the cat in emperor's arms

hollow dream

Ming Luomeng was a little nervous, her cat ears trembling uneasily.

However, Pei Shenyu just gave her a faint glance before heading out the door, seemingly giving instructions to a servant.

Only then did Ming Luomeng relax, her body gradually softening bit by bit. The white furball slumped on the crown prince's clothes, spreading out into a flat, cat-shaped pancake...

But soon, the sound of footsteps was heard again; Pei Shenyu had returned.

As before, before the cat could react, the young man calmly scooped her up into a ball. The scene before her eyes blurred as she found herself cradled in Pei Shenyu's arms, confusion flickering in her cat-like eyes that gleamed like glass.

It wasn't until they arrived at a place filled with steam that she realized they were in a bathhouse.

The servant, though puzzled by the crown prince's orders, had obediently prepared a brand-new small bucket, barely big enough for foot-washing but just right for the length of a cat. The bucket was already filled with warm water.

Pei Shenyu dipped his hand into the small bucket to test the temperature, his brows relaxing slightly as he found it just right.

At that moment, Ming Luomeng finally understood the young man's true intention: He wanted to bathe the cat.

The cat froze for a moment, her tail puffing up, unsure of how to react.

But before she could figure out what to do, Pei Shenyu had already lifted her by her front paws, suspending her over the surface of the water. Her hind paws barely touched the water, and the fur on her tail and paws was immediately soaked by the warm water.

The damp sensation sent an instinctive wave of discomfort and displeasure through her.

Ming Luomeng shivered slightly, quickly beginning to protest with meows, struggling.

No, she didn't like water!

"Don't move," Pei Shenyu frowned, easily restraining her two flailing little paws with one hand. He said, "Look at your paws-they're so dirty, they'll need several rinses to get clean."

Perhaps it was because she had just experienced climbing a mountain to gather herbs, had accidentally rolled into a bush, and then endured the dusty journey on horseback with Pei Shenyu. The cat hadn't realized that she was now covered in dirt.

Hearing this, Ming Luomeng instinctively glanced at the water.

Wait, is this her?

The moment her paw touched the water, it stained the clear liquid with a small patch of filth. Her fur puffed up, and the dirt and dust slowly settled. Her reflection in the water made it clear-she was just a dirty little cat with a grimy face.

Her cat ears twitched, and Ming Luomeng blushed instantly.

It was only because of her fur that Pei Shenyu couldn't see it.

The impulse to be clean overcame the cat's natural fear of water. A look of hesitation flashed in Ming Luomeng's eyes as she thought, after all, she had fur to hide behind-letting him bathe her... might not be too bad.

This was the only way she could console herself.

Yes, she had fur, she had fur...

As she thought this, the cat's long lashes fluttered a few times. She fought the urge to lift her paw out of the water, and her flailing little paws gradually and timidly retracted.

Pei Shenyu looked down at the little cat who had instantly become obedient the moment he spoke, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. The absurd thought was fleeting.