Doctor Gu’s Orange Cat Boyfriend - Chapter 12

“He just blurted it out! That’s how he is. He’s always shooting his mouth off!” Lin Mucí hastily distanced himself. “I usually call him ‘that dog’! Don’t believe me? Check how I’ve saved him in my contacts!”

“Hah.” Gu Chaoyu finally couldn’t hold it in, letting out a low chuckle.

Lin Mucí stared blankly at him. This was the first time he’d ever seen Gu Chaoyu smile so… genuinely. It wasn’t that polite smile anymore, but a real one, radiating from within, with laughter in the corners of his eyes and the arch of his brows.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing his flawless profile in a golden halo.

Lin Mucí was mesmerized.

His still-racing heartbeat began to pound wildly once more.

【He looks way too good when he smiles…】

【I’d give my life! I’d give you my life!】

Seeing Lin Mucí’s lovesick expression lifted Gu Chaoyu’s mood even more. He stood up, walked over to Lin Mucí, and reached out his hand.

Lin Mucí instinctively flinched.

【What is he doing? Petting my head? Pinching my cheeks? Ahhh I didn’t wash my face!】

Instead, Gu Chaoyu’s hand merely brushed lightly across his forehead, smoothing down a stray strand of hair that had stood up.

“Your porridge will get cold. Eat quickly. I should head back now. My new orange cat seems a bit shy around strangers. I need to check on him.”

“I’ll come by this afternoon to ask you about cat care tips. Of course, only if you’re available, it’d be best if you could come to my place for a hands-on lesson.”

“No problem, Dr. Gu. Take your time!”

After Gu Chaoyu left, the room fell silent once more.

Lin Mucí sat at the dining table, sipping the perfectly warm millet porridge spoonful by spoonful. The porridge was cooked to a soft, sweet, and sticky consistency, its warmth spreading from his stomach throughout his entire body.

The frantic pounding of that little deer in his heart finally began to subside.

【He really didn’t suspect I was faking stomach pain…】

【He even brought me breakfast…】

【He just got jealous over Zhou Yang… Only a little, but definitely jealous!】

【He even smiled at me…】

Lin Mucí finished the last sip of porridge, cradling the empty bowl as a silly grin spread across his face.

After washing the dishes, he glanced at the clock—it was barely past nine in the morning.

Several hours remained before the afternoon’s “Cat Care Tutorial.”

【No way, I need to prepare properly!】

Lin Mucí immediately dashed back to his bedroom and opened the wardrobe.

As a novelist who rarely left home, ninety percent of his wardrobe consisted of loose, comfortable T-shirts and hoodies.

【This one… looks too scruffy, like I just rolled out of bed.】

【This one… is too worn out, the collar’s all stretched from washing.】

[This one… the pattern’s too childish, like something a kid would wear.]

He rummaged through his wardrobe, finally pulling out a light camel-colored sweater Zhou Yang had given him for his birthday last year—one he’d never worn.

The sweater’s fabric was soft, and its color was gentle, making his skin appear fairer.

【This is the one!】

After selecting his outfit, he dashed to the bathroom and began fussing with his hair in front of the mirror.

His naturally wavy hair had become a tangled mess overnight. He sprayed water, applied wax, and fussed for ages until he finally tamed those stubborn flyaways.

【Hmm, this looks much more lively!】

【Wait, am I trying too hard? Will he think I dressed up just to see him?】

【No, no, that would give away my feelings!】

【Or… maybe I should switch back to my gray hoodie? Mess up my hair a bit more? Give off that “I couldn’t care less about this meeting” vibe?】

Inside Lin Mucí’s mind, two little voices began a heated debate.

One said: “Go for it! Beauty is the primary productive force! Show him how handsome you are!”

The other countered: “Stay low-key! Don’t flaunt your awkward growth spurt! Blend in with the crowd!”

In the end, the desire to look good overpowered the urge to hide his awkwardness.

After changing, Lin Mucí admired his refreshed reflection in the mirror, even spinning around to admire himself.

The waiting felt interminably long.

Lin Mucí paced the living room, swiping through his phone one moment, then sitting at the computer to sketch out novel plots the next. Yet his mind kept circling back to Gu Chaoyu’s face.

His smile. His slightly furrowed brows. The tender tone when he called his name…

【Aaaargh, I’m going crazy!】

Lin Mucí covered his flushed face, feeling like a lovesick teenager—the most pathetic kind.

Finally, the clock on the wall slowly ticked to 2 PM.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Mucí walked to Gu Chaoyu’s door.

“Knock knock.”

Before he could knock more than a few times, the door opened from the inside.

Gu Chaoyu stood inside the doorway, dressed in light gray loungewear, his posture tall and upright. Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the living room window behind him, softening his usually cool features with a warm glow.

“You’re here?”

“Mhm…” Lin Mucí nodded.

【Goodness, how did he open the door so fast? Was he waiting for me?】

【He looks so good in that outfit, it makes his legs look so long…】

Gu Chaoyu stepped aside. “Come in.”

Lin Mucí slipped on a pair of slippers and followed him into the living room.

Then, he immediately spotted the small cat perched on the corner of the sofa, warily eyeing him.

“Wow, is this the cat you adopted? So cute!” he said, slowly approaching the sofa.

【Plan Phase One: Successfully framed with the cat stand-in in human form!】

The “stand-in orange” on the sofa seemed a bit shy. Seeing him approach, it stood up and backed away, letting out a warning “hiss-hiss” from its throat.

“Seems a bit scared of me,” Lin Mucí pointed at the orange cat, its back arched and its expression screaming “Stay away!” He launched into his “expert advice”: “Cats need time to adjust to new environments. Don’t rush to get close. Let it get familiar with its surroundings first.”

“Really?” Gu Chaoyu’s voice came from beside him. “But I read online that orange cats are very affectionate, especially towards good-looking people.”

Lin Mucí: “…”

【What does he mean?】

【Is he implying I’m not good-looking, which is why the cat is scared of me?!】

【Impossible! I dressed up meticulously today! I look devastatingly handsome!】

Lin Mucí’s ego took a minor blow.

Gu Chaoyu watched his dared-not-speak-out look and was already laughing inside.

【Just kidding. My husband is the most hansome.】

“Maybe it got scared being alone in an unfamiliar place while I was out this morning,” Gu Chaoyu offered, giving Lin Mucí Mucí a way out. “You have more cat-raising experience. Why don’t you try? See if you can help it relax a bit.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”

Lin Mucí didn’t approach directly. Instead, he picked up a cat teaser from the coffee table and began gently waving it near the orange kitten.

True to its nickname “Orange (No. 2),” the stand-in cat was instantly drawn to the colorful feather, its eyes fixed intently on the teaser.

Seeing this, Lin Mucí slowly moved the wand toward himself.

The kitten hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn’t resist the temptation. It took a few short steps and followed the wand over.