After Becoming Pregnant With The Empress Cat's Cub - Chapter 4

Lan Ye’s entire focus was fixed on those furry ears that had suddenly popped out. She didn’t hear a single word Ju Lin said.

She was now absolutely certain she had traveled to another world! A world of incredible things! She finally believed that the woman in front of her was indeed a so-called “Beastman.”

The educational film the police had shown her earlier mentioned that Beastmen have animal forms. Looking at those golden ears, Lan Ye thought they looked exactly like cat ears, just scaled up proportionally. Now she understood why she was pregnant with a kitten!

“Hmm?” Ju Lin looked at the human before her. The girl’s eyes were sparkling, her pupils trembling intensely as if she were experiencing a massive emotional wave.

Is she this excited because of what I said? Ju Lin’s grip on the ultrasound report tightened slightly. Is it because her plan succeeded?

A look of realization flashed in Ju Lin’s eyes. After Si Qing told her about the human reporting the incident to the police, her thoughts aligned with Si Qing’s. This human had a plan, from entering her room to escaping afterward, to reporting it to the police, every step was calculated to lead to this moment.

Many people wanted to marry Ju Lin. She had encountered those who tried to deliberately seduce her during her “Eruption Period” before, but no one had ever succeeded. As for why it worked this time… Ju Lin still wasn’t sure. But since things had reached this point, she released the hand holding the paper and began to rub the cat’s eye stone bracelet on her other wrist. Since it had happened, she would just have to let the human have her way.

“Regarding marriage, what are your thoughts?” Ju Lin spoke again.

Watching the ears flatten slightly, Lan Ye felt half her “health bar” drained by the sheer cuteness! My god, that’s way too adorable!

In her excitement, Lan Ye only caught the last half of Ju Lin’s sentence: “…what are your thoughts?”

She definitely had thoughts!

“I want to touch them!” Lan Ye said bluntly, voicing her most immediate desire.

“Hmm?” A hint of confusion crossed Ju Lin’s eyes. “What?”

Lan Ye pointed at the slightly lowered ears and asked excitedly, “Can I touch them? Your ears?”

The ears snapped upright instantly. Ju Lin realized she had inadvertently exposed part of her beast form. Generally, Beastmen only reveal their animal traits when their mental stability is compromised.

That night… she seemed to have lost control and shown her ears then, too, but the human hadn’t tried to touch them. Now, however, she seemed intensely interested.

That night, Lan Ye had been blinded by “pink bubbles” and couldn’t see a thing otherwise, she would have definitely given them a good rub. Looking at those ears now, she felt as if the fluffy fur was tickling her heart. She desperately wanted to give them a squeeze.

Ju Lin’s mental state was fluctuating because of the ultrasound… that tiny kitten, curled into a ball, so small… that was her child.

Ju Lin gripped the report. She actually had a child. At the thought, the ears tilted backward.

Airplane ears!!!

Lan Ye’s eyes grew even brighter. She looked at Ju Lin with pure anticipation. I want to touch them so bad! They look so soft and cute!

Under the gaze of those eyes, Ju Lin felt a restless surge of emotion. She took a deep breath, concentrating to stabilize her mental power. In the next instant, the furry ears atop her head vanished.

This was Ju Lin’s practical response to Lan Ye’s request.

Seeing this “magic trick,” Lan Ye let out an “Ah,” her voice dripping with disappointment. She looked at Ju Lin with a trace of accusation she wasn’t even aware of.

Cruel. To show them but not let me touch.

Meeting that gaze, Ju Lin’s expression darkened. A Beastman’s ears were only for an intimate partner to touch. She had just proposed marriage, and they weren’t partners yet, yet this human was already making such an “over the line” request.

It was quite bold.

Lan Ye, completely ignorant of these “social norms,” stared regretfully at the serious woman. Because that moment had been so cute, even with the woman’s face now stern and solemn, Lan Ye saw her through a “cute filter.” Her heart even felt a bit itchy. She really wanted to squish that serious face, maybe if she rubbed it enough, it would turn into a fluffy little cat head.

Lan Ye’s thoughts wandered, and the more she imagined it, the brighter her eyes became.

Watching the human’s eyes light up with excitement again, Ju Lin sighed inwardly. Even though she knew the other party’s methods were questionable, her hands were tied.

“If you have no objections, we can go register today.” Since the decision was made, Ju Lin wanted to settle the matter quickly.

“Huh?” Lan Ye snapped back to reality. “Register for what?”

“Marriage.”

