Chapter 154 Extra: Tangyuan's Kitten Friend
Tangyuan is a little dog who is very popular with people, but not so much with other dogs.
The reason... well, it's definitely not Tangyuan's fault. In Mu Yan's opinion, Tangyuan is a really good little dog, so how could any creature not like him?
If I had to pinpoint a reason, it might be because the people who regularly walk him aren't very good at chatting with other dog owners.
Mu Yan himself is introverted, and Xie Chen and Lu Chong are not particularly enthusiastic people either. Shang Qiyue is quite happy to chat with other dog owners about parenting tips, but he went to university in Switzerland and his English is terrible, so the locals don't really want to talk to him.
Of course, Shang Qiyue's German wasn't exactly fluent either. Even if there were a German-speaking dog owner, it would probably be difficult to have a particularly pleasant conversation with him.
Tangyuan wasn't very popular with dogs, and he was even less popular with cats. There wasn't a single cat he recognized in the entire neighborhood.
So when Tangyuan brought that beautiful little calico cat home through some unknown window, Shang Qiyue couldn't help but marvel.
The kitten has round, wet, chestnut-colored eyes. It looks a little timid when it looks at people, but its fur is beautiful and glossy, and it looks very well cared for.
Shang Qiyue's first reaction was that he must be someone else's pet cat, and he should quickly send him back to his original owner.
But upon closer inspection, Shang Qiyue discovered that it hadn't had its ears clipped.
These days, who doesn't spay or neuter their cats? Shang Qi thought to himself, it seems he really is destined to have cats, something others can only envy.
“You want to raise them?” He turned his head and asked Tangyuan, pretending to be unhappy. “You really know how to give your dad something to do. Aren’t you and Yaoyao enough at home?”
Tangyuan barked righteously, determined to go out and scavenge for food with the kitten if Shang Qiyue didn't leave it behind.
The little calico cat tucked its tail between its legs and hid behind the huge, cotton candy-like body of the glutinous rice ball, looking very shy.
Human willpower is too weak to resist such an adorable kitten. The more embarrassed the kitten seemed, the more Shang Qiyue couldn't help but squat down and stroke its back.
The kitten felt soft and warm to the touch, and Shang Qiyue, without realizing it, petted it for a full five minutes.
Cats are indeed very cute, but unfortunately, Tangyuan and his cat friend came to the person in the house who had the least right to decide whether the cat should stay.
"It's like this..." Admitting one's low status in the family is not something an alpha should be proud of, Shang Qiyue said somewhat embarrassedly, looking at the cat and dog.
"I don't think I can really make that decision about whether or not to get a cat. Mainly because I'm an alpha who respects his wife and her husband, um..."
"Okay, let me ask my supervisor. You should make a good impression on him later, just like you did just now..."
Actually, the kitten didn't do anything, but it's so cute that people can't help but like it just by sitting there.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Let me get you something to eat first." Worried that his request would be rejected, Shang Qiyue decided to feed the cat first. "There's no cat food at home, and you probably can't eat dog food, right? There's some sole fish in the fridge that I use for making fitness meals. I'll go fry it for you."
After skillfully frying the fish and feeding the cat, Shang Qiyue found the contact person whose contact was labeled "AAA Wife" and dialed the number.
The phone rang several times after it was dialed, but no one answered. Shang Qiyue glanced at the time; it was past three in the afternoon, and Mu Yan should have woken up from her nap by now.
What if I overslept? If I overslept, I'll get a headache again.
Shang Qiyue turned and went to the master bedroom, knocking on the door politely.
No one responded.
Shang Qiyue pushed open the door and went in, but the bed was empty. He turned around and saw that the kitten had silently followed him into the room.
"Hey, how did you get in here? You can come into my room, but not my room," Shang Qiyue said, not caring about getting scratched by the cat, and picked it up in one go. "You can't come into this room."
"Woof!" Tangyuan followed him into the room and barked anxiously at the empty bed behind Shang Qiyue.
