Doctor Gu’s Orange Cat Boyfriend - Chapter 4

The next day was a weekend. At six in the morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains.

Gu Chaoyu’s biological clock was precise; he slowly opened his eyes. He felt a weight on his arm. Looking down, he saw the orange kitten had rolled into the crook of his arm at some point, curled up in a ball, fast asleep.

He didn’t move, just watched quietly.

After gazing for a long while, he finally carefully withdrew his arm and got up on tiptoe.

Since he’d decided to play along, he needed to get all the cat supplies ready.

He quickly finished his morning routine, changed into casual clothes, and retrieved a spacious-looking pet carrier from the walk-in closet.

He placed the drowsy little Lin Xiaomiao inside.

“Mmm… meow?” Lin Xiaomiao opened his eyes in the soft carrier. Through the mesh window in front of him, he immediately spotted Gu Chaoyu’s handsome face.

【Where is he taking me so early?】

“Orange, are you awake?” Gu Chaoyu zipped up the carrier, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and spoke gently, “I’m taking you to buy some supplies.”

【Shopping! With him! Is this how our married life together begins?】

Lin Xiaomiao instantly perked up, shifting into a comfortable position inside the carrier. He pressed his front paws against the mesh window, curiously observing everything outside.

【So this is the world of pet cats! Way more comfortable than being human!】

【Humans slave away all day, then come home to clean up after their cat masters and dog sons. They even have to spend part of their hard-earned money on cat food and dog food!】

【Unlike cats and dogs, all we need to do is wait for our owners to come home at night, show some affection, and act cute. Then we get to spend the whole day at home: air-conditioned, sunbathing, curled up on the couch, sleeping soundly. Blissful!】

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

Gu Chaoyu had chosen the city’s most upscale pet lifestyle boutique.

The moment they entered, a young woman dressed impeccably and flawlessly made up hurried over in high heels.

“Dr. Gu? What a coincidence! Are you here to shop for your pet too?”

Gu Chaoyu gave a polite nod.

The woman, seemingly oblivious to his coolness, fixed her gaze on the cat carrier in his hands. Instantly adopting the air of a seasoned cat expert, she enthusiastically declared, “Is this is your first time raising a cat, Dr. Gu? Feel free to ask me anything! My Ragdoll is as sleek and shiny as can be.”

Lin Xiaomiao curled his lips while inside the carrier.

【Rival radar activated! The way this woman looks at Dr. Gu is practically dripping with admiration!】

Gu Chaoyu didn’t respond, pushing his shopping cart straight toward the cat food section.

The woman followed, noticing Gu Chaoyu examining a mid-to-high-end domestic brand. She immediately chimed in with a superior tone: “Dr. Gu, this cat food just has good advertising. It’s actually commercial grain-based food with too much starch & not good for cats. My cat only eats imported, grain-free natural food. Look at that brand over there, it’s especially good for coat health.”

She pointed to a lavishly packaged imported brand on the top shelf.

Lin Xiaomiao was so furious inside the cat carrier that his paws were itching.

【Bullshit! That brand she pointed at was just exposed for quality control issues recently & several batches caused health problems! The one I’m looking at here is widely recognized as the best value for money, with a clean formula and high meat content!】

He couldn’t speak human words, but he could act!

Lin Xiaomiao immediately began frantically pounding the mesh of his carrier with his paws, fixated on the shelf she desired. “Meow! Meow!” she cried, utterly resolute.

Gu Chaoyu had no interest in the woman’s lecture anyway. Seeing Lin Xiaomiao’s reaction, he immediately crouched down and smiled at the little creature in the carrier. “Oh? You like this one?”

At the same time, he clearly read the woman’s inner thoughts: 【Hmph, what does a stray cat know? But this is perfect, I’ll use this chance to show him I have great taste.】

Gu Chaoyu’s gaze instantly turned cold.

He stood up without a word, decisively grabbing the large bag of cat food Lin Xiaomiao had chosen and tossing it into the shopping cart.

Only then did he turn to the woman, whose smile had already stiffened, and said politely, “Thank you for your suggestion, but I trust my cat’s own choice.”

The woman’s expression instantly soured.

Lin Xiaomiao wagged its tail triumphantly inside the carrier.

【Way to go! Dr. Gu rocks!】

The woman clearly wasn’t giving up. She followed him to the cat supplies section, pointed at an ornate, castle-like luxury cat tree, and launched another sales pitch: “Dr. Gu, cats love to climb. This villa-style cat tree is perfect. It looks great in any home and reflects the owner’s taste.”

Lin Xiaomiao glanced at it once and mentally railed against it.

【All show and no substance! Nothing but plywood—that’ll reek! And those little platforms are useless—impossible to jump on! I hate it!】

He strained to pop half his head out of the cat carrier, meowing at a simple, rustic-looking corrugated cardboard scratching post beside him. Made of natural sisal, it looked incredibly durable and scratch-resistant. He even stretched out his paw, reaching desperately in that direction.

This time, Gu Chaoyu didn’t hesitate. He picked up the plain scratching post Lin Xiaomiao preferred and placed it in the shopping cart.

He even bent down and said gently to Lin Xiaomiao inside the carrier, “Alright, I’ll listen to you. This one’s more practical.”

The woman fell completely silent. Her exquisitely made-up face flushed crimson with anger. It was a truly spectacular sight.

After checking out, Gu Chaoyu carried bags of purchases toward the parking lot.

The woman, undeterred, followed him out and made a final attempt by the car: “Dr. Gu, there’s so much to consider when raising a cat. How about… we exchange numbers? That way we can easily exchange cat-raising tips?”

As Gu Chaoyu loaded the items into the trunk, he clearly read her true thoughts: 【Agree quickly! If we add each other, I can chat with you every day! I refuse to believe that a gorgeous woman like me can’t compete with some stray cat! If a stray can effortlessly move into your home, I can definitely make it happen too!】

Gu Chaoyu slammed the trunk shut.

He turned to face the woman, whose smile was nothing short of perfect, and delivered the most ruthless words: “No need.”

“My neighbor is a writer. He studies cats extensively for his work,” he said slowly. “If I have any questions, I just ask him. It’s very convenient.”

With that, he opened the door, slid into the driver’s seat, and started the car. Amidst the woman’s stunned gaze, he sped away, leaving her behind.

Inside the car, Gu Chaoyu glanced at the chubby orange kitten in the passenger seat’s carrier. The little guy looked supremely smug, practically dancing with joy. Unable to resist, Gu Chaoyu reached out a finger and gently tapped its tiny nose through the mesh.

Lowering his voice to a whisper audible only to them, he chuckled softly:

“Orange~~”

He deliberately drew out the last syllable, then, as Lin Xiaomiao lifted his head in confusion, slowly uttered the next sentence.

“You really are a little jealousy ball, aren’t you…?”