Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 36.1

What she didn’t know was that the system believed she wasn’t ready to break through yet. Thus, it only spoke half the truth and did not tell her the specific method.

These days the two had grown very intimate. When Liu Fenyun fell asleep, she would occasionally slip unconsciously into Lianyi’s sea of consciousness.

But she never thought much of it, always assuming she was simply dreaming of Lianyi and obediently waiting for Lianyi to tie her up and have her way.

Seeing her behave so naturally, Lianyi never pointed it out, simply following her own desires and Liu Fenyun’s.

Dreams could feel pain, but could not injure the body. And the Liu Fenyun in dreams was much bolder than her waking self, willing to try things she had never dared attempt.

Within the sea of consciousness, Lianyi returned to her true human form. Her loose snow-white hair cascaded over Liu Fenyun’s body. Hearing the soft sounds she made, Lianyi narrowed her blue eyes in satisfaction.

This was the person she cherished the one she held in her heart.

“Why does Ah-Yun never resist?” Lianyi tapped her claw lightly against the chain, her blue eyes meeting Liu Fenyun’s with interest. “They say dreams reveal one’s inner heart. Ah-Yun is always so obedient to me here. I am… quite surprised.”

Thinking it only a dream, Liu Fenyun smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Your Highness would never harm me. This way, I make you happy and it makes me happy too.”

She meant every word. For some reason, she did not reject Lianyi’s rough treatment at all.

After dreaming so many times of being tied up by Lianyi, Liu Fenyun even wondered if she might secretly be a masochist.

Meeting her smiling gaze, Lianyi became even more puzzled.

With a wave of her hand, the chains vanished, and the dim prison faded. Suddenly, they were inside a magnificent hall.

Countless carvings of plants covered the walls. Liu Fenyun looked around and recognized that all the painted plants were medicinal herbs. The bookshelves were filled with medical texts it seemed to be the residence of someone obsessed with medicine. She found it strange.

“What is this place?” she couldn’t help asking.

Lianyi shook her head. “I don’t know. I discovered it when wandering through my sea of consciousness earlier. Perhaps it’s connected to memories I’ve forgotten.”

Then she asked, “That prison was where I indulged my desires. If Ah-Yun prefers this place, I can bring you here instead… to read.”

Liu Fenyun didn’t really mind either way it was just a dream. But this grand hall gave her a sense of familiarity, and she preferred staying here.

She walked to the shelves, casually pulled out a medical text, and began reading. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lianyi also taking a book. Turning her head, she indeed found her holding a wildly inappropriate title.

Liu Fenyun looked at the shelf and nearly laughed aloud. She and Lianyi mixing two completely unrelated categories of books together was one thing but why did the owner of this place do the same?

Still puzzled, she soon became absorbed in the medical text. Sitting together with Lianyi, she read intently.

Lianyi’s sea of consciousness flowed at the same rate as the outside world. By the next morning, she sent Liu Fenyun’s consciousness back.

When Liu Fenyun opened her eyes, her mind was still filled with the medical text she’d just read.

She stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment. Trying to recall the contents, she realized she remembered every single word as if the whole book had been copied directly into her mind.

It felt as though the knowledge had always belonged to her.

Baffled, Liu Fenyun asked the system. But the system replied coldly that it was outside its permissible range of answers.

Still full of questions, Liu Fenyun took a food box and headed out to the Hundred Dishes Hall.

She liked fetching her own meals she could listen for small rumors while doing so.

It was the last free day before the spring hunt competition. She had not gone early, and the hall was already full of officials and the attendants of princes and princesses chatting.

“Our master plans to practice again today.”

“So does ours. After all, the competition starts early tomorrow.”

“I’ve heard the top prize this year is a jade bow tributed by the Kingdom of Gehua plus ten thousand taels of gold.”

“A jade bow? Can you even shoot with a jade bow? Isn’t it just for display?”

“No idea. But Gehua is famous for forging divine weapons. The jade bow is surely not mere decoration.”

Hearing this, Liu Fenyun was tempted. She had never seen a jade bow. Now, she very much wanted to win first place.

