In the living room, the main light wasn’t on, only a lamp by the entrance was lit. The light was dim, the night was deep, and strands of moonlight slanted in.
Two shadows were stretched long, overlapping.
A hint of late-night breeze leaked through the half-open window, lightly stirring the loose hair.
Ying Miaomiao’s transformation back into human form this time was sudden, completely without the painful struggle of the last time. She felt as if she was wrapped in a warm tide; her entire body seemed to stretch out comfortably.
She still wore the exquisite collar around her neck. The sky-blue leather collar was fastened, and the cat tag rested lightly against her neck, cool to the touch.
She was half-kneeling in front of the sofa, her fingertips stroking Shi Xinyu’s hair. Her hair quality was excellent, black like ink, and smooth like silk.
Shi Xinyu’s cheeks were burning, and her eyes seemed veiled with mist. Her face was resting on her hand, making Ying Miaomiao feel a little panicked, yet unable to move away.
She leaned against the sofa, a corner of her delicate collarbone exposed, with only a sliver of dim light falling upon her.
Ying Miaomiao’s gaze was drawn by those misty, hazy eyes. Separated by a layer of fog, they looked at each other.
The burning sensation on her fingertips told Ying Miaomiao that all of this was real; she had suddenly transformed back into human form again in Shi Xinyu’s house.
Shi Xinyu’s face was flushed with a faint red from the alcohol, a subtle pink spreading from her neck to her cheeks.
Her eyes were tired and aching; closing them let a tear fall, which landed right on Ying Miaomiao’s fingertip.
The tear was scalding. Ying Miaomiao wanted to pull her hand away as if she had been burned, but her hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn’t move it.
The night was enchanting, and the moon was crescent-shaped.
A faint, subtle scent of blue orchid drifted into her nostrils. The breeze stirred Shi Xinyu’s hair, and the loose strands tickled her hand.
Their eyes met. Shi Xinyu’s eyes were still misty. She leaned gently on that hand, turning her head slightly, her drunken, hazy gaze unable to distinguish reality from illusion.
“Who are you?”
These three words were heavy as a thousand pounds.
Ying Miaomiao suddenly withdrew her hand as if waking from a dream, wanting to speak but not knowing where to begin.
Shi Xinyu stared at her steadily, her breathing somewhat erratic. She lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously pressing into the soft sofa. She was leaning in Ying Miaomiao’s shadow, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
After a long silence, Ying Miaomiao didn’t dare to speak. Her whole body was stiff, and she just knelt woodenly in front of the sofa.
The moonlight disappeared into the clouds, making the room even darker. Only the curtain swayed gently with the breeze. Shi Xinyu suddenly let out a soft laugh, her voice low and hoarse: “It really is a dream.”
Her voice was too quiet; Ying Miaomiao could only vaguely make out a few words. But Shi Xinyu suddenly straightened up and lifted her chin.
The light abruptly went out, and the whole world plunged into silence.
The moment sight disappeared, her other senses became more acute. Ying Miaomiao smelled the familiar scent of blue orchid on her, felt her chin being touched by cool fingertips, and warm breath was sprinkled across her earlobe.
Her lips brushed past Ying Miaomiao’s ear.
They were soft.
Ying Miaomiao’s tail stood high, and her ears twitched a few times. She hated this animalistic trait.
But she also felt a little anticipation.
She opened her eyes and looked up at Shi Xinyu.
Shi Xinyu was sitting, looking down at her. Her shirt was a little wrinkled, one button at the collar undone. Her long hair was loose, and through the thick, slightly curled strands, her fair collarbone was faintly visible. Ying Miaomiao held her breath. Shi Xinyu like this had a kind of wild beauty.
Shi Xinyu drew closer and closer.
Ying Miaomiao closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
Her long, cool fingertips rested on Ying Miaomiao’s jaw.
Shi Xinyu’s lips were a little cool, landing on the corner of her eye and brow, just a gentle touch.
Their foreheads pressed together, their breaths intertwined.
Ying Miaomiao tilted her head up slightly. The surroundings were so quiet that only her heartbeat seemed audible. Violent, trembling.
She summoned the courage to plant a fleeting, butterfly kiss on the side of Shi Xinyu’s face.
…
It was eight in the morning, and the sun was beautiful today.
Shi Xinyu was woken up by the birds chirping outside. She woke up much later than usual today. Sensing that she was awake, the little cat affectionately nudged the bedside, its wet nose brushing against her neck, which was a little ticklish.
