Cat Demon Raising Manual - Chapter 18

Hua Wangxuan arrived at Lin Zhixuan’s residential complex. This time, instead of using the main entrance, she climbed up the water pipes and air conditioner units to reach the balcony window.

The sky had already darkened, with only a few stars scattered across it.

Hua Wangxuan tried a few times to pry the window open but found it wasn’t as easy as when she had escaped before. Her eyes darted around, this wildcat had her own clever tricks.

She circled along the wall until she reached the window of Lin Zhixuan’s bedroom. The curtains glowed with the soft light from inside. Peeking through the window crack, she saw that Lin Zhixuan was still awake. Hua Wangxuan’s ears twitched as she caught the faint sound of gentle music.

She stretched out her paw and tapped rhythmically on the metal security bars, all while keeping a watchful eye on Lin Zhixuan’s movements.

Clearly startled, Lin Zhixuan looked around cautiously before frowning and turning her gaze toward the window.

She hesitated for a moment in her chair, then decisively pulled the curtains aside, revealing Hua Wangxuan’s innocent, grinning face.

Hello there, I’ve come to visit you.

For a moment, Lin Zhixuan couldn’t believe her eyes. She rubbed them and watched as Hua Wangxuan tapped her paw against the security bars, the familiar meows echoing softly in her ears.

Lin Zhixuan stood up and opened the window. Hua Wangxuan hopped in effortlessly, settling on the table with her tail flicked to the side.

“Why are you back again at night?” Lin Zhixuan reached out as if to pet Hua Wangxuan’s head but then withdrew her hand, as if remembering something. Her light-colored eyes, however, were brimming with delight.

She took a step back and turned on the air purifier that had recently arrived in her room, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

As if mentally convincing herself, Lin Zhixuan put on gloves and carefully scratched the small “M” on Hua Wangxuan’s forehead with two fingers.

Hua Wangxuan blinked obediently. The touch was so gentle that she couldn’t resist scratching her own forehead with her paw.

Dr. Lin, this kitty has come to sleep with you.

Watching the meowing Hua Wangxuan, Lin Zhixuan turned off the music, a smile unconsciously tugging at her lips. “Kitty, are you hungry?”

“I’ll get you some cat food.” As she said this, Lin Zhixuan made to stand up, but Hua Wangxuan shook her head, her feline gaze fixed on the bed. Before Lin Zhixuan could react, Hua Wangxuan leaped toward it.

Lin Zhixuan reacted swiftly, catching Hua Wangxuan mid-air. Her light-colored eyes narrowed slightly, her brows furrowing with disapproval. “Kitty, you can’t get on the bed.”

Carrying the round, hefty Hua Wangxuan, Lin Zhixuan walked out of the bedroom and gently set her down. Just as Hua Wangxuan tried to slip back into the bedroom, Lin Zhixuan promptly closed the door.

Hua Wangxuan flailed her paws in protest, venting her frustration.

Why wasn’t she allowed in the bedroom? She wanted to sleep on the big, comfy bed! She wanted to sleep in the fragrant room! Hua Wangxuan protested vehemently, but Lin Zhixuan didn’t understand her demands. She merely pursed her lips and headed to the kitchen to fetch a can of cat food and some wet wipes.

Lin Zhixuan patted her chest. The brief intimate contact while holding Hua Wangxuan had already triggered a reaction, a faint, subtle itch began to surface. She lifted her collar, revealing a few small red rashes dotting her fair, delicate skin.

“Why is my immune system so weak?” Lin Zhixuan murmured to herself.

As soon as she stepped out of the kitchen, Lin Zhixuan spotted Hua Wangxuan standing by the bedroom door, using her front paws to fiddle with the doorknob.

“Did you open the bedroom door like this last time too?” Lin Zhixuan asked with a faint smile, noticing a fleeting look of guilt in Hua Wangxuan’s expression upon hearing her words.

“Go to where you belong.” Lin Zhixuan opened the storage room, which now appeared freshly arranged with a variety of cat toys added inside.

A winding rainbow tunnel, a scratching post with a ball, a laser pointer, assorted teaser wands, a catnip-filled fish plushie, and a silvervine chew toy.

Some items were neatly arranged in the cabinet, awaiting Hua Wangxuan’s attention.

Hua Wangxuan, who had been impatiently clamoring to enter the bedroom, was immediately captivated by the rainbow tunnel upon stepping into the storage room.

Excitedly, she darted into the tunnel like a gopher. The long tunnel had three round openings, and soon, her fluffy head popped out from one of them.

Her cat ears perked toward Lin Zhixuan, and her wide, watery eyes shone like brass bells, clearly delighted. After a quick glance at the unmoved Lin Zhixuan, she swiftly retreated back into the tunnel.

Amused, Lin Zhixuan took out her phone and started recording.

Hua Wangxuan tirelessly burrowed through the tunnel like a diligent mole. Each video seemed so entertaining that Lin Zhixuan saved them all without deleting any.

Seemingly tired from playing, Hua Wangxuan emerged from the end of the tunnel and slyly eyed the other toys.

Lin Zhixuan thoughtfully brought out all the toys for Hua Wangxuan to try one by one, discovering her particular fondness for biting fluffy balls.

When Hua Wangxuan bit down on a squeaky hedgehog toy, both she and Lin Zhixuan were startled by the noise. Hua Wangxuan timidly burrowed into Lin Zhixuan’s arms.

Lin Zhixuan tossed the little hedgehog aside and gently pushed away the cat tail brushing against her chin. Gazing into Hua Wangxuan’s beautiful heterochromatic eyes, she teased softly, “Why are you so easily frightened?”

