Chapter 127 – Violent Useless vs. Delicate Cat (07)
Lost in thought, Yan Yang instinctively swatted at the basketball as it came his way. The ball bounced off and hit Qi Xi’s face, causing him to stagger back and fall to the ground. He was furious, especially as he heard the laughter of the surrounding students, thinking it was all Yan Yang’s doing.
The teacher had left briefly to fetch some teaching materials, so Qi Xi quickly stood up and rushed toward Yan Yang, determined to give him a beating.
The Qi family was one of the most powerful on the continent, so those who usually sucked up to Qi Xi instantly surrounded Yan Yang. These were mostly children from noble families, with soul power common among them, while ordinary students were in the minority.
Surrounded like this, Yan Yang found himself at a disadvantage. Although he was skilled in fighting, it was hard to fend off so many people at once, and soon he was covered in bruises. The group deliberately avoided hitting his face, aiming for his body instead, so as not to cause too much of a scene.
However, Yan Yang was furious that they were ganging up on him, so he lunged at Qi Xi, pulling his shirt over his head and beating him fiercely. The others were caught off guard, and by the time they reacted, Qi Xi had already taken several punches to the face.
Though Yan Yang was eventually pulled away and reprimanded, Qi Xi ended up with a swollen face, looking like a pig.
When the teacher returned and saw the chaos, he had to go through the motions of scolding everyone involved, though he knew it would be settled privately between the families. A few warning words, and then the class resumed.
When Yan Yang returned to the classroom and opened his backpack, Mu Jin woke up and saw his lover limping and covered in bruises. This shocked Mu Jin, instantly waking him up from his slumber. He wondered who dared to harm his partner.
He got his answer soon enough when, upon returning home, Qi Xi and his family had already arrived, with Qi Xi’s swollen face in tow. Yan Zhengqing would never take Yan Yang’s side, and Yan Yang knew things were going to get ugly as soon as he saw them.
Yan Zhengqing didn’t hesitate to slap Yan Yang, criticizing him harshly in front of the Qi family. Yan Yang clenched his fists, glaring at his father, feeling his heart grow cold.
Yan Zhengqing continued to scold him, oblivious to Yan Yang’s frustration. Qi Xi, despite his bruised face, wore a smug look, fueling Yan Yang’s resentment.
Seeing his father always siding with others, never asking for his side of the story, Yan Yang felt utterly disheartened. In his father’s eyes, he was nothing but a failure, a waste, not even worth considering.
So when Yan Zhengqing raised his hand for another slap, Yan Yang decided he wasn’t going to take it anymore. He dodged the blow and left, not caring about his father’s angry shouts. The young man stormed back to his room.
Once inside, Yan Yang leaned against the door, slowly sliding to the floor. He hugged his knees, burying his face. He knew this would happen, but it still hurt.
Mu Jin, hearing the scolding and understanding the context, grew furious. It wasn’t just Qi Xi’s bullying—it was Yan Zhengqing’s unfair treatment of his own son that angered him.
Realizing his lover was feeling down, Mu Jin tried to wiggle out of the backpack. Yan Yang, noticing the movement, remembered the kitten and quickly let him out. He saw the kitten climbing up to him with concern, so he gently held Mu Jin in his arms, his tone laced with sadness. “Xiao Jin, am I really that useless?”
Upon hearing Yan Yang’s self-deprecating words, Mu Jin shook his head vigorously, not caring if it revealed something unusual about him. Even if it did, Mu Jin didn’t mind. He reached out with his paw, trying to touch Yan Yang’s cheek.
The soft paw pad pressed against Yan Yang’s face as the little kitten rubbed his head back and forth against his neck, a gesture so comforting that it warmed Yan Yang’s cold heart.
He held the kitten in his arms, leveling their gaze, then kissed Mu Jin’s tiny nose and gently said, “Thank goodness I have you. Xiao Jin, you won’t leave me, right? You’ll always be by my side, won’t you?”
Mu Jin meowed to affirm his loyalty, blinking his eyes cutely to emphasize his devotion. In his heart, he was thinking, “Yes, of course! I will always be by your side, never leaving you.“
No matter which world, the next world, or the one after that, no matter how the winds of fate blow, no matter how many times we are reborn, I will find you and spend each life with you. As long as you are the one, I will always follow your footsteps.
Over the past few days, Yan Yang had been reading up on cat care, hoping to properly take care of Xiao Jin. Though he hadn’t read much, he remembered an article that said if a cat blinked at you, it meant ‘I love you.‘
Seeing the kitten blinking at him, Yan Yang felt a surge of warmth. It was great knowing that Xiao Jin was showing affection, and he couldn’t deny that he felt the same way. This small creature was the only source of warmth in his life since his mother passed away. He barely remembered her, only that she was gentle.
He often wondered how different life would have been if his mother had been there to love him. But after her passing, no one was ever that gentle with him again.
Fortunately, he had Xiao Jin now, and he wasn’t alone anymore. Moved by the kitten’s gestures, Yan Yang pressed his face into the kitten’s fur, taking deep breaths as if to recharge his energy.
After a while, as his mood improved, Yan Yang knew he had to make a commitment to properly care for the kitten.
With this in mind, he carefully placed Mu Jin on the bed and went to his desk, pulling out a small piece of wood and a knife to carve something.
It took some time, but when he finished, he blew off the wood shavings, smiling in satisfaction, and then threaded a black leather cord through the wooden tag.
He walked back to Mu Jin and softly said, “Xiao Jin, I made this for you. Do you like it? Now, when anyone sees it, they’ll know you’re mine.”
Mu Jin saw the square wooden tag with the word “Jin” carved on the front, and on the back was the word “Yang.” Even though he knew it was a tag for a cat, he couldn’t help but feel happy, seeing it as the first gift from his lover in this world.
Feeling overjoyed, he moved closer, letting Yan Yang put the tag on him.
Yan Yang was delighted to see the kitten cooperating so willingly. He gently put the tag on Mu Jin and kissed him on the ear, then held him tightly, taking a few deep breaths, feeling his tension dissipate.
That night, Yan Yang stayed in his room, with Yan Zhengqing not even acknowledging him or having the kitchen prepare dinner, telling him to reflect on his actions. Luckily, Yan Yang had experienced this before and had secretly stored some food in his room.
It was just bread and cookies, but it was enough to stave off hunger. He softened some cookies with juice and fed them to the kitten, feeling a bit guilty that this was all he could offer today.
It seemed he should stock some milk, as dairy might be better for the kitten. He remembered reading that goat’s milk was easier for cats to digest, but it wasn’t readily available in the market, leaving him wondering where to find it.
While his mind wandered, Yan Yang continued feeding Mu Jin. Looking down, he noticed that the kitten had already eaten all the cookies, leaving him both amused and exasperated. It seemed his little kitten really was a bit of a foodie.
He quickly got a few more cookies for Mu Jin and watched as the kitten happily dug into them, his face buried in the food. Yan Yang couldn’t help but feel playful, so he gently tugged on Mu Jin’s tail.
Who would have thought that just a slight tug would cause the kitten to yowl, fur bristling as he jumped far away, glaring at him with a look of caution?