Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – First Release on Jinjiang Literature City

After several hours of travel, Bai Li still fell asleep in Tan Yi’s arms.

The car stopped in front of a hotel, where the manager was waiting.

“Brother Tan.”

The manager walked over in a few steps, helping carry the things Tan Yi brought.

“The schedule is tight for the next few days; it’ll be hard on you.”

Tan Yi, with his peach blossom eyes, smiled at the manager: “Don’t worry, I’ve seen the itinerary. It’s hard on you too, following me around.”

Hearing this, the manager felt both heartache and fondness for Tan Yi.

He had been with Tan Yi for so long, loving Tan Yi’s nature of never causing trouble, working hard, and having no bad temper.

The management was full of greed; no matter how good an artist was, in their eyes they were just pawns. And Tan Yi was a pawn on the verge of being abandoned.

“Keep your voice down, Li Li is asleep, let him sleep a little longer,” Tan Yi quietly reminded the manager.

“Okay.”

The manager worried about the pressure on Tan Yi. Now that he had a cat to accompany him, it helped relieve stress.

But the cat was still very young, looking like a little kitten, and the manager wasn’t sure if it was easy to raise.

After swiping the room card, Tan Yi was about to put the kitten in his arms onto the bed when a drowsy meow sounded first.

“Third Brother.”

“Third Brother is here.”

Tan Yi lowered his head and rubbed the kitten’s head: “I wanted you to sleep a little longer.”

Bai Li shook his head, clearing his sleepy state.

“I’m rested.”

They had been on the road so long that it was almost four in the afternoon.

Tan Yi cleaned up the cat litter and other things. Seeing the manager wasn’t in the room, he looked back at his brother. With a meow, Bai Li transformed back into a blue-and-white cat.

“Meow.”

Brother, come here.

The blue-and-white big cat pounced on the smaller kitten, and after knocking him down, started licking his fur.“Meow!”

Don’t lick my fur.

Bai Li kicked wildly, not wanting Third Brother to get his fur all wet from licking.

The room was carpeted thickly, and the two cats ran around chaotically, one chasing the other.

After who knows how long, the pure white little kitten still couldn’t escape his older brother’s grasp and was pinned down for a fur-licking health check.

“Meow.”

Very healthy. The big cat happily used his paw to stroke his now wilting little brother.

The two cats played in the room a bit more before the manager knocked on the door outside.

Tan Yi immediately changed back, put on clothes, and walked to the door.

“I just went out and bought some food, all local specialties. Try them.”

The manager knew he must be hungry after the long ride, so prepared food.

Tan Yi took the food and set it on the table.

“Li Li, come eat.”

While one person and one cat ate, the manager talked to Tan Yi nearby.

“At 7:30 PM, there’s a promotional event you need to attend.”

“The event ends at 10 PM. Someone invited you out for a late-night snack after 10; I already declined on your behalf, saying you’ve been feeling unwell lately.”

“Also, tomorrow morning at 6 AM, you have an early shoot for the role you’re guest starring in.”

“There’s a scene with the crew in the morning, and an interview with the local media in the afternoon.”

“After the interview, there’s the Starlight Gala in the evening. You must attend; there will be many important people there. Brother Tan, you need to be extra careful.”

The manager roughly went over Tan Yi’s schedule again.

Tan Yi ate while listening casually.

“I know all this.”

He said casually, “After we finish eating, we can go.”

“Alright.”

The manager took the hint and left.

Once he left, only Tan Yi and Bai Li remained in the room.

“Meow.”

Third Brother.Bai Li looked at Third Brother with concern and meowed, “You have so much work.”

Just hearing it sounded very tiring.

Tan Yi smiled warmly and fed Bai Li a piece of meat: “Can’t help it, this line of work pays well.”

“How well?” Bai Li meowed curiously.

Thinking of his brother’s small salary, Tan Yi took the chance to say, “It’s more than ten times what you make every month, Li Li. Why don’t you just stay at home—”

“No.”

Before Tan Yi finished, Bai Li interrupted him.

