After Becoming Pregnant With The Empress Cat's Cub - Chapter 45

Lan Ye blinked subconsciously, a look of daze in her eyes. What was happening? Why had Rin suddenly grabbed her chin and leaned in so close? Did she have sleep crust in her eyes?

She could handle that herself. Lan Ye reached out to grasp Rin’s wrist, but just as she was about to speak, she saw a flicker of amusement in those amber eyes. In the next instant, hot breath rushed over her, and her slightly parted lips were sealed by another’s!

Lan Ye’s eyes snapped shut by instinct, then flew wide open! What… what was going on? Rin was kissing her?

As if responding to her confusion, the mouth pressed against hers opened slightly and took a soft nip of her lip. Lan Ye’s wide eyes were filled with both shock and joy. This was unbelievable! Her grip on Rin’s wrist tightened. Rin was… actually kissing her!

The moment Rin had seen Lan Ye, she had wanted to kiss her. She thought back to the moment she had rushed into the concert hall, her heart racing amidst the chaos.

On the stage illuminated by spotlights, there stood a tiny human on one side, and a group of tall, powerful beastmen on the other. Lan Ye stood against them without a hint of fear, composed and calm. The scene looked like a small wild flower standing before a pack of ferocious beasts, though she could be trampled at any moment, the flower remained undaunted. It felt as though if a breeze blew by, she might even wiggle provocatively and smugly.

It seemed she never realized she was just a fragile human. She was always so brave, so fearless. For the first time, Rin saw a soul as towering as a mountain within a tiny human body. In that moment, Lan Ye’s powerful spirit made Rin forget her fragility. It was as if, as long as she stood there, she had the power to shield others from the wind and rain.

Rin even felt a twinge of jealousy toward “No. 1,” whom Lan Ye was protecting. She thought that being shielded like that by Lan Ye must be a form of happiness. But Rin didn’t want that kind of happiness. Rather than crying behind her, she wanted to stand in front of her, to be the one who protected her. She thought that being able to protect Lan Ye would be an even greater happiness. Or perhaps, she just wanted to be the breeze that allowed Lan Ye to be smug and arrogant.

Gently sucking on the lips she had longed for, their hot breaths intermingling, Rin heard a clamorous heartbeat. A sense of fulfillment from a long held wish swept through her entire body. A visible smile curled at the corners of her mouth, this mouth of Lan Ye’s seemed tough, but it was actually quite soft, just like her heart.

As she pulled back, Rin gently stroked Lan Ye’s burning cheek. Looking into those brilliantly bright eyes shimmering with shock, as if Lan Ye couldn’t believe she had actually kissed her, a smile spread from Rin’s lips to her eyes. She hadn’t expected Lan Ye to have a moment of such insecurity.

That smile faltered only when she saw the group of people behind Lan Ye, whose expressions were even more shocked! Rin finally remembered that Lan Ye wasn’t the only one on this stage… Just now, when Lan Ye said she wanted a kiss, her gaze had been so bright that Rin had forgotten everything else. It was as if only the two of them existed in the world.

Realizing she had done such a thing under so many gazes, a delayed wave of shyness hit Rin’s heart, causing her eyes to tremble slightly. She finally understood what the surprise in Lan Ye’s eyes was about… Indeed, Lan Ye wasn’t surprised that Rin kissed her, they had kissed yesterday, she was surprised that Rin had kissed her so calmly in front of so many people.

Something was off. Something was very off!

Seeing the suspicion flickering in Lan Ye’s eyes, Rin realized in hindsight that her actions had been impulsive. She shifted her gaze slightly, not letting Lan Ye see the hidden shyness in her eyes. The space suddenly went quiet, as if everyone had held their breath. Rin quickly thought about what to say. Seeing the human about to speak, she cleared her throat and spoke first.

“Didn’t you say… you really wanted to kiss me?” Rin’s finger brushed against the corner of Lan Ye’s moistened lips, a hint of unease in her eyes. “Fine… I’ll satisfy you.”

Her voice was tender and lingering, carrying a smile she was trying to hide, which made her sound exceptionally proud and aloof.

Lan Ye: !

Her heart went crazy in an instant, jumping up, down, left, and right, thumping against her chest as if desperate to come out and say something. In that moment, she felt as if she could see Rin’s beast form tail wagging back and forth behind her. This tsundere! She was too much! Did she think that just because her tail wasn’t visible, Lan Ye wouldn’t know she was secretly enjoying this?!

“Satisfy her”? She made it sound like she didn’t want to kiss at all and was just being merciful! Lan Ye had said she wanted a kiss many times before, why hadn’t Rin been so “satisfying” then!

Recalling the times she had been rejected, the corners of Lan Ye’s flushed eyes curled upward. Something was definitely wrong! Although Rin had kissed her last night, the feeling then was completely different from now. Moreover, last night was a result of Lan Ye’s little tricks, and Rin had clearly been caught up in the heat of the moment. Now, she had just made a casual comment, used no tricks at all, and this arrogant princess had kissed her voluntarily?! And in front of so many people!

The world really was turning upside down!

Lan Ye looked at Rin in astonishment. Only one night had passed, had something happened that she didn’t know about? Or had Rin had some epiphany this morning? Whatever the reason, she’d ignore it for now! Who would be stupid enough to demand an explanation at a time like this!

Lan Ye’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Rin. She pressed her hand over her racing heart, it was beating so fast it seemed eager to speak. Lan Ye knew what her heart wanted to say. She spoke for it.

