Chapter 407 Snowy Tea Party

Chapter 407: Snowfield Tea Gathering

Bai Yu noticed that Imuir had been sneaking glances at him a lot lately.

Whenever he was working, the little cat would hide under the blankets, on the beams, behind the door, or in various corners, sneaking peeks at Dr. Bai.

Bai Yu adjusted his glasses with a sigh, looking at the kitten clinging to the door. "Imuir, what exactly are you looking at?"

Imuir startled: "!"

He leaped into the doctor's arms and batted at his glasses. "I heard Liang Xu became a white fox with glasses."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Imuir: "So, can you change too? I want to put glasses on you."

He’d even bought glasses in different sizes ahead of time for this purpose.

Imuir was already a kitten—he didn’t have a beast form, but he was extremely curious about Bai Yu’s.

Bai Yu sighed. "I’ll try... What do you want me to turn into?"

Imuir blinked his kitten eyes. "A bird."

The doctor might look scholarly, but his combat skills were anything but weak. Catching cats was like playtime for him. If Imuir broke something, no matter where he ran, the doctor would seize him by the scruff of his neck and mold him like dough.

But if the doctor turned into a bird, according to the natural order of cats and birds, Imuir could mold *him* like dough instead.

Bai Yu tilted his head, giving him a knowing smirk. "I’ll try."

That night, just as Imuir was about to start his usual nighttime sprint, he suddenly noticed a massive creature perched on his cat tree, staring off into the distance.

Imuir: "!"

He cautiously approached. The creature’s body remained still, but its head suddenly spun 180 degrees, its golden eyes silently staring at him.

Imuir: "!!!"

The kitten tumbled off the cat tree, landing upside down, limbs flailing.

Dazed and confused, he thought, *Wasn’t this supposed to be cute and fluffy? Why did it suddenly turn into a horror movie?!*

Then, he heard the sound of flapping wings. The enormous creature flew down from the cat tree and landed beside Imuir, its talons dwarfing the kitten’s tiny paws.

The doctor nudged the glasses balanced on his beak with a wing. "What’s with the panic? Didn’t you want me to turn into a bird?"

Over half a meter in body length, with a wingspan nearing two meters—fully spread, its wings could cover an entire double bed. It was several times Imuir’s size, with pristine white feathers adorned with intricate dark brown patterns. Its amber eyes gleamed with cool intensity, while the perfectly fitted silver-rimmed glasses on its beak lent him a bookish air.

—It was a white owl, also known as a snowy owl, notable for its ability to rotate its neck 180 degrees.

The kitten lowered his head, staring at the doctor’s dagger-like talons with a complicated expression.

Well, the doctor had turned into a bird, but he could still mold the kitten like dough.

Imuir stretched out his paws and flattened his tail, only to realize that even like this, he was still nowhere near the doctor’s size.

The kitten pouted, defeated.

Meanwhile, Bai Yu adjusted his glasses with his wing again, thoroughly annoyed.

He had no hands to flip pages or adjust his glasses, making reading impossible.

Unable to read, he could try other forms of entertainment instead.

The doctor patted the withdrawn kitten with his wing: "Imuir, how about flying?"

They happened to be vacationing in the snowy mountains, where outside stretched endless white snow—perfect for a snowy owl's activities. As a large raptor, the owl could effortlessly lift Imuir and soar with him over the peaks.

Imuir: "!"

He perked up instantly: "Really? Really?!"

The snowy owl shook out his wings: "Of course, but you need to do a few things first."

The doctor laid out clear instructions: "First, turn back into your human form and wrap my talons in paw wraps—otherwise, they might scratch you. Second, put on warm clothes. It's freezing outside, and the wind is strong when flying. Your fur alone won’t cut it. Third, when I take off, use your tail to hold my glasses in place."

Snowy owls typically have excellent vision, but the doctor was an exception. With severe nearsightedness and astigmatism, without his glasses, they’d fly off and never make it back.

Imuir: "!"

He hurriedly transformed back into human form: "No problem."

The resort didn’t have ready-made talon covers, so Imuir borrowed yarn from the front desk. The snowy owl perched on the cat tower, lifting a talon with regal poise.

