Always Ending Up as an Animal Cub

Once back within the monitoring range, Yun Mingchen reverted to his mischievous, bratty persona.

He cuddled the kitten, rubbing it back and forth, burying his face in the fur, and giving it several kisses.
After turning into a kitten, Yu Tong's sense of smell became much more sensitive.
The scent of the unfamiliar man completely enveloped him, and the antagonist repeatedly kissed his little head, making Yu Tong shiver with anger.

The more Yu Tong resisted, the more Yun Mingchen enjoyed himself.
The system peeked in to watch the show, looking at Yu Tong’s soul through the kitten's body.
Looking at the handsome and obedient host being cuddled and kissed by the antagonist, the system exclaimed, "Oh my, how lecherous."

Yu Tong was about to lose his mind.
He hated humans who had no sense of boundaries.
When that large face leaned in again, Yu Tong couldn’t take it any longer. He extended his paw and scratched him.

It didn’t break the skin, but left a small red mark on the back of his hand.
The villain, immersed in playing the bratty persona, immediately sneered, shouting that he would pull out Yu Tong’s claws and give him a manicure.
A few minutes later, Yun Mingchen found a tutorial online and seriously began trimming the kitten’s claws.

After trimming the claws, he patted the kitten’s head and scratched its chin, as a reward.
At first, Yu Tong was still sulking, but after being scratched under the chin a few times, his limbs suddenly went limp.
A strong feeling of pleasure rapidly spread through his body from the places Yun Mingchen’s fingers touched. He couldn’t help but purr, rubbing his body against the antagonist.

More, it felt so good.
After petting the kitten, Yun Mingchen got up and returned to sit on the bed.
Before settling into his meditation, he noticed the kitten tilting its head, staring at him blankly, as if wondering about something.

Yu Tong stood there, dazed.
Who was the kitten that just meowed, purred, and became so limp, begging for petting with its tail up?
He was done for. He was completely ruined.
The system didn’t seem to care about the host at all, hopping over with a playful tone, "When the villain kissed your face, did he kiss your lips? Did you lose your first kiss?"

Yu Tong was still questioning his life, but hearing this, he replied absentmindedly, "He didn’t kiss my lips. He said the kitten would bite feet and that ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) my mouth was dirty. He’s full of crap. I wouldn’t lick my fur."
"And even if he kissed me, it wouldn’t count as stealing my first kiss. I lost it long ago."
The system, acting like a gossiping creature, immediately became intrigued and asked, "Lost it? When? Who kissed you?"

"Chen Ge kissed me. After I turned eighteen, he took me out for a meal to celebrate my coming of age. I get tipsy quickly, and my face turned super red. Maybe he thought I was drunk. He asked if he could kiss me, and I nodded. Then he kissed me."
"Such a rushed kiss?"
"What else?"

"Do you like him?"
"A little. It’s not exactly liking, but he’s been really nice to me."
"No, if you don’t like him, why did you let him kiss you?"

The system waited for a long time but didn’t get an answer.
It curiously looked over. Yu Tong was frowning, his eyes full of confusion.
After a while, Yu Tong casually smiled and replied lightly, "Well, I had to give away my first kiss eventually. He wanted it, and I thought he was nice, so I gave it to him."

"If he asked you to clap for love, would you agree?"
"Mm... I guess it’s okay. We’re on good terms."
The system pulled Yu Tong’s soul into the system space and began shaking him by the shoulders.

"Wake up! Wake up!"
Yu Tong didn’t expect such a strong reaction from the system.
He remained silent for a moment, "I thought after he kissed me, he would ask me out. Then our actions wouldn’t be considered messed up. But he probably thought I didn’t remember it, so he didn’t bring it up. Plus, later he said he’s a bottom and has a boyfriend. I didn’t want to make it awkward, so I just acted like nothing happened, like he did."

