Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 25

The next morning, Liu Fenyun went to the Imperial Medical Academy as usual, as if nothing had happened yesterday.

When she was collecting herbs, she still moved gracefully between the medicine cabinets, though her collar was pulled tighter than usual to hide the red mark on her neck.

Zhe Quyuan and the other apothecaries who attended the banquet were absent probably recovering from injuries. Liu Fenyun also overheard her colleagues whispering that anyone associated with her would meet with misfortune, citing Roufei and Zhe Quyuan as prime examples.

The system sighed helplessly. “Host, just go be a doctor. You’ll be in busy places, and no one will gossip there.”

“That’s not so simple,” Liu Fenyun said, grabbing a handful of licorice. “Since someone has their eyes on me and I’ve narrowly escaped danger multiple times, do you think they’ll just stop? Becoming a doctor will only involve me in more incidents and affect Lianyi’s favor.”

“But no matter how many herbs you pick, you won’t find out who’s watching you from the shadows,” the system said bluntly.

“The person dared to falsely accuse me of poisoning, dared to drug us right under the High Priest’s nose, and even drove Lianyi to madness last night, causing her to attack people. They’ve done everything to the extreme,” Liu Fenyun said. “If they try to mess with me again, it’ll only be in more malicious ways. Guess what they might even draw the ruler’s attention and dig their own grave.”

“Insufficient conditions to predict the outcome,” the system’s mechanical voice returned to its emotionless state.

Liu Fenyun smiled quietly and continued her work.

Catching the culprit wouldn’t actually be difficult. She hadn’t been in Zhuohuang Kingdom long, and there weren’t many locals connected to her. Excluding the High Priest and the ruler, who would have a reason to put her in danger, the answer was right in front of her.

She was just waiting for them to make a bigger mistake so she could turn the tables, avoiding frequent attacks that would disturb her sweet little cat loving life.

Lianyi lay asleep in a special “cat basket” Liu Fenyun had prepared, wearing a small mask to block out medicinal smells. Liu Fenyun could occasionally hear soft purring from behind, which made her smile, and she worked even faster when picking herbs.

She really wanted to finish work early so she could hold her cat.

Perhaps due to the temporary antidote she had in the morning, Lianyi slept until evening. When Liu Fenyun gently woke her, Lianyi thought it was just lunchtime.

“You’re home, Your Highness,” Liu Fenyun said, lifting her from the cat basket and placing her on the warm bed.

“You didn’t wake me for lunch?” Lianyi asked groggily, rubbing her sleepy eyes. “Isn’t it said that skipping a meal is not allowed?”

“Yes, but since you’re detoxing, it’s better to sleep until you naturally wake,” Liu Fenyun explained with a smile. “The meal is ready. What dessert would you like tonight?”

Lianyi loved sweets. To coax her into taking medicine, Liu Fenyun had to compromise a little, giving her a dessert each day after meals, while reminding the kitchen to control the portion.

“I want a smoothie,” Lianyi said.

Liu Fenyun’s smile froze.

“No!”

“Why not?” Lianyi immediately leaned toward her, speaking softly, her curly brown hair brushing against Liu Fenyun’s hand, making her both itchy and flustered. “Didn’t you promise me one dessert a day?”

Liu Fenyun’s resolve weakened at her coaxing, and she rubbed her temples. “But Your Highness has a weak stomach. You can’t eat ice”

“Even though you know my stomach is weak, you still dared to punch me last night?” Lianyi suddenly frowned.

The topic changed so quickly that Liu Fenyun didn’t react in time. Before she realized it, Lianyi’s uppercut struck her stomach, nearly sending her tumbling to the floor.

This cat really holds grudges! Still thinking about last night!

Fearing that Lianyi’s anger wasn’t soothed, Liu Fenyun deliberately pretended it took her a while to recover, clutching her stomach with one hand while pulling Lianyi close with the other, forcing a smile. “So… tonight, Your Highness…”

“I want a smoothie,” Lianyi didn’t change her mind. “Anyway, you have medicine. If my stomach hurts, I’ll just take it.”

Liu Fenyun: …

So the cat really just wanted a smoothie, and the punch was incidental?

Seeing Liu Fenyun about to argue, Lianyi said softly, “I’m angry.”

