An Old Friend Like a Dream

Facing Li Nai's enthusiastic invitation, Tai Zai Zhi narrowed his eyes warily, seriously observing the other's expression. Meanwhile, Fan Kou An Wu, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, clutched the briefcase in his hands and took a large step back in panic.

"Is it really that bad?" Li Nai said, annoyed. "As a shopkeeper, is it really that strange to invite customers to sit for a bit?"

With others, it would be normal, but with you, it's truly terrifying... An Wu smiled wryly. He didn't dare say it aloud, only complaining inwardly. Last time Li Nai was so enthusiastic, it resulted in him carrying a massive debt enough to drain his entire life. Right now, whenever he saw Li Nai smile, An Wu would shudder. Following Tai Zai's red bandage phobia, he seemed to have also developed a Li Nai phobia; the nicer Li Nai was, the more terrified he became.

Thinking of this, An Wu couldn't help but feel sorrowful—once the mission of the Yineng Special Bureau was completed, he swore he would never step foot into this shop again; in the future, even if he saw this street, he would walk around it! But despite swearing in his heart, An Wu still tried to maintain his composure, nodding in agreement with Li Nai's complaints, and then walked into the shop with Tai Zai Zhi.

Li Nai walked ahead, his light steps returning him to his familiar seat, smiling as he stroked the cat. Zhi Tian Zuo Zhi Zhu in his cat form was still in a daze. Tai Zai Zhi and An Wu, who had been paying attention to Li Nai, naturally shifted their gaze toward the cash register. They were surprised to find a large Maine Coon cat lying quietly on the counter like a solid slab of cake.

"Li Nai, you actually keep a cat?" Tai Zai Zhi raised his eyebrows, intending to take a closer look at what the cat looked like, but it kept turning its head toward Li Nai, so he couldn't see its face clearly. He pulled out a chair and sat down, teasing: "Unbelievable. Keeping a cat requires the owner to take care of it, right? With your style, I thought you'd make the cat sweep the floor and cook meals."

...In a sense, you're right. Li Nai coughed guiltily, lowering his head to meet cat Zhi Tian's eyes. After a moment of reaction, it seemed Zhi Tian had accepted the reality of turning into a cat, looking at him with deep tea-colored eyes. Li Nai believed that if possible, Zhi Tian would definitely call out "Store Manager..." and sigh. But now that he was a cat, Li Nai only smiled and stroked him from head to tail. The feeling was truly great.

Cat Zhi Tian helplessly closed his eyes, letting Li Nai ruffle his soft fur. An Wu also sat down, lamenting: "I heard Maine Coons have gentle personalities, but your cat really has a good temper."

"Indeed," Li Nai smiled, then raised his head to ask: "Are you two not interested in cats?"

Tai Zai Zhi leaned back in his chair, replying lazily: "Actually, I'm more of a dog person." Meanwhile, An Wu shook his head with a bitter smile: "Spare me, I don't have the peace of mind for that right now."

"But my cat is different from other cats," Li Nai lifted a cat paw, gently squeezing the soft paw pad and showing it to the two, winking playfully: "Take a look at him, I don't believe you won't be moved."

Cat Zhi Tian, who was about to sleep: "..."

An Wu waved his hand, showing the awkward expression of an office worker being forced, but his tense nerves also unconsciously relaxed. He didn't expect Li Nai to also show off his cat like normal owners, making him feel much more approachable. Tai Zai Zhi also smiled, his face still full of nonchalance.

In that light atmosphere, Li Nai wore a meaningful smile. Cat Zhi Tian couldn't sleep anymore; he opened his eyes, glanced at Li Nai, and then shifted his gaze to the two strangers in front of him. Tai Zai Zhi was still smiling, casually glancing down, just happening to meet the calm eyes of the cat.

Tai Zai Zhi's laughter abruptly stopped. The nonchalance on his face vanished, replaced by shock and disbelief.

"You...!" Tai Zai Zhi stood up in disarray, the chair scraping against the ground with a harsh screech before crashing down, shattering the quiet atmosphere. An Wu was startled, instinctively following Tai Zai's gaze.

"Tai Zai, what's wrong with you..." An Wu's voice choked in his throat. His glasses slipped down, and his eyes widened as he stared blankly at the cat.

A bizarre and prolonged silence enveloped the room. Only the sound of sharp intakes of breath and abnormally rapid breathing could be heard. Cat Zhi Tian blinked, uncomfortably shifting toward Li Nai. He felt as if his fur was about to be burned by the hot gazes of those two.

Finally, An Wu spoke tremblingly: "So... so similar..."

Looking closely, this cat had a similar reddish fur color; although they were cat pupils, the eye color was indeed tea-colored; even the calm aura radiating from him... Most importantly, this gaze. The cat's eyes in front of him gradually overlapped with the eyes of the friend in his distant memory. An Wu felt as if he was looking at an old friend from the other side of the abyss of life and death.

An Wu was originally a calm person, but just this single illusory glance made his emotions almost collapse. He grabbed Tai Zai Zhi's shoulder, frantically seeking validation: "You see it too, right! It must be! This is Zhi—"

"Stop. Fan Kou An Wu," Tai Zai Zhi interrupted coldly, his hawk-like eyes frighteningly cold. "Don't call out that name."

Zhi Tian Zuo Zhi Zhu. 'You don't deserve to call out that name.' From Tai Zai's cold gaze, An Wu seemed to hear that sharp sentence. His fingers trembled, and he let go in dejection.