Chapter 7

In Pei Huai's opinion, his cousin's instructions and worries were really unnecessary.

He doesn't like boys.

Even though Li Miao is good-looking, Pei Huai knows he's not the kind of person who likes someone just because of their looks.

After explaining things to his cousin, Pei Huai put away his phone and slowly ate his hot pot.

As dusk fell, the group ate and chatted, and the dinner gradually came to an end.

Li Miao's stomach was much fuller.

He was thinner than the other three, with very little fat around his waist, and his flat belly would bulge slightly if he ate a little too much.

Li Miao wiped her mouth clean, leaned back against the chair, and completely relaxed, feeling incredibly lazy.

Subconsciously, I wanted to slowly flick my tail, flick...

I haven't returned to that state of being that made me feel incredibly comfortable before.

Li Miao was stunned for a few seconds before blinking his watery eyes and realizing that he was now a human and didn't have a tail.

The human form is definitely not as comfortable as the cat form.

Li Miao was unhappy and pouted.

Liang Yixuan got up to pay the bill, and when he came back, he was holding a few breath-freshening mints.

"Peppermints?" Li Miao's eyes lit up immediately.

Li Hang couldn't help but laugh, thinking that Li Miao was like a little kid, with a sweet tooth.

"Here you go." Liang Yixuan handed the mint to Li Miao.

This was Li Miao's first time eating a mint. The coolness went straight to his throat, and his little face scrunched up, which made everyone laugh. Soon, Li Miao got used to the coolness of the mint and puffed out one cheek to eat it.

On their way back to school, they passed by a shop outside the school and bought bed curtains to block out light and keep out mosquitoes.

If you buy it and hang it on your bed, you can create a private little space.

A private little space!

Li Miao immediately perked up upon hearing this.

He thought he would have to endure the pain of hiding his identity during his training, but with a magical bed curtain, wouldn't he be able to turn back into a cat and sleep whenever he wanted?

With that in mind, Li Miao didn't hesitate and bought the same bed curtains as everyone else.

Liang Yixuan and Li Hang bought solid colors.

Li Miao sighed that good schools in big cities are great, with so many different kinds of goods available. There are so many cat-themed items, and the adorable and irresistibly cute chibi kittens are selling very well, especially among girls.

So, Li Miao chose the bed curtains with cats and yellow stars.

Pei Huai was the only one who hadn't bought bed curtains yet.

Pei Huai lowered his eyes, glancing imperceptibly at the bed curtains with the kitten pattern, and pursed his lips almost imperceptibly.

When choosing a bed curtain, Pei Huai's finger reached for another bed curtain that was also a solid blue color.

Why did you buy that color?

"Don't you really like cats? There are other cat-themed bed curtains in other colors here." Li Miao blinked, asking curiously and puzzled.

“Uh…” Pei Huai didn’t know how to explain.

To put it bluntly, although he likes cats, using cat patterns on everything would make him seem too childish.

“Oh right, I don’t remember you often buying things with cats on them, Pei Huai.” Liang Yixuan recalled in his mind. He had been to Pei Huai’s house before, and he had hardly seen anything with cat patterns on the room decorations, the bed, or the decorations on the desk.

Pei Huai coughed lightly, his neck feeling slightly hot.

Liang Yixuan chuckled, put his arm around Pei Huai's shoulder, and teased, "I get it. You're a secret cat lover, but you don't want outsiders to know about it, afraid it will damage your handsome and aloof image?"

"How could that be?" Pei Huai said calmly. "I just feel that there's no need to tell everyone what you like."

These words displeased Li Miao.

Li Miao's clear, bright cat eyes glared at Pei Huai.

"Hmph, that's not good at all. Isn't liking cats something to be proud of? Why are you hiding it like this?"

"I think your affection for cats is not genuine."

"Maybe that's why those cats don't want to come near you!"

Li Miao's delicate face was bathed in the bright lights of the store, and his eyes shone brightly in the night.

Judge Meow Meow is conducting an online trial!

Pei Huai was speechless when asked the question.

Li Hang and Liang Yixuan, not minding the spectacle, even participated in the trial with great interest.

Li Hang: "That could very well be the case."

“Yeah, Pei Huai, if you like cats, just buy them. We won’t laugh at you,” Liang Yixuan said.

Pei Huai tried to struggle: "I'm not..."

It wasn't to the point of being shameful; he just didn't need to go around telling everyone that he was a cat lover.

