Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 37

Sha Rulang soon arrived dressed in men’s clothing.

Liu Fenyun received her in a large dressing room, unfolded a folding screen, then retreated outside and let Lianyi go in.

Men and women were not supposed to touch since Rulang was now disguised as a man, propriety still had to be observed.

Sha Rulang was not used to receiving kindness from others. While Lianyi helped her adjust her men’s outfit, she kept staring at the ground without speaking, her cheeks bright red.

“Is your friend doing well?” Lianyi asked gently.

Only then did Sha Rulang look up, worry filling her voice. “A-Ran hasn’t come to find me these past few days. I don’t know how she’s doing…”

“Does she usually come here in previous years?” Lianyi asked again.

“Yes. Every year A-Ran stays with me,” Rulang nodded. “She always comes at night, picks a small, unused room in the hall where I lodge, and stays there. When the Spring Hunt ends, she leaves.”

Thinking of A-Ran, she couldn’t stop reminiscing. “The first time I saw her, she scared me! Her beast form is terrifying, but her temperament is gentle, and she’s kind. When I got tired from hunting and returned to her, she’d let me sleep with my head pillowed on her belly…”

Lianyi smiled and chatted with her casually while applying a disguise spell.

“This spell will need to be used again before you enter the hunting grounds tomorrow.”
After finishing, Lianyi handed Sha Rulang a bead filled with demonic energy. “My demonic aura is sealed inside this bead. I’ll teach you an incantation just recite it when you need it.”

Sha Rulang thanked her, put the bead away, and stood before the mirror curiously examining her new appearance.

“Rulang, you’re not afraid of demons?” Lianyi suddenly asked.

Sha Rulang paused, then shook her head. “Actually, I am scared of demons. I dislike them a lot. But I can tell the difference between good and bad. You’re demons who treat me well, so I like you. Strangers from the demon race, I’d still dislike them.”

She purposely made a disgusted expression and showed it to Lianyi. “Look, Royal Sister, I really do dislike the demon race.”

Lianyi was amused by her straightforwardness. She rubbed her brown hair and didn’t ask further.

When Lianyi brought Sha Rulang to Liu Fenyun, Liu Fenyun almost didn’t recognize her.

“Your Highness actually suits men’s clothing quite well.” Liu Fenyun praised sincerely.

Sha Rulang lowered her head shyly.

“Today we still need to train at the hunting grounds,” Liu Fenyun said. “We may train until nightfall. Will Your Highness stay overnight in Morning Star Hall?”

Staying overnight would make resting easier and would also prevent outsiders from noticing anything when they set out together tomorrow.

Sha Rulang understood this and nodded obediently.

So when they went to the racecourse today, everyone saw that the two women had an energetic stranger following them.

Wangyunzhu, the horse, already recognized Liu Fenyun. When Liu Fenyun untied its rope, it even wanted to rub its big head against her hand but one glare from Lianyi made it give up.

“After the Spring Hunt ends, have it brought to the Saintess Hall and keep it there,” Lianyi suddenly said. “You can’t be without your own horse.”

Liu Fenyun couldn’t tell whether this was a trick question or if Lianyi genuinely wanted her to have another fine horse. She stared at Wangyunzhu nervously, not daring to speak.

Lianyi took her silence as shock and handled everything on her own discussing with the beast trainer and even obtaining the purchase contract.

After signing, Liu Fenyun still felt like she was dreaming. Then she realized, Lianyi was both her wife and the Saintess of the nation. If she had a fine horse, it was essentially the Saintess having a fine horse.

Lianyi didn’t care what she thought. Since she considered Liu Fenyun her possession, she naturally wanted to give her all the best things.

Sha Rulang also needed to pick a horse for tomorrow’s competition.

The little princess in men’s clothing walked proudly to the stable, swept her gaze across the horses, and chose the fiercest qilin colt.

