Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Jinjiang Literature City First Release

The moment the words “drunk on milk” were spoken, President Lin and President Zhu both wore subtly complex expressions.

Although they had never raised cats, they had also never heard of a cat getting drunk on milk.

But looking closely at the little kitten in Xie Chen’s arms—within two minutes, he really had fallen asleep.

In his dreams, Bai Li held onto Xie Chen’s hand with his paws, purring contentedly.

“Let’s talk business.”

Xie Chen spoke calmly, redirecting the two men’s attention away from Bai Li.

When it came to business, although everyone sounded cordial and even smiled, who could say how much of that smile was genuine?

Before they knew it, it was already around five or six in the evening.

The fun-loving President Lin extended an invitation to Xie Chen: “President Xie, I wonder if you’d do me the honor of staying for dinner.”

The club naturally had its own dining service.

Xie Chen glanced down at the little kitten wrapped in a blanket, estimating he’d sleep for a while longer. He nodded. “Of course I’ll give President Lin that honor.”

President Lin’s full name was Lin Chao, a well-known rich second-generation with a solid family background.

Though he liked to play, he had always drawn a clear line when it came to his principles—he never did anything illegal. But while he stayed within the law, his flirtatious affairs were another matter entirely.

At dinner, several beautiful young women from the club were called over by Lin Chao.

“Say hello.”

Lin Chao knew these girls and introduced them with a smile: “This is President Zhu, and this is President Xie. Oh right, your girl group—isn’t it signed under President Xie’s company?”

Xie Chen shot him a glance and corrected him: “That’s my cousin’s company. It has nothing to do with me.”

All the girls’ gazes landed on Xie Chen’s face, but none dared approach. They behaved sweetly, greeting him one by one with a “Brother Xie.”

Xie Chen only responded with a quiet “Mm,” his aloofness plain to see.

These girls, as it happened, were the same ones Xie Chen had encountered in the elevator at the company not long ago.

Xie Chen still remembered the scent of their perfume—it had made Lili sneeze.

The girls took their seats. Two sat beside Lin Chao, one accompanied President Zhu.

Only Xie Chen, though seated near them, had no one daring to sit too close.

“President Lin, have a drink.”The girl sitting to Lin Chao’s left was the leader of their girl group, named Diao Ling.

Diao Ling attentively filled Lin Chao’s wine glass, then poured one for President Zhu.

When it was Xie Chen’s turn, Diao Ling hesitated for a moment and tentatively moved to pour his drink.

But just as she leaned slightly over, Bai Li shifted and sneezed toward Xie Chen.

Xie Chen frowned.

“No need to pour for me.”

Diao Ling froze mid-action, pressed her lips together, and sat back down.

“President Xie is still so immune to charm,” Lin Chao teased.

The girls he had brought were all attractive and had good figures, yet from the moment they entered, Xie Chen hadn’t spared them even a glance.

Xie Chen, still keeping an eye on the little kitten with closed eyes to see if he was about to wake up, replied to Lin Chao, “You’re charming enough for the both of us, President Lin.”

Lin Chao turned his head and teasingly pinched Diao Ling’s pale oval face. “See that? It’s not that I’m not helping you—when it comes to President Xie, you’ve got to earn his attention yourself.”

Diao Ling had been getting close to Lin Chao lately. Lin Chao had been introduced to her by Liu Yi.

She had originally hoped Lin Chao would offer her some benefits. But today, though Lin Chao let her sit at the same table as Xie Chen, just like last time, Xie Chen paid her no attention.

Trying to latch onto Xie Chen...

Was proving too difficult.

“Brother Xie has seen so much, met so many people—someone like me clearly doesn’t catch his eye.”

Diao Ling intentionally played the soft card, her expression pitiful as she spoke.

But her pitiful act didn’t earn even a glance from Xie Chen.

“Meow.”

