Where is the cat?

Ruan Xing just thought that Fu Zhi was drunk and was talking nonsense, so he didn’t bother to argue.

When he entered the door, the first thing he did was look for the remote to turn on the air conditioner—the September heat was unbearable.

Fu Zhi’s home was decorated simply, with bright, light-colored wallpaper and brand-new white furniture. The hotel-like decoration style was a bit cold, just like him.

In the most conspicuous position in the living room, two long swords were mounted on a sword rack, one above the other. The black and white scabbards exuded a dangerous aura. Ruan Xing was especially familiar with the white one—it was the sword that had saved him twice. On the other hand, the black one had always been strapped to Fu Zhi’s waist, but Ruan Xing had never seen him draw it.

Speaking of which, Ruan Xing recalled reading somewhere online that Fu Zhi, like himself, was an orphan taken in by the Tower.

Climbing to the top alone wasn’t easy. In his past life, he was like this, and so was Fu Zhi. There are always things that are beyond one's control. Thinking this way, Ruan Xing suddenly felt a little sympathy for him.

After taking him upstairs, Ruan Xing received a long string of messages from Chen Yihang.

He specifically emphasized that drunk people may have cognitive distortions and exhibit strange behaviors, so he should not take it to heart. He should just go along with Fu Zhi’s wishes and never go against his thoughts. Otherwise, unpredictable consequences could occur. Additionally, he must wait until Fu Zhi falls asleep before leaving.

Chen Yihang also mentioned that he had already requested a paid leave for Ruan Xing. He estimated that he would be home late today and told Ruan Xing to have a good rest tomorrow.

“So he actually knows how difficult his drunk boss is, huh?”

Fu Gui’s beak was released and immediately complained about Chen Yihang’s irresponsibility. "How could he dump such an important task on the newbie?"

The message also specifically emphasized that this person tends to be a little more active in the evening.

Active?

Ruan Xing turned his head only to bump into a firm chest. His nose stung from the impact, and tears welled up in his eyes.

“What are you—”

Before Ruan Xing could finish speaking, Fu Zhi reached out and wrapped his arms around him. A faint scent of fruit wine lingered, mixed with a subtle woody fragrance. Through the thin fabric, a steady warmth seeped from Fu Zhi’s body into his own, spreading an unsettling heat between them.

Fu Zhi sighed softly, resting his chin on Ruan Xing’s head as he rubbed against it.

“Kitty.”

So the "cat" he was talking about earlier… was me? What kind of cognitive distortion is this?!

Ruan Xing immediately tried to break free from the man’s embrace. The warmth and smell of alcohol made him extremely uncomfortable.

Fu Zhi didn’t expect the "kitty" to be so strong and was pushed away before he could react.

But just as Ruan Xing reached the door, Fu Zhi grabbed the corner of his shirt again.

“Kitty.”

This is going nowhere. Ruan Xing no longer cared about Chen Yihang’s warnings. He turned around and stretched out his arm to release the mycelium.

The translucent white threads formed the shape of a hand, ready to push Fu Zhi aside. But the man swiftly dodged before it could react. With a quick movement, he shifted his weight and leaped behind Ruan Xing to block the door.

Ruan Xing took a step back to lure him into the living room. At the same time, the giant hand formed by the mycelium tried to grab the man while Ruan Xing reached for the door.

Ding!

At some point, Fu Zhi had already grabbed the sword in the living room. He didn’t draw it but simply swung the scabbard toward the giant hand. The mycelium trembled from the impact, and the large hand it had formed scattered back into silk threads.

Seeing Ruan Xing pulling the door open, Fu Zhi took a step forward. Ruan Xing had no choice but to retreat to avoid the dangerous scabbard. He lost the advantage and found himself getting farther and farther from the door. His forehead veins twitched as his anger flared up.

How could someone be so unreasonable?!

He grabbed a vase by the door and threw it.

Fu Zhi reacted in a flash, slicing the vase cleanly in half with his sword’s scabbard. The broken pieces fell to the ground with a loud crash.

Ruan Xing’s lips tightened. He summoned the mycelium and transformed it into various shapes to restrict Fu Zhi’s movements. But the man’s combat experience was too strong, making it hard to trap him.

One was holding back, and the other had reservations, so the fight reached a stalemate for a while.

Fu Gui flew to the ceiling and shouted, “Stop fighting!”

But at this point, neither of them had the patience to listen. Blades clashed, mycelium whipped through the air, and the furniture suffered the brunt of their battle. The living room table splintered under the chaos.

Ruan Xing raised his hand and shot an arrow, but Fu Zhi only slightly tilted his head to dodge.

The black poison arrow corroded a large hole in the floor. Realizing his attack had failed, Ruan Xing cursed under his breath as his hands gleamed faintly.

Fu Zhi, who was still trying to close the distance, made a small sound of surprise.

“Oh? Kitty glows.”

Ruan Xing sneered. The mycelium grew in the light, suddenly expanding and filling the entire room.

He planned to use the same method he had used to restrain the ant queen before.

But whether it was because Fu Zhi was too alert or because Ruan Xing was too slow, before the mycelium could tighten around him, Fu Zhi picked up the other long sword. With a swift movement, he flipped his wrists and wielded both swords with deadly precision. The twin swords cut through the air in fierce arcs, creating gusts strong enough to scatter the mycelium.

Ruan Xing gritted his teeth. Taking advantage of Fu Zhi's distraction, he turned and grabbed the door.

Just as the door was opened slightly, a strong force came from behind. A firm body pressed against him, pinning him to the door. His cheek was pressed against the cold surface, slightly distorted by pressure.

