The Aloof Master Relies on This Cat's Kisses to Survive - Chapter 27

She was wronged, and she needed Ji Wu’s comfort.

The familiar scent lingered around Ming Xi’s nose and mouth, yet she couldn’t quite distinguish whether it was Ji Wu’s scent or the scent of the cold spring water. It seemed the two aromas were somewhat similar.

Ming Xi moved; her neck felt uncomfortable. She hooked her feet, wanting to change her position, only to realize she wasn’t lying entirely on a couch. The place she was lying was indeed a bed, but what supported her wasn’t a pillow—it was Ji Wu’s hand.

Ji Wu’s palm was cradling the back of Ming Xi’s neck, and her body was pressed very close to Ming Xi’s—very close.

Heat chased away the water vapor of the cold spring. Ming Xi stretched her limbs, slowly regaining her energy. She opened her eyes and saw Ji Wu’s gaze. Those phoenix eyes were well-proportioned, with layered black lashes that flickered outward at the corners, casting a slight shadow that made the depths of those eyes seem even more profound.

No one was as beautiful as Ji Wu. Not among the demons, and certainly not among the krakens or dragons!

“Wuwu,” Ming Xi called out, her voice hoarse.

“I’m here,” she replied, her voice very gentle.

“What happened to me?” Ming Xi instinctively softened her tone; she truly didn’t know what had happened to her. She had only been lunging toward Ji Wu’s embrace—how could she have failed over such a small distance?

And even if she had failed, how could she have forgotten how to swim?

“You fell into the Cold Spring,” Ji Wu answered in a low voice. “That is a spiritual pool sourced from the seawater of Nanling. It is incompatible with your elemental nature. Do not be afraid; you are no longer there. You are in my room.”

Seawater from Nanling? Nanling…

The Dongfang Clan was located in Nanling, a place with a sea. Ming Xi had seen that sea before. It was vast and cold, true, but it wasn’t fierce, nor would it use water vapor to ambush a kitten.

“The sea bullied me?” Ming Xi was still a bit dazed. “How can there be a sea in the mountains?”

“It’s not the sea. It’s a secret realm created using seawater as a source, meant for those cultivating spiritual power to meditate. Not just you—anyone who isn’t a practitioner of water spirit arts wouldn’t dare wander there,” Ji Wu explained.

“Then… does it hurt for Wuwu?” Ming Xi didn’t cultivate spiritual power; she listened to talk of water and fire in a muddled, half-understood way, asking out of concern as she regained her strength.

Ji Wu’s expression seemed fine. She shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt for me.”

“Well, it hurts for me.” Ming Xi furrowed her brow and wrinkled her small face. “The water was so cold, so cold. It choked me and made everything ache. I couldn’t move, and I was so scared.”

She acted coquettishly, bluntly expressing how helpless she had felt in that moment. Cats are prideful and never show weakness, but she could with her bonded wife. Since she had been wronged, she wanted Ji Wu’s comfort.

“You are fine now.” Ji Wu brushed back the hair at Ming Xi’s temples. It was still a bit damp, clinging messily to her small face.

“I’m not fine. I need Master’s kisses to get better,” Ming Xi said, lifting her chin. her small lips were pale and bloodless, making her look incredibly weak.

“Nonsense,” Ji Wu chided her, tugging at the quilt over Ming Xi. “If you’re uncomfortable, rest a bit longer. I will go get you something to eat.”

“No, I just want kisses.” Ming Xi hooked her legs around Ji Wu’s body as she made a move to get up. “Wuwu don’t go. Wuwu stay.”

“The Head Manager is leaving tomorrow morning. I want to go speak with her—”

“—No. What is there to say to her? Just send a message. She’ll come looking for you if there’s something important anyway.” Ming Xi didn’t like that white-haired woman. The elder of the Dongfang Clan was much more pleasant—kind-eyed and gentle, a very warm elderly lady.

She didn’t know how that lady had ended up married to the fierce Head Manager. Ming Xi felt they didn’t match at all. Unlike Ji Wu and Ming Xi, who looked like a match made in heaven no matter how you looked at them. Yes!

