Moonlit Reunion

"Is she angry?"

When Shuangjiang heard his junior uncle ask this, he really wanted to tell him that he was a proper Taoist priest who had never spared an extra glance for any young lady on the street. Moreover, from the founding master down to the youngest disciple sweeping the temple gates, none in their sect had ever married. He himself had remained pure and chaste, viewing feminine beauty as mere withered bones—so questions about women's moods were truly beyond his understanding.

However, his junior uncle had always commanded deep respect, and Shuangjiang didn’t dare speak so bluntly. Besides, from his detached observation, his junior uncle looked utterly lost and pitiable, watching his wife run off in confusion. Reluctantly, he offered, "Perhaps it was because you were too forceful when feeding her the talisman water."

Mei Zhuyu: "Was it not because the talisman water tasted terrible?"

Shuangjiang considered this calmly and answered honestly, "Based on my judgment, probably not. All talisman water tastes like that." There was no such thing as good or bad taste in this case.

Mei Zhuyu gathered the broken porcelain shards from the floor, wrapped the cut on his hand, and stood up. "You’ve had a long journey—rest well. I’ll go find her and bring her back."

Watching his junior uncle’s retreating figure, Shuangjiang suddenly felt a pang of melancholy. Men, once married, became so pitiable. Truly, being a Taoist priest was the best path. He would remain one for life.

After being force-fed talisman water, vomiting up a pile of hairballs, and indignantly leaping out the window to run away, the Cat Official had been missing for two days. Mei Zhuyu had searched everywhere but found no trace. Desperate, he even discreetly inquired among Wu Zhen’s acquaintances—the first being his cousin Mei Si.

"Ah, Zhen-jie? Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen her in days. She’s with you, isn’t she, Elder Cousin?" Mei Si asked.

Mei Zhuyu could only nod and deflect. "Yes."

Mei Si looked faintly resentful. "You two have been holed up at home lately, never coming out to have fun. Don’t you find it boring? It’s much better when everyone plays together."

Mei Zhuyu made up an excuse. "She hasn’t been feeling well, resting at home."

Mei Si: "Huh? Zhen-jie is sick? I should visit her."

Mei Zhuyu refused. "No need. She’s just a little tired and needs rest."

Mei Si paused, then looked at his elder cousin with visibly altered eyes.

Mei Zhuyu: "…?"

Puzzled, he listened as his cousin spoke slowly, voice full of awe. "Zhen-jie’s stamina—even Huang and the others might not match her. To have exhausted her like this… Elder Cousin, you truly are a remarkable man."

"Still, Cousin, perhaps a little moderation would be wise. If Zhen-jie really falls ill from exhaustion, it wouldn’t be good."

Only then did Mei Zhuyu grasp his meaning, but he had no response. In truth, his wife had run away.

After questioning several people without learning anything about Wu Zhen’s whereabouts, Mei Zhuyu wandered near the bustling East Market, frowning as he considered whether to force his way into the Demon Market. But he hesitated—the Demon Market was under the guardianship of the Cat Official and the Snake Lord. As a Taoist priest, barging in uninvited would be improper. If he caused trouble, Wu Zhen would likely be even angrier.

Yet, aside from the Demon Market, he had no idea where else to look for her.

Just as Mei Zhuyu stared at the East Market’s gate, he suddenly heard a soft meow. Looking down, he spotted a tabby cat sitting beneath one of the gate’s pillars.

Mei Zhuyu’s eyes brightened. He leaned down and asked softly, "Are you still angry?"The Tabby Cat gave him a cold, indifferent glance before turning its head away, only its tail flicking back and forth behind it.

Mei Zhuyu said, "Making you drink the talisman water is to expel the Pestilence Qi from your body. A short pain is better than a long one—otherwise, you’ll suffer much more torment."

The Tabby Cat snorted through its nose. Mei Zhuyu tentatively reached out to pick it up, but the cat retreated warily. His hand paused mid-air before withdrawing.

"I’m worried about you staying outside alone like this. Come back with me first, and once you’ve recovered a bit, you can go out again, alright?"

The Tabby Cat remained unresponsive, but a strange voice suddenly came from behind Mei Zhuyu.

"Doctor Mei?"

Mei Zhuyu turned his head and saw a stern middle-aged man—Censor Liu—holding a lotus-leaf-wrapped package. Censor Liu had gone out to buy snowflake cakes for his beloved daughter and happened to pass through the neighborhood gate, where he unexpectedly spotted the young man he admired crouched by the gate, muttering to a cat. Puzzled, he called out.

"Censor Liu," Mei Zhuyu stood up.

Censor Liu glanced at him, then at the crouching Tabby Cat, before suddenly reaching out to the cat and saying, "Huanu, come here."

The Tabby Cat immediately obediently leaped into Censor Liu’s arms, rubbing its head against his chest. Mei Zhuyu stared in surprise and asked, "This cat is...?"

Censor Liu held the pastries in one hand and the cat in the other, seeming slightly embarrassed to be seen like this. He stroked the cat’s head and said, "This is Huanu, my daughter’s cat."

Mei Zhuyu watched the Tabby Cat’s affectionate behavior in Censor Liu’s arms, uncertain now whether it was really Wu Zhen. He knew Wu Zhen kept a respectful distance from Censor Liu. Many Tabby Cats looked alike—perhaps this one wasn’t Wu Zhen after all.

Unable to recognize his own wife, Mei Zhuyu was at a complete loss.

