Fei Mao Mao’s Third Attribute 

The fish soup wasn’t exactly delicious, which showed that Chen Miansheng was still a bit lacking when it came to cooking. 

Still, Fei Yan was very polite about it. She ate the entire bowl of fish soup, fish and all, without leaving a single scrap behind. The bowl was so clean it didn’t even need to be washed. Afterward, she rolled over contentedly at his feet, swishing her tail in satisfaction. 

Chen Miansheng had just finished preparing his own dinner. Seeing how cute the little orange cat was, he reached out, trying to give her soft white belly a few rubs. But after getting swatted away by her paw, he calmly switched targets and started pinching her ears instead, asking, “Does wagging your tail mean you’re happy with the food?” 

The orange cat wagged her tail even more enthusiastically. 

Chen Miansheng smiled, eyes crinkling. “Why are you acting like a little puppy?” 

Fei Yan’s tail suddenly froze mid-swish. Excuse me? 

Who are you calling a puppy? You’re the one who’s like a dog. 

Chen the Big Dog—ptooey! 

Seeing how the little cat fluffed up in an instant, Chen Miansheng chuckled even more. But his laughter got caught in his throat and suddenly turned into a fit of coughing. 

See? Serves you right. 

Fei Yan wrinkled her nose. Even though he had just compared her to a dog, she still obediently walked over to his side, nudging his clothes with her fluffy little head in concern. 

“I’m fine.” His voice was low and hoarse from the coughing, but once he’d caught his breath, Chen Miansheng stood up and grabbed the remaining carp that was hanging beside the stove. 

He had only cooked one for little orange today. The other one could stay in the water bucket for a few more days until it was time to make soup again. “I’ll cook this one for you in a few days.” 

Then he added, “Be good, Little Orange, and don’t knock over the bucket.” 

After all, her destructive capabilities were no secret. For all he knew, she’d “accidentally” tip over the water bucket while he was asleep. If the fish died from lack of water, the soup wouldn’t be nearly as fresh as today’s. 

Fei Yan flicked her tail in protest, as if to say, Don’t make it sound like I’m some little troublemaker. 

But when she caught him glancing her way, her mind involuntarily flashed back to the torn books, the smoky mess in the woodshed at midnight, and the chaos she’d just left in the study. She bit her tongue and held back her temper. 

Fine. Maybe… just maybe he had a point. 

Chen Miansheng’s dinner was a simple plate of plain vegetables and white rice. 

Fei Yan circled the table once, the fragrance of fish soup still lingering in her nose, and felt a twinge of guilt. 

Why did it feel like she’d taken his share of the good food? 

She tugged at his clothing with her paw and led him to the bucket, then slapped the rim of it with her paw and looked up at him with her little kitty face. 

Chen Miansheng glanced down at the still-lively fish swimming inside. After a moment of thought, he frowned slightly and shook his head. “No.” 

Fei Yan blinked. Why not? Did he not like fish? 

She watched as his face loomed closer, and then suddenly his cool fingers pressed against her soft belly and gave it a little rub. Then she heard him say with a serious tone, “You already had one. If you eat another, you’ll overstuff yourself.” 

Fei Yan: “…” Huh? 

How could he think that way about her? Did she really seem that gluttonous to him? 

Fuming, she whipped her tail and slapped his hand away from her stomach. Then she trotted indignantly to the dining table, gave a strong kick with her back legs, and jumped up. Once on the table, she smacked the plate of plain vegetables with her paw. 

Chen Miansheng narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin, trying to interpret her intentions. “Are you saying… I should eat the other fish instead?” 

Only then did the little orange cat swish her tail with satisfaction. 

Good grief. Why was communicating with Chen Miansheng so frustrating? 

She mentally facepawed. 

But Chen Miansheng chuckled. “I wouldn’t have guessed. You actually know how to care for others.” 

Fei Yan felt that something was very wrong with the way that sounded. 

What was that supposed to mean? Like she was usually heartless or something? 

She was just about to get worked up again when she was suddenly scooped into the familiar pine-scented embrace. 

Now she was really mad. Why did he keep grabbing her by the scruff of her neck? I’m a respectable lady! I have dignity too, you know! 

