The Aloof Master Relies on This Cat's Kisses to Survive - Chapter 8

Dreams of the Eastern Street

Ming Xi pressed in very close, her movements swift. Ji Wu instinctively leaned back a fraction, her nose barely brushing against the other’s.

There was an itch—and not just at the point where their skin nearly met.

At some unknown point, Ming Xi had changed the color of her eyes. They were a bit lighter than they appeared outside the dream, yet they still looked natural enough.

They were the color of Ji Wu—a tea-ocher hue, slightly deeper than amber.

This was the Dream Beast’s own domain; she clearly preferred exotic colors, yet she still chose to cater to Ji Wu’s preferences.

So what? Ji Wu reminded herself repeatedly: Do not lose yourself in the dream again.

It was just that remaining steadfast was proving to be incredibly difficult.

The night rain was damp and cold, and Ji Wu’s body was frail; she shouldn’t have felt hot. Yet, from the moment she caught that spicy-sweet scent, she felt a floating heat rising through her entire being.

Ming Xi was too close. It wasn’t just that her sweet fragrance permeated every corner of the dream; her magnified features now occupied the entirety of Ji Wu’s thoughts.

This rebellious beast was truly… truly breathtaking.

Her eyes were like shimmering peach blossom petals, sparkling and overflowing with light; the bridge of her nose was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, delicate and playful; and those slightly parted lips were even more exquisite, their opening and closing a seductive lure, like summer fruit ripened to perfection—plump and cloyingly sweet.

What had she just said? Ji Wu’s clarity was nearly swept away by Ming Xi’s proximity. The Dream Beast had just said that she… remembered.

Ji Wu’s expression turned solemn: Could it be that this rebellious beast has truly been playing everyone for fools? Does she actually have no memory loss at all?

Not only did she remember who she was, but she also remembered who Ji Wu was?

The gaze directed at Ming Xi turned several degrees colder, carrying the unique frost of the Grand Ancestor.

Ji Wu was born with a chilling demeanor; she looked upon everyone with a calm indifference. She was the polar opposite of Ming Xi’s appearance.

With her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, Ji Wu turned her porcelain-white cheek away. The dark strands of hair at her temples had come loose—much like her current mental defenses. She appeared to have no openings, but in truth, she had long since been ruffled by the spring breeze.

The “Wind Singer,” however, continued to sing her own poetry, venting her various grievances. “Who on earth marries their guardian beast with a marriage contract? You’re truly taking advantage of the fact that I’ve been dormant for too long and my brain is foggy from sleep?”

Ming Xi gave a cold huff. “Though I don’t know my own origins, the Elders told Ming Xi exactly who my Master is. Since you are such an extraordinary genius, how could you possibly enter into a contract with Ming Xi so easily?”

Ming Xi was clever. She sniffled, her rain-drenched hair still plastered to her forehead, looking utterly piteous. “This marriage contract requires ‘One Heart’ to leave a seal. Does Master think Ming Xi doesn’t understand that?”

“Marriage Contract” was merely a colloquial name. The relationships between people in this world were hardly limited to marriage; that mark should actually be called the “Tongxin” (One Heart) seal.

It was a covenant of the heart. Thus, when the Elders said Ming Xi was Ji Wu’s guardian beast, she accepted it.

In the scattered fragments of dreams she vaguely remembered, there were many such stories: humans who shared a heart with their guardian beasts and subsequently became partners. Every single one was a beautiful tale.

Looking at it this way, status couldn’t truly prevent two beings from loving one another.

Even though Ming Xi felt she certainly wasn’t as simple as a domesticated little beast, it didn’t matter. The Elders likely said it to ensure Ming Xi’s loyalty to Ji Wu.

But why, even after Ming Xi accepted this identity, did her Master still want to drive her away, refuse to be close to her, and even say…

Even say she had her eye on someone else!!

The more Ming Xi thought about it, the more aggrieved she became. Her red, moist eyes were on the verge of shedding tears. “Master…”

“Master… have you perhaps had a change of heart?”

This interrogation was earnest, masking a tremor in her tone and the sour ache filling the speaker’s heart. It made Ji Wu’s heart tighten.

The phantom scenery within the dream instantly fluctuated, reflecting the emotional turbulence of the Dream Lord.