Imuir wound the yarn around it, finishing with a neat bow.

Once one claw was covered, Bai Yu lowered that one and raised the next.

Imuir repeated the process.

Then he opened his suitcase and stared silently at the row of tiny outfits.

They were all adorable pet clothes—fluffy and soft—prepared by Bai Yu for Imuir in kitten form. But the duke found such attire beneath the dignity of the Grand Duke of Illyria, a blow to his dignity, and refused to wear them.

Now, however, he had no choice.

The kitten reluctantly changed into the fluffy outfit, then stood before the snowy owl, looping his tail around the glasses: "I'm ready."

The owl’s talons gripped the kitten, wings spreading wide as he leaped from the balcony.

Imuir: "!!!"

A fierce wind mixed with snowflakes buffeted his face, flattening his fur and forcing his eyes shut. The moment they were airborne, he was already fighting the urge to scream.

"Don’t be afraid, kitten." The doctor’s tone was as steady as ever. "Before you came, I already tested this. I’m absolutely certain I won’t drop you. Just enjoy the view below."

Imuir: "!"

The kitten looked up, eyes sparkling. The snowy owl’s amber gaze stayed focused ahead. The massive wings spread above Imuir blocked out the sky, their shadow stretching across the snow below. Each powerful beat was steady and controlled, each beat whipping the wind with raw power.

Without a doubt, the snowy owl was the forest’s apex predator, the undisputed king of the snowy wilderness.

Sheltered beneath such wings, the kitten soon got used to the sensation of flight after a few dives and glides.

He looked ahead.

The snow-blanketed mountains unfolded before him, under a huge, low-hanging moon. The peaks bathed in silver moonlight, their rugged contours shifting slowly with the owl’s wingbeats—a sight Imuir had never seen before.

Thrilled beyond words, he couldn’t help but flick his tail.

"Imuir," the snow owl gently chided, "Mind my glasses."

He circled with Imuir over the resort, passing the ski slopes, the mountain forests, and the gurgling hot springs.

After flying for a long time, the kitten finally had enough fun, so the snow owl brought him back, landing on the balcony and returning to the room.

Bai Yu found himself with an unusually enthusiastic Imuir.

He pounced onto the snow owl, completely forgetting what a terrifying predator it was, nuzzling its cheeks and pecking its beak; even its ear feathers weren't spared.

"Kitten," Bai Yu warned, "The ear feathers are ticklish."

The overexcited Imuir paid no heed, treating the ear feathers like a cat toy, flicking them back and forth, meowing nonstop around him. Even even-tempered as the doctor was, he was annoyed by the meowing.

So when the snow owl turned back into the doctor, the kitten whined all night without being let off.

*

After a joyful night, the next day, Lu Liu shared a group message.

—"Massive bird sighting at the snowy mountain resort, flew into the accommodation area from the balcony, wingspan nearly two meters. Tourists concerned about raptor attacks, hotel says they've called the police."

—"Is the raptor a Spirit? If a Spirit crosses the snowy mountain scenic area in the air, does it count as sneaking in?"

—"The raptor passed by hot spring vents. If it's a Spirit, does it violate tourists' privacy rights?"

Lu Liu diplomatically pointed out, "Bai Yu, that was you, right? According to the convention, in areas with ordinary civilians, raptor-type Spirits can only be released in designated zones and must be accompanied by their owners."

Bai Yu: "Apologies, that was me. I wasn't clear on the situation. It won't happen again."

Lu Liu: "Alright, I've already taken care of it for you."

After handling official matters, he put down his phone and remarked to Qi Yi, "Bai Yu's Spirit is a snow owl—pretty badass!"

He wasn't the only one impressed.

Wen Xian and Jiang Zhiyi happened to be at the snowy mountain resort too and joined the conversation.

Wen Xian: "I saw the hotel notice, so it was you."

He gave a thumbs-up: "Such an impressive transformation."

A nearly two-meter wingspan had Wen Xian jealous as hell.

He thought to himself, "If only I could turn into a raptor too."

Preferably with Jiang Zhiyi transforming into some cute little animal, so he could take his wife for a flight.

So he casually asked Jiang Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, what animal would you like me to turn into? A leopard, a tiger, or a lion?"

