Chapter 21

Meanwhile, unlike the two groups of cats who disregarded the rules in their competition, Maine Coon and Siamese teams had been diligently heading toward their destination, You Island Ice Lake, right from the starting point.

The Maine Coon’s teammate this time was a particularly adorable Chinchilla. Chinchillas are very similar to Cotton Ball, their voices soft and gentle, but with a mischievous tone absent in the more coquettish cotton ball-like demeanor.

Originally, the program had scripted both Maine Coon and Chinchilla guests to follow a romantic couple storyline. Grouping them together was intended to create some ambiguous, heart-fluttering moments for the show.

But who could have predicted that Maine Coon was a reclusive loner who disliked social interaction, and the Chinchilla, though fond of men, preferred soft, cute types like Bai Chengcheng? Large builds like Maine Coon’s were a turn-off for her at first glance.

After all, the Maine Coon and lion cats wouldn’t call her “husband,” but she figured Cotton Ball probably would.

Cotton Ball types just look like the kind of people who’d be good husbands.

The Maine Coon glanced at the Chinchilla, adjusted his goggles, and, instead of using the auto-mode, he stepped on the power-start button and sped away on his own.

Squatted on her snowboard, the Chinchilla watched as Maine Coon swiftly slid ahead. She couldn’t figure out why he was in such a hurry.

Was he that desperate to take first place? Still, thinking about the reward of selecting an identity card, the Chinchilla became intrigued. As she was skilled at skiing, she sped up to chase after Maine Coon, heading toward You Island Ice Lake.

The Maine Coon wasn’t actually aiming for first place. He simply disliked the extreme cold weather and hadn’t slept well the previous night. He wanted to reach the ice lake quickly so he could rest in the lounge.

As the name suggests, You Island Ice Lake is a small man-made island situated on a frozen lake. It serves as a tourist destination where skiing enthusiasts from all over the empire can rest and stay in its hotels.

This time, the production team had booked a luxurious five-star suite exclusively for the eight feline beastmen. It featured not only a garden and hot springs but also a dedicated cat playground.

The Maine Coon, wearing his goggles, skied expressionlessly, like a soulless skiing machine.

At this moment, he suddenly sensed something odd on the left side of the ski track.

He stared ahead expressionlessly, hesitated for two seconds, but couldn’t resist turning his head to glance left.

You Island Ice Lake was built above a river, and Maine Coon had chosen to follow the river for a quicker route.

As he turned, he suddenly noticed something floating on the river’s surface—it looked like a frog?

Could a frog really be drifting on the icy river of a snowy field?

Maine Coon glanced at it, paused for two seconds, and then, without any change in his expression, he turned his head back and resumed looking straight ahead. He even subtly picked up speed!

A frog is a frog! If he skied fast enough, the frog floating on the river wouldn’t see him!

Meanwhile, the live audience in the broadcast chat was going wild:

【Ahhh! Look at what I just saw! Maine Coon! Boss! Stop running!】

【Maine Coon, your wife is floating on the river! That’s not a frog! Husky howl jpg.】

【This is fate! Whether it’s the Lion Cat’s innate advantage or the Forest Cat’s hard-earned effort, none of them can match Maine Coon’s sheer luck. Cotton Ball delivered himself straight to his door! Crying-laughing jpg.】

【Maine Coon! I know you saw it! Don’t pretend you didn’t! If you dare act blind, the crematorium awaits you!】

【Once, a cute wife stood before you, but you ignored him. If you regret it in the future, crying on your knees won’t save you!】

—

Director Zhang Song was already preparing to dispatch the rescue team.

After all, Cotton Ball couldn’t ski, and was terrified of the cold, and if he floated along on the ice and fell into the water, what then?

They weren’t even sure if he could swim. What if he got so frozen that his mind blanked out? Cotton Ball was already a bit dazed and silly to begin with.

But before the rescue team could spring into action, Maine Coon suddenly appeared on Cotton Ball’s live stream!

Bai Chengcheng, crouched nervously on the floating ice, drifted downstream with the rushing river current.

Not knowing where he might end up, Bai Chengcheng grew increasingly uneasy. Even though the live streaming camera ball was still following him, and he knew the production team wouldn’t just leave him to fend for himself, he couldn’t help feeling scared.

After all, he couldn’t swim, hated the cold, and what if he ended up plunging into the icy lake?

