Chapter 29: This Cat Refuses—Screw It! Part 2

What was this about?

The cat struggled, but its two meat pads were pinned down by Li Ye’s hands.

Li Ye still did not move.

The person did not seem to know how to cat properly.

Li You thought.

He kicked at Li Ye with his hind legs, landing right on his chin, but got no reaction.

Li You’s tail swished back and forth as he recalled what had happened in the Illusion Realm, still shaken.

He sighed inwardly, then lightly patted his brother’s face with a hind paw pad.

Fine, he would indulge him a bit.

“Meowww—”

You can rely on this meow’s mighty chest, but don’t let your tears drip there, because this meow can’t lick those hairs.

Li You had even opened up his soft belly for the other to bury into, but at that moment, his brother got up and left.

And left very decisively.

The cat at the head of the bed, topped with a big question mark, rolled over and stared at Li Ye, who stood before the wardrobe putting on his military uniform.

What the heck?

So he had just been throwing flirtatious looks at a blind man?!!

The cat threw a little fit, depressedly flicking its tail.

Meanwhile, Li Ye, now dressed in his military uniform, donned the Light Brain on his wrist. A communication came in, and he answered it casually. An eager greeting sounded from the other end.

“Good morning, esteemed guest! Do you remember me? I’m the manager from the pet shop you visited yesterday.”

Li Ye: “What is it?”

“Here’s the thing: our shop is launching a two-year anniversary event starting today. All pet supplies are eighty percent off. Plus, we’re partnering with the pet hospital for premium group sterilization services—your furry child just needs to group up with others’ for seventy percent off. Interested?”

Li You, diligently licking his paws and washing his face on the other side, did not catch it clearly.

【What education?】

Li Ye glanced at the cat and looked away. “No need.”

“Hey hey, please consider it! Look at your child’s size—it’s about that age for heat. Sterilization is for its own good.”

Li Ye ended the call, turned back, scooped up the cat with its clear, even somewhat dumb eyes, held it in his hands, and headed to the bathroom.

Li You’s paws scrabbled at his brother’s chest.

【I can wash my own face.】

Li Ye glanced at the cat, still oblivious to the call’s content.

He had not thought about sterilization at all, but the shop assistant had reminded him. The cat in his arms had indeed reached the age where it might go into heat.

Li Ye pondered as he wiped the cat’s paw pads and eye corners with a wet wipe. After a simple wash-up himself, he took out the cat carrier, put the cat inside, and left the room carrying it.

The entire day, Li Ye worked.

But not investigating Kailenoa—instead, he conducted a massive overhaul of the Imperial Military garrison on Anjiel. Every matter being handled on the planet, upcoming, or left undone in the past was all dug up and passed through his hands.

Li Ye handled things decisively without mercy, harsh to a terrifying degree.

For a time, the officers in Anjiel’s garrison fortress were swamped, not daring to breathe loudly or defy him in the slightest, just burying their heads in work.

Li You sprawled on the desk, paws tucked under as he yawned, lifting his head with a “meow” at every officer coming to report—like a welcoming cat, politely greeting everyone he met.

That day, two phrases circulated in the garrison of the Imperial Military.

—Your Highness Li Ye was terrifying.

—The cat by Your Highness’s side was adorable.

The positives and negatives canceled out, and Li You gained quite a bit of popularity.

He accompanied his brother until late at night. The cat grew so sleepy that his head bobbed up and down. Li You forced himself to stay awake, fixing his heavy eyelids as they fought to close, and hazily watched Li Ye, who was still handling work on the office chair.

He had to admit that a seriously working person was indeed handsome. His brother was already handsome to begin with, but right now, he looked ridiculously so.

Li You yawned again, truly too sleepy to bear it. He shook his head, glanced around left and right, trying to find something to do. His gaze locked onto the glass on the desk.

It was the cup his brother had only sipped twice that day, with more than half a cup of water still left.

“…”

The cat stared fixedly at the cup, suddenly very curious if it would shatter if dropped.

He glanced at Li Ye again. The other was still focused on work, not paying attention to him.

Li You withdrew his gaze, eyes burning with intensity as he stared dead at the cup of water.

The cup was innocent, but he was really bored right now.

Li You slowly propped up on all four legs, casually strolled a few steps to the side as if by accident, tail swishing left and right, betraying his excited mood. He stood at the edge of the desk and looked down, then turned to stare at the nearby cup. He extended his “devilish paw,” placing the white fluffy pad tentatively on the cup’s edge, but it didn’t move.

