The Cat Demon’s Diary of Marrying into Luck - Chapter 5

All the new clothes were finished and delivered to the Lin residence on the day of the Laba Festival. Lin Qingcen stood in the room like a giant doll, letting Wenzhu fit the garments on him.

Finally, under Lin Qingcen’s firm refusal, Wenzhu reluctantly put away the bright red robe and brought out a moon-white one for him to change into.

Seeing Wenzhu’s pouting lips, Lin Qingcen said with an air of practiced calm, “That red one is too grand and gaudy, it is not suitable for today.”

Wenzhu’s pout turned into a grimace, “Young Master, you should really stop reading so many storybooks.”

“Take the old clothes from last year away,” Lin Qingcen said, snatching his belt from Wenzhu’s hands and shooing him out to tidy up himself. “By the way, leave the ones for Linu. I am going to let him try them on in a bit.”

“Alright,” Wenzhu replied, clutching a pile of old clothes while peeking his head back through the door. “Today is Laba. The kitchen made Laba congee. You must eat at least two bowls, Young Master.”

Once Wenzhu was gone, Lin Qingcen didn’t even bother straightening his own clothes before knocking on Xuanli’s cat bed. “Hey, no more sleeping. Get up, I have something good to show you.”

Xuanli, who had been fast asleep, was jolted awake. He painfully covered his head with his paws before crawling out and transforming into a human. He stretched lazily, yawning as he asked, “What is it?”

He then saw Lin Qingcen in a state of total disarray, frantically fumbling with his belt. Because Lin Qingcen was sensitive to the cold, the charcoal fire in the room was burning fiercely. At this moment, Lin Qingcen was both rushed and overheated, his face flushed red and his outer robe hanging loosely off his shoulders.

Seeing this, Xuanli laughed quite tactlessly. Tilting his head, he teased, “Are you trying to show me how you fight a losing battle with a waist sash?”

Lin Qingcen shot him a fierce glare and turned around to fix his clothes, figuring that out of sight meant out of mind.

Xuanli shrugged, tucked his hands behind his back, and sauntered over. He pressed down on Lin Qingcen’s shoulders to turn him back around, pulling him into his embrace. He took the sash and began measuring it against the robe.

Enveloped in that embrace, Lin Qingcen suddenly realized that Xuanli was a full head taller than him, with shoulders and a waist that were much sturdier. There was a sweet scent of fruit on him, mixed with the faint, warm smell of the sun. It felt very safe. Lin Qingcen had never been held like this before, and the tips of his ears turned a traitorous shade of red.

For a brief moment, he felt an impulse to just lean into him.

Xuanli tied the sash in a few deft movements. Looking down at the compliant Lin Qingcen, he couldn’t resist the urge to flick the boy’s forehead. “Are you a dummy?”

Lin Qingcen’s face burned at the words. Not to be outdone, he retorted, “You’re the dummy. This is a trendy new style, the craftsmanship is just different from before.”

Xuanli took a step back and crossed his arms, teasing, “Is it not because you’ve always been pampered and don’t know how to dress yourself?”

Lin Qingcen froze. The fluttering heartbeat and the warmth in his face vanished instantly. He lowered his eyes, sounding dejected. “Do you look down on me in your heart? Do you think I’m useless, that I can’t do anything, not even put on my own clothes?”

His health had been poor since childhood. Others had to worry about every little thing for him. Whenever he fell ill, the entire household was thrown into a panic while he remained helpless. As the years passed, he felt he had made no progress, unable to even handle the simplest of tasks.

Sensing the shift in Lin Qingcen’s mood, the smile vanished from Xuanli’s lips. He stood before him awkwardly, his hand hovering in the air for a long time before he finally patted Lin Qingcen’s shoulder. “Are you angry?”

“No.”

Lin Qingcen slapped his hand away. His expression turned as cold as it had been on the first day when Xuanli called him a “sickly sprout,” though his eyes were now rimmed with red.

Ignoring the red mark on his hand, Xuanli leaned in to offer comfort. “You were born to be pampered, followed, and spoiled. You don’t need to worry about anything, that is a blessing in itself.”

“I spoke out of turn just now, I apologize. Consider the fact that I have no upbringing and don’t know my manners. Forgive me this once, don’t take it to heart.”

Seeing Xuanli use his own lack of upbringing as an excuse, Lin Qingcen’s heart softened. He looked down, sniffed, and poked the back of Xuanli’s hand. “Does it hurt?”

Recognizing the olive branch, Xuanli climbed right up the ladder. “It doesn’t hurt at all, it’s just like an itch. Now, what was it you wanted to show me?”

Reminded of his purpose, Lin Qingcen picked up the small garments from the table. “Look, clothes exclusive for a little cat.”

Seeing Xuanli’s look of silent indignation, Lin Qingcen felt entirely cheered up. He picked up the tiny shoes from the side, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he pushed his luck. “And shoes, too.”

Xuanli took two steps back, his brow furrowed in a look of sheer disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak several times but ultimately stayed silent, backing away slowly.

He fled and Lin Qingcen pursued, the two of them circling the small table. “Why are you hiding? Don’t they look good?”

“What do you think? Have you ever seen a cat wear clothes?”

“In my house, I have,” Lin Qingcen changed directions to corner him. “Why don’t you turn into a cat and try them on for me?”

“Ah”

Because Lin Qingcen had switched directions, he collided head-on with Xuanli, who had been too focused on escaping to dodge. Lin Qingcen tumbled right into his arms. The impact sent him stumbling, and he nearly slipped, but Xuanli was quick enough to wrap an arm around his waist and lift him back up.