And cats weren’t like humans. What if those people didn’t value a cat’s life enough to bother rescuing him?

Just imagining it made Bai Chengcheng panic.

On the small piece of floating ice, he paced back and forth in circles, occasionally lowering his head to look at the deep, unfathomable river below, meowing nervously.

Then he raised his head and suddenly spotted a familiar figure standing on a green snowboard, gliding past right in front of him.

Bai Chengcheng: “!!!”

He immediately sprang up, shouting loudly, “Meow! Meow, meow, meow!”

Brother! Save me! QAQ

Bai Chengcheng’s loud cries of distress coincided with his floating ice colliding with a rock. The impact caused the ice to sway violently, and Bai Chengcheng’s paws slipped, sending him sliding to the side.

His claws gripped the edge of the ice just in time, but his hind legs and tail plunged into the freezing lake. Only his front paws clung to the ice as his lower half felt an icy chill to the bone.

Bai Chengcheng felt like he was about to cry from the cold.

Maine Coon, who had been accelerating to leave, couldn’t hold back any longer. With a sharp left turn, he performed a flawless maneuver on his snowboard, speeding straight to the lakeside.

Standing on the riverbank downstream, Maine Coon watched the frog-like Cotton Ball struggling in the icy lake. His usually stoic face cracked slightly.

Damn.

What a cursed bond!

He wouldn’t be able to rest and worse yet, he could already imagine how Cotton Ball would start crying incessantly once he was rescued.

But Maine Coon couldn’t just leave him there.

He couldn’t understand why the Lion Cat wasn’t around. Wasn’t he always glued to Cotton Ball? Where was he at such a crucial moment?

Hah, and they call themselves teammates. What a disgrace.

After struggling in the icy water for a while, Bai Chengcheng suddenly heard the sound of a splash. Turning his head, he saw the goggle-wearing Maine Coon swimming rapidly toward him.

At this moment, Maine Coon couldn’t afford to be picky. He clamped down on Bai Chengcheng with his teeth, spun around, and swam quickly back toward the shore.

If Bai Chengcheng had stayed still on the floating ice, Maine Coon might have waited for the production team’s rescue crew. But seeing the delicate Cotton Ball with half his body already submerged, Maine Coon couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Cotton Ball was so delicate and fragile—how could he possibly handle soaking in icy water?

The live stream viewers finally let out a sigh of relief:

【I knew it! CEO Maine Coon wouldn’t leave Cotton Ball alone. He really went back to save him! I declare, from now on, he’s Cotton Ball’s destined soulmate! They’re locked in for life!】

【The way Maine Coon jumped into the water to save Cotton Ball was so cool! If I were Cotton Ball, I’d marry him on the spot.】

【Cotton Ball is completely frozen. Hurry up and dry him off!】

—

After Maine Coon quickly leaped onto the shore, he put Bai Chengcheng down and gave his fur a vigorous shake to fling off the icy water.

However, Bai Chengcheng, crouching on the icy ground, remained motionless.

He sat there, looking up with those sapphire-like eyes, now red and watery as they gazed pitifully at Maine Coon. His snow-white, fluffy fur, now soaked through, clung to his body, drenched with icy water.

Maine Coon: “…”

Maine Coon licked the water droplets off the corner of his mouth, glanced at the miserable Cotton Ball, and then looked away. Right in front of Bai Chengcheng, he forcefully shook out his own fur again. Afterward, he gave Bai Chengcheng a pointed look.

Bai Chengcheng understood his meaning immediately. Maine Coon was teaching him how to shake off water.

To be fair, his fur really could hold a lot of water—it felt like he’d gained an extra ten pounds, making him unbearably heavy.

He slowly stood up, planted his four paws firmly on the ground, and tried to shake vigorously, putting a lot of effort into his hips.

Maine Coon: “…”

Live Stream comments:

【Damn, Cotton Ball’s really good at this!】

【The Sea King always does it differently. Others shake their fur, he shakes his hips. Dog-head.jpg】

【Slurp, Cotton Ball’s hip movements are something else. I want to ruffle him.】

【Even though his moves are clumsy, I just can’t resist being drawn to him! It’s those beautiful hip swings!】

【Sniff sniff, babe’s so good at shaking those hips. I can’t hold back anymore! I want to shift into my beast form and pin Cotton Ball down!】

【Already jealous of Cotton Ball’s future mate. Being with him must be so blissful! Drooling.jpg】

—

Bai Chengcheng shook his body several more times, but he was still weighed down—it seemed his shaking technique wasn’t quite right. His hips had worked too hard earlier. He paused for a couple of seconds, pondering. Maybe this time he should try using his waist?

