I Am Being Raised by a Cat - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After Cheng Yue finished speaking, there was a patch of silence on the phone.

Feeling a bit guilty for lying, he bit his lip and was about to say something when his eyes suddenly widened.

He watched with his own eyes as the man got out of the car opposite him. Across a road, Cheng Shang’s face bore not a trace of expression, his gaze a field of coldness.

Cheng Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

He had never seen Cheng Shang like this. The man had always been gentle toward him; seeing this cold-faced appearance so abruptly, he was suddenly somewhat afraid.

Liu诚 spoke from beside him, “Isn’t that Governor Cheng? Yue Yue, is he here to pick you up?”

Cheng Yue bit his lip lightly. “I—I suppose so. Senior, I’ll be going now.”

After saying that, he almost didn’t wait for Liu Cheng to speak before walking quickly to Cheng Shang’s side, saying urgently, “We just happened to bump into each other at the cafe.”

The man looked down at Cheng Yue, his tone indifferent. “Weren’t you hiding it from me just now?”

The youth was made guilty by the words, and quickly whispered a small defense, “Don’t you dislike Senior?”

Cheng Shang’s voice was cold. “You knew I disliked him, yet you still met him. No wonder you wouldn’t let me accompany you, and wouldn’t allow a driver either—was it just to meet him alone?”

Cheng Yue frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Am I not being obvious enough?” Cheng Shang suddenly reached out and pinched the youth’s chin, forcing him to look up. When appearing as a human, Cheng Shang’s eyes were pitch black, falling heavily upon the youth without a hint of warmth.

“You are not allowed to see him.”

Cheng Yue’s chin was pinched a bit painfully, and being lectured with such cold words by the man made his eyes turn red with anger. “What right do you have to control me? I will see Senior, and I will not listen to you!!”

The fire in the youth’s heart surged up in waves, his words becoming reckless. “You aren’t Ah Shang at all. I don’t want to listen to you, and I don’t want to live with you. I’m moving out tomorrow!”

Hearing this sentence, the man’s fury was completely ignited. He stared at Cheng Yue, his gaze cooling down bit by bit; he was almost laughed in anger, nodding his head. “Fine. Fine.”

He let go of the chin and instead seized the youth’s wrist, forcefully dragging him all the way into the car. After pressing the person into the seat, he slammed the car door shut with force.

Cheng Yue was furious to death, struggling desperately, but his meager strength was not worth mentioning in the man’s eyes. Cheng Shang easily pinned his wrists and effortlessly held the youth pressed into his embrace.

The man commanded coldly, “Drive.”

Fang Cheng, sitting in the passenger seat, wished he were blind.

“Bastard, Cheng Shang, let me go!!” The youth’s eyes were red as he gritted his teeth hard. “I said I have nothing to do with you anymore, don’t you understand?”

“What do you mean by ‘nothing to do’ with me?”

Cheng Shang asked him coldly, “Are you going to abandon me? When you rescued me and brought me back, didn’t you say you would raise me for a lifetime?”

Now Fang Cheng wished he were deaf; he looked out the car window expressionlessly, analyzing the probability of jumping out the window.

Cheng Yue didn’t expect the man to be so thick-skinned. He was so angry he stammered, “You—you now—don’t need me to raise you anymore.”

“How do I not need it!” The man spoke stiffly. “I need it.”

Cheng Yue laughed in anger. “Fine, but I don’t have any money now. I can’t afford to raise you.”

Cheng Shang narrowed his eyes. Somehow, after hearing this sentence from the youth, his gloomy and terrifying expression seemed to soften. He paused for a moment before speaking in a slow, unhurried manner, “That doesn’t matter. I have money.”

Cheng Yue choked, turning his head away sharply.

There were other people in the car; he didn’t want to make things too embarrassing.

The restaurant was no longer necessary; the car drove directly back to the villa. Once they arrived, Cheng Yue clung to the car door and refused to get out. The man didn’t bother wasting words with him; he directly pressed against his waist, supported his buttocks, and carried him in his arms while walking out.

