Chapter 4: The Misunderstanding

Song Jin arched her back, bared her teeth, and showed her claws, hissing at Duan Yan with a sharp gaze.

Her expression was incredibly fierce, but due to her tiny stature, it looked less like a threat and more like she was helplessly forced to raise her paws.

“Meow meow meow!”

‘How dare you touch me! Touch! Touch!’

The usually docile little orange cat suddenly bristling caught her completely off guard. She froze in place, her eyes filled with deep confusion.

‘I only touched her soft belly, why did she get so angry? Didn’t I touch it before?’

Duan Yan wracked her brain, trying to find a way to soothe the cat. She suddenly recalled the scene of her manager consoling her own cat.

Although it was a bit childish, she remembered that Sister Yang’s cat had been placated in an instant that day. The effect was immediate.

After steeling herself, Duan Yan took a quiet breath and lightly slapped the hand that had just touched the little orange cat.

“It’s this naughty hand’s fault, bullying our baby, right?”

With a “smack,” Song Jin’s brain briefly shut down, but Duan Yan continued.

“It’s all its fault for touching where it shouldn’t. Mommy has punished it for you.”

Duan Yan looked at the still-agitated kitten and slapped her hand a few more times.

Shocked by this whole performance, Song Jin finally came to her senses. Duan Yan was trying to comfort her.

She had to admit, Duan Yan’s acting was truly superb. Her facial expressions were vivid and lifelike, and she was extremely dedicated, not at all perfunctory just because her audience was a small cat.

As the saying goes, a little impatience can spoil a great plan. She had already endured so much “suffering”; she couldn’t let it all be for nothing.

Besides, her nemesis, Duan Yan, had stooped to comforting her. Glancing at Duan Yan, she decided not to hold a grudge over the unwanted touching.

Song Jin didn’t have a habit of waking up early. At this hour, she would usually still be asleep in bed.

Since it had come to this, she might as well go back to sleep.

Song Jin demurely lowered her paws, lay down lazily, and gently closed her eyes, her fluffy tail swaying behind her.

Duan Yan was utterly charmed by her languid demeanor, staring intently at the half-asleep little orange cat on the bed.

‘My little orange cat is so easy to please, so obedient and cute.’

If it weren’t for her reluctance to share her little cat with others, she would have already spammed her Weibo with photos to show it off. But she wanted to monopolize the little orange cat’s cuteness all to herself, unwilling to share with anyone.

‘That is my little orange cat, and mine alone!’

At this thought, a sweet ripple spread through Duan Yan’s heart. A soft spot in her heart was struck by something unknown, sending a tingling numbness through her entire body.

Having been in the entertainment industry for a year, Song Jin considered herself to have withstood countless gazes—be it loathing, jealousy, or obsessed admiration—and could remain calm and composed. But…

Being stared at with such fervent eyes by her competitive “nemesis” was a bit much to handle. For the first time, Song Jin understood what it felt like to be visually violated.

Duan Yan’s eyes were like a crystal-clear lake, the emotions they held both direct and intense.

Basking in such a gaze was like having the softest, most delicate feather brush across her heart. The ticklish, tingly-numb feeling made one’s spirit flutter.

Her tail swayed uncontrollably, and her limbs shifted slightly, trying to conceal her inner turmoil.

Fortunately, Duan Yan didn’t stare for long. She got up to leave. Watching Duan Yan’s retreating figure, Song Jin breathed a sigh of relief, ready to go back to sleep.

‘Wait, Duan Yan is surely going to wash up.’

‘At this thought, Song Jin couldn’t sit still.’

“Meow meow meow!”

She leaped swiftly from the bed, chasing after Duan Yan’s departing figure. In a flash, she was at Duan Yan’s feet, using her fluffy tail to bat at Duan Yan’s leg to get her attention.

Duan Yan had heard the kitten’s cries and thought it was just playing in the blankets. She never expected the little orange cat to run to her leg.

‘Just a moment ago, it was angry, and now it wants to be clingy, even hooking its soft tail around me to stop me from leaving.’

Duan Yan’s heart instantly melted into a puddle. She squatted down and scooped the little cat into her arms.

