Chapter 30 Part 3

“I was trying to make him back off and hand the item over obediently… Then, tsk, I deliberately told him you were super busy, that Teacher Liya keeps you until late every night before letting you head back to the dorm.” Ling Ge gritted her teeth. “But that jerk just said it was no problem—he’d swing by again after ten tonight and hand it over to you personally.”

Meng Yiran blinked in shock. “Tonight at ten?”

Ling Ge nodded.

Meng Yiran frowned deeply, her face etched with worry. “That won’t work… We usually turn in before eleven, and there’s no way I can sneak out of Tong Yuwu’s dormitory before then.”

“Eleven is curfew,” Ling Ge said. “If you don’t show up by then, it’ll look suspicious.”

She was starting to panic. “You could say you’re crashing with Teacher Liya for a bit, but if he insists on giving it to you in person, that excuse won’t hold up for long.”

Meng Yiran narrowed her eyes, racking her brain. “What if… I pretend to run into him during the day and go find him myself? Will he be carrying the item on him?”

“Who knows.” Ling Ge slumped her shoulders. “That guy’s a tough nut to crack.”

The two girls exchanged glances, both wearing grim expressions. At that moment, Ling Ze—who had been quietly working on his homework in the room—suddenly spoke up. “Actually, there’s another option.”

Meng Yiran and Ling Ge whipped their heads toward him. “What option?”

Ling Ze looked up from his book and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Our clan has a spell that creates a cat-shaped clone. As long as the clone stays close to the real body, your consciousness can jump freely between them.” He turned to Meng Yiran. “Whichever side holds the consciousness acts just like normal. But the empty shell without it looks dazed and can only handle basic physiological functions.

“That said, for playing the part of a pet cat, basic functions are plenty. And the more you use it, the more the empty clone picks up conditioned reflexes, making it seem more and more real.”

Meng Yiran’s eyes lit up. “That’s perfect!”

Ling Ge slapped her palm. “Yes! Even if the kitty’s right under Tong Yuwu’s nose, she can still slip out whenever!”

But then she paused, spotting the issue. “Bro, why didn’t you ever tell me about this spell before?”

Ling Ze shot her a glance. “When exactly would you need something like that?”

Ling Ge tilted her head, actually pondering it. “Hmm… When I want to pet myself and play around?”

She hugged the air in front of her, mimicking cradling the Little Blue Cat.

Ling Ze went silent, staring at her like he was debating whether to drag his little sister to a brain doctor for a full workup.

Meng Yiran jumped in to break the awkwardness, asking Ling Ze earnestly, “Can you teach me? I really need this—like, desperately!”

Ling Ze had offered in the first place to help her, so he nodded without hesitation.

Ling Ge shoved her way in. “Teach me too! Teach me too!”

Ling Ze rolled his eyes at her but didn’t refuse. He called them both over to a small table and began the lesson.

Ling Ge and Ling Ze still had classes, so the siblings soon headed out one after the other. Meng Yiran stayed behind alone in the little room, practicing until evening when her head throbbed and she finally stepped out.

Ling Ge showed up after school, and Meng Yiran begged her to stick around and test the spell that night. Ling Ge—probably curious about how it worked herself—readily agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

Night fell over Clarity Magic Academy, and the whole place grew quiet.

The Little White Cat had been curled up on Tong Yuwu’s lap for hours, keeping her company. Now it feigned exhaustion and hopped down from her knee.

Tong Yuwu’s focus was glued to her book. Her left hand trailed idly from the cat’s back to its tail, giving the tip a pinch, all without so much as glancing back. She let it slip away from her lap without a fuss.

Meng Yiran let out a quiet sigh of relief. She used the cat’s body to leap out through the bedroom window—which wasn’t fully shut—and landed at the base to meet Ling Ge.

The doors and windows stayed locked tight during the day when Tong Yuwu was out, but they opened up at night. It made things convenient for Meng Yiran’s plan tonight.

