We Have A Cat
On Yan Yan’s twenty-sixth birthday, he received a special gift: Zhuang Yiyun brought home a fluffy little cat, blue and gold in color, and was three months old.
The kitten was chubby and fluffy, making its round body even more adorable. Yan Yan’s heart melted at the first glance.
Zhuang Yiyun had thought that Yan Yan was under too much pressure at work recently and heard that playing with cats could relax the mind and body. So, he bought one for him, hoping to help him unwind. But the moment Yan Yan saw the little cat, he reached out, took it from Zhuang Yiyun’s palm, and got completely engrossed in playing with it.
At that moment, Zhuang Yiyun felt something was wrong, but he didn’t realize what the future held. He had some words he wanted to say but kept them to himself, feeling a bit stifled. However, seeing Yan Yan so happy, he thought it was fine not to say anything. Playing with the cat to relieve stress was the main goal.
“What’s his name?” Yan Yan asked excitedly, scratching the kitten’s chin.
“The cattery said he doesn’t have a name. You can choose one.”
“Then let’s call him Xiao Yun?” Yan Yan tilted his head, looking at Zhuang Yiyun with a mischievous smile.
“Sure, since you only call me gege or husband anyway,” Zhuang Yiyun said indulgently, finding Yan Yan’s teasing quite childish.
Yan Yan snorted. “Forget it, Xiao Yun doesn’t sound cool at all. My cat must be cool and handsome. Let’s call him Zhuaizhuai.”
Yan Yan carried the cat to the sofa, playing with it using a feather toy while dragging out his voice, “Zhuaizhuai~”
It was said that cute cats could melt even the hearts of tough men. Zhuang Yiyun believed it now. Not only was the cat cute, but it was also cool. Watching the little cat move its plump body around, Yan Yan laughed like a doting and slightly foolish mother.
Zhuang Yiyun brought the cat home and also bought some basic cat supplies as per the shop assistant’s recommendations: a cat bed, a food bowl, a water dispenser, cat food, canned food, cat treats, and various cat toys. He thought it was more than enough, but he greatly underestimated Yan Yan’s enthusiasm.
First, he played with the cat and didn’t want to move it anywhere until Zhuang Yiyun relayed the cattery’s advice.
“The cattery said to ignore the cat for the first two days after bringing it home. It’s best to act like it doesn’t exist and let it adapt to the new environment on its own.”
“How can I ignore it?! It’s so cute! My eyes have automatic targeting now; they only lock onto it.”
Zhuang Yiyun: “…” The feeling that something was wrong became even stronger.
“Alright, I’ll listen to the professionals.” Yan Yan stood up. “You go play by yourself, Zhuaizhuai.”
The kitten had just arrived in the new environment and didn’t want to entertain its new owner. As soon as it was set free, it ran off. Yan Yan’s eyes followed it, when it disappeared from his view in the corridor, he stealthily took off his shoes and followed.
Zhuang Yiyun held his forehead as he watched from behind. He watched Yan Yan follow the cat for the third time, excitedly exclaiming, “So cute!”, and finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He directly grabbed Yan Yan and pressed him on the sofa.
“Yan Yan, it’s your birthday today amd your husband is here. Where are you looking so intently?”
Only now did Yan Yan, who was completely captivated by the little cat, realize what was happening. He looked surprised. “Are you jealous? Are you jealous of a little kitten?”
“Yes. I’m not only jealous of the cat, but I’m also jealous of its mother.”
“Mother? What are you talking about? Who is its mother?”
“Who else but you?”
“Why am I its mother? I’m its father!” Yan Yan protested seriously.
“Just because you’re my wife.”
Zhuang Yiyun decided to change his approach. On this special day, the first birthday celebrated together in the truest sense, was celebrated with appropriate lighting and a serene atmosphere. The atmosphere quickly became heated, completely diverting Yan Yan’s attention back.
Just as things were heating up between them, when Zhuang Yiyun was lifting Yan Yan to change positions, a round little cat head entered their view. Zhuaizhuai was sitting on the edge of the sofa, tilting its head and looking at the two with curiosity in its big eyes. It was unknown how long it had been standing there because he was blocked by Yan Yan.
Zhuang Yiyun felt bad; the cat’s eyes were too innocent, making their actions seem so vulgar.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Yan asked near his lips, biting his lower lip and playfully reprimanding him for stopping.
“It’s watching us.”
“What?”
“Zhuaizhuai.”