Determined, Bai Chengcheng crouched slightly, engaging his core, and gave his waist a few vigorous twists.

Maine Coon: “???”

Maine Coon’s pupils dilated slightly, his expression shocked, and his heartbeat suddenly sped up.

What’s with this seductive little thing? Right in front of him, blinking those watery eyes, twisting his hips one moment and his waist the next…

It’s really impossible not to overthink.

After a brief moment of silence, Maine Coon couldn’t take it anymore. With a stern expression, he walked over, pulled off the frog-shaped headgear from Bai Chengcheng’s head, and stripped off the green sweater clinging to him. He even removed the soggy boots on Bai Chengcheng’s paws, tossing them aside.

The sweater and headgear had absorbed a lot of water, and once they were removed, Bai Chengcheng instantly felt much lighter. Grateful, he looked at Maine Coon and softly thanked him, “Meow~”

Maine Coon’s ears twitched. He immediately pressed a paw against Bai Chengcheng’s mouth and glared at him fiercely: “Stop acting coy.”

Bai Chengcheng: “…”

The now lighter Bai Chengcheng obediently shut his mouth and attempted to shake his fur again. However, just as he gave his hips a single wiggle, there was a sharp “smack”—he’d been slapped by the fierce Maine Coon.

Bai Chengcheng’s backside trembled, and he immediately reached out with his paws to cover his butt. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Maine Coon.

Maine Coon: “…”

Maine Coon felt a bit awkward, but his expression remained stern. He glared at Bai Chengcheng, warning him with his eyes: Stop shaking your hips!

He then used his paw to tap Bai Chengcheng’s waist: And stop shaking your waist too!

Bai Chengcheng: “…”

Bai Chengcheng was completely confused and had no idea what Maine Coon meant. Tilting his head, he looked at Maine Coon with a puzzled expression. “Meow?”

Why was Maine Coon always hitting him?

Maine Coon: “…”

Maine Coon could hardly tolerate Bai Chengcheng acting so coy, and there was no way he’d let him keep twisting his waist and hips. From the looks of it, Cotton Ball clearly didn’t even know how to shake off water—let alone groom himself properly.

When a cat gets wet, they usually instinctively try to dry themselves off. Otherwise, they could catch a cold.

But based on Maine Coon’s observations, Cotton Ball didn’t seem to know anything.

Having grown up on Hecate Goddess Street, he must not be accustomed to using advanced AI, but if someone couldn’t even handle basic survival skills, Maine Coon had to wonder—was Cotton Ball an orphan?

Helplessly, Maine Coon picked Cotton Ball up by the scruff of his neck and placed him on his snowboard. Then he hopped on as well, holding Cotton Ball in his arms as he prepared to race toward You Island Ice Lake as fast as possible.

They were already very close to the lake, and if they moved at top speed, they’d arrive in about ten minutes.

With Cotton Ball soaked to the bone, Maine Coon was worried he’d freeze, so he cradled him tightly in his arms. Fortunately, Maine Coon’s tall frame and thick, long fur were enough to wrap Cotton Ball up completely.

Live Stream comments:

【Even though Lion Cat also carried Cotton Ball like this, for some reason, when Maine Coon does it, it feels a bit… spicy. Blushing cat face.jpg.】

【It’s probably the allure of the cold CEO. That icy face holding a delicate little spouse makes it easy to imagine… small dark room, forced love scenarios…】

【Maine Coon used to hate interacting with other cats. When he first carried Cotton Ball from the Paw Paw Shop, he even stuck his tongue out in disgust. And now? Haha.】

【Maine Coon’s already on the path of self-slapstick transformation—going from aloof CEO to clingy lover who spends all day licking his spouse. Just imagining it is thrilling!】

—

On the way back to You Island Ice Lake, Bai Chengcheng kept sneezing.

Curled up in Maine Coon’s arms, he felt like he was wrapped in a quilt soaked in icy water—heavy and cold. Sitting on the snowboard, he sneezed non-stop, his nose running uncontrollably.

