Qiao Zhi woke to a world that was both familiar and utterly alien. She blinked her eyes against soft, warm light—and found herself staring up at an impossibly huge ceiling. The paper lanterns dangling from the rafters looked like glowing balloons drifting overhead. The silk sheets beneath her felt like billowing clouds, and the wooden floorboards—if she could see them—must have been miles below.
"Gu'er?" she called hesitantly, her voice pitched too high, as though she'd swallowed a flute. She tried again: "Gu'er!"
But what came out wasn't her deep, confident tone. It was a tiny, plaintive "mew."
Panic flickered in her chest. "No, no, no…" Her hands—no, her paws—scrabbled at the sheets. Everything was larger than her. She sat up—well, she tried—but her body felt light, fluffy, and covered in silky fur. She brushed a hand under her chin. A soft paw emerged, tipped with a fragile pink pad.
Qiao Zhi's heart thundered. She'd… turned into a kitten?
