Summary: Tong Yao's first official day on the job at ZGDX begins with the arrival of her not-so-little shadow—Da Bing, her massive, judgmental, thirty-five-pound Siberian cat who wastes no time asserting dominance. With a flick of his tail and a single icy glare, Da Bing becomes both mascot and menace, unbothered by the chaos he causes.
Chapter Six
A couple of days later, Yao stood in front of the ZGDX base, shifting slightly as she adjusted the weight of Da Bing's carrier in her hands. The cool morning air brushed against her as she exhaled softly, her nerves settling into something steadier, something more certain than before.
She was here.
Dressed in fitted black jeans, her black, red, and white ZGDX sweater hanging slightly loose over her frame, her platinum silver hair neatly braided down her back, she looked every bit the part of someone who belonged to the team now. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, her laptop and notes packed inside, but the most noticeable thing? The large carrier she was holding. Inside, Da Bing, her massive Siberian cat, sat comfortably, his thick fur fluffed up as his blue eyes blinked at her lazily, already used to being transported in his personal space.
Yao swallowed, adjusting her grip before reaching up and pressing the doorbell. A faint buzz rang from inside, and for a few seconds, everything was quiet.
Then—
The door swung open, and standing there, looking far too awake for this early in the day, was Yue.
Yue, who immediately grinned the second he saw her. "Oh ho, look who's official now," he teased, leaning against the doorway. His eyes flickered over her outfit, to the bag on her shoulder, and finally to the large carrier in her hands. His smirk widened. "And you actually brought him."
Yao, slightly flustered, nodded. "I—I said I would."
Yue peeked down at the carrier. "Damn, he really is huge."
Da Bing, utterly unbothered, flicked his tail inside the carrier, giving Yue a slow, lazy blink before settling back into his fluffy mass.
Yue let out a low whistle. "Alright, come on in, before Cheng sees this and thinks you're trying to move in already."
Yao, mortified, scowled at him before stepping inside. And as she crossed the threshold, the feeling she had before, the quiet, unspoken sense of belonging, only deepened.
The moment Yao stepped into the ZGDX base and carefully set Da Bing's carrier down, she took a deep breath before unzipping the door.
Then—
A massive, fluffy, thick-furred Siberian cat stepped out, his large paws making no sound against the floor as he stretched fully, his body lengthening in an almost unnatural way.
And the room froze.
Lao Mao, who had been mid-sip of his drink, nearly choked. "What the hell is that?!"
"I…I think that that is Da Bing." muttered Lao K with wide eyes as he eyed the largest domestic cat he has ever seen in his life.
Pang, standing beside him, let out a low whistle. "No way that's a cat."
"That's… a big one." Ming muttered with his lips twitching in mild amusement.
Even Sicheng, who had just stepped into the room, paused, his sharp amber eyes flickering over the feline with the kind of calculation reserved for evaluating opponents.
Da Bing, entirely unbothered by the sudden attention, sat down gracefully beside Yao, his thick tail wrapping neatly around his large paws. His striking blue eyes slowly flickered over each of them, his expression carrying an unmistakable aura of judgmental indifference. He did not look impressed. If anything, he looked as if he had seen better, and that they were all something to be tolerated.
Silence stretched as the team processed the sheer size of the cat, the weight of his presence despite him saying nothing.
Then—
Yue grinned. "Oh my god, he's perfect."
Lao K still hadn't recovered. "Yao, I thought you said he was thirty-five pounds—"
Yao, slightly flustered, muttered, "He is."
Pang gawked. "He's the size of a damn bobcat."
Da Bing flicked his tail, his expression unimpressed, his large body completely relaxed beside Yao as if to say, And what of it?
Ming hummed. "He fits right in."
Sicheng, still watching, exhaled through his nose, shaking his head before turning away. "As long as he doesn't touch my fish."
At that, Da Bing slowly turned his icy blue gaze toward Sicheng, staring at him in a way that made it very clear. He was not the one to be giving orders here.
Sicheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Da Bing blinked, slowly, superiorly, then turned back to Yao as if dismissing him entirely.
Yue let out a cackle. "Oh hell yes, I love this cat."
Yao, burying her face in her hands, groaned. She was never going to survive this team.
Yao, still thoroughly flustered from the sheer reaction her cat had caused, sighed and lifted her head, gently scratching Da Bing behind his ears as he continued sitting beside her like a judgmental emperor surveying his new kingdom. "He won't attack anyone," she muttered, feeling the need to clarify before things got even more out of hand. "But… he doesn't like anyone but me."
The room paused.
Then—
Yue, who had been grinning this entire time, beamed. "Oh, even better."