Maine Coon stopped and looked down at the drooping Cotton Ball in his arms.

Curled up in Maine Coon’s embrace, most of Cotton Ball’s body was shielded from the wind, leaving only his wet little head exposed. His ears drooped, and even the pink tufts of fur at their tips were damp and stuck to his ears, completely losing their usual lively energy.

Maine Coon crouched on the snowboard, held Cotton Ball a little tighter, and lowered his head to lick the drooping tufts on Cotton Ball’s ears.

Bai Chengcheng sneezed, feeling dazed. Before he could react, Maine Coon licked his face again.

Bai Chengcheng: “???”

Maine Coon licked him twice, mainly to comfort him. Then he hugged Cotton Ball closer, using one paw to shield his head from the wind. With that, he started the snowboard again, racing toward You Island Ice Lake at full speed.

The viewers in the live stream couldn’t believe their eyes.

【Wait, did Maine Coon just lick Cotton Ball?】

【At this very moment, Cotton Ball’s expression is exactly like mine: Confused cat.jpg.】

【So… the Double-Faced CP is real??? I can’t believe it!】

【Ladies, calm down. Cotton Ball hasn’t responded to Maine Coon yet. Don’t forget, Lion Cat and Forest Cat have hugged Cotton Ball plenty of times too. As long as Cotton Ball doesn’t respond, it’s not official!】

【I’m such a fence-sitter. Whoever Cotton Ball teams up with, I’ll ship them. Anyway, no matter the CP, Cotton Ball’s always the one on the bottom.】

—

Bai Chengcheng was licked twice by Maine Coon, leaving him a bit excited, yet also slightly shy.

After all, this was the proud and aloof Maine Coon!

This guy used to ignore other cats entirely and was notoriously reclusive. But now, not only was he holding Bai Chengcheng and shielding him from the wind, but he even licked him!

Wow, who would’ve thought that beneath Maine Coon’s cold exterior was such a gentle side?

Bai Chengcheng raised his head to sneak a glance at Maine Coon, curious about his expression. But all he could see was Maine Coon’s thick fur…

With his goggles on, Maine Coon’s face remained expressionless, leaving the audience no clues. Only Maine Coon himself knew how nervous he was—if not for standing on the snowboard, he might not even know where to put his hands and feet.

He swore he had no ulterior motives toward Cotton Ball. But seeing him drooping his head, sneezing pitifully, Maine Coon couldn’t help but want to comfort him.

Before he even realized it, he had already licked him.

Thinking about it now, Maine Coon felt like dying of secondhand embarrassment. He forced himself to maintain a stoic expression and rushed toward You Island Ice Lake at full speed.

Maine Coon was the first to arrive at You Island Ice Lake, but since his teammate Chinchilla hadn’t arrived yet, his placement wasn’t confirmed.

Maine Coon headed straight to the hotel arranged by the show’s crew and tossed Cotton Ball into the dryer.

Bai Chengcheng landed on his rear with a thud. Before he could even look back, Maine Coon had already made a hasty exit, seemingly in a rush for some unknown reason.

However, the viewers had seen through everything:

【Maine Coon’s embarrassed, isn’t he? LOL.】

【Look at him fleeing in such a hurry—definitely the look of someone falling in love!】

【Poor Cotton Ball got thrown into the dryer in a daze. Ugh, Maine Coon’s being a bit too rough!】

—

Maine Coon was feeling a little guilty. Outside in the garden, he noticed Chinchilla jumping off the snowboard and heading toward the hotel.

Behind Chinchilla, two large, soaking-wet cats were rushing over in a panic.

It was Lion Cat and Forest Cat, fresh from a fight in the ice river.

After climbing out of the river and not finding Cotton Ball, the show’s director, Zhang Song, had informed them directly to ease their worry: Cotton Ball had already been taken back to the hotel by Maine Coon.

Without even drying off the ice water clinging to their fur, the two big cats hurriedly chased after them.

Chinchilla returned to the hotel a step ahead of the others, making Maine Coon and Chinchilla the winners of first place this time.

But right now, no one cared about rankings.

After drying his fur, Bai Chengcheng still felt a bit chilly. He sneezed several times in a row, then slowly made his way to the living room. Just as he arrived, he saw Chinchilla running in from outside, throwing him a teasing glance.

