Chapter 36

Ye Qingfeng had only intended to joke around, but after hearing Nico and Anbi’s words, his mood instantly turned sour—even though what they said was true.

Yet their words pierced his heart like blades.

“Is that so...” Ye Qingfeng felt bitter inside but couldn’t explain it; they were right, after all. He forced a smile and pointed down the street. “Anbi’s right—I won’t come along. I’ll just walk around nearby. Have a safe trip...”

Nico: “Huh...”

Anbi: “...”

Ling: “Ye Bao looking sulky is so cute!”

Instantly, every pair of eyes in the vicinity fixed on Ling.

【Ding! Ling’s affection increased by 5%. Current affection: 45%】

“Cough... Aren’t we leaving Qingfeng behind?”

Ling cleared her throat awkwardly and pointed toward Ye Qingfeng’s retreating figure.

“It’s fine... Leave him alone for now. Let him have some space.” Nico turned her gaze away from Ye Qingfeng. “We’ve located the safe. How’s the task I assigned you?”

At this moment, Ye Qingfeng stopped on an unfamiliar street.

Spotting a soda can at his feet, he kicked it with all his strength, fueled by anger.

What does Nico mean?! Pfft... That hole’s too dangerous—I’m not going!

Even if she gets into trouble in the hole, I won’t save her!

Ye Qingfeng kicked the can ahead of him, his eyes clouded with confusion as he stared at the utterly alien surroundings.

And Anbi! I’ve gone out of my way to cook for her every time—and yet she says such cruel things...

Even if it’s true, it still feels awful!

He kicked the can again, sending it flying; it bounced off a wall and rolled into a nearby alley.

The sharp clatter of the can hitting the ground made his mood worse. He took several deep breaths to calm down, then walked into the alley without thinking.

He immediately spotted the soda can—and beside it, a black cat baring its teeth at it.

The cat cautiously approached the can, raised its right paw, and tapped it repeatedly, startling it.

Ye Qingfeng quickly forgot the can, his full attention fixed on the black cat.

It reminded him of the last cat he’d encountered—also black, which he’d failed to catch, only to accidentally enter the hole.

The thought stirred in him an unshakable urge to catch this cat. While its focus remained on the can, Ye Qingfeng tiptoed slowly toward it.

As he drew closer, his shadow blocked the alley’s entrance and dimmed the light.

The cat instantly reacted, snapping its head up. The moment it saw Ye Qingfeng, it spun and bolted deeper into the alley without hesitation.

Ye Qingfeng gave no pause—he chased after it without hesitation.

Cat and man sprinted swiftly through the labyrinthine alleys.

“Sssss... Miao—!”

Soon, the cat reached a dead end. Realizing escape was impossible, it whirled around, baring its fangs and growling fiercely at Ye Qingfeng.

“Huh... Even if you’re in a bad mood... what’s the point of picking on a little cat?”

Ye Qingfeng stood with an air of certainty, took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped and sighed.

He spent a long while leaving the alley, found a nearby convenience store, bought some cat food, and returned with the bag.

He quickly spotted the cat beside a trash bin. The moment it saw him, it went on high alert, growling continuously.

Ye Qingfeng took out a can of tuna, opened it, placed it on the ground, and stepped back a few paces.

The cat, about to flee at his retreat, suddenly caught a scent so irresistible it froze. It didn’t rush to eat.

“Uuuu!”

It growled a few more low warnings. He assumed it was still too close, so he stepped back further.

Only then did the cat approach the food—but its body remained tense, ready to flee at any moment.

Delicious! So delicious!

In the cat’s mind, Ye Qingfeng had retreated twice after its growls—clear proof this two-legger feared it. For offering such delicious food, I’ll begrudgingly accept you as my subordinate!

At that moment, Ye Qingfeng remembered he had a much faster method available.

『System: Activate Animal Charm Body!』

【Ding! Activated!】

Instantly, the cat lifted its head, abandoned the tasty food, and slowly walked toward Ye Qingfeng.

What’s going on? Why does this new subordinate smell a hundred times better than the tuna!

Ye Qingfeng smirked as the cat approached. You ignored me before? Now you can’t even reach me!

Each time the cat lunged, he gently pushed it away with his palm. But he wasn’t that boring—he’d pet it a few times after repeating this, then shove it off again.

As Ye Qingfeng squatted on the ground, fully absorbed in playing with the cat, a shadow crept up behind him.

“Miao miao! (How dare you steal my person!) Miao miao! (I’ll bring some minions back to settle this!)”

Ye Qingfeng noticed nothing. But the cat spotted the shadow, weighed its options for a moment, then turned and fled.

“Huh...? Why’d it run?”

Ye Qingfeng stared at the cat’s sudden departure, puzzled. He figured he’d played enough and let it go.

He stood to leave, turned around—and found a face looming before him. Before he could make sense of it, he was tackled.

“Thud!”

Ye Qingfeng fell hard to the ground. As pain flared, his grip loosened—the bag slipped, and cans clattered beside him.

“What are you doing?”

In the dim alley, he couldn’t make out the figure’s face. He struggled violently to push it off—but the person didn’t retreat. Instead, they pressed closer, two soft slimes clinging tightly to his chest. A faint, mysterious fragrance drifted into his nose.

A woman? What does she want?

While Ye Qingfeng was distracted, both wrists were seized and pinned firmly.

He reacted instantly, straining his arms upward. Fortunately, the opponent’s strength was less than his. As they struggled, a warm, soft object brushed across his neck.

In an instant, his entire body went limp. His arms dropped naturally. The figure buried its head against his neck.

Its nose lightly touched his skin, then inhaled sharply—as if unsatisfied—it extended its tongue like a kitten grooming fur, licking repeatedly around his Adam’s apple.

Not only that—two furry things kept brushing against his cheeks, sending a faint, elusive itch through him.

Ye Qingfeng couldn’t withstand this. His blood boiled, his body temperature surged, his limbs turned weak, and a sweet, intoxicating aroma filled the air.