But in the next second, warm breath fell near her ears, followed by Chen Miansheng’s soft voice: 

“It was just an accident today. I forgot to buy meat. It won’t happen again tomorrow. Don’t worry.” 

His breath tickled her cat ears. It felt like he was whispering right beside her. 

Fei Yan froze, even her tail forgot to move. 

W-Who’s worried about you?! 

Stop flattering yourself. 

Night gradually fell, and silence settled over the room. 

Chen Miansheng blew out the candle, took off his outer robe, and got ready for bed. 

The moment he shut his eyes, he felt something soft and fluffy snuggle right up beside him. 

It was obvious who it was—who else besides the little orange cat would be bold and capable enough to pull something like that? 

Fei Yan tiptoed onto the wooden bed. Of course, she didn’t dare crawl under the covers—she was still a proper young lady who wouldn’t even let him touch her belly. If they had to share a bed, there’d better be a thick quilt between them, serving as a sacred boundary line. 

She curled up into a comfortable position on top of the quilt, convinced that her movements were gentle enough not to wake him. But just as she settled in, she heard a soft chuckle above her head. 

“Why are you sleeping up here again?” 

The little orange cat froze, and after being discovered, decided to just go all in—she squeezed herself deeper into the softest, warmest part of the quilt outside the covers. Then she raised her big tail to cover her ears and lay down sideways. 

Can’t hear you. Don’t ask the cat anything. 

Chen Miansheng didn’t let her play deaf. His long fingers reached out in the dark and accurately poked her little head. 

“Is the little nest I made for you uncomfortable?” 

It wasn’t that. 

It’s just that after sleeping on Chen Miansheng’s bed yesterday, she realized how warm and cozy it was. With that as comparison, who would want to sleep in that crude and shabby little cat bed? 

Chen Miansheng didn’t know what the little orange cat was thinking. Seeing that she ignored him, and holding firm to the principle that he shouldn’t spoil her too much, he got up and lit the candle again. 

He was about to carry her back to her nest when he turned and saw the little orange cat looking up at him with big, watery eyes, full of pitiful grievance—like someone had bullied her. 

Chen Miansheng instantly forgot all his principles. 

“…Forget it.” 

He let out a silent sigh, reached out and gently pressed her head back into the quilt, then blew out the candle. “Just sleep here then.” 

Having received permission, Fei Yan rolled around on the bed excitedly. 

Yes! Cute act wins again! 

Even though he knew the medicine shop never had much business, Chen Miansheng still went there the next day as usual. 

Naturally, Fei Yan—the clingy little cat—insisted on tagging along again. 

Before leaving, Chen Miansheng tried to reason with her: “How about you stay home today, Little Orange?” 

After all, the little orange cat had been so bored at the shop yesterday that she fell asleep on his lap. Today probably wouldn’t be much better. 

But Fei Yan was adamant. Her two fluffy paws clung to his neck, and she refused to let go. 

What a joke. She had finally figured out Chen Miansheng’s illness—starting today, she could slowly start replacing his medicine. If she didn’t follow him, how would she sneak the herbs? 

However, once they arrived at Tong Yao Hall, Fei Yan realized she had run into the biggest challenge she’d faced yet. 

How could she, without raising any suspicion, secretly replace Chen Miansheng’s medicine? 

The medicine Chen Miansheng took was completely managed by Gu Wu—one set a day, prepared in three packs at a time. 

Today just so happened to be the day for preparing the medicine. Fei Yan watched as Gu Wu wrapped each dose carefully in kraft paper and set them aside. Her ears drooped as she fell deep into thought. 

What now? She couldn’t exactly bite open the medicine packs again and stuff the substitute herbs inside. 

The others weren’t stupid. They’d notice something was off immediately. 

Fei Yan was starting to get a headache when she suddenly heard Ah Chu beside her casually say, “It’s your first time coming to our shop to get medicine, right?” 

Fei Yan looked up and saw that the customer was an elderly man, around fifty or sixty years old. 

The old man handed over a prescription and answered honestly, his thick rural accent clear. 

The man handed over his prescription and answered honestly, his voice carrying a strong rural accent. 

