Xiao Nai's face suddenly turned pale, and her brows furrowed tightly, as if she was feeling unwell. But she quickly let go of her hand and said softly, "Master, Renai-chan, please wait for me a moment."
Before she finished speaking, she turned and walked to the cabinet next to her, opened the cabinet door, and took out several rolls of unused fabric—all soft, light-colored fabrics, very similar to the fabrics that Ms. Yao used to make clothes.
Xiao Nai carried the fabric to the sewing machine and sat down gently.
Rakuna suddenly struggled to get out of Banami's arms, baring her teeth and hissing at Nai, "This is my mother's sewing machine!" She tried to jump down to stop Nai, but Banami held her firmly down.
"Wait a moment, Ryuna-chan." Banami's voice was soft, but she reassured her gently, "Ryuna won't break the sewing machine. Let's see what she's trying to do."
Lenai meowed in dissatisfaction, but her eyes remained wary as she stared at Xiaonai, afraid that she might damage her mother's belongings.
Xiao Nai sat in front of the sewing machine, her hands on either side of the machine, her eyes somewhat blank, as if she were recalling something. She stared at the sewing machine for a few seconds, then looked down at the fabric in her arms, her fingers gently tracing the texture of the fabric.
The next second, her hands started moving—first she picked up a pair of scissors from the side, gestured a few times at the fabric, and then cut without hesitation.
Something seemed to flash through her mind, and Xiao Nai's gaze gradually became focused.
She placed the cut fabric on the sewing machine's workbench and naturally put her feet on the sewing machine's pedals.
At first, her movements were a bit clumsy, and the pedals were pressed at varying speeds, while the sewing machine made a somewhat chaotic "clattering" sound.
But after only a few minutes, her movements became fluid. Her feet moved steadily and evenly on the pedals, and her hands pushed the fabric nimbly. The "tap tap tap tap" sound was continuous and crisp, echoing in the quiet studio.
Banami, holding Rakuna, stared blankly at the girl in front of her.
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Xiao Nai's profile and outlining a soft contour. At this moment, she was completely free of her previous naivety and timidity.
Time passed slowly, and the only sound in the workshop was the "clatter" of the sewing machine. About half an hour later, Xiao Nai gradually slowed down her movements, and finally gently stepped on the brake, bringing the sewing machine to a stop.
She picked up the small clothes on the table, then picked up a small pair of scissors from the side, and carefully trimmed off the excess threads with gentle and meticulous movements.
After doing all this, Xiao Nai let out a soft breath and held up the little clothes in her hands.
It was a light pink cape with a small white lace trim around the edge and a small bow at the collar, making it look delicate and cute.
A gentle smile appeared on Xiao Nai's face, pure and warm. She turned around, walked towards Yana and Kaname Rakuna, and said softly, "Rakuna-chan, let me help you put it on. Do you like it?"
Yao Lena felt a little awkward, thinking, "She's just Xiao Nai, yet she's so arrogant." But when she saw the little cape made from her mother's sewing machine, she just meowed. This seemed to have a strange magic on Yao Lena.
She hopped lightly to the sewing machine, and Xiao Nai slowly dressed the white cat in tiny clothes.
The moment she put on the cloak, Kaoru's body trembled slightly.
A familiar warmth enveloped her, as if she had returned to her childhood, to the time when her mother sat in front of the sewing machine, sewing clothes for her.
When she was little, she hated trying on clothes, always feeling that it was a waste of her playtime.
Wearing new clothes, you can't run in the hallway or slide down the stair railing, for fear of getting them dirty...
Xiao Nai picked up Yao Le Nai, who was now wearing a cloak, and walked to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. She gently placed her on a small stool in front of the mirror and asked, "Le Nai-chan, how... how is it? Does it look good?"
You need to lift your head and look at yourself in the mirror.
The little white cat in the mirror was wearing an exquisite light pink cape, with the bow at the collar swaying gently, looking extremely cute.
Yoro Nai couldn't help but meow, as if calling for something.
The quiet moments in the room always make one want to freeze the moment.
Banami stood not far away, watching the two of them thoughtfully.
Chapter Twenty: Forget Everything +1 +1
The sun had not yet completely set, and the golden afterglow streamed in through the French windows of the Toyokawa family home, casting dappled light and shadow on the floor.
The house was quiet—Chu Hua was still at the sanatorium with her mother, and the others were either at school or handling business at the Fengchuan Group. Only the three of them remained in the large house.
Just as Banami put down her backpack and was about to ask about Xiaona's condition, the girl looked up first, her eyes filled with undisguised fatigue and confusion: "Master, my head is a bit of a mess right now, lots of fragmented images are swirling around in it, I want to be alone for a while, is that okay?"
Banami nodded slightly. In Nami's eyes was a fear he had never seen before, clearly indicating that she needed to sort out her emotions on her own.
Xiao Nai breathed a slight sigh of relief upon receiving permission, and added, "Master, could you go and see Le Nai-chan first? I think she needs comforting more than I do right now."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the little white cat curled up beside its cat bed not far away, her eyes filled with worry.
Following her gaze, Banami found Yoruichi next to the cat bed in the corner of the living room.
