Student Council Room
"President, I borrowed a cat crate."
The student council door opened, and the council's secretary walked in carrying a cat crate. She looked at the president, then at the plump orange cat nestled comfortably in her arms, her face full of anticipation.
The secretary radiated a sweet aura—sweet yet playful, playful yet lively. Clearly, she was a prominent figure in the student council as well.
The crate in her hands had been borrowed from the "Tongji Cat Alliance Club." Though it resembled an ordinary metal cage, it came equipped with cat litter, a round cat bed, and even a few small toys.
"Now we can finally go to the cafeteria."
Li Zhao glanced at the crate, then stood up, still holding the cat, preparing to place the orange feline inside.
Originally, they had been on their way to lunch when they stumbled upon this cat. Considering how unusually clever it was—likely impossible to recapture if it escaped—she had waited for the crate to arrive.
"Meow~"
The orange cat wasn’t having it. It let out a high-pitched whine, trying to awaken Li Zhao’s maternal instincts and stop this injustice.
However, Li Zhao simply reached out and rubbed the cat’s head, saying calmly, "Be good and stay in the crate."
Hearing this, the cat immediately shut its mouth and stopped protesting. Instead, it performed the ultimate feline charm move—
Kneading.
As the name suggested, it rhythmically pressed its two little paws against Li Zhao’s ample chest, pushing in and out.
A devastatingly effective tactic.
The orange cat was practically drooling.
This sudden display melted the secretary’s heart, making her instinctively want to snatch the cat away and shower it with "affection."
As far as the cat was concerned, it was simply behaving like a proper feline. This had absolutely nothing to do with its own perverted tendencies—no, this was purely a cat’s way of expressing comfort, contentment, and relaxation. It was a clear message: Don’t lock me up.
"Ugh… even this feels like Zhao Zhao’s."
Yet, as the kneading continued, the cat’s heart let out a silent wail at the familiar sensation beneath its paws.
Li Zhao, however, unceremoniously grabbed the scruff of its neck and stuffed it into the crate before shutting the door.
"I’m trying to lose weight, so I’ll skip lunch. You all go ahead."
The female secretary, of course, planned to stay behind and play with the cat. After all, such an adorable creature was irresistible to women—especially a chubby orange ball of fluff like this one.
"Just remember—don’t open the crate. If it escapes, we’ll never catch it again."
Li Zhao left with this warning, then strode elegantly out of the room, leading the rest of the student council to the cafeteria.
"Hehe… little kitty, you can’t escape Mommy’s grasp."
The moment the others were gone, the secretary’s true nature surfaced. Grinning mischievously, she reached into the crate.
The cat, which had been all sweet and docile moments ago, suddenly turned ferocious. It bared its claws and swatted at her hand.
"Ow! That hurts!"
The secretary yelped in pain, pulling her hand back to inspect the red marks swelling on her skin.
Hmph. I don’t let just anyone pet me.
The orange cat shot her a disdainful look, radiating cold arrogance, before turning its attention to the crate’s structure, plotting its grand escape—
The Shawshank Redemption of Orange Cat.
"Aw, don’t be stingy. Let Mommy pet you~"
Undeterred, the secretary reached in again—only to get scratched once more.
"You nasty little cat!"
Furious, the secretary glared at the feline. How could it be so well-behaved in the president’s arms, all soft and pliant, yet turn into a demon the moment she touched it?
The unfairness of it all gnawed at her. She swore to herself that today, she would make this cat curl up in her lap, kneading happily just like it did for Li Zhao.
"Look what I’ve got~"
From her skirt pocket, the secretary pulled out a cat treat—a premium snack she’d swiped from the cat club earlier.
No stray could resist the allure of gourmet treats.
Sure enough, the orange cat’s nose twitched at the scent. Its golden eyes locked onto the snack with laser focus.
"Come on, I know you’re hungry. Eat up~"
Delighted, the secretary thought she’d finally won. She eagerly reached into the crate again—
Only for the cat to start slapping her hand repeatedly, all while letting out what sounded suspiciously like…
"F you!"
