The Aloof Master Relies on This Cat's Kisses to Survive - Chapter 25

The Fruit Pressed Against the Teeth is Very Sweet

“Meow—”

The fluffy, golden-colored little cat let out a cry from its throat; the tone was sticky and sweet, sounding quite unusual. Unfortunately, Ji Wu didn’t have time to discern exactly what was unusual about it.

Because as soon as Ming Xi finished her cry, her cat fur shook and transformed, returning to her half-human, half-beast form.

She had been curled up in Ji Wu’s arms just moments ago, and now that she had shifted into her human form, she naturally maintained that sitting posture—fragrant and soft, she nestled into the crook of Ji Wu’s arm. The distance between them was so close they could see their own reflections in each other’s eyes.

The sunlight was just right, illuminating every exquisite detail of Ming Xi’s face.

There were tiny, golden-tinged fine hairs, porcelain-white cheeks as tender as shimmering water, large crystalline eyes painted with exaggerated, radiant colors, and a superior, bridge-straight nose.

Her red lips were half-parted, revealing pearly teeth as her small mouth asked, “Wuwu, how can you be like this?”

The Dream Beast’s tone was serious.

Her appearance looked very solemn too, carrying a hint of slight anger. Her brows were faintly locked; it couldn’t be called majestic, but she was certainly displeased.

Ji Wu had been lost in thought while admiring this rebellious beast under the bright sun, and it was only upon being questioned by Ming Xi that she snapped back to reality. “…I.”

What had she done?

Ah, she had touched Ming Xi’s tail.

But when grooming Ming Xi’s fur, how could she possibly not touch the tail? Ji Wu clearly hadn’t realized there was anything wrong with her actions. She had never kept any small animals—not when she was Dongfang Ji Wu, and certainly not after becoming the Ancestor Ji Wu; she simply didn’t have the leisure for it.

Ji Wu was largely ignorant of how one should treat a small beast. However, she was acutely aware that Ming Xi’s current posture, sitting in her lap, was very wrong.

Although Ji Wu’s residence was in a remote corner of the Xuanling Sect and usually no one came or went, they were still in the courtyard. Such intimacy was somewhat inappropriate.

No, no, no—this wouldn’t even be appropriate inside the house.

“What decorum is this!”

“Hmph, it’s Wuwu who is being improper!” Ming Xi grumbled angrily, the tips of her ears even twitching with rage.

“What?” Ji Wu concealed her shocked expression, her eyes turning stern. “What kind of talk is that?”

“It is Wuwu who is improper! Wuwu is being preposterous!” Ming Xi ransacked her brain, throwing back all the words Ji Wu usually used to scold her. “Absurd, reckless, lacking boundaries, bullying Ming Xi!”

“I am bullying you?” Ji Wu gasped, for a moment forgetting how close their posture was. “I am bullying you?”

“I said it couldn’t be touched, yet you still squeezed it!” Ming Xi lifted the tail behind her.

The fur had been cleaned twice with fresh water by Ji Wu and was already very clean, but it hadn’t been dried yet. It was damp and soaked with water stains; when she lifted it, it brought a splash of water that spun into a colorful arc in the sunlight.

As the wind blew past, it seemed to take notice; failing to halt its hurried pace, it splashed a few drops of moisture onto the two of them, reminding Ji Wu of the ambiguous state they were currently in.

The Ancestor’s hand was even still resting on Ming Xi’s lower back, pressing against the light gauze of her clothes.

Yet Ming Xi, rarely failing to use the opportunity to seek intimacy, instead remained puffed up with anger as she denounced her, “Hmph hmph hmph, bad Wuwu, bad Wuwu!”

Her jade-white face was flushed red; she truly was annoyed.

“Nonsense, get down quickly,” Ji Wu said sharply.

“Reckless behavior!” Ming Xi retorted. As she spoke, she even shifted her body slightly; the soft, thin fabric brushed against Ji Wu’s palm, making her feel tingly and numb.

This rebellious beast was wearing a light yellow dress with wide sleeves. It seemed to have many layers of design, but the fabric was very light and thin; pressing a palm against it allowed one to perceive the bones and body temperature beneath the gauze.

Ming Xi was always playful and naturally possessed the most tightly-knit, well-proportioned curves. Furthermore, a cat’s body temperature is slightly higher than a human’s, and both of them were currently being baked under the large sun.

