Chen returned home lighter than he had felt in days.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the corridor windows as he unlocked his apartment door, still thinking about tomorrow's plan for the kittens. He even hummed faintly under his breath.
"Yun Hu?" he called casually as he stepped inside.
Silence.
That was unusual.
Yun Hu would normally answer immediately—either from the couch, the kitchen, or by padding over with that familiar soft shuffle.
Chen slipped off his shoes and walked further in.
"Yun Hu?"
Still nothing.
His smile faded.
He took out his phone and called Xu Jin.
The call connected quickly.
"You're back?" Xu Jin's voice came through, steady as always.
"Yes. Where's Yun Hu?"
"I left him at your place," Xu Jin replied calmly. "He was in the living room when I left."
Chen turned slowly in place.
The living room was empty.
The blanket on the couch was slightly rumpled. The water bowl sat untouched. The air felt… wrong.
"I'm home," Chen said, frowning slightly. "He's not here."
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"Check properly," Xu Jin said, tone still controlled. "He wouldn't just disappear."
The call remained ongoing.
Chen moved quickly now—first the bedroom.
"Yun Hu?"
He checked under the bed. Inside the wardrobe. Behind the curtains.
Nothing.
His chest tightened.
"I don't see him," Chen muttered into the phone, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Bathroom?" Xu Jin asked.
Chen pushed the door open.
Empty.
Kitchen. Storage room.
Nothing.
The panic began creeping in properly now, cold and sharp.
"I checked everywhere," Chen said, breath growing uneven. "He's not inside."
"Slow down," Xu Jin instructed firmly. "Look carefully. Don't assume."
Chen forced himself to inhale and exhale.
Then he noticed something.
The balcony door.
It wasn't fully closed.
He walked toward it slowly, heart pounding harder with every step.
The curtain moved slightly with the breeze.
And the window—
It was slightly open.
Just a little.
But enough.
Chen's fingers trembled as he pushed it wider and stepped onto the balcony.
He looked down.
Nothing.
No sign.
His stomach dropped.
"The window is open," Chen said, voice no longer steady. "It's open."
This time, Xu Jin's silence lasted longer.
When he spoke again, the calm in his voice had thinned.
"How open?"
"Enough," Chen whispered. "Enough for him to slip through."
Now both of them were breathing differently.
"He wouldn't jump," Xu Jin said quickly. "He's not reckless."
"I don't know—" Chen's voice cracked slightly. "I don't know if he got scared, or if something—"
"Listen to me," Xu Jin interrupted, more urgent now. "Go downstairs. Check the area around your building. He can't have gone far."
Chen nodded instinctively, though Xu Jin couldn't see him.
"I'm going to look outside," Chen said, already moving back inside to grab his keys.
"Keep the call on," Xu Jin said immediately.
Chen hesitated only a second before shaking his head.
"I need to move fast. I'll call you."
And he hung up.
The moment the call ended, the apartment felt far too quiet.
Chen didn't bother changing his shoes properly this time. He rushed out, heart pounding violently in his chest.
Please be nearby.
Please don't be hurt.
Chen ran down the last few steps instead of waiting for the elevator.
By the time he reached the ground floor, his breathing was uneven. He pushed open the building door and stepped outside, eyes scanning everywhere at once.
"Yun Hu!" he called, trying not to sound frantic.
The small garden in front of the apartment building was quiet. A few elderly residents were chatting near the gate. A bicycle leaned against a tree. Nothing unusual.
Chen circled the front first.
Behind the bushes.
Near the trash area.
Under the parked cars.
"Yun Hu…" His voice grew tighter.
Ten minutes passed.
Ten very long minutes.
He checked the back of the building next—near the small patch of grass where stray cats sometimes wandered. He crouched, peered beneath the wooden bench, even checked behind the storage shed.
Nothing.
Now he was truly panicking.
What if he fell?
What if someone took him?
What if he's scared somewhere and can't find his way back?
Chen's fingers trembled as he took out his phone again, about to call Xu Jin—
Then he heard it.
A low chuckle.
Not far away.
Chen froze.
The sound came from the side pathway near the old stone bench under the sycamore tree.
He turned slowly.
Two figures were sitting there.
Familiar figures.
And on one of their laps—
A small, fluffy shape.
Chen's eyes widened.
"Yun Hu—"
As if sensing his name, the little cat lifted his head.
Their eyes met.
For half a second, Yun Hu stared.
Then he wriggled free from the lap he was sitting on, dropped onto the ground, and—
Ran straight toward Chen.
"Yun Hu!" Chen crouched down instinctively.
The tiny body collided against his chest, claws lightly catching onto his shirt as Yun Hu climbed up desperately. Chen wrapped both arms around him immediately, holding him tight.
"You scared me to death," he whispered, pressing his cheek against the soft fur. "Why did you run out like that?"
Yun Hu purred loudly, rubbing his head against Chen's chin as if nothing had happened.
Only then did Chen look up.
The two people on the bench were indeed familiar.
Very familiar.
One leaned back lazily, clearly amused.
The other watched with an unreadable expression.
A soft chuckle came from the bench.
The girl with the lighter hair tilted her head. "Relax. He's perfectly fine."
Chen finally looked at them properly. They did look familiar, but he didn't say anything about it this time.
"We found him here," the other girl explained calmly. "He was lying on the bench like he owned the place. Just taking a sunbath."
Chen blinked. "Sunbath?"
Rina—though she didn't repeat her name—pointed to the warm patch of sunlight stretching across the wooden bench. "Right there. He was enjoying it."
Ari added, "Didn't look lost at all. More like… on vacation."
Chen looked down at Yun Hu, who was now comfortably tucked against his chest, purring as if nothing had happened.
"You ran out through the balcony," Chen sighed, half relieved, half exasperated. "Do you know how worried I was?"
Yun Hu only rubbed his face against Chen's collar.
The girls exchanged amused looks.
"He didn't move much," one of them said. "We stayed for a bit to make sure no one tried to pick him up."
Chen's expression softened immediately. "Thank you… really."
"It's fine," the other replied casually. "He's cute. Hard not to notice."
There was a brief silence as Chen adjusted his grip, still unwilling to put Yun Hu down.
"You should close your window properly," one of them said lightly. "Little adventurer might try again."
Chen gave a small embarrassed nod. "I will."
Yun Hu stretched lazily in his arms, completely satisfied with the chaos he had caused.
The girls smiled.
"Well, crisis over," one of them said. "Take care of your sun-loving prince."
Chen let out a quiet breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"I will."
And this time, he held Yun Hu a little tighter as he walked back toward the building.