Lao K, still reeling from the sheer size of Da Bing, squinted at the massive cat. "Wait, wait—so you're saying if we try to pet him, he's just going to… what? Hate us silently?"
Yao exhaled, nodding. "Pretty much."
Pang smirked. "I respect that."
Ming tilted his head. "So, he's like Sicheng?"
Silence.
Yao froze.
Sicheng, standing off to the side, slowly turned his head toward Ming with a deadpan expression.
Lao Mao, always the instigator, grinned. "Actually, yeah, I see it."
"Oh my god, we should've seen this coming! Of course Yao's cat is just Cheng in feline form!" Yue, cackling, threw his arm around Pang's shoulder.
"Doesn't like people? Judgy as hell? Stares like he's silently questioning everyone's life choices?" Lao K, now fully onboard, nodded sagely.
Pang snorted. "Yup. That's him."
Da Bing, utterly unbothered by the conversation, flicked his tail and stretched out further beside Yao, looking completely indifferent to the chaos he had caused.
Sicheng, still staring at the cat, narrowed his eyes slightly.
Da Bing, sensing the look, turned his gaze toward him.
A silent standoff.
Amber eyes met icy blue.
No movement.
No sound.
Just pure dominance play between a six-foot-two professional gamer and a thirty-five-pound Siberian cat who clearly thought he owned the place.
Yao, watching this unfold, groaned and buried her face in her hands. "This is not what I meant," she mumbled.
Yao sighed, already regretting bringing Da Bing with her, but there was no going back now. Shifting slightly, she adjusted her position and carefully reached down, her fingers sinking into the massive fluff of Da Bing's fur. "Come on," she murmured, gently bobbing him up and down in an attempt to distract him from the absolute chaos unfolding around them. "Just ignore them."
Da Bing growled. Not a full growl—not aggressive, not threatening—but a deep, grumbling sound from his chest that immediately made the room go silent.
Because the reason he was growling?
Was Yue.
Who had leaned in too close to Yao.
Yue, blinking in surprise, immediately froze mid-motion, his hands slightly raised in surrender. "Wait, wait, wait—is he growling at me?"
"I told you, he doesn't like anyone but me." Yao sighed again, still gently bobbing Da Bing.
Lao K, watching in pure entertainment, leaned forward. "Oh, this is great."
Pang smirked. "Yeah, I dunno, Yue… he does not like you near her."
Yue, now very aware of Da Bing's sharp blue stare boring into his soul, slowly stepped back. "Hey, hey, it's cool, it's cool—no need for violence, man."
Da Bing grumbled again.
Sicheng, still watching from his usual calm, composed stance, didn't say anything. But his lips curled ever so slightly at the corner, an almost imperceptible twitch of approval.
Yao, noticing this, huffed and gave Da Bing one last gentle bob before setting him down. "You're being dramatic," she muttered at him.
Da Bing simply sat down beside her again, his tail curling neatly around his paws, his icy blue gaze still locked onto Yue like he was making absolutely sure he stayed in his lane.
"Looks like you're not the favorite, Yue." Ming chuckled softly with his arms crossed over his chest.
Yue, still mildly offended, muttered, "I literally didn't do anything."
Lao Mao shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You got too close to her."
Yao, exasperated, rubbed her temple. "He's not guarding me—"
Yue crossed his arms. "Yeah? Then why is he still staring at me like that?"
Everyone turned to look.
And sure enough—
Da Bing was still staring.
Expression unimpressed.
Eyes judgmental.
Tail flicking slightly, like he was waiting for Yue to try something stupid.
"I swear to god, it's like you sent him after me." Yue groaned and turned to Sicheng.
Sicheng, who had yet to actually involve himself in this conversation, simply exhaled through his nose. Then, in a tone so casually indifferent it made the room pause, he muttered, "Good cat."
Yao nearly choked.
Yue gasped. "YOU'RE SIDING WITH HIM?!"
Ming smirked. "I mean, he does have good instincts."
Lao K cackled. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Yao, burying her face in her hands, groaned. "I am never going to survive this team."
The moment those words left Sicheng's mouth—Good cat—Da Bing's ears perked up. His massive, fluffy body shifted, his sharp blue eyes flickering toward Sicheng with an unmistakable awareness. Then, without hesitation, without fear, the massive Siberian cat sauntered across the room.
The team froze.
Yue's mouth dropped open. "Wait. Wait. What is he—"
Lao K, now fully invested, leaned forward. "No. No way."
Ming was watching like this was the most fascinating experiment he had ever witnessed.
And Yao?
