Chapter 29

“Put it up here.”

Ming Ruixue sat on the edge of the bed, letting Si Xia’s foot rest on her lap.

Si Xia’s feet were very white, making the red swelling on the instep look even more piercing. Ming Ruixue first rinsed the wound with hydrogen peroxide; once the blood was washed away, the injury was revealed.

The wound wasn’t large, just a small puncture, but beads of blood were still welling up. Ming Ruixue rinsed it a few more times, and once the bleeding stopped, she applied ointment and bandaged it.

Having finished the simple treatment, Ming Ruixue nudged her shoulder. “Alright, try to see if you can move your foot.”

Si Xia was sleeping in a daze. Her chin was jolted slightly, and she wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction. “I want to sleep.”

She still liked to nuzzle around while talking. Ming Ruixue gently released her foot. “Si Xia, let go of the blanket and go back to your room to sleep.”

Ming Ruixue tried to pull away the quilt Si Xia had wrapped around herself, but Si Xia gripped it tightly. “Don’t grab my blanket!”

“It’s not yours. Why are you acting like a rogue?” Ming Ruixue patted her leg, only to be kicked away by her.

Ming Ruixue: “…”

“Don’t touch my paws.” Si Xia retracted her feet into the covers, leaving only her flushed cheeks visible. She looked at Ming Ruixue with hazy eyes. “You! Why do you keep touching me and huffing my soft belly?”

Heaven be my witness.

Ming Ruixue retreated two steps. There was no reasoning with a drunk person who was “shaking her down,” so she simply stopped talking.

Si Xia frowned. “You… you don’t want to admit it! You bad mint spirit who turns your back on a cat!”

Ming Ruixue wanted to escape but couldn’t. “Si Xia, you aren’t sober. Go back to your room and sleep first.”

Seeing her move away, Si Xia jumped off the bed wrapped in the quilt. She failed to find her footing and fell onto the floor with a splat, unable to move.

“Wuwu, the kitty fell down. I need a kiss to get up.” Si Xia lay on the floor, her watery eyes blinking; she looked like she truly needed a kiss.

Ming Ruixue knelt down and looked at her, asking helplessly, “What breed of kitten are you? How can you be such a rogue?”

Hearing someone call her a rogue, Si Xia pouted. “You don’t love me anymore. Am I not fragrant anymore, Sister?”

Si Xia really looked like an abandoned kitten, crying piteously. Ming Ruixue couldn’t stand to see an Omega cry and grew flustered. “Stop crying. If others see this, they’ll think I’m bullying you.”

The next second, Si Xia, draped in the quilt, dove into her embrace. Ming Ruixue fell back onto the floor, pinned tightly against the wall. The Omega sniffed gently at the side of her neck.

“Si… Xia.”

Ming Ruixue lifted her chin and pressed her hands against Si Xia’s shoulders to push her away. “You’ve had too much to drink. Just sleep, okay?”

“No.”

The quilt slipped off her body as Si Xia pounced, wrapping her arms around Ming Ruixue’s neck, huffing at her even more aggressively.

They were pressed seamlessly together. Si Xia sat astride her lap as if she were glued to her.

Ming Ruixue couldn’t reason with a drunkard. She tried to stand up, but Si Xia hung onto her shakily, whimpering, “Sister, you have to hold me, or I’ll fall.”

“Fine.” Ming Ruixue let out a long, helpless sigh and encircled her waist to prevent her from falling.

Taking advantage of the empty hallway, Ming Ruixue carried the clinging kitten and pushed open the door to the room opposite. To be safe in case someone came in, she shut the door, though she didn’t deadbolt it.

Ming Ruixue placed Si Xia on the bed. When she leaned over to let go, Si Xia remained hung on her, her slender white legs wrapped around Ming’s waist, and a fluffy tail brushed against the skin of her arm.

Wait a minute, why did the tail move?

Ming Ruixue was startled. Was the tail of this toy prop really this realistic? Not only that, but Si Xia’s pinkish cat ears also twitched.

Curious, Ming Ruixue reached out to test the feel of the cat ears, but she was slapped down by Si Xia, who turned over in her daze and pressed Ming’s hand against her cheek.

“Don’t move…” Si Xia’s small hand gripped Ming Ruixue’s thumb, using her hand as a pillow.

Ming Ruixue: “…” A literal clingy kitten.

To prevent this kitten from forgetting everything after her drinking binge, Ming Ruixue took a photo with her phone as evidence. If the stubborn, proud Si Xia tried to deny it after waking up, it wouldn’t work.

Ming Ruixue carefully withdrew her hand and tucked Si Xia under the covers. Si Xia was sleeping deeply; drinking too much made her lose control easily.

Ming Ruixue brushed her finger against the soft cheek. “Let’s see if you remember when you wake up tomorrow.”

It wasn’t until Ming Ruixue looked up that she noticed the pot of catnip on the nightstand—the catnip emitting a thousand-year-old fragrance.

