Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Thud—"

The muffled sound of a body hitting the ground instantly drew everyone's attention.

Bai Li stared at his outstretched little paw, his round face frozen in shock.

He—he was that strong?! He actually pushed someone over.

Xie Chen stood to the side, turning his body slightly, holding the little kitten in his arms, and placed the small paw on himself.

He had already noticed Liu Yi walking toward him.

Moreover, this clumsy attempt to fake an accident—he knew—was also a signal. If he found the person appealing and went along with it, catching them, then what followed would be an unspoken understanding that he was accepting them.

Xie Chen had originally intended to avoid it entirely, but seeing the nervous way the kitten stretched out its paw, he couldn’t help himself. He delayed for a few seconds, deliberately letting those little paws nudge Liu Yi, and then dodged aside.

Liu Yi lay on the ground, his face flushed, his peach blossom eyes misty as he looked pitifully at Xie Chen. “Brother Xie.”

Bai Li had initially thought the fall looked painful and felt a little sorry. But that one “Brother Xie” from the other man made him instantly hug Xie Chen tighter.

“Meow!”

No faking accidents!

Bai Li clung tightly to Xie Chen’s arm with possessive determination. His usually obedient and well-behaved expression now had a bit of fierceness.

This person wasn’t good. Bai Li didn’t want his especially good, especially kind Mr. Xie to get entangled with him.

Xie Chen used his free hand to gently smooth the fluffed-up fur of the little kitten. Under Liu Yi’s gaze, he let out a soft scoff: “You expecting me to help you up?”

Liu Yi shook his head. With help from the waiter who had first accidentally bumped into him, he slowly stood up.

The waiter was still frantically apologizing to Liu Yi: “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault. I accidentally bumped into you, that’s what caused all this.”

The waiter’s words completely exonerated Liu Yi.

Xie Chen shot them a cold glance, not buying the act at all. Uninterested in further engagement, he skirted around them and walked off with the kitten in his arms, ready to go home.

But he hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Liu Yi suddenly gritted his teeth and chased after him.

“President Xie.”

He no longer used the overly familiar “Brother Xie,” but respectfully addressed him as President Xie.

Irritation flickered across Xie Chen’s eyes. He turned back, staring coldly at Liu Yi.

“I have something I want to discuss with you.”Liu Yi dropped the roundabout pleasantries and got straight to the point. He didn’t get many chances to see Xie Chen, so now that he finally had one, he couldn’t afford to waste it.

“I know your brand Yol and Tan Yi’s endorsement contracts are about to expire. You could consider me—I only need one-tenth of Tan Yi’s endorsement fee.”

One-tenth—this was indeed a huge discount.

Xie Chen looked at him coldly but didn’t respond.

Liu Yi started to get anxious. The endorsement opportunity with Yol was particularly important for him right now. He needed this endorsement to get other luxury brands to notice him and possibly work with him.

“President Xie.” Liu Yi’s heart sank when he saw that Xie Chen remained unmoved. He gritted his teeth and made an even bolder offer: “I’m willing to do it for free. I just need you to give me this chance.”

He’d said everything he could. Now, all he could do was wait for Xie Chen to respond.

Xie Chen lowered his gaze, looking at the little kitten in his arms who was listening to their conversation with a dazed expression, and asked in a low voice, “Lili, who do you want to choose?”

Liu Yi held his breath, watching Xie Chen lower his head and talk to the kitten in his arms.

He clenched his fists, thinking: it’s just a cat, it can’t talk, how could it possibly choose someone? Clearly, Xie Chen was just buying time to decide on his answer.

“Meow?”

Choose what?

Bai Li tilted his head, confusion shining in his beautiful amber eyes.

Xie Chen ran his fingers through the kitten’s soft fur, saying nothing, waiting for the little guy to figure it out himself.

Bai Li stared at him for a few seconds before finally realizing Xie Chen wasn’t going to give him any hints.

He seriously tried to recall what Liu Yi had said, and then started to meow randomly.

“Tan Yi looks good.”

He’d seen the big Tan Yi poster on the road outside several times.

Xie Chen got his answer. He looked up and said calmly, “The decision about endorsements is made by the business department. You’re talking to the wrong person.”

With that, Xie Chen turned and left.

Liu Yi bit his lip hard. He knew this was a rejection. Even after offering to endorse for free, Xie Chen still wouldn’t give him a chance.

Clearly, he and Tan Yi were already very similar, and he’d always been called “Little Tan Yi” by the public. So why was it that what came so easily to Tan Yi was something he had to chase desperately and still couldn’t reach?

After leaving the banquet venue—barely moments after Bai Li and the others walked out—more drama erupted inside.

Miss Zhou, seeing Liu Yi’s face, rudely scolded him.