Yan Yan turned his head, and…damn it, he subconsciously adjusted his half-unbuttoned shirt.
The atmosphere was completely ruined and Zhuang Yiyun was angry. He took Yan Yan into the room to deal with things.
“It can’t come into the master bedroom in the future,” Zhuang Yiyun said with resentment.
“Okay,” Yan Yan was noncommittal.
“Baby, you’re not focused. Do you want to be punished? What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking… Zhuaizhuai was so cute just now, with its head tilted.”
Zhuang Yiyun: “…” Tonight, he must teach his husband how to behave properly. And why on earth did he bring a cat home???”
If he could turn back time, Zhuang Yiyun definitely wouldn’t have brought Zhuaizhuai home. No, after some consideration, he would still have done it, even though it was annoying. But who could blame him, Yan Yan liked it so much.
On the third day after Zhuaizhuai moved in, Zhuang Yiyun returned home from work a bit late. The house was quiet, and Yan Yan was already asleep. He took a shower in the guest bathroom and quietly opened the door. He first noticed a dim light. This was Yan Yan’s habit; if he went to bed first, he would leave a small lamp for him. Every time he returned late, he found it heartwarming and would unknowingly smile in his heart.
But today, this warm light illuminated not only his husband but also a cat sleeping beside him. Zhuaizhuai was casually lying on the pillow that originally belonged to him, curled up into a fur ball, its head resting on Yan Yan’s shoulder.
They agreed not to let the cat into the master bedroom, but in three days, the cat had already found its way onto their bed. This was their bed, a place where no one, no creature, could encroach. Zhuang Yiyun’s territorial instincts were seriously offended. He was instantly furious. He grabbed the kitten by the neck, and carried it to the cat bed outside.
Then, he returned, still feeling upset, and forcibly woke Yan Yan with a kiss.
Yan Yan responded in a daze, and it was like burning firewood, it didn’t take long for the fire to get rekindled. Zhuang Yiyun was finally pacified to some extent. Even though his husband had allowed the little furball onto the bed, at least it hadn’t affected their intimate life.
But who knew that at this moment, along with Yan Yan’s moans, came the cat’s meowing from outside the door.
Naturally, Zhuang Yiyun ignored it. Yan Yan wanted to check on it, but Zhuang Yiyun suppressed him. However, the cat didn’t stop despite being ignored; it kept meowing more and more cheerfully. It was just a little cat, but its small body somehow produced such a high-pitched sound, conveying a sense of urgency.
In the end, Yan Yan couldn’t lie still and had to check. Zhuang Yiyun tried to stop him, but he just slapped him on the shoulder and urged, “Come on, why are you taking so long? Finish quickly, I want to see the baby.”
“Fuck…” Dr. Zhuang couldn’t help but curse. How could he continue like this? He reluctantly let him go.
With the cat around, his husband was only half there, spending only half the time with him. He complained that he was slow, that he was in the way, and even if he felt slightly displeased, he indulged him(Yan Yan).
The cat was even worse. Initially, it would come and meow if it heard any movement outside the door, and later, it escalated to scratching the door. Their bedroom door was full of its brave achievements. If the scratches were military medals, it would have a chest full of them.
In the end, it forced Dr. Zhuang to ask every time he couldn’t bear it anymore, “Baby, should we go get a hotel room?” They ended up sneaking around like they were having an affair.
Life changed drastically, and the house underwent a major transformation. Windows that needed sealing were sealed, and the furniture in the guest bedroom was removed to make a cat room. Yan Yan did some research online and visited many cat supply stores before creating a princess room for Zhuaizhuai. Forgot to mention, after giving it a name, Yan Yan realized he didn’t ask its gender and found out Zhuaizhuai was a little female cat. The name was a bit masculine, but it didn’t matter, the little princess was even cooler.
On Yan Yan’s twenty-seventh birthday, they had been raising Zhuaizhuai for a year. Since last year, Zhuang Yiyun decided to take a photo for Yan Yan every birthday. Last year, he took one of him holding Zhuaizhuai; this year, he wanted to take a picture of the two of them together.
After confirming the shooting location, setting up the tripod, and arranging the timer, Zhuang Yiyun was just about to take the photo when Yan Yan said, “Gege, take a picture of me and Zhuaizhuai instead. People online are showing off similar photos. It’s interesting—people taking the same photo in the same place with the same person after so many years. Take that kind of photo for me and Zhuaizhuai too. Let’s do it every birthday.”
