Chapter Twenty-Four: Why Is It All Like This

It wasn’t until my master had walked for quite some time that I realized—I was being carried in his arms!

Startled, I thrashed my four paws wildly, not knowing where he intended to take me. But his grip was strong; he paid me no mind, offering neither comfort nor explanation. He simply clutched my paws, holding me so tightly there was no escaping his grasp.

Fine, if he wants to carry me, so be it. He is, after all, my master.

And so, dangling like a lifeless cat, I was hauled all the way back to the Chongye Hall.

Chongye Hall was the master’s usual residence—the front chamber for daily living, with his bedchamber behind, and a space like a sitting room in front.

Once inside, a gust of wind green as jade swept through the air. “Wow! A new kitten!” a voice exclaimed.

With a thud, I was dropped to the floor. Dazed, I scrambled to my feet to see who had cried out, still too stunned to process what was happening.

Upon seeing me clearly, the man lost all enthusiasm and slumped back into his seat with a disappointed sigh. “Yet another white cat.”

He was strikingly beautiful—an exotic allure reminiscent of Wangchuan. His hair was black with a hint of emerald, shimmering green in the light. Honestly, if Wangchuan was already quite enchanting, this man’s figure was even more so.

He wore a dark green robe, somewhat like a dressing gown, adorned with sparkling sequins. His face resembled one of those stunning Korean idols: long, thick lashes as if painted, alluring upturned eyes, and a smile that could topple a kingdom.

Tsk—if he’d been born in the human world, what a waste it would have been not to become a star.

“What, not satisfied?” Wangchuan glanced at the man, shaking his head slightly. “I thought you liked this color.”

He pointed at his own eyes. “Don’t think I’m blind, Wang Peimu! I told you to bring me a different color, and here you are with the same one again!”

I glanced down at myself, not seeing anything wrong with my color.

Wangchuan seemed to think the same, so he pointed at me. “This is silver-white, not pure white.”

“Is there a difference?” Peimu looked agitated. “And that ugly cat had blue eyes—why are this one’s so ordinary…”

Wangchuan shot me a glance. “Silver fur is shinier.”

Confused, I looked from Wangchuan to Peimu, my mind a muddle.

Peimu rolled his eyes, then crouched in front of me, legs spread apart, scrutinizing me from head to toe with utter disregard for decorum.

His pants seemed a little tight—everything in the middle was rather… obvious. For a moment, I’d wondered if this person might be a woman in disguise, but seeing what was straining against the fabric, I was entirely convinced: this was a man. Thoroughly so.

How could a man be this alluring? Wasn’t it almost a crime against the nation?

Everything was happening so fast. Moments ago, I was still undergoing the Guardian Cat’s trial, and now, without any explanation, I’d been carried here. And I was the only cat.

Was the white, blue-eyed one they spoke of Rebecca? Had Rebecca been here before?

“Aren’t you going to greet him?” Wangchuan prompted. Terrified, I hurriedly reached out a paw and patted Peimu’s knee, trying my best to appear cute and friendly.

“I don’t like it.” He pouted, dissatisfied, and brushed my paw away. “I don’t want it here all the time!”

“Why not?” Wangchuan asked, chuckling as he patted his shoulder. “This cat is quite interesting. Even I rather like her. Keep her—you won’t regret it.”

“Wait—I have to stay here forever?!” Before Peimu could answer, I stared at Wangchuan in shock.

“From now on, you’ll serve him. You’re not suited to be a Guardian Cat,” Wangchuan said suddenly, a sly smile on his face.

“What?!”

I backed away several steps, unable to accept what I was hearing.

What did this mean? I was to serve a stranger? Someone I didn’t even know? Why should I serve him? And how was a cat supposed to serve anyone? Was I meant to knead his back? Was this some kind of joke?!

Sensing my turmoil, Wangchuan settled elegantly into a chair, tapping his fingers and smiling. “You insisted on becoming a Guardian Cat only because you wanted to stay by my side, didn’t you? It’s dangerous near me. Serving him would be much more peaceful.”

“I refuse!” I glared at Wangchuan and Peimu, my anger uncontained.

How could they be so outrageous?

“Hm?” Wangchuan responded with a delicate nasal sound, not bothering to say more, though mockery curled in his voice.

“Let me tell you! I didn’t want to be a Guardian Cat for you! I just want to become human again so I can find my sister!” I snapped, stamping my little paw on the ground to show how determined I was.

“Oh.” Another nonchalant grunt. Wangchuan looked at Peimu. “Isn’t this cat amusing?”

Peimu nodded. “Seems rather stubborn.”

Wangchuan laughed softly, crossing one leg over the other as he looked down at me. “Indeed, she’s quite defiant. No kitten has ever dared defy my punishments before—she’s the first.”