The youth hammered forcefully at Cheng Shang’s shoulders, calling him a bandit and a bastard.

The man, however, only had a flat tone. “Yue Yue, hit harder.”

Cheng Yue stopped his movements. He didn’t even want to hit him anymore; the man was thick-skinned, and hitting him only made his own hands hurt.

Fang Cheng didn’t dare follow them inside. As they entered the door, Cheng Shang tilted his chin toward him, and he immediately understood.

This was a fear that the “Little Ancestor” would go hungry, so he was sent to the restaurant to fetch food.

The villa door closed, and with no outsiders left, Cheng Yue wasn’t afraid of losing face. He took off his shoes and stood on the sofa, attempting to gain a height advantage over the man.

“Cheng Shang, you went too far today!!”

The man lazily crossed his arms. Even with Cheng Yue standing on the sofa, he was barely level with the man. He looked at the youth indifferently. “Yue Yue, be more obedient. I don’t want to fight with you.”

Cheng Yue was furious to death.

Is this what they call the tables turning?

In the past, it was always he who told Ah Shang to be obedient; now it was the other way around.

“What right do you have to restrict my life? You even want to control which people I meet—who do you think you are?!”

Cheng Yue was an orphan; he had been used to being free and casual from childhood to adulthood, and no one had ever controlled him, let alone restricted him from this or that.

Cheng Yue glared at the man, speaking forcefully, “Even if you are my cat, you can’t be like this!”

The atmosphere between the two dropped to a freezing point.

Cheng Shang lowered his brows. He seemed profoundly puzzled by the youth’s insistence on leaving him. “Yue Yue, we lived together before. We will always be together in the future. Isn’t this good?”

The youth shook his head. “In the past, you were my cat. Now you aren’t, and we have no reason to live together.”

The man’s face was sunken. “You can continue to treat me as a cat.”

Cheng Yue immediately felt his breath was wasted just now. He and Cheng Shang were simply not on the same wavelength; no matter what, they couldn’t reach an understanding.

He sighed exhaustedly. “I have nothing more to say to you. I think we both need to calm down.”

Cheng Yue thought about simply packing some clothes and, when he went to work at the cafe tomorrow, asking if they provided accommodation. If not, he would find a hotel to stay in first.

Unexpectedly, the man only nodded coldly. “Fine. Then we’ll talk after you’ve calmed down. For these next two days, I will also stay home to accompany you.”

Cheng Yue’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? I have to go out tomorrow. I found a job…”

“Who gave you permission to go out and work?” Cheng Shang said in a deep voice. “You don’t need to work. Yue Yue, whatever you want, I will give it to you.”

“I don’t need it!!” Cheng Yue was about to die of anger.

“Cheng Shang, do you want to keep me locked up? Imprisonment is illegal.”

The man raised an eyebrow, as if amused by the sentence. “Fine. Then Yue Yue, go report it to the police.”

Cheng Yue was dizzy with anger, only then remembering Cheng Shang’s status and position. Never mind that he was just speaking casually; even if he really went to report it to the police, the police station would likely just arrest him instead.

The youth’s eyes were red, and he was completely out of options. He could only speak very aggrievedly, “In the past, I didn’t mistreat you. Why is it that once you’ve turned into a human, you come back to bully me?”

The man sighed. Ignoring Cheng Yue’s struggle, he picked him up. “Is not letting you go out to work bullying you? Yue Yue, be reasonable, alright?”

Cheng Yue spoke indignantly, “You want to lock me in the house to be your pet!! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking!!”

Revenge! This was blatant revenge!!

The pet had turned the tables and become the master, so he wanted to turn him into a pet too??!

Bastard Ah Shang. He really wanted to throw away all that cat food he used to buy for him.

To his surprise, upon hearing this, the man’s eyes dimmed slightly. His Adam’s apple rolled up and down, and thinking of something unknown, his voice turned slightly hoarse.

“Being a pet requires wearing a collar.”

“Does Yue Yue want to wear one?”

The man lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on the youth’s slender neck. It looked so fragile there; his sharp fangs could very easily pierce it, or more likely, with his hand placed there, he only needed one hand to apply slight pressure to leave beautiful red marks on it.

