A Dragonfly-Light Kiss

(Note: “蜻蜓點水” literally means “a dragonfly touching the surface of water,” and is often used to describe a kiss that is light, brief, and fleeting—like a gentle touch.)

The joy of returning to her human form all at once left Fei Yan feeling a little dizzy. As the biting chill of winter rushed in, she instinctively lowered her head—only to realize she wasn’t wearing a single piece of clothing.

Fei Yan: “…”

Almost without thinking, she fumbled to relight the candle at the bedside. Then she turned and walked over to Chen Miansheng’s wardrobe, quickly pulling out an inner robe to throw over herself.

She had never worn clothing from this era before. Back when she was still a little orange cat, she had only caught glimpses of Chen Miansheng wearing such clothes a few times. Now, she could only rely on memory to barely tie it together.

But her hands were clearly not skilled, and the robe was far too big for her. It hung loosely on her, like a child trying on an adult’s clothes.

Fei Yan didn’t care much about appearances at the moment.

After all, in this entire courtyard, there was only one clueless calico kitten and a sleeping Chen Miansheng. No one would see her like this.

But the moment she thought of Chen Miansheng, the things Thirteen once said to her flashed through her mind.

She immediately turned to look at the still-sleeping man on the bed.

Since she had turned back into a human, did that mean… Chen Miansheng truly liked her?

Thirteen’s voice ruthlessly shattered her fantasy.

[Host, please refrain from making assumptions.  All outcomes are subject to system verification.]

Fei Yan was momentarily taken aback and instinctively protested, “But didn’t you say before that I could only turn back into a human when Chen Miansheng genuinely fell for me?”

[That’s part of the “Midnight Cinderella” attribute. Host is granted the ability to return to human form temporarily after midnight. The basic version lasts for half an hour. Host may choose to end it early if desired.]

So it was because of the new attribute.

Of course. It was such a famous fairy tale—she should have guessed its effect from the start.

The humble Cinderella could transform into a dazzling princess at midnight thanks to magic. Now, with the system’s help, she, as Fei Mao Mao, could return to her human form at midnight too.

She should’ve known. She hadn’t done anything today, there was no way Chen Miansheng would suddenly fall for her out of the blue.

But for some reason, learning the truth from Thirteen still gave Fei Yan a faint, inexplicable sense of disappointment.

It must be because she still couldn’t transform at will. Yes, that had to be it.

Fei Yan pressed her lips together. Her gaze lingered on Chen Miansheng’s face for a moment, then she slowly walked to the bed, crouched down by the edge, and gently raised her hand.

Her pale fingertips carefully reached forward until they touched that handsome face.

Worried she might wake him, her movements were extremely light.

Her finger traced the contours of his face, hovering delicately, as if touching something precious.

She had touched Chen Miansheng’s face plenty of times as a cat, but now, with her human fingers, the sensation was completely different from a paw’s soft pad.

His skin was warm, his bone structure clearly defined, yet his face remained soft and gentle. Years of illness had left him with barely any flesh.

For a moment, Fei Yan felt a deep sense of emotion.

Normally, Chen Miansheng’s body was hidden beneath thick robes. From the outside, he appeared tall and elegant, but in truth—he was far too thin.

This illness had truly done serious harm to him.

Wait… illness?

Fei Yan blinked, suddenly remembering something important. She shook her head, snapping herself out of the daze.

Now that she was human again, she could do things she couldn’t before—like checking someone’s pulse.

By the dim moonlight filtering through the window and the flickering candlelight inside the room, Fei Yan could clearly see Chen Miansheng’s hand resting atop the quilt. The veins on the back of his hand stood out, possessing a kind of fragile beauty.

She exhaled softly, then carefully reached out and turned his hand over so that his palm faced her.

Once everything was ready, Fei Yan rubbed her hands together. Her warm fingers pressed lightly against Chen Miansheng’s wrist as she closed her eyes to carefully feel his pulse.

Even in sleep, Chen Miansheng’s pulse was noticeably faster than that of a normal person, and the rhythm was extremely chaotic—one touch was enough to tell that he was harboring a long-term illness.

The pulse confirmed what she had long suspected. Thankfully, she had already changed his herbal prescriptions for some time now, or the situation tonight might have been worse.

Fei Yan licked her lips and switched hands. After a few moments of checking, her brows furrowed deeply.

Her gaze lifted slowly to his face. She really wanted to believe she had read the pulse wrong.

