Chapter 233

One sentence caused the countless people in the live-stream room to turn their gaze to the Persian cat Guoguo; the more they looked, the more they felt that the cat was perhaps trying too hard.

【Can't see it clearly, what's wrong with Guoguo's action?】

【Ahhh I wish I could grab a magnifying glass to look at the screen! I'm dying of anxiety!】

【No way, no way, this is just the most common grooming action; what other meaning could it have?】

【Are you a water army sent by the other side? Trying to change the topic?】

Just then, Ling Yue lightly coughed: "If you don't believe me, you can look at Guoguo's belly; cats with depression show various symptoms, the most typical being constant licking until they lick themselves bald or even injure themselves, which generally indicates a lack of security in cats."

The only thing she couldn't understand was, according to Ru Tan's words, she and the cat were almost inseparable, so how could it feel insecure?

Ling Yue said, frowning slightly, a few traces of doubt appearing in the woman's eyes—was she lying, or had the cat been abused?

At that moment, hearing Ling Yue's voice, Ru Tan panicked, her arms holding the cat stiff as wood; she lowered her head, her gaze falling on the kitten's belly.

The soft, fluffy cream-colored fur blocked too much of the view; she gently coaxed the kitten: "Guoguo, can Mommy look at your little belly? Mommy will be gentle."

Having raised cats for many years, she already knew Guoguo's personality; when the cat looked at her, she suddenly reached out quickly and pushed aside the annoying fur.

The next moment, she tightly covered her mouth, her eye sockets instantly turning red.

After the soft, fluffy fur was pushed aside, the kitten's belly was fully exposed to the air; where long cream-colored fur should have grown, it now looked like ruined farmland, revealing large patches of baldness, pink soft flesh, with clear scratch marks visible.

Because of its hidden location, it had never been discovered—until today.

Someone sucked in a breath of cold air, and the air-conditioned indoor temperature suddenly dropped several degrees.

Ru Tan clenched her fists, her usually gentle face now with furrowed brows: "How could this be? Who hurt our Guoguo? Who exactly?"

She suppressed her anger, thinking of everyone around her: could it be because she had been filming before, spending less time with Guoguo, that led to the cat being abused?

Her Guoguo was very well-behaved.

But she couldn't stop thinking about something; she suddenly put the cat on the table, and the cat lying on the tabletop stiffened instantly. Ru Tan raised her wrist, looked at the fresh scratches on it, then at the scratches on the kitten's belly, and her heartstrings twitched sharply.

Exactly the same!

The facts surged toward her like huge, tumultuous waves, and Ru Tan trembled instantly.

The Persian cat on the table shook its body, lifted its head, and its sapphire‑blue eyes gazed at its owner, reflecting her image in their round, glossy pupils.

Guoguo suddenly let out a tiny whimper: "Owner, don't leave me… Owner, don't abandon me… I'll be very good, very good…"

Ling Yue hearing this instantly felt something was wrong; before she could stop it, the cat bit its own lower abdomen, and the tender soft flesh instantly bled.

It let out a painful wail, rolled over to jump onto the ground, but a pair of large hands seized it firmly.

Ru Tan saw the cat's self‑harm for the first time; the beads of blood on its belly seemed to mock her, and she firmly grabbed Guoguo, her heart clenched as if by an invisible giant hand: "Guoguo!"

"What are you doing? How could you hurt yourself?!"

She truly treated Guoguo as her own child; her original plan never included keeping a pet, and she adopted Guoguo when, during a filming session, she heard the kitten's faint cries and pulled it out of a roadside trash bin.

Beside it lay four or five other dead cats just like it; no one knows who was so cruel to toss them onto the street, and the deep, high dumpster resembled a massive wall, more than enough to make the kittens despair.

She took Guoguo for a checkup, and the doctor told her that the kitten's belly was completely stuffed with trash.

Though it looked as small as a palm, it was actually full‑term, yet it couldn't even open its eyes.

In other words, Guoguo grew up under her meticulous care, and that is no exaggeration.

It stayed by her side for a full five years.

Ru Tan's body swayed on the verge of collapse; she suddenly turned her head to look at Ling Yue, her eyes pleading, all her former confidence and resolve gone: "Ling Yue, can you help me?"

"I can pay you!"

Ling Yue shook her head: "Teacher Ru, do I look like someone who wants payment?"

"I'm the one who brought this up, I'll help you resolve it, but you must cooperate with me—I'll find out exactly what's causing Guoguo's depression."

"You can rest assured."

Ling Yue's healing aura remained active, and with her calm composure, Ru Tan, having received the promise, suddenly relaxed, and she and the cat slumped together onto the sofa.