Meeting the youth’s shocked gaze, Cheng Shang curled his lips almost imperceptibly. “Actually, forget it. I couldn’t bear to.”

The youth’s entire body belonged to him. If marks were to be left, they could only be left by his own hand; he wouldn’t allow anything else to soil him.

Cheng Yue huddled under the blanket, so afraid he didn’t even dare to show his head.

Xiao Xiao pushed a small cart inside. On top were dishes delivered from the restaurant, various types, and even two small cakes as after-dinner desserts.

But Cheng Yue didn’t want to eat at all.

Hiding under the blanket, he spoke with a muffled voice, “I don’t want to eat. I have no appetite.”

Xiao Xiao spoke to him through the blanket, “But you can’t recharge. If you don’t eat, you’ll be hungry and get sick.”

“Then let me get sick.” Cheng Yue finally poked his head out, his hair a bit messy and his eyes still red. “I’m about to be chained up by someone. Can I still be bothered to eat?”

Xiao Xiao quickly leaned in. “Has it already started?”

“What?”

“Your restricted-level romance with the Master.” Xiao Xiao showed him the display screen on its belly. “Thirty-seven degrees of yellow (NSFW).”

Cheng Yue covered his face and shrank back. “You really need to clear your viruses.”

“Is it not so?” Xiao Xiao asked him very seriously. “Then why does the Master want to chain you up?”

“He is retaliating against me.” Cheng Yue pouted. “Because I used to put a chain on him too.”

However, he quickly explained, “But that was only when I took him out to play. There were too many people and I was afraid he’d get lost. Usually, there wasn’t one.”

Xiao Xiao’s large head nodded slowly. “I see. You locked him up, and he locks you up. You’re switching roles?”

“…”

A slender, trembling arm poked out from the blanket, waving with effort. “Get out. I want to be alone for a bit.”

Xiao Xiao left the food for him, but Cheng Yue didn’t touch a single bite. He had originally curled into the blanket to avoid seeing the man, but once the room fell silent, he actually fell asleep in a daze.

Cheng Yue felt himself being held by someone, his neck tightening. He opened his eyes in confusion, finding himself sitting on the man’s lap, and the man was hooking the collar around his neck.

Cheng Yue’s eyes widened with a bit of horror. He opened his mouth wanting to say something, but what came out turned into a sound: Meow~

Cheng Yue was startled awake.

After abruptly opening his eyes, he took several heavy breaths. Seeing the familiar room around him, he realized it was a dream. He patted his chest with lingering fear.

The room had darkened; he estimated he had slept straight through until evening.

Cheng Yue wanted to sit up to pour a glass of water, but just as he rose, a sharp cramp suddenly hit his stomach. His legs went weak, and he almost fell to the floor.

This bout of stomach pain came fiercely and urgently. Cheng Yue had a history of stomach trouble and usually kept medicine at home. Today, likely because he was angry and hadn’t eaten, his stomach condition flared up again.

He wanted to get up and go out to find Xiao Xiao to ask if there was stomach medicine, but waves of spasms caused him to break into a cold sweat. His vision went almost black, and he didn’t even have the strength to stand up.

Arched over, one hand clutched his stomach tightly while the other fumbled blindly for his phone. Finally getting it in hand, he took two difficult breaths and dialed the man’s number.

The call was picked up quickly, and the man’s deep voice rang out, “Yue Yue?”

“Ah Shang.” The youth’s voice was weak and powerless. “My stomach hurts.”

On the other end, the sound of a chair being knocked over rang out.

After the youth went back to his room in a huff, Cheng Shang naturally hadn’t left either. After letting Xiao Xiao deliver the food, Fang Cheng called again with some urgent documents to handle, so he went to the study and had been busy until now.

When Cheng Yue entered the room, he had locked the door from the inside, but such a fragile door panel simply couldn’t withstand the man’s kick.

The youth was curled on the floor. After hearing a violent boom, there were hurried footsteps. Immediately after, his waist tightened; he was picked up around the waist and leaned against a burning-hot chest.