But the truth was undeniable.

Chen Miansheng’s heart, liver, and kidneys had all suffered severe damage—poison-induced, and the effects had even reached his ears.

She suddenly remembered the damaged prescription she’d found in the study—only the character for “ear” was faintly visible. Perhaps what had been scratched out had something to do with his current condition.

The mystery of how a deaf man like Chen Miansheng could speak now made sense.

He wasn’t born deaf.

It was poison.

Chen Miansheng would never have willingly poisoned himself. But who would want to do this to him—and why?

Fei Yan bit her lip. A deep, suffocating pressure filled her chest.

Who knew how many years that poison had been coursing through his body?

She looked up at his sleeping face, recalling his usual warm and gentle demeanor. It was hard to reconcile him with words like “deaf,” “severely poisoned,” and “chronic invalid.”

Fei Yan remained silent for a long while, then let out a slow, deep sigh.

She carefully tucked Chen Miansheng’s hand back under the quilt. Just then, something brushed against the hem of her pants.

Looking down, she saw the little calico cat pressed against the edge of her inner robe, gazing up at her with a clueless expression, its thin tail twitching behind it.

She had nearly forgotten about this little thing.

Fei Yan squatted down, lightly tapping the kitten’s head with her fingertip. With her other hand, she pointed a thumb at the bed behind her and said, one word at a time:

“Listen up, little one. From now on, stay away from that man on the bed. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rough with you. Got it?”

The kitten blinked, followed her gesture toward the bed, then suddenly twitched its ears and let out a crisp “meow!”

In that instant, Fei Yan had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, the once-docile kitten seemed provoked. With a sudden kick of its hind legs, it launched itself toward the bed.

Fei Yan quickly tried to grab it by the scruff like Chen Miansheng used to, but the calico was too quick. It dodged sideways and slipped right through her fingers.

Luckily, her attempt altered the kitten’s path. With another “meow,” it leapt onto a nearby wooden table instead.

“Get down from there!” Fei Yan rushed after it.

But the kitten was small and agile, and Fei Yan—used to moving in a cat’s body—was still adjusting to her human form. The two of them played an exhausting game of chase for nearly the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, with no success.

After months of hardly moving, Fei Yan was already out of breath. Her chest rose and fell heavily, but her eyes sparkled with sudden inspiration.

She smiled at the kitten. “Hey, want some braised pig’s trotters?”

The calico froze. “Meow?”

Fei Yan flipped her hand, revealing the piece of trotter she had nibbled on earlier.

Holding it up, she crouched down and wiggled it. “Want it?”

The kitten licked its lips. Wu Gang had treated it well, but the food was always fish. This was its first time smelling something like this.

Seeing Fei Yan’s seemingly “harmless” smile, it cautiously crept forward.

One step. Two steps.

Once it was sure she meant no harm, the calico boldly approached and opened its mouth to bite the meat—only to be grabbed by the scruff, and in the same instant, the pig trotter vanished in a flash of blue light.

Kitten: “Meow?”

Kitten: “MEOW MEOW MEOW?!!”

Tricked!

Humans were all liars!

“Now you’re not getting away,” Fei Yan panted, collapsing against the bed with the calico in her arms.

Finally restrained by the scruff, the kitten went still. Fei Yan tried to calm her breathing and, glancing upward unintentionally, saw the complete mess that had resulted from their chase.

The neatly arranged scriptures on the desk had been kicked to the floor. A round stool had rolled to a corner. Brushes and a brush stand were scattered everywhere. The tablecloth had been trampled into wrinkles. Even Chen Miansheng’s favorite celadon teacup was now tipped over at the edge of the table, wobbling precariously.

Fei Yan: “…”

Oh no.

Thirteen’s voice chose this perfect moment to ring in her ears.

[Five minutes remaining until “Midnight Cinderella” attribute ends. Host, please act quickly.]

Fei Yan: “?”

Ah, even worse.

___

The next day.

A few soft rays of sunlight filtered in through the lattice window and fell straight into the inner room. Chen Miansheng opened his eyes. After a moment of clarity, he pushed himself up from the bedding with one arm.

He glanced down and raised an eyebrow.

He had long known his little orange cat was a restless sleeper. Almost every time he woke up, the little orange cat would be sprawled across his chest, her fluffy little head turned away from him, her body rising and falling gently with each breath.

But today, the little orange cat was lying properly outside the quilt. Her breathing was uneven, and her fluffy big tail was visibly stiff.

