Chapter 51

Chapter 51 Cat Ears and Cat Tail The summer heat was unbearable, Jiang Fengmian lay on the rocking chair with his eyes closed, spacing out. He let out a lazy yawn, and the tears welling up in his eyes were gently wiped away by Huo Zong.

"Cat, aren’t you supposed to go sign the contract with Silver Fox Entertainment today? Not going?"

After the Sheng family inquired, the vice president of Silver Fox Entertainment readily added a considerable amount, and the after-tax amount was exactly nine million.

According to his editor, this was the highest copyright price in the history of Love Comics, and the editor even sent him a 666 red packet.

"Brother, is it hot outside? I’m too lazy to go out."

It had been about ten days since he returned from the Sheng family, and he barely went out, even the frequency of his visits to Huo Corporation had decreased. Rumors were swirling around the company, speculating whether he had quarreled with Huo Zong.

Huo Zong even had Jiang Fengmian bite a mark on him, and he strutted into the company once, immediately dispelling the rumors.

"Cat, it’s not hot, there’s air conditioning from getting in and out of the car. I can’t sign for you, you have to go yourself."

Jiang Fengmian hummed, slowly raising his waist, he nestled against Huo Zong, lightly kissing Huo Zong’s ear tip, "Brother, hold me, will you?"

"Alright, hold my sweet cat."

After holding enough, Jiang Fengmian got up from the rocking chair, straightened his clothes, and went out holding Huo Zong’s hand.

The sun was scorching outside, Huo Zong held a parasol for Jiang Fengmian, with an arm around his waist.

The contract signing place was still the same teahouse as last time, the vice president of Silver Fox Entertainment was already there, bringing Yi Huo as usual.

"Mr. Huo, please sit, please sit."

Huo Zong hummed, Jiang Fengmian wiped the chair first, then pulled Huo Zong to sit down.

The vice president raised his eyebrows, are these two truly in love? It feels like Jiang Fengmian is somewhat fawning over Huo Zong.

There are many rumors online, he went back and read a lot, many of which are internal comments from Huo Corporation, all saying they are deeply in love, but he can’t see it now.

"Jiang Fengmian, be careful, it’s hot."

The steaming tea was pushed in front of Jiang Fengmian by Huo Zong, he bent down to smell it, his eyes lit up, "Brother, it smells amazing."

"Mr. Huo, you came in person for the contract signing? My nephew is quite familiar with Fengmian, he won’t cheat him."

"I’m not busy at the company, I wouldn’t feel comfortable if he came alone."

Huo Zong’s expression was somewhat indescribably proud, his fingertips caressed Jiang Fengmian’s hand, his eyes instantly softened.

"Hahaha, Mr. Huo and Fengmian have a very good relationship."

"Yes, it’s quite good."

Jiang Fengmian propped his elbow on the tea table, he smiled and looked at Huo Zong, humming lightly, "Brother, it’s very good, just quite good won’t do."

"Yes, it’s very good."

Yi Huo was extremely envious, he had never seen such a good relationship before, as if the whole world could only see each other.

"Vice president, let me look at the contract."

Huo Zong scrutinized every clause of the contract, for a while, the only sound in the teahouse was Huo Zong flipping through the contract.

After skimming through to the last page, the vice president finally spoke, "Huo Zong, everything okay?"

Huo Zong handed the contract to Jiang Fengmian, "Hmm, Jiang Fengmian, give it a look."

"If you've checked it and it's fine, I'll sign."

Jiang Fengmian casually flipped through a few pages and then signed. He offered his hand to the vice president, "Vice President, looking forward to working together."

"Looking forward to working together."

The tea room had a naturally secluded atmosphere. Jiang Fengmian and Huo Zong rarely even made eye contact, but the intimate vibe was palpable, and it was obvious we were a couple.

"Huo Zong, would you like to grab a bite? Here's the thing, the CEO of Dingsheng International, Mr. Zheng, wants to meet up for a meal. He's a junior from my university, and we're pretty tight. Since he knows I know you, he wanted to meet up for a meal."

Dingsheng International, the company that broke the rules during the last cultural tourism bureau project.

Jiang Fengmian fiddled with the teacup, couldn't figure out why this guy wanted to meet Huo Zong.

"Does he have something on his mind?" Huo Zong probably guessed something, there might be something fishy about Dingsheng International's sudden violation last time.

"No, no, just to get to know each other. We'd be honored if you could, Mr. Zheng insisted I bring this up."

"Alright."

