Chapter 68: Cat Grandpa Wan Qianli Part 2

Wan Keyao said in a deep voice, “What’s the use of having shame? Is shame more important than wife and child? I heard about what happened back then from Jiang Fenghua—it was her doing. What right do you have to sentence me to death over something she did? No way, I’m appealing! I want my wife and kid back!”

Ye Qingxu was so pissed he laughed. “Don’t tell me Si Xiaoshan has nothing to do with you!”

Wan Keyao was stunned. “What nonsense are you spouting? Why drag A-Shan into this? What the hell?”

The moment Ye Qingxu thought of those two with their unclear relationship, his heart went cold. Coldly, he said, “I don’t care what your relationship is. Get out—I’m taking the kid out.”

Wan Keyao panicked and clung to his hand. “You’re not going anywhere. Explain yourself clearly. I don’t want to wait another twenty-two years in a daze.”

Jiang Xiaoyu poked his head out again, munching on a sandwich, with a bunch of nosy cats and dogs standing behind him.

Dozens of scorching gazes bore into them. Ye Qingxu took a few sharp breaths, grinding his teeth as he said, “Let go. We’ll talk alone next time.”

Wan Keyao still didn’t release his grip. Shamelessly, he said, “The kid’s here. Lying isn’t a good example to set.”

Ye Qingxu sneered. “I’m counting to three.”

“Fine, fine.” Wan Keyao knew when to quit. Smiling, he turned his gaze to Jiang Xiaoyu. “Uncle doesn’t know what you like, so he bought a ton of stuff—it’s all in the car. Wait here, Uncle will go get it for you.”

Jiang Xiaoyu had a conditioned reflex to the word “uncle.” He said, “You… don’t have to call yourself Uncle.”

Wan Keyao almost blurted out: Then call me Daddy.

But Ye Qingxu stomped hard on his foot, making him hiss and swallow his words. “Alright, alright. I’ll go get it then.”

Wan Keyao excitedly headed out of the courtyard. Ye Qingxu felt a bit awkward. After a long mental pep talk, he finally asked the kid, “You… aren’t going to ask about Dad?”

Jiang Xiaoyu looked at him seriously. “I’ll listen if you want to say it. If not, I won’t ask. You’re my dad—I respect you.”

Ye Qingxu’s nose soured. He pulled Jiang Xiaoyu into his arms and held on tight.

How could this kid be so well-behaved? If he were even a little rebellious or bratty, Ye Qingxu wouldn’t feel this much guilt. But he was so adorable that Ye Qingxu couldn’t forgive himself for losing him all these years—or Wan Keyao for losing both father and son.

—

Wan Keyao opened the trunk, ready to unload all the gifts he’d bought for his wife and kid. But inside, he spotted something completely unexpected…

No, couldn’t call it a “thing”—it was his old man. Even with senile dementia, the old soldier’s aura was still intimidating.

Wan Keyao’s head throbbed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and called Jiang Fenghua. “Mom, where’s Dad?”

Jiang Fenghua couldn’t stay in Locust City any longer. She’d packed up at dawn and flown in on a private jet to Pine City. She’d just fallen asleep after landing and groggily answered, patting the spot beside her. “Right here… Huh? Where’s your dad?” She jolted awake. “A-Yao, your dad’s missing!”

Wan Keyao was speechless. “He’s in my trunk!”

“What the hell are you doing? He doesn’t even recognize you—why’d he crawl into your trunk?”

“I’m at Qingxu’s place.” Defiantly, Wan Keyao poked his old man’s belly. “I was wondering the same—how’d he get in here.”

When Jiang Fenghua heard Wan Keyao had gone to Ye Qingxu’s, she clutched the blanket and mumbled, “Oh, oh, you went to Little Ye’s. Is… is Little Yu there?”

Maybe it was the longing in the old woman’s voice, but Wan Keyao’s heart softened. “Yeah, he’s here. Obedient as can be.”

Tears streamed down Jiang Fenghua’s face instantly. “Then I’m coming too! I’m coming! I bought so much stuff for the kid— all the things the brats back at the compound love.”

Wan Keyao sighed. “I’m still working on it here. How am I supposed to explain if you show up?”

Jiang Fenghua had no choice. After hanging up, she envied her husband for being able to turn into a cat, but it perked her up. Energized, she started plotting how to apologize to Ye Qingxu.

—

Ye Qingxu packed the things for their outing while chatting with Jiang Xiaoyu about the unfinished courtyard plans. “After the holiday, when the workers come back, I want to redesign the inside of the house too.”

Jiang Xiaoyu blinked. “But this house belongs to someone else… The yard was empty anyway, so mods are fine, but the house is already renovated. Not good to redo it, right?”

Ye Qingxu figured it was time to tell the kid about the house. He pulled a red booklet from the nearby drawer and handed it to Jiang Xiaoyu. “Son, Dad wishes you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Jiang Xiaoyu stared at the unfamiliar object, his expression shifting from confusion to shock to fluster. “This… this… I can’t accept it.”

Ye Qingxu stuffed the property deed into the kid’s hands. “What nonsense? Of course you can. Don’t talk like even after Dad kicks the bucket, all Dad’s assets are yours anyway—even now.”

The deed wasn’t heavy, but it felt like a thousand pounds in Jiang Xiaoyu’s hands. Lacking confidence, he said, “But I haven’t done anything. How can I take something so valuable?”

