Chapter 72

Just half a month after the Steel Needle Piercing Heart Case and the Skinning Case, another similar murder occurred in Pine City.

A live streamer who gained traffic by abusing cats as a gimmick was found brutally murdered in his home. His limbs had been severed, just like the dead cats beside him.

The “D” symbol carved into the victim’s body with a sharp blade once again proved Jiang Xiaoyu’s point: this was a serial killing spree.

The Major Crimes Unit urgently filed the case and linked up the Criminal Investigation Division and the Case Handling Office for a joint investigation. This was the first time in history for such a formal official collaboration between the two departments.

But so far, this had little to do with Jiang Xiaoyu. Because it was National Day holiday, all the shapeshifters except the top boss had been given time off.

The black cat cub lay in the stroller, wearing a blue-and-white baby lace hat, hugging an orange-white little cat doll as Ye Qingxu pushed him out onto the street.

At first, he was a bit embarrassed, burying his face in the little cat doll’s embrace and refusing to lift it, but after a while, he relaxed. His two cat paws even poked out from the gap, swinging back and forth in the air.

Ye Qingxu’s heart softened at the sight. He adjusted the stroller’s sunshade a bit lower to block the sun for him and asked, “Want some milk tea? Or ice cream?”

Jiang Xiaoyu shrank his face down a little, a hint of shyness in it. Seeing Ye Qingxu patiently waiting for his reply, he mewed, “Want milk tea.”

“Okay, Daddy will go buy some.” Ye Qingxu was overjoyed as if he’d received a royal decree, pushing the stroller toward the milk tea shop.

A while ago, he’d taken Jiang Xiaoyu for gene cultivation treatment, and just yesterday, they’d gone for the injection of the cultivation results. The doctor said there was a certain probability and the effect time wasn’t fixed, but he was extremely lucky. In just one night, he’d gained the ability to understand his child’s words.

This must be Mom and Dad blessing me from heaven, Ye Qingxu thought delightedly. Pointing at the drinks on the menu, he asked, “Which ones don’t have taro paste or anything like that?”

Considering the little cat’s size, Ye Qingxu bought several small cups of different flavors, hanging them on the stroller’s handlebar. He also took a cup at the perfect temperature, stuck a straw in it, and placed it in Jiang Xiaoyu’s arms. “Here, drink up. Aunt Qing will be here soon. Let’s go find her.”

Jiang Xiaoyu hugged the milk tea and nodded. Hearing the crowd around him exclaiming “so cute” while holding up their phones, he retracted his dangling cat paws and took a sip of the warm caramel baked milk.

So good… He half-closed his eyes in satisfaction, smacking his furry lips contentedly, and unconsciously extended his cat paws again, splaying them out in the air like a flower.

“Aaaah, too cute!”

“Isn’t that the super popular streamer lately? The one called Jiang Xiaoyu Doesn’t Eat Fish!”

“Yeah, it’s him, the curly-furred one with green eyes—no mistaking it.”

The onlookers recognized him and uploaded videos to Wanxiang.

“Qingxu, over here!” Aunt Qing’s voice was loud, and her build was sturdy. She was pushing a massive stroller with a blue-and-white-eyed husky that looked dumb at first glance…

This was the purpose of their outing: shopping and buying things. Ye Qingxu brought Jiang Xiaoyu because he adored him; Liu Qingqing brought the husky purely out of envy for the photos Ye Qingxu had taken of Jiang Xiaoyu before heading out. With no cat to bring, she had to settle for the silly dog.

The husky wore a red baby hat, looking exactly like the Big Bad Wolf’s grandma no matter how you saw it. The crowd had been cooing over how cute Jiang Xiaoyu was, but now they were all bursting into laughter.

“What a nutjob— who’d take a husky out like that hahahaha.”

“Dying of laughter, cat baby and its husky dummy dog.”

“Red and blue make the ultimate CP since ancient times, so cursed lol.”

