Pei Shenyu was alarmed and startled, never expecting that his usually obedient cat would suddenly make such a dangerous move. His face turned serious as he urgently called out, "Xiaoguai!"
But Ming Luomeng seemed not to hear him at all, not even turning her head as she dashed into the alley.
The moment the cat's figure disappeared at the alley's entrance, Pei Shenyu's heart tightened abruptly. He quickly dismounted, tossed the reins to Bai Cang, and hurriedly stepped into the alley in pursuit.
The alley was deep and silent, with white walls and black tiles lining both sides. The long stone-paved path seemed to stretch on endlessly.
A slanting ray of sunlight fell just right on the white cat, who was now sitting at the feet of a young boy dressed in monk's robes. The boy's expression was calm, and in his hand hung a small copper bell.
The cat's tail swayed back and forth, and its bright eyes revealed its fondness for the bell.
Pei Shenyu let out a small sigh of relief...
Fortunately, it wasn't lost.
For some reason, he had just felt an inexplicable emptiness in his heart, a kind of unspeakable fear, as if his heart had been hollowed out along with the cat's disappearance.
Being so emotionally affected by a cat was a feeling he had never experienced before.
Pei Shenyu furrowed his handsome brows tightly and took a few steps forward to the boy. He bent down to scoop the cat into his arms, but before he could reprimand it, the cat started scratching in displeasure, struggling and meowing in his arms.
Seeing Ming Luomeng behave this way only heightened the inexplicable irritation in Pei Shenyu's heart.
"Xiaoguai! Behave."
But the young monk suddenly spoke. "This humble monk sees that the benefactor is a person of fate."
It was only then that Pei Shenyu noticed the young monk in front of him.
The little monk was quite young, only as tall as Pei Shenyu's waist, dressed in simple grey cloth robes, with a small bamboo basket on his back and a string of prayer beads around his neck. His voice still carried the innocence of a child, but his brows and eyes held a maturity beyond his years.
"You say it's fate, then tell me, how so?"
"The benefactor's cat likes this monk's bell and followed it here." The young monk removed the red string from his wrist, causing the bell to jingle softly.
He placed the bell in his palm and handed it to Pei Shenyu.
"This is fate."
Pei Shenyu furrowed his brows without speaking, accepting the bell with one hand. The cat in his arms immediately extended its paw to reach for it. But he was still irritated and calmly lifted the bell out of reach, while tightening his grip on the cat with his other hand.
Ming Luomeng, unable to move in his arms, could only meow in protest, expressing her discontent.
Pei Shenyu glanced down at the cat in his arms. This was the first time in days he had seen the cat so lively.
Does it like this bell that much?
"Can I buy this bell from you?" he asked as he turned back to the monk.
"Of course, one bell for one gold coin," the young monk replied instantly, as if he had expected this.
"That expensive?" Pei Shenyu frowned.
Though he was a crown prince, he was not ignorant of the ways of the world.
"My master said that fate comes naturally," the young monk's expression remained unchanged, his voice calm, "If the benefactor feels the time hasn't come, you don't have to buy it."
"Fine," Pei Shenyu glanced at the cat still desperately reaching for the bell, "I'll buy it."
"Xuan Ying, take my jade and exchange it."
If he didn't bring back this bell, it seemed the cat's soul would be left behind here.
Xuan Ying had no choice but to follow the order, exchanging a gold ingot for the bell and giving it to the young monk. The monk bit the gold, then nodded seriously, "Thank you, benefactor. May you form good karma."
After saying this, the young monk turned around with his small bamboo basket on his back and gradually disappeared at the end of the stone-paved path.
Pei Shenyu watched the young monk's figure vanish before he held the bell in one hand and the cat in the other, returning to the entrance of the alley.
After placing the cat back on the horse, Pei Shenyu looked down in silence for a moment and then said, "It's better if I tie the bell on you."
With that, he gently looped the red string around the cat's neck and tied a knot. The copper bell hung from the white cat's neck, its patterns reflecting strange glimmers under the sunlight.
"Otherwise, if you run off again next time, I won't even know how to find you."
"Mew." The moment the bell touched her, Ming Luomeng finally calmed down.
