Transmigrated as the Villain's Fiancée Who Seeks Death (GL) - Chapter 12

The little kitten had just been brought home, and Xia Rushui had been too tired last night to give it a new name.

She despised Shen Yishu’s naming ability for its lack of uniqueness—it was too common—and the kitten didn’t seem to like it much either.

For a moment, Xia Rushui truly didn’t know whether to call out to Jiang Xingzhi or the little kitten.

She quietly walked down the stairs. Her sneakers made a soft, soundless tread on the marble floor. Neither the person nor the cat noticed her. One was sitting rigidly on the sofa, body tense, the other was standing on the coffee table with its tail held high, locked in a fierce, tense confrontation.

Neither moved, both seemingly trying to use their gaze to force the other to retreat.

Xia Rushui: “……”

Xia Rushui stood there for a long time, but the person and the cat still hadn’t noticed her, remaining in their relative stillness. The living, breathing human, in absolute motion, had to find a way to establish her presence.

She lightly cleared her throat. “Are you two… bonding?”

The little kitten noticed Xia Rushui first. The sharp tips of its claws, hidden in its paws, wiggled. Its raised tail twitched. Then, the front paws, stretched straight in alertness and defense, retracted, and it gracefully jumped off the coffee table.

Simultaneously, the instant the kitten moved, Jiang Xingzhi suddenly darted away with the speed of a gust of wind… to hide behind Xia Rushui, clutching the corner of Xia Rushui’s shirt.

“……”

Her slightly hurried breathing betrayed her tension.

Xia Rushui had discovered a new continent this morning and was desperately trying to hold back her laughter. She was incredibly curious about Jiang Xingzhi’s expression at this moment.

Unable to resist, she glanced back and saw Jiang Xingzhi’s face was calm, as if nothing had happened. She was the same stern, poker-faced CEO Jiang, if you ignored the hand tightly gripping the corner of Xia Rushui’s shirt…

“Ahem…” Jiang Xingzhi let go of Xia Rushui’s shirt. “I’m just not used to having small animals in the house.”

She straightened her collar with a casual air, looking completely serious and proper.

“Aww~~~” Xia Rushui drew out the sound.

The little kitten, seeing Jiang Xingzhi “getting close” to Xia Rushui, wasn’t to be outdone. It whined, scurried over on its short legs, rubbed affectionately against Xia Rushui’s pants, blinked its big eyes, and meowed twice.

Xia Rushui couldn’t resist its cuteness and squatted down to stroke its head.

The kitten was soft, sweet, and obedient. It stretched its little head into Xia Rushui’s palm, letting her pet it.

Soon after, it rolled over, exposing its soft, white belly to show friendliness to Xia Rushui.

Xia Rushui scratched its neck, and the kitten narrowed its eyes, letting out a satisfied purr.

“It’s very cute and good-tempered. Look, it’s not fierce at all,” Xia Rushui said, trying to get Jiang Xingzhi to accept the little guy.

Jiang Xingzhi thought about the little thing, which was currently acting all sweet and clever, but had been confronting her all morning and even trying to drive her out of her own home, and she let out two cold sneers.

Xia Rushui knew that for long-term survival, she had to promote a relationship between the kitten and Jiang Xingzhi. That way, neither the person nor the cat would be kicked out by Jiang Xingzhi.

She curved her lips and turned to Jiang Xingzhi. “It’s a stray cat, homeless, and very pitiful. I already took it to the vet yesterday and cleaned up everything that needed to be cleaned. Can we keep it here, please?”

Xia Rushui’s tone was gentle and soft. Her bright, watery eyes were pleading, making her look quite pathetic. Jiang Xingzhi’s gaze met her pitiful eyes, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, “Up to you.”

Xia Rushui happily thanked Jiang Xingzhi and enthusiastically invited her to name the little kitten.

“Milk? Button? No, those names are too common, not unique at all.”

“Cheese? Chicken Leg? No, those names sound too hungry.”

“Barbecue? Hotpot? They’re not much different from the last ones, are they?”

Xia Rushui muttered to herself.

Jiang Xingzhi was speechless.

Xia Rushui was genuinely stumped. She admitted her naming skills were slightly better than Shen Yishu’s, but not yet brilliant.

Her eyes lit up. She turned to Jiang Xingzhi and said, “Why don’t you name it? After all, you’re the one who gave it a home.”

Jiang Xingzhi’s heart stirred.

She raised an eyebrow, gave a chilling smile, and said maliciously, “How about we call it Ergouzi (Second Dog)?”

“……”

Xia Rushui: ???

Little Kitten: Meow meow meow???

Jiang Xingzhi: “Didn’t you want a unique name?”

It’s unique enough! There’s probably no other cat in the world with this name!

Xia Rushui twitched her lips, forced a customer-service smile, and choked out, “Great name!”

At this moment, she was a clapping machine devoid of emotion.