“Not satisfied. Not satisfied at all!” Lan Ye looked at her, eyes glowing. “Since you want to satisfy me, I have another idea. Why don’t you fulfill it!”

Seeing Lan Ye about to say something, Rin’s gaze froze, and she immediately reached out to press her hand over those still moist lips. She had forgotten, there was no such thing as “satisfied” for this human. Give her an inch, and she’d take a mile! Thinking of what Lan Ye wanted to do last night, Rin was very worried she would make that request right now.

Rin’s gaze swept over the people nearby, hinting for Lan Ye to look at the situation… there were people… It wasn’t appropriate to make that kind of request now.

Lu Li was right there. When the Princess’s gaze swept over her, she immediately lowered her head. “Your Highness, I didn’t see anything! You can pretend I don’t exist! You can pretend I’m not even human! Please continue!”

She thought Lan Ye’s “unsatisfied” meant she wanted more kisses. While lowering her head, she also pushed down the head of Hakimi, who was sitting on the floor.

Hakimi: ?

Everyone else: ?

Li Hu couldn’t possibly pretend she wasn’t human. She found the scene hard to digest. Was this person really Rin? The Rin who had been distant from everyone since childhood and didn’t have a single intimate partner as an adult? She looked at the human who was shouting about being unsatisfied, did this girl know she had received affection from Rin that no one else ever had? And yet she wasn’t satisfied?!

The others didn’t have Lu Li’s level of awareness. It was hard for them to pretend they didn’t exist… and even harder to stop watching! Everyone was shaken. It was their first time seeing the legendary SSS-rank beastman princess, and they had just witnessed her kissing an ordinary human with such tenderness… The very same human who had arrogantly claimed things were “changing” not long ago! This time, things really had changed!

When Li Sha saw Princess Rin kiss Lan Ye, she felt as if a claw had ripped a hole in her heart. She looked completely dazed and incredulous. How could this be? How could the Princess, an SSS-rank beastman, so outstanding in every way, like such a common human?! The person standing beside her should be an equally outstanding beastman! Li Sha didn’t even dare to imagine standing by the Princess’s side herself! The Princess she had admired for so long… how could she!

She wanted to step forward and wake the Princess up. Rin must have been momentarily deluded by this human, this human had a sharp tongue and must have deceived her! But just as she moved, a guard intercepted her as if anticipating it. Then, at General Li Hu’s signal, the guard covered Li Sha’s mouth.

Mmph. Li Sha couldn’t break free. Hakimi couldn’t break free either. Lu Li’s grip was too strong! Lu Li’s hand was clamped onto the back of her head like it was welded there. Hakimi could only stare down at her own crossed legs. She was anxious, things were going wrong. She had just realized something… Lan Ye was married! She was a bounty hunter and was about to have a wedding! So why was she kissing the Princess?! And why was Lan Ye in the palace?

Because Rin hadn’t planned on remaining a princess, Lan Ye hadn’t intended to tell Lan Shan and the others about Rin’s true identity. Naturally, she hadn’t told Hajime either. She had only told Hakimi she’d come to the palace during the finals to cheer for her, never mentioning she was currently living there. Hakimi had only just realized that Lan Ye had arrived immediately after she called… That speed was clearly suspicious.

In her earlier state of being moved, Hakimi hadn’t noticed. Now she couldn’t figure it out. She really wanted to ask Lan Ye why she was in the palace and kissing the Princess… Wait… a thought occurred to Hakimi, connecting Lan Ye’s sudden wedding postponement and her “trip far away.” Lan Ye said she was going to her fiancé’s house, but she was here in the palace…

After a thorough analysis, Hajime reached a conclusion. The Princess was Lan Ye’s mistress!

At this thought, Hakimi’s eyes lit up. Before, she had only thought about waiting for Lan Ye to get a divorce. She hadn’t considered this possibility… Actually, being a mistress was fine too! As long as Lan Ye was willing! Even though she wasn’t as powerful as the Princess, she would work hard to become stronger!

Lan Ye had no idea about Hakimi’s change of heart. Hakimi was now like a little landmine, no longer caring whether Lan Ye got a divorce, but solely focused on becoming a mistress. If Lan Ye knew, she would only marvel at the unique logic of beastmen and the simultaneously conservative yet open nature of relationships in this world.

She looked at Rin. Receiving that hinting gaze, she was a bit reluctant. When making a request, one had to seize the right moment. She was worried that if she didn’t mention it now, Rin would run away again!

As if reading Lan Ye’s mind, Rin reached out and grabbed her hand, using her actions to show she wouldn’t run… Actually, she hadn’t really “run” before, she had genuinely been busy… Lan Ye squinted, looking at that proud gaze that refused to admit fault, and snorted inwardly. Fine, as long as she didn’t run.

“We’ll talk when we get back,” Lan Ye said, ending their silent eye exchange. This also broke the silence on the stage.

Somehow, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when she spoke. Rin breathed a sigh of relief because Lan Ye didn’t intend to state her “wish” here. Lu Li breathed a sigh of relief because she didn’t have to pretend she didn’t exist anymore. Hakimi breathed a sigh of relief because her head might finally be released. Li Hu breathed a sigh of relief because she didn’t have to watch Rin continue to satisfy this shameless human. Li Sha breathed a sigh of relief because she didn’t have to witness that nightmarish scene anymore. Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief because they could finally stop holding their breath!