"You asked me where Mu Yan went?" Shang Qiyue said helplessly. "I don't know either. I've been home since I got back at noon and haven't heard anyone leave. Did Yan Yan go out with someone this morning?"
That shouldn't be the case. Today is Thursday, and the military has a routine meeting. Xie Chen shouldn't be free. Lu Chong only returned to China the day before yesterday to handle some work. According to Shang Qiyue's meticulous planning, he should be able to spend time with Mu Yan by himself today.
Did Mu Yan go to see his friend? But his friend lives quite far from here. Mu Yan is a very skilled driver now, so he should be able to drive away by car.
Shang Qiyue was distracted for a moment, and the cat in his arms actually tried to jump onto Mu Yan's bed. Fortunately, he reacted in time and stopped the cat from jumping back.
Shang Qiyue looked at the cat in his arms with lingering fear. Just as he was about to whisper something to it, he could faintly hear Xie Chen's Mercedes stopping outside the door.
He hurriedly picked up the cat and chased the dog out of Mu Yan's room, making sure to close the door behind him. Xie Chen came back very early today. Could it be that he didn't actually go to the meeting, but instead took Mu Yan out while he and Lu Chong were not together?
She is truly cunning.
Although Shang Qiyue thought this way, he still reluctantly sat down on the sofa with the cat in his arms, silently thinking about how to ask Mu Yan if he wanted to keep the cat.
"Don't worry," he gently stroked the kitten's head, "Yan Yan is very kind, he will definitely like you."
"If it really doesn't work out, I'll just adopt you," he thought to himself. "It's just a matter of getting more cat food."
Footsteps sounded outside the door. Shang Qiyue, holding the cat, stood up with his incredibly handsome and sunny smile, still rehearsing what he was going to say to Mu Yan later.
The door opened, and only Xie Chen walked in.
Shang Qiyue swallowed back the words he had prepared.
"...Where is Mu Yan?"
Xie Chen frowned and looked at him as if he were mentally challenged.
“I just came back from the military headquarters building. You’ve been at home the whole time. You asked me where Mu Yan is.”
"Is that so? He's not home, there's no one in the room. Did Lu Chong take him out?"
Lu Chong should still be in the country. Xie Chen was slightly taken aback when he heard this, and quickly called Mu Yan.
A few seconds later, the familiar default ringtone sounded from Mu Yan's room.
Xie Chen pushed open the door to Mu Yan's room, and found the bed empty.
The constantly vibrating phone was charging on the bedside table, as if its owner had just left to pour a glass of water.
But Mu Yan was clearly no longer in the room.
Mu Yan is a very meticulous person; he almost never forgets to bring his phone when he goes out.
Was it intentional? Is Mu Yan running away from home?
But why? The day before yesterday, after Mu Yan said goodnight to him, she buried her face in his chest and said she liked him so much.
Xie Chen hung up the phone and walked out of the room. The kitten that Shang Qiyue had brought back from somewhere rubbed against his trouser leg.
Xie Chen glanced down at it; it was indeed a rather well-behaved and cute cat.
He doesn't usually dislike animals, but right now he's a bit annoyed because he doesn't know where Mu Yan is.
Xie Chen frowned. He really didn't have time to deal with this little cat, so he just gave it a sausage and a few of Tangyuan's usual toys.
Shang Qiyue had just hung up the phone and said that Lu Chong didn't know where Mu Yan had gone either, and asked Xie Chen if he had the contact information for Mu Yan's university classmate who was also in Country A.
Mu Yan's classmate in Country A seems to be surnamed Yao. Xie Chen has his phone number, but Mu Yan doesn't like to bother others. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding and he has to trouble his friend, Mu Yan will definitely feel very embarrassed.
Xie Chen shook his head and knocked on his aunt's door. His aunt, who was taking a nap, quickly got up and opened the door when she heard the knock, asking Xie Chen what was wrong.
Xie Chen asked her if she knew what time Mu Yan left home. The aunt frowned slightly and said that she didn't seem to hear Mr. Mu leave.
