Ever since the day Ning Yichen had given Shen Xuan the little cat, the two of them had become inseparable.
Or rather, Shen Xuan and the cat had become inseparable.
Ning Yichen was beginning to suspect that he had made a terrible mistake.
A very, very terrible mistake.
The little creature had originally been nothing more than a gift meant to make Shen Xuan happy. He had never imagined that the moment the tiny cat entered her arms, it would completely occupy her heart.
Shen Xuan had named the cat Mei Mei, meaning beautiful.
And in Shen Xuan’s opinion, the name was absolutely perfect.
Mei Mei was a tiny snow-white cat with soft, fluffy fur that seemed almost too delicate to be real. There was a faint patch of pale golden fur between her ears, shaped almost like a little flower. Her ears were small and triangular, twitching whenever she heard the slightest unfamiliar sound.
Her most captivating feature, however, was her eyes.
One eye was a clear, pale blue, while the other was a warm golden brown.
Whenever Mei Mei looked at Shen Xuan with those round, innocent eyes, Shen Xuan’s heart practically melted.
The first time she had seen the little cat stretch out its tiny paws toward her, she had nearly squealed.
And from that moment onward, Mei Mei had become her constant companion.
Shen Xuan ate with Mei Mei.
She read with Mei Mei.
She rested beneath the trees with Mei Mei curled on her lap.
Whenever she walked through the courtyard, Mei Mei would follow behind her with her little tail held proudly in the air.
Even when Shen Xuan sat down to embroider, Mei Mei would curl up beside her feet and occasionally paw at the loose threads.
At night, the cat slept beside her pillow.
Sometimes, Shen Xuan would wake up to find Mei Mei curled into a tiny ball against her arm, purring softly in her sleep.
And every single time that happened, Shen Xuan would smile happily.
She had even started wondering whether the heavens had finally decided to be kind to her.
After all, she had always been allergic to cats in her previous life.
Yet somehow, in this life, she could cuddle Mei Mei, carry her around, bury her face in her soft fur, and even allow the cat to sleep beside her without suffering the slightest reaction.
It was practically a miracle.
"Mei Mei, you’re truly heaven’s gift to me."
Shen Xuan had once hugged the little cat tightly against her chest while speaking those words.
Mei Mei merely meowed in response.
Unfortunately, there was one person who was not nearly as pleased with the arrangement.
Ning Yichen.
At first, he had been pleased whenever he saw Shen Xuan smiling because of the cat.
But after several weeks, his happiness slowly turned into helplessness.
Then annoyance.
Then jealousy.
And finally, quiet resentment toward a creature that weighed less than a few pieces of clothing.
The problem was that Shen Xuan no longer seemed to notice anyone whenever Mei Mei was around.
Even when Ning Yichen visited, her first question was often—
"Where’s Mei Mei?"
Not—
"Why are you here?"
Not even—
"Have you eaten?"
Just—
"Where’s Mei Mei?"
Ning Yichen had begun to wonder if he should have given her a cat at all.
Worse still, Shen Xuan’s nephew, Shen Yichen, had somehow joined the enemy camp.
The four-year-old had taken an immediate liking to Mei Mei and spent nearly as much time playing with the cat as Shen Xuan did.
The result was rather tragic.
Whenever Ning Yichen visited, he would find Shen Xuan playing with Mei Mei while little Shen Yichen sat beside her, laughing.
If Ning Yichen tried to join them, Shen Yichen would sometimes deliberately pick up the cat and run away.
The little boy had even started calling him the "big bad wolf" whenever Shen Xuan wasn’t looking.
Ning Yichen had not forgotten it.
He simply chose not to argue with a four-year-old.
After all, he was a grown man.
He had more important things to do.
At least, that was what he told himself.
But tonight, Ning Yichen finally decided that enough was enough.
The night had grown quiet over the Shen Residence.
The moon hung high above the tiled rooftops, casting a gentle silver glow over the courtyard.
Lanterns swayed beneath the eaves, their warm light spilling across the stone pathways.
Most of the servants had already retired for the night.
Inside Shen Xuan’s courtyard, everything was peaceful.
Shen Xuan had just finished freshening up.
Her long hair had been dried and loosely gathered behind her, with only a simple jade hairpin holding part of it in place. She wore a soft sleeping robe that was modest and comfortable, completely different from the elaborate dresses she wore whenever she received guests.
She sat before her dressing table, absentmindedly examining her reflection.
Her two personal maids, Xiao Mei and Xiao Cao, had stepped outside to prepare the room for the night.
Mei Mei had also mysteriously disappeared.
Shen Xuan had assumed the servants had taken the cat outside for a little while.
She had no idea that someone had deliberately arranged for the little creature to be removed from the room.
The door opened quietly.
Shen Xuan looked toward it.
She expected to see Xiao Mei.
Instead, a familiar figure stepped inside.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Yichen?"
Ning Yichen closed the door behind him.
"What are you doing here this late?"
He did not answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward her.
There was something different about his expression tonight.
Usually, whenever he saw Shen Xuan, there was a faint smile on his face and an unmistakable warmth in his eyes.
Tonight, however, there was a strange seriousness in his expression.
Shen Xuan watched him approach with curiosity.
When he reached her, Ning Yichen stopped before her dressing table.
Then, to her surprise, he lowered himself and crouched before her.
Shen Xuan blinked.
