Those Were a Pair of Snow-White…

After doctors from the prefecture examined Old Madam Wu, they prescribed a new set of medicines.

However, the medicinal herbs sold at the county were not cheap, and Wu Gang couldn’t afford them at the moment. So upon returning, he had no choice but to visit Tong Yao Hall to pick the herbs instead.

While the herbs were being weighed, Wu Gang waited on the side. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the little orange cat dozing on a wooden chair and casually struck up a conversation with Gu Wu.

“Brother Gu, maybe you could mention it to Manager Chen sometime — this little orange one really does seem to have gotten a bit chubby. He should probably watch how much he’s feeding it.”

Hearing this, Gu Wu’s hand holding the scale trembled slightly, and a few of the herbs on the pan spilled off.

He cast Wu Gang a look that was hard to describe, then slowly turned his head, hoping Chen Miansheng hadn’t overheard anything.

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he locked eyes with Chen Miansheng’s puzzled gaze.

Gu Wu: “…”

Chen Miansheng: “What’s going on?”

Seeing this, Wu Gang quickly urged him, “Go on, Brother Gu, this is your chance.”

Gu Wu felt a headache coming on. Under Chen Miansheng’s expectant gaze, he resigned himself and raised a hand, trying to phrase it as delicately as possible.

“Sir, just now Brother Wu was saying that… perhaps the little orange one has been eating a bit too well lately.”

Chen Miansheng paused, then soon understood the implication. His gaze slowly shifted to the orange cat.

He could still clearly remember the day the little orange cat first showed up by his side. Back then, it was no bigger than both his palms. Now, it had grown to half the length of his arm.

And of course, it had grown wider too.

He had never seen a kitten grow this fast.

Chen Miansheng narrowed his eyes. Contrary to what Gu Wu expected, he didn’t look angry. Instead, he gave Wu Gang a polite nod of acknowledgment. “Thank you for your concern, Brother Wu.”

Wu Gang waved it off casually and took the bundle of herbs from Gu Wu, then bid the two farewell.

As soon as he left, Gu Wu turned back around and said hesitantly, “Young Master, please don’t take what Brother Wu said to heart. He was probably just speaking casually. I think the little orange one is still… quite cute the way she is.”

“It’s fine,” Chen Miansheng’s lips curved faintly. He glanced toward the sky outside and said lightly, “By the way, I’ll be relying on you and Ah Chu to look after the medicine hall today.”

Gu Wu blinked. “You’re going out? Is there something you need to handle? I can take care of it.”

“That won’t work,” Chen Miansheng raised his brows slightly and said with certainty, “You can’t do this task.”

Gu Wu was puzzled. “What exactly are you going to do, master?”

Years ago, Gu Wu had been selected as Chen Miansheng’s personal attendant not only because of his unwavering loyalty, but also because—despite his youth—he was exceptionally capable, proficient in nearly everything, and rarely at a loss.

Now, hearing that he was apparently unfit for this task made him all the more curious.

“The weather’s nice today,” Chen Miansheng smiled, bending down to tap the little orange cat’s forehead with a slender finger.

There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he enunciated slowly:

“I’m taking the cat out for a walk.”

When Fei Yan was woken up by Chen Miansheng, her head was still in a groggy haze.

She blinked slowly, rubbed her face with a soft paw, and looked up at him in a daze.

This was the first time Chen Miansheng had ever woken her up while she was sleeping.

Did something happen?

Chen Miansheng lightly touched the copper tag hanging around her neck and said with a soft chuckle, “No more sleeping. We’re going out.”

Oh… so they were going out all of a sudden.

Fei Yan lazily stretched, forcing her sleepy, misty eyes open, and instinctively tried to burrow into his arms.

But before she could settle into his embrace, a large hand mercilessly picked her up and plopped her back onto the ground.

Fei Yan: “?”

What the heck? Did something short-circuit in Chen Miansheng’s brain today?