Ling Ge’s face was flushed with excitement. “How’d it go? She didn’t notice, right?”

Meng Yiran clamped her right index finger over her lips. “Shh! Shh! No, she didn’t.”

She drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves, then gave Ling Ge a nod. “Here I go.”

Ling Ge nodded back. Meng Yiran recited the strange incantation she’d learned that day, pairing it with a few hand gestures.

In short order, an identical Little White Cat appeared in her arms—one just like her own cat form.

Meng Yiran and Ling Ge stared wide-eyed at the little creature, utterly fascinated.

Ling Ge, ever the bold one, immediately reached out and lifted the Little White Cat’s front paw. The texture felt utterly real, indistinguishable from the genuine article, yet the Little White Cat showed no reaction at all, allowing her to manipulate its paw without so much as a twitch. Meng Yiran found it strange as well and simply scooped up the entire cat, giving it a shake. Only from the vigorous motion did the Little White Cat slowly turn its head, its gaze vacant as it stared at her.

Ling Ge grumbled, “Will this even work? It looks so fake.”

“No problem.” Meng Yiran psyched herself up. “It’s a bit early, but bedtime’s approaching. I’ll just pretend to be asleep once I’m inside.”

Working together, the two stuffed the kitten into Tong Yuwu’s dormitory. Meng Yiran focused her will intensely, yearning to enter the cat’s body. When she opened her eyes again, her consciousness had shifted into the feline clone.

She turned and peered down from the windowsill. Ling Ge was gleefully poking at the cheek of her human body. The mindless husk sat there blankly, enduring the prodding with only its eyeballs shifting faintly.

Meng Yiran let out a soft “meow” as a reminder to ease up, then leaped off the windowsill and back into the bedroom.

Peering through the bedroom door, she saw Tong Yuwu still seated at the desk.

With no electric lights, the kerosene flame flickering on the wall cast a bright glow, illuminating the silhouette of the Noble Miss absorbed in her reading. The Noble Miss possessed flawless bone structure; the shadow of her jawline curved smoothly and elegantly. Above her gently blinking eyes, her long, curled lashes evoked butterflies alighted amid blossoms.

Meng Yiran stared in a daze for several seconds before tearing her gaze away and hopping back onto her sleeping cushion.

She didn’t dare climb onto the bed, fearing she’d end up too close to Tong Yuwu and give herself away.

Once she’d settled into her usual sleeping pose, she closed her eyes and willed herself out of the cat’s body.

Ling Ge fixed her wide, sparkling eyes on her. The moment Meng Yiran’s gaze refocused, Ling Ge broke into a delighted grin. “It worked! It worked?!”

“Probably.” Meng Yiran patted her chest in relief.

“So what now?” Ling Ge asked. “Back to the dorm? I can give you a quick tour of the place on the way.”

Meng Yiran considered it. “It’s still early.” She glanced uneasily at the windowsill. “Maybe we wait a little longer?”

Ling Ge cupped her cheeks. “What’s there to happen from waiting? Isn’t the Little Kitten already asleep?”

She slapped at her arm. “The mosquitoes would love it if we stuck around longer.”

Meng Yiran offered an apologetic smile.

She knew Ling Ge’s griping was just casual venting, nothing serious, but guilt still tugged at her. After lingering another minute, she resolved to leave.

But at that very moment, a faint noise emanated from the bedroom.

Both hailed from the Golden Marten Clan, and Ling Ge’s senses were keen as well. She jabbed Meng Yiran’s arm at once. “Oh no! She’s coming in! She’s heading for the Little Kitten!”

Meng Yiran’s breath caught. Mimicking Ling Ge, she propped herself up and peeked into the room with just her eyes showing.

Perhaps due to the persistent silence from the Little White Cat, Tong Yuwu entered the bedroom cradling a cup of water.

She quickly located the closed-eyed Little White Cat on the cushion and approached, gently stroking its head and back.

Meng Yiran noted the unease in her expression as she gazed down at the Little White Cat, lost in thought.

