After Turning Into a Kitten, I Was Adopted by My Father-Figure Childhood Friend - Chapter 21

The Great Betrayal

“Meow-uuu Awoo!”

Lu Jingchuan, you are finished! Do you hear me? You are dead! I am going to tell Uncle Lu on you. I will have him spank you! You are going to die!

The little calico clung tightly to the sweater, yowling at the top of his lungs. The piercing cries were so intense that the other cats in the cat café gathered at the door, peering in with suspicious curiosity.

The young lady working at the café laughed. “There is a good baby! Just let go. I will take great care of you.”

A villainous chuckle almost escaped her lips. However, noticing the cat owner’s cold, handsome gaze, she quickly suppressed the laugh into a reserved, demure smile. Her hands, however, remained swift as her soft palm tickled the kitten’s belly.

Song Xingyu’s fur immediately stood on end. His trembling little claws hooked onto the sweater collar, pulling it to its absolute limit until—snap—the sweater recoiled. The kitten fell helplessly into the arms of the “Meow-Meow Master.”

Cat Song’s heart felt like dead ashes, yet from those ashes sprouted a raging fire. The sheer intensity of his fury incinerated his last shred of logic. He screamed in anger; it took only 0.1 seconds for him to transform from a pretty cotton ball into a furious cobra.

The next moment, several fluffy white Ragdoll cats crowded around him, squeezing him into a soft embrace and nuzzling him from every direction.

“Meow.” Customer, is this pressure alright?

“Meow-meow-mi.” Hello, would you like to pet my fur?

“Meow.” Snuggle time!

The beautiful and gentle Ragdolls were the pinnacle of docility and shyness. With the professional skill of seasoned workers, they did their best to snuggle the little calico.

Lu Jingchuan stood nearby, observing them with a scrutinizing and serious gaze. He watched as the kitten transitioned from fury to dazed confusion, and finally to pure bliss. The kitten spread his arms, and a gorgeous Ragdoll with heterochromatic eyes squeezed into his embrace.

Song Xingyu’s expression became even more dreamlike. He buried his small head into the gentle “motherly” Ragdoll’s fur, utterly lost in feline paradise.

Lu Jingchuan actually brought me to a place like this! I am currently an underage kitten!

The Meow-Meow Master stood by, smiling as she teased, “These are all carefully selected neutered cats with very good temperaments. They will definitely not let You-You be bullied.”

Lu Jingchuan nodded slightly. He crouched down to scratch the kitten’s exposed paw. The little paw kicked at his palm and was quickly retracted as the cat shot him a fierce glare.

The man let out a low laugh. “You-You, is it fun to make friends?”

The little calico turned a deaf ear, huddling among the purebred Ragdolls like melting cream. Only his two pointed ears flickered sensitively.

The man precisely pinched the kitten’s ear and cautioned again, “No making friends recklessly in the future, do you understand? If you want friends, I will find cats with good temperaments for you.”

Such domineering words caused the staff, who were well-versed in the behavior of cat lovers, to look over in surprise. They had seen kittens being unhappy with their owners petting other cats, but they had never seen an owner interfere with a cat’s social life.

To personally screen for friends based on temperament just to ensure no fights occurred—was that not a bit too controlling?

Domineering Lu-Dog.

Cat Song let out two disdainful snorts. He patted a larger cat with his paw, almost burying himself in the fluff. He shook his head and gave the man’s palm a reluctant kick, signaling him not to go too far.

The man grabbed the kitten’s hind paw and shook it gently, his voice sounding more certain. “It is settled then.”

Due to his posture, his neat, crisp suit trousers creased slightly at the joints. Only the hem remained perfectly straight above his shoes, emphasizing his rigorous and abstinent aura. He was not to be questioned.

Song Xingyu licked his lips with an innocent expression that said, “What are you talking about?” He asked Lu Jingchuan for a few bites of a cat treat before happily rushing back into the crowd of cats.

Kitties, I am coming!

The cats in the café were accustomed to serving guests. These particular “little idiots” were chosen for their good tempers and inability to even understand how to fight. They huddled together, lying flat to be petted, their pink noses sniffing one another to release friendly pheromones.

Cat Song lunged in, feeling as though he had fallen into a fluffy trap. His eyes squinted into slits with joy. He happily played the role of a cat emperor, drunk among his feline concubines.

Ah, this is the life Song Xingyu should be living!

He smacked his lips. When he was finally picked up from the cat nest, he kicked his legs in protest and gave the man a grumpy nip.

Lu Jingchuan checked his watch and gently scratched the kitten’s chin. “I will bring you back to play next time,” he promised.

Cat Song raised a white paw, his amber-gold eyes full of seriousness. Lu Jingchuan went to shake his paw, but the kitten pushed the palm away and firmly stamped a “seal” on the man’s hand.

“Meow.” It is a deal.

“It is a deal.”

The Family Dinner

The Lu family dinner was set for 7:00 PM. To avoid the evening rush hour, Lu Jingchuan arrived at 6:00 PM. As soon as he entered, Auntie Zhang, who had worked for the Lu family for decades, came over to help the young master hang his coat.

“Master, you are back. The Madam had me stew some chicken soup. Shall I bring you a bowl to drink first?”

As Auntie Zhang asked, something flashed before her eyes. A small kitten leaped out from the coat and scrambled onto the sofa in three quick bounds.

