’s just cooler here!”

The whole house was climate-controlled—where was the difference between here and there? Ye Lian didn’t point it out and just silently turned the page.

Jiang Xiaoyu raised his head and stared at him. Seeing the man focused on his own work and ignoring the cat, he couldn’t hide his disappointment. “The cat didn’t bite you on purpose; you insisted on…” Thinking of that scene made him annoyed again, and he snapped at him fiercely, “Old pervert!”

After cursing, he quickly turned to leave, but still heard no movement behind him. His head cooled down, and he started brainwashing himself: But he only sees me as a cat… It’s normal for a cat in heat to want confirmation, right? So I was overreacting… Just like when the old butler touched my butt and I freaked out before. Now, getting my tail touched and such… haven’t I gotten used to it?…

No need for Ye Lian to do anything; Jiang Xiaoyu had already convinced himself. He turned back around, squatting seriously beside Ye Lian with a slightly stern expression, lifting one paw and pawing at the air above the man’s arm a few times. Seeing no reaction, he boldly pressed down on it.

The meat pad touched the firm forearm—smooth skin with great elasticity, perfect paw feel. So he started kneading happily, purring as he stepped, while brainwashing himself: “The cat is being a cat right now; it’s totally normal.”

Ye Lian really was busy, not ignoring him on purpose. The noise was hard to ignore; his hand flipping through the proposal had stopped, propping his cheek as he watched the Little Black Cat kneading away with its head down like a cub. Internally, he chuckled: So dumb and obedient, who knows what nonsense is going on in that head all day.

“Purring like that—good mood?” He teased lightly, twitching the arm being kneaded. Jiang Xiaoyu’s paw slipped, and he pounced onto the arm.

“So enthusiastic?” The man chuckled softly.

Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears perked up as he meowed at the man like he was negotiating, “Let you touch and you can’t be mad anymore.”

Ye Lian smirked—this was practically a long-term flesh trade? Offering to be pinched whenever he annoyed someone. If he didn’t know the guy’s human form, Ye Lian would think anyone swayed by a cat’s conditions like this had issues.

“Did Aunt Qing give you a bath?” He curved his eyes and flipped the little cat onto its back on the desk, his large palm rubbing the cat’s belly. “So soft and fluffy.”

Jiang Xiaoyu warned himself in his mind not to be shy, not to be shy—he was a cat right now, no big deal! But that didn’t stop him from being embarrassed and annoyed while his paws flowered in the air.

After swiping at the air a few times with the wrong texture, he held back… but couldn’t. He rolled over, pinned the man’s arm, and started kneading again with opening and closing paws.

Ye Lian chuckled a few times and just offered up his arm, continuing his work to the sound of the cat’s purring.

Then a video call came in on the computer, and Ye Lian answered.

A stranger’s face suddenly appeared on the screen, making Jiang Xiaoyu’s paws stiffen before he whipped around and jumped off the desk.

“Young Master, Yang Guo’s agent came asking again.” Wang Chengzhi noticed the movement and toned down his wording. “How should we handle this?” Normally, these minor investments didn’t need Ye Lian’s approval—Yang Guo’s trajectory meant high risk, so just reject. But Ye Lian had said it was linked to Jiang Xiaoyu, and recalling the young master’s odd attention to that little cop, he wasn’t sure of the tiger’s mind and came to ask.

It proved he earned his high salary as Ye Lian’s assistant not just for a fancy degree.

Ye Lian glanced at Jiang Xiaoyu sneaking under the desk with ears perked to eavesdrop. “Investment amount?”

“Not much, fifty million. The IP is decent, but the whole drama is built around Yang Guo—too risky. Pop singers switching to commercial films isn’t unheard of, but I had someone check his audition.” He calmly adjusted his glasses. “Even a street cat acts better than him.”

The acting was terrible. Speaking of cats—the Little Black Cat, who had blown his cover at first sight, shivered inexplicably.

Ye Lian let out a short laugh and asked, “Who’s handling Wan Universe in Pine City?”

“Wan Keyao.”

Ye Lian rarely paused. “Who?”

Wang Chengzhi nodded. “Yes, Wan Keyao.” He’d been puzzled too—even if Pine City was key for future development, no need for the Wan head to personally oversee. Paulownia City next door was the real hub, Wan Universe’s second base. No reason to open another one hundreds of miles away.

