Extra IV: Chapter 135 – Qin Cat

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Xu Jian was utterly baffled as he stared at the gray cat beside him, unable to process the situation.

You wouldn’t believe it if he told you: Xu Jian woke up to find that Qin Chen had turned into a cat.

And not just any cat—a British Shorthair with a style that clashed entirely with his own.

Here’s what actually happened:

As the weather grew colder, Xu Jian, who was afraid of the cold, had developed the habit of instinctively moving closer to Qin Chen, his sole source of warmth, in his sleep. However, this time, instead of cuddling into his lover, he ended up grabbing onto a soft, furry ball of something unfamiliar.

The shock jolted Xu Jian wide awake. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself locking gazes with a pair of emerald-green eyes.

Scrambling to sit up in bed, Xu Jian stared in disbelief at the handsome British Shorthair. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Who are you? And what are you doing in my bed?”

Xu Jian’s first reaction was surprise, and his second reaction was…

Qin Chen had been cheating on him with another cat and had even smuggled this little vixen into their bed while he wasn’t paying attention!

Just as Xu Jian turned to look for the “unfaithful” Qin Chen, the British Shorthair, which had been examining its paw pads, suddenly spoke:

“Meow…”

Xu Jian, who had been searching for Qin Chen’s figure, froze. He stiffly turned back to the cat.

“What did you say?”

The British Shorthair raised a paw and patted Xu Jian’s leg, then repeated, “Meow~”

As someone who had never been able to understand cat language, Xu Jian suddenly understood this British Shorthair’s words.

And precisely because he understood, he was stunned. The cat claimed it was Qin Chen.

After confirming this several times, Xu Jian finally accepted the fact rationally that the cat was indeed Qin Chen. Mentally, however, he was struggling to come to terms with it.

Just as Xu Jian spoke, Qin Chen stepped on the blanket and jumped onto his lap, patting Xu Jian’s hand to draw his attention.

Feeling the sudden weight on his lap, Xu Jian glanced down at him, his emotions complicated.

“You’ve turned into a cat, and you’re still lighter than me!”

Qin Chen: “…”

Qin Chen hadn’t realized until now how deeply Xu Jian was bothered by Milk’s weight. Before he could respond, he heard Xu Jian continue,

“How are you still so skillful after turning into a cat?”

The seamless leap onto his lap was smooth and practiced—not at all like a first-time cat!

Qin Chen: “…Meow~”

Qin Chen: Self-taught.

In truth, he had wanted to say, ‘I’ve never eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run,’ but considering Xu Jian’s sensitivity about Milk’s weight, he decided not to risk any misunderstandings.

Xu Jian reluctantly accepted this explanation—after all, Qin Chen had always been clever.

Having come to terms with Qin Chen’s transformation into a cat, Xu Jian stared at him, their eyes meeting.

“So, what now?”

Xu Jian was at a complete loss. At least when he had turned into a cat, there had been some sort of pattern and reason behind it. But why had Qin Chen turned into a cat? When would he change back? And would this happen again in the future?

They had no idea about any of this.

Though Qin Chen appeared calm on the surface, inwardly he was struggling to process the tidal wave of emotions brought on by turning into a cat. Hearing Xu Jian’s questions, he paused for a moment before finally suggesting that Xu Jian ask Jiang Linxie—maybe he would know what was going on.

Xu Jian slapped his forehead, a look of sudden realization crossing his face. “Oh, right ah. How could I forget about Jiang Linxie!”

Pinning all his hopes on the seemingly ageless Jiang Linxie, Xu Jian relayed everything that had happened to him, even attaching a photo of Qin Chen as a cat and sending it over.

While waiting for Jiang Linxie’s reply, a sudden thought struck Xu Jian. He turned to Qin Chen and said, “The only good thing about this is that you can pet yourself now!”

For a hardcore plush control, was there anything better than becoming a cat and being able to cuddle whenever you wanted?

Qin Chen: “…”

Hearing Xu Jian’s cheerful tone, Qin Chen hesitated for two seconds before cautiously raising a paw to pat his other leg. Afterward, he looked at Xu Jian. “Meow, meow meow.”

Qin Chen: Not good. No sensation.

Seeing Qin Chen’s resigned expression, Xu Jian stifled a laugh and offered some consolation: “What a pity.”

