Chapter 19: Crossing the Line

The fluffy cat fur had long been brushed smooth by Ning Jiu.

The well-groomed white fur gleamed softly, light reflecting off it as the fine teeth of the comb passed through without resistance.

Mu Jingyi held the cat’s tail gently in one hand, brushing it bit by bit with meticulous care, as though tending to a delicate, fragile work of art.

His shirt was buttoned all the way to the top.

Impeccable, restrained, ascetic.

He looked every bit the superior figure who stood high above others.

A CEO did not seem like someone who would lower his head to serve anyone.

Yet here he was, performing the simple task of grooming, carefully smoothing each strand of fur, never growing tired of it.

Ning Jiu drew his tail back into his arms.

The tip of the fluffy tail brushed across Mu Jingyi’s palm.

“No, sir can’t lick.”

Mu Jingyi did not try to snatch the tail back.

Instead, he asked gently, “Why?”

“Because sir is the superior. Human superiors don’t… serve those beneath them.”

Among cats, higher-ranking cats groom lower-ranking cats.

That was a cat’s rule.

Ning Jiu clutched his tail tightly and murmured, “Cats have cat rules. Humans have human rules… no means no…”

He did not want to be only a cat.

Only a pet.

He wanted to follow human rules.

Mu Jingyi, who wanted wholeheartedly to enter the kingdom of cats, and Ning Jiu, who wanted wholeheartedly to integrate into human society, stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

“Ning Jiu.”

The older man’s voice was deep and mellow, like a cello.

He spoke with unusual seriousness, calling Ning Jiu’s full name as if preparing for a heart-to-heart conversation.

The cat instinctively sat up straight, like a child listening attentively in class.

“I am not superior, and you are not inferior. We are equal.”

Ning Jiu froze, utterly surprised by the answer.

Perhaps sir always carried the aura of a cat owner.

That quiet strength and subtle control made Ning Jiu feel that sir was his master, the rightful superior.

He himself had never placed himself on equal footing with Mu Jingyi.

He was a small cat, easily manipulated.

Ever since the fused genes had been injected into his body, he had believed that.

The long-standing, distorted values inside him cracked slightly, letting in something new that had never existed in his life before.

“Then sir wants to lick my tail…”

Ning Jiu hesitated.

“Not because of rules. Just because I want to.”

Ning Jiu shrank into the corner of the sofa without speaking.

Mu Jingyi took the chance to sit closer.

“The cat’s tail is soft and adorable. I only want to kiss it because I like it.”

Ning Jiu nervously squeezed the little kitten in his hand.

The tiny kitten let out a small cry and wriggled free.

It was bored out of its mind.

It could not understand the humans’ conversation, nor was there another cat to translate.

Ning Jiu’s hands were suddenly empty.

He grabbed his own tail instead, winding it around his fingers.

Seeing that Ning Jiu had not relented, Mu Jingyi smiled.

“If I were truly the superior, I probably wouldn’t ask whether you agreed.”

The cat’s ears perked up curiously.

“Then what would sir do?”

“Force you.”

The upright gentleman curved his lips in a faint smile, tilting his head to examine the bewildered cat.

He dangled a tempting bait and asked softly, “Curious?”

“Yes. Curious. I want to know what sir would do… mm!”

In a flash, Mu Jingyi seized Ning Jiu’s wrists in one hand and pinned them above his head against the sofa’s backrest.

Ning Jiu was pressed down, lying on his back.

His nose nearly brushed against the man’s hanging tie.

He was completely enveloped in shadow.

His arms stretched overhead forced his waist into a graceful arch against the man’s body.

The sudden change startled the cat.

His fur bristled reflexively.

The tail that had slipped from between his fingers swelled slightly larger than usual, its tip flicking toward the person pressing him down.

The fluffy fur brushed against Mu Jingyi’s cheek, like a soft slap delivered to the so-called “forcer.”

But the tail was soft and plush.

There was no pain, only a velvety touch.

Mu Jingyi released his grip and sat upright again.

He touched his cheek, where the lingering softness and faint warmth remained.

“Sir, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! The tail… the tail isn’t something a cat can control…”

Ning Jiu grabbed his unruly tail and stuffed it into Mu Jingyi’s hand.

“Sir can punish the tail…”

The cat lowered his head but secretly glanced up.

The moment their eyes met, he quickly looked down again.

Mu Jingyi smiled.

He held the tail in one hand and rested the other gently on the cat’s head.

Ning Jiu shut his eyes tightly, expecting anger like he had known in the factory.

But instead of pain, he felt a gentle hand stroking his hair.

“You did nothing wrong, cat. If someone forces you, you should hit them with your tail.”

Mu Jingyi stroked the fluffy white fur and blew softly on it.

The fur parted down the middle, revealing a glimpse of pale pink skin beneath.

The tail twitched uncontrollably under the breath, restless even while held.

Mu Jingyi lifted the tail and pressed a light kiss into the soft fur.

The plush sensation covered his face, warmer and softer than a blanket.

He caught a faint, sweet scent—perhaps the cat’s pheromones.

It was a fleeting kiss.

A small cat scent lingered.

Ning Jiu shivered, instinctively trying to retreat, but his tail was still held.

It was a real organ.

For a fusion-type omega like him, such parts were more sensitive than usual.

He could distinctly feel the soft warmth of lips against his tail.

Even after he had struck Mu Jingyi’s face, the man was not angry.

He said he had done nothing wrong.

It felt as though nothing he did here would be considered wrong.

The tail flicked and slipped free when Mu Jingyi loosened his grip.

Ning Jiu moved closer and wrapped his tail around Mu Jingyi’s neck like a warm scarf.

Fluffy white fur encircled him.

He adjusted it neatly.

“Sir isn’t someone else. Even if sir forces me, it’s okay.”

Mu Jingyi smiled faintly and squeezed the tail gently between his fingers.

The subtle pressure sent a strange tingling sensation through Ning Jiu, making his cheeks tremble.

Mu Jingyi’s voice carried a deep, meaningful smile.

“The little cat doesn’t know what a person wants to do.”

The cat leaned forward anxiously.

“I know! Sir wants to bite my tail!”

Mu Jingyi only smiled and patted his head.

Ning Jiu picked up the end of his “tail scarf” and brought it to Mu Jingyi’s lips.

“Sir can eat the cat!”

Mu Jingyi’s gaze darkened.

He brushed the fur lightly with his nose.

“When you stop using your tail to resist me, then I’ll eat the cat.”

After soothing Ning Jiu and settling him into sleep, Mu Jingyi returned alone to his room.

The sound of running water in the bathroom was loud, but no steam rose.

Cold water poured over him, slowly dissolving the rising heat in his chest.

Mu Jingyi was far older than the innocent little cat.

He understood his own feelings more clearly.

If he were only a pet owner, he should not harbor desire for the small white cat.

His feelings had long surpassed that boundary.

Before the little cat even realized it, the human heart had already stepped beyond the line meant to separate owner and pet.

Mu Jingyi touched his cheek again.

The soft brush of fur still lingered.

Even cold water could not extinguish his racing heartbeat.

And yet his patience was deep enough that he could calm himself, put on his robe, slip into bed, and wait as warmth slowly returned to his body and heart alike.

He was destined not to force.

They were equal.