Chapter 14: All the Socialites in the World Love Cats

Outside the magnificent building, Shen Baizhou clutched his phone and pulled two rolling suitcases, looking completely bewildered. His aunt and Su Hongdou had both blocked him, leaving him with nowhere to go—and no money for a hotel. Normally, this wouldn’t be such a big deal—he could just find some place to crash: under a bridge, in a park, anything.

But today he needed a place where he could research and write. He absolutely had to finish The Tuner—this was a matter of life and death for him.

“Old Cao?” Shen Baizhou suddenly thought. “Right, I’ll check with Old Cao again!”

Ding. He sent a WeChat message to Old Cao:
“Old Cao, are you back in the capital?”

“Baizhou, I’m back! Do you have a place to stay? If not, come sleep at my place tonight?”

Old Cao’s tone lacked sincerity; it was clearly just polite. But Shen Baizhou wasn’t about to give him a chance to back out.

“Okay,” he replied instantly. “I’m coming now.”

“Now?” The other side panicked slightly. “Aren’t you still working overtime?”

“That’s not important,” Shen Baizhou replied immediately. “Meeting an old friend comes first; work can wait…”

“No, Baizhou, don’t be impulsive—”

“Sorry, I’ve already left.”

Putting down his phone, Shen Baizhou resolutely grabbed his two suitcases and rushed toward the bus stop. He urgently needed a place to finish writing The Tuner.

Shen Baizhou moved so quickly that his red and orange suitcases seemed like Nezha’s Wind-Fire Wheels at his sides. In just one hour, he had dragged both cases to Old Cao’s doorstep.

The door was opened by Old Cao’s girlfriend, Xiao Cui.

“Baizhou!” Xiao Cui slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t you say you don’t treat us like friends?”

“Of course not,” Shen Baizhou grinned. In college, Xiao Cui had been in the same department but a different class, and she always called him “Baizhou” in that cutesy, overly affectionate way—always followed by a friendly smack.

“So you’re coming to my house just because you have nowhere else to go?” Xiao Cui tightened her grip on his arm.

There seemed to be a misunderstanding. Shen Baizhou exchanged a glance with Old Cao. How should he explain this?

“Baizhou is just a little formal,” the broad-shouldered Old Cao quickly explained. “He felt awkward coming over if he thought you were alone.”

“Why would that matter?” Xiao Cui said to Shen Baizhou, surprised. “Can’t Old Cao trust you?”

“My wife, I can’t trust you,” Old Cao silently said as he gently pried his girlfriend’s hand off Shen Baizhou’s arm and took the suitcases. “Enough talking, come inside!”

Old Cao and Xiao Cui rented a one-bedroom apartment in an older complex and ran a pet store together. When Shen Baizhou entered the living room, it was filled with cat and dog food. On the windowsill were three Brazilian turtles in glass tanks, and near the kitchen were two cages with Dutch mice.

The most terrifying part was on the coffee table: a glass dome containing two snakes—one green, one white—staring at him, hissing.

“Familiar?” Old Cao joked, clearly proud of his own pun. “Xiao Qing and Bai Niangzi!”

Shen Baizhou didn’t find it funny at all. He was terrified of snakes—not just in a childish way. When he was a child, he had been bitten by a poisonous snake while hiking; if he hadn’t gotten to a hospital in time, he would have died. The thought of writing The Tuner in this room with two snakes glaring at him made his scalp crawl. This wasn’t The Tuner—it was The Snake Tamer!

“Meow~” A cat’s voice caught his attention, and he noticed a cat lounging on the sofa—a yellow-and-white Ragdoll, around three months old, so cute it practically radiated cuteness, with a soft, melting meow.

“Beautiful, right?” Old Cao boasted. “Just came in from Yanlong yesterday! I’ve been in pets a long time, but I’ve never seen a Ragdoll this pretty. Look at those eyes—bright blue!”

It was hard to blame him for bragging—the cat was stunning, the Ragdoll equivalent of a Yang Guifei. Despite its youthful age, it exuded lazy elegance.

But Shen Baizhou didn’t care about the cat; he was focused on the snakes. He couldn’t possibly write The Tuner here…

Finally, when Old Cao removed the snakes from the coffee table, Shen Baizhou could breathe a sigh of relief and sat down next to the kitten. He was both anxious and at a loss.

As soon as he sat, Old Cao shouted, “Careful! This cat is shy; it runs if anyone touches it…”

Really? Shen Baizhou cautiously looked at the cat. To his surprise, it didn’t run. Instead, it reached out a tiny paw and gently tapped him, almost like it was seeking affection.

“Eh?” Old Cao was shocked. When he leaned forward, the cat jumped away like it had been electrocuted.

