Chapter 70: New Life part 1
Ning Yunyi looked down at the Big Cat, who was curled into a dejected, listless ball. He squatted on one knee and lightly poked the tip of the cat’s ear with his finger.
The nearby fur twitched instinctively, but Zong Hao kept his head buried in his paws, refusing to move.
Ning Yunyi watched him for a long moment, then reached out both hands, grabbed one pointed ear in each, and gave them a vigorous rub.
In an instant, the cat that had been playing dead practically exploded. His fur stood on end, his tail stiffened, and he lunged backward in a blur. Fully alert now, he pressed his back against the railing, frantically pawing at his own ears while staring at Ning Yunyi with disbelief in his dark green beastly eyes.
His gaze seemed to scream an accusation: How could you do that? I was just sulking for a bit, was that really necessary?
Hidden beneath his fur, Zong Hao’s entire face was burning. A whirlwind of emotions swirled in his mind, but strangely, the crushing depression he had felt after hearing the Emperor’s words was gone.
He had always believed his father died of illness shortly after his adoptive sister’s disappearance. He never expected the truth to be so cruel—that his father had sacrificed himself to protect them, to protect Zong Hao and all the younger generation of the Zong family.
And yet, the very people his father had protected spent the years after his death coveting nothing but the estate he left behind.
It wasn’t just his father; his grandfather had left the world the same way…
Ning Yunyi, seeing the Big Cat restored to his lively self, felt his own mood lift. He turned and headed downstairs. “I thought you were going to lie there until the end of time. Since you’re awake, come on. Follow me downstairs and help me out.”
When Ning Yunyi and his elder brother had returned, they were exhausted. Fearing the little guy would be too noisy and disturb their rest, Ning Mother had taken the cub to the front yard. This way, they could play without worry, and she had even taken the Second Prince and the Money Turtle along with them.
Ning Yunyi checked the time as he got up; it was the middle of the night. Based on the little guy’s schedule, he was likely already asleep. Ning Yunyi didn’t want to wake him, but he was hungry. He planned to make something to eat, and since the Big Cat looked so pitiful, he figured he’d… grudgingly make a portion for him too.
Zong Hao, hearing the invitation, followed obediently. He had come prepared this time. Fearing that Ning Yunyi would see his discomfort or pick up on his emotional turmoil if he stayed in human form, he remained as a cat, padding along behind Ning Yunyi with his large tail swaying.
Ning Yunyi was truly famished. For speed and convenience, he prepared a massive bowl of seafood noodles. He also took out two large “Family Buckets” of fried chicken to reheat, followed by a pot of wontons and a serving of spicy crawfish.
To give the Big Cat a sense of participation, Ning Yunyi placed the crawfish on a heat-insulated tray and carefully balanced it on top of the cat’s head. He smiled with a touch of mischief. “This is your midnight snack. If it tips over, you’re going to bed on an empty stomach.”
As Ning Yunyi bustled back and forth with plates and utensils, he nearly doubled over laughing every time he passed the Big Cat. The cat was inching along with agonizing caution, his paws moving in tiny increments. Zong Hao shot him a resentful look but didn’t dare make a sudden move for fear of toppling the tray. It wasn’t until he finally reached the table and carefully lifted the tray off his head with his paws that he let out a long, ragged breath of relief.
A second later, his paws were empty. He looked up to see Ning Yunyi’s teasing gaze. Ning Yunyi stared intently at his head. “Marshal Zong, your ears are flattened.”
Zong Hao immediately reached up to check with his paws, only to find they were perfectly fine. When he looked back, he saw Ning Yunyi quickly dividing the spicy crawfish. Ning Yunyi’s bowl held a mountain of them, while Zong Hao’s held only a small pile.
Zong Hao: “…………”
He stared at the man who had tricked him again with sheer disbelief. Various complex emotions flickered in his beastly eyes, but as a “freeloader,” what could he do? Getting even a single bite was a win.
Ning Yunyi calmly pushed the large bowl over, then slowly took out a portion of cold noodles and tossed them with the crawfish sauce for him. “I’m not treating you poorly, am I?”
Zong Hao sniffed the aroma filling the air and nodded repeatedly. His eyes were glued to the noodles drenched in rich sauce. Beside them sat the steaming, crispy fried chicken—legs, nuggets, and wings—and a bowl of seafood noodles. He forgot everything else and stared intensely at Ning Yunyi.
“Meow?” (Can we eat now?)
Ning Yunyi was momentary dazed by the Big Cat’s voice, which sounded so soft it made his own ears tingle. After a pause, he laughed. “Go ahead and eat. Don’t let the kitty starve. You’re so hungry you’re hitting notes I’ve never heard before.”
The fur on the tips of Zong Hao’s ears practically stood on end. He leaped onto a chair and, without waiting for another word, gripped a fork with his paw and began shoveling noodles into his mouth.
With the first bite, everything else vanished. There was only the food.
Ning Yunyi began to eat as well. His movements were efficient. As the bowl of seafood noodles disappeared, he felt the exhaustion of the past few days fade away. Nothing compared to a good meal. Once his stomach was full, he slowed down his pace.
He peeled crawfish leisurely, dipping the meat into the sauce. He watched as the Big Cat finished everything at lightning speed, leaving only half a bowl of crawfish. Ning Yunyi watched with amusement as the cat struggled with the fork, unable to find a comfortable angle. Zong Hao looked like he wanted to use his paws but hesitated. Finally, he shot a sneak peek at Ning Yunyi, preparing to just dive in with his claws.
Ning Yunyi gave a timely reminder: “If you get sauce on your paws, the smell will linger. When the cub wakes up tomorrow and smells it, he’s going to make a fuss.”
Zong Hao paused, staring at the crawfish in his bowl, torn by a difficult decision. Was he really going to have to let Ning Yunyi put them away? But then they wouldn’t be as good… He looked up to find Ning Yunyi still watching him with that half-smile. He blinked his beastly eyes.
The amusement in Ning Yunyi’s eyes deepened. “Do you want me to peel them for you? You know me—I don’t like losing out. If I peel these for you, what are you going to give me in return?”
Zong Hao rested his paws on the table and nodded expectantly. “Meow?” (What do you want?)
Ning Yunyi acted as though he were thinking deeply before revealing his goal. “How about this: you owe me a favor. In the future, when I bring it up, you have to agree. How does that sound?”
With the Crown Prince imprisoned, Zong Hao would likely return to his post soon. Although Zong Hao didn’t know the truth of the past yet, Ning Yunyi thought of the little kitten and decided to add an extra layer of insurance.
If Zong Hao ever found out the truth and tried to fight him for the cub, Ning Yunyi would have this debt over his head. After eating his food and making a promise, surely the man wouldn’t have the face to snatch the child away?
Zong Hao didn’t hesitate for a second. “Meow.” (Agreed.)
After all, Ning Yunyi had saved his life. A single favor was nothing; he would agree to even the most grueling conditions without a second thought. He never suspected a trap. Even if there were a pit, he felt he would jump into it willingly.
Ning Yunyi picked up the Big Cat’s fork and produced a new one for himself. Holding a fork in each hand, he smiled. “I’m only demonstrating this once, so watch closely.”
Then, right before the cat’s eyes, he pinned a crawfish head with one fork and used the other to strip the shell clean in a single motion. It took less than three seconds.
Zong Hao: “…………”
So he knew how to do it this whole time?
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