Standing before her were two sources of joy combined into one—the person she liked and the animal she adored. It should have been a moment of double happiness.
Yet, for some reason, Gu Ruoxue's forehead veins bulged, her arms trembled, and her beautiful eyes glared fiercely at the orange cat, as if she were on the verge of exploding.
The orange cat stood on its hind legs, one front paw resting on its hip while the other pointed at her, its head tilted at an angle. To top it off, human words spilled from its feline mouth: "Minister, check this out—I’m gonna put on a show for ya."
If Su Cheng had just stayed quiet, it might have been fine. But the words coming from the cat’s mouth made her want to look away in sheer disbelief.
This orange cat had completely shattered the image of an adorable feline.
"Enough messing around. Settle down," Li Guanqi, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed the scruff of the cat’s neck and lifted it into the air. "Keep this up, and I’ll toss you into the vet for surgery."
"Wanna come over tonight and see a cat that can do backflips?"
The orange cat blinked at Gu Ruoxue while dangling midair.
Li Guanqi: "…"
Gu Ruoxue: "…"
"How about a dog that can do the splits while standing on its head?"
The cat pressed on.
"Or maybe a penguin that can pull off a Thomas flare?"
When neither of them responded, it didn’t push further. Instead, it wriggled its tail to brush against Li Guanqi’s arm and said, "Alright, put me down."
Gu Ruoxue finally snapped. She pulled a pet outfit from a drawer, stood up, and marched toward the cat.
Snap!
She tore open the packaging—a hooded cat onesie—and yanked out the garment.
Li Guanqi suddenly reached out and grabbed the cat again. The two of them prepared to wrestle the orange furball into the new outfit.
Ironically, this was the same onesie Su Cheng had once given Gu Ruoxue. Who would’ve thought it would end up on him instead?
Being dressed by the two girls, surrounded by their sweet fragrances, the orange cat lay sprawled in bliss, thoroughly enjoying the pampering as Gu Ruoxue worked the onesie onto it.
Of course, getting dressed meant certain private areas were briefly exposed to the air—but the cat couldn’t care less.
After all, they were close friends.
But then, disaster struck.
Just as Gu Ruoxue’s delicate fingers pulled up the zipper, it snagged—right on the bell.
"YEEEEOWCH—!"
The cat let out a bloodcurdling screech, nearly leaping out of their hands.
"What’s wrong?" Li Guanqi asked, concerned, peering at the zipper. Her expression immediately twisted into something complicated.
"Hmph."
Gu Ruoxue scoffed, pulled out a pen from her pocket, nudged the bell aside with it, and yanked the zipper up in one swift motion.
"Hssss—!"
The cat hissed in pain, baring its teeth.
Gu Ruoxue shot it a glare, then stood and dusted her hands off.
"She’s so rough with me," the cat whined, immediately burrowing into Li Guanqi’s arms, nuzzling her stomach in protest.
"All done," Li Guanqi said, lifting the cat and placing it on the sofa. She gave its fluffy head an affectionate rub.
"Hmm, it fits pretty well," Gu Ruoxue remarked, admiring the dressed-up orange cat.
"I feel so uncomfortable," the cat grumbled, hopping around on the couch, spinning in circles before flopping onto its back. It stared miserably at the onesie covering its belly and mewled, "I wanna take it off."
"You look adorable," Li Guanqi cooed, scratching behind its tiny ears.
"By the way, how long does this cat transformation last?" she asked, genuinely curious about the duration of this… peculiar ability.
"Until midnight tonight."
Su Cheng lied through his whiskers. After all, in this form, they couldn’t tell.
The truth was, the effect wouldn’t wear off until tomorrow at midnight.
He was banking on scarcity.
By making it seem like a one-night-only deal, they’d cherish every second with him in cat form.
Hearing this, Li Guanqi and Gu Ruoxue exchanged a glance.
"So it really is just a one-time thing."
"I wish it were permanent."
Su Cheng smirked inwardly, casually resting a paw on Li Guanqi’s stocking-clad leg while addressing Gu Ruoxue. "Ruoxue, since you’re so heartbroken about it, why not come over to my place with Guanqi for dinner tonight?"
Gu Ruoxue’s gaze turned glacial as she watched the cat’s paw linger on Li Guanqi’s thigh. Her voice dropped to subzero temperatures.
"Do you think just because you’ve turned into a pet, you can cross boundaries?"
"Oop—"
The cat instantly retracted its paw, ducking its head in a show of guilt.
"So this is why you turned into a pet?" Gu Ruoxue scolded, her tone sharp.
The orange cat shrunk further, tucking its front paws in, looking utterly pitiful—like a victim of merciless bullying.
"I’m sorry," it mumbled.
