Jiang Huaying stood at the doorway, a dazed expression on her face, not understanding why Chan Yue would come to find her so late at night.
His appearance at this moment was somewhat different from the first time they met.
The simple white robe he wore was elevated by an ethereal, almost immortal aura, his entire being exuding a carefully understated elegance, like the first thaw of spring snow.
“What do you want to talk about?” Jiang Huaying wasn’t afraid of anything he might do; after all, the Butcher was there.
Chan Yue didn’t answer her directly but instead asked another question: “Am I… making you dislike me?”
Jiang Huaying looked at the handsome and gentle young man in front of her and honestly shook her head. “Not really.”
“That’s good.” Chan Yue seemed to exhale in relief, his blue eyes, already soaked in springtime softness, growing even gentler as he looked at Jiang Huaying.
He had arrived a little late. She had already changed into a comfortable, soft floral nightgown, her long platinum hair falling softly over her shoulders.
Because of his sudden arrival, she cautiously stood behind the door, like a wary little white rabbit guarding itself against a wolf.
At first, Chan Yue was reluctant about the mission given to him by the boss.
But his life had been saved by the boss, and he was willing to do anything for him, no matter how absurd the task seemed.
He had thought he wouldn’t like it, but when he really stood there and saw Jiang Huaying cautiously poke her head out as she opened the door, Chan Yue found he felt no resistance at all.
In fact, seeing her again filled him with joy, his heart involuntarily quickening, beating wildly.
He longed desperately to be the sole focus of her full attention once more, even if it were only for one night.
So foolishly, Chan Yue returned to his original form.
Under the faint and moist moonlight, an elegant and noble white cloth doll appeared in front of Jiang Huaying.
Jiang Huaying was startled, her mouth slightly ajar, her voice trembling: “You… you are…”
Chan Yue transformed back into human form, smiling with a hint of embarrassment: “Yes, but I’m sorry to disappoint you—I’m not some princess.”
Jiang Huaying’s cheeks immediately flushed a shy pink. Back then, she had treated all the cats in the cat café like little animals.
“May I come in first?” Chan Yue asked once again.
Dazed, Jiang Huaying let him in.
The moment Chan Yue stepped inside, the sky outside darkened suddenly.
The high-hanging bright moon was shrouded by dark clouds, and this mutated zone plunged into pitch blackness, eerie and cold, suffocating.
Sinclair had been closely watching Chan Yue’s movements.
When that door opened for Chan Yue, Sinclair felt his heart being pierced instantly, and an oppressive aura spread out in all directions.
But all of this was the will of the gods.
Sinclair had observed carefully.
Compared to other guesses, Jiang Huaying seemed to like Chan Yue the most.
That made sense; many humans loved cloth dolls—they were gentle, elegant, and delicate, the dream cats of humans.
Unlike Lun Mao, which were ordinary, wild, ferocious, and everywhere.
They started talking.
Seeing Chan Yue turn into a cloth doll had left her completely stunned, even blushing.
Human beings—so fickle and greedy.
The sharp sting pierced Sinclair’s heart, simultaneously stirring a powerful bitterness, sour to the point of bitterness.
Wasn’t it the gods who sent Chan Yue over?
This was the best trick the gods could come up with.
She had so many other pets, those guys who entered her world before Sinclair.
Maybe they wouldn’t appear now, but what about later?
What if?
Poor little Sinclair couldn’t afford to take that gamble.
Having experienced abandonment once, he refused to let go.
So he could only think of every possible way to cling tightly to her like a shadow.
Sinclair hid in the dark corner, his dim cat-like pupils radiating eerie green light as he continued to watch in a self-destructive manner.
They were still talking.
What were they saying?
Why were they laughing so happily?
One thought after another flashed through his mind, yet none brought any answers.
The overwhelming repression made Sinclair’s forehead veins bulge and twitch.
Then he saw Chan Yue enter that bedroom.
He went in.
A Ying let him in.
After a momentary blank in his mind, Sinclair’s face turned deathly pale, but his expression grew extremely grim.
The shadows around him darkened into something sinister and terrifying, his sharp teeth gleaming with cold light, vicious flames raging wildly in his bright yellow cat eyes!
Was the Butcher stupid?
What was the Butcher doing? Why didn’t he stop it?
Stupid dog! Just watching that wild man walk in!
Sinclair’s jealousy drove him mad.
The gods could no longer bear to watch and fled like a wolf or fox.
Just the thought of what might happen next tore Sinclair apart inside.
Using the excuse of something important, Chan Yue got the chance to enter Jiang Huaying’s bedroom.
Stepping into the room filled with the scent of a young girl, he naturally closed the door behind him, shutting out everything from the outside world.
“Want to touch me first?”
“What… what?” Jiang Huaying blinked slowly, unable to keep up with his pace. “I thought you said it was something important…”
Chan Yue smiled faintly and nodded, gently taking her hand and pressing it against his slightly cool cheek. “This is the important thing. If you’re not comfortable with how I look now, maybe I can change into something else?”
