Bai Xiaonian couldn’t care less what Chong Yin thought of him. He was terrified of water, after being reborn into this kitten’s body, he wanted nothing to do with water even more, since getting his fur wet was thoroughly miserable.
His body was so small that struggling made him as slippery as a loach. The instant Taoxi’s attention slipped, the kitten wriggled free from her grip and bolted.
Startled, Taoxi looked up to search for him, only to find the kitten had already vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, Bai Xiaonian had already dashed off toward Chong Yin’s quarters.
Two hundred years ago, that had also been his own bedchamber. No one knew it better than he did.
The little white ball of fur deliberately rolled around in the mud outside until he became a filthy little mudball, then trotted off toward Chong Yin’s room, thoroughly pleased with himself.
If Chong Yin loved cleanliness so much, then Bai Xiaonian would make sure things didn’t go his way.
Whether in his past life or this one, needling Chong Yin was simply how Bai Xiaonian found satisfaction.
The kitten crept quietly into the room. Inside, a pleasant, calming incense burned, wisps of fragrant smoke curling in the air. Chong Yin lay half-reclined on the couch in his crimson robe, one hand propping up his forehead, his hair flowing down like a waterfall. His cold, striking face was still, his phoenix eyes closed.
No servants were tending the room. The little mudball, dragging its filthy body along, waddled toward Chong Yin with its head held high and its little tail swaying, its rear end swishing from side to side, leaving a trail of muddy plum-blossom prints behind it.
The little mudball tried to leap onto the couch, but after such an exhausting day and having gone so long without food, he had no strength left. He failed to make the jump and landed flat on his bottom, tumbling over twice.
Embarrassed, the kitten’s face burned. Furious with himself, he clawed at the floor, his sharp claws tearing several holes in the carpet.
Refusing to give up, the kitten backed up a few steps, then charged forward again on his stubby legs.
But this time, just as he leapt into the air and was about to reach the couch, a large hand shot out and seized him by the scruff of the neck.
Bai Xiaonian’s heart lurched. He kicked his legs, struggling, but it was all in vain.
Chong Yin, his face dark, held the kitten up before him. Seeing the mud caked all over its body, his whole body stiffened, and fresh anger surged within him.
“You wretched cat, what exactly are you trying to do?”
Chong Yin flung the kitten down onto the carpet in disgust, then stared at the mud on his own hand, his brow furrowing tightly.
Although Bai Xiaonian had been tossed aside yet again, seeing Chong Yin so displeased made him happy. His round eyes gleamed with delight.
Chong Yin looked up and met the kitten’s amused gaze, pausing for a moment before he laughed. “You dare mock me?”
At Chong Yin’s words, the kitten froze, startled.
Could he actually tell that he was secretly laughing at him? He was supposed to be just a cat now.
Sulking, the kitten lifted a front paw and covered his own face with it, mimicking a human gesture.
Chong Yin watched this display with fascination, his eyes narrowing. “Are you really just an ordinary spirit beast…?”
A cub this small typically hadn’t even awakened its intelligence yet, there was no way it should be capable of such baffling, humanlike behavior.
Chong Yin studied the kitten’s round, darting eyes for a long moment before finally calling out, “Someone, bring water.”
By the time Taoxi arrived with the servants, the sight of the mud-covered kitten sprawled on the floor made her stumble, nearly falling over. She glanced back and forth between the kitten and Chong Yin in horror, her voice trembling. “Y-your Excellency, this, this—”
Chong Yin shot her a cold glance. “You’ll go accept your punishment later.”
Taoxi bowed her head, thoroughly terrified. “Yes.”
The servants set the water basin on the washstand and brought a towel forward, meaning to attend to Chong Yin’s hands, but he waved them off. He strode a few steps toward the kitten on the floor and lifted it up.
The soft little ball of fur, still defiant, wriggled its body.
“Little cat, it seems you’re quite afraid of water,” Chong Yin said, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint, unreadable smile.
Bai Xiaonian’s heart lurched. He knew this expression of Chong Yin’s all too well, whenever the man wore it, he was up to no good.
Sure enough, the next moment, Chong Yin dropped the kitten straight into the water basin.
“Meow!”
Bai Xiaonian let out a miserable yowl, thrashing about in terror, splashing water everywhere.
Damn you, Chong Yin. Once he, Bai Xiaonian, reclaimed his body and the throne of Demon Lord, he would toss Chong Yin into the ocean to feed the fish!
Cursing under his breath, the kitten flailed his four stubby legs wildly, struggling his way to the edge of the basin and clinging on so he wouldn’t sink back under.
Soaked through, his white fur plastered to his skin, thoroughly uncomfortable, Bai Xiaonian instinctively shook himself hard to fling off the water. When he looked up at Chong Yin again, he froze.
The man who had been so pristine and radiant just moments ago now had droplets clinging to his handsome face in a most bedraggled way, with a large wet patch soaking the front of his robes.
The kitten poked its fuzzy little head out of the basin, its round black eyes gazing up at Chong Yin with innocent, guileless confusion.
A vein throbbed at Chong Yin’s temple, his eyes dark and menacing.
Secretly gloating, the kitten shook himself again, hoping to splash even more water onto Chong Yin. But this time, Chong Yin was quicker, he pinned the kitten down and pushed him back under the water.
Bai Xiaonian’s eyes went wide with disbelief as he stared up at Chong Yin.
This man had gone too far.
At that thought, the kitten opened its mouth and bit down hard on one of Chong Yin’s fingers.
The faint smile that had just touched Chong Yin’s lips vanished in an instant, replaced by something icy. His deep phoenix eyes darkened, black and stormy, like a gathering storm.
He stared at the kitten clamped onto his finger, unmoving for a long moment.
The servants around them didn’t dare breathe, watching the scene unfold in terror.
Such a young kitten hadn’t even grown its full set of teeth yet. Even biting down as hard as it could, all Chong Yin felt was something like a light tickle.
Still, Chong Yin had always despised being touched by any living creature, and this cat… was far too bold.
Chong Yin pulled his finger free from the kitten’s mouth and looked at the sticky saliva coating it, his gaze darkening, killing intent rippling through the room.
Beside him, Taoxi’s expression changed. “How dare you!”
She reached out a hand wrapped in spiritual energy, intending to finish the cat off on the spot, perhaps that would win back His Excellency’s favor and lighten her own punishment.
But just as her hand reached out, Chong Yin swept his arm out, and a gust of wind laced with spiritual energy sent Taoxi flying backward onto the floor.
Taoxi stared up from the ground in disbelief, but Chong Yin didn’t so much as glance her way.
The killing intent in his eyes flickered and vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by a look of amusement.
“Little cat, do you know who I am?” Chong Yin asked, his voice low and menacing as he looked down at the kitten.