"Krakk… krak… k.rak."
Zhilin froze. That sound was never good. She sprinted toward the living room, skidding to a stop only to find Chubby… chewing the TV remote like it was a gourmet snack
"CHUBBY!!" she screamed
Startled, Chubby did a majestic panic-leap—still holding the remote in his mouth—before landing back on the sofa with the grace of a royal acrobat Chubby slowly turned his head toward her, eyes blank, remote still clenched between his teeth like a dog proudly holding a stick
Zhilin's jaw dropped.
"Were you raised by dogs, Chubby!? Why are you chewing the TV remote!?"
Chubby stared back in silence, remote still sticking out from his mouth like a giant plastic cigar Zhilin saw that look
Oh, she knew that look Her eyebrow twitched with rage
"So you're saying I'm the mother dog who raised you!?"
"Meow," Chubby replied calmly remote still stuck between his teeth like a trophy
Zhilin inhaled deeply, trying very hard not to explode She set down Chubby's food bowl on the floor, then grabbed the remote from his mouth with force After a brief tug-of-war—pop! She won
She plopped onto the sofa with a loud huff, grabbed Chubby with one hand, and tossed him off the couch
Chubby, of course, landed elegantly, like he had rehearsed for a performance. The moment he saw his food, his eyes sparkled—literally sparkled. A delicate string of drool slid from his mouth as he strutted toward the bowl with princely elegance Zhilin rolled her eyes at her cat's gloriously round backside
"Tch"
She turned on the TV
["Breaking news: Princess Mei, first daughter of Emperor Xu, confirms her relationship with General Pi."]
[Reporters immediately swarmed forward, their voices overlapping as they fired questions]
["Princess! Princess! When did you and General Pi become close?"
"Princess, are you planning to take this relationship toward marriage?"
"Princess, how does it feel being with General Pi?"
"Princess, rumors say General Pi is extremely cold—are they true?"]
The cameras zoomed in. Her blue eyes sparkled like diamonds under the broadcast lights. Pink lips, flawless pale skin, and soft silver curls perfectly framing her face—she turned to the reporters with a gentle, practiced smile
["I'm sorry—no comment, please," she replied sweetly]
Watching the news, Zhilin let out a bored sigh and switched the channel
A new broadcast appeared
[Universal Dharma Protection Association]
["We have discovered a planet with trees that bear special fruits—fruits capable of helping those who were never able to awaken their powers at age fifteen. With these fruits, you no longer need to fear oppression. Please come to the Universal Dharma Protection Association as soon as possible. The sooner, the better"]
Zhilin watched silently for a moment. Then she turned off the TV with a quiet click and sighed, glancing at Chubby beside her