Moonlit Reunion

In the palace, Consort Mei walked up the high hall, her skirts trailing on the smooth black tiles like a blooming flower. She slowly approached the tall figure gazing at the palace city and rested her head on their shoulder, whispering softly, "Your Highness."

Wu Huanghou turned around and took her hand. "Why have you come at this hour? Isn't the Crown Prince feeling unwell today? Shouldn't you be with him?"

Consort Mei replied gently, "The Crown Prince took his medicine and has fallen asleep, so I came to see you. Your Highness stands here alone, gazing at the palace city—are you troubled?"

Wu Huanghou sighed. "I was just thinking about my younger sister's upcoming marriage and felt a bit sentimental."

Consort Mei reassured her, "Your Highness need not worry. I can see my nephew truly adores her. He will surely treat her well in the future."

Wu Huanghou laughed. "It’s not your family’s young man I’m worried about—it’s my sister. I fear she might bully your nephew instead."

Consort Mei covered her lips with a chuckle, her beautiful eyes curving like crescents. "Let her bully him if she wishes. I believe my nephew would gladly endure it. Your Highness may not know, but I’ve seen it clearly—he’s long been deeply in love with Zhenmei. His temperament is just like my elder brother’s. Zhenmei won’t suffer the slightest grievance with him."

After standing together for a while, the Empress suddenly remembered something and asked, "Today, the envoy from Wuzi presented some rare beasts. I heard the Crown Prince took a liking to a white kitten among them and asked to keep it, but you had it sent away?"

Consort Mei met her gaze. "Yes. I know Your Highness dislikes cats, so I had it removed. If the Crown Prince enjoys small animals, I can arrange for a Lynx to be raised for him next time. There’s no need for it to be a cat."

Wu Huanghou fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Do you know why I dislike cats?"

Consort Mei shook her head. "No, but since Your Highness dislikes them, I would never allow a cat to appear before you."

Wu Huanghou held her hand and walked along the vermilion pillars, sighing faintly as her gaze drifted toward the horizon, lost in memory. "My mother died suddenly back then. My father and I were overwhelmed with grief, and in the chaos of arranging the funeral, we neglected my younger sister. She fell from a high tower and was severely injured—it seemed she wouldn’t survive... That night, as I kept vigil over my sister, who was barely clinging to life, I saw... a giant cat appear in the room. It devoured my sister."

Consort Mei was stunned, but seeing the solemn expression on Wu Huanghou’s face, she listened intently.

Wu Huanghou continued, staring at the sky. "For a time, I thought it was a dream. But my father rushed in and also saw the enormous cat. It ate my sister and then fled. My father and I were horrified and bewildered. Yet, just a day later, my sister reappeared before us, unharmed. Her grave injuries from the fall had healed, and she remembered nothing of being eaten by the cat. During that period, I feared her—because every night, her courtyard would fill with cats, silently surrounding her room.""I don't know if my sister is still truly my sister. I suspect she might be some kind of evil spirit, yet I can't bring myself to do anything about it—after all, she's family I thought I'd lost forever. Truth be told, that child was unusual from the start. She was different from us, as if she could see things we couldn't. When Mother was still alive, she would often tug at her sleeve, pointing at empty spaces and claiming there was something there. Perhaps Mother was the only one who never feared her."

"Mother once told me with deep concern that my sister was different from others and would likely face hardships in life—and so it came to pass. Later, the venerable Master Jingyan from Xuti Temple was invited by Father. He told us that my sister's return from death was due to a great destiny, and that the thread of life sustaining her had been left behind by Mother."

"As she grew older, she became more and more normal—aside from her eccentric behavior, none of the strangeness from her childhood remained. Father and I kept this secret from everyone. After all these years, I should have forgotten about it, yet I can't shake this lingering unease. Whenever I see a cat, I'm reminded of those events, of the scene when my dear sister was swallowed by that enormous cat."

Consort Mei's expression shifted from shock and disbelief to eventual calm. She tightly grasped Wu Huanghou's hand, patted her back, and comforted her gently: "The world is full of wonders, Your Highness. Since so much time has passed, you shouldn't dwell on it anymore. Your sister will surely be safe and sound from now on."

Wu Huanghou shook her head but didn't continue. In truth, earlier this year on New Year's Day, when Master Jingyan passed away, Father met with him one last time. The master said Wu Zhen still had one calamity awaiting her, and only with the help of a noble person could she avoid it—a person connected to that thread of life from years ago. After much pleading, Master Jingyan finally gave one more word.

That word was "rain."

This was why Father, who had long stopped pressuring his daughter about marriage, became so determined to arrange her union with Mei Zhuyu. He believed Mei Zhuyu was the "rain" Master Jingyan spoke of—his appearance was simply too coincidental.

"Never mind. I must be overthinking things lately, which is why I'm so unsettled. Let's go back—no point standing here in the wind."

Wu Huanghou regained her usual composure and left with Consort Mei.

That night, a shadow descended upon the empress's palace, lingering by her bedside as she slept. Wu Huanghou tossed and turned, drenched in sweat, trapped in a nightmare, crying out unconsciously. Consort Mei, who had heard her confessions earlier that day, happened to be worried and came to check on her with a lamp. Hearing her distressed murmurs, Consort Mei hurried to the bedside, intending to wake her.

