015: Ah… Want To Check The Cat Tongue?
Seeing that Tang Yu really did look scared, Sang Zhao got even more excited.
He could not hold back his curiosity, so he leaned over sideways toward Tang Yu.
“Ge, are you really scared?”
Once wasn’t enough. He asked it several times in a row.
“Ge, what are you scared of? Are you scared of me?”
“But I mean it, you know. If I ever got that rare chance, I’d definitely nab you to eat.”
“Ge, say something. If you don’t want to talk, you can just meow twice, I’ll understand.”
Tang Yu wasn’t exactly afraid, but his breathing had gotten a bit unsteady. He wanted to laugh and was helpless all at once. “Stop messing around. I’m driving.”
When Tang Yu ignored him, Sang Zhao clung to him with questions.
But the moment Tang Yu did answer him, he sniffed and went quiet instead.
So Tang Yu could only coax him patiently. “You’re taller than me, and even your frame looks a size bigger. If you say things like that, how am I not supposed to be scared?”
The thing about Tang Yu was, he had this unconscious habit of always petting the little cat the right way.
Put like that, wasn’t he basically complimenting the small cat on his “magnificent physique”?
All of a sudden, Sang Zhao dropped the act and stuck to him, muttering, “Do I look fierce? Do I look powerful?”
His little cat confidence inflated on the spot.
Being praised like that, he really did feel like he was impressive. He thumped his chest and promised Tang Yu, “I won’t really eat you, ge. I’m very weak, look.”
He lifted one hand and stretched out his long fingers for Tang Yu to see.
Look, these aren’t dangerous claws at all. The attack power is very low.
Tang Yu was driving, but he still took a glance.
Sang Zhao’s hands were genuinely beautiful. His fingers were straight-boned, his fingertips clear and smooth, his nails a healthy pink. His knuckles weren’t knobby at all. From base to tip, they were like cleanly sliced scallions: long, pale, strong, and elegant.
Seeing hands like that, Tang Yu could easily imagine how pampered a life he’d lived before. There wasn’t a trace of pen-callus or any roughness from work.
Just a pair of perfect, pretty hands.
With hands that nice, Tang Yu looked a second time. But he still felt something wasn’t right.
…From the bottom of his heart, Tang Yu felt that Sang Zhao was getting more and more bold.
Where did that shy, cautious look from their first meeting go, the one where he turned his head back slowly, all nervous?
Was that the limited-edition “awkward Sang Zhao,” only available once?
“I’m not afraid of you. Why aren’t you afraid of me?” Tang Yu tested him. “Aren’t I the CEO? Aren’t I your big boss?”
That didn’t bother Sang Zhao at all.
“It’s fine. If I can’t stay here, I’ll just go find somewhere else to beg for food.”
Work was awful wherever you did it. It was equally hateful no matter which place you were punching in.
He even said it with pride. “I’m really good at begging for food.”
A little cat’s ability to mooch a meal was not to be underestimated. He wouldn’t starve, so he truly didn’t care.
But Tang Yu picked up on that careless attitude and frowned slightly.
“I see…” he said.
Sang Zhao could not read human emotional nuance, but he could feel Tang Yu’s mood shift in a strange, subtle way.
It felt like Tang Yu was afraid for a moment, then exasperated, then suddenly a little down.
“But you’re still the human I most want to nab, boss,” Sang Zhao said. He wasn’t sure if Tang Yu would be happy to hear that, but he did his best to express himself. “You’re not like anyone else.”
You’re a gentle, patient, two-legged cat toy, he thought.
Tang Yu couldn’t take it anymore. He sighed lightly and focused on driving his cat along. “Got it, got it. Don’t keep talking about ‘arresting’ me. Honestly, I’m not a criminal, and you’re not the police. Why are you arresting me? What crime have I committed?”
None. But bullying a cat and not letting him play with your little ponytail should count as a crime, right? Sang Zhao thought blankly.
They reached their destination, parked, and went to a fast-food place for burgers first.
Sang Zhao’s head was full of the crab roe, tuna, squid-ring, cod fillet burger.
Just from the name alone, it sounded like a burger built out of construction blocks. With so much stuffed inside, how delicious would it be? Wasn’t it going to knock this little cat senseless with flavor?
Once they sat down, he belatedly realized how out of place Tang Yu looked in a full suit.
People would occasionally glance over with a hint of amusement in their eyes.
As if they were thinking: Ugh, look at this overdressed guy eating fast food like he’s going to a five-star restaurant.
But Tang Yu clearly didn’t care.
He stretched his legs, shook out the sleeves of his dark gray dress shirt, tossed his suit jacket over the back of his chair, and rested an elbow on the table, bored as he waited for their order.
Sang Zhao looked down at his own clothes. Light green vertical stripes, but at least it was a button-up now, not a T-shirt.
He hesitated. “Is it okay that I’m dressed like this? You look like someone who’s actually going to a conference. I look like… I’m just here to eat burgers.”
Tang Yu laughed. “Hey now, you can’t talk about yourself like that.”
He deliberately teased him. “I ordered fries too, so you’ll be eating fries as well.”
Sulking, Sang Zhao slumped back in his chair.
He also wanted to wear a suit, to look like a cool, mature adult, and not some noisy, playful little cat.
Tang Yu coaxed him. “You’re dressed just fine. It’s not like you’re wearing a tank top or an undershirt. How is that not serious enough?”