Xu Jian tried his best to hold back his laughter, but Qin Chen could clearly see the gloating written all over his face.

What could Qin Chen do? He had sharp claws but couldn’t bear to scratch him. Naturally, he chose to forgive.

Xu Jian, being his usual overbearing self, had always been sensitive about his own tail and rarely let anyone touch it. Yet now, he wouldn’t let go of Qin Chen’s tail. While waiting for Jiang Linxie’s reply, he was practically one step away from tying knots in it.

Qin Chen, as always, couldn’t do anything about him and let him have his way.

After nearly an hour, Jiang Linxie finally replied: [How are your kidneys?]

Xu Jian: [?]

What kind of question was that?

Jiang Linxie: [During one of your sessions, Qin Chen passed his yang energy to you. Naturally, he also absorbed some of the yin energy from your body.]

Jiang Linxie’s implication was clear: Qin Chen had turned into a cat because the two of them had been overindulgent and lacked self-control. Their excessive intimacy in such a short period had thrown their energies out of balance.

That was why Jiang Linxie had asked about their kidneys.

After reading Jiang Linxie’s message, both Xu Jian and Qin Chen were left speechless: “…”

Meanwhile, Jiang Linxie followed up with another observation: [By the way, Qin Chen’s fur looks nice, but why is he a British Shorthair?]

“Oh, right! I’m a long-haired cat, so why are you a British Shorthair?”

“Meowed twice, which meant—How would I know?”

Finding the discussion about Qin Chen’s bizarre situation increasingly strange, Xu Jian wisely changed the subject and asked: [When will he turn back into a human?]

Jiang Linxie: [With his yang energy replenished, it shouldn’t take more than 24 hours.]

Xu Jian sighed in relief and followed up: [Will this happen again?]

Jiang Linxie sent a smirking emoji before replying: [That, I can’t say. It depends on the two of you.]

Xu Jian: […Alright, got it. Thank you, President Jiang.]

After ending the conversation with Jiang Linxie, Xu Jian reached out and scooped Qin Chen into his arms. Holding him just like he used to hold himself when he was a cat, Xu Jian ruffled Qin Chen’s fur enthusiastically.

He soon discovered that short-haired cats didn’t have the problem of their fur getting tangled—no matter how much he petted Qin Chen, his coat remained neat and tidy.

With a hint of regret, Xu Jian finally let it go. Pinching Qin Chen’s paw pads, he asked, “So, what do we do now?”

Qin Chen: “Meow~”

In short, they would push today’s work to tomorrow. There was no way Qin Chen would let anyone see him like this.

Xu Jian agreed with the reasoning. Using Qin Chen’s phone, he called Xiao Nan to let her know that Qin Chen wasn’t feeling well and would be taking the day off.

After the call, Xu Jian stretched lazily and got out of bed. With a faintly excited look in his eyes, he said to Qin Chen, “Then I’ll take care of you today.”

Before Qin Chen could respond with another meow, Xu Jian carried him straight into the bathroom.

Xu Jian placed Qin Chen into the sink, then opened a set of cat grooming products Qin Chen had bought for him before. Handing over a tiny cat toothbrush, he asked, “You can use your paw to brush your teeth, right?”

Rarely did Qin Chen get to enjoy such meticulous care from Xu Jian. Now that he had turned into a cat, he felt no psychological burden at all. Instead of taking the toothbrush, he shook his head slowly.

“Meow~”

Can’t.

After meowing, Qin Chen bared his teeth slightly at Xu Jian, his eyes clearly saying: You do it for me.

This time, it was Xu Jian’s turn to be utterly charmed. Even though he wasn’t a plush control, Qin Chen’s rare display of cuteness melted him completely. With no resistance to Qin Chen’s subtle act of asking for help, he immediately nodded.

“Okay, okay, I’ll help you brush.”

For the next few minutes, Xu Jian carefully washed Qin Chen’s face and brushed his teeth with an attentiveness that exceeded even how he cared for himself.

For breakfast, Xu Jian ordered delivery. He initially thought he’d have to feed Qin Chen by hand, but to his surprise, the other party elegantly lowered his head and began eating the small dumplings on his own, handling them with ease and poise.

Watching Qin Chen’s graceful movements, which looked like those of a noble even after turning into a cat, Xu Jian couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

They were both cats, so why was the gap between them so wide?

