Chapter 29: This Cat Refuses—Screw It! Part 5

He placed the cat on the tea table, surprised that this cat was so emotionally stable. Instead of eagerly eating, it sat primly after planting its four paws firmly, tilting its head up and gazing at him with those beautiful blue eyes.

Qi Yu was stunned for a moment and scratched the little cat’s chin with his hand. “Speaking of which, Peisengke and I both wanted to raise a cat back then. I wonder if he has one now.”

The smile on his face faded a bit, revealing a wistful expression. “That guy, how has he been lately.”

Li You’s tail flicked to the left.

General Qi indeed knew General Peisengke.

He hesitated for a moment before offering the highest cat courtesy, rubbing his face against Qi Yu’s hand.

Qi Yu’s smile gradually returned. He curved his eyes as he looked at the cat. “I’m very grateful for your arrival, but little pitiful, I also feel sad for you.”

This place was far from as good as imagined. It was a very lonely place.

Li You ate slowly, finishing the cat food Qi Yu had made bite by bite. The taste was not delicious, but it was very filling. After he finished eating, he looked up and glanced around, only to discover that General Qi, who had already finished breakfast, was standing at the door taking down the coat hanging on the rack.

Li You grew a bit anxious. He leaped over, circled around the other’s legs, and looked up. “Meow~”

“Oh, I have to go out for a bit.” Qi Yu put on the coat, squatted down, and rubbed the cat’s head. “Hunting for our food for the next few days. Wish me good luck today.”

Li You jumped up, placing his paws on the other’s knee. “Meow——”

“You want to go?” Qi Yu was stunned.

“Meow——”

“It’s very cold outside, and there are dangers.” Qi Yu said.

Li You persisted relentlessly. After much sweet coaxing for a long time, he finally wore the other down into agreeing.

“Alright, I can bring you along.” Qi Yu stood up, touched his chin, and looked around the house. “But I need to find some warm little clothes for you. Wait here.”

Their departure was delayed. Li You squatted on the sofa and watched as the handy General Qi used a piece of pink fabric, along with homemade needle and thread, to sew him a simple little outfit.

It fit quite well when worn. His cat tail and paws were exposed outside, while his body was wrapped up tightly.

It was warm, sure, but…

Li You stood in front of the Mutant Mirror looking at himself. He then looked up at General Qi, who was propping his chin nearby and appraising him.

The other smiled relaxedly and voiced his true thoughts. “You look like a lively little caterpillar.”

“……” Li You depressedly tugged at the clothes on his body.

“Alright, time is limited today. I’ll adjust it for you when we get back home.” Qi Yu squatted down, picked up the cat, and headed toward the door. “It won’t be as cold outside during the day as at night. You’ll have it much easier, but you must stay by my side, got it?”

“Meow.”

Qi Yu was surprised by how intelligent this cat was. He smiled, pushed open the door, and looked up at the sky.

Light surged into the room. Li You squinted his eyes and turned his head, suddenly jolting in shock.

Daytime in Kailenoa District was completely different from nighttime.

The mountains were still full of violet-like crystal stones, but the sky had turned blood-red. There was a celestial body in the air, and blurry shadows of a city could be seen in that huge, round, mirror-like celestial body—like peering through a mirror into another space. It was extremely eerie.

“You can see it, but you can’t go back.” Qi Yu forced a smile. “Pretty strange, right?”

“I think it’s strange too.” He added, “This place is like a separated pocket space, not part of the empire’s space. It can’t be explained by science, so I just chalk it up to mutant species causing trouble.”

“Alright, we need to get going.” Qi Yu grew more serious. “Time is short. At night, gravity increases, stimulating abyss pollutant activity. The abyss monsters get frenzied then, and that’s bad news.”

Night? Gravity?

Abyss monster??

Li You’s face was full of blank half-understanding, but he couldn’t ask.

One person and one cat gradually vanished into the white sand sea. Less than two hours after they left, in another direction, a black shadow emerged from the rising wind and sand.

The black shadow arrived outside this iron fortress isolated in the white sand sea. He lifted eyes that were blood-red yet unusually calm—eyes whose whites were crawling with blood threads, patterns cracked like fissures. His expressionless face had no color to it at all, cold as if not a living person.

Li Ye looked up at the crude iron fortress and sniffed the air for the scent belonging to Li You, which was about to dissipate.

It was the fragrance of the essential oil he had personally applied to Li You.

Li You had been here.

Li Ye appeared calm as still water on the surface, but inside, he was tense to the limit. The whole night before, gravitational interference had drawn countless mutant species toward him. That bizarre gravity had even tugged at his suppressed true body.

Only at dawn did the situation improve slightly.

Li Ye was no stranger to that power—it was the Abyss, and an abyss monster of the same kind as him.

