Chapter 20: When a Cat’s Tail Strikes

At noon, Mu Jingyi unusually did not rest in the private lounge inside his office.

Instead, he opened the video account of a well-known blogger called “Meow Words.”

The blogger was currently livestreaming interactive lessons.

He had two hundred thousand followers.

Many cat lovers learned from him to imitate feline language and communicate smoothly with their furry companions.

During his streams, he could “talk” with cats.

The adorable cats even responded to his calls through the screen.

Mu Jingyi had specifically registered an account on the streaming platform and followed the channel for this purpose.

At home, Ning Jiu and Meiqiu never avoided chatting in front of him.

They relied on their secret feline language to whisper to each other.

When playing with Meiqiu, Ning Jiu was always relaxed.

His expressions were vivid—joy and worry alike were genuine.

Only when speaking with his own kind did the cat shed the heavy burden of humanity.

He was not cautious the way he was with Mu Jingyi.

If Mu Jingyi could “infiltrate” the cat kingdom, perhaps Ning Jiu would treat him as lightly and happily as he did his own kind.

That was Mu Jingyi’s thought.

He had never been so eager to learn the language of a small animal.

He was more enthusiastic than when preparing for his English exams abroad.

“Send a small gift and you can connect with me one-on-one. We’ll go in order of gift value.”

The streamer cheerfully announced, holding his own cat.

It was Mu Jingyi’s first time using the platform.

He fumbled around before finally finding the gift button in the lower corner.

He clicked the first gift on the list.

A burst of extravagant visual effects flooded the screen, completely covering the streamer’s face.

The streamer’s voice shot up several octaves.

“User 7186—thank you for the Diamond Fireworks! So generous! Would you like to connect? Ask anything you want!”

The first gift on the list was the most expensive on the entire platform.

It was worth ten thousand yuan.

This streamer usually did not rely on gifts for consultation fees.

Often, even a simple like was enough to connect.

He had never seen anyone spend this much just to ask a question.

Mu Jingyi only found the special effects a bit noisy.

User 7186: No need to connect. Please teach me how to say “I love you.”

“Of course, boss! Everyone in the stream can learn too. This phrase is perfect for bonding with your furry babies!”

The streamer was still visibly excited.

“You must be new here! I’ll start from the beginning. Cat language has no tone. The sounds are simple, and cats don’t use letters. But to make it easier for everyone, I’ll use letters and phonetic symbols.”

He wrote several letters on a whiteboard, along with Chinese notes.

Miao mu aoi nii

“I like you very much.”

Mu Jingyi typed the phrase into his phone’s notes.

“I’ll repeat it a few times. Follow along!”

The president of a listed conglomerate sat in his high-rise office.

Through the glass windows, the people below looked like tiny black dots.

Holding his phone, his deep, slightly husky voice resonated with magnetism.

…awkwardly imitating cat language.

He exaggerated his mouth shape, trying to match the streamer’s dramatic pronunciation.

Even so, it still sounded slightly different.

The usually composed CEO looked rare and somewhat flustered.

In his memory, Ning Jiu never looked so strained when speaking feline language.

When the cat spoke, his soft red lips moved naturally, and the sweet, sticky sounds slipped effortlessly from his throat.

Clearly, cats had more talent for their own language.

“Boss, any other questions? Want to connect and practice?”

Mu Jingyi hesitated.

No one could imagine that Mu Jingyi—the heir of the Mu family, CEO of one of the country’s top conglomerates—was in a livestream, just like countless other cat lovers, trying to build a bridge of communication with his own cat.

In the end, he connected.

He could not afford to make mistakes with the sentence meant for Ning Jiu.

“Miao mu aoi nii.”

His pronunciation was clear and precise, almost like a professional broadcaster.

The streamer’s cat suddenly grew excited, locating the source of the voice and pawing at the phone.

There was a loud clatter.

The screen went black.

Only the streamer’s amused voice remained.

“My girl, don’t get so excited just because a nice male voice confessed to you! Why’d you knock over my phone?”

The cat kept meowing loudly, unable to calm down.

The comments flooded the screen.