A pair of blue-gray cat ears poked out from the soft black hair on his head, gently twitching toward Jiang Huaying.
A matching fluffy tail flicked behind him, brushing up her calves like feathers, sending a tingling sensation up her skin.
Looking into Chan Yue’s sapphire-clear blue eyes, Jiang Huaying’s pupils dilated in surprise as she finally realized.
“Was… was it Sinclair who sent you?” she asked with difficulty.
Chan Yue was momentarily stunned by her reaction.
“Sorry, I thought you had already agreed.” He quickly released her hand, hurriedly looking down and tidying his clothes to hide his flustered emotions, not daring to meet her gaze.
Jiang Huaying didn’t realize how lucky she was.
The messy emotions tangled in her chest made it impossible to tell whether she felt more anger or more speechlessness.
Just as neither of them spoke, the bedroom door was suddenly flung open from the outside.
The Butcher’s electronic eyes glowed red as they swept across the two standing close inside, without hesitation stepping between them.
The heavy thud of his military boots echoed in the room.
“Yi Cai, what are you doing here?” Jiang Huaying barely opened her mouth before Sinclair’s arms wrapped around her waist, warm breath hitting her face.
Chan Yue was pushed roughly aside. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.
“Yi Cai, let go of me.” Jiang Huaying patted the Butcher’s broad, bare back, the wheat-colored skin still glistening with undried water droplets, radiant and translucent.
The Butcher held her without moving, silent.
Jiang Huaying’s hand reached up to the black ram horns on his skull: “You’re being disobedient.”
The Butcher’s skeletal skull tilted to one side as she poked, then lifted her up effortlessly.
Jiang Huaying’s perspective suddenly rose, and she kicked Sinclair’s side unhappily.
“You bad dog, put me down!”
“Much easier this way.” The Butcher didn’t dodge or avoid the kick. Instead, after taking it, he pressed his demonic horns into her hand again.
Jiang Huaying’s palm touched a cold surface.
Unable to resist, she pinched the sharp horn tightly.
A low muffled groan came from the Butcher’s chest, his red electronic eyes flickering urgently.
Chan Yue stood aside, watching their intimate interaction with a heavy feeling in his chest.
“Well then, I won’t disturb you. I’ll be going now.” He forced a smile, wanting to leave without seeming so wolfish.
“Wait, don’t go!” Jiang Huaying’s voice rang out from behind.
In Chan Yue’s eyes, a flicker of scattered light appeared, his heart pounding faster as he held his breath.
“The gods are so considerate; I can’t disappoint them. So… can you stay the night?” Jiang Huaying revealed her plan.
The light in Chan Yue’s eyes slowly faded without immediate reply.
Afraid of making things difficult for him, she added, “If it’s troublesome, then it’s fine…”
“I can.” Chan Yue interrupted her, looking up again and returning to his usual gentle expression. “Come sit for a while. We have a long time.”
The Butcher continued holding Jiang Huaying motionless, like a statue.
A silent tension filled the air.
Jiang Huaying: …
At last, in the small bedroom, one human and two non-humans began their nighttime chat.
Most of the time, Jiang Huaying and Chan Yue talked, while the Butcher listened quietly nearby.
Chan Yue was very talkative.
No matter the subject, his clear, pleasant voice made everything interesting.
Jiang Huaying listened attentively, unable to help but ask, “I didn’t expect you and Sinclair fought before. What happened later? How did he become your boss?”
Chan Yue didn’t get flustered by the repeated questions; the smile on his lips never faded.
Although their conversations always revolved around another cat, at least every time she looked over, her eyes held only him, sparkling brightly.
“Because the boss’s abilities are very special. He can absorb those negative pains, letting the malformed monsters slowly regain their sanity.”
“At first, it wasn’t easy. He had to defeat one malformed monster before absorbing the pain. Severe pollution was not easy for the boss to handle back then—it was even quite tricky. Every time, he had to endure intense pain. I thought the gods wouldn’t be able to bear it.”
Jiang Huaying couldn’t help but clench her fingers tightly, worry showing plainly on her pretty face.
“Don’t worry.” Chan Yue said this not to upset her but to comfort her. He reached out and gently patted her hand.
The moment he touched Jiang Huaying, a crimson, chilling gaze pierced straight at them, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Chan Yue seemed not to notice and continued, “The boss now is very strong. Those little pollutions are nothing to him and won’t cause any discomfort anymore.”
Jiang Huaying recalled Sinclair’s pale and weak appearance during the day. “Does it really have no effect? Won’t he feel weak for a while or something?”
Chan Yue answered honestly, sincerity shining in his eyes: “Rest assured, no.”
After receiving repeated assurances, Jiang Huaying raised an eyebrow like a mischievous little fox, her tone slightly raised: “So that’s how it is…”
A night without dreams.
Last night, Jiang Huaying didn’t know when she had slumped over in bed.
When she woke again, the bedroom was already empty of the Butcher and Chan Yue.
Afraid they might have quarreled, she hurried downstairs without tidying up.
“Good morning.”
“Breakfast is ready.”
Two voices sounded one after another.
