Meng Yiran couldn’t speak, but Teacher Liya’s words carried a profound sorrow that tugged at her heart.
Noticing this, Teacher Liya’s lips curved into a gentle smile, lightening the heavy air in the chamber just a touch.
She went on. “I know you were raised by a human and formed a deep bond with her. You believe she would never harm you. But the world is far more complicated than you realize. Humans will die for wealth—imagine what they’ll do for power or a longer life.
“Of course, I firmly believe there are good people in this world who can resist such temptations. Long ago, a few extended a helping hand, saving our Golden Marten Clan from extinction. But do you know what happened to them? Good folk stand little chance against those with ill intent. Their ends were all tragic.
“I’m not telling you to sever all ties with humans right now. Understand this: sometimes, keeping the truth hidden is the greatest protection you can offer them. Don’t test humanity. And don’t exploit it.”
Confronted so abruptly with the Golden Marten Clan’s grim history, Meng Yiran wasn’t sure how to respond.
At the end of the day, she was just a transmigrated soul from a book. Teacher Liya’s words stirred a faint sadness, like reading a tragic passage in a novel, but she couldn’t truly immerse herself in it.
That said, she couldn’t reveal her identity. The danger of exposure was a matter of life and death, so she committed that lesson firmly to memory.
Teacher Liya watched her reaction and smiled with approval.
“Young ones never like hearing my lectures. I’ll stop here on our clan’s history for now. Come ask me anything later if you want.” She placed a finger to Meng Yiran’s forehead. “Now, onto today’s main lesson. I’m going to teach you some vital spells unique to our Golden Marten Clan.”
At that, Meng Yiran perked up immediately.
She desperately needed this help. Freely shifting between cat and human forms was the one thing she craved most right now!
A warm current flowed from her forehead, and when Meng Yiran opened her eyes again—just like when Ling Ze had transformed her before—she was back in human shape. Her long silver ponytail draped over her shoulder; with a nimble toss of her head, it swung obediently to her back, swaying lazily in the air like a tail.
She looked at Teacher Liya with sincere gratitude. “Thank you.”
Teacher Liya’s smile was warm and kind. “No need to thank me.”
She took Meng Yiran’s hand. “Shapeshifting is almost second nature to our Golden Marten Clan. Even without me, in a safe environment, you’d probably figure it out in a few months on your own. It’s that simple—like eating or drinking. Now, close your eyes and follow my instructions. Try it once.”
In the sealed yet cozy Secret Chamber, Meng Yiran repeated the transformation between cat and human under her guide’s instruction.
Liya hadn’t exaggerated—it really was incredibly simple for her, like the way a newborn infant instinctively wailed for milk and nourishment. Meng Yiran didn’t feel like she was learning a spell at all; rather, she was awakening some deep-seated instinct buried within her body that had never been stirred before.
Once she had gotten the hang of it, Teacher Liya stepped out briefly and returned with two sets of new clothes.
“From now on, you’ll be staying with us to learn about the Golden Marten Clan’s ways. An official identity will make things much easier,” Liya explained. “To outsiders, you’ll say you’re my distant niece. I’ve hired you to serve as my temporary teaching assistant at the school.”
Meng Yiran’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me…”
She truly felt overwhelmed. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
Liya gave her a long, meaningful look. “Protecting our young clan members is every Golden Marten Clan’s duty.”
She let out a soft sigh. “Truthfully, the best course of action would be to send you back to our Clan Grounds. But… we suffered a terrible catastrophe not long ago. The High Priest led the few survivors into a Secret Realm for refuge. That realm doesn’t allow casual entry or exit—the entrance only opens at set intervals. You missed the last one, and it will be quite some time before it opens again.
“It’s we who are imposing on you by leaving you here.”
Meng Yiran felt even more mortified. “Please, don’t say that.”
She stuck out her tongue playfully. “Without running into you all, who knows what state I’d be in right now. You’ve already done so much for me—I’m deeply grateful.”
Liya’s lips curved into a gentle smile, and she said nothing more.
That evening, with Ling Ze’s help, Meng Yiran slipped back into the dormitory before Tong Yuwu returned. She didn’t forget to shift into her cat form first and roll around every corner of the room, creating the perfect illusion that she’d been lounging there all day.
A short while later, Tong Yuwu came back from class. The moment she pushed open the door, there was her Little White Cat, perched right at the threshold and waiting patiently for her.
Tong Yuwu padded inside in her slippers and set down the food she’d brought back in Meng Yiran’s bowl before heading into the bathroom.
Meng Yiran wasn’t hungry. She nibbled at half of it absentmindedly and stopped. The sound of running water from the bathroom continued as the Little White Cat sat on the carpet, bored out of her mind and chasing her own tail in circles.
But Meng Yiran quickly snapped out of it, mortified that such a game was utterly beneath the dignity of a Golden Marten Clan member. In a huff, she pinned her tail under her paw and chomped down on it a few times to vent her frustration.
Her attention soon wandered to the book bag Tong Yuwu had brought home.
It sat on the table, but that was no obstacle for the Little White Cat. With a casual leap, Meng Yiran landed atop it. The strap was simple enough; mouth and paws working together, she soon had it untied. She tugged out a new book with a deep crimson cover, roughly the size of a language arts textbook from her previous life.
Even knowing she couldn’t read a word of it, Meng Yiran brimmed with excitement.
This was the real deal—a proper Magic Book, filled with authentic magical incantations.
Tong Yuwu still hadn’t emerged from the bathroom. Meng Yiran glanced that way, hesitating for a moment, but then summoned her feline courage. She batted at the book with her paw, flipping it open to a random page.
