When the conversation between the two girls reached Su Cheng's ears, one could only imagine the sheer magnitude of his psychological trauma at that moment.
Neutering?!
Su Cheng was practically scared out of his wits. At the same time, he knew the two girls must have recognized him—otherwise, why would they take a cat they'd only met once to get neutered?
This was downright insane!
They were definitely trying to scare him into revealing his true form!
But whether they'd figured him out or not, there was only one thing he needed to do now: run for his life!
With that thought, Su Cheng lifted his cat head to check if Gu Ruoxue was still staring at him.
And yet—their eyes met again!
Gu Ruoxue wasn’t even looking where she was walking. Instead, she was staring straight at him, practically drilling holes into his titanium-alloy cat eyes!
Su Cheng shuddered, then immediately tucked his head down, trying to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.
"Meow~"
"Meow~"
He masked his panic with an adorable meow before turning his gaze toward the cardboard box beside him.
If he could just claw a big enough hole in the side, he could make his escape!
"What are the benefits for the cat?"
At that moment, Li Guanqi's calm yet slightly curious voice chimed in.
"For the cat, there are no downsides—only advantages."
Gu Ruoxue responded indifferently, still focused on the little creature in her arms. She gently patted Su Cheng’s back with her other hand, as if trying to soothe him.
The sudden pat nearly made Su Cheng collapse in fright. Fortunately, his cat reflexes were top-notch, and he instantly regained his composure, putting on an act of innocent cuteness. He even nuzzled her hand with his fluffy head.
"Such as?"
Li Guanqi pressed further.
Gu Ruoxue lowered her eyes in thought before answering, "It’ll become healthier and more loyal."
"Loyal?"
Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow at that, glancing at the orange cat in the box before murmuring, "How so?"
"Perfect opportunity!"
While the two were engrossed in conversation, Su Cheng quickly extended his claws and started scratching at the cardboard, trying to tear a hole big enough to slip through.
Their discussion only fueled his terror, making him work even faster—afraid that if he slowed down even a second, he’d lose his precious jewels.
"Without hormones, it won’t have any desires. It’ll become very docile, so it won’t run off on its own. That prevents it from getting lost and even reduces the risk of certain diseases."
Gu Ruoxue explained patiently.
"That does sound like it’s for the cat’s own good."
After hearing her explanation, Li Guanqi nodded in agreement.
Su Cheng, however, felt like coughing up a mouthful of cat blood. This reasoning was so arrogant—it only made sense from a human perspective!
Shouldn’t the cat’s feelings be taken into consideration?!
Damn humans!
Cats have rights too!
Su Cheng vehemently opposed this cruel treatment of felines!
As he stealthily clawed at the box, he ranted internally, even plotting to give Gu Ruoxue a vengeful slap before making his escape!
That’ll teach her to make decisions for him!
But just then—
Crunch~
"Hm?"
Both Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi paused at the sound, and the next second, Gu Ruoxue abruptly lifted him up by the scruff.
Su Cheng froze in shock. His instincts screamed at him to struggle, but he remembered at the last second that cats tend to go limp when held like this. Swallowing his humiliation, he stayed still, letting Gu Ruoxue dangle him in the air.
"It was digging a hole."
Li Guanqi peeked into the box and saw the cat’s frantic clawing at the cardboard, clearly trying to escape.
Gu Ruoxue frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then handed the box to Li Guanqi. She cradled the cat in her arms instead, stroking its fur gently.
Instantly, Su Cheng felt like he’d been transported to paradise. The occasional brush against something soft, combined with Gu Ruoxue’s scent, made his entire feline body float in bliss. He was practically intoxicated.
Why bother digging a hole?
After a lifetime of digging, didn’t he deserve to indulge a little?
At this moment, his cat life had peaked!
"It seems to really like you."
Li Guanqi watched the blissed-out cat in Gu Ruoxue’s arms, her tone tinged with something unreadable—whether envy, jealousy, or just plain sourness.
Su Cheng had forgotten everything else. He was the ultimate winner in life!
This was the most wonderful moment he’d ever experienced!