The beast trainer hurried to stop her. “Young master, you mustn’t! Even our trainers can’t control that one…”

“Give it to me I’ll tame it.” Sha Rulang glared. Her stare was fierce enough that when the trainer glanced at Lianyi, he had no choice but to agree.

The qilin colt came out of the stable, its cold gaze meeting hers.

Liu Fenyun worried she might get hurt and wanted to negotiate with the colt, but Lianyi stopped her. “No need. Let her tame it herself.”

Sha Rulang truly was remarkable. Liu Fenyun didn’t know how she did it, but after a short while, she was already seated on the colt’s back. The ill-tempered beast didn’t throw her off. Instead, it carried her around the training field.

Liu Fenyun couldn’t help sighing Fifteenth Princess’s affinity with animals was unexpectedly strong.

After she finished taming the horse, they brought their bows and rode together toward the mountain hunting grounds.

Tomorrow was the Spring Hunt competition. People were already busy marking out the contest area.

Just as they arrived, they happened to see the Crown Prince riding with officials from the Ceremonial Department, overseeing the preparations.

Liu Fenyun rode in front. As soon as she saw the prince’s purple robe embroidered with four-clawed serpents, she froze, hurriedly pulled her horse to a halt, and stopped Sha Rulang’s qilin colt as well, signaling her to dismount and pay respects.

Sha Rulang recognized the prince immediately. After dismounting, she didn’t need prompting she bowed and said, “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Lianyi also offered her salute.

Prince Sha Fuli was known to be quiet and unsociable. He gave his sisters a slight nod, but his gaze lingered on Liu Fenyun.

Liu Fenyun quickly bowed. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I’ve intruded…”

Sha Fuli raised a hand for silence and looked at her with curious fox like eyes.

People often said Hua clan men were delicate-looking, but someone this feminine looking he was seeing for the first time.

If not for Liu Fenyun’s hoarse, low voice, he would have thought her a Hua clan woman dressed as a man.

Lianyi naturally noticed the prince’s gaze, but she could tell he was only curious, nothing more. After all, their marriage ceremony had been held very quietly and with little fanfare. A prince of his rank had no obligation to attend.

Still, his gaze made her uncomfortable. She immediately pulled Liu Fenyun close and said to him, “Elder Brother, we still need to practice. We’ll take our leave.”

Sha Fuli’s fox eyes lifted slightly as he smiled with graceful reserve. “Be careful on the road.”

Even after they were far from him, Liu Fenyun still felt shaken.

What was wrong with that prince? Was he into men? Why stare at a man for so long?!

She slapped her own cheeks, nearly asking Lianyi whether she had been exposed.

Liu Fenyun no longer needed archery practice, but she wanted to evaluate Sha Rulang’s ability, so they stayed in the hunting grounds until sunset.

Before heading down the mountain, Sha Rulang suddenly turned toward a direction.

“What is it?” Lianyi frowned she had sensed the presence of the leopard demon A-Ran.

“Maybe A-Ran came to pick me up?” Rulang wasn’t sure herself. A-Ran hadn’t visited in days.

Liu Fenyun’s heart sank. Through her system map, she saw a glowing dot representing A-Ran and an even brighter one beside it.

Her master, Yu Qingyue.

Seriously? On the eve of the Spring Hunt competition, the two were fighting on the mountain?

Her master’s demon identity must not be revealed to outsiders. Liu Fenyun immediately struck Rulang’s qilin colt with her whip. Shocked, the colt neighed and dashed downhill.

Rulang’s startled cry faded into the distance. Liu Fenyun quickly followed.

Lianyi saw what she did and leaned into her arms with a laugh. “I didn’t expect Ah-Yun to use such methods.”

Liu Fenyun coughed awkwardly. In her panic, she really hadn’t thought of a better way.

While they chased the colt down the mountain, Yu Qingyue and Qi Ran were fighting again.

“You really are Senior Sister Qing! Every time you come to me with something, you insist on fighting first!” After a long bout, Qi Ran surrendered, wiped the blood from her lips, and grinned at the descending feathered demon.

