After Becoming Pregnant With The Empress Cat's Cub - Chapter 33.1

Lan Ye figured since she was only staying for a week, it was fine. But if it were a long-term stay, she’d definitely have to get some speakers and play some happy songs.

Thinking of this, Lan Ye thought of Hakimi. She wondered how her competition was going. Once her phone was charged, she’d have to call and ask.

Ju Rin led Lan Ye back to the main hall, and only then did Lan Ye realize the room she had slept in had a hidden door.

After pushing it open, there was another equally large room inside. Unlike the grand, opulent decoration of the bedroom, this room had a very high-tech feel. There were various light strips on the walls, making it feel like entering another world.

Ju Rin told Lan Ye this was also a lounge, used for entertainment.

Lan Ye could see that. There were various gaming devices in the room and a set of speakers that looked quite impressive.

“Do you usually sing in this room by yourself?”

Lan Ye looked at the golden microphone on the shelf nearby. The image of Rin singing karaoke alone in this room popped into her mind. She wondered if Rin was the wild type who belted out high notes or the reserved type who sat quietly singing sad love songs.

Either way felt quite cute. She really hadn’t expected this tsundere little princess to like singing in secret.

Ju Rin saw the sparkling eyes of the human and her eyelid twitched. “You’re overthinking. I’ve never used the things here.”

She wouldn’t waste time on such matters.

Lan Ye had a look on her face that said, ‘Are you a bit crazy?’ In such a wow inducing room with so many things that could bring joy, Rin actually said she hadn’t played with any of them. What kind of life was she living?

Lan Ye leaned in. “Then what do you usually do when you’re alone?”

Ju Rin continued walking. It turned out this room also had a hidden door. Pushing it open, everything Lan Ye could see was bookshelves, neatly filled with books. It was like a small library.

Ju Rin gave the answer: “If I have free time, I’ll read here for a while.”

Lan Ye silently took a step back, distancing herself from the literary atmosphere that felt like it might infect her if she looked too long.

She gave Rin a thumbs up. She had truly maintained consistency in her persona.

As she backed away, she asked, “So many books, you couldn’t have read them all, right?”

Ju Rin looked at her with an expression that asked: Why couldn’t I?

Lan Ye took a deep breath. Her eyes were glowing as she looked at Rin. She felt that the current Rin seemed to be shining, even with the scent of books. So impressive!

Lan Ye got dizzy from words and didn’t like studying. If she had to sit and finish a book, she’d rather wash three dogs that had fallen into a mud pit.

She returned to the entertainment room and sat down on a sofa. She had already spotted various chargers by the side of the sofa. She found the right cable, plugged her phone in, and gestured for Rin to come over.

She still had something to give Rin.

Ju Rin had just reached the sofa when her hand was caught by the human and pulled down to sit. After sitting, Ju Rin looked at her, not knowing what she was up to.

Lan Ye gave Rin a slight smile. “I still have a surprise for you.”

When she grabbed her phone in the bedroom earlier, she had also taken the ring from her backpack. Lan Ye held Rin’s wrist and carefully slipped the massive diamond ring onto Rin’s slender finger.

The ring slid all the way down, the size was perfect. Lan Ye cradled Rin’s hand, admiring the unique sparkle of the diamond. “So beautiful.”

The ring was beautiful, and so was the hand. Lan Ye looked at her. Of course, the person was the most beautiful.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

When Lan Ye took out the ring, Ju Rin’s expression changed slightly, becoming somewhat complex. She had known about this surprise for a long time, so she wasn’t particularly shocked. If anything, she was surprised that the human had given it to her now without any buildup.

She looked at the ruby ring on the human’s hand…

She actually chose to give her this diamond ring on the same day… didn’t she think the value between these two gifts was a bit too large? Too large to be appropriate for appearing at roughly the same time?

Ju Rin thought back to what Si Qing said, in a human’s concept, where the money is, the love is… Looking at the two rings with completely mismatched values, Ju Rin’s feelings were complicated.

Lan Ye read the meaning in Rin’s eyes. She couldn’t explain the value of diamonds that hadn’t fully shifted in her heart yet. Her heart still skipped a beat when she saw this “pigeon egg” it was a diamond the size of a pigeon egg! It was hard to fully accept the change from ten million to one thousand in a short time.

Lan Ye cleared her throat. “It’s a bit cheap, but since all my money currently comes from you, there’s not much point in using your money to buy you an expensive ring.”

“Wear this one for now. When I have my own money in the future, I’ll definitely upgrade it to a precious gemstone for you.”

Step by step, from a soda can tab to a diamond ring, and from a diamond ring to a gemstone. Just like feelings, things progress bit by bit.

Ju Rin looked at the human’s sparkling eyes as she spoke of the future, thinking of that day in the restaurant when the human had said the same thing that she’d get her a big diamond ring when she had money later.

Though this human was stingy, she had indeed kept her word.