“If you’re not one of them, then buy this one.” Li Miao picked out the same blue bed curtain with a cat pattern that he had in his hand and handed it to Pei Huai.

Pei Huai's lips twitched slightly as he faced Li Miao's resolute and ardent gaze...

"I'm not ashamed to like cats!" Li Miao boldly declared.

Pei Huai: "..."

Li Miao's words attracted the attention of several college students.

Pei Huai, who hadn't thought much of it before, was now genuinely embarrassed by the attention he was receiving.

“Yes, you’re right, let’s buy it then.” Pei Huai’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he took the bed curtains that Li Miao handed him.

“Hehe~o( =∩ω∩= )m” Li Miao let out a silly laugh.

"What are you laughing about? You're laughing like an idiot," Liang Yixuan said.

Li Miao retorted, "You're the idiot."

Li Hang: "You two are both idiots."

Liang Yixuan turned his head: "Yes, yes, you're not one of them."

The three of them were arguing like kindergarten kids.

Pei Huai was both amused and exasperated.

The four of them paid the bill, bought some fruit, and then went home together.

Back in the dorm, they didn't stop; everyone started hanging up their own bed curtains.

There were already steel pipes around the single bed.

Simply tie the curtain cord in the correct position.

It was their first time installing this, and they weren't very skilled at it.

Pei Huai returned from a quick wash on the balcony and looked up.

Liang Yixuan is so tall that if he doesn't bend over, his head will be touching the ceiling.

Pei Huai parted his thin lips slightly and reminded him in a low voice to be careful not to bring down the dust from the ceiling.

Liang Yixuan: "OK, no big deal."

"This is really difficult, Pei Huai, come over and help me fix it." Li Miao saw that Pei Huai was the only one downstairs with free time.

Pei Huai casually agreed to the small matter, and when he looked up to speak, Li Miao was standing at the foot of the bed tying the bed curtains.

With her arms raised, the hem of her short-sleeved shirt was pulled up slightly, revealing a small patch of her snow-white waist and abdomen.

Pei Huai's eyes widened slightly as he recalled Li Miao lying on the hot pot restaurant seat with her bulging belly. He couldn't help but be speechless. Had the food been digested so quickly?

Pei Huai changed into slippers and stepped onto Li Miao's bed. He stood beside Li Miao and helped him change the bed curtains.

With the help of two more hands, Li Miao was able to free up her hands and quickly tied the knot.

Then she pulled Pei Huai to the other side.

My wrist was suddenly and unexpectedly encircled.

Pei Huai was slightly surprised. Before he could react, his wrist was released, leaving only a trace of body heat on his skin, which vanished in an instant.

"Come here, what are you spacing out for?" Li Miao called out.

Pei Huai hummed in agreement, nodded, and went over to continue helping.

They quickly finished setting up the bed curtains. Li Miao went downstairs and looked at the bed curtains that completely covered the bed, feeling overjoyed.

That way, you won't have to worry about being exposed while sleeping at night.

Li Miao is naturally a grateful cat, even though Pei Huai refused Li Miao's help, saying that he could install it by himself.

Li Miao did not agree, and was not allowed to refuse the cat's gratitude!

Li Miao's attitude left no room for argument, and Pei Huai could only twitch his lips and accept Li Miao's kindness.

By the time the bed curtains were in place, it was completely dark outside the dormitory window.

The hot water will be turned off at 11 p.m.

We wandered around outside for a long time today, and it was hot, so everyone lined up to take a shower.

Li Hang is first, Liang Yixuan is second, and Pei Huai is third.

Li Miao was the last person to take a bath.

When he heard the sound of water dripping in the bathroom stop, Li Miao realized it was his turn.

I took my toiletries and a clean change of clothes and stood obediently on the balcony waiting.

As soon as the door opened, a cloud of white steam rushed out.

Pei Huai used a towel to dry his damp black hair with one hand, and then changed his clothes. His clothes were still damp from the water droplets remaining on his body, with a few pieces of fabric clinging to his skin. He put on a pair of black shorts, the length of which was below his knees, revealing smooth and clean lines in his calf muscles.

"Are you done washing? It's my turn now," Li Miao said, about to go inside.

Pei Huai stopped Li Miao, who was impatient, and said, "Wait a moment, I'll take out the dirty clothes before you go in."

Li Miao nodded the cat's head.

Pei Huai hung up the towel he used to dry his hair and went back to the bathroom to get his dirty clothes.

Immediately afterward, Li Miao went inside.