However, as soon as her fluffy paw touched the bell, it jingled, and at the same time, Ming Luomeng's mind buzzed. She cried out:
"Mew... mew?"
In an instant, everything flowed into her mind as if tracing back a river to its source.
She remembered her past.
"Meimei, the art of blending incense lies in making various fragrances come together as one. When the musk spreads, it should be stirred to even it out; when the aloeswood is rich, it should be ground finely to mix well... Do you remember?"
Clusters of white petals, the qionghua flowers, bloomed full on the tree. Beneath the tree stood a woman in a luxurious long dress, exuding a dignified and serene air. Although her face was hidden in the shade of the green foliage, there was an undeniable beauty of tranquility, untouched by the passage of time.
The woman extended her hand toward her and softly called out, "Meimei?"
"Cat?"
After Pei Shenyu tied the bell on the cat, he noticed that the cat initially calmed down but then seemed dazed, not acting as usual. He couldn't help but call out to the cat.
However, still in a bad mood, he did not add the word "good" as he usually did.
Ming Luomeng slowly lifted her head, meeting Pei Shenyu's eyes, which were as calm as an iceberg.
But she wasn't just a cat.
"Mew!"
Panic, shyness, and other complex emotions flashed through the cat's eyes. She turned her head away, avoiding Pei Shenyu's probing gaze.
Seeing the cat turn its head to avoid him and seeming as if it might fall off the horse, Pei Shenyu frowned, reached out, and firmly secured the disobedient little cat back in his arms.
"All right, stop fussing. I have things to do."
In the afternoon.
Ming Luomeng curled up into a snowball again, nestled on a wide wooden chair with her head facing the wall, motionless.
Yuan Hao observed the cat, who appeared to be reflecting in the corner, with a look of surprise.
Since His Highness the Crown Prince returned that morning, Yuan Hao noticed that the cat had undergone a change in temperament. Although she was no longer listless, she had become skittish, as if she were new to the place.
Especially when she had jumped out of His Highness's arms as soon as she entered the door, as if she couldn't wait to escape.
And His Highness had merely lowered his arm and glanced at the cat, seemingly in a bad mood.
At this moment.
"Little ancestor, what's gotten into you now?" Yuan Hao crouched down to look at the cat, but when she met his gaze, the cat turned her head and moved a few steps back.
Yuan Hao found this curious and followed her, trying to see the cat's expression.
"Mew, mew, mew..." The little cat on the floor suddenly bristled, then swiftly pranced a few meters away.
Yuan Hao was intrigued and couldn't resist his mischievous nature, so he tried several more times. Sure enough, whenever he and the cat made eye contact, the cat would act as if she couldn't bear it and run away. Eventually, the cat seemed to have exhausted herself and simply curled up on the chair, using her fluffy tail to cover her eyes, facing the wall, and looking at no one.
She refused to sleep in her cat bed and even avoided her usual spot by His Highness's desk where she liked to nap.
"What's with you today, little one?" The young servant in green scratched his head in confusion. "Are you shy?"
He wasn't wrong.
Ming Luomeng's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes sparkled like a rippling pond. She shook her ears in frustration, her tail sweeping back and forth.
She didn't know how she had turned into a cat, but the memories of her years as a human before that had come flooding back in bits and pieces. Ming Luomeng remembered most of her past. She seemed to have been born into a family of officials, the eldest daughter of the main line, with the name containing the characters Luomeng.
Her mother, noting the beauty of her brows, had given her the pet name "Meimei," but her mother...
Her mother had passed away when she was very young.
At the thought of this, silent sorrow filled the clear eyes of the cat.
And the memories after her mother's early death were even more chaotic and fragmented. She only remembered that she was likely a young lady who loved fine clothes and beauty, surrounded by treasures, yet always alone, cold and quiet.
After recalling the past, the memories of the recent days gradually became clearer.
Scenes from the past few days flashed through her mind. How she had first been a dirty little cat, then how Pei Shenyu had cleaned her up, later touched her teeth, petted her head, and kept her company day and night. She had grown accustomed to cuddling up in his arms to sleep...
Her cat ears turned red, almost steaming from the heat.