“You went out at 7:30, and Mr. Shang came back around 2:00. In between… I don’t seem to remember Mr. Mu going out.”
Auntie said she didn't seem to remember, but Xie Chen knew she had a very good memory and it was unlikely she would make a mistake.
If Mu Yan didn't go out... then why did he disappear? Where did he go? Why didn't he tell me?
Xie Chen became increasingly anxious. He found the surveillance footage from his front door that morning and started watching it at three times the speed.
"Could he have gone back to China?" Shang Qiyue's words were somewhat incoherent due to his anxiety. "I remember he had a cell phone specifically for accessing the Chinese internet. Could he have taken that phone with him?"
The kitten meowed anxiously and scratched at Shang Qiyue's trouser leg with its paw. Shang Qiyue looked down at it and suddenly felt something was off.
The kitten's ears weren't clipped, and Shang Qiyue initially thought it wasn't a domesticated cat, but its nails were neatly trimmed. Stray cats can't trim their own nails, so it must have an owner.
Who is so inconsiderate as to not spay or neuter their cat? They think male cats can mate randomly and won't get pregnant, so it's none of their business, right?
Shang Qiyue was somewhat annoyed and planned to take the cat to its owner and have a serious talk with it after finding Mu Yan.
Just then, Tangyuan, carrying the bone-shaped toy in its mouth, came running over with a grin.
Normally, Shang Qiyue would patiently play with him, but now he's so anxious about not being able to find Mu Yan that he's like an ant on a hot pan, he has no time to play with Tangyuan.
For the first time in his life, Shang Qiyue experienced the hardships of families with multiple children, and the old propaganda slogan involuntarily came to mind: "One child is the best."
Having only one child is the best policy; it shows great foresight.
Tangyuan, carrying the toy, walked around Shang Qiyue and put it down in front of the kitten, as if inviting the kitten to play together.
"That's fine, go ahead and play," Shang Qiyue thought, "you two can play by yourselves."
……wrong.
As Shang Qiyue realized something was amiss and looked up to say something, his gaze quickly met Xie Chen's as he turned away from the cat and dog.
Surprisingly, the two of them developed a tacit understanding that seemed to happen only once in several lifetimes.
This bone toy was a first birthday gift from Mu Yan to Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan treasured it and never allowed anyone other than Mu Yan to touch it, not even Xie Chen or Shang Qiyue.
Although such a conjecture was indeed quite shocking, Xie Chen hesitated for a moment before squatting down in front of the kitten.
Seeing that he had finally paid attention to him, the kitten couldn't help but meow excitedly.
Tangyuan, standing to the side, let out an excited "woof!"
"Are you a real cat?" Xie Chen held out his left hand. "Yes."
“No.” He then extended his right hand.
The kitten decisively stretched out its front paw and placed it on his right hand.
"Are you Yan Yan? Yes. No."
The kitten once again decisively extended its front paw and placed it on his left hand.
“I wasn’t asking if your name is Yan Yan,” Xie Chen thought for a moment, then worried that the question might have been ambiguous. “I was asking if you are Mu Yan in disguise. Mu Yan is a real person who looks similar to me and can walk on two legs.”
Xie Chen then extended his left and right hands in turn. The cat briefly placed its front paw on his left hand before quickly retracting it. Then, with a light leap, it jumped onto Xie Chen's lap.
Even the most ardent materialist cannot convince themselves that these are all coincidences. Just the fact that Mu Yan did not leave his house today yet disappeared is something science cannot explain.
"What's the last digit of your phone number? Meow that many times."
Knowing that the dull-witted human had finally come to his senses, the kitten found a comfortable position in his arms and lay down, then slowly meowed three times.
Xie Chen looked down at it and their eyes met.
The cat's eyes are light chestnut brown, which appears somewhat darker compared to those of a regular cat, making it seem less cunning and more gentle and obedient.
While Shang Qiyue was watching in stunned silence, his phone suddenly rang. He answered it and found it was Lu Chong.
