Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 27

The spiritual energy in the medicinal herb garden was extremely dense. For the demons, this place could be considered a paradise.

Even though Lianyi didn’t particularly enjoy breathing exercises or energy cultivation, when she arrived at the herb garden, she still let the energy enter her body and practiced slowly for a while.

Liu Fenyun remembered the last time Lianyi had rolled around by the lotus pond. Thinking of that, she placed a soft mat by the pond, picked up the large white cat lying on the ground, and placed it on the mat.

Unexpectedly, Lianyi stretched out her claws, kicked the mat aside, arched her back, and hissed at her.

Liu Fenyun had no choice but to put her back in her original spot, watching the cat’s tail swing left and right on the ground, feeling helpless.

“I’m going to gather herbs; Your Highness can wait here.” After giving this instruction, Liu Fenyun carried the basket of herbs into the garden.

Lianyi ignored her, half-opening her eyes to watch her disappear into the herb garden. Realizing Liu Fenyun wouldn’t return anytime soon, she leisurely returned to the mat, sniffing the faint fragrance of the Green Ghost Lotus and rolling around contentedly.

Unlike Liu Fenyun’s composed nature, Lianyi always indulged her own whims. Even if she was angry at Liu Fenyun one second, the next, she might happily meow in her arms and act affectionate. Today was no exception.

While Liu Fenyun gathered herbs, she heard a system notification indicating that Lianyi’s “darkening value” was decreasing and sneaked a glance toward the Green Ghost Lotus with a smile.

By the time she returned to the lotus pond, the large white cat was already lying on the mat, sleeping, its snowy tail curled neatly by its side, body slightly rising and falling.

Seeing her behaving obediently, Liu Fenyun felt both tempted and itchy handed. She put down the herb basket, washed her hands several times to remove any strong medicinal scent, and carefully picked up the cat.

Lianyi’s fur was very soft, and Liu Fenyun ran her fingers through it. As she massaged and stroked the fur, she noticed the cat’s ears twitching and couldn’t resist lightly rubbing them.

Suddenly, she awakened the cat, and before Liu Fenyun could react, she felt a sharp pain in her hand.

“Do you know what it means to touch a demon’s ears or tail?” The cat transformed into her humanoid form in front of Liu Fenyun, her deep blue eyes staring quietly at her.

Liu Fenyun blew on her bitten hand, confused: “But we’re married, why can’t I touch them?”

“Human marriage customs are merely human rules.” Lianyi snorted lightly and lifted Liu Fenyun’s chin. “If you truly want to marry me, you must follow the customs of demons.”

She paused deliberately. “For now, we are merely living under the same roof for the sake of peace between our countries.”

Liu Fenyun’s eyes changed.

Lianyi’s words were not wrong, but they still made her uneasy. She wanted to ask if, should Zhuohuang and Liuzhi go to war or if Liuzhi were conquered would they no longer be able to live together peacefully?

But she swallowed the words before they left her mouth.

She knew Lianyi would consider the same things; there was no need to voice them and make things awkward.

“However, if you truly want to touch…” Lianyi suddenly said, “just don’t do it while I’m asleep.”

Liu Fenyun immediately perked up, eyes fixed on the hair by Lianyi’s ears.

Lianyi lazily flicked her fluffy tail out from under her skirt, swaying gently.

Liu Fenyun immediately reached out, not realizing she looked like a cat chasing a toy.

The tail suddenly disappeared, and Lianyi held her shoulders, face to face.

“The price.”

“What price?” Liu Fenyun asked, puzzled.

“There’s no principle of touching a tail without paying a price.” Lianyi explained seriously.

“What… what do you want, Your Highness?” Liu Fenyun asked, eyes still on the tail.

Lianyi didn’t answer, demonstrating instead pressing her lips against Liu Fenyun, claiming all warmth in her reach.

Perhaps out of habit, after Liu Fenyun paid the “price,” her first thought was: “That’s all it takes?”

She quickly shook the thought away.

No matter what, she had successfully stroked the cat’s tail. A single ‘kiss’ in exchange for a full petting session seemed very worthwhile.

From that day on, Liu Fenyun resumed the routine of bringing the cat to work.

She made a delicate cat bag for Lianyi, setting a magical barrier inside, ensuring that as long as Lianyi stayed in the bag, she wouldn’t smell the herbs, even without wearing a mask.

Seven days passed, and Luo Binglun didn’t visit the hospital, nor did he send disciples to check on Liu Fenyun.

Today, Liu Fenyun carried the cat home just as a heavy rain began.

The late winter rain was bone-chilling. She held the cat bag with one hand, the umbrella with the other, avoiding puddles, and finally got into the carriage, soaked through.

Lianyi poked her head out of the bag, saw Liu Fenyun sitting still, reached out, touched her wet clothes, and immediately transformed into her humanoid form, using magic to dry them.

“Go drink ginger tea when we get home, take a hot bath, don’t catch a cold!”

Liu Fenyun, exhausted, nodded half heartedly and leaned against the carriage, eyes closed.

Having never seen her this tired, Lianyi dried her clothes, pressed her forehead against Liu Fenyun’s, murmuring: “No heat… doesn’t feel like you’re sick…”

Because the carriage driver was present, Liu Fenyun remained silent.

Once they returned to the Sacred Maiden’s Hall and entered their room, she explained: “I’ve started my period.”

Lianyi was first startled, then panicked.

She quickly brought fresh clothes and menstrual pads, shoving them into Liu Fenyun’s arms, scolding: “You’re not going to the hospital these days! Stay here, don’t go anywhere!”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it.” Liu Fenyun shook her head, only taking the clothes, keeping her own menstrual pads, and returned them: “This can’t be shared, it can cause infection. I brought my own, don’t worry, Your Highness.”