She held the cat, and strangely, the kitten that had been frantic moments ago now lay docile in her arms, showing no trace of its earlier agitation.

Ru Tan treated the cat's wound while saying, "No problem, I'll do whatever you need."

At this point, she trusted Ling Yue completely and without reservation; her gaze was so gentle that even the online viewers outside the livestream door, let alone the other people present, were astonished.

Emperor Qin's Husky dared not approach, lying down obediently, smacking its lips, eyes full of awe: "What an amazing cat!"

The little rabbit twitched its three‑part mouth, chewing on its favorite timothy grass.

The feng shui turtle master Ling Yue had brought had already retracted its neck and fallen asleep, just like the half‑eyed crystal‑eyed black cat beside it.

The pets needed no restraint, but their owners could not relax—especially Xu He, who had first suggested the idea, his hands clenched at his sides; he never imagined he would become the other's stepping stone!

Clearly his plans were sound, yet he overlooked one thing: Ling Yue isn't just marketing—she possesses genuine ability.

Song Youli sat in her seat, her gaze shifting from scornful to solemn.

Emperor Qin remained steady and dignified, yet his eyes revealed the same curiosity and amazement as the Husky at his feet, his peripheral gaze continually fixed on Ling Yue and her.

Viewers in front of the screens chattered: Why did the pampered Persian cat Guoguo develop depression?

【Could it be that Teacher Ru Tan never really cared for the cat? Otherwise, how could it have gotten depression?】

【You're full of it! Don't speak if you don't know!】

【I trust the host the most—Elder Sister Yue will surely uncover the cause of Guoguo's depression and help it untangle its heart‑knot!】

【Heh, do you really think the host is an all‑powerful omnipotent who can do anything? Does she even have a veterinary license?】

【Hehehe, she actually does have one【image】【image】】

Just as the program began, this issue arose; even the assured Director Liu felt a momentary pang of worry, but then he saw the backend numbers only rising, never falling.

Damn, what's he even worrying about!

The online viewership had already surpassed two hundred million, and even after an hour of broadcasting there was no sign of a decline; growth was slow but still upward.

You should know that in the industry, traffic isn't judged by the numbers at the start of a broadcast, but by the figures after a period of airing. Viewers are the smartest—if something displeases them, they leave immediately, without hesitation.

To hold steady is to succeed!

Liu Hengdu wasn't just eating dry rice; he also examined the data and found that netizens' comments shot up wildly after the incident involving the movie star Guoguo.

The next moment, the assistant director's excited voice rang out, audible almost throughout the backstage: "Director! Director! Our show has hit the trending list!"

Director Liu blinked, rubbed his chin, glanced at the other person, and said: "What are you making a fuss about? This has just begun."

He looked at Ling Yue in the camera, his gaze burning hot; although he felt something strange, he himself couldn't explain it, but isn't the show just proceeding on track?

At this moment, Ling Yue stared deeply at the cat Guoguo in Ru Tan's arms; judging from its earlier behavior, Guoguo's depression had become quite severe—it wasn't just licking its fur, it even showed self-harming behavior.

Ling Yue first threw out a question, asking it: "Has anyone been abusing you?"

As soon as she spoke, Ru Tan's eye sockets became moist with tears upon hearing this; she strongly suspected that her own negligence had caused Guoguo to become like this.

To Ling Yue's surprise, the little cat shook its head, then curled back into its owner's embrace, like a small sticky rice cake, unwilling to leave its owner even a step.

Ling Yue suddenly realized she seemed to have fallen into a tangled mess.

Suddenly, she recalled something: Guoguo's earlier wailing, in which it had unintentionally uttered some words.

Ling Yue decisively plucked a clue from the tangle, and the topic shifted accordingly: "Guoguo, I know you're smart; I heard what you said earlier—do you think your owner is going to abandon you?"

The Persian cat Guoguo, upon hearing this, indeed lifted its head to look at her.

Ling Yue smiled sweetly, her whole body exuding a sense of reassurance and peace: "You don't need to worry; Teacher Tan will take you out to play, and from now on she'll always be with you."

"Really?" Guoguo almost without hesitation countered, its paw pads gripping tightly onto its owner's hem.

Seeing this, Ru Tan's eyes grew sore and teary; all she could do was hold it close and tell her: "What Sister said is right, Guoguo—for a long time to come, Mom will always be with you."

Guoguo felt even more reassured, without needing anyone to pet it, it let out a contented purr, and it murmured softly to itself: "Great, from now on Mom will be mine alone, just mine!"

It obediently rubbed against its owner's palm, wishing it could hide in her embrace for a lifetime.

