Being a Little Page Boy

As the end of the year approached, the festive New Year atmosphere in the town grew stronger by the day.

On New Year’s Eve, Dongfeng Town was unusually blessed with a day of sunshine. Curled up in the corner of a bamboo bed, Fei Yan squinted against the sunlight streaming through the lattice window.

She groggily opened her eyes and let out a lazy yawn.

Just as she was about to hop off the bed and head to the woodshed to look for Chen Miansheng like she usually did, she noticed he was already sitting at the table reading.

Perhaps to match the festive spirit of the New Year, today he wore a vermilion robe that she had never seen on him before.

The red made his skin look even fairer. His long black hair was tied up high, and his thick lashes drooped slightly. The outer corners of his narrow eyes were slightly lowered as well. One hand held a scripture, while the fingertips of the other hand tapped lightly on the table’s edge. The whole scene gave off an air of effortless elegance and graceful ease.

Fei Yan stared at him in a daze, unconsciously swallowing.

Could Chen Miansheng look any more handsome?

Perhaps noticing the little orange cat’s gaze, Chen Miansheng slowly shifted his eyes from the scripture to her. When he saw her staring intently at him, he smiled gently and crooked a finger at her. “Awake?”

Fei Yan’s body reacted faster than her brain. She immediately trotted over and dove straight into his arms.

As soon as she settled in, Chen Miansheng, as if performing a magic trick, pulled out a pair of red silk pendants from who knows where and gently clipped them onto her ears.

His fingertips were slightly cold. When they brushed against her ears, Fei Yan instinctively flicked them a couple of times.

The pendants were made from red string, shaped in a half-arc with a pretty bow in the center. Hanging from the bow was a small drop-shaped red jade bead, about the size of a soybean—lightweight and elegant.

They were so light that Fei Yan could barely feel them on her ears.

Still, not being used to them, she reflexively pawed at her ears with her soft little pads. In doing so, she caught a glimpse of Chen Miansheng’s red robes and suddenly realized how well the earrings matched his outfit. The two of them together looked incredibly festive.

It didn’t quite feel like New Year’s…more like a wedding.

The moment the word “wedding” popped into her mind, Fei Yan wanted to swat herself with her tail.

What on earth was she thinking about all day?

Naturally, Chen Miansheng had no idea that his little cat’s thoughts had already wandered a thousand miles away.

He had spotted the pendants at the market a few days ago. They were probably meant for children, but on a whim, he’d bought them anyway. He hadn’t expected them to suit the little cat so perfectly. “Little Orange, happy New Year’s Eve.”

Fei Yan almost reflexively replied “Happy New Year’s Eve” as well. She opened her mouth, then realized something was off, shook her head hard, and reached out with a paw to tug at his collar.

Chen Miansheng said, “Hm?”

Fei Yan flicked her tail toward the door.

He guessed her meaning. “Little Orange, are you wondering why we’re not going to the medicine hall today?”

Fei Yan glanced at the bright sun outside the window, then hesitantly nodded.

According to routine, she should have already finished breakfast and been on her way to the medicine hall in his arms. But today, not only had Chen Miansheng let her sleep in, he was sitting calmly inside reading a book, which was definitely unusual.

“Today is New Year’s Eve—the start of a new year. How this day goes is believed to influence your luck for the year ahead. The townspeople are superstitious and avoid visiting the medicine hall on this day. Even if they came, it wouldn’t matter.”

Worried his little cat might not understand human customs, Chen Miansheng explained in detail.

Of course Fei Yan understood. No wonder fewer and fewer patients had been coming to the medicine hall over the past few days—this was the reason.

“But this works out. We get to steal a bit of leisure and spend New Year’s Eve at home together,” Chen Miansheng said, habitually rubbing her fluffy little head. “You must be hungry. I’ve already prepared breakfast. It’s in the woodshed.”

Fei Yan nodded obediently and rubbed her head against his palm before running off toward the woodshed.

This morning’s breakfast was noticeably more extravagant than usual: crispy fried fish, salted egg yolk crumbles, a savory herbal broth—all arranged in a circle. Next to them was a small bowl holding two delicate soup dumplings.

Fei Yan smacked her lips in satisfaction. She hadn’t expected a special New Year bonus meal.

Just as she picked up a piece of crispy fish, ready to swallow it down, two loud knocks suddenly came from the front door.

She hesitated for a second, then carefully placed the fish back in the bowl and rushed back to Chen Miansheng’s side, tugging urgently at his robe and pulling him toward the door.

“Someone knocking?” he asked.

Fei Yan wagged her tail in response.

He nodded, put down his scripture, and strolled over to open the courtyard gate.

It was Wu Gang again.

Without caring whether Chen Miansheng could hear him or not, he immediately shouted, “Happy New Year’s Eve, Shopkeeper Chen!”

Wu Gang looked him up and down, then chuckled. “That robe looks festive! Like something a groom would wear on his wedding day.”

Then he looked down at Fei Yan. “Whoa, and even the Little Orange cat has dressed up today!”

Fei Yan blinked at him expectantly.

Don’t we look like a perfect match?

Who would’ve thought Wu Gang would immediately blurt out, “When Shopkeeper Chen gets married one day, dressing the little orange cat up like that and letting her carry a flower basket as a ‘little page boy’ would be quite fitting.”

Fei Yan: “?”

Chen Miansheng couldn’t hear Wu Gang’s teasing, so naturally he didn’t understand why the little cat who had been happily following him just a moment ago suddenly turned around like a whole different cat and headed back inside without even looking back.