The VP called Mr. Zheng right away, asking him to send the restaurant details, and he led Huo Zong there.

"Huo Zong, lunch is at Jiangnan Water Village, does that work for you?"

"Whatever works."

Mr. Zheng was eagerly waiting at the private room door. He rushed forward as soon as he saw Huo Zong approaching.

"Huo Zong, hello, hello."

Huo Zong slightly nodded. Those in the business circle of the capital knew he had severe mysophobia, so later when he came out for business talks, he would slightly nod in greeting.

"Huo Zong, please, you first."

Huo Zong hummed in agreement, pulling Jiang Fengmian to sit together in the main seat.

Mr. Zheng had some impression of Jiang Fengmian. At the last cultural tourism bureau project meeting, he was with Huo Zong, so it seems this is his boyfriend.

"Huo Zong, please see what you like to eat, you order."

Only four people were seated in the private room. Yi Huo left after coming out of the tea room. Mr. Zheng's secretary stood aside, first pouring a few cups of tea for those at the table.

"Jiang Fengmian, see what you want to eat."

Jiang Fengmian silently gave Huo Zong a look. He had never experienced such a dinner setting before, how would he know which dishes to order?

Huo Zong received the gaze and subtly touched Jiang Fengmian's hand, "Mr. Zheng, just fewer spicy dishes will do."

"Alright, alright, then we'll serve some authentic Jiangnan dishes. The ingredients here are all organic vegetables airlifted from Jiangnan, green and healthy."

Mr. Zheng's secretary took the instruction, seeing Mr. Zheng lightly tap the table, and understood.

Soon the dishes were all served, along with several bottles of fine wine.

"Mr. Zheng, if you have something to say, just say it directly."

Huo Zong felt uneasy at the sight of the alcohol. His boyfriend didn’t know about his inability to handle even a single drink. If he got drunk, he would embarrass himself.

"Huo Zong, I know you don’t like beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point. I wanted to ask if Huo Qilin will be entering the management team of Huo Corporation. I know it’s a bit abrupt, but after what happened with the last cultural tourism bureau project, we were clearly framed."

"Dingsheng started in the sock industry, as I’m sure you’re aware, Huo Zong. We know nothing about the gaming industry and initially didn’t even want to bid for this project. It was your father who reached out through intermediaries, saying that there needed to be a few companies bidding and that he had a way to ensure we’d be selected."

"Huo Zong, we were indeed bold—perhaps even reckless. After my team reported the plan to me, I thought it was feasible because Mr. Huo (Huo Qing) promised to provide external support, essentially selling us the core content."

"After assessing the situation, we realized it would be much easier to buy and adapt a game than to create one from scratch. So, we followed Mr. Huo’s (Huo Qing) advice and, through his introduction, purchased a half-finished game for twelve million."

"Until the day of the meeting, we never got a chance to present. We were simply informed that we had breached the regulations. When I heard the news, I was devastated. I knew someone had reported us, and very few people were aware of this. The team we bought the game from, Mr. Huo (Huo Qing), and Huo Qilin were the only ones in the know."

"Initially, we couldn’t be sure who reported us. It took a lot of effort over the past few days to pin it on Huo Qilin. Considering his relationship with you, Huo Zong, I wanted to give you a heads-up."

Huo Zong understood the underlying message—Zheng was planning to target Huo Qilin. If Huo Zong intervened, Zheng would have to come up with a different approach. He was just giving Huo Zong a warning to stay out of it.

"Mr. Zheng, you must have heard some rumors about the Huo family. Huo Qing likely doesn’t acknowledge me as his son."

Zheng’s expression shifted slightly, his ulterior motives suddenly exposed. He looked a bit uncomfortable but quickly collected himself. He stood up, poured Huo Zong a drink, and then went around to pour one for the vice president as well.

"I don’t know much about your private matters, Huo Zong, but our company has suffered significant losses. Not just the twelve million for the game, but we’ve also been barred by the government. It’s unlikely we’ll have any opportunities to work with them in the future."

Huo Zong sat upright, his gaze flickering to Zheng’s clenched fist. Many of Dingsheng International’s projects relied on government connections. Being barred would likely cause a sharp decline in next year’s business.

"Since it’s confirmed to be Huo Qilin, you should return that half-finished game. Is it possible that this was a setup by Huo Qing to trap you?"

Huo Zong’s bluntness made Zheng nod awkwardly, and he spoke hurriedly, "I’ve tried contacting Mr. Huo, but I haven’t been able to get through. There’s nothing else I can do."