Ye Lian’s fingertips tapped the desk lightly, eyes thoughtful. After a long pause, he said, “Just fifty million—find a time to talk cooperation with Wan side.”

Just fifty million? Jiang Xiaoyu was shocked. He got it: Yang Guo came to Ye Lian for investment. Normally he’d toss it in, but Yang Guo was a case suspect now—if proven guilty of murder, blacklisted! That fifty million down the drain?

“No!” He anxiously jumped onto the desk and yowled. “Can’t invest! Yang Guo’s still under investigation—at least wait till the case is clear! You can’t invest!” In his panic, he forgot they couldn’t understand, only to be scooped into Ye Lian’s arms and firmly held.

The man’s tone was lazily casual. “Set a time first; we’ll see if it goes through later.”

Wang Chengzhi adjusted his glasses, staring brightly at the cat opposite. Hearing the boss, he nodded crisply. “Got it.”

As the call ended, Jiang Xiaoyu envisioned them sealing the deal and the fifty million vanishing, heartbroken even though it wasn’t his money. “Old idiot! I told you not to rush!”

Ye Lian raised a brow at the scolding, fresh vocabulary. He curved his eyes, feigning ignorance. “Why so mad?” Starting to deflect. “Did your little master not feed you? Uncle will talk to him nicely.”

“Eat eat eat! All you think about is eating!” Jiang Xiaoyu spat without restraint. Seeing the man really pull out his phone to message, he bit him hard and bolted. “Forget it—can’t expect an old geezer like you to spot anything off. Better for the cat to catch the crook quick.”

Never had he been so desperate to crack the case—that was fifty million! He counted on his paws: At his salary, it’d take nine hundred years of no eating or drinking!

How could someone be so wasteful! Tipping a cat a million on a whim, tossing fifty million down the drain without blinking!

Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t even know what he was mad about—he was just mad.

In the study, Ye Lian touched the two new tooth marks on his arm, frowning those fine brows as he muttered to himself, “Why bite again? Cats have such complicated thoughts? Maybe book more pet communication classes.”

—

Propelled by fifty million at his back, Jiang Xiaoyu stormed into the Case Handling Office on Monday with a face so serious even Jin Ge felt it.

“What’s up? Eat the wrong meds?” It made him not dare smoke.

“This case is progressing too slowly!” Jiang Xiaoyu slammed both paws on the desk, expression still grave.

Jin Ge rolled his eyes. “And how’s your investigation going?”

At that, Jiang Xiaoyu deflated a bit, straightening up. “Nothing unusual with Luo Xi.” He paused after saying it. No abnormalities…? Something felt off, but he couldn’t recall… He tried hard to remember, only recalling the pleasant lunchtime vibe. Luo Xi was easy to get along with.

Jin Ge tapped ash from his cigarette. “Jiang Fei’s forehead and finger wounds are suspicious, but forensics checked—minor injuries, not fatal. Put Luo Xi on hold for now; a blind guy can’t run.” He turned and handed a stack of files to Jiang Xiaoyu. “Follow up on Zhao Peng; something’s off with him.”

Jiang Xiaoyu took the documents and recalled that Zhao Peng was Yang Guo’s new manager and also Jiang Fei’s successor.

“How so?”

“Jiang Fei and Yang Guo might have an improper relationship, and Zhao Peng seems to have designs on Yang Guo. We can’t rule out the possibility of a crime of passion.” Jin Ge said, “This was something Owl dug up on the side. Also, Jiang Fei doesn’t handle things cleanly—he has plenty of enemies. He even blinded a bus driver’s eye in the past and paid a hefty compensation.”

Owl was another colleague at the Case Handling Office. Jiang Xiaoyu flipped through the documents he had found, feeling that it somewhat shattered his worldview.

“Jiang Fei and Yang Guo have an improper relationship? But he just broke up with Luo Xi…”

Jin Ge sneered. “What’s so shocking about that? Seamless transitions are great. Who knows, maybe he was two-timing the whole time. In the entertainment industry, these men and women—no matter how chaotic their private lives get, it’s not surprising at all.”

Jiang Xiaoyu fell silent, pondering whether to pursue the Zhao Peng lead first or the driver’s lead, when he heard the door behind him being pushed open. Zhang Pangpang stormed in, face flushed with fury.

“This Yang Guo is no human being! He looks all proper and human-like, puts on that little white flower act on variety shows, but he’s actually just a cat-abusing beast!”