Lu Chong said he had checked the names and photos of all the people who entered the country from A country this morning at the A city customs, and Mu Yan was not among them. He asked Shang Qiyue and Xie Chen to look for him at the customs in X city, and he was now heading to the customs in the surrounding cities of A city to check.
“…This matter is quite complicated,” Shang Qiyue said with some difficulty, “We have probably already found Yan Yan.”
“If you found it, you found it. What do you mean by ‘probably, probably, maybe’?” Lu Chong couldn’t help but get angry. “Is this something you can just do casually? If you’re not thinking straight, give the phone to Xie Chen. I’ll talk to someone who can speak like a human being.”
Surprisingly, Shang Qiyue didn't argue back. Instead, he readily put the phone on speakerphone and handed it to Xie Chen.
At this moment, the phone call was indeed a hot potato. Xie Chen was a little unsure how to explain it to him when the kitten in his arms suddenly meowed at the phone.
“Aren’t you looking for someone? Where are you? And why is there a cat sound?” Lu Chong was almost furious. “If you don’t want to look seriously, I’ll call the police and say that Mu Yan was suspected of being murdered, and let the police from Country A help you clear your name.”
The cat meowed again, its tone drawn out, sounding somewhat aggrieved.
“It’s like this,” Shang Qiyue had to explain with some difficulty, since Lu Chong was genuinely capable of calling the police, “Although it might sound a bit absurd, but…”
"Mu Yan seems to have... turned into a cat."
“It’s true,” Shang Qiyue emphasized somewhat awkwardly. “You might not believe me if I tell you this, but if you come and see for yourself, you’ll know.”
Lu Chong: "..."
Half an hour later, Lu Chong boarded a private plane bound for Country A at top speed. He wasn't there to see the cat; he was there to find someone and, incidentally, to send Shang Qiyue and Xie Chen to a mental hospital.
It doesn't seem impossible for someone to go insane because they can't find someone. Fortunately, he remained rational and turned the tide, managing to find Mu Yan.
To be fair, although he didn't quite approve of Shang Qiyue and Xie Chen, he couldn't doubt their feelings for Mu Yan.
The likelihood of either of them developing a mental illness is probably lower than the possibility of Mu Yan actually turning into a cat...
"Meow--"
The kitten was lifted up by Lu Chong's hands and turned into a long strip.
The chestnut-colored cat had round, bright eyes, and its little head was tilted slightly, as if asking Lu Chong why he was lifting it up.
Lu Chong gently touched the kitten's forehead with his own, and the kitten obediently did not resist.
The kitten in front of him could not only understand what he was saying, but also answer every question he asked.
When Shang Qiyue handed him the tablet, he could even type out his own ID number.
Well, the world is a big place, and it's reasonable that there will occasionally be something that science can't explain.
Japan isn't even under Newton's jurisdiction, so it's normal that the law that humans can't become cats doesn't apply to them.
Lu Chong gently put him down on his lap and turned on a cartoon for him that cats could watch.
Although a human soul resides within a cat's body, its eyes are still a cat's eyes. The difference between a cat's vision and a human's is quite significant. Showing it human television would likely cause discomfort to its eyes.
However, Mu Yan still couldn't get into the cartoons that were actually meant for cats. He lay on Lu Chong's lap, yawned, and quietly waited for his dinner.
This was the second day after he turned into a cat. Lu Chong rushed back from China overnight on a private plane. Thanks to Mu Yan's efforts to save the day, Lu Chong did not actually call the police.
Shang Qiyue and Xie Chen each went to find a master to try and turn him back. Lu Chong, having traveled all day yesterday by plane, was left at home by the two of them to catch up on sleep today.
Although he said he was catching up on sleep, Lu Chong would never miss the chance to be alone with Mu Yan. The kitten lay on his lap, and he gently rubbed its little head between its ears.
He couldn't possibly sleep either. Cats are cute, but now is not the time to dwell on whether they're cute or not.
What if Yan Yan can't turn back? Will he have to be a cat for the rest of his life? Is Yan Yan very worried and scared right now? Cats are so small and weak. Other dogs the same size as Tangyuan are huge to him.
