Whose Do You Like Best?

Night God Cat did not answer. Curled up on Wuma Xiu's lap, he silently shook out his fur.

His ink-black coat began to fade from the tip of his tail, as though the night were being washed away inch by inch by moonlight.

Gradually, it turned a cool, gentle silver-white.

The silver-white was exactly the color of Wuma Xiu's hair.

His blazing red eyes blinked, and the crimson faded from them too, returning them to their original ink-black, as tranquil as a deep pool.

The silver-furred, black-eyed kitten sat upright on Wuma Xiu's lap, gazing up at him with his tail demurely curled around his paws.

Looking at the hair color matching that of their own younger brother/older brother.

At that moment, silence spoke louder than words.

In their minds, they were beating each other up.

Damn it, what a scheming pest.

Unlike the two of them in their irritation, Wuma Xiu looked ready to overflow with affection. His eyes were glued to the silver-white kitten, unable to look away for even a moment. He was just like King Zhou of Shang, utterly bewitched by Daji. For the moment, he forgot all about serious business and wanted nothing more than to bury himself in the cat's fur.

"So beautiful," he exclaimed from the bottom of his heart.

Sun God and Star God looked at each other.

Two living, breathing gods had stood there for so long, yet not a single god had paid them any attention.

Sun God: Little brother, got any ideas?

Star God's gaze grew deep: Big brother, now that things have come to this, you'll have to sacrifice a little of your dignity.

Sun God closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a raging fire burned in their depths.

A few seconds later.

A majestic little tiger stood in his place, its fur shimmering like flowing gold.

The stripes on its forehead naturally formed the imposing character for "king."

It twitched its round ears and swished its pale golden tail twice behind it, its amber eyes fixed on the silver-white cat on Wuma Xiu's lap.

Then it pushed off with its hind legs.

The little tiger became a streak of golden lightning, leaping onto Wuma Xiu's lap.

The next second,

Its furry head slammed into the cat without the slightest hesitation.

It used a headbutt, striking Night God Cat squarely in the side.

Night God Cat, lost in bliss, had no time to react.

The blow sent him flying.

He flipped twice in the air and landed with a splat on a soft cushion on the floor.

His silver fur puffed up like a dandelion.

Night God Cat climbed to his feet on the cushion and shook his head, still reeling from the blow. He looked up.

A majestic little tiger stood on his dear friend's lap.

Its golden fur made it look like a little sun glowing in the dim Night God Palace.

It was dazzling.

The "king" on its forehead was even more brazenly conspicuous.

Now, the tiger's amber eyes were half-closed, the corners of its mouth curved in the faintest suggestion of a smile. As it looked at him, it held its round head high, blissfully accepting head pats from his dear friend.

Night God Cat's gaze locked onto that curve.

It's laughing at me, isn't it?

It definitely is.

Night God Cat turned his gaze to Wuma Xiu.

His dear friend was looking down with a faint smile on his lips, scratching the little tiger under the chin. He seemed not to have noticed at all that his cat, his dear friend, had been sent flying by a headbutt from that hateful tiger.

Night God Cat's ears twitched.

Then twitched again.

First they stood up, then drooped to either side.

Finally, they flattened completely into airplane ears, lying limply against the sides of his head.

Night God Cat waited a little longer, but no one came to comfort him.

His dear friend was still stroking that hateful tiger's ears.

The silver-white kitten slowly lay down.

He tucked his front paws together and rested his chin on them. His tail swept listlessly across the floor one last time, then stopped moving altogether.

The cat became a flattened puddle of silver-white fur.

Only his ink-black eyes remained open, silently watching the heartwarming scene of the man and tiger on the couch.

His gaze was full of hurt he could not put into words.

Standing nearby, Star God took in every change in Night God Cat's expression.

The corners of his mouth rose.

He knew his older brother best of all.

In his older brother's eyes, that scene just now had been explosively adorable.

That was why he had not stopped it.

But in that pest's eyes, it meant something else entirely: his dear friend had let the little tiger, transformed from Sun God, knock him away. His dear friend had not come to comfort him, and was happily petting the little tiger.

Every moment of it was enough to pierce the other's sensitive heart.

Star God reckoned it was about time.

That pest was miserable enough by now. If he left him alone any longer, his older brother would most likely soften and go comfort him.

Now was the perfect time for him to make his move.

Star God reached out, grabbed the little tiger that was still enjoying its head pats, and tossed it onto the floor.

Caught off guard, the little tiger rolled halfway over on the floor and kicked its four short legs in the air twice, utterly bewildered.

Before it could understand what had happened, Star God had already kicked it aside.

It landed right on Night God Cat's pile of cushions.

Star God: Big brother, sorry to make you keep him company. Now it's my turn.

Sun God bounced on the cushions, disbelief written all over his tiger face: Little brother, how can you just toss me aside after using me?

Star God, however, did not spare him a glance.

By the time he turned to Wuma Xiu, his expression had already changed without a trace.

He took out a delicate little wine pot and poured a full cup.

The wine was clear, with a faint amber sheen.

A fresh, sweet fragrance spread through Night God Palace.

"Brother, last time I went to Moon God Palace, I meant to give you a gift, but I didn't expect you to be away. This is the sweet wine you used to like. How about a taste?"

Star God held the cup out to Wuma Xiu with both hands, his violet eyes full of anticipation.

The little tiger in the corner finally managed to turn over.

It shook out the fur that had been ruffled by the kick and was about to glare at Star God, only to catch a look he threw its way.

Star God: Big brother, what do you know? Brother petted the cat for so long, then the tiger for so long. After playing all this time, he must be a little tired. Offering him a cup of the sweet wine he used to like right now—the timing, the atmosphere, the thought behind it—everything is just right. Isn't that ten thousand times better than you two rolling around and making a fuss?

The little tiger got up from the cushions and shook out its golden fur. In a wash of warm light, it changed back into Sun God's true form.

He stood up and pinched his fingers together in the air. A basket appeared out of nowhere and dropped into his palm.

The basket was filled with a layer of golden feathers.

Every feather shimmered with golden light, brightening Night God Palace a little more.

"Little brother, these feathers are a gift for you. Do you like them?"

Unwilling to be outdone, Sun God held the basket out to Wuma Xiu as he asked.

Wuma Xiu had just drunk the cup of sweet wine.

His head felt a little heavy.

The wine had clearly been cool as it slid down his throat, yet it turned into a warm cloud when it reached his stomach.

The cloud slowly rose, leaving Wuma Xiu's thoughts soft and hazy.

He could only say that the wine lived up to having been aged for hundreds of thousands of years.

Its aftereffect certainly packed a punch.

Wuma Xiu took the basket Sun God offered him and ran his fingertips over the golden feathers.

Each one was lustrous and full, evidently chosen with care.

He looked at the little patch of brilliant gold in the basket, the faintest hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.

"I like them very much. Thank you, brother."

His older brother, Sun God, was the sort who could never hide what he liked. Almost every god knew he liked shiny things.

Gems, star sand, shimmering brocade...

If it shone, he would take it all.

If Sun God gave someone shiny things like these, it meant he truly cared about them.

"Then, brother, whose do you like best?"

"Then, little brother, whose do you like best?"