31. The five-member boy band is about to debut.

The answer is too late.

The next day, with a gentle breeze and clear sky, “Nepeta cataria” Villa Cat Café closed for the day.

Ms. Yan, the leader of the cat group, put on her silver chain glasses, hummed a little tune, and happily waited for her handsome nephew and his boyfriend, who had a buy one get one free offer, to come and visit.

The tinkling wind chime sounded, but it wasn’t Yan Ling and Qiu Rong who arrived first.

A woman with long wavy hair entered the house, familiar with the surroundings. She took out a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet near the entrance, changed her uncomfortable high heels, and let out a sigh of relief. She took off her sunglasses and shouted, “Darling! Come let me hug you!”

Yan Zijue put down her sketchbook and came out, surprised, “Weren’t you going to the film set? Are you done with work?”

Luo Mani pounced on Yan Zijue, in distress, “I came back as soon as I settled things. As soon as I came back, your nephew gave me tasks to handle, asking me to train new talents. Oh my, that guy with pink hair has so many demands. I’m not familiar with managing boy bands, it’s giving me a headache!”

Yan Zijue patted Luo Mani’s back, amused, “Why did they assign you to train new talents for a boy band?”

“Because he has connections…” Luo Mani stood up straight, her face full of resentment, “He’s a little count from Europe, I have no idea how much higher his status is compared to mine.”

Once inside the house, Yan Zijue went to pour some water while Luo Mani randomly picked up a lucky kitten from the furballs running around, holding it in her arms and petting it.

The kitten let out a soft “meow” and bit Luo Mani’s hand but couldn’t break the skin. Luo Mani smiled and put the kitten down, saying, “By the way, my brother said he wants to bring a friend to play with the cats and maybe adopt one from you. Can I ask if it’s alright?”

“Of course. Is it a celebrity friend?” Yan Zijue asked.

“No, he’s just an ordinary guy.” Luo Mani replied, “Seems like he’s a college student.”

Yan Zijue added ice cubes and mint leaves to a glass and placed it on the counter, saying, “Is he not interested in dating anyone?”

Luo Mani shrugged, picked up the glass of water, and drank it without minding the coldness. She smirked and said, “Who knows?”

“Well, let him come today since we’re closed. There won’t be anyone else around. Otherwise, if a big celebrity gets recognized, it’ll become a hot topic.” Yan Zijue suggested.

“That works.” Luo Mani took out her phone and messaged Luo Haoxuan. After a pause, she asked, “Aren’t you closed today? Don’t you have design work to do? Will it bother you?”

Yan Zijue collected the pencils and sketchbook from the table and smiled happily, “No, it won’t. I’m not working today because Xiaoling is coming over.”

Luo Mani froze, “…”

Luo Mani collapsed, “Ah! If only I had asked you before coming here! Why did you make me share a room with the boss on my day off!”

Shortly after, the wind chime tinkled again, and the boss and his wife arrived.

Qiu Rong was seeing Luo Mani for the first time and didn’t expect that Xin Yue’s gold medal agent would be as stunning as a star and even more attractive than her brother. They exchanged polite greetings, and then a clump of pink hair popped out from behind Yan Ling.

Luo Mani: “…?”

Luo Mani: “Aren’t you supposed to be practicing dance at the company instead of coming out to play!”

Daniel, who failed to hide, slowly revealed half of his face from behind Yan Ling and made a funny face, “Well, there’s nothing I can do. Mr. Yan kindly invited me here.”

Luo Mani: “…”

Yesterday, while facing the decision of fleeing to Europe overnight or being dressed up by Miracle Warmth, Mr. Yan suddenly remembered that he had a cheap cousin he could make use of.

Grabbing Daniel by the back of his collar, Yan Ling pulled him forward and said to Yan Zijue, “Aunt, I’ve found you a new model, a foreigner, and a pretty one with pink hair. It’s quite novel. I believe you can gain a lot of new inspiration from him.”

Yan Zijue carefully examined the petite and cute Daniel, who looked like a sweet bean ready to be eaten, just like when he observed Qiu Rong before. She nodded, “Not bad.”

Before Yan Ling and Qiu Rong could relax, Yan Zijue raised her index finger, squinted her eyes, and pointed at the two of them, “Don’t get too excited, the two of you can’t escape either.”

Daniel was shorter than Yan Ling, with a slender body that exuded a youthful vibe. Yan Ling had the standard physique of a celebrity, with a thin layer of well-proportioned muscles, not thin or weak. Qiu Rong, on the other hand, was tall and strong, giving off an even more powerful aura… The three different styles were suddenly gathered together, and Aunt Yan Zijue was ecstatic.

Yan Zijue: “Hehehe…”

Yan Ling, Qiu Rong: “…”

Luo Mani knew Yan Zijue’s love for dressing people up, so she clapped her hands and said, “Oh, if you don’t mind, later my cheap little brother comes, I can let you have some fun with him too.”

Luo Mani leaned closer to Yan Zijue and whispered, “Let’s play dress-up games together.”

