ITOTIABSAM | Interstellar Orcs | 119
"Mr. Xie?"
The smile vanished in a second as the white-haired man glanced at Gu Cong, then went straight to the bathroom.
"You haven't taken your clothes..."
Bang.
The rest of the words were stifled by the dull sound of the door closing, its force seeming normal but timed as if deliberately choking him. Gu Cong sat on the sofa, his face full of innocence.
Indeed, humans were more difficult to understand than cats.
Usually, Gu Cong would have lent the other his washed pajamas, but now, considering Xie Ye was no longer the simple, trusting cat spirit, he opened his holographic tablet, quickly browsed through several local stores, picked out a set of homewear that might suit the young man's taste, along with some essential personal items, and placed an order, opting for the most expensive and fastest delivery service.
As for the suit, there was no logo on the shirt Xie Ye wore, nor was there a belt. The first time Gu Cong suspected Xie Ye might be someone else, he had paid special attention, and now he thought, it was probably a custom-made piece, handcrafted.
It was better to wait for him to come out and let him choose for himself.
Within moments of placing the order, the doorbell rang. Outside stood a cylindrical-shaped, small service robot. After iris verification, it clicked and clacked twice, opening its hollow belly. "Please take your delivery."
"Thank you for your patronage."
In today's society, most physical labor was replaced by AI-loaded robots, and Gu Cong was used to it. He bid the robot farewell with a good-natured demeanor, closed the door, and placed the neatly packaged box on the floor next to the bathroom.
Worried that the young man might not have heard the sound of him placing the items, Gu Cong tapped on the frosted glass, already misted with water vapor. "Your clothes are outside the door, help yourself."
Although the other was the CEO and major shareholder of his new company, Gu Cong himself was not overly attached to money or status. His tone and attitude naturally lacked any sense of nervousness or deference.
Moreover, just the thought of the young man's animal form, of how cute he looked lying flat and indifferent to everything, made Gu Cong unable to feel any fear, no matter how cold the young man's expression might be.
Having already taken a shower earlier, Xie Ye was faster this time. When he saw the brand-new box outside, he pursed his lips, said nothing, and closed the door again, this time with more force.
His skin was fair, his hair like fresh snow in the sunlight, and his tail, tinged with silver threads at the tip, protruded from the loose, deep blue homewear, looking as if it could melt at any moment.
In the kitchen, Gu Cong was busy arranging the takeout from the insulated box. Hearing the movement, he relayed Anna's instructions without looking up. "The Assistant Manager said, after you wake up, make sure to contact her."
As usual, the furry tail poked out from the loose pants. Unlike typical cat tails, it was not slender but fluffy and soft. At the moment, it swayed restlessly along with its owner's mood, standing upright with the tip slightly curved downward, indicating agitation.
"When conversing, it's more polite to maintain eye contact," just as the tray was handed to him, Xie Ye grabbed Gu Cong's wrist and raised an eyebrow. "Do I look ugly?"
Of course not.
Gu Cong thought, if Xie Ye's appearance could be considered ugly, then there would be no good-looking people in the world.
After a two-second standoff, realizing that the young man showed no intention of letting go, Gu Cong had to carefully choose his words. "I thought you wouldn't like this form."
Even to the point of hatred and disgust.
After all, even citizens with a little common sense know that currently, humans can only switch between humanoid and animal forms. Those who retain animal ears and tails in humanoid form are mostly involved in shady transactions and are labeled as playthings.
Moreover, according to the information revealed by Anna, it seems that the other party was forcibly injected with illegal drugs by Xie Tianhua.
Not just once.
"A little bit," getting an answer that was more satisfying than expected, Xie Ye remained calm. "But this is the capital star. Even if I can't change back for the rest of my life, no one dares to be reckless here."
"On the contrary, they wouldn't even dare to look at me like you just did."
Gu Cong: He dares. He dares very much.
He's touched him several times already.
The slender fingers holding onto his left wrist finally let go, and Gu Cong heard the young man say softly, "Let's eat."
The tone was slightly upbeat, as if very pleased.
Despite his words, when it came time to actually call Anna, the seemingly indifferent young man still blocked his way:
"Coat, make sure it has a hood."
With a calm demeanor, but with alert cat ears standing up, as if afraid of his refusal, Gu Cong couldn't help but let out a low laugh.
“Last time the coat covered everything, Anna didn't see anything," shared secrets always bring people closer, so Gu Cong reassured him with a kind smile, facing the intense gaze of the young man who seemed to be staring a hole through him.
He walked into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and picked out a hoodie he often wore for his weekend runs. "How about this one?"
"Or you could use my light brain to buy a new one?"
In response, Xie Ye forcefully snatched the hoodie from his hands.
So, when Anna received a video call from her boss, the first thing she noticed was the unusual top the young man was wearing.
The sleeves were conspicuously long, covering the back of his hands, perhaps indicating it was cold. Despite being indoors in the apartment, he was wearing a hoodie, making his face appear no larger than a palm.
This... is this his boyfriend's shirt?
"It seems like you're living the good life," Anna joked with a momentary surprise, adjusting to the situation. "I investigated Xie Tianhua's situation, he thought he already had everything under control."