Chan Yue stood by the window, holding some dew-dappled moonlight flowers, a vase nearby.
Seeing her come down, a gentle and exquisite smile appeared in his eyes.
The Butcher stood by the table, carrying freshly baked breakfast.
He still wore the slightly ill-fitting apron, outlining his broad shoulders and narrow waist in a sensual way.
Jiang Huaying was momentarily dazzled.
Such a harmonious yet unreal scene made her feel like she wasn’t fully awake.
After washing up and finishing breakfast in a daze, Jiang Huaying finally remembered she still had work to do.
She ordered the Butcher not to follow, then escorted Chan Yue out the door.
In the dark corner, a pair of deep eyes fixed tightly on their departing figures.
Sinclair hadn’t slept all night; bloodshot veins spiderwebbed his eyeballs.
Like self-torment, he had returned here in the middle of the night and waited until dawn.
The growing sunlight dispelled the night’s chill, but Sinclair felt his blood freezing inch by inch, sensing not a trace of warmth.
“This is about where I’ll leave you.” Chan Yue stopped walking.
“Okay, then…” Jiang Huaying hadn’t finished speaking when Chan Yue suddenly stepped closer.
They were so near that she could clearly smell the faint moonlight flower scent on him.
From afar, it looked like he suddenly bent to kiss her cheek.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t seen by the patrol when I went out to pick the flowers this morning.” Chan Yue finished, quickly winking at her, then stepped back.
Chan Yue left.
Jiang Huaying stood still, counting silently in her heart.
Before she could reach three, a pitch-black, gloomy figure appeared before her.
Sinclair looked terrible.
When he lowered his eyes to her, twisted pain and a terrifying craving surged in them.
Jiang Huaying forced down the terrifying chill crawling up her spine, smiled sweetly as if she knew nothing, and said, “Sinclair, thank you for giving me Chan Yue. I’ve always wanted a cloth doll cat. Now this counts as my wish coming true twice over, right?”
The girl’s pale face glowed under the warm golden sunlight, like a little angel stepping out of a painting.
Yet her smile was innocent and cruel.
Sinclair’s body stiffened completely; the last taut string in his mind snapped with a sharp sound.
The emotions repressed all night completely overflowed, his darkness rising crazily like a snowstorm.
A sharp system alarm sounded in Jiang Huaying’s ears.
If the concentration of the black mist kept rising, it would break the threshold, causing uncontrollable consequences.
The alarms sounded increasingly frequently, like countless needles piercing her brain simultaneously.
Jiang Huaying’s face turned pale, but she didn’t regret it at all.
There wasn’t much time left for her.
She knew this move was dangerous; one slip could drag her into the abyss forever.
But this was the best chance to fully tame Sinclair.
After a brief moment of anxiety, the monster ultimately could not match a human’s resolve.
Sinclair was the first to compromise.
Like his whole body’s bones were shattered, he bent his back and gripped Jiang Huaying’s delicate hand tightly with trembling fingers: “Don’t like Chan Yue so much, okay? I… I’m good too. I’ll be better than him.”
Jiang Huaying slowly withdrew her hand from Sinclair’s grasp. “Sorry, I should have apologized to you earlier.”
Her eyelashes fluttered like broken butterfly wings in the sunlight, tears gathering in her eyes that became the sharpest blade piercing Sinclair’s chest. “Actually, Sinclair, you still hate me, don’t you? You never really forgave me, so you’ve been toying with me like this, haven’t you?”
“No… no, it’s not like that…” Sinclair felt pain all over, and his tongue seemed poisoned and numb, making it hard to speak despite wanting to say so much.
Jiang Huaying sobbed softly.
The tip of her nose flushed a faint red, making her look all the more fragile and moving: “Yesterday, you clearly weren’t ill, but you lied and said you were, making me worry so much. Then you left me alone… and now you’re pretending to be so sad again.”
“Are you trying to fool me again?”
The moment her last words fell, something in Sinclair’s eyes seemed to break completely.
His rising dark madness suddenly stopped.
Large tears, like broken pearls, poured from his eyes as he cried silently and with great restraint.
“No, sorry… I shouldn’t have lied. I just wanted you to worry about me. Sorry, I was too scared to lose you again… They all like you, and I’m ugly and disabled. I can’t compare to them…” Sinclair stammered, no longer daring to be stubborn or hide anything.
Jiang Huaying knew she had bet right.
She didn’t hurry to comfort the little cat but quietly enjoyed the moment.
He cried so beautifully.
After watching her fill, Jiang Huaying spoke: “But whether you’re beautiful or not shouldn’t be for me to decide, right? If I thought you weren’t good enough back then, I wouldn’t have kept you under so much pressure.”
Her words were like honey-coated shards of glass, pushing Sinclair’s bottom line back and back.
“Sorry, I won’t do it anymore.”
“I haven’t said I forgive you yet.” Jiang Huaying scrunched her nose, softly growling as if about to walk away.
The next second, the hem of her skirt was caught.
“Meow~”
A soft, coquettish cat’s meow sounded.