Hua Wangxuan understood the mockery and, with her strong sense of pride, angrily bumped her head against Lin Zhixuan’s chin before leaping out of her arms.

She then turned her back to Lin Zhixuan, appearing utterly unappeasable.

“Alright, we’re both scaredy-cats. It’s getting late, time to sleep. Don’t try to scratch at my bedroom door in the middle of the night, okay?” Lin Zhixuan reminded her again, just to be safe.

Hua Wangxuan didn’t quite grasp what Lin Zhixuan was babbling about, but she clearly caught the phrase “scratch the bedroom door” and felt a surge of eagerness.

The door closed, and the room fell silent once more. Inside the storage room, Hua Wangxuan hugged her little toast-shaped bunny plushie and kicked her legs for a while, her eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

She was thirsty. Hua Wangxuan went to the water fountain specially prepared for her and drank noisily. She even stood in the water bowl for a moment to soak her paws before patiently licking them clean with her tongue.

She hated being called dirty, she was a fragrant, clean little cat. Proudly lifting her head, Hua Wangxuan redoubled her grooming efforts.

After washing her paws, she tiptoed stealthily to Lin Zhixuan’s bedroom door. The door was tightly shut, not a sliver of light seeping through. Hua Wangxuan pressed her ear against the door, carefully listening for any movement inside. Her long whiskers trembled along with her ears.

Dr. Lin seemed to have fallen asleep. Hua Wangxuan scratched her whiskers with a paw, lost in thought. With an expression that looked both scheming and utterly confused, she paced around the doorway, her eyes fixed on the doorknob as she gauged its height.

In a move reminiscent of a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate, she stretched out a paw mid-air.

Click, the doorknob turned.

The door opened a crack, and Hua Wangxuan squeezed her head through. She sniffed the air, catching the faint scent of alcohol that clung to Lin Zhixuan, then leaped lightly onto Lin Zhixuan’s bed like a flower thief drawn by fragrance. She curled up on the quilt, nestling into the bedding.

Soon, soft snores filled the bedroom. Lin Zhixuan seemed to sense something and turned over in her sleep, instinctively patting the empty space beside her before drifting back into slumber under the influence of the alcohol.

At dawn, birds chirped noisily outside. Just a second before Lin Zhixuan woke, Hua Wangxuan darted out like a little mouse.

Lin Zhixuan’s eyelids fluttered, then opened. Her light-colored pupils, like amber, shimmered with faint ripples.

Noticing the slightly ajar door, she shook her head helplessly, a doting smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

After breakfast, Hua Wangxuan anxiously pawed at the balcony window.

It was the weekend, and Lin Zhixuan had planned to go to work a bit later. But seeing how impatient Hua Wangxuan was to go out, she decided to indulge her.

As soon as Lin Zhixuan opened the front door, before she could even take a step, Hua Wangxuan dashed out. Watching her lively retreating figure, Lin Zhixuan’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

To cover her allergic reaction, she wore a medical mask and a high-necked top. Her hair, left loose instead of tied in a ponytail, cascaded over her shoulders, giving her the gentle, refined appearance of the girl next door, the kind others might see as a “white moonlight.”

Lin Zhixuan followed Hua Wangxuan, noticing that the cat seemed to be waiting for her, glancing back every now and then.

Lin Zhixuan quickly caught up, but at a fork in the road, she couldn’t help saying, “The clinic where I work is in the other direction.”

Hua Wangxuan looked back at Lin Zhixuan as if bidding farewell, let out a soft “meow,” and without turning back, quickened her pace in the direction opposite the clinic.

Lin Zhixuan reached out as if to stop her, but the words died on her lips. She simply gazed at the spot where Hua Wangxuan had vanished and murmured softly, “Be careful, you silly cat.”

Hua Wangxuan arrived at the spot where she had agreed to meet Heibai. She perched on top of the wall, her tail dangling like a broom.

Before she knew it, she dozed off, only to be awakened by a rustling sound.

Opening her eyes, Hua Wangxuan found a tuxedo cat with white paws smiling at her.

“Boss, you were sleeping so soundly~” Heibai teased.

After a quick scent exchange, the two cats headed straight for the construction site to find Xiaobai.

“There are a lot of male workers at the site, so it’s easy to get bumped into. Luckily, Xiaobai is being temporarily looked after by a female worker. According to Xiaobai, that woman holds quite a high position. Even though some male workers gossip behind her back, they’re all respectful to her face and call her ‘Boss.’ Xiaobai’s living conditions have improved along with her status, now he’s well-fed and plump.” Heibai smacked his lips a few times, sharing the intel he’d gathered with Hua Wangxuan.

“The two stray dogs you mentioned only showed up a few days ago. Xiaobai overheard some workers saying their eyes looked strange, bright red, as if they had rabies. They wanted to find a way to kill the dogs but couldn’t figure out where they were hiding.”

“Since our sense of smell has always been sharp, Xiaobai told me that sometimes, when passing by a secluded spot, she’d catch a whiff of a foul, malicious stench.”

“Maybe they really are sick. In any case, they’re not to be trifled with.” Hua Wangxuan’s expression tightened. If they truly were rabid mad dogs, a few bites would likely be the end of her.

Last time, she had been incredibly lucky to escape death.

Hua Wangxuan’s gaze hardened. She had always believed in repaying every slight, no matter how small. They were just two diseased dogs, and if they had rabies, that was all the more reason to put them down.

Even if it meant risking karmic retribution, she was determined to eliminate them. Otherwise, her enemies would always be lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike and harm her again.