Right after that, Lion Cat and Forest Cat burst in.

Seeing the two big cats with their damp fur, Bai Chengcheng finally relaxed. He had been worried about their safety earlier. Although he knew the production crew was present and would ensure their safety even if they fell into the icy water, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

After all, cats weren’t humans. Without human intervention, it would be almost impossible for them to save themselves.

Forest Cat dashed forward and lunged at Cotton Ball. Seeing his wet fur and round figure, Bai Chengcheng let out a “meow” and swiftly dodged out of the way.

He had learned from experience after being pounced on by Forest Cat on the very first day of the live stream!

Forest Cat missed entirely and couldn’t stop himself, crashing face-first onto the floor in an awkward sprawl.

Bai Chengcheng: “……”

When will this guy finally learn?

At this moment, Maine Coon, who had been crouching in the garden and keeping an eye on the situation, suddenly sprinted over. He walked straight to Bai Chengcheng, reached out a paw, and forcefully pulled the freshly cleaned, sweet-smelling, and fluffy Cotton Ball into his embrace.

Bai Chengcheng barely had time to react before being tightly held by Maine Coon’s strong and powerful paws.

Forest Cat: “???”

Lion Cat: “!!!”

Even the viewers in the live stream were stunned:

【What’s Maine Coon doing? Declaring ownership?】

【Welcome Maine Coon to the battlefield! From now on, it’s a four-cat showdown! Woohoo, this is getting spicy!】

【I’m guessing Maine Coon’s a bit of a clean freak. There’s no way he’d let Forest Cat and Lion Cat, all wet and unwashed, hug Cotton Ball!】

—

Bai Chengcheng didn’t overthink it. He was extremely grateful to Maine Coon at this moment. Seeing Maine Coon felt like seeing family!

He didn’t mind Maine Coon holding him—in fact, he was a little excited. He snuggled into Maine Coon’s embrace, looked up at him softly, and let out a “meow~.”

There wasn’t any deeper meaning—he just felt like meowing to express his closeness to Maine Coon.

Maine Coon had saved him! This was a benefactor cat!

His fluffy, bushy tail wagged back and forth in Maine Coon’s arms, and his gaze toward Maine Coon was full of affection.

It was obvious to everyone that he was in a great mood.

【Tsk tsk, look at Cotton Ball acting like a soft little sweetheart!】

【The domineering CEO and his adorable, delicate wife—such a perfect match!】

【Maine Coon used the classic hero-saving-the-damsel move to win over the heart of the king of the sea!】

—

The Lion Cat standing nearby was completely dumbfounded. He stared at Maine Coon and Cotton Ball, who were cuddled together, utterly shocked and unable to process it for a moment.

When did their relationship get so close?

Last time, they were on the same team, so it made sense for them to get along, but this time, Cotton Ball’s teammate was clearly him! Yet in the end, Cotton Ball still got along better with Maine Coon!

Damn it. If it weren’t for that idiot Forest Cat, Lion Cat might have been the one hugging the soft, fluffy Cotton Ball and leisurely sliding back down the snowy trail right now!

Instead, Cotton Ball ended up stranded on the floating ice, swept away by the current, and Maine Coon swooped in to save the day!

Lion Cat’s expression turned icy, his eyes cold and piercing as he glared at Forest Cat, itching to pick a fight with him again right then and there.

Maine Coon glanced at Lion Cat and, in full view of him, lowered his head and gave the Cotton Ball in his arms another lick.

This time, he even licked Cotton Ball’s ear.

Bai Chengcheng’s sensitive ears twitched in response. He raised a paw to scratch them and then tilted his head up to look at Maine Coon, whining softly, “Meow~”

(It tickles, stop licking me!)

Maine Coon looked at the beautiful Cotton Ball and couldn’t help himself—he gave him another lick.

All the cats: “……”

The live stream viewers: “……”

Forest Cat was completely stunned.

Why was Maine Coon grooming his good buddy?

And why was his good buddy acting all coy and affectionate toward Maine Coon?

Also, why did they have to cuddle to do this? Couldn’t they do it without holding each other?

He knew this was a romance variety show, but when he signed the contract, the production team had only mentioned male-female pairings! He had never imagined there would be male-male pairings too!

So… was Maine Coon and Cotton Ball a male-male pairing the show had deliberately set up?