Upon hearing this, Ling Yue's brows twitched slightly, and she keenly sensed that something was off.

Having interacted with small animals for so long, she had long since worked out her own unique way of doing things.

These words were soft and sticky, sounding like a kitten's coquettish whine, yet they were abrupt, a possessive desire washing over her; from them Ling Yue heard another layer of meaning—it wanted to monopolize its owner.

But the problem is, movie star Ru Tan is just a cat, right?

Thinking this, Ling Yue directed her inquisitive gaze toward Ru Tan; having been in front of the camera for years, Ru Tan was highly sensitive to others' gazes, and she reacted instantly, locking eyes with Ling Yue, and involuntarily sat up straight.

Her heart began to drum, feeling nervous and uneasy; after a moment, she heard Ling Yue ask her: "Do you only have one cat, Guoguo?"

"Of course!" she answered firmly and without hesitation.

The Persian cat Guoguo in her arms suddenly tilted its head, looking at its owner, its paws clutching tightly to her lapel: "What about Youzi?"

Youzi?

By now, Ling Yue probably already understood exactly what was going on.

So she pursed her lips: "Are you sure? Who is Youzi again?"

Ru Tan blinked in surprise, then reacted: "Youzi? That's my friend's cat; she went abroad a while back and entrusted it to me—"

Her voice suddenly cut off; she instinctively looked at the cat Guoguo in her arms, which shrank its body, almost curling into a ball.

Yet its ears perked up.

Ling Yue withdrew her gaze, thinking.

Ru Tan is no fool; she instantly realized Youzi was a key clue, and her words stumbled as she said: "I remember now—Youzi is my friend's cat; it stayed at my place for a while, but they got along great—our Guoguo never showed any other reaction, always well-behaved, emotionally stable."

If it weren't like that, she would absolutely not have taken the cat in.

As for her initial denial, that was because after a while she received a premium script; after her friend took the cat away, she threw herself into the busy production schedule, and because she was so occupied, she gradually forgot about it.

If Ling Yue hadn't brought it up, she herself wouldn't have remembered it.

Thinking this, Ru Tan suddenly glanced warily at Ling Yue; the matter of Youzi was her private affair, known only to those around her and Guoguo—so how did Ling Yue find out—

Ru Tan lowered her lashes slightly: "Was it Guoguo who told you, right? Why did Guoguo mention Youzi?"

Before Ling Yue could answer, netizens in the livestream chat began heatedly discussing the sudden appearance of another little cat, Youzi.

【It appeared, it appeared! A new clue has appeared! Guoguo voluntarily brought up the little cat—it must really care about it!】

【What's the situation? Teacher Tan also said that when Youzi was staying at home, Guoguo basically had no other extreme reaction—could it be a misunderstanding?】

【No way! Keep listening; it must be related to Youzi!】

The people in the waiting room couldn't see the netizens' discussion at all; from the start of the show, their phones had been confiscated, and as for how to stay in touch, there was only an old-fashioned phone issued by the production crew.

But even if they knew, they probably wouldn't have the leisure to be distracted.

Everyone was on pins and needles, waiting for the final answer.

"Meow meow meow meow meow~"

"You forgot? You forgot Youzi?"

No one expected that the first to speak would actually be the Persian cat Guoguo; when her owner returned, her round, wide eyes widened, and one could even faintly see a hint of incredibility.

Persian cat Guoguo: "You forgot Youzi, but I still remember—you said Youzi was the best little cat in the world, you said you loved Youzi so much… after you got up, the first thing you hugged wasn't me, but it!"

After saying that, it drooped its head in dejection, its whole body—including its fur—hanging limp, so anyone could see its sadness and sorrow.

Guoguo still remembers the scene from back then.

It waited at home for Mom to come back, hearing her say she'd bring its favorite cat food, and it waited early at the door, its round, glossy eyes shining bright.

Upon hearing the familiar sound of the door opening, the kitten sprang up instantly, like a puff of cream-colored cotton.

Until—

It saw Mom holding another cat in her hand—a beautiful cat covered in spots, tall and sturdy; Mom first ignored it, briskly walked past it, went into a small room, and stayed there with that pretty cat.

For the first time in its cat life, it learned what a thunderbolt from a clear sky is.

It followed behind Mom, calling out over and over: "Mom… Mom, look at me, I'm waiting for you…"

The answer it got was Mom's back.

At that time, Guoguo still didn't know—this was only the beginning.

Afterward, Mom stayed home to keep it company, but she wasn't focused; she would often disappear for a while to keep company with that pretty little cat.

The naturally well-behaved Persian cat Guo Guo didn't dare to struggle; Mom liked its well-behaved appearance the most, and it was like an ostrich, burying itself in sand when danger came, as long as it couldn't see or hear.