After regaining her memories, even making eye contact with Yuan Hao would remind Ming Luomeng of how she used to threaten the young servant, meowing domineeringly.
She remembered that she used to be a dignified lady, with her mother always teaching her to maintain her status and conduct herself with grace.
But how had she forgotten all that after becoming a cat?
A hint of shyness flickered in the cat's beautiful eyes. Ming Luomeng couldn't help but bury herself deeper under her tail, wishing she could use her fluffy tail to cover herself completely.
...
In the evening, when Pei Shenyu returned, he casually asked:
"Is she any better?"
"Your Highness, the cat is in good spirits, but..." Yuan Hao hesitated, "she's not very sociable anymore."
Pei Shenyu lifted his eyes to look at the little cat by the table, his gaze darkening.
Ming Luomeng's ears twitched. After a moment of hesitation, she still pretended not to hear Pei Shenyu's returning footsteps.
But when Yuan Hao placed the food dish on the table, she slowly jumped up to the edge of the table. Her movements were very light, and she kept her tail tucked in, her paws walking with an air of restraint.
Even though she had turned into a cat, she still couldn't avoid eating.
Ming Luomeng had not forgotten the lessons learned from past experiences. Only by dining at the same table with the Crown Prince could she ensure that Qin Hua would not tamper with her food.
Usually, Prince Pei Shenyu would first remove the fish bones for her, then cut the fish into small pieces, placing them in a small bowl before setting it in front of the cat. Even when he was busy, he would have Yuan Hao do it in his stead.
However, today, the Crown Prince's expression was particularly indifferent, and he did not indulge her as he usually would.
"Since you're so mischievous, it's time I teach you a lesson," Pei Shenyu said with a slight pause in his tone, speaking calmly. "Today, I won't remove the bones for you. You'll have to eat on your own."
"Meow... meow?"
Ming Luomeng heard every word clearly and was momentarily stunned. When she looked up, she saw Pei Shenyu's cold and indifferent expression, and she felt a bit at a loss.
The two paws of the cat in front of her moved slightly, then slowly settled back down.
Pei Shenyu also did not pick up his chopsticks, and the atmosphere gradually grew colder.
Although Yuan Hao did not know the reason, seeing the Crown Prince angry with the cat for the first time, he dared not make a sound.
Ming Luomeng's heart was filled with a mixture of emotions, hard to describe.
There was a faint sense of disappointment, as this was the first time Pei Shenyu had lost his patience and treated her with such coldness. She also felt resentment at the fact that she was merely a cat, dependent on him in every way.
Now that she had regained her human memories, she found it even harder to accept eating with her hands like an animal, ending up in such a miserable state.
In the end, the cat just glanced at Pei Shenyu.
A sense of indescribable disappointment and grievance welled up in Ming Luomeng's heart, and she turned to jump off the table.
The cat's eyes seemed as if they could speak.
Watching the lonely figure of the little cat as it left, Pei Shenyu's fingers twitched, but in the end, he said nothing.
Under the moonlight, the soft glow spread across the ground.
Yuan Hao squatted by the doorstep, placing a dish of deboned and chopped fish in front of the little cat, then pushed it forward slightly.
"Little ancestor, go ahead and eat."
Looking at the cat's wet eyes, Yuan Hao sighed quietly to himself.
The Crown Prince, after all, is a soft-hearted person.
"Meow..." Ming Luomeng gratefully glanced at the young servant.
However, she didn't have much of an appetite. She only lowered her head and ate a few bites before she was full. She forced herself to eat a few more bites until she really couldn't eat anymore. Then, with a meow, she turned and left.
"How strange." Yuan Hao looked at the little bowl on the ground, muttering to himself, "What's wrong with both His Highness and this cat today?"
Ming Luomeng's mind was still a chaotic mess. She leaped into the room, only to find that she had entered Pei Shenyu's bedchamber out of habit before she even realized it.
The man's movements under the curtain paused, his profile as cold and clear as the moon.
The cat, embarrassed and annoyed by her instinctual action, let out a soft "meow" and jumped back out.
She must have gone back to her cat bed, Pei Shenyu thought.