In that case, he wasn’t any worse than Maine Coon—he could choose Cotton Ball too!

Although Lion Cat was annoyed, Cotton Ball looked so happy that he suppressed his anger and decided to do nothing, heading to the bathroom to take a shower instead.

When Maine Coon saw them go to the bathroom, he finally looked away. However, he still didn’t let go of Bai Chengcheng.

He lay sideways on the sofa, holding Cotton Ball in his arms.

Cotton Ball was soft, fluffy, and still smelled great. Hugging him felt so comfortable that Maine Coon couldn’t resist lowering his head. Spotting a tuft of fur on Cotton Ball’s neck that was out of place, he leaned in and licked it smooth.

Once all the cats had returned, everyone snacked while continuing with the day’s activity: choosing the cat identity cards.

First place went to Maine Coon and Chinchilla, giving them the right to select the cards.

Chinchilla had originally been interested in Cotton Ball alone, but now it seemed like Cotton Ball preferred Maine Coon.

Chinchilla knew many of the cats were eager to see Cotton Ball’s identity card, but revealing his identity too early would ruin the fun.

She glanced at Forest Cat, who had been sneaking looks at Cotton Ball, her eyes gleaming with mischief. With a sharp “snap,” she chose Forest Cat’s profession card.

The host, Xiao Ai, cheered, “Wow! Our adorable Chinchilla chose Forest Cat’s card! Looks like she’s curious about our silly Forest Cat!”

Forest Cat glanced at Chinchilla, quickly lost interest, and shifted his gaze back to Cotton Ball in Maine Coon’s arms. He began calculating his chances of success if he were to directly snatch Cotton Ball from Maine Coon.

The card on the big screen lit up with a chime. Forest Cat’s profession card flipped over, revealing three words: Silver Diamond Award.

The host, Xiao Ai, exclaimed dramatically, “Wow! Forest Cat has actually won the Silver Diamond Award! That’s incredible! This is the Empire’s highest honor for singers! I believe this revelation might change some cats’ choices for their ideal partners!”

All the cats present turned in astonishment to stare at the round, and chubby Forest Cat.

Forest Cat squinted his eyes and straightened his back proudly.

The Silver Diamond Award was the Empire’s highest accolade for singers, and the fact that Forest Cat had won it was a testament to his status as a top-tier vocalist.

Few achieved this honor at such a young age. If anyone knew his age, they would likely be able to deduce his identity immediately.

The live stream audience was equally stunned:

【Oh my god, the Silver Diamond Award! Who would’ve thought? Forest Cat really earned such a high honor!】

【There aren’t many young men in the entire galaxy who’ve won this award, but it won’t be easy to narrow it down.】

【Winning this award proves two things: Forest Cat is not only excellent but also definitely wealthy! If Cotton Ball chooses him, the conditions are pretty great.】

The chat was abuzz, and the cats on set kept changing their expressions as they looked at Forest Cat.

However, Cotton Ball remained seated with no particular expression, staring at the big screen as if the Silver Diamond Award was completely ordinary and unimpressive to him.

Forest Cat’s pride and excellence failed to move the cat he admired.

His once-straight back slowly drooped, and he looked at Cotton Ball with a hint of grievance. Was Cotton Ball not interested in singers? Was that why he didn’t care about his honor?

What Forest Cat didn’t know was that Cotton Ball was currently thinking: What do those three words even mean? I only understood the word “silver.”

And why were the other cats all staring at Forest Cat in amazement? What had he done this time? Surely it wasn’t because he got caught eating five cans of fish snacks again, was it?

Maine Coon and Lion Cat both looked more serious. They didn’t expect the silly Forest Cat to be so accomplished.

Achieving such success at a young age and winning the highest award in a field was something worthy of respect.

For Lion Cat, the realization made the competition suddenly much fiercer, intensifying his sense of crisis.

He turned to look at Maine Coon again, wondering about Maine Coon’s identity and profession. If Maine Coon were just as outstanding, the competition would be even tougher. After all, Maine Coon had already won Cotton Ball’s favor.

Maine Coon stood up and walked to the big screen.

The first time he chose an identity card, it was for Cotton Ball. Back then, it was because he wasn’t interested in anyone else, so he picked his teammate. But this time, his reason was different—he was curious about Cotton Ball. He wanted to know more about him and uncover his true identity sooner.