Lin Qingcen let out a small cry of pain from the collision, but when he looked up, he saw that the tips of Xuanli’s ears were red.

“Your ears are red.”

Hearing this, a strange panic seized Xuanli. He gave Lin Qingcen a gentle push, urging, “Never mind that, get up quickly.”

“I won’t,” Lin Qingcen began to act shamelessly, clinging to Xuanli’s chest and refusing to move. “You hurt me when you bumped into me, I need a moment to recover.”

Lin Qingcen discovered to his surprise that whenever he spoke, the redness on Xuanli’s ears would spread. It was as if he had found a fascinating new toy, and he couldn’t help but lean closer. “Are your ears very sensitive? Why are they so red?”

Xuanli felt the warm breath from Lin Qingcen’s words brush against his ear. A cat’s ears are naturally sensitive; how could he withstand such teasing? They instantly turned scorching hot, making his heart race with unease.

“Mmh—”

Lin Qingcen’s cool fingertips touched his ear, creating a sudden contrast of ice and fire. However, the coolness didn’t relax Xuanli; instead, it made him even more sensitive and uncomfortable. He pulled Lin Qingcen away, covering his ear with one hand and keeping his distance.

Lin Qingcen finally realized his own rudeness. To cling to someone and then fiddle with their ears was improper and unrefined.

In the awkward silence, Lin Qingcen had no choice but to tidy up the clothes on the table. He finally compromised, “If you don’t want to, then forget it. I’ll put them away.”

By the time he finished tidying and returned, Xuanli was still standing there like a pillar, hand over his ear. Lin Qingcen spoke first to break the ice. “Today is the Laba Festival. Do you want to try some Laba congee?”

After all, he was the one who had taken advantage of Xuanli just now, so it was only right to soothe him.

“I do,” Xuanli replied. Though he was still a bit flustered, he thought it would be bad for his image if a great demon like himself remained so coy. “I’ll have some when I get back from my cultivation.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for us to eat together.”

Xuanli’s mind was still a daze. He nodded blankly, then scrambled out of the window with hurried, messy steps.

Lin Qingcen sat alone at the table, watching Xuanli leave. The empty room suddenly felt desolate again, leaving him all by himself once more.

Night fell, and the lanterns were lit. In the Lin residence, the Laba congee was reheated again and again, but Lin Qingcen could not wait long enough for Xuanli to return.

He searched every spot in the manor where Xuanli usually practiced and even sent the household servants out to look for him. Fearing he might miss Xuanli if they crossed paths, he didn’t dare wander off himself, so he could only pace back and forth at the doorway in a state of anxious agitation.

“Young Master”

Hearing Wenzhu’s voice, Lin Qingcen hurried forward and asked anxiously, “Is there any news?”

Wenzhu shook his head. It was strange; no matter how large the manor was, it had its boundaries. Even if the cat had run out, with those unique eyes, how could they not find him?

Lin Qingcen’s brow furrowed as he forced himself to give orders. “Keep looking. Go back and look again. You must bring that cat back to me.”

Wenzhu supported Lin Qingcen, advising him with deep concern, “Young Master, please eat something first. Your body cannot take this kind of strain.”

“No need,” Lin Qingcen pushed Wenzhu away, urging him, “I can’t eat right now. Go and tell the others to keep searching. Search both inside and outside the manor again.”

By the time the city curfew began, Xuanli had still not returned, and Lin Qingcen had not found him.

In the entire manor, only Lin Qingcen’s room remained lit, looking exceptionally lonely and desolate in the vast house.

Lin Qingcen sat stiffly on the bed, the window wide open and the door half-ajar. He hugged his knees, waiting blankly. When he thought about it, he and Xuanli were never meant to cross paths in the first place. If he left, there was nothing Lin Qingcen could do.

But on what grounds could he leave? Why would he leave without a word after giving a promise? There was no logic in it.

Creak.

A dark shadow slipped through the crack of the half-open door. A spark of light returned to Lin Qingcen’s hollow gaze. He watched the door with a mix of anticipation and dread, terrified it was just the wind or an illusion. It wasn’t until he saw the shadow transform into a tall, handsome man that he finally felt his heart settle.

Once the relief passed, an overwhelming sense of grievance surged up. Lin Qingcen watched the approaching figure, his throat aching and stinging with bitterness. Suppressing the prickling in his eyes, he shouted, “You actually remembered to come back?”

Xuanli’s footsteps faltered. He looked at the person glaring at him under the dim yellow light, those almond eyes now burning with anger. Although Lin Qingcen was losing his temper, both his expression and tone were thick with immense hurt. Xuanli felt a sharp pang in his heart, a strange discomfort that made him instinctively soften his voice.

“Why… why haven’t you slept yet?”

These words were undoubtedly fuel to the fire. Lin Qingcen was so angry his head spun. He grabbed the pillow from the bed and hurled it at him. “How dare you forget what you promised me!”

“I didn’t forget, I remembered it all perfectly,” Xuanli caught the flying pillow and held it to his chest, explaining, “I got delayed by something. I thought it was so late that you would have already eaten and gone to bed.”

Lin Qingcen climbed off the bed, abandoning his usual refined composure. He marched up to Xuanli, looking up to glare at him. “Do you think I am like you?”

“That a promise made to someone can be broken so easily?”

“I ran into some trouble, I was held up,” Xuanli said, feeling helpless at seeing the usually dignified young master so distraught. He tried to coax him with clumsy words, “Don’t be angry anymore. It’s not worth it to ruin your health over anger.”

Lin Qingcen did not calm down after hearing the explanation. He pressed closer, step by step. “What could possibly be more important than me?”

“I have been here waiting for you for an entire day.”

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