He looked around the bathroom with curiosity, at the exhaust fan overhead, the showerhead and metal pipes hanging on the tiled wall.

In the countryside, Li Miao and her grandmother rarely used human-shaped dolls to bathe.

Miao Miao can lick her own fur. Li Miao is also a clean-loving furry child. Her fur is kept clean and smells sweet.

Occasionally, I would boil water and pour warm water into a large basin for a bath.

I've never used a shower head or shower switch before.

Li Miao looked down at the red and blue water temperature indicators.

The clever cat had a sudden inspiration.

Hot water is definitely red, and cold water is blue.

Li Miao hung the clean clothes on the wall, took off her own clothes, slowly took down the shower head, and finally turned on the switch with her slender fingers, turning it to the red side.

Pei Huai, who was standing by the sink on the balcony washing his underwear, suddenly heard a shout.

"Meow meow meow meow meow~~~"

The water temperature used by the previous person was too hot for the cat.

Li Miao couldn't stand the high water temperature and couldn't help but cry out.

"Are you alright, Li Miao? What happened?" Pei Huai asked in a deep voice as he stood at the bathroom door.

Liang Yixuan and Li Hang also ran over worriedly.

"N-nothing, it's just that the water temperature is a bit too high." Li Miao's little face scrunched up, looking aggrieved.

"Then move the handle a little more to the center. Do you know how to use it? If not, I'll come in and teach you," Pei Huai said from outside the door.

But I couldn't help but recall that I thought I heard a cat meowing just now.

"Okay, I'll try it myself again." This time, Li Miao carefully adjusted the water temperature and even tested it with her palm first, instead of recklessly pouring hot water directly onto her body.

After adjusting the water temperature to a suitable level, Li Miao felt relieved.

“It’s ready to use,” Li Miao said to the outside.

“Yes, let me know if you need any help,” Pei Huai replied.

Liang Yixuan and Li Hang were relieved and asked if Li Miao had been burned.

“The water I used was probably too hot for him,” Pei Huai explained.

Liang Yixuan and Li Hang nodded, relieved that they hadn't been burned.

Before entering the house, Liang Yixuan suddenly asked, "Did you hear a cat meowing just now?"

Li Hang: "I think so."

Pei Huai looked at Liang Yixuan and said, "I heard it too."

Li Miao, who was taking a refreshing shower in the bathroom, didn't hear her roommates talking about her and was enjoying her shower in a relaxed manner.

"There might be stray cats downstairs in the dormitory," Li Hang glanced out the window.

"I'll go take a look," Pei Huai said.

Liang Yixuan stopped his good friend: "It's so late, don't go. If you want to see it, go tomorrow."

Pei Huai hesitated for a moment, then listened carefully. When he didn't hear the cat meowing anymore, he nodded and agreed, "Then I'll go check again tomorrow."

***

Li Miao finished her bath comfortably, surprised at how useful this automatic water dispenser was. She might consider installing one for her grandma next time she goes home.

Another day has passed.

Before going to bed, Li Miao felt that keeping the bed curtains closed would provide privacy.

But I'm also afraid that revealing my true cat form will expose me.

Grandma repeatedly told me to be careful.

Yet, he longed to be free from constraints.

He had to come up with a very good reason so that no one could just lift a corner of his bed curtains and talk to him.

Li Miao borrowed her roommate's hairdryer to dry her hair.

The light chestnut hair was several shades too fluffy and fuzzy, making it look especially appealing to pet.

Liang Yixuan didn't hesitate for a moment and played two rounds.

It looks like they're petting some cute little animal.

Li Hang had already gone to bed.

"It feels so good to pet it, just like petting a cat," Liang Yixuan said.

Li Miao: "Of course."

He is a cat, but it's not exactly the same as petting a cat.

Liang Yixuan didn't find anything wrong with what Li Miao said, only assuming that Li Miao himself thought his hair was very good, soft, fluffy and delicate.

"Pei Huai, why don't you touch it and try it too?" Liang Yixuan asked Pei Huai.

Pei Huai, who was sitting in his seat playing with his phone with one hand, looked up and glanced at the two of them sideways when he heard this: "No need."

"Why don't you give it a try? You've never petted a cat before, right? It really feels just like petting a cat, and it's the kind of cat whose fur feels really nice to the touch." Liang Yixuan sincerely invited Pei Huai to give it a try.

Praised, Li Miao shook her hidden tail and happily scattered little flowers all over her body.

Yes, he really cares about taking care of his fur.

Whoever touched it didn't say anything good.