"Meow." As if to soothe him, Mu Yan stood up from his lap.
I'm okay, not too scared. Turning into a cat is actually quite fun. Maybe I'll turn back into a cat after a nap.
And after turning into a cat, salmon became incredibly delicious OvO! It tasted better than any barbecue, roast duck, or hot pot he had ever eaten when he was human... better than anything else!
"Is the baby trying to comfort me?" Lu Chong sighed softly, but the frown between his brows did not ease.
This wasn't just a consolation; Mu Yan genuinely felt that way.
And he also wants to eat pan-fried salmon tonight.
That awful cat-human language barrier!
"I'm sorry, I'm useless. I still haven't found a way to turn you back."
"You're not Cinderella's godmother, so how did you manage to turn me back so quickly?" Mu Yan thought to herself.
As punishment, he gently bit Lu Chong's finger.
"Don't bite," Lu Chong gently scolded. "It's dirty, it has bacteria. If you're angry, you can scratch me with your claws."
Mu Yan heard it, but didn't want to pay attention, so she silently snuggled back into his arms, burying her head in Lu Chong's thin clothes.
Lu Chong gently reached out and touched the back of his head. A cat's head is very small; it can be covered with one hand.
After a while, Lu Chong's phone rang. Shang Qiyue sent a message saying that things were starting to look promising. He had found a Taoist priest who said that although such things were rare, they were not unheard of.
His message was probably sent to Lu Chong and Xie Chen in a group, so it was a very long message.
The Taoist priest said that the human body is like a cauldron, and pressure is like fire. When the fire is too strong, the cauldron will naturally seek ways to cool down. Some people have been too tense for years, and when they relax, they are not used to unloading their burdens, so their spirit chooses the most comfortable way for them.
Such stories are rare, but they do happen. For example, there was a famous prefect named Cheng Ziyou in a certain dynasty. He said that he studied hard for ten years and failed the imperial examinations repeatedly. He finally passed the provincial examination at the age of twenty-eight and returned to his hometown of Sizhou to become the prefect. However, perhaps he was too excited and suddenly fell ill. He stayed at home to recuperate and did not leave the house for more than a month. All the political affairs were handled by his subordinates.
In truth, Cheng Ziyou wasn't ill; he had transformed into a yellow guard dog, its fur warm and lustrous, its eyes intelligent. His family was initially astonished, but later consulted a wise man who explained that in his youth, his family was poor, and his parents scrimped and saved to support his studies, while his wife worked tirelessly day and night to help him. Despite repeatedly failing the imperial examinations, he felt guilty and constantly strived to improve himself, fearing he would disappoint his loved ones. Now, having finally achieved success, his mind and spirit relaxed, leading to a complete transformation, and he transformed into a dog to repay the filial piety he had failed to fulfill for so many years.
The Taoist priest told them not to worry, that once their primordial spirits adapted to the leisurely life, they would naturally revert to human form. It would take at least half a month, and at most a little over a month.
Lu Chongnian finally relaxed after reading this.
Mu Yan meowed in confusion. He was a science student, and Chinese was his worst subject in high school. More importantly, cats' heads are smaller than humans', so it was naturally a bit difficult for them to understand the meaning of such a long passage.
And this guy, I don’t know who he is, is so pretentious, he even spoke a lot of classical Chinese!
“He means that you don’t need to worry about turning into a cat, you’ll turn back in about forty days at most,” Lu Chong said softly. “Don’t be afraid, Yan Yan, I will always be with you.”
"Meow."
I wasn't scared at all; I just wanted salmon for dinner!
"What would you like for dinner? I'll have someone bring it over. Did you have salmon yesterday? Let's try something different today. How about I buy you some king mackerel?"
Mu Yan meowed urgently and shook her head vigorously.
"Don't you want to eat? How about I open a can for you?"
I want salmon! I want salmon!
Lu Chong asked for a long time before finally circling back to the salmon. Lu Chong smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, baby, I was afraid you'd get tired of it."