My poor child, your mother is so sorry! I should have just called you Hotpot!

And so, the little kitten’s name was harmoniously (?) decided: Ergouzi.

Xia Rushui called it a few times, and the freshly named Ergouzi did not seem pleased.

She comforted it, “Great cats are unique, baby. You’re just not used to it. Later, you’ll think this name is very cool. Think about it: when we go for a walk, eight or nine out of ten other cats and dogs will have the same name. Only ours will stand out. How unique! The other little cats will look at you with admiration. You’ll understand later.”

This brainless speech sounded somewhat convincing at first listen, but upon closer inspection, it was utter nonsense!

Ergouzi was young, just a baby. It hadn’t seen enough of the wickedness of the human world and was easily persuaded by Xia Rushui’s few words.

After petting Ergouzi for a while, Xia Rushui abandoned her morning run plan. She decided to let Jiang Xingzhi and Ergouzi get acquainted, or rather… develop some feelings for each other.

Regardless of anything else, Jiang Xingzhi was the boss of this house.

Ergouzi played happily in Xia Rushui’s palm, reaching out its paw to learn how to shake hands with Xia Rushui.

Who wouldn’t love such a cute, gentle, and adorable kitten?

She believed that if she gave Jiang Xingzhi one day—no, just one morning—Jiang Xingzhi would fall deeply in love with Ergouzi!

“You two catch up on… um… bonding. I’ll go prepare breakfast,” Xia Rushui said, sounding like an anxious mother fussing over her two rowdy children.

The moment Xia Rushui turned her back, Ergouzi immediately performed a one-second face-change online. It instantly bared its little teeth at Jiang Xingzhi, its tail shot up again, and the fur on its body bristled. It looked at her like a class enemy.

The soft obedience was gone from its large, glassy blue eyes.

Naturally, Xia Rushui’s shirt corner was grabbed again after she’d only taken a few steps.

“……”

Big Sister, please let go of my clothes! You’re going to crinkle them into salty vegetable strips!

Jiang Xingzhi’s eyes were slightly unnatural and drifting. “I’ll go to the kitchen with you to see if there’s anything I can help you with.”

??????????

Human bafflement.

Listen to that. Is that what a CEO should sound like?

How approachable!

Xia Rushui was bewildered for a moment. Ergouzi meowed and rubbed against her again, reaching out its front paw to touch her pants leg.

She stroked Ergouzi’s head. “You need to be good and stay here with Big Sister.” Xia Rushui thought Jiang Xingzhi might be a little afraid of cats, and Ergouzi’s warning was clearly no threat or harm to an adult, but… she rarely had a moment of something called emotional intelligence and wanted to look out for Jiang Xingzhi’s fragile feelings. She instructed Ergouzi, “You can’t bully Big Sister, or Mommy won’t give you yummy food.”

Jiang Xingzhi somehow felt that the term “Mommy” was not quite right.

Xia Rushui clapped her hands on her pants and stood up. “I’m enough in the kitchen. You two play with Ergouzi.”

With that, she left without a trace, heartlessly leaving Jiang Xingzhi alone in the room with one “vicious cat.”

Xia Rushui was quick in the kitchen. She had roughly figured out Jiang Xingzhi’s taste these past few days.

Jiang Xingzhi loved spicy food, likely having been deprived abroad. She was extremely fond of spice, but her stomach wouldn’t allow it, forcing her to eat bland flavors.

She would get moody if she didn’t like a dish, taking a couple of bites before putting her chopsticks down.

Jiang Xingzhi was very picky. She didn’t like celery, peanuts, chives, or garlic…

Xia Rushui had to avoid her dietary landmines while preparing stomach-nourishing ingredients in a way she’d accept.

Xia Rushui cooked pumpkin porridge, steamed custard buns, served them with a few refreshing pickled vegetables, and the beef jerky she’d experimented with a few days prior, sprinkled with sesame seeds for a fragrant aroma. Finally, she added the steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce that Jiang Xingzhi always loved. A sumptuous breakfast was set on the table.

She’d come back too late yesterday to buy fish, so Xia Rushui first poured some cat food and added water for Ergouzi.

With the meal ready, Xia Rushui called out to the person and the cat in the living room.

Jiang Xingzhi was indeed a workaholic. She hadn’t forgotten about work in that short amount of time. A laptop was propped on her lap, and she wore her specialized gold-rimmed glasses for work.

Ergouzi was curled up about ten meters away from her, its tail tucked softly inward, not held upright.

They look very harmonious!

“Breakfast is ready!” Xia Rushui shouted.

Ergouzi happily wagged its tail, about to run to Xia Rushui.

Suddenly, it came to an abrupt stop.

Jiang Xingzhi snorted, took off her glasses, and straightened her clothes before slowly walking toward the dining room.

Ergouzi followed behind Jiang Xingzhi, its head drooping, maintaining the ten-meter distance.

Did something I don’t know about happen?

