Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 21

Even after obtaining her Witch Doctor identification token, Liu Fenyun continued visiting the Herb Hall as usual to collect medicinal herbs.

According to her, “If you don’t practice dispensing medicine daily, your hands will get rusty.”

Thanks to the recipe she’d written down, Lianyi also had things to do even when she stayed secluded in the Saintess Hall. Even if Liu Fenyun wasn’t by her side, their affection level remained steady at 80 points.

While collecting herbs, Liu Fenyun occasionally went to tend to the System Medicine Garden.

The state of that garden was tightly linked to the affection level between her and Lianyi. When their affection was stable, the garden flourished the weather was gentle, plants grew faster, and harvests came sooner.

Conversely, if their affection dropped, the garden’s environment would worsen. When it fell below 30 points, the system would forcibly shut down the garden’s protection mode otherwise, the hostile conditions would completely destroy it.

It was almost as if the two of them were jointly tending the garden together.

This subtle feeling made Liu Fenyun realize that she had started to understand what “being a couple” might mean.

Although she and Lianyi were technically married, their relationship at least from Liu Fenyun’s perspective felt more like that of roommates sharing a home.

“Witch Doctor?”

A man’s voice pulled Liu Fenyun back from her thoughts.

When she looked up, it was her colleague Zhequ Yuan.

His family name was Zhequ, so Liu Fenyun greeted him with a smile, “Brother Zhequ.”

Over time, she had made several friends in the Herb Hall, and Zhequ Yuan was one of them handsome, warm, and quite skilled in medicine.

Zhequ Yuan clapped her shoulder and said cheerfully,

“Tonight we’re holding a banquet at the Never Return Tavern in the outer city. Would the honored Witch Doctor grace us with your presence?”

It was a decent social opportunity, but whether she could go was not for her to decide.

Liu Fenyun hesitated, looking troubled.

“Well… I’ll have to ask Her Highness first.”

Zhequ Yuan clicked his tongue.

“It’s just a bunch of men eating together! What’s the big deal? We’re not going to a brothel or anything!”

Liu Fenyun smiled, brushing his hand away lightly. Half joking, half serious, she said,

“Brother Zhequ, you’re not married, are you? Some things can only be understood through experience.”

Zhequ Yuan snorted, then leaned closer and lowered his voice.

“Liu Gongzi, you’re a prince of the Flow Weave Kingdom bowing your head to the demons, what shame is that!”

Liu Fenyun frowned slightly.

“Brother Zhequ, mind your words.”

But he misunderstood, thinking she was simply being cautious. He decided to provoke her further.

“You’ve been sleeping next to that sickly demon cat all this time, and you’ve never thought about slitting her throat one night?”

“Brother Zhequ!”

“How about this,” he continued, ignoring her tone, “bring that demon to the banquet. Get her drunk, drag her into the woodshed snap whether she’s demon or ghost, problem solved! Perfect chance!”

Liu Fenyun fell silent. She knew there was no point arguing with him anymore.

After a curt “No need,” she grabbed her medicine scale and turned to leave, not caring if it offended him.

If there were spies from Lianyi’s side in the Herb Hall and there probably were she’d rather not see Zhequ Yuan’s corpse the next morning.

Hearing him curse “coward” behind her in the Di tribe’s language, Liu Fenyun sighed.

Brother, you have no idea the ‘sick cat’ you’re talking about is actually a yandere.

From then on, she deliberately avoided Zhequ Yuan, choosing to work on the other side of the Herb Hall.

After a long day’s work, Liu Fenyun headed back to the Saintess Hall as usual.

Her path home led through a quiet, narrow alley. But today, she suddenly heard faint footsteps behind her. Before she could turn, darkness enveloped her someone had thrown a sack over her head.

Liu Fenyun never expected to experience being “bagged” like this herself.

“Host, Zhequ Yuan detected nearby distance: three steps,” said the system in her head.

Her hand froze mid-struggle. Her feelings were complicated.

So Zhequ Yuan’s invitation had been a trap the banquet a pretense, the real goal to eliminate Lianyi.

Then again, she could understand why. Many humans despised demons, especially since this one had possessed their Saintess. Given the chance to kill her, of course they’d seize it.

“Calm down, everyone. We can talk this through no need for such methods,” Liu Fenyun said calmly.

Her words brought silence.

“Tonight, at the Never Return Tavern, bring the Seventh Princess,” a hoarse voice ordered. “No matter how fail, and you die.”

“But if I really bring her, you’ll die,” Liu Fenyun replied wryly.

“Then we’ll die content,” another man said with a low laugh. “We’ve waited too long for this chance.”

Seeing she couldn’t talk sense into them, Liu Fenyun sighed.

“Fine, I’ll do it. Now go. See you at dusk.”

In truth, she could have torn the sack open and beaten them all into submission.

But she knew their hatred couldn’t be erased that way not unless they lost all hope or their lives.

So she didn’t bother to argue further.

She waited until the sound of retreating footsteps faded. Then she channeled a thread of demonic energy, tearing open the sack easily.

Brushing the dust off, she stood up and stretched, asking casually,

“You heard all that, didn’t you, Your Highness? So shall we go for drinks tonight?”

From the eaves above, a cat’s head poked out.

“We shall.”

Lianyi smiled, leaping gracefully down into Liu Fenyun’s arms.

For Lianyi, such “banquets of slaughter” were nothing new. In the past, ministers and generals had tried to ambush her at similar feasts all of whom ended up maimed and broken, too terrified to ever try again.

“So now even the imperial physicians are losing patience,” she mused between bites as Liu Fenyun fed her. “Tell me, A’Yun, am I really such a big threat to them?”

Liu Fenyun wasn’t familiar with the intricacies of court politics, but she knew racial prejudice could easily lead to conflict. She could only sigh and reassure her,

“It’s not your fault, Your Highness. Just focus on eating and taking your medicine.”

Lianyi picked up a piece of braised pork, her tone quiet.

“Among all humans, only you say such things to me.”

Liu Fenyun smiled faintly.

“There must be others who don’t hate demons.”

“Maybe so,” Lianyi murmured, “but they wouldn’t say it to my face.”

Her voice was soft almost sad. Liu Fenyun’s smile faltered; an ache stirred in her chest.

After lunch, Lianyi pulled open her wardrobe, taking out one dress after another, holding them up for Liu Fenyun to see.

“A’Yun, which one should I wear tonight?”