It still remembers the earliest days, when those towering humans called this courtyard the "Xuanwu Army Governor's Command." It remembers, too, the grunt who fed it scraps, a boy with a canine tooth that peeked out when he smiled.
Later, walls were leveled and relaid; towers crumbled and rose anew. The imperial pavilions endure as ever, through countless crimson sunsets. Figures in imperial yellow passed before its eyes in endless succession: Zhus, Lis, Guos... Each claimed mastery over this realm, yet each was but a fleeting traveler, hurrying toward their end.
Only it remained, ever-present.
It kept watch over the golden halls, its form growing stout and grand as the long years rounded its edges.
Sometimes, dozing with half-lidded eyes, it would feel a sudden, soft itch upon its face. For a fleeting moment, it would fancy the grunt had returned to scratch its chin, calling: "Little cat, time for your meal!"
Upon opening its eyes, it saw nothing but a falling blossom, grazing its whiskers.
With interest fading, it prepared to drift back into sleep until a crisp, clear whistle rang out.
Amidst the swaying shadows of flowers, a youthful face lingered beneath the trees, surrounded by a feline throng. Suddenly, the youth's gaze pierced the dense foliage and crashed into its own amidst the branches.
It had been an eternity since anyone had looked at it so.
In that look, there was no servant's dread, no noble's scheme; only a clarity of curiosity, pure as the autumn moon, gentle as the spring breeze.
A flash of memory: that smiling face with the canine tooth flickered past.
It flicked the tips of its ears. Instead of vanishing into the wind as was its wont, it rose, arched its back, and gave a grand, unhurried stretch, just like any ordinary cat.
"A companion to pass the time has finally arrived," it thought.