“If I were a cat and a voice like that confessed to me, I’d be excited too!”

Mu Jingyi disconnected.

He sent another Diamond Fireworks, typed “Thank you,” and exited.

He reviewed the notes and practiced several more times.

He made himself a simple cup of coffee.

The lunch break passed without rest.

He would need caffeine for the afternoon’s work.

He saved the recording from the stream and titled it “I Love You.”

A great step forward in human–cat diplomacy.

Mu Jingyi left work on time.

On the way home, he replayed the recording several times, silently shaping the words with his lips.

After dinner, Ning Jiu sat on the carpet beside the sofa, playing with Meiqiu using a cat teaser wand.

Mu Jingyi called him over.

“Sir wants to play with me?”

Ning Jiu sat beside him, holding a rattling bamboo ball.

His eyes were bright, and his tail swayed behind him.

“I have something to tell you.”

The normally unflappable CEO felt uncharacteristically nervous, like presenting a midday achievement to his cat.

“What is it?”

“Miao mu aoi nii.”

The cat blinked.

His large white tail froze midair.

His brows furrowed slightly, blue eyes turning as if overloaded with thought.

“What did sir say? S-say it again.”

His expression was complicated, mostly shock.

“I said, miao mu aoi nii.”

Ning Jiu’s eyes turned pink at the rims.

A shimmer of tears welled up.

His tail drooped to the floor.

He sniffed, voice trembling.

“Sir… is that true? You can’t… you can’t lie to the cat…”

Mu Jingyi had not expected tears.

He cupped Ning Jiu’s cheek, wiping away the droplets gently.

“It’s true. I’m not lying.”

“No… no… cat doesn’t want this…”

Mu Jingyi froze, stunned at being rejected so directly.

He hurried to clarify.

“I mean… it’s a human way of expressing affection to family…”

Before he finished, Ning Jiu lunged into his arms.

He straddled Mu Jingyi’s lap, arms wrapped around his neck, shoulders shaking with sobs.

His cat ears brushed against Mu Jingyi’s cheek.

“Sir, don’t leave the cat… How much time do you have left? Is there still hope?”

He cried loudly, as if truly about to lose him.

“What?”

Mu Jingyi lifted him gently, holding his tear-streaked face.

“Cat, what did you hear?”

Ning Jiu clutched his wrist and sobbed.

“Sir said he’s terminally ill. About to die.”

Now it was Mu Jingyi’s brain that overloaded.

“I’m not terminally ill. I’m not dying. Cat, I’m sorry. I learned the wrong phrase.”

Ning Jiu paused.

Then cried even harder.

“Mu Jingyi! You bad human!”

The cat was genuinely angry.

He had never raised his voice before, nor called Mu Jingyi by his full name.

Fluffing up in fury, he grabbed his tail and swung it at Mu Jingyi.

The soft tail thumped harmlessly against him.

Mu Jingyi caught the tip in his palm, the plush fur brushing him again and again.

Even in anger, the cat lacked true attack power.

Instead, his puffed-up state made him look more lively and adorable.

“I’m sorry, cat. I truly studied hard.”

He now understood why the streamer’s cat had knocked over the phone.

That kind creature probably thought a poor human was about to die.

“Who taught you? Which bad cat told you that?”

“A human pet blogger.”

A cushion flew at Mu Jingyi.

He caught it.

Ning Jiu punched the cushion repeatedly, denting its surface.

“How could you learn cat language from a human?”

“Because the cat boss refuses to reveal state secrets of the cat kingdom.”

Ning Jiu froze.

He snatched the cushion back and tossed it aside.

When Mu Jingyi braced for punches, the cat instead collapsed into his arms.

He rested his head against Mu Jingyi’s chest, arms tightening around his waist.

“Sir… I was really expecting something good. But I heard news of your fatal illness instead…”

“I’m sorry. I disappointed you and made you so sad. You can punish me however you like.”

Ning Jiu did not mention punishment.

He pressed his forehead against Mu Jingyi’s chest and hugged tighter.

“Sir… don’t leave me…”

Mu Jingyi’s shirt gradually grew damp.