Chapter 17: Realization

Chapter 17: The Awakening

The face before him was brimming with joy, eyes pure and innocent, as if it were just a friend inviting a friend.

Song Ji's gaze darkened slightly. He pressed his lips together and swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue.

He should have been happy, but for some reason, an indescribable sense of loss welled up inside him.

Just because he's a trusted friend, would he not misunderstand him at all?

Song Ji lowered his long lashes, pushing down that strange thought. He opened the umbrella from his bag and held it over both of them.

Fei Yu's palms were sweating nervously, so much so that he didn't even notice the raindrops flying inside the umbrella.

Although he had been preparing for and looking forward to this for a long time, now that the moment had come, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

His heart was racing like a deer caught in headlights, making his thoughts chaotic.

One moment he was recalling whether his boxers fit human aesthetic standards, the next he was mentally reviewing the do's and don'ts of hooking up.

Lost in his muddled thoughts, he didn't know how much time had passed before they finally arrived at Song Ji's home.

When the young man pressed his fingerprint lock and pushed the door open, Fei Yu was so nervous he even forgot to breathe.

The sound-activated light in the hallway clicked on, and under the bright light, his flushed face became impossible to hide.

Song Ji's brows furrowed slightly. He leaned down in front of him and reached out to cover his forehead: "Why is your face so red? Do you feel unwell?"

"Huh?" Fei Yu looked up in a daze, his fair face flushed bright red, strands of hair wet with rain clinging to his earlobes, making him look especially soft.

He looked into Song Ji's dark eyes so close to his, but his own eyes were misty and unfocused.

The skin under his palm was incredibly delicate. Song Ji's breath hitched, and his whole body instantly froze in place.

They were standing too close. Every puff of hot air from Fei Yu's breath landed right on the bridge of his nose.

Song Ji's gaze fixed, staring blankly at the youth before him, who opened his soft lips and panted gently, a quick flash of the tip of his wet pink tongue.

His pupils constricted sharply. He quickly stepped back and withdrew his hand: "No fever."

The door closed and the light came on, but the imagined scene of being pinned against the door for kisses and embraces never happened.

The fleeting sensation of his forehead being touched disappeared in an instant. Fei Yu blinked, and even as slow as he was, he finally realized what was going on.

He had made another huge blunder.

Song Ji had no intention of rolling in the sheets at all.

Fei Yu bit his lip, feeling rather embarrassed. He ran his fingers through his hair and stammered an explanation: "It's—it's nothing. Maybe I'm just tired from walking—Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"

His words were cut short by a series of sneezes.

Reason regained control of his mind. Fei Yu finally had the spare attention to focus on other things. He looked down at the water marks on his clothes.

The rain was simply too heavy. Even with an umbrella, it didn't help. Both he and Song Ji were drenched.

Song Ji looked at him: "We need to take a shower and change clothes quickly, or we'll catch a cold."

Fei Yu shook his head: "Your clothes are wetter than mine. You go first."

He only had his pants and the hem of his shirt wet, but Song Ji was in a much worse state.

Almost his entire back was soaked through. The wet clothes clung tightly to his body, and the outline of his muscles was clearly visible.

Song Ji frowned slightly, said nothing, and without hesitation grabbed the hem of his black T-shirt and pulled it over his head.

Fei Yu took a deep breath, his eyes widening, the heat in his cheeks skyrocketing.

The young man's firm torso was fully exposed before him—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, a lean, strong back, and eight-pack abs clearly defined on his stomach.

The muscle lines were smooth and not too bulky, exuding pure masculine pheromones. He looked very capable.

Noticing Fei Yu's gaze, Song Ji's Adam's apple moved up and down. He said lightly, "Now it's fine."

He paused, his low, magnetic voice sounded a bit unsteady: "We don't have guest clothes at home. Do you want to wear mine?"

Fei Yu's wet lashes trembled. He murmured weakly, "Then... sorry for the trouble."

His soft, clear voice was a little muffled, as if he was acting cute.

Song Ji's throat tightened, and he replied in a low voice, "No trouble."

With a click, the bathroom door closed, and Fei Yu's unique scent was instantly gone.

Song Ji's earlobes were turning a suspicious red. He pulled out his phone and opened a hidden app.

In the black-and-white surveillance footage, a large white cat was curled up into a ball in its cat bed, sleeping soundly, its fluffy belly rising and falling gently.