Chen Miansheng immediately sensed something was strange. He lifted his brow slightly and flicked her forehead with a finger, smiling:

“Why are you pretending to sleep so early in the morning?”

Fei Yan, who wasn’t asleep at all, froze—and deep inside, felt an inexplicable sense of defeat.

Was she that bad at faking sleep? How had he seen through her so quickly?

Fei Yan slowly turned her body, lifted her little cat head, and wagged her tail at Chen Miansheng in the most obedient way.

After thinking for a moment, she even raised her paw pads to hug his arm tightly, then rubbed her little head against his palm in a fawning gesture.

Seeing this, the curve at the corner of Chen Miansheng’s eyes deepened. He let out a low chuckle but didn’t turn his head. His gaze remained fixed on the little orange cat, yet he said with certainty, “Little Orange, did you do something again last night?”

Fei Yan: “?”

Please, can’t you save Fei Mao Mao a bit of dignity?

Would it hurt to just pretend you don’t know?

Seeing the little orange cat suddenly freeze in place, Chen Miansheng shook his head ever so slightly. He reached out and scooped the little cat into his arms, then stood up.

He calmly surveyed the room, as if already knowing what to expect. There wasn’t the slightest trace of anger in his gentle voice. “It’s not too bad. I thought the room would be messier.”

Fei Yan: “…”

Then… should I and Xiao Hua try harder tonight?

Actually, compared to last night, the room was indeed much neater now.

The brush stand, ink brush, and teacups had been carefully put back in their original places by Fei Yan. Only a round stool, a book, and a tablecloth remained out of place, looking rather pitiful.

But that wasn’t entirely Fei Yan’s fault.

Last night, she really had intended to restore everything, to create the illusion that nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, five minutes wasn’t enough time. Fei Yan had hesitated between putting her clothes back or tidying the room, and ultimately chose the former.

After all, a messy room could be explained by her and Xiao Hua playing around during the night—but if her clothes weren’t back in place, she’d definitely be exposed.

So in those precious five minutes, Fei Yan quickly undressed, awkwardly restored her undergarments based on memory, tidied up part of the room, and was then forced to return to her orange cat form.

She looked at the area she hadn’t had time to fix, hesitated for two seconds, then gave up and jumped back onto Chen Miansheng’s bed, flopping down to sleep.

But the fear of being exposed hung over her the whole night, and she barely got any rest.

When she noticed the first light of dawn outside the window, she stopped trying to sleep and waited for Chen Miansheng to wake up—leading to the scene where she was caught pretending to sleep.

At the same time, Xiao Hua had also sensed movement in the room and woke up from her nest.

Seeing that Chen Miansheng was awake, she immediately stood with her tail up, pointing in Fei Yan’s direction, as if ready to report everything that had happened the night before.

However, Chen Miansheng just gently patted her head and spoke kindly.

“All right now. Little Orange is a bit more spirited, but I’ve already taught her manners. Just be a little more patient with her, Xiao Hua, all right?”

When Xiao Hua realized he clearly hadn’t understood the message it was trying to convey, it grew more agitated, meowing continuously in protest.

Chen Miansheng could only shake his head helplessly and ignore it. He turned to pick up the books from the floor and return them to their place.

Fei Yan clung tightly to Chen Miansheng’s neck, peeking over his shoulder. Seeing Xiao Hua looking utterly defeated, she smugly raised her tail high.

Ha! Trying to snitch on me?

Too bad Chen Miansheng can only understand what Fei Mao Mao says.

Understand?

Wu Gang had been away in the prefecture for nearly half a month.

Xiao Hua had suffered “torment” in Chen Miansheng’s house for that entire time.

At mealtimes, she had to watch Fei Yan beg food from Chen Miansheng’s chopsticks and eat it slowly in front of her. Every morning, the man and the cat would go out together, leaving her all alone in the house, weeping pitifully.

But at night, Fei Yan would bizarrely transform into a human, rub her fluffy head like crazy, then pull out a box of fine needles from who-knows-where and start jabbing them one by one into Chen Miansheng’s body.

This surreal behavior completely shattered Xiao Hua’s understanding of the world.

So aside from eating and hiding from Fei Yan, her only hope was for Wu Gang to return quickly and rescue her from this place.

So when Wu Gang knocked on the courtyard door and appeared at the entrance, Xiao Hua shot out of the house faster than ever before, clinging to his leg and wailing.

