"Sister Mofei, it's me, Ju Jie. You didn't come to the company today?"
Early in the morning, Mofei received a call. The sycophantic, grating voice of that disgusting person instantly ruined her good mood. She had been planning to watch Yang Yi draw the "Shape of Love" comic in person, but now she'd lost all interest.
"Who got to you?" Yang Yi asked, carrying back the bowls for the kittens. He'd just taken them to clean up. After all, they'd been fed once in the morning, and the kittens were picky—any leftover cat food had to be thrown out, as it would go stale sitting in the air too long, and then they wouldn't eat it!
"Ju Jie, that scumbag who secretly set up that fake scandal last time!" Mofei rarely complained to anyone, even to Mo Xiaojuan she'd only share the good, not the bad. Back when Yang Yi used to bully her, she'd silently bear it all inside. But now, for some reason, she felt a strong urge to vent in front of him.
Yang Yi frowned. A face resembling a pretty boy surfaced in his mind—the guy in the photo had a smile that begged for a punch. "What's he done now?" Yang Yi asked.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday? The company found out these twelve songs were by Mu Zi'ang and wanted to bypass me to give them to other singers. Luckily, Mu Zi'ang caught on and sorted it out early with Xiaojuan," Mofei said. "Ju Jie was off recording a show then, not at the company. Now he's back, heard about it from somewhere, and shamelessly wants me to ask Mu Zi'ang for a song for him!"
"Hmph, Mu Zi'ang won't give him one," Yang Yi said coldly.
Mofei nodded, snorting with disdain. "I don't even want to deal with him, but what's worse is he brazenly suggested Mu Zi'ang sell him a bare song and put his name on it! He said money's no object, but that's not the issue here! Does this guy have any principles at all? It's disgusting!"
Yang Yi was stunned. Was that even a thing?
"A nobody like him, where does he get off acting like money's no problem?" Yang Yi was curious about one point.
Mofei explained, "Ju Jie is a relative of Sister Ling, and his family supposedly runs a company—they're loaded."
She'd heard all this gossip from Mo Xiaojuan.
So he was Niu Meiling's relative. No wonder he dared to stir up a fake scandal with Mofei! Yang Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. He had a feeling Ju Jie wouldn't let this go easily.
After all, Tianmei's people had their own email addresses!
Originally, Yang Yi had thought if someone kept harassing him, he'd just switch emails. But now, he was intrigued.
Since Ju Jie had upset Mofei, how could Yang Yi let him off scot-free? Since the guy was after Mu Zi'ang, Yang Yi had an interesting idea of his own...
On the other side, Ju Jie angrily tossed his phone onto the sofa, cursing, "Damn it, that bitch doesn't give a damn about me!"
His face was dark and twisted, completely unlike the sunny, fresh-faced image he projected on camera.
His agent, Du Lun, lacking any real confidence, could only console him. "A-Jie, don't pick a fight with Mofei. Let's think of another way!"
"What way?" Ju Jie snapped. "Don't tell me to ask someone else for a song. I don't want anyone else's—I want Mu Zi'ang's! I want to be like Chen Yijie, famous all over the country!"
Du Lun sighed inwardly. "You think you can be like Chen Yijie? Even if you got the song, you probably wouldn't make it big."
Ju Jie, this spoiled rich kid, was way too ambitious. His voice lacked distinction, he'd never had formal training, and he hadn't bothered with the courses Niu Meiling arranged for him. He just thought being a bit handsome, rich, and well-connected made being a star easy.
Obviously, it was all a pipe dream—two years had passed, he'd thrown money at it, but barely made a splash.
But Du Lun was a smooth operator, never letting his contempt show. He smiled casually at Ju Jie. "A-Jie, I wasn't at the meeting, but I heard Jian Chuo has Mu Zi'ang's contact info. And I suspect your aunt's involved in this too. Instead of going to Mofei, why not try Jian Chuo or Sister Ling?"
"My aunt knows Mu Zi'ang?" Ju Jie, not the sharpest tool, only caught half of what was said. His eyes lit up as he slapped the sofa. "Hey, Du Lun, why didn't you say so earlier? I wasted my time getting pissed at that woman!"
Great, he'd rushed in headfirst and now blamed him... Du Lun was speechless but still urged, "A-Jie, just forget about her!"
"I'll go ask my aunt for help!" Ju Jie couldn't muster interest in anything else, but buttering up his Aunt Ling was his specialty. He turned and dashed out excitedly.
...
Back at home, to lift Mofei's spirits, Yang Yi took her downstairs to play the piano. Music was like catnip to Mofei—as she played her favorite melodies, a smile gradually returned to her face.
Yang Yi, meanwhile, hung out with Xixi, petting the cats.
To care for the three new family members, Yang Yi had even bought books on cat care. So he was now a cat expert with plenty of theoretical knowledge!
At that moment, he had Xixi hold a kitten while he grabbed a rake comb to groom their fur.
"Cats shed fur every day, but more in spring and autumn. It's almost autumn now, and I've noticed they're losing a bit more lately," Yang Yi explained as he worked. "But combing them isn't about speeding up shedding—it helps keep them clean and makes their fur shinier and prettier!"
Xixi was more interested in the rake comb in her dad's hand. She remembered the word: "That's Zhu Bajie's weapon!"
"Right, Zhu Bajie's is a rake too, but his is bigger!" Yang Yi said with a laugh.
"I want to play too, Daddy! Can I have a turn?" Xixi asked, her big eyes pleading.
Who could resist such adorable eyes? Yang Yi handed her the comb and showed her how to hold it. "Don't grip too hard—that'll hurt the kitten!"
Hearing it might hurt the kitten, Xixi quickly followed her dad's instructions: gently pinch the handle with two fingers, like holding a pen.
Yang Yi grabbed Xiao Hui, who'd been waiting nearby, watching Duo Duo get groomed with envy. The little guy was probably thinking, "Hey, poop scooper, did you forget about me?"
He stroked Xiao Hui's head, running his hand along the soft blue-black fur, massaging its body. Not that it needed the buildup—Xiao Hui was already lying there with half-closed eyes, waiting for the poop scooper's attention.
Under her dad's guidance, Xixi held the rake comb and started brushing Xiao Hui's back, little by little, in small strokes.
Not too hard—Xiao Hui was so relaxed its tail curled up and swayed gently.
Behind the neck, under the chin, on the chest—Xiao Hui got the full spa treatment from its little mistress. When it was done, it shook itself off, clean and refreshed, and hopped away, parading in front of its companions as if showing off.
"Hehe, that was so fun! And Xiao Hui was so good!" Xixi was hooked on cat petting. She turned eagerly. "Xiao Guai? Xiao Guai, come here! Big sister's going to groom you with Zhu Bajie's weapon!"
Instantly, a little blue shadow leaped down from the nearby sofa.