Chapter 6: Pounce!

Pounce!

After dinner, the appropriate activity was reserved for the pair of worn-out bells.

But this time, it was not the little cat entertaining himself with his own tail.

It was a short game shared between him and Sir.

Ning Jiu placed his only toy into Mu Jingyi’s hand.

The battered bells looked completely out of place against Sir’s impeccably pressed, high-end suit.

Yet Ning Jiu found no trace of displeasure or disdain on his face.

Mu Jingyi untied the thin string from the cat’s tail and instead looped it around his own finger.

He gently shook the bells in front of the little cat.

The soft rustling sound instinctively hooked into a cat’s curiosity.

Ning Jiu’s fingers twitched.

The glint of reflected light from the swinging bells made him want to grab them.

To pin them down.

To stop them from swaying teasingly before his eyes.

But he did not move.

He clasped one hand with the other, trying to suppress the itch born from instinct.

Sir stood before him like a wall.

The height difference cast a shadow over Ning Jiu’s face, blocking the light from the living room.

The broad shoulders stretched the tailored shirt wide.

The dark vest curved smoothly over firm muscle.

Against such a figure, the slender little cat looked small and delicate.

Mu Jingyi carried a natural authority simply by standing there.

His voice was low and faintly husky with maturity.

Even though he always softened his tone for the little cat, Ning Jiu still felt a trace of fear toward a dominant alpha who seemed inherently powerful.

“Does kitty not want to play with me?”

“I… I want to play…”

The softness in Sir’s voice loosened his guard.

Instinct overpowered restraint, and Ning Jiu reached out to grab the bells.

His fingers brushed them, scratching against Sir’s palm and making it tingle.

His gaze followed the swaying bells.

As Sir raised his hand higher, the little cat bounced lightly on his toes to catch them.

Completely absorbed, he grabbed onto Mu Jingyi’s arm and hopped, trying to reach the ever-higher bells.

Sometimes his palm struck Mu Jingyi’s hand.

Sometimes he flicked the bells tied around Sir’s finger.

Mu Jingyi never once moved his gaze away from the little cat.

The reflection of the bells shimmered in those blue eyes.

When the bells left his sight, confusion flickered briefly.

The moment he heard the sound and found them again, joy returned.

Curiosity.

Excitement.

Happiness.

All of it displayed openly on his face.

Mu Jingyi stepped back twice, nearly reaching the sofa.

The mischievous Sir lifted the bells high, baiting the jumping cat.

Addicted to the game, the little cat took the bait.

Clutching Mu Jingyi’s clothes, he leapt upward, reaching for the bells.

As always, he pounced without restraint, fingertips brushing the bells with a rustling sound.

And then he knocked Mu Jingyi down onto the sofa.

His own balance lost, he tumbled into Sir’s arms.

Ning Jiu’s eyes widened.

He struggled to get up, apologizing in a rush.

He had been too immersed in play to remember he was playing with a living person.

One broad hand covered his fluffy head.

The other, still holding the bells, wrapped around his slender waist.

The restless hand stroked over his hair and along his cat ears.

The petting felt so good that the little cat hummed softly, a sticky purr rumbling in his throat.

“My kitty is so strong.

You knocked me down so easily.”

Mu Jingyi took advantage of the moment, finding a reason to keep him from escaping.

“Sir…”

His voice softened from the petting.

“I’m sorry.

I didn’t mean to… mm… make you fall…”

With his small strength, Ning Jiu was nothing before Mu Jingyi.

He was like a cat trying to push down a wall.

If Mu Jingyi had not deliberately leaned back, he would not have budged.

But the little cat did not think that far.

The “cunning” Sir smiled and ruffled his hair messily.

The guilty little cat tried to struggle up, but strong arms circled his waist tightly.

The man’s low voice brushed against his cat ear.

“Kitty, I’m very tired from work.

Let me hold you for a bit, okay?”

That slight vulnerability from someone so powerful closed the distance instantly.

It eased the little cat’s vigilance.

He leaned against Sir’s chest and rubbed lightly in agreement.

He picked up his dangling tail and placed it into Mu Jingyi’s hand.

“Does Sir like kitty’s tail.

Will playing with my tail make you feel better?”

The successful schemer stroked the fluffy tail and gently smoothed his fur.

His smile deepened.

“I feel much, much better.

Thank you, kitty.”

One hand kneaded the soft cat ears.