The cat lowered his head and cautiously pawed the cup a little toward the desk’s edge, then stopped.

He stayed still for about three or four seconds, nudged it twice more, then stopped again.

Repeating this, the cup with about half a cup of water finally reached the desk’s edge. Li You immediately halted, sat elegantly, and stared intently at the cup on the edge, looking as serious as if pondering the philosophy of meow-kind.

This pause was the longest. After a long while, he extended his paw and decisively pushed the cup off.

With a crisp “clang,” water splashed everywhere. Standing high up, he buried his head to look at the unbroken cup on the floor and blinked in bewilderment.

It didn’t break?

Disappointment flickered in the cat’s eyes, but having done something naughty brought a bit of thrill. His sleepiness vanished completely, and he turned back to Li Ye with righteous indignation.

Sure enough, his brother was looking at him now.

“Meow.”

He meowed at his brother.

Li Ye set aside his work, stood up, picked up the fallen glass cup from the floor, and placed it on the nearby counter. He told the officer who had come in at the noise to go back first, simply cleaned the wet floor, then turned to face the cat perched on the desk. He reached out and pinched the cat’s chubby cheeks: “Bored?”

【Yeah, very bored.】

【But brother, is that really a question you should ask a cat?】

Li You had more than once felt that his brother didn’t treat him like a cat. This feeling was too strange. He didn’t dare think too much about it, nor could he.

He had just done something bad. Now wide awake, he didn’t want to return to that boring state, so he stood up and graciously rubbed his soft face against Li Ye’s hand.

【Pet me.】

Li Ye’s gaze shifted slightly. His hand lightly pinching the cat’s face moved up, cupping half the cat’s face and rubbing a few times.

Li You squinted comfortably. Feeling his brother stop, he opened his eyes and looked over, tilting his head to observe Li Ye’s expression.

He couldn’t tell if Li Ye’s condition had improved lately. He just knew that under his supervision these past few days, he hadn’t seen the other take medicine.

Treatment was a long process; he understood that. Li You squinted and rubbed his face against the other, helpless at heart.

【Brother, what will you do without me?】

Li Ye’s palm and fingertips felt warmth and a slight itchiness. He seemed unmoved, but his lips pressed into a straight line.

Little liar.

If you knew he was suffering, why could you bear to leave him behind?

Li Ye closed his eyes briefly, picked up the cat, returned to the office chair, placed the cat on his lap, rubbed the cat’s head with his left hand, and continued working.

Li You still couldn’t resist the sleepiness. When he opened his eyes again, it was the next day, bright daylight outside the window. He was in the room, and Li Ye was gone.

Li You rolled over onto his belly, tail swishing lightly back and forth. Turning his head, he saw the little black cat sitting nearby, head tilted as it stared at him.

He got a fright, jumped up with fur bristling and back arched. But the little monster leaned in, licked him once, then bit his face and held on without letting go.

Wh-what are you doing?

Li You extended his paw to pat the other, pressing down and pushing hard.

Let go!!

“Meow—!”

After being patted several times, the little black cat released its mouth and gazed puzzledly at the ragdoll cat’s beautiful blue eyes. Its tail hooked up and entwined with the ragdoll cat’s fluffy big tail, meowing softly: “Meow~”

Clippy cat!

Li You gave the little monster a sideways glare, used his paw to vigorously wipe his saliva-covered face, then turned to look around the room.

His brother must not have left long ago. Cat food was prepared in the room, but it definitely wasn’t Li Ye’s handiwork.

His brother wasn’t good at cooking; that was the one thing he wasn’t skilled at.

This cat food must have been prepared by the Imperial Military cafeteria.

Li You released the paw pressing on the little black cat’s forehead, leaped off the bed, tail held high proudly as he headed to the bathroom. He jumped onto the sink, wet his paw pads with water, and meticulously cleaned his fur, then returned to the room to eat.

The little black cat stuck to him without leaving for a moment, tail insisting on staying entwined with his.

Li You had no choice but to indulge it and even shared half the cat food with it.

After breakfast, it was exercise time. The cat placed his front paws together and stretched his body, then did some parkour in the room, finally standing on the cabinet near the window to gaze outside.

From this room’s window, he could see Anjiel’s main city. Wind and sand blurred the distant city, while warships and hover cars flying in the air were shadowy figures.

In the morning, Li Ye didn’t return.

At noon, an officer came to deliver new cat food. The little black cat blocked in front of the ragdoll cat, vigilantly staring at the delivery officer until the other left before relaxing.

In the afternoon, Li Ye still didn’t return.