The little white kitten curled up in a ball, its head buried in its paws. Even when they returned, it didn't come up to them as usual, still looking sullen.
Previously, when they were staying at home, Hanami suggested moving the clothes her mother had left behind back to the Toyokawa house so they could look at them more often. However, the little white cat firmly shook its head, its heterochromatic eyes filled with stubbornness.
She would rather leave those clothes in her mother's studio, as if that way, her mother's presence wouldn't dissipate, and the clothes could continue to accompany her mother.
So he and Xiao Nai carefully refolded each piece of clothing, put it back into its original oil paper package, and placed it at the bottom of the closet, just as it had been stored for more than ten years.
Banami tiptoed over and crouched down beside the cat's bed. Sensing his presence, Rakuna slowly raised her head and let out a soft "meow" at him, her voice filled with deep disappointment, devoid of her usual liveliness.
Seeing this, Banai's heart softened, and he reached out to hug her, then turned and sat down on the sofa.
Lenai didn't resist and nestled obediently in his arms, her little head resting on his chest, her tail drooping listlessly, still lacking energy.
A warm touch came from the small body in his arms. Banami gently stroked her soft white fur, his fingertips gently combing her slightly messy hair.
After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, his voice low and gentle, like an evening breeze rippling across a lake: "Actually, my mother also had a difficult childbirth when she gave birth to me."
"Meow?" Kaoru suddenly raised her head, her amber cat eyes filled with surprise as she stared straight at Banami's face, as if to confirm whether what he said was true.
Banai smiled and continued, "It's true, and my parents' condition at that time was probably even worse than Ms. Yaobei's."
My family was poor back then, and we simply didn't have the money to go to the hospital in advance to prepare for childbirth.
My mother said that it was late at night when her water broke, and my father borrowed an old van from a neighbor and rushed her to the hospital.
Unfortunately, it was raining heavily that night, the roads were slippery, and the car got stuck in a mud pit halfway down the road.
He paused, then smiled and said, "Uh, I know this sounds like a made-up story, but I really didn't lie."
My dad finally managed to push the car out, and by the time he got to the hospital, quite a bit of time had been wasted.
"After my mother entered the delivery room, she struggled for six or seven hours before she finally managed to give birth to me. The doctor said that if it had been any later, both my mother and I might have been in danger."
Banami spoke softly, a warm smile involuntarily appearing on her lips, as if she were missing her parents.
As Yue Nai listened quietly, the surprise in her cat-like eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by an indescribable sense of agreement.
She gently nuzzled against Banami's chest, nestling her little head against his chest, as if to say, "So you were also born from a difficult situation."
Banami suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. No, don't try to find validation in this kind of thing, okay?
As Banami sensed her closeness, her voice grew even gentler: "My mom later told me that she even thought of her last words while she was in the delivery room. After all, medical conditions weren't as advanced back then as they are now."
He paused for a few seconds, his eyes becoming extremely serious: "When I was a child, I felt very sad every time I heard these things."
But as I grew up, I realized that my mother never regretted giving birth to me.
I think Ms. Yaobei must feel the same way.
Hearing this, Yao Lenai's eyes lit up, and she meowed softly at him, her voice finally showing a bit of vitality, no longer as dull as before.
She nuzzled her head against Hanami's chin, as if responding to his words.
Just as Banami was about to say something more, Rakuna suddenly jumped out of his arms and ran quickly into the corridor, leaving him alone on the sofa, blinking blankly.
This sudden change left him somewhat bewildered—he had been sullen just moments before, how did he suddenly become so lively?
Not long after, Yao Le Nai came running back, wagging her little tail, with a white cotton swab in her mouth.
She ran up to Banai, tilted her head back, and gently rubbed his lower abdomen with a cotton swab, her eyes filled with obvious anticipation.
Banai was stunned for a moment, then didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He had just been gently comforting her about missing her deceased mother, and now this little guy is doing this? Is this appropriate?
As if sensing his hesitation, Le Nai immediately put down the cotton swab, rubbed her little head against his hand, opened her eyes wide, showed a pitiful look, and made a soft "meow" sound in her throat.
She even drooped her little ears, gently brushed her tail against the ground, and rubbed her head against his palm again and again. Her pitiful appearance softened Banami's heart. It was as if she was saying, "Banami, please, let me forget everything."
Finally, the boy gave in and comforted Yoro Nai with a cotton swab. In the end, the little white cat went limp in Banami's arms and even its eyes became watery.
She even fell asleep in Hanami's arms.
But this is good too. After going through so much today, Lena needs to rest.
I just feel like my relationship with Kaname is getting weirder and weirder...
****
He carefully carried Lena back to her cat bed, covering her with a small blanket, his movements so gentle he was afraid of waking her. After doing all this, Banami turned and headed towards the guest room—Lena had been alone for a long time, and he was worried about her.
Arriving at the guest room door, Banami gently knocked, her voice very low: "Banami, are you asleep?"
There was no response from inside. Just as Banami assumed that Nami was asleep and was about to turn and leave, the door suddenly opened. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted out, and the next second, Banami was pulled inside by a soft body.