Grandma really enjoys stroking his cat's head.

“How could they be the same?” Pei Huai denied.

Liang Yixuan immediately disagreed: "You've hardly ever petted a cat, how can you be so sure it's different?"

“Exactly!” Li Miao agreed wholeheartedly.

He is a cat, his hair is just like a cat's fur, so how is he different?

Pei Huai was talking nonsense without knowing anything.

To prove herself, Li Miao slapped Liang Yixuan's hand away, took the initiative to walk towards Pei Huai, and bowed her head.

"If you don't believe me, you can touch it and see for yourself," Li Miao said.

Pei Huai looked at the boy with his head down and wondered what he was thinking, wondering what he was doing messing around with Liang Yixuan.

Even if he only petted cats once or twice when he was a child, he could be sure that the feel of touching a person's hair and petting a cat are definitely different, and they are not the same breed.

During the few seconds that Pei Huai was thinking, Li Miao thought he was still hesitating.

She simply grabbed Pei Huai's wrist and took the initiative to make him masturbate her.

Before Pei Huai could react, his palm landed on the soft, fluffy hair, like kneading clouds. Now, stroking feathers felt incredibly comfortable.

It feels just like the feeling of petting a cat's head in my memory... It seems so real.

Pei Huai's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He glanced at Li Miao's head and couldn't help but rub it vigorously several more times.

Li Miao's messy bangs, which had been blown out of shape by the hairdryer, were all pressed down.

As she rose and fell, Li Miao felt the large, warm hand on her head.

"Hey, doesn't it feel like petting a cat?" Li Miao said confidently, her voice muffled as she lowered her head.

This time, Pei Huai had no more doubts; it was just that amazing.

It feels just like petting a cat.

Pei Huai's fingers twitched repeatedly.

After the presentation, Li Miao prepared to look up and go back.

Pei Huai subconsciously grabbed Li Miao's clothes.

Li Miao tilted her head: "?"

"Cough." Pei Huai licked his dry lips and said guiltily, "It feels a little different. Let me touch it again and see what's different?"

Li Miao, as innocent as a kitten, had no doubts whatsoever.

"Alright, then I'll let you rub it again." Li Miao offered her head again.

Addicted to petting cats, Liang Yixuan immediately saw through Pei Huai's wicked scheme.

"What's different? You're just full of tricks."

"Li Miao, don't be fooled by Pei Huai. He just thinks it's cute to pet, that's why he wants to keep petting the cat's head."

"What?!"

hateful.

How dare you deceive meow meow! (〃＞皿＜)

Li Miao pouted and glared at Pei Huai.

Feeling guilty that his little secret had been exposed, Pei Huai touched the tip of his nose.

"I admit, your hair does feel very nice to the touch."

"It really is as easy to pet as a cat's fur, that's why I couldn't resist lying and said that so I could pet it a little longer."

Pei Huai thought that Li Miao wouldn't get over her anger so easily.

Unexpectedly, his explanation was particularly useful.

One second Li Miao was sulking, the next second her delicate features were beaming with a bright smile, and she didn't look angry at all.

You don't need to go to great lengths to praise me!

Li Miao's eyes curved into a smile.

Liang Yixuan was dumbfounded. Li Miao's temper was too good. He really was a good boy.

"It's getting late, I'm going to bed too. We have military training tomorrow afternoon, you two should go to sleep soon too," Liang Yixuan said.

Pei Huai and Li Miao responded in unison.

Li Miao blinked her thick, curled eyelashes, remembering that she still wanted to sleep freely behind the bed curtains.

He licked his lips, his cheeks slightly flushed, and stammered in a low voice, "Oh, right, I have something to tell everyone."

Hearing Li Miao's serious tone, Li Hang, who was engrossed in playing on his phone in bed, also poked his head out from the top bunk.

Liang Yixuan and Pei Huai were equally serious, looking into Li Miao's eyes and waiting for him to speak.

"Well...don't we all have our own bed curtains?"

"Hmm, and then?" Liang Yixuan asked.

"I will sleep with my curtains drawn from now on, so you can't just pull them open!"

I was afraid that my words wouldn't have a serious or solemn effect.

Li Miao had already come up with a perfect excuse: "I usually sleep with my clothes off, so please, please don't lift my bed curtains!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Liang Yixuan, Li Hang, and Pei Huai were slightly shocked, mainly because they did not expect that Li Miao, who looked like a well-behaved boy, would take off his clothes to sleep.

