Chapter Forty-Seven: Remember What I Said

I felt extremely embarrassed, my mind racing with questions—what on earth was so great about someone as insufferable as Wangchuan? What did I possibly see in him?! Was it truly just because he occupied the highest throne, that I, like all the other cats, blindly adored him along with the crowd?

My cheeks burned as I pouted, repeating to myself that I mustn’t take this seriously, not at all. He was the master, merely teasing a cat; I couldn’t allow myself to see it as frolicking with a man, nor let my heart be swayed.

Yet my pulse only quickened, making my face flush uncontrollably and my breath come short. Wangchuan curled his lips into a smile, watching me as though he found the whole thing terribly amusing.

A long silence stretched between us, and just as I thought it was all finally over, I suddenly felt Wangchuan’s hand lift from my belly. The warmth vanished, replaced by the chill of his voice.

“Get down.”

I turned my head, confused, meeting Wangchuan’s gaze with pure awkwardness and grievance written across my face. He didn’t repeat himself, simply gestured to the floor with an effortless flick of his hand.

I pressed my lips together and slowly slid off, feeling stripped—no fur, no warmth, nothing left. My whole body felt cold, and so did my heart.

I had no idea why Wangchuan was suddenly angry again. It didn’t seem like anger, though, more like he was toying with me on purpose. Even so, I was still upset, unhappy, and unwilling, gritting my teeth as I inched, step by step, down to the floor.

Now exposed to the air again, I was left in a state of utter embarrassment, while Wangchuan toyed with me as leisurely as a cat playing with a mouse. The thought made me resent him just a bit.

I couldn’t even say why—just an inexplicable surge of hate! I hated that he hadn’t trusted me before! Hated that he now treated me like some plaything!

I glared at Wangchuan with gritted teeth, and in that instant, my heart gave a sudden jolt.

The collar around my neck abruptly tightened, then sent a jolt of electricity through me! Just as it had the first time I’d met Wangchuan and acted out of line, I collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.

This time was even worse. The pain stabbed through me like needles, the collar tightening so much I couldn’t even breathe!

“You! You!” I pointed at Wangchuan, my vision swimming with rage.

Before I knew it, the collar stopped shocking me, and I propped myself up on my elbows, kneeling on the floor. The carpet beneath me wasn’t cold—it was a deep crimson, and against my pale figure, the contrast was almost poetic.

I could barely see straight, my eyes blurred, but seeing Wangchuan lounging there so smug and content only made my hatred burn hotter.

“Control your emotions, or it’ll gladly shock you again. It doesn’t tire out,” Wangchuan said, propping his head on his hand as he watched me from the bed, eyes fixed on me.

I sniffled, feeling terribly wronged. But I clenched my teeth and said nothing.

Yet as Wangchuan kept watching, as if enjoying the spectacle, I couldn’t help but want to bite him!

But every time I so much as thought of biting him, the collar would send another jolt. I struggled on the carpet, and after countless shocks, I still refused to give in—I just kept hating him, hating him, hating him!

Wangchuan clicked his tongue, still watching me with endless patience, as if determined to break me.

But stubbornness is my curse and my shield. The more he treated me this way, the less I was willing to surrender!

So, with my newly fragile human body, I waged a losing battle against Wangchuan’s authority as master.

The loser, of course, was me.

After more than two hours of relentless torment, I finally broke down!

True, my skin no longer bore marks from fire or electricity, but the pain was real enough!

The more I thought about it, the more aggrieved I felt—until suddenly, without warning, I fell to my knees and burst into tears.

My wails thundered through the room—I’d never realized I could cry so loudly!

Wangchuan was startled, his muscles visibly tense, his brow furrowing as he looked at me.

But I ignored him, too wrapped up in my own sorrow—I cried out every last bit of sadness, frustration, and humiliation.

He watched me with a stiff, awkward gaze as I sobbed and howled, my tears streaming like rain. I must have looked a wretched sight, far worse than Xin’er in her most pitiful moments. Perhaps it had just been too long since I’d cried, and now I was ugly with it.

But I didn’t care if I had fur or not, if I was clothed or not, or if my crying face was hideous—I just wanted to cry.