His words brought back the memory of the first time Wangchuan punished me by hanging me by my tail. I’d stubbornly refused to submit, shaking my head violently so the other kittens couldn’t fasten the chain around my neck. Back then, Wangchuan had asked, “Not convinced?” and I’d nodded, “Yes.”

I hadn’t thought he’d hold such a grudge—he still remembered, after all this time?

Stunned, I listened as Wangchuan recounted my defiant behavior to Peimu, who seemed to relish every detail.

I squatted on the floor, unsure how to interrupt. Wasn’t I protesting just now? Why were they ignoring me?

The two of them chatted away like old friends, as if I didn’t exist. Did they ever spare a thought for me?

Well, perhaps they did—just as I sat there in confusion, Peimu crouched down like me and reached out to fiddle with the earring on my ear.

“This little bead looks rather pretty,” he said, his tone a touch effeminate. Yet somehow, given his appearance, it didn’t seem out of place.

Wangchuan didn’t answer, but shot him a sidelong glance and smiled strangely.

His smile bared his teeth—those sharp, devilish fangs that had pierced my ear twice before, making me shudder involuntarily.

Peimu continued to toy with my ear, flipping it back and forth until my face was full of exasperation.

Enough was enough—I lunged forward and bit him!

“Ow!” he shrieked, hopping three feet in the air and clutching his finger. “Wangchuan, I don’t want this cat! It bites!”

Even more exasperated, I thought, I hadn’t even bitten him that hard. More to the point, his hand was like Han Mingxuan’s—a hand so tough, a bite wouldn’t leave a mark.

I hadn’t even broken the skin, so what was he yelling about?

After a while, he threw himself at Wangchuan’s feet, clutching his black, gold-trimmed boots, sobbing his heart out.

“It’s heartless, it’s rude, it’s cruel, and it’s utterly unreasonable! It bit my hand—why would it do that to me, why, why?!”

For a moment, I saw black lines appear on Wangchuan’s face as well. He irritably shook his leg, trying to dislodge Peimu.

But Peimu just hugged his leg all the tighter, continuing his tearful lament.

“You’re heartless too, and rude, and cruel, and unreasonable! A cat bit me, and you said nothing—why would you treat me this way, why, why?!”

Wangchuan took a deep breath. If I were him, I might have smacked the man into the wall by now.

But Wangchuan merely clenched his fist, veins bulging with restraint, and gritted out, “Stop watching so many melodramas—this isn’t how a sacred beast should behave.”

Peimu sniffed, apparently ignoring Wangchuan’s words. He wiped away his tears, then turned to me, one hand extended, the other pressed to his chest, assuming the sorrowful pose of a tragic dancer.

“I’m so hurt, so sad… But if there exists a cat in this world capable of making me feel such pain, then I suppose I’m willing to accept it!” With a flourish, he twirled around, scooped me up, and held me out in front of Wangchuan. “I… I just want to ask you three words—may I hit her?”

Wide-eyed, I stared at Wangchuan, whose face was twisted in agony.

And then I heard the three words that cut me to the core: “Do as you wish.”

“Aaah!” Before Peimu could react, I launched a tidal wave of attacks! Twisting free from his hands, I leapt onto the table, half-standing, and started swinging my paws.

Before, I didn’t understand what it meant to use four ounces to move a thousand pounds—but now I did!

My paws spun like windmills, determined not to let him get near me!

Losing his grip, Peimu looked genuinely troubled. “Wangchuan, what now?”

Wangchuan replied with those same three words: “Do as you wish.”

I gave a despairing cry and continued my frenetic paw-swinging! Swish, swish, swish—my little paws transformed into a shield!

Peimu watched me, then suddenly burst out laughing. “This one really is more interesting than the last.”

With a sudden motion, he reached out a finger, and my paws, like wheels caught on a stick, froze still.

“My dear, I truly adore you. Whether you’re naughty and demanding, lively and adorable, or now so pitiful and helpless—I adore you, truly! Let me hit you, just once!”

My mouth twitched, my paws numb. My entire worldview was crumbling. Why was this person like this?

I strongly suspected I’d been handed over to a madman!

And that damned Wangchuan, just watching with a leisurely smile!

“Am I still your cat?!” I shouted at Wangchuan.

“No, you’re my cat now,” Peimu declared, clutching my paw with a look of longing.

“Why?! Why is all this happening?!”

“Oh, darling! You really know how to play along! Come, let’s go play inside—” Peimu scooped me up and slung me over his shoulder, carrying me into the bedroom at the back!

With my paws outstretched in despair, I wailed—Heavens, are you kidding me?!

Wasn’t I supposed to be a Guardian Cat? Why had the story suddenly veered into melodrama?