Chu Qi was speechless for a second.

Wen Zifei, not missing a chance to mock, laughed, “Come on, you don’t seriously think a cat is going to help you, do you? Hahaha, how naive. If that cat actually helps, I’ll be your servant for a whole week!”

The fat orange cat lounging lazily in the tree opened one eye, glanced at Yuanyuan, and then closed it again without moving. “Too much trouble. Not helping.”

“Please, kitty~~” Yuanyuan clasped her hands together at her chest and swayed gently, her voice soft and pleading, her big eyes filled with hope.

Even Gu Beiyan, standing nearby, felt the urge to climb the tree himself after hearing her sweet request.

The large orange cat let out what seemed like a sigh. Slowly, it stretched and began moving gracefully along the tree branches, heading toward where Yuanyuan’s shoe was stuck.

Wen Zifei, in the middle of making fun of them, suddenly fell silent. His eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold in disbelief.

With a swift paw swipe, the orange cat batted at the branch where the shoe was caught. The shoe wobbled and, with a soft thud, fell to the ground.

“Kitty, kitty, we still need the ball! Thank you~~” Yuanyuan, standing barefoot, waved her little hands toward the cat, signaling where the ball was stuck.

The cat shot an annoyed glance at them. Even Chu Qi could swear she saw a look of disdain in its eyes.

“Is this really a cat?” Chu Qi muttered to herself. “Why does it look so… expressive?”

The orange cat padded to the end of the branch, stood up on its hind legs, and pressed down with its front paws. With a push, the ball was dislodged and rolled down to the ground.

Chu Qi and Wen Zifei, their mouths hanging open in shock, stared in disbelief at what had just happened.

“M-meow?” The branch suddenly creaked under the weight of the hefty cat, and before it could leap back, the branch snapped.

Yuanyuan, arms raised, rushed forward in an attempt to catch the cat, but the orange tabby twisted gracefully in midair, landed lightly on her shoulder, and then hopped to the ground without a sound.

Standing there, holding nothing but air, Yuanyuan blinked in surprise before clapping her hands wildly. “You’re amazing, kitty!”

The orange cat, now calmly grooming its fur, responded with a nonchalant flick of its paw. “Hmph, nothing to brag about. Just a little trick.”

“Wait, can this cat understand us?” Wen Zifei, his earlier bravado gone, moved closer, eyeing the cat curiously. “How does it know exactly what we wanted it to do?”

The cat, mid-lick, froze for a moment, then turned sharply toward Yuanyuan. “How am I able to understand you?”

Yuanyuan, sitting nearby, tried to pet the cat’s fur. Her tiny hand hovered cautiously as she answered, “I can understand you too!”

What?!

The cat was in disbelief. It stood up, ears flat against its head, fur bristling in shock. “What kind of monster are you?!”

“Shh…” Yuanyuan leaned closer, putting a finger to her lips, and whispered into the cat’s ear, “I’m not a monster. I’m a little cat fairy.”

The orange tabby blinked, clearly unsure how to process this. “…”

Seeing the cat’s hesitation, Yuanyuan reassured it, “Really, really! I’m not lying.”

Chu Qi, Gu Beiyan, and Wen Zifei were too stunned to focus on the cat anymore. Instead, they were all staring at Yuanyuan in disbelief.

Was she really understanding the cat? And having a conversation with it?!

“If you’re really a fairy,” the orange cat said, standing tall, its long tail straight up behind it, “can you turn me into a human?”

Yuanyuan giggled and shook her head, “I can’t do that.”

The cat’s face fell. “Hmph, what a waste of time.”

As the cat turned to leave, Yuanyuan reached out and grabbed its tail. Startled, the cat froze, its body quivering with shock.

“Meow!!!” The orange tabby let out a furious yowl, raising a paw to swipe at her in retaliation.