“Do you remember that Ji Fang is still inside that flower hairpin?” Ji Wu was patient. She didn’t force herself to stand up; instead, she leaned toward Ming Xi, resting against the side of the couch.

“I remember. What about it?” Why was Ji Fang being brought up again? Couldn’t Ji Wu have only Ming Xi in her eyes?

“Because Ji Fang’s soul has been detached for too long, she is not very stable. I asked the Head Manager to look at her.” Ji Wu had the Head Manager create a barrier for Ji Fang to conduct research on artifact creation and help Ji Wu manage her collection.

Others didn’t know Ji Wu’s identity, but the Head Manager was different. Since it was an order from the Ancestor, she naturally followed it, and she did so very meticulously.

Ji Fang was also grateful. Although she didn’t remember much of what happened in the dream, she knew she was no longer human. Her family had requested that she not return; as such, staying with Ji Wu was the best outcome. She was very sensible and began working the very first day her consciousness was restored. She recognized that the carving on the sword tassel Ji Wu had given her used a special lacquer produced in her hometown.

“Lacquer?” Ming Xi didn’t understand these things. “What about it?”

“It is a specialized lacquer used for sacrifices, taken from the pearls of the Western Pool Demon Krakens,” Ji Wu explained. “Do you know of the Western Pool? Or the Demon Krakens?”

Ming Xi was muddled. she vaguely knew a bit, but she didn’t remember if she naturally knew it or had read it in some random storybook. The Western Pool was a pool to the west, and Demon Krakens… they were a branch of the dragon-kin. Pure-blooded dragons had been extinct for a long time; those who could claim any relation now were various types of demon krakens. Kraken-snakes, kraken-clams, kraken-men, even kraken-trees.

“The Head Manager said we could go investigate. After all, it is… after all, it is an old possession of the Spirit Mountain God-Lord.” Ji Wu hesitated. She hadn’t intended to tell Ming Xi so clearly because she hadn’t originally planned to take Ming Xi with her.

This disobedient beast wasn’t exactly compatible with her. Although their relationship had softened recently, it was only because Ming Xi couldn’t remember the past. Ji Wu would eventually have to part ways with her. The Nightmare Demon Lord who held Ming Xi’s old possession was setting a trap for Ji Wu; whatever the reason, there was no need to drag Ming Xi into it. Ji Wu had intended to only stay involved with Ming Xi until the night of the full moon.

“Okay! Let’s investigate, let’s investigate.” Ming Xi was quite interested. She didn’t care who she was, nor did she care who Ji Wu was; she only knew one thing: she had to follow Ji Wu and protect her. Someone wanted to harm Ji Wu? Then find that person and give them a sound thrashing.

“The Dongfang Clan has a poor relationship with the Western Pool area, so it’s inconvenient for them to appear. I intend to go myself.” Ji Wu didn’t want the Xuanling Sect to intervene in her affairs either. She had founded the Xuanling Sect specifically to avoid too much entanglement with the Dongfang clansmen. Even now, though she hid her identity, she didn’t want the sect she had built with her own hands to be swept up in her personal grudges. Ji Wu had never liked being surrounded by any people or things.

“I’m convenient.” Ming Xi didn’t understand these complications. “Ming Xi will go with Wuwu.”

“We’ll discuss it later. You rest first. I told you this only to let you know I won’t be staying here much longer.” Ji Wu spoke with a sense of distance. “The Western Pool has many waterways. You won’t like it.”

“Liking Wuwu is enough for me.” Ming Xi hurriedly propped herself up, as if Ji Wu were about to set off and leave the very next moment. “Wherever Wuwu goes, I go. Wherever Wuwu is, Ming Xi likes it there.”

“There is no need for that,” Ji Wu shook her head.

“I insist.” Ming Xi was being unreasonable and didn’t want to listen. From her seated position, she lunged at Ji Wu, pulling Ji Wu down on top of her. “Wuwu hasn’t kissed Ming Xi yet.”

