Cat 229: Breakfast Time

Chapter 229: Breakfast Time

“Want To Be A Human” livestream chatroom:

“Holy crap, is that Qi Feng?”

“The player CP I shipped is actually real?”

“Wait, aren’t you guys missing the point? How can Lord Jiu be Qi Feng, and how did Qi Feng get in here! Qi Feng’s own stream isn’t even live!”

“Is Lord Jiu really Qi Feng? He just named the kitten ‘Caramel’ and it gave me chills.”

“Isn’t the kitten breaking new ground in a fresh instance? The player count should be fixed, right? I didn’t see any changes to the instance info—if Lord Jiu is really Qi Feng, how did he get into the instance, and why as Lord Jiu? From the info the kitten has so far, your identity only gets legitimized if the NPCs recognize the role. Qi Feng just left the elite field, so how did he become such a top-level underworld boss in just two or three hours? Did the system give him a backdoor?”

“I can’t stop laughing. I don’t care how Qi Feng got in, I just want to know if the kit realizes Lord Jiu is actually his owner.”

“Wow, now the kit is giving us ‘girlfriend POV’ and getting ready to nap with his master?”

“Why the fuss? It’s not like we haven’t seen the little kit curl up in his owner’s arms before.”

“Am I the only one who feels bad for Liu Rongzhi? The kit basically yowled at her to get lost just now—I nearly died laughing. At that point he must’ve realized Lord Jiu was probably Qi Feng, otherwise he wouldn’t be so mad, and way clingier than usual.”

“I want a black cat that climbs drainpipes and chases off little homewreckers, seriously, I love it.”

“The kit is tucking himself in, it’s so cute! Ahhh!”

“Ugh, I love the daily life of the kitten and his master. Extend the instance by half a month, I could watch it forever.”

“Waiting for the kit to decode Lord Jiu’s background!”

“So far, what is this instance even about? Who’s the protagonist? What’s the objective? How do players clear it?”

“My guess is, it’s unraveling the characters and their relationships, right? The Liu family seems important. But now with Lord Jiu, who’s obviously connected to the players, things are so much murkier. Better to wait and see after the kit wakes up. I’ll sleep along with him. Good night, everyone.”

Yan Jiyun was truly too exhausted to get up. He slept deeply, blocking out all outside noise—a full forty-eight hours without sleep was brutal on anyone, let alone with all his running and jumping around.

It was a sleep born of simple reasons: first, his body was truly spent; second, Lord Jiu gave him a sense of security; third, a bit of wine helped send him off.

In short, he slept wonderfully.

When he woke again, his whole body felt light and refreshed, every trace of fatigue gone, and he dearly loved the feeling of waking up naturally.

Yan Jiyun sprawled on all fours, having migrated from the soft, light comforter to the pillow—his belly was pressed right down on Lord Jiu’s head.

Was he really sleeping that brazenly?

And Lord Jiu hadn’t thrown him off the pillow—maybe he could get away with even more.

Now wide awake and feeling great, Yan Jiyun was completely alert.

Lord Jiu was still asleep, breathing slow and even—he must be in a deep sleep.

Yan Jiyun leaned forward for a closer look. Whether in lamplight or daylight, Lord Jiu looked exactly like Qi Feng. If he remembered correctly, before drifting off to sleep he’d heard Lord Jiu call out “Caramel”—and only Qi Feng called him that.

If that’s so, how did Qi Feng enter the instance? And why had he lost his memory? Could this be another test of player judgment by the game itself?

He could at least confirm that the role of Lord Jiu had now been legitimized; as to whether Lord Jiu truly was Qi Feng, that was still up for debate—nothing was ever absolute, a lesson he’d learned from each instance.

Yan Jiyun raised a paw and pressed his pink pad to Lord Jiu’s exceptionally handsome, chiseled face—never growing tired of it, especially while he was asleep and could be freely touched.

Actually, there was another reason he hadn’t jumped to a conclusion: his master-pet tab had not lit up.

As he was checking his system interface, the paw pressed to Lord Jiu’s face was suddenly seized.

The man’s voice was hoarse and low: “Caramel, morning.”

Yan Jiyun tried to pull his paw free, but couldn’t. Morning or not, could he at least let go? With this, he was acting like a shameless cat-teasing jerk.

With evident mischief, Lord Jiu gripped his forepaw, still half-awake, and pulled Yan’s face over for a kiss.

Yan Jiyun: “……”

What the hell!

What are you doing, randomly kissing people?!

Qi Feng never kissed him like this—at most, he’d nuzzle his face!

Yan himself was a bit of a looks-chaser—he’d chosen Qi Feng as his keeper partly based on his face. If he’d been some greasy middle-aged uncle, he would have passed; in his eyes, Qi Feng’s looks came first.

But Lord Jiu had such a strong grip that Yan, once in his arms, couldn’t break free—and was kissed two more times.

