Chapter Eighty-Three: Revolution Requires a Thick Skin

No, no, it cannot be like this.

I was at a loss, hurt and helpless.

After all, this had been my own fault. I had not thought things through; I had assumed nothing would happen, and only when I was almost taken away did I finally make him angry.

But what I needed to think about now was how to keep him from being angry like this. Otherwise, being locked up all day would never be a proper solution.

So I took the initiative and moved closer, coquettishly lifting the iron chain from my neck as if it did not exist.

"Master, hold me."

He did not move.

"Hold me."

I went on, blinking my eyes and trying hard to look pitiful.

In the end, he still could not withstand me and pulled me into his arms.

Though his face remained cold, he was at least no longer seething with anger, nor did he seem inclined to scold me. Only then did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Master, I was wrong. I’ll do whatever you say from now on."

At first I did not understand at all why he wanted to lock me up, and had even set a barrier outside. That was why I had slipped out in curiosity.

But after seeing what was outside, even if someone told me to go out, I would not go again.

So at a time like this, yielding was the best choice. And for a man like him, yielding was also the best way to solve the problem.

He did not answer me, only looked a little more relaxed, not as icy as before. Perhaps he simply could not think of how to open his mouth and say something like forgiving me.

A thoroughly domineering man.

So I immediately rubbed against the hollow of his neck. "Lock me up if you want. I won’t go out. Really."

He lowered his eyes and looked at me, and I seized the chance to lift my mouth and kiss him.

That honey-sweet attack, as expected, dissolved his punishment toward me. But after that, the punishment turned into exercise punishment.

Even so, it was far better than a beating.

He tormented me until I slept straight through to the next day. When I woke and opened my eyes, he was gone again.

I let out a long breath, but at that moment I was actually a little worried about what would become of Xiaoyun and the others.

With nothing else to do, I idly lashed the chain in my hand and waited like that for two days.

I behaved myself so well through those two days that I did not even look out the window. Only on the third night, when he came back, did I act as I always did and throw myself at him.

With a sharp click, the chain yanked at my neck again. I fell to the floor, then sat there and cried in an exaggerated manner.

"Waaah, you keep stopping me, and now I can’t even hug you!"

He raised an eyebrow at me, then crouched down, picked me up, and set me on the bed.

"I’ll hold you all the same."

I choked a little. He really was not playing by the usual rules.

"Let me out! I really won’t go anywhere! There are bad people outside." I nodded solemnly, speaking with great seriousness.

"And if a bad person comes in?"

"When a bad person comes in, even with a chain I still won’t be able to escape! Without the chain, I can still run away successfully!"

"Exactly." He nodded, looking thoughtful.

But in my heart, I gave a hard jolt, because the scene was far too similar to what had happened when dealing with Rebecca before.

He still looked obedient and compliant, as if whatever I said was what he would do, but I still did not know what he was really thinking.

So, just as I patted his arm and was about to continue my little plan, he somehow produced a thin cord.

Before I could even react, my two hands were tied together.

My face darkened. "What are you doing?"

"Now that the bad person has come in, tell me how you plan to run."

With that, he patted my hands and pressed down, not bothering to ask my opinion as he reached for my clothes, a sly smile on his face.

"Hey, hey, hey—"

I was pinned to the bed like a stiff, upright zombie, unable to struggle free.

My hands were tied, my neck was still being tugged at, and even my kicks could not move this tall, broad-shouldered brute of a man. Run? Run my foot.

In the end, I still fell victim. I failed to escape and was ruthlessly tormented by the bad person all night long, so miserable that I lay there in bed staring at the ceiling until the next day.

The revolution has not yet succeeded; comrades still need to strive on. I will not give up.

Three days later, with my unmatched intelligence and shameless persistence, I finally defeated him and made him open the lock on my neck.

He said that if he found me sneaking out again, he would not let me off lightly. I nodded over and over!

So happy, so happy.

When I wore that thing, I always felt as if I were imprisoned, as though even my words made me inferior.