Zhuang Yiyun’s expression faltered upon hearing this. After raising a cat, his big cat had become increasingly arrogant, and it seemed like it was time for some proper discipline. In that moment, various thoughts crossed his mind, none of them of a healthy or eco-friendly nature.
Yan Yan, who was intentionally teasing him, stood up and walked over, whispering, “Gege, haven’t you noticed that Zhuaizhuai hasn’t been around for a while?”
“Hmm?” Zhuang Yiyun looked around and realized it was true.
“I put her in the cat room,” Yan Yan said, casually extending his hand and scratching Zhuang Yiyun’s palm. “So, gege, do you want to take some… artistic photos?”
Zhuang Yiyun’s throat tightened, and the sharp Adam’s apple moved up and down. He lowered his gaze and asked, “What artistic photos?”
“I’m crude, I can only understand it on a superficial level. I think… when artists photograph the human body, it’s called artistic photography. What do you think, gege?”
Zhuang Yiyun wanted to pull him into his arms but was skillfully avoided. In that moment, they were extremely close, their lips almost touching, probably only a centimeter apart. Although they didn’t touch, Zhuang Yiyun felt a heat greater than if they had.
“Gege, I think the study would be a suitable place for the photos.”
Zhuang Yiyun chuckled, picked up the tripod and camera without a word, and heading to the study without hesitation.
Yan Yan had planned this deliberately. He knew he had wronged his gege after getting Zhuaizhuai, so he had prepared this small compensation for him today. He just deliberately made him angry earlier. Usually, the lower you fall, the higher you can rise, right? It’s just that he didn’t have the heart to make him angry for long.
Zhuang Yiyun set up the camera on the desk. The desk was made of walnut wood, and behind it was a whole wall of bookshelves. The lighting was soft, and whether on the desk or the chair, it made for a good composition.
Yan Yan had gone to change his clothes. He had thought Yan Yan would change into formal wear, as his baby liked suits and the like. But what he didn’t expect was to see Yan Yan in a red dress.
A wine-red silk long dress outlined his excellent figure, the waist and hips captivating anyone who laid eyes on him. Two straps hung delicately on his collarbones, accentuating his fair and moist shoulders.
He walked over leisurely, stepping on the wooden floor with his bare feet, like a silent cat, noble and aloof. He had let his hair grow longer recently, but he still had a masculine appearance. He wore no makeup and was just in this dress, but he looked amazingly charming.
He turned around in front of Zhuang Yiyun and only then did Zhuang Yiyun notice his back—it was bare. It was a backless dress, exposing his spine, the deep curve between his back and waist, and the connection of his waist and hips were all clearly visible.
Yan Yan extended a finger and poked his chest. Following that slight force, Zhuang Yiyun sat down at the desk, then he heard Yan Yan speak.
“Professor Zhuang, can you help me with my graduation thesis?”
As he spoke, he sat on Zhuang Yiyun’s lap, circling his neck with his arms.
Zhuang Yiyun smiled and wanted to hug him but deliberately kept his hands away from him. “It’s useless. I have a wife now.”
“It doesn’t matter, I just want to be happy, not a formal commitment.”
“Get up. Don’t make me call security to throw you out.”
“So ruthless? Am I not good-looking enough?”
“It’s because I love my wife.”
Seeing that Zhuang Yiyun remained unmoved, Yan Yan felt a bit anxious. He gave up acting and changed his tone, saying, “Your wife is right here.”
Zhuang Yiyun: “After failing to use the beauty trap, you want to imitate my wife?”
“Zhuang Yiyun, what’s wrong with you?”
“It’s useless to imitate my wife.”
“Fuck, okay, you’re not interested in cross-dressing. Why did I even bother? I thought you liked it.” Yan Yan stood up, tugging at the hem of his dress in a somewhat rough manner, completely changing his previous coquettish demeanor.
“Why did you think I liked it?” Zhuang Yiyun looked at him deeply, tugging at the dress and revealing more skin.
“You looked interested when I faked my voice.”
Zhuang Yiyun recalled; it was before they got together that he had heard Yan Yan’s imitation. He didn’t know why he had given Yan Yan that impression, but seeing him in this red dress, he was indeed losing control.
“I’ll go change. It’s weird.” Yan Yan tried to leave but Zhuang Yiyun grabbed his arm.
Books on the desk fell to the floor. It was a night without Zhuaizhuai disturbing them, a night where Zhuang Yiyun thoroughly demonstrated a skill—transforming four-digit silk items into rags.