"Try reaching out to Huo Cong. He might be able to help. Mr. Zheng, you don’t need to come to me for these matters. I’m not close to them. The intermediary you worked with last time for Huo Qing might know more than I do."

"Well, Huo Zong, I have one more request. Could you please not intervene? I know it might be difficult for you, but I’m out of options. If I don’t recover at least some of the losses, I won’t be able to explain it to the company’s higher-ups."

"I’ll say it again—I have no connection to the Huo family."

Zheng acknowledged this, raised his glass, and toasted Huo Zong, "Huo Zong, I’ll finish this. Please, take your time."

"Vice President, I’ll finish this."

Zheng downed three glasses in one go. Under Jiang Fengmian’s intense gaze, Huo Zong calmly picked up his glass and drained it in one go.

Jiang Fengmian suppressed a smile, picked up the bottle on the table, and refilled Huo Zong’s glass. He took a few sips from Huo Zong’s cup—the wine was rich and fragrant, not the harsh, spicy kind.

He pursed his lips, finishing the glass in one go, still craving more.

"Kitty, be careful not to get drunk," Huo Zong whispered into Jiang Fengmian’s ear, his voice so low it was almost inaudible. From the side, it looked like his lips were brushing against Jiang Fengmian’s ear.

"I won’t, brother. I can handle my alcohol."

Jiang Fengmian’s face flushed slightly as he drank. He gently touched his warm cheeks, unsure if they had turned red.

"Huo Zong, I haven’t heard you introduce this gentleman. Who is he?" Zheng tactfully refilled Huo Zong’s glass. The way they interacted made it clear this wasn’t just some casual fling.

"My boyfriend, Jiang Fengmian."

"Jiang? As in the Jiang family?"

In the capital, there’s only one Jiang family of note—the one that once had a prodigy who later suffered a brain injury.

"Yes."

Seeing that Huo Zong was not interested in the topic, Zheng Zong immediately shifted gears, cheerfully saying, "I heard that Jiang Zong is also a rising star, coming up with a hit comic at such a young age. Even my son is reading it. I just found out today that you’re the author, Jiang Zong."

"Jiang Zong, let me raise a glass to you, and I’d also ask you to sign an autograph for me to take back to my son."

Seeing Zheng Zong stand up, Jiang Fengmian also rose and clinked glasses with him.

"You’re too generous, Zheng Zong. I just doodle around, and an autograph is really too much."

"Come on, don’t sell yourself short. Jiang Zong, you probably don’t know, but your work has really struck a chord. I’m not just flattering you; its scope goes beyond what’s expected for someone your age."

Zheng Zong was clearly ready for this, handing Jiang Fengmian a piece of colored paper, not giving him a chance to refuse.

Jiang Fengmian quickly signed the name "Dong Li," which helped lighten the mood during the exchange.

As soon as he sat down, Huo Zong’s hand closed over his. Huo Zong’s eyes were slightly fixed, his deep gaze unblinkingly staring at Jiang Fengmian.

In that instant, Jiang Fengmian grasped Huo Zong’s hand, scratching his palm, screaming for help in his head.

Why did his Huo Zong get drunk? If Zheng Zong says something, and Huo Zong starts rambling, what should he do?

"Huo Zong, try this Jiangnan specialty. It’s sweet and refreshing, quite different from the capital’s flavors."

The deputy jumped in, as none of them had touched their chopsticks, waiting for Huo Zong to start.

"Hmm."

Huo Zong casually served Jiang Fengmian some food, his expression normal, but the aura around him grew colder and more oppressive. It was as if something had upset him.

"Kitty, give it a try, see if you like it."

Zheng Zong was shocked. No one had told him that Huo Zong was like this when in love—spoiling his partner rotten.

"Kitty," such a sticky and affectionate term coming from Huo Zong’s mouth felt oddly out of place.

"It’s great, brother, you should try it too."

Huo Zong was acting like a robot; Jiang Fengmian poked him, and he moved. His serious, robotic way of eating was oddly endearing, almost piercing Jiang Fengmian’s heart.

"Zheng Zong, deputy, you should eat too."

After a few drinks, Zheng Zong looked unfazed. Almost half the bottle had gone into his stomach, yet he could still stay composed, which was impressive.

The deputy, however, wasn’t doing as well, his cheeks flushed, and his speech began to slur.

"Zheng Zong, I really can’t drink anymore."

"Alright, alright, no more drinking. Let’s eat, let’s eat." Zheng Zong knew when to stop. He’d originally wanted to size up Huo Zong and probe his relationship with the Huo family.