And as for table manners, no wonder Milk was fat.

Actually, Xu Jian hadn’t been messy when he was a cat either, but he occasionally got food on his whiskers or fur. Compared to Qin Chen now, the difference was striking.

Xu Jian lost interest in his own breakfast, his full attention on Qin Chen. Propping his elbows on the table, he rested his chin in his hand and stared at him, eventually reaching a conclusion:

Qin Chen’s neat eating habits were definitely because of his short fur—it gave him a natural advantage!

After finding this justification for himself, Xu Jian felt much more balanced inside.

After breakfast, Xu Jian pulled out some tissues to wipe Qin Chen’s mouth and cleaned up the table. When he came back from the kitchen, he noticed Qin Chen had somehow made his way onto the sofa.

Walking over and sitting beside him, Xu Jian was about to speak when Qin Chen lifted a paw and pointed toward the small drawer on the coffee table.

Xu Jian looked at him, “Huh?”

Qin Shen flashed his sharp claws at him, “Meow~”

There’s a nail clipper in there. Help me trim my claws.

Hearing that, Xu Jian took Qin Chen’s paw and examined it while marveling at its softness.

“Your claws aren’t that long yet; you don’t really need to trim them.”

But Qin Chen insisted. It was his first time being a cat, and he was worried he might accidentally hurt Xu Jian with his claws.

After listening to his explanation, Xu Jian felt a mix of emotions. He had never considered whether a cat’s claws could accidentally hurt Qin Chen before.

After trimming Qin Chen’s claws, Xu Jian took a few photos of him and logged into the Weibo account, Milk Is Super Cute, to post an update:

Milk Is Super Cute V: Let me introduce you all—this is my boyfriend. [Shy] [Image x3]

The bio of Milk Is Super Cute Weibo account had long since been changed from “Qin Chen’s cat” to “Qin Chen and Xu Jian’s cat.” When the bio had been updated, fans had immediately commented—

Chen-ge and Jian-zai^[1]Jian Pup are so over the top—they never miss a single chance to show off their relationship.

Thanks to Qin Chen and Xu Jian’s popularity, Milk’s account had been gaining followers daily, and the fans were highly engaged. So, as soon as this new post went live, comments flooded in:

一Damn, Milk’s boyfriend is so handsome!

一So now, on top of QingJian CP dog food, we also have cat food from their pets?

一People aren’t even as good as cats. Milk has a handsome boyfriend while I’m still single.

—Wait a second? Boyfriend? But isn’t Milk male ah!

—Pfft, go check the Weibo profile. Milk’s gender is indeed listed as male, so I guess pets take after their owners?

Xu Jian scrolled through the comments until someone remarked that the two cats looked like a perfect match. Only then did he feel satisfied. Closing Weibo, he turned to Qin Chen and asked, “Wanna go out for a walk?”

Xu Jian also wanted to experience what walking a cat felt like.

Qin Chen didn’t hesitate, shaking his head firmly. “Meow, meow~”

As Jiang Linxie had said, Qin Chen would turn back into a human within 24 hours, but the exact timing was uncertain. This meant he could revert at any moment. With that in mind, Qin Chen decided it was best to obediently stay home.

He absolutely didn’t want to transform back into a human in public.

Xu Jian nodded in agreement. “True, better to stay in.”

For the next while, Xu Jian held Qin Chen on the couch as they watched TV together. After a few episodes, Xu Jian grew bored. His eyes lit up with an idea, and he asked excitedly, “How about I turn into a cat too!”

The two cats could take some pictures together.

Qin Chen froze for a moment before meowing: And if you turn into a cat, how will the two cats deal with food?

Xu Jian’s expression stiffened, and he replied slowly, “…I didn’t think of that.”

Qin Chen gently patted Xu Jian’s arm with his paw, signaling: Don’t even think about it. Stay human.

For the two people’s next lunch and dinner, Xu Jian reluctantly gave up on the idea of transforming back into Milk. However, he didn’t abandon his idea of taking photos.

Xu Jian grabbed Qin Chen and started snapping away, taking at least ten consecutive shots but still feeling unsatisfied. He kept trying different angles and poses while Qin Chen remained patient, letting him fuss and experiment as much as he liked.

