Chapter Thirty-Four: The Ruthless Good Master

“Master—” I rolled over, nuzzling against him in a show of affection, my paws kneading restlessly.

“Being cute won’t help.” Wangchuan’s voice held an unyielding refusal.

“Then… can I at least say I mind?” I looked at him, aggrieved, stretching out a paw to rest on his hand.

“What do you think?”

I let out a long sigh. “All right, then… if that’s how it has to be…”

After all, he was the master. And I had only myself to blame for not hiding my little bundle well enough and letting him find it.

Gazing at that small white pouch, I had to admit, deep down I was terribly selfish—I didn’t want to share it with the other cats.

It wasn’t that I was stingy about a little meat. It was just that the reason for sharing felt so stifling!

Drooping my eyelids, I glanced at Wangchuan, whose lips curved into a sly, almost wicked smile. Now I understood what it meant to smile like a tiger.

Inwardly, I vowed: if I ever met the person who told me to step on my own foot, I’d pounce and scratch him to death!

Wangchuan’s grin only grew brighter as he watched my frustrated expression.

I looked up at him, a little uneasy, flicking my tail. I felt as if things had reached a stalemate.

But Wangchuan acted as if nothing had happened at all. He pressed on the pads of my paw, squeezing out my claws and then letting them retract, playing with them happily.

I tried to pull my paw back. “That hurts.”

He didn’t answer, just kept squeezing until I finally had to yank my paw free, trembling.

Hmph—what a brute, always bullying cats!

But the moment I thought it, my collar suddenly jabbed into my neck, as if a hundred needles had pierced me. I cried out in pain!

Wangchuan’s slender fingers curved into a strange circle and pressed against my forehead…

“Thunk—”

My skull was knocked, hard!

“Ow, ow, ow!” I clutched my head, and the earring on my ear flew off again!

But there was no time to care—both sides hurt so badly, who could worry about a silly earring?

Just then, there was another cry: “Waaah—my child! Daddy’s here to save you!”

“Huh?” I turned my head just in time to see a green light shoot in like a rocket!

Wangchuan reacted with lightning speed, scooping me up and away from the black wooden table.

“Boom—crash!” Two deafening sounds: first, a giant green qilin burst through the window! Second, the qilin, trying to stand, slipped on the shards of glass!

“Aaah!” The qilin hopped around on the broken glass, struggling with every step, its hooves slipping this way and that.

Then, with another flash of green, the qilin transformed into Pei Mu, now standing upright in a green bathrobe, at last breathing a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness I’m so clever!” Pei Mu brushed off the wood chips and glass and stood up, staring straight at Wangchuan, pointing at him. “Let go of my child!”

Wangchuan’s lips curled. “Which play are we acting out today?”

“It’s not a play today!” Pei Mu thumped his chest. “It’s Daddy’s Qilin Adventure!”

“Pfft—” I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing in Wangchuan’s arms.

“Oh?” Wangchuan, intrigued, lifted me by the scruff. “So now I’m holding your son?”

“Yes—no, wait! This is my daughter!” Pei Mu struck a pose, arms folded across his chest. “Let go of my daughter!”

Wangchuan seemed not to understand what “Qilin Adventure” was about, so he asked, “Is this a dangerous show?”

Pei Mu nodded. “Very dangerous! Children are always in danger! So hurry up and let my daughter go!”

Wangchuan crooked his finger, uncharacteristically kind. “What channel are you watching this on?”

Pei Mu glanced at him, then bent over and shuffled closer like a little pug. “Let me tell you, this show is really something—”

“Oh?” Wangchuan listened, smiling, waiting for Pei Mu to get closer.

One.

Two.

Three.

At Wangchuan’s side, Pei Mu waved his hand. “It’s like—Daddy, do you know how to sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’? No? Then let me teach you—uh!”

Wangchuan’s foot shot out, and Pei Mu, just like a little star, flew right out through the hole he’d made.

“Wangchuan! Even if you don’t know how to sing, you can’t just kick people! I’ll be back, just wait!”

“Hmm, that sounded familiar. Which show is that from?” Wangchuan looked down and asked me.

“Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf,” I replied truthfully.

He nodded. “Hmm, why don’t we do some role-playing too?”

“Eh?” I was startled. Master in this kind of mood?

Would it end up like Pei Mu…?

Before I could finish the thought, Wangchuan produced a set of little rabbit ears from who knows where and set them on my head.

“Hmm, looks good!” He patted my head. “There’s still something left to do. After that, we’ll play.”

I shook my head, knowing what he meant, and obediently spat out the five spirit orbs I’d been holding.

Wangchuan reached out and collected them all, a twist of his wrist, and they vanished without a trace.

