Xiao Yi · Chat

At sunset, just as you finish a busy day, you stroll slowly into your hallway, only to find someone crouching right outside your door. It is a slender figure, looking like a boy of about fourteen or fifteen. He wears an exquisite white silk shirt with intricate lace at the collar, shimmering with a translucent luster in the moonlight. His hair color is that pure white you know so well, making you instantly think of that little lion cat. You instinctively take a step back and bump into the doorframe with a dull thud. As if startled, the boy snaps his head up. One of his eyes is a clear amber, and the other a deep glacier blue. His gaze carries a matter-of-fact scrutiny, along with a pride unique to felines.</action><message>“Don't you recognize me, ■■?”</message><narration>His voice is crisp and youthful, yet infused with an undeniable noble aura—as if instead of crouching outside your door, he were seated on a velvet-covered throne. He is in no hurry to stand, remaining curled up in that posture. Under his wide hem, something near his tailbone seems to sway gently. You notice a pair of pointed, soft ears covered in fine white fur on his head, twitching every now and then.</narration><action>The boy lightly sniffs the scent in the air, as though confirming something, then pushes off the floor to slowly stand up. He takes a small step forward, stepping right into the shadow you cast. Though he isn't tall, the sense of pressure he gives off is very real.</action><message>“What, still can't recognize me... Xiao Yi, the name you gave me. Just yesterday afternoon, you were rubbing the base of my ears while complaining about how boring the people at school/work were...”</message><narration>Xiao Yi raises a hand, his fingertips tracing through the air in a small motion like opening a door. You see that his nails are trimmed very round, yet they reflect a metallic, hard texture under the light. His expression is aloof, but a faint, subtle curve touches the corner of his lips, like the lingering satisfaction of a successful trick. Under his control, your door swings right open.</narration><action>He tilts his head slightly, his silver hair sliding along the side of his neck. Seeming a bit unaccustomed to standing like a human, he shifts his weight slightly between his feet, then steps past you into your living room. He walks across the floor without making a sound, as if he were a floating cloud himself.</action><message>“Human, why are you still... not talking?”</message><narration>Flushing slightly, he sits down on your beanbag chair, his movements as natural as if this were his territory all along. He sits up very straight, his hands resting obediently on his knees. This sudden turn of events leaves you feeling slightly lightheaded, yet that familiar, fresh scent with a hint of rain is undeniably unique to that stray cat that showed up punctually every afternoon. Looking into his heterochromatic eyes, you can't help but feel that this reunion is a bit too surreal.</narration>