Xie Ye raised an eyebrow, "He thinks I'm dead?"
"Probably, considering you've been missing for quite a while this time, haven't shown up for nearly half a month," Anna's attitude was noticeably more relaxed than when facing outsiders, she shrugged, "Or maybe he thinks even if you're alive, you're just a complete cat, unlikely to pose any obstacles to him."
"In any case, he's been probing for your whereabouts frequently lately. He called me several times, saying Xie Haiguo... your father, wants you to come home for a reunion dinner."
Reunion dinner?
Xie Ye frowned coldly, it was nothing more than an attempt to use so-called family affection to coax or even morally pressure him into paying for Xie Tianhua's mess.
"There have also been some gossip about the disappearance of the CEO of Ark Technology on the Star Network. Currently, only a few small marketing accounts with limited influence are stirring things up, probably paid for by Xie Tianhua," Anna switched to business talk, "But surprisingly, the reading volume is unexpectedly high, probably because our company just signed a big project, and many eyes are watching, hoping to get a piece of the pie."
"Fortunately, the PR department's salary wasn't in vain, and they quickly suppressed it."
Proudly, 1101, who had secretly helped a lot, stood with hands on hips, "I also played a part."
"Hmm," a single response from Xie Ye to both of them, his mind racing as he continued, "Play along a bit, and appropriately leak the news of my disappearance to Xie Tianhua. The public opinion can also be loosened."
Lay enough bait, and the fish will take the hook. Xie Haiguo, the biological father of his alter self, was a cunning old fox. To get him involved in this mess, there must be some benefit that could shake his resolve.
"The camel that starves to death is still bigger than a horse. The Xie family has been shining in the capital for decades, plus the legal ties of blood. Even before the 'Second World' project officially lands, with a little effort, they could still find an opportunity to swallow up Ark Technology. "
Anna was puzzled, "Are you trying to deal with the Xie family?"
But over the past few years, everything they had done had been to draw clear boundaries, not to interfere with each other's affairs.
"I am," Xie Ye nodded in response to Anna's unfinished question. "Do you think Xie Tianhua's kidnapping of me was done without Xie Haiguo's knowledge?"
Perhaps initially Xie Tianhua did manage to keep it from him, but after so many days, how could Xie Haiguo, who often met with that fool Xie Tianhua, not notice anything unusual, something even Anna could discover?
Before being kidnapped, his alter self, though hating Xie Tianhua bitterly, still didn't fight for the inheritance that rightfully belonged to him out of respect for Xie Haiguo, who had raised him. Of course, there was also a sense of disdain in the mix.
But Xie Ye was different.
If the Xie family dared to reach out, he dared to chop off the claws of both Xie Tianhua and Xie Haiguo. What belonged to him, even if destroyed, would not easily be given to others.
1101 suddenly remembered the original host of the task, who was originally a laid-back individual.
If it had been the same person back then, they probably would have taken advantage of the opportunity to turn into a cat and run away. In those days, they would have relied on Gu Cong to push them into a room, let alone inheritances.
But now, Xie Ye felt a sense of belonging to the little world. Despite this feeling being entirely tied to one person, at least the other person had vitality and desires. Faced with the malicious plot that was unfolding, he no longer lazily lay flat, letting himself sink into the mud, and start over with a new identity.
As a system, 1101 wasn't sure if this development was good or bad, but it seemed that the task might actually be completed someday at this rate.
"I understand," 1101 reminisced for a moment, while Anna clarified the key points and asked, "So, are you going to continue living at Gu Cong's place? Or should I find another safe house for you?"
Xie Ye: "Here."
Xie Ye: "There's a risk of being discovered if you make a move."
"In that case, let's leave it like this for now. Boss, remember to approve the email I sent you," Anna responded with the expected answer, blinking rapidly. "I won't disturb you two. Goodbye."
"Disturbance?"
Following Anna's gaze, Xie Ye turned around and saw Gu Cong, who had just finished showering, sitting on the sofa, drying his hair.
Standing on the balcony with his tail hanging behind him, Xie Ye's floating camera happened to capture the image of the man not far away. He wasn't showing much skin, but the atmosphere was particularly homely.
No wonder Anna misunderstood.
"Finished chatting?" Gu Cong sensed the gaze from Xie Ye, raising his head politely with a smile that wasn't soft. "Or should I find another place to go?"
In a moment of clarity, Xie Ye understood. Gu Cong chose to shower while he was making a phone call to avoid suspicion. And Anna's abrupt hang-up earlier, as seen by Gu Cong who couldn't hear the conversation clearly, probably seemed like a lack of trust.
— Putting words in my mouth, how childish.
As the words slipped out, Gu Cong regretted it somewhat. He wasn't sure where this inexplicable annoyance came from. It felt like raising a cat diligently, only for it to turn its head and conspire with its kind to escape, treating him as an outsider.
However, before he could say anything to salvage the awkward atmosphere, the young man on the balcony took slow steps toward him.
"It's her who's avoiding suspicion."
Bending down, the young man leaned against the sofa back with one hand, his jewel-like emerald eyes staring straight at him. Slowly and deliberately, he parted his lips: "Boyfriend."
"Hmm?"
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