Doctor Gu’s Orange Cat Boyfriend - Chapter 6

No! Absolutely not!

He had to return to his apartment and transform back into human form before Gu Chaoyu knocked on his door!

Lin Mucí’s survival instincts surged to their peak.

“Meow-woo—!”

He suddenly struggled in Gu Chaoyu’s embrace, then seized the moment Gu Chaoyu instinctively loosened his grip to dart out of his arms!

He couldn’t go through the door because Gu Chaoyu was standing right by it.

His eyes darted around the living room, scanning the entire space before locking onto the floor-to-ceiling glass door leading to the balcony!

That was it!

Lin Xiaomiao shot toward the balcony.

Gu Chaoyu watched his frantic retreating figure without immediately chasing after him. He simply stood there, calmly observing.

He knew exactly what the little guy was panicking about.

He was doing this on purpose.

He just wanted to see how this adorable little trickster would handle the situation.

Lin Xiaomiao successfully reached the balcony. The balconies of the two apartments were adjacent, separated only by a gap less than half a meter wide.

For an agile cat, leaping across was effortless.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he pushed off with his hind legs. His body traced a beautiful orange arc through the air, landing steadily on his own balcony.

Success!

Without pausing to catch his breath, Lin Xiaomiao darted through the slightly ajar balcony door and sprinted toward the bedroom at top speed!

A flash of light, and the next second, the plump orange cat vanished, transforming back into his human form.

Lin Mucí hadn’t even had time to straighten his clothes when he heard a “thump, thump, thump” at the door.

He’s here!

He really came!

Lin Mucí took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He roughly ran his fingers through his hair, patted his face stiff with tension, and strained to produce a somewhat natural-looking smile.

Then he hurried to the door and opened it.

“Dr. Gu… Dr. Gu? Is something wrong?” Lin Muck tried to make his voice sound normal, but the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his nerves.

Gu Chaoyu looked at his flushed cheeks, messy hair, and those almond-shaped eyes that dared not meet his gaze, filled with guilt.

He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, under Lin Mucí’s increasingly anxious gaze, he slowly uttered a sentence that nearly made Lin Mucí collapse on the spot.

“How did you get an orange hair on your face?”

An orange hair?

【Hair? What hair? Where did this hair come from?】

【How could there be cat hair on my face? I clearly transformed back!】

【Could the transformation be incomplete? Could there be aftereffects? Like shedding fur?】

【Oh no, oh no, oh no! I’m truly doomed now! Totally screwed!】

A red alert instantly sounded in Lin Mucí’s mind. Catastrophic scenarios played out in rapid succession, all culminating in the image of Gu Chaoyu staring at him with an expression that screamed, “So you’re a monster.”

He instinctively raised his hand and roughly wiped his face.

“Is… is there? Maybe… the wind blew it here? There are quite a few stray cats in the neighborhood.”

Even he knew this excuse was pathetic.

Gu Chaoyu just stared at him silently, saying nothing. But that faint, ambiguous smile playing at the corner of his lips felt oppressive to Lin Mucí more than any harsh interrogation.

【Does he believe me? He definitely doesn’t!】

【This excuse is pathetic. How could the wind blow a single cat hair so precisely onto my face?】

【Is he waiting for me to confess?】

【But how do I confess? Say, “Hey, neighbor, I’m not actually human. I’m a cat demon who transforms into a fat orange cat. That was me rubbing against your pants leg earlier”?】

【He’d send me to the Academy of Sciences for dissection, right? Absolutely!】

Lin Mucí grew more terrified the more he thought about it, lowering his head until it nearly vanished into his collar.

Watching him burrow like an ostrich trying to bury itself, Gu Chaoyu finally relented. He wouldn’t press this maddening topic any further.

He gave a soft “Hmm,” accepting the flimsy excuse.

“Never mind that. I came to ask your advice about something.” Gu Chaoyu’s voice returned to its usual gentleness. “Yesterday… I picked up a cat.”

Lin Mucí snapped his head up.

【Picked up a cat?】

【Why did he use the word “found”? Does he not plan to keep me long-term?】

【So I’m just a stray he’s temporarily sheltering? All that cat food, litter, toys… just a momentary burst of kindness?】

【True… who would casually take in a stray cat of unknown origin?】

Lin Mucí suddenly felt a twinge of sadness in his heart.

Gu Chaoyu observed every shift in his expression and every flicker of his inner thoughts.

【So that’s what the little guy is worried about.】

He found Lin Mucí both amusing and endearing, yet his expression remained impassive as he continued playing the role of a novice cat owner.

“It’s just an orange cat I encountered in the stairwell yesterday. I felt sorry for it, so I brought it home.”

As he spoke, he added casually, “Looks like I’m keeping it long-term, so I bought a bunch of stuff. But since this is my first time raising a cat and I have no experience, I remember you mentioned being quite knowledgeable about cat care, so I thought I’d ask you.”

Long-term!

【So he plans to keep me long-term!】

【Perfect! I knew it! How could the man I chose be so heartless?】

【God-tier guy conquest progress +1!】

【Huh, something feels off. Is this me conquering him or him conquering me? Why does it feel like I’m the one going crazy over him?!!】

[Forget it, no point overthinking. Just get through this crisis first.]

“Ah, y-yes! No problem!” Lin Mucí patted his chest, instantly shedding his earlier awkwardness and switching into full “cat care expert” mode.

“What do you want to know? Cat food portions? Litter choices? Or vaccinations and deworming? I’ve got you covered! I’m a total pro!”

Gu Chaoyu watched his face light up instantly, inwardly amused.

“Well, there are quite a few questions,” he said slowly. “For example, I bought it a mid-to-high-end domestic cat food. It says to feed according to weight, but Orange seems a bit chubby. I’m worried feeding too much might be bad for its health.”

“Oh, and Orange is the name I gave it.”

【Is he calling me fat? He actually said I’m fat to my face!】

Lin Mucí’s smile froze.

【Sure, I am a chubby orange kitty, but… but…】

But hearing it from the person I have a crush on? That’s a whole different level of hurtful!

He cleared his throat, trying to mask his slight embarrassment with a professional tone: “Ahem, Well, kittens or cats newly adjusted to a new environment tend to have sensitive stomachs. It’s best to feed small portions multiple times a day at first, observing its appetite and bowel movements. Being a bit chubby is fine. Nine out of ten orange cats are plump, and the tenth practically collapses the bed. It’s genetic, and utterly adorable.”

By the end, he couldn’t resist defending his own figure.

Gu Chaoyu nodded, acknowledging the advice.

“I see. Where should I place the litter box? I’m worried if I put it in the wrong spot, it won’t like it.”

【He even thought of this. So thoughtful.】

Lin Mucí felt another wave of sweetness wash over him.

“Best to put it in a well-ventilated, quiet spot, away from its food and water bowls. Cats are very clean and dislike using the bathroom near their eating area.“ Lin Mucí answered smoothly.

”Hmm,“ Gu Chaoyu posed another question, one that carried a certain weight. ”There’s one more thing… I’ve noticed it seems… particularly clingy, and gets jealous easily.”