Chapter 3 : Hello, I’m He Yu

Chapter 3: Hello I’m He Yu

Qu Yanning gently rubbed Xie Xiaobao’s belly.

The cat nestled in his arms was plump, its fur thick and soft.

Judging by appearance, he was already a full-grown cat, but in truth, Xie Xiaobao was only twenty-three years old.

That age might not be considered young for humans, but for the long-lived feline race—who only reached adulthood at one hundred and eight—Xie Xiaobao was still very much a child.

If it hadn’t been for the mysterious fruit he accidentally ate at the age of eight, which prematurely triggered his growth cycle, he would still be a carefree cub like Xie Meili.

“Busy these days?”

Qu Yanning asked as he pinched his soft paw.

Xie Xiaobao was pudgy all over, even his paws were adorably chubby—though his claws had grown too long and needed trimming.

“Mm… not too busy,” Xie Xiaobao meowed, tilting his head.

“Sit up. I’ll trim your nails,” Qu Yanning said, gently patting his furry belly.

Xie Xiaobao kicked his legs and rolled upright, obediently stretching out his paw for him to work on.

As he clipped his nails, he added, “In a few days, it’ll be Grandma Li’s seventy-fifth birthday. You should come along. She’s been talking about you for years. You could stay home for a few days too.”

The two families lived close by.

Qu Yanning often visited the He family when he was free, chatting with the old lady or experimenting with new desserts.

Before Xie Xiaobao’s incident, he frequently tagged along, enjoying their hospitality.

Grandma Li treated him like half a grandson.

But ever since he ate that wild fruit, Xie Xiaobao had endured the pain of his body growing at an accelerated pace.

For a long while, he couldn’t even maintain his human form.

The Xie family told outsiders he’d gone abroad, when in fact, he had been sent to a private island for rest and treatment.

He hadn’t returned to the He household since.

Grandma Li often brought him up, wondering where he had gone.

Now, with her birthday approaching, Qu Yanning figured it was the perfect time to bring him back—for the celebration, and maybe a brief stay at home.

It was only in the last year or two that Xie Xiaobao’s condition had stabilized.

During the rough period, the entire family treated him like fragile porcelain.

But he had always been an active, playful child, and their overprotectiveness after he recovered made him uncomfortable.

Eventually, he chose to move out on his own.

Xie Xiaobao flicked his ears.

Living independently for the past year had matured him somewhat—though some of that cub-like innocence lingered.

He understood what Qu Yanning was implying.

After thinking for a moment, he tapped his tail thoughtfully and meowed, “Alright… but I can’t stay too long. I’ve still got work.”

Qu Yanning set down the clippers and gave his furry head a rub.

“Okay, then let’s go now. Your brother is waiting downstairs.”

Xie Xiaobao’s eyes widened, ears perking up.

He slapped his tail in alarm.

“You teamed up with Second Brother to trick me again!”

Qu Yanning soothed the bristling cat, scooping him up as he walked out.

“Now, now. It’s not a trick. He’s just the chauffeur.”

Xie Xiaobao grumbled and sulked, but in the end, he curled his tail obediently and allowed him to carry him downstairs.

Leaning against the car outside, Xie Qi spotted the round orange cat in Qu Yanning’s arms from a distance.

He twitched his brow, suppressing the urge to snatch his brother up, and stepped forward.

“He’s too heavy. Let me carry him.”

Qu Yanning dodged away, fully aware of his intentions.

“Xiaobao agreed to come home for a few days. Don’t bully him.”

Clinging to Qu Yanning’s arm, Xie Xiaobao twitched his whiskers in delight and meowed smugly at Xie Qi.

Xie Qi’s brow twitched as he looked at his brother, who dared to provoke him.

Reaching out, he gave one of his ears a tug.

“You’ve grown bold.”

Xie Xiaobao let out a meek “meow,” flattening his ears and shrinking his neck, instantly turning submissive.

Qu Yanning gently pushed Xie Qi toward the driver’s seat, taking the front passenger side while holding Xiaobao in his arms.

Perched on his lap, Xie Xiaobao glanced between his brother and sister-in-law, rubbed his head gently against Qu Yanning’s hand, and swayed his fluffy tail happily.

The Cuiyuan residence looked exactly as it did in the past.

Sunlight poured through the curved floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, and the round floor cushions on the tatami mats looked soft and inviting.

Nestled among them, a small white kitten slept, curled into a ball.

Hearing the door, Xie Meili perked up and looked toward the entrance.