Chen Miansheng leaned down, lightly tapped his little cat’s nose with his fingertip. Though his expression was gentle, his words left no room for argument.

“Today, Little Orange walks on her own. I won’t carry you.”

Fei Yan: “?”

Hello? Are you serious?

What kind of joke was this? Making her go out and walk on her own? A little cat couldn’t possibly endure such injustice.

She rolled her eyes inwardly and turned to jump back onto the chair.

But just as her hind legs were about to push off, Chen Miansheng’s voice floated over from behind.

“If Little Orange doesn’t follow me outside, there’ll be no dried fish snacks for the whole month.”

Upon hearing that, Fei Yan staggered, almost losing her balance and toppling to the ground.

She flattened her ears and looked up at Chen Miansheng with an expression of utter disbelief.

Did she just hear what she thought she heard?

As if he had read her mind, Chen Miansheng chuckled and repeated, “A whole month.”

Fei Yan: “……”

She knew Chen Miansheng too well. When it came to things like this, he always meant what he said.

Just one month without dried fish, right?

She… she… she really couldn’t do it.

Grinding her little fangs, Fei Yan rolled over and started walking out of the medicine hall with dainty cat steps.

So what if she had to walk? It’s not like Fei Mao Mao didn’t have legs. She could walk. Who was scared of whom?

However, after just a few steps outside, Fei Yan realized she had no idea where Chen Miansheng was even taking them.

He followed behind at a leisurely pace. Seeing her stop, he looked around and said, “Go right.”

Fei Yan’s ears twitched suspiciously.

Wait a minute. Did Chen Miansheng also not know where they were actually going?

Chen Miansheng followed silently behind her the whole way, only speaking up now and then at intersections to tell her which way to turn.

They turned this way and that until they arrived at East Street. It was still morning market time, and the place bustled with people. Vendors were calling out, the air was filled with noise and energy.

After walking so far, Fei Yan was already exhausted. Then, the delicious scent of butter cakes wafted from nearby. Her ears perked up immediately. She turned, grabbed the corner of Chen Miansheng’s robe with her teeth, and tried to pull him toward the stall.

Understanding instantly, Chen Miansheng looked down and smiled.

“No, Little Orange. You already had breakfast. If you eat again now, then all those steps just now would’ve been for nothing.”

Fei Yan froze.

For nothing?

So he really was just taking her out for exercise because he thought she was getting fat?

Was she really that chubby now?

With a grumble, Fei Yan lifted one paw and inspected it from all angles.

Staring at her little orange leg, about as thick as a lotus root segment, Fei Yan blinked twice, went quiet for a moment, then slowly put the leg back down.

Hmm…  it was her cat body that had grown this way. What did that have to do with Fei Yan herself?

She stared stubbornly at the butter cakes on the stall, refusing to take another step.

Chen Miansheng was helpless. Lowering his gaze thoughtfully, he offered a compromise: “If Little Orange wants a butter cake, fine — but if I buy it for you, you’ll have to walk a full round of South and West Town.”

South and West Town?

Fei Yan quickly calculated the distance in her head, then glanced longingly at the cakes again. After a short internal struggle, she wagged her tail in agreement.

Even though Eastwind Town was small and remote, the south and west parts together were at least half its size — definitely no short walk.

But for butter cake, Fei Mao Mao was all in.

However, once they actually started walking the route, Fei Yan began to regret everything.

What on earth had possessed her to agree to walk that far just for a piece of cake?

By now, the sun was high, and the temperature had risen.

Unfortunately, Chen Miansheng, now mostly recovered thanks to her months of care, showed no signs of exhaustion even after walking for nearly an hour.

In contrast, Fei Yan was nearly dead on her paws. She hadn’t done this much walking in months. The sudden burst of activity left her drained.

She glanced ahead at the endless stretch of road, her dark eyes rolling. Then she simply flopped onto the ground, refusing to move another inch. Her eyes, though, never left the butter cake in Chen Miansheng’s hand with a desperate look in her eyes.