The other alternated between patting and stroking the tail.

Ning Jiu’s eyes closed in comfort.

He lay defenseless in Sir’s arms, the tip of his tail swaying occasionally.

Mu Jingyi had given him the perfect excuse to stay nestled there.

It was Sir who needed the little cat.

Not the little cat selfishly demanding to lie in someone’s arms and be petted.

Mu Jingyi leaned closer, his nose nearly brushing the cat ear.

The pink inner ear grazed his nose lightly.

Warm.

Soft.

Pleasant.

After playing in the living room for so long, Ning Jiu was tired too.

He rested in Sir’s embrace like a real cat clinging to its owner.

Being held felt good.

Being stroked was addictive.

Both of their gland blocker patches were firmly in place.

Not a trace of pheromones escaped.

The warm, almost sticky intimacy in the air was not built on a 100% compatibility.

It was built on a real, warm embrace.

The pair of bells became a toy they often played with.

The thin string tied between them gradually drew Sir and the little cat closer.

——

On the way home from work, Mu Jingyi noticed a newly opened cat shop.

Flower baskets lined the entrance in celebration.

A young woman handed out flyers with a bright smile.

While waiting at a red light, Mu Jingyi saw the shop through the rear window.

“Assistant Jiang, pull over.

I’ll take a look at the pet shop.”

He still remembered those worn-out bells.

The little cat had never grown tired of them.

When he played wholeheartedly, a happiness appeared on his face that Mu Jingyi rarely saw otherwise.

Only when he played freely did he become a truly happy little cat.

“Sir, welcome.

Are you here to look at cats or buy things for your own cat?”

The young clerk greeted him warmly, pushing aside the curtain at the entrance.

A wind chime rang crisply.

Unlike the hoarse bells of the little cat’s toy, this new chime was bright and clear.

Mu Jingyi paused and looked up at the chime and the paper tag hanging beneath it.

“Where did you get this?”

The clerk smiled politely.

“I made it myself.

You can buy the materials online.

I wrote ‘prosperous business’ on the paper.”

Mu Jingyi glanced at it a few more times before withdrawing his gaze.

“I’m here to buy some toys for my cat.”

“Yes, of course.

Is it a large cat or a kitten?”

In Mu Jingyi’s eyes, Ning Jiu was a tiny little cat.

But compared to real cats, his was certainly a large adult cat.

“A large cat.

An adult.”

“We have many options here.

Chasing balls, plush toys with feathers, squeaky mice on strings, springs, chirping birds…”

The clerk enthusiastically introduced nearly an entire wall of toys.

Mu Jingyi did not know what his cat liked.

So he used a very president-like approach.

“Take a few of each.”

“Huh?”

The clerk blinked, startled by the idea of clearing out an entire wall.

“My cat just came home not long ago.

I don’t know what he likes.”

“Oh, I see.

Then I’ll pick some popular ones for you.

Let him try them.

You can come back for what he likes.”

Mu Jingyi nodded.

She selected several items and added a small plush bun from a lower shelf.

“I guarantee your cat will love this.

There’s catnip inside.

If your cat likes to chew, he won’t let this go.”

“Catnip?”

Mu Jingyi lifted it and sniffed.

He smelled nothing.

“Only cats with sensitive noses can smell it.

Humans can’t.”

Mu Jingyi nodded and took two more buns.

If most cats liked it, he would buy more.

After checking out, the clerk added several red yarn balls into the bag.

“Grand opening gift.

My own cat loves yarn balls.

Most cats can’t resist them.”

“Thank you.”

Assistant Jiang quickly took the bag from her.

As she escorted him out, the clerk smiled.

“Your cat is very lucky to have such a good owner.”

The words struck directly at his heart.

He allowed himself a rare gentle smile.

“I’m not very familiar with him yet.

I hope he thinks the same.”

The experienced clerk laughed softly.

“He will.

An adult cat just brought home can be shy.

Cats are very perceptive.

They feel their owner’s love.”

Mu Jingyi got back into the car and soon arrived home.

He opened the door with the bag in hand.

A fluffy head peeked out from behind the doorframe, bumping right into him.

“What is kitty doing here?”

Ning Jiu tilted his head up slightly.

His ears stood upright.

His tail swayed behind him.

That meant happiness.

“I heard your footsteps…”

He smiled softly.

In his blue eyes, only Sir’s reflection existed.

“Sir, welcome home.”