The abandoned pavilion had been completely renovated. Outside, the wind and rain raged, but its little nest was sturdy and cozy—no longer having to fear the storms.

Seeing Pearl sleeping soundly in its bed, Song Ji let out a sigh of relief.

Since the last rainstorm when he had almost lost Pearl, Song Ji had donated another large sum to the Cat Association.

It was used to buy new cat beds for all the campus cats and install surveillance near each bed to ensure he could monitor their safety.

Pearl valued its privacy, so Song Ji didn't check it often.

Only during bad weather like today did he take a look to see if it had come home in time to take shelter.

Confirming that Pearl was fine, Song Ji put down his phone.

He looked up absentmindedly, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the opposite side.

The glass door of the bathroom was covered in condensation. Through the hazy white fog, a slender, shadowy figure was faintly visible.

Fei Yu was in his house, using his bathroom.

This sudden thought made Song Ji's heart pound violently, and his neck instantly turned bright red.

Flustered, he lowered his head, burying his face in his burning hands. His breathing was rapid, his back tense.

It took a long time for his racing heart to gradually slow down.

Song Ji wiped his face, his long lashes lowered, hiding the turmoil in his eyes.

He was sure that inviting Fei Yu over had never been about any filthy thoughts.

Even seeing Fei Yu's clothes wet and letting him take a shower was just out of concern that he might catch a cold.

But why is my heart racing?

Song Ji stared blankly at his open palm, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing together, as if the delicate sensation from a moment ago still lingered on them.

In that moment, his hand had reacted even faster than his brain.

Why?

Perhaps because, subconsciously, he wasn't satisfied with this kind of relationship.

He wanted to be closer friends with Fei Yu.

Closer. Friends.

Song Ji kept mulling over these words in his mind. His chaotic thoughts calmed down, but he still couldn't convince himself.

Bathroom

Fei Yu stared at the clean clothes in his hands for a long time, then lifted his head and gazed blankly at the showerhead above.

After a while, his face fell and he let out a small, worried sigh.

Every cat hates bathing, and Fei Yu was no exception.

Even after becoming a Catfolk, their genes still retained a natural aversion to water.

If he could sleep with Song Ji tonight, it would be fine—he could endure it.

But who would have thought that Song Ji didn't have that intention at all?

What a cruel twist of fate for a Catfolk!

But then again... seeing Song Ji's abs wasn't a total loss, right?

Fei Yu did his best to console himself, stepped under the shower, gritted his teeth, and pressed the switch.

Ten minutes later, Fei Yu turned off the shower and pushed the door open and stepped out.

Song Ji looked over at the sound and saw Fei Yu walking toward him.

The boy's soft, fair face was damp and slightly flushed from his shower.

Slightly damp black hair lay obediently over his brows and eyes, making his features even more delicate, his eyes clear and bright.

The clothes that were a bit small for him were still too big on Song Ji.

The collar was loose, revealing fair skin and a glimpse of his delicate collarbone, with still-damp strands of hair resting on it, leaving a few suggestive damp marks.

Suddenly, Song Ji felt all the blood in his body surge upward, and he abruptly lifted his head.

While washing earlier, water had accidentally gotten into his eyes. Fei Yu rubbed the corners of his reddened eyes and shuffled toward the sofa in his slippers.

After finally clearing the water from his eyes, he saw Song Ji looking extremely serious, staring intently at the ceiling.

Fei Yu looked up in confusion, following his gaze, but saw nothing except the exceptionally white wall.

Scratching his head in bewilderment, he said softly, "Go take your shower now, don't catch a cold."

"Mm," Song Ji replied, his jaw tight, and nodded stiffly.

He avoided Fei Yu's gaze, grabbed his clothes almost frantically, and then rushed into the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom, traces of the previous occupant still remained—obvious mist lingered on the walls and glass door.

Within a few breaths, the scent of body wash filled his lungs.

Song Ji's temple twitched violently, and prominent veins stood out on his muscular arms.

He stood in the bathroom for a long moment, then silently turned on the cold water.

The icy water stream pounded his body, but the reaction inside him only grew hotter and more intense.

To hell with being good friends—he wanted to be Fei Yu's boyfriend!

Author's note:

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Congratulations on the awakening! The storyline everyone's been waiting for is coming very soon!

No update tomorrow; next update on Monday.