Chapter 58: Cannot Be Taken Down Release Festival of Explosive Updates! (6/8)

Suddenly, the small cat that had been covered with the white cloth sprang up with a burst of energy, shaking its fur vigorously.

“Phew!” After letting out a long breath, two wings unfurled from its back.

“What is that—” Many of the little cats below recoiled in fright, chattering anxiously.

“Tsk.” Wangchuan shook his head. “Who told you to be so hasty in changing back?”

“You said it yourself! I pretended to be dead for you. From now on, it’s none of your business—whether I return to my true form is up to me!” The animal, now wholly transformed and called Fishball, pronounced haughtily.

Wangchuan looked at him helplessly and sighed. “Alright, you make a fair point.”

“I’ve been lying here three days—my whole body feels stiff! Ha!” Fishball laughed, then shook off more singed fur, revealing his true colors beneath: fiery red, still somewhat feline, but now more fox-like, and with two pure white wings on his back. Altogether, he was a flying fox.

If it hadn’t been for the black lightning mark on his forehead, I might have doubted he was Fishball at all. But he truly was.

What puzzled me was Fishball’s claim that Wangchuan had asked him to play dead. Did even Fishball’s death fall within Wangchuan’s calculations?

A sudden fear gripped me—just how much had Wangchuan orchestrated?

Fishball also said he’d lain there for three days. Left and right, three days each time. I started to wonder if Wangchuan’s torment yesterday was meant to put me into a deep sleep for three days as well.

What had Wangchuan investigated during those days?

Regardless, whatever Wangchuan had discovered, I was now free of all charges. Though he hadn’t made my innocence explicit, I truly felt light as air.

Wangchuan said no more, only appeared extremely fatigued as he departed the hall.

Outside, Pei Mu’s calls rang out: “Did you win everything? I knew it—nothing ever loses when the Huh-ha Kirin lends a hand! Come, tell me, how did you pull it off…”

As his voice receded, I realized that beyond muddling me and making me sleep, Wangchuan must have been scheming with Pei Mu these past days.

No wonder he looked exhausted every day.

Pei Mu, on the other hand, was remarkable—never tired, always bursting with energy and shouting.

As I pondered this, Wangchuan’s departure prompted many of the little cats nearby to disperse on their own, leaving the hall bustling and noisy.

Even the cat who, for Rebecca’s sake, dared kill Claudia before their master to silence her, slipped away. Clearly, Rebecca’s subordinates were numerous, and this one was far cleverer than Claudia.

I didn’t dare ignore the poisonous glances Rebecca sometimes threw my way, as if blaming me for her predicament.

The master said she’d once rendered great service; this time, she would not be killed, only demoted. Suddenly, I was intensely curious—what merit had Rebecca achieved to escape death even after such disgrace?

Wangchuan seemed always to give her chances, openly demonstrating magnanimity, while secretly uncovering everything. It looked as though he’d given Rebecca ample face.

If, during this time, Rebecca could truly awaken to her mistakes, perhaps all would end happily, with Wangchuan letting go and even I, this foolish cat, not holding a grudge.

***

Just as I was thinking, Fishball, now a red fox with wings, strode toward me.

“Qianqian!” He grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

Foxes and felines resemble each other, but somehow, his appearance didn’t inspire much warmth.

It took me a while to adjust before I stammered, “Are you… Fishball?”

“Of course!” The big fox nodded. “This is my original form.”

“Original… form?” My confusion deepened, but before I could ask, a shadow suddenly collided with a thud!

“Fishball!!”

A booming voice, heavy and unmistakable—without seeing, I knew it was Xiaomi.

Fishball quickly dodged aside, but a cat and a fox crashed together with a loud bang!

“You didn’t die! Boohoo! How many tears did you trick from me, you scoundrel! I cried over you every day and you never woke up! Was deceiving me that much fun?!”

“I know, I know.” Fishball awkwardly raised a paw and patted Xiaomi’s head. “I’m fine, see? Blame Wangchuan—he did it on purpose, wouldn’t let me move!”

“On purpose?!” Xiaomi exclaimed. “Ah! Why do you look like this?!”

She seemed to finally realize that Fishball was meant to be a big yellow cat, not a red fox.

