Chapter 31 Part 1

Two wisps of clouds drifted past one another in a fleeting encounter, casually veiling the moon’s glow and deepening the tranquil chill of the night.

Tong Yuwu’s violet eyes gleamed with crystalline mystery in the dim light. She lowered her head slightly, her gaze settling on the hand extended below—its bones and flesh perfectly proportioned. Meng Yiran’s build was more mature than hers, her finger joints prominent yet not obtrusive, which only accentuated the slender grace of her hands.

No response came for a long while, yet the hand remained stubbornly outstretched, carrying its owner’s unspoken anticipation and yearning.

But Tong Yuwu’s gaze was utterly cold, devoid of any warmth or emotion.

“Ordinary friends?” she said, her voice laced with rational scrutiny. “You’ve been following me this whole time. What’s your real purpose?”

Meng Yiran awkwardly rubbed the tip of her nose with her other hand. “This… have I really been following you?”

She reflected on their shared past and realized she had always been the one taking the initiative. There was no helping it—with Tong Yuwu’s temperament, if she didn’t push forward, they wouldn’t even share so much as a fleeting connection, let alone weave a story together.

“No purpose,” she said, clearing her throat before continuing. “If I had to name one…”

She stole a glance at the other’s expression. “It’s that you’re too beautiful. I want to be friends with you.”

Tong Yuwu froze for a moment.

Meng Yiran figured that this pure noble miss, raised in isolation within the castle walls, had likely never encountered anyone quite as shameless as herself. Even she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment, and she ducked her head, avoiding any further eye contact.

Fortunately, Tong Yuwu recovered quickly. She regarded Meng Yiran and said, “There are plenty of beautiful people.”

The words had gone this far already. Meng Yiran drew a deep breath and declared outright, “But you’re the most beautiful one in my heart!”

Tong Yuwu’s eyes widened just a fraction—an unusually pronounced reaction for her.

A far greater response came from Ling Ge, who was hiding beneath the window. The little girl seemed to recall something unpleasant, her round eyes glaring resentfully at Meng Yiran. Moments later, still unsatisfied, she reached out and pinched Meng Yiran’s leg with surprising force.

The pinch wasn’t all that hard, but Meng Yiran’s nerves were wound tight. She yelped in shock—”Ah!”—and jumped to her feet.

Tong Yuwu reacted at once, her brows knitting deeply as she glanced toward Meng Yiran’s feet. “Someone else is here?”

Panic seized the two outside.

Meng Yiran’s face drained of color as she waved her hands frantically. “No, no, it’s just, uh…”

In that moment of crisis, inspiration struck Ling Ge. She shot Meng Yiran a meaningful look before vanishing from sight.

The next instant, just as on the day they had first met, a round-headed little blue cat appeared in Meng Yiran’s line of vision.

Meng Yiran caught on immediately and let out a huge sigh of relief. She bent down, scooped up the cat, and held her to her chest for Tong Yuwu to see. “No one else. It’s my pet cat.

“I brought her along with me. She, uh, just scratched at my leg down there a moment ago and gave me a real fright.”

To her surprise, Tong Yuwu frowned at the sight and took two steps back.

Meng Yiran was utterly baffled.

She glanced down at the fluffy, adorable creature cradled in her hands, confirmed there was nothing amiss, and waggled her gently toward Tong Yuwu. “Uh… isn’t she cute?”

Ling Ge played along, widening her eyes and raising a tiny paw as she fixed her gaze on Tong Yuwu, letting out a soft “Meow~.”

Tong Yuwu’s brows furrowed even tighter. “Stay away from me,” she said bluntly.

Meng Yiran’s voice shrank to a whisper. “Why…?”

Tong Yuwu pressed her lips into a thin line. After a moment, she uttered two cold words: “She sheds fur.”

Meng Yiran and Ling Ge both turned to stone.

Once the meaning sank in, the little blue cat flew into a rage.

A shrill meow erupted from her throat as her front paws clawed wildly toward Tong Yuwu. The sharp tips glinted coldly in the moonlight, making it clear the little one had been thoroughly provoked by those two words.

