Chapter Five: Qi Cat Cat Nearly Starved Herself to Death

Before Ling Feng could make a move, a pair of soft little hands reached out from behind him and gently encircled his neck. In the next instant, a slight, delicate body leaned against his back like a fluttering butterfly.

“Brother~”

That tender voice swept past like a spring breeze, making Ling Feng feel as though the snow in his heart had melted all at once.

“Xier is awake. Did you sleep well?”

Ling Feng turned his head slightly and caught sight of the little head resting against his back. He kept his voice as gentle as he could, afraid of startling this newly awakened fledgling.

In truth, he had already noticed earlier that a small figure had been resting in the lounge beside the office, and he did not need to guess who it was.

“Mhm~” Xier answered in a soft, syrupy voice, still clinging to him with deep attachment.

Ling Feng then set down the game console, first picking Bronya up and setting her aside, then drawing Xier from behind him and pulling her tenderly into his arms.

Bronya: (ᗜ‸ᗜ)

Bronya very much wanted to condemn Ling Feng for this scummy behavior of forgetting the old in favor of the new, but when her gaze fell upon Xier, who seemed to have only just awakened and looked so frail and pitiable, the words on her lips were swallowed back down.

Fine. For the sake of the fact that Ling Feng had played with Bronya all afternoon, Bronya decided to forgive him.

Seeing the tears still lingering at the corners of Xier’s eyes, Ling Feng felt a pang of heartache and silently reproached himself.

As the boss, he had been so excited he ran off to participate in game testing and left the work to two underage girls. That was indeed far too irresponsible.

“How long has Xier been awake?”

Wiping away the tears at the corners of the little one’s eyes, Ling Feng asked softly.

“Mm, for a while. Seeing Brother and Sister Bronya having so much fun, Xier didn’t want to disturb you.”

At those words, Bronya, who had felt only a tiny flicker of jealousy over Ling Feng’s “changed affections,” was instantly overwhelmed by guilt and hurriedly apologized to Xier.

“I’m sorry. Bronya didn’t notice in time that Xier was already awake.”

“It’s okay. Sister Bronya doesn’t need to apologize to Xier. Watching Sister Bronya and Brother play over there, Xier was happy too.”

Bronya: …

Looking at the angelic purity of Xier’s smile, Bronya felt as if she were being drowned in guilt.

Ling Feng looked down at Bronya, who had lowered her head and did not dare meet Xier’s sweet smile, and a delighted grin spread across his face as he rubbed the little one in his arms against himself.

Hehe, as expected of his little angel.

Glancing at the time and realizing it was already late, Ling Feng stood up and led the two little ones out of the office.

“Off we go, off we go. Work’s over, time to go home.”

…………

“Wuu~ vroom~~”

The cool blue-and-white motorcycle emitted a deep, powerful roar as it raced along the elevated roadway of Tianhai City. The afterglow of sunset spilled from the slanting sky and fell across the half-lit faces of the three riders, painting the scene as beautifully as a poem.

Behind Ling Feng, Xier sat obediently, her small hands wrapped tightly around his waist. Her cheek rested against the boy’s not-so-broad back, her eyes gently closed, as though she was thoroughly enjoying the sensation of being carried at such speed by Ling Feng, her face glowing with satisfaction.

In front of Ling Feng, Bronya braced herself steadily against the vehicle with both hands. Her small body leaned slightly forward, allowing the fierce wind to strike her face freely. Her silver-gray eyes sparkled brightly, overflowing with excitement as she stared unblinkingly at the road ahead.

She actually very much wanted to experience the thrill of riding a motorcycle at full speed herself. Unfortunately, her still undeveloped body did not allow it, and Ling Feng would not allow it either.

Hmph! Bronya would definitely grow up. By then, she would buy one even cooler than Ling Feng’s.

The place where the three of them lived was not far from the company. After the motorcycle crossed the elevated road, it came to a steady stop in front of their home only a few minutes later.

What came into view was a detached two-story house. A delicate iron fence surrounded the outside, giving it an especially warm and cozy feel.

A house like this might not be so rare in some other city, but in the city center of Tianhai City, where land was worth its weight in gold, to build a house like this…

Well… luxurious was the only word for it.

Gurgle—

The moment they stepped inside, a rumbling sound reached the ears of the three of them. Looking toward the source, they saw a rather exasperating sight.

On the sofa in the living room, a white catgirl was lying there miserably, limp and motionless, the only thing proving she was still “alive” being the rumbling sound constantly coming from beneath her stomach. She looked utterly pitiful, as if she were on the verge of starving to death.

Ling Feng shook his head helplessly and walked over. Crouching down, he extended a finger and gently poked the girl’s cheek, calling softly, “Kiana? Kiana?”

“Mm…” Hearing the familiar voice, the girl’s tightly shut eyes finally opened a sliver. When she saw Ling Feng, her dull sky-blue pupils immediately brightened. She weakly reached out, caught his sleeve, and complained pitifully, “Ling Feng~~ I’m so hungry…”

The three who had just returned could not help twitching at the corners of their mouths. Ling Feng quickly looked around the room and asked helplessly, “Mei still isn’t back?”

“Mm.” Kiana nodded “with difficulty.”

“Haah… then it looks like she’s got a lot to deal with today.” Ling Feng had no way to handle this girl, so he could only say, “Alright, I’ll make dinner.”

With that, he reached out and ruffled Kiana’s hair before heading into the kitchen.

At that moment, Bronya came over and, expressionless, looked at Kiana. “Idiot Kiana, were you planning to starve yourself to death if Ling Feng and Sister Mei didn’t come home?”

At that, Kiana slowly opened one eye again and gave Bronya a sidelong glance before closing it once more.

Hmph—no point arguing with a little shorty like you for now. Just wait until I’m full, and then I’ll deal with you.

Ling Feng’s efficiency was extremely high. Before long, he had brought a table full of dishes and soup to the dining table.

Yes. Eight dishes and one soup—for three people.

There was no helping it. Who told them one of their number was a bottomless pit, and one with the miraculous constitution of never seeming to gain weight no matter how much she ate?

At the dining table, Kiana’s eating style could only be described as a storm sweeping through everything in its path. There was no trace left of the weak and feeble appearance she had shown earlier.

However, the other three were long used to this and remained perfectly calm, eating their own meals without trying to compete with her. They would lose that contest anyway.