Perhaps in her heart, a diamond ring was already good enough… Ju Rin looked at the human’s other hand. She was wearing the diamond ring Rin had thrown away… this human had actually picked it up and put it on again.

Looking at the tiny diamond on it, and then at the one on her own hand which was several sizes larger… If value were used to measure affection, this human’s affection for her was certainly greater than her own.

Ju Rin blinked and spoke: “I like it. Thank you.”

It wasn’t that she liked the gift itself, but rather she acknowledged the giver’s intent.

“Wait a second.”

Hearing Rin’s answer, Lan Ye thought of something, her eyes full of mirth. She turned to grab her phone, which had automatically turned on after charging. She quickly unlocked it, entered the chat app, and found Si Qing.

The other party had sent her many messages, but Lan Ye didn’t look at them. She went straight to the voice message button and said loudly, “Rin, do you like diamond rings?”

After speaking, she was about to hand the phone to Rin, but since it was still plugged in, Lan Ye simply pulled Rin into her arms, bringing her closer to the phone. She leaned into her ear to prompt her.

Lan Ye lowered her voice, speaking into Rin’s ear so only the two of them could hear: “Quick, say you like it.”

Ju Rin didn’t know what this human was doing. She tilted her head toward the hand on her shoulder, feeling a bit uneasy.

Seeing Rin didn’t respond and even turned her head away, the hand on her shoulder moved to her face, forcing her head back. Seeing Rin look at her, Lan Ye silently mouthed a reminder: Quick, say it.

Ju Rin’s eyelid twitched, feeling the warmth of the hand on her face. After a moment of silence and hesitation, she followed the human’s request and said, “I like it.”

Lan Ye let go, and the voice message was sent automatically.

“Hahahaha, I knew I’d win!”

Lan Ye looked at the successfully sent message and burst out laughing.

On the other end, Si Qing was driving. Hearing her phone ping, she glanced at it and saw it was a message from Lan Ye. She immediately pulled over.

Seeing it was a voice message, she quickly played it. She had sent the human so many messages and hadn’t gotten a reply, she had been a bit worried.

Upon clicking, the human’s laughing voice came through.

“Rin, do you like diamond rings?”

Hearing this, Si Qing’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. Wasn’t the message for her? Why was the human calling for Her Highness? And what did this question mean?

Looking at the voice clip that was still counting seconds but had no sound, Si Qing’s confusion deepened.

After a few more seconds, she finally heard a voice. It was the Princess’s.

“I like it.”

What on earth… This was a recorded conversation? Why did this human send her a recording of her conversation with the Princess?

Just as she was about to ask what she meant, another message came in. As soon as she clicked it, the human’s laughing, proud tone played: “You lost the bet from last time! Once I’m out of the palace, you’re paying for the shopping spree~”

Hearing “bet” and “pay,” Si Qing immediately remembered what it was about… This human actually still remembered!

And she had the nerve to bring it up, that bet was completely unfair! If the human won, Si Qing paid, if the human lost, Si Qing got nothing, and the human even said she’d ‘gained happiness’! How could she be happy after being scammed?!

Si Qing played the previous voice clip again. Hearing the Princess’s clear “I like it,” she felt a blockage in her chest!

How could she have been worried that this human would be in trouble in the palace? This kind of stingy, loss averse human who loved digging pits for others would do just fine anywhere. Especially with such a ‘doting’ Princess Highness!

Si Qing tossed her phone aside. Instead of worrying about this human, she should worry about how the people in the palace would be infuriated.

She restarted the car, but before releasing the brake, Si Qing grabbed the phone from the passenger seat again and sent a voice message back.

“We’ll talk when you get back.”

With that, she tossed the phone back, released the brake, and stepped on the gas. Her mood was a bit lighter than before. Fine, she’d pay. They were partners, after all.

Once the human came out, they had to continue investigating the case of the missing cat food from the stray cat shelter in the central district. They were already halfway through.

After listening to Si Qing’s voice message, Lan Ye explained the bet to a confused Ju Rin. Just as she was laughing and about to reply with ‘See you in a week’, a call came in.

It was Hakimi.

Thinking of her competition, Lan Ye let go of Rin’s shoulder, answered the call, and put the phone to her ear.

“Lan Ye, you finally picked up!”

Hakimi’s voice, raised in excitement, was clearly audible not just to Lan Ye but also to Ju Rin beside her.

“My phone was dead earlier,” Lan Ye explained simply before asking the question she cared about. “How was your competition?”

Hakimi exclaimed excitedly, “I passed! I’m in the top ten!”

She had wanted to tell Lan Ye as soon as she finished the competition today and knew the result, but Lan Ye’s phone was never reachable.

“I wanted to tell you first. Thank you, Lan Ye! It’s all thanks to the method you taught me.”

Lan Ye had said it didn’t matter if she was nervous or if she forgot the lyrics, as long as she poured her emotions in, even the simplest lyrics could convey deep feelings. She did it!