Seeing his little cat so willful, Chen Miansheng laughed, “We’re not done walking yet.”

Fei Yan licked the corner of her mouth, then suddenly raised a paw to tug at the hem of Chen Miansheng’s robe. She pulled at it again and again, blinking her large, round eyes, their watery shimmer making her look heartbreakingly adorable

Looking at her like that, Chen Miansheng’s throat bobbed.

He couldn’t help but recall the image that had crossed his mind the other night—of a young woman looking up at him with that same expression.

And then, as if in a dream, he suddenly felt his hand go light.

Looking down, he saw that the butter cake in his hand had somehow ended up in Little Orange’s mouth.

She had no idea where the strength came from, but with the cake clamped between her teeth, the little cat bolted several meters ahead in the blink of an eye.

As if afraid he might catch up to her.

Chen Miansheng paused, slightly dazed. After a long silence, he raised his brows lightly and let out a soft chuckle.

When it came to playing cute to get what she wanted and then turning her back immediately after, no one could rival his little cat.

__

After New Year’s Eve, the liveliest event in Dongfeng Town was the annual Lantern Festival.

The event was held on a nearby street, with the main attractions being lantern displays, riddle guessing, and releasing flower lanterns.

On the day of the lantern fair, after closing up the medicine hall, Chen Miansheng took Fei Yan in his arms and headed for the side street.

Normally quiet, the street was now bustling with excitement. All kinds of lanterns were hanging from trees, stretching down the entire street. Brightly lit, colorful, and beautiful.

The streets were packed with people, and stalls selling snacks, flower lanterns, and paper lanterns lined both sides.

Fei Yan immediately locked her gaze on a roast duck stall, hooking her fluffy paw around Chen Miansheng’s collar and guiding him over.

Of course, Chen Miansheng knew what his little cat was thinking.

Since they hadn’t gone home for dinner, she was clearly starving. So, he bought half a roast duck and asked the vendor to chop it into small pieces for her to eat more easily.

He held the kitten in one arm, carrying the oily paper bag with roast duck in the other, and fed her small pieces as they walked through the lantern fair.

When Fei Yan ate, she liked to use the tip of her tongue to wrap around the food. As a result, her tongue inevitably brushed against his fingertips and would even occasionally give them a few unconscious licks.

Fei Yan didn’t notice anything—her mind was entirely occupied with the delicious roast duck.

But it was a different story for Chen Miansheng. The first time he felt the cat tongue graze his fingers, his body tensed almost imperceptibly, and he stood frozen for a long moment.

Only when the cat had finished the piece of duck and turned her head for the next one, blinking up at him with those large, glossy black eyes, did Chen Miansheng snap out of it. He swallowed hard, then resumed feeding her as if nothing had happened.

Lantern festivals in this era were quite different from those in the modern times. All the displayed lanterns were handmade by artisans—birds, fish, insects, flowers, in every style imaginable. Fei Yan looked around eagerly, thoroughly enjoying the sights.

Suddenly, a commotion rose up ahead. Fei Yan instinctively turned toward the noise, staring blankly at the crowd that had gathered: “Meow?”

“They’re guessing lantern riddles,” Chen Miansheng explained after glancing over.

His gaze dropped gently to Fei Yan, who looked thrilled, and a faint smile played on his lips. “Come on, let’s go join the fun.”

By then, most of the riddles had already been solved, and the crowd was gathered around one that still hadn’t been cracked. Fei Yan recognized several of the people in the center—they were well-known scholars in town.

Seeing even they were scratching their heads, she figured this must be the hardest riddle of the batch.

The riddle itself was written on a slip of paper stuck to a lantern.

There were prizes for solving the riddles—the harder the riddle, the better the prize.

Chen Miansheng casually scanned the small table displaying the various prizes. His gaze lingered on one of them for a long moment before his eyes softened and a smile appeared.

He leaned down and tapped Fei Yan’s ear, lips curled slightly. “Want to win a prize, Little Orange?”

