At that moment, Feng Miwan also came over. Seeing Xiong Yibai staring blankly at the cardboard box, she leaned in to look inside as well.
When she saw it, she was shocked too:
“Whoa! When did this little thing sneak in?!”
Xiong Yibai thought back to the chaotic scene from the afternoon:
“I remember now. This afternoon, I went to the trunk to grab this empty cardboard box to put it in. I had just taken it out when the thugs rushed out.”
“The situation was too urgent. I dropped the box and ran. The trunk wasn’t even closed at that point.”
Feng Miwan hugged the cardboard box:
“So, it seized the opportunity and climbed into this empty box by itself?”
“Oh my god, it’s way too clever! First, it warned us of the danger ahead, and now it’s packaged itself and followed us!”
Xiong Yibai looked at the Little Orange Cat in the box, which had started yawning again, and nodded:
“Indeed, this little cat is very smart.”
“We have to take it home and raise it!” Feng Miwan clutched the box tightly and turned toward the elevator.
Xiong Yibai watched her back, then glanced at the souvenirs still in the trunk. She decisively closed the trunk door—those could wait until tomorrow.
In the elevator, Xiong Yibai kept her head down, fiddling with her phone, while Feng Miwan was completely captivated by the kitten in her arms.
She gently teased its paw pads with her finger, making “tsk tsk” sounds, oblivious to what Xiong Yibai was doing.
It wasn’t until they entered the house and Feng Miwan set the box on the living room floor—watching the little one curiously poke its head out to survey the new environment—that she suddenly remembered a crucial issue:
“Oh no! I got so excited I forgot! Cat bed, cat food, litter box… we haven’t prepared anything! Where’s the kitten going to sleep?”
Only then did Xiong Yibai leisurely wave her phone. The screen was still lit, showing an order page from a delivery app:
“I’ve already placed the order. Full set of pet supplies, arriving in half an hour at most.”
Feng Miwan took one look and her face lit up with admiration: “Whoa! Yibai, you’re too reliable! When did you order?”
Xiong Yibai: “In the elevator.”
Not long after, the delivery arrived.
It was comprehensive: cat bed, cat bowls, cat food, litter box, toys—the works.
Feng Miwan started unpacking and pointed to an empty spot in the living room: “Let’s put the cat bed in that corner.”
Xiong Yibai set up the cat bed as instructed. Feng Miwan quickly poured cat food and water. The Little Orange Cat seemed to know it was for it, sniffed, and began eating.
Watching the little one eat, Xiong Yibai suddenly spoke up:
“You’ve figured out where the kitten sleeps. So… where’s the little dog going to sleep?”
Feng Miwan, who had been squatting to watch the cat eat, stood up and looked around: “What little dog? Do we have a little dog at home?”
Xiong Yibai stepped closer, leaning in slightly: “Honey, little dog, where will you sleep?”
Feng Miwan’s face turned completely red. She retorted:
“I… I’m not a little dog! I… I’ll sleep in the guest room like before!”
She meant the secondary bedroom she’d used during previous stays.
Just then, the well-fed kitten lounged in the cat bed for a bit but soon grew bored and started meowing: “Meow~ Meow~”
Seeing this, Xiong Yibai picked up the Little White Bear Doll that Feng Miwan had given her—the one with the gold-rimmed glasses—and placed it in the cat bed.
The kitten stopped meowing at the sight of the Little White Bear. It batted at it with its paws a couple times, then hugged it close and lay still.
Xiong Yibai turned back, her gaze falling once more on Feng Miwan’s flushed face:
“See, even the kitten gets bored sleeping alone. Can you bear to leave me by myself?”
Feng Miwan felt her brain short-circuiting:
“Yibai, you’re… you’re not alone. I’m… I’m right here! Just in the next room!”
Xiong Yibai watched her fluster, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes, though she feigned regret and nodded:
“Oh, if you can bear it, then fine. I’ll go tidy up the guest room for you.”
With that, she made as if to head to the secondary bedroom.
“Hey! Wait!”
Feng Miwan dashed over in a flash, spreading her arms to block the door:
“Fine… fine! The guest room… it seems a bit dusty! I’ll… I’ll sleep in the master bedroom with you!”
Mission accomplished, Xiong Yibai finally couldn’t hold back her smile: “Good.”
She headed to the master bedroom: “I’ll get you a fresh set of pajamas. It’s late—let’s shower and sleep.”
“Shower… sleep…”
Feng Miwan repeated the words, feeling steam rising from her head as unspeakable images played in her mind.
Xiong Yibai took a few steps, noticed she was still frozen in place, and deliberately turned back. She leaned close to Feng Miwan’s ear and whispered:
“Okay?”
Feng Miwan shivered all over:
“…Okay.”
The amusement deepened in Xiong Yibai’s eyes, but she said nothing more.
Feng Miwan watched her enter the master bedroom, then took a deep breath and slipped into the secondary bathroom.
She locked the door and stared at her ridiculously red face in the mirror, slapping her cheeks:
“Feng Miwan, get it together! It’s just sharing a bed! We’re girlfriends! Totally normal! Stay calm!”
After her shower, there was a knock at the bathroom door.
Xiong Yibai’s voice came through: “Pajamas are on the stool outside the door.”
Feng Miwan quickly replied, “Oh… okay, thanks!”
She waited until the footsteps faded, then cracked the door and retrieved the pajamas.
It was a brand-new set of light blue pure cotton sleepwear—perfect fit.
Feng Miwan blow-dried her hair, steeling herself mentally before stepping out.
In the master bedroom, Xiong Yibai was already sitting on the bed.
She had showered too, changed into deep gray silk pajamas, removed her gold-rimmed glasses, and let her slightly damp long hair fall loosely over her shoulders. She was reading literature on her tablet when she heard the movement and looked up.
Feng Miwan entered and stood by the bed.
Xiong Yibai’s gaze lingered on her for two seconds before she set down the tablet: “All done showering?”
“Mm…”
Feng Miwan nodded, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet hers directly.
Xiong Yibai lifted the covers on the other side: “Why are you standing there? Time to sleep.”
Feng Miwan slowly lay down, hugging the edge of the bed, leaving a vast no-man’s-land between them.
Xiong Yibai found her guarded posture amusing and reached over to turn off the main light.
As the room dimmed, their senses sharpened.
Feng Miwan could hear the breathing beside her, smell the faint fragrance from her body.
She was so tense she didn’t dare move.
After a moment, Xiong Yibai’s voice sounded: “Relax, I don’t bite.”
“…Oh.” Feng Miwan whispered in response, trying to loosen her rigid body.
Another silence, then Xiong Yibai softly asked: “Were you scared today…?”