Without it, my neck felt loose and free, wonderfully comfortable. My status even seemed to rise a little.

If there ever came a day when the collar around my neck could be taken off, then all would be well.

And yet, from the bottom of my heart, I still did not look forward to removing it. After all, wearing it meant that I and he were connected.

I was his cat.

Mm. Being a pet did feel rather nice. If possible, I hoped to keep things just as they were.

Thinking of that, I suddenly remembered what Xiaoyun had said: the fiancee of the Third Underworld King.

The Third Underworld King was You Luo.

Then the Third Underworld King’s fiancee was You Luo’s fiancee?

Right now, You Luo was searching all over the streets for his fiancee, and that fiancee might very well be me.

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like utter nonsense. In my mind, the Third Underworld King probably meant the third king of the netherworld, did it not?

I am the intended bride of the King of the Netherworld?

"Ha—"

The thought amused me so much that I burst out laughing.

How could that be possible!

"What are you laughing at?"

Just as I was having my little moment of joy, he came back. These past few days, my goal had been achieved, so I eased up a little on the coaxing and acting spoiled. Only when he came to hold me did I kiss him once.

I could not exactly say that I was delighted at the thought of being You Luo’s fiancee, could I?

So I gave a very serious "explanation": "I was thinking about you."

He narrowed his eyes, but suddenly his expression darkened. "Liar."

A buzzing sound went off in my head. I twitched my mouth and sat down on the bed. "Fine, I was thinking about You Luo. Xiaoyun told me about it, and I thought it was just too bizarre."

To my surprise, he did not get angry. Though he still looked cool and distant, he asked me a question.

"What is bizarre?"

"It means something that could never happen, but then does happen; something you should not be able to do appears in real life. It is very strange."

"Oh." He nodded. "Then you are bizarre too."

I looked up at him. How had the fire suddenly been turned on me?

But since he was not angry, I should have thanked heaven and earth, so I did not ask further. I only tossed out some meaningless question about whether he had eaten.

The days passed peacefully again. I did not know what was happening outside; I could only pray that the kittens, Xiaoyun, Yubao, and the others were all safe and healthy, especially Xiaomi. She was still pregnant. I had no idea how she was doing now.

During the day, he went out as usual, and at night he came back as always.

It was as if nothing had happened. I did not dare ask, and even if I did, he would brush me off with all kinds of excuses. In the end, the one who suffered was still my waist.

Only after all of this was finally over did he smile and tell me that things outside had calmed down and I could go out for a walk.

When I heard that, I jumped with joy.

"Really? I can go anywhere?"

He seemed to hesitate a little. "It is better not to go too far."

"Why? Has everything still not been resolved?"

Come to think of it, that did make sense. Who exactly was the Third Underworld King of the netherworld? If they really fought, would a few days be enough? I was afraid the flames of war would already have spread everywhere.

Although I did not know what was truly happening outside, I had obediently stayed here just as he said, waiting for the storm to pass, and I knew how serious the matter was.

"Not exactly." He patted my head. "These past few days have been rather noisy, and my soul-forging time has been stretched out, so my spirit soul is a bit weak. If you go too far from me, I may not be able to look after you."

"The soul-forging time has been stretched out? Why?" I counted a little in my head. That did seem to be the case.

Back then, I had heard the other kittens say that his soul forging happened once a month, and I had already been here for a month serving as his guardian cat, yet I had never once experienced guarding him during it.

Why was that?

"Because a number of souls have flown off and gone missing." His smile was simple.

"Which bastard did that? I—"

I was flinging my hand in righteous indignation when I abruptly stopped.

"Oh... sorry."

It seemed that because of my own negligence last time, I had let a great many of them fly away, so the count had come up short.

"It is not your fault."

He seemed truly tired. Lying down on the bed, he closed his eyes to rest.

And as for me, of course I immediately ran outside to see what was going on, and to find out how Xiaoyun, Yubao, and the others were doing.