Chapter 55
“So cool,” Lin Ran said, finally petting the Maine Coon’s head. The cat, instead of flinching, purred and rubbed against him, enjoying the attention. Lin Ran was impressed by its affectionate nature.
Liliya, the fox demon disguised as a fox dog, had fled, watching in disbelief from a distance. Only Lin Ran was oblivious to the strange atmosphere, completely absorbed in petting the large cat.
“Meow—” The cat jumped onto his lap.
“Can I hold you?” Lin Ran asked, then, seeing no objection, picked up the surprisingly heavy cat. Up close, he was even more impressed by its majestic appearance, surpassing even the famous Maine Coons he had seen online. It exuded an aura of power, even as a cat.
“Aren’t you going to pet him, Mr. Tao? He’s so well-behaved,” he said, looking at Tao Shu, who was frozen in place.
“I… I’m afraid of cats,” Tao Shu stammered, wanting to flee.
“Afraid of cats?” Lin Ran was surprised. “But he’s so cute. Is it a boy or a girl?” He reached out to check, and the cat suddenly jumped down, glaring at him, as if offended.
“Can’t I look?” Lin Ran asked, bewildered.
“No no no! He’s a… boy,” Tao Shu said quickly, looking at Lin Ran with a mix of fear and admiration. He couldn’t imagine Shao Mian, the proud Demon King, being checked for his gender by a human. He needed a break.
“A boy? Isn’t he neutered?” Lin Ran asked, a question Tao Shu couldn’t answer. Who could neuter Shao Mian?
Shao Mian: …? Why was this human so obsessed with neutering?
“Why are you so hesitant? Can you understand me?” Lin Ran asked the cat, which seemed reluctant to approach him now.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I can’t neuter you,” he said, then, as he reached out, the cat jumped into his arms, letting him bury his face in its soft fur. This company was amazing!
“Does he even have a name?” he asked the other employees, noticing their strange reluctance to approach him. He looked at Tao Shu.
Tao Shu hesitated. “You’ll have to ask… Mr. Shao.”
“Mr. Shao’s cat?” Lin Ran asked, surprised, then it made sense. Only someone wealthy could afford such a magnificent cat. And there was a strange resemblance between the cat and its owner, though the cat was much gentler.
Just as he was about to put the cat down, Tao Shu, noticing Shao Mian’s gaze, said quickly, “It’s fine, you can pet him! He’s… not here today!”
Lin Ran hesitated, then, as he tried to put the cat down, it followed him, rubbing against his legs and meowing softly.
He couldn’t resist and picked it up again, nuzzling its head.
“Is he hungry, Mr. Tao?” he asked, thinking it was looking for food. Maine Coons had large appetites.
“Treats?” Tao Shu said, looking around, finding a pack. But the cat just sniffed it disdainfully and turned away.
“He doesn’t like treats?” Lin Ran was surprised.
“Maybe he’s not hungry. Just wants to play,” Tao Shu said.
“Does Mr. Shao not have time to play with him?” Lin Ran asked, looking at the cat thoughtfully.
“Maybe… Could you… take care of him today? We can’t even get close,” Tao Shu suggested.
Lin Ran realized it was true. Everyone else was being swatted away by the cat. But Maine Coons were usually gentle giants. Why was this one so aggressive? And since holding the cat, the other fluffy creatures were avoiding him, even the friendly fox dog running away. He looked at the Maine Coon, which was calmly grooming itself, its tail swishing like Yuanbao’s.
“Mr. Tao, do you keep all these fluffy creatures for… game modeling?” he asked, realizing the reason why a company would allow so many pets.
“Yes! Exactly!” Tao Shu said, relieved Lin Ran had come up with a plausible explanation.
“You’re so dedicated! Like creating a work of art!” Lin Ran said, impressed, thinking this dedication was the key to “Demon World’s” success.
Tao Shu beamed, flattered. He immediately checked the schedule for his turn to transform into a hamster. Hamsters were fluffy too!
“Are you following me to my desk?” Lin Ran asked the cat, amused. No one stopped them, everyone respectfully avoiding the majestic Maine Coon.
“Meow…” Just inspecting the workplace. Shao Mian glared at the other demons, who quickly averted their gazes or changed directions. Lin Ran almost thought it was Shao Mian himself.
The cat jumped onto his desk and started examining the documents, as if it could read.
“You’re just like your owner,” Lin Ran chuckled, petting its fur, then cuddling it, nuzzling its cheek.
Shao Mian: …! Was this how humans interacted with cats?! He almost bristled, then realized he was… enjoying it. It was… strangely pleasant.
The other demons, watching, were green with envy.
Lin Ran, after “ravaging” the fluffy cat, put it back on the desk, admiring its resemblance to its owner, though its personality seemed much gentler. He remembered Shao Mian’s warning about the earring and wanted to ask him about it. He had been feeling a strange pull lately.
He absently stroked the cat’s fur, making its tail swish and its eyes close contentedly. Being small had its advantages.
Shao Mian, however, noticing Lin Ran’s open backpack, sniffed the air.
The egg, hiding inside, felt a dangerous aura, though no pressure was being exerted. And this fluffy creature was beautiful, A-Ran praising and petting it. It looked at the small, plastic shard in its hand, half of a mask it had been making, hoping to hide its burnt side.