"Yichen?"
He looked up at her.
"Awu."
His voice was soft.
Gentle.
Almost painfully tender.
Shen Xuan’s cheeks immediately warmed.
"Hmmm?"
She tried to sound calm.
She failed.
There was simply too much tenderness in his voice.
Ning Yichen stared at her for several breaths before finally speaking.
"You’ve been ignoring me."
Shen Xuan’s eyebrows rose.
"I have?"
"You don’t smile at me as much anymore."
He paused.
"And whenever I come, you’re looking at Mei Mei."
His voice became slightly more aggrieved with every sentence.
"You carry her around."
"You feed her."
"You play with her."
"You even sleep with her."
By the end of his complaint, Ning Yichen sounded suspiciously like a husband complaining that his wife’s attention had been completely stolen by their child.
Shen Xuan stared at him.
Then she tried to hold it in.
She really did.
But she failed.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
Then another.
Soon, her shoulders were trembling as she covered her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to contain her laughter.
Ning Yichen simply watched her.
He had expected her to apologize.
He had expected her to reassure him.
He had not expected her to laugh.
Yet strangely, the sound of her laughter eased the irritation in his heart.
Shen Xuan finally lowered her hand.
"Yichen," she said between laughs, "you look like a big dog begging to be petted."
Ning Yichen’s expression froze.
For a moment, he simply stared at her.
Then his lips curved upward.
"Hmm."
He moved slightly closer.
"I want you to pet me."
Before Shen Xuan could react, he lowered his head and deliberately placed it beneath her raised hand.
Shen Xuan stared at him.
"..."
This man.
Was he serious?
She hesitated for a moment before eventually placing her hand on his head.
"There, there."
She gently stroked his hair.
"Good dog."
Ning Yichen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Don’t call me a dog."
"But you said you wanted to be petted."
"I did."
"Then you’re a big dog."
Ning Yichen was silent for a moment.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
Shen Xuan laughed as well.
The quiet room soon filled with their laughter.
For those few moments, all the worries surrounding the capital, the imperial clan, the court and the uncertain future seemed very far away.
Ning Yichen looked at Shen Xuan.
Her eyes curved into beautiful crescents whenever she laughed, and there was a rare innocence in her expression that made his heart soften.
He had missed this.
More than he wanted to admit.
"I’m sorry for ignoring you," Shen Xuan finally said after her laughter subsided. "I’ll make it up to you tomorrow."
Ning Yichen immediately looked at her.
"Really?"
His eyes brightened with such obvious anticipation that Shen Xuan nearly laughed again.
"Really."
She thought for a moment.
Then her eyes lit up.
"I know!"
She leaned forward slightly.
"Let’s go out to eat tomorrow."
Ning Yichen blinked.
"Eat?"
"Yes."
Shen Xuan nodded enthusiastically.
Her mind was already filled with images of all the delicacies she had yet to taste.
There were countless dishes in this world that she had only heard about from books.
She had lived in the Shen Residence for fourteen years.
Fourteen years!
It was practically a crime that she had not explored the capital properly.
Besides, she was a salted fish.
And a salted fish needed good food.
"Shen Xuan, oh, Shen Xuan," she scolded herself inwardly. "How could you forget that a salted fish’s life is incomplete without enjoying all the delicious food in the world?"
The thought made her eyes shine even more.
Ning Yichen watched her changing expressions and smiled.
"All right."
He rose to his feet.
"Whatever you say."
He was about to leave when Shen Xuan suddenly looked up.
"You’re leaving?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Ning Yichen paused.
Shen Xuan froze.
Her eyes widened.
Inside her head, she immediately slapped herself.
What did you just say?!
That sounded like an invitation!
Shen Xuan, you idiot!
That sounded exactly like—
She stopped herself before finishing the thought.
Slowly, Ning Yichen turned around.
His gaze settled on her.
There was something unreadable in his eyes now.
Shen Xuan’s heart skipped.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
The candle flame beside the dressing table flickered gently.
The night suddenly felt much quieter.
Ning Yichen took a slow, deep breath.
Then another.
His fingers curled slightly at his sides.
He looked at Shen Xuan as though he were fighting with himself.
Finally, he forced himself to smile.
"Good night, Awu."
His voice was slightly hoarse.
Then he turned and walked away.
He did not look back.
He walked faster than usual, almost as though someone were chasing him.
Shen Xuan remained seated before the dressing table, staring at the doorway long after he disappeared.
After several moments, she blinked.
"...What just happened?"
She touched her warm cheeks.
Then she shook her head.
"Why do I feel like I just escaped a crisis?"
Outside the room, Ning Yichen leaned briefly against the corridor pillar and closed his eyes.
He let out a slow breath.
He had come here intending to complain about Mei Mei.
Instead, he had nearly lost his composure because Shen Xuan had casually asked whether he was leaving.
He pressed his fingers against his forehead.
"She’s going to be the death of me."
Inside the room, Shen Xuan had already forgotten the matter.
She climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and yawned.
Tomorrow, she was going out to eat.
That was what mattered.
Everything else could wait.
"Mei Mei had better come back before breakfast," she muttered sleepily.
Then she closed her eyes.
Within moments, the young lady who had once sworn to live a quiet, peaceful life had fallen sound asleep, completely unaware that somewhere outside her courtyard, one very frustrated young master was still thinking about her.