There was no room for negotiation about quitting work with Bai Li.

He liked earning money and liked using the money he earned to buy gifts for the Master.

Besides buying gifts, Bai Li solemnly handed all his salary to Tan Yi for safekeeping.

Tan Yi couldn’t persuade his ambitious younger brother and sighed softly.

How to handle a little brother who was too sensible?

He clearly just wanted his brother to be a little cat who only ate well at home.

After dinner, Tan Yi didn’t take Bai Li out with him.

“Li Li, you stay in the room and play. Third Brother will take you out tomorrow.”

Tan Yi placed Bai Li on the bed, stroked his head, and said this to him.

They had just arrived by car today, and he didn’t want to trouble his brother.

Bai Li blinked and obediently nodded.

Not long after,

Just as Tan Yi left, Bai Li immediately called Xie Chen on a video call.

When the call connected, Xie Chen’s face appeared on the screen.

Seeing his handsome Master, Bai Li excitedly reached out his paw, wanting to touch him.

Of course, he couldn’t actually touch him.

“Master.”

Bai Li chatted with Xie Chen: “What are you doing?”

Xie Chen waved the book at hand in front of the camera: “Reading.”

Bai Li praised him: “Reading is good, very cultured.”Xie Chen: "..."

Noticing that there was only one cat on his side, Xie Chen furrowed his brow: "Li Li, where is Tan Yi?"

"Third Brother went to work," Bai Li replied honestly. "He has a lot of work."

The schedule the manager had just mentioned was still fresh in Bai Li’s mind, so he repeated it to Xie Chen.

Xie Chen calmly took note, then focused on chatting with the little kitten.

Time passed bit by bit.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Bai Li reflexively thought Third Brother had come back, but just as he was about to open the door, Xie Chen suddenly stopped him.

"Wait."

Xie Chen’s cold eyes narrowed slightly: "Li Li, if it’s your Third Brother, he would call out to you."

Outside the door, there was only the ringing, no voice.

Xie Chen’s intuition told him this was not Tan Yi.

Bai Li’s beautiful amber eyes showed confusion; he tilted his head and asked, "Master, what should I do now?"

"Do nothing."

Xie Chen wouldn’t allow him to recklessly open the door to a stranger.

Perhaps seeing the door wouldn’t open, a voice finally came from outside.

"Brother Tan, it’s Liu Yi, can you open the door?"

Liu Yi.

Hearing the name, Bai Li searched his memory.

After a moment,

The forgetful little kitten actually remembered this person.

"Meow meow."

Master, this person wants to scam you!

Bai Li’s impression of Liu Yi was that he had tried to scam Master before.

When Xie Chen heard it was him, his mood darkened slightly: "Li Li, don’t open the door for him."

This person, riding on little Tan Yi’s name, had been leeching off Tan Yi’s popularity since debut. Not only leeching, but also using all sorts of dirty tricks like dragging others down, marketing scandals, fake CP rumors, and was skilled at all these schemes.

Playing dirty tricks, and behind him, the sponsors kept changing.In short, not a good person.

If he’s showing up now, it’s definitely not for anything good.

Bai Li obediently ran from the door back to the bed, ignoring Liu Yi still knocking, and focused his gaze on Xie Chen, continuing to chat with the beloved master.

While the two were chatting, Bai Li could still see the little cat icon on Xie Chen’s profile picture.

He couldn’t resist and poked the little cat with his paw.

“Master, are you having insomnia today?”

After poking the little cat, Bai Li looked at the time on the phone and asked Xie Chen with some worry.

Xie Chen was indeed suffering from insomnia.

Not only did he show no hint of sleepiness, even his mood seemed to subtly tilt towards the old out-of-control trend.

Just now, he had taken medicine he hadn’t taken in a long time.

But facing the little kitten’s inquiry, Xie Chen suppressed the bitterness in his heart; his handsome face showed only the gentle expression the little kitten was used to seeing.

“Not insomnia.”

He was bluffing the little kitten who wouldn’t know the truth anyway: “I’ll sleep soon.”