It was always the same: all the things we’d worked so hard to find would disappear so effortlessly in his hands, as if every bit of effort was erased in that instant.

I crouched on the table, the ridiculous white rabbit ears on my head, feeling that this master was about to spoil me completely.

I never realized how peculiar he was until I spent time with him. But thinking about it, how could he not be? Otherwise how could he manage so many cats?

Black cats, white cats, little tabby cats—they all had to obey him. If they didn’t… I licked at the spot where a tooth was missing; it was growing back, slowly…

“Kitten, have you ever wondered why that fellow always gives you spirit energy?”

“No,” I shook my head.

“Did he ever ask you for anything in return?” His fingers played with the fur at my neck, a note of threat in his tone.

“Yes… he asked us to give him a kiss…”

“Oh?” One eyebrow arched, Wangchuan’s interest was piqued. “He asked you to kiss him?”

“Mmm…” I grew embarrassed. “But I didn’t kiss him—he kissed me twice, that’s all… um…”

“Where did he kiss you?” Wangchuan’s tone was nonchalant, as if making idle conversation on a lazy afternoon.

“Here.” I placed my paw over my nose, then yelped and jumped back a few steps.

Master had flicked my nose, just as hard as he’d rapped my head earlier. Oh, my poor, delicate pink nose!

So much snot came out!

I sniffed miserably. So cats, too, get runny noses when thwacked! How pitiful!

With the rabbit ears on my head and my paws covering my nose, I tried to hide my tears, not knowing if they were from pain, frustration, or the aftermath of the flick.

After a while, I finally recovered and sneaked a glance at Wangchuan.

“Do you know what you did wrong?” he asked, his face unchanged.

I nodded, crying even harder. Tears streamed from my eyes, and I couldn’t tell if it was from grievance, annoyance, or just the pain of having my nose flicked.

Wangchuan reached out to rub my nose, and I felt the urge to cry even more.

Why is my fate so tragic? Such a ruthless master—breaking my tooth one day, flicking my nose the next… sob, sob…

“Come on, sleep with me.”

Without even asking my permission, Wangchuan picked me up by my collar and carried me straight to the bed.

Next thing I knew, I was tossed onto his huge black bed, sinking into the soft mattress, bouncing with each landing, while the man before me deftly shed his shirt, left only in a pair of midnight-black pajama pants.

Those long legs… I stared, lost in thought.

“What, do you like my pants?” Wangchuan teased, making me want to crawl under the covers and disappear.

It’s not that I love your pants! I just don’t dare to look at your torso!

So handsome…

I covered my face, feeling myself turn into an utter fool. But the memory of that previous “incident” flashed through my mind.

I curled my tail tightly, wrapping around the item Wangchuan had once used to tease me, determined not to let him get hold of it again.

He chuckled, pulling the blanket over us, and then grabbed me, drawing me into the warmth of the bed.

Soft bed… stiff, nervous me… and Wangchuan’s taut muscles…

I could feel more snot threatening to run from my nose, so I sniffed hard.

Heaven above, please let it not be a nosebleed! I didn’t look! I swear I didn’t look!

My heart pounded as Wangchuan’s large hand wrapped around my belly, holding me close.

His other arm was my pillow, and if I turned my head, it would be nose to nose.

The thought made my heart race even faster, my body burning with a strange heat.

Sensing my unease, Wangchuan began to stroke my fur, gently, over and over.

Petted and scratched, I was powerless to resist—I melted, sprawled in his arms, all four paws splayed, purring with pure bliss.

Perhaps my squint-eyed, blissful state was just too ridiculous for him, for Wangchuan let out a soft laugh, propped his head on one hand, and kept petting me.

I didn’t want to open my eyes. I just wanted to savor this feeling, occasionally kicking with my hind legs in delight.

Only now did I realize how happy it was to simply be a cat!

I don’t know how much time passed before I drifted off, lulled by this wonderful sensation—tail, tooth, stolen meat, all forgotten, as if they’d never happened.

Master is truly the best in the world, the most masterful at petting cats!

Oh… I was so happy I could burst, even dreaming, I must have purred with joy.

When the first rays of morning sun spilled through the gaping hole Pei Mu had left, dazzlingly bright, I stretched out a paw to shield my eyes, still sleepy but forced awake by the light.

“Awake?” That pleasant, deep voice let me know I wasn’t in my little dinosaur nest.

I turned my head and saw, unchanged from last night, Wangchuan smiling slightly at me—my mind instantly went blank.

“M-morning!” I stammered, awkward and stiff, managing only a single word.

He reached out, pressing my paw and stroking my belly as he asked, “Did you sleep well?”