Cat Beastmen don't like to wake up early. For these adorable creatures to open their eyes so early in the morning against their nature, it likely represents two possible scenarios.

First:

They didn't eat enough the night before. This possibility is completely nonexistent for Mewo White, who gets up in the wee hours of the morning without any issues. Perhaps considering the emperor's need for late-night snacks, Sister Glasses instructed the maids the day after the queen offered up this luxurious room for the master to stay in:

Regardless of whether there are still supplies in the room, new snacks must be stocked in the room every afternoon for emergencies.

It is this demand for "never-ending rations" that allows Freya to return to the room last night without worrying about food shortages; similarly, both Mewo White and the orange cat living in the room were beneficiaries of the feast last night.

Since it's not hunger that's causing Mewo White to get up so early, the reason must be the second scenario:

She feels uncomfortable in her living environment!

But that's even more unbelievable.

Even within the entire Dibiles, the grandeur of the new residence exceeds that of all five-star rooms in the country. Even when Mewo White lived in her hometown before, the living conditions were extremely harsh for Beastmen, so her previous homes were mixed with some natural scenery:

For several years, Mewo White lived in a room with no roof and extremely thin walls;

During certain seasons, plants symbolizing nature such as ivy would creep in through the windows and disturb her for quite some time.

Compared to the homes with a primitive style, the room she is in now, where she doesn't have to worry about wind and rain, is an upgrade in every sense of the word.

When Mewo White thinks about it, she realizes:

The reason she wakes up early and can't sleep well has nothing to do with the environment itself; if one were to find something out of place, it would undoubtedly be the absence of three "roommates".

The three who should have returned to this room last night but didn't come back at all were:

Lucia, Cai, and Wang Xiaole.

Mewo White doesn't like to remember names, and in her mind, the three above have another name:

Naughty big sister, white-clothed big sister, and big brother.

Lucia goes without saying:

Due to her previous role as the villain, her status in Mewo White's mind is slightly lower than that of other people.

Since Lucia is not someone she particularly likes, her absence for a night or two is not a significant issue for Mewo White.

By comparison:

Cai's work as a nun, coupled with her certain talents, gives her a natural affinity;

Mewo White still has some affection for Cai, the white-clothed big sister, and is curious why she didn't return last night; however, this is still not the main point.

Later on, Mewo White finally understands:

The person she cares most about at this moment is that big brother!

This feeling is not one of worry, but one of dependence.

It's not surprising that Mewo White developed such feelings. Although she had only known Wang Xiaole for a short time, he was after all a gentleman who cared for and looked after little girls. In the limited time that they spent together, Mewo White gradually became accustomed to being cared for by her "big brother," enjoying comfortable days when she slept with him next to her. Therefore, it's natural that one night when she couldn't see her "big brother," she felt somewhat lost and unmoored.

This dependency was like a picky foodie suddenly losing a highly valued personal chef, or like a pampered lady suddenly receiving a resignation letter from her maid. The consequence of losing the object of one's dependence is a restless emotion that spreads rapidly through Mewo White's heart like a swirling wind.

"..."

When a cat-person becomes restless, they typically find solace by taking a nap. If they can't sleep, it means things have become troublesome.

"..."

The silence remained unbroken, but Mewo White's state of stillness had already become a thing of the past in the preceding moment. The petite Mewo White stood up from the bed, bounced lightly to the ground from it, and with a spring in her step, her limber body arched slightly backwards. The moment she touched the ground, the motion and stillness were akin to a layer of dust settling on the floor.

A faint noise did not awaken the deeply sleeping Freya, but it did cause the orange cat sleeping in the corner to stir. Its symmetrical whiskers flicked briefly as it awoke from a dream filled with fish. When it opened its cat eyes, it noticed Mewo White standing on the ground, seemingly preparing to leave.

Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal. Before moving, the orange cat wouldn't have cared if Mewo White went out; it would have just continued sleeping. However, since Wang Xiaole moved in, including Lucia, most members in the room have become a secret. The orange cat was well aware: theoretically, only Wang Xiaole and itself could openly show themselves in the palace. As for Mewo White, although she is small and could go unnoticed if the maids didn't lower their heads, she still had a chance of being discovered!

If Mewo White were to be found out, in the worst-case scenario, all the hidden girls would be exposed! If that happened, it wouldn't just be a catastrophe for Wang Xiaole, but all the members living in the room would suffer as well. After understanding this complex relationship, the drowsiness troubling the orange cat's conscience finally dissipated. The orange cat did not rush to make a sound. Under the premise of not exposing itself, it let out a pessimistic meow from the depths of its heart and cautiously followed Mewo White.

