First, then, love.

The next day, at the downtown animal hospital.

The glass door of "Pet Love" was pushed open, and He Zheng strode out carrying a gray airline crate in one hand and a large bag of goat milk powder, kitten bottles, anti-inflammatory medicine and nutritional paste in the other. He walked quickly and steadily, as if he were on a mission.

Shu Yao followed beside him, holding a constant-temperature cardboard box lined with medical absorbent cotton. Four newborn kittens, whose fur hadn't even fully grown in yet, huddled together, making faint "chirping" sounds.

The portly doctor chased after them to the door, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and loudly instructed, "Mr. He, Mrs. He, you absolutely must not let the mother cat's incision get wet. If the kittens can't get their mother's milk, they must be artificially fed every two hours, and the temperature must be carefully controlled!"

He Zheng didn't even turn his head, just raised his hand and gave an "OK" sign.

The car was parked on the side of the road. Shu Yao carefully placed the cardboard box on the back seat, then sat down herself, holding the box with both hands.

He Zheng placed the flight case in the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and the SUV started smoothly, driving more steadily than anyone else.

A car behind him, annoyed by his slow pace, honked and overtook him. The window rolled down, and a young man with dyed blond hair leaned out, about to hurl insults, when he met He Zheng's cold, sweeping glance. The blond-haired man's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed his profanity, then sped away.

As soon as the security door of the Magnificent Garden opened, the God of War's massive black body darted over with a "whoosh," its tail wagging like a propeller, and its dog nose sniffing the cardboard box in Shu Yao's hand.

"Get out of the way." He Zheng gently blocked the dog's head with one foot.

"Woof?" The God of War whimpered pitifully.

"Inside are four little ancestors born of your ancestors. If you damage them, I'll stew you."

He Zheng placed the flight case on the cashmere carpet and opened the case door.

The princess, dragging her belly wrapped in white gauze, weakly crawled out. Her cat eyes swept across her territory, finally stopping on the cardboard box in Shu Yao's hand, and she weakly meowed at her.

Shu Yao quickly knelt down, tilted the cardboard box, and the princess climbed inside. She wrapped the four ugly little creatures in her arms, closed her eyes, and made a soothing purring sound in her throat.

But she was too weak and had no milk. The four kittens cried out in hunger, desperately nudging their mother's belly with their heads that were still closed, but they couldn't reach her and cried out even more pitifully.

"He Zheng, it has no milk!" Shu Yao frowned. "What do we do?"

He Zheng walked over, threw what he was holding on the coffee table, tore open the packaging of the goat milk powder, poured in warm water, added milk powder, shook it well, picked up the small plastic bottle that was not much bigger than his thumb, dripped a drop on the back of his hand, and tested the temperature.

He, a dignified special police captain, usually wields various knives and guns, was now stiffly holding a mini baby bottle between his two thick fingers.

"Not too hot, just right."

He knelt on one knee on the carpet, stretched out his left hand, and scooped out the most pitiful kitten from the cardboard box with his large palm, as if scooping out a chick.

The kitten was smaller than half the size of his palm, soft and squishy, ​​its bones not yet hardened. He Zheng's muscles were tense, and he even breathed softly, afraid that he would crush the little thing's internal organs if he used too much force.

"Be gentle, its neck is going to break!" Shu Yao watched in horror.

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing."

He Zheng gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and stuffed the pacifier into the kitten's mouth.

The little creature smelled the milk and immediately bit down, its two front paws digging into his tiger's mouth as it desperately sucked.

Because he was sucking too fast, milk leaked from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto his black T-shirt.

"Drink slowly, you're starving to death," he muttered under his breath, gently supporting the kitten's chin with his thumb.

After feeding one, put it down and then scoop up the second one.

Shu Yao knelt beside him, watching this man, who exuded a fierce aura, patiently breastfeed him one by one like a clumsy new father. She couldn't help but take a tissue and go over to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"He Lao Er," she called him softly.

"What?" He Zheng didn't look up, he was struggling with the third kitten that just wouldn't open its mouth.

"If you become a father in the future, you'll definitely be a good one."

He Zheng paused in his hand, and the milk in the bottle wobbled.

He lifted his eyelids and glanced at her with his dark eyes.

