After Becoming Pregnant With The Empress Cat's Cub - Chapter 11

Ju Rin noticed something strange.

She didn’t seem to be on guard against this human at all…

Even though she had been a bit distracted by the phone call earlier, it shouldn’t have reached the point where she only realized someone was holding her hand after their grip tightened.

Ju Rin lowered her gaze, looking at the object the human had slipped onto her finger.

It was the pull tab from a soda can. The round loop fit perfectly around her finger, glinting with a metallic sheen under the light.

Ju Rin frowned. Is this… a ring?

Recalling the human’s words from a moment ago, Ju Rin turned her head to look at the person beside her.

Meeting those smiling eyes that seemed to sparkle like starlight, Ju Rin’s pupils wavered slightly. This human’s eyes were indeed very well-formed. A pair of bright irises like black crystal, clean and transparent.

If she didn’t know this human, she might have been misled by those eyes at first glance, thinking this was a simple, innocent person.

In reality, the human before her was full of schemes and very good at playing dumb.

Ju Rin withdrew her gaze and looked back at the “ring” on her finger. For instance, this was the first time she had seen someone give a pull-tab as a ring… and then claim they’d exchange it for a diamond ring once they had money.

What big difference was there between a diamond, a slightly prettier, cheap rock and this aluminum pull tab?

And she claimed she had to wait until she was rich to replace it.

By saying that, she clearly just wanted to say she was poor. Ju Rin understood after a moment’s thought, this human was “subtly” crying poverty to her.

The goal, naturally, was money.

Remembering that this human had said before that although she was poor, she had some dignity…

She certainly had some, but not much. It was limited to being bold enough to ask for money, but too embarrassed to ask for it directly.

Lan Ye didn’t know that diamonds in this world were worlds apart in value compared to her original world, even if the stones were the same.

She was sincere, giving what she considered a very generous promise.

Smiling, she put the other pull tab on her own ring finger and held her hand up next to Ju Rin’s to compare.

Ju Rin’s fingers were beautiful, long and straight but a bit thin, leaving large gaps between them.

In Lan Ye’s world, it was commonly believed that someone whose fingers had gaps when pressed together would easily lose money.

Lan Ye’s own fingers, when pressed together, left no gap at all. In the past, customers at her shop had praised her, saying her hands looked like the kind that could hold onto wealth.

“Account number.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ju Rin’s voice. Lan Ye turned to her: “Hmm? What?”

Ju Rin looked at the pull tab on the human’s finger and felt a bit uncomfortable. No matter how poor her wife was, she shouldn’t be so destitute as to use a soda tab as a ring.

“Your bank account number. I’ll transfer money to you.” Ju Rin realized that when talking to this human, she always had to be extremely explicit.

When Lan Ye heard the word “money,” her eyes snapped wide, and the light in them grew even brighter.

Rin said she wanted to transfer money!

So proactive~!

They just got married and she’s already thinking about handing over the finances?

Did she see that there are no gaps between my fingers and realize I’m the one suited to manage the money?

Not bad, not bad at all. Great vision!

Lan Ye thought to herself, When I have money, I will definitely buy Rin a huge diamond ring.

She didn’t have a bank card. The original owner of this body had been a minor when she went missing three years ago, she had no assets and had never opened an account.

Lan Ye unlocked her watch, opened the QR code for receiving payments, and grinned at Ju Rin: “Scan this.”

She’d transfer it to a card later after she opened one.

Seeing the human’s delighted expression, not even bothering to offer a polite refusal. Ju Rin confirmed her interpretation was correct.

This human was indeed asking her for money.

She added another trait to her impression of this human: mercenary and greedy.

She scanned the code. The recipient’s name popped up as “Xiao Xiao” (Lele/Smiley).

“Who is Xiao Xiao?” Ju Rin turned her phone around and asked.

Lan Ye looked at the name on the screen and laughed: “It’s a cat. My phone is lost and the new one is on pre-order, so I’m borrowing her watch for now.”

Borrowing a watch… from a cat…

Ju Rin looked at Lan Ye, thinking of recent news reports about humans mugging lone kittens at cat-school gates specifically for their smartwatches.

“Whose cat?” Ju Rin asked further.

“Lan Shan’s,” Lan Ye explained. “My current aunt. It’s her cat.”

My current aunt… Ju Rin found the phrasing odd, but then again, there were many odd things about the human in front of her. At least the watch wasn’t stolen.

Transferring to a stranger’s account required verification. Ju Rin followed the prompts.

Seeing that she was actually going to transfer money, Lan Ye’s mood soared. She asked quite familiarly: “How much do you have in savings?”

Her reasoning was sound: “Now that we’re married, as wives, it’s necessary to understand each other’s financial situation.”

Lan Ye felt this marriage was quite interesting. It was a “buy the ticket after boarding the bus” situation, but the ticket was being issued so fast she hadn’t had time to figure out if it was for a bus, a boat, or a plane.