But in recent days, he had gotten used to having a little ball of fur on his bed, even fearing that she might fall off in the night, so he would half-embrace the cat in his arms. Having lived alone for so long, Pei Shenyu felt the room was a bit lonely for the first time.
Meanwhile, curled up in the cat bed that had been neglected for a long time, Ming Luomeng also felt a bit uncomfortable.
That night, neither the man nor the cat slept well.
After that day, Pei Shenyu became increasingly busy, and Ming Luomeng, due to some unspoken girlish feelings, often avoided him. The man and the cat remained distant for several days, as if the close moments they shared before had never existed.
But in his heart, Pei Shenyu was actually much calmer.
After all, she was just an ignorant little kitten. Why was he upset with a cat?
As Pei Shenyu's pen paused, his gaze once again unintentionally drifted to the cat curled up on the chair, facing the wall. Yuan Hao couldn't help but cautiously suggest:
"Your Highness, this cat has a strong temper... Perhaps it would be best to coax her."
As someone who served closely, Yuan Hao had naturally guessed the Crown Prince's thoughts.
His Highness probably couldn't help but want to reconcile with the cat.
Yuan Hao dared not say it aloud, but in his heart, he was also thinking that this cat was simply too perceptive.
The little ancestor was extremely delicate and sensitive. The Crown Prince had merely given her the cold shoulder for a day, and she had thrown a little tantrum, not coming close at all these past few days.
Normally, she would stick to him closely, even leaning against the Crown Prince's arm when he was writing.
Though Pei Shenyu's expression remained calm, he couldn't resist the wavering in his heart: "..."
"How should I coax her?"
"Your Highness, do you remember the items you previously instructed me to have someone purchase?"
So that afternoon, Ming Luomeng witnessed the following scene.
Pei Shenyu sat upright, holding a long, slender wooden stick in his hand. His expression was calm, but his clumsy movements were at odds with it. A strand of colorful silk was tied to the end of the stick, with a small bell attached at the end. When the stick was lightly shaken, it made a jingling sound.
"Little one," Pei Shenyu hesitantly shook the stick in his hand, looked towards Ming Luomeng, and said in a deep voice, "Come here."
Yuan Hao, standing to the side, was also anxiously offering advice to Pei Shenyu, eager to do it himself:
"Your Highness, shake it a bit faster... The movement should be bigger!"
So the silk thread danced in the air like a gust of wind.
Ming Luomeng felt her breath catch.
She couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she turned her head away and slowly walked towards the chair, feeling mentally and physically exhausted.
But behind her, the noise continued, with Yuan Hao mumbling incessantly: "Your Highness, try using some salted fish next time; cats all love that..."
"Alright."
"Meow meow!" Ming Luomeng turned around in shame and anger, glared at the two of them, and then leaped out the door.
She couldn't take it anymore.
"Yuan Hao," seeing that the cat was even more resistant, Pei Shenyu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Is this the method you taught me?"
"Well..."
Yuan Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, "Logically, these are things that no cat can resist."
Ming Luomeng ran out of the door and only slowed down after ten meters.
The bell around her neck went from ringing rapidly to gradually fading away.
But as she thought more about it, she couldn't help but get angrier. After all, she wasn't really a little cat... Although, for a moment, she did want to pounce forward and play with Pei Shenyu.
The cat shook her head; if she gave in like that, where was her human rationality?
Even if she was a cat, she was a dignified one.
Ming Luomeng took a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air and walked towards the camp. Although she had been caught up in subtle feelings of embarrassment and annoyance these days, she had relaxed a bit, remembering that she was once a human.
The afternoon sun was bright, the autumn air crisp, and the sky clear.
The cat wandered aimlessly nearby, taking in the sights like a casual observer. Some people noticed the rare appearance of the Crown Prince's cat, adorned with a little bell, walking adorably. Many wanted to pet her or play with her, but with a flick of her body, Ming Luomeng would gracefully avoid them.
After roaming around for a while and feeling a bit tired, she found a quiet corner to rest.
Suddenly, a butterfly fluttered past her eyes. She blinked her cat eyes, unable to resist the lure of the butterfly's colorful wings.
The butterfly floated from the grass to the base of a wall.
