Chapter 49: Ye Lian and Wan Keyao

In the luxurious and elegant restaurant, the crystal chandelier refracted dazzling light. The waiters, dressed in crisp uniforms, attentively served a black curly-haired cat.

Ye Lian and Yang Guo sat facing each other, with Jiang Xiaoyu perched on a baby chair beside them. His two legs dangled from the gaps in the chair, his pink paw pads pawing at the tablecloth, while his round almond-shaped eyes stared fixedly at the two of them.

Noticing the cat’s gaze, Yang Guo subtly suppressed his sadistic urges, forcing himself not to look at the cat. With a faint smile, he said, “Thank you for treating me, Mr. Ye. Yang Guo is deeply honored.”

Ye Lian politely curved his eyes. “I should also thank Mr. Yang for the gifts you sent.”

A while ago, Yang Guo had sent many cat supplies to the Ye Mansion, of course, all of which had been destroyed by Liu Qingqing.

Ye Lian’s slender fingers reached toward Jiang Xiaoyu, loosening the bothersome bow on his head and moving it to the back of his neck. He asked, “Do you like sashimi?”

Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t speak, but he swung his two cat legs, drawing a soft chuckle from Ye Lian.

Yang Guo’s gaze fixed on Ye Lian’s hand—broad palm, white and slender fingers with distinct joints, like a work of art, perfectly matching the man’s handsome features.

Setting aside power and influence, just this man’s top-tier looks would make a one-night stand worthwhile. With this thought, an ambiguous glint flashed in his eyes as his hand reached toward the man and the cat.

“Mr. Ye’s little cat suits pink rose so well.” He steered the topic to the black cat, but his finger lightly tapped the sapphire cufflink on Ye Lian’s wrist. “I auctioned a pink sapphire a while back. If Mr. Ye doesn’t mind, you could give it to your little cat to play with.”

Before Ye Lian could respond, Jiang Xiaoyu saw the man’s hand touching Ye Lian’s wrist bone. An inexplicable displeasure surged in his heart.

A strange light flickered in his green round eyes. His whiskers perked up as he showed clear hostility toward Yang Guo, hissing, “Take away that hand of yours that’s abused cats!”

Unexpectedly, Yang Guo seized the opportunity, his tone carrying a hint of coquettish reproach. “Mr. Ye’s cat is so fierce.” His fingers rubbed against Ye Lian’s palm, his eyes and heart filled with the handsome man opposite him, completely oblivious to the fire practically shooting from the black cat’s eyes.

“Don’t touch him!”

Jiang Xiaoyu let out a low, rumbling cat growl, blurting out the words without thinking. He leaned forward, extending his little paw, which landed squarely on the back of Yang Guo’s hand, leaving a few shallow red marks on the fair skin.

Yang Guo winced in pain and reflexively pulled back his hand. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Xiaoyu, but he quickly masked it, aggrievedly offering his hand to Ye Lian. “Look, Mr. Ye, your cat scratched me.”

“Is that so?”

Ye Lian glanced at Jiang Xiaoyu. The little guy’s short round tail was puffed up like a rabbit’s, his ears flattened back—clearly an angry expression.

“Did our baby do that?” Ye Lian’s tone was gentle, without a hint of reproach. “I didn’t see anything.”

The longer he knew this man, the more Jiang Xiaoyu realized how masterful he was at telling bald-faced lies with a straight face. Even though he was still inexplicably annoyed, hearing this protective remark made him flex his paws a few times before sheepishly shrinking back into the chair.

Ye Lian stood up, picked him up, and settled him in his lap. “Our baby is very well-behaved. Mr. Yang, perhaps you should reflect on whether you did something to upset our baby.”

He smiled with moon-like clarity, but Yang Guo paled as if he’d seen a ghost. The red marks on his hand still stung, yet this man claimed he hadn’t seen…

Jiang Xiaoyu felt inexplicably embarrassed. He shifted uncomfortably, his paws fidgeting with Ye Lian’s lapel as he meowed lowly, “Don’t call me baby…” And in front of others too—is this old rogue shameless? He felt his furry face burning, his ear tips tinged with suspicious pink.

Yang Guo, ever the entertainment industry veteran, quickly composed himself and smiled brightly. “Alright, that was Yang Guo’s fault for upsetting the little cat.”

Ye Lian raised a brow, a touch of appreciation in his eyes. If this man hadn’t possibly committed a principled error, he wouldn’t be a bad business partner.

Jiang Xiaoyu had been observing their expressions. Seeing Ye Lian’s current look soured his mood again. He nipped at the man’s hand and huffed, “Old bastard, what’s with that expression? You actually admire him?”

Ye Lian chuckled, covering Jiang Xiaoyu’s head with his large palm. Not too lightly or heavily, he said, “The little cat is naughty. Please excuse him, Mr. Yang.”

Yang Guo raised his wine glass, tactfully dropping the topic and asking instead, “What are your thoughts on the investment, Mr. Ye?”

This man wasn’t just handsome; his seductive skills were top-notch, always dangling hope without committing. Yang Guo tempted, “I’m not boasting, but this IP will definitely make the investors a fortune.”

Ye Lian equivocated, “Of course I believe you, Mr. Yang. You’re exceptionally talented.” He changed tack. “But I’m curious—Mr. Yang has made great achievements in music. Why venture into acting?”

