Xing Lian didn’t light a candle. She lay down on the bed, ready to sleep.
That night’s rest wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t painful either.
The wooden bed was very hard. Even though it was covered with a thick layer of dry grass and leaves, it still couldn’t compare to a proper big bed. The blanket was a bit thin, and she felt a little cold in the middle of the night.
Still, even so, it was far better than wandering in the forest.
The night passed uneventfully, and morning arrived.
Since she hadn’t undressed the night before, she just threw off the blanket and got up.
Xing Lian rubbed her eyes, splashed some water on her face, and opened the wooden door.
“Ah.”
She was startled the moment she opened it. Two cat girls were standing right there in front of the door.
Looking more closely, weren’t these her little benefactors?
The small black cat Lulu, the small yellow cat Shasha. The small white cat wasn’t there. The two little cats grinned happily when they saw her.
“What are you doing here? How long have you been standing there? Why didn’t you knock?”
Xing Lian asked curiously.
“Not too long. Just about ten minutes. We came to play with you, big sister.”
The small black cat Lulu said.
The small yellow cat stepped forward and took her hand.
“Me too.”
“Play? Sure.”
Xing Lian nodded in agreement. But the most important thing now was to get her food.
Under the two little ones’ guidance, Xing Lian received her meal.
It wasn’t lavish, but it was quite good.
Steaming hot rice porridge, a little bit of pickled vegetables and meat. Xing Lian was very satisfied.
After breakfast, Xing Lian played games with the two little ones until noon, only then feeling tired. She went to get lunch.
She ate a nice meal, and the little ones pestered her to play again. Xing Lian agreed.
But as they played, Xing Lian suddenly felt something was wrong.
Had she forgotten something?
What was it?
Closing her eyes and thinking carefully, Xing Lian’s body trembled. She finally realized.
What about her work?
She had clearly said yesterday that she was willing to do anything, that she couldn’t freeload. But now she was…
Xing Lian’s face immediately flushed red, burning hot.
She was eating and drinking for free, doing nothing, just running around playing. Others would definitely have an opinion.
Xing Lian looked around shyly and noticed she really was being stared at by others.
Many cat girls were watching her—yet they didn’t seem to dislike her at all or look annoyed. Instead, their eyes sparkled, as if they were gazing at something beautiful and admirable.
Xing Lian understood in an instant.
It was her appearance’s charm again.
Even though it seemed she could just laze around and freeload here, she still needed face. She went to the village chief to ask about the situation.
The Village Chief Catgirl didn’t assign her any work. She only told her to wait.
Wait? Wait for what?
Xing Lian didn’t quite understand, but since the other party said so, she’d just wait.
The place she lived was poor and the conditions crude, but Xing Lian wasn’t someone who had been pampered. She felt very satisfied.
She spent the day leisurely, and night arrived.
Tonight’s moon was very round. Even though it was dark, it wasn’t dim.
The little cat girls came to play with her again. This time, all three appeared together.
The small white cat saw her, quickly approached, and took one of her arms. The other arm was taken by the small yellow cat.
The small black cat saw this and got very angry. Xing Lian smiled at her.
“Big sister, the moon is beautiful tonight. Let’s enjoy it together. I caught some bamboo rats. We can roast them while we watch the moon.”
“Bamboo rats?”
Xing Lian had never eaten that before. Her heart was full of anticipation.
But watching the moon…
Xing Lian’s eyes glimmered, and she lowered her eyelids slightly.
The three little ones knew the area very well. They led Xing Lian to an open space.
The small black cat and the small yellow cat busily gathered twigs, piling them up and lighting a fire.
The small white cat took the bamboo rats aside to prepare them. Before long, she came back.
The bamboo rats were already cleaned: plucked and gutted. The small white cat skewered them on sticks and began roasting, brushing on sauce as she turned them.
“Big sister, my bamboo rat roasting skills are pretty good. You’ll have to eat a lot later.”
The small white cat said as she put the bamboo rats on skewers.
There were only two bamboo rats, but they were big—at least two jin each. More than enough for four people.
“Yeah, yeah. Xiaobai’s skills are great. The bamboo rats she roasts are super tasty.”
The small yellow cat stared at the bamboo rats, drooling as she spoke.
“Since you say that, I’ll have to give them a good taste.”
Xing Lian smelled the delicious meat aroma. Saliva formed in her mouth, and she felt her appetite stir.
The small white cat roasted the meat seriously. The small yellow cat stared at the bamboo rats. The small black cat sat next to her, hugged her arm, pressed her face against her, and giggled stupidly.
After a while, the bamboo rats sizzled with oil, turning golden and crispy.
The small white cat took out a small dish, sliced off several pieces of bamboo rat meat with a small knife, and handed them to Xing Lian.
“Big sister, the bamboo rats are done. Try them quickly.”
“Mm.”
Xing Lian nodded, picked up a wooden stick, stabbed a piece, brought it to her mouth, and took a bite.
The roasted meat was fragrant, rich and juicy, tender and smooth.
Xing Lian ate a bite and felt as if her taste buds had been assaulted. Her eyes lit up with delight.
“This bamboo rat is amazing!”
Xing Lian was utterly incredulous.
Under Fei and Yue Li’s care, she had eaten many good things, but this bamboo rat easily ranked in the top three.
It was just a bamboo rat—how could it be this delicious? Did it have some special taste trait?
“Hehe, as long as you like it, big sister.”
The small white cat was very happy to hear that, her face showing an adorable expression begging for praise.
Xing Lian didn’t disappoint her. She reached out and gently rubbed the small white cat’s head. The small white cat narrowed her eyes, letting out a cute purr from her throat.
The small black cat and the small yellow cat also started eating. After finishing roasting, the small white cat joined in. The four of them ate and chatted, the atmosphere lively and warm.
But just then, the small black cat suddenly asked her a question.
“Big sister, your eyes are so pretty, but why do they always seem so lifeless?”
The small black cat was observant. Because she liked Xing Lian, she always paid attention to her every move whenever they were together.
She found that Sister Xing Lian was very strange. She clearly had beautiful eyes, but they were always vacant and unfocused. And when she talked or chatted, she never looked at anyone. It made her feel a bit weird.
“This…”
Xing Lian paused mid-bite, frozen in place.
Why no spark? The reason was very simple: her eyes were just decorations. She couldn’t see at all.
She thought that to herself but didn’t dare say it out loud.
Being blind made Xing Lian very self-conscious. Ever since she got the gemstone necklace, she had always pretended in front of strangers, trying to act normal. She never expected the small black cat to notice.
“It must be because I haven’t been feeling well lately…”
Xing Lian bit her lip, her eyes flickering as she tried to brush it off.