Chapter 66: Something’s Wrong with Me

The morning alarm hadn’t even sounded yet, but White Li was already awake.

“Ugh…”

Of course, it wasn’t a natural awakening.

She had been woken by a strange, feverish heat deep inside her body.

White Li stared hopelessly at the cracks in the ceiling, lacking even the strength to turn on the light.

The light seeping through the gap in the curtains was still a grayish blue; the sky had barely begun to brighten.

The entire building was still asleep, and she was the only one awake.

White Li dazedly shook her head from side to side, her silver-white hair rustling against the pillow with a soft whisper.

She could still feel a lingering numbness in her back, and unconsciously she pointed her toes and curled them.

White Li raised her hand and covered her small face.

“How could this happen——”

Her voice was muffled in her palm, soft and thin.

Her body was definitely malfunctioning.

White Li was sure of it—one thousand percent sure.

Ever since last night, when she snuck into Lin Du’s house and he stroked her tail, her body had started acting strangely.

At first, it was just weak legs, a racing heart, and a burning face.

‘She thought it was just shyness—a completely normal reaction. Anyone would be shy after having their tail touched, right?’

‘Oh, right, others don’t have tails.’

‘But she did, so she was shy. That was normal.’

What wasn’t normal was what happened later.

After she got back to her rented room and lay down in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her mind full of the image of Lin Du holding her tail.

His face, his palm, the sensation of his fingertips brushing against the fur.

And then, her hand moved on its own.

By the time she realized it, her hand was already drawing gentle circles.

White Li buried her face in the pillow and let out a muffled wail.

‘The first time since transmigrating… I never imagined it would feel this good.’

“Ahhhh——!”

She screamed, her tail thrashing wildly under the covers.

It was still sticking straight up.

Her phone flew out of her hand; the pillow was flattened again and again; the blanket was kicked to the foot of the bed.

In the end, the sheet was all wrinkled, the pillow was crooked, and only her tail stubbornly stood upright.

White Li stretched her hand out from under the covers, fumbling on the bedside table for a long time before she found her phone.

“I don’t want to get up…”

The alarm went off.

She silenced it, stared at the three numbers “7:00” on the screen for a moment, then pushed herself up on the mattress, ready to get out of bed.

The moment her feet touched the ground, her knees gave way.

White Li pitched forward, catching herself with her hands just barely before she fell flat on her face.

“Ouch——!”

Her legs had no strength at all, and she banged her knee on the floor, making her grimace in pain.

She tried to stand up, but her legs trembled like she had Parkinson’s, and she collapsed back down halfway.

White Li clutched her calf, tears almost spilling from the pain.

“Sss—! My leg… it’s cramping!”

The muscle in her calf was so tight it felt like it would tear.

She gritted her teeth and rubbed it hard for a long time before it eased up.

She lay on the floor, gasping for breath, then crawled to the bathroom.

She changed into a fresh pair of underwear, crumpling the old ones into a ball and shoving them deep into the laundry basket.

Then she looked up at the mirror.

Her silver-white hair was a mess, strands sticking to her cheeks, damp with sweat.

Dark circles hung faintly under her eyes; her face was flushed, and her lips were a pale pink.

Even the corners of her eyes seemed slightly red, as if she had put on makeup.

She looked pitiful and lovable, the kind of look that would move anyone.

“Huh?!”

She leaned closer to the mirror, carefully examining her eyes.

The corners were indeed red.

Her body really was malfunctioning.

It had never been like this before, not before transmigrating, and not after.

White Li braced her hands on the sink, lowered her head, and stared at the drops of water falling from the faucet.

This couldn’t go on.

She needed to ask someone.

‘Who should I ask?’

‘Lin Du?’

‘How could I? He’s not a doctor. What would he even see?’

‘Madam or Martha?’

‘Not appropriate, and they probably wouldn’t reimburse the medical expenses.’

‘Xiao Yu?’

White Li raised her head and looked at her flushed face in the mirror.

‘Right, Xiao Yu.’

Xiao Yu was a cat girl, also a beast-eared person.

Communication with the same race should be easier.

Plus, Xiao Yu worked at a cat cafe and interacted with many people, so she might have seen this condition before.

White Li quickly tidied herself up, brushed her teeth and washed her face, changed into her school uniform, and put on the disguise bracelet.

Her ears and tail vanished, and her silver-white hair turned black.

In the mirror, her face changed back into that of an ordinary male high school student.

The flush was suppressed by the bracelet, and the pink of her lips faded so much that it was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

“Good thing, with the bracelet, no one can tell.”