Wrapped in the blanket, Bai Li’s eyes were half-open, gazing at Xie Chen, letting out faint little mewls, like throwing a quiet tantrum.

Xie Chen stroked his head and asked softly, “Awake? Still dizzy?”

Bai Li sleepily sat up and shook his head.

“A little dizzy.”

Xie Chen unwrapped him from the blanket, let him sit on his lap, and said, “No more goat milk next time. We’ll try something else.”

Bai Li wasn’t having it.

Fresh from a nap, his eyes were still damp, and when he looked at Xie Chen, an unintentional look of grievance shone through.

“I want to drink it.”

Goat milk was tasty.Xie Chen raised an eyebrow—if you swapped goat milk for alcohol, this little kitten would just be a little drunkard who loved to drink.

As for whether he’d continue drinking goat milk in the future, Xie Chen decided they’d discuss that after going home.

For now, since the little guy was awake at the dinner table, naturally he had to be fed.

“Brother Xie.”

Diao Ling, who had raised a cat for a while before, saw Xie Chen scooping food into a bowl for Bai Li and said, “Pet cats shouldn’t eat these seasoned dishes. They can’t digest them.”

Xie Chen didn’t even look at her. “My cat can eat them.”

This little kitten of his wasn’t an ordinary cat. The dishes were all carefully selected by Xie Chen—bones removed from the meat, fish completely deboned, shrimp neatly shelled.

Everything was mixed into the rice, and Bai Li even had Xie Chen pour sauce over it.

He sat on Xie Chen’s lap, head buried in the bowl, diligently eating.

Watching the kitten eat, Lin Chao and President Zhu—who usually only drank at meals—couldn’t help but ask for rice too. Following the kitten’s lead, they ended up eating quite a few hearty dishes.

Once the meal ended—

Diao Ling still hadn’t managed to make Xie Chen spare her even a second glance. Seeing this, Lin Chao understood Xie Chen’s meaning.

“Forget it.”

He patted Diao Ling’s hand and lowered his voice. “I’ve invested in two dramas. I’ll arrange for you all to appear in them sometime.”

Diao Ling clenched her fists under the table, unwilling to accept it. Why—why wouldn’t Xie Chen look at her?

Was her face really that bad? Or maybe, was it that Xie Chen—who had never shown interest in men or women—actually had some sort of physiological issue?

While Diao Ling speculated wildly in her mind, Lin Chao spoke up again.

“President Xie, I remember your brand’s spokesperson this season is still Tan Yi?”

“Mm.”

“Meow.”

Hearing his third brother’s name, Bai Li lifted his head and instinctively looked toward Lin Chao.

Holding his wine glass, Lin Chao sipped slowly. “If you haven’t signed the new season’s endorsement contract yet, I suggest dropping him and picking a new face.”

Xie Chen’s eyes darkened. “You’ve heard something?”

“Someone’s planning to release dirt on him.”

Lin Chao held his wine in one hand and propped his chin with the other. “Whether the dirt is true or not is hard to say, but once it’s out there and gets stirred up, his reputation will take a hit. His commercial value will definitely drop.”

“If you still use him for the next season, it won’t be worth it.”Lin Chao spoke with a sigh full of regret, “To be honest, Tan Yi really looks good. I even extended an olive branch to him, but unfortunately, he wasn’t willing to be with me.”

When that last sentence fell, Xie Chen didn’t even need to look at the little kitten on his lap to know trouble was coming.

Sure enough.

Bai Li’s eyes widened in shock, completely ignoring his food, just staring at Lin Chao and meowing.

This person—this person actually wanted to sleep with his third brother!

Lin Chao had no idea why the little kitten suddenly meowed at him. He raised an eyebrow and even asked Xie Chen, “President Xie, is your cat trying to get close to me?” A complicated expression flashed across Xie Chen’s eyes.

Get close?

The little kitten was throwing a tantrum at the Lin surname guy.

“Good boy.”

