The icy touch of her fingers was vivid. Qu Qi blinked slowly, frozen in place, almost in a daze.
A second later, a visible crimson spread rapidly from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. The finger she pointed at Sheng Xizhu trembled slightly.
“You, you you you…”
Sheng Xizhu: “Hmm?”
Qu Qi realized with a start that she—a sapient human being—had actually been teased by a cat.
What a masterful reversal! What a devious little kitty!
She stood there with her mouth agape, stammering for a long time without finding her words.
Seeing this, Sheng Xizhu raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips. It was a rare treat to see this person at a loss for words.
After a moment, Qu Qi’s stiff brain jolted back to life. Her face flushed as she muttered resentfully, “I’m almost late. I have to go to class.”
Sheng Xizhu: “Go then.”
Qu Qi instructed her as if she were a small animal: “Stay home and be good. Don’t go wandering off, okay?”
Sheng Xizhu casually shifted her posture. A section of snowy white, slender calf peeked out from beneath her skirt as she replied lazily, “Alright.”
Having been a cat for over a hundred years, she could not help but retain some feline habits even in human form; she liked to lie on her side no matter where she sat.
The great beauty rested her chin on her hand, reclining on the couch like a cat, her posture languid and seemingly boneless. Qu Qi took one look and felt her face heat up; it truly felt like she was “hiding a beauty in a golden house.”
She quickly chanted in her head, It’s a cat, it’s a cat, it’s a cat, until she calmed down.
Reaching the door, Qu Qi looked back at her and said, “I’m heading to class now. Bye-bye!”
Sheng Xizhu frowned: “What is bye-bye?” She was always saying such nonsensical things.
Qu Qi poked her head back from the other side of the door and said with a giggle: “It means see you in a bit!”
Sheng Xizhu did not understand where she learned these strange phrases, but said: “Then off you go.”
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Qu Qi feigned hurt: “Mimi, why won’t you say goodbye to me? You don’t have me in your heart at all!”
Sheng Xizhu sighed helplessly: “Bye-bye.”
Qu Qi nodded with a satisfied expression. She thought for a moment, then suddenly turned around and walked back to the bed.
Sheng Xizhu looked at her: “What is it now?”
Qu Qi narrowed her eyes, revealing a fox-like, mischievous smile. She suddenly reached out and gave the beauty’s cheek a gentle pinch.
While Sheng Xizhu stared in astonishment, the girl laughed and ran off as fast as the wind.
The door closed, and the room returned to silence. Sheng Xizhu lightly brushed her cheek with her fingers and chuckled: “Little thing, she certainly knows how to hold a grudge.”
Qu Qi ran out of the room and began searching for the way to Songting Study.
“Will the people from Moonlight Villa also be attending the morning lesson today?”
“I hope I can see Senior Qin this time!”
The sound of voices came from the path ahead. She turned her head and saw two disciples dressed in inner sect uniforms walking and chatting.
A brilliant idea struck Qu Qi: she could simply follow the other disciples. Wouldn’t that lead her straight to Songting Study?
Qu Qi immediately sped up to keep pace with the two disciples.
The two were excitedly discussing Moonlight Villa when they suddenly heard light footsteps behind them, staying at a steady distance like a stalker.
One of them asked blankly, “Do you feel like someone has been following us?”
“I do too,” the other whispered. “It’s terrifying!”
“I heard that some demonic cultivators have recently disguised themselves to infiltrate the righteous sects, hoping to pollute the spiritual veins of heaven and earth. Could this person be…”
“No wonder the elders make us wear uniforms every day. Is it to distinguish us from the demonic spies?!”
“Waaa, what do we do? If there really is a demonic cultivator behind us, we…”
They thought they were being quiet, but Qu Qi heard them perfectly. Ever since her cultivation improved, she had become exceptionally sensitive to small sounds.
Hearing this, Qu Qi called out openly: “Senior brothers!”
The two in front stopped, trembling. They looked at each other and turned around simultaneously. Once they saw the girl behind them, their faces filled with shock.
“Junior Sister Qu? Aren’t you supposed to be at the back mountain right now?”
Qu Qi said candidly: “Master let me come down early.”
One of them let out a dry laugh: “I see, I see.”
The other turned his back and whispered, “This is bad. Why did we run into her? She’s scarier than a demonic cultivator!”
The other also turned around to whisper back: “Don’t get too close. Be careful she doesn’t frame you for an accident. Think about what happened to Junior Sister Su. Getting entangled with this jinx results in a loss of fortune at best and a loss of life at worst.”
They exchanged a look and nodded in perfect sync: “Run!”
With that, the two disciples turned back, gave a fake smile, and bowed: “Junior Sister Qu, we have matters to attend to. We’ll take our leave first.” They bolted like arrows from a bow, clearing ten meters in an instant, leaving a trail of dust.
Qu Qi was left standing alone in the wind: “…” Was the original host really that terrifying?
On the other side, the two disciples did not stop, their feet barely touching the ground as they sprinted. Looking back to see Qu Qi still standing there, they felt triumphant: “We lost her!”
“Hahaha, with her meager cultivation, there’s no way she could catch up.”
Thump, thump, thump!
Suddenly, a sound like a speeding carriage came from behind them. The frequency was incredibly fast, as if an object was approaching at the speed of light.
An ominous premonition rose in their hearts. They slowly turned their heads.
Qu Qi had arrived behind them in the blink of an eye. She said with a smile: “Senior brothers, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Why don’t we chat?”