She covered her head, deep in thought.
The little cat let out a soft, delicate meow, bringing her back to her senses.
Shi Xinyu was still wearing yesterday’s shirt. There was a cup of cold water on the bedside table. She sat up and looked at the little cat, her gaze exceptionally gentle: “Miaomiao came to wake me up?”
Ying Miaomiao sat on the bedside, her eyes bright. She let out a soft meow: “Meow.”
Good morning.
Shi Xinyu smiled. She gently squeezed the little cat’s paw: “I’m happy today. I’ll give you an extra meal after I shower.”
Watching Shi Xinyu’s retreating figure, Ying Miaomiao suddenly thought of that light kiss last night. Her ears felt a little hot.
After the kiss last night, Shi Xinyu fell asleep, leaving Ying Miaomiao alone, scratching her heart with anxiety.
But she couldn’t just leave Shi Xinyu to sleep in the living room, so she could only semi-carry, semi-support her to the bedroom.
The light in the bedroom was very dim, and the lamp wouldn’t turn on. Ying Miaomiao suddenly remembered the lamp by the entrance; it seemed the power had already been out since then.
Shi Xinyu and Ying Miaomiao were very close, separated by only a few thin layers of cloth. Her body was a little hot.
Just as they were nearing the foot of the bed, Ying Miaomiao stumbled, and both of them fell onto the bed.
They fell onto the soft area with the duvet. Shi Xinyu frowned but didn’t wake up. Ying Miaomiao’s heart was beating exceptionally fast, afraid that Shi Xinyu might suddenly wake up.
She propped herself up and watched Shi Xinyu’s sleeping face. With her eyes closed, her entire demeanor softened considerably, and the small, light-colored mole near her nose was particularly striking.
She waited for a while, supporting herself with her hands on the duvet, and seeing that Shi Xinyu was showing a tendency to sleep deeper, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
But—for a split second, Ying Miaomiao felt she could control Shi Xinyu.
She was lying on the bed like Sleeping Beauty.
Ying Miaomiao sighed.
She truly was a good person, taking care of Shi Xinyu for half the night with stubborn willpower until she transformed back into a cat.
But it was also strange.
Ying Miaomiao initially suspected that her car accident had put her on a transmigration path, like the novels where she was reborn into a cat’s body. But after these two successful transformations into human form, she began to suspect it was the “tales of the supernatural” path, as this seemed to be her actual body.
The strangest thing was that these two transformations from cat to human seemed to have no common point, the only commonality being that Shi Xinyu was by her side.
Ying Miaomiao grew more distressed. She had lived the past twenty-plus years of her life doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, so why was she encountering such bizarre events?
However, the best thing about transforming back into a human yesterday was the progress in finding Ms. Ying.
She had more time as a human last night, and fearing that the previous instant message hadn’t worked, she used other contact methods to send a text message to Ms. Ying. Although she hadn’t received a reply because it was too late, Ms. Ying enjoyed surfing the internet and should be able to see it.
But Ying Miaomiao suddenly remembered a drawback. Shi Xinyu cherished her adorable little cat like the apple of her eye. If she discovered that she was missing, wouldn’t she be extremely worried?
Before she could think of a solution, Shi Xinyu’s appearance interrupted her thoughts. Her hair ends were still dripping water, and she was only wearing a bathrobe. After showering, Shi Xinyu felt much refreshed.
Shi Xinyu didn’t blow-dry her hair, only wiping the ends with a towel until they stopped dripping. After wiping, the towel was casually hung up.
She affectionately picked up the little cat, whose hand felt cool.
They were very close. Ying Miaomiao smelled Shi Xinyu’s scent. Her scent was not strong, always a light fragrance. The scent of blue orchid was subtle but extremely pervasive.
Ying Miaomiao, held in her arms, was somewhat conspicuous.
Ying Miaomiao had now gone from being a small ball of fluff to a large ball of fluff, but both parties apparently hadn’t noticed.
Shi Xinyu was used to physical exercise, so holding the little cat, which was growing heavier day by day, was no problem. Ying Miaomiao was completely unaware. Her fur was shiny and smooth, a symbol of Shi Xinyu’s great love for her.
She patted Ying Miaomiao’s back. It felt solid, like soft, fluffy little bread. “Let’s go, big sister will give you an extra meal.”
With that, she carried Ying Miaomiao to the living room.
