“Why are you walking so fast?” Wei Xicheng adjusted his collar, feeling a slight itch around his throat from being strangled.
“What do you think?” Yi Chengze unceremoniously flicked the clueless little cat on the forehead. “Just now, between those two people, which one were you planning to cling to?”
“I wasn’t thinking of getting involved with either of them.”
Yi Chengze raised an eyebrow. That answer was somewhat pleasing to hear. “Then why are you always paying attention to other people?”
Wei Xicheng glanced at him. “Lin Yang has taken care of me for so long, and that Si Yongyi guy looks like a bad guy. How can I just let Lin Yang stupidly jump into the fire pit?”
“A cat that knows gratitude, huh?” Yi Chengze pieced together the events and quickly figured out what had happened. He patted the cat on the head. “So, you’re planning to sacrifice yourself for his sake?”
“Bah, all I want is for Lin Yang to realize that Si Yongyi is a scumbag. I’m not planning to fall in love with a human.” As he said this, Wei Xicheng stared at Yi Chengze’s face. No matter how much he looked, he still couldn’t figure out what kind of creature his lover was.
“Then what do you want to fall in love with?” Yi Chengze’s sharp features softened, his previously cold expression warming into a gentle smile as he asked the little cat in front of him.
“Of course, with a cat!”
Wei Xicheng felt like he might be doomed. If he didn’t act mischievous once in a while, he’d feel uncomfortable. As expected, after hearing this answer, Yi Chengze’s expression instantly darkened. All traces of gentleness and humor disappeared, replaced by a cold face. He asked icily, “A cat?”
“Yeah, I’m just a traditional cat. Do you think I’d engage in some cross-species romance?” Wei Xicheng subtly shifted his weight, ready to bolt at the first sign of movement from Yi Chengze.
“Don’t even think about it.” Yi Chengze moved faster, placing his hand firmly on Wei Xicheng’s head. “As far as I know, there’s no second cat demon in this world.”
“And you think your word is final?”
“Yes, my word is final.”
In the span of their conversation, they had already arrived at Lin Yang’s apartment complex. Yi Chengze leaped lightly onto Lin Yang’s windowsill.
“Yi Chengze, why can you fly?”
As soon as the window opened, the overwhelming scent of another human filled the room. Yi Chengze suppressed his discomfort and carried Wei Xicheng inside. “If you cultivate for another century or so, you can fly too.”
He paused before continuing, “You said you couldn’t leave Lin Yang because you don’t want him to fall into the fire pit?”
Wei Xicheng nodded blankly.
“Then, if his situation gets resolved, will you leave with me?”
“Of course, but only if it doesn’t break the rules.”
“Heh.” Yi Chengze seemed to understand what Wei Xicheng meant, assuming the cat had encountered those old folks. “Those old geezers only talk about rules to little demons like you.”
Indeed, if the little cat demon hadn’t been so lacking in spiritual energy—unable to even retract his ears and tail—those old geezers would have long come sniffing him out to “uphold justice and eliminate demons.”
The fact that they tolerated a demon living among humans was already the greatest compromise those old folks could make.
“You have a solution?” Wei Xicheng poked his cat head out from a pile of clothes, his round eyes brimming with curiosity.
“Mm-hmm.”
“What solution?”
“Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.”
…
In the end, Yi Chengze couldn’t stand the heavy personal scent lingering in Lin Yang’s room. After hiding Wei Xicheng’s discarded clothes in an inconspicuous spot, he picked up the cat, took a deep breath of its fur, and left through the window.
Wei Xicheng sprawled on the bed, grooming his whiskers, pondering Yi Chengze’s words.
The number of demons was already sparse, but the number of skilled human demon hunters exceeded that of demons by a small margin. This created a delicate balance between humans and demons. Demons could live in human society but couldn’t cause trouble. Any violation would result in a hunt, and even the demon realm wouldn’t tolerate those who broke the rules.
As spiritual energy grew increasingly scarce, the demon realm had to maintain the balance between humans and demons. Otherwise, the demon realm would only decline faster.
While the rules couldn’t be broken outright, small loopholes could be exploited to punish certain humans. Otherwise, weaker demons wouldn’t have any means to protect themselves.
Although Wei Xicheng understood Yi Chengze’s implications, he still had other concerns. He knew the original storyline—regardless of whether Si Yongyi was punished, Lin Yang had suffered real harm.
He was afraid that, although he had already altered part of the storyline, he couldn’t be sure whether Lin Yang would still face the same unfortunate events as in the original plot. If so, would the time and place of those events also change?
This was something he couldn’t bring himself to tell Yi Chengze.
…
Lin Yang had just returned home. The first thing he did was call out for “Fluffy” as he searched through all the rooms. When he opened the bedroom door, he found his little master sprawled on the bed, deep in thought about his cat life.
“Oh, there you are, Master! Resting here, huh? I brought back some mixed grains, want to try a bite?”
Lin Yang seemed to be in a good mood. He scooped up his cat and walked toward the living room. Wei Xicheng, having no reason to fuss, lazily nestled in Lin Yang’s arms.
Lin Yang placed the cat on the sofa, then carefully set out a small plate with a bit of food he’d packed to treat his feline overlord.
“Have a taste, Fluffy,” Lin Yang said, petting the cat’s face. “Don’t underestimate this small portion, it’s pricey.