With Wan Keyao fanning the flames, Jiang Xiaoyu’s video account had been blowing up with traffic lately. The video people uploaded was automatically detected by AI as Jiang Xiaoyu’s cat form and pushed straight to the front page, simultaneously sent to Wan Keyao.

The old guy had been busy trying to win over his wife and son lately, falling behind on work, and failing to win them over anyway—he was quite irritable.

He was venting at his subordinate giving a report when he got the notification for his special concern. Opening his phone, he started grinning like an idiot with developmental issues, scaring the group below into trembling like they’d seen a ghost.

“Old Zhu, you take over. Send me the key points after.” Wan Keyao couldn’t sit still anymore. He stood with a stern face, said a few words, then left the conference room and started staring at his phone grinning again once outside.

The assistants trailing behind didn’t dare breathe, heads down, not daring to look at their usually decisive and formidable boss in this state.

“Go get me a stroller, and buy a few outfits for a cat—what’s this? A hat?” After instructing his lifestyle assistant, he didn’t wait for the driver and drove himself to the hotel. Entering the suite, he asked, “Where’s the old man?”

Jiang Fenghua was still holding her needlework and raised her hand to swat him. “You trying to die? Won’t call Mom, won’t call Dad?”

Wan Keyao pursed his lips. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s out there sunning himself. What the hell’s with you, you little rascal—finally remembered to care about your dad?”

Wan Keyao strode to the balcony and poked his old man, showing him the phone screen. “Look at your grandson.”

Wan Qianli was listless and didn’t want to deal with it at first, but hearing “grandson,” he lifted his eyelids and glanced over. He let out a hoarse mew: “Good baby.”

Wan Keyao coaxed, “Wanna go see your grandson?”

The old cat’s aged eyes were still majestic. His glance made Wan Keyao recall past beatings. He cleared his throat: “Hey, just asking. If you want, I’ll take you to see him. If not, forget it.”

With that, he turned to leave, but before he could step, a cat paw grabbed his pants.

*

Ye Qingxu and Liu Qingqing pushed the cat and dog around for a bit, bought quite a few things, and stopped at the outdoor seating of a cake shop for a short rest.

“See what you want.” Ye Qingxu held the menu in front of Jiang Xiaoyu and asked.

Jiang Xiaoyu still had some milk tea left in his arms, hugging it like a treasure. He pawed at an orange-flavored cake and mewed.

Ye Qingxu smiled and asked Liu Qingqing, “What about you, Sis Qing? And the husky?”

Liu Qingqing didn’t care, but seeing the husky’s longing, pitiful gaze, she laughed. “Anything for me. For the husky, pick something dogs can eat.”

Ye Qingxu nodded and took the menu inside to pay and order.

As soon as he stood up, Wan Keyao appeared pushing a stroller. Liu Qingqing glanced up at him, surprised. “Mr. Wan? Fancy seeing you here.”

Wan Keyao smiled politely, tilting his chin toward the stroller. “Sis Qing, brought him out for a stroll.”

Liu Qingqing then noticed the old cat lying in the stroller and immediately stood respectfully. “Old General.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was a bit stunned by her address. He poked his cat head out and saw it was Cat Grandpa.

“Baby.” The old cat called hoarsely, wanting to get closer but restrained by the safety buckle. He waved, wanting the little cat to come over himself.

Jiang Xiaoyu called out softly, “Grandpa,” and looked up at Wan Keyao. Seeing the man’s encouraging expression, he hesitated slightly, moved his paws, stepped on the edge of the stroller, and climbed into the old cat’s one.

With his son in the stroller, Wan Keyao couldn’t hide his delight and even had the leisure to chat casually with Liu Qingqing. “You still at the Ye Residence?”

Liu Qingqing had dealt with Wan Keyao in her youth; their relationship was decent. She smiled. “Getting old, too lazy to clean up after my son’s messes. Staying by Lian Zhi’s side to take care of him is more comfortable.”

Wan Keyao sneered inwardly but said, “That kid Lian Zhi is pretty good. He’s gotten much steadier in recent years—big future ahead.”