The secretary gaped, stunned less by the pain and more by the fact that this cat had just cursed at her.
In her moment of shock, the orange cat seized its chance to bolt—but the secretary, proving she wasn’t entirely ordinary either, snapped back to her senses and slammed the crate shut before it could escape.
Meow meow meow!!!
The cat rammed its head against the bars, but the crate held firm. Defeated, it sighed internally.
"Hah! Think you can outsmart me? You little brat, just wait—I’ll tame you into my personal slave cat."
The once sweet, girl-next-door secretary had morphed into a wild, unrestrained delinquent. The sheer whiplash left the cat reeling.
Is this chick bipolar or something?
The cat couldn’t help but complain. This tiny student council was full of surprises—even a seemingly delicate, sweet girl turned out to be a full-blown psycho.
"Come here, let Mommy touch you~"
With a twisted grin, the secretary reached into the crate again, undeterred by the scratches.
"The more you resist, the more excited I get. Just let me pet you, you foul-mouthed little devil~"
She licked her lips, utterly consumed by her desire to manhandle the cat, no longer caring about the pain.
Stay the hell away from me!!!
Horrified, the cat dodged frantically. It had realized something terrifying—the more it fought back, the more aroused this woman became.
Thankfully, it could still evade her grasp, no matter how she twisted and turned.
"Stop squirming, you little brat!"
Clang! Clatter!
The cat weaved around the crate, occasionally landing a scratch—but the secretary didn’t even flinch.
She was clearly an M—her hands bleeding, yet she kept moaning "So good…" while chasing after the cat, desperate to grope it.
This went on until—
The student council door swung open again. Instantly, the secretary’s deranged expression vanished, replaced by her usual sweet, demure smile—as if the raving lunatic from moments ago had never existed.
"You’re back already?"
She clasped her injured hands behind her back, her voice soft and shy—a complete 180 from before.
The newcomer was a guy wearing gaming headphones around his neck—the head of the student council’s External Relations Department.
His job was to liaise with businesses, securing funding for student council activities.
The head of the External Liaison Department cast a curious glance between the cat enclosure and the secretary before saying, "Oh, I lost my appetite today, so I came back early. What about you?"
"Just bored, so I played with the cat a bit."
The secretary guiltily turned and walked toward her workstation—her desk.
"This cat seems terrified of you."
The head of the External Liaison Department looked at the frightened orange tabby locked in the cage and remarked with surprise.
"Nonsense. I just fed it a cat treat—it probably adores me. Look how calm it is now."
The female secretary smiled as she explained.
"Seems like you really like this cat. If no one claims it, would you adopt it?"
The head of the External Liaison Department studied the secretary as he spoke.
"If no one claims it…"
The secretary paused in thought before replying, "I couldn’t bear to see it become a stray."
"You’re really kind-hearted."
The head of the External Liaison Department sighed in admiration before settling onto the sofa, pulling out a handheld console, and putting on headphones to focus on his game.
Meanwhile, the secretary sat at her desk, propping her chin on her hand as her gaze drifted back to the orange tabby in the cage.
With others around, she had to maintain her image and couldn’t touch the cat again—after all, the moment she got close, it would attack her.
But resisting the urge to pet it made her feel unbearably restless, as if thousands of ants were crawling under her skin.
"Meow meow meow meow~ Meow meow meow meow~ Meow meow meow! Meow meow meow!"
Just as she was lost in thought, the melody of "Two Tigers" suddenly erupted from the cat enclosure, startling her so badly she nearly fell out of her seat.
"What the—"
The secretary’s face twisted in shock. Disbelieving, she first glanced at the student council member engrossed in his game, confirming the sound hadn’t come from him. The realization that the melody had come from the cat sent a shiver down her spine, her skin prickling with goosebumps.
"Meow meow meow meow~ Meow meow meow meow~"
A second later, the melody poured from the cat’s mouth again.
"This cat can sing!"
Finally, she could no longer contain herself. She shot up from her seat, pointing at the orange tabby in the enclosure as she exclaimed in disbelief.
