The Pendant and the Cat’s Claw

“Achoo!

Achoo—”

Before she could speak, Yan Yi sneezed several times straight at Wen Xiaoran.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She felt both terrified and guilty as she looked at him.

Was she allergic to the great villain?

Wen Xiaoran’s brows drew tightly together.

He found it utterly baffling.

“Your—Your Excellency,” Yan Yi stammered, her voice trembling, “please forgive me.

I—I must have caught a chill.”

Wen Xiaoran did not respond.

Expressionless, he extended a hand toward her lips.

Yan Yi instinctively tilted her head away.

She thought he was about to slap her.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

Instead, he merely curled his thumb and forefinger and gently brushed the side of her nose, removing two strands of cat fur lodged in her nostrils.

Unable to hold it in, Yan Yi sneezed several more times.

Seeing the unidentified liquid splattered across the back of his hand, Wen Xiaoran’s frown deepened.

Noticing the disgust in his eyes, Yan Yi quickly stepped aside and ushered him into the room.

“Your Excellency, please wait a moment.

I will fetch hot water to clean it.”

She paused briefly.

Seeing that he did not refuse, she hurried off to fetch water.

Inwardly, she grumbled that he clearly knew cleansing spells, yet preferred to watch her bustle about without a shred of sympathy.

After bringing the hot water, she called softly, “Your Excellency, the water is ready.”

Wen Xiaoran remained where he stood.

His gaze signaled for her to approach.

Yan Yi ground her teeth silently.

So he wanted her to wash it for him.

Suppressing her resentment, she glanced at the faint moisture glistening on the back of his hand.

With little backbone, she relented.

After all, it had been her saliva that crossed the line.

To show her apology, she slowly shuffled behind him and pushed him toward the long table.

Rolling up her sleeves, she tested the water temperature before gently taking his hand and lowering it into the basin.

Thinking of how this eight-hundred-year-old great villain was fussing with a mere twenty-year-old mortal like her, she could not help but feel displeased.

Her hands unconsciously scrubbed a little harder.

Suddenly, she felt his fingers move slightly.

The pad of his finger brushed lightly across her palm.

Yan Yi refocused, only to realize she had rubbed the back of his hand red.

She gave an awkward smile.

“Your Excellency, I just wanted to wash it thoroughly.

I used a bit too much force.”

Wen Xiaoran withdrew his hand.

Droplets fell from his fingertips back into the basin, creating gentle ripples.

Yan Yi hurried to grab a cloth to dry him.

But when she turned back, he had already used a spell to evaporate the moisture.

Yan Yi fell silent.

Twisting the cloth tightly in her hands, she resisted the urge to smack it against his face.

He was clearly toying with her.

She should have scrubbed a layer of skin off his hand to vent her anger.

After pouring out the water, she returned to the desk.

Following his line of sight, she noticed an open box of cinnabar on the table.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Last time, he had discovered signs of a talisman being burned and interrogated her thoroughly.

Thinking of this, Yan Yi quickly confessed, “Your Excellency, my cousin wrote to greet me.

I just finished replying.

It was nothing but ordinary pleasantries.

Please see clearly.

We are not plotting anything improper.

It is just—”

Wen Xiaoran finally spoke.

“You and your cousin are very close?”

Yan Yi froze.

Eager to prove her innocence and dispel any suspicion of espionage, she failed to notice the displeasure in his tone.

Following the fabricated backstory she had invented before, she continued babbling nonsense.

“Yes.

We grew up together.

We are especially close.

He is very considerate.

Whenever there is something good to eat or fun to play with, he always thinks of me first.

He would not even indulge himself—”

Before she could finish, Wen Xiaoran tapped the table impatiently.

He pulled the red crystal from his robe and set it down on the desk, abruptly changing the topic.

“What is the origin of this pendant?”

The room fell silent.

Yan Yi swallowed nervously.

Her eyes locked onto the red crystal given to her by the system.

She thought despairingly that the great villain was finally pressing the issue.

She had exhausted her words trying to divert him.

She had thought the matter was nearly forgotten.

Yet with one sentence, he dragged her back to the starting point.

Lowering her head, she forced herself to speak.

“Your Excellency, this crystal pendant is my family heirloom.

It protects peace and safety.”

Wen Xiaoran did not respond.

Instead, he asked calmly, “Do you wish to have it back?”

The question left her bewildered.

Not understanding his intention, she nodded repeatedly.

“Will Your Excellency return it to me?”

He let out a soft chuckle.

He neither agreed nor refused.

He gazed steadily at her and noticed the fine beads of sweat forming on her pale forehead.