Meanwhile, Li Guanqi whipped out her phone and started snapping pictures of the cat’s miserable expression, immortalizing its shame.
"Want me to pose for you?" Su Cheng perked up, turning to her.
"Sure."
Without hesitation, Li Guanqi stood, walked to the window, and drew the curtains—leaving just a sliver of sunlight streaming through. She motioned for the cat. "Stand here, half in shadow, half in light. Tilt your head at 45 degrees."
The cat obeyed instantly, striking the pose.
Click.
"Look at the camera."
Click.
"Lick your paw."
Click.
"Gaze into the distance."
Click.
"Attack mode."
Click.
"Sit politely."
Click.
Li Guanqi kept snapping, each shot flawless—worthy of a professional photoshoot. The lighting, the angles, everything was perfect.
Watching them, Gu Ruoxue felt a pang of something bitter—envy, mixed with an indescribable ache.
She wanted to take pictures too.
But she’d just scolded Su Cheng. It’d be awkward to join in now. So she stood silently, waiting her turn, fingers interlaced, lips pressed together.
Her eyes, however, kept drifting to her phone on the table.
Li Guanqi, meanwhile, was fully engrossed in her impromptu photoshoot. After finishing, she crouched to show the cat the results. "Look at this one."
"How am I this handsome?!" the cat gasped, peering at the screen.
Then it glanced at Gu Ruoxue—standing bathed in sunlight, her profile flawless against the glow.
Li Guanqi nudged the cat.
Understanding instantly, it hopped onto the table, used a paw to prop up Gu Ruoxue’s phone, then carried it over in its mouth.
Gu Ruoxue stared at her phone held between feline teeth, hesitating—before finally reaching out and taking it.
"Ruoxue, wanna take some cat pics?"
The orange cat struck another pose—standing upright, placing a paw on its temple, then flicking its claws upward in a dramatic, human-like gesture.
This comical behavior still made her expression shift several times before she nodded and raised her phone to snap a few simple pictures.
With a few "click" sounds, she looked at the cat photos in her phone, a soft, satisfied smile spreading across her face.
"Senior, these shots you took are really good," Li Guanqi walked over, standing beside Gu Ruoxue and leaning in to glance at the photos before offering praise.
"Really? I personally don’t think they’re that great," Gu Ruoxue shook her head at Li Guanqi’s comment, then suddenly turned to her as if remembering something. "By the way, can I see the photos you just took?"
"Of course."
Li Guanqi pulled up the pictures she had just taken from her phone album and handed it over generously. Gu Ruoxue hesitated for a moment before accepting the phone and carefully scrolling through them.
The more she looked, the more amazed she became—her face practically screaming, "I want them, I want them, I really want them!"
"We can swap," Li Guanqi suggested, as if sensing her thoughts.
"Let’s post them in the group chat later."
While the two girls were engrossed in their lively conversation, the feline model had already jumped onto the sofa, settling down for a nap without disturbing their mood.
They continued their pleasant discussion until they came across a certain photo—a sudden silence fell between them, the air thick with awkwardness.
The reason? While flipping through the orange cat photos, Gu Ruoxue had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate picture of Su Cheng and Li Guanqi.
Her finger froze on the phone screen, her expression stiffening as she struggled to find words.
In the end, she pretended not to have seen it, handing the phone back to Li Guanqi before turning away and sitting down.
Li Guanqi, equally embarrassed, took back her phone and sat beside Su Cheng, picking up a cup of tea to take a sip.
At that moment, the orange cat lying on the sofa with its eyes closed suddenly opened them—its large, teary eyes first gazing at Gu Ruoxue, then flicking a glance at Li Guanqi beside her.
"What’s going on?"
Su Cheng, sensing the strange atmosphere, raised his head and asked in confusion.
Gu Ruoxue and Li Guanqi shook their heads in unison, replying simultaneously, "Nothing."
"Alright."
Su Cheng lowered his head again, curling up to resume his nap—only to suddenly remember that Gu Ruoxue still hadn’t given him an answer!
The answer about whether she would come to his place.
Li Guanqi was going to his home.
Those who knew him well were aware that he was always fair.
So, he lifted his head again, flashing Gu Ruoxue a human-like cat grin and calling out softly, "Xiao Xue~"
Gu Ruoxue, who had been looking at the photos on her phone, glanced up—only to see Su Cheng grinning at her.
She immediately averted her gaze, clearly overwhelmed by the cuteness, though she tried to maintain her composure. "What is it?"
As adorable as her flustered reaction was, Su Cheng didn’t dare tease her further—she’d definitely get mad again. So, he cleared his throat, softening his voice as much as possible.
"You… do you have time tonight? Let’s have dinner together?"
However, to his surprise—
Gu Ruoxue outright refused. "No need. I have other matters to attend to tonight."