“Let me try?” Xiao Cui reached out, but the cat jumped straight into Shen Baizhou’s arms.

Shen Baizhou froze. The kitten pressed its chin into his hand, rubbed against him, and closed its eyes, clearly enjoying the contact.

“Oh my god! Baizhou…” Xiao Cui slapped his arm. “Even the cat can’t resist your looks!”

Shen Baizhou could only smile awkwardly, though his eyes kept darting toward the snakes. Honestly, writing here with the snakes was impossible; he’d rather write on the street.

“Let’s watch TV!” Old Cao quickly pried his girlfriend’s hands off Shen Baizhou and turned on the TV.

An interview on the Capital Music Channel appeared—an elegant short-haired woman speaking gracefully, radiating confidence and charm.

“Liu Qianqian?” All three froze. The room fell completely silent.

“Change the channel! Change it!” Xiao Cui glared at Old Cao. “Why bring that up now?”

Old Cao hurriedly switched channels, looking guilty. The atmosphere became awkward. Both Old Cao and Xiao Cui avoided looking at Shen Baizhou.

Shen Baizhou gave a bitter smile. That woman on TV was his ex-girlfriend, Liu Qianqian. She had skyrocketed in fame thanks to her wealthy sponsor. He glanced at his suitcases—all his possessions—and realized he didn’t even have a place to stay. Tonight, all he wanted was a quiet place to write; it seemed only the cat cared about him. He sighed deeply.

“Don’t take it to heart,” Old Cao reassured him. “Women like that aren’t worth it. Come on, my wife, cook something nice for Baizhou. I’ll drink with him tonight.”

“Yeah! Baizhou, I’ll fry your favorite clams!” Xiao Cui agreed and went to the kitchen.

Even though Xiao Cui was an excellent cook, Shen Baizhou had lost his appetite, sighing over his past with Liu Qianqian and the plot of The Tuner, growing increasingly frustrated.

“Baizhou, don’t be like that!” Old Cao encouraged. “A man like you isn’t lacking for women! And you’re handsome!” He pointed to the kitten in Shen Baizhou’s arms. “Even she’s impressed!”

“Old Cao, don’t comfort me—no money, and all of this is useless!” Shen Baizhou thought bitterly. “Being handsome doesn’t pay the bills.”

“It does!” Old Cao slapped his thigh. “Ordinary handsomeness doesn’t, but your level does!” He glanced at the kitchen, lowering his voice. “Honestly… have you considered finding a rich woman?”

Shen Baizhou blinked. “A rich woman?”

“Exactly!” Old Cao spread his arms, eyes gleaming. “A big house, swimming pool, the works!”

Shen Baizhou nodded, imagining it. “Hundreds of square meters on one floor, even the walk-in closet bigger than this living room?”

Old Cao closed his eyes. “Furniture that costs a fortune, all gold and jade!”

Shen Baizhou took a deep breath. “Five cars in the garage—you can drive whichever you want?”

Old Cao grasped his hand. “Do you want a life like this?”

“I do!” Shen Baizhou reminisced about last night. “Even if only for a day!”

“Do you know how to start?” Old Cao’s smile turned mysterious, his eyes flashing coldly. He pointed at the kitten. “Start here!”

“The cat?”

“Yes, the cat!”

“Master, why a cat?”

“Foolish apprentice, you don’t understand—every socialite in the world loves cats!”

“Master, really?”

“Absolutely true!”

“Good!” Shen Baizhou pulled out his phone with determination. A cat was indeed a brilliant idea…

The “rich woman” plan was nonsense—he had inherited his previous life’s despair about love. In this life, for the past decade, he had no intention of dating.

But using this cat as a stepping stone to stay at Su Hongdou’s—even for just one night—might just work. Why wasn’t Su Hongdou responding? Shen Baizhou thought it was probably because of last night’s awkward mishap. So apologizing was out of the question—it would only make things more awkward. Better to switch topics, talk about the cat, and maybe open up a conversation.

After seeing the snakes, Shen Baizhou’s mind had gone completely blank for writing The Tuner. At least with Su Hongdou, he could write in peace—much better than dancing with snakes at night.

He picked up Old Cao’s phone and snapped multiple photos of the kitten. Selecting the cutest one, he sent it to Su Hongdou with a text:

“Do you like this cat? —Shen Baizhou.”

Yes, text messages could send photos—even if everyone now relied on WeChat, SMS still had the advantage that anyone could receive it.

“Old Cao,” he asked, “how much would you sell this cat for me?”

“What, talk money between brothers?” Old Cao extended two fingers as if insulted.

“Minimum twenty thousand, can’t go lower—it’s purebred!”