It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 112

 

ITOTIABSAM | Interstellar Orcs | 112

Plunk.

Xie Ye wasn't much for vocalizing, and Gu Cong remained silent too, the two of them staring at each other across the room.

It wasn't until a droplet of water trickled down the damp fur and landed on the floor that the silver-white cat paused, quietly retracting its front paws and pretending nonchalance, retreating back into the tiled bathroom.

The intimidating aura it had tried to project dissipated in an instant, and Gu Cong couldn't help but detect a hint of guilt on that sweet feline face.

But who could bring themselves to get angry at such a wet, shrunken furball?

"So you're hollow inside, all fluff and no substance," Gu Cong teased, slowly crouching down and reaching out, despite the recent mishap.

Perhaps because of its mischievous antics, the cat behaved surprisingly well this time, maintaining its aloof expression as Gu Cong rubbed its head as if nothing had happened.

As if it hadn't been the one extending its claws at him just minutes ago.

"Don't move, let's get you dried off first, or you might catch a cold." Gu Cong wiped the floor diligently, unexpectedly patient with the situation.

While he generally considered himself easygoing, he had clear boundaries when it came to personal matters and belongings. Yet, here he was, not minding that the whole bathroom had been claimed by the cat. In fact, he even picked out a clean towel and accurately draped it over the feline's head.

Xie Ye, momentarily blinded by the sudden darkness, blinked in surprise.

Considering he was currently a cat, he had deliberately refrained from touching Gu Cong's toiletries, merely shaking off his fur hastily. He hadn't expected Gu Cong to willingly share with him.

Because the other party also has a beast form, their tolerance level is relatively high.

"Be good." Seeing the alert ears of the cat standing up slightly as the towel was draped over it, Gu Cong lifted Xie Ye and looked around, unable to find a suitable place. He ended up placing Xie Ye in the sink, now dry.

From this position, the cat could see the mirror.

The hairdryer, which was unattainable for the cat, was easily within Gu Cong's reach. He adjusted the airflow to the lowest setting and tested the temperature with his palm before directing it towards Xie Ye.

As the damp fur was gently tousled by Gu Cong's strong and agile fingers, Xie Ye initially stared disapprovingly at his reflection in the mirror, resembling a drowned rat. However, he gradually closed his eyes and involuntarily followed the movements of Gu Cong's fingertips, emitting soft purring sounds from his throat.

The fluffy fur under Gu Cong's touch regained its volume, prompting Gu Cong to tease, "Feeling comfortable?"

Xie Ye, who had come back to his senses, felt embarrassed. He pretended not to hear and decided to act as if he were just an ordinary little cat.

However, Gu Cong, feeling the momentary stiffness in Xie Ye's body up close, couldn't help but be aware of it. Choosing not to expose him, Gu Cong became even more convinced of Xie Ye's intelligence.

After diligently blow-drying the fur for a while, Gu Cong removed the towel and took out a small comb he had bought at the pet hospital the day before. He carefully brushed through Xie Ye's fur.

When Xie Ye finally opened his eyes after enjoying the full treatment, he was greeted by a face that was overly sweet - round, emerald eyes, a delicate pink nose, and jelly-like, soft and elastic ears.

Completely harmless.

He felt more disdainful.

Except for the first time when he woke up, Xie Ye hadn't carefully observed himself. He furrowed his brows, thinking that this mutation in the mini-me was truly astonishing. His beast form and his original appearance were like night and day, completely unrecognizable.

Catching a glimpse of Gu Cong's still damp hair, Xie Ye turned around, raised his paw, and pushed the hairdryer back into Gu Cong's hand.

Thinking Gu Cong still wanted to "play", Gu Cong shook his head, "Blow-drying it again will make it too dry, and you'll go bald."

–- You're the one who's bald.

A bit impatiently, the silver-white cat pressed the switch again, and warm air blew, causing Gu Cong's hair to fly around messily.

Now Gu Cong finally understood what Xie Ye meant. But before he could say anything else, the white furball with its large tail gracefully leaped off the sink and out of the bathroom.

According to the original setting, Gu Cong should also have his own beast form. The floor was very clean, and Xie Ye strolled around elegantly, inspecting the surroundings, but didn't find any relevant clues.

In most cases, sleep should correlate with reduced consumption. However, patients with Sleeping Beauty Syndrome are prone to hunger upon awakening, and may even experience episodes of binge eating.

Normal cats eat three to five times a day, but Xie Ye showed little interest in the freeze-dried fish despite its light taste and healthiness.

Following the scent wafting from the kitchen, Xie Ye sauntered over to Gu Cong's leg.

Gu Cong, with his sleeves rolled up, was frying eggs. His cooking skills were average, and being single, he rarely cooked anything other than the simplest breakfast. There was hardly any cooking going on in his home.

Sensing that Xie Ye was hungry, Gu Cong transferred the fried eggs to a plate, turned off the stove, and was about to go fetch some cat food when his slipper was held down by a white, soft "little mountain bamboo."

Concerned about hurting Xie Ye's paw, which still had medical gauze attached, Gu Cong could only stop and ask, "Hmm?"

The silver-white cat tilted its head back, its gaze sweeping over itself before locking onto the plate of fried eggs.