Yan Zijue blinked and made an OK gesture with her hand, “No problem.”

The three people changing shoes at the entrance: Ladies, your conspiratorial whispers are a little too loud!

Yan Ling asked Luo Mani, “Is Luo Haoxuan coming later?”

Luo Mani nodded, “Yes, and he’s bringing a friend. Hope you don’t mind?”

Yan Ling shook his head, “Ms. Yan is in charge here.”

Madam Yan, the owner of the large cat’s nest, was eager to change outfits. She didn’t waste any time and led everyone upstairs.

The first victim, of course, was Daniel, but he seemed quite happy about it. He quickly blended into the atmosphere of the two ladies and cheerfully said, “Are there any formal dresses? The kind that looks noble! I don’t want the exaggerated styles you see at art exhibitions. They’re too avant-garde for my taste. It’s best to go for some medieval aristocratic attire…”

“Judging by his attitude, he should be able to keep Aunt Yan occupied for a long time,” Qiu Rong whispered to Yan Ling.

Yan Ling, rarely finding this cousin somewhat pleasing, replied, “I hope so.”

With Daniel entertaining the sisters happily, Qiu Rong and Yan Ling went back downstairs to pet the cats.

Qiu Rong glanced at the group of cats and, as expected, one big white cat who was fast asleep heard Yan Ling’s voice, stretched lazily, and elegantly walked up to Yan Ling and sat down, meowing softly.

Yan Ling, as always, greeted, “Good morning.”

Qiu Rong smiled and said, “You only see it a few times a year, but it seems to be quite attached to you.”

“Mm.” Yan Ling bent down and scratched the cat’s chin, saying, “Actually, it’s not the same cat.”

“Really?” Qiu Rong was surprised. He crouched down, looked left and right, and even tried to pick up the big white cat to observe.

The big white cat gave Qiu Rong a disdainful glance, stood up, turned its head, and leisurely walked away.

“Isn’t it the LinQiu Lion Cat?” Qiu Rong looked around. There didn’t seem to be another beautiful white cat like that in the house. He added, “And it won’t let me touch it. Are you sure it’s not the same one?”

Yan Ling explained, “Madam Yan has… quite a few lion cats at her home. Sometimes she brings one or two over, so it might not be the same one.”

Qiu Rong thought that having so many cats in a villa was already quite a lot, but it turned out that Yan Zijue’s house also had them. It seems Aunt Yan really loves cats.

Not long after, Luo Haoxuan arrived with a young boy by his side.

Qiu Rong and Yan Ling looked at each other, holding their respective thick books, one on European history and the other holding a cat.

“Senior.” The well-behaved Ruan Sijia greeted.

Qiu Rong looked at Luo Haoxuan and asked, “What’s going on with you guys?”

Luo Haoxuan hadn’t expected to encounter these two in the midst of their private moment. He replied with a stern tone, “Xiao Ruan likes cats, so I thought of bringing him here to play.”

Qiu Rong and Yan Ling exchanged glances that clearly conveyed the message: How dare you flirt with fans?

Luo Haoxuan glared back in frustration, “I’m being sincere!”

Ruan Sijia, standing aside, looked innocent as if he didn’t understand the silent communication between them.

“If you want to pet the cats, go ahead. Leave the books at the entrance, and you can pick them up when we leave,” Luo Haoxuan turned his head, speaking gently and politely.

Ruan Sijia, with round-framed glasses, nodded and said, “Okay.”

He was as obedient as a little rabbit.

Qiu Rong fell into silence for a moment.

Oh well, as long as Ruan Sijia is happy.

Soon, Ruan Sijia indulged himself in the fluffy sea of cats, while Yan Ling took Luo Haoxuan upstairs to greet others, and Qiu Rong went to the bar to pour drinks for everyone.

Seeing them leave, Ruan Sijia, who was captivated by the kittens, made an effort to stand up from the sea of cats and offered to help Qiu Rong.

Qiu Rong waved his hand, indicating that he didn’t need to.

Ruan Sijia sat at the bar, holding a chubby Garfield cat, and whispered, “Chief, Meng-ge messaged me earlier. He said he went to Chunhe Road to see if there’s any news about the Cerberus.”

“Their team has a day off today?” Qiu Rong raised his eyes.

Ruan Sijia shook his head.

Meng Baichuan wouldn’t go searching early or late but would immediately head to Chunhe Road as soon as the central bounty announcement came out.

“He’s getting a pretty high signing fee now, and he still wants a Cerberus bounty?” Qiu Rong remarked.

“Meng-ge says he can never have too much money,” Ruan Sijia took the opportunity to complain, “Chief, can you talk to him later? I’ve told him, but he won’t listen. Meng-ge already sleeps late due to training, and in the morning, he takes time to look for dogs. In the afternoon, he returns to the base for training, only resting for a few hours a day. It’s too exhausting.”

Meng Baichuan may be good in many aspects, but he had a peculiar obsession with saving money that he developed since he was young and couldn’t change.

Qiu Rong nodded, “Alright, I got it.”