She grabbed her bag, pushed open the door, and rushed down the stairs.

Lin Du was already waiting downstairs.

“Morning.”

He waved.

“Morning.”

White Li walked over, they exchanged smiles, and set off side by side toward school.

After they had walked a bit, Lin Du suddenly turned to look at her.

“Did you spray perfume?”

He asked.

White Li was taken aback.

“No, I didn’t.”

“I smell some fragrance.”

Lin Du sniffed the air to confirm he wasn’t mistaken.

“Kinda like… flowers? Or maybe fruit.”

White Li gave a slight shiver, then raised her arm to sniff her own sleeve.

But aside from the scent of laundry detergent, there was no sweet fragrance.

“Maybe it’s because I just changed into new clothes…”

White Li made up an excuse, shifting her gaze away, not daring to look at him.

“Alright, maybe I was wrong.”

Lin Du looked away and continued walking.

White Li followed behind him, head down, staring at his heels.

Her heart started to race again, uncertain whether it was because of last night’s events or because of what Lin Du had just said.

A sweet scent—she couldn’t smell it, but Lin Du could.

White Li filed this away in her mind, deciding to ask Xiao Yu about it together when she visited her at noon.

Noon.

After finishing her lunch, White Li slipped out of school during the lunch break.

She crossed the street, turned into the familiar alley, and saw the sign for the cat cafe in the distance.

The pink signboard had a drawing of a cartoon cat, with the words “Meow Coffee” written beneath it.

The flower baskets at the entrance were still there, but the flowers were already wilting, having lost their fresh, vibrant look from opening day.

White Li pushed open the door, and the bell on it went “ding-a-ling.”

There were few customers inside.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, falling on the wooden floor.

The air held the aroma of coffee beans, mixed with a faint hint of milk.

On the sofa in the corner lay an orange cat, licking its paw.

When it saw her come in, it just lifted its eyelids for a moment and then continued licking.

Behind the counter stood a middle-aged woman, slightly plump, with permed hair, wearing a light blue apron.

She was wiping a cup; hearing the bell, she looked up and smiled at White Li.

“Welcome!”

“Hello, is Xiao Yu here? I need to see her… about something.”

White Li said timidly.

“Okay, just a moment.”

The proprietress waved toward the back room and raised her voice.

“Xiao Yu! Someone’s looking for you!”

“Coming, meow——!”

After a short while, the curtain of the back room was pushed aside.

Xiao Yu came out, wearing the cafe’s maid outfit, her black hair tied in twintails, a silver collar around her neck.

When she saw White Li, she paused, her expression shifting from confusion to fear.

Xiao Yu shrank back, like a frightened kitten.

White Li felt a pang of unease seeing the thick collar around her neck.

Last time, Martha had injected her with a drug that turned her into a monster, and the Blazing Knight nearly killed her.

Although she was in the wrong first, her punishment was far too severe.

“Is it okay? I have something I want to ask you.”

White Li said, her voice very soft.

Xiao Yu hesitated, then mustered her courage and nodded.

“Okay, come with me.”

She led White Li through the counter, pushed aside the back curtain, and entered the staff break room.

The break room was small: one table, two chairs, a wardrobe, and a schedule posted on the wall.

White Li closed the door, making sure it was locked, then took off the bracelet.

Silver-white hair cascaded down from her head, fox ears popped out, and a tail emerged from behind her, fluffing up and wagging.

Her features changed back as well, her blue eyes gleaming like jewels under the fluorescent light.

“Lately, I’ve felt really strange, my body feels hot, and… and…”

She couldn’t continue.

“I want to know, am I sick?”

White Li asked quietly.

Xiao Yu came closer and looked her over from head to toe.

“Let me see.”

Her nose twitched as she sniffed the scent at White Li’s neck, then circled around to check her tail.

She reached out, gently parted the fur at the base of White Li’s tail, and examined it carefully.

“Hmm…”

“Done?”

White Li felt extremely uncomfortable under the scrutiny, her tail instinctively pressing down.

Xiao Yu looked around, crossed her arms, took a step back, and squinted at White Li.

“Mm-hmm, I think I get it.”

A smile slowly curled at the corners of her mouth, and her tail swayed lightly behind her.

White Li was confused.

“Congratulations for what?”

“Congratulations.”

Xiao Yu said.

Xiao Yu’s smile grew even brighter, and her tail wagged faster and faster.

“Congratulations on… growing up.”

“You’re not sick. Actually——”

She leaned close to White Li’s ear and lowered her voice to say three words.

“Heat period.”