"You like to sleep naked?" Liang Yixuan asked again to confirm. "Or do you mean just take off your upper body or something?"

“Nobody wears them,” Li Miao said truthfully.

“Okay, we understand,” Liang Yixuan replied.

Li Hang agreed, and Pei Huai echoed, "Yes, don't worry, we will absolutely not lift your bed curtains without your permission."

With everyone's assurances, Li Miao was secretly delighted.

Fortunately, his roommates are all very kind people.

That way, he can sleep as much as he wants from now on!

The thought of a free and unrestrained future made Li Miao's eyes light up, her eyes seeming to hold the brilliance of stars.

Pei Huai smiled faintly.

Li Miao was so serious just a few seconds ago because she was afraid that no one would accept sleeping naked if she told them.

"Are you happy now?" Pei Huai asked.

"Of course!" Li Miao happily went to bed.

Once he was in bed, he drew the curtains. He checked that everything was completely covered, that he was enveloped in a small space, and that no one could see him…

A faint light flashed by.

Covering herself with a blanket for safety, Li Miao unleashed her fluffy tail.

The big tail swayed and swayed, finally getting some fresh air—it felt so good!

Seeing that the environment was really safe, Li Miao tried putting her ears out as well.

Two fluffy, symmetrical cat ears suddenly appeared on the top of its fluffy, soft head.

With its pointed ears and triangular cat-ear shape, it didn't look out of place at all on Li Miao's head.

The last person to go to bed was Pei Huai.

Pei Huai turned off the dormitory lights, used his phone for light, and went to bed.

The entire dormitory went dark.

Only a few rays of bright, cool moonlight shone into the balcony.

On her first night sleeping in the dormitory, Li Miao originally planned to sleep in her original cat form, but she was subconsciously worried, so she settled for sleeping as a cat-eared boy.

I'm getting sleepier and sleepier, and my eyelids are drooping.

He was sleeping soundly, so he didn't know that in the dead of night, around three or four in the morning, he could no longer control himself and reverted to his original form. Li Miao curled up in a ball and went to sleep.

"Purr purr purr~~~" The kitten, feeling incredibly comfortable, let out a soft purring sound.

The sound wasn't noisy; instead, it was the kind of purring that makes you want to fall asleep.

In the entire dormitory, Liang Yixuan and Li Hang were both sound asleep.

Only Pei Huai, half-awake and half-dreaming, seemed to hear the purring of a kitten coming from afar.

Like a small engine.

It keeps purring, it's actually quite cute.

How come there's a kitten?

Is he dreaming?

Pei Huai's closed eyelashes trembled.

***

The next morning, it was broad daylight.

Except for Pei Huai, the other three people in dormitory 304 slept very well last night.

I got up, washed up, and went to the cafeteria for lunch.

Li Miao looked around curiously at the wide variety of breakfasts, unsure which one to choose.

In the end, I bought a cup of soy milk and a steaming hot, freshly steamed bun.

Pei Huai, Liang Yixuan, and Li Hang also chose their favorite breakfasts.

The four of them sat together.

Li Miao held the soft, fluffy bun in both hands and took a bite.

When I bit into the filling, my tongue felt a burning sensation—it was so hot! I blew on it.

Pei Huai yawned, looking a little listless.

Liang Yixuan noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes.

"What's wrong? Did you have insomnia and didn't sleep well last night?" Liang Yixuan asked.

He asked, and Li Hang and Li Miao then noticed that Pei Huai looked like he hadn't slept well.

Seeing that everyone was looking over, Pei Huai yawned and shook his head.

"A little."

Liang Yixuan thought of Pei Huai's big bed at home, and compared it to the much narrower single bed in the dormitory, and laughed, "Can't get used to the single bed at school?"

Pei Huai shook his head: "Not really."

"What happened?" Li Miao asked curiously.

Pei Huai lazily explained, "It's nothing, I just had some dreams last night."

"That means you didn't sleep well," Li Hang said. "Dreaming means you didn't get enough rest."

“Hmm,” Pei Huai said.

"Dreaming? What did you dream about?" Li Miao asked casually, taking bites of her steamed bun.

"I don't know if it was because I heard the stray cats meowing outside the balcony last night... I dreamed about a cat when I was sleeping, a cat that snored loudly, and the snoring sounded like a small engine."

Li Miao was so frightened that she stopped eating her steamed buns.

She gazed at Pei Huai with her bright, sparkling eyes for a long time.

Purring softly, like a little engine.

No, Pei Huai probably wasn't talking about him.