Yang Guo smiled and explained his plans for all-around development, but Jiang Xiaoyu snorted sharply, “Because his ghostwriter quit. Without lyrics and music, of course he can’t produce anything.”

In researching the case, Jiang Xiaoyu had inevitably come across Yang Guo’s works. Yang Guo’s voice was indeed excellent, but Luo Xi’s lyrics and compositions brought a fresh feel no matter who sang them—the soul of the work lay in the lyrics and music, with endless possibilities regardless of the performer.

Ye Lian pinched Jiang Xiaoyu’s teeth, releasing just as the cat was about to bite in frustration. “It’s a pity, though. Mr. Yang’s new album was hyped for so long, then suddenly went quiet. Ye Corporation was hoping to get a piece of it.”

Yang Guo smiled faintly, about to speak, when a voice came from behind. “I had no idea Ye Corporation was entering the entertainment industry?”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears twitched. The low, magnetic voice sounded familiar. Turning his head, sure enough, it was Wan Keyao.

Ye Lian placed the cat back in the baby chair and stood to shake hands. “It’s been a while, Mr. Wan. You’re as impressive as ever.”

Wan Keyao raised his sword-like brows in a perfunctory smile. His gaze dropped to Jiang Xiaoyu and he teased, “Haven’t seen you lately, and you’ve become more refined— even raising a cat now.”

The black cat’s curly fur gave Wan Keyao a momentary daze, then he added, “With the Ye family’s lingering prestige, meddling in entertainment is just a word from you, right?”

Yang Guo called out “President Wan” and stood to offer seats to the two big shots, standing obediently aside without daring to speak—not even comparable to the black cat squatting in its baby chair with a dedicated seat.

Thinking this, he clenched his fist, head lowered, glaring darkly at Jiang Xiaoyu, only to be startled by the cat’s clear, unflinching gaze. He averted his eyes, steadied himself, and continued listening to Ye Lian and Wan Keyao.

Seeing Yang Guo’s demeanor, Jiang Xiaoyu’s expression cooled. He meowed, “You should be afraid.” He turned his head to watch the two conversing men as well.

The atmosphere between Ye Lian and Wan Keyao seemed decent, but laced with underlying rivalry.

The Ye and Wan families were among Locust City’s top clans. Fifteen years apart in age, if Wan Keyao had led the crown prince faction fifteen years ago, Ye Lian had taken over the young masters’ circle since. People inevitably compared them: would the waves of the new generation surpass the old, or would the elder outplay them?

Back then, Ye Lian was sharp-edged, and Wan Keyao, with a senior’s mindset, hadn’t bothered with him. But now this kid was growing up, acting ever more flamboyantly while pretending to be aloof and pure—it was irritating.

Ye Lian raised his wine glass. “I hear Wan Corporation is filming a major IP lately. Ye Lian is quite interested.”

The kid offered a toast flawlessly, and Wan Keyao gritted his teeth, returning it. “I hear from planning it’s just fifty million—a drop in the bucket for you.” Pulling investment wasn’t exclusive to Ye Corporation, but with Wan Corporation’s prominence, having them as backing was ideal.

“Can’t say that. I have a cat to feed—fifty million could buy this little guy plenty to eat.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was suddenly named, awkwardly shifting his feet. Just then, a waiter brought a plate of prepared shrimp and placed it before him, intoning seriously, “Please enjoy, Mr. Cat.”

Wan Keyao glanced at the black cat and scoffed. “Your cat sure has a big appetite.” He took it as an excuse, his words naturally laced with sarcasm. Little did he know, what he now saw as a big appetite would later make him wish he could feed this cat eight hundred times a day, scouring the world for delicacies to pile before him—short of Tang Monk meat to let the cat live centuries more for his endless indulgence.

The two men’s banter was full of veiled barbs, back and forth, making Jiang Xiaoyu’s teeth ache with sourness. Yet Yang Guo watched them adoringly like a student, earning Jiang Xiaoyu’s reluctant admiration. Setting aside him being a scum, with acting skills like that, he could make it big in entertainment given time.

Ye Lian lightly set down his glass, casually asking, “Actually, my hesitation stems from the IP’s many fight and gunfight scenes. I’m worried Mr. Yang might get hurt.” The implication was clear to all—could Yang Guo’s slender arms and legs handle it?

Wan Keyao sneered. “No need to worry about that.” He tilted his chin at Yang Guo. “Tell them, Little Yang.”

Yang Guo smiled and chimed in, his face slightly flushed as if embarrassed. “The company has already found a stunt double for me—one who’s extremely similar. He’ll handle all the dangerous scenes, so there’s no need to worry about the fight choreography.”

“Oh?” Ye Lian perked up with interest, raising an eyebrow as he asked, “How similar are we talking?”

Yang Guo pursed his lips shyly. “He subbed for me at a commercial event before. From a safe social distance, no one could tell the difference at all.”

As he said this, he failed to notice the serious expression on the black cat beside him right now.

Those emerald green cat eyes gleamed sharply. Jiang Xiaoyu recalled the scene from the surveillance footage. Half a minute truly wasn’t enough time for someone to commit murder… but what if the one lying there was just a stunt double?

The stunt double only needed to lie there, providing Yang Guo with the perfect alibi.