Miss Zhou liked Tan Yi and naturally looked down on this knockoff who kept using her beloved to stir up gossip.

Inside the car.

Xie Chen brought the goat milk he hadn’t had a chance to feed Bai Li earlier to the kitten’s mouth.

Gulp gulp.Bai Li latched onto the torn milk opening and wouldn’t let go.

Watching him so focused on drinking, Xie Chen was suddenly reminded of a video his uncle had accidentally played out loud.

“So hungry, so hungry, I’m really so hungry.”

That looping soundtrack, paired with the little kitten on his lap stretching out its paws and gulping down milk, formed a surprisingly harmonious image in Xie Chen’s mind.

The very hungry little kitten, after finishing a whole carton of milk, sprawled out on Xie Chen’s lap and used his paw to grab Xie Chen’s big hand, guiding it to rub his belly.

“Meow aow.”

Look, my tummy’s so round.

Xie Chen’s palm pressed against his warm, soft belly. He couldn’t help himself and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Bai Li generously let him squeeze away, but Xie Chen’s grip was strong, and Bai Li was already feeling a little too full. Not only that, but maybe he really was a bit sensitive to milk—his little head started to feel dizzy.

“Meow.”

Stop squeezing.

Bai Li stretched out a paw and pressed down on Xie Chen’s big hand, letting out two soft meows.

If you keep squeezing, I’m gonna throw up the milk.

Hearing this, Xie Chen finally withdrew his mischievous hand. Looking down at the little guy who was so full he might throw up, his heart felt oddly softened by those meows.

Before long—

The car finally arrived at the villa.

Xie Chen carried the dozing little kitten into the house.

As usual, the first thing they did upon returning wasHe asked directly, and the manager didn’t hold anything back either: “Liu Yi has a financial backer.”

“Although things didn’t end well with his previous backer, his new one isn’t easy to deal with either—and does have some influence.”

Xie Chen said calmly, “Our brand chooses endorsers based solely on suitability.”

The implication: that kind of financial backing doesn’t work on him.

Tan Yi’s manager had been waiting for just this kind of statement.

“With your word, Brother Xie, I can rest easy.”

When the call ended, Tan Yi showed up again to say goodbye to Xie Chen.

After having his fur blown dry, Bai Li—bored and playing by himself on the table—rolled over to Xie Chen like a little white ball.

“Meow?”

Who were you talking to on the phone?

Bai Li rolled over and bumped to a stop at Xie Chen’s leg, then sat up to ask.

Seeing that he looked more energetic than before, Xie Chen patted his fur. “Tan Yi.”

As soon as Bai Li heard that, he hurried to look at the phone screen.

He wanted to see Tan Yi too.

But the video had already ended, and Bai Li only saw the darkened screen.

At that moment—

Over on Tan Yi’s side, he frowned and nudged his manager. “Did you just hear a meow?”

The manager looked confused. “What meow?”

Tan Yi frowned even deeper and described, “A soft little meow.”

Like the sound his precious little brother used to make.

The manager shook his head. “No, I didn’t notice anything.”

Tan Yi pressed his lips together and said nothing.

It had already been quite a while since he saw that signal up on the mountain. But he’d searched many places and still couldn’t find Lili, who had come down the mountain.

Back when they were on the mountain, they didn’t have phones or anything—couldn’t even take a photo.

If he had a photo of Lili, he could post a missing cat notice. That might make it easier to find him.

Now, it was like looking for a cat in the ocean.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated Tan Yi became. He said something to the manager and got up to go outside for some air.

In the villa—Bai Li was meowing to Xie Chen, pleading: “Can I sleep here tonight?”

He pointed to a spot in the innermost corner of the room and gestured to Xie Chen: “I’m very small, I’ll only take up this much space.”

He spread his little paws to show just how little he would occupy.

Xie Chen narrowed his cold eyes slightly, watching the serious little kitten gesture. Seeing the damp glimmer in those eyes, the corner of his lips curved—

“Only a little bit of space?”

“Meow!”

Yes, yes.

Bai Li pawed at his leg and stood up, those beautiful eyes practically flashing the words: “Please, let me stay.”

Faced with the pleading of such a little kitten, anyone else would’ve given in instantly.

But Xie Chen—he didn’t always act like a decent human being.

“No.”

Xie Chen ruffled his chubby little body, took advantage of the fluff, and said heartlessly: “My bedroom doesn’t house cats.”

When Bai Li heard the rejection, his entire body visibly wilted.

He felt a little wronged, and also felt he shouldn't be feeling that way. After all, it was Mister’s bedroom—he had no right to stay there.

“Meow.”

Bai Li hung his head, sadly meowing despite himself.

Fine then, if he couldn’t stay...

He’d sneak in through the window at night.