Censor Liu seemed to be in a good mood today. Seeing that Mei Zhuyu didn’t appear to be busy, he invited him home for a chat. Mei Zhuyu, still unsure about the Tabby Cat’s identity, agreed and followed Censor Liu to the Liu residence.

Censor Liu was a principled official, but his late wife had been quite wealthy, leaving him and their daughter with extensive lands, properties, and shops. Their residence was well-located and beautifully landscaped.

But the moment Mei Zhuyu stepped into the Liu household, he was stunned. As he followed Censor Liu inside, another Tabby Cat, identical to Wu Zhen, leaped out and was promptly caught by Censor Liu.

Staring at the two identical Tabby Cats in Censor Liu’s arms, Mei Zhuyu asked, "...Two?"

Noticing his odd expression, Censor Liu assumed Doctor Mei also liked cats and introduced them with a hint of pride. "This one is Linu, Huanu’s older brother. They’re both my daughter’s cats, raised for several years now—very well-behaved and obedient."

Mei Zhuyu exchanged glances with the two innocent little cats before sighing softly. "..." It seemed this really wasn’t Wu Zhen.

Disappointed, Mei Zhuyu left the Liu residence. Liu Taizhen stood behind a flowering tree, watching him depart before turning back to her room. She sat by the bed and poked a small lump under the quilt.

"Your husband looks like he’s about to lose his mind."The small bundle moved slightly before quickly falling still again. Liu Taizhen reached out and pulled back the blanket, revealing a furry ball inside. It was another tabby cat, but this one was a tiny kitten. The little kitten squinted its eyes, fast asleep and snoring softly.

Liu Taizhen rubbed the kitten’s head and said, "Your husband already couldn’t recognize you. Now that you’ve turned into this, he’ll be even more clueless."

On the third day of the Cat Official’s disappearance, Mei Zhuyu still hadn’t found her. This was Chang’an—her territory. Mei Zhuyu knew she wouldn’t be in any danger. The reason she hadn’t appeared was simply because she didn’t want to see him. After another night of waiting fruitlessly in his room, he stopped frantically searching the city for the tabby cat and returned to his duties.

That afternoon, as he was heading home from work, he spotted another tabby cat sunbathing on a wall. Mei Zhuyu hesitated beneath the wall for a long moment before reaching out and asking, "Is that you?"

The tabby cat licked his fingers, and Mei Zhuyu’s eyes lit up. He lifted it down from the wall, but before he could say anything else, another identical tabby cat sauntered over leisurely from the other side of the wall.

This tabby cat held its chin high, moving with elegant poise as it strode in a straight line, looking down upon the world. Finally, it stopped in front of Mei Zhuyu and met his gaze.

Mei Zhuyu: "..."

Never before had Mei Zhuyu felt so utterly at a loss. To make matters worse, the two tabby cats began fighting right in front of him. Left with no choice, he scooped one up in each arm to stop them from clawing at each other.

"Lord Mei." A woman with a slightly pale complexion and an indifferent expression interrupted his thoughts.

Mei Zhuyu turned to look at the newcomer. They stood a few paces apart, the shadow of a pomegranate tree from the neighboring courtyard stretching between them.

After a moment of silence, Liu Taizhen spoke. "My apologies. We haven’t been formally introduced. I am Liu Taizhen, daughter of Censor Liu, and also the Snake Lord of the Demon Market."

Mei Zhuyu’s surprise lasted only a moment before he regained his composure. He nodded at her, then asked with a hint of hope in his eyes, "Since the Snake Lord and the Cat Official jointly oversee Chang’an, you must be close friends. Do you know where the Cat Official is?"

Before Liu Taizhen could answer, she felt movement in her sleeve. She lowered her gaze, pressing a hand to her cuff, then pointed at the two cats in Mei Zhuyu’s arms—both now with their claws retracted—and said, "These are my two cats."

So these were the same two tabby cats he had seen at the Liu residence yesterday. Still not Wu Zhen. Mei Zhuyu released them, letting them jump down and rub against Liu Taizhen’s skirts.

Liu Taizhen felt the little bundle in her sleeve squirming more vigorously. With a faintly amused expression, she finally reached in and pulled it out.

Mei Zhuyu’s gaze locked onto the tiny kitten she produced from her sleeve. Without waiting for Liu Taizhen to speak, he took two quick steps forward and asked, "Is this Wu Zhen?"

Liu Taizhen paused, then suddenly smiled. Casually handing the kitten over, she said, "It’s her. I forgot to mention—Wu Zhen isn’t like ordinary born demon creatures, nor is she like half-demons such as myself. She’s… unique. There are many things she can’t eat carelessly. The talisman water you gave her earlier contained too much pure spiritual energy. While it did dispel the Pestilence Qi in her body, it also turned her into this."Mei Zhuyu took the kitten that was squinting as if very sleepy, showing a hint of regret and tenderness as he checked if the little cat was still uncomfortable anywhere.

Liu Taizhen originally had more to say, but seeing him like this, she swallowed her words. In the end, she picked up the two large cats at her feet and left Mei Zhuyu with a rather meaningful remark.

"Lord Mei, Wu Zhen was extremely mischievous as a child—truly the kind that even dogs would avoid. Take care of yourself."

Mei Zhuyu didn’t understand what she meant by this and wanted to ask further, but she had already left. With no other choice, he could only cradle the kitten in his hands and take it home.

That very night, however, he understood Liu Taizhen’s words. Wu Zhen transformed back from a cat into a human—from a tiny kitten into a little girl around seven years old.