Until one day, that beautiful cat appeared.

It occupied its cat climbing frame, lay on its favorite cat nest, and fiercely told it: "Little fatty, from now on this place is my territory, you're my little bro—forget it, you're too ugly!"

The Persian cat looked incredulous; Mom said it was the prettiest, her favorite! Mom liked it, so it went to tattle!

That was the first and also the last time.

Guo Guo strained to pull Mom's pant leg, meowing loudly, but even its tattling was soft and coy, not daring to disturb Mom.

With great effort, I pulled her over to show her the cat climbing frame, where the arrogant beautiful cat said: "Mom, look, it's bullying me! It stole my cat climbing frame, Mom, help Guo Guo get revenge!"

A warm, dry palm landed on its head; Guo Guo squinted, dissatisfied with her inaction, turned its head, and for the first time aimed its butt at her.

"Mom, the cat won't forgive you unless you open two cans!"

But it waited in vain for Mom's comfort; turning its head, it saw a heartbreaking scene.

That beautiful cat was held in her arms, facing a phone screen; Mom smiled happily, chatting with other humans.

"What trouble, little one, look—Yuzu is very well-behaved; just arrived home, it can already eat and drink; I let it out only a few days ago, and it can already lie in my arms."

"Do you still need a period of time, door? No problem, I super like this pretty cat Yuzu."

"No trouble, no trouble……"

It also saw that the beautiful cat was enjoying being in Mom's arms, noticed its incredulous expression, and proudly shouted: "Look, she praised me—really sorry, because of me, you little clown have lost favor!"

"No way!" it protested angrily: "Mom loves me the most!"

Cat Yuzu, however, gave it a soft hiss: "Mom likes your well-behaved appearance the most—look at you now, what are you? A little rascal, careful you get thrown out by the owner!"

"No, no……" it muttered, but its protesting voice grew lower and lower, no longer daring to shout, afraid Mom wouldn't want it.

It fell silent, and the fearless cat Yuzu immediately began vying for affection; the clueless native had no skills for winning favor, and hearing Mom hold and care for it made its heart feel like it would break!

"Mom, glance at me, huh? Mom, I'm right by your feet……"

Mom held Yuzu and left, then she was again speaking to humans, telling that invisible person: "……Yuzu, you're truly the best little cat in the world!"

She didn't notice; behind her there was still a cat, staring at her blankly.

"Mom doesn't want me anymore?"

"No! No! Absolutely not!"

Guo Guo began to have trouble sleeping; then one day it wet Mom's blanket. It heard Mom say something about being in heat, and a few days later it was sent to a frightening hospital.

It lay on a hard table, surrounded by unfamiliar human scents; the doctors in white clothes, in the cat's eyes, looked like terrifying giants.

It wanted to escape, but it couldn't move at all.

Before losing consciousness, Mom's words kept replaying in its mind.

"Wuwuwu Mom, Mom hug me, Guo Guo will never dare wet the bed again, Mom……"

Later its stomach hurt badly; Mom came to see it each time bringing Yuzu, and one day it finally returned home, discovering the house smelled entirely of Yuzu, its cat climbing frame reeked of Yuzu, and Yuzu was lying in its own nest, snoring loudly.

Hearing the movement, it immediately stood up, shook its fur, and said: "Yo, you little clown are back!"

It ran to look for Mom, wearing a strange ring on its head; having lain long in the terrifying hospital, it could barely move, and the faster Yuzu leapt into Mom's arms: "Little clown, look at you like this—who would like you?"

Yeah, cat Yuzu is so pretty, and I'm so ugly.

For the first time it didn't call Mom, because it knew it was useless.

Later one day, Yuzu suddenly left, and the cat was overjoyed, overjoyed!

But Mom was also gone.

Mom and Yuzu left together; Mom doesn't want me.

After a long while, it finally met Mom; Mom held it, kissed it, grabbed its little paw pads: "What's wrong with Guo Guo? Did Mom scare you silly?"

It began unable to face each separation; whenever alone, it would start to fear, becoming extremely clingy, and on days it couldn't see Mom, it turned into a cat that only breathed.

It licked its fur, scratched and bit itself, couldn't sleep at night, woke early in the morning, each time crouching by the door, waiting all day: "Mom, don't leave me."

The Persian cat Guo Guo poked its head into her arm crook, repeatedly pleading: "Mom, don't leave me, don't leave Guo Guo again."

After Ling Yue translated this passage, the scene fell deathly silent.

Ru Tan was shocked beyond belief, lowering her gaze to the little cat in her arms: "Guo Guo, what did you say? How could I not want you? You are Mom's little treasure!"