“Don’t go there,” Lin Ran said, noticing the cat’s gaze towards his backpack, pulling it back. He suspected the cub inside was a bird, and cats ate birds. He should return the Maine Coon.
“Meow…” Shao Mian, sensing his protectiveness towards the Feather Clan cub, narrowed his eyes. But this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It meant the cub wasn’t harming the human. Perhaps it was simply clinging to him for protection. “Demon World” sending the cursed egg to a vulnerable human, however, seemed reckless. He didn’t want Lin Ran involved in the demon world’s affairs.
“Mr. Tao, who does this cat belong to?” he asked.
Shao Mian, however, was surprised when Lin Ran carried him towards Tao Shu. The other demons sighed in relief. He was finally leaving! His silent presence had been suffocating.
Tao Shu hesitated. “Could you… take him back? I’ll give you an access card for the top floor.” He wasn’t touching that cat. And Ser wasn’t here.
“Me?” Lin Ran was surprised. Delivering a cat to the CEO’s office?
“Don’t worry, it’s empty. He’s not there today,” Tao Shu said, hurrying away.
Lin Ran realized Shao Mian had a private elevator.
“Go on! Good luck!” Tao Shu said, activating the elevator.
Lin Ran, holding the fidgeting cat, entered the elevator. “I shouldn’t have petted you. This is troublesome,” he muttered.
“Meow—” You don’t want to visit my office? Shao Mian meowed, offended. Was there something scary in his office?
Lin Ran chuckled and kissed his head. “I’ll play with you later. Be good.”
Shao Mian: ! He purred, flicking his tail, trying to appear indifferent, then secretly touched his face with his paw. Being a cat was… different.
The elevator reached the top floor, and Lin Ran looked around, impressed. The office was huge, with high ceilings, a panoramic view of the city, designer furniture, and a massive black desk that screamed “wealth.” He could imagine the CEO sitting there, a scene fit for a movie.
“Consistent aesthetic,” he muttered, noticing the golden accents, similar to his own house in “Demon World.” It was luxurious, not ostentatious, but definitely not subtle, just like Yuanbao’s personality.
Shao Mian: ? What does that mean?
“Lots of gold,” Lin Ran added, and Shao Mian wanted to ask if he didn’t like gold, considering his praise for his own golden mane. Was he being two-faced?
“I’ll leave you here now. Be good. I have to work,” Lin Ran said, placing him down. The office was empty, but he didn’t want to intrude.
Shao Mian, however, jumped in front of the elevator, blocking his path, annoyed by his dismissive attitude. He usually hated intruders, but now, he wanted the human to admire his office and his collection.
Lin Ran, seeing the cat blocking his way, chuckled. “Still want to play? Not today. Next time, okay? Hey—!”
The cat snatched the necklace from his phone and ran into the office. It was Snowball’s gift, his lucky charm, which always made Snowball happy. He hadn’t expected the cat to take it. It sat there, swishing its tail, as if daring him to follow.
“Meow…” Shao Mian was holding the tassel, not the pendant itself. He knew it was from Snowball. And this reminded him that he hadn’t given Lin Ran a gift, besides Abyss, which didn’t count. He looked at the necklace and wondered what he should give Lin Ran in return.
“Come back,” Lin Ran said, trying to coax the cat, but it just walked further into the office, making him hesitate. Retrieving it would be difficult once he was inside.
“Don’t jump on the desk! You’ll knock things over!” he said, following the cat, noticing the lack of cat-related items in the office. Perhaps they were in a separate room?
“Why are you rummaging? Aren’t you afraid of your owner?” he asked, as the cat opened a drawer and pulled out a velvet box. Mr. Shao must spoil him.
“Meow~” Shao Mian nudged the box, urging him to open it, then watched in disbelief as Lin Ran simply put it back in the drawer, closed it, and picked him up, only taking the necklace. Didn’t this human understand fluffy creatures?
He jumped down, meowing in protest, and ran back to the drawer.
“…” Lin Ran thought it was enjoying this game. But Mr. Tao would be worried if he didn’t return soon. Should he just leave?
“Click—” Shao Mian opened the box with his paw and brought it to him.
Lin Ran looked inside and saw a ring with a fiery, reddish-gold gem. A rare Sunstone, repelling dark creatures, and incredibly valuable in the human world. It seemed like the perfect size for Lin Ran, perhaps counteracting the egg’s curse.
“Is your owner getting engaged?” he asked, making Shao Mian freeze.
“A ring in the office…” It looked expensive. He put it back in the drawer and quickly left, not wanting to see any more personal items.
Shao Mian almost transformed back and yelled at him. Rings weren’t just for engagements!
[Frustrated lion.jpg]
But as he tried to avoid any more personal items, he saw a familiar box on his way back to the elevator: his own fruit juice, the one he had bought during the livestream! What was it doing here?!
Shao Mian also remembered the boxes of juice in his office. He hadn’t shared any, keeping them all for himself.
Lin Ran, seeing an open box, was sure it was his product. This world was too strange…
“Wait, it’s that order,” he said, remembering the mysterious buyer from his last livestream. Was it Shao Mian? Did he also have a fondness for rural produce, like that foreign investor?
Shao Mian, seeing his realization, knew he had been discovered. He should have hidden the boxes.