“Marriage?” Lan Ye was stunned. “Who’s getting married?”

The topic had jumped so fast Lan Ye was lost.

Ju Lin frowned, unsure what act the human was playing now. “Perhaps you have other plans?”

“Plans?” Lan Ye was even more confused. “What plans?” All she wanted was to pet some ears.

Seeing the woman’s gaze drop slightly toward her stomach, Lan Ye finally remembered the current situation. She scratched her head; she really hadn’t planned anything yet. Whether to have this “cat” or not… she needed to think about it, but she felt that was her business alone.

Wait. Lan Ye suddenly looked up at Ju Lin. Wait a minute, did she say register for marriage? No way.

She looked at her in disbelief. “You want to marry me?”

The words felt surreal even as she said them.

Seeing the human’s shocked expression, Ju Lin assumed it was the excitement of achieving her goal. She nodded.

Lan Ye gasped. Is this person crazy?! This was technically only their second time meeting! Even if they had slept together the first time, people don’t just get married because of a one night stand! What era is this? How could marriage be so casual?

Wait… Lan Ye looked at the ultrasound report in the woman’s hands. Is it because of the kitten? Does this Beastman feel she needs to take responsibility?

Regardless of the reason, proposing marriage to someone you’ve effectively just met was terrifying. Lan Ye stood up quickly from her chair and looked down at the seated woman.

“I have no intention of getting married.”

She was a firm believer in the “no marriage” lifestyle.

“I don’t know why you’re saying this, but if it’s about taking responsibility, there’s no need. I’m an adult; I can take responsibility for my own actions. Also, marriage is a very serious and cautious matter. Bringing it up so easily is actually quite irresponsible… Anyway, that’s it. I have things to do, so I’m leaving.”

When Lan Ye had left the house this morning, her only goal after the check-up was to find the person from that night.

If both were single, Lan Ye actually wanted to ask if she’d be willing to turn this “accident” into a long-term arrangement, friends with benefits.

After all, it felt amazing… that sensation was something Lan Ye would be more than happy to experience again.

But marriage was out of the question.

She had never once considered getting married. Hadn’t people seen enough news? Marriage was such a hassle; it wasn’t just about two people anymore, it dragged two entire families into the mix. Those people on TV shouting, “I’m marrying this person, not their family,” always ended up in a mess with no good resolution.

Lan Ye was someone who particularly hated trouble and was used to her freedom. She had absolutely no desire to use a binding relationship like marriage to gain extra “family members.” It would be a nightmare.

Whatever small spark of “attraction at first sight” she had felt vanished instantly at the word “marriage.”

Lan Ye scooped up her backpack from the floor, slung it over her shoulder, pulled a bucket hat onto her head, and looked at Ju Lin.

“Goodbye.”

With that, under Ju Lin’s surprised gaze, Lan Ye snatched the ultrasound report from her hand and walked toward the door without looking back.

Hearing hurried footsteps, Si Qing, who had been pressed against the door eavesdropping, quickly scrambled back two steps. By the time Lan Ye opened the door, Si Qing was standing there with a serious, “on-guard” expression.

Seeing Si Qing still there, Lan Ye thought of the police mix-up from earlier and looked apologetic. “Officer, I’m so sorry. Today was all a misunderstanding. Um, I’m withdrawing the report.”

After saying her piece, she bypassed her and headed straight for the elevator at the end of the corridor. Today had been too sudden. Lan Ye needed to find a place to process everything.

After watching her leave, Si Qing turned back to the person sitting composed in the reception room.

“Should I stop her?”

Ju Lin rubbed the cat’s eye stone bracelet on her wrist. Hearing the question, she remained silent for two seconds as if contemplating before speaking: “No need.”

Since the answer was “no,” Si Qing hurried into the room and moved to Ju Lin’s side, her fake composure long gone.

“Princess, why…why did you propose to her?!”

Ju Lin looked up and glanced at her. “Fix your habit of eavesdropping.”

Si Qing looked frantic. “I was worried about you!” She knew Ju Lin wasn’t truly angry, if it had been something she wasn’t allowed to hear, Ju Lin wouldn’t have let her hear it. “Why the proposal?”

Si Qing pressed for an answer. When she had been leaning against the door, she had been desperate to rush in and ask the Princess what she was thinking, proposing to a human of unknown origin.

At the word “proposal,” a strange light flickered in Ju Lin’s eyes. She looked at Si Qing and corrected her: “It was a proposal of marriage.”

