First, then, love.

The lights were off in the living room.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway is on.

By the dim light, Shu Yao saw the princess squatting on the shoe cabinet.

Looking down at them from above.

The cat's eyes were full of aloofness. Although it didn't pounce like a war god, it gently twitched the tip of its tail and let out a pretentious "meow," as if to say hello.

"Come inside."

He Zheng, carrying large and small bags, walked past the God of War and into the entrance hall.

Shu Yao followed behind, grabbing the door with her other hand.

"Bang."

The heavy security door slammed shut.

Completely shut out the cold air in the corridor.

The instant the door closed.

The familiar smell filled the room.

The tuberose fragrance that Shu Yao used, mixed with the mint scent that He Zheng often used, intertwined to create a unique aroma that belonged only to this family.

It's safe, private, and has a magical power to make you feel completely relaxed.

Shu Yao stood on the entryway mat, about to bend down and take off her Martin boots.

"Clang!"

A muffled thud.

He Zheng ruthlessly threw the Northeast specialties and suitcases he was carrying directly onto the marble floor of the entryway.

Shu Yao was startled and straightened up.

Before she could even ask him what was wrong with him...

A tall, dark shadow suddenly loomed down.

He Zheng turned around.

His dark eyes burned with a raging fire that seemed ready to devour anyone.

In the North, under his parents' noses, on his old single bed, he had too many concerns and was so restrained that he was almost going crazy.

Now, back to your own territory.

There is no need for any further restraint.

He strode over and grabbed Shu Yao's slender waist.

With a sudden burst of force.

They lifted her up completely.

Shu Yao gasped in surprise, her feet leaving the ground, and instinctively reached out to grab his broad shoulders.

He Zheng took a big step forward.

He slammed her heavily against the cold, hard solid wood shoe cabinet in the entryway.

"He Lao Er, what are you doing...?"

Shu Yao hadn't finished speaking.

The man's face had already darkened.

A strong masculine scent forcefully entered her mouth, stealing every breath she took.

Shu Yao's mind went blank for a moment, as if "buzzing".

Her hands gripped the collar of his cashmere coat tightly, her body pressed firmly between the shoe cabinet and his chest, unable to move.

His large hand slipped under the hem of her down jacket, his palm burning hot, kneading her soft flesh through the thin undershirt.

"Do you miss me?"

Between breaths, his voice, hoarse as if it had been rubbed against sandpaper, pressed against her lips as he demanded an answer.

"No... um..."

Her instincts told her to argue, but she was swallowed up by his fierce words as soon as she uttered a single one.

They didn't give her a chance to speak at all.

In the living room.

The God of War looked at its two owners entangled in the entryway, tilted its head as if it were used to it, wagged its tail, and turned to walk back to its luxurious doghouse.

The princess, squeezed out of space by He Zheng's movements on the shoe cabinet, meowed in disgust, nimbly jumped off the cabinet, and wiggled her butt to eat her cat food.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway flickered on and off as the two moved around vigorously.

The sound of coats rubbing together and the rapid, heavy breathing were amplified infinitely in the quiet room.

Shu Yao's defenses completely crumbled during that forceful, long kiss.

She closed her eyes, gave up struggling, and obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, awkwardly responding to his plundering.

the holiday is over.

*

It seems like there is no spring in the south of the city.

In early March, the temperature suddenly soared to nearly 30 degrees Celsius on one day.

At eight o'clock in the morning, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting large patches of golden light on the carpet.

In the kitchen, the range hood was humming.

He Zheng was wearing black athletic shorts, his upper body bare, and a fine layer of sweat clung to his broad back.

Holding a frying pan, he was frying bacon and eggs, the oil sizzling and the rich aroma of meat filling the room.

Shu Yao, wearing a silk slip dress and slippers, yawned as she walked out of the master bedroom.

She stopped as she passed the cat tree in the living room.

"Princess" lay motionless in her cat bed on the top floor.

At this time of day, this little rascal would already be howling with hunger, rubbing against He Zheng's legs begging for canned food.

Today was unusual; the expensive imported cat food in the automatic feeder hadn't been touched, and the water in the stainless steel bowl next to it hadn't decreased either.

Shu Yao walked over and reached out to pat the princess's head.

"Meow..."