Meng Yiran nearly lost her grip, but she snapped back to her senses and clamped her arms around the cat, trapping her securely to prevent any irreversible mischief.

She looked up at Tong Yuwu. “But… don’t you keep a cat yourself?”

Tong Yuwu let out a noncommittal hum from her nose.

Meng Yiran couldn’t fathom it. “Exactly… you have a cat too. How can you dislike it when cats shed fur?”

Tong Yuwu replied coolly, “Can’t I?”

The little blue cat, who had only just settled down, felt freshly provoked. She bared her sharp teeth and issued a low, predatory growl from deep in her throat.

“Of course, of course, absolutely.” Meng Yiran quickly tightened her grip on her arm to keep the Little Blue Cat from wriggling free.

Right now, Tong Yuwu and Ling Ge were clearly in a state of red-hot hostility. She couldn’t afford to provoke either of them, nor could she talk either one down. The words “better to retreat” flashed through her mind.

Ignoring the fact that she hadn’t even properly shaken hands with the other woman yet, Meng Yiran gave Tong Yuwu a wry smile. “In that case, I’ll head out first.”

She turned around with Ling Ge in her arms and took a few steps before looking back and waving goodbye to Tong Yuwu. “I’ll come find you to play next time. Bye-bye—er, I mean, good night.”

Tong Yuwu coldly shut the window. Meng Yiran sighed inwardly and hurried away from the scene with the Little Blue Cat.

In a quiet, safe corner, the Little Blue Cat transformed back into that spirited little girl.

As she straightened out the clothes Meng Yiran had rumpled, she grumbled, “Not helping me is one thing, but why did you have to hold me back?” Her teeth itched with anger. “Damn humans—I should’ve been allowed to go over there and teach her a real lesson!”

“Don’t be mad, don’t be mad.” Meng Yiran could only soothe her. “She didn’t mean any harm, really.”

In her mind, she came up with an excuse for Tong Yuwu. “It’s probably like how some people just can’t stand spicy food, or some people hate the color red. She just doesn’t like shedding animals. It’s definitely not personal.”

Ling Ge was somewhat convinced. “Yeah, it’s not really aimed at me…”

Suddenly, she glared at Meng Yiran. “Does she hate you for shedding too?”

Meng Yiran recalled what Tong Yuwu had once said to her in the castle.

The Noble Miss had declared she wouldn’t like her unless she was obedient and stopped shedding.

Meng Yiran wasn’t sure if she counted as obedient, but shedding… well, she’d never managed to get over that.

So Meng Yiran nodded. “Of course she does.”

“I can’t even imagine what kind of life you’ve been living with her!” Ling Ge puffed out her cheeks, her anger mostly dissipated and replaced by indignation over Meng Yiran’s plight. “You shed fur all day long, she complains about it all day long, and yet you still think she’s your good friend?!”

Remembering how she’d exposed herself earlier, Ling Ge discontentedly jabbed Meng Yiran’s forehead with her finger. “And you said it’s because she’s the most beautiful person in your eyes. Am I not beautiful? Huh? Am I not? When we first met, you didn’t exactly rush to be friends with me. You resisted the whole way, acting like I was going to kidnap you and sell you off!”

Meng Yiran mumbled softly, “That’s different…”

Ling Ge saw right through her. “I think you’re just dazzled by a pretty face!”

She didn’t hold back in her roasting. “How did I end up with such a spineless kin like you? That human isn’t good to you at all, but you’re still thinking of telling her your true identity, convinced she won’t betray you.

“Just you wait. You won’t even need to expose yourself—she’ll get fed up with your shedding one day and sell you off herself! Hmph!”

Meng Yiran rubbed her nose.

She didn’t know how to explain it to Ling Ge. In her memory, Tong Yuwu did mind the shedding, but it was always just talk—nothing ever really changed.

Still, a little thought bubbled up in her mind unbidden—

Had Tong Yuwu been putting up with it the whole time she spent with Little White Cat?