Their burgers arrived, and Tang Yu urged, “Come on, eat. It tastes best while it’s hot.”
So Sang Zhao did not hold back.
He took a huge bite, and his eyes lit up.
The textures were amazing. The crab roe and tuna paired perfectly, like high-grade cat canned food mixed with popping crab roe. Every bite came with little bursts of flavor, not only tasty but fun to chew.
The bun was soft and milky, the lettuce crisp, the sauce balanced just right.
Back when he’d had that KFC burger, he’d already felt super blessed, and thought the Orleans burger was the best thing in the world. Now that he was eating this freshly made, grilled-to-order burger, it felt like things had just gone up another level.
He happily finished the whole thing.
While he ate, Tang Yu simply watched, quietly satisfied. He barely touched his own food. Honestly, he’d basically come here to watch a live eating show.
After they finished, they got back in the car and headed to the conference.
Eating, then going straight to a meeting just like that, he went from a happy little heaven to a boring little hell.
He couldn’t remember a word of the conference. Listening to those leaders and experts speak, it all sounded like heavenly script… or, more accurately, some kind of alien language. None of it made sense to him.
He tried very hard not to fall asleep, but his eyes went vacant and his gaze completely blank.
Looking at him sitting there, you’d think his body stayed, but his soul had long since drifted off.
At last, the tea break came around. His HP refilled instantly and he followed Tang Yu to the tea tables in high spirits.
Several long tables were set up, covered with desserts, fruit, cold drinks, roast chicken, smoked goose, lamb chops… sweet and savory items were laid out everywhere.
It looked incredibly abundant, like an outdoor picnic brought indoors.
So this was the legendary delicious tea break. Being brought here just to freeload a meal felt pretty great, actually.
Overjoyed, Sang Zhao darted around, looking at everything.
When he spotted freshly grilled salmon, he went to get a piece, held up the plate, and breathed the steam in deeply.
It was straight out of the oven. He jabbed it with his fork, picked up a bit, and took a little taste, only to burn his mouth, baring his teeth and bouncing on his feet with a full-body shiver.
Tang Yu had been following behind the whole time, watching his reactions.
Seeing this, he sounded genuinely surprised. “Sang Zhao, you’re a cat tongue.”
“…Huh?!”
The hand holding the plate shook.
How do you know that?!
Nervous and flustered, he let out a tiny sound. “…Uh.”
The speaker had no particular intention, but the listener had a guilty conscience. And this listener’s conscience was very guilty.
Standing there with his plate, quiet and motionless, he stared at Tang Yu.
He studied Tang Yu’s face, trying to figure out whether there was a hidden meaning behind those words.
He was a cat, so of course his tongue was a “cat tongue.” That was only natural, right?
But now he was on edge.
Why did Tang Yu always bring up cats when he was around?
First it was looking at his clothes and saying, “Oh, a little cat,” to spook him. Now it was “cat tongue” to spook him again. Did Tang Yu actually know something or was he just trying to mess with him?
Noticing his expression, Tang Yu looked puzzled. “What’s wrong? Why did your face suddenly turn all sneaky and suspicious?”
He hesitated, starting to question himself as well.
Softening his voice, Tang Yu asked gently, “Is there something you don’t like? Whenever you’re with me, why do you always look so guilty?”
He really wanted to know. “What on earth are you feeling guilty about?”
Good question. That only made him more guilty.
“…Nothing,” Sang Zhao said.
He kept his eyes off him, staring only at the piece of fish in his hands. Once the salmon had cooled down a bit, he slowly began to eat, clearly broadcasting, I’m eating so I can’t talk, so don’t talk to me.
Tang Yu shook his head, went past him to get a glass of champagne, then came back to stand nearby again.
Suddenly, he put on a deliberate little droop and asked, “Do you not like the Church of the Little Cat anymore?”
Sang Zhao pressed his lips together.
He did like it, but he also had his heart constantly jump-scared as one of the church’s little cats.
Tang Yu really could not figure him out.
He only sighed, “Funny how that works. I’m a cat tongue too. We really match in a lot of ways, you know.”
Suspicious, Sang Zhao squinted at him.
What do you mean you’re a cat tongue too?
You’re not even a cat. Where’d you get a “cat tongue” from?
He clumsily tested the waters. “So… you’ve got barbs on your tongue too?”
Tang Yu: “…?”
He finally understood what kind of weird angle Sang Zhao’s brain had taken.
This idiot didn’t know what “cat tongue” meant at all, so he was off imagining who-knew-what.
Pressing a hand to his forehead, Tang Yu massaged his temples. “We call it a ‘cat tongue’ when someone can’t handle hot food. It doesn’t mean your tongue has barbs. There’s no way a human tongue would grow barbs. You’re not an actual cat.”
He stumbled over his words, almost catching the idiot energy himself, and sounded like he was about to go crazy trying to explain.
Honestly. Their tongues definitely did not have barbs.
…Well. Not necessarily.
Hidden inside his mouth, Sang Zhao’s tongue curled secretly.
Now that he’d turned human, it looked like a regular human tongue.
But if he wanted, he could manifest some cat features even in human form.
Cat ears, cat tail… and a barbed tongue.
Watching Tang Yu’s expression, he started to feel tempted.
So… did this count as one of those “times when it’s needed”?
Should he slurp and lick him once to shock him straight for the next eighty years?!
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