With last night's experience in mind, this time Gu Cong didn't immediately refuse. Instead, he followed the same routine, taking out an identical new plate and pouring out some freeze-dried fish, placing it in front of the cat.

Xie Ye, wanting to eat human food, thought to himself: Is this guy treating me like a fool?

1101: "But you fell for it last night."

The cat was delighted by the presence of the instant noodle box, burying its head inside, only revealing two small ears.

Xie Ye: "Shut up."

After waiting for a while without the cat lowering its head to eat, but instead looking back at him with a knowing gaze, Gu Cong finally realized belatedly that the well-rested cat was even harder to fool.

Since the fried eggs were seasoned with oil and salt, he had to put on a serious face as if in work mode. "No, you can't."

Speaking softly, Xie Ye negotiated, "Meow."

Gu Cong's resolve weakened considerably.

But outwardly, he remained composed. "No, you can't."

[How can anyone resist a little kitty?] 1101 was going crazy in the background, "How can anyone resist a little kitty!"

Failing to "seduce" him, Xie Ye's competitive spirit was aroused.

However, he still maintained a certain level of pride and restraint. Even though he wanted to win, he wouldn't make any big moves. He simply loosened his grip on the food and took a few steps back. Finally, he twitched his ears subtly and lightly brushed against Gu Cong's pant leg.

Ten minutes later, there was a plate of sliced boiled eggs and half a bowl of warm goat milk in front of Xie Ye.

And on the dining table, there was now a designated spot just for him.

Opening the virtual brain to check emails, Gu Cong quickly finished the fried eggs in three bites. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he said, "I haven't given you a name yet."

The cat in front of him was indeed quite clever, eating neatly without spilling anything outside the plate. Almost absentmindedly, Gu Cong asked, "Do you have a name?"

Of course, Xie Ye had a name.

Right in front of him was Gu Cong's virtual keyboard on the light brain. Xie Ye could easily type out his own name, pretending it was randomly pressed.

However, the next moment, as he was focused on eating, Xie Ye happened to notice the email subject line and the anti-counterfeiting watermark when Gu Cong opened a document.

Ark Technology.

1101: "Your company."

Or rather, his secondary account's company.

One designing games, the other providing technical support—this was one of the reasons why his alter self increasingly appreciated the protagonist's interactions with Xia Bai. Besides their personalities, they were also very complementary in their careers, like "a match made in heaven."

However, the storyline had not mentioned Gu Cong's name.

"Have you seen this logo before?" With breakfast finished, Gu Cong reached out, picking up Xie Ye, "Sit tight, you need to look at this properly."

The difference between an animal and a beast form was too obvious for him to think in terms of a cat being able to read. He simply assumed that the cat might have seen the logo of Ark Technology while wandering around, considering his new company was quite famous in the capital star. Advertisements for its products could be seen everywhere, even though the boss was a bit young.

1101 quickly pulled up the personnel information for Ark Technology. "He is indeed an employee of your company."

【Just passed the interview yesterday.】

So he wore a whole suit, even though with his looks and stature, he looked more like a CEO.

【He's a senior software engineer, headhunted by Ark Technology. The interview was just a formality; Ark Technology offered a high salary.】As data flowed and related information spread out like a spider web, 1101 was surprised. "How come you, as the boss, didn't know about this?"

In interstellar society, the status of technical talents had long been elevated. After climbing several levels, it was evident that most physical labor could be replaced by machines. Creation, invention, and even the evolution of AI still required human thinking.

Xie Ye: "My alter self has been busy with another government project recently."

Juggling tasks, while also being wary of the sleeping beauty syndrome that could strike at any time, was exhausting. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been taken advantage of by Xie Tianhua.

【Then I think you might need to change your approach】1101 whispered, "Even if he's a newcomer, he should know the name of the company's boss."

【Or perhaps you want to take this opportunity to come clean with him?】

Gu Cong was one of their own, and his character was absolutely trustworthy.

Come clean?

Thinking of all the foolish things he had done since being taken in by Gu Cong, Xie Ye fell into an unusual silence.

Due to the sleeping beauty syndrome, his alter self would occasionally disappear without a trace. He had been kidnapped while at work yesterday, but relying on past experiences, the company hadn't encountered any major problems yet.

……he had enough time to consider his options.

"How's that?" Noticing the cat's return to its obedient state after eating, Gu Cong stroked from its head down its back, and then gently flicked its slightly puffed-up tail.

Closing the email, he let the virtual screen twinkle like stars. "Does it look good?"

Xie Ye: He's not three years old.

But cats were naturally curious about moving things, whether it was flowing water or rolling balls. Trying hard to restrain its desire to reach out and grab the screen with its front paws, Xie Ye jumped out of the man's arms.

Gu Cong, with a cold face from being rejected by the cat, wasn't annoyed. He just opened a naming website and asked as he searched, "How about Snowball?"

"Red Bean Bun?"

"Glutinous Rice Ball?"

"Milk?"

"Little White?"

One suggestion was more absurd than the next. Unconsciously, Xie Ye flicked his tail and reached out his paw, tapping on the table.

Gu Cong understood. "Snowball."

Xie Ye: Not really keen on it.

...But if there had to be a nickname, Snowball was definitely more clever than Little White.

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Author's Note:

Gu Cong: What to do if my boss turns into a cat?

Ding ding ding, it's actually boss-subordinate, office romance (later stage) ——