Lan Ye wasn’t surprised by the result. She had watched Hakimi fight her way through the auditions, her strength was there. If she hadn’t passed, Lan Ye would have suspected some shady business.

“That’s great, Hakimi! I told you, you’re a natural born star!”

Hakimi’s furry ears suddenly popped out. Fortunately, her hands didn’t change, so she could still hold the phone.

“Will you come to watch the finals? I heard from your aunt that you went far away and won’t be back for a long time.”

Lan Ye was a bit surprised. “You went to my aunt’s house?”

Hakimi: “Yeah. After the competition, I couldn’t get through to your phone and got a bit worried, so I went to your aunt’s house to find you. She said you had some business and that your wedding would be postponed by a day.”

Lan Ye was startled. When she borrowed Little Landmine’s phone this morning to call her aunt, she said she’d be back later and that the wedding was canceled.

She looked at Rin beside her, moved the phone away slightly, and asked softly, “You called my aunt?”

Ju Rin nodded, her eyes fixed on the phone. She saw the caller ID: Hakimi.

It was that Beastman again. The one who had taken the ‘Love Number 1’ card, and whose beast ears the human had touched.

Getting confirmation, Lan Ye brought the phone back. “Yeah, I have some business and have to go far away for a bit. I’ll be back in about a week. The wedding is postponed by a day, don’t get the date wrong.”

Hakimi felt a bit regretful, she had hoped the wedding would be postponed indefinitely.

“Then my competition.”

Lan Ye interrupted with a laugh, “I’ll be there to cheer for you in person!”

The gloom on Hakimi’s face suddenly turned into a huge surprise. “Really? You’re coming to the palace to cheer for me?”

The finals were being held in the Imperial Palace. Hakimi was shocked that Lan Ye said she’d be there.

Lan Ye didn’t tell Hakimi she was currently in the palace and would be attending the King’s birthday banquet. Since the competition was on the same day, she would naturally be able to cheer on the scene.

“Really. When have I ever lied?”

Beside her, Ju Rin gave a soft huff. She didn’t lie to others, but with her, there were barely any true words…

Hakimi was so excited that both her hands turned into paws. She couldn’t hold the phone, and it fell to the ground with a ‘thud’.

Lan Ye heard the noise and was surprised. “Hakimi, what happened?”

Hakimi quickly got down on the floor, trying to pick up the phone, but her giant beast paws couldn’t grab it. She simply lay low, bringing her head close to the phone to speak: “Nothing, I’m just too happy!”

Lan Ye: “Don’t be nervous. When the time comes, if you perform normally, you’ll be the champion~”

Hakimi: “Mhm!”

Lan Ye: “I’ll stop here for now. I need to call my aunt.”

Hakimi: “Okay, okay, you go ahead.”

Lan Ye hung up, a smile dancing on her face. A Hakimi is common, but a Lan Ye is not. Like she said, anyone named Hakimi couldn’t possibly be bad at singing! Recognizing a star, that’s her!

Ju Rin looked at the happy Lan Ye, her brow furrowed. This human… could her willingness to stay in the palace be just so she can cheer for this Beastman in person?

Lan Ye didn’t notice Rin’s expression. After hanging up on Hakimi, she immediately called her aunt. As expected, the other party wasn’t worried at all.

It turned out the reason Rin used was that she was taking Lan Ye home for a visit first.

On the phone, Lan Shan reminded Lan Ye to be polite when going to Rin’s home, told her to buy more gifts, and reminded her not to wear a hat. When Rin had come to their house before, they realized Rin didn’t know the rules in the countryside. Lan Shan wanted Lan Ye to follow their etiquette.

Lan Ye agreed to everything, ending the call on a light and pleasant note.

After hanging up, Lan Ye planned to praise Rin. Not only did she remember to call her aunt, but she also came up with a great excuse.

She had originally hesitated about how to spin it, how to explain saying the wedding was canceled in the morning, then postponed by a day in the afternoon, and why she was suddenly leaving for so many days.

Lan Ye didn’t want to tell them she was in the palace yet, nor did she want to tell them about Rin’s status as a princess. She was afraid they would worry, it would be better to explain everything slowly in person once she got back.

Lan Ye hadn’t expected that Rin would have everything figured out. Rin had said they’d had a bit of a conflict over the wedding dress in the morning but had already resolved it. Now she was taking her home to meet her family, saying a relative was unwell and wanted to see Lan Ye. It was all very reasonable.

As she put down the phone and was about to start praising her, Lan Ye saw a little orange cat had appeared in Rin’s arms.

“Where did this cat come from?” Lan Ye was surprised.

Ju Rin pointed to a corner of the wall. Lan Ye looked over and found a cat hole there with a very sci-fi-looking door. Because it blended in so well, Lan Ye hadn’t noticed it before.

“Meow~” The cat in Ju Rin’s arms meowed at Lan Ye.

Lan Ye: “Is it saying hello to me?”