But then, the shadow lurking beneath the bed suddenly swelled, enveloping Consort Mei in darkness. Before she could react, the shadow wrapped around her—and she transformed into a cat.

A white cat with emerald-green eyes.

The lamp Consort Mei had been holding clattered to the floor, its light extinguished. The noise jolted Wu Huanghou awake, sitting up in a cold sweat. She had been dreaming again of the giant cat that devoured her sister all those years ago, her heart still racing from the nightmare.

"Meow~"A soft meow startled Wu Huanghou. She turned her head to see a white cat crouching by her bedside. The creature's emerald green eyes held an almost human-like expression of shock and anxiety, making Wu Huanghou pause momentarily. However, her expression quickly darkened as she raised her voice to summon attendants.

"Why is there a cat here?"

When she saw that the palace maid who entered was Qing'e, who served Consort Mei, Wu Huanghou asked in surprise, "Qing'e, shouldn't you be attending to the Consort? Why are you here?"

Qing'e looked around, confused not to see Consort Mei, and knelt down. "I accompanied the Consort here. She woke up in the middle of the night, feeling uneasy, and insisted on coming to check on you. She just entered with a lamp moments ago."

The lamp lay rolled by the bedside. Hearing Qing'e's words, Wu Huanghou forgot about the cat and frowned, scanning the room. "The Consort entered the chamber? Then where is she now?"

The chamber was plainly visible—there was no sign of Consort Mei besides them. Qing'e shook her head in panic. "I—I don't know. The others and I all saw the Consort enter. It was only for a short while. I don't understand how she could have disappeared."

Wu Huanghou's gaze sharpened, and she suddenly turned to look at the white cat by the bed, her eyes growing cold. Every time she encountered a cat, something ominous happened around her. This cat's sudden appearance was suspicious—perhaps it was connected to the incident.

She stared strangely at the cat, while the palace maids dared not make a sound. The cat, as if understanding Wu Huanghou's expression, let out another anxious meow before leaping in front of her and trying to paw at her robes. Wu Huanghou's expression changed, and she reacted violently, swatting the cat away to the corner of the bed.

The white cat tumbled onto the embroidered quilt, rolled twice, and then stood up, meowing plaintively at Wu Huanghou.

For some reason, Wu Huanghou felt a pang of guilt, as though she had done something wrong.

When she remained silent, Ehuang, a long-serving palace maid, cautiously spoke up, "Your Highness, should we... take the cat away?" Having served the Empress for years, she knew of her aversion to cats.

Preoccupied with Consort Mei's disappearance, Wu Huanghou waved her hand dismissively. "Take it away."

The white cat continued meowing incessantly at Wu Huanghou. As the maids approached to grab it, the cat dodged, yowling persistently. The noise unsettled Wu Huanghou, her frown deepening until she suddenly said, "Enough. Leave the cat be. Search the chamber thoroughly—we must find the Consort. Qing'e, take some people and search outside. Perhaps she went out again."

Once everyone had left, Wu Huanghou draped a robe over her shoulders and picked up the fallen lamp.

The situation unfolded as Wu Huanghou had feared worst. After searching all night, the palace maids found no trace of Consort Mei. It was as though she had vanished into thin air—disappearing abruptly within the heavily guarded palace. The only anomaly was the presence of the white cat.

Wu Huanghou had no choice but to order the news suppressed and continued sending people to search. As she busied herself, the white cat trailed behind her, meowing helplessly.

Annoyed by the persistent cries, Wu Huanghou finally turned and snapped, "Stop that noise!"The dainty white cat paused for a moment, then suddenly turned its head and dashed straight toward a row of shelves in the hall. Spotting a delicate, glazed bottle among them, it raised its paw and gave it a push. Wu Huanghou hissed through her teeth as she watched one of her favorite porcelain bottles shatter into pieces on the floor, her face darkening.

"You wretched cat, you—"

The white cat swiped again, toppling another of Wu Huanghou’s beloved treasures—a glass mirror.

Wu Huanghou: "..." Why does it only target my most cherished things?!

She strode forward, intent on catching the cat, but the nimble creature darted away with uncanny speed. It slipped into a cabinet, then emerged with an old embroidered pouch in its mouth, placing it before Wu Huanghou.

Wu Huanghou froze. This was the first pouch Consort Mei had ever made for her. Consort Mei, cold and proud by nature, had never been skilled at such crafts—her early attempts were clumsy and unrefined. Later, she had made better ones, and this pouch had been tucked away in the cabinet as a keepsake. Only she and Consort Mei knew its location and significance.

Wu Huanghou stared at the white cat with a strange expression before finally asking, "Are you saying she’s in your grasp, and I shouldn’t act rashly?"

The white cat: "..."

The cat extended its paw, then retracted it, repeating the motion twice before gritting its teeth (if cats could grit their teeth) and turning away to rummage through the cabinet again. This time, it dragged out a dress.

Wu Huanghou’s expression slowly shifted. "...Are you Suhan?"

Mei Suhan—that was Consort Mei’s name.

The white cat nodded, its earlier ferocity gone. It approached Wu Huanghou meekly and rubbed against her hand. Wu Huanghou flinched, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin.