Sometimes, after an exhausting day, all you need is a nice, hot bath.

After their big fried-chicken dinner, Aileen had already gotten the hot water ready.

The place wasn’t very big. It was clearly an old dormitory built many years ago, and Liao Luo guessed it was only about forty or fifty square meters. But the bathroom was laid out very well, with even enough space for a bathtub.

“I wonder if the previous owner loved taking baths, or if Aileen had one put in after she moved in? Either way, soaking in a hot bath before bed really is nice.”

He started taking off his clothes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He’d just taken off his outerwear when Liao Luo noticed something that surprised him a little: Aileen was taking off her clothes too.

“It’s such a hassle having to wash up myself after I help you bathe every day. I’m tired today, and I don’t feel like going through all that trouble. Let’s bathe together.”

Liao Luo: ???

Seriously?

He was completely taken aback.

Of course, that wasn’t to say he planned to refuse. It was just so sudden!

But Aileen put on a stern face, copying the driver’s manner. “No skipping baths! You’re not getting into bed all stinky. If you don’t wash up, you can sleep on the sofa!”

Liao Luo thought there was no way he could sleep on the sofa!

Playing hard to get? Acting all bashful?

Forget it.

It wasn’t like he’d lose out, anyway. So of course he’d gladly take that hot bath.

The smooth, soft-skinned, adorable catgirl was soaking in the tub with Liao Luo in her arms, using her other hand to scoop up water and wash him.

“You have to smell nice before bed. No one will like you if you’re stinky. You have to wash everywhere… Mmm…”

She suddenly stopped.

Liao Luo felt a little awkward.

But it wasn’t his fault. In a situation like this, he was sure anyone would get worked up.

“Honestly, you naughty little bell!”

Flick!

Toss!

Ow!

In the end, Liao Luo was thrown out of the bathroom, nearly foaming at the mouth.

After kicking Liao Luo out, Aileen lay back in the bathtub and suddenly felt her cheeks grow warm.

Th-this is so weird!

“It’s perfectly normal for a Human to react to a woman, since they’re the same species, right? But if a Human reacts to a cat, isn’t that strange? But if that’s the case, doesn’t it mean…?”

She shook her head nervously.

“But it’s not my fault, right? I’m obviously not some disgusting Xiumen Control. It’s not that I like Humans, I just…”

I just happened to feel a little fond of a Human, that’s all.

Yes. That had to be it.

That was what Aileen told herself. She decided she couldn’t bathe Liao Luo anymore. It was just too weird.

“But if no one takes care of him, how’s a Human supposed to look after himself? So I still have to help, right? I’m only doing this because I need to take care of the little Human. It’s not because I have any other feelings!”

She quickly came up with a reasonable explanation for herself.

Once they were clean, she sent Liao Luo to bed first. Then she turned on the computer, planning to browse the internet for a little while.

“What is Xiumen Control?”

“Is Xiumen Control disgusting?”

“Causes and treatment of Xiumen Control”

She clicked on the third result.

“To treat Xiumen Control, empty one magazine at a time.”

Yikes.

Aileen sucked in a breath of cat grass.

That was terrifying! From now on, she absolutely couldn’t admit she was a Xiumen Control when she was out and about.

“Wait, I’m not a Xiumen Control at all. Why would I have to admit it? How could I admit to something that doesn’t even exist?”

She sneaked a glance at Liao Luo in bed. The Human was already drifting off to sleep.

She relaxed a little, then began typing in a new search, as guilty as a thief. After every few words, she looked over at Liao Luo to make sure he was sleeping soundly. Only then did she dare to keep typing.

“Are cats and humans… compatible?”

“If a catgirl fucked a human from behind, would the human fight back?”

“How do you get a human to lie still and take it?”

To be fair, she really wasn’t a Xiumen Control. She was just a little curious about things beyond her understanding.

To be fair, she really didn’t want to try it. She was only searching because she was curious.

……

……

“Ughhh! I don’t want to go to class! Why do I have to go every day? It’s torture!”

When Aileen woke up in the morning, she irritably pounded her pillow.

Perhaps because she hated classes so much, she was actually studying to become a teacher.

That way, she could pass her hatred on to even more children.

Looking over at Liao Luo, Aileen felt so envious. Humans had it so good. They didn’t have to study or work, and they could live happy, carefree lives.

“You’ve got it so good, little Human.”

She leaned over a little and looked at Liao Luo’s sleeping face. He looked a bit dopey, but he was still cute. She really did like him.

“His lips.”

Aileen gazed at Liao Luo’s lips.

It was a little strange, but should she give it a try?

As his owner, getting close to her pet was only natural, right? Like this. Just like this.

Hesitant, yet full of anticipation, she slowly lowered her head.

Slowly, Liao Luo opened his eyes and met Aileen’s gaze.

“You…”

“Drop dead!”

Aileen knocked Liao Luo out with a single cat punch.

He lay on his back, one arm hanging limply at his side, sleeping peacefully.

“Stupid Human!”

Looking thoroughly indignant, she went to the kitchen by herself.

What’s more, Aileen decided that after making breakfast, she wouldn’t wake Liao Luo up today. She’d eat by herself.

She threw together a simple breakfast, then yanked off two more blades of cat grass and chewed them. When it was about time, she left for class.

Liao Luo slept for two more—well, stayed unconscious for two more hours before finally waking up.

“Ow, that hurts…” Liao Luo pressed a hand to his forehead.

It hurt like hell, almost as if someone had fucked him from behind.

Honestly, he still had no idea what had happened. The moment he woke up, he’d been knocked out again so quickly that he hadn’t even seen who hit him.

“Did I accidentally bump into something when I woke up?”

Liao Luo looked around suspiciously, but couldn’t see anything he might have hit his head on.

Aileen wasn’t home. There was no doubt she’d gone to class. After briefly lamenting how hard catgirls had to work too, Liao Luo shoveled mouthful after mouthful of food into his mouth.

It wasn’t the best cooking, but a catgirl had made it with her own hands.

There wasn’t much food, and he still didn’t feel full, but a catgirl had made it with her own hands.

As Liao Luo shoveled down his food, he heard someone knock at the door.

That really startled him.

A knock at the door… Could it be one of Aileen’s family members?

Liao Luo remembered Aileen saying that her aunt didn’t like Humans.

Feeling nervous, Liao Luo cautiously crept up to the peephole.

If it was one of her family members, Liao Luo would have to find somewhere to hide right away—maybe the closet or something.

But he couldn’t see anyone. All he saw was a clear, vivid red.