Liu Fenyun shivered, instinctively checking the favor points. They had dropped slightly, though they quickly returned to normal. She nervously nodded, “Alright, alright, smoothie it is! But don’t eat too much, just a taste is best…”

The scene from last night flashed in her mind. The blackened, vengeful cat was terrifying. Maintaining favor was the priority!

When the maids brought the meal, Liu Fenyun wrote a prescription to protect Lianyi’s stomach and handed it to the head maid, instructing her to start brewing the medicine immediately.

“You don’t trust me that much?” Lianyi asked, smiling.

Liu Fenyun nodded politely.

Since Lianyi had barely eaten all day, dinner was a table of light dishes.

She dipped both sides of the poached meat in soy sauce, grumbling softly before eating. “In Liuzhi Kingdom, you eat these bland things every day. Isn’t your hometown cuisine much better?”

“You’ll get used to it,” Liu Fenyun said, chewing happily.

Before they could finish, Liu Fenyun felt something tug at her pants leg. Looking down, she saw a familiar tabby cat.

The faithful followers of the Saintess already knew that Lianyi had seven cat demon subordinates. After transforming into a human, Xian Lihua sitting with them didn’t raise any eyebrows.

“Why did Lihua come all of a sudden?” Lianyi handed her a pair of chopsticks. “Did someone die again?”

Xian Lihua took the chopsticks, silently nodding.

Liu Fenyun set her bowl down. “But what about Zhe Quyuan?”

“Sir, he was among the deceased, but others present also died,” Xian Lihua reported. “About an hour ago, they all suddenly died of unknown causes. Autopsy showed their internal organs were rotted, as if they had ingested a poison for assassins. The High Priest has closed the temple and is investigating everyone who entered. I came to report this to you both.”

Exchanging a glance with Lianyi, Liu Fenyun calmly continued eating, “Quite the talent, spilling dirt on the High Priest.”

Lianyi smiled, “Perhaps they failed in framing their husband multiple times, got desperate, and resorted to murder. Such a pity, so many lives lost.”

Liu Fenyun felt uneasy at her words, but then realized Lianyi, being a demon, would actually take pleasure in the deaths of humans. Furthermore, those who died had tried to kill her last night, so fewer threats to Lianyi existed in the world.

Seeing the two mock and jeer, Xian Lihua looked worried. “What should we do?”

“Wait and see,” Lianyi said. “You and Xiao Juzi continue to spy on Xiquju and the Fourth Princess’ residence.”

She paused, recalling something. “Has there been any recent movement at the Fourth Princess’ residence?”

“The Fourth Princess relapsed into her usual illness. A young doctor came, claiming to be from her maternal family,” Xian Lihua reported. “Usually, the experienced Imperial Physician Ye handles it. There’s no reason for a young doctor to intervene.”

Lianyi nodded, pushing a bowl of fish balls toward her. “Keep a close watch on that doctor. Smell if they’re male or female, and if they possess spiritual energy. The Bloodwind Fleshstorm Pills are usually carried by exorcists or beast tamers. If someone pretends to be a doctor, that works too.”

After Xian Lihua ate, Lianyi summoned the maids to clean up and held Liu Fenyun’s hand back to her chambers.

“Are you suspicious of the Fourth Princess too?” Liu Fenyun asked in surprise.

“After thinking it over, she’s the most restless recently,” Lianyi stopped and held Liu Fenyun’s chin. “I took her husband. She’s cruel. If she can’t have something, she wants to destroy it; if she can’t have a person, she wants to kill them.”

Liu Fenyun felt uncomfortable under her gaze, joking, “By your count, am I a victim of accidental romance?”

She had offended the High Priest and now the Fourth Princess.

Lianyi blushed at the term “husband” and tugged at Liu Fenyun’s face, scolding, “Romance? You’re a walking trouble magnet!”

Seeing Liu Fenyun still teasing, she sternly said, “If you provoke romance, I will eat you alive, not leaving a finger behind. Those fox charms won’t get near you!”

Feeling the demon cat’s deadly stare, Liu Fenyun stopped joking, coughing lightly. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. If I dare provoke romance, this body will rot inside you!”

She even rubbed Lianyi’s belly playfully, earning a white-eyed push from her.