She reached out a paw to poke Fishball’s wings, then quickly withdrew, startled. “Why do you have wings?!”

Fishball covered his face, embarrassed, and whispered in my ear, “She’s even dumber than you.”

“That’s called being slow on the uptake,” I muttered, equally embarrassed. “Besides, didn’t you say you liked cute and silly types? Go on.”

“Uh—” Fishball was flustered, then explained, “Actually… I’ve never been a cat!”

“What?” Xiaomi and I said together.

Fishball swished his much thicker tail. “Let’s talk outside.”

Xiaomi followed, still poking Fishball’s wings now and then to check if they were real.

Fishball, exasperated, scooped Xiaomi under his paw. With a spread of his wings, he soared up and spun around!

“Aaaaahhh—!!!”

Below, I heard Xiaomi’s tragic, terrified cries, while Fishball’s ears flickered in midair. Unlike cat ears, fox ears were larger—adorable, really.

When they landed, Xiaomi was still petrified, her mouth agape.

Fishball dragged the dazed Xiaomi along, explaining as we walked.

I’d once asked him why he was the only male cat in the group. His answer had been, “Because I have a willy.”

I’d thought he was joking, but it turned out to be true.

Fishball had fallen into Wangchuan’s hands by accident.

He was originally a Bi Bi—a little spirit beast, fox-shaped with twin wings.

He’d once slipped into a crevice and tangled with Wangchuan for a while. Wangchuan, weakened at the time, didn’t kill him, but mischievously forced him to become a cat.

Everyone knew Wangchuan’s cats were all female, and he never intended Fishball to stay male.

So Fishball, using all his spiritual power, managed to preserve his manhood. Though he became a cat, he constantly threatened Wangchuan, saying that though he’d been subdued, he’d still seduce the other female cats.

***

Wangchuan had laughed and told him to do as he pleased.

Thus began Fishball’s escapades—I only now learned that many of the mother cats who wept for him had once been his girlfriends… and there were even those who’d secretly admired him.

Who would have guessed, the apparently honest Fishball was so secretly lascivious!

But thinking about it—among a group of only females, a single male was truly precious.

The master was a prime example; any affectionate gesture would send the cats tumbling with joy and worship.

It proved that a fox was still a fox—cunningly hiding his feelings and tricking so many little cats into tears.

Now, Xiaomi, gazing at Fishball with wide eyes, became my concern.

Could it be—was she falling for Fishball?

Xiaomi wasn’t stupid, nor a clown; she was simply single-minded. If she liked Fishball… well…

I considered stopping her, but then realized it had nothing to do with me.

Before I could interject, Xiaomi, still staring at Fishball, suddenly did something terrifying!

She stepped forward, lifted Fishball’s tail, and jabbed his balls hard!

I even saw those round fox balls tremble—surely, that must have hurt!

“Ugh!” Fishball leapt three feet high, tail clamped tight, staring at Xiaomi in horror. “What are you doing?!”

“So these are balls—” she said, enlightenment dawning, squeezing her paw as if recalling the sensation.

Fishball’s forehead instantly darkened with several lines. He coughed, eager to change the subject.

But Xiaomi wasn’t done. She tugged at Fishball’s tail. “Your balls! Take them off! Let me see!”

Fishball, now pale, shook his tail free. “No way! They can’t come off!”

“Can your willy come off?” Xiaomi stepped closer, tail wagging as she asked.

Fishball’s face turned from pale to black, retreating another step. “No! Neither can!”

“Stingy—!” Xiaomi pouted, displeased.

We all knew Xiaomi had died at fourteen, never having considered romance, so she probably paid no attention to boys.

Single-minded as she was, after death in the cat group, there were no other males or males to notice.

Until Fishball mentioned his willy and balls, sparking her curiosity.

Even after Fishball refused her requests, she kept glancing under his tail, as if determined to spot something different.

And so, we wandered back to our room.

Fishball, wary of Xiaomi’s relentless curiosity, pretended to chat with us as if nothing were amiss, sweat forming on his fox head, wishing he could fly away to escape.

That night, we sprawled together and talked about many things, until I asked Fishball a question that changed his expression.

I asked, “Why have we never seen Xiao Yun?”