Xie Chen pinched Bai Li’s paw, making him continue eating, while he replied to Lin Chao.

“We won’t withdraw Tan Yi’s endorsement.”

“If anyone tries to smear Tan Yi during the endorsement period to affect our brand and cause us losses, the Xie Corporation’s PR department and legal team are not just for show.”

On the surface, this sounded like protecting Xie Corporation’s interests, but an old fox like Lin Chao could hear the implied meaning—

Xie Chen was protecting Tan Yi.

“President Lin, are you and Tan Yi…”

“I admire Tan Yi very much,” Xie Chen said calmly. “Tan Yi is an outstanding artist. Apart from that, I have no improper relationship with him.”

Lin Chao twitched the corner of his mouth hearing this serious statement.

But Xie Chen’s expression was natural. In front of the little kitten, he still knew what to say and what not to say.

“Meow, meow meow.”

Sir, you’re really great!

Hearing Xie Chen defend his third brother and praise him, Bai Li was deeply moved.

He ignored his food, meowing to get Xie Chen to lower his head.

When Xie Chen leaned in, Bai Li stood on his paws and gave him several “smooches” on his handsome face.

These were thankful kisses.

Xie Chen liked the little kitten’s kisses very much, but this time, the kitten, halfway through his meal, hadn’t wiped his face clean.

Xie Chen calmly pulled out a tissue and wiped both the kitten’s face and his own.

“Now that you mention it, I do think Tan Yi is a pretty good artist.”

People in business are the best at reading the wind. Lin Chao followed Xie Chen’s words and praised Tan Yi a few more times.Bai Li patted Xie Chen’s hand back, meowing seriously.

“Sir, tell this person not to sleep with my third brother.”

“Okay.”

Xie Chen dutifully acted as the messenger and nodded at Lin Chao: “President Lin, a forced melon isn’t sweet. I think it’s better if you get over your thoughts about Tan Yi sooner rather than later.”

Lin Chao understood.

“Don’t worry, I never hang on one tree.”

With Xie Chen’s words today, how could he possibly still mess with Tan Yi?

After passing on the message, Bai Li was satisfied and resumed eating.

However.

When leaving, Lin Chao still said a few more words to Xie Chen: “Tan Yi… things over there are indeed unstable. If you really want to protect him, you’ll have to put in some effort; otherwise, he’ll still suffer.” Bai Li didn’t catch their words clearly.

Xie Chen didn’t respond much to this, and Lin Chao wasn’t sure about his attitude.

Soon after.

Bai Li was taken back to the villa by Xie Chen. He had spent the whole day with Xie Chen, and now he was starting to want to see his third brother.

The rain outside had stopped, the road was still a bit wet, and the wind was strong.

Bai Li stood at the door, feeling the fierce wind blowing against the little cat.

“Meow.”

Bai Li murmured, “Good thing I’m heavy.”

So, the wind couldn’t blow him away!

“Li Li.”

Xie Chen, now dressed in casual clothes, walked up behind him: “What are you doing sitting at the door?”

“I want to see third brother.”

Bai Li turned to Xie Chen and said, “I want to see third brother.”

“There’s wind outside.”

Xie Chen crouched in front of him: “Wait until Tan Yi is better, he will come to see you.”

Bai Li lowered his head, dejectedly: “Miss third brother.”

Xie Chen: “…”

Hearing that word “miss,” Xie Chen suddenly felt a subtle discomfort sweep through his heart.That feeling was fleeting; he didn’t deliberately try to hold onto it.

“If you want to see Tan Yi, there’s another way.”

Bai Li looked puzzled: “What way?”

Xie Chen took him to sit on the sofa. After a moment, he made a video call to Tan Yi, who he had just added on WeChat.

Without a phone, Bai Li was amazed to see Tan Yi on the screen.

“Third brother!”

“Hey, third brother’s here.”