As he washed the glasses one by one, Yan Ling sent a message, specifying the drinks for the people upstairs. Qiu Rong turned around and went to the refrigerator to fetch the coconut milk Daniel wanted and the cola Luo Haoxuan requested.

The semi-transparent black beverage poured into the glass, and tiny bubbles made a “sizzling” sound along the glass walls. Qiu Rong put the cola bottle aside. While unscrewing the cap of the coconut milk, he slowed down for a moment before abruptly saying, “Today, Mr. Yan’s cousin also came.”

Ruan Sijia didn’t understand, “?”

Qiu Rong paused for a moment and said, “I feel like he resembles someone.”

Qiu Rong looked up at Ruan Sijia, his expression unclear, and said, “You’ll see later.”

They went upstairs together, holding their drinks. They wondered why Yan Ling and Luo Haoxuan hadn’t come down for a while, only to discover that they were being detained by Yan Zijue.

Luo Haoxuan, who was being forced to pose like a model for a magazine during their date, urged, “Hurry, hurry! Qiu Rong, come upstairs. Yan Jie, have Qiu Rong help you try on clothes while I accompany Xiao Ruan to pick a cat!”

Yan Zijue, in high spirits, said, “Since you’re all here, put down your cups and come over. I’ll give you all a boy group makeover!”

Everyone, except for Daniel, had a collective thought: No, thank you!

Daniel happily raised his hand and said, “Aunt Yan, I’m up for a boy group makeover!”

When Ruan Sijia came over to deliver the coconut milk, Daniel enthusiastically took off his sunglasses, took the cup, and gave a friendly smile. He extended his hand and said, “Hello, Daniel.”

Upon meeting Ruan Sijia’s gaze and hearing the self-introduction, Ruan Sijia instantly understood what Qiu Rong meant.

Without showing any change in expression, Ruan Sijia reached out his hand and shyly replied, “Hello, Ruan Sijia.”

Once inside Yan Zijue’s domain, everyone became part of the male group, and no one could escape.

During the intervals of changing clothes and taking photos, Ruan Sijia silently approached Qiu Rong.

“Senior, I think there’s at least an 80% chance,” Ruan Sijia whispered.

Qiu Rong looked towards Daniel, who forcefully hugged Yan Ling for a photo, without giving a response.

“Do you want me to ask Xiao Ye?” Ruan Sijia tilted his head and looked at their clan leader with calm and gentle eyes, clearly understanding Qiu Rong’s hesitation.

Qiu Rong remained silent for a long time. This time, under the gaze of his companions, he softly said, “Go and ask.”

As noon approached, the dress-up session, which everyone “loved so much” and was “so happy” about, finally ended. Yan Zijue, in high spirits, rolled up his sleeves and announced that he would go downstairs to cook a meal for everyone—after eating their fill, they would continue in the afternoon.

The exhausted and reluctantly cheerful group of people: They had no energy left to argue.

The layout of the second floor of the villa had recently been changed, with a small projector installed on one wall for watching movies on regular occasions.

The minimalist European-style tables and chairs had been replaced with a Japanese-style setup, complete with tatami mats and soft cushions. As they sat down, little cats climbed onto their laps.

The group moved from the third floor to the second floor to rest. Yan Zijue, afraid that they would get bored sitting there, turned on the projector and asked, “Shall I play a movie for you?”

Everyone was fine with it.

After a brief selection, Yan Zijue, with a smile on her face, suggested, “How about watching ‘Twilight: Eclipse’?”

A weird and silent atmosphere descended upon them for a moment.

The four vampires present: “…”

The two hidden werewolves: “…”

A movie about vampires and werewolves as romantic rivals.

With this playing, it’s likely to cause some family issues.

Just as a little Werewolf cub was pursuing Daniel, he interrupted, “Aunt Yan, you go ahead and do your thing, no need to worry about us.”

Daniel turned his head and said, “Instead of watching a movie, how about we play some cards?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Yan Zijue, somewhat regretfully, put down the remote control.

She sent Luo Mani, who wanted to help with the cards, back to her seat and went downstairs alone.

Yan Zijue originally thought that Daniel was just casually mentioning it, but he actually asked her for a deck of cards.

After skillfully shuffling the cards with fancy techniques that seemed to have been practiced, Daniel flicked his fingertips and accurately pulled out two Jokers from the spread-out fan of cards.

Two jokers, one black-and-white and one colorful, faced everyone. Daniel smiled and said, “Drawing the joker card, want to play?”

Author’s Note:

Ruo Changsheng, after finishing this chapter: So many people.jpg

Let’s see who’s here—

Four vampires: Yan Ling, Daniel, Luo Haoxuan, Luo Mani

Two werewolves: Qiu Rong, Ruan Sijia

And an avid fan of Twilight: Yan Zijue

Yan Zijue (shaking her head in regret): How come no one wants to watch it?

TN: I honestly don’t understand all the Twilight hate and slander. It’s actually not that bad, a bit cliche but not bad. I used to eat that sh*t up back in my Wattpad reading days.