Jiang Zhiyi just gave him a look.

Wen Xian wasn't predator material—too dangerous and not fitting at all. If Jiang Zhiyi had to choose, he'd want something cuddly.

Of course, he didn't dare say that to Wen Xian.

That day, while teaching his wife to ski, Wen Xian's legs gave out and he went sprawling several meters away. At the same time, something went flying out of his ski jacket like a shot and buried itself in the snow.

Jiang Zhiyi: "!"

He hurriedly unbuckled his skis and ran to Wen Xian's side, only to find the clothes empty, lying deflated on the ground. Wen Xian was nowhere to be seen.

Jiang Zhiyi paused briefly, then took two steps forward and spotted a pair of flailing little legs in the snow.

Jiang Zhiyi grabbed them and yanked them free, setting him down on the snow.

Wen Xian shook himself vigorously, shedding the snow covering his body, and thought, "That's strange."

His clothes were gone, yet he didn’t feel cold at all.

Wen Xian waddled unsteadily toward Jiang Zhiyi.

Then he saw Jiang Zhiyi turn his face away, covering his mouth as he snorted with laughter.

Wen Xian: "?"

He flapped his flippers and continued wobbling forward until he stopped in front of Jiang Zhiyi, letting out a protesting squawk: "Gwaa—"

Wen Xian immediately snapped his beak shut.

Jiang Zhiyi was laughing so hard he could barely stand, switching his smart device to selfie mode and holding it up for Wen Xian to see.

Short legs, short arms, rotund.

A young emperor penguin, somewhere between juvenile and adult, with soft gray-black down—ridiculously cute.

Wen Xian: "Gwa?"

What the hell?!

Why a penguin?!

Why'd I get stuck as a penguin when everyone else are snowy owls?!

Why did his tall, model-tier physique turn into these ridiculous stumps?!

This was anything but majestic and imposing!

Jiang Zhiyi was still laughing, bent over wheezing, clutching his stomach. The penguin lumbered forward indignantly, spreading his flippers before whapping Jiang Zhiyi twice.

—Stop laughing! Knock it off!

Jiang Zhiyi: "Alright, alright, I’ll stop."

He set his snowboard aside, his skiing mood completely ruined. "Want me to carry you back to the lodge?"

With Wen Xian’s current stubby legs, if he tried waddling all the way, he'd be waddling till midnight.

Wen Xian looked down at himself, then up at Jiang Zhiyi: "Gwa?"

—You sure you can manage?

Though still a young emperor penguin, Wen Xian estimated his body length at around 80 centimeters and his weight at over 30 kilograms—a solid barrel of penguin.

Jiang Zhiyi: "I think so."

He wrapped his arms around the penguin and lifted him up with some effort, automatically petting the soft down on his chest and belly.

Wen Xian froze in place in his arms, stiff as a board, too scared to budge: "Gwa."

—Zhiyi... I'm terrified.

Wen Xian had skied countless times on advanced slopes since his youth, but now on the beginner's slope, snuggled in his wife's arms, this was the most terrifying moment of his life.

—What if Zhiyi's hand slipped? Would he go rolling straight down?!

Amid Wen Xian's terror, Jiang Zhiyi held the penguin like a propane cylinder, steadily navigating the first half of the slope—only for his hand to suddenly shake in the latter half, sending them both face-first into the snow.

Wen Xian: "!"

His tiny legs flapped frantically in the air before he finally managed to pull himself free.

The penguin glanced around.

—Where’s Jiang Zhiyi? Where’s my wife? Where’s my amazing wife?!

Wobbling on his stubby legs, swaying side to side, he made his way to the pile of Jiang Zhiyi’s clothes, only to find them flat—except for a lump in the middle.

The penguin flapped his little legs furiously, burrowing his wife out of the heap.

When he saw that fluffy, snowball-like bundle, Wen Xian’s eyes lit up.

—What’s this!

—A rabbit!

Long ears, round as a snowball—so adorable it made him want to devour it whole.

The penguin waddled forward and tapped his wife’s head with his flippers.

—"Zhiyi, you’re so cute."