Gu Ruoxue also gazed at the orange cat in her arms, her eyes flickering with unspoken thoughts. Finally, she let out a soft laugh and stroked its head. "It really is adorable."
As she continued petting him, she sighed lightly and explained, "If I’m going to adopt it, I’ll have to take it for neutering first."
"That makes sense, especially since you already have a little female cat at home."
Li Guanqi nodded in agreement.
Hearing the word "neutering" again, Su Cheng shuddered violently, cursing inwardly. He wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into her heart!
But at least he now understood the reason—she wanted to adopt him, but since she already had a female cat at home, she had to neuter him to prevent any… indiscretions.
Hmph. Logical.
Wait a damn minute—
Who the hell would mess around with that chubby orange fluffball?!
Gu Ruoxue didn’t seem to notice the cat’s internal turmoil, still gently stroking it as she murmured, "What should I name you…?"
Meanwhile, Su Cheng, now snapping back to reality, felt puzzled. Her reaction suggested she hadn’t actually recognized him.
"Senior, was Su Cheng not at the club today?"
"Haven’t seen him around."
Hearing them discuss him, Su Cheng immediately perked up his ears, listening intently to every word.
"Lately, I’ve been feeling like he’s acting strange. No idea what he’s up to."
"I’ve noticed too, but I’m not sure about the details. I just know he seems to be preparing for something recently."
"I just hope he doesn’t do anything reckless."
Li Guanqi sighed, her voice laced with concern.
Su Cheng relaxed, convinced they hadn’t recognized him. After all, they didn’t know about his confession, and they were aware he no longer had the ability to turn into an animal.
So for now, Su Cheng lay quietly in her arms, savoring the rare experience. It had been years since he’d last been held by Gu Ruoxue.
And her scent…
He inhaled deeply, greedily taking in her fragrance, feeling an overwhelming sense of comfort. He was so relaxed, he nearly dozed off.
"Can I hold it for a bit?"
Li Guanqi suddenly asked, snapping Su Cheng back to alertness as his eyes flew open.
"It’s already asleep. Let’s not disturb it. We’ll just take it straight to the vet for general anesthesia."
Gu Ruoxue shook her head lightly, refusing the request.
"Oh… alright."
Li Guanqi reluctantly gave up.
But Su Cheng was now wide awake—because he remembered they were taking him to the hospital.
He immediately started meowing incessantly, prompting Li Guanqi to glance at Gu Ruoxue again, her eyes silently asking, Now that it’s awake, can I hold it?
Gu Ruoxue sighed and finally handed the cat over to Li Guanqi.
She carefully cradled Su Cheng in her arms, gently stroking his fur with tender motions, her eyes brimming with deep affection.
Su Cheng nuzzled against her, breathing in her familiar, delicate fragrance, feeling utterly content. He even narrowed his eyes in bliss, looking exceptionally docile.
Truly, being a cat was wonderful!
Once again, he forgot what the two girls had planned for him.
For a moment, Su Cheng was completely immersed in the joys of feline life—especially with the two of them taking turns pampering him. It felt like floating on clouds, pure delight.
But soon, his amusement vanished.
Because they had actually arrived at the pet hospital entrance.
"No way, I have to escape!"
Su Cheng immediately squirmed out of Li Guanqi's embrace and leaped down. In his panic, his paws flailed mid-air a few times before he finally steadied himself and bolted into the thick bushes.
Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi watched the orange cat’s frantic retreat until he disappeared from sight, then exchanged an amused glance.
……………………………………
Su Cheng found a secluded spot to revert to human form and pulled out his phone to send a message to Gu Ruoxue.
[Not a Fan of Oranges]: "Why didn’t you tell me you’d be absent from the club?"
Gu Ruoxue replied quickly: "My apologies, something came up and I had to leave suddenly."
Reading this, Su Cheng frowned slightly. In this situation, he couldn’t tell whether the two girls had discovered his cat transformation or not.
If they had figured it out, why wouldn’t they confront him?
Normally, they’d definitely demand an explanation.
It left him deeply puzzled.
Just as Su Cheng was lost in thought, his phone screen lit up with a new unread message.
Liu Qingyue: "Landing in two hours."