“Let go of me, you cat who defies the master!!” “I’ve raised you all these years for nothing!”
The man in white, Zhang Junfang, was tall and slender. His spotless white coat highlighted his extraordinary temperament. But now, as he stared at the little boy clinging desperately to his thigh, he ground his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and his handsome face was filled with indignation.
He recalled that scene… well, better not to think about it. Suffice it to say, it was a sight that made one’s vision go dark.
“Boo hoo~ Teacher, Yan Qing won’t do it again~” “Please forgive this kitty just this once~”
“Yan Qing promises to be twice as good from now on, do twice the homework, and twice the housework~”
The little boy clung tightly to Zhang Junfang’s thigh, tears streaming down like broken beads, plopping and splashing. His little mouth puckered and trembled, looking utterly pitiful.
“Me!” Zhang Junfang gritted his teeth and glared at him, about to say something.
But suddenly, the restroom door creaked open with a clear sound. The person outside didn’t walk in, but instead stood at the doorway, watching their interaction with an expression that was… meaningful.
Xu Yinsheng stood at the door, her hand still on the doorknob, staring blankly at the “interaction” between the man and the cat.
Was this… domestic discipline?
“Ahem.” Zhang Junfang quickly cleared his throat twice, breaking the damned silence.
He grabbed the little boy by the scruff of his neck, like lifting a kitten, and walked toward the bathroom. He swiftly shut the cat inside, then propped a chair against the door, unmoved by the meowing coming from within.
After doing all this, Zhang Junfang turned back and called out to Xu Yinsheng, “Miss Xu, come on in. Kids these days are always fooling around, don’t mind it.”
As he spoke, he took the initiative to pull Xu Yinsheng to sit down. Once they were both seated, he brewed her a cup of strong tea.
The fragrance of the tea curled upward, turning into wisps of aroma in the air.
Xu Yinsheng took the tea Zhang Junfang handed her, took a light sip, and then looked at him. The meaning in her eyes was clear.
‘You called me over to discuss Zhao Yicheng’s condition. Now the cat is locked up and the tea is drunk. Stop dragging your feet and get to the serious topic.’
Seeing this, Zhang Junfang chuckled softly. He took a gulp of the hot tea before speaking slowly and deliberately.
“Mr. Zhao’s current state isn’t exactly an illness, but more of a side effect. To be more specific, it’s not even a side effect—just a kind of cost.”
Looking at Xu Yinsheng’s confused expression, and listening to the little boy’s continuous pleas for mercy from the bathroom, Zhang Junfang pulled a black book from his messenger bag and pointed at it.
“What’s that?”
“A book.”
“What kind of book?”
“21-Day Speed Hypnosis Master.”
“So, what’s the book for?”
“To read, of course.”
“Wrong. Let me ask you again—what do you think the knowledge recorded in that book is actually used for?”
Xu Yinsheng looked a bit puzzled. Zhang Junfang just smiled, then pointed at the bathroom, which was still making a racket. “I believe Miss Xu knows that guy used to be a cat. But now he not only understands human speech, but also human affairs. During this process, what role do you think our human books—specifically, this carrier of knowledge—played?”
Xu Yinsheng had a sudden realization. But Zhang Junfang didn’t need her answer at that moment.
“Back in ancient times, before enlightenment, countless sages debated human nature. Some believed humans were inherently good, some believed they were inherently evil, and others thought humans were born neither good nor evil but could be shaped through education.”
“And whether it’s good or evil, or education through nurture, they all aimed for one goal: a ‘perfect man’—a person of excellent moral character.”
Xu Yinsheng, who had just felt enlightened, was once again thrown into confusion.
Zhang Junfang shook his head with a smile.
“Now, Miss Xu Yinsheng, let me ask you a question: in your eyes, is Mr. Zhao perfect right now?”
‘Is Zhao Yicheng perfect right now…?’
Xu Yinsheng didn’t understand what he meant. Perfect? What was that? She didn’t know, and she didn’t get it.
To her, over the past few months, Zhao Yicheng hadn’t gone crazy, hadn’t crossed any lines, and had been hardworking and patient, enduring hardship without complaint.
Honestly, Xu Yinsheng kind of liked this version of him. It just felt like something was missing.
But if this counted as perfect, then Zhao Yicheng had been pretty perfect these past few months.
“I don’t know if Miss Xu has heard this saying: love brings satisfaction, while desire drives progress.”
“Yandere tendencies, possessiveness, lust—these all belong to desire. Some people always want to claim their love is pure, untainted by any desire. But for humans, that’s fundamentally impossible. Desire and love are always intertwined, mixed together, inseparable from each other.”
“And Mr. Zhao’s current state is actually…”
Just when Xu Yinsheng was getting interested, his words came to an abrupt halt. She looked at Zhang Junfang in confusion, only to see him take another gulp of hot tea and smile back at her.
“Miss Xu, what comes next involves Mr. Zhao’s condition. And I previously signed a contract with Mr. Zhao that has a penalty clause of 5 million. So, you see…”
Zhang Junfang lightly rubbed his thumb and index finger together, the meaning obvious.
“No problem!” Xu Yinsheng understood instantly. She patted her chest in a show of loyalty.
“He’s my underling, so he’ll listen to me. If he comes after you for the penalty later, just tell me. I’ll make sure to knock out all eight of his teeth.”
As she said this, Xu Yinsheng waved her little pink fist, looking quite like a rogue girl gangster.
Zhang Junfang’s mouth twitched a few times. He didn’t reply.
After a long pause, his lips moved, and he finally spat out a few words: “5 million, as security for the penalty.”
“2.5 million. I have money, but I’m not spending it like this.”
“3 million. Doctors have it tough these days, and I’ve got a kid to raise, too.”
“2.49 million. If you don’t agree, believe me, I’ll turn around and sex-change you, then let your little prince rebel against you every day! You dare come after me for money? You should know I used to be the Binhai delinquent. I’m fully capable of this!!”
After a bit of back-and-forth, under Xu Yinsheng’s half-threats and half-coercion, the two reached an agreement at 2.49 million. Xu Yinsheng would transfer 1 million first, spread over two weeks. After Zhao Yicheng’s condition improved, she’d transfer the remaining 1.49 million.
Xu Yinsheng looked down at her transfer record, then turned to Zhang Junfang, who was staring at the long string of zeros on his phone, nearly laughing like a pig. She quipped, “I thought you doctors were all like the ones in TV dramas—healing the world and having a kind heart.”
“Healing the world, a kind heart? Maybe once, and maybe there still are some, but that’s not me. In today’s society, people look down on the poor but not on the shameless. I’d rather be called a rich man than a broke loser.”
“Besides, I’d rather make money off the rich than the poor. The poor just don’t have much to offer.”
Xu Yinsheng rolled her eyes at him and shot back irritably.
“Then hurry up and get to the point. If you dare scam me and skip town with the cash, I guarantee I’ll have you dragged back even if you flee abroad! You won’t get off easy!!”
Xu Yinsheng didn’t really care about the 2.49 million. It wasn’t her money anyway, and her family had the Foundation, their own industries, plus annual funding from the Huayuan Federation.
With so much money just sitting in accounts, it’d be hurting the market. Better to spend it and keep the economy circulating. After all, it would eventually end up back in her family’s accounts.
Hearing this, Zhang Junfang dropped his playful expression. He adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and looked at Xu Yinsheng with a serious face, speaking solemnly. “Actually, about Mr. Zhao’s condition…”