Lu Linyuan

Biodata

Background

Lu Linyuan belongs to the wealthy Lu family. His father is Grandma Lu’s second son, and Lu Yiyi is his younger sister. His extended family includes his cousin Lu Linfeng, the son of his third uncle, and his youngest aunt, Lu Lingling 3 28.

He has known Su Qingzhi since childhood and Chen Xiao since middle school. According to Su Qingzhi, Linyuan was so expressionless during their school years that he resembled a statue 8.

Before Ruanruan arrived, Linyuan had been away from home for two months. During his absence, Yiyi arranged for a dedicated cat room to be designed in his house, then brought the kitten to him after his return. Ruanruan became the first cat he had ever raised 5 8.

Appearance

• Face: Handsome, with long, narrow phoenix eyes, upturned outer eye corners, a high nose, defined brow bones, and a striking jawline 3 5 22.
• Build: Tall and leanly muscular, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and eight-pack abdominal muscles 7 14.
• Voice: Low, cold, and magnetic; Ruanruan finds it attractive despite his cutting remarks 7.
• Bearing: Usually aloof and intimidating. His elegant appearance contrasts with his deadpan teasing 3 5 14.
• Clothing: Wears suits, comfortable loungewear, and silk pajamas; he claims to own a hundred sets of the latter 13 34.

Personality

Linyuan is reserved and difficult to read. His indifferent expression initially frightens Ruanruan, while his blunt comments repeatedly undermine her attempts to earn praise. He calls her a “little pig” for finishing her food and mocks her clumsiness, often while simultaneously cleaning, holding, or petting her 3 5.

His attachment shows more clearly through actions than words. He watches Ruanruan’s surveillance feed even while out with friends, leaves a night-light on for her, and gets out of bed to meet her needs. Su Qingzhi notices that keeping a cat makes his expression less cold 8 15.

He is protective but also enjoys provoking reactions. He threatens punishment, pretends to drop Ruanruan to discourage unsafe climbing, and frequently teases her about food. Nevertheless, he accepts responsibility when his failure to recognize her need for the toilet causes an accident, and he comforts her after she crashes his computer 5 14 15 21.

Linyuan is possessive of Ruanruan’s attention. He rejects his friends’ offers to take her home, retrieves her when she becomes affectionate with Su Qingzhi, and grows jealous when she happily accepts attention from strangers. Yiyi openly laughs at this side of him 9 18 45 47.

His treatment of staff can be stern without being indiscriminate. After Cheng Li mishandles Ruanruan, he refuses to dismiss her mother, Wang Xiuyu, and offers Wang additional paid leave if her illness requires it 11 13.

Abilities & Skills

Corporate Management

• Reviews internal company submissions, approving or rejecting documents and sometimes providing reasons for his decisions 21.
• Regularly attends meetings, reviews documents, and listens to reports 49.
• Resolves the computer problem caused by Ruanruan’s keyboard jumping; the files survive because they were automatically saved 21.

Observation and Problem-Solving

• Uses peripheral vision to catch Ruanruan approaching his keyboard while he appears occupied with work 21.
• Reviews camera footage rather than relying solely on a servant’s flattering account of Ruanruan’s behavior 10.
• Confirms that Ruanruan has memorized a cabinet’s four-digit combination by deliberately entering it incorrectly and letting her supply the final key 48.

Cat Care

• Personally feeds Ruanruan, cleans her after litter-box visits, and tends to her during the night 9 15 31.
• Consults a professional about caring for a frightened kitten and discusses medical decisions with a veterinarian 13 42.
• Arranges litter boxes on multiple floors and reminds Yiyi to add fish oil to Ruanruan’s breakfast while he is abroad 46.
• Limit: Cannot understand her meows directly. His interpretations are guesses, and he sometimes mistakes requests for affection or the toilet for something else 5 32 34.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Becoming Ruanruan’s Owner

Yiyi brings Xue Yao, now a kitten, to Linyuan’s home. His intimidating gaze immediately frightens her, but he quickly becomes absorbed in petting her. He names her Ruanruan because she feels soft and places a cat bed on his study desk so she can remain near him while he works 2 3 4.

His inexperience becomes apparent when he mistakes her frantic need to urinate for fear of unfamiliar surroundings. After she wets his hand and trousers, he recognizes that the accident resulted from his own oversight rather than blaming her 5.

Protecting Her at Home

Linyuan returns early from work and catches Ruanruan when Cheng Li drops her near a table. He reprimands Cheng Li, tells her to leave, and later prohibits non-staff visitors from entering his residence without permission 11 13.

