Gu Yangjin blinked awake to the soft glow of dawn filtering through the paper-paneled window. The familiar warmth beside her was… gone. Flustered, she sat up, the silk sheets whispering between her fingers. Normally, Qiao Zhi would be curled against her side, nudging her awake with a gentle touch or a lazy smile. But today? The bed was cold and empty.
"Qiao Zhi?" she murmured, peeking over the edge. The room was immaculate—nothing out of place. Yet the bedclothes rustled ever so slightly. Curious, Gu Yangjin slipped out of her own covers and crept toward the foot of the bed.
Beneath the quilt, something small and warm stirred. A soft "mew" emerged. Gu Yangjin's eyebrows shot up. She dropped to her knees and carefully lifted the quilt.