Having never experienced such affection before, Wu Gang was stunned at first.

After a long moment, he joyfully picked Xiao Hua up and turned to Chen Miansheng.

“Shopkeeper Chen, I didn’t expect you to be so good at training cats. I’ve had Xiao Hua for two or three months and never seen her so close to anyone!”

Chen Miansheng was used to Wu Gang talking enthusiastically despite knowing he couldn’t hear a word.

Once Wu Gang paused, Chen Miansheng finally spoke. “Brother Wu, how’s Madam Wu’s health after this trip?”

At the mention of that, Wu Gang got even more excited. But considering Chen Miansheng’s condition, he simply gave a thumbs-up and made a gesture for “very good.”

Chen Miansheng’s eyes softened and he smiled for Wu Gang’s good news. “That’s wonderful.”

He glanced down at Xiao Hua in Wu Gang’s arms and smiled gently. “Xiao Hua was very well-behaved. If there’s ever a chance, you’re welcome to bring it back anytime to visit my Little Orange.”

At this, Xiao Hua’s tail instantly tucked as she burrowed deeper into Wu Gang’s arms.

Fei Yan, who was sitting at Chen Miansheng’s feet, got a mischievous glint in her eyes. She flicked her tail and let out a lazy “meow.”

Hearing her voice, Xiao Hua’s reaction became even more dramatic. She shrank until her head disappeared, only leaving her striped tail exposed.

Fei Yan was thoroughly amused.

Even though Xiao Hua couldn’t understand human speech, she must’ve heard “Little Orange” enough over the past half-month to recognize it clearly. The moment Chen Miansheng said it, she knew who he meant.

Wu Gang, oblivious, thought Xiao Hua had just missed him too much and, without staying long, politely said goodbye and left.

This winter didn’t last too long, and before much time had passed, the two willow trees outside Chen Miansheng’s courtyard had already sprouted new buds.

Thanks to Fei Yan’s persistent discreet treatment, Chen Miansheng’s chronic cough had improved significantly. With winter gone, there hadn’t been any coughing for several days.

Even Wu Gang had remarked that Shopkeeper Chen seemed on the verge of full recovery.

Chen Miansheng merely smiled and said nothing.

That night—

Fei Yan, holding the precious set of nine needles she had painstakingly dug out from the medicine hall’s storage pile, finished her usual acupuncture treatment on Chen Miansheng and voluntarily transformed back into cat form, curling up beside him to sleep.

Time passed slowly, and just as she finally started to feel drowsy, two hoarse cat howls echoed from somewhere.

Fei Yan jolted awake, completely alert.

She lifted her head and looked at Chen Miansheng’s peaceful sleeping face. Her tail twitched, and she sighed inwardly.

Hmm. Being unable to hear does have some advantages—like not being woken up by midnight cat howls.

Fei Yan adjusted her sleeping position. As the meowing gradually quieted down, she used her fluffy tail to cover her ears and tried to fall back asleep.

But then came another round of loud, relentless meowing.

Seriously, you brats again?

At her limit, Fei Yan leapt off the bed with a whoosh.

She was a cat too—how come she never went around screaming in the middle of the night?

She had to see which little rascal was causing this chaos.

Using her paw, she quietly scratched open the door. Worried about the cold night wind, she even made sure to nudge it shut again before leaving to avoid disturbing Chen Miansheng.

What she didn’t know was that the moment she closed the door, the man sleeping in bed slowly opened his eyes, gazing thoughtfully at the empty spot beside him.

Spring nights weren’t cold for a furry creature like Fei Yan. She followed the sounds to the alley corner and spotted a black cat howling softly.

The black cat clearly smelled her presence. When it saw her, its pupils lit up and it walked toward her, letting out a “meow.”

Fei Yan meowed back, “I can’t understand you, so quit meowing.”

The black cat paused. (“What nonsense is this orange cat saying?”)

Fei Yan said seriously, “Also, can you not scream? You’re keeping me up.”

The black cat: (“Huh? Didn’t she come here because she got my signal?”)

Fei Yan continued, “Sure, we’re all night owls, but making noise at this hour is just inconsiderate. In the human world, this behavior is condemned.”

The black cat: (“What does this have to do with stupid humans?”)

Too lazy to argue, the black cat assumed Fei Yan had responded to its call and saw hope. It slowly advanced, its meows growing deeper.

Fei Yan sensed something was off and instinctively stepped back. “What, going to fight because you can’t argue? I’m not fighting you.”

