Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 12

“Your Highness, be good, d–don’t fool around!”

Liu Fenyun dreaded this kind of situation the most. Instantly, she grew nervous. Yet the drug’s effect in her body had not completely worn off, and the longer she stayed close to Lianyi pressing, rubbing against her the more her reason slipped away. Finally, she couldn’t help but pull Lianyi into her arms.

She could feel the heat surging inside her, but she hated this feeling it made her deeply uncomfortable. She desperately wanted to escape from it, yet couldn’t find a way.

Only when her hand brushed the cool, silky cat ears and she rubbed her face against them did she feel a little relief.

“Your Highness feels… so cool…”

Her breath brushed across the tip of Lianyi’s nose, making Lianyi’s heart itch. With a light tug, she pulled the weakly limp Liu Fenyun into her arms.

“Do you want it?” she asked softly. “If you want release, I can help you.”

“N–no need…” Liu Fenyun shook her head firmly, forcing her rationality back. “Just… rubbing your cat ears is… enough.”

“Really?” Lianyi’s hand cupped her cheek as she leaned closer.

“Don’t… mmph…”

The drug was still working; Liu Fenyun gradually stopped resisting. She tried several times to grab Lianyi’s wrist but missed each time, growing so anxious she began calling Lianyi’s name over and over, her voice soft and sweet half like someone drunk, half like a woman’s tender murmur.

Lianyi: …

She might have gone too far. She’d forgotten that humans had almost no resistance to this kind of potion. The only reason Liu Fenyun could still hold on was because of the blood pact between them nothing more.

The only one still lucid was Lianyi. As for Liu Fenyun, one look at her dazed expression was enough to see she could no longer control herself.

Lianyi glanced down at the hand clutching her robe. After a moment’s thought, she gave it a sharp smack.

Though she did look forward to something happening between them, she didn’t want it like this.

The pain brought Liu Fenyun back to herself instantly. She clutched her stung hand, staring blankly at Lianyi.

“You’ve soaked long enough you’ll shrivel up.” Lianyi pinched her cheek and stood up. “It’s late. Go rest.”

Liu Fenyun nodded dumbly. “Okay…”

Lianyi rubbed her forehead gently. “Still uncomfortable?”

“Mm… yes.” Liu Fenyun was still half dazed. The cool touch felt soothing, so she caught that hand and held it close.

To her blurred eyes, Lianyi was just a graceful silhouette.

Seeing her unfocused gaze, Lianyi sighed, took off her inner robe, and slipped back into the warm water.

“Hug me,” Lianyi said, resting her hand on Liu Fenyun’s arm. “You’ll feel better soon.”

Liu Fenyun murmured an obedient “okay,” wrapped her arms around Lianyi tightly and before long, felt a cool tingle brush against her ears. The blood–pact mark on her neck grew hot, instantly dispelling all the feverish discomfort.

It felt so good that she drifted off to sleep holding Lianyi.

Once the potion’s effect was gone, Lianyi looked down at the sleeping face in her arms and frowned. “Tch, asleep already. Am I supposed to bathe you too?”

Despite her words, she pulled Liu Fenyun out of the pool, wrapped her carefully in a towel, and slowly wiped her dry.

Liu Fenyun slept soundly, and Lianyi didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. Luckily it was her who stayed by this woman’s side if it had been anyone else, who knew what might’ve happened.

Late that night, Lianyi heard a sound outside the window. She opened it, letting a tabby cat jump inside.

The wards around Moon Lock Pavilion were strict Xian Lihua, afraid her companion might not slip past the guards, had come herself.

“How’s the investigation into Lady Rou’s affair? Did Luo Binglun say anything?”

“The instigator has been confirmed it’s the Fourth Princess, Sha Xiuman.” Xian Lihua lowered her voice, seeing Liu Fenyun asleep. “Luo Binglun and the Fourth Princess don’t get along. She’ll definitely pursue this to the end.”

Lianyi frowned.

She knew Sha Xiuman the princess originally promised to Liu Fenyun. Liu was supposed to marry her, until Luo Binglun interfered, persuading the monarch to change the match.

Her long–awaited groom suddenly became someone else’s and not just anyone’s, but a cat demon’s, living sweetly together. Anyone would be furious.

If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it. Lianyi had read enough storybooks to recognize that pattern.

She ordered, “Keep digging find out who put the drug in our food tonight.”

She might dislike Luo Binglun, but she knew Luo wouldn’t stoop to such tricks. Even with the old teacher student bond between them, if Luo wanted to disgrace her, she wouldn’t wait until now to do it.

Xian Lihua nodded, about to leave, when Lianyi warned: “The Fourth Princess has no bottom line. Be careful don’t leave any trace she can use.”

When Liu Fenyun woke, daylight was already streaming in.

She blinked in surprise ever since transmigrating into this world, she’d never slept in so late.

Beside her came a muffled, labored breath as if someone were suppressing pain. She hurriedly lifted the quilt and found Lianyi’s face flushed, brows tightly knit. One touch to the forehead and Liu Fenyun’s heart clenched.

Lianyi had a fever!

What happened? Was it from running on the roof of the Priest Hall last night, catching cold in the wind?

Liu Fenyun rubbed her temple. She felt like she’d forgotten something not very important, maybe, but still unsettling.

Thankfully, she still had her system. “System,” she asked quickly, “did you record what I did last night?”