Song Jin was desperate to know what skincare products Duan Yan used in the morning, so she didn’t struggle when Duan Yan held her. She lay obediently in the crook of Duan Yan’s arm, even secretly inching closer, inhaling the scent that had captivated her dreams.

‘Why does it smell so good?’

Song Jin took a few deep breaths, unconsciously sinking into the wonderful aroma. Her cat eyes narrowed, her tail perked up, rubbing against Duan Yan’s smooth skin as her whole body relaxed.

Due to lack of sleep and the sheer comfort of the situation, Song Jin drifted into a half-awake state and once again fell into a dream.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in the soft cat bed, and Duan Yan was at the dining table eating breakfast.

Song Jin was annoyed at herself for missing the chance to spy on Duan Yan’s morning routine. She wasn’t interested in what Duan Yan ate, because her own figure was excellent; she didn’t need to steal Duan Yan’s diet plan.

She surreptitiously watched Duan Yan’s gaze and, seeing that she wasn’t paying attention, took advantage of her breakfast time to sneak to the bathroom door from yesterday.

Luckily, the door wasn’t closed. She pushed it with her paw, and it opened easily.

Song Jin looked around, as excited and thrilled as a treasure hunter exploring a labyrinth of unknown riches.

Unfortunately, she had overestimated her vision as a cat. Although she could see various cleaning products on the shelf, she couldn’t make out the words on them. She had to get closer.

‘How can I see the words on them?’

Song Jin carefully surveyed the layout and realized she could first jump onto the toilet, then onto the washing machine next to it. That way, she could see the words.

She carefully leaped, preparing to jump up, but whether it was due to her small size or the height, she failed after several attempts. But Song Jin didn’t give up. She took a few steps back, took a deep breath, and then dashed forward, leaping with all her might. She finally caught the edge of the toilet.

Victory was within her grasp when, just then, the sound of approaching footsteps came from outside the door.

Song Jin’s heart jumped. In her momentary distraction, she lost her grip on the edge of the toilet seat and fell straight down, making the sound of a heavy object landing.

Duan Yan, downstairs, had noticed the kitten was missing and was searching for it all over the room. Hearing the rustling sounds from the bathroom, she immediately pushed the door open.

She only saw a little orange cat staring blankly at the toilet. Seemingly sensing her arrival, it turned its gaze to her.

The little orange cat looked pitiful, as if it had been drenched in water. Its two fluffy ears couldn’t even stand up straight, looking droopy and dejected, and a wronged purr escaped its lips.

“Meow,” Duan Yan mimicked the cat’s sound, trying to comfort it.

“Meow-wu—” the kitten responded in a high-pitched voice, its soft sound seeming to plead for affection. Its amber eyes looked at her with longing, truly irresistible.

Duan Yan watched the adorable orange cat curled into a ball, staring at her with pleading eyes. Her heart melted completely. She half-knelt down, looked at the little orange cat, and stroked its round little head.

After being petted once, the kitten was no longer happy to be touched. It shook off her hand and started meowing incessantly, its gaze fixed elsewhere, seemingly begging for something.

Duan Yan noticed that the kitten’s gaze was consistently fixed on the toilet. It was the same when she first came in. Was it trying to jump onto the toilet? Or…

The keyword “toilet” instantly sparked an idea in Duan Yan’s mind—so that’s what it is!

Duan Yan’s face showed a look of understanding, but after realizing, she became a bit troubled.

Although she had heard her manager complain about her own rebellious cat being caught drinking toilet water and had even teased her manager about it at the time, it wasn’t so funny when it was happening to her.

She had a mild case of germaphobia; toilet water was somewhat difficult for her to accept…

“Meow~ Meow~” Song Jin, who had been watching Duan Yan closely, grew anxious. She let out a soft, delicate cry, urging Duan Yan on.

Duan Yan’s expression was conflicted. In the end, she still felt it was unacceptable. To prevent the kitten from secretly drinking toilet water, she had to tell it that the water here was not for drinking.

She took a clean cup from the sink, opened the toilet lid, pointed at the water inside, and wagged her finger.

Song Jin’s amber pupils dilated. It took her a long moment to decipher Duan Yan’s meaning.

‘She thinks I want to drink toilet water? For real?’