Concerned about the kitten’s fright, he consults a professional and gives her close company. His care extends to sharing his bed, carrying her to the litter box, cleaning her, and preparing food when she becomes hungry during the night 13 15.

Bringing Her into Office Life

Ruanruan accompanies Linyuan to work, where employees interpret her attempts at mischief as affection. He approves a manager’s proposal to provide cat toys in the conference room 18 19.

Hoping to be returned to Yiyi, Ruanruan escalates her behavior until she crashes his computer by jumping on the keyboard. Linyuan still does not send her away. Once the computer is restored, he reassures and comforts her, despite threatening to discipline her 21 22.

The Old Residence and Lu Linfeng

Linyuan takes Ruanruan to visit Grandma Lu. When Lu Linfeng holds her too tightly, Linyuan takes her back and makes a pointed remark about the cost of his cousin’s clothes 26 28 29.

Later, he enters Yiyi’s bedroom as Linfeng is carrying the frightened kitten toward a window. Linfeng claims he merely came to investigate her cries. Linyuan responds, “That had better be true,” checks Ruanruan’s body, and keeps her with him afterward 30.

After returning home, he cleans Ruanruan himself and lets her sleep beside him rather than leaving her alone in the cat room, concerned that the incident may have unsettled her 31.

Health Decisions and Overseas Travel

After a hospital examination finds no serious illness, Linyuan considers the risks and benefits of spaying Ruanruan. He seeks Yiyi’s opinion but does not reach a final decision in the supplied account 42.

When Ruanruan is four and a half months old, he leaves for an overseas trip of roughly one week. He asks Yiyi to stay at his house so the kitten can remain in familiar surroundings. While away, he checks on her care, sends her a gift, and becomes jealous of photographs showing her enjoying other people’s attention 43 44 45 46 47.

Discovering Her Unusual Intelligence

After reviewing footage of Ruanruan stealing snacks, Linyuan installs combination locks on the cabinet. She memorizes the code and resumes stealing, prompting him to test—and confirm—her ability to unlock it 48.

His joke that he can no longer afford to keep her causes her to panic. He reassures her that he will not send her away, promises more meals while forbidding further snack theft, and prepares a chicken sausage for her 49.

Relationships

• Xue Yao / Ruanruan — His kitten and daily companion. Their relationship develops from her fear of him into reliance on his protection and care. He occasionally suspects that she understands his words, but does not understand her speech 3 11 22 49.
• Lu Yiyi — Younger sister, responsible for bringing Ruanruan into his life. He trusts her with the kitten’s care and reminds her to return home safely when she goes out 8 26 43.
• Grandma Lu — Paternal grandmother. He visits her at the family’s old residence, brings Ruanruan at her request, and cautions her against going out in extreme heat 26 28.
• Su Qingzhi — Childhood friend. Their banter increasingly revolves around Ruanruan, whom Linyuan refuses to give him 8 18 45.
• Chen Xiao — Close friend since middle school. Chen repeatedly offers to take Ruanruan home, without success 8 9 45.
• Lu Linfeng — Cousin through his third uncle. Their relationship is strained; Linyuan challenges his explanations after finding him with the terrified Ruanruan 28 30.
• Uncle Chen — Household butler. Linyuan delegates household tasks to him and holds him accountable for allowing Cheng Li to substitute for Wang Xiuyu without permission 4 13.
• Wang Xiuyu and Cheng Li — Long-serving household employee and her daughter. He reprimands Cheng Li for endangering Ruanruan but does not punish Wang for her daughter’s behavior 11 13.
• Unidentified alleged partner — Yiyi tells Yin Qianyu that Linyuan has a partner, but no identity is established. Ruanruan later wonders whether the claim was an excuse or whether his partner could be a man; neither theory is confirmed 43 44 49.

Property & Items

• City-center villa — A staffed residence with an elevator, a large study, a spacious walk-in closet, central air conditioning, and a fresh-air ventilation system 2 11 13 35.
• Cat-room surveillance system — Lets him check recordings, save screenshots, and speak to Ruanruan remotely 6 31 32.
• Ruanruan’s jade collar — A delicate collar he gives her, which she admires in the mirror 39.
• Combination-locked snack cabinet — Installed after Ruanruan’s first recorded snack theft; she subsequently learns its code 48.

Notable Quotes

“She's quite soft to the touch, so I'm calling her Ruanruan.” 5

“He couldn't blame the cat for this. He was the one who hadn't thought of it.” — Narration describing his response to Ruanruan’s toilet accident 5

“Maybe. Anyway, she belongs to me.” 45