Ji Wu nearly lost her composure then and there.

She took a deep breath, knowing what she ought to do, yet she remained somewhat reluctant.

Just as she had thought before: between the Spiritual Mountain and the Dream Beast, at least one had to be at peace.

But she was the Grand Ancestor of the Xuanling Sect. While she didn’t care much for status or reputation, it was ultimately difficult for her to lower herself to coax a Dream Beast.

Even with the unbearable tension of the dream, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“You… don’t overthink things.” Ji Wu looked at Ming Xi somewhat stiffly and shook her head. “I haven’t.”

I haven’t had a change of heart.

This wasn’t a lie, nor was it merely “coaxing” the rebellious beast, because Ji Wu truly hadn’t had a change of heart.

From the very beginning, the Grand Ancestor had no intention of being entangled with Ming Xi. That was true now, and it would be true in the future; there could be no change.

Not even in a dream!

“How do you prove it?” Ming Xi felt miserable in her heart. She knew that even in a dream, Ji Wu’s rejection of her was resolute.

But having heard her say the words “I haven’t,” she couldn’t help but press further.

Looking at the reddened tip of Ming Xi’s nose, Ji Wu raised her hand, but she didn’t reach out. She simply explained further, “The contract requires ‘One Heart.’ That is what you said; it cannot be false.”

“I was talking nonsense,” Ming Xi admitted quite frankly. “I saw it written that way in storybooks, and I chose to believe it.”

Ji Wu was speechless: It can work like that?

She already found it hard to agree with Ming Xi’s logic, and under the circumstances, it wasn’t easy to argue. She could only repeat her statement: “In short, do not overthink. I have not changed.”

She truly did not know how to comfort others, especially a strange creature like Ming Xi.

Ji Wu would rather fight her again than deal with this kind of artificial politeness.

Yet Ming Xi interpreted Ji Wu’s words as an attempt to win her back. Dazed, she picked up that tiny bit of softened attitude, cradling it like the world’s most precious treasure, yet not daring to believe it was real.

She grabbed Ji Wu’s hand, which was still suspended at her side. “Fine then. First, let me see the wound.”

“It’s just a tiny prick. There’s no need to look,” Ji Wu dismissed.

“Of course I have to look! Usually, being injured in a human’s dream is nothing, but this is no ordinary dream. This is a Night-Talk Dream transformed by a Nightmare Ghost. Its sole purpose is to harm one’s essence. A single point of injury here will result in tenfold pain upon waking. It absolutely cannot be ignored!”

“It matters not. Tenfold is just like pricking ten fingers,” Ji Wu clearly didn’t think the matter was worth worrying about.

She tried to withdraw her hand, but Ming Xi held on firmly. Besides their fingers intertwining, Ming Xi used a dream technique against her palm, locking it so Ji Wu had no way to break free.

So utterly lacking in propriety; she truly had no sense of rules.

“We entered the dream to eliminate the Nightmare Ghost. Do not do unnecessary things,” Ji Wu said coldly.

“Okay, Master! Ming Xi will be quick!” Ming Xi obediently complied. She lifted the ‘cat paw’ holding Ji Wu’s hand, brought it to her lips, and blew softly on the tiny puncture. And then—

This rebellious beast actually used the tip of her tongue to tap it!

Absurd!

“You—”

“Don’t touch me, and don’t call me… Zu, Zuzu!” Ji Wu was fuming, both from the shame of Ming Xi’s actions and the fact that she repeatedly used that nickname that Ji Wu detested.

The world calling her “Grand Ancestor” was already a burden; this rebellious beast had turned the title into something so playful and mocking—it was truly infuriating.

“Huh?” Ming Xi’s brow furrowed again. “You really have changed.”

She obediently let go of Ji Wu, but her eyes were full of reluctance. “I knew it. Wuwu is just tired of me.”

She even took Ji Wu’s angry words into account and stopped using the title Ji Wu hated.

Seeing the other’s cold face and silence, Ming Xi’s “whiskers” seemed to droop. “They say humans are fickle and cold-hearted. I also know you have that ‘seven-year itch.’ I’ve slept for eight years; it’s only natural my wife is bored of me.”

Ming Xi felt she was being very understanding. “Actually, it’s not like I can’t leave if that’s what Wuwu wants.”