Seeing the cat’s dazed look, Duan Yan continued her lesson: “The water here is not for drinking. It’s dirty.”

Song Jin was speechless. ‘What does she mean? That I would drink water from the toilet?’

A wave of anger surged through her, and she was about to lash out at Duan Yan, but before she could say anything, she was scooped up and held in Duan Yan’s arms. This made her even angrier, and she let out a furious “meow meow meow.”

However, to Duan Yan, who saw everything through layers of filters, “meow meow meow” simply meant pleading for affection.

Duan Yan’s heart softened a little at the “meow meow meow” sounds, but drinking toilet water was truly unacceptable. Pleading was useless!

She hardened her heart, ignoring the kitten’s struggles and cries, and carried it out to the water dispenser in the living room. Pointing at the water in the dispenser, she took a glass from the top and poured some for the kitten.

“Only the water here is for drinking. In the future, you are not allowed to drink from the toilet.”

Unexpectedly, the moment the little orange cat was put down, it scurried away, as if muttering curses.

Duan Yan watched the little orange cat’s retreating figure, not worried that it would run to the bathroom to drink toilet water, because she had already locked the door. The cat couldn’t get in. As for other places, the cat was naturally free to play wherever it wanted.

Song Jin was dizzy with anger from Duan Yan’s whole performance. Passing by the bathroom, she wanted to go back in to see if she could make out the words on the bottles, but the door was locked. The thought of why Duan Yan had locked the door made Song Jin burn with rage.

She ran around for a while, getting a rough layout of the villa.

She had been active for so long since waking up and hadn’t had any water. Her throat was very dry. It would have been nice if she had drunk the water Duan Yan had poured for her earlier.

‘No, do I have no pride?’

Song Jin lay limply on the floor, her eyes darting around. ‘Maybe I should secretly drink some of the water she poured earlier. It was prepared for me, after all.’

In the living room, a cup of water sat on the table. It was the water Duan Yan had just poured for her.

Song Jin tiptoed up to the water cup, her two round eyes darting around, afraid of being caught by her owner.

As she made her way downstairs, she kept looking left and right, wary of any movement. It would be bad if Duan Yan suddenly came down and caught her in the act.

Arriving at the water cup, she looked around and saw no sign of Duan Yan. She was relieved.

Boldly, she stuck out her tongue, first touching the surface of the water with the tip, then lapping at it gently, making a “tap tap tap” sound.

The cool water soothed her somewhat dry throat. The more Song Jin drank, the more she savored it. ‘As expected of water poured by my nemesis, it’s just different.’

‘Delicious! Love it!’

As she drank, her swaying tail seemed to hit an obstacle. She turned her head and saw that it was Duan Yan.

‘I’ve been caught drinking the water in secret!’

But upon sensing Duan Yan’s gaze, Song Jin’s body only stiffened for a moment before she quickly composed herself.

There was no embarrassment of being caught red-handed. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave Duan Yan a provocative look, as if to say, “That’s right, I’m drinking your water. See if I care!”

Under Duan Yan’s gaze, Song Jin took a few more sips. The more she drank, the more she felt like she was drinking divine nectar, with an endless, delightful aftertaste.

Duan Yan, glared at by the kitten, felt like she was about to melt from the cuteness. ‘What a proud little cat. Refused the water when I poured it, and now it’s sneaking drinks by itself.’

Its two paws hugged the cup, its body stretched out as it craned its head over the rim. It carefully lowered its head, opened its mouth, and gracefully extended its tongue to drink.

Duan Yan observed very carefully, even catching a glimpse of a few tender little teeth. Some water droplets splashed onto its whiskers, sparkling in the sunlight. The little orange cat looked so focused and cute while drinking.

Song Jin drank her fill, then gently wiped her mouth with her front paw. Ignoring whatever Duan Yan might be thinking, she turned and walked away gracefully without a backward glance, leaving behind a cup of rippling clear water.

Her tail swayed gently, as if in provocation.

‘Hmph, so what if you found out? I’ll do it again next time!’

Duan Yan watched the kitten’s departing back, a faint smile spreading across her lips. This little cat was truly exasperating and endearing.

She gently picked up the water cup, touched its side, and felt the residual warmth the kitten had left on it.