“You’re being reckless.” Ji Wu leaned back, but she was still caught off guard and pulled down by Ming Xi.

She lost her balance and ended up half-kneeling in front of Ming Xi. Her knee landed right in the space between Ming Xi’s legs, causing the thin quilt there to bunch up forward, squeezed into a narrow space. Ming Xi let out a breath, satisfied as she wrapped her arms around Ji Wu.

Her Wuwu was truly beautiful; even up close, there wasn’t a single flaw. Those deep brown eyes, like fragrant tea, were uniquely charming even when cold and solemn. She wasn’t one to be trifled with, but Ming Xi insisted on doing so.

Her large eyes, like peach blossom petals, bewitched Ji Wu. The proximity of their tangled breaths made the atmosphere increasingly intimate. Ming Xi opened her pale little mouth, hoping Ji Wu would meet her crimson lips.

Ji Wu suppressed her reaction. At first, she thought she needed to manage her resistance to Ming Xi’s closeness. She figured that since the dream beast had just fallen into the cold spring, being close to her for a moment could count as healing; there was no need to be coy, she could treat it as a reward. After all, Ji Wu could also benefit from the intimacy.

But as Ming Xi’s lips pressed against her own, Ji Wu realized too late that what she needed to control wasn’t resistance, but her own instinct to lean into Ming Xi.

A series of tingles shot up Ji Wu’s spine, even though they were only engaged in a brief, light kiss. Shouldn’t she reject this contact? The soft sensation shattered Ji Wu’s defenses; she found herself actually looking forward to deepening this connection.

Ming Xi was faster than her at putting the palpitations of her heart into action. Ji Wu’s neck was pressed down, and the light pecks against her mouth were instantly deepened. In a moment, her lips were sucked into a moist sheen. Ming Xi didn’t seem as weak as she looked; she dominated Ji Wu’s lips and tongue with reckless abandon.

Ji Wu’s hands, propped up on either side of Ming Xi, trembled slightly, yet she couldn’t resist. She couldn’t even manage to lift them to push Ming Xi away. She could only clutch the silky bedding, creating countless un-smoothable wrinkles. She, too, wanted… she wanted to continue this fusion.

Even though Ming Xi was lying down, her actions were very proactive. Seeing Ji Wu cooperate, she became even more emboldened, increasing the pressure and teasingly exploring the inside. The muffled, wet sounds of their kiss would make anyone’s cheeks flush.

Her body, which had just been frozen by the cold spring water, finally found solace. Ming Xi was naturally aggrieved; she chased and demanded, fearing that missing even a single bite would be her loss.

Ji Wu allowed her to have her way. The heat seemed to be not just between their lips, but also accumulating in a place that was already warm and melting, a burning sensation that made Ji Wu feel very uneasy.

Uneasy? Yes, uneasy!

Ji Wu frowned and pulled back a few inches, making a move to rise.

Ming Xi would have none of it; they were just getting started. “I still hurt. Wuwu, feel me, my body is still cold. The ice crystals scraped me here, and here. It’s all broken skin—it needs a ‘blow’ to get better.” Ming Xi offered her forearm to Ji Wu’s mouth. “Quickly, blow on it for me.”

Ji Wu was startled by the rapid succession of words. She actually opened her mouth slightly and blew gently on Ming Xi’s small hand.

“Hmph.” Ming Xi didn’t hide her satisfaction, her soft moan dripping with sweetness. “It would be even better with another kiss.”

“How absurd.” Ji Wu was unwilling, yet she instinctively reached out to stroke Ming Xi’s head. “Rest now. We can… again… another day…”

“Another day for what?” Ming Xi blinked. “Not another day. Today. By another day, I’ll be all better.”

This dream beast was clever; she knew her body was healthy and that there weren’t many chances to act weak. This was the time. How could she let Ji Wu off so easily?

Her lips, which had regained a faint pink hue, brushed against Ji Wu’s chin. “Didn’t Wuwu say she was going to get me something to eat? No need to go to the trouble. Ming Xi is indeed hungry…”

“Whatever I want to eat, I will pluck it myself.”