To her eyes, the unintelligible script glowed with profound sanctity. Every character seemed to pulse with immense power. The Little White Cat stared so intently that, had anyone not known she was illiterate, they might have mistaken her for a scholar of many years.
But after turning a few pages, Meng Yiran sensed something amiss.
Several pages toward the back were stuck together. She carefully pried at them with her claw—and smeared a pawful of still-wet ink.
The Little White Cat let out a pitiful “Meow!”
Did Magic Books suffer from printing defects too?!
On second thought, though, that didn’t add up. Even a botched print job wouldn’t leave this much fresh ink smeared between the pages, would it?
Not that it was a little kitty’s place to puzzle over such things.
Tong Yuwu emerged from the bathroom and spotted the black smudge on her paw right away.
Meng Yiran held up the offending paw innocently, afraid to set it down anywhere lest she leave dark plum-blossom prints all over the furniture.
To her relief, Tong Yuwu said nothing. She simply scooped up the cat and carried her back into the bathroom.
As she washed the paw clean, Tong Yuwu suddenly remembered something. She looked down and asked, “Have Meili and the others… bathed you before?”
Meng Yiran caught on immediately and began to wriggle, desperate to escape.
But Tong Yuwu was faster. With a nudge of her foot, she eased the bathroom door shut.
Meng Yiran’s wail was even more heartrending than before: “Meow—”
Tong Yuwu poured hot water into a clean basin. Once the temperature was just right, she lowered the Little White Cat inside and ladled a gentle scoop of water over her fur.
“Is the temperature okay?”
Meng Yiran sat bolt upright, though her voice came out particularly feeble.
“Meow~ meow~.”
She wasn’t your average little kitten—she had no fear of water and didn’t mind baths at all.
It was just that having Tong Yuwu give her one in these circumstances left her unsure who was taking advantage of whom: herself of the Doll Lady, or the Doll Lady of her.
Either way, no self-respecting kitten should stand for it!
Meng Yiran put up fierce resistance. Tong Yuwu managed to clean her head and back, areas she couldn’t defend, but when that pale, wicked palm ventured toward her belly, she clamped down her limbs and wouldn’t budge an inch. The two stalemated amid the steamy bathroom haze, a sheen of sweat beading on Tong Yuwu’s forehead, yet she still couldn’t break through.
The Little White Cat, seeing this, smugly slapped the water’s surface and lifted her chin. “Hmph, that woman thinks she can take me down with this?”
Splashed droplets rained down on her and Tong Yuwu alike, leaving the mistress and her servant both rather bedraggled.
“If you won’t cooperate, fine.” Tong Yuwu wiped the water from her face. “Up you go—we’ll dry off.”
Only then did Meng Yiran let out a haughty “meow,” extending one front paw toward her.
Tong Yuwu had changed into fresh clothes and couldn’t tuck the kitten against her chest like usual. She stood, slid her hands under the Little White Cat’s front armpits, and hoisted the sopping-wet bundle upright. Eager to escape the ordeal, Meng Yiran went along with it—but halfway up, Tong Yuwu let go with her right hand and launched a sneak attack on the little kitten’s soft underbelly.
“Yow—!” Meng Yiran flailed, her hind paws slipping out from under her and nearly sending her tumbling. Tong Yuwu’s left hand kept its grip on her front paws, sparing her the fall. Fur bristling, the Little White Cat glared up and unleashed a furious barrage of “meow~ meow~” at the Doll Lady’s chin. It stopped short of outright curses, but every yowl was a heartfelt indictment of Tong Yuwu’s treachery.
Secure in the natural gulf between their species, Tong Yuwu tuned out the meows like white noise and scrubbed mercilessly, sending the fur on the kitten’s belly every which way. Once that was done, she even tried slipping a hand between the Little White Cat’s hind legs. Wiser now, Meng Yiran clamped her tail tight and held firm against every ploy!
Tong Yuwu finally relented. The Noble Miss settled for simply washing the Little White Cat’s tail, bringing the bath-time fiasco to a close.
Dried to fluffy perfection, the Little White Cat was deposited on the bed. Tong Yuwu returned to the bathroom for her own shower, emerged in a fresh outfit, and finally stepped back out.
She approached the bedside. Meng Yiran—who’d been sprawled across the sheets, limp with despair—jolted upright, arched her back, and sprang off the bed to perch on a tall shelf nearby.
Tong Yuwu reached out to pet her, only for the kitten to dodge with agile grace.
The Noble Miss spoke up. “Hide in those filthy corners again, and it’s bath time tomorrow.”
Meng Yiran froze mid-motion. She mewed a careless “meow meow” from her perch, but her body betrayed her, hopping down to land beside her soft cushion.
Two meters separated the cushion from the bed. She hunkered there, eyes locked warily on Tong Yuwu.
In high spirits, the Noble Miss settled at her desk, picked up the new book, and began to read. Meng Yiran watched as she dabbed a handkerchief over the inky pages to blot away the stains, then turned them with ease. With nothing better to do, the kitten drowsed off and tumbled asleep on her cushion.
She stirred again in the dead of night. The dorm was silent and pitch-black, Tong Yuwu sleeping soundly on the bed.
Lingering resentment from before bedtime fueled her. Meng Yiran hopped onto the bed without a care, making no effort to be quiet. A clamor of thuds and clatters followed before the Little White Cat thudded down beside the pillow and curled into a cozy ball.
Tong Yuwu woke at once. Turning her head, she found a fuzzy lump blocking her view in the dark.