She had spent the past two days at the hunting grounds, showing off her riding and archery more than once. Seeing her enter, the chatting attendants quickly saluted and slipped away.

Liu Fenyun then spotted the Fifteenth Princess, Sha Rulang. Today, she had the company of the Tenth Prince, who was wolfing down a bun.

“Good morning, Seventh Sister!” the Tenth Prince Sha Yunhuan greeted her hastily.

Sha Rulang swallowed her bun and thumped her chest. “Good morning, Great Witch-Physician.”

Liu Fenyun was helpless. She had no idea why the little princess insisted on addressing her like that—and the tenth prince never corrected her.

“Are you entering the competition tomorrow as well?” Liu Fenyun asked after getting her breakfast.

Sha Yunhuan smiled bitterly. “I’m hopeless at riding and archery. Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch a rabbit for Rulang to make soup. As for the competition… I’ll just join the fun.”

Sha Rulang, cheeks full, declared, “I’m entering!”

“Nonsense! You’re a girl why aren’t you sitting properly on the viewing stands instead of meddling!?” Sha Yunhuan scolded in fright. “If you fall or get hurt, I’ll die of worry!”

Sha Rulang only snorted. Her wolf like dark eyes stayed fixed on Liu Fenyun.

Liu Fenyun knew what she wanted and smiled. “If Your Highness really wants to join the fun, you can disguise yourself as a boy and come to the hunting grounds with me.”

Women weren’t allowed in the hunting grounds but attendants were allowed, to help carry the game.

Lianyi would disguise herself and enter with Liu Fenyun. But both feared that the Fourth Princess might target Sha Rulang, so they planned to bring her along and keep her close.

Sha Rulang’s eyes lit up. “Really?” She turned eagerly to Sha Yunhuan. “Brother, may I go with the Witch-Physician?”

Since the Witch Physician herself had spoken, how could the prince refuse? He trusted Liu Fenyun anyway. He reluctantly nodded and hastily warned, “Then you must listen to her. Don’t run around. If you cause trouble”

“I won’t cause trouble!” Sha Rulang stuffed a bun into his mouth.

After deciding, she rushed back to Shatang Hall to fetch men’s clothing. Raised by the tenth prince, she had always studied and trained with boys, so male attire was always at hand.

Thinking Lianyi was still asleep, Liu Fenyun took her food box and returned to wake the cat.

The weather had grown hotter each day. Lianyi, sensitive to cold at night, had slept under a thick quilt but now had kicked most of it off, leaving both arms and a leg exposed.

Liu Fenyun leaned over, slid a hand under Lianyi’s knees and another beneath her back, and with a gentle lift scooped her quilt and all into her arms.

“It’s time to get up, Your Highness,” she whispered into Lianyi’s ear, then took the ear between her lips.

Warm softness brushed the earlobe; Lianyi wriggled from the ticklish sensation before blinking awake.

“I’ve done as you instructed and arranged things with the Fifteenth Princess,” Liu Fenyun murmured while helping her dress. “In a moment, I’ll need you to cast a disguise spell on her.”

“Did you prepare men’s clothing?” Lianyi yawned.

Liu Fenyun replied, “The Fifteenth Princess said she has her own, so we don’t need to prepare any. She’s already gone to fetch it.”

“Good. I don’t want anyone else wearing your clothes.” Lianyi burrowed against her, warm arms wrapped around her neck.

Laughing, Liu Fenyun rubbed her cat ears.

She could feel it now that they were more intimate, Lianyi’s possessiveness grew stronger by the day. But that wasn’t surprising. Even before they were this close, Lianyi disliked her petting other cats.

Now, Lianyi treated her as something that belonged solely to her.

Liu Fenyun didn’t mind being Lianyi’s possession. She had wanted to survive and thus pleased Lianyi so having Lianyi treasure her was a very good situation.

She simply couldn’t tell how she truly felt about Lianyi did she still see her as a beloved cat she was raising, or had it already become a lifelong romantic attachment?

If only the system could display her affection level toward Lianyi.