Auntie Zhang froze, whispering, “Oh, my goodness.”

This cat was far too beautiful. His fur was as white as willow down, with two blush-like colors dusted over the white like a pretty sunset. A dark black border outlined his ears, making them look lively and three-dimensional.

Seeing the kitten jump onto the Master’s favorite leather sofa, Auntie Zhang hurried forward to shoo him away. “Kitten, you cannot be up there. The Master will be angry if he sees—”

“Auntie Zhang,” Lu Jingchuan interrupted. “It is fine. Go get a bowl and put a little chicken soup in it for You-You.”

“Meow!”

Having entered the Lu residence, Song Xingyu checked his arrogant attitude. He let out a sweet meow and rubbed his head affectionately against Auntie Zhang’s hand. Auntie Zhang, having no objections when the owner gave an order, quickly agreed.

She did more than just bring a bowl of soup; she also brought a plate of poached Slipper Lobsters.

“The Master told me to buy some shrimp to poach. Since neither of you like seafood, I bought Slipper Lobsters instead,” Auntie Zhang murmured while peeling the shrimp for the kitten. She suddenly asked curiously, “Is Master Song not coming today?”

The Song family lived right next door. Because the two families were close and shared large business interests, the children usually stayed at whichever house the parents were in. Visiting the other house was just like being in their own home.

After Lu Jingchuan went abroad and Song Xingyu started university, the visits became rare. Auntie Zhang had assumed Master Song would be attending today.

She sighed with regret. “I have learned how to make several desserts that are very popular online. I wanted to make them for Master Song.”

Oh! Desserts!

Auntie Zhang’s culinary skills were legendary. Song Xingyu’s eyes lit up. He lapped up the chicken soup while rubbing against the woman’s hand.

It is okay, Auntie! You can make them for me now! I want yogurt bowls, soufflés, milk skin strawberry towers, molten Thai tea, mango pomelo sago, and strawberry pudding!

Auntie Zhang stuffed a peeled shrimp into the kitten’s mouth. His tiny muzzle began chewing frantically. He was very busy.

At the mention of Song Xingyu, Lu Jingchuan’s eyes darkened. He rubbed his thumb against his phone case for a long moment before answering quietly, “I will bring him next time.”

“Next time, have the auntie stew some silver ear fungus for Xingyu,” Lu Yan added, joining the conversation.

Mr. Lu, a man long accustomed to a position of authority, had returned from outside. He carried a cold, deep aura, his four-piece suit looking stiff and serious. His mere presence made people hesitant to look him in the eye.

Mr. Lu said, “Eating too many sweets causes internal heat.”

However, he did not tell the auntie not to make them.

He looked very much like Lu Jingchuan; they were practically cast from the same mold. Though in his forties, he remained elegant, exuding the mellow aroma of a cold, strong liquor. Mr. Lu walked in and glanced at Lu Jingchuan and the kitten. “What is its name?”

Cat Song immediately became well-behaved. He shrank timidly behind Lu Jingchuan, wedging himself between the man and the sofa.

Lu Jingchuan replied, “You-You.”

Mr. Lu nodded. “Wait a moment.”

He went upstairs to change. A short while later, he returned wearing a white shirt, leading a woman with short hair who was dressed in pajamas.

Ms. Qi rubbed her eyes. She had only returned last night from an exchange with foreign experts regarding high-end chips. Her neat short hair did not hide her glamorous features. Despite only having three hours of sleep, her eyes were clear and showed no sign of fatigue.

As soon as she sat down, she began questioning her son about his studies abroad and whether his fundamental skills were solid.

The Lu family were returned overseas Chinese. During the revolution, they had donated significant funds. During the foreign exchange period, they used their connections to help state-owned enterprises open overseas markets. After the reform and opening up, they bet on the automotive industry and transitioned early into new energy vehicles and high-end automotive chips.

The couple were classmates from an overseas university. They shared the same goals and worked together after marriage. Now, Shengda Group accounted for nearly half of the world’s high-end chip industry.

Therefore, the whole family had agreed on Lu Jingchuan studying science and engineering abroad. They believed it was better to learn industry-related skills rather than finance or investment; one needs to understand chip design diagrams to know what is truly valuable.

The mother and son soon began discussing high-end chips and program compilation. The question-and-answer session felt like a dean testing a student.

Song Xingyu did not understand a word. He hid behind Lu Jingchuan’s back, nibbling on shrimp. As he licked his lips, he twitched his ears in confusion when a new piece of shrimp was offered to his mouth. He took a bite, then his eyes widened in horror.

Lu Jingchuan was talking to Ms. Qi. So, who was peeling the shrimp for him?

This was terrifying!

Cat Song lay on the sofa and poked his head out cautiously, only to be caught instantly. He was stunned. His four paws curled into a ball as he was lifted into the air and brought before Ms. Qi.

Ms. Qi, following the family trait of not liking small animals, frowned as she looked the kitten up and down. “These small animals carry bacteria. Who brought it in?”

Lu Yan, who had been secretly feeding the kitten, asked solemnly, “Yes, who brought it in?”

Uncle Lu! You are actually playing dumb! I know you were secretly feeding me! How can you be so afraid of your wife!

Cat Song’s ears shot up. He stared in horror, hugging his tail and shaking his head.

Meow meow mi! I am a good kitty! Lu Jingchuan, save me! I am going to be kicked out!

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