“Yes. Would you like to review it?”

Liu Fenyun chose yes.

After watching, she slapped her forehead and sighed heavily. Quickly dressing, she got up to check Lianyi’s pulse.

What was that mess last night? She’d thought Lianyi was the one not thinking straight but in the end, Lianyi had been the one to help her dispel the drug!

And then she’d just… fallen asleep! Lianyi had even helped her wipe down afterward. No wonder she’d caught a chill this was mid winter, and Lianyi didn’t know how to care for herself.

As a demon, Lianyi would probably recover in a day or two, even untreated but Liu Fenyun couldn’t stand to see her suffering. After diagnosing her, she gave Lianyi a pill and applied acupuncture.

Even with her light touch, Lianyi still groaned softly in pain.

Liu Fenyun soothed her gently while turning the needles.

For a cold, ginger tea worked best but Liu Fenyun didn’t trust anyone else to make it, not after last night’s drugging. She decided to fetch it herself.

Now that she could use Lianyi’s magic, she let her hair down and performed a disguise spell transforming herself into Lianyi’s exact likeness, hair color and all. She even unbound her chest and swapped clothes, pulling up a hood.

Before leaving, she called Xian Lihua to her side and asked her to take her place, disguised as “Liu Fenyun,” to watch over Lianyi.

When Xian Lihua saw how pale and weak Lianyi looked, she was startled.

“Lord Liu, please come back soon!” she begged, wearing Liu Fenyun’s robe but glancing nervously toward Lianyi.

If Lianyi ever found out she’d worn Liu Fenyun’s clothes… she’d explode!

Liu Fenyun nodded and leapt out the window.

“Activating demon form for host. As this is the host’s first time, duration is limited to two hours,”
announced the system.

At once, a surge of immense power filled Liu Fenyun’s limbs, letting her soar over rooftops with ease.

The temple disciples who saw her pass overhead pretended not to see.

Who would have guessed the Seventh Prince Consort was actually a woman and bound by blood contract to their saintess?

Thus, Liu Fenyun reached the Seventh Princess’s residence without trouble. She used the excuse that “the consort caught a chill” to order the kitchen to brew ginger tea and prepare a few light dishes, which she packed into a food box and carried back to Moon–Lock Pavilion.

She had no idea that soon after she’d left, a disciple went to inform Luo Binglun.

When Liu Fenyun returned, carrying the food box, the system suddenly warned:

“Do not go in. Luo Binglun is inside.”

Liu Fenyun almost slipped but caught herself, quickly casting an invisibility spell and hiding in the shadows.

She opened her system map and saw that Xian Lihua was nearby, not inside, which eased her a bit. Still, she watched the scene within closely.

She didn’t know when Luo Binglun had arrived, but when Liu Fenyun looked through the system’s vision, she saw her sitting by the bed, staring blankly at Lianyi but doing nothing.

After a while, a maid brought in a bowl of hot soup. Luo Binglun accepted it, gently propping Lianyi up and feeding her spoon by spoon.

Liu Fenyun remembered her dream that night Sha Lanyi, the original owner of Lianyi’s current human body, had once been Luo Binglun’s disciple.

The night Sha Lanyi died, Lianyi seized her body. Luo Binglun, enraged, sent her exorcists to hunt the cat demon down.

Their teacher–student bond broke completely that day. Luo Binglun despised demons she would never take one as a disciple. She had longed for Lianyi’s death.

So what was she doing now caring for her?

After feeding her the soup, Luo Binglun tucked the quilt around her and finally rose to leave.

Liu Fenyun waited patiently until she was far away, then found the hiding Xian Lihua and slipped inside together.

Xian Lihua had no idea what Luo Binglun had done and paced anxiously on the windowsill. Liu Fenyun changed back into her own clothes and leaned over Lianyi, sniffing lightly.

It was the scent of ginger tea.

“Lord Liu…” Xian Lihua called softly when Liu Fenyun lifted her head.

“Her Highness is fine,” Liu Fenyun smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.”

Relieved, Xian Lihua pressed a paw to her chest, bowed, and hurried off to continue her watch duties.

Setting down the food box, Liu Fenyun sat by the bed and held Lianyi’s cool hand.

“Awake, Your Highness?” she asked knowingly.

Lianyi had indeed awakened ever since Luo Binglun entered.

But she’d kept her breathing even, pretending to sleep, curious to see what Luo Binglun would do. Only Liu Fenyun could tell she was conscious.

“I tried something,” Lianyi murmured, leaning into Liu Fenyun’s arms. “Guess why Luo Binglun suddenly treats me so kindly?”

Liu Fenyun froze.

The system’s x–ray could only show outlines, not details.

Lianyi tapped her cheek. “If you can disguise yourself as me, naturally I can disguise myself as you.”

As she spoke, her face shifted in an instant becoming Liu Fenyun’s, hair turning dark brown to black, her eyes the same soft human shade of ink. The gentle smile on her lips was almost identical to Liu Fenyun’s own.

The transformation took only a heartbeat.

“Just now,” Lianyi said quietly, “she thought I was you and that tenderness was meant for you.”

She didn’t immediately change back. Leaning close to Liu Fenyun’s ear, she whispered,

“Ah Yun, leave Moon Lock Pavilion while you still can. Don’t let yourself become someone’s replacement.”