“Meow!” Fei Yan perked up instantly. She’d never been to a lantern festival before, let alone tried guessing riddles. Even if they didn’t win, just participating would be fun.

“Alright.” Chen Miansheng gave her fluffy paw a gentle squeeze, then stepped forward and—without batting an eye—tore down the riddle that everyone had been crowding around.

Fei Yan: “?”

Everyone else: “?”

Sir, are you aware this is the hardest riddle here?

Someone in the crowd muttered, “What’s Chen Miansheng doing, joining the crowd like this?”

“I heard he reads books every day. Supposedly has nice handwriting too—maybe he’s got some skills.”

“Even these scholars can’t solve it. I don’t care how smart he is—has he ever passed the imperial exams?”

Fei Yan caught every word and gave the crowd an annoyed look, ears flattened as if ready to pounce.

A warm hand suddenly landed on her head.

She looked up to see Chen Miansheng smiling down at her, his voice low and quiet, meant only for the two of them.

“Do you believe in me, Little Orange?”

At first, when he went straight for the hardest riddle, Fei Yan was definitely worried he wouldn’t be able to solve it. But now, seeing that confident, smiling expression—she didn’t know why, but she just believed in him.

So the little orange cat rubbed her fluffy head against him enthusiastically.

Chen Miansheng’s eyes crinkled with amusement. He reached into his pouch and placed two coins on the table, lowering his gaze to read the riddle.

It was tradition at the Dongfeng Town lantern fair—two coins bought you the right to answer. Only paid responses were counted.

The vendor didn’t object. After all, he figured Chen Miansheng wouldn’t be able to solve it—two easy coins in his pocket.

The riddle was: “Partings have always stirred longing.”

Chen Miansheng lowered his gaze, thick lashes casting shadows on his face as the colorful lantern light played across his features. The shifting lights and shadows made him look especially striking.

Fei Yan held her breath as she watched him, and for some reason, the old saying came to mind—“A man is most charming when he’s focused.”

She’d never really understood that phrase before, but seeing Chen Miansheng like this…

She licked the corners of her mouth.

It was true.

The next second, the corners of Chen Miansheng’s eyes lifted playfully. He looked up from the riddle and said calmly, “The answer is a single character: xi (喜)—‘joy.’”

As soon as he finished speaking, the shopkeeper looked stunned. Under everyone’s expectant gaze, the shopkeeper finally nodded in disbelief. “…Correct.”

Fei Yan hadn’t quite processed what was happening yet. Like many others, she wasn’t good at guessing riddles. After seeing the riddle, she was completely confused and had assumed it would stump Chen Miansheng for a while. She didn’t expect him to answer it correctly so quickly.

The crowd erupted with noise—That sickly guy actually guessed the answer? And it was the hardest riddle of the annual Lantern Festival.

Chen Miansheng remained composed, as if he had expected this outcome all along. He waved his hand to decline the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone offered by the shopkeeper and asked gently, “May I choose a different prize?”

The shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback—clearly not expecting anyone to turn down the most valuable reward. Still, this was within the rules, so he nodded. “As you wish.”

Another uproar went through the crowd as they watched Chen Miansheng pick up a ball of yarn. He nodded politely to the shopkeeper. “Thank you.”

Then he walked away from the crowd with the little cat in his arms.

Fei Yan: “Meow?”

“Meow?!”

What kind of move was that? He solved the hardest riddle, and even though he had plenty of writing tools at home, he could’ve chosen any other prize—and he picked a ball of yarn?

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She pawed at the hem of Chen Miansheng’s robe.

He looked down, as if he already knew what the little orange cat was thinking, and explained,

“I heard from Brother Wu Gang that Xiao Hua likes playing with yarn balls. I figured, aside from reed sticks, you don’t have many toys. I haven’t had the chance to buy you something, and when I saw the ball of yarn among the prizes, I thought I’d try to win it. But I worried that if I guessed another riddle, the owner might not let me exchange the reward. So I picked the hardest one in the middle.”

