Chapter 49: You’re Making Me Do It Myself Again?

Xu Anan resisted the urge to fling the towel, her lips twitching slightly. “Heh, how about that old man just now? I heard he was a real pro at scrubbing backs in the bathhouse when he was young. Why not let him do it for you? At least he’s got the professional touch.”

“No need,” Jiang Li replied with stiff finality.

On the frosted glass door, the reflection of a well-built man was cast. Every movement was clearly visible—how he slipped off his shirt, then his undershirt.

He arched his back, muscles taut and defined, each line of his physique exuding power.

The sight was enough to stir the blood.

Xu Anan hurriedly averted her gaze, her face burning with heat.

Luckily, Jiang Li hadn’t seen her reaction; otherwise, that insufferable man would have had something to say again.

Her stomach rumbled.

She hadn’t eaten a thing at the earlier banquet, too preoccupied with everything else. Hanging up her pink towel, she shuffled to the kitchen in her slippers to cook some noodles.

After a moment’s thought, she decided to prepare enough for two.

If Jiang Li suddenly got the urge to eat a midnight snack and took hers, she’d have to make another serving. If he didn’t want any, she could always bring it downstairs to feed the stray cat. In any case, she wouldn’t let herself lose out.

Jiang Li emerged from his shower.

He wore pure black silk pajamas, a dry towel in hand as he rubbed at his damp black hair.

A faint fragrance drifted through the living room.

Xu Anan glanced up.

Oh? He’d used her shower gel.

“If you’re hungry, there’s more in the pot, but you’ll have to serve yourself.”

“Just used my hands, and now you want me to use them again?” Jiang Li smirked wickedly, hanging his towel beside the pink one before heading into the kitchen.

Xu Anan was stunned for a few seconds before she understood what Jiang Li was implying.

Her cheeks instantly flushed.

That shameless man—his mind was a cesspool of innuendo!

But Jiang Li was refreshingly down-to-earth. He brought out the entire pot and ate straight from it, like a refined prince who’d accidentally wandered into the mortal world, perfectly out of place.

He soon noticed Xu Anan watching him.

Without a word, Jiang Li scooped some noodles from the pot into her bowl.

Back in middle school, he’d taken a part-time job at the neighbor’s snack shop to lessen his mother’s burden, delivering takeout for some pocket money.

The neighbor was kind and always made sure he had a midnight snack.

After his mother died in a car accident during his high school years, he was taken back by the Jiang family. Gradually, he gave up the habit of eating late at night, unless he was up working.

Now, just a little was enough for him.

Xu Anan hesitated, wanting to say something.

She was actually almost full.

But since the noodles were already in her bowl, it would be rude to return them to Jiang Li. She could only nibble slowly, planning to take the leftovers downstairs for the stray cat.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li took it upon himself to wash the dishes.

Seeing that Xu Anan still had noodles left, he took her bowl and, without a word, finished them off. Only then did Xu Anan’s words blurt out.

“Don’t throw them away, I was going to feed the cat.”

Jiang Li had already finished the noodles and was momentarily speechless. “You’ll feed it to a cat, but not to me?”

Xu Anan’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise, her heart skipping a beat—she hadn’t expected Jiang Li to be unbothered about eating after her.

Jiang Li noticed the flush at the tips of her ears and realized what he’d done, a faint, suspicious blush creeping over his handsome face.

“Wasting food is shameful.”

“I—I was going to give it to the cat, that’s not wasting,” Xu Anan retorted, averting her gaze.

“You have a cat now?”

“A stray,” she replied, pausing as she watched Jiang Li washing dishes. His earlier words echoed in her mind, striking her as oddly familiar—almost as if she’d once told him she wanted to keep a cat.

And she had, always wanted one.

But buying a cat, all the supplies, the ongoing costs—vitamin pastes, hairball remedies, all sorts of supplements. If the cat fell ill, the expenses would be more than she’d ever spent on herself. She’d given up on the idea.

Later, she found a stray downstairs and thought of adopting it, but the cat was born free and wouldn’t follow her home.

So she simply came down every day to feed it.

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang.

Xu Anan was puzzled. Who could be visiting at this hour?

Jiang Li reached the door before she could react.

“Come on, let’s go feed the cat.”

“What?” Only then did Xu Anan realize it was Assistant Wang at the door, delivering a large bundle—cat food and an assortment of treats.

Jiang Li grabbed her wrist and led her downstairs.

“I ate its noodles, so now I’m compensating.”

Xu Anan’s eyes curved with amusement, a slight smile playing on her lips. Jiang Li, serious and calculating, was actually quite endearing.

It was after ten, and the neighborhood was silent, everyone tucked into bed.

The halo of the streetlights shimmered gently above their heads.

“Kitty, kitty? Where are you?”

“Tonight’s meal is a feast.”

Xu Anan looked around but could not spot the orange tabby. “Probably off on another adventure. We’ll check again tomorrow.”

Jiang Li raised his hand and pointed.

“Is that the fat one?”

Xu Anan followed his gesture and spotted the orange cat, lazily flirting with a black one, tail held high in the air.

So it was courting, after all!

She shook her head with a soft laugh. “That one’s determined to give every stray tomcat a home—works hard at it every day.”

At this, Jiang Li’s lips curved.

“Ambitious, I like it.”

“Second Master, you must have similar ambitions, right? Birds of a feather.” Xu Anan smirked, walking toward the orange tabby. “Hurry, if you don’t eat, you’ll waste away.”

“Meow.”

The black cat turned and left.

The orange tabby reluctantly padded over to Xu Anan, bumped against her leg, then circled curiously around Jiang Li.

Xu Anan recalled how it had taken her a week of tossing sausages before the cat trusted her. She watched with amusement, expecting Jiang Li to be rebuffed.

But suddenly, the orange tabby stood on its hind legs, front paws pressed together.

Begging outright!

“Meow~”

“This fat cat knows who the real benefactor is,” Jiang Li squatted down, opened a can, and placed it in front of the orange tabby.

The cat immediately dug in.

Jiang Li reached out to stroke it, and the tabby flopped onto its back, baring its belly in utter enjoyment, leaving Xu Anan dumbfounded.

What was going on?

The difference in treatment was too much!

“Fat cat!”

“You’re never like this with me!”

The orange tabby wasn’t the least bit afraid. After acting cute, it went back to eating, as if it knew it had found a powerful backer. Its smugness made Xu Anan fume, “Fine, fat cat, you’re quick to abandon me, huh!”

“Alright then, from now on, you can wait for him to feed you. Don’t expect me to bring your meals!”

After finishing the can, the tabby licked its fur.

It stared at Xu Anan for a few seconds, then sauntered over, sprawled out in a star shape in front of her, yet turned its head to look at Jiang Li.

As if to say, 'You’re all just passing through, but I belong to you.'

Xu Anan was speechless.

Jiang Li burst out laughing, his voice hearty and clear. “Ha! This fat cat really is something!”