Chu Xingxiao was feeling out of sorts. He tapped idly around the chat interface on his phone, poking aimlessly before deflating again.
Since their video call had ended last night, Chi Zhan hadn’t sent him a single message.
Was he actually mad…?
Even a brilliant, prodigious singer could lose sleep all night when the person he liked didn’t text him back.
Especially when, at the end of that call, he’d heard the voice of that damned doctor.
So late at night, going to the pet store? Clearly premeditated. A deliberate excuse to “run into” Chi Zhan. And the worst part? Chi Zhan seemed genuinely invested in Cen Chi, completely oblivious to that wolf in sheep’s clothing.
He refused to believe Cen Chi had fewer skeletons in the closet than he did. That guy was all show—playing the part of some pure, upright gentleman. What else could he even do?
Seething, Chu Xingxiao slammed his phone down.
Had Chi Zhan really not seen through that man’s true face? This so-called “accidental” encounter was just the beginning—what’s next? Inviting him over for tea with some convenient excuse?
Exactly the kind of move Cen Chi would pull.
And Chi Zhan, being so defenseless around others, would totally fall for it…
But it’s not like Chu Xingxiao could call him 108 times in a row. That’d make him look like a lunatic.
He’d never fallen for anyone before in his life.
When he first met Chi Zhan, he thought the man was just a simple “1+1” beginner-level math problem—something he could solve effortlessly.
His approach? Play the obedient, well-behaved boy.
And at first, it really seemed like Chi Zhan was into it—their progress had been lightning fast… or so he thought.
In reality, Chi Zhan was a fifth-degree polynomial with multiple variables and advanced functions thrown in.
Completely unsolvable.
And worse, now there were other contenders eyeing the problem, eager to crack the code.
Chu Xingxiao wasn’t too worried about Zhou Yanxing. He didn’t believe Chi Zhan would ever go for someone that domineering. Chi Zhan clearly preferred the gentle type—like that scheming, two-faced doctor… and—
His cousin, Qi Song.
Even though he knew Chi Zhan and Qi Song weren’t in some romantic relationship, Chu Xingxiao could tell—Qi Song definitely didn’t see Chi Zhan as just a friend. Quite the opposite. His cousin was overflowing with affection when it came to him.
Qi Song was the real threat.
So… what now?
Right now, it seemed his only advantage was his face. Time to win Gege over with his looks.
“It’s time,” his manager reminded him. “Three minutes left.”
Chu Xingxiao stood up and turned to him. “Take a few pictures of me later, alright? Make sure I look good.”
The manager blinked. “Sure… huh?”
***
Before Chi Zhan left Cen Chi’s place, Meow-Meow suddenly decided to show off her new talent—cat backflips.
Chi Zhan instantly forgot everything else, pulling out his phone to start filming.
Off to the side, Cen Chi, who had just been unceremoniously abandoned, watched with a helpless smile in his eyes.
So this was how much he liked cats, huh?
Couldn’t he maybe spare a little love for the cat’s owner too?
“Can I show this video to a friend? I won’t post it online, just wanna share it with someone.”
Meow-Meow was too cute. He could watch this video eight thousand times and never get tired of it.
“Sure. You could even bring your friend over to watch the live version in person.”
“Seriously?” Chi Zhan was actually tempted, but then quickly straightened his expression and gave a little cough. “…We’ll see. Isn’t Meow-Meow a little shy around strangers?”
“She’s not. These days she only sticks to you. Doesn’t even care about me anymore.”
***
After work, Chi Zhan headed to the hotel where Tao Ran was staying. They had dinner together, and he showed Tao Ran the video of Meow-Meow.
As expected, Tao Ran was instantly smitten.
“Aww! This kitty is way too cute! I just wanna squish her! Whose cat is this? She can do backflips? So talented!”
“It’s Doctor Cen’s cat.”
“Ohhh, I know him. He came to our company once for a medical interview. He’s kind of… like you, actually. Really humble. And super handsome. All the girls at work said he looks like a second male lead in a romance novel.”
“Second male lead? Why?” Chi Zhan blinked.
“You know, the type who’s always silently supporting the main character, would take a knife for his bros, and after helping the couple get together, just quietly fades into the background. That ridiculously attractive supporting role. He’s the kind of guy who belongs under the car, not inside it. Better one person heartbroken than two crying, y’know?”
“…???”
What kind of bizarre logic was this?
Cen Chi was clearly nothing like that.
Take a knife for a bro?
More like lucky if he didn’t stab you himself.
Tao Ran was still glued to the screen, desperate to watch the video another eight thousand times. “So cute. Got any more? I love black cats so much. Huh, what’s this?”
By accident, Tao Ran swiped a couple more times through Chi Zhan’s album—and discovered a new treasure trove.
“Wait, is that a Samoyed? Damn, that’s too adorable! Big dogs acting clingy are absolutely fatal. Is this one Doctor Cen’s too?”
“Nope. Dabai belongs to my neighbor,” Chi Zhan said, suddenly remembering he’d taken pictures of Dabai too.
Normally, he wasn’t the type to take photos at all. But with small animals, all he wanted to do was click, click, click.
“Wow, cats and dogs? That’s a crazy level of happiness. All that fur—must be so satisfying to pet.” Tao Ran swiped again. “Wait, another cat? Is that a tuxedo cat?”
“Her name’s Milk,” Chi Zhan said, trying to recall. He tapped on the image a couple times before remembering. “She’s Seven’s kitten.”
Tao Ran’s eyes went wide.
“Wait—Seven? As in the Seven we bumped into at the hot pot place?”
Seeing Tao Ran’s face full of gossip, Chi Zhan quickly put on a straight face.
“Cute cat, right?”
“Don’t change the subject. I knew something was up back then. When did you and Seven start sneaking around?”
“Is that even how that phrase works?” Chi Zhan laughed, exasperated. “We’re just collaborating normally. That video was from his friend circle. I just saved it in passing.”
