Chapter Eighteen: The Master’s Gifted Earrings

After being transported back to the Rift, only a few minutes remained.

Out of respect for the master, it was almost forbidden for the little cat to transform in his presence, so Xiao Yun hurriedly changed back as soon as she entered the Rift.

Much like when I first changed directly into a cat, my hands gradually shortened and aligned with my hind paws as I ran, and then my whole body shrank several times, becoming a cat.

At the time, I hadn’t even reacted, so I was dragged to Wang Chuan by Xiao Yun, biting my tail.

When I looked up and saw Wang Chuan’s slightly upturned eyes, with a hint of wickedness as he scrutinized me, my entire body went limp and I shuddered.

“Come here,” he beckoned, his voice flat.

I rose, walking toward him weakly.

“Master…”

Wang Chuan noticed the evasion in my gaze, snorted, and then seized me by the scruff, lifting me up to meet his eyes.

Whenever I faced those pitch-black, radiant eyes, eyes that seemed to see through everything, I instinctively dodged, afraid.

“Look at me.”

Wang Chuan tilted my chin up with one hand, curling his fingers to scratch a little.

Unconsciously, I sniffed, then looked at him with a face of dejection.

“Quite insane, aren't you? Run every time you see me? Hmm?” His hand gently smoothed from my head to my feet.

When he reached the paw that had once been pierced, still stained with a bit of blood, he paused briefly, then squeezed hard.

“Mm!” I groaned with pain, twitching my paw.

But then, under his kneading, I found my hind paw became completely numb.

“What’s wrong? Not happy?”

Wang Chuan didn’t rush to collect the energy beads, but placed me beside his chair, as if for a casual afternoon chat, propping his chin with one hand and holding my neck with the other as he questioned me.

“No—” I gritted my teeth and managed a response.

“Did Xiao Yun ever tell you that lying to your master deserves punishment?” Wang Chuan’s pleasant voice lingered by my ear.

At that moment, both my ears were pinched by him, played with like toys, endlessly fiddled.

“Master, when can I turn back into human form?”

I looked up, devoutly hoping he would give me a hint.

Wang Chuan thought for a moment, then the corner of his mouth curled slightly, revealing that cold devilish tooth. He countered,

“Is my little cat so eager to become human?”

I nodded, the weakness in my body making me unable to sit, so I lay down naturally, resting my head on my paws with a sigh, my face full of worry.

Wang Chuan ignored me, but waved at Xiao Yun, who immediately trotted over, tail upright and quivering.

She seemed to have been waiting for this, and the moment Wang Chuan stretched out his hand, she bowed slightly and spat out a blue bead, offering it to him.

Two beads floated out of Xiao Yun’s mouth, like jellyfish in the deep sea, landing in Wang Chuan’s delicate, slender palm.

His hands were beautiful, the joints distinct, every finger long and strong, the tips sharp, and the nails polished like works of art, clean and glossy.

Sometimes, those hands were like a pianist’s, dancing lightly.

Especially when stroking a cat’s neck, the force was always just right, making one wish to lie flat and become a cat rug.

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“Yours.” Wang Chuan’s hand reached toward my mouth.

Momentarily distracted, I blinked, then spat out the bead from my stomach onto his hand. Three beads now floated in his palm, dazzling.

“Heh—” Wang Chuan snorted, still tugging at my ear, his tone unhurried: “You two are bold, repeatedly flirting with men from the Spirit Realm.”

I was startled by this and protested, “No!”

“Hmm?” Wang Chuan tugged harder at my ear. “Then where did the energy come from?”

I glanced pitifully at Xiao Yun, unsure if I should say.

Xiao Yun, though she usually protected me, turned into a deflated balloon whenever she saw the master, utterly unreliable.

So I shut my eyes and confessed, “Still from that man last time.”

Wang Chuan said nothing—perhaps seeing I spoke the truth, he didn’t pursue it further.

After collecting the beads, he glanced at me, his expression seductive, lips curled as he asked, “Have you ever worn earrings?”

I shook my head, bewildered. In life, I was lucky not to be destitute; I never had time for such things.

Seeing me shake my head, Wang Chuan smiled again, leaning in ambiguously toward my ear.

“Then, how about a piercing?”

Warm breath brushed my ear, making me instinctively dodge uncomfortably.

I always thought the master was cold to the touch, but unexpectedly, he was warm.

And… I felt myself growing inexplicably flushed!