With a click, the door was pulled open, and Mewo White's body slipped through the crack, taking the first step outside. The orange cat felt relieved that Mewo White did not have the habit of closing the door behind her thoughtlessly. This way, it wouldn't get locked inside and could smoothly follow its target from the start since Mewo White moved swiftly, the orange cat had to stay sharp.

From the corner to the door, the quickest route is a straight line; en route, the orange cat needs to cross the large bed where four people can comfortably sleep. The orange cat has no reason to hesitate, knowing that it's not the one who will have to wash the sheets later, so it leaps without any psychological burden of stepping on them.

Step!

With all four paws on the ground, the orange cat springs two meters away, its soft body bouncing several times before propelling itself onto the bed.

In an unfortunate coincidence, the spot where the orange cat lands happens to be right where Freya is lying.

The sleeping goddess unwittingly offers up her belly, allowing the orange cat to push off from a more elastic surface.

"Splorch!"

Under the pressure of the cat's paws, Freya's trim belly caves in while her lowered arms bounce back up, resembling a lively, bouncing zombie.

The round body of the orange cat lands, maintaining a height close to the bed at first, then rapidly descends until its claws tightly grip the floor.

Tick tock, tick tock.

A few droplets of saliva that splattered out of Freya's mouth with the earlier "splorch" now trickle down, mostly landing successfully on the orange cat's fur.

For the hygiene-conscious cat, this could be seen as a form of karma...

"Meow meow (take a bath when you come back)."

With the reasoning that even rulers occasionally have to advance while covered in filth, the orange cat convinces its slightly obsessive self and swiftly tails off, leaving the room.

"Ohhh, Baozi, Baozi's come to life! Just got a punch aimed at my belly..."

Listening to Freya's mumblings, the orange cat grows curious.

"Meow meow (What kind of dream is that unintelligent human having)?"

The response to the orange cat is a steady breathing that follows the dream muttering.

After arriving in the corridor with Mewo White, the orange cat observes carefully and deduces:

"Meow (She's wandering around, but not aimlessly)."

With its keen sense of smell, the orange cat can tell:

The longer the path followed by Mewo White, the stronger the scent of Wang Xiaole permeates the surroundings.

In addition:

Mewo White occasionally tilts her head and looks around, displaying the demeanor of someone searching for someone.

Combining these two observations, the orange cat concludes:

Ah, she's looking for my best friend (Wang Xiaole)!

Naturally, the orange cat knew even before falling asleep last night that Wang Xiaole hadn't returned, but it wasn't too concerned.

To the orange cat, human young people always need some nightlife to nourish their body and mind; besides, it's not Wang Xiaole's mother, so there's no need to be overly strict and worry. Let them revel in their youth.

The orange cat didn't mind much, but didn't anticipate the concern of the little girl ahead.

Not afraid of insincerity, but of the heart beating in comparison.

Glancing up (height determines angle) at Mewo White's back, the orange cat feels a slight tinge of guilt in its heart.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

At this moment, the orange cat, head down, its sensitive ears twitching, detects a sound in the distance and transmits the information to its brain.

In the early hours of dawn when genius had just begun to shine, slow-paced footsteps echoed on the corridors of the palace.

There was only one thing this meant:

A maid was approaching, signaling the most urgent situation to date!

The crisis had caught the cat off guard.

Yet, the more perilous the situation, the more it showcased the qualities of Orange Cat as a ruler.

Anxiety, fear, and confusion were nonexistent in Orange Cat.

It would only focus on the most pressing matter at hand, and as soon as an idea formed in its mind, it would act on it instantly!

Orange Cat dashed ahead, intercepting the maid just before she bumped into Mewo White.

"Ah, isn't this the plump orange cat His Highness keeps? What brings you here?"

Upon hearing those taboo words, an untranslatable expression crossed Orange Cat's mind.

Despite feeling irritated, Orange Cat understood the importance of the bigger picture. It approached the maid's leg, rubbing its head affectionately.

"So cute! Are you hungry? Wait, I'll bring you some milk from the kitchen."

The cat's affectionate tactics succeeded;

If there was any regret in Orange Cat's mind at that moment, it was probably the fact that the maid was about to feed it milk instead of offering fish.

Subsequently, using the same strategy, Orange Cat managed to chase away five or six more maids;

The palace chefs were puzzled:

Why was fresh milk, which was always unpopular in the palace, suddenly in such high demand today?

While Orange Cat was busy intercepting, Mewo White finally found its big brother...