He looked at Wu Gang, about to ask something, but then thought better of it. Even if Wu Gang answered, he wouldn’t be able to hear it. Smiling a little to himself, he quickly composed his expression and asked, “Brother Wu, what brings you here?”

Wu Gang was a bit thick-skinned and didn’t think much of the situation. He lifted the fish basket in front of Chen Miansheng and clumsily signed in hand gestures: “Happy New Year’s Eve, this is a New Year’s gift, don’t give it back.”

Chen Miansheng was slightly surprised. “Brother Wu, when did you learn to sign like this?”

Wu Gang made the sign for “five” with one hand while lifting the basket forward with the other.

The “five” clearly referred to Gu Wu. That made sense—there were only a handful of people in Dongfeng Town who knew sign language, and the only one who could’ve taught Wu Gang was Gu Wu.

Understanding now, Chen Miansheng didn’t refuse again. After all, it was a New Year’s gift, and not accepting it would go against tradition. He took the fish basket and said, “Happy New Year, Brother Wu. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Please also pass along my greetings to Madam Wu.”

Wu Gang nodded, cupped his hands in a farewell gesture, and turned to leave.

When Chen Miansheng brought the fish basket into the woodshed, he didn’t see a trace of his little cat, though all the breakfast he’d prepared had been eaten clean.

He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then turned to walk toward the study.

Sure enough, the moment he stepped inside, he spotted the long orange tail of the little cat sticking out from beneath the desk, swaying side to side with great force—a clear sign she was sulking.

He let out a helpless smile, bent down, and gently poked her tail with his fingertip. “Little Orange, come out.”

Her tail flicked his hand away without hesitation and stayed curled up under the desk.

Chen Miansheng was always patient with his little cat. “What did I do to make our Little Orange upset?”

It wasn’t you—it was that Wu Gang! He even suggested she act as a page boy at Chen Miansheng’s wedding.

Pah!

Seeing no response, Chen Miansheng’s gaze lowered as he considered for a moment. Then, choosing his words carefully, he asked, “Or… was it something Brother Wu said just now?”

The restless tail slowly stretched out a bit more from under the desk and smacked the floor twice.

Realizing he had guessed correctly, Chen Miansheng held back a laugh and continued, “If it wasn’t me who upset you, why are you taking it out on me?”

Apparently thinking he made a good point, the tail’s movements grew noticeably slower.

Drawing out his words, he chuckled. “Doesn’t Little Orange think I’m the one being wronged here?”

Fei Yan: “?” Wait, what did she just hear? Did that really come out of Chen Miansheng’s mouth?

Noticing how her tail suddenly froze in place, Chen Miansheng’s eyes narrowed in amusement. A thought seemed to cross his mind—he raised a hand, curled it into a loose fist, and started coughing loudly.

Fei Yan was startled. Wasn’t his coughing mostly gone by now? Why was it acting up again?

Without thinking, she crawled out from under the desk and had just lifted her head to check on him when a flash of red crossed her vision. The next moment, she was scooped into an embrace filled with the cool, crisp scent of pinewood.

The coughing had already stopped.

Only then did Fei Yan realize what had happened.

Just like the day she first arrived in this world—same place, same man, same cat.

—She’d been tricked by Chen Miansheng again.

Fuming, Fei Yan raised her tail, ready to swat him across the face for his deception.

But Chen Miansheng saw through her intentions instantly. His large hand, resting on the back of her neck, applied just enough pressure—not painful, but enough to make her whole body go limp.

He adjusted her in his arms so her head faced him, scratching her chin with a finger as he chuckled, “Finally willing to come out?”

Fei Yan swatted at him defiantly and grumbled inwardly, Only because you tricked me, you scoundrel.

Chen Miansheng’s eyes crinkled in amusement, his dark pupils shining with mirth. “You ungrateful little thing. I prepared all that good food for you. It wasn’t even me who upset you, yet you took it out on me. And now you’re trying to hit me with your tail?”

As he spoke, his fingers wrapped around her tail, curling it a few times, clearly with meaning.

It seemed like such a casual motion, but Fei Yan jolted as if shocked by electricity. She immediately pulled her tail far away from him, no longer letting him touch it.

Chen Miansheng, that shameless scoundrel! Why was he suddenly touching her tail like that?

He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the strength of her reaction to such a small gesture.

Letting go, he drew her closer into his arms and said softly, “Alright, alright. Big-hearted cats like Little Orange shouldn’t stay mad.”

The cool scent of pinewood lingered around her nose, rich enough to make Fei Yan’s head feel a little fuzzy. She licked the corner of her mouth, and even the frustration in her chest began to fade.

“Brother Wu even brought you a basket of fish,” Chen Miansheng said gently. “Though I couldn’t hear what he said, I’m sure he meant no harm. It’s New Year’s Eve today—why don’t you cheer up a little? Take it as bringing in good fortune for the year, okay?”

That one line—“I couldn’t hear”—hit a nerve in Fei Yan’s heart. Even though he was just stating a fact, a strange pang of sadness suddenly struck her.

Just as Chen Miansheng was wondering how else to coax his little cat, he felt her stir.

The next thing he knew, a small fluffy head popped out from his arms and nuzzled under his chin. A soft little paw rested against his neck, and her big tail wrapped itself around his arm. The loud, feisty cat from earlier had gone sweet and obedient all of a sudden.

He froze for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.

His little cat really was…

How could she be this sweet?