Ju Rin looked up at Lan Ye. This question was quite presumptuous… The etiquette training she had received over the years made her instinctively knit her brows.

Lan Ye confessed her own status first.

“I’m a zero.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lan Ye laughed. That sounded like a double entendre. She found it hilarious.

Ju Rin didn’t understand what was so funny about having no money. Simultaneously, she didn’t believe that an adult would have a savings balance of zero.

Thinking Lan Ye wasn’t telling the truth, Ju Rin didn’t respond to the topic or mention her own savings.

After Lan Ye finished laughing and saw that Ju Rin wasn’t going to answer, she didn’t push. Savings were indeed private. After thinking for a moment, she asked something else.

“Do you have a house?” “Yes.” “A car?” “Yes.” “Any loans?” “No.”

Whoa, Lan Ye’s eyes sparkled. A house, a car, and no debt. This wasn’t just a plane ticket, it was business class!

Nice, very nice.

Lan Ye smiled and continued: “Do you have any lovers?”

Ju Rin was about to enter the amount on the payment screen. Hearing this, she looked up at Lan Ye.

“No.” She found the question strange and asked back, “Do you?”

Lan Ye shook her head with a smile: “No. Then, do you have any other children?”

“No.” Ju Rin’s brow furrowed. “Do you?”

Lan Ye continued to shake her head, smiling: “I don’t either. That’s great, we’re both first time parents.”

Ju Rin looked away. Strange human. What’s so great about being a first time parent?

She continued to type in the amount.

Lan Ye was curious about how much she was being sent and leaned her head over to peek. She saw four red characters pop up on the screen:

【 INSUFFICIENT BALANCE 】

Ju Rin’s expression wavered slightly. Lan Ye’s eyes went wide.

This… She thought she had caught a glimpse of many zeros earlier. She estimated it was probably 5,000 with some decimals? She looked at Ju Rin with trembling eyes, unable to believe it.

This woman didn’t even have five thousand dollars!

Lan Ye couldn’t help but look at the bag in the corner containing the underwear she had returned to the woman. Remembering that a single pair cost five thousand, Lan Ye felt she had to say something.

“Lin.”

She called out softly. Once Ju Rin looked at her, she continued.

“Buy cheaper underwear from now on.” “You’re going to be a mother soon; there will be many expenses in the future.” “A butt isn’t as important as a child, right?”

Lan Ye looked dead serious, her eyes full of the kind of tolerance one has for an immature child. Her tone was intentionally slowed and deepened, sounding earnest and heavy-hearted.

Ju Rin’s eyelid twitched.

The moment “Insufficient Balance” appeared, she had a bad feeling.

She had made a mistake. When the human suddenly leaned in, she had accidentally hit an extra zero, turning 50,000 into 500,000.

It just so happened she only had 490,000 in this specific card.

She wanted to explain, but then she saw the human’s face full of pity.

“Don’t be too sad. Even if you don’t have money, you have your hands and feet. If you’re frugal and plan well in the future, I believe you can still support us.”

Lan Ye spoke while covering her lower abdomen: “Little kitten, don’t worry. If worst comes to worst, Mommy will take you to the streets to perform for money.”

She was joking, she didn’t actually have any talents to perform but she said it to stir up Rin’s sense of responsibility.

Ju Rin’s eyelid twitched harder. She just couldn’t transfer 500,000 from this card, she wasn’t at the stage of sending her wife and child to busk on the streets.

“I have money.”

She was cut off before she could finish.

Lan Ye wore a “I understand” look: “I know, I know. You have money. But even if you have money, you should save a bit. There are many costs ahead.”

Looking at the person who clearly didn’t believe her, Ju Rin felt as if a lump of air was stuck in her chest.

Seeing the human open her mouth again, seemingly about to say something even more frustrating, Ju Rin acted on impulse. She picked up a pastry from the plate and stuffed it into Lan Ye’s mouth.

The space suddenly fell silent.

Looking at the human’s stuffed mouth and the surprise in those large eyes, Ju Rin realized too late how unrefined and childish her action was.

The sticky sensation on her fingertips reminded her that she had just handled food with her bare hands.

This stickiness felt as if it were spreading all over her body. Ju Rin felt uneasy, she grabbed a wet wipe from the table and carefully wiped her fingers.

Lan Ye hadn’t expected Rin to plug her mouth with food. After the initial shock, she realized, this was probably because Rin was embarrassed from being called out.

Give a slap, then give a sweet date.

Lan Ye had heard customers at the shop talk about how to handle a partner. Hearing those stories was why Lan Ye had always felt marriage was a hassle, two people together using all sorts of “schemes and tactics.”

Now that she was married, she had to use some tactics too.

She chewed the food quickly.

After Ju Rin wiped her hands, she saw the human in front of her chewing at a rapid frequency, looking like a little hamster…

Seeing her swallow everything in one go, Ju Rin realized she was about to speak again.