However, her outburst drew the attention of the student council member on the sofa, who removed his headphones and asked what was happening.
"Didn’t you hear that? This cat was singing!"
The secretary, still reeling from shock, forgot all about composure as she turned excitedly to the head of the External Liaison Department.
"Huh? No, I didn’t."
The head of the External Liaison Department looked baffled, glancing skeptically at the orange tabby now peacefully napping in the enclosure.
"It’s true! I heard it clearly!"
The secretary repeated urgently, adding, "It was singing the nursery rhyme 'Two Tigers'!"
"Uh…"
The head of the External Liaison Department scratched his head, still not understanding, and ventured, "How come I didn’t hear anything?"
"Maybe you misheard?"
He pressed further.
"Maybe."
Now calmer, the secretary couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret over her earlier outburst.
Her usual image was one of grace and sweetness—when had she ever acted so hysterically?
Maintaining her reputation was crucial.
Otherwise, how could she climb the ranks to become president?
With that in mind, she sat back down but kept a watchful eye on the peculiar cat.
Though its singing had stunned her at first, upon reflection, it wasn’t so strange. If its previous owner had often played that song, the cat might have picked it up.
Especially since this cat had even cursed before.
Animals had a knack for mimicry, and cats living with humans long enough could occasionally mimic speech. After all, cats were capable of producing over a hundred different sounds.
Thinking this, she glanced again at the orange tabby lounging lazily in its enclosure. Seeing it sprawled comfortably, she shook her head—no matter how odd it seemed, at its core, it was still just an animal, limited to cat-like behavior.
But the next moment, her face twisted in shock once more.
Because the cat had started singing again!
This time—
It was rapping!
"Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow~"
It delivered a full-on meow rap!
"Listen! Quick!"
The secretary, too stunned to process this, instinctively turned to the head of the External Liaison Department on the sofa. "This cat can rap!"
The head of the External Liaison Department removed his headphones again, but the room was dead silent.
Nothing. The orange tabby was just sleeping peacefully.
After a long pause, the head of the External Liaison Department swallowed and hesitantly said, "Uh… I think you might be hallucinating…"
He was clearly annoyed at being interrupted during his game and quickly made an excuse to leave.
"I’m going to the restroom."
With him gone, only she and the cat remained in the student council room.
"Sing, you rapping cat! Keep singing!"
No longer needing to uphold her image with no one else around, she rushed to the cage and began shaking it violently, trying to force the cat to perform.
"Meow~"
The cat, disturbed from its nap, lazily opened its eyes, stretched, and then shot the secretary a look of unmistakable disdain before flopping back down to sleep.
"You think I can’t handle you?"
Infuriated by its contemptuous expression, the secretary pulled out a packet of catnip from her skirt and tore it open, waving it tauntingly at the insolent feline.
"Go on! Give me that look again!"
The orange tabby, initially indifferent, suddenly perked up at the scent. The aroma hit its brain like a stimulant, sending it into a euphoric, intoxicated daze before it collapsed limply in the enclosure.
"Damn it… drugging me…"
The orange tabby had succumbed to the catnip’s effects.
"I didn’t want to resort to this, but you left me no choice."
The secretary usually enjoyed the cat’s defiance, but this one had pushed her too far, making her lose her composure repeatedly.
"Now I can finally pet you properly!"
Thrilled, she reached out to indulge in the now-vulnerable feline—only for the door behind her to swing open.
A figure bathed in golden light stood at the entrance.
The secretary nearly jumped out of her skin, yanking her hand back and whirling around—only to see two petite figures stepping inside.
"Secretary Chen, we came as soon as we heard the announcement."
Ailiya spoke first, followed closely by another small, golden-haired figure—Cornelia—whose eyes widened in horror at the sight of the limp orange tabby in the cage.
"Oh my god… what happened to it?"
Cornelia gasped at the cat’s lifeless appearance.
"I just gave it some catnip. It’ll be fine soon."
The secretary quickly blocked their view of the enclosure before adding, "Are you two the owners of this… uh, adorable orange tabby?"