Since Huo Zong had already said he had no connection with the Huo family, Zheng Zong felt emboldened to act.

Previously, he had hesitated about the series of measures against Huo Qilin, but now he was reassured. With only Huo Qing behind him, and Huo Cong not even showing up, there was nothing to fear.

After the meal, Huo Zong grabbed Jiang Fengmian’s hand and stood up, glancing at Zheng Zong. "Zheng Zong, we’ll head back now."

"Of course, of course, Huo Zong, let me see you off."

The prepared gifts hadn’t even been handed over. Zheng Zong was about to ask his secretary to give them to Huo Zong when the deputy stopped him.

Only after Huo Zong’s car had driven far away did the deputy say, "Zheng Zong, Huo Zong has a very peculiar temper. Giving him gifts could backfire. I told you before that he’s at odds with those in the Huo family. Now you can rest assured."

"Whew, what a relief. I was seriously freaked out. If he wasn’t like the rumors said, and I rashly attacked Huo Qilin, wouldn’t that be a death wish?"

"Mr. Zheng, you’re still not getting it. Maybe it’s because of the nature of our company. Someone once got hold of info that Huo Zong had Huo Qilin thrown in jail because of a project with the Cultural and Tourism Bureau. Huo Qilin sold Huo Corporation's secrets, and after Huo Zong reported it, Huo Qing traded 5% of Huo Corporation’s shares to get him back. You haven’t been keeping up with Huo Corporation’s equity changes, have you?"

Mr. Zheng shook his head in disbelief. He really didn’t know about this. If that’s the case, he’s off the hook.

"Vice President, I’m still looking to buy some intel from you. You know what I mean, right?"

Huo Qing’s all about his reputation, so he’d start from what he cares about the most.

"There’s none for now. We’ll need to send our people out to dig it up. As for the price..."

Mr. Zheng interrupted quickly, "Money’s not a problem. It’s gotta be solid evidence, and as soon as possible."

The Vice President flashed an OK sign, patted Mr. Zheng’s shoulder, and sighed. It’s better to orchestrate it yourself than end up blacklisted.

***

The car sped on the overpass, and Huo Zong’s body was rigid as a board. Jiang Fengmian poked him, afraid Huo Zong would hurt his fingertips.

"Huo Zong, are you trying to be Iron Man or something? You’re not moving at all."

"Stay still, kitty."

Huo Zong’s voice was extremely hoarse. His eyes clouded with a faint mist, filled with spring-like colors falling on Jiang Fengmian.

"Okay, brother, I won’t move."

Jiang Fengmian hooked Huo Zong’s fingers and maintained that position until they got out of the car.

He observed Huo Zong’s walking posture and felt something was off. After looking several times, he realized Huo Zong was walking with the same foot and hand.

"Brother, come here." Jiang Fengmian leaned back on the sofa with his legs crossed, beckoning Huo Zong with his finger. Seeing Huo Zong walk over woodenly, he struggled to keep a straight face.

"Kitty, kiss me."

Huo Zong played with Jiang Fengmian’s hair, his gaze hazy and downward. His lips were very close to Jiang Fengmian’s, their breaths mingled, but he didn’t kiss him.

Jiang Fengmian stroked Huo Zong’s lips, blinking his eyes, and gently kissed him. He kissed Huo Zong’s lip bead lightly, and after a long time, he probed into Huo Zong’s mouth.

His breath was completely taken by Huo Zong, and he slumped weakly against Huo Zong, all his breathing rhythms following Huo Zong’s, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

"Kitty, where are your ears? They’re missing."

Jiang Fengmian hummed suspiciously, grabbed Huo Zong’s fingers, and pressed them on his ear tips, following the ear contour down to the earlobe.

"Brother, my ears are here."

"They’re not. Your tail is gone too." Huo Zong was extremely stubborn. His hand reached behind Jiang Fengmian, groping around, trying to find Jiang Fengmian’s tail.

"Kitty, where is your soft tail? Did you hide it? Let me see. I’m your boyfriend; only I can see it."

Good heavens, Huo Zong was already in drunken version 2.0. He didn’t have a tail or ears, for crying out loud.

"Huo Zong, really, I don’t have them. I’m human, not really a kitty."

"No, you do. You have them."

Seeing no point in arguing with Huo Zong, Jiang Fengmian could only hum a few times in agreement, "Yes, I hid them. They’re in the bedroom."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Zong nodded in surprise and pulled Jiang Fengmian upstairs, walking so fast Jiang Fengmian could barely keep up.