Ming Xi was very hot to the touch; the physical sensation was hot, the distance was hot, and her movements were incredibly scorching.

“Get down immediately.” Ji Wu narrowed her eyes, but her cheeks were stained with a thin flush; this was truly too undignified.

Since becoming entangled with this rebellious beast, Ji Wu had repeatedly been unable to maintain her composure, which was truly shameful.

“I won’t. This is so comfortable; I want to stay like this.” Ming Xi didn’t have the word ‘decorum’ in her vocabulary. Although her mouth was accusing Ji Wu, her body knew how to enjoy itself. Sitting in a beauty’s lap, she felt no shame at all; she even wanted to get closer, to press in a bit more.

“Shameless and brazen!” Ji Wu naturally couldn’t allow this. She raised her hand to push Ming Xi, making a move to stand up.

Ming Xi had originally been leaning lazily against Ji Wu like she had no bones; upon being suddenly pushed, she raised her arms and hooked them around Ji Wu’s neck. “Aiya!”

This action was completely intentional—there was no doubt about it. Ming Xi was a cat; how could she lose her balance from a single push?

If a cat falls, it’s only because the cat wants to.

Ming Xi was wickedly intent on entangling herself with Ji Wu. “Ai ai, being fierce again. How can Wuwu be… so ungrateful!”

Ji Wu: “What did you say?”

“It’s in the storybooks. Could it be that Wuwu is that kind of person?” Ming Xi’s slender yet strong arms intimately draped over Ji Wu’s shoulders, her head tilted as she appeared to be in deep thought. “Oh oh oh, that would actually make sense.”

“You are speaking more and more out of line. What kind of nonsense storybooks are you reading?” Ji Wu frowned, not wanting to hear whatever wild chapter Ming Xi was about to spout.

Ming Xi blinked her large eyes. “I’m not reading nonsense. I specifically looked for storybooks about soul-binding. They say that people who marry are mostly heart-to-heart lovers, but there are also ‘wives’ who just get by together.”

She raised both hands, bringing one finger from each hand together. “It’s just that whether they are in love or just getting by, neither of those unions strictly requires a soul-bond. According to the rules of the world, as long as they bow to heaven and earth and get the official documents, it counts.”

“However, there is a very special kind of relationship often mentioned in storybooks, one that often requires a soul-bond.”

She spoke so earnestly that Ji Wu finally became curious about what this rebellious beast was going to say.

In the end, Ming Xi frowned and asked with total solemnity: “Wuwu.”

Ji Wu: “…?”

“Are you… forcing a ‘forceful possession’ on Ming Xi?!”

Forceful possession?

Ji Wu was once again wide-eyed with shock.

What kind of talk was this—what kind of books was she reading?!

“Stop pestering and talking nonsense. Your tail has been groomed; that’s it for today. Quickly—”

“—That’s exactly how it is! The stories in those books are exactly like this!” Ming Xi began to question her with a bitter face. “It’s always someone who starts by making promises to trick a girl into giving her heart, and if the girl refuses, they force a soul-bond and take her away by force! Then after a few years, they grow tired and bored, their heart turns cold, and they want to abandon her.”

“Who was the one who forced the soul-bond? Hmm?” Ji Wu was so exasperated she actually laughed. She never imagined that one day she would fall so low as to have to argue logic with a little cat.

What kind of Great Ancestor was she? What kind of Immortal Peer model?

The one who had inexplicably bound someone as a soul-wife was actually accusing her of forceful possession in reverse?

“Say no more. Let go and get down.” Ji Wu closed her eyes and sighed, unwilling to argue with Ming Xi.

The Dream Beast’s emotions came and went as they pleased; she acted on every whim. Having finished her piece, she only knew how to feel aggrieved and was not at all willing to leave. “Wuwu is indeed cold-hearted, neither coaxing nor defending herself.”

Then Ming Xi would just have to reluctantly yield a bit; after all, Ming Xi was a very sensible and well-behaved ‘Gaurdian Beast.’

Maintaining her position of hooking Ji Wu’s neck, she leaned forward again, sniffing Ji Wu’s body which smelled of medicinal herbs and the warmth of the sun. “Yi, why is there a faint scent of plum blossoms? Where is it?”