“Eat. When you’re done, I’ll take you to get money.”

She didn’t want to hear another word. Since it was a money issue, she would solve it in the simplest way.

Lan Ye: “Huh? Where are we going to get it?”

If the balance was insufficient, where would it come from?

Lan Ye suddenly thought of the two muggers she saw at the bus station… She wouldn’t be going to rob someone, would she? She only wanted to spark a sense of responsibility, not a criminal impulse.

Ju Rin didn’t respond. She lowered her head and ate with elegant but efficient speed.

Afterward, no matter how much Lan Ye asked, she remained silent.

After the meal, Ju Rin took Lan Ye out of the restaurant and into a taxi.

Once inside, Ju Rin gave an address and closed her eyes, leaning back in total silence.

The taxi turned into a narrow lane. A high-end sports car was coming from the opposite direction, so the taxi pulled over to let it pass.

As the vehicles crossed paths, Lan Ye saw the driver of the sports car, a young girl who looked like a high schooler. She had many small braids tied with colorful hair ties and various clips on her head, looking very vibrant.

Lan Ye couldn’t help but touch her own fuzzy head, wondering how long it would take for her hair to grow back to its original shoulder length.

Mi Xiaoman felt a gaze from outside. She glanced over and saw a head that looked like a “sentient kiwi” pressed against the window of the taxi. Seeing her look, the person even smiled at her.

“Where did this idiot come from?”

Mi Xiaoman looked away and stepped on the gas, driving off quickly.

Once they hit the wide main road and picked up speed, Mi Xiaoman turned to look at Mi Can, who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat, rubbing a cat’s eye stone bracelet.

“Sis, we’ll see the Princess soon.”

Mi Can nodded: “I wonder if she even wants to see me.”

“How could she not? The Princess likes you so much.”

Mi Can smiled faintly: “If she likes me, why did she run away from the wedding?”

Mi Xiaoman didn’t agree: “The Princess was just throwing a tantrum at the King and Queen. You don’t know, shortly after you entered the research base, the Princess had a huge fight with the King. They say they even came to blows.”

Later, according to palace rumors, the two of them were like a powder keg whenever they met. Unfortunately, every time the King saw the Princess, it was in private with guards kept far away, so no one knows what they fought about.

Anyway, it wasn’t about running away from a wedding. The Princess was just so angry she left home, and it just happened to coincide with the Queen putting the marriage proposal on the agenda.

Mi Can rubbed the bracelet and sighed. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have entered the research base back then.

Hearing her sister sigh made Mi Xiaoman’s heart ache: “Really, Sis. Look, the Princess has worn that bracelet you gave her for three years, never taking it off. How could she not like you?”

Speaking of which, Mi Can was puzzled: “I’ve wanted to upgrade that bracelet for her several times, but she refuses to hand it over.”

“Doesn’t that just prove how much she values it?”

“She values it more than me…”

Several times, Mi Can had been visibly upset, but Ju Rin still wouldn’t take it off.

That bracelet wasn’t an ordinary one, it was a new type of weapon developed by her lab. Later, she had improved it and tried to give Ju Rin a stronger version, but Ju Rin wouldn’t take it.

At first, Mi Can thought Ju Rin just liked the design of the cat’s eye stone. Mi Can looked down at the identical bracelet on her own wrist, she had even made all the new weapons in that same style, but Ju Rin still refused.

She only acknowledged that specific one…

Mi Xiaoman was at a loss for words. She didn’t know what the Princess was thinking either. After a long pause: “Anyway, the Princess definitely likes you, Sis.”

No one could dislike her sister. Because…

“You are the best person in the whole world, Sister!”

Mi Can let out a soft laugh.

Half an hour later, at the Xile Street Underground Boxing Gym.

“From now on, whoever says you aren’t the best person in the world, I’ll have words with them!”

Lan Ye excitedly grabbed Ju Rin’s hand, her eyes filled with indescribable excitement and joy.

So much, much, much money!

Lan Ye’s face was flushed red, her eyes fixed firmly on the two suitcases of cash in front of her.

Two whole suitcases! One million!

The gym owner had just said this was the prize money Rin won from a match, and the taxes were already paid!

Legal income! And it was all hers. Rin said it was all for her!

She wasn’t a “zero” anymore, she was a millionaire!

Ju Rin’s eyelashes fluttered. It was the first time she had heard someone praise her so bluntly…

In the past, no matter how well she did, the King only ever said: “Don’t be proud, you can do better.”

But now, this human was calling her the best person in the world.

How exaggerating… there is no such thing as “best” in this world.

She cleared her throat. Just as she was about to pull her hand back, the other person let go first.

But in the next second, those hands reached up to cup her face.

“Don’t move,” Lan Ye commanded.

Ju Rin looked at the person leaning in on tip-toes, her heart skipping a beat: “What are you doing?”

Lan Ye grinned, her smile brighter than ever.

“At a time like this, of course we should have a kiss.”