Yao stared in horror as her cat, the same cat that had ignored every other human being in existence, calmly walked right up to Lu Sicheng and sat down at his feet. Not just sat down. Plopped down with a sense of entitlement, tail wrapping neatly around his large paws as he lifted his demanding, judgmental gaze up at Sicheng. Like he was expecting something. Like he was waiting.
Yue wheezed. "Oh my god—he wants you to pet him."
Lao K laughed outright. "What the hell, Yao?! I thought you said he doesn't like anyone but you?!"
Yao, still reeling, stammered, "H-He—he doesn't—I-I don't—" But before she could even finish her sentence, before she could process the absolute betrayal happening before her—
Sicheng moved. Casually, smoothly, like he had expected this all along, he reached down and scratched right behind Da Bing's ears.
Da Bing purred.
Not just a soft purr.
A deep, rattling, content purr that made everyone in the room lose their minds.
"EXCUSE ME?" Yue gasped dramatically, nearly falling over the couch.
Pang pointed. "YAO, EXPLAIN THIS."
"That's it. He's not your cat anymore." Lao Mao let out a low whistle.
Yao, completely speechless, gawked. "I—w-what—h-how—"
Meanwhile, Sicheng—completely unbothered—simply continued scratching Da Bing's ears, his expression unreadable, his touch expertly precise like he had been meant to do this all along. Then, in a calm, smug, dangerous tone, he murmured, "Looks like you were wrong."
Yao died inside.
Yue collapsed in laughter.
And Da Bing?
Da Bing purred even louder, as if sealing his fate.
Yao, still utterly overwhelmed by the betrayal unfolding in front of her, could barely find her voice. Her mouth opened, then closed, her hazel eyes flickering between her cat—who was happily purring under Sicheng's touch—and the smug man currently scratching behind his ears like he owned him. Finally, after a few seconds of pure internal struggle, she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, "B-But—b-but Da Bing even… h-he even hates Ai Jia and Jinyang…"
The room paused.
Then—
Yue cackled. "Oh my god," he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Ai Jia? Jinyang? And he likes Sicheng? Oh, this is just too good."
"Damn, he really has standards, huh?" Lao K, grinning, folded his arms.
Pang, still watching Da Bing vibrating with pure contentment, snorted. "Yeah, this cat definitely knows what he's doing."
Ming hummed thoughtfully. "So… what you're saying is, he actively dislikes people you don't like?"
Yao, embarrassed beyond words, nodded quickly, her face turning redder by the second.
Sicheng, still scratching Da Bing's ears, tilted his head slightly, his amber eyes flickering toward her with something slow, something knowing. "…But he likes me."
Yao's entire body tensed as she wilted. "I—I d-don't k-know how to e-explain—"
Yue, grinning far too widely, leaned in. "Oh no, no, no, please explain, Yao."
She whimpered.
But Sicheng?
Sicheng simply let out a slow, pleased exhale, fingers still expertly scratching behind Da Bing's ears, his smirk subtle, but lethal. "Seems clear enough to me," he murmured.
Yao wanted to disappear.
The second Da Bing sensed Yao's increasingly flustered expression, his sharp blue eyes flicked up, immediately locking onto her face. His purring stopped, his massive body shifting as he slowly stood, his thick tail flicking once in a decisive motion. Then, without hesitation, he sauntered back over to Yao, positioning himself firmly in front of her before settling down with all the grace and weight of a royal guardian.
And then—
He growled.
At everyone.
Even Sicheng.
The teasing, the laughter, the relentless prodding—all of it came to a dead halt.
"Whoa, whoa, alright, I get it." Lao K immediately lifted his hands.
Yue, grinning way too hard, leaned back, clearly trying to play innocent. "Hey, hey, we were just having fun—"
Another growl.
Yue snapped his mouth shut.
"Interesting." Ming muttered with his lips twitching as if he was fighting back a laugh.
Even Sicheng, who had been entirely unbothered up until now, paused. His amber gaze flickered down to Da Bing, studying the unapologetic way the cat had stationed himself between him and Yao, the way he sat firmly in place, his presence commanding, his growl carrying a very clear message.
Enough.
Sicheng exhaled slowly, his lips curling just slightly, more amused than anything else. "You're protective." he murmured.
Da Bing stared at him.
Sicheng, still calm, tilted his head slightly. "And possessive."
Da Bing's tail flicked once, as if agreeing.
Yao, still dying of embarrassment, sighed and muttered under her breath, "I—I told you he only likes me…"
Pang, watching this insane display unfold, exhaled sharply. "Man, he just ended teasing time."
Lao Mao let out a low whistle. "Guess that means we're done messing with her."
