Doctor Gu’s Orange Cat Boyfriend - Chapter 1

The phone vibrated wildly on the table, buzzing incessantly. The words “You Bastard” flashed ominously on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Holy shit, you finally picked up!” Zhou Yang’s signature booming voice blared from the other end, drowning out the howling KTV music in the background. “Happy birthday, Mr. Literary Genius! Twenty-five! How does it feel? Feeling that tingly sensation on your back yet? Ready to sprout little wings?”

Lin Mucí rubbed his temples and held the phone farther away. “Can you keep it down… What wings?”

“Urban legend, bro!” Zhou Yang’s voice was thick with teasing laughter. “Twenty-five years of virginity? On your birthday, miracles happen! Either cash falls from the sky, or you take flight right where you stand. Hurry to your balcony now & see if an angel is waiting to hook you up with a beta!”

Outside the night deepened, the city’s glow staining the sky a hazy warm hue.

Lin Mucí’s gaze drifted uncontrollably toward the neighboring balcony, settling on that familiar floor-to-ceiling window.

Dark.

He hadn’t come back yet…

“Alright, alright, I’m not teasing you anymore.”

Zhou Yang’s tone suddenly turned serious for a moment,

“Seriously Lin, if you keep chickening out like this, forget 25 years maybe you’ll be single for 35 years. You mentioned that handsome TCM doctor next door… Gu Chaoyu, right? When are you finally going to make your move? Handsome, skilled… oh wait, handsome, rich, and in great shape. If you don’t make your move, some other devil will snatch him!“

Lin Mucí’s heart clenched, a flush spreading across his delicate, fair face. ”What nonsense… I don’t know him well.”

“Bullshit! If you weren’t familiar with each other, why would you stare blankly at his balcony every day? Fine, fine, I’m done arguing with you. They’re calling me over here. Anyway, happy birthday. Tonight, make yourself a candlelit dinner, then make a wish. And that wish should be—”

“Beep… beep… beep…”

Lin Mucí snapped the phone shut. If he kept talking, that hidden longing deep within him would be laid bare & exposed.

Only a dim floor lamp illuminated the living room, its soft glow enveloping the exquisite birthday cake on the coffee table.

Flames danced playfully atop the solitary candle, casting a faint glow on his somewhat desolate face.

Twenty-five years of lifelong singledom.

To say he wasn’t disappointed would be a lie.

Especially after a man named Gu Chaoyu moved in next door last year.

Just then, the familiar sound of a car engine shutting off echoed from downstairs.

Lin Mucí immediately rushed to the balcony, cautiously peeking over the edge.

A tall, slender figure stepped out of the car.

The man wore a perfectly tailored suit, the light outlining his broad shoulders and sharply defined profile.

It was Gu Chaoyu!

Even standing there in silence, he formed a scene captivating enough to steal one’s soul.

Lin Mucí felt his cheeks grow slightly warm.

He watched Gu Chaoyu walk into the apartment building, his figure disappearing from view before reluctantly pulling his gaze away.

Returning to the cake, Lin Mucí pressed his palms together and closed his eyes.

“I hope to get closer to Gu Chaoyu, even if it’s just to exchange a few words.”

After making his wish, he puffed out his cheeks and blew out the candles in one breath.

A wisp of blue smoke curled upward.

Immediately afterward, a powerful wave of dizziness swept over him. Lin Mucí’s vision went black, and he lost consciousness completely.

…

When his consciousness returned, Lin Mucí found himself sprawled flat on the wooden floor, arms and legs splayed wide.

He tried to open his eyes groggily, but his vision remained blurry.

Wait.

Was this perspective a bit too low?

He could clearly see every tiny speck of dust on the floor and strands of hair tangled around the legs of the nearby sofa.

The entire world had become colossal.

His bed, his desk, his wardrobe, everything had transformed into towering monoliths.

An unprecedented wave of terror washed over him.

He tried to push himself up, only to discover his limbs had ceased to obey him.

He looked down.

What met his eyes were a pair of furry, pink-padded… orange cat paws.

!!!

Lin Mucí’s mind went blank with a buzzing sound.

He stiffly turned his neck, his gaze slowly shifting upward to land on the nearby sofa.

Scattered on the sofa lay the gray T-shirt and shorts he’d worn that day.

So, this furry, chubby creature sprawled on the floor… was himself?!

