After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 49

“It was alright, I suppose.”

Xu Bingqi didn’t have much of an impression of the beagle named Douhua, aside from its gluttony.

But Song Guanjin’s sudden question made Xu Bingqi wonder if the cat demon had developed an interest in keeping a dog. “No wonder you fed Douhua so many sugar-roasted chestnuts. You really like Douhua, don’t you?”

Like Douhua? Like a silly dog?

Song Guanjin was so shocked she even forgot to refute, until she heard Xu Bingqi continue, “If you like dogs, you could keep one too.”

“Sis!”

Song Guanjin felt that if she didn’t stop her sister now, she would even start planning which breed of silly dog to get.

She softened her voice and cooed, “Am I not enough for you? Why would you want to keep a dog?”

“I never said I wanted to keep a dog.”

Xu Bingqi found Song Guanjin’s question baffling, only belatedly realizing that the atmosphere had grown somewhat ambiguous because of her retort.

The cat demon’s brows and eyes slowly relaxed. “That’s good, then. Having me is enough for you, sis. You’re not allowed to keep any other cats or dogs.”

Xu Bingqi finally couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Having you is enough? Since when did we?”

Song Guanjin blinked. Since her identity as a cat demon was already exposed to her sister, she might as well make good use of it.

“Didn’t you always want to keep Shiliu before?” Song Guanjin rested her chin on her sister’s arm. “Are you thinking of abandoning her now?”

Xu Bingqi’s slender phoenix eyes widened abruptly. The Song Guanjin nestled in the crook of her arm had transformed back into her original cat form, her pitiful jade-green eyes fixed intently on her.

The cat, pushing her luck, climbed up along Xu Bingqi’s arm until Xu Bingqi picked her up with her hands and set her back down on the sofa.

“Change back now.”

Xu Bingqi reasoned with the cat, who persistently tried to burrow into her embrace again.

But a cat would never reason with her sister. Taking advantage of Xu Bingqi’s inattention, she leaped into her arms, then comfortably rolled over, exposing her round, plump belly.

A cat only knew how to act cute; she would never reason with her sister.

Thus, Xu Bingqi discovered that no matter how gently she tried to persuade her, the cat in her arms would only respond with occasional perfunctory “meows” while continuing to snuggle.

Her shameless attitude was plain to see.

At her wit’s end, Xu Bingqi cleared her throat softly. “Then let’s go to the pet hospital first.”

The weight in her arms suddenly increased. With quick reflexes, Xu Bingqi draped Song Guanjin’s scattered clothes over her body. “Put your clothes on first.”

Her mood was remarkably calm now, almost devoid of the heart-pounding panic she had felt the first time she saw Song Guanjin naked.

Xu Bingqi sighed softly. She felt she was gradually growing numb and accustomed to it.

But when Song Guanjin reached out to wrap her arms around her waist, Xu Bingqi’s heartbeat quickened. She quickly closed her eyes and whispered, “Put your clothes on first.”

The cat demon reluctantly dressed herself, but secretly delighted in the fact that her sister hadn’t made her get up from her embrace.

Xu Bingqi could feel the warmth of Song Guanjin’s skin seeping through the fabric, making the blood beneath her own skin seem to heat up and flow faster. She could even sense the subtle friction of the cat demon’s skin against her body as she moved, sending an indescribable tingling sensation through her.

“Get off me now.”

Xu Bingqi didn’t dare open her eyes to check if Song Guanjin had finished dressing. Her urging voice carried a hint of hoarseness, as if gently sanded by sandpaper.

But she knew Song Guanjin’s behavior stemmed from pure innocence after all, cats have no concept of wearing clothes, so she wouldn’t realize what this meant to humans.

She had to shoulder the responsibility of continuing to educate the cat, teaching her not to dress while on top of people.

Song Guanjin had just put on her last piece of clothing and cheerfully sat down beside her sister, wrapping her arms around her neck. “All dressed now.”

Xu Bingqi slowly opened her eyes. She felt that recently, Song Guanjin had been initiating more physical contact with her. Yet, since such gestures were common among close friends, Xu Bingqi wondered if she might be overthinking it.

“Sister, how do you feel now that you know I’m a cat spirit?”

After finishing a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, the cat spirit felt somewhat reassured but was still curious about her sister’s current perspective on her identity.

“Actually, I’ve known you were a cat spirit for a long time.” Xu Bingqi thought for a moment and decided to be completely honest with the cat spirit. “It was back when you ate those liquor-filled chocolates.”

The cat spirit tilted her head and looked at her sister. “Why didn’t you expose me then?”

This had led her to believe that the excuse “Sister, you’re drunk” was quite effective.

Song Guanjin seemed to recall something else. “Did you reject me because of my identity?”

She had originally planned to gradually reveal her true nature to Xu Bingqi, but carelessness had allowed Xu Bingqi to discover it prematurely.

Xu Bingqi pondered and nodded. “That’s part of the reason, yes.”

After all, humans and spirits walk different paths. She was well aware that to a long-lived being like Song Guanjin, she was merely a passing presence in life.

So that’s how it is.