Yue, smirking, leaned back with a knowing look. "For now."
But no one dared to say another word.
Because Da Bing?
Da Bing had spoken.
The moment Yue smirked and muttered "For now," Da Bing's fur bristled.
Yao felt him tense in front of her, his thick, fluffy coat puffing up like a storm cloud, his tail flicking sharply against the floor.
And then—
A sharp, warning hiss cut through the room.
Yue froze.
Everyone else did, too.
Lao K, already having learned his lesson, immediately scooted back, hands raised in surrender. "Oh hell no, I'm not getting involved in this."
Pang let out a low whistle, clearly entertained but also not stupid enough to provoke the beast.
Ming hummed thoughtfully, as if he was watching a very interesting documentary unfold before him.
Meanwhile—
"What?!" Yue, wide-eyed, stared at Da Bing, utterly betrayed.
Da Bing, still bristling, stared back, his sharp blue gaze piercing.
"Me?! I was joking!" Yue pointed at himself.
Da Bing hissed again.
"Okay, okay, damn! Message received!" Yue immediately leaned away.
Sicheng, who had been watching with mild amusement, exhaled slowly before shaking his head. "You should've stopped talking while you had the chance."
Yue scowled. "Oh, shut up, you like this."
Sicheng didn't deny it. Instead, he simply lifted an eyebrow and murmured, "Good cat."
Da Bing, satisfied, flicked his tail and settled back down in front of Yao, as if reclaiming his rightful place as her guardian.
Yao, mortified beyond words, sighed and rubbed her face. "I—I told you he doesn't like anyone…"
"I hate that you're right." Yue let out a long suffering groan, flopping back against the couch.
Pang smirked. "I love that you're right."
Lao Mao chuckled. "Yeah, this is great."
"I think he's officially our new favorite teammate." snickered Ming as he shook his head at them.
And Da Bing?
Da Bing simply closed his eyes, utterly victorious.
A few hours later, Sicheng sat back in his chair, arms crossed loosely as his sharp amber eyes flickered over to her.
Yao.
She was seated at her new workstation—the one he had paid Rui to set up for her—positioned near their gaming and training computer stations so she could work alongside them. Her posture was relaxed yet focused, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard as she analyzed data, breaking down strategies, her brows furrowing slightly in concentration. She hadn't even noticed him watching. Hadn't noticed the way his gaze lingered, the way he subtly took in every movement, every shift in her expression, the way she chewed her bottom lip ever so slightly when she was deep in thought.
She was in her element.
And beside her—
Da Bing.
The massive Siberian cat had claimed a chair she had pulled over, stretching himself across it with lazy entitlement. His large, fluffy tail flicked occasionally, but otherwise, he seemed completely at peace, lounging beside her as if he belonged there.
Sicheng's lips twitched slightly. Of course he did. Because Yao had brought him here. Because Yao belonged here. Because this was hers now. She was theirs now.
And Sicheng?
Sicheng wasn't going to let her forget it.
Yao sighed as her phone rang, the screen lighting up with Jinyang's name. She was in the middle of something, her fingers flying across the keyboard, deeply focused on compiling the latest analysis for the team. She didn't have time for whatever chaos Jinyang was about to bring into her life. Without stopping her typing, she hit the speakerphone button and placed the phone beside her. "You're on speaker, I'm busy," she muttered, already knowing this call was going to test her patience.
Jinyang, completely unbothered, immediately launched into her usual dramatic tone. "Yao, you will not BELIEVE what I have suffered through!"
Yao didn't even glance at the phone as she continued typing. "I feel like I'm going to find out whether I want to or not."
Jinyang let out an exasperated groan. "I am FINALLY ungrounded from my tyrant of an older brother, all thanks to that damn LU YUE tattling to him!"
Yao's fingers paused.
For exactly half a second.
Then—
She continued typing, pretending she hadn't just realized what had happened. Because what Jinyang didn't know? Was that she was on speakerphone. And the entire ZGDX team—including Lu Yue—was listening in. But none of them made a sound.
Sicheng, sitting at his usual spot, exhaled slowly, his lips twitching slightly in what could have been amusement. Ming, casually leaning back in his chair, lifted a brow, his smirk wicked. Lao Mao and Pang exchanged silent glances, both barely containing their laughter. Lao Mao covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing.
And Lu Yue?
Lu Yue, who had just been accused of ruining Jinyang's freedom, remained completely expressionless but his eyes carried a particular glint.
Still, no one said a word.
Jinyang, oblivious, kept going. "Do you know how HARD it was to survive under the rule of Chen Kazemi?" she ranted. "He kept me locked in like some damn medieval princess!"