…

Jiang Linxie had said it would happen within 24 hours, yet by eleven at night, Qin Chen still hadn’t turned back. Xu Jian sat leaning against the headboard, holding Qin Chen in his arms. He asked, “Chen-ge, you don’t know when exactly you turned into a cat?”

Lying on Xu Jian’s stomach, Qin Chen shook his head. “Meow~”

No idea.

When he transformed into a cat, Qin Chen didn’t feel anything—there wasn’t even the pain Xu Jian had mentioned experiencing when changing between forms.

Xu Jian’s fingers lightly played with Qin Chen’s ears. “Do you think you’ll need to wait the full 24 hours?”

It was a rhetorical question. Xu Jian didn’t expect Qin Chen to have an answer.

“It’s getting late. Chen-ge, if you don’t turn back soon, I’m just going to transform into a cat myself.”

Qin Chen tilted his head, glanced at the clock on the wall, and then shifted his body slightly, signaling: Go ahead. It’s already so late.

Xu Jian nodded. Without another word, Qin Chen suddenly felt himself lifted into the air.

After Xu Jian transformed back into Milk, the next second, he felt a weight on his body, being smashed by the falling Qin Shen.

A sharp meow escaped from Xu Jian’s mouth as the gray cat landed squarely on him. His four stubby legs struggled to get free, while Qin Chen quickly got to his feet and stepped off him.

After a moment, Qin Chen used his paw to gently pat Xu Jian’s cat head. He meowed at him twice: Does it hurt?

Xu Jian shook his head, saying he was fine and had a lot of meat on his body.

The white cat and gray cat locked eyes for a couple of seconds before Xu Jian turned and pushed the blanket aside with his head. Then, using his paw, he tapped the mattress and said to Qin Chen, “Let’s sleep.”

The gray cat glanced at the mattress, then back at the white cat: Which way are we sleeping?

White Cat: …

Xu Jian widened his eyes in disbelief and looked at Qin Chen: You won’t even spare a cat!

Harboring the thought that Qin Chen had finally decided to make a move on his poor little cat self, Xu Jian lay flat under Qin Chen’s gaze, thinking:

Come on, then.

Seeing Xu Jian’s reaction, Qin Chen couldn’t hold back his laughter. Lying down beside him: Go to sleep.

Prepared for the worst, Xu Jian turned his face toward him: ??

Meeting the white cat’s confused eyes, the gray cat explained: Cat mating is very difficult. I was joking.

The white cat froze: Difficult?

The gray cat nuzzled its head against the white cat: It’s late. Sleep.

…

The next morning, when Xu Jian woke up, Qin Chen had already reverted to his human form. He kissed the still groggy Xu Jian, rubbed his eyes, and got up to make breakfast.

Once fully awake, Xu Jian recalled what had happened the previous night. He took out his phone to look up information on cat reproduction, and sure enough, he read that the process was excruciating for both parties with no sense of pleasure involved.

Not only that, Xu Jian also saw that cats finish extremely quickly—some even in just a few seconds.

After reading the article, Xu Jian: “…”

Now, Xu Jian suspected that the reason Qin Chen remained so composed last night and didn’t seem at all curious was that he didn’t want to be branded as “fast.”

Thinking this, Xu Jian glanced in the direction of the kitchen and thought—Tsk, he’s really worried about his image.

During breakfast, Xu Jian interviewed Qin Chen, asking what it was like to experience life as a cat.

“Which aspect do you mean?”

Xu Jian’s eyes were filled with teasing amusement. “In every aspect.”

After taking a sip of porridge, Qin Chen seriously gave it some thought before answering:

“It felt fine. Quite novel, actually, since I’d never been a cat before.”

Xu Jian was curious. “Not even a little scared? Were you not worried at the start that you might never turn back?”

When Xu Jian first discovered he had turned into a cat, he was constantly afraid he’d be stuck as one forever.

Qin Chen looked at him after hearing this. “Wasn’t there still you?”

Xu Jian was momentarily stunned before he broke into a smile. “That’s true oh.”

Qin Chen pointed at the cup of warm milk in front of Xu Jian and gently reminded him, “It’ll get cold.”

With an “Oh,” Xu Jian obediently picked up the cup and drank the milk. It hadn’t been sweetened, yet his heart felt sugary sweet—

They really had nothing to fear now.

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Jie Jie: Thank you very much for your patience! After a very long hiatus on this one, I’m back on updating it. Just a few more chapters till the novel is completed!