On the way to the academic building, Fan Lin’s gaze was glued to Yin Zhi. But he was completely uncooperative, either showing her the back of his head or, whenever she reached out to touch the glass dome of the carrier, whipping his head around to hiss at her...
Wen Qian thought Fan Lin would get the hint and back down, but instead, she just kept praising Yin Zhi. "It’s so cool!"
...
During class, Fan Lin’s attention was completely captivated by Yin Zhi. She had never seen such a special cat. It looked like a silver gradient, but the pattern on its fur was much more unique than that of an ordinary one.
Even though it was just a small kitten, its aura was fiercer than many large animals. Fan Lin was a little envious. This cat was so much more interesting than the big-tailed Ragdoll she had at home.
"Qianqian, doesn’t your cat need a leash?" Fan Lin asked.
As if remembering something, she leaned over and asked in a low voice. She never dared to unclip the leash when she took her own cat out.
"He’s very well-behaved. He won’t run off." Wen Qian didn’t even look up, continuing to take notes. The professor had introduced a new concept today, and she needed her notes to organize her thoughts.
"No wonder..." Her eyes sparkled. After a pause, she added, "By the way, Qianqian, where did you buy this cat?"
Fan Lin wanted to get a cat just like Yin Zhi. She thought that cats from the same litter wouldn’t differ too much in personality or appearance, and maybe she could get lucky.
Wen Qian paused for a moment. She turned her head and, sure enough, saw that Yin Zhi, who had just quieted down, had started hissing at Fan Lin again. She suppressed a laugh and said in a low voice, "I found him."
"Oh..." Fan Lin was a little disappointed. She gave Yin Zhi a long look, her eyes filled with envy. "Wen Qian, you’re so lucky!"
Yin Zhi was about to bristle under Fan Lin’s gaze. ’What does she mean Wen Qian is lucky? I’m the lucky one, okay?’
’He was a wanted, fugitive Beastman, and Wen Qian was a beautiful, smart, kind, adorable, sweet-smelling, and soft female...’
’Besides, why does this woman keep staring at me? Doesn’t she have any sense of personal boundaries? I’m a very proper man. Could she please show some restraint!’
Yin Zhi, afraid Wen Qian might get the wrong idea, kept hissing at Fan Lin to make his disinterest clear. ’But not only did the woman not back down, she even wanted to buy a... cat... just like me?’
’Truly... what a pipe dream!’
Yin Zhi kept his back to Fan Lin until class was over. He didn’t like this Fan Lin, not just because of her overly intense gaze, but more because he believed that if it weren’t for her, Wen Qian would never have just casually placed him on the floor.
’If he’d acted cute enough, Wen Qian might have even let him out of the carrier, held him on her lap, and petted him until the end of class...’
The more he thought about it, the more sullen he became, so the instant the bell rang, Yin Zhi immediately started crying out, "MEOW MEOW MEOW!"
He wanted to leave this place of trouble, and he wanted Wen Qian to hold him and cuddle. He had clearly forgotten all about their plan to go find Gu Mian at the lab.
The sunlight shifted with the passing time, losing its harsh glare and feeling especially comfortable on the skin.
Wen Qian took Yin Zhi to Cafeteria Two a bit early. She deliberately avoided the busiest time, went straight to the second floor, and sat down in the most secluded corner.
She let Yin Zhi out, then asked the cafeteria lady for the lid of a disposable container. Then, under the silver gradient’s watchful gaze, she spooned some food onto it.
Wen Qian leaned close to him. "You’ll have to make do with this."
It wasn’t peak dining time, but Wen Qian bringing a cat still attracted a lot of attention. Letting Yin Zhi use the cafeteria’s tableware would inevitably cause trouble.
Yin Zhi meowed once, then rubbed against the back of Wen Qian’s hand coquettishly with his tail held high, and began to eat quietly.
If Ling Xuan were to see this scene, he would surely find it unbelievable.
In the Beast World, Yin Zhi, as the Young Master of the Silver Tiger Clan, had been pampered since he was young.
His food was typically prepared by a personal chef. His dinnerware consisted of nothing but gold, silver, jade, colored glass, coral... or even special pearlescent shells retrieved from the deep sea by the Merfolk. He had likely never even seen a cheap plastic container like this before.
Of course, only the Young Master of the Silver Tiger Clan could enjoy such treatment. The Silver Tiger Clan was the leader of the Tiger Clans, possessing supreme authority. He had first claim to anything good.
He managed nearly ten major clans, including the Bali Tiger Clan, the Xiluo Tiger Clan, and the Sujia Tiger Clan. These major clans, in turn, each managed a dozen or so tribal groups, such as the Si Jia and the Riguro.
The population of Tiger Clan Beastmen was immense, but under his leadership, they were harmonious for the most part.
The clans of the Beast World weren’t just limited to the Tiger Clan; there were also the Wolf Clan, the Hundred Bird Clan, the Snake Clan...
Among them, the Snake Clan, to which Gu Mian belonged, was the most mysterious.
The Snake Clan was led by the Gu Family, followed in order by the Zhong Family, the Li Family, the Lu Family, and the Qi Family.
The Gu Family held a position of supreme status within the Snake Clan. They were mysterious, intelligent, well-informed, and skilled in business and pharmacology—a symbol of wealth and absolute power.
Unfortunately, the Gu Family was too low-key and rarely interacted with other clans. As a result, many people believed the Zhong Family was the head of the Snake Clan, unaware that they were merely running errands for the Gu Family.
The Fox Clan and the Wolf Clan were somewhat special. They each had only one Wolf King and one Fox King, whom all clan members had to revere.
As for the White Bird Clan, well, there were just too many of them...
It was already past five o’clock after they finished eating.
Wen Qian put Yin Zhi back in the carrier, pulled out the card Gu Mian had left with her, and headed straight for the laboratory building with him.
As soon as they entered the lab building, Yin Zhi became vigilant.
He smelled the scent of Beastmen. Besides a familiar one, there were other scents he disliked. It was the smell of disinfectant and blood, intertwined and lingering in the air, refusing to dissipate.
Yin Zhi wrinkled his nose, quietly observing his surroundings through the transparent dome. The bright windows, the floor gleaming with a cold light—it was an immaculately clean environment, yet it was filled with the reek of blood.
He meowed twice, trying to warn Wen Qian, but she clearly didn’t understand his intention. She just patted the carrier reassuringly a couple of times and took him into the elevator.
With her previous experience, Wen Qian easily found room 609. She knocked on the door, a hint of anticipation on her face.
The sound of running water stopped abruptly, and then the door opened from the inside.
Gu Mian pulled down the mask on his face and stepped aside slightly to let Wen Qian in. His gaze swept over the cat carrier on her back, and his calm eyes instantly grew colder.
’It’s been a while since class ended. I thought Wen Qian would have taken Yin Zhi back home. I didn’t expect... It seems I’ve underestimated him.’
’But that’s fine too. As it happens, I have a use for him today.’
His half-lidded eyes concealed all emotion. After Wen Qian entered, Gu Mian closed the door and returned to what he was doing before.
On the smooth lab bench lay a quiet, palm-sized Yellow-tailed Robin. Its eyes were closed, and its wings were so stained with blood that it was hard to tell where the wound was.