"My child doesn't need all that effort; I just throw him into a training camp and tough him up after he's born."

His mouth was as hard as a rock, but his thumb carefully wiped away the milk stains that had spilled on the kitten's mouth.

*

The magnificent courtyard is bathed in the deepening night.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Shu Yao, wearing an apron, brought out the last soup and placed it on the table.

The four kittens were placed in a cardboard box lined with a plush blanket in the corner of the living room. Princess lay in the middle, weakly dozing off, occasionally whimpering.

"I've fed them six times now, and they can finally sleep for a while." Shu Yao rubbed her sore wrists and sat down opposite He Zheng.

He Zheng changed out of his milk-stained black T-shirt and sat at the table in his pajamas, frowning at the bland dishes on the table: "Why is it all vegetarian?"

"I looked it up online. Newborn kittens shouldn't have too much meat or fish in the house, or they'll get sick from the smell." Shu Yao served him a bowl of soup, her tone matter-of-fact. "Just bear with it for a couple of days."

He Zheng didn't argue further, picked up the bowl and took a sip of soup, but his brow remained furrowed. He muttered, "Like serving ancestors."

"?"

It looks like they're pointing at someone?

Shu Yao smiled, pursing her lips. "Who told you to bring the cat back?"

"It was you who insisted on bringing him back."

"Then you still obediently went to buy baby formula."

He Zheng was taken aback and didn't reply. He lowered his head and ate his rice, his ears turning slightly red.

After dinner, the two took turns checking on the kitten and, following the doctor's instructions, adjusted the temperature of the heating pad to ensure the princess's wound was not bleeding before they went to wash up.

Shu Yao came out of the shower, her hair still dripping wet, and was drying herself with a towel when the bedroom door was pushed open. He Zheng, wearing a bathrobe and still damp, walked straight over and pulled her into his arms.

"What?" Shu Yao was enveloped by his heat and the smell of soap, her voice muffled against his chest.

"I'm tired after a long day, let me hug you." He Zheng rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice low and husky.

Not long after the two snuggled in bed, a very faint "meow" came from the direction of the living room, one after another, timid and shy, as if the kittens were hungry again.

Just as Shu Yao was about to get up, He Zheng pressed her down.

"Okay." He rolled out of bed, slipped on his slippers and went out. His movements were much more skillful than when he was feeding the kittens during the day. In no time, he had fed all four kittens and put them to sleep. When he returned to bed, he still had a faint smell of milk powder on him.

He lay down on his side, wrapped one arm around Shu Yao's waist, pulled her into his arms, rubbed his nose against her neck, and hummed softly.

"What's wrong?" Shu Yao sensed that he was in a bad mood and turned around to look at him.

In the darkness, He Zheng's eyes shone with an eerie light, as if they had been set ablaze by something.

He didn't speak, but lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers, his breathing gradually becoming heavy.

"I've been feeding them milk all day." He spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone carrying a hint of grievance and awkwardness that he himself didn't realize. "I feel... a little greedy."

Shu Yao was taken aback, then realized what he meant, and her face instantly burned: "He Zheng!"

"Hmm?" He didn't stop; instead, he moved down, burying his face in the crook of her neck and rubbing against her collarbone. His voice was muffled, filled with undisguised grievance, "Seeing them drinking so happily from their bottles, I've been watching them all day. How could I not be tempted?"

"How could you say that..." Shu Yao was both embarrassed and amused. She raised her hand to push him away, but he grabbed her wrist and pinned it above her head.

He Zheng's voice was low and husky, filled with obvious amusement and indulgence, but his eyes held a deep, dark undercurrent. "Shu Yao, let me have a taste."

Shu Yao felt weak all over under his burning gaze, but still stubbornly retorted, "Shameless."

"Yeah, I'm shameless." He chuckled softly, his voice trembling at the end, leaning down so their breaths mingled. "But you didn't dodge either."

The dim bedside lamp was still on, casting their overlapping shadows on the wall.

He Zheng raised his hand and turned off the light with a "snap".

Darkness instantly engulfed the entire room, leaving only suppressed breathing and the occasional faint murmurs of a kitten in its sleep, mingling in this quiet yet restless night...