Fei Yan froze.

So… he picked the hardest riddle just to get her a new toy?

But she wasn’t really a cat! How could she possibly like playing with a ball of yarn?!

The next second, Chen Miansheng accidentally lost his grip. The yarn ball dropped and rolled away, unraveling a long string as it went.

“Meow!”

Fei Yan—now Fei Mao Mao—immediately leapt out of his arms and dashed after it.

She was much faster than the ball. Within seconds she caught up, arched her back, and pounced—grabbing it perfectly. Then she rolled around the ground with it several times.

Chen Miansheng raised an eyebrow. Seeing how much fun she was having, he didn’t want to interrupt. He simply stopped in place and watched her quietly.

But it didn’t take long before he noticed something was wrong.

As Fei Yan tumbled around with the yarn ball, the unraveling string began to wrap all around her.

Worried she’d end up completely tied up, Chen Miansheng quickly called out, “Little Orange, stop.”

The call snapped her out of it. She looked down at herself in shock, her eyes wide and wet, clearly bewildered by how tangled up she was.

Chen Miansheng chuckled and walked over, crouching in front of her. He didn’t untangle her right away but gently poked her forehead with his finger.

“How could you be this silly? You managed to tie yourself up just playing with a yarn ball.”

Fei Yan instinctively tried to flick her tail at him—but it was all tangled up. She could only glare at him fiercely.

He raised an eyebrow. “Still want me to untangle you?”

Fei Yan: “…” Fine, you win.

She licked her lips, then begrudgingly nuzzled his hand with her head and stepped back to stare at him.

Chen Miansheng smiled. “That’s it?”

Fei Yan: “?” What more do you want?!

His lips curved slightly. He didn’t make her guess.

“If Little Orange  agrees to grant me one wish, I’ll help you untangle it. I don’t know what I want yet—but if you agree, give me another nuzzle.”

One wish?

Fei Yan tilted her head in thought. What could he possibly wish for? Probably just for her to behave and stay quiet—not a big deal. So she bumped her head against his hand again.

Only then did Chen Miansheng begin carefully unwinding the yarn wrapped around her. His cool, slender fingers slid along her fur, making her squirm slightly from the ticklish sensation.

Once she was finally “set free,” Fei Yan quickly trotted two or three meters away from the yarn, shook out her fur, and lovingly groomed it smooth with her pink tongue.

Chen Miansheng patiently rolled the yarn back into a ball and tucked it into his sleeve. He thought to himself that perhaps, given her personality, the yarn ball wasn’t quite the right toy after all. He’d have to ask Wu Gang for advice again later.

He glanced toward the nearby East Wind River, where many people had gathered to float lanterns on the water.

“Little Orange, come on. Let’s set our lanterns, then go home.”

He had bought two lanterns and found a quiet spot. He placed a candle in the center of each one.

Fei Yan had never floated a lantern before. But she had always been fascinated by it when she saw it in period dramas.

She heard that floating lanterns was a way to pray for peace and make wishes. She swished her tail, looked at Chen Miansheng, then after a moment of thought, gently nudged the lantern into the river with her paw. Then, just like in the dramas, she closed her eyes and made a silent wish.

Her wish, of course, was: I hope Chen Miansheng gets better soon.

Chen Miansheng, meanwhile, held his unlit lantern in one hand, his eyes fixed on the little orange cat. He stood still, silent.

It dawned on him—there was no one else floating lanterns nearby. No matter how clever or spiritually attuned this little cat was, there was no way she could have figured it out on her own. Not unless…

Not unless she wasn’t just a cat.

Because after she pushed the lantern into the water, she closed her eyes and stayed still for several seconds.

If you imagined her as a human—that was clearly someone making a wish.

Chen Miansheng closed his eyes. Those scenes repeated in his mind again and again.

The patients who were mysteriously cured at the medicine hall, the herbs that had been swapped in the medicine jars, the candles that had inexplicably burned out, the little orange cat who would release lanterns and make wishes…

Something was almost breaking the surface—he could feel it—but as he looked into the cat’s bright, expressive eyes, the thoughts caught in his throat.