Holding her breath, Meng Yiran dreaded that Tong Yuwu might rouse the cat. Thankfully, the Noble Miss harbored no penchant for disturbing a slumbering pet. She withdrew her hand soon enough and turned to depart.

Ling Ge pumped her fist in excitement. “Success!”

Startled, Meng Yiran reflexively started to shush her, only to smack her forehead against the windowsill with a soft thud.

She could swear the noise was barely audible—her head scarcely stung—but inside, Tong Yuwu pivoted sharply and strode straight toward the window.

Meng Yiran’s breathing hitched. As realization dawned, her heart raced furiously.

Ling Ge huddled below the sill, knees to chest, her eyes signaling that Meng Yiran had made her bed and must now lie in it. With hiding impossible, Meng Yiran gritted her teeth, summoned her resolve, and rose from cover. In an abrupt yet passably poised manner, she came face-to-face with Tong Yuwu at the window.

The air thickened with tension for a heartbeat. Plastering on a brave front, Meng Yiran managed, “Hey, fancy meeting you here… Ahem, good evening!”

Tong Yuwu regarded her coolly.

Under that piercing stare, Meng Yiran felt utterly exposed. She licked her lips frantically to steady her nerves and dispel the awkwardness.

After a tense pause, as if unwilling to prolong the impasse, Tong Yuwu spoke. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah… what I’m doing here…” Meng Yiran flailed her arms. “Well, just…”

She quickly came up with an excuse. “I heard there was an accident in your classroom after I left that day. I figured I had to come check on you.” Then, fully aware of the answer, she asked, “Are you okay?”

Tong Yuwu fell silent, her brows furrowed as she gazed at Meng Yiran.

Looking back at her, Tong Yuwu suddenly asked, “Are we close?”

Those were the exact words Ming Yi had said when he arrived that day, and they seemed to still be troubling her.

Meng Yiran froze for a moment.

Deep down, she harbored a faint hope of learning how Tong Yuwu really saw her. After all, her plan was to build a solid rapport with Tong Yuwu before revealing the truth about her identity.

She met Tong Yuwu’s eyes and said sincerely, “I think we’re doing pretty well.”

Then, tentatively, she added, “What about you?”

Tong Yuwu pursed her lips. “Not really.”

Meng Yiran clutched her chest in exaggerated dismay. “Why not?”

She laid out her case logically. “We’ve been through a lot together already, haven’t we? In the Illusion Realm, in that classroom… Even if we’re not best friends, we shouldn’t still be strangers, right?”

Tong Yuwu’s brow remained knitted, as if she were mulling over Meng Yiran’s words. She didn’t respond for a long while.

Seizing the moment, Meng Yiran pressed on gently. “Is there anyone else at this school closer to you than me? Anyone who’s spent more time with you?” She paused. “Oh, and don’t compare me to your cat! Next to your cat, nobody’s close to you!”

Ling Ge, who was hiding at her feet, suddenly looked up at her. Her gaze was complicated, laced with curiosity about just how tight Tong Yuwu and her cat really were.

Meng Yiran gave her a subtle nudge with her foot, keeping her expression perfectly composed.

Tong Yuwu finally answered her earlier question. “…No.”

“See? That’s settled, then.” Meng Yiran grinned widely. “So we’re not strangers—at the very least, we’re ordinary friends!”

Through the open window, she extended her hand toward Tong Yuwu. “Hey, Tong Yuwu. Nice to meet you. Official introduction: I’m Meng Yiran. Well… currently just a lowly assistant teacher here at school.”

Before Tong Yuwu could respond, a student out for a late-night stroll happened to pass by nearby.

He didn’t spot Ling Ge lurking in the shadows, but he did see Meng Yiran standing at the dorm window, brazenly reaching out to the room’s occupant.

Heat flooded Meng Yiran’s face in an instant. She suddenly felt like Romeo, clambering up to a balcony in the dead of night—while her Juliet stood coldly at the window, clearly not thrilled about her unexpected visitor.