"It’s also my fault for realizing too late, and for being too shy. I thought he kissed me when he didn’t have a boyfriend. If I had pursued him or brought it up the next day, maybe we would’ve been together."
The system didn’t know what to say.
It took a puff of smoke, patting Yu Tong’s shoulder and telling him to be more careful in the future, not to act recklessly.

Yu Tong gazed at the front, his voice distant, "There are always strangers coming and going in my family. I’ve seen things like this since I was a child, so I never thought it was worth paying attention to."
He spoke quickly and messily, and the system, confused, said, "I didn’t understand, can you say it again?"
Yu Tong ignored it, looking uninterested.

The system, feeling increasingly suspicious about the host, took some time to go to the archives and pulled up Yu Tong’s file.
The "lover" section of the file clearly read "Chen Qing."
According to the book's setting, after entering the state of meditation, cultivators can stop eating.

They only need to eat fresh fruits and vegetables or simply drink dew and eat flower petals to maintain their daily needs.
Yun Mingchen had been cultivating from morning till night, over ten hours, without drinking a single drop of water.
Just as Yu Tong thought he was going to skip food for the entire day, Yun Mingchen reached under the bed and pulled out a big box.

He opened the lid, revealing it was filled with snacks and beer.
Making sure the surveillance could clearly capture his decadent appearance, Yun Mingchen half-lay in the chair, drinking beer while browsing on his phone.
Yu Tong shook his head, pulling his thoughts from the memories.

As a competent worker, he would never let personal emotions interfere with his job.
Regaining his focus, Yu Tong adjusted his position and jumped onto Yun Mingchen’s arm, leaning over to peek at his phone.
On the screen, a sexy female streamer was dancing provocatively.

Yu Tong turned to look at the antagonist.
Yun Mingchen had a greasy smile on his face, his eyes half-lidded, but there was a faint coldness in them.
He wasn’t looking at the female streamer; his gaze was fixed on his fingertips.

With the aid of the "Telepathic Connection" prop, Yu Tong faintly sensed Yun Mingchen’s emotions at the moment.
A slight feeling of annoyance was conveyed to him through the prop.
Yu Tong decided to follow the kitten’s way of venting and jumped onto the desk, angrily scratching the toilet paper.

After calming down, he looked at the messy paper on the desk and entered a meditative state.
He thought he should remain true to his purpose. If he continued indulging like this, he would inevitably learn to lick his fur.
The system returned from the archives, having signed the confidentiality agreement, and found Yu Tong sneakily eating chocolate on the desk.

Just as he tore the wrapper, the antagonist caught him red-handed.
Yun Mingchen pressed his hand on Yu Tong's neck and grabbed his phone.
"Can kittens eat chocolate?"

The browser quickly displayed the answer, "No, they’ll die."
Seeing Yu Tong staring at the snack box with longing eyes, Yun Mingchen continued searching.
Which human snacks can kittens eat?

An answer popped up, "Kittens can eat snacks that are safe for kittens."
Yun Mingchen: ...
He silently put down his phone, grabbed the little tabby and pressed it in front of the chocolate, flicking its head with his finger.

Yu Tong didn’t struggle, numbly letting him tap his head.
Just as Yun Mingchen started lecturing the kitten, the phone on the side suddenly vibrated twice.
Yu Tong peered over and saw a video call request. The caller was labeled "Mom."

The ringtone rang for a while, and just as the video was about to hang up automatically, Yun Mingchen pressed the answer button.
A beautiful woman with a gentle temperament appeared on the phone screen.
With an elegant smile, she said, "Mingchen, it’s been two days since our last video. Have you missed your mother?"

"Why the frown again? Didn’t I tell you before that you look terrible when you frown? We know you’re diligent, always busy cultivating. Your father and I just wanted to ask, how are things going with the two young ladies from the Wen family? It won’t take much of your time."
Yun Mingchen nodded silently.
As soon as the video connected, Yu Tong immediately felt a strong sense of agitation in his heart.