Ming Luomeng followed, playfully chasing after it.
As the cat indulged in her instincts, playing all the way, something suddenly fell from the sky.
She sneezed with a shiver, "Achoo."
Ming Luomeng shook off her fur, realizing that she was covered in a fine white powder. Confused, she looked up, but there was nothing above.
Could it be that the old wall was shedding, causing the powder to fall?
It wasn't a pleasant sensation, and she liked to be clean.
So, Ming Luomeng took delicate cat steps, making her way familiarly towards the water basin by the door.
The servants, knowing how much the Crown Prince doted on this cat, placed a small basin of fresh water by the door every day for the cat to drink when thirsty.
As Ming Luomeng lowered her head, she saw a fluffy cat face reflected in the water.
The little cat had round apricot eyes, amber-like in color, and a clean, cherry-pink nose. Her fur was smooth and white as fresh snow, incredibly beautiful. It was clear she was a house cat, pampered and well cared for by her owner.
Her mood improved, and she quietly gazed at her reflection in the water for a while.
Ming Luomeng vaguely remembered that she had often been praised for her looks when she was human. Sure enough, even as a cat, she was a beautiful and handsome one.
Proudly, she extended a small paw, dipping it into the water.
The floating powder dissolved in the water, leaving it colorless and odorless.
The cat began to wash her face.
Ming Luomeng turned her head slightly and started meticulously grooming her fur, completely focused.
If anyone had passed by and seen this scene, even someone who wasn't fond of cats would have been amazed by the grace and elegance of this cat's movements.
But suddenly, the little cat blinked, her eyelashes trembling as she felt them droop.
Why, for some reason, did she suddenly feel so sleepy...
From behind a nearby tree stump, a woman slowly emerged.
She made no sound, simply watching as the cat's head drooped lower and lower, as if all her strength had suddenly left her, and the little furry body began to tip forward.
But just as the cat was about to fall into the water basin-
A delicate, pale hand with nails painted in a red phoenix flower hue gently supported the cat's chin.
"What a pity."
Qin Hua looked at the pitiful, weak little white cat in her palm and sighed softly.
"You're so clever and resourceful, managing to escape each time, that I almost believed you weren't a cat... but a human."
The woman with a serene and graceful appearance curved her lips slightly, but a cold glint like a blade flashed in her eyes: "But even if you were human, I've killed plenty of them too."
These cold and ruthless words were spoken without a hint of emotion.
If anyone had been nearby, they would have recognized that she was as dangerous as a venomous beauty.
Qin Hua's hand slowly closed, lightly pressing against the narrow throat of the cat.
"Such a nuisance..."
It was just this seemingly insignificant little cat that had repeatedly ruined her plans. Since that was the case, she had no choice but to get rid of this annoying creature first.
"However, I won't dirty my hands."
The woman in the red dress gracefully swept across the grass and disappeared into the forest without a trace.
...
"Roar-"
In her drowsy state, Ming Luomeng suddenly heard a thunderous roar, like a clap of thunder in her ears. She was enveloped by a foul stench, causing her to frown and struggle to open her eyes.
The sight that greeted her made her immediately awake.
It was a white tiger with hanging eyes and a broad forehead.
The massive tiger was only a short distance away, its heavy, wet breath blowing over the top of her head.
Ming Luomeng's pupils contracted, her cat ears instinctively flattening back, and she tried to move her paws, only to find that her limbs were soft and powerless, unable to muster any strength.
Even her slightest movement provoked another angry roar from the tiger.
The little cat's fur was ruffled by the gust of wind from the tiger's roar, and she couldn't help but crouch down on the ground.
Between the tiger's fearsome fangs, there were still traces of fresh blood.
No, she didn't want to die here.
Ming Luomeng forced herself to remain calm and think, only to realize she was deep in the forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees and dense foliage.
The area was eerily quiet... and devoid of people.
The tiger's breathing was heavy, its eyes bloodshot, as it lowered its head to sniff at her scent. The bloody stench from its mouth grew even stronger, as if it had just feasted and wasn't in a hurry to eat again.
The thick tiger paw that fell was bigger than the cat's head.
She was hidden in the tiger's shadow and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.