She was all too familiar with this scent. Ming Ruixue knelt by the bed and looked closely. Wasn’t this the other half of her lost catnip spirit?

How did it end up with Si Xia!

The more Ming Ruixue thought about it, the stranger it seemed. The catnip was bitten away by a kitten; could it be that the cat belonged to Si Xia’s household?

No, when Si Xia wakes up tomorrow morning, she has to get the catnip back.

The moment Ming Ruixue turned to leave, the Omega under the covers transformed into a small Ragdoll kitten.

Early the next morning, Director Ye’s voice broadcasted through the guests’ rooms: “Good morning, guests. The cruise cameras will be activated in one hour. Please be prepared. At 9:00, enjoy breakfast on the top deck and complete the subsequent romantic game interactions.”

The clear sound came from above the quilt. Si Xia had a splitting headache. She crawled out of the covers to grab a glass of water, but her fingers grasped at thin air. She missed and accidentally knocked the glass to the floor, splashing water everywhere.

Why can’t I even hold a glass?

Si Xia reached out her hand only to find it [unauthorized copy]had turned into a cat paw. She tried to speak, but the words turned into, “Meow~”

She was numb. She had turned into a kitten.

The cameras were turning on at nine—what time was it now!

Si Xia hopped onto the nightstand and used her cat paw to light up her phone screen. It was 8:30!

What was going on? Why was she still a cat at 8:30?

Meow meow meow meow meow!

What was happening? Si Xia spun around in place anxiously and sat on her own tail. Had the effect of the alcohol from last night not worn off yet?

Not knowing when she would change back, Si Xia typed a line on her phone and sent it to Peng Qi: [Help me ask Director Ye for leave. Say I’m feeling unwell and can’t participate in today’s program.]

Who would have thought that a minute later, Peng Qi would push open the door to Si Xia’s cabin, asking worriedly, “Xiaxia, where do you feel un—”

There was no one in the room. Only a small kitten was staring at her.

Peng Qi waved her hand in greeting. “Hi, I know you. You’re Xiaxia’s little kitten.”

Si Xia looked at her speechlessly. How was my door not locked?

“Wait, Xiaxia didn’t bring you when she came.” Peng Qi scratched her ear, unable to figure out when the kitten had boarded the cruise.

Si Xia stamped her feet and let out a “Meow”—Do your job! Ask Director Ye for leave!

As the kitten stamped her feet, Peng Qi noticed Si Xia’s phone by the cat’s feet, the screen still showing the interface where the message was sent.

“Xiaxia?” Peng Qi took the phone. “Xiaxia, where did you go?”

Si Xia closed her eyes slightly. It seemed she couldn’t count on Peng Qi.

People outside heard the commotion in the cabin and ran in to ask, “What’s wrong with Si Xia?”

Ming Ruixue had asked the staff to boil some hangover soup and brought it over. Hearing the anxious voice from across the hall, she looked at the situation in the cabin. There was only a cat and the little assistant; Si Xia was nowhere to be found.

However, this cat looked very familiar. Ming Ruixue recognized her. “Are you Xiao Si?”

Si Xia was utterly hopeless. What kind of “crematorium” was this—having to be a kitten in front of a group of humans?

Peng Qi asked, “Teacher Ming, did you say the kitten’s name is Xiao Si?”

Ming Ruixue let out an “Uh.” “It’s the name I gave her. Do you know this cat?”

Peng Qi said, “It’s Si Xia’s cat. I usually don’t see her; today is the first time.”

“Si Xia’s cat.” Ming Ruixue looked at the kitten thoughtfully. “No wonder my grass appeared in Si Xia’s room. So it was you, you little rascal.”

Catnip!

Si Xia snapped her head toward the grass. How had she forgotten about this? It was over. Now, not only did she have to give the catnip back, but she, this poor, helpless kitten who did a bad deed, might have to confess her wrongs.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Ming Ruixue picked up the kitten and checked the paw pads. “It looks like she’s injured.”

Peng Qi was startled. “Xiaxia treasures her kitten most of all. How did she get injured? Is it serious? I’ll take her to the pet hospital.”

“No need, it looks like medicine has already been applied.” Ming Ruixue was just curious. “The kitten’s injury seems to be in the exact same spot as Si Xia’s wound.”

Ming Ruixue was observant; the more she thought, the stranger it seemed. Si Xia trembled in the catnip-scented embrace. What should I do? I’ve been caught red-handed, there’s no way to explain this!

But Peng Qi was terrified. “Xiaxia is injured?! Is it serious? Oh no, Sister Qiangwei will blame me when she finds out.”

Ming Ruixue set down the hangover soup and stood up holding the cat. “Don’t panic yet. Si Xia’s wound is fine, but where is she now?”