His hair was very long, falling beside his cheeks and onto my forehead, tickling.

The first time I saw him, his hair was tied up. One reason was we always lowered our heads before the master; another was I didn’t dare look directly, so I never noticed his appearance or hair.

Now I realized how soft his hair was, with a strange sheen.

“Master…” I asked, distracted by a question I’d always wanted to ask, “What did you become from? Are you human or a ghost?”

Wang Chuan laughed lightly, patting my forehead. “Don’t change the subject.”

“Huh?” I hadn’t even noticed what the previous topic was, until Wang Chuan pushed his finger into my mouth again, stirring my teeth and tongue…

The last time this happened…

“Meow—!!” A heart-wrenching yowl burst from my mouth, all four paws digging into the wooden chair, trembling!

Before I could finish my thoughts, Wang Chuan suddenly bit my left ear, his sharp tooth piercing my thin cat ear, instantly leaving a hole!

Xiao Yun was dumbfounded below, even her tail frozen, her face reading “just thinking about it hurts.”

But I was the one truly in pain, yet with the master’s finger in my mouth, I dared not bite down or wail, so I could only endure, my throat burning, my eyes and brows twitching!

My poor ear! Swollen and aching, surely bleeding heavily!

Sniffing, I struggled to blink away the mist in my eyes, thinking, today must be my unlucky day! Why am I so miserable?

Just before midnight, the master bit me!

While I was thinking, Wang Chuan began kneading my ear, his warm lips and teeth enveloping it.

His other hand skillfully stroked my head, over and over, bringing friction and warmth.

“Meow—”

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I let out a suspicious cry, neck shrinking, unable to dodge yet feeling a strange sensation spreading through my limbs.

After a long while, Wang Chuan released me, rubbing my ear again, and suddenly I felt it weighted oddly.

I tried to look sideways, but who can see their own ear? Even pawing at it, I couldn’t see anything.

I could only feel something hard hanging there—was it an earring?

“Not bad. Keep it on. You’re the only silver-white cat here; the sea-blue gem suits you well.”

Wang Chuan cradled my cheeks, scrutinizing me with elegance and composure, much as he treated all cats, though sometimes his eyes held traces of affection.

But in my heart, I was deeply aggrieved. If not for his status as ‘master,’ I might have bitten him to death!

How could he suddenly pierce my ear without a word of warning?

And who ever heard of piercing with a bite? Two sharp fangs, top and bottom—just like that?!

I helplessly flexed my paws, suppressing my annoyance.

With this guy’s method, if he opened a shop for ear piercings in the human world, customers would line up! Would girls fight for a bite?

Thinking this, I let out a long sigh, comforting myself. Clearly, the fierce master bit me, but he gave me an earring, seemingly beautiful. Plus, I was bitten by a handsome man—perhaps not a loss.

With that self-soothing mindset, I gradually calmed, then shook my head, feeling my ear flip awkwardly with the earring’s weight!

The pink side faced outward, bizarrely conspicuous!

I hurriedly shook again, but the ear flipped once more! I just hadn’t yet adapted to the earring’s weight!

A capital embarrassment, truly!

Wang Chuan chuckled, tapping my nose. “Silly, adorably silly.” Then he reached out and flipped my ear back.

I could barely close my cat mouth—this was the first time the master had praised me.

It seemed his mood was good today. And… every time we interacted with Han Mingxuan, he was in a good mood.

I guessed it must be because Han Mingxuan’s energy was particularly potent.

Feeling uneasy, I shook my ear again, and sure enough, it flipped once more.

This time, before the master intervened, I conscientiously pawed it back myself, to avoid further embarrassment!

Wang Chuan laughed again, patted me a few times, then called Xiao Yun over, for once grabbing her neck before sending us off to sleep.

There were no mirrors in the cat house, so I couldn’t see what the earring looked like, but from Xiao Yun’s envious gaze, I could tell it was special.

I admit I’m vain. When out of thousands of cats, only I am touched by the master, given an earring, then even being bitten is worth it.

Xiao Yun and I ambled back to the cat house, almost stumbling as we collapsed into our own beds.

No one spoke; perhaps Xiao Yun knew what was on my mind.

It was Xin’er I cared about, but knowing full well it was futile, I could only add to my worries, so I lay quietly, keeping myself in a meditative state.

I didn’t sleep, nor did Xiao Yun. Around dawn, we were startled by a sudden pounding at the door!

“Bai Qianqian! The master calls you to the Nether Palace!”