It's alright, I don't blame you anymore. Mu Yan magnanimously forgave Lu Chong.
"As long as there's salmon to eat," Mu Yan said contentedly, nuzzling his head against Lu Chong's belly.
Lu Chong was about to call someone to send over some salmon when he suddenly felt something soft against his stomach, and he was momentarily stunned.
It turned out that the cat's head had rubbed against his stomach, and Lu Chong was so happy that he was completely disoriented. His head was spinning, and he momentarily forgot what he was supposed to do.
Just then, Xie Chen sent a message saying that he was also about to come back and would be home in half an hour. He would also buy some food for Mu Yan on the way back and asked Lu Chong to ask him what he wanted to eat.
Lu Chong then remembered the important matter and told Xie Chen to bring back some salmon.
"Okay, okay, be good. When Xie Chen comes back, Yan Yan will have salmon to eat."
Lu Chong's words were unnecessary. Upon hearing this, Mu Yan, unsure whether to think of Xie Chen or salmon, jumped out of his arms.
With his arms empty, Lu Chong felt like a concubine who had gone mad in the cold palace. He was momentarily dazed and didn't even notice where the cat had darted away.
But thinking about it, it was obvious that he had gone to wait at the door. Lu Chong walked over and found Mu Yan indeed nestled next to a pillar by the entrance.
"He's so biased." Lu Chong thought to himself, feeling a little wronged, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. "Baby, he won't be back for a while. Do you want me to hold you? It's softer and more comfortable."
The cat purred, meaning he was comfortable as he was and should leave.
Lu Chong retreated hesitantly.
An hour later, Xie Chen pushed open the door and walked in.
A kitten was curled up in front of the door, behaving obediently and quietly, as if it were asleep. When Xie Chen first looked over, he thought it was a patch of color on the street stall that he hadn't noticed before.
Hearing the door open, Mu Yan jumped up excitedly. Xie Chen, with his strong arms, caught him and held him in his arms.
"Sweetie, I'll go steam some salmon for you."
Shang Qiyue went to the Chinese community in another state to find that master, and he probably won't be back for dinner tonight. The aunt cooked for two people, but neither Xie Chen nor Lu Chong wanted to eat face to face with the other, so they declined and told the other to eat first while they went to steam salmon for Mu Yan.
In the end, Lu Chong did not argue. Although today was supposed to be his day to spend with Mu Yan, even if he turned into a cat, he should still be the one cooking for Mu Yan.
But the cat remained nestled in Xie Chen's arms, showing no sign of getting up. Lu Chong reluctantly divided each dish into two portions and quickly ate his own.
Xie Chen silently curled the corners of his mouth in a corner where he couldn't see him, cut the salmon into small pieces, steamed it with water, and carefully removed all the bones.
Perhaps it was because the pieces were cut too small, or perhaps Mu Yan ate too quickly, but every time he fed Mu Yan a small piece, Mu Yan's tongue seemed to accidentally lick his fingers.
"Cats are so inconvenient, and their mouths are so small," Mu Yan thought. But he figured Xie Chen probably didn't care, so he continued eating salmon from Xie Chen's fingers without a care in the world.
As they were eating, Xie Chen stopped feeding her.
Is that all?
Mu Yan looked up at him with some confusion.
"No, you still need to eat your staple food properly, otherwise you will suffer from malnutrition."
Mu Yan called out, but her voice trailed off, as if she had been wronged.
"There will be more tomorrow. Don't you like the cat food? Do you want me to switch to another kind?"
Mu Yan shook his head. The cat food they chose for him was also delicious, but not as delicious as salmon.
But that seems to make sense; good things should be enjoyed slowly, not eaten all at once until you're sick of them.
When Mu Yan was little, he especially liked to eat a kind of orange-flavored jelly, but he could only eat it when visiting other people's homes during the Chinese New Year. When he was dating Lu Chong in college, he heard that Mu Yan liked it, so he bought several boxes of it for Mu Yan in the apartment they lived in together. Mu Yan quickly got tired of it.