Song Guanjin’s eyes instantly reddened, like delicate flowers battered by frost. The next moment, teardrops as large as pearls rolled down uncontrollably.

She thought, just as expected her sister really did discriminate against her for being a cat spirit.

Watching Song Guanjin’s tears fall, Xu Bingqi flusteredly picked up a tissue and offered it to her. But Song Guanjin, in a fit of pique, refused to take it. Left with no choice, Xu Bingqi gently used the tissue to wipe away the tears tracing paths down Song Guanjin’s cheeks.

Song Guanjin grabbed her sister’s hand. “Am I not pretty? Not adorable? Aren’t I much better than humans like Gu Xiaozhou and Jiang Ruo?”

The thought of being rejected solely because of her cat spirit identity filled her with immense grievance. “And you like cats so much, sister, why can’t you accept me?”

Xu Bingqi hadn’t anticipated such an intense reaction from Song Guanjin. Her heart ached as she wiped away the cat spirit’s tears, softly stroking her back, which trembled slightly from sorrow.

“It’s not because of you, it’s because of me.”

Before Xu Bingqi could finish her sentence, her phone suddenly vibrated.

She hesitated, unsure whether to answer the call while the little cat was so upset. But Song Guanjin immediately stopped crying.

She couldn’t cry loudly while her sister was on the phone, it would embarrass her.

Under the cat spirit’s anxious gaze, Xu Bingqi picked up her phone and then declined the call. “It’s an unknown number.”

Song Guanjin breathed a sigh of relief and continued silently shedding tears, like a wounded little animal waiting for her sister to comfort her again.

At that moment, Xu Bingqi’s phone vibrated again.

Song Guanjin also stopped her tears once more.

“It’s the same number as before.”

Xu Bingqi wasn’t in the habit of answering calls from unknown numbers, so she pressed the decline button again.

Just then, a trending news notification popped up: [Xiao Hua suffers a leg fracture, suspected to be caused by blunt force trauma.]

Xiao Hua’s leg really was broken.

Xu Qingci rubbed her temples and wearily answered the call from Gu Nan. Her friend got straight to the point: “Did you do it?”

“It wasn’t me.”

Although she had threatened Xiao Hua, she had never actually considered sending someone to break his leg.

That was illegal, and the slightest carelessness could give others leverage against her.

Gu Nan sighed softly: “That’s good. I was really afraid you might act impulsively. Is Xiao Ruo still refusing to break up with Xiao Hua?”

Xu Qingci sighed: “She must have been completely taken in by that smooth talker Xiao Hua.”

Gu Nan knew that Xu Qingci’s words meant Jiang Ruo still hadn’t broken up with Xiao Hua. She could only console her: “Maybe after some time, Ruo Ruo will come to her senses on her own.”

“Come to her senses about what? Ruo Ruo called to tell me she’s going to take care of Xiao Hua at the hospital tonight.”

The thought made Xu Qingci furious: “What kind of scum is that Xiao Hua? For him, Ruo Ruo won’t even come home!”

Her usually obedient and sensible daughter had gone mad over such a man. Xu Qingci trembled with rage.

Meanwhile, the very Xiao Hua who had Xu Qingci shaking with anger lay weakly in bed, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Jiang Ruo.

“What are you afraid of? I’m not going to kill you.”

Jiang Ruo gently stroked Xiao Hua’s face: “Even though you messed up, I still have a use for you.”

Xiao Hua’s mind was in chaos. Every word Jiang Ruo spoke felt like a death knell, and he could no longer grasp the meaning behind her words. His body trembled uncontrollably, like a leaf quivering in a cold wind, and he shivered as he tried to move away from Jiang Ruo’s caressing fingertips.

The hand that had always longed to intertwine with Jiang Ruo’s now felt like a branding iron, scorching his skin.

Now, at last, he was clear-headed. He had thought he was taking a shortcut, but in reality, he had long since fallen into a bottomless abyss inhabited by a demon.

“Don’t be afraid.” Jiang Ruo patted his face calmly: “It’s just a broken leg. The doctors will fix it for you.”

Then, she added slowly: “But if you mess up the next task, I’ll break it again.”

Xiao Hua’s pupils trembled violently.

He still remembered when Jiang Ruo had entered the CEO’s office, her expression blank as she asked softly: “Xiao Hua, you didn’t handle this matter properly, did you?”

Xiao Hua mumbled an agreement and moved to hold her hand, but in the next moment, Jiang Ruo kicked him to the ground.

“Then let this be a lesson, so you’ll know how to handle the next task properly.”

Jiang Ruo smiled faintly, picked up a chair, and struck Xiao Hua’s leg with heavy blows. Amid his screams, she comforted him softly: “The soundproofing here is excellent, no need to worry.”

“And don’t even think about calling the police. By now, you know my mother looks down on you.” Jiang Ruo’s voice was gentle: “Apart from hoping I’ll marry you, you have no other prospects for wealth. Xiao Hua, do you think you still have a way out?”

Xiao Hua was in too much pain to answer Jiang Ruo, only able to let out intermittent, agonized screams.