Ye Qingxu’s eyes were red, his voice thick with tears. “What do you mean ‘haven’t done anything’? Your very existence is Heaven’s greatest gift to Dad.” He gently stroked Jiang Xiaoyu’s head, his eyes full of pain and guilt. “Even giving you the most wonderful things in the world wouldn’t be enough.”

This man was crying for him.

An indescribable emotion surged in Jiang Xiaoyu’s heart. He’d never imagined his existence could mean so much to someone.

In all those past years, Jia Muqin had called him a burden, a freak, better off dead—alive, he was just scary. No one had ever told him he didn’t need to do anything, give anything—that just being alive made him everything.

He felt so wronged. All those countless nights of confusion and fear suddenly had an outlet. “I…” He choked up, at a loss for words.

Ye Qingxu hugged him tightly, tears flowing uncontrollably. He stroked the kid’s back over and over. “Dad knows. Dad knows it all.”

Both were reserved with their emotions, but in front of kin, all restraint meant nothing.

After a while, noticing the kid’s discomfort, Ye Qingxu slowly let go. He broke the ice first, forcing a casual tone. “How about you turn into Little Black Cat? Dad can stuff you in his pocket—take you anywhere, super convenient.”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s lips curved into a small smile, his nose still stuffy. “Then you’d be the only one packing.”

“What’s that matter? Not much stuff anyway. It’s settled—you turn into Little Black Cat, and Dad’ll find you a little skirt! We can even do outdoor livestreams to earn cat food!”

Ye Qingxu got all excited and picked out a cat outfit to get started. Just as he was dressing Jiang Xiaoyu, Wan Keyao walked in, cradling a black curly-haired old cat.

Father and son both froze.

Ye Qingxu’s heart skipped a beat, guessing the cat’s identity. Jiang Xiaoyu was purely shocked by the old cat’s looks—it resembled a lion cat but was huge, even bigger than a Maine Coon, though way too skinny. It looked unwell, with white whiskers and very old.

“This is…” Wan Keyao frowned, unsure how to introduce the cat. But Wan Qianli in his arms opened his cloudy eyes and slapped a paw on Wan Keyao’s hand, leaping out.

Wan Keyao yelped in surprise. “Can you be more careful? If you fall, Old Madam will skin me alive!”

The Curly-Haired Old Cat ignored him, circling Jiang Xiaoyu a few times and sniffing nonstop.

Jiang Xiaoyu squatted awkwardly, paws obediently in front. The old cat looked so stern—like Ao Bai… Jiang Xiaoyu inexplicably felt heavy pressure from him, super intimidating to be stared at so bluntly.

But soon, after confirming, the old cat relaxed. He scooped Jiang Xiaoyu into his arms, grooming his fur with a raspy voice. “Baby, cat is Grandpa.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was licked every which way, unsure how to react.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingxu’s face was taut. He dragged Wan Keyao into the bathroom, shut the door, and demanded, “That’s your dad?”

This was the first time in years they’d been alone in such a cramped space. Wan Keyao suppressed his bitterness and excitement. “Yeah, my dad Wan Qianli.” Jokingly out of place, he added, “A living medical miracle. Senile dementia for years—doesn’t even recognize me, but seeing his grandson flipped the switch.”

Ye Qingxu could put on a cold face and say heartbreaking words to Wan Keyao, but when it came to an elder, he just couldn’t harden his heart no matter what—especially since that old cat’s condition was truly awful, even looking worse than the Colorful Civet Old Cat, who could only stay awake for two hours a day.

“Taking the chance, let me ask straight up: Little Yu’s shapeshifter gene is passed down from your family?” Ye Qingxu said.

“Yes.” Wan Keyao nodded. Seeing Ye Qingxu’s ugly expression, he hurriedly added, “I didn’t tell you before because this gene is really hard to inherit. There hasn’t been a case like it in my family for a hundred years above my dad, and I’m just a normal person, so I figured there was no need to say anything.”

Ye Qingxu sneered. “Again, what you figured.”

Wan Keyao got pricked by his words and aggrievedly tugged at his clothes corner. “You never told me you could give birth either. If you’d told me sooner, I…” At that thought, he grew irritated. If he’d explained things earlier, how could it have led to their father and sons wasting so many years? But he couldn’t blame Ye Qingxu, or he’d just drive him off again. He could only suppress his temper, soften his voice, and plead, “Ancestor, if something’s up, can’t you just say it instead of bottling it up? Say it out loud—even if it’s making me an ox or a horse, has your big bro ever hesitated for a second?”

Ye Qingxu slapped his hand away and said coldly, “Your dad stays. You roll.”

Wan Keyao still wanted to bargain, but seeing how truly awful his face was, he grudgingly shut his mouth and helped Ye Qingxu load the picnic supplies into the car.

“My dad has senile dementia—he’s almost fully degenerated into a cat. Don’t treat him like a person; just treat him like a cat.”

This old coot had no filter whatsoever—where was an ounce of manners?

“That’s your dad!”

Wan Keyao went all meek and submissive. “Yes, yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t have said that about our dad.”

Ye Qingxu laughed angrily, slammed the trunk shut, lifted Jiang Xiaoyu into the custom-made kitten safety seat in the back row, buckled the seatbelt, and then eyed Wan Qianli, who had been sticking close to their side the whole time.

His heart felt both awkward and reverent. Afraid he couldn’t hop into the car, he squeezed his eyes shut and roared at Wan Keyao, “Get over here and carry your dad up!”

Wasn’t he just going to have to carry him back down later? Wan Keyao froze for a second, then shamelessly trailed after his old man and squeezed onto the car.