It was the "Telepathic Connection" prop, transmitting the antagonist's emotions to him.
Another deep, magnetic male voice came from the phone.
"Mingchen, your mom is asking you something."

Yun Mingchen sighed lightly. "After the last gathering, we haven’t contacted each other."
The man froze, his face immediately turning cold. "Are you dissatisfied with the Wen family girls?"
"No, they’re great. It’s just that we’re not compatible."

"Not compatible? The eldest lady of the Wen family is talented and wise, and the second is pure and kind. My darling, you’re so talented and handsome, I think either of them would be a perfect match for you."
Yu Tong squatted nearby, eavesdropping.
Oh, so it’s a matchmaking situation. No wonder the antagonist doesn’t want to hear it.

His parents, on the other hand, never pressured him about marriage.
Although Yun Mingchen was very annoyed, he respected his parents. Even though his forehead was now lined with veins, he didn’t find a reason to end the video.
At first, the atmosphere was somewhat harmonious, but then, for some unknown reason, the conversation fell apart.

Seventy-year-old Yun Old Master, looking like he was only twenty-four or twenty-five due to his good upkeep, slammed the table heavily.
"Yun Mingchen, our intentions are clear. You need to marry one of the Wen family girls to strengthen our alliance. You’re an adult now, you can’t always do whatever you want."
Yun Mingchen paused for a moment, "In this situation, the marriage doesn’t make any sense."

Yun Old Master rubbed his brow. "You’re still young, you don’t understand. The Yun family isn’t what it used to be. If we don’t find someone strong..."
Before he could finish, Yun Mingchen interrupted, "The Wen family doesn’t care about the two girls. The marriage would only accelerate the downfall of the Yun family."
"Who said that? Where did you get that conclusion?"

Yun Mingchen pressed his lips together, hesitating for half a second, but ultimately said nothing.
Yu Tong couldn’t understand whether he was worried about the bedroom surveillance or had other concerns.
What confused him was that, even though his situation was so dire, why didn’t Yun Mingchen ask his parents for help in private?

There were no cameras in the bathroom; he had plenty of chances to send a message.
His father was the head of the family, and his mother’s family was also large.
They had connections and experience. Surely, they would have a way to help him.

Yun Old Master was still pressing, and Yun Mingchen’s resistance was growing more obvious, "Enough. Don’t talk about it anymore. I won’t marry them."
Yu Tong's surprise grew as he realized the antagonist was clearly already aware of his sexuality.
Yun Mingchen’s resistance was growing more obvious, "Enough. Don’t talk about it anymore. I won’t marry them."

The ever-quiet Yun mother finally spoke with a gentle tone, "Alright, alright, don’t scold your son. Mingchen, tell mom, is your objection to this marriage because you’re not interested in those two girls?"
"Yes, but it’s my problem. They’re both great and excellent."
"Mingchen, your dad and I had a love match through marriage, and you can try to be with Miss Wen first..."

Yun Mingchen interrupted coldly once again, "I can’t try. I’m gay."
Yun mother froze for a moment, then her smile became even more affectionate, "It’s okay, dear. Your father and I don’t mind your orientation. You can marry Miss Wen, but still find a same-sex partner. We’ll treat your boyfriend like a son-in-law, and we’ll help you keep it a secret, so no one will know."
Yun Old Master snorted coldly.

From their attitudes, it was clear that they had known about his sexuality and had already discussed a plan in private.
Yu Tong was astonished, shaking his ears in disbelief.
What did this mean? Were they already shameless enough to start openly discussing this?

A strong sense of shock appeared out of nowhere, filling Yu Tong’s heart instantly.
That shock—it belonged to Yun Mingchen.
The villain’s expression twisted for a moment, and his pretended bratty persona almost collapsed completely.

The bedroom fell into a brief silence.
When he spoke again, Yun Mingchen’s voice carried an unmasked sense of bewilderment, "What are you two saying? Are you both crazy?"