"Bro, slow down, I can't keep up!"

Huo Zong heard Jiang Fengmian panting and slowed down a bit. A few seconds later, he grabbed Jiang Fengmian by the waist and picked him up, eager to check out his ears and tail.

In the bedroom, Huo Zong tossed Jiang Fengmian onto the bed with a loud thud. He bounced a few times, let out a surprised "Ah," and looked dazedly at Huo Zong, tugging at his collar and whining.

"Bro, there’s no tail. Touch my ears."

Huo Zong pinched Jiang Fengmian's earlobe, kissed it, then squinted as he dug through the box from their last shopping trip.

With a clatter, Huo Zong dumped out a pile of stuff and finally pulled out a slender tail and a pair of fluffy cat ears from the bottom.

Jiang Fengmian: What the—?

What did he miss? When were these bought? He didn’t remember any of it.

The packaging was still sealed. Jiang Fengmian grabbed the cat ears and saw two bold words: "Free Gift."

What kind of adult shop gives away cat ears and tails? This was just asking for trouble.

"Kitty, I got your ears and tail."

Huo Zong was thrilled. His vision cleared, and his hands steadied as he opened the packaging and put the ears on Jiang Fengmian. The tail was tricky to attach, so he frowned, thought for a moment, then decided to take off Jiang Fengmian's clothes.

Jiang Fengmian’s eyes widened. "Wow, who said Huo Zong was drunk? He’s totally sober and even knows how to use props to tease me. So unfair."

"Kitty, you look amazing."

Jiang Fengmian twitched the ears on his head and half-crawled on the floor, wagging his tail at Huo Zong.

"Bro, wanna touch my ears and tail?"

"Hmm."

With a hiss, Jiang Fengmian’s mind blanked. No one told him this was connected to his nerves. The nerve stimulation made him bite his lip, almost driving him crazy.

The tail attached to his lower back, and Jiang Fengmian let out a soft moan, his face flushed, sweat forming on his back. He half-sat up, his whole body turning faintly pink.

"Kitty, do you like it when I kiss you here?"

Warm lips pressed against the tip of his tail, sending sensations stronger than ever.

"Y-yes, I like it." Tears filled Jiang Fengmian’s eyes. He grabbed Huo Zong’s collar, his knees grinding against the sheets.

"Bro, don’t touch the base. Just the tip, okay?"

Jiang Fengmian didn’t get how these things worked, just felt his body heating up, wanting cold water to cool down. He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol kicking in or if there was something wrong with the tail, but it definitely wasn’t normal.

"No, my kitty’s special. It’s okay to touch."

Huo Zong not only touched but also kissed!

In broad daylight, under the clear sky, there was no law anymore.

Helpless, Jiang Fengmian felt like crying. There really was no law.

His Huo Zong was clingy, kissing him like a big dog that had found a bone, leaving no spot untouched. Jiang Fengmian's bones felt like they were melting.

"Huo Zong, is there really nothing left?"

Jiang Fengmian's cheeks were slightly red. Damn it, he had said there was too much before, but he didn't expect it to be used up in just a few days. He and Huo Zong were really something.

Like wolves and tigers, they savored every moment, indulging night after night.

Ahem, how do you show love? It takes practice. It's just that they might have overdone the practicing. Jiang Fengmian didn't dare to look at that box, afraid there might be something inside he hadn't seen before.

"Kitty, you’re my kitty, it’s fine, you don’t need it." Huo Zong was immersed in his own set of logic, which somehow managed to be self-consistent and perfectly logical.

Jiang Fengmian rubbed his racing heart and mumbled, "Oh, fine, my good doggy, you’ll have to carry me to the bath later. I’ll be too lazy to move."

Huo Zong hummed softly and kissed the base of Jiang Fengmian’s tail once more.

Hmph, his kitty was different—no meows, just whimpers. Sometimes, there were even muffled curses, barely audible, but it thrilled Huo Zong, making his kisses grow more intense.

The once-cute kitty now looked pitiful, his cat ears drooping, his tail tossed aside, the fur at its tip tangled and messy.

As the water splashed around him, Jiang Fengmian grew drowsy. Yawning, he mused, "It’d be so nice if I really turned into a cat."

Then let's see what Huo Zong would do—he could only hug and kiss him, not go this far.

Silver moonlight streamed in, and as Jiang Fengmian slept, a fluffy ear remained on his head, gently rising and falling with each breath—utterly adorable.