Peng Qi’s round cheeks flushed. “I don’t know. Xiaxia said she was unwell and told me to ask Director Ye for leave. I ran up quickly, but Xiaxia wasn’t in the room at all, yet her phone was still on.”

The whole thing sounded very fishy.

Ming Ruixue slowly turned the kitten’s body around, looking into her blue eyes and asking, “Do you know where Si Xia went?”

Si Xia didn’t blink or respond, she was dying of anxiety inside. She wished these two would just leave quickly; she might be about to transform at any moment.

Ming Ruixue put the kitten down suspiciously. “I’ll go ask the others if they’ve seen Si Xia.”

Peng Qi followed her out and closed the door. “I’ll go look too.”

Finally, they were gone. Si Xia wanted to lock the door, but as a kitten, she lacked the ability to lock a door. She could only hide behind a camera on top of the wardrobe first.

She waited quietly to turn back into a human.

Squatting on the top of the wardrobe, Si Xia lay lazily behind a box, when she suddenly saw a large spider crawl in through a crack in the window, dragging a large bath towel.

Si Xia widened her eyes and swallowed hard. Why is this spider back again?

However, before Si Xia could react, the clock struck nine and the cameras activated. That spider emitted a piercing light. When Si Xia opened her eyes again, she saw a person wrapped in a bath towel.

Bei Chuanchuan!

Si Xia was so shocked her whole body went limp. In this world, besides her, a person who could turn into a kitten, there was actually an incompletely evolved spider-person.

But why would Bei Chuanchuan come to her bedroom? Why was she staring at her? And she seemed to have been captured by the video when she just turned into a human.

Si Xia didn’t dare move. She waited for Bei Chuanchuan to run out before picking up a towel in her mouth to cover the camera.

The hangover soup at the bedside was lapped up by Si Xia the kitten bit by bit. Before long, [read the original at bailiantales.com]the alcohol in her body dissipated, and Si Xia turned back into a human.

The first thing she did as a human was to send a message to Peng Qi: [No need to ask for leave anymore, I’m feeling better.]

As expected, as soon as the message was sent, Peng Qi appeared in the cabin.

Peng Qi clutched her heart. “Xiaxia, where did you go? You scared me to death, I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Si Xia feigned discomfort. “My stomach hurt, I went to the emergency room to get medicine.”

Peng Qi was simple-minded and easy to fool. As soon as she mentioned a stomach ache, her attention was diverted. “Does it still hurt? I’ll brew some hot water for you.”

Si Xia nodded. “Okay.”

Ming Ruixue, who had just returned from the emergency room, narrowed her eyes and looked at Si Xia, asking suspiciously, “Si Xia, where is your cat?”

When there was a cat, there was no person; when there was a person, there was no cat.

Ming Ruixue’s gaze swept through Si Xia’s cabin. There was no sign of a kitten anywhere.

“Where. Is. The. Kitten?” Ming Ruixue asked Si Xia word by word. “Where did you hide her?”

A flash of panic appeared in Si Xia’s eyes, but she immediately feigned composure and looked elsewhere. “The kitten is too naughty, I sent her to the staff cabins.”

“Ah—is that so.” Ming Ruixue let out a thoughtful laugh. “She is quite naughty. Last time at my house, she ruined half of my catnip. I haven’t asked her for compensation yet.”

Asking a kitten for compensation.

Si Xia’s face turned red. “Why are you being so petty with a cat? she doesn’t understand anything.”

“Since the cat doesn’t understand, the cat’s owner should understand, right?” Ming Ruixue looked at Si Xia, her gaze playing with her. “How do you plan to compensate me?”

“Your catnip is right here, growing perfectly fine, it’s not ruined. It’s not serious enough for ‘compensation’.” Si Xia’s voice grew quieter as she spoke.

“Fine then,” Ming Ruixue made a move to go toward the staff cabins. “Since the owner is unwilling to compensate, I can only go find trouble with the kitten.”

There was no kitten in the staff cabins. Si Xia pulled her back. “Can’t I just pay? Tell me, how do you want to be compensated?”

Ming Ruixue curled the corners of her mouth with satisfaction and deliberately tilted Si Xia’s chin. “How about you give yourself to me as compensation?”

Si Xia’s eyes widened, and her neck instantly turned red.

Ming Ruixue saw her reaction and laughed. “Or else, giving your cat to me would work too.”

What’s the difference?

Si Xia twitched the corner of her mouth. “Are there any other options?”

“Yes.” Ming Ruixue stated generously. “Let your kitten ​unauthorized copy​sleep with me every night.”

“What?!” Si Xia shielded her chest with both hands. “Are you a pervert?”

“What’s the matter? Your kitten did something wrong, she should pay with her ‘body’.”

Ming Ruixue’s reasoning sounded very sound, but Si Xia looked extremely reluctant.

“Unwilling?” Ming Ruixue lowered her gaze, her eyes full of smiles. “Or else, you sleep with me?”