Fei Mao Mao Doesn’t Want to Take a Bath 

As soon as she entered, she realized the courtyard wasn’t very big. After sneaking out of the woodshed, Fei Yan randomly chose a room to hide in. 

Judging by the decor and furnishings, it seemed to be a study. Classical books and scriptures were neatly arranged on the shelves and tables, with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone all organized in perfect order. 

She didn’t waste time. Quickly, she found a secluded corner and tucked herself in. 

What a joke. Even if she was in a cat’s body now, her soul was still that of a proper young lady. There was no way she was going to let a man give her a bath. 

No way. Not even if it was Chen Miansheng. 

Fei Yan thought this firmly and burrowed even deeper into the space beneath the desk. 

So, when Chen Miansheng stepped into the study, what he saw was this: 

A certain orange cat, thinking she was well hidden, had her tail boldly sticking out from beneath the desk, swaying back and forth across the floor like it was afraid people wouldn’t notice where she was hiding. 

Chen Miansheng let out a helpless chuckle. He stared at the fluffy tail for several seconds, the corners of his eyes curving with amusement, then drawled teasingly, “Where could this little thing be hiding?” 

As he spoke, he casually dusted off his robe and continued to watch the bottom of the desk with interest. 

Fei Yan, unaware that she’d already been discovered, flicked her tail instinctively. Hearing the faint rustling of robes, she guessed that maybe Chen Miansheng couldn’t find her and had already left the room. 

She waited a few more seconds to be sure there were no other sounds. Then she slowly crawled out from under the desk, smugly humming to herself: Hah! You thought you could give me a bath? No chance! 

But just as she poked her little cat head out, she froze at the sight of a pair of soft-soled white cloth shoes right in front of her. 

Wait a minute… weren’t those the shoes Chen Miansheng was wearing today? 

Fei Yan looked up in shock, her gaze slowly traveling upward until she met Chen Miansheng’s amused, not-quite-smiling expression. 

Fei Yan: “?” 

Um… would it still be possible to make a run for it now? 

Chen Miansheng saw through the orange cat’s plan at a glance. Before she could bolt, he bent down and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. His handsome face suddenly loomed large in front of her, and he smirked slightly. “Still trying to run?” 

Maybe it was cat instinct, but the moment Fei Yan was grabbed by the scruff, she immediately went limp. She looked up at Chen Miansheng with a pitiful expression and let out a soft “meow.” 

Of course, Chen Miansheng couldn’t hear her. He could only see her little mouth opening and closing, revealing a pink tongue and two tiny sharp teeth, along with that dazed, innocent look on her face—it was truly adorable. But he said, “If we delay any longer, the water’s going to get cold.” 

Fei Yan’s attempt at looking cute instantly fell apart. Deciding to give up all pretense, she started swiping her paws in the air, growling softly at Chen Miansheng in protest. 

Unfazed, he calmly reasoned with her. “You’re filthy.” 

Fei Yan flicked her tail: “Meow!” 

Chen Miansheng: “You’ve got dried leaves and twigs all over you too.” 

Fei Yan flattened her ears: “Meow!” 

Chen Miansheng took her response as agreement. “Alright, I’ll go bring the water in.” 

Fei Yan: “Meow meow meow?” What do you mean, alright?! 

Taking advantage of the moment when Chen Miansheng loosened his grip on her neck, Fei Yan finally used the one advantage this cat body gave her. 

In just a few nimble moves, she leapt to the top shelf of the bookcase, standing triumphantly among the stack of ancient texts, staring down at Chen Miansheng as he returned with the water. 

The bookshelf was quite tall. Even someone as tall as Chen Miansheng had to look up slightly to see her. 

For a moment, he thought it might be his imagination, but he could swear the little orange cat looked smug. 

Chen Miansheng’s lips twitched, his expression calm. “Think I can’t reach you, huh?” 

Fei Yan’s tail stuck up high in defiance. 

Chen Miansheng said, “See the books underneath you?” 

Fei Yan glanced down at the neatly arranged books below her, puzzled. 

Chen Miansheng smiled. “Little one, how do you think I put those books up there?” 

Fei Yan caught sight of the wooden chair placed beside the bookshelf. Her tail froze mid-air. 