“Yes, young man. I’ve had this old illness for a while now. I’ve been getting medicine from other medicine hall for ages without any improvement, so I thought I’d try a different one.” 

Ah Chu took the prescription and smiled politely. But after turning around, he muttered under his breath, “The medicine at every shop is the same except for the price. Does he really think changing shops will cure him?” 

Maybe it wouldn’t for others. But if they happened to run into Fei Yan, then yes—it absolutely could. 

From her angle, Fei Yan could clearly see the writing on the prescription. 

The old man had the most common kind of cold, but the doctor’s prescription was problematic. 

While both Tibetan pine and purple indigo are indeed used to treat colds, using them together cancels out their effects, weakening the overall potency of the remedy. No wonder the old man said it hadn’t worked. 

Fei Yan frowned in confusion. Even a mediocre doctor should know this basic rule. There was no reason for the prescribing doctor to make such a rookie mistake. 

But before she could think more about it, a familiar system notification sounded in her mind: 

[Task #2 issued: Replace Wang Yuan’s prescription with the correct one. Reward: 1 Affection Point.] 

Finally, a task! 

Fei Yan was delighted. Honestly, even if Thirteen hadn’t assigned it, she would’ve done it anyway. 

As the saying goes, a good doctor has compassion. With a real patient right in front of her, how could she just stand by and not help? 

The “correct prescription” Thirteen mentioned should be one that actually cured the illness. And for Fei Yan, that wasn’t a problem. 

It was a known fact that Tibetan pine and purple indigo shouldn’t be taken together. However, adding just one more herb—Wuqing—would completely neutralize the conflicting properties of the Tibetan pine. 

Wuqing was harmless to the human body and also helped regulate blood and energy flow. Once it neutralized the Tibetan pine, the purple indigo could work as intended. Combined with the other herbs, it would easily cure an ordinary cold. 

Fei Yan quickly located the “Wuqing” label among the many herb drawers—naturally, it was tucked in the farthest corner. 

Making sure no one was watching, she carefully hooked the drawer open with her paw. 

With her years of medical experience, even without a scale, she could estimate the dosage pretty accurately. 

She grabbed two small pieces, lifted them with her paw pad to check the weight. Just right. 

Casting a quick glance around, she saw Wang Yuan busy pulling out his coin pouch, Ah Chu gathering other herbs across the room, and Chen Miansheng and Gu Wu each occupied—one reading, the other sorting herbs. 

Perfect timing. 

Fei Yan immediately jumped onto the counter, placed the two Wuqing plants on the mulberry paper, and casually strutted away like nothing happened. 

As Ah Chu returned with the herbs, he happened to see the orange cat hopping off the counter—with several visible tufts of orange fur left behind. 

Ah Chu: “…” 

Whatever. He’d let it slide. That was the shopkeeper’s cat, after all. 

He shrugged and placed the pre-measured purple indigo on the paper, then turned to fetch the Tibetan pine. 

He didn’t even notice the extra herb already there. 

[Congratulations, Host. Task #2 complete. You’ve gained 1 Affection Point.] 

Even then, the weight on Fei Yan’s chest didn’t lift until she saw Wang Yuan leave the shop with the modified medicine pack in hand. Only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

Life is hard. Even for a cat. 

Sigh. 

But the matter of changing Chen Miansheng’s medicine still wasn’t resolved. Fei Yan flicked her tail in frustration. Then she remembered the newly earned Affection Point and quickly found a quiet corner in the shop. 

She whispered in her mind: “Thirteen, I want to spin the Wheel of Romance now.” 

The moment her thought ended, a huge spinning wheel appeared virtually before her eyes. 

The number “1” on it quickly dropped to “0,” and the wheel began spinning at high speed. 

Fei Yan was so nervous she forgot to twitch her tail. Her beautiful cat eyes stared fixedly at the pointer, muttering in her heart: Please, give me a useful attribute… or poor Fei Mao Mao is doomed. 

The pointer slowed… and finally stopped. 

Golden light flashed, and Thirteen’s voice followed: 

[Congratulations, Host. You’ve obtained Attribute #3: “Guess Where I Hid It?” (basic version).]