Once, there were he and she.

On the rooftop, a black cat and a white cat sat together beneath the moonlight.

If by chance a photographer were to pass by at this very moment, and just so happened to capture this scene, he would surely raise his camera at once, press the shutter, and forever preserve the beauty of this moment. Unfortunately, there was no one; no one noticed these two cats basking in the moonlight.

Night had deepened, and the ancient town had drifted into slumber.

“Little White, how much do you know about the story of Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan, the husband and wife?” Little Black couldn’t quite say why, but tonight, it felt an urge to speak.

Little White sensed that something was different about Little Black tonight—she guessed it was in a bad mood.

When Little Black was in good spirits, it was easy to get along with. When it was in a bad mood… well, one would be wise not to push their luck. That was a hard-earned lesson, learned through blood and tears.

So Little White answered honestly. Of course, she’d heard a few tales about Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan, but since she wasn’t one of those big shots like the Cat King, what she knew was just what everyone else had heard.

Tonight, Little Black wanted to share a story that few had ever heard.

“Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan, they are human, yet not quite human. No one knows how they ought to be classified. They are, without question, the most extraordinary beings on this planet.”

“Long, long ago—so far back that there were no humans on this world, nothing at all—Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan already existed.”

“At first, for a very, very long time, Jiang Bei was Jiang Bei, and Fang Yuan was Fang Yuan. They existed separately, unaware of each other’s presence, not even knowing that there was another of their kind on this planet.”

“For endless ages, they walked alone, wandering without purpose, simply walking and watching—sunrises and sunsets, clouds drifting and gathering.”

“Then came the age of dinosaurs. The earth teemed with these great beasts, and their presence brought novelty and amusement.”

“They began to ride the dinosaurs, racing about for ages. Until one day, Fang Bei, riding a dinosaur, glimpsed someone far off—another person atop a dinosaur, playing just as he was.”

“That was the first time, in all those endless years, that the two of them met.”

“From that day on, through the unending passage of time, they had a companion. They could race dinosaurs together, play together.”

“And so, as ages passed and the world changed, the two of them quarreled and made up, always together, never truly apart. No other creature ever managed to come between them, to disrupt their bond.”

At this, Little Black laughed to itself.

“There were, in fact, some amusing fellows who once tried to interfere… Little White, you haven’t met Fang Yuan yet, have you?”

Little White shook her head. She had never heard this story between Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan, and now she was utterly absorbed.

“There is no woman on this planet more beautiful than Fang Yuan.”

“Those amusing fellows who dared to interfere all ended up as fertilizer for the earth, vanished into the river of time.”

It was a short tale, nothing particularly novel, and yet it was irresistibly captivating.

Little Black raised its head to gaze at the full, round moon—remembering clearly how Jiang Bei always called it a pancake. Every time, Fang Yuan would mock him for being unrefined and uncultured.

Jiang Bei would always retort in the same way: “What’s so vulgar about a pancake? Pancakes are delicious—they fill your belly when you’re hungry. What’s vulgar about that?”

“Little White, your mind is mostly occupied with food. I’m afraid you can’t truly grasp the bond between Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan.”

“After tens of thousands of years together, their feelings and their understanding of each other have become a part of their very souls.”

“Sealing away memories is a mere trick—it only hides the memories. What’s woven into the soul, no one can touch.”

“Do you understand what I mean by this?” Little Black asked.

Little White frowned, pondering earnestly for a long while, before finally venturing, “You mean, it’s impossible for us to make Jiang Bei or Fang Yuan fall in love with us? That all our efforts are in vain?”

Little Black nodded, then shook its head.

“The first part is correct. Whether it’s us, or any other group, even those gentle, beautiful elves—it’s impossible for Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan to fall for anyone else. At most, they might find us interesting and be willing to play with us.”

“Just as, back then, they found dinosaurs amusing and spent their days riding them everywhere.”

“But the second part is wrong. It’s not a waste of effort.”

Little Black paused, searching for the right words.

“To be precise, it depends on what you’re trying to achieve… If your goal is to make Jiang Bei or Fang Yuan propose to you, then yes, it’s pointless.”

“But if your aim is to become their friend—well, then it’s absolutely worth it.”

“Just think: when their memories are unsealed eleven years from now and they become themselves again, what will come of the eleven years of friendship you’ve built with them?”

Little White gasped in awe, “Wow~~~~~~”

An extraordinary outcome indeed!

Little Black smiled, lifting a paw to gently pat Little White’s head. “Not bad, you’re not entirely hopeless.”

“Hey, I was never hopeless—I’m actually incredibly clever!”

“…..”

After spending a few days with Little White and witnessing her love for food and indifference to everything else, Yang Xue had completely stopped feeling jealous or regarding Little White as some inexplicable rival.

With that tangle of emotion gone, her interactions with Little White became much more harmonious—almost as though they were on the cusp of becoming best friends.

Considering they’d be attending Huaqing University together come September, it seemed only a matter of time before they became close.

“Jiang Bei.”

On Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yang Xue, having just taken a bunch of photos with the other girls, walked over to Jiang Bei, who stood lost in thought, gazing at the snowy peaks.

Sometimes, Yang Xue felt that if Jiang Bei were a book, he’d be one she simply couldn’t make sense of.

At times, her frustration grew so great she wanted to pry open his head and peer inside to see what was really there.

Hearing her approach, Jiang Bei snapped out of his reverie. “What is it?”

“Nothing, we just finished taking photos.”

“I see. So, have you finished editing them?”

Yang Xue replied, “...Do I look like the kind of girl who needs to retouch her photos?”