Su Cheng’s expression faltered.
Li Guanqi also looked taken aback, clearly not expecting this response from Gu Ruoxue. But after a moment of thought, she understood the reasoning behind it.
Since Su Cheng was now beyond their control, the worst-case scenario had to be considered. The most urgent matter now was to distance herself from him and leave no openings.
After all, the ring was still on Gu Ruoxue.
And Su Cheng had plenty of ways to take it back.
Besides, Gu Ruoxue was always prudent and thorough in her actions.
If Su Cheng was no longer under their influence, then the priority was to prepare countermeasures.
Waiting passively wasn’t her style.
"Oh… I see."
Su Cheng couldn’t hide his disappointment. He had genuinely hoped the three of them could share a nice meal together.
"Let’s end today’s club activities here."
Gu Ruoxue glanced out the window before standing up and announcing this to the two of them, then began gathering her things from the table.
"Are you really not coming?"
Su Cheng, unwilling to give up, called out to her again.
"Another time. I have something urgent to handle."
Gu Ruoxue waved him off, slung her bag over her shoulder, and hurried out of the club on her slender legs clad in knee-high socks—leaving only a faint trace of her fragrance behind.
"Let’s head back too."
"Mm."
Su Cheng had Li Guanqi help him out of his clothes before transforming back into human form, tidying up, and leaving the club together.
But once outside, Ya Ya was nowhere to be found.
The two waited at the entrance for a while, but there was still no sign of the raven’s return.
"This is the first time something like this has happened."
Su Cheng was at a loss—he had no way to track Ya Ya’s whereabouts or contact it.
Had it been snatched by a hawk?
"Maybe it went home on its own."
Li Guanqi responded, though she knew there were two possibilities:
First, Liu Qingyue was involved. After all, Ya Ya had never gone missing before.
Second, Gu Ruoxue had taken Ya Ya with her—using this method to avoid going to Su Cheng’s place and continuing their earlier unfinished conversation.
In any case, Ya Ya was either at Su Cheng’s home or hers.
"Then let’s go back and check?"
Su Cheng urged. Though he usually didn’t treat Ya Ya particularly well, it was still a companion he lived with—he was worried.
And he resolved to get it a tracker afterward.
"Alright, let’s split up. If Ya Ya isn’t at your place, we’ll contact each other."
"Got it."
So the two went their separate ways to search for Ya Ya. With the raven missing, Su Cheng didn’t dare delay.
……………………
Since he had informed Liu Qingyue in the morning that Li Guanqi would be coming over, she had already left.
The entire house showed no trace of her presence—even the guest room she had stayed in last night looked as if it hadn’t been occupied in ages.
"Ya Ya."
Su Cheng called out as soon as he stepped inside, heading straight to the balcony—only to find it empty.
"Sigh…"
He plopped onto the sofa with a heavy exhale before pulling out his phone and dialing Liu Qingyue’s number to ask if she had seen it.
After a few rings—
"Why are you calling me instead of having dinner with her?"
Liu Qingyue’s voice on the other end was thick with displeasure—clearly, Su Cheng bringing someone home today had put her in a bad mood.
"Uh… I wanted to ask if you’ve seen Ya Ya?"
Su Cheng awkwardly explained.
Without missing a beat, Liu Qingyue replied, "It’s with me."
Hearing this, Su Cheng let out a huge sigh of relief—but then pressed further. "Where are you right now?"
"Somewhere safe and hidden."
"Can you bring it back? It suddenly disappeared, and we’ve been looking everywhere."
"No. I think she might show up at any moment."
Liu Qingyue refused without hesitation.
"…Huh?"
Su Cheng was stunned.
He then said bitterly, "Are you saying Li Guanqi has already confirmed your existence?"
"Exactly, otherwise why would she suddenly decide to come to your place?"
Liu Qingyue replied irritably before adding, "I won’t be going back for now. The crow will return on its own."
"Got it."
Su Cheng hung up after hearing this and informed Li Guanqi that the crow was home, telling her not to worry.
But as he put away his phone, his frown deepened.
He thought back to the club activity earlier...
His expression grew even more troubled.
Whether it was Gu Ruoxue or Li Guanqi, something felt off—as if they were deliberately avoiding certain topics.
Today, Li Guanqi had come to his place, yet Gu Ruoxue had chosen not to show up. That was downright strange.
What bothered him most was that the Ling Ning incident still hadn’t been resolved. Normally, they’d be offering advice by now.
But this time, neither Li Guanqi nor Gu Ruoxue had pressed for details or said much. It was almost as if they had more pressing matters to deal with, unwilling to waste time or energy on this.
At this realization, he forced himself to think calmly.
Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make sense of it.
Should he ask his senior for help?
No!
True growth came from figuring things out himself.
So—
"System, draw a skill."