Okay, then we'll eat it tomorrow. Mu Yan obediently followed Xie Chen's arrangement and went to eat the cat food.
Around 11 o'clock, Shang Qiyue returned. At that time, Mu Yan was having a great time playing with a rabbit fur ball that Lu Chong had bought and did not notice that someone had returned.
Lu Chong squatted down beside him to throw the ball, glanced up at him with a calm look in his eyes, but Shang Qiyue knew him too well. Lu Chong's eyes were clearly a silent boast.
Shang Qiyue was not discouraged. According to the agreement, tomorrow was his turn to accompany Mu Yan. Usually, by this time tomorrow, he could go to Mu Yan's room after taking a shower and hold him while reading, watching TV, or playing games.
Fine, what can you do? Today really is Lu Chong's day.
Let's let that scoundrel surnamed Lu be smug for a few hours.
Mu Yan chased after the rabbit fur ball, and after a while he finally realized that he was tired from playing. Lu Chong picked him up and fed him some goat milk.
Mu Yan knew very little about his current body. He didn't expect to get tired after playing for so long. It was as if there was a switch in the cat's brain that made him excited whenever he saw a swaying rabbit fur ball.
Sleepiness washed over him, and he nestled in Lu Chong's arms. Lu Chong's body temperature was slightly higher, making him feel like he was snuggling into a warm, heated bed in winter.
Feeling comfortable, yet sleepy.
Lu Chong gently patted his back, as if coaxing a child.
like.
Mu Yan let out a comfortable snore in his sleep.
Lu Chong wanted to carry him into the cat's bed, but Mu Yan was probably not asleep yet. As soon as Lu Chong moved, his whiskers twitched slightly, as if he was about to wake up.
Lu Chong dared not move. He held the cat and gently patted its back until Mu Yan fell into a deep sleep.
Looking out the window, the waning moon hung high in the sky; the night was already deep.
Good night, sweet dreams.
————————
Postscript (Random thoughts you don't need to read)
This story ends here. There might be one or two extra chapters, depending on whether I suddenly have some inspiration.
I told my friends many times during the serialization that I really wanted it to end, but when it actually ended, I felt a little reluctant to let it go.
This story started serialization in mid-February, and including the time spent conceiving and drafting, it's been more than half a year now. It might sound a bit sentimental, but I've really felt a sense of loss and emptiness all day today.
I can't explain why this happened, because there really isn't anything left to regret. Although it's not a very satisfying piece of writing, I've certainly done my best at this stage. I revised it recently, fixing some unsatisfactory parts and adding tens of thousands of words of scrap. This version should at least be a little smoother than the first one.
Saying I can't bear to part with the life of owing Jinjiang 3,000 words every day when I wake up is a bit ungrateful, and saying I can't bear to part with the protagonist seems a bit pretentious, but I just feel a little empty inside, I can't quite put my finger on it. I think I felt the same way when my first book ended. Maybe I'm just a rather sentimental person.
I don't know if other authors do this, or if it will continue in the future. Maybe writing a few more books will solve the problem.
Saying thank you at the end might seem like a formality, but that's truly what I feel. Thank you to my editors, my friends, and my readers. Thank you to the editor in my historical romance group for signing me onto Jinjiang Literature City; I'm always making silly mistakes. I'd sign a contract twice before getting it right, and when I was cracking down on piracy, I entered my ID number wrong twice and had my access suspended, so I had to contact her to get it back. Thank you to the editor in my BL (Boys' Love) group; I have so many silly questions that I always bother her a lot, and sometimes she'll reply to my messages even after work. And thank you to my friends, who, despite writing pure romance, are always willing to chat with me about my less-than-pure, melodramatic stories. Sometimes I can be really immature and annoying.
I'm fighting piracy almost every day, but it's like cockroaches—I can't get rid of it all. On some search engines, pirated links even rank higher than legitimate links, so I'm truly grateful to every little angel who's willing to support the official version. A special thank you to every reader who followed the serialization throughout the story; love you all TT.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