At last, Wangchuan sighed, tossed down a soft wad of tissues, and spoke in a low voice.

“Enough now. Dry your face.”

I ignored him, sniffling and sobbing on my own.

Did he really think his comfort would help, when I wasn’t even crying for him?! He ordered me to kneel, to get down, to do as he pleased! Ever since I’d entered this rift in the void, I’d been squeezed like a prisoner, stripped of every scrap of dignity—couldn’t I at least cry about it?

Seeing I wasn’t responding, Wangchuan shifted out of the covers, picked up the tissues, and held them in front of my face, apparently intending to wipe me down.

Before he could reach me, I dodged away, pouting and baring my teeth, refusing to let him near.

He gave me a look so fierce it sent a shiver down my spine—I forgot to sob, and snot ran down my nose.

He chuckled softly, then proceeded, with not the slightest gentleness, to wipe my face and blow my nose.

I sniffled again. Even though he was trying to comfort me, I still wanted to cry—my voice was gone, but the tears kept falling.

“All right, all right—come back to bed, will you?” he said, sounding as if he were conceding defeat, lifting the covers to invite me back.

The black and gold coverlet, patterned with what looked like runes, was draped over Wangchuan’s waist and abdomen, making him look both powerful and decadently beautiful.

Yet seeing how little he cared about being seen by me only made me feel worse—damn it, I was just a useless object, not even tempting enough to rouse his interest!

“Wuuuuu—” The thought alone made me want to cry again.

“……”

Wangchuan watched me in silence, as if time itself had frozen.

At last, when he saw that nothing could console me, he lost patience, reached over, and hauled me into bed.

Just as before, but this time, instead of bewilderment, I struggled furiously, determined to wriggle off his bed no matter what.

“Move again and I’ll take you right here!”

Wangchuan narrowed his eyes, his voice suddenly rough.

If I had to compare it, it was like the roar of a lion or tiger in anger.

That deep, husky sound, thick with the scent of a wild beast, overwhelmed my senses and left my mind blank.

I stared wide-eyed at Wangchuan, feeling… Oh heavens—wasn’t he supposed to be uninterested?

But the moment I went still, Wangchuan’s mouth quirked into a lazy smile again, and he wiped my face with tissues, not caring about the mess he made.

“If you ever forget what I’ve told you again, don’t expect any kindness from me—tears won’t help, understand?”

As he spoke, that terrifying thing faded and vanished without a trace.

Could he control that power at will?

It took me a long moment to find my voice. “Y-yes, I understand.”

Wangchuan tucked the covers around himself, acting as if nothing had happened, muttering, “If you’d just behaved, you wouldn’t have had to be disciplined.”

My mouth twitched, feeling parched. So it was all my fault, was it? All his punishment with the collar was because of me?

Was I not entitled to feel wronged…?

After a long while, Wangchuan’s hand reached out again, pulling me into his arms.

Pressed against his body, I felt warm—and shy.

Perhaps I’d never experienced such shame before, even after all the bullying. But I remembered something a girlfriend once told me: no matter the circumstances, if the man is handsome and has a perfect body, whatever he does to you will make you blush!

I hadn’t believed it then; it had seemed pure fantasy.

But now I knew it was true. Even if Wangchuan only saw me as a cat, even if he held me in his sleep as he had when I was in my feline form, I still felt desperately shy, my mind wandering to forbidden thoughts.

Thankfully, Wangchuan didn’t ask what I was thinking; had he done so, I might have suffered yet another round of punishment for my contrary heart.

As if to soothe me, his fingers traced lazy circles over my arms and belly, scratching gently.

I clenched my teeth, determined to endure, but in the end, instinct won out. I sprawled contentedly across his arm, stretching my belly and drifting off to sleep.

Wangchuan’s laughter echoed in my ears, but I was already beyond hearing.

Even in my dreams, the purring in my throat never stopped. Whenever his hand strayed from the right spot, I’d unconsciously nuzzle closer, seeking the perfect place, and smile in my sleep.

And so, for the first time, I slept soundly and warmly in Wangchuan’s bed—no fur, but deeply content.

Yet I still couldn’t fathom—why had Wangchuan brought me back here at all?