But before she could finish, Ailiya had already marched to the cage, thrusting her hand inside to vigorously pet the cat while muttering under her breath,
"Serves you right!"
The secretary watched enviously—she hadn’t even gotten a chance to touch it yet.
"Not exactly. We saw it yesterday and already had the thought of adopting it, but it ran away. We just heard the broadcast and came over right away."
Cornelia spoke while snatching the orange tabby from Ailiya’s hands—its fur already thoroughly ruffled from Ailiya’s enthusiastic petting.
"In that case," the student council secretary sighed in relief before continuing, "If the owner doesn’t show up today, then you can take it home."
"Senior, what happened to your hand?"
Just then, a calm and melodious voice suddenly sounded beside the three girls, making them turn their heads in unison.
Standing nearby was a strikingly beautiful girl with long, straight black hair and an elegant aura. Yet her face remained expressionless as she frowned at the secretary’s hand.
"When did you get here!?"
"Junior, could you at least announce yourself before appearing out of nowhere?"
The three girls were startled by Li Guanqi’s sudden appearance and immediately started complaining. Cornelia, in particular, instinctively tightened her grip on the cat and took a step back, as if afraid Li Guanqi would snatch it away.
Cornelia—on high alert.
"Ah, I got scratched by the cat," the secretary replied with an awkward but polite smile.
Li Guanqi frowned slightly, her tone still indifferent. "Shouldn’t you go to the hospital? This cat might be a stray."
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. I’ll head there now. The student council president and the others will be back after lunch—you guys keep an eye on the cat for now."
The secretary patted her forehead and prepared to leave.
With her departure, only the three girls remained in the student council room.
"What are you doing here?" Cornelia asked warily, eyeing Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi glanced at the orange cat in her arms and replied flatly, "Same as you."
"Well, I’m not giving it to you."
Cornelia immediately tensed up, but before she could say more, the student council door swung open again—this time revealing the Hoshino siblings.
"Reporting in."
Hoshino Mirai bent over, panting heavily, not even looking at the scene inside as she gasped out, "Huff… the cat…"
Hearing this, Cornelia panicked, assuming she was the owner.
The Hoshino siblings approached the cage, glancing at Cornelia before studying the curled-up orange cat in her arms. They scrutinized it carefully, as if searching for traces of someone’s scent, but found nothing. Still, that didn’t matter—as long as there was a chance.
Hoshino Mirai then looked up at Cornelia and asked politely, "Excuse me, is this your cat?"
Cornelia watched her warily, afraid she’d try to take the cat, but shook her head. "No…"
Hoshino Mirai blinked in surprise before letting out a relieved sigh. "I’d like to adopt this cat."
"No way."
Cornelia hugged the cat protectively, glaring at the Hoshino siblings. "I was here first!"
"Since when does adoption work on a first-come-first-serve basis?"
Hoshino Yikui interjected coldly from the side.
"If everyone wants to adopt, then it should be based on who arrived first—and that’s us," Ailiya retorted without backing down.
"Then why are you deciding on adoption without even waiting for the owner?" Hoshino Yikui pressed.
"Because…"
Cornelia faltered but stubbornly insisted, "Fine. If the owner doesn’t show up, then the cat goes to us."
As the argument escalated with neither side willing to yield, Li Guanqi finally spoke up in her usual detached tone.
"Shouldn’t the cat’s well-being be the priority when adopting? An irresponsible owner would only bring it harm."
She had been quietly observing the cat’s condition and only stepped in after noticing the silly creature seemed to have blissfully passed out. Her stance was clear—she didn’t agree with the "first-come-first-served" logic of the stubborn duo.
"Exactly! Adopting a cat requires considering many factors!"
Hoshino Mirai seized the lifeline, eagerly agreeing. "You’re absolutely right, miss."
"Right. If someone without compassion adopts it, wouldn’t that just harm this poor cat?"
Hoshino Yikui nodded solemnly.
"Who are you calling heartless!?"
"Who knows?"
