In the prayer hall, Song Jinhe knelt before the Buddha statue in plain attire, holding a brush as she transcribed Buddhist scriptures.
“Madam! Madam—”
The steward’s frantic voice echoed from afar.
Jin Momo, who was attending nearby, hurried out to meet him, chiding in a hushed tone, “Steward Zhou! Madam is transcribing scriptures for the late Guogong. You mustn’t shout!”
Steward Zhou wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and quickly lowered his voice.
“You’re right to scold me, Jin Momo. I was reckless, but there’s a reason. At Jade Bamboo Courtyard, one of the golden carps Madam instructed us to carefully tend has been snatched by the cat the Heir brought back!”
Song Jinhe overheard faint whispers at the entrance, catching words like “Heir” and “cat.”
“What happened?”
Her cool voice prompted Steward Zhou to bow immediately. “Madam, it’s the pond of golden carps you asked us to care for. Just now, the cat raised by the Heir took… took one!”
The image of the cat catching the fish replayed in Steward Zhou’s mind. Had he not witnessed it himself, he wouldn’t have believed it.
Song Jinhe recalled the cat Ziyang had brought home.
Plump-bodied with lively eyes.
And now the steward claimed this cat had taken her fish?
She had visited the pond just days ago—each fish was thriving, some even stouter than the cat.
“The cat took a fish?”
Song Jinhe’s expression froze, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Steward Zhou nodded vigorously. “It’s true, Madam! I saw it myself, and so did the Heir’s attendants.”
This pond of golden carps had been specially purchased by the late Guogong to delight his wife, making her particularly fond of them.
Detecting the steward’s anxiety, Song Jinhe showed little anger and said calmly, “It’s fine. If the cat likes them, catch two more and send them to Zhanmo Courtyard.”
They were merely fish. That cat had saved her Ziyang—she’d offer not just a few fish but any rare treasure if it wished.
Hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed the steward’s eyes. He said no more, acknowledged the order, and withdrew.
Jin Momo, learning that her mistress intended to send more fish, felt a pang of reluctance. “Madam, those were given to you by the Guogong. You…”
Adjusting the shawl over her arms, Song Jinhe replied softly, “Had he known this cat saved Ziyang, he might have sent the entire pond to Zhanmo Courtyard.”
Jin Momo fell silent, her heart aching with pity. Yes, such a good man the Guogong was—why had heaven been so cruel, leaving this widow and orphan to uphold the century-old family legacy?
The world envied Wei Guogong Manor for its boundless favor and prestige, but who understood that the grace of noble houses had always breathed under the shadow of imperial power?
Such favor could sometimes be a curse.
Meanwhile, in Zhanmo Courtyard, Wei Rong held a fine handkerchief dampened with water, meticulously cleaning the paw pads of the cat in his lap, not missing even the crevices between its claws.
His porcelain-white hand gripped the cat’s paw, revealing sharp claws nestled within the fleshy pads.
Shen Shi, holding the water basin nearby, noticed A Fu’s sharp claws.
“Heir, should we find scissors to trim A Fu’s claws?”
Yun Fu, lying belly-up in the man’s arms, instinctively struggled upon hearing those words.
It was a physiological reaction innate to her feline nature.
“No need. These are A Fu’s means of self-defense. If we clip them, she won’t be able to scratch back when encountering those who don’t know their place.”
The words from above instantly stilled Yun Fu’s struggles. Gazing at the man who lowered his eyes while meticulously wiping her paws, she felt her heartbeat quicken.
Her ears grew warm, tinged with a faint pink hue.
“Meow~” You’re right~
Yun Fu truly hadn’t misjudged him. It was worth squatting by the pond for half an hour to catch this fish to nourish him.
This man was both beautiful and gentle, and now he was even considering her well-being—he perfectly aligned with Yun Fu’s ideals~
Yun Fu decided to catch a few more fish to replenish Wei Rong’s health!
Shen Shi watched the scene, feeling that the Heir had repeatedly reshaped his perceptions since adopting this little creature.
Noticing the half-dead golden carp on the table, Shen Shi cautiously spoke up.
“Heir, how should we handle this golden carp that A Fu brought back? It was taken from the pond in Jade Bamboo Courtyard~”
Shen Shi deliberately emphasized “Jade Bamboo Courtyard” to remind the Heir that this was the Madame’s most treasured golden carp.
After finishing wiping A Fu’s paws—their pink pads soft and fluffy—Wei Rong didn’t release her but continued holding her. Hearing Shen Shi’s words, he glanced at the fish on the low table and calmly instructed, “Send it to the kitchen to be stewed. Light on oil and salt. I’ll speak to Mother myself.”
As soon as Wei Rong finished speaking, a servant’s announcement came from the doorway.
“Heir, Steward Zhou requests an audience.”
Soon, Zi Shi led Steward Zhou into the courtyard.
Following behind Steward Zhou were two robust young servants carrying a celadon lotus-patterned fish tank.
Steward Zhou bowed. “Young Master Heir, the Madame has sent three plump golden carps, saying… they’re for your cat to watch and play with~”
As he spoke, he inadvertently glanced at the cat nestled in the Heir’s arms.
He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: This cat is exceptionally beautiful, even more so than those Persian and exotic cats sent as tributes from foreign lands he’d seen before. No wonder the Madame and Young Master Heir doted on it so.
Yun Fu immediately understood: the fish she had caught belonged to Wei Rong’s mother! Not only was she not scolded for being caught, but Wei Rong’s mother had even sent more for her to play with!
The beauty’s mother was not only a great beauty herself but also so kind-hearted!
Yun Fu felt she might faint from happiness~
This was the first time Yun Fu felt that being turned into a cat wasn’t so bad.
Not just not bad—it was wonderful!!
She had truly reached the peak of feline life!
Wei Rong observed the three golden carps sent by Steward Zhou—each plump and sturdy, clearly the finest picks.
“Thank my mother for me. I accept these fish on A Fu’s behalf.”
Steward Zhou promptly acknowledged and left Zhanmo Courtyard with his attendants.
By now, Yun Fu had wriggled out of Wei Rong’s embrace and approached the large celadon fish tank. Staring at the three plump fish swimming inside, her eyes widened in fixation.
One for steaming, one for braising, one for frying!!!
Wei Rong watched the cat standing upright against the fish tank, a softness unconsciously warming his eyes. Leaning against the doorframe, he observed her perched by the tank, extending her paws to play with the water.
The scene was so harmonious that even the shadow guards hidden around the courtyard couldn’t resist stealing glances.
Just as everyone was immersed in this heartwarming moment, a plump fish suddenly leaped out of the fish tank and clamped its mouth around the mischievous hand that had been teasing them.
Yun Fu had been half-leaning against the fish tank, and caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, she was directly dragged into the tank by the fish.
Witnessing this scene, everyone reacted—
Wei Rong: !!!
Shen Shi: !!!
Zi Shi: …