First, then, love.

"Where to?"

He Zheng didn't open his eyes, and his voice was muffled, carrying the weakness and stubbornness of a patient with a high fever.

"I'll go make you some porridge, let go of me." Shu Yao tried to pull away, but couldn't.

"I won't drink it."

He Zheng exerted force with his wrist and pulled hard.

Caught off guard, Shu Yao fell onto the edge of the sofa, almost landing on him.

He reached out his other hand and pulled her, blanket and all, tightly into his arms.

The man had a fever; his body temperature was alarmingly high.

He buried his burning face in Shu Yao's soft neck, his stubble scratching against her delicate skin.

His heavy breathing sprayed onto her collarbone, warm and comforting.

"Don't go."

He muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse as if he were being coquettish.

"Lie down with me for a while, my head hurts."

The anger in Shu Yao's heart instantly melted away.

A tough guy with a tender heart, delivering a fatal blow.

She sighed and gave up struggling.

She reached out and hugged his broad back, gently patting him through the blanket.

"Okay, I won't leave. Go to sleep."

in the dark.

The God of War walked over, lay down on the carpet next to the sofa, rested his chin on his owner's slippers, and quietly stood guard.

*

the next day.

The fever reducer worked.

He Zheng's body temperature dropped, and he was covered in sweat.

Aside from a slightly hoarse voice, I've mostly recovered my energy.

He took a quick shower and changed into a clean black T-shirt.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I saw Shu Yao squatting on the living room carpet, looking extremely distressed.

On the carpet.

Four kittens, like four furry mice, were running around the house.

A black and white "cow cat" climbed up the leather sofa and was trying to grab the tassels on the back of the sofa.

A chubby, orange-white creature was frantically biting at the tail of the God of War.

There were also two calico dogs fighting under the TV cabinet, making sharp "meow" sounds.

The princess, being her mother, was perched high on the top shelf of the cat tree.

They stand by and watch indifferently, completely ignoring their own children destroying the house.

"Don't bite the God of War! Get down!"

Shu Yao hurriedly pried the orange-white fat creature off the God of War's tail.

My hair was a mess, and I was panting heavily.

He Zheng walked over, grabbed the black and white cat by the scruff of its neck, lifted it off the sofa, and casually tossed it into a cardboard box.

"It's a full moon celebration, time to send them off." He looked at these four troublemakers and delivered his verdict without any mercy.

Shu Yao rubbed her lower back.

"I know, I've already posted it on WeChat Moments. I'll keep the little calico kitten, and find homes for the other three."

She picked up her phone and opened WeChat.

"Three people came to see the cat this afternoon. I screened them first, and they all seemed quite reliable."

*

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

The doorbell rang right on time.

The first person to come and see the cat was a young man in his twenties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a white shirt, and carrying a backpack.

He is a programmer.

The young man had just entered the door.

The smile that was originally on her face froze instantly when she saw He Zheng sitting in the middle of the sofa.

He Zheng crossed his arms.

He was wearing black training shorts and a T-shirt, and his arm muscles were strong and bulging.

He sat there, looking the young man up and down like a mountain eagle.

The God of War squatted at He Zheng's feet, the two of them exuding the same aura.

The young man swallowed hard, his legs feeling a little weak.

This isn't a cat adoption trip.

It's like stepping into a mafia den.

"Y-you...hello. I'm here to see the cow cat," the young man stammered.

Shu Yao quickly greeted her with a smile, "Don't be nervous, have a seat. Would you like some water?"

"No...I'm not thirsty." The young man sat down on the single sofa, only daring to sit on about a third of his buttocks.

He Zheng leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees, crossed over each other.

"Name, age, workplace." The voice was deep and cold.

The young man instinctively straightened his back.

"Zhang Wei, 24 years old, works as a front-end developer at Software Park."

"How much is your monthly income? Do you own local property? Do you rent or buy a property? Do you share a property or rent the whole property?"

He Zheng fired off a barrage of questions, his eyes fixed on the other person's subtle expressions.

"Monthly income...15,000 yuan, renting a one-bedroom apartment." Zhang Wei was sweating profusely with nervousness.

"A one-bedroom apartment... that's not enough space for a kitten to move around in." He Zheng frowned critically.

"Do you usually work overtime? Programmers probably work 996, right? Where do you find the time to scoop poop and feed your cat? If the cat gets sick, do you have enough savings to take it to a private vet?"

"I..." Zhang Wei was speechless.

He Zheng pressed on relentlessly.

"Is there a family history of hereditary diseases? Do your parents support you having pets? If you get a girlfriend in the future, and she is allergic to cat fur, what do you plan to do? Throw it away? Or give it away?"

Zhang Wei's forehead was covered in sweat.

He just wanted to get a cat to cuddle with and relieve the stress of coding.

Why does this feel like a political background check?

"Sir...I will definitely treat the cat well..."

"Words are no proof."

He Zheng's eyes were sharp as he unleashed his final trump card.

"Do you have any violent tendencies? Have you had any public order penalties in the past three years? Can you provide a certificate of no criminal record and a personal credit report?"

"puff--"

Shu Yao spat out the mouthful of water she had just drunk.

Zhang Wei completely broke down.

He suddenly stood up and grabbed his backpack.

"Sorry to bother you! I'm not keeping it anymore! I'm leaving now!"

He scrambled out of the security door, as if a ghost were chasing him.

Shu Yao was so angry that she slammed her water glass heavily onto the coffee table.

"He Zheng! Are you checking my household registration?! A certificate of no criminal record? Why don't you make him explain his entire family history for three generations?!"

He Zheng remained expressionless, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"He can't even handle a simple problem; his mental fortitude is too weak. If the cat scratches the sofa, he'll definitely hit it. He's unqualified."

"..."

What kind of theory is that?

Shu Yao gritted her teeth.

After half an hour.

The second wave of adopters came to the door.

They were a young couple, and they seemed quite affectionate.

The girl was holding a cat carrier, and the boy was carrying cat treats.

Ten minutes later.

The boy, blushing, grabbed his girlfriend, who was on the verge of tears from the questioning, and fled in panic.

Because He Zheng asked them.

"If I get pregnant after marriage, and the elders in my family insist on getting rid of the cat, who will make the decision?"

"If the two break up, who gets the cat? How will the property be divided? Did they sign a prenuptial agreement for pet custody?"

The question hit the nail on the head, resulting in a heated argument between the young couple about "future mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflicts" and "property division after a breakup."

They parted on bad terms.

It scared away three potential adopters in a row.

In the living room, the three kittens were still rolling around carefree.

Shu Yao stood behind the sofa.

He reached out and grabbed He Zheng's ears, pulling them outwards forcefully.

"Hey, are you looking for a home for a cat, or are you recruiting a son-in-law for the police dog unit?!"

She roared in anger.

"It's just a cat! It's not a state secret! You've scared everyone away. Are you going to raise these three monstrous creatures?!"

He Zheng's ear was being twisted, so he didn't dare to fight back.

"I'll raise him myself, I'll raise him myself," he stubbornly insisted.

"I can afford the dog food for the God of War, why would I care about feeding these few rats?"

Shu Yao laughed, released her grip, and punched him in the sturdy back.

"You said it! From now on, all four cats and one dog—eating, drinking, pooping, cleaning up, and bathing—are yours!"

He Zheng rubbed his ears.

He snorted coldly as he looked at the little creature crawling all over the ground.

"If it's mine, it's mine. I can even support you, why would I be afraid of these little beasts?"