“Yue Yue, how are you?”

Cheng Shang looked at the youth’s deathly pale face, then looked at the nearby untouched food, and a fire surged up layer by layer in his heart.

Knowing clearly that you have a stomach condition, yet you intentionally didn’t eat.

Truly asking for a scolding.

The man gritted his teeth, carrying the person while hurrying outside.

Cheng Yue was in terrible pain. From childhood to adulthood, he had endured any suffering on his own; this was the first time he had been held in someone’s arms when he was feeling unwell.

People are like that—enduring grievances, suffering, and hardship. When no one cares, they grit their teeth and pull through, but once someone offers comfort, their emotions can no longer be controlled.

The youth began to sob softly.

Hearing the youth’s crying, Cheng Shang felt as if his heart were breaking. All his usual calm and indifference were cast aside at this moment. In a panic, he casually grabbed a coat to cover the youth, while simultaneously patting his back gently to coax him.

“Yue Yue, don’t cry. We’re going to the hospital.”

The youth’s back was thin; when stroking it, one could almost feel the bones. Cheng Shang felt both angry and pained.

How can you be so thin and still not eat properly.

Exactly when will I be able to raise you to be a bit chubbier.

While in the car, Cheng Shang had already contacted the hospital. As soon as the car reached the entrance, he saw a group of white-coated doctors waiting outside. Leading them was the Director, who approached wanting to shake hands with Cheng Shang, but Cheng Shang currently had a cold face, holding the person tightly in his arms. He didn’t spare the Director a single glance, walking inside with hurried steps.

The Director snapped back to his senses and quickly beckoned, “Quick, quick, quick, follow them.”

Cheng Yue received an injection of medicine and soon fell asleep.

Even while asleep, his hand was still tightly gripping the man’s clothes.

The man didn’t pull away from him, still holding the person. Looking down at the undried tear tracks on the youth’s face, he lowered his head slightly and rubbed his nose against the youth’s.

…

When Cheng Yue woke up, there was only him in the room. His stomach felt nothing now. He sat up in a daze, only then discovering that his hand was still gripping a coat.

The man pushed the door open at this moment, carrying a bag in his hand.

“Awake?”

Cheng Yue looked at the surroundings and spoke hoarsely, “Where is this?”

“The hospital.” Cheng Shang set the bag down. Inside was a box of steaming hot porridge. “Your stomach is too empty; drink a bit first.”

He opened the box, lowered his head to blow on the steam, and used a spoon to scoop a mouthful to deliver to Cheng Yue’s lips, saying in a low voice, “Open your mouth.”

Everything before him made Cheng Yue a bit dazed. He subconsciously opened his mouth, and a mouthful of hot porridge was sent into it.

After drinking it, his stomach indeed felt a bit warmer.

Clearly only one night had passed, yet no matter how Cheng Shang looked at him, he felt the youth had become thinner again, his heart pained beyond measure.

“If you want to go to work, then go, but you are not allowed to move out.” The man spoke as if sighing. “Don’t be angry with me anymore, alright? Yesterday I was too fierce; I apologize to you.”

He had never softened up for anyone else; it was only because this was Cheng Yue that he naturally took the role of backing down.

Cheng Yue’s nose twitched, and he sniffled lightly, making a small accusation, “You even intimidated me, saying you’d lock me up in a cage to be a pet.”

Cheng Shang paused.

Why did he not remember saying that?

But looking at the youth staring with wide, round eyes, he still spoke with practiced ease, “Alright, alright, alright. It was my fault. I am the pet. Tomorrow I’ll find a chain and tie myself up, right by your bedside.”

Cheng Yue said softly, “Who wants you? You’d best stay far away from me.”

The man fed him porridge and was laughed in anger. “Little ingrate. Who was it that wouldn’t let go of my clothes last night?”

Cheng Yue’s ears turned red.

So that’s what happened with the clothes.

He stammered, “That—that was because I fell asleep, I was unconscious.”

The man gave a snorting laugh. “It’s good. In the future, keep it like that—when you’re in pain or feeling bad, remember to find me, and you can only find me.”