Liu Qingqing had watched Ye Lian grow up and treated him like a half-son. Without a trace of modesty, she said proudly, “Of course. He’s a Ye family child. If he went into politics, he’d outshine his older brothers.” Not to mention he’d inherited tiger genes and been officially added to the family registry by Old Master Ye despite objections.

Though Wan Keyao was over a decade older than Ye Lian, he was Wan Qianli’s late-in-life son, while Ye Lian—though young—had been registered under Ye Dongqing’s household. They were actually of the same generation.

He didn’t like Ye Lian, partly because the kid always put on airs, but also due to this factor. Wan Keyao’s smile didn’t reach his eyes as he replied politely, “He’s not bad.”

Liu Qingqing was straightforward and didn’t pick up on the men’s subtle rivalries and one-upmanship. She still smiled. “Too bad Lian Zhi isn’t going into politics, and you’re not in the military, or else…”

She looked at Jiang Xiaoyu in the stroller, being licked all over by Wan Qianli, thinking to herself: Otherwise, with the current ambiguous relationship between Ye Lian and Jiang Xiaoyu, a union between politics and the military would be so glorious.

But she just thought about it. After all, both families were currently viewed with suspicion, and their most promising heirs had chosen business instead—best that way.

When Ye Qingxu came out, he saw Wan Keyao chatting with Liu Qingqing. Both were tall and broad, almost blocking the sunlight as they sat together.

He pursed his lips silently, circled to his own stroller, and glanced—sure enough, no cat. He looked next door and saw the old cat hugging the little one. Jiang Xiaoyu was licked into a daze, already snoring with his paws up.

Even with a heart of stone, he couldn’t bring himself to wake the child now. He sat coldly in the only remaining seat between them.

Liu Qingqing was perceptive and stood with a smile. “I just remembered something—gotta go.” The husky hadn’t gotten its cake yet and wanted to bark as she pushed the stroller away, but she pinched its muzzle shut, silencing it.

Ye Qingxu took a cup of milk tea from the handle of the stroller, poked the straw in with a “puh” sound, and silently began to drink.

Wan Keyao put on a sheepish face and reached out to grab the milk tea hanging on the stroller, only to get slapped on the hand by Ye Qingxu, who arched his slender brows. “What are you doing? You want to steal the kid’s drink too?”

Wan Keyao looked aggrieved. “He’s sleeping right now, isn’t he? I’ll go buy another one later.”

Ye Qingxu let out a cold snort. Wan Keyao tried again to take one, and seeing that he wasn’t stopped this time, he happily grabbed a cup and clumsily poked at the straw, imitating Ye Qingxu. But the straw missed and didn’t pierce, startling the little kitten with a mew. Half-awake, it got its belly patted by Old Cat holding its tail and fell back asleep.

Ye Qingxu’s face was stern as he snatched the milk tea from Wan Keyao’s hand and inserted the straw for him.

Wan Keyao grinned. His tall and burly figure had handsome, chiseled features, and the furrowed lines between his brows had eased quite a bit. He said, “Has the gene injection you got taken effect?”

Ye Qingxu didn’t want to pay him any mind, but he was getting annoyed by the unwavering stare. “Mm.”

“That’s great. I haven’t tried mine yet, so I’m not sure if it’s taken effect. Once Little Yu wakes up, I’ll listen to him talk.”

Ye Qingxu glanced sideways at the stroller, pulled down the sunshade, and then said to Wan Keyao, “Come here.”

The two of them left the spot where Jiang Xiaoyu was and found a secluded table to talk.

“Little Yu’s life is good now. He doesn’t need more people coming in to disturb it. I don’t want him to know you’re his other father.”

Ye Qingxu’s words were cold and heartless. Wan Keyao gave a bitter laugh and said, “You can’t do this to me. Besides, Little Yu isn’t a fool—he must have his suspicions too.”

“So what?” Ye Qingxu’s expression was calm. “He’s my child. He said that as long as I don’t say anything, he won’t ask.”

The implication was clear: as long as Ye Qingxu refused to acknowledge it, he’d only ever have one dad.