Before long, the argument flared up again, escalating into a full-blown verbal spat before devolving into mutual praise. Hoshino Yikui boasted about his sister’s kindness and responsibility, while Ailiya praised Cornelia for her beauty, intelligence, and boundless compassion.
The student council room was thick with tension, the heated debate echoing in every corner. Li Guanqi, however, remained silent, her gaze fixed on the cat in Cornelia’s arms.
Cornelia, noticing this, deliberately turned away, refusing to let Li Guanqi see it.
First, Li Guanqi had tried to take Su Cheng from her, and now she wanted this cat that looked just like Su Cheng too?
How outrageous!
"I think it’s best to let the cat decide for itself once it wakes up," Li Guanqi said calmly.
"Fine by me."
Cornelia scoffed. "No doubt it’ll choose me."
Yesterday, the cat had been perfectly content in her arms—she was confident about this.
Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, the student council door swung open once more, abruptly cutting through the tension.
Everyone turned to the entrance, stunned.
Standing there was Gu Ruoxue.
Her icy demeanor and frosty beauty left them all bewildered, unsure why she was here.
"Senior Gu, are you also here for the cat?"
Li Guanqi was the first to ask.
Gu Ruoxue nodded, stepping inside before taking a seat on the sofa, her eyes scanning the group.
"Are you here to adopt the cat too?"
Cornelia’s question instantly froze the atmosphere. Everyone, including Li Guanqi, turned to Gu Ruoxue.
"No."
Gu Ruoxue shook her head coolly, her gaze lingering on the blissfully dazed cat in Cornelia’s arms and the faint scent of catnip in the air. She understood immediately.
"If the owner doesn’t appear, then this cat likely doesn’t belong to anyone on campus."
Pausing, she looked at them and continued, "The Practice Department will handle this matter and continue searching for its owner."
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone’s expressions darkened.
Her meaning was unmistakable.
If no owner came forward, she would take the cat away!
And there was no way to argue or stop her—she had positioned herself as the absolute advocate for the cat’s welfare.
If they objected, wouldn’t that mean they didn’t want the cat to find its real owner?
She had just stripped them of any right to adopt the orange tabby!
Because she was continuing the search for its owner.
"Rest assured, I have extensive experience raising cats. I’ll take good care of it while searching for its owner."
Gu Ruoxue spoke slowly, her tone leaving no room for debate.
Although Li Guanqi had reasons to argue, she remained silent, choosing instead to stand quietly on the sidelines like an unnoticed observer—because she owed Gu Ruoxue a favor.
The others exchanged uncertain glances.
Hoshino Mirai glanced at the orange cat nestled in Cornelia’s arms. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this cat was actually the prince.
Just as everyone was resigning themselves to the hopelessness of the situation, the door swung open again, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Then, the student council appeared.
At the forefront were Li Zhao and Ji Qingyi.
Upon entering, Li Zhao swept her gaze across the room, lingering for a second on Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi before finally settling on the orange cat in Cornelia’s arms.
Under Li Zhao’s piercing stare, Cornelia instinctively took a step back, but then straightened her posture and lifted her chin defiantly.
"President, we were planning to adopt this cat," Cornelia declared firmly.
"The owner has already come forward," Li Zhao stated calmly, her words leaving everyone momentarily stunned. But what followed was even more surprising. "Chairwoman Ji has provided evidence proving that this orange cat is her pet."
Hearing this, both Li Guanqi and Gu Ruoxue furrowed their brows—this was clearly unexpected. Meanwhile, Ji Qingyi stepped forward with elegant grace, stopping in front of Cornelia.
Cornelia found herself looking up at Ji Qingyi’s aloof gaze. Though her heart ached with reluctance, since the president had spoken, she had no choice but to hand the orange cat over to Ji Qingyi.
Without a word, Ji Qingyi cradled the cat and walked out of the student council room as if she had merely been passing by, leaving behind a group of bewildered girls.
Like a breeze that departs without a trace, she vanished without explanation.
"President, what kind of proof did she provide?" Li Guanqi couldn’t help but ask.
"A photograph," came the reply.