Moonlit Reunion

The cicadas on the paulownia tree outside were chirping incessantly, their proximity making the noise rather clamorous. Wu Zhen didn't stay long in her husband's embrace before suddenly rolling over to the side.

Mei Zhuyu felt his arms empty and thought she had accidentally slipped off, so he set down his brush to scoop her back onto his lap. But Wu Zhen promptly jumped out again, prompting him to ask, "What's wrong?"

Wu Zhen sprawled lazily nearby, flicking her tail as she replied, "Your lap is too warm."

Summer was now in full swing, and the season was indeed quite hot. Nestling in someone's arms wasn't particularly comfortable anymore. Mei Zhuyu suddenly recalled the past—back when he hadn’t yet known this Tabby Cat was Wu Zhen—how she had tried several times to curl up in his lap, only for him to set her aside each time. Now that he wished to be close, he couldn’t. It seemed this was his retribution.

Pressing his lips together, Mei Zhuyu pondered for a moment before suddenly rising and rummaging beneath a nearby cabinet for cinnabar, yellow paper, and peach wood pieces.

Wu Zhen mused to herself, Truly, my husband is a Taoist through and through—he even keeps these things here. Unsure what he intended to do, she stayed put and watched. Mei Zhuyu carefully carved the peach wood into a talisman before affixing it to the window.

Almost immediately, a cool breeze drifted in from outside, dispelling the stifling heat in the room. Mei Zhuyu put away the remaining materials and returned to his seat, gazing at Wu Zhen with a faintly expectant expression.

Suppressing a chuckle, Wu Zhen leaped back into his lap and settled comfortably. When she glanced up, she caught a reserved but satisfied smile on her husband’s face as he cradled her and resumed his work.

The gentle breeze brushed against her, and Wu Zhen, utterly content, twitched her whiskers and asked, "How did you even know such a talisman? I thought Taoists only specialized in subduing demons."

Mei Zhuyu hummed in acknowledgment, his voice resonating above her head. "This is actually a demon-subduing talisman—one that summons gales. Earlier, I thought perhaps a slight modification could limit it to a light breeze. It seems I was right."

Wu Zhen was somewhat impressed. His reflexes were indeed quick. After a moment’s thought, she added, "Let’s put one up at home tonight. It gets too hot after dark."

Mei Zhuyu hadn’t considered this before, but now that Wu Zhen mentioned it, he nodded. "Alright. I’ll make one when we get back."

After finishing a document and setting it aside, Mei Zhuyu’s gaze unconsciously drifted back to the Tabby Cat in his arms. Her belly rose and fell gently, the soft fur there fluttering slightly in the breeze—tempting enough to touch. After watching for a long while, he finally reached out to stroke it, only to be swatted lightly by a paw.

It was likely a signal not to disturb her nap, but the pat held no force—just a soft press of her paw pads against his hand, exuding natural affection. Mei Zhuyu restrained himself from pinching that furry little foot.

Somehow, before, he had merely found this cat clever and lively. But now that he knew she was Wu Zhen, every part of her seemed adorable—even the shed fur was unbearably charming.

Picking up two strands of cat hair from his robe, Mei Zhuyu tucked them into a sachet. Glancing at Wu Zhen, who remained asleep with her eyes closed, oblivious to his actions, he quietly set the sachet aside.Wu Zhen had truly fallen asleep. When she woke up after a good rest, she found a small food box beside her. She scrambled up, glanced at the sky outside, and circled the box. It was already noon—her husband must have gone to the Ministry of Justice's canteen to fetch the meal while she was asleep.

Sure enough, seeing her awake, Mei Zhuyu set down his brush and said, "I just brought back some food. Shall we eat here today?"

Wu Zhen nodded casually. "Sure."

But when Mei Zhuyu opened the food box, she poked her cat head inside for a look and immediately made a face of disdain. "Is this what the Ministry of Justice canteen feeds you?"

To be fair, the meal wasn’t terrible—it had meat and vegetables, though the taste was mediocre and the presentation lacking. For someone of Mei Zhuyu’s rank, this was standard fare. But to Wu Zhen, it seemed downright shabby. She had grown up with the finest food and comforts, and after marrying Mei Zhuyu, she had no intention of lowering her standards. She had even arranged for several chefs to cook at the Mei residence.

Now, eyeing her husband’s work meal, she slapped the lid shut with a paw. "This isn’t worth eating."

Mei Zhuyu: "...Oh."

Before he could respond, Wu Zhen shook her fur and declared, "Wait here. I’ll get you something better. Just leave this stuff aside."

Mei Zhuyu didn’t have time to stop her—a shadow flashed, and the cat was gone.

Well-rested and full of energy, Wu Zhen dashed straight to the Empress’s Qingning Palace. Naturally, the Empress’s palace had a kitchen, constantly stocked with all kinds of delicacies and pastries. No matter the time, the air was always rich with tempting aromas.

Whether in human or cat form, Wu Zhen was a frequent visitor here. Slipping into the Qingning Palace kitchen was as easy as entering her own courtyard. She deftly packed a variety of dishes into a food box, then swaggered out with her haul.