"Tie him up!" Ruan Xing shouted.

The mycelium immediately tightened, but Fu Zhi reacted even faster. Perhaps knowing that the mycelium wouldn’t restrain its master, Fu Zhi instinctively clung tightly to Ruan Xing, refusing to be tied up.

The mycelium couldn’t bind just one person, so it hesitated awkwardly in mid-air.

Ruan Xing kept urging it on.

Gritting its metaphorical teeth, the mycelium made a bold move and tightly wrapped both of them together. With Fu Zhi’s tall frame, this essentially left Ruan Xing clinging to him. The two ended up standing like silkworms, completely wrapped in white threads with only their heads exposed.

"Let me go! Why the hell are you tying me up?!"

Ruan Xing tried to wriggle away, but Fu Zhi wouldn’t allow it. In the midst of their tug-of-war, they lost their balance and toppled backward.

Fu Zhi’s head hit the floor with a loud thud, which was followed by silence.

Ruan Xing, also dizzy from the fall, felt the alcohol hit him harder. After the physically exhausting scuffle, his vision darkened, and he passed out as well.

In the darkness, a shadowy figure walked forward. There was no sense of direction—no up, down, left, or right—only endless space with no boundary or concept of time. A beam of light shone from above, stretching the figure's shadow endlessly.

Like a devoted monk on a spiritual journey, the figure kept moving toward some unknown purpose, never tiring, never stopping. He had walked like this for what felt like centuries.

Suddenly, the figure stopped.

Before him stood a massive ancient door. Its color was unclear; it might have been white or perhaps black. The surface was adorned with intricate carvings of strange patterns, symbols, and carvings of exotic creatures he could not recognize.

Beyond the door, a voice was faintly murmuring something.

He couldn’t make out the words.

He wanted to hear it clearly.

He wanted to know.

The figure reached out to open the door, but it was too heavy. But he had all the time in the world. He wandered through the endless darkness for countless centuries. Now that something had appeared, he didn’t care if it was dangerous.

He was just too lonely.

Placing his hands on the door, he pressed against it with slow, steady force until a small gap appeared.

Maybe it was his intense curiosity, or perhaps it was something more profound. But there was a voice in his head urging him on:

"Open this door! Hurry, open this door! You must open it!"

"Open the door!"

"Open the door! I know you’re home!"

Fu Zhi suddenly woke up.

The voice from his dream and the shouting outside the door overlapped, making him momentarily unsure if he was still dreaming.

The dazzling sunlight streamed through the window, casting heat against his face. But that wasn’t the main source of warmth.

Fu Zhi’s eyes widened in a daze as he stared at the young man lying on top of him. His mind went blank.

From this angle, he could see the cute swirl of hair on Ruan Xing’s head, his delicate nose, and his fair skin. The young man was lying completely against him, and his own arms were wrapped around the youth.

Why… were they in this position? And what was all this wrapped around them?

Mycelium?

Fu Zhi tried to move, but the mycelium was tightly wrapped around them. He didn’t want to wake Ruan Xing or damage the strands, so he didn’t dare to struggle too much. Stuck in place, his body stiffened like a board.

“Mmm…”

The young man on top of him murmured softly, likely disturbed by the knocking outside.

"Open the door! I know you’re home!"

Who was banging on the door at this ungodly hour? Ruan Xing, thoroughly annoyed, groggily grumbled to himself.

He hadn’t slept well at all. The mattress beneath him felt awful, pressing uncomfortably against his back—especially his waist.

“What the hell is—” Ruan Xing’s voice faltered.

He had just realized that the mattress beneath him was breathing.

Then, memories from last night crashed into his mind all at once. Along with them was a wave of frustration.

Fu Gui flew out of the bedroom and rubbed its eyes with its wings. “Oh, you’re awake? Don’t worry, nothing happened between you two last night.”

Is that really the issue here?!

Ruan Xing shot Fu Gui a glare sharp enough to kill.

"Open the door! Are you opening it or not?! If you’ve got the guts, open the door!"

“Enough already! I’m coming!” Ruan Xing snapped.

With a flick of his wrist, the mycelium retreated. Beneath his sleeve, his fingers pinched the bracelet in frustration.

I told you to tie him up—why the hell did you tie me up too?! Don’t you have any sense?!

But it was you who told me to do it! The mycelium sulked silently.

Ruan Xing shot to his feet. Fu Zhi tried to explain, but Ruan Xing raised a hand to stop him.

"You were drunk. I get it. I’m going to open the door."

His tone made it clear: I don’t want to hear it.

"Who is making such a racket this early in the morning?"

Ruan Xing opened the door halfway and saw a slender man with a face mask standing outside. The man’s sharp gaze swept over Ruan Xing from head to toe. His eyes flickered with surprise, but his mouth showed no mercy.

“I should be asking you! What’s up with you two?! The noise was insane! I live downstairs and couldn’t sleep with all that crashing and banging. And guess what? I have a date today!"

Ruan Xing frowned. "Sorry, we got a little too rowdy last night."

Seeing that his tone wasn’t as confrontational as expected, the man’s hostility eased slightly. But then, with a dramatic sigh, he continued, “Your man is way too intense. Have some consideration for us single sisters, will you?!”

His voice took on a melodramatic whine. “Some of us are suffering from drought while others are drowning in excess—there’s just no justice for us when it comes to good looks!"

Ruan Xing: ???

Do you even hear the nonsense you're spouting now?!

 

Author’s Note(?):

Good kids should never drink alcohol, and if you do, don’t try to attack (*top)—otherwise, you’ll get beaten.