The current wave came fiercely. Liu Fenyun retrieved her best menstrual pads, went behind the screen to change, and sensed a gaze upon her. Turning, Lianyi was standing anxiously by the screen.

Feeling embarrassed being watched while changing, Liu Fenyun turned aside: “I’m very happy that you care so much.”

Lianyi immediately huffed in a yandere manner: “I’m not especially caring for you! It’s just… periods are really tough, and I thought you wouldn’t take care of yourself…”

Her voice lowered as she left the screen and instructed the maid to prepare red sugar ginger tea and extra jujubes.

The maid hesitated: “Sacred Maiden, haven’t you had your period already? Why again…?”

“Because my husband got wet in the rain and caught a chill; I want jujubes,” Lianyi lied without changing her expression.

When Liu Fenyun returned soaked, the maid didn’t ask further, bowing and leaving to instruct the cooks.

The steaming tea and jujubes arrived quickly, and once the maid left, Lianyi closed the door and brought them to the bedside.

Liu Fenyun was already curled up under the covers, frowning in discomfort.

Lianyi looked at her used underwear, face darkened, and pulled her up, forcefully giving her the ginger tea: “Drink it!”

“I don’t need it.”

“You’ve lost so much blood, you must drink!” Lianyi shook her head violently, suddenly remembering something: “Do you know how to supplement blood? Write a prescription, I’ll have Lihua fetch the herbs!”

“Really unnecessary…”

Her smiling refusal only made Lianyi explode, scooping a spoon of ginger tea into her mouth: “Don’t think pretending to be a man makes you a real man! You cannot ignore your period!”

“Drink it all! Chew the ginger, swallow it! Not a bit left!”

“Eat the jujubes! I’ll peel them myself, you better not refuse!”

…

In the end, Liu Fenyun had no choice but to obey, writing a medicinal prescription suitable for menstruation for Lihua to gather.

The nanny mode of the cat was terrifying.

Liu Fenyun became lethargic during her period, and she bled heavily. Lianyi stayed up at night, waking her every couple of hours to change her menstrual pads.

Fortunately, Liu Fenyun had a herb garden; she washed the pads in the stream and dried them by the creek, saving a lot of trouble.

Until her period ended, Lianyi didn’t allow her to leave the hall. The hospital was told Liu Fenyun was “preparing for an advanced examination,” effectively giving her leave.

Liu Fenyun, being Lianyi’s, was safe even if Lianyi devoured her, no one would dare question her whereabouts.

To make the act believable, Liu Fenyun read books on talismans and divination. With system assistance, she learned quickly; within five days, she grasped some techniques.

Lianyi seriously tested her with practice questions, convinced that Liu Fenyun could soon take the exam at the Sacrificial Hall.

Three days later, while strolling in the hall, Liu Fenyun overheard female worshippers talking about the upcoming spring hunt.

“The spring hunt is almost here, hope I meet my ideal man…”

“You wish! With your strength, catching a rabbit is already impressive!”

“I caught a spotted deer last year!”

“I’ll ask the Qi Department to make me a better bow and thinner arrows to hunt some young animals for raising.”

“Let’s go together!”

They spoke in official language, Liu Fenyun understood without the system.

The spring hunt was a yearly tradition, held after the first thunder of spring, for palace members only. Commoners couldn’t participate.

The hunting grounds weren’t far, located at the royal hunting park on the outskirts, with animals bred by generations of beast tamers safe to eat but still wild.

After the maids left, Liu Fenyun thought Lianyi might enjoy a forest walk and returned to the room to ask.

She opened the door, only to hear sharp cat cries piercing her ears repeatedly.

Startled, Liu Fenyun slammed the door, ran to the bed, and shouted: “Your Highness!”

The blankets had been dragged to the floor. Lianyi, in a simple white robe, curled up, sweat soaking her clothes, pale skin partially visible.

Liu Fenyun panicked, holding Lianyi’s wrist to check her pulse. Lianyi hugged her, red-eyed, voice hoarse: “I’ve started my period… sob sob…”

Liu Fenyun: “…”

“My stomach hurts… hurts like I’m dying…” Lianyi pressed against her back, crying.

Her voice, already soft, now added a whimper. Liu Fenyun’s heart ached as she held her, gently massaging acupoints to relieve the pain.

“Did you change your pad?”

“Yes…”

“Heavy flow?”

“…Not much…”

“Bright red or dark red?”

“…Bright red.”

“How many days, which day is worst?”

After the Q&A, Lianyi found her chattier than herself.

But she liked the feeling of being cared for.

“Shall I make a warm water bag?” Liu Fenyun asked.

Lianyi shook her head, holding her hand: “Your hands are warm enough, no need.”

“When I’m in pain, warm water bags don’t help anyway… Usually during my period, people passing by think I’m killing cats in the palace…”

Liu Fenyun felt a paw scratching her heart, reaching the softest part of her soul.

Though Lianyi was the Seventh Princess and Sacred Maiden, she was still a demon. Servants feared her wrath and avoided close contact.

Painful periods were tough, and Liu Fenyun’s body now made her realize that Lianyi had endured four years of this alone. She blinked back tears.

She wiped Lianyi’s tears and sweat, saying solemnly: “Your Highness, rest assured, I’ll stay by your side.”

The brown curls brushed her chin, the faint fragrance of her clothes drifting into Liu Fenyun’s nose.

One hand massaged her stomach, the other warmed Lianyi’s icy hand, slowly.

In her weakness, Lianyi was unusually docile, clinging to Liu Fenyun. Occasional soft groans made her heart ache she wished she could take all the pain for her.