She instinctively tried to jump to another spot. But unfortunately, she hadn’t fully mastered balance in this new body. Her footing slipped, and she lost her balance. Her body plummeted toward the floor. Even the sharp claws she’d carefully hidden in her paw pads sprang out reflexively. 

There was a loud tearing sound—her claws must have scraped something. Fei Yan panicked but didn’t have time to think. The next thing she knew, she was caught in the familiar scent of pinewood as she fell into a warm embrace. 

The books, however, weren’t so lucky. The stack came crashing down with a loud thud, one after another. 

Fei Yan peered down and saw that the once-pristine ancient books had been shredded down the middle by her claws. A perfectly preserved book had been instantly ruined beyond recognition. 

Fei Yan: “…” 

Did she do something wrong? 

No, it was the paws’ fault. It had nothing to do with her. 

Meow. 

While comforting herself like this, Fei Yan slowly pulled her head back, too guilty to look at Chen Miansheng. 

It’s over. First day here and she already caused trouble. Was Chen Miansheng going to kick her out of the house? 

Chen Miansheng raised his brows. The little orange cat in his arms curled into a ball and visibly shrank. 

He lowered his gaze slightly and let out a helpless chuckle. “You really don’t want a bath? I don’t mind, but if you don’t wash, you might feel uncomfortable later.” 

Fei Yan was stunned. She blinked blankly and looked up at Chen Miansheng. 

So he wasn’t mad at her at all. He wanted to bathe her not because he thought she was dirty, but because he was worried she might feel unwell? 

Chen Miansheng looked into the little orange cat’s moist and lively eyes, then raised his hand to cover them and said, “Alright then. The house isn’t big. Go find somewhere to play…” 

Before he could finish, the weight in his arms suddenly disappeared. 

The little orange cat had trotted over to the wooden tub and wagged her tail at him. 

It’s just a bath, right? Fine. Who’s afraid of a bath? 

Gotta admit, the water temperature Chen Miansheng prepared was perfect. 

Warm water poured over Fei Yan’s body, and even in the middle of winter, she didn’t feel cold at all. 

Aside from her fur being soaked and a bit heavy, Chen Miansheng focused on washing her neck and back. His long fingers gently brushed over her, and it didn’t feel nearly as awkward as she imagined. 

In fact… it was kind of comfortable. 

Mmm. Not bad at all. 

Fei Yan licked around her lips, then opened her eyes to see a piece of soapnut resting on the edge of the tub. 

Suddenly, her paw started to feel… itchy. 

She snuck a glance at Chen Miansheng. He was focused, his expression serious as he bathed her. 

A mischievous impulse bubbled up from within—blame the cat instincts. She slowly reached out her wet paw toward the soapnut, inch by inch, and nudged it off the tub’s edge. 

Plop. The soft sound of it hitting the floor. 

The motion of fingers on her body paused. Fei Yan immediately pulled her paw back into the water, feeling guilty like a thief. 

Yes, this too was the paw’s fault. The paw had a mind of its own. 

Cat-looking-innocent.jpg 

A few seconds later, a soft laugh sounded above her. 

Then, two long fingers came into her view, calmly picking up the fallen soapnut and placing it back on the edge of the tub without a word. 

Eh? He’s not mad? 

Thinking this, Fei Yan’s mischievous side flared up again. Her paw moved, and once more, the soapnut landed on the ground. 

Chen Miansheng gave the fallen soapnut a helpless glance, then looked at the little orange cat sitting in the tub with her head lowered, acting as if it had nothing to do with it. 

He shook his head and didn’t bother picking it up again, focusing instead on bathing the little cat. 

Fei Yan waited a long time but didn’t see him pick up the soapnut. Her ears drooped and she muttered to herself, “No fun,” then rested her fluffy little head obediently in his palm, letting him scrub and groom her. 

This cat body had indeed been a bit dirty. After Chen Miansheng washed her, she actually felt much better. 

She narrowed her eyes contentedly, tail swishing lazily behind her. 

Right at that moment, Chen Miansheng’s voice rang out. “Come to think of it, I still don’t know whether you’re male or female.” 

Fei Yan was still enjoying the bath and didn’t pay him any attention. 

Until her tail was gently lifted and her backside suddenly felt a chill—that’s when she realized something was very wrong. 

Wait, what is Chen Miansheng doing?!!