After setting the little cat down on the sofa, Shi Xinyu walked towards the kitchen.
The property management had sent a message last night that the power outage would only last about an hour, so the ingredients in the refrigerator were spared, but they couldn’t escape the little cat’s mouth.
Shi Xinyu’s hand was steady, and her knife skills were decent. She tried to chop the food for the little cat as finely as possible.
Today, she made a mixed meal of beef leg meat and shrimp. Since the little cat didn’t like carrots, she replaced them with pumpkin and also added a sterile egg.
After steaming, the cat food looked quite good, with a rustic beauty. Shi Xinyu brought it out and squatted down just to watch her eat. She propped her chin on her hand, her mind wandering.
…
The next day, Shi Xinyu took Ying Miaomiao to work as usual.
After an afternoon and a night of thinking, Ying Miaomiao had come up with a brilliant escape plan.
Shi Xinyu’s office didn’t have many places to hide. There were few corners in the lounge or around the office, making it difficult to find things or hide.
The only way was to go out and play often.
Since Ying Miaomiao had been well-nourished, another benefit of her increased size was greater strength. Although she couldn’t open the doors at home, opening the office door was easy.
However, it would be too conspicuous for her to open the door.
Usually, Ying Miaomiao chose to dart out when someone else opened the door.
The first attempt was relatively successful. Ying Miaomiao hid in a place where she could see the time. Fifteen minutes after her disappearance, Shi Xinyu left the office to look for her cat.
Seeing her crouching stealthily in a corner, Shi Xinyu found it cute but still gave the little cat a lecture.
She pinched Ying Miaomiao’s scruff, a rare moment of seriousness: “Don’t run out on your own again, hear me?”
Ying Miaomiao avoided Shi Xinyu’s gaze, her tail swishing a few times. Of course, she would go out, and more than once.
The door suddenly opened.
Ying Miaomiao and Shi Xinyu turned their heads simultaneously.
Standing outside the door was Lü Jiaoyang. She leaned against the doorframe of the office. Seeing Shi Xinyu lecturing the little cat, she chuckled: “Oh, is the little cat being disobedient?”
Shi Xinyu couldn’t be bothered with her boring remark. She merely released her grip on the little cat, smoothed Ying Miaomiao’s fur again, and then said, “Finished reading the document?”
With that, Shi Xinyu took the document from Lü Jiaoyang’s hand. As she looked down to check the file, Ying Miaomiao quietly jumped onto the office desk and used the height to glance over.
These documents were not recent; they were from two months ago.
Lü Jiaoyang comfortably leaned on the sofa, her expression lazy. She nodded slightly, her knuckles lightly tapping the sofa. “It’s all corrected.”
Shi Xinyu examined it carefully, only picking out one mistake. She handed the document back to Lü Jiaoyang, her expression satisfied. She gestured for Lü Jiaoyang to take the document, her tone uncharacteristically gentle: “Not bad, only missed one issue.”
But Lü Jiaoyang was Lü Jiaoyang, after all.
She took the document and immediately grinned, showing a standard eight teeth. Her smile was radiant: “Of course, it’s me.”
Ying Miaomiao suddenly felt that Lü Jiaoyang was like a cheerful, human-friendly, but somewhat cunning Golden Retriever, and the kind with a slightly faded coat.
The big ball of fluff sent her a disdainful look.
Lü Jiaoyang noticed the gaze and was quite shocked and amused. How could a cat have such an expression? She pointed in Ying Miaomiao’s direction: “Your cat is looking down on me?”
But Ying Miaomiao turned around, choosing to face her rear end towards the two of them, the tip of her tail flicking under the desk. That little white tip was particularly noticeable.
…
After the celebration banquet, the company’s workload increased significantly. Even Lou Jia, who used to constantly preach, “Those who are not active in slacking off have a problem with their thinking,” chose to voluntarily work overtime.
Other departments were even worse off, working overtime until they were completely exhausted.
It wasn’t until everyone in this makeshift company had lost their soul that Xi Qingyi and Ding Qiwen, who had been missing from the company for a long time, finally returned.
When they came back, they brought local specialties for everyone in the company, even Ying Miaomiao.
Shi Xinyu’s gaze towards the two of them was particularly resentful, but she couldn’t help it. The two were on their honeymoon leave, a rare time for them.
Ding Qiwen’s gift to Shi Xinyu was a seashell wind chime and a pinecone wind chime. They even thought out where to place them: one at home and one in the office.