Bai Li was half convinced.

“Then, if Master has insomnia, listen to my cat song.”

Last time Xie Chen recorded a song, Bai Li had also recorded a cat song.

He knew Xie Chen had saved the cat song on his phone.

“Okay.”

Xie Chen agreed: “I’ll listen to the cat song while I sleep.”

They chatted warmly in the bedroom, while outside the door, Liu Yi’s face—somewhat resembling Tan Yi’s—was cold.

He had learned that Tan Yi was already here, but the door wasn’t being opened for him.

Liu Yi bit his lip hard, unwilling, and knocked again.

Still no response.

As he knocked, the sleeve on his wrist slipped, revealing large bruises on his skin.

These marks were caused by someone else.

He had been tormented badly these days; his body was barely holding up. Originally, he wanted to take advantage of this to stay in Tan Yi’s room for a while, then after coming out, faint and be hospitalized, deliberately exposing some of the bruises on his body...

That way, he could use Tan Yi’s name to stir up the trending topics again, and also harshly put Tan Yi down! Establishing himself as the person suspected of being bullied and exploited by Tan Yi, and from then on, as long as operated well, his career could be boosted.After waiting a few minutes, Liu Yi really couldn’t wait any longer.

He reached up and pressed down the hat he was wearing when he arrived.

“Forget it.”

He comforted himself: “Tan Yi will be here for several days this time…”

He would still have a chance.

During these days, even without him, Tan Yi wouldn’t have a good time.

He was just here to stir things up a bit.

After leaving Tan Yi’s place, Liu Yi immediately had someone get him a detailed itinerary of Tan Yi’s schedule.

“It’s ten o’clock.”

In the room, Xie Chen watched the little kitten on the screen, whose head was nodding bit by bit, knowing he was very tired: “Li Li, close your eyes and sleep.”

Bai Li shook his head, drowsily saying, “I still want to, still want to see Master.”

The night apart was uncomfortable, not just for Xie Chen.

Xie Chen frowned.

“Be good, close your eyes. Call me after you wake up.”

Bai Li was coaxed by Xie Chen’s gentle and pleasant voice and finally gave in; his head tilted, and he fell asleep without hanging up the video call.

Listening to the steady little purring, Xie Chen hadn’t hung up the call for a long time. Only after Tan Yi returned did he hang up on his side.

“Li Li.”

Tan Yi’s face still showed fatigue; he was quite tired today too. After entering the room and calling once, he found Bai Li asleep and immediately softened his footsteps.

Carefully, he took a shower, then got into bed, reverting to his true form—a big cat—lying close to his beloved little brother and falling asleep together.

The night was quiet.

Inside the villa, Xie Chen took medicine but still couldn’t sleep.

Leaning against the headboard, he played Bai Li’s cat song.

His clear mind, under the loop of the cat song, suddenly showed signs of breaking down.

“Meow, meow meow meow, meow ao.”

The crisp meowing sounds fell by his ear, one after another, urging him toward sleep.

Before his consciousness slipped into a dream, his finger seemed to slide across the screen.

This slide caused him to accidentally share the cat song into a small group chat with several people.

The group was created by Lin Chao, and it also included General Manager Zhu. They had been chatting frequently lately, so they simply used a group chat.The audio shared by Xie Chen came in, and night owl Lin Chao casually clicked it open.

“Meow, meow meow.”

【Pfft.】

【General Manager Xie, what’s going on here?】

【Slip of the hand?】

Lin Chao asked a few times in the group. Seeing no reply from Xie Chen, he pretty much understood.

Xie Chen definitely shared it by accident.

He laughed heartily and posted a late-night moment on his social feed.

【Feeling lonely alone [heart] Like me and I’ll send you a recently heard cat audio [heart] Sweet or not [rose]】

This post was really eye-watering.

Bai Liu, just out of the lab, scrolled past this post and was so shocked he accidentally liked it.

After liking it, the audio Lin Chao sent popped up in his chat window.

Bai Liu: “...”

He really didn’t want to listen to some random audio sharing.