The black cat ignored her and was just about to pounce when it caught sight of the shadow behind her and froze on the spot.

Now it was Fei Yan’s turn to be confused. What, was she really that scary?

Before she could figure it out, a large hand grabbed her by the scruff and she was pulled into a pine-scented embrace.

Chen Miansheng clearly hadn’t walked over slowly—his breath was uneven, his warm exhale brushing her ears and making them twitch.

He spoke in a low voice, “Little Orange, why are you out here instead of sleeping at home?”

If he hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night for some reason, he might never have known his little cat liked to sneak out at night.

Fei Yan flicked her tail toward the black cat, signaling that it was the one at fault and had nothing to do with her.

But Chen Miansheng’s gaze darkened. He continued scratching under her chin, but his voice gave away nothing. “Little Orange… do you like him?”

Fei Yan froze. What?! Did she look like someone who’d like that pitch-black cat?

She flailed her tail in protest, not knowing how to explain.

Then she saw Chen Miansheng’s lips press into a line. His voice dropped lower. “But Little Orange is still young… you can’t… with him…”

Perhaps unsure how to phrase it, he stopped mid-sentence.

Fei Yan blinked in confusion.

With him? With him what?

Chen Miansheng licked the roof of his mouth, then spoke plainly.

“He’s in heat.”

…Oh. So the black cat’s in heat. No wonder he’s howling nonstop at night.

Wait—the black cat’s in heat?!

Only then did Fei Yan realize what Chen Miansheng had meant, and she was instantly so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole.

All the confusing and cryptic things he’d said earlier suddenly made sense.

She had even wagged her tail at the black cat—who knew what Chen Miansheng might have misunderstood from that?

Fei Yan carefully lifted her gaze to observe his expression. At this moment, Chen Miansheng had lowered his eyes. His long, thick lashes drooped slightly, making it hard to tell if he was angry, but his face certainly didn’t look good.

He closed his eyes briefly and didn’t say anything more to his little cat. Instead, he turned to look at the black cat in front of them and let out a quiet chuckle, though his voice carried no warmth at all.“Little guy, do you know who this cat belongs to?”

The black cat didn’t understand human speech, but it was uncannily sensitive to human emotions.

Even though the man before it appeared calm and mild-mannered, the cat could sense a faint trace of anger beneath the surface.

It was the same kind of feeling it got when it saw its favorite calico cat playing with another male cat.

Something didn’t feel right.

Almost without thinking, the black cat wisely turned and bolted away, its dark silhouette disappearing into the night in just a few seconds.

Now, the quiet street was left with just one man and one cat. Fei Yan felt a bit guilty. Her fluffy tail swayed unconsciously behind her, and she wasn’t sure what to do next.

Chen Miansheng was the first to speak. He raised an eyebrow slightly and met the gaze of the little orange cat in his arms. He asked slowly, “Little Orange, do you want to go after it?”

Chase the black cat? No way. That black cat wasn’t nearly as important as Chen Miansheng.

He paused, then said seriously, one word at a time, “If you don’t go now, you won’t catch up.”

Fei Yan was momentarily stunned.

She tilted up her little cat head.

Even though she knew it was unlikely, she still tried to find a trace of jealousy on his face.

His expression remained calm, the usual relaxed air about him unchanged. But Fei Yan noticed a faint crease between his brows. It wasn’t obvious, but it was definitely there.

That, without a doubt, confirmed her suspicion.

Could he really be… jealous?

Seeing that his little cat wasn’t responding, Chen Miansheng narrowed his eyes, and the crease between his brows deepened.

He was just about to set the orange cat on the ground to let her go chase after it when—like a flash—he suddenly felt a cool touch on the tip of his nose, fleeting and soft.

His pupils contracted slightly, and it took him a moment to register what had happened.

The little orange cat had stood on tiptoe and kissed the tip of his nose.

Perhaps feeling embarrassed, she quickly retracted her little head and nestled it into the hollow of his neck, rubbing against him like she was trying to make amends.

After all, she was in cat form right now. Even if she kissed him, it could be interpreted as a sign of affection from a pet to its owner. That should be fine, right?

Still, she was eager to see his reaction.

She, Fei Mao Mao, had gone this far to cheer him up. Surely he wouldn’t still be mad at her?

Chen Miansheng parted his lips. Though he couldn’t hear it himself, Fei Yan could tell his voice was slightly hoarse. “What… was that just now?”

