Chapter 482 - 481: IF Line: Did the Big Shot Compete for Favor Today? 50

Chapter 482: Chapter 481: IF Line: Did the Big Shot Compete for Favor Today? 50

"Ping’an, what’s wrong with you?"

Shi Lan looked at him suspiciously. It was the first time she had seen such a look in Ping’an’s eyes. It went beyond the wary unfamiliarity of the first day, now holding an icy killing intent that made her shiver uncontrollably.

That wasn’t the look a cat should have. Recalling her best friend’s suggestion that she might be possessed, she couldn’t help but clutch the peace charm under her clothes and swallow hard.

’Does my house have bad feng shui?’

In the past, Shi Lan would have never believed in such bizarre things. But having just returned from being a cat herself, this firsthand experience made her inevitably hold a certain reverence for the unknown.

He Hanshi heard her voice and was pulled from his thoughts. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. ’This woman looks a little familiar.’

He Hanshi couldn’t immediately recall where he had seen her, but he carefully committed her face to memory, treating this all as a clue from a dream sent by Pumpkin.

However, none of this felt like a dream. Even the breath and warmth from when the woman had lowered her head to kiss him just moments ago were incredibly clear.

He suppressed his annoyance at being touched and let his gaze sweep over the unfamiliar surroundings. Ignoring Shi Lan’s stare, he slowly walked out of the pet room to survey his current location.

A few minutes later, he stood beside a full-length mirror he passed in the entryway. When he saw his current appearance in the reflection, he suddenly remembered something.

He Hanshi hadn’t been personally inspecting every animal shelter recently. His last visit to L City, where Shi Lan lived, had been a convenient stop on his route. Since his leg had recovered significantly, he had decided to go have a look himself.

It hadn’t been long, so He Hanshi still remembered this particular cat from the L City animal shelter. Among a crowd of noisy cats, it had remained perfectly quiet. Pumpkin was also very quiet, so he had given it a few extra glances.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Pumpkin.

’As for the woman in the room, he finally recalled that she was the person he had chanced upon at the shelter. So, she’s the one who adopted this disabled cat?’

’Could Pumpkin have ended up in this cat’s body afterward?’

He Hanshi’s mind was filled with questions, but most importantly, he was certain that this was not a dream.

The woman’s wary and uncertain gaze followed him from behind. He Hanshi didn’t have much experience dealing with women. He just needed to confirm Pumpkin’s location and then figure out how to bring it home.

With that in mind, He Hanshi ignored Shi Lan and returned to the cat bed he’d started in, lying back down.

Shi Lan nervously rubbed her face. Although Ping’an’s behavior this morning was strange, she didn’t sense any real malice from him. After seeing him return to his bed, she carefully topped off his food bowl, replaced his water, and said softly, "Ping’an, come eat here when you’re hungry, okay?"

He Hanshi glanced at her, then closed his eyes again, ignoring the hunger pangs in the cat’s stomach.

Shi Lan was disappointed that she couldn’t pet the fluffy cat again. She still felt the strangeness surrounding Ping’an hadn’t faded, so she didn’t dare get close. After quickly making herself breakfast, she grabbed her phone and left the house.

She found a coffee shop, sat down, and pulled up the security camera feed on her phone.

Ever since she got a cat, she had installed cameras in the living room and the pet room. It was a convenient way to check on her cat’s movements when she was out, just in case.

The camera feed was quiet. Ping’an was lying in his bed, motionless. Shi Lan watched for half an hour, but Ping’an remained still as a statue.

He Hanshi was waiting. He was waiting to return to his own body. In the meantime, he had to suppress the body’s hunger to conserve energy.

But after a few more minutes, he stood up and walked toward the food bowl.

’If this body belongs to Pumpkin, I have to take good care of it. I can’t let it starve.’

So, enduring his inner discomfort, he sniffed the cat food and began to eat.

’Thankfully, maybe because I’m a cat now, this food doesn’t taste too bad.’ But as he ate, He Hanshi couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for Pumpkin. ’It must have suffered while I was gone. It doesn’t even have proper nutritional meals. This new owner just gets by with simple kibble. The pet room is so shabby, too—not even a decent cat tree in sight.’

’I have to get back into my own body as soon as possible and figure out a way to bring Pumpkin home.’

Shi Lan had been about to stop watching the feed when she saw Ping’an eating.

Seeing this, she immediately dismissed the idea that someone else might have possessed her cat. She’d had that suspicion because Ping’an’s gaze seemed so human today, completely different from before. Combined with her own experience of being a cat, she had deliberately left the house to give him some space and test her theory.

’But Ping’an hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary; he was even eating his food. If a normal person found out they’d become a cat, they’d be too shocked to act normal, right? They’d reveal more strange behavior. And they’d have a hard time adjusting to eating cat food so quickly, wouldn’t they?’

’He probably just stayed up all night,’ she thought. ’Cats are night owls, after all. He was probably sound asleep when I woke him, which is why he was so grouchy.’

’I must have misjudged him.’

With that thought, Shi Lan quickly finished her coffee and headed home, pleased.

After eating his fill, He Hanshi drank a few sips of water to wash away the lingering taste of kibble, then returned to the cat bed to try and fall asleep. He had arrived in this body while sleeping; perhaps falling asleep again would send him back.

With a full belly, he did indeed get sleepy quickly. Unfortunately, the sound of the front door opening woke him up, and he discovered he was still there.

Resigned, He Hanshi could only try to stay calm and patiently wait for an opportunity to return.

The moment she got home, Shi Lan excitedly headed for the pet room. Beaming, she scooped Ping’an into her arms and eagerly started petting him. "Ping’an, I’m home!"

Caught off guard, He Hanshi found himself embraced again. This time, his face was gently pressed against her soft, comfortable chest. He immediately tensed up and struggled, desperate to get out of Shi Lan’s arms. Once free, he shot her a stern, displeased glare.

He looked as if Shi Lan had just sullied his innocence...

Now, Shi Lan really didn’t dare to touch him. She took half a step back, swallowed hard, and couldn’t stop herself from asking, "Are you Ping’an? Or... are you a human soul attached to a cat’s body?"

He Hanshi’s expression didn’t change at the first question, but when he heard the second, his pupils contracted slightly.

’How... How could she have thought of that?’

’A human soul?’

Her words sparked a theory that had never occurred to him, echoing in his mind. He had always assumed the soul inside Pumpkin was that of another cat. But now, recalling its intelligent, human-like eyes, he wondered, ’Could it have actually been a human soul?’

’And this woman before me... why was she able to guess all this so accurately just by seeing me?’

’Could it be... that she is Pumpkin?’

The look in He Hanshi’s eyes shifted several times. He looked up, studying Shi Lan’s eyes seriously for the first time.

His most vivid memory of Pumpkin was its eyes. They seemed to hold gentle starlight and always had a mysterious, calming effect. Back when he had injured his leg, Pumpkin, though unable to speak, would always watch him with a look of quiet concern.

The woman before him, however, had a pair of bright, black eyes. And right now, those eyes were filled more with apprehension and alarm.