“You smell like medicine. I won’t eat you,” Lianyi said. “Anyway, when will you make the real antidote?”

“No rush. First, I need to find out why the Bloodwind Fleshstorm Pills trigger your emotional response,” Liu Fenyun shook her head. “I’ll go to the herb garden. Want to come?”

Lianyi hesitated slightly, then held her hand. “Let’s go.”

The herb garden was like a paradise; no one could enter without Liu Fenyun’s permission.

Night had fallen. Lianyi stood by a stream, looking at her reflection, smiling at memories of last night. She had thought Liu Fenyun was ordinary, but she was full of surprises.

The garden had a small research lab with all necessary tools: sterilizers, freezers, blood analyzers, and devices to test medicine composition.

Liu Fenyun had no idea where they came from. The system only said they were “bonus items.”

Bonus items with futuristic equipment!?

She increasingly felt the system was overpowered.

Liufenyun was momentarily stunned, then delighted.

Finally, the little cat would listen to her!

Her human body truly couldn’t handle cold drinks. Lianyi only managed to eat half a bowl before feeling a faint pain in her stomach. Despite her earlier, defiant boasts, she was still afraid of pain and medicine.

Liu Fenyun devoured the remaining ice slush in large bites while Lianyi sat beside her, wiping her lips, a hint of envy in her eyes.

“Once I’ve fully recovered, will I be able to eat ice slush like that too?” After a moment, Lianyi asked.

“You will,” Liu Fenyun said seriously after swallowing her last bite of taro balls. “Please trust my medical skills, Your Highness.”

That night passed peacefully. After finishing the ice slush, they read together, and then soaked in a rose-scented bath utterly relaxing.

The priests, however, were in chaos. The recently deceased officials needed cremation and ritual prayers, and the mourning families had to be comforted. People coming and going from the priest hall had yet to be fully checked. Luo Binglun and her disciples worked late into the night, finally dragging their weary bodies back to their chambers.

Hai Dongqing perched on the scaffolding, silently watching Luo Binglun and her repose.

Late at night, moonlight streamed through the uncovered windows, illuminating the chamber. The Hai Dongqing on the floor fluffed its feathers in the moonlight and, in an instant, transformed into a tall, cold-faced beauty.

Yu Qingyue sat at the edge of the bed, first casting a sleep inducing enchantment on Luo Binglun, then removing her clothing and tucking her into a warm blanket.

As their skin touched, Luo Binglun shivered and whispered faintly, “Qingyue?”

Yu Qingyue, however, stilled her breathing, took hold of her hand, and felt her pulse.

After a long examination, she released her hand, tucked the blanket neatly, and left the chamber. Soon, she appeared in the locked Yuege Pavilion.

By ink, brush, and paper, Yu Qingyue quickly wrote a prescription, dried the ink with magic, and rolled it up. From her small brocade pouch, she retrieved a bamboo tube for letters and placed the rolled prescription inside.

The next morning, as Liu Fenyun stepped out, a raptor suddenly swooped down, landing on her shoulder, startling her.

Recognizing it as her master’s Hai Dongqing, she was delighted and returned to fetch some dried meat to feed it.

“Ah Qing, why are you here? Weren’t you with the High Priest?” She looked at the bird’s feet and noticed the bamboo tube containing a letter. “Master sent me a letter?!”

Hai Dongqing held the meat, nodding imperiously.

Liu Fenyun, shocked, immediately retrieved the letter. The silk wrapping bore the words: “To my disciple Fenyun.” She hesitated slightly as she unwrapped it.

She wondered if her master had been told that she had married a cat demon. If he disliked demons, he would certainly be furious and scold her in the letter.

But the content left Liu Fenyun utterly baffled.

It didn’t ask about her wellbeing at all; instead, it was a prescription for calming the mind and regulating Qi detailed dosages for pill form.

Once she confirmed she wasn’t dreaming, she read on and was even more surprised:

“Find a way to have the High Priest take this medicine, once daily.”

Liu Fenyun: ???

She had no idea what her master meant. She studied the prescription carefully but could see no hidden meaning. Unsure what to do, she decided not to bother Lianyi, lest she miss morning roll call, and put the prescription away. She bid Hai Dongqing farewell and headed toward the Imperial Medical Institute.