He’d turned into a cat?! Wasn’t this the kind of plot twist only found in the novels he wrote?

“Meow-!”

A shrill, unfamiliar cat cry burst from his throat.

Just then, a familiar ringtone sounded.

“May you be loved by this world, may you~~”

The phone lay on the coffee table, screen lit, displaying the words [Dr. Gu] in the voice call app.

It was Gu Chaoyu!

Lin Mucí instantly panicked.

He wanted to answer the call, but he was just a cat now!

He awkwardly leaped onto the coffee table, extending his two paw pads to swipe left and right across the phone screen.

“Meow! Meow meow!”

Answer it! Hurry up and answer it!

His paws sent the phone spinning across the surface, the screen flickering on and off repeatedly.

He paced frantically in circles, a whimpering cry rising from his throat.

Why did this have to happen now!

What would Gu Chaoyu think? That he was deliberately ignoring the call?

What should I do? Stupid brain, turn it back!

Yes, I have to change back!

I must change back!

He screamed frantically inside his mind, picturing his limbs lengthening, his fur fading away, and his human form returning.

His entire brain was consumed by this intense thought.

“Thud!”

A faint, muffled sound.

As if some invisible shackle had snapped free.

Lin Mucí felt his body being violently pulled and stretched by an unseen force.

The furry texture rapidly faded away, revealing smooth human skin before his eyes.

His field of vision rose, and the world returned to its normal scale.

He had transformed back!

Lin Mucí looked down at his hands, then touched his face. The feel of human skin was so real it made him want to cry.

Except… he was completely naked, wearing nothing at all.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Yet, inside, he felt an extraordinary thrill.

This wasn’t a curse.

It was an urban legend that came true.

He had truly gained superpowers.

The ability to transform into a plump orange cat at will.

After a brief rest, Lin Mucí recovered from his exhaustion.

He texted Gu Chaoyu back: “Dr. Gu, what’s up? I just fell asleep and didn’t hear your call.” Then he pushed himself up from the sofa.

Walking to the full-length mirror,

he stared at his pale reflection. A daring thought emerged.

He concentrated once more.

Visualizing that fluffy orange fur, those soft paw pads, that bushy tail.

“Thud.”

Another strange sensation washed over him.

He shrank again, his body enveloped in warm fur.

Success!

He tried transforming back into human form.

“Thud.”

He stood naked once more, though this time the exhaustion was more intense.

After several rounds of practice, Lin Mucí had basically mastered the trick.

As long as he concentrated his thoughts, he could freely switch between human and cat forms. Though each transformation drained a significant amount of energy.

He slumped on the sofa, his mind buzzing with activity.

Before, he’d never dared to strike up a conversation with Gu Chaoyu.

Whenever he encountered Gu Chaoyu in the hallway, his palms would sweat nervously, and even a simple “hello” came out stumbling and awkward. That blush had been added during his previous visit to Gu Chaoyu’s clinic.

But…

What about a cat?

A seemingly homeless, pitiful little stray kitten?

Who could resist a chubby orange cat begging for attention?

Especially someone as gentle as Gu Chaoyu.

Lin Mucí’s heart pounded wildly.

This was a godsend!

A plan to approach Gu Chaoyu openly and legitimately rapidly took shape in his mind.

He would become the cutest, most cunning orange tabby.

He would appear before Gu Chaoyu in the most perfect form.

Plan approved!

Lin Mucí took a deep breath and refocused his mind.

This time, he didn’t just envision the orange tabby’s appearance; he mentally applied all sorts of “beauty filters” to his own feline form.

His fur would shine like sunshine, his belly would be soft and squishy, his face would be round and plump, and his meow would be sweet and velvety.

“Thump!”

A brand-new chubby orange cat materialized on the sofa.

He flicked his tail triumphantly, then strode toward the door with an elegant yet clumsy catwalk.

He was heading downstairs to orchestrate the perfect “chance encounter.”

Just as he reached the doorway.

Steady, powerful footsteps echoed from beyond the hallway.

Tap, tap, tap~

The sound grew louder, approaching directly and stopping right at his doorstep.

Lin Xiaomiao’s fur stood on end. (Dear readers, from now on, Lin Mucí’s chubby orange cat form will be referred to as Lin Xiaomiao!)

Those footsteps…

It was Gu Chaoyu!

Why was he at my door? What did he want?