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Roused by an unsettling touch, Lin Feng muttered under his breath, shooting a glare at the culprit. As he sat up swiftly, his striking blue eyes clashed with an unwelcome visage. Instinctively, he kicked it away.

“Seriously, Hao Jian? Ever heard of personal space?” Lin Feng blurted, inspecting his tousled tail in dismay. Did he seriously need to run a ‘How to Pet a Cat 101’ workshop? The absurdity of the thought wasn’t lost on him. After all, who teaches someone how to pet their own tail?

Hao Jian, meanwhile, slumped lifelessly against the wall, the last vestiges of his tears rolling down the cold hard surface.

“****.”

“Hao Jian, snap out of it! Dr. Hu! We need some help over here!”

Dr. Hu entered with a flamboyant yawn. “All this commotion… Lin Feng, is it your mating season or something?”

“Lin Feng,” she began, glancing between him and the now limp Hao Jian, “maybe before thinking of mating seasons, you should figure out your own gender?”

“Really not in the mood for your jokes, Dr. Hu,” Lin Feng retorted, trying to keep his cool. “I might’ve overdone it with that kick,” he added, recalling the earlier annoyance of his tail being mishandled.

Considering his recent ability to jump two meters, the force behind that impulsive kick concerned him.

After a brief check on Hao Jian, Dr. Hu casually said, “Might want to brace yourself for some bad news.”

“Is it that bad?” Lin Feng’s voice was a whisper, anxiety evident.

However, the sensation of someone playing with his tail snapped him back.

“Seriously, Doc? Who in their right mind thinks about petting a cat when they’re out cold?” Lin Feng’s relief was palpable, spotting Hao Jian, weak but alive enough to grab his tail.

“If you hadn’t been out here meowing and waking the whole place up,” Dr. Hu said, playfully running her fingers through his long hair. As she pointed to the barely lit morning sky, Lin Feng felt a rush of warmth spread across his cheeks.

A couple of curious girls, rubbing sleep from their eyes, peeked in.

“Nothing to see here, go back to sleep,” Dr. Hu shooed them.

“And, senior, could you act a little more mature for once? You’re making it super awkward for me,” Lin Feng sighed, gently pulling his tail away from Hao Jian.

“Just trying to lighten the mood. How about I whip up some potatoes for us?” Hao Jian offered, trying to change the subject.

“Sure, but shouldn’t you be hungrier than I am? And I still need an explanation,” Lin Feng said, grabbing his deep blue bow and arrow, fixing a stern gaze on Hao Jian.

“I’ll tell you everything, promise,” Hao Jian replied, his steps shaky as he headed to the kitchen – was he truly going to be alright?

“Ahhh~”

Lost in thought, Lin Feng was abruptly pulled back by a scream.

“Zombies? Wait, why does that scream sound so… familiar?” Lin Feng pondered, alert and ready.