If the little orange cat really was some kind of spirit or otherworldly being, why would she choose to stay by his side in cat form? What was her goal? And most importantly…

If he truly exposed the cat’s identity, would that scare her off for good? Would she disappear from his world forever, never to be found again?

Just a few days ago, he had only gently probed her and she had trembled so badly in response. Thinking about it now, it wasn’t impossible.

Chen Miansheng’s hand, hanging at his side, unconsciously curled into a fist before slowly loosening again.

No. Even if she stayed by his side in the form of a cat, it was better than scaring her into vanishing forever.

Taking a deep breath, he forcefully suppressed the chaotic thoughts spiraling in his mind. With a calm expression, he set the lantern in his hand onto the water and gave it a gentle push.

The lantern drifted slowly away with the current, swaying on the surface and sending out ripples that expanded again and again.

Chen Miansheng pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, then closed his eyes slowly and solemnly.

This year, he didn’t make the same wish he always had. Instead, the image of his little cat rose unbidden in his mind.

He spoke silently in his heart—

“I know this wish is frighteningly selfish.”
“But I hope you’ll stay by my side.”
“Always.”

After releasing the lantern, Chen Miansheng brought Fei Yan back to the little courtyard.

The lively noise of the street carried on, the festive sounds faintly echoing even at the courtyard gate.

Fei Yan had thoroughly enjoyed herself today — and with Chen Miansheng feeding her half a roasted duck, she was completely satisfied.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, she leapt down from his arms and strolled confidently toward the inner room.

But suddenly, she froze — then abruptly dashed toward the room at full speed.

Because at that moment, Thirteen’s voice rang out in her mind, catching her completely off guard:

[Hello, Host. The cooldown period for the setting “Midnight Cinderella” has ended. Wishing you a pleasant experience.]

Crap. She’d had too much fun outside and had completely forgotten — she would transform back into a human at midnight!

That burning pain surged through her entire body again. As she ran, Fei Yan stumbled clumsily.

There was no time to think. One thought filled her mind:

She absolutely must not transform back into a human in front of Chen Miansheng.

Chen Miansheng, still weighed down by his thoughts, had just bolted the courtyard door when a flash of orange fur caught the corner of his eye.

He turned — just in time to see his little cat dash into the inner room at an unusual speed, nearly tripping along the way.

“Little Orange?”

He frowned slightly. His body moved faster than his mind, and he stepped forward to follow.

Fei Yan had just rushed into the room when she saw her furry orange paws turn back into pale human hands — the change had already begun.

She had previously asked Thirteen: once the full transformation into human form was complete, the host — her — would then be able to choose whether or not to voluntarily shift back into cat form.

She hurriedly ducked beside the bed, an angle barely visible from the doorway. Her eyes widened as her body slowly turned human again. Her heart pounded wildly with anxiety.

Faster, faster — please change faster.

The waiting felt excruciatingly long. Finally, even her hind paws had turned back into human legs. Feiyan quickly called out:

“Switch me back to cat form!”

[Confirmed, Host. Attribute have been successfully switched.]

Fortunately, switching back only took a blink. As soon as Thirteen finished speaking, she had once again returned to her cat appearance.

Her tense nerves finally relaxed. Fei Yan collapsed by the bed, tail weakly twitching behind her, limbs sprawled in exhaustion.

Good thing I didn’t get exposed. Thank goodness.

Disguising herself wasn’t easy — cat sigh emoji.jpg.

What she didn’t know was that just as she shifted her body toward the edge of the bed, Chen Miansheng had already entered the room.

It didn’t take long for him to spot her.

And the moment he did, his pupils contracted slightly.

Even though it lasted only an instant, and the room was bathed in dim moonlight, he was sure he hadn’t seen wrong.

There, at the foot of the bed, what had flashed briefly into view…

Was clearly a pair of snow-white human legs.

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