The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

The duo practiced the cat-stroking technique for a while longer. Xue Meng scratched himself a few times and roughly grasped the right pressure, beaming as he asked, ”Not bad. Iʼve got it. Whatʼs next?”

”Next,” Mei Hanxueʼs fingers, as white as jade, slowly descended until they rested on Xue Mengʼs waist and abdomen, hovering above the silver lion-head waist armor. ”When the cat is content from your stroking, it will lie down and expose its white belly to you. That signifies that itʼs beginning to trust you.”

”Can I touch it then?”

”No,” Mei Hanxue replied with a smile. ”Be patient. You should do as I do, lightly hover your hand above its belly without actually touching it.”

She softly and gently glided her hand over Xue Mengʼs waist and abdomen, sometimes close and sometimes distant. At first, Xue Meng felt somewhat tense, watching her hand, unsure when she would actually make contact. But after a while, as the girl named ”Shouhou” continued her teasing motions, his guard gradually relaxed.

”Just like this,” she said.

Xue Meng nodded. ”Oh...”

But at that moment, Mei Hanxue suddenly grabbed his waist, pulling him closer with a laugh. ”Then, catch it off guard and—”

Before Mei Hanxue could finish her sentence, something unexpected happened.

Startled by the sudden grip on his waist, Xue Meng lost his balance. As Mei Hanxue stumbled forward, he tumbled with her, crashing into her in a solid embrace.

”Damn it!”

”...” Mei Hanxue felt a heavy weight pressing towards him. Accustomed to being gentle and protective towards the fairer sex, he instinctively embraced Xue Meng, shielding him. As a result, they both lost their balance and fell to the ground together!

A muffled thud echoed.

Dust from the thin layer on the Book Collection Pavilionʼs shelves rose, causing Xue Meng to cough repeatedly with his eyes blurred. The aged wooden floorboards creaked beneath their bodies. Confused, Xue Meng resembled a bewildered cat, his face filled with bewilderment. It took him a while to realize that he had accidentally pinned Mei Hanxue to the ground.

Mei Hanxue: ”...”

Xue Meng: ”Pchoo-khk! Er, sorry about that!”

Waving his arms to dispel the dust, he propped himself up, only to notice the otherʼs slightly disheveled clothes and scattered hair. A pair of faint-colored eyes, half-obscured by curled lashes, gazed at him with an odd expression, as if wanting to speak but holding back.

Xue Meng froze for a moment, immediately realizing something was amiss. He hurriedly tried to stand up.

But in times of urgency, mistakes are all too easy to make. His attempt to rise was clumsy, his legs weakening on the first two tries, causing him to inadvertently brush against Mei Hanxue several more times.

Mei Hanxueʼs eyebrows lifted slightly, his expression becoming even more enigmatic.

Struggling to his feet, Xue Mengʼs face was flushed red as he stammered, ”Uh, umm, Sis, S-Sis, I-Iʼm so sorry!”

Silence.

Due to his personality, Xue Meng had never been particularly popular with women since he was young. Girls of his age tended to ignore him, while he found favor with older sisters and aunts. Thus, when it came to addressing females, his default terms were either ”Aunt” or ”Sis.” In his nervousness, he had unintentionally referred to Mei Hanxue, disguised as a stunning young maiden, as ”Sis.”

Mei Hanxue regarded him with an enigmatic gaze, inwardly sighing. No wonder this man has never held a girlʼs hand!

What kind of nickname is ʼSisʼ?

When addressing girls, those over ninety should be called Fairy Aunt, those under five could be called Sweetie, and all others, regardless of their figure, should be referred to as beauties. How could Xue Meng, at nearly thirty years old, still not understand such a simple principle?

Xue Meng continued to stutter, ”S-Sis, did I hurt you? I-I think Iʼm pretty light, and you seem quite sturdy...”

Silence. Mei Hanxue imagined that if she were truly a girl in front of Xue Meng, he would have been slapped by now.

Fortunately, Xue Meng seemed to realize the inappropriateness of describing a female cultivator as sturdy. He hesitantly corrected himself, ”N-Never mind that. I just meant you donʼt seem fragile, youʼve got some muscle... uhh... Iʼll stop there. Are you alright?”

Mei Hanxue lay on the ground for a moment before sitting up with a complicated expression, ”Iʼm fine. I just didnʼt expect such a strong reaction from you.”

There was another awkward silence between them before Mei Hanxue asked, ”Did I frighten you?”