He had always thought Jiang Ruo was a gentle and innocent woman, never realizing that the only naive one was himself.

But he understood there was truly no turning back now. Reporting this to the police at this point would mean making an enemy of the Xu family. Aside from obeying Jiang Ruo, he had no other options left.

Weakly lying on the hospital bed, Xiao Hua trembled as he asked Jiang Ruo, “What’s the next thing?”

Jiang Ruo smiled gently. “Still stopping your sister from participating in the music competition.”

She softly stroked Xiao Hua’s face. “Actually, your body is quite resilient. With some rest, you’ll recover just fine. So, as long as your face is okay…”

Once this body healed, she still planned to offer it to her sister. Tomorrow, Song Guanjin would inevitably meet her end, and then no one else would compete with her for her sister’s affection.

【Host, why did you injure the male lead?】

The system had long been cut off from the main world by Jiang Ruo, but it hadn’t yet given up hope of persuading the host to complete the mission.

“He’ll recover,” Jiang Ruo said, completely disregarding the system. “And even if he doesn’t, there’s nothing you can do about it, is there?”

【Then I wish the host success in all endeavors.】

Jiang Ruo chuckled. “So you’ve learned to be sarcastic too. But you’re not wrong there’s nothing I’ve ever wanted to do that I haven’t accomplished.”

The system gave up on communicating with Jiang Ruo.

250,000 points could only eliminate ordinary, non-story characters in this world, but Song Guanjin was no ordinary person. However, the system decided not to report this detail to Jiang Ruo.

“Xiao Hua’s legs are broken,” Xu Bingqi said, looking at Song Guanjin. “Do you remember what Jiang Ruo said last time?”

Song Guanjin’s eyelashes were damp with tears, clumping together in clusters. She pouted. “I don’t remember.”

“She said she would break both of Xiao Hua’s legs ahead of time and that he wouldn’t be able to escape.” Xu Bingqi sighed. “I have a feeling this might be Jiang Ruo’s doing.”

Setting down the tissue she’d used to dry Song Guanjin’s tears, Xu Bingqi asked, “Do you still have to film tomorrow? I think it might be safer for you to transform into a cat and just get through the day.”

The cat demon’s lips curled into a smug smile. She knew she was the most important in her sister’s heart.

“I still have to film tomorrow, and besides, it’s no big deal,” Song Guanjin said, leaning against her sister’s shoulder. “A powerful cat demon like me can’t be killed by a mere mortal.”

Xu Bingqi smoothed Song Guanjin’s messy hair, hesitating slightly. “She’s not an ordinary person…”

The cat was brimming with confidence. “I know, she has a system. But I’ve always been a demon her system can’t kill me.”

Xu Bingqi still seemed uncertain, so Song Guanjin took advantage of the moment to snuggle deeper into her sister’s embrace. “Sister, you have to believe in me.”

She gently inhaled the fragrance of her sister’s hair. “I love you, how could I possibly die so easily?”

Under Song Guanjin’s intense, passionate gaze, Xu Bingqi felt her cheeks grow warm and her heartbeat quicken uncontrollably. She turned her head slightly, unnaturally avoiding that burning stare.

“But humans and demons walk different paths. I’m just a passerby in your life.”

To Xu Bingqi, Song Guanjin’s lifespan was nearly eternal. If they were to fall in love, a moment of joy might be followed by an eternity of silence until the next person Song Guanjin deeply loved came along.

The cat demon nestled in Xu Bingqi’s embrace was stunned for a moment, the fragmented light in her eyes rapidly intensifying, like fireworks suddenly blooming in the night sky. She quickly sat up in Xu Bingqi’s arms, her hands clinging to Xu Bingqi’s neck, her fingertips trembling slightly with excitement.

So, her sister wasn’t disliking her after all! Her sister was merely worried that the divide between human and demon would prevent their love from lasting!

“Is that all my sister is worried about?”

Song Guanjin’s eyes seemed to shimmer with countless stars: “My sister actually likes me, right? Even a little bit of liking still counts as liking!”

Xu Bingqi looked at Song Guanjin, momentarily dazed by the fervor in her gaze, and nodded gently.

She had already fallen for Song Guanjin long before she even realized it herself.

However, she truly didn’t know just how deep her affection for Song Guanjin ran.

Even if both she and Song Guanjin were ordinary people, setting aside the worries about the human-demon divide, she was still concerned that their love might not be equal. If they were to fall in love, perhaps Song Guanjin would be the one to get hurt.

She couldn’t love as wholeheartedly as Song Guanjin did. Her reservations were too many, to the point where she couldn’t even discern how much of her feelings were genuine love.

The only thing she was certain of was that she had indeed been moved by Song Guanjin in countless moments.

Unaware of the tangled thoughts in Xu Bingqi’s mind, Song Guanjin quickly planted a kiss on her sister’s cheek, making a crisp “smack” sound.

“That’s simple, my sister can just practice dual cultivation with me.”

Song Guanjin’s eyes sparkled brightly: “After dual cultivation, my sister and I will form a bond, and we can share our lifespans!”

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