He easily pried open the door of the iron house and walked inside, but he didn’t see Li You. The tightly strung wire in his heart finally snapped completely.

“Today’s luck was good.” Qi Yu carried the mutant species rabbit he had caught, weighed the cat in his arms and the rabbit in his hand, and smiled. “The rabbit’s a tiny bit heavier than the little cutie. Enough for us to eat for a few days.”

“……” Li You clung to Qi Yu’s arm, nervously staring at the rabbit that looked like it could flatten him with one punch. Upon hearing that, he glanced at the beaming General Qi.

Don’t use me as the weighing standard!

It was still early, so they headed back along the route. As they crested one sand dune after another, Li You suddenly smelled a strange scent in the air—like something burnt.

After cresting another dune, he heard General Qi above him let out a puzzled “Ah.”

Puzzled, he turned to look. From here, he could see that the iron fortress had collapsed and was emitting black smoke.

Qi Yu frowned, held the cat tighter, and slowly approached, stopping a few steps away.

He didn’t sense any mutant species presence, so he didn’t rashly get closer.

A sudden gale assaulted them, bringing a chill from behind. Qi Yu quickly dodged to the side, barely avoiding it.

Before he could react, the cat in his arms was snatched away.

“Tsk!” Qi Yu spun around, already prepared to attack, but he saw a familiar face. The fist that had nearly struck Li Ye’s face stopped in time. He stared blankly at Li Ye, whose condition was clearly off. “Your Highness Li Ye?”

Li Ye’s gaze fell on the cat. He touched the Ragdoll Cat’s face with the back of his clean hand, his vertical pupils dilating slightly. “Mm.”

Li You stared dazedly at his brother before leaping onto Li Ye’s body and lightly nuzzling his face with his head. “Meow……”

One person and one cat quietly cuddled. Qi Yu paused for a moment before crossing his arms. He glanced at the distant collapsed home, then back at Li Ye. “Your Highness, this was my only resting spot. You collapsed it—what now?”

Li Ye’s gaze shifted. He looked toward the distant pile of iron wreckage, his mind finally clearing a bit. He regarded Qi Yu, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. “Sorry.”

“Don’t—I wouldn’t dare blame you.” Qi Yu chuckled.

“It’s my fault.” Li Ye’s gaze returned to the cat, unwilling to shift away even slightly. He repeatedly confirmed Li You’s presence; only by touching him could he fully relax.

After a moment, Li Ye closed his eyes to steady himself, then opened them again. “I came from the north. About ten kilometers away, there’s an Abandoned Laboratory.”

“I’ve been there.” Qi Yu said. “I gathered materials from there bit by bit to build this iron house.”

“Why not just use the laboratory?” Li Ye asked.

“This is the crystal stones district—strong purification, few mutant species.” Qi Yu shrugged. “I did want to use the laboratory directly, but it was too dangerous. I didn’t dare risk it.”

Li Ye: “We can go now.”

The cat and Qi Yu both looked at Li Ye in puzzlement.

“There are no mutant species there anymore.” Li Ye looked at the cat. “It’s very safe.”

A silence fell. Li You realized what happened and lightly pawed at Li Ye’s clothes.

【Bro……】

【You okay?】

【Don’t scare me.】

Li Ye’s eyelids veiled his expression as he said in a low voice, “I’m fine.”

He would only be in trouble if he couldn’t find Li You.

Qi Yu understood Li Ye’s meaning. “Then I’ll pack our things. We’ll head out right away.”

Before turning away, he glanced at the person and cat hugging together and sighed jokingly. “I thought I’d get to keep the cat. Your Highness, had you come any later, your cat would’ve been mine.”

Li Ye glanced at him.

“Joking.” Qi Yu smiled mildly. “Your cat’s very obedient. We got along great.”

Li Ye: “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Qi Yu turned toward the collapsed iron house.

Meanwhile, Li You kneaded his paws on his brother’s chest—slowly, rhythmically. He kept his face pressed against Li Ye’s without letting go.

Suddenly feeling an itch in his teeth, he opened his mouth, licked Li Ye’s face first, then took it in and lightly ground his sharp teeth against it.

Li Ye felt the wet softness, the barbs on the cat’s tongue and the teeth rubbing, making it a bit itchy. He turned his face slightly, but the cat chased after it with light bites, so he stopped moving.

The cat was marking him like territory—one side of the face chewed enough, then the other. Li Ye indulged it completely.

Qi Yu, who had finished packing and come out, witnessed the scene. He walked up. “Your Highness, is your cat about to go into heat?”

Li Ye froze.

Li You, who had been chewing on the person, also froze.

He whipped his head toward General Qi, his pupils quaking.

【What heat?】

【What estrus??】