Wan Keyao’s face turned ashen. “I asked my mom about what happened back then, but she said she had an agreement with you and wouldn’t tell me. So why don’t you tell me? What exactly was it for?”

For what?

A needle-like pain stabbed at Ye Qingxu’s heart. “Back then, when I was pregnant with Little Yu, every time I tried to make plans with you, you always had something come up. What exactly was so important?”

Wan Keyao frowned and said, “My dad’s brain had just gone haywire then, and my mom isn’t exactly even-tempered—she needed me with her everywhere. I might not have had time to go out with you, but didn’t I explain it properly every time?”

“Is that so? No time for me, but you had time to go to Si Xiaoshan’s movie premiere?”

“My mom insisted on going.” Wan Keyao’s brows were tightly knit. “Why do you always bring up A Shan? What’s he got to do with anything? He and I haven’t been in touch for over a decade.” As he said this, he paused, suddenly remembering that he and Si Xiaoshan had been childhood sweethearts, but they really hadn’t been in contact for years.

Especially after Si Xiaoshan finished his contract with Wan Universe and jumped to another agency, the two of them had almost no opportunities to meet again.

“I really have nothing to do with him.” Wan Keyao reached out to hold Ye Qingxu’s hand on the table.

Ye Qingxu pulled his hand back to his side, his eyelids lowered, long lashes shadowing his eyes. He said flatly, “I’m very satisfied with my current life. I don’t want any changes.”

Wan Keyao’s shoulders slumped, his expression unable to hide his frustration. “What exactly do you want me to do? Just watch you and the kid right in front of me without being able to get close?”

Ye Qingxu said, “Little Yu is my child, and I only have this one child. As for you, you’re free to find someone else and have a few more.”

He got up to leave. Wan Keyao angrily grabbed his hand, his eyes full of irritation. “If I wanted kids, I would’ve had a whole litter ages ago! I’ve been waiting for you all these years—what more do you want from me? You won’t say anything when I ask and just keep it bottled up. What did I do? Why are you punishing me like this? Yeah, so what if I can’t have them? But those aren’t the ones you gave birth to! Ye Qingxu, do you even have a heart?”

Ye Qingxu coldly tried to shake off his hand. “I don’t have one. Go find someone who does.”

The two exceptionally handsome and well-put-together men tussling drew quite a crowd. Ye Qingxu pressed his lips together and hissed lowly, “Let go!”

“Let go my ass! If I let go, my wife and kid are gone!” Wan Keyao threw caution to the wind with his old face. “You’re not leaving today until you explain yourself clearly—even if it wakes Little Yu up, I won’t let go!”

Ye Qingxu was helpless against his persistence and gnashed his back teeth as he desperately tried to fling his hand free, but Wan Keyao’s grip was freakishly strong, impossible to break.

Onlookers crowded around, buzzing with chatter.

Someone recognized Wan Keyao and whispered in shock, “Isn’t that the head of Wan Universe? Saw him on TV the other day.”

The rumors spread like wildfire. Ye Qingxu felt his temples throbbing. He really didn’t want to put on this Qiong Yao-style melodramatic scene in public with Wan Ke—he just wanted to grab the kid and leave.

“Wan Keyao, that’s enough!” Ye Qingxu lowered his voice and snapped harshly. “Save it for later. Don’t embarrass yourself here!”

“I’m gonna embarrass myself! I’m gonna let everyone know that you, Ye Qingxu, toyed with me and then abandoned me!” Wan Keyao declared righteously, his voice carrying a reckless edge. “You’ve already said there’s no ‘later’—if I let go now, will there even be a future?”

Ye Qingxu was so furious his chest ached dully. His gaze swept to where Jiang Xiaoyu had been, and his mind went blank with a buzz, his face instantly draining of color.

“Where’s Little Yu?” In his panic, he forgot everything and instinctively turned to Wan Keyao for help.

Wan Keyao’s face also darkened as he instantly regained his composure. “Don’t panic. I’ll check. He can’t have gone far in a place this small.”