"I really didn't know; Yuzu has its own owner, Mom thought you were in heat, those things Mom said had no other meaning—only Guo Guo is Mom's little treasure."

Because she was anxious, her speech became incoherent, her tone fast and urgent.

In the Persian cat Guo Guo's big eyes, light flickered; it suddenly whispered: "Really?"

Even without Ling Yue's translation, Ru Tan, who had accompanied the cat for many years, could vaguely guess some; she nodded vigorously, eyes reddening: "Of course! Mom will never abandon Guo Guo in her lifetime; Mom wants to be with Guo Guo forever!"

She truly hadn't expected that her unconscious action would make the cat suffer so much—this was the treasure she had always held in her palm.

"Sorry, treasure; from now on Mom only has you, and Mom will absolutely never touch another cat!"

"I believe Mom." It stretched out its paws: "Pinky promise, no changing for a hundred years!"

After hearing Ling Yue's translation, Ru Tan was stunned, then she reacted, her voice soft as marshmallow: "Pinky promise, no changing for a hundred years!"

"Aoooww~"

"Wuwuwu, doggy me, I'm about to cry from feeling moved!" The husky let out a low howl, the touching atmosphere instantly turning weirdly strange.

It excitedly placed a front paw on Ru Tan's pant leg, looking enviously at the Persian cat: "Your owner actually hugs you—you're so happy! Not like me——"

"My owner hasn't hugged me in a long time!"

Hearing this, Ling Yue couldn't help but wipe her forehead, looking at the husky's mass of no less than fifty jin, making sure it just wanted a hug, not the owner's life?

The husky was still sighing, completely unprepared for the imminent danger——

"Don't touch my owner!" the Persian cat Guo Guo shouted sharply, leaping down and extending the front tips of its paw pads with sharp claws.

The husky's gray fur was about to be scared silly.

A tragedy was about to occur; Ling Yue, quick-eyed and quick-handed, reached out to intercept, the cat's combat power boosted by five hundred percent in its stimulated state, baring teeth and waving claws, extremely frightening!

Everyone was stunned, too afraid to watch the tragedy unfold.

Yet Ling Yue twisted with the momentum, and the cat had no chance to struggle before going limp in her arms.

Ru Tan stood up and discovered her legs were as soft as noodles: "Guo Guo! Guo Guo, are you okay?"

She quickly went to apologize to Qin Mingwei, who seized the dog's neck.

Ling Yue returned the cat to her, and the look in Guo Guo's eyes made Ru Tan's heart skip a beat; right after, she heard Ling Yue's voice: "It's fine, just……"

"Too jealous."

The earlier incident with Youzi truly stimulated Guo Guo; it had suppressed too much, and its temperament changed. It is docile in front of its owner, but once it encounters any animal that dares to approach its owner, it attacks immediately, like a small hedgehog covered in spikes.

A little feline warrior.

【I'm so pitiful, actually seeing myself in a little cat—except the cat is luckier than me; "Youzi" is my brother by blood, and I'm the one who was abandoned……】

【Wuu wuu wuu, I've come back after searching; if it weren't for this variety show, Guo Guo wouldn't know what it would be like! Its depression is so severe!】

Judging by its previous behavior, Guo Guo's depression is indeed severe.

After this incident, Ling Yue told her that depression couldn't be cured in a short time; it required prolonged contact and treatment.

So, for Ru Tan, this variety show had actually turned out to be a fortunate mistake.

Only then did Ru Tan understand what Guo Guo had meant earlier.

She held the cat and said, "Don't worry—I won't touch any other cats, dogs, or small animals; I'll only have Guo Guo, this one little cat."

She spoke with a gentle smile, cradling the cream‑colored cat in the departure lounge lit by the lights, radiating a soft glow known as motherliness.

This photo was also quickly shared and saved by netizens.

The show's second hot search, as expected, blew up straight to the top thanks to netizens' promotion!

Ling Yue and the others walked out of the airport; the humid yet fresh air hit their faces, and in the distance they could faintly see the dark‑blue mountain ranges, their outlines drawn vividly in the layers of thin mist, like a splashed‑ink landscape painting.

They drove to a village backed by lush, verdant mountains.

The host held up a card, face breaking into a bright smile: "Our team has prepared houses for everyone, but first we need to play a little game."

Having said that, he looked expectantly at the crowd.

The sky had grown dark; after the long journey, almost everyone looked weary, and hearing about the game, they could barely muster any energy.

The host cleared his throat and said, "We'll let everyone choose rooms in order of ranking."

After saying that, he took out the house photos and spread them before everyone.