Mei Zhuyu didn’t have to wait long before the Tabby Cat returned with a large, ornate food box—gilded, painted with flowers, and carved with clouds and phoenixes. Compared to his humble little box, this one exuded luxury. When he lifted the lid, the sight alone of the assortment of dishes and pastries made his mouth water.

Before Mei Zhuyu could ask, Wu Zhen explained, "I got it from Her Majesty the Empress. Don’t worry, no one will notice." It wasn’t her first time doing this, after all.

Then she pointed at a few dishes with her paw. "You’ll probably like these. Try them."

What could Mei Zhuyu say? He obediently picked up his chopsticks and ate. Watching him, Wu Zhen shook her head. "I had no idea you worked so hard every day only to eat such bland food. From now on, I’ll have someone bring you proper meals at noon."

Mei Zhuyu set down his bowl. "Wouldn’t that be too—"

"It’s settled," Wu Zhen declared firmly, her smile mysterious. "Don’t worry, it won’t be a ‘person’ delivering the food, so no one will find out. Just be careful not to accidentally slash the little yokai helping with the deliveries with your sword."

Mei Zhuyu swallowed his food and replied earnestly, "I won’t act recklessly in Chang’an. You have my word."Wu Zhen found his serious demeanor rather amusing and said with a laugh, "Why so tense? Even if you do whatever you please, it doesn’t matter. With me here, I can always cover for you. I might hold grudges against others, but never against you, my dear husband. Isn’t that right?"

Mei Zhuyu suddenly felt the soup he’d just had was a bit too sweet. He coughed lightly twice. "The Chang'an Demon Market has existed for a long time, and some rules cannot be broken. I never intended to violate its taboos, and now that I know you’re the Cat Official, I’ll be even more careful not to do anything out of line that might trouble you." He paused before adding, "However, if you ever need anything, you can always tell me. I can help—like with the Plague God this time. If something like that happens again, be sure to let me know."

Wu Zhen was delighted. She had thought that since this was her territory, her husband could afford to be more carefree. Who knew he was even more rule-abiding than she was? But beyond that, his words implied he was volunteering to assist her with her duties.

After a moment’s thought, she happily agreed.

Her voice laced with amusement, she asked, "You really want to help me?"

"Naturally," Mei Zhuyu replied, not sounding the least bit like he was joking.

He understood that becoming the Cat Official required considerable skill, but recalling the incident with the Plague God, he couldn’t shake his unease. Before, he hadn’t known Wu Zhen’s identity. Even though he was aware the Chang'an Demon Market was guarded by the Cat Official and the Snake Lord, and that they often had to deal with malevolent demons, he had never considered stepping in to help. But now, the mere thought of Wu Zhen having to fend off countless demon creatures and monsters that coveted the Demon Market or caused trouble in Chang'an filled him with anger and distress.

This was unacceptable. How could she rest properly with such exhausting duties?

Imagining his wife battling vicious demons and possibly getting hurt again like last time, Mei Zhuyu couldn’t help but frown, irrationally directing his anger at those troublemaking fiends.

Wu Zhen, oblivious to the bloody and terrifying thoughts running through her husband’s mind, was busy planning when to take him to the Demon Market for a nighttime visit.

The two spent the afternoon in harmonious companionship, each lost in their own vastly different thoughts. For the first time, Wu Zhen didn’t transform into a cat and run off on her own. Instead, she waited for Mei Zhuyu to finish his duties, then let him carry her home in his arms.

Along the way, Mei Zhuyu—holding a cat—drew many astonished and bewildered looks. After all, he was the famously stern and unflappable official from the Ministry of Justice, known for remaining calm in the face of gruesome cases and hardened criminals. He was the epitome of reliability in the ministry, and many of his colleagues who gave him trouble did so out of envy for his competence and disdain for his unshakable demeanor.

He neither sought friendships nor indulged in revelry, nor did he curry favor with superiors or engage in political maneuvering. He kept to himself, indifferent to both hostility and friendliness alike.

Yet here was this unyielding man, dotingly carrying a cat through the streets—a sight so contrary to his usual demeanor that it was hard to believe.

In the following days, not only the officials from the Ministry of Justice but also those from nearby offices frequently saw Mei Zhuyu coming and going with a cat in tow. Everyone couldn’t help but marvel: Magistrate Mei truly was a cat lover.There were also those who wanted to seize this opportunity to find fault with Mei Zhuyu and reprimand him. However, before they could act, the Minister of Justice had already praised Mei Zhuyu’s cat at length, and soon after, he too brought a cat to work. With the higher-ups setting such an example, who would dare to say it was improper?

After that, for some reason, keeping cats became a trend in the six ministries. One day, even Censor Liu from the Censorate—a man notorious for nitpicking and impeaching others—unprecedentedly brought cats to work. He brought two, one perched on each shoulder, a sight that nearly stunned the entire Censorate full of stubborn officials.

When asked about it, Censor Liu sternly and righteously retorted, “What’s wrong with cats?”

No one dared to argue with the iron-willed Censor Liu, and thus, no one ever dared to comment on the matter again.