Tan Yi, dressed in patient clothes, leaned against the headboard, smiling warmly at his precious little brother.

His little brother was really good-looking.

Although he was only palm-sized, that furry little body, round cat face, and pink paw pads — in his eyes, this was simply the most beautiful cat in the world.

“Li Li, what did you and the Xie guy do today?” Tan Yi asked in meowing language since Xie Chen wasn’t on the video.

Bai Li tilted his head and reported their day.

“Sleep, watch TV, eat, sleep, eat, go home.”

Tan Yi was stunned.

“That’s all you did today?”

“Mm!”

Bai Li reported in order, even telling third brother how many meals he ate.

The two brothers chatted for quite a while over the video. At last, Tan Yi asked Bai Li, “In a few days when I’m better, I’ll continue recording shows and taking photos. Then I’ll bring you along. Do you want to go?”

Bai Li originally didn’t want to go; he wanted to work quietly.

But considering how many people were coveting third brother now, Bai Li seriously meowed: “I want to go.”

He wants to keep a close eye on third brother!

Tan Yi also wanted to bring his little brother along, and his purpose was simple: he wanted his brother to see how cool and handsome he was when working, to improve his status in his precious brother’s eyes.

Especially since eldest brother, second sister, and fourth, fifth, sixth siblings were all absent.

No one was competing for Li Li; he could seize this time to establish an awesome, unbeatable image as third brother in Li Li’s mind!

After another twenty minutes chatting, Tan Yi was interrupted by his manager, and the conversation ended.

After hanging up, Bai Li looked at the phone and asked Xie Chen, “Sir, with this, does it mean I can see third brother whenever I want from now on?”

Hearing only the mention of third brother, Xie Chen frowned slightly.

“When I get paid, I want to buy one too.” Bai Li stretched out his paw and touched the phone: “I want to video chat with third brother, and also with sir.”“When I can’t see sir, I can call him!”

“Okay.”

Xie Chen, who had been frowning, instantly relaxed upon hearing this.

He gently stroked the little cat’s head: “I’ll buy one for you.”

“Is it expensive? How much?”

Xie Chen thought about Bai Li’s small salary. If it had to be free, the little guy definitely wouldn’t accept it.

“Ten yuan.”

He made up casually: “Someone I know is getting rid of old phones.”

“Very cheap, ten yuan and I can get you one.”

Bai Li didn’t mind at all that the phone was secondhand when he heard the price.

“Thank you, sir! I’ll pay you back.”

Xie Chen didn’t refuse. After settling the phone matter, the man and cat returned to the bedroom.

“Li Li, play in the bedroom by yourself for a while. I’m going to the gym.”

The gym was on the villa’s third floor. Xie Chen planned to train for two hours.

“Meow, meow meow.”

I want to go too.

Bai Li stuck to Xie Chen, wanting to follow him to the gym to watch.

“Let’s go.”

Faced with the curious little cat, Xie Chen let him explore the villa freely.

Before long,

In the gym on the third floor, Xie Chen changed into loose workout clothes.

He was tall with a great figure; his solid abs sometimes showed while training, and the little cat sitting on the floor didn’t blink his eyes watching.

“Really handsome.”

Bai Li held his little round face in his paws, full of envy.

He also wanted to transform.

If he could transform, he wanted to be like sir—tall, especially handsome, and with solid abs…

After imagining this, Bai Li looked down at his chubby body and sighed sadly.Putting aside fantasies and returning to reality, a cat like him, even after transforming into a human, would most likely still be a little chubby.

Sigh.

The cat’s worries today are still many.

After working out for two whole hours, Xie Chen wiped his sweat with a towel and didn’t pick up Bai Li.

“Li Li, I’m sweaty. Don’t get too close to me.”

OCD as Xie Chen was, he didn’t want Bai Li to touch him while he was sweaty.

But Bai Li, who didn’t want to walk, spread his paws stubbornly and meowed, pleading: “Hold me.”