His heart stirred.

“Are you afraid of me?”

The thought displeased him.

In the past, it was natural for her to fear him.

After all, he had nearly strangled her to death.

But now, he believed their relationship had changed.

He could clearly feel her care and concern toward him.

She should no longer be afraid.

“No.”

Yan Yi denied it quickly.

From his expression, she sensed danger.

Her intuition told her he was angered.

Hearing her answer, he raised an eyebrow.

“Then why are you sweating so much?”

She subconsciously wiped her forehead.

Her hand came away damp with sweat.

She forced a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

“I—”

Her mind buzzed.

Her blood felt frozen.

She could not speak a single word.

Her back was soaked with cold sweat.

Her gaze fell again on the pendant.

Driven by impulse, she reached for it.

Wen Xiaoran reacted swiftly.

His long, strong hand pressed down on the back of hers, stopping her.

The pendant was tucked back into his robe once more.

“Ow!”

Her finger struck the edge of the table painfully.

She cried out.

Xiao Li darted out from the bedroom.

Seeing the two seemingly grappling, its fur bristled instantly.

It opened its mouth wide and let out a low growl at Wen Xiaoran.

Its back arched.

Its mismatched eyes widened like bronze bells.

It looked as though Wen Xiaoran were some heinous villain.

Unmoved, Wen Xiaoran still held Yan Yi’s hand, blocking her view.

Xiao Li grew more anxious.

With bared teeth, it leapt toward him.

A sharp yowl rang out.

A bloody gash appeared on the back of Wen Xiaoran’s left hand.

He released her at once and glanced at the wound before shifting his gaze to the cat.

For some reason, he found the tabby remarkably similar to its owner.

Equally timid.

Always shrinking back whenever he approached.

Yet when cornered, it would bite.

Yan Yi hurried over and scooped Xiao Li into her arms.

She apologized repeatedly.

“Your Excellency, Xiao Li is usually gentle and obedient.

It only thought you were troubling me, so it attacked.

Please do not blame it.

It is just an ordinary cat and understands nothing.”

An ordinary cat?

Wen Xiaoran did not think so.

His gaze moved between her and the cat.

He found it oddly amusing.

As the saying goes, like master, like pet.

Seeing he did not intend to pursue the matter, Yan Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

She carried Xiao Li back into the bedroom, murmured a few soothing words, then returned.

“Your Excellency, let me clean the wound.”

She took tweezers and gauze soaked in medicine to wipe away the blood.

“Being scratched by a cat may infect a virus.

You need to get—”

She suddenly stopped.

Her eyes met his.

“Need to get what?”

He asked with interest.

She pressed her lips together.

There were no rabies vaccines here.

She had nearly let it slip.

Before she could answer, Wen Xiaoran covered the wound with his palm.

Moments later, when he lifted his hand, the skin was flawless.

Yan Yi stared, slightly open-mouthed.

She glanced at her own swollen finger enviously.

No wonder he was of the demon race.

Mortals did not heal like that.

“Your hand.

Give it to me.”

She froze briefly, then realized what he meant.

At last, he had found some conscience.

Her injured finger was wrapped in his palm.

A cool sensation flowed through it.

The dull pain faded.

She lifted her finger before her eyes, delighted.

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

He did not reply.

His gaze lingered on her slender fingertip.

A sudden impulse rose within him.

He wanted to draw her finger into his mouth and envelop it with his lips and tongue.

An unfamiliar heat stirred in his abdomen.

He quickly looked away, fixing his eyes on the crystal pendant.

The restlessness subsided.

Yet he persisted in returning to the earlier topic.

“You are afraid of me.”

This time, calmer, Yan Yi quickly devised a convincing explanation.

“Your Excellency, I am not afraid of you.

I simply panicked when I could not find my heirloom and broke out in a cold sweat.”

She cautiously studied his expression.

Seeing his features relax, she exhaled in relief.

She had spent the entire night in fright.

Her soul had nearly fled her body.

But before her heart could fully settle, a teleportation talisman appeared out of thin air.

A letter landed on the desk.

Yan Yi assumed it was her cousin’s reply and reached for it eagerly.

Wen Xiaoran caught her by the collar and lifted her aside.

She watched in fury as he opened the letter without asking.

How could he invade her privacy so brazenly.

If he lived in the modern world, she would have broken his hands.

Yet she dared not speak her anger.

She could only glare silently.

Wen Xiaoran skimmed the letter quickly and handed it to her.

Pouting resentfully, she took it.

Her ears immediately burned red.

It was not from her cousin at all.

It was intelligence sent back by the Demon Realm guards she had dispatched.