What’s the difference? Si Qing looked anxious. “You want to marry that human?” She paused, struck by a possibility. “Does Your Highness like that human?”

No way…

Si Qing looked back at the open door. The person outside was long gone. A human like that, dressed weirdly, average-looking… the Princess couldn’t possibly…

“This whole thing was clearly premeditated. I heard it just now, that human denied breaking into your bedroom and claimed she was so drunk she didn’t remember anything. How could a blackout-drunk human bypass your private estate’s security and enter your bedroom undetected? This might be a gang crime; there must be someone directing her behind the scenes. She acts so innocent at first, even I was almost fooled by that pure face of hers. Someone who says one thing but thinks another is a dangerous person. How can Your Highness marry someone like that?!”

Ju Lin listened silently until Si Qing finished, then calmly replied, “Danger is only controllable when kept close.”

It sounded like an answer to Si Qing’s question, yet it explained nothing at all.

Si Qing felt this approach was too risky. But then again, the Princess she knew had always been like this, if there wasn’t a danger, she’d create one. Their guard unit’s mental power levels were nowhere near hers, they weren’t so much protecting her as they were trying to prevent her from causing a disaster.

In recent years, the Princess seemed to be going through a rebellious phase, heading wherever the danger was. After running away from the palace, she even became a Bounty Hunter, a profession with a nearly 90% mortality rate.

Si Qing didn’t know how to persuade her, nor why Ju Lin had made this sudden decision, but she was sure of one thing: “The King and Queen won’t agree.”

Leaving aside the fact that she was a subpar human, even if she were a top-tier human, they would never agree simply because she was human. In the eyes of the King and Queen, only a Beastman of Rank SS or higher was worthy of Ju Lin.

Ju Lin seemed indifferent. “This is my business.” The implication was clear, she didn’t plan on asking for their opinion.

Si Qing thought of Ju Lin’s external identity, the one she used when matching the kitten’s DNA in the database. The Princess’s information was private and not in the public database. “So you plan to marry her using your outside identity? You don’t intend to tell her who you really are?”

Ju Lin gave a casual nod.

Si Qing: “But I’m worried that human already knows who you are. Why else go to all this trouble?” She felt a larger conspiracy was at play.

Ju Lin thought of the human’s attitude just now. It was incredibly casual, with no sense of reverence. This was abnormal. Even if she didn’t know she was a Princess, a Rank S Beastman should be enough to inspire awe in a human, yet she didn’t seem afraid at all… Was it because she had a child in her belly and felt she had nothing to fear?

“That human actually rejected Your Highness’s proposal.” Si Qing spoke with disbelief. If she hadn’t heard it herself, she really couldn’t imagine anyone rejecting Ju Lin to her face.

Ju Lin was actually surprised herself. When she proposed this solution, she hadn’t considered the possibility of being rejected.

“If she doesn’t want to marry, what does she want?”

Si Qing was confused. Originally, she thought Lan Ye wanted to frame Ju Lin and send her to trial to ruin her reputation, but she had just personally withdrawn the police report. What was her angle?

“That human is pregnant with a kitten. If she plans to give birth, she must have a Beastman partner…” Si Qing reasoned slowly, a realization dawning in her eyes. “She couldn’t have a grudge against you, could she? Deliberately letting you know you have a child, then marrying another Beastman so your child calls someone else ‘Mother’!”

Hearing this, Ju Lin frowned. A sudden image flashed through her mind: a family of three, that human holding a tiny kitten and smiling happily at another Beastman…

An unrecognized flash of displeasure crossed Ju Lin’s eyes.

Si Qing shook her head immediately after saying it. That didn’t seem to offer any real benefit other than spite. “I feel like she’ll definitely come back to find you. She caused such a scene today for a reason. Rejecting you now is probably just a tactic, retreating to advance.”

Si Qing was convinced Lan Ye was a highly calculating human. “Identifying her is easy enough. I’ll look into her later. Her background can’t be simple!”

Ju Lin raised her hand, about to say “No need” (as she intended to investigate herself), when she heard a flurry of hurried footsteps approaching. She looked toward the door.

Soon, as the footsteps neared, a splash of earthy-yellow skirt fabric swung into view. Then, she was once again locked in a gaze with those startlingly bright eyes.

Lan Ye looked at the people still in the reception room, clutching her chest and panting.

“Thank goodness… you haven’t left yet.”

Si Qing turned to Ju Lin and gave her a look that said, “See? I told you she’d be back.”

She wanted to hear exactly what this human was planning to do now.