Snow had fallen the previous night, and the morning wind cut sharply. Liu Fenyun warmed her palms with her breath, tucked them into her sleeves, trudging through the snow, pondering whether to prepare some nourishing medicine for Lianyi.

Just as she entered the medical institute, she noticed two male disciples of the priest hall waiting nearby. She could even hear coughing from behind a screen.

Her heart skipped a beat. She hurried over and asked, “What’s the matter with the High Priest?”

In ancient times, a wind-cold illness required careful treatment delay could leave long-term effects.

“The High Priest is fine; only overexertion has caused a recurrence of an old ailment,” one male disciple answered indifferently. “No need for the physician to worry.”

The priest hall always had prejudice against the Sacred Maiden Hall. Liu Fenyun sensed his impatience and didn’t probe further. After checking in, she went to the herbal hall.

The High Priest’s position was second only to the ruler, naturally with a personal physician so it wasn’t her business to interfere.

Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about the prescription her master had sent.

Perhaps her master knew about the High Priest’s old illness and instructed her to look after her?

But why wasn’t the letter sent directly to the High Priest, when Hai Dongqing, who delivered it, lived in her service?

As usual, she greeted her colleagues, regardless of their response, and began her work with medicine scales and herb bowls.

Now that she had become a “fated star” in her peers’ eyes, no one dared approach her for the moment something she didn’t particularly mind.

While taking out the third prescription, she heard the head clerk call her name. Putting down her tools, she saw two of Luo Binglun’s disciples at the herbal hall entrance. The male disciple who had answered earlier said coldly, “By the High Priest’s order, summon the physician to meet her.”

Liufenyun: ?

Suspecting Luo Binglun might mistake her for her master again, she became alert but still strapped on her medicine case and followed the two disciples.

Along the way, she glanced at the system map to confirm no one else was nearby and asked, “May I know your names?”

“Ye Zhou he is called Li Pei,” one male disciple said flatly, without turning his head. “Physician, what would you like to ask?”

Liu Fenyun asked directly, “Did the High Priest summon me because her illness is difficult to treat, or for another reason?”

“Physician, please be patient. You’ll know upon arrival,” Li Pei replied with a smile, turning his head.

The three braved the cold wind and soon arrived outside the priest hall. Before entering, Liu Fenyun cast a glance at the Sacred Maiden Hall across the way, then stepped inside.

Lianyi had said that the High Priest had eyes everywhere near her residence. News of Liu Fenyun visiting would likely reach her ears quickly.

The priest hall was unusually warm, heated by the Dragon fire. Liu Fenyun began to sweat before even seeing Luo Binglun.

Fortunately, the High Priest wasn’t in her chambers but in the study. She was taking her medicine, sipping slowly like tea, with no frown on her brow.

The bitter aroma of the medicine filled the room.

After finishing, Luo Binglun dismissed her attendants, instructed Ye Zhou to grant Liu Fenyun a seat, and then had the two disciples leave, closing the door behind them.

“High Priest, greetings,” Liu Fenyun bowed before sitting, her face calm. “Where do you feel unwell?”

Luo Binglun gazed at her for a moment, then asked, “Where was Master Liu last night?”

Liu Fenyun: ???

“In bed with my wife,” she answered truthfully, puzzled by the question.

The word “wife” made Luo Binglun frown slightly, but seeing Liu Fenyun’s sincere expression, she didn’t pursue it. She coughed a few times, weakly explaining, “Lately I often cough, have restless dreams, wake easily, and feel a choking sensation when breathing. The physicians of the Imperial Medical Institute only attribute it to overwork, so I summoned you to examine me.”

Clearly, she didn’t trust the Imperial Medical Institute’s diagnosis.

Liu Fenyun, wondering how to deliver her master’s prescription, immediately brought out a pulse pillow and a thin gauze to examine Luo Binglun’s pulse.

Luo Binglun lowered her eyes, watching Liu Fenyun’s hand on her wrist. Though calloused, it was slender and fair not like a man’s.

A fleeting, improbable thought crossed her mind, but she said nothing, observing for a while before withdrawing her hand.

She tucked the blanket neatly and looked away.