Seeing his wife’s adorably goofy look, Wen Xian felt a weirdly comforting thought.

—Who cares if he wasn’t a raptor? His wife wasn’t one either! What if she’d turned into a snowy owl and gotten scared? A penguin was just perfect!

—So what if his legs were short? His wife’s were even shorter!

Then, the bunny suddenly shook off the snow—and then… stood up.

Stood up,

Stood… up…

Stood! Up! On! His! Feet!

Wen Xian’s eyes widened in horror: "What is this?! What is this?!"

Since when could rabbits stand this tall?!

"Ah," Jiang Zhiyi looked down at himself. "I’m an Arctic hare."

Arctic hares—the long-legged supermodels of the bunny world. Seemingly harmless, fluffy, and innocent, yet unexpectedly strong and fast. One stray kick could knock the wind out of you.

Wen Xian: "..."

He looked at his wife, then at himself, then back at his wife, then back at himself—before spiraling into despair again.

Jiang Zhiyi twitched his ears and reassuringly patted the penguin with his super-long legs. "Wen Xian, I’m not even cold."

Arctic hares and penguins—one lived in the Arctic, the other in the Antarctic. Both had thick fur, and neither minded the cold.

Wen Xian muttered glumly, "Yeah, so what?"

The Arctic hare scooted closer to the penguin, hiding its long legs and tucking itself back into a fluffy ball. "Then I can wait until nightfall to stargaze together."

A few days ago, they had wanted to lie in the snow and watch the stars, but the nights were too cold, so they’d had to settle for watching from the hotel balcony instead.

However, the hotel was part of a resort with a commercial center in the middle, and the night sky was washed out by light pollution, making it hard to see many stars.

Wen Xian sighed. "Yeah."

Nightfall wasn’t far off, so the penguin and the Arctic hare simply found an empty, secluded patch of snow and stopped there, huddling close while they waited.

Soon, the sky blazed crimson as the sun sank behind the snowy mountains. In the boundless darkness, the vast Milky Way slowly unveiled itself.

The penguin and the Arctic hare both looked up at the sky, letting the stars reflect in their eyes.

Then, the Arctic hare, now a fluffy dumpling again, stood up. "Wen Xian, wait a moment."

Wen Xian: "What for?"

Jiang Zhiyi: "I’ll grab the tablet from our pile of clothes to take a photo."

Their clothes were right behind them, carried all the way by the Arctic hare and the penguin.

Wen Xian wobbled upright with his short legs. "I’ll go with you."

The Arctic hare didn’t even turn its head. "No, by the time you make it over, it’ll be sunrise."

Wen Xian: "..."

The penguin turned away, sulking.

Behind him, Jiang Zhiyi fetched the tablet, adjusted the angle, tapped a few times, and set up the photo mode.

He ran back to Wen Xian, tucked his legs back in, becoming a round dumpling once more, and rested his fluffy rabbit head against the penguin.

After a few shutter sounds, Jiang Zhiyi returned with the tablet in his mouth.

Pressed against Wen Xian, he glanced at the tablet, then at the Milky Way, and suddenly said, "Wen Xian, I think this is so magical."

Wen Xian hummed lazily, "Hmm?"

Too bad the penguin’s flippers were too stubby—otherwise, he could have leaned back with his flippers under his head to stargaze lying down.

Jiang Zhiyi: "You’re an Antarctic penguin, and I’m an Arctic hare—you from the South Pole, me from the North—worlds apart. We shouldn’t have had any chance to be together. It’s almost like a miracle."

The divide between them was so deep and vast, like an unbridgeable gap.

Wen Xian: "And then?"

He waited, silent, for Jiang Zhiyi to go on.

Jiang Zhiyi: "But now we’re curled up together, sharing the stars."

He nudged the tablet toward the penguin with his muzzle and stretched out a long paw to tap it. "Look at this photo."

The penguin craned his neck to look. It was the picture Jiang Zhiyi had just taken. Against the endless snowfield, the silhouettes of the penguin and the Arctic hare were pressed close together—the hare’s head nestled against the penguin’s belly, the penguin’s short flipper resting on the hare’s back. Both animals were looking up at the night sky, where the Milky Way shimmered overhead.