They finally reached the corner near the back fence.
The cardboard box shifted slightly.
Four tiny kittens huddled together inside.
And beside them—
The mother cat.
The moment Yun Hu saw them, his body stiffened.
His ears perked up.
His tail puffed slightly.
A low purr vibrated in his chest—not the soft cute kind, but the territorial warning type.
Chen immediately noticed.
"Yun Hu," he said gently, stroking his back. "Calm down."
But Yun Hu didn't.
His eyes were locked on the other cats.
Chen lowered his voice. "If you behave, I'll give you more treats."
Senior Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Are you coaching a child?"
Zhou Kai snorted softly.
But then—
To everyone's surprise—
Yun Hu's purring gradually softened.
His tail slowly returned to normal.
He blinked once, then looked up at Chen.
Chen took out a small treat from his pocket and handed it to him.
Yun Hu accepted it with dignity.
Then he calmly walked to a slightly elevated cement block nearby and sat down.
High enough.
Perfect position.
Supervising everyone.
Juri stared.
"…He understood."
Zhou Kai folded his arms. "I refuse to believe that."
Meanwhile, the mother cat had been watching carefully.
She had tensed the moment they approached.
But seeing Yun Hu settle down—
Seeing Chen's calm presence—
She slowly relaxed too.
Her posture softened.
The kittens peeked out a little more boldly.
Juri looked at Chen with genuine admiration.
"Professor… you're amazing."
Chen blinked. "What?"
"You negotiated peace," she said seriously.
Chen laughed lightly. "It's just trust."
On the cement block, Yun Hu sat like a tiny guard captain overseeing construction.
Senior Xiao picked up a wooden board.
"Alright," he said. "Let's start building."
They had just finished discussing the layout when Zhou Kai suddenly paused mid-step.
"Wait," he said, pointing at the cardboard box. "How are we supposed to build this without moving them?"
The kittens were still huddled together. The mother cat lay half-curled around them, her eyes watchful but calm.
Before anyone else could answer—
Smack.
Juri slapped Zhou Kai's arm.
"Idiot," he said flatly. "We're not building on top of them."
He pointed toward the far corner near the low balcony.
"There. That corner has the balcony roof above it. It's covered from rain, and no one can easily spot their hideout from outside."
Zhou Kai rubbed his arm dramatically. "Oh."
Senior Xiao didn't even look up. "Use your brain occasionally."
Chen laughed softly at the chaos, then quietly rolled up his sweater sleeves.
The motion was simple.
But somehow—
Everyone noticed.
The soft beige sweater slid up neatly to reveal his forearms. The cool winter air brushed against his skin, and a faint pink tint appeared from the chill.
Chen looked at the corner Juri had pointed to and made a small gesture with his hand.
"Let's do it."
And so the construction began.
Senior Xiao handled measurements with calm precision.
Juri organized the boards and insulation sheets.
Zhou Kai carried wood like he was on a heroic mission.
Chen crouched down, holding the base panel steady while explaining how they should elevate it slightly so the cold ground wouldn't seep in.
"Like this," he said, adjusting the wooden block underneath. "It'll stay warmer."
Zhou Kai stared at him.
How was this man good at everything?
Even building cat shelters.
In between actual work, they kept messing around.
Zhou Kai purposely placed a piece slightly crooked just to annoy Juri.
Juri fixed it without a word.
At one point, Juri and Zhou Kai started playfully arguing over which side was straighter.
"It's clearly tilted."
"It's not tilted!"
"It is."
"It's your eyesight that's tilted."
Chen laughed again.
That soft, airy laugh.
The kind that made winter feel less cold.
Senior Xiao wiped his forehead dramatically. "I'm tired."
Zhou Kai immediately grinned. "You're getting old, Mr. Xiao."
Senior Xiao gave him a calm but lethal look.
Chen, who was adjusting a nail, chimed in casually, "Me too."
The reaction was instant.
Zhou Kai straightened so fast he almost dropped the hammer.
"Nooo. You're not."
Absolute sincerity.
Juri slowly turned his head toward him.
"…You're double standard."
Zhou Kai froze.
"That's not what I meant!"
Senior Xiao folded his arms. "Explain, then."
Zhou Kai opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Chen blinked at all of them, confused and smiling faintly. "What did I say?"
Juri sighed dramatically. "Nothing, Professor. You're eternally young. Please continue."
Chen chuckled and returned to hammering the final nail.
When they finally stepped back to admire their work, the mother cat cautiously approached first. She sniffed the entrance, then slowly stepped inside.
They all held their breath.
After a few seconds, she curled up on the pillow.
Success.
Yun Hu, who had been watching from his elevated "supervisor" spot, stretched lazily before jumping down. He walked with slow authority, inspected the shelter like a landlord checking property, then stepped inside too.This time mother cat seems to think of him as his child too.
He circled once.
Twice.
Then settled beside the mother cat.
Xiao whispered, "They approve."
Juri crossed his arms. "Of course. We're professionals."
Chen crouched near the entrance and smiled softly at the sight of them nestled against the pillows.
His eyes looked warm. Content.