Ming Xi lowered her head to search and actually found a plum blossom that had been missed earlier, hiding in the fold of Ji Wu’s inner robe collar.

“Found it!” Ming Xi was quick of eye and hand; she leaned down into Ji Wu’s lapels and arched her head, plucking the plum blossom out with her teeth.

Her slightly damp and cool nose slid across Ji Wu’s collarbone, rubbing against it with a tiny movement—it was unclear if it was intentional.

She triumphantly straightened her body in Ji Wu’s arms, tilting her neck back like she was offering up a great achievement, presenting the plum blossom between her lips. she mumbled something indistinctly.

Ji Wu only saw a brilliant little face, flushed and radiant, nestled within a mane of silver hair adorned with spring flowers. She was so close that the distance couldn’t even be measured in inches.

“What does this look like?” Ji Wu turned her face away.

“Mm-hmm, exactly.” Ming Xi nodded and chewed the plum blossom in her mouth. “It looks like a painting! I saw it in the Old White Hair’s house—it looks just like that painting of ‘Cat Sniffing Red Plum’!”

Ming Xi had visited the Dongfang family’s library several times; she hadn’t flipped through many books, but she had admired many paintings. Human hands were of some use after all—at least they were quite pleasing to the eye when used for painting.

Ming Xi basked in her own brilliance in Ji Wu’s arms, looking as radiant as a spring mountain. Ji Wu, however, only felt that this rebellious beast was becoming increasingly unrestrained. “Enough. You’ve played enough. Do not act up any further; get down quickly.”

“No. I already said this is very comfortable; Ming Xi likes it very much.” Her eyes were brimming with joy and contentment. Ming Xi not only refused to leave but pressed even closer. “My tail isn’t dry yet; I’m not going. Wuwu, stay with me and soak up the sun a bit more. I brought lychees just now; I’ll peel one for Wuwu to eat.”

Lychees?

Ji Wu frowned, watching as Ming Xi, like a magician, truly pulled a small bunch of lychees out from her wide sleeves.

“Eat them yourself. Go eat to the side.” Ji Wu pushed Ming Xi again.

This push was even weaker than the one before, not threatening at all.

Ming Xi remained as steady as a mountain, firmly seated in the beauty’s soft embrace.

She took a fruit for herself and used her small claws to hook open the shell. The translucent, pearly flesh was white and plump, extremely succulent and dripping with sweet fragrance.

The juice, carrying the fruit’s aroma, was on the verge of falling, staining Ming Xi’s knuckles—just like that place of hidden fragrance so close at hand, it enticed someone to bury themselves there, to sniff and explore, to taste or to lick, before they could be satisfied.

“Master, try it quickly.” Ming Xi held the lychee to Ji Wu’s lips.

For a moment, Ji Wu couldn’t tell what this rebellious beast was inviting her to taste.

Her long fingers held the fragrant sweetness, but what she was offering seemed to be more than just the fruit.

Ji Wu’s breathing unconsciously grew much heavier; her hot breath spilled onto Ming Xi’s hand, tangling and pulling the two of them even closer.

The cold sharpness in the Ancestor’s eyes melted into a thin brilliance; from the depths of those eyes that usually never touched the mortal world, a misty emotion surged.

A cool sensation touched the back of Ji Wu’s ear, startling her into moving forward slightly, catching the sweet lychee in her mouth.

It was Ming Xi’s other hand, which at some point had reached up to toy with the curve of Ji Wu’s ear. Her thumb trailed down the jawline and pressed against Ji Wu’s lower lip, as if she wanted to see clearly how she swallowed the sweetness. Ming Xi lowered her gaze, her cherry mouth slightly parted, as if she were savoring it together with Ji Wu.

Clearly, nothing had really happened, yet it caused Ji Wu’s heart to play a chaotic tune.

The fruit pressed against her teeth was very sweet; the fragrance and syrup were the first to seep into the tip of her tongue. Perhaps it was too abundant, and like Ji Wu’s thoughts, it lost its direction, sliding along her lip and leaking from the corner of her mouth.

Ming Xi was quick-eyed; she leaned forward and caught it with a swipe.

It was the cat that had sniffed the red plum; it was the falling leaf that had kissed the mountain snow.

The strings of Ji Wu’s heart snapped, collapsing into a chaotic, swallowed cry of spring.