The princess lifted her eyelids and let out a weak cry, her voice dry and strained.

Even its tail, which it usually held high, was now drooping listlessly.

Shu Yao's heart tightened, and her nerves instantly tensed up.

She scooped the cat out of its bed.

Shu Yao froze as soon as her hand touched the princess's belly.

It's so heavy.

Moreover, her belly was round and hard, like a big water balloon was stuffed inside.

These past few days she's been busy with orchestra rehearsals, leaving early and returning late, and He Zheng has also been busy leading the team on training trips. Neither of them has paid much attention to this usually aloof and domineering cat.

Upon closer inspection, the princess had not only gained a lot of weight, but her fur was also less vibrant than before, and even her breathing seemed heavier than usual.

Shu Yao quickly took out her phone and opened Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

Enter: "The cat has a poor appetite, a large belly, and is lethargic."

The search results that popped up were shocking.

[Cat infectious peritonitis! 90% fatality rate!]

[Feline ascites! Late-stage malignant tumor!]

[Acute liver failure!]

Shu Yao stared at the frightening words on the screen, her mind went blank, and her blood ran cold.

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"He Zheng!"

She held the cat, her voice trembling and cracking as she shouted towards the kitchen, her voice choked with sobs.

"What's wrong!"

He Zheng abruptly threw down the spatula in his hand, and rushed out of the kitchen without even turning off the stove.

His eyes were sharp; he wondered if a thief had broken into the house or if she was injured somewhere.

Then I saw Shu Yao standing barefoot in the living room, hugging the calico cat, crying uncontrollably.

"Princess...Princess is dying..." Shu Yao sobbed, shoving her phone screen in front of He Zheng's face. "Baidu says...it says it's FIP...or a tumor...her belly is so big and it's all ascites..."

He Zheng's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

He glanced down at the half-dead calico cat.

He snatched the phone away, turned off the screen, and threw it on the sofa.

"Go to the hospital if you're sick. Why are you looking at Xiaohongshu? You can find out you have a terminal illness just by searching for a cold on Xiaohongshu."

His voice was calm and steady, instantly calming Shu Yao's panic.

He turned and went into the dressing room, grabbed a white T-shirt and put it on, then took his car keys and wallet.

"Go change your clothes, put on your shoes, grab the cat carrier, and take it to the vet now."

Shu Yao sniffed and hurriedly stuffed the princess into the gray airline crate.

Five minutes later.

The car roared out of the underground parking garage of Jinxiu Huating.

The war god was originally lying on the balcony gnawing on a bone. When it saw its owner taking out the car keys, it thought the owner was going out for a stroll. So it shamelessly squeezed into the elevator and insisted on getting into the car with the owner.

Now, there's a person, a cat, and a dog in the car.

The SUV weaved in and out of traffic during the morning rush hour. He Zheng steered with one hand, driving at the very edge of the speed limit.

Shu Yao sat in the passenger seat, clutching the cat carrier tightly in her arms, her eyes red and still shedding tears.

"It won't even eat its favorite canned tuna this morning... He Zheng, what if FIP can't be cured...?"

With a cold face, He Zheng honked his horn, forcing back a ride-hailing car that was trying to cut in front of him.

"No way, it was running all over the house yesterday, why are you crying?"

*

The largest "Pet Love" animal hospital in the city center.

Pushing open the glass door, a pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with animal odor hit me.

There were quite a few people in the hall, and several Teddy dogs and Bichon Frises were barking wildly in their cages.

The war dog followed He Zheng with brisk steps; the imposing presence of a retired police dog was no joke.

As soon as the massive black body appeared, the barking dogs in the hall instantly fell silent, tucking their tails between their legs and cowering at their owner's feet, trembling and not daring to even breathe.

He Zheng strode to the reception desk and placed the cat carrier heavily on the marble table.

"Go to the emergency room and see your best doctor."

He had a stern face and exuded an aura of dominance, looking just like a mafia boss who had come to cause trouble.

The receptionist nurse was startled and quickly started working on the computer, "Okay...okay sir, there are two more people waiting ahead of you..."

He Zheng took out his black wallet, pulled out a wad of red banknotes, and slammed them on the table.

"Emergency room expedited fee, my daughter is dying, we need to see a doctor now."