Chapter 476 - 475: What-If: Did the Big Shot Vie for Affection Today? 44

Chapter 476: Chapter 475: What-If: Did the Big Shot Vie for Affection Today? 44

Ye Ming was watching a video about the recent "Clever Stray Cat" event. It was a compilation of cats rolling their eyes. The vlogger had summarized the top ten potential "Clever Stray Cat" candidates from across the web and was asking fans to guess who would take home the three-million-yuan grand prize.

At first, Shi Lan was engrossed in the video, finding the cats’ eye-rolling hilarious—though it wasn’t really rolling their eyes, just looking up. But when the vlogger mentioned "three million" at the end, her eyes instantly lit up.

’I can get three million for rolling my eyes? Is there really such a good deal?’

With this in mind, Shi Lan placed a paw on the arm Ye Ming was using to hold his phone, then turned her head to look at him.

Ye Ming’s eyes were gentle. "What’s wrong, Fei Mo? Are you hungry again?"

Shi Lan tilted her head, then rolled her eyes at him.

Ye Ming didn’t understand. After Shi Lan rolled her eyes a few more times, it suddenly clicked for him. "Are you saying you can roll your eyes, too, and you want me to film you?"

Shi Lan’s eyes brightened. The video wasn’t important; the money was. ’And since my soul is human, I don’t believe any other cat could surpass me. Winning this prize should be a piece of cake.’

This was the first time Ye Ming felt that Fei Mo was almost *too* smart. In his quest to be a good cat owner, he’d watched a lot of cat videos lately. He’d learned that most cats were curious, mischievous, and deaf to human commands. They certainly wouldn’t be completely uninterested in cat food and treats.

But Fei Mo was an exceptionally well-behaved cat. Even when he left her home alone for his classes, the apartment was always exactly as he’d left it. She never made a mess, wouldn’t touch an uncovered glass of water on the table, and never kept him up by running around late at night.

It was as if she understood that these things were very annoying to humans.

In short, she was too smart.

Ye Ming didn’t understand the reason for this online "Clever Stray Cat" competition, especially with a three-million-yuan prize. He felt something was off and had no intention of publicizing Fei Mo. But since the little cat was so eager, he went ahead and filmed her rolling her eyes.

’So cute.’ As Ye Ming watched the tiny cat roll her eyes upward, he was more worried her eyes would get tired than feeling like he was being glared at.

Shi Lan was overjoyed to see Ye Ming finish recording the video. ’That three million is as good as mine.’

However, she saw that Ye Ming had saved it to his photo album but hadn’t posted it.

Shi Lan’s mouth twitched. She wanted to remind him to post it but didn’t know how. Just then, a web notification popped up on Ye Ming’s phone: "Top-tier celebrity Yan Huoshui’s three-million-yuan search for a ’Clever Stray Cat’ is now trending, sparking a nationwide wave of stray cat adoptions..."

’The person who started this event is Yan Huoshui?’

She was instantly terrified. A bold guess began to form in her mind.

’There’s no way Yan Huoshui knows my soul transmigrated into another cat, right?’

’Besides, normal cats don’t roll their eyes. Only I did... at him, every single day...’

’No, no way. I have to keep my identity under wraps. Yan Huoshui is just too terrifying. How could he even think of something like this? A normal person would never suspect a cat’s soul could change, right?’

Shi Lan couldn’t help but feel relieved that Ye Ming hadn’t posted the video. But then she worried he might do it when she wasn’t looking. So, she memorized his phone passcode and, in the middle of the night, secretly used her paws to delete it. She even went so far as to permanently erase it from the "Recently Deleted" folder, leaving no trace.

Only then did she feel at ease.

The very next day, Ye Ming noticed something missing from his phone’s photo album. He’d planned on getting his fix of cuteness by watching the video during a break between classes, but he discovered the clip he’d just shot last night of his little cat rolling her eyes was gone. Even the "Recently Deleted" folder was empty. Ye Ming’s suspicion fell immediately on his own cat.

Besides her, no one would go into his photo album just to delete a video of a cat rolling its eyes.

’But could a cat really be this smart? Smart enough to use a phone and even know to destroy the evidence in the "Recently Deleted" folder?’

For some reason, the online "Clever Stray Cat" event came to mind again. He immediately looked it up and discovered the organizer was a huge celebrity. Without thinking, he started searching for more information about this star. A recently viral magazine photo appeared on his screen. It showed a man in a red biker jacket with a white cat lounging beside him, its eyes fixed on the camera...

The look in the white cat’s eyes inexplicably reminded Ye Ming of Fei Mo.

The white cat’s gaze in the photo was sharp, which complemented the fiery, red-dominated summer theme perfectly. Yet, beneath that sharpness lay a hint of contented pleasure. It didn’t look like impatience; rather, it instantly transported the viewer to one of those lazy, drowsy summer afternoons, enjoying a cool breeze and a moment of rest.

You could say the cat was even more eye-catching than the person.

Because very few cats have such a strong presence on camera.

And this was the exact same look Ye Ming had seen from Fei Mo. When she basked in the sun, tilting her head to look at him, she exuded that same effortless sense of comfort—optimistic, content, and completely at ease.

He lowered his gaze, the expression in his eyes shifting unpredictably. Finally, he silently closed the web page, acting as if he hadn’t discovered anything.

After the class bell rang, Ye Ming once again became engrossed in his serious, professional lecture.

...

After deleting the video, Shi Lan felt she had been foolish. ’It was so obvious. Ye Ming will find out the second he checks his phone.’

’But I wouldn’t have been able to rest easy if I hadn’t deleted it.’

With the exception of the very first time—when she hadn’t yet realized what was happening—she had never even considered seeking out her former owners each time her soul entered a new cat’s body.

’For one, the whole situation is too absurd to explain. For another, I’m just a cat now. If someone is willing to take good care of me, I feel like I should have some catly decorum and not get tangled up with past owners. Besides, I’ve always thought of myself as just a cat. My absence wouldn’t have a major impact on their lives.’

So, when she saw that Yan Huoshui might have discovered something was wrong and was planning to look for her, Shi Lan couldn’t help but panic.

What’s more, she was afraid of testing human nature.

If someone discovered that the soul in one cat could randomly transmigrate into another cat’s body, she was afraid she’d be captured for research.

In short, Shi Lan did not want to expose herself.

However, she had expected that after she did something as obvious as deleting the video, Ye Ming would return and question her, or at least test her somehow. But he said nothing. Just like always, he gently stroked her head while muttering about what was on the menu for her dinner that night.

Shi Lan squinted, unable to resist affectionately rubbing her little head against his cheek. ’Ye Ming is so good to me,’ she thought.

How could someone as smart as him not know?

But adults don’t always need to get to the bottom of everything. Besides, in his heart, Fei Mo was his cat now.

He was going to take good care of her.