Yan stared wide-eyed: a Lord Jiu without memories of Caramel was actually so audacious? Outrageous!

Did his subordinates know that their cold, imposing boss privately smothered a cat with kisses? That had to destroy his image.

“Want To Be A Human” livestream chatroom:

“OMG, look at the kitten’s big round eyes after getting kissed! LOL! His owner normally doesn’t kiss him?”

“If I had a kitten like that in my arms, I’d kiss him to death. Over and over.”

“Does Lord Jiu know the ‘cat’ he’s kissing is actually a person, not a real cat?”

“I seriously suspect the kit is blushing.”

“Me too. He didn’t struggle much, so he must have figured out Lord Jiu is Qi Feng.”

Lord Jiu stroked Yan Jiyun’s scruff: “Get up, time for breakfast.”

Yan Jiyun leapt off the bed before Lord Jiu, walking to the door and waiting impatiently for it to be opened—he had business in the bathroom.

It was as if Lord Jiu anticipated what came next and instantly opened the doors of both the bedroom and the bathroom for him.

But Lord Jiu stood in the bathroom entrance, and Yan Jiyun was growing desperate.

What—did he want to watch him pee? He had his dignity too.

Yan Jiyun looked up at him, silently but obviously refusing to be observed.

Lord Jiu gave a low chuckle, his solid chest moving slightly. “Alright, I won’t watch. Go ahead, I’ll stand guard for you.”

Yan Jiyun: … That’s a bit excessive. He just needed to use the toilet like any normal person.

When he emerged from the bathroom, the scent of food wafted from the living room—several dishes and pastries arrayed on the dining table.

Liu Rongzhi, caught by the commotion of Lord Jiu waking, entered with his attendants—not surprising, since this was her room and Lord Jiu was technically a guest.

The graceful beauty arranged breakfast on the table, the morning light framing her in a painterly tableau.

Yan Jiyun hadn’t forgotten his mission: to probe Liu Rongzhi for information on the fight with Liu Jinghao. But in cat form, and given the woman’s clear indifference for cats, there was no point forcing the issue for now.

Lord Jiu waited for Yan to come out before freshening up himself. As soon as he returned, Liu Rongzhi eagerly hurried to offer him everything she could.

She said, “Lord Jiu, I’ve prepared breakfast for you. Please see if it’s to your taste.”

Lord Jiu nodded. Pulling out a chair, he didn’t even glance at her, and just as she prepared to demur with a show of modesty, the black cat jumped onto the seat.

Liu Rongzhi: …… Not again!

The black cat looked up at Lord Jiu and gave a slightly surly meow.

Lord Jiu turned to his attendant Yang Er: “Didn’t you prepare breakfast for the cat?”

Yang Er: “What should a cat eat, Lord Jiu?”

Without the slightest hesitation, Lord Jiu replied, “Boiled chicken breast or beef, add an egg, and a bowl of cool water.”

Yang Er left to prepare it instantly.

Liu Rongzhi felt awkward. When arranging the breakfast, she’d never expected Lord Jiu would actually spend the night with a cat—and now it looked as if he actually planned to keep it.

A filthy black cat now seemed destined for the life of city nobility; who wouldn’t envy it?

Liu Rongzhi could only envy it for getting to sit beside Lord Jiu, so she chose the seat to his left.

Lord Jiu started breakfast, and Yan Jiyun, his stomach rumbling at the fragrant shumai, hungrily eyed the food and nearly drooled as he watched.

As Liu Rongzhi prepared to serve him personally, she stood up—only to see the black cat stand as well, jump down, and, rather than leave, boldly grab Lord Jiu’s leg and, as soon as he leaned back, hop into his lap.

Liu Rongzhi: …… This damn cat really had game. At this rate, Lord Jiu wouldn’t remember what she looked like in a moment.

She needed to pull out all her tricks!

Clearing her throat softly, she picked up her chopsticks, “Lord Jiu, Yang Er said your favorite in Jiangnan is our steamed dumplings. May I offer you one?”

Before her words had finished, Lord Jiu looked down—and the green on his chopsticks was flicked onto the table by a black paw.

Lord Jiu: “Don’t worry, your meat’s almost here.”

Liu Rongzhi drew a breath, forcing herself to keep smiling and not bicker with a cat ignorant of human etiquette. She tried again, “Lord—”

The black cat meowed at Lord Jiu: “Meow~”

Lord Jiu set down his chopsticks. “Alright. I’ll eat with you once your breakfast arrives.”

Liu Rongzhi, chopsticks still raised: ……

The kitten finally settled down, not fidgeting in Lord Jiu’s lap. Only then did he notice Liu Rongzhi’s still-raised chopsticks, “Eat, don’t mind us.”

Liu Rongzhi forced a smile and replied gently, “Alright.”

It was, on the surface, her room—but right now, she felt like the outsider.