Chapter 144: Half-Human Body

Ye Xi'an stared dazedly at her surroundings; judging by the plant life, she should still be on Zhimeng Xing, yet Ji Jiangci and Bao Jing were nowhere to be seen.

Something's off; even if they went out busy, they'd definitely leave someone behind to protect her, not leave her all alone here. And why did she suddenly turn into a beast?

She tried, but she could never shift from her ragdoll cat form back to human.

Her fluffy cat head hung low, even the whiskers at the corners of her mouth drooped—what the heck, what is going on?

At that moment, a sharp, piercing scream came from afar—not a human voice, but that of some creature.

Ye Xi'an cautiously approached, wanting to see what was happening; she was tiny then, easy to hide.

She slipped into the thicket and, from the dense foliage, saw the creature emitting the scream.

It was a strange-looking creature, four meters tall, resembling a dog bear, its whole body covered in short, stiff white fur; judging by its mighty appearance, it was surely a beast that could swat her into meat paste with one slap.

But right now, it was being bitten hard in the throat by a man only half its height standing before it, blood spurting out; if Ye Xi'an hadn't known this wasn't a movie set, she'd have thought the blood vessels were installed props.

That man, strictly speaking, shouldn't even be considered human, for his upper body was a normal human torso, but from the waist down he resembled vine roots, a head of cold brown hair dragging on the ground and tangled with his root system.

The man thrust his hands violently into the monster's chest; the sudden motion made Ye Xi'an flinch, as if those hands were plunging into her own body.

The next second, he pulled his hands apart inside the monster, effortlessly splitting its four-meter body in half; blood, flesh, and organs flew everywhere, and a round, bloody heart went flying straight into Ye Xi'an's face.

The gruesome sight made Ye Xi'an recoil; she couldn't help letting out a sharp meow, then quickly stifled it, covering her pink, smiling mouth with her terrified white cat paws.

But it was too late; the half‑human man was just about to enjoy his dinner when he suddenly heard a strange noise from the bushes behind him, so he flung aside his prey and, on guard, turned his head, stepping slowly toward the bushes with his two thick roots.

Ye Xi'an's round cat eyes widened; she curled her paws over her head and lay trembling on the ground, and through the gaps she saw the man's waist and abdomen entwined with vines, his flat mermaid‑like muscles glowing with a lustrous white sheen.

His chest was very white, white with no blood at all; even the two points in front were exceptionally pale, almost blending with the surrounding skin.

As the man drew nearer, Ye Xi'an's gaze gradually moved from his chest to his chin, then to his mouth, nose, and eyes.

When she finally saw the man's full appearance, Ye Xi'an froze—who else could this be but Ji Jiangci?

This Ji Jiangci's face was still as handsome as before, but his expression had lost its former gentleness, replaced by an icy visage showing no emotion at all—not the aloof cold of arrogance, but the kind of cold that an animal has, unaware of how to make expressions.

On his left cheek, several thin vines spread like a delicately designed green mask, making his appearance ever more eerily cold and beautiful.

Seeing that it was Ji Jiangci, Ye Xi'an's fear eased by half, but she still didn't dare come out; at this point he looked off—maybe he'd lost his memory, or was under mental control.

She'd read many novels, knew all the tropes, and would definitely not rush to her death.

But even if she didn't rush to her death, Ji Jiangci still had no intention of letting her go; a vine as thick as a whip suddenly lashed out, its force cutting the bushes where she hid in half, the cut surface smooth as if sawn.

Just a few millimeters more and the vine would have sliced her head; Ye Xi'an felt a chill on her crown, her palm‑sized cat head stupidly lifting up, locking eyes with Ji Jiangci.

Both were stunned—Ye Xi'an hadn't expected Ji Jiangci to be so ruthless, while Ji Jiangci stared at the fluffy creature only the size of his two palms, looking bewildered.

Good... so cute, I want to touch it.

He thought that, and then he did it with his hands.

Two vines slipped under Ye Xi'an's armpits, gently lifting her and placing her in his arms.

His eyes full of pity, he stroked Ye Xi'an's head and body; each stroke brought him a sense of satisfaction.

Ye Xi'an, held in Ji Jiangci's arms, dared not move, fearing he might suddenly unleash his beastly nature and bite off her neck, tearing her in half.

Ji Jiangci, satisfied with his petting, used a vine to snatch a piece of meat and float it to Ye Xi'an's mouth.

Smelling the bloody, foul odor of the meat chunk, Ye Xi'an nearly gagged.

She shook her head to show her aversion to raw meat.

Ji Jiangci tilted his head in puzzlement, then offered the meat again—so close it touched her lips, and her snowy fur instantly turned red with blood.

"Ugh—" Ye Xi'an turned her head away, truly disgusted by the meat, which was bloody and stinking; she seemed to see writhing parasites in it!

Ji Jiangci frowned in disapproval, like a parent watching a child who won't eat properly, determined to force the meat into Ye Xi'an's mouth.

Ye Xi'an dodged left and right, but couldn't escape; in frustration she lashed out with her claws, swatting the meat away—and her sharp claws also left a bloody scratch on Ji Jiangci's hand.

Mm, that's it.

The ragdoll cat felt she was done for, terrified, she shoved both paws into her mouth and nibbled pathetically, feeling her days were numbered.

Ji Jiangci sighed, somewhat inexperienced, saying: "Not eating? Why?"

Huh? Ye Xi'an looked up at him—he could actually speak?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say she'd eat cooked meat, but all that came out was a "meow".

Ye Xi'an:???? Turns out she can't speak.

"Why..... aren't you speaking?"

"...... meow....."

After a while of failed communication, Ji Jiangci concluded that this little thing could only say "meow".

"Then I'll call you.... Miaomiao."

Ye Xi'an was already weary; let him call her whatever he likes, anyway even if she objected he wouldn't understand.

"Really not eating?" Ji Jiangci tried asking one last time.

The ragdoll cat flicked her head; even half‑starved, she wouldn't eat this raw meat crawling with parasites.

"Fine, Miaomiao really isn't obedient."

Ye Xi'an:......

Seeing Miaomiao's firm attitude, Ji Jiangci assumed she just wasn't hungry yet, and carried her back to his nest.

Ji Jiangci's nest was built on the mountainside, inaccessible to ordinary people; one could only reach it by climbing the vines or by flying.