Having already discovered Cotton Ball’s profession card last time, Maine Coon now decided to choose Cotton Ball’s age.

His reasoning was the same as Lion Cat’s: once he knew Cotton Ball’s age, combined with his background, it would be easy to deduce his real identity.

After all, there weren’t many cats with such a background who would participate in a show like this.

It should be relatively easy to narrow down the possibilities.

The host, Xiao Ai, said excitedly, “Last time, Maine Coon Cat chose Golden Fox Cat’s identity card! They were the first pair to choose each other. Now, after another day, will Maine Coon stick to his choice? Let’s wait and see!”

Maine Coon didn’t tease the audience. He walked up to the screen and decisively chose the identity card representing Cotton Ball’s age.

The host, Xiao Ai, was so excited that she was nearly incoherent: “Oh my goodness! He really chose Cotton Ball again! The ‘Double-Faced CP’ is real!”

The other cats: “……”

In her excitement, the host accidentally revealed herself as a fan of the “Double-Faced CP” pairing.

The live stream audience was equally thrilled:

【As expected, Maine Coon has completely fallen for Cotton Ball!】

【Today is a big day for ‘Double-Faced CP’ fans. Thanks, everyone, for celebrating with us!】

【Did anyone notice? When Maine Coon picked Cotton Ball, Cotton Ball’s eyes lit up!】

Bai Chengcheng’s eyes did brighten, but only because he finally understood the number on the screen: 18.

Cotton Ball was only 18 years old—a revelation that surprised everyone.

Maine Coon and Lion Cat had always known Cotton Ball was young, his behavior clearly showed his immaturity.

But neither of them expected him to be just 18, barely an adult.

To them, that was still just a kid.

Lion Cat, in particular, was stunned. At 30, he was 12 years older than Cotton Ball—far too big an age gap.

The host exclaimed, “Wow, who would’ve thought Cotton Ball was so young? Just turned 18! I’m guessing he’s the youngest here, right? Cotton Ball is officially the baby of the group, so everyone should take good care of him!”

The live stream viewers went wild, bombarding the chat:

【No wonder my darling is so cute—he’s young and soft! Cat drooling emoji.】

【Cotton Ball is just a blank slate at this age. I don’t approve of him dating so early! What if those older guys lead him astray?】

【Lion Cat is 12 years older, and Maine Coon is 8 years older. With their experience and sophistication, wouldn’t it be easy for them to take advantage of naive Cotton Ball? Blushing emoji.】

【Even Forest Cat, who’s won the Silver Diamond Award, is probably not much younger. He’s always pouncing on Cotton Ball, but Cotton Ball’s too small to handle that! Hissing emoji.】

【Hmph! These shady older guys clearly don’t have good intentions for our sweet and innocent Cotton Ball. I can already see him getting bullied by them in the near future!】

Bai Chengcheng, oblivious to everyone’s thoughts, stared at the screen and wondered, “18? Does that mean my weight?”

“Am I really 18 jin?”

At this moment, Maine Coon hurried back, ignoring the hostile glares from Forest Cat and Lion Cat. Calmly and naturally, he scooped Cotton Ball into his arms.

No wonder Cotton Ball was so clingy and loved to act spoiled—he was only 18.

Maine Coon, with a blank expression, thought to himself: Cotton Ball’s still too young to understand that Lion Cat’s and Forest Cat’s attention is romantic. That’s why he keeps leaning close to them, not realizing their intentions.

In any case, a kid doesn’t know better and needs to be taught.

Those two definitely didn’t have good intentions for Cotton Ball. Only Maine Coon had no ulterior motives—he was genuinely looking out for Cotton Ball. That’s why he had to keep Cotton Ball close and make sure the others didn’t take advantage of him!

In an instant, Maine Coon justified his actions: holding Cotton Ball like this was entirely for his well-being.

That’s right—it wasn’t because of any personal feelings.

He absolutely didn’t have any inappropriate thoughts about Cotton Ball!

The host, watching the varying expressions of the cats, announced excitedly, “Our show has now revealed two rounds of identity cards. By now, you must have a deeper understanding of your ideal partners. Up next, we’ll begin our next challenge: the ‘Date Battle’!“

Date? All the cats instantly perked up, ears twitching, and stared at the host on the big screen with serious expressions.