The room was dark, with only the faint moonlight filtering in from the window, outlining the girl's silhouette. Xiao Nai pressed herself against him, her arms tightly around his waist, her cheek against his chest, clearly feeling his steady heartbeat.
She sniffed lightly, her voice slightly hoarse: "Master smells like Renai-chan."
Banami's cheeks flushed instantly. She awkwardly looked away and quickly changed the subject: "How are you now? Have you remembered anything new?"
Xiao Nai's body trembled slightly, her voice filled with unease and even a hint of crying: "Master, I... my mind is so confused right now."
Many unfamiliar images flashed through my mind, but I didn't know what they were.
I'm so scared, scared that these unfamiliar memories will devour me, scared that I won't become myself anymore..."
Feeling her trembling body and the fear in her voice, Banami's heart clenched instantly.
Banami hugged her tightly and gently comforted her, "It's okay, Banami. No matter what you remember, no matter what you become, I will be by your side and won't leave you alone."
She gently raised her head, and in the dark room, her flushed cheeks and moist eyes could be vaguely seen. Her voice carried a hint of pleading and a barely perceptible shyness: "Master, can you comfort me the way you comforted Renai-chan?"
Banami's body stiffened instantly, and her breath caught in her throat: "But...but this is Rakuna-chan's body."
The reason she acted like that with Yoro was because she was in a cat's body, but Xiao Nai is currently using Yoro's human body.
"It's...it's okay." Xiao Nai's cheeks flushed even more as she whispered, "Just like...just like comforting Renai-chan, that's fine."
Banami's heart started pounding instantly, as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
He could clearly feel the body temperature of the person in his arms and smell her faint fragrance. The image of comforting Yao Le Nai just now involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
However, when comforting Xiao Nai, cotton swabs certainly wouldn't be used...
He felt a stirring in his heart; Xiao Nai's unease and pleading were like a fine needle, gently pricking his heart. But then a previous guess flashed through his mind—a guess that made him hesitate again.
Just as he was struggling with his decision, Xiao Nai's body began to tremble slightly again. She buried her face in his chest and said in a tearful, plaintive voice, "Please, Master... I'm really in so much pain, please... please let me forget everything in my mind."
The despair and helplessness in that voice completely shattered Banami's hesitation. He gently kissed the girl's forehead, then slowly moved down until he kissed her thin lips.
Chapter Twenty-One: Xiao Nai's True Form
As night fell, the sound of a key turning came from the entrance of the Toyokawa house. Shoko and Hatsune walked in side by side, both looking a little tired—today was the band's regular rehearsal day, and even without a performance, they had practiced at the agency all afternoon to maintain their playing skills.
"Where are Xiao Nai and Yao Le Nai?" Xiangzi asked casually, glancing around the empty living room after changing his shoes. Seeing that Xiao Nai was sprawled on the sofa scrolling through her phone, she replied without looking up, "They went to take a shower, together."
Xiangzi raised an eyebrow. Although he couldn't explain why, he felt something was strange. Moreover, it was really weird that a person and a cat were taking a bath together, especially since Le Nai usually resisted taking baths.
Banami knew what Xiaoxiang was suspicious about, but she was too lazy to pay attention to her.
As night deepened, the lights in Xiangzi's bedroom were dim and ambiguous. Xiangzi's cheeks were flushed from the tender moment they had just ended, and her hair was disheveled and stuck to her neck. She leaned lazily against the headboard, gently embracing Banami beside her, but she could hear him humming softly from time to time, his tone tinged with grievance.
Xiangzi wasn't going to tolerate his behavior and poked his waist, saying, "What are you humming about? You weren't like this just now."
"Do you suspect that I did something bad with them?" Banami turned over and stared straight at her, her tone clearly questioning.
Xiangzi was taken aback by his question and felt a little guilty.
After all, Lao Ba has been hanging out with the two Nai a lot lately, which inevitably makes her overthink things. However, she also knows that it's a bit far-fetched, since Rakuna-chan is currently inside a cat's body, and Rakuna-chan's body is actually a cat.
"I never said anything like that." Xiangzi turned his face away, his voice weakening.
Seeing her guilty conscience, Banai became even more audacious, leaning close to her ear and teasing, "Do you think I'm the kind of bastard who would lay a hand on a cat? If I were to find someone, I'd have to find someone like you."
Hearing this made Xiangzi's cheeks burn even hotter, and he felt a little embarrassed.
Thinking about it carefully, although her fiancé is usually witty and sarcastic, he does have a sense of propriety and would not do something so outrageous.
The main reason was that Lao Ba's firepower was sufficient, which dispelled her doubts.
Realizing her suspicions were a bit excessive, she softened her tone and said with a hint of guilt, "I'm sorry, I didn't really suspect you, I just thought those two were so strange..."
Seeing that she was still unreasonable, Banai grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him: "Do I need to teach you how to apologize?"
Xiangzi rolled his eyes at him, then burrowed his head under the covers, making rustling noises.
A moment later, the girl emerged from the covers, her face flushed, and said in a somewhat muffled voice, "You rascal, you just love to ruin people."
Banai smiled with satisfaction, reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "I just love to mess with you."
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