Xia Rushui was puzzled. Things seemed to have changed completely just in the time it took to cook?

Whatever. As long as Jiang Xingzhi wasn’t tugging on her clothes, she was fine!

During the meal, Jiang Xingzhi suddenly mentioned wanting to transfer a housekeeper from the Jiang family’s old residence. The housekeeper had experience with cats and could help Xia Rushui, the new pet owner.

Ergouzi meowed weakly, its tail tucked.

Unfortunately, Xia Rushui didn’t hear it.

Her eyes were filled with gratitude for Jiang Xingzhi, almost sparkling when she looked at her.

Jiang Xingzhi looked triumphant, her lips curving slightly. Her gaze met Ergouzi’s across the table, and this time, Ergouzi conceded first.

After settling Ergouzi, Xia Rushui originally wanted to give something back to Shen Yishu, who was half the kitten’s original owner. But thinking about Shen Yishu’s fierce expression, she decided against it.

*

Since Liberal Arts Class 9 was right next door to Science Class 1, Xia Rushui asked Shen Anru to pass the message to Shen Yishu, considering the matter resolved.

This morning was entirely liberal arts classes. Thanks to the original owner’s prime spot right next to the podium in the front row, Xia Rushui slept all morning.

No one woke her up. Xia Rushui nearly missed lunch, and it was only when Shen Anru and Yuge came to find her that she ate, as they had already gotten her food.

The good thing about St. Lan’s wealth was that the cafeteria was huge and offered so much variety it would take a year or two to try everything.

New to the school, Xia Rushui was thrilled to be able to eat different dishes every day.

Shen Anru had a small appetite. She ate quickly, then looked at Xia Rushui hesitantly for a long time before asking, “Boss, do you really like crayfish lately?”

Xia Rushui was confused. Where did that come from?

It felt strange, and even Yuge glanced at her.

Who doesn’t like crayfish? Xia Rushui ignored the weird feeling and nodded, adding, “Just call me Shui Shui.”

“Oh… Boss, if you want crayfish, you can just ask us. You don’t have to write it out,” Shen Anru said.

What is she talking about? Shen Anru’s words were getting harder and harder to understand.

After the two left, Xia Rushui still couldn’t figure out what Shen Anru meant. She decided: Sleep!

The afternoon classes were English and Math. After two English classes, it was the homeroom teacher Xu Fengjiao’s math class.

Xu Fengjiao was the woman with the thick, coke-bottle glasses who monitored the exam room with the Dean. She looked friendly and easygoing, always smiling, but was actually very strict.

Xia Rushui liked math class and, uncharacteristically, didn’t sleep, quietly listening to both math periods.

Xu Fengjiao taught in a lively and engaging manner that was easy to understand. When she reached a part Xia Rushui liked, she would interact with Xu Fengjiao and receive approving glances.

She felt very comfortable around Xu Fengjiao, who reminded her of a very kind teacher from her past life.

After math class, the student representatives for each subject began distributing the test papers.

The scores from the previous mock exam were out.

Some were happy, others were worried.

The homeroom teacher, Xu Fengjiao, pushed up her thick glasses. A strange glint flashed behind the lenses. She clapped her hands on the desk, signaling the noisy crowd to quiet down.

“The scores from this mock exam need a parent’s signature. It’s okay if you didn’t do well. It’s just a practice test to gauge your level. Don’t be nervous. I won’t punish you.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Fengjiao was a woman of her word. She never made promises lightly, but always kept them.

The matter of the parent’s signature was often the time when the class was most united. Many students exchanged knowing, revolutionary smiles.

Xu Fengjiao’s lips curled into a cold smirk. Suddenly, with a wicked, overbearing air, she said, “Heh. You little brats, you think forging a parent’s signature is the one way I can’t touch you?”

She “tsk-tsked” twice. “If you open your mouths, I know what kind of dumplings you ate for lunch. Don’t think you can hide these little tricks from me.”

A student protested, “Teacher, I didn’t eat dumplings for lunch!”

“Heh, it’s no use. Before, I would turn a blind eye to this, but this major exam is very important. You probably don’t know yet, but this was a city-wide joint exam, and your scores will be published on a public board.”

“Oh, and by the way, for this exam, some students showed great creativity and imagination. I’m very pleased. The teachers in our research group have received a lot of joy from certain students’ papers. Thank you very much for bringing us laughter. All of us teachers unanimously decided that your parents must also receive this joy.”

Xu Fengjiao’s sudden, ambiguous remark left all the students confused. Only Xia Rushui felt a phantom limb ache.

She looked at her tragic 49 points on the Chinese Language exam…

“Therefore, I have already notified your parents of your scores via phone. They already know and have confirmed the matter of the parent’s signature. If I find out a signature was forged, you will be receiving a mixed-gender double beating.”

At this statement, the entire class immediately erupted in a chorus of miserable groans and screams.

“Good luck, children.”