Fei Yan licked around her mouth and, unusually frustrated, swished her tail again.

Was her kiss too quick? Or not obvious enough?

Had he really not noticed?

Just as she was thinking, Chen Miansheng suddenly lifted her up and held her in front of him.

His features, which could easily be described as “beautiful,” suddenly loomed large in her vision. The faint scent of pine and warmth of his breath fell on the top of her head, and for a moment, her heart nearly stopped.

His eyes were deep and dark, like a whirlpool that might pull her in.

He gazed steadily at her, gently stroking the back of her neck with his fingertip. “LittleOrange, I didn’t feel anything. Why don’t you do it again?”

So strange. This time he wasn’t even holding her by the scruff, yet Fei Yan found his soft touch even more lethal.

Her whole body went limp in an instant.

But… did he really not feel that kiss?

Fei Yan didn’t know.

Whether it was the intoxicating moonlight of the spring night or Chen Miansheng’s burning gaze that made her lose her head, she wasn’t sure.

All she could hear was the muffled, pounding noise in her ears, and as if possessed, she reached up, paws resting on his shoulder, tiptoed again, pressed her soft pink nose against his—and kissed him once more.

This time, to make sure he wouldn’t act like he didn’t notice, Fei Yan deliberately lingered for two or three seconds before slowly pulling away.

After the kiss, she truly felt embarrassed. She quickly buried her face in the crook of his arm and refused to come out.

Even Chen Miansheng stood stunned in place, the deep shadows in his eyes hard to read.

After a long moment, he raised his hand and gently touched the spot where Fei Yan had kissed him. It was cool and warm at once—real, yet unreal.

A breeze passed by, lifting his light robe and scattering his long black hair. Even the quiet sigh that followed—“Let’s go. Let’s go home”—was fragmented in the wind.

Whether it was because she didn’t want to face him or true exhaustion had crept in after everything that had just happened, Fei Yan fell asleep quickly this time.

By the time Chen Miansheng finished covering her with the quilt, she was already curled up in the innermost corner of the bamboo bed, sound asleep and motionless.

He looked at the orange ball nestled there, breathing steadily, rising and falling ever so slightly. She didn’t seem to be pretending.

He raised his hand, wanting to touch the back of her neck, but after a moment of hesitation, worried he might wake her, he let his hand fall.

“Little heartless thing.”

With that, he lay back down, pulled the quilt up to his chest, and closed his eyes slightly.

As he waited for sleep to come, a memory suddenly surfaced—something he had once read in a scripture, though he couldn’t recall which. It said that nighttime either makes thoughts clearer or more chaotic. Strangely enough, both seemed true for him tonight.

The sensation of the little orange cat’s kiss on the tip of his nose became more distinct once he lay down.

But alongside it, a mess of memories flooded his mind, stirring his thoughts.

He thought of her leaping three feet in the air at the sight of a live fish, thought of how excited she’d been when she discovered new herbs.

He remembered Tu Xuan saying, “Did the medicine hall hire some top-notch physician?” and Gu Wu mentioning hearing a strange woman’s voice in the shop. He also recalled Gu Wu noting, “The young master’s illness has steadily improved since winter began.”

He thought of his little cat’s always-wet, innocent eyes that looked just like a young girl’s—and of those two feather-light kisses she had just planted on his nose.

He also recalled how, in recent nights, he often dreamed that someone was sitting beside him—sometimes touching his face or nose, but more often gently placing warm fingers on his wrist with the softest of movements.

For some reason, he felt that person must have been wearing orange robes.

Chen Miansheng had never believed in superstitions, but if that person was his little orange cat, he actually hoped it was true.

He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze landing on the orange ball curled up on the bed. Whatever crossed his mind made his breathing pick up suddenly.

The next moment, Chen Miansheng turned over in bed, facing away from the orange cat, trying his best to push away the images that had suddenly come to mind.

But the harder he tried, the clearer they became.

In a daze, he imagined his little orange cat transforming into a young woman, her rosy lips pressing to his nose, then moving to whisper softly by his ear, calling his name over and over again.

He felt like there was a fire burning somewhere inside him, and it wasn’t normal.

“Tch.”

A rare wave of irritation washed over him. He closed his eyes briefly, then resigned himself to getting up and taking a cold shower in the courtyard.

In the stillness of the night, the sound of water echoed softly through the yard, accompanied by a nearly inaudible whisper—

“Chen Miansheng, you really are such a bastard.”