“The antidote,” Yu Qingyue said coldly.

“I don’t have it anymore. I gave it to my savior.” Qi Ran spread her hands. “I was afraid Senior Sister would poison the humans here. You used to hate them even more than I do.”

Yu Qingyue’s gaze grew colder. “That was the antidote to Xianyun. Who did you give it to?”

“That I can’t tell you.” Qi Ran shook her head. “But why do you need the antidote? If you poisoned someone and regret it, you could just pass to her.”

Yu Qingyue said nothing. Her wings trembled lightly, about to leave, when Qi Ran grabbed her sleeve.

“Senior Sister, Senior Sister Qing, I beg you next time, could you not come hit me first? I’ll go back and confess to Master. But right now my identity is complicated if I keep getting injured, people will get suspicious…”

Before she finished speaking, a small porcelain bottle was tossed at her. She caught it, and seeing the pattern on its surface, realized it was her master’s personal healing medicine!

“Use it sparingly,” Yu Qingyue said, shaking off her hand. Then she activated a concealment technique and vanished.

That night, Sha Rulang lodged at Morning Star Hall and went to bed early.

Lianyi didn’t cling to Liu Fenyun for once. Instead, she asked to accompany her to the medicinal garden to pick catnip.

She didn’t particularly like eating catnip, and picking it was even rarer for her. Liu Fenyun thought she was simply in a whimsical mood. She took a wooden basin and followed her to pick.

Lianyi wore a mask and veil to keep herself from losing control from the scent. Liu Fenyun stayed close behind her, occasionally picking other medicinal herbs along the way.

They quickly gathered half a basin of catnip. Returning to the research building inside the garden, Lianyi removed her mask as she explained:

“Since A-Ran is a leopard demon, catnip works on her somewhat too. If we run into her during the competition…”

She flashed her little sharp teeth. She didn’t need to finish Liu Fenyun understood.

“That’s a good idea,” Liu Fenyun said, nodding. She took the basin and went to start the drying machine.

In her previous world, catnip was processed into all kinds of products for cats dried catnip, catnip balls, catnip toys, even catnip spray.

Time was tight. Only one night remained. While the machine dried the herbs, Liu Fenyun thought it over and decided to grind the fresh and previously picked catnip into powder. It would be easier to carry.

As the machine worked, Lianyi ran outside the research building toward the Blue Ghost Lotus.

Compared to catnip, she preferred the delicate fragrance it released.

The lotus swayed over its pond without wind. As she approached, she realized it had blossomed two petals, its fragrance richer than before.

Breathing in the scent, Lianyi couldn’t help kneeling beneath it.

The Blue Ghost Lotus held a pure spiritual energy that made her feel intimate and willing to submit.

Immersed in the scent, she bowed deeply, as though receiving divine revelation.

When Liu Fenyun arrived, she was startled by the sight, thinking Lianyi was intoxicated by the lotus scent. She hurriedly helped her up.

“Your Highness, what happened?” Liu Fenyun shook the cat demon anxiously.

Still dazed, Lianyi murmured, “I think I saw the real Goddess… Why does she look exactly like you?”

Liu Fenyun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She picked Lianyi up and carried her away from the lotus.

At the stream, she scooped water to wash Lianyi’s face. With the cool breeze, Lianyi gradually sobered.

“What happened to me just now?” she asked, touching her damp hair, confused.

Liu Fenyun shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know either. She treated all the strange things Lianyi said while dazed as nothing more than hallucinations brought on by the lotus scent.

“What is that blue lotus anyway?” Lianyi asked, still a little frightened as she looked toward the Blue Ghost Lotus. “It bloomed only two petals but its fragrance is far richer than before, and it can trap me in an illusion without me even realizing it.”

She was fearful, yet curious, staring at the lotus from afar, her eyes turning as if plotting something mischievous.