When she saw Xie Xiaobao in Qu Yanning’s arms, she let out an excited meow and scampered over on her short legs.

Xie Xiaobao was just as thrilled.

It had been a while since he’d seen Xie Meili.

The two cubs meowed and chirped at each other, while Qu Yanning put him down so the siblings could play.

Xie Meili leaned in and affectionately rubbed her face against his.

Xie Xiaobao happily wrapped his front paws around her and licked the fur on her head.

Compared to Meili, who was still a kitten, he was now several sizes larger, so he crouched low to let her climb onto his back.

Once Meili had settled in, clutching his fur for balance, Xie Xiaobao let out a delighted meow and carried her around the room.

Watching the two play joyfully, Xie Qi snorted, transformed into his feline form, and joined the fun.

The three cats chased each other around the house before finally flopping onto the tatami to bask in the sun.

Xie Qi picked up his squinting little brother with his mouth, gave his fur a thorough licking, then pressed on his soft belly.

His feline face wrinkled slightly.

“Not fat.”

Xie Xiaobao was thrilled.

Hearing that he hadn’t gained weight, he rolled over with joy, tail thumping the mat.

Qu Yanning came out with a tray of fruit and snacks, gave each cat a gentle head rub, and placed the platter on the tatami.

Xie Xiaobao let out an excited howl, lunged forward to hug his hand, kicked his legs, and meowed his thanks.

Xie Qi narrowed his eyes and darted forward.

With swift movements, he shoved his overly affectionate little brother off and pinned him down with his belly.

Although Xiaobao had grown a lot, he still wasn’t a match for Xie Qi in strength.

Pinned under the fluffy weight, he could only flail his paws and whimper.

Xie Meili, seeing how much fun they were having, quickly climbed onto Xie Qi’s back and perched there, meowing in delight.

Watching their antics, Qu Yanning could only shake his head with a smile, letting them continue playing while he headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

***

Two days later was Grandma Li’s birthday banquet.

With nothing else to do, Xie Xiaobao spent time pondering what gift to bring.

After scratching his head for half a day, he decided he didn’t have time to craft something new, so he began sifting through his old creations.

Back when he was recovering on the island, he often turned to handicrafts to distract himself from the pain of his body’s unnatural growth.

He would piece together small trinkets to make jewelry and decorative items—anything to help him forget the discomfort, even temporarily.

Most of his handmade items had been left on the Qu family’s island, but he had brought a few to Cuiyuan.

Huffing and puffing, he dragged out a storage box from his room and began sorting through it.

Xie Meili perched atop his head, watching curiously.

A birthday gift should be festive, of course.

After digging around, Xie Xiaobao settled on a bracelet strung with red coral beads.

Coral was one of the Seven Treasures in Buddhism, with red coral being especially rare.

Grandma Li was a devout Buddhist, so it would make a perfect gift.

After carefully packing the coral bracelet in a box, Xie Xiaobao finally felt at ease.

Two days later, the whole family headed to the celebration.

Grandma Li, who was sentimental and disliked extravagance, held the banquet at her own villa in Cuiyuan.

Only close friends and family were invited.

As they arrived, a servant came to greet them.

Though the servant didn’t recognize Xie Xiaobao, they knew Qu Yanning, and led the family inside.

Grandma Li sat at the head seat, wearing a deep red Tang suit.

Her face was warm and kind as she chatted with the younger generation beside her.

“Wishing you happiness as vast as the sea and a life as long as the southern mountains,” Qu Yanning greeted with a respectful bow, handing over their gift.

Despite her age, Grandma Li’s health was still good.

Before Qu Yanning could even introduce Xie Xiaobao, she recognized him on her own.

“Oh! Is that Xiaobao? When did you get back? My, how you’ve grown!”

Xie Xiaobao stepped forward and offered the gift he had prepared, a little shy.

“Wishing Grandma Li longevity and eternal youth.”

“Wonderful, wonderful.”

The old lady took the gift and pulled him in, examining him carefully with a smile.

“Still as lucky-looking as ever!”

Xie Xiaobao blinked slowly, his cheeks puffing up slightly in embarrassment.

Still holding his hand, Grandma Li looked around and asked, “Where’s Xiaoyu?”

“Looking for me, Grandma?” a deep voice called from behind.

He Yu walked over, raising an eyebrow when he saw Xie Xiaobao.

“Come take a look—do you still recognize him?”

Grandma Li held onto both of them, grinning.

Xie Xiaobao tilted his head up to look at the tall man before him.

He instinctively took a tiny step back, shrunk his neck, and timidly stammered, “M-Mr. He…”