Yao, utterly unimpressed, muttered, "I mean… you did get grounded for a reason."
Jinyang ignored her. "ANYWAY. To celebrate my long-awaited freedom, we are going clubbing tonight!"
"No, we're not." Yao's fingers didn't stop typing.
Jinyang gasped as if personally offended. "What do you mean, no?!"
"No." Yao repeated flatly.
Jinyang huffed. "Fine, fine, what about shopping first? You need new clothes, I just KNOW you do."
"Still no."
"Come on, Yao, you owe me this!"
Yao, finally pausing in her typing, blinked at the phone. "How do I owe you anything?"
Jinyang groaned dramatically. "Yao, you never come out with me! You never go to clubs! You never drink! You never let loose!"
"Because I don't like clubs. Or getting drunk. And I am working. At my new job. I can't just drop everything to go shopping or clubbing." Yao sighed, rubbing her temple.
Silence.
A very brief silence.
Then—
"…Wait, NEW JOB?!" Jinyang's tone immediately changed.
Yao winced. She had not meant to let that slip. She could practically feel the energy shift in the room. Yue was grinning like a devil, Pang was gripping his chair in excitement, and Lao K was barely holding back his laughter. Still, no one spoke.
Jinyang, not knowing she had an entire audience, demanded, "WHERE are you working?!"
Yao, knowing better, refused to answer. "That's not important."
"Excuse me? It is VERY important!"
Yao, suddenly very focused on her laptop screen, muttered, "I'm not telling you."
"WHAT?! WHY NOT?!"
Yao sighed, still refusing to look at the rest of the team, despite feeling their silent amusement radiating through the room. "Because if I tell you, you'll tell Ai Jia, and then he'll annoy me for a week straight."
Jinyang paused.
Then, suspiciously, "…So it's somewhere that would annoy him?"
Yao bit her lip. "…No comment."
And from his chair, Lu Sicheng, who had remained silent this entire time, exhaled deeply, his voice smooth, even, but undeniably amused.
"Smart girl."
Jinyang froze.
Yao froze.
Everyone else?
Lost it.
Lao Mao Collapsed onto the table, howling in laughter. Pang cackled so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. Lao K pounded his fist against the armrest, wheezing.
Ming simply smirked
And Lu Yue?
Lu Yue, who had been called out as a 'tattletale' just minutes earlier, finally leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Oh, this is fun," he murmured, his lips curving just slightly.
The moment Jinyang froze in realization, her voice dropping into a sharp inhale of horror, Yao knew she was doomed. "…I'm on speaker, aren't I?"
Yao groaned, her fingers tightening around the keyboard as she buried her face in her hands.
Jinyang, still panicking, immediately backpedaled. "Wait, wait, wait, who's listening—"
But before she could spiral further, before anyone else could tease Yao even more, before Yue could prolong her suffering, Sicheng—who had remained completely silent until now—tilted his head slightly, his amber eyes flickering toward Yao with sharp awareness. She hadn't said where she was working. She hadn't planned to tell them. And he could see it. She didn't want Jinyang or Ai Jia to know. So before the others could push it further, before anyone could say something Yao didn't want them to, his smooth, low voice cut through the laughter like a blade.
"That's enough."
The room fell silent.
Yue immediately stopped laughing, straightening in his chair. Pang and Lao K glanced at each other, still amused but suddenly cautious.
Ming, as always, remained composed, simply watching with quiet interest.
Yao, still hiding behind her hands, froze completely.
On the phone, Jinyang paused, her voice hesitant. "Uh… Yao?"
Sicheng, exhaling slowly, turned his attention back to his screen, his tone casual, but his meaning clear. "She's working. That's all you need to know."
Yao's breath hitched.
And Jinyang—who wasn't stupid—immediately understood the warning beneath his words.
"…Right," Jinyang muttered, no longer pressing. "Got it."
Sicheng's eyes flickered toward Yao just briefly before he turned his focus back to his own screen. "Hang up." he said smoothly.
Yao, still stunned, quickly reached over and ended the call before Jinyang could say anything else.
Silence settled in the room.
Yue opened his mouth—
But Sicheng shot him a look.
Yue immediately closed his mouth.
Yao, still gripping her phone, slowly turned toward Sicheng. He didn't look at her. Didn't acknowledge anything. Didn't ask for a thank you. But the fact remained. He had done that for her. And the warmth curling in her chest? She had no idea what to do with it.
"I am shocked she didn't recognize Cheng's voice." muttered Rui as he eyed Yao's phone causing everyone to blink with frozen looks before laughter once more filled the room.