After Becoming Pregnant With The Empress Cat's Cub - Chapter 32.1

Thinking the other woman was going to explain the “passionate kiss,” Lan Ye picked up a piece of cake, scooped some cream into her mouth, and spoke generously: “Go ahead and explain. Why were you hugging her? I’m listening.”

Actually, Lan Ye didn’t care about things that happened before she met Rin. Even if Lin had been married before, it wouldn’t matter, as long as she remained loyal after they were together. The past couldn’t be changed, and not everyone was lucky enough to stay with their first love forever. She was only asking now because she’d just heard about it, and tea time was perfect for gossip.

Ju Rin looked at those eyes craving the truth… This human didn’t seem as confident or as trusting as she claimed to be regarding her lack of past intimacy. Perhaps she was worried about her past…

Ju Rin recalled that the only intimate act she had with Mi Can was the one the person in the kitchen saw… it was after she learned of her sister Mian Ling’s sacrifice…

At that thought, Ju Rin’s body stiffened, and a deep look of pain appeared in her amber eyes. At the time, she was fully expecting news that her sister was safe, only for Mi Can to bring back news of her death. At first, she didn’t believe it, everyone had told her Mian Ling was safe. She went to the King to demand why he lied, only to accidentally overhear the truth. It turned out the King, fearing she would put herself in danger, had ordered everyone to lie to her.

Lan Ye watched Rin sink into her memories, seeing the inconsolable sadness in her eyes. Her heart throbbed. This clearly had nothing to do with a romantic tryst. She put down the cake, reached out to hold Rin’s hand, and when Rin looked over, she grinned. “Suddenly, I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

She pushed the spoon into Rin’s mouth. “Try this cake, it’s delicious.”

Her thoughts interrupted, Ju Rin reflexively bit the spoon before letting go. Lan Ye pulled the spoon back, leaving a bite of cake in Rin’s mouth. The sweetness instantly spread, diluting the bitterness in her heart.

Lan Ye picked up a cream puff and took a bite. “Mmm, this one’s good too.” She stuffed the remaining half directly into Rin’s mouth.

Since the puff was already half-bitten, the cream flowed out. Lan Ye didn’t pull her hand away in time, and some cream got on her fingertip. Lan Ye withdrew her hand and licked it off.

Ju Rin’s brow jumped at the action, her amber eyes trembling slightly. This human… what is she doing… how can she be so… unhygienic…

Amidst her shock, her original emotions were replaced. Then, something new was stuffed into her mouth. It was a pastry the human had bitten in half.

“This one isn’t bad either, try it.”

Lan Ye shared everything she found delicious with Rin, finishing the mediocre ones herself. Ju Rin didn’t even have time to refuse, every time she swallowed, something new appeared.

Lan Ye had shifted the topic on purpose. She sensed her question had touched an unhappy memory. In her view, the best way to handle such things was to avoid thinking about them. Thinking repeatedly only made memories deeper, avoiding them might lead to forgetting. Like now, as they ate, Lan Ye forgot her original goal and focused on the tasting.

“Did you note down the ones I said were good?”

Finally having a moment without food being shoved into her mouth, Ju Rin exhaled. “What?”

“Didn’t you note down what I like and dislike? You even told the kitchen to prepare things according to my preferences.” Lan Ye gave Rin an ambiguous wink. “I know everything.”

Knowing this “tsundere” beastman was so considerate behind her back, Lan Ye really wanted to kiss that cold-looking face. Unfortunately, she had already declared that if there was to be a kiss, this little tsundere Princess would have to beg for it.

Ju Rin: “…”

Facing that gaze, Ju Rin felt slightly uneasy. She hadn’t intentionally “noted” anything, she just had a good memory… and since the human was staying in the palace because of her, it was only proper etiquette to take care of her meals.

She hesitated to explain, but the human spoke again through a mouthful of food. “By the way, have you ever been in any danger before?”

Ju Rin was confused. “Hmm?”

Lan Ye: “I heard in the kitchen that Mi Can has a ‘life-saving debt’ over you.”

That was true. Ju Rin nodded slightly.

“Did she give you this too?” Lan Ye pointed to the cat’s eye stone bracelet on Ju Rin’s wrist.

Ju Rin looked down and didn’t deny it. “Yes.”

Lan Ye: “And you never take it off because it was a gift from Mi Can?”

Ju Rin froze. That didn’t sound right… but it was also technically true. She didn’t know how to explain, the bracelet was very important to her, but Lan Ye’s words implied it was only important because of Mi Can.

“It’s not.” She wanted to say that wasn’t it, but Lan Ye interrupted.

She looked like she had seen the truth. “I knew it wasn’t.” If it were that important because of Mi Can, then back at Rin’s house when they met her, Rin wouldn’t have taken it off to turn it into a weapon against her. “What happened to you? Why did she need to save you?”

Lan Ye found it strange. Rin was so strong, stronger than Mi Can. What situation could possibly require Mi Can to save her?

Ju Rin looked at her and fell silent again.

Lan Ye’s heart skipped. She watched those amber eyes and saw no signs of pain, so she relaxed. If it were another painful memory, she wouldn’t want to hear it.

What Lan Ye didn’t know was that this should have been a painful experience, but due to the special nature of beastmen’s mental power, Rin had completely forgotten it. She gave Lan Ye the only simple version she could. “Three years ago, there was an accident. She saved me.”

Lan Ye waited for more, only to realize that was it. “Huh? That’s it?”

Ju Rin: “Yes.”

Beastmen had a trait that wasn’t common knowledge, if extreme pain exceeded the mental power’s capacity, the memory would be erased. Usually, this only happened in near death situations. Ju Rin had no memory of the event afterward, and neither did Mi Can. The situation must have been so dire that both almost died.

Lan Ye was surprised by the “fragmented amnesia” trait of beastmen, but she also spotted a problem. “If you don’t have the memory, how do you know Mi Can saved you?”

Hearing this, Ju Rin looked at the bracelet.

Lan Ye: “Because of this bracelet?”

Ju Rin nodded slightly. She had lost the memory, but a few images remained, likely memories so important she refused to let them be erased. One was the image of this bracelet being pressed into her palm. There was also a voice saying, “Rin, live on well.”

Lan Ye finished listening and looked at the bracelet. “Is this kind of bracelet unique to Mi Can? Are you sure it’s hers?”

Ju Rin snapped out of it. “Yes, she created it.” From a young age, Mi Can had a talent for weapons research. She was the one who invented the Light Energy Sword and the bracelet transformation method. The one on Ju Rin’s wrist was her first prototype, it even had a serial number.

Lan Ye nodded. “Then it must be hers.” She looked at Ju Rin. “Regarding the fact that she saved your life, what do you think?”

Ju Rin: “Hmm?”

Lan Ye winked. “A life-saving debt doesn’t necessarily have to be repaid with marriage~”

Ju Rin: ? Since when was she going to marry her?

“For a life-saving debt, you can just give her back a life.”

Ju Rin: “…”

“I mean, if she’s ever in danger in the future, you go save her.” That’s a life for a life. “However, if there’s a ‘choose one’ situation, like if she and I both fall into water and you can only save one, you have to save me first.”

Lan Ye spoke with a meaningful gaze. “Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” Ju Rin instinctively asked.

“Otherwise, you can just wait for a ‘Crematorium’ pursuit of your wife… and it’ll be the ‘Bad Ending’ kind!”