“Today, Senior Si asked me to do him a favor—pretend to be his new boyfriend to see if his first love still has feelings for him…”
Pfft. The piece of jerky Wei Xicheng had just picked up fell back onto the plate. What a cliché plotline…
“Eat slower, silly cat.” Lin Yang withdrew his hand from petting the cat and sat on the sofa, continuing, “At first, I agreed. But… after thinking it over, I turned Senior Si down. I feel that this isn’t something I should do. Love should be sincere. If you like someone, you should be able to feel it without needing to test them.”
Wei Xicheng scratched at the sofa cushion. You’re absolutely right, kid.
“Senior Si didn’t get angry, but he did seem a bit disappointed…”
It’s all an act, kid! Don’t fall for it!
“But I can’t break my own principles. Senior Si has helped me before, I’ll repay him little by little in the future.”
Stay away from him!
“In the end, it’ll still be just you and me against the world, Fluffy.” Lin Yang chuckled softly, his tone light and carefree. Yet, this one sentence tugged at Wei Xicheng’s heart.
As if to validate Wei Xicheng’s unease, deep in the dead of night, several large men gathered at Lin Yang’s door. A cold, commanding voice urged, “Hurry up. Stop dawdling.”
Lin Yang’s apartment complex was terribly old, without even basic surveillance cameras. On a night when everyone was fast asleep, if something happened, not even the neighbors would be able to help.
What Wei Xicheng had feared came true. The story’s events had indeed shifted due to his involvement—thankfully, he was there by Lin Yang’s side this time.
Quietly, he jumped down from Lin Yang’s pillow. His small cat body swiftly stretched and morphed into that of a slender young man. He grabbed a couple of garments and walked toward the living room.
“Fluffy, where are you going?”
Wei Xicheng froze, his ears twitching. Behind him, Lin Yang turned over in his sleep, mumbling something before sinking back into unconsciousness. Only then did Wei Xicheng feel at ease, carefully closing the bedroom door.
Standing at the entrance, he peered through the peephole at the group outside. They seemed to be busy fiddling with the lock.
With a soft click, the door was pulled open from the inside. The people outside froze, one of them even turning away quickly to avoid Wei Xicheng seeing his face.
“What do you want?” Wei Xicheng’s voice was icy.
“Lin Yang? Perfect timing. Come with us,” said the man in the lead, dressed in black. Though his face was unremarkable, his muscular frame gave him an intimidating presence. After staking out the place all day, they had confirmed Lin Yang lived alone.
The leader made a slight gesture, and two tall men stepped forward, boxing Wei Xicheng in on either side, ready to retaliate at the slightest move.
“I haven’t offended you,” Wei Xicheng said, fixing his gaze on the man who had turned his back. There seemed to be even more melodramatic parts of the plot that hadn’t been revealed yet.
“Cut the crap. Come quietly with us, or I’l break two of your ribs first, and then we’ll talk.”
The man who had turned away muttered a few words to the person beside him before leaving in a hurry. He never once looked back at Wei Xicheng.
“Fine.” Wei Xicheng nodded and followed the group to their car.
The vehicle was an old, dusty white van.
The seats were so filthy their original color was indiscernible. Since Wei Xicheng cooperated, the men didn’t pay him much mind. His slender frame didn’t look like it could put up much of a fight. The employer had said that all they needed to do was ruin this kid’s reputation, and they’d get a hefty payday.
No man would dare admit to such a thing if it happened to him. And this boy, with his submissive demeanor, likely wouldn’t dare make a fuss. Besides, looking at his delicate, soft skin, even if they ended up in jail for a few years, the trade-off would still be worth it.
In the van, a few men ogled Wei Xicheng with lecherous grins, their laughter slimy and repulsive.
Meanwhile, at Yi Chengze’s villa, in an unusual “training room,” a massive python coiled on the padded floor, occupying almost the entire space.
The transparent membrane over its eyes shifted slightly, and the vertical slit of its pupils narrowed as it woke.
The door opened, and Yi Chengze stretched his neck as if sensing that someone had touched his little cat.
Wei Xicheng followed the men into an abandoned warehouse. The location hadn’t changed-it was the same place that, in the original plot, had become the source of Lin Yang’s suffering.
The warehouse was pitch-black, like a massive monster with its jaws open, waiting to swallow everyone who entered.
Wei Xicheng scanned his surroundings.
Perfect-there was only one exit, the main door.
A man with a thin, rat-like face shone a flashlight as he locked the warehouse door behind them and switched on a single dim light. The faint glow was barely enough to see by, but it didn’t hinder Wei Xicheng in the slightest.
“You’re Lin Yang, right? Don’t blame us, we’re just following orders. Behave yourself, and we won’t make things too hard for you.”
Wei Xicheng looked at the speaker, a faint smile curling his lips. His usually harmless and gentle face now carried a hint of malice, giving off an eerie vibe.
“I’m not Lin Yang.”
“Then who are you?” The leader spat out the cigarette in his mouth. “I don’t care who you are. I was paid to bring someone here. Even it you’re not him, tonight, you’ll become Lin Yang for me.”
“Remember this-I’m Wei Xicheng.”
As Wei Xicheng narrowed his eyes, ready to make his move, the warehouse door suddenly crashed down with a deafening clang.
Dust filled the air, making it hard to see clearly in the dark. Through the dim light, they could just make out the figure of a man standing in the doorway.
“Who’s there?!”
