Chapter 570: Have a Gander at My Big Baby

Meanwhile, the little brother black cat circled the Flower Lord. He desperately tried to get her attention, but she ignored him entirely.

He bared his fangs at Ye Wenxin, as if blaming her for stealing the Flower Lord’s attention, much like the furball did.

Ye Wenxin could only watch with a resigned smile. The big sister black cat gave her little brother a solid smack on the face. He shot her a wounded look but obediently lowered his head and followed behind her. The little brother black cat’s personality seemed more like a clingy dog than a cat.

Accustomed to their antics, the Flower Lord proceeded to chat with Ye Wenxin about Liu City. She was friendly and fun to talk to. After receiving Wen Susu’s confirmation beforehand, Ye Wenxin could sense the changes this partnership with the Hundred Flowers Dynasty would bring.

Although Ye Wenxin only intended to pass through, she inadvertently had to fulfill the role of Liu City’s envoy. While others listened intently as she talked about Liu City, Asuka was the only one drinking steadily. Having been born and raised there, Asuka likely had many memories tied to that place.

Ye Wenxin hadn’t actually spent much time in Liu City. Her experiences there were limited to the dimension within the academy. She had no choice but to give casual descriptions until she suddenly felt the pressure of handling this alone. As the Flower Lord’s inquiries became more specific, Ye Wenxin discreetly pulled the book fragment from her bag of holding to summon Wen Susu’s help.

This time, Wen Susu didn’t hesitate to assist. Ye Wenxin merely repeated Wen Susu’s responses. The Flower Lord became more impressed. She praised Ye Wenxin’s detailed descriptions and breadth of knowledge, which seemed to strike a nerve with Asuka.

Asuka set down her wine cup with a sour expression, immediately debating Ye Wenxin’s claims.

Relying on Wen Susu’s guidance, Ye Wenxin countered Asuka’s arguments, leaving her speechless. The others watched the exchange with thinly veiled amusement. One of the generals even openly mocked Asuka for being too inflexible.

Asuka was silent for a few moments, unable to find a rebuttal. Ye Wenxin watched her closely, half-expecting her to use the missing pages to turn over her plight.

However, she stayed silent, refraining from any further debate. Ye Wenxin found this perplexing.

The Flower Lord continued asking questions. Only once the wine reception ended did she reluctantly allow Ye Wenxin to rest. Ye Wenxin had intended to check on Asuka’s situation, but then she noticed a shadow.

It was a black cat swiftly passing by. Because Big Sis Cat, in her smaller form, looked almost identical to Little Brother Cat, Ye Wenxin couldn’t tell which was which. Noticing the black cat moving stealthily, Ye Wenxin decided to follow.

She had expected to witness something interesting.  Instead, the black cat plucked a wildflower in the garden with its mouth and continued sneaking about.

The scene piqued Ye Wenxin’s curiosity further, so she hurriedly followed.

Eventually, she saw the black cat present the wildflower to a massive wild boar. However, the boar didn’t even glance at the black cat. Undeterred, the black cat tried offering the flower to more demonic beasts. But every single one rejected it with disdain in their eyes.

Throughout the entire night, Ye Wenxin watched the black cat’s persistent courting attempts. Not once had it succeeded. Looking defeated, it returned to the palace. The flower in its mouth had become an almost unrecognizable shape from being bitten so much.

Curiosity kept Ye Wenxin following. She wondered if the black cat would eventually give up. To her surprise, it trotted eagerly toward a magnificent palace. The palace was marked as “Cat Hall”. The Flower Lord probably had the place built specifically for cats.

Ye Wenxin continued to conceal her presence. She watched as Little Brother Cat slowed down, moving cautiously toward the throne room.

Inside, atop a throne made of gold, lay another black cat larger than Little Brother Cat. Ye Wenxin smiled wryly. She couldn’t even distinguish between Little Brother Cat and Big Sis Cat in her smaller form. Now, her head spun upon seeing a third black cat in the Cat Hall.

As she pondered how to address this third black cat, it suddenly opened its eyes, revealing blood-red pupils. Ye Wenxin felt that familiar gaze once again. She turned around and saw a shadowy avatar staring intently at her.

The sight was startling yet strangely familiar to Ye Wenxin. She hesitated for a moment but eventually jumped down. The startled Little Brother Cat bared his teeth when he saw Ye Wenxin appear in the Cat Hall.

Ye Wenxin remained unfazed. She looked toward the largest cat and cautiously asked, “Are you Big Baby?”

Her tone was uncertain. But to her surprise, the large black cat nodded and meowed a few times. Ye Wenxin couldn’t understand, so she hesitantly guessed at an answer.

Big Baby seemed to realize Ye Wenxin couldn’t read minds like Long Qingyue. She turned to instruct Little Brother Cat. Big Sis Cat appeared several minutes later. With her out-of-practice speech, she translated what Big Baby was trying to convey to Ye Wenxin.

Big Baby also got stuck in Liu City after delivering the corpse worm’s core to Ye Wenxin. When she returned, Long Qingyue suddenly treated her differently. Sometimes warm, sometimes cold. Big Baby assumed she’d lost Long Qingyue’s affection due to some failure on her part. So, she began trying desperately to win back Long Qingyue’s trust.

But despite her efforts, Long Qingyue continued to give her the cold shoulder. Frustrated, Big Baby left a paw print behind before running away from home. She’d been gone for over a month now.

“I know Mistress will surely attend the Flower Lord’s birthday celebration. I won’t go back until she begs me to,” Big Sis Cat relayed in Big Baby’s tone. Ye Wenxin’s gaze grew conflicted, unsure whether to reveal the truth.

Since the release of the unofficial tale’s second volume, Big Baby had become quite famous. Rumor had it that the Secret Guards were actively hunting down the author of the series. It was evident the unofficial tale had a part in Big Baby getting the cold shoulder.

“Mistress won’t cuddle me, pet me, or even let me near her anymore.”

Big Baby’s bitter meows sounded humorous in Big Sis Cat’s interpretation. Ye Wenxin wanted to laugh despite herself. She struggled to hold it in, not wanting to rub salt in Big Baby’s wounded feelings.

The situation was far beyond anything Ye Wenxin had expected. She had sensed Long Qingyue was acting a bit strangely. Her emotions seemed more intense than before. She’d even proposed the running joke one-year promise.

And now, Long Qingyue had driven away Big Baby, her closest companion. She stopped caring for her even. It drove home to Ye Wenxin that this was a grave matter.

“My lady, what should I do!? *Sobs* I love Mistress so much, but she doesn’t want me anymore.”