As night deepened, the bustle of the day quietly faded away.
Within the Viewing Tide Residence, dim alleyways were illuminated by hanging lanterns, their warm glow spilling across the bluestone paths as though time itself had solidified into gentle lights.
Inside one of the small villas, however, darkness reigned.
It was no different from the night outside.
Click.
A faint sound came from the entrance.
The villa door slowly opened, accompanied by the creaking protest of the hinges.
Immediately afterward, a figure squeezed through the narrow gap, cautiously poking her head inside.
Yet her face remained hidden beneath the darkness.
She carefully observed the interior through the crack.
Silence.
The hallway and living room were completely dark.
Only after confirming that no one was around did the figure quietly tiptoe inside.
The surroundings were pitch black.
Even the sound of breathing seemed to have stopped.
Standing at the entrance, she swept her gaze over the empty furniture and couldn't help but wonder.
"Did she go out tonight?"
"Or... is she already asleep?"
Thinking this, she moved stealthily through the darkness like a thief conducting a heist.
She didn't dare turn on the lights, afraid of exposing herself.
Thus, she sneaked deeper into the house.
Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in the corridor.
It was leaking out from beneath one of the doors.
"She's in her room?"
She quickly came to a conclusion.
The owner of the villa was probably sleeping inside.
Therefore, every step became even more cautious.
Moonlight filtered through the windows, scattering fragmented patches of light.
Using that faint illumination, she quietly bypassed the room and headed farther inside.
...
Several minutes later.
After proceeding with utmost caution and enduring the pounding of her heart, she finally reached her destination.
Looking at the door before her, she still didn't let her guard down.
Taking a deep breath, her fingers grasped the doorknob.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She pushed it open.
Yet she didn't immediately enter.
Instead, she stood outside and held her breath.
One minute.
Two minutes.
After confirming that there was no movement inside, joy immediately surged through her heart.
Without hesitation, she turned sideways and slipped through the narrow opening.
Fortunately, she lacked certain natural assets.
Otherwise, squeezing through such a gap would've been troublesome.
Click.
The door locked.
Leaning against the cool door, she finally exhaled in relief.
"Phew..."
The tension on her face gradually relaxed, and a relieved smile spread across her lips.
Unfortunately, the moment she lowered her guard...
Click.
The lights abruptly turned on.
The room instantly became as bright as day.
Then, a familiar voice rang out nearby.
Cipher (˶ᗜᗜ˶):"Oh? Isn't this our Little Princess who ran away from home? Finally willing to come back?"
Meng Xingyao: Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ
The startled Meng Xingyao nearly jumped out of her skin.
She hurriedly looked over.
The empty spot beside the light switch from moments ago now contained a familiar figure.
Coincidentally, it was also the person she least wanted to face right now.
Leaning casually against the wall, Cipher folded her arms beneath her ample chest and looked at the sneaky little thief before her with playful eyes.
Being caught red-handed, Meng Xingyao immediately looked away guiltily.
She simply didn't dare look directly into those teasing blue eyes.
...
A long time later.
Compared to the pitch-black villa outside, the room was like another world entirely.
Warm yellow lights illuminated the two figures sitting upon the bed.
Unspoken emotions quietly lingered in the air.
Or rather...
Cipher had been continuously examining Meng Xingyao with curious eyes.
Meanwhile, the latter lowered her head and stubbornly refused to make eye contact.
They remained frozen in silence for a long time.
Finally, Cipher was the first to speak.
Her fingers lightly touched her chin, and a teasing smile appeared in her eyes.
"Tell me, Little Princess. You haven't been avoiding me these past few days, have you?"
"N-no...Why would I avoid you..."
Meng Xingyao answered while stammering.
Unfortunately, her constantly shifting eyes and lack of confidence betrayed her completely.
Even if Cipher thought with her tail, she could tell this girl was lying.
Just a few days ago, Cipher had returned home late at night.
As soon as she entered the villa, she discovered a pitiful figure curled up on the sofa, trembling slightly.
Seeing this, even the Cat Girl felt helpless.
Thus, the kind-hearted Cipher had picked up the Little Princess and carried her back to her room.
Originally, she planned to leave afterward.
But unexpectedly, her arm was firmly grabbed.
In her half-asleep state, Meng Xingyao even clung onto her with her entire body.
After much effort, Cipher finally escaped.
At first, she intended to just leave.
However, seeing the girl's tightly furrowed brows while asleep...
Her heart softened in the end.
After taking a shower and changing into her pajamas, Cipher helplessly returned to the bed.
As though sensing something, the sleeping Meng Xingyao immediately reacted.
Before Cipher had even found a comfortable position, the girl's entire body pressed against her.
Although Cipher often enjoyed teasing the Little Princess...
She was, in the end, merely a young girl who hadn't even held another girl's hand before.
Especially when those little hands under the blanket constantly wandered around...
Cipher had seriously suspected more than once whether this girl was pretending to sleep.
Her face flushed red.
She almost exploded on the spot.
Yet...
Those weak murmurs in her sleep stopped her.
The Cat Girl froze.
Only then did she understand why the Little Princess had curled herself up alone on the sofa in the middle of the night.
In the end, she merely let out a helpless sigh.
After pushing away those mischievous little hands, Cipher glared fiercely at the sleeping girl in her embrace.
Cipher (๑•̀⤙•́):
"Seriously..."
"What kind of sleeping habit is this..."
Though her mouth complained, she still reached out and gently pulled the blanket over the other's body.
Then, hugging the warm little princess in her arms, the Cat Girl slowly closed her eyes.
And for the first time in a long while...
The usually lively and noisy room became exceptionally quiet.
Only the steady breathing of two girls intertwined softly beneath the dim moonlight.