Her gift for Ying Miaomiao was a small wooden cat-shaped pendant, vividly lifelike, with small blue gemstones inlaid in the eyes, much like hers.
However, such a pendant was not suitable for a little cat to wear, so it was ultimately taken by Shi Xinyu and hung next to the succulent on her office desk.
In addition, there was an amulet they had acquired.
The amulet was very small, only the size of a “peace button” (Ping An Kou), and could be added to Ying Miaomiao’s leather collar. Aside from being a bit noisy, it looked quite good with it.
With the return of the two of them, Shi Xinyu’s workload was significantly reduced. After discussion, their company needed to expand, which meant they needed to hire people.
When the company was first founded, the environment was not this good. Shi Xinyu did not want to rely on her mother’s help. She put all her savings of many years into it, betting everything.
Although there had been profits in the previous years, it was only enough to barely break even. Given their income, they could not afford to hire many people, nor did they need many.
But now it was different. Ying Miaomiao’s illustration went viral and brought a lot of commercial value. With more people playing the game, the surge in game revenue was the most direct manifestation.
Recently, the servers had crashed a few times due to the large flow of users, so hiring was an urgent necessity to stabilize the user traffic.
And Ying Miaomiao was also conducting desensitization training for Shi Xinyu during this busy period.
She once again skillfully slipped out of the office.
The weather had been unusually erratic recently. Two days ago, it was still sunny with an average temperature of about 30 degrees Celsius, but today it had dropped to 20 degrees.
However, such a rapid change in temperature didn’t affect the greenery in the office area, which was kept at a constant temperature most of the time.
Ying Miaomiao had been going to bed very late recently. Although she felt a bit bad about playing ‘hide-and-seek’ with Shi Xinyu during such a busy time, it concerned whether she could successfully transform back into a human.
Therefore, when she was at home, she didn’t hang around Shi Xinyu much, only waking her up on time in the morning.
Due to the sudden drop in temperature, everyone was dressed much warmer than usual. Shi Xinyu was wearing a thin trench coat today, with boots up to her knees, looking very authoritative.
She did not forget to put an extra layer on Ying Miaomiao: a matching small cape. The cape had a hood with bumps that fit her two cat ears, making her look particularly cute.
Wearing clothes did not hinder Ying Miaomiao from moving around. She was just a bit more careful, not wanting to stain her nice clothes.
At this moment, she was hiding in the gap between her workspace chair and the desk, curling up into a ball, trying her best to minimize her size. Although she wasn’t sleeping, this position was indeed very comfortable for a cat.
However, the constant clattering of the keyboard nearby was too much of a lullaby. She curled up even tighter.
It wasn’t until—
The chair moved and the light abruptly brightened that Ying Miaomiao woke up. She was groggy and saw a circle of people standing around her. She suddenly jumped up, her fluffy tail fur standing on end like a dandelion.
Lou Jia excitedly said: “She’s here!”
Ying Miaomiao quickly jumped off the chair. She didn’t know what was happening, but having so many people look at her was a bit unnerving.
Shi Xinyu was right next to her. She meowed and ran towards Shi Xinyu, darting into her arms.
Upon seeing the little cat, Shi Xinyu breathed a sigh of relief. After thanking everyone, she ordered afternoon tea for all of them.
When she carried the cat back to the office, Lü Jiaoyang was sitting at her desk. Her radiant face looked a bit wilted at the moment, but seeing Ying Miaomiao being carried back to the office, she smiled: “CEO Shi, your cat ran away again?”
Her smile was truly irritating. Ying Miaomiao always felt her paws itching, wanting to bat at her.
Shi Xinyu nodded slightly: “She was sleeping at the workstation just now, she didn’t run away.”
Lü Jiaoyang clicked her tongue. “How did you two end up wearing matching outfits?”
Shi Xinyu ignored her and continued walking towards the office.
Ying Miaomiao then realized that she had been sleeping too soundly in that secret corner. Shi Xinyu hadn’t been too worried about Ying Miaomiao, as she would always come out after a few calls.
But this time, no matter how hard they looked, they couldn’t find her. Fortunately, people spontaneously started helping to look for the cat. When they found Ying Miaomiao, she was sleeping at the workstation, giving a sense of being right under their nose.
Ying Miaomiao felt a little guilty. Things were so busy recently; was she causing too much trouble for others? But she hadn’t done it on purpose. Fortunately, it could also be considered desensitizing Shi Xinyu… right?