She didn’t want to dwell on it and quickly changed the subject. “It’s getting late. Let’s hurry back to the dorms.

“We still have to deal with that ‘tricky’ Ming Yi you mentioned.”

Ling Ge wasn’t the type to lose sight of priorities, so she nodded right away. “Right, let’s go, let’s go—hurry up.”

The two of them quickly made it back to the Dormitory Area on the other side. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, and there was no one in front of the dorm.

Compared to Tong Yuwu’s Standalone Cottage, Ling Ge’s living quarters were a bit more modest, but still far nicer than the university dorm Meng Yiran had lived in during her previous life. She and Ling Ge were roommates of a sort, sharing a small living room, but each had their own separate Bedroom for sleeping. This dorm had probably been specially arranged by Teacher Liya too—with Ling Ge covering for her, no one would notice if she stayed out all night.

Meng Yiran went to check out her own room and found it fully equipped with everything she could need, even with signs of use to make it look lived-in rather than vacant. She couldn’t help but praise Ling Ge’s thoughtfulness.

“Of course.” Ling Ge lifted her little chin proudly. “All of us sent out by the clan for training and to search for lost kin have undergone very strict preparation.”

Hearing this, Meng Yiran felt a pang of sorrow and reached out to pat the seventeen-year-old girl’s head.

Ling Ge nimbly dodged, pouting up at her. “What’re you doing? Don’t look at me like that—you’re maybe a year older than me at most.”

The atmosphere shattered in an instant. Meng Yiran stuck out her tongue. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Ling Ge plopped down on the living room sofa, propping her cheeks in her hands. “Actually, we’ve been really lucky growing up in the Clan Grounds since we were kids. You folks scattered out in the world have had it way tougher.”

She was still stewing over what had happened earlier and couldn’t resist griping some more. “And you ended up with an owner who gripes about pet hair. Talk about a raw deal.”

Meng Yiran let out an awkward chuckle.

The two of them chatted idly in the living room. It wasn’t long before a knock sounded at the dormitory door.

Ling Ge shot Meng Yiran a meaningful glance, and the pair headed to the door one after the other.

Sure enough, it was Ming Yi. The moment he laid eyes on Meng Yiran, a smile spread across his face. He presented a small box, handing it to her personally, and repeated the words he’d spoken earlier at Tong Yuwu’s door.

Meng Yiran nodded. “Got it. Thanks—and sorry for making you come all this way yourself.”

She gave him a gentle warning. “In the future, if there’s anything, you can just go straight to Ling Ge. It’s the same thing.” She stressed, “I trust her completely.”

Ming Yi arched a brow and peered past her at Ling Ge. “Oh? Did Little Ling Ge go tattling to you?”

Ling Ge said nothing, just glared at Meng Yiran in silence.

Ming Yi laughed, adopting a look of strict principle. “Some things she can pass along, some she can’t.

“I hope you understand.”

“Hmph.” Ling Ge pouted and muttered under her breath, “It all depends on your mood anyway.”

Ming Yi didn’t deny it, grinning in the most punchable way. “Pretty much.”

He paused. “Take the next matter, for instance. I need to discuss it privately with Assistant Teacher Meng. Could you step out for a moment?”

Before Ling Ge could respond, Meng Yiran spoke up. “No need for her to leave.”

She cut straight to it. “I’ll tell her afterward anyway, so you might as well say it all now.”

Ming Yi considered for a moment but didn’t object.

He pointed to the box in Meng Yiran’s hand. “Your apology gift is a little different from the others’. It comes with an extra potion.”

Meng Yiran lifted the lid and saw three potions nestled on the silk lining inside. Aside from the two she’d glimpsed at Tong Yuwu’s place, a small blue-purple vial lay quietly on the far right.

Ming Yi explained, “That classmate Kangsi specially asked me to deliver this one to you. It’s his thanks for you speaking up for him—er, standing up for him in the Corridor that day.”

Ling Ge’s curiosity was piqued. “What does this potion do?”