Part 2
The adjutant complied repeatedly, carrying the food box and retreating cautiously. Only after he left the hall did he realize he was drenched in a cold sweat. His life… was saved. It was terrifying. He had truly feared the Prince would launch a mental attack and end him right then.
When the adjutant delivered the food box to Zong Ling’s current residence, Ning Yunyi received the news from Ichi immediately.
Ichi was reporting to Marshal Zong, who was currently lying nearby with a bracelet on his paw. He was using two paws to hold a string open for Ning Xiaomiao, playing a game of cat’s cradle.
Ichi couldn’t see this, but he dutifully used a voice message to report every movement of the Crown Prince’s surveillance. “The Prince got a food box from one of the fans, but they couldn’t trace the source. He’s already sent the box to the villa where Zong Ling is staying. I think the Prince is up to no good. Do you think he’s planning to use Zong Ling’s current reputation to intentionally say Mr. Zong’s food is bad? To claim it’s fake Ancient Blue Star food?”
After speaking, Ichi waited for the Marshal’s reply, but there was no sound for a long time. “Marshal? Did you hear me?”
Ning Yunyi shared a complex look with Zong Hao, whose paws were stretched wide with the string. He had no choice but to speak up. “He heard you.”
Ichi recognized Mr. Bai’s voice. Holy crap. He knew the Marshal was lying to him—they had made up again? Were they playing some kind of “little game” that the Marshal couldn’t even spare a moment to reply? He even had Mr. Bai do it for him?
Ichi asked tentatively, “Then, Mr. Bai, do you think we should stop this?”
Ning Yunyi: “No need. The Prince likely isn’t having Zong Ling cause destruction; he wants to whitewash Zong Ling right now and make his reputation soar. Sending the food box to him is likely a plan: if the food is fake, he’ll do a live debunking. If it’s real, he’ll use the praise to ride the coattails of ‘Sect’s First Blade’s’ fans. After all, he has that ‘devoted lover’ persona, and if he’s ‘lucky’ enough to be gifted a portion and then praises it, he’ll definitely go viral. By then, no one will remember the mess Mu Jiayi made.”
Ichi was angry enough to laugh. “They really have the nerve.”
One moment they were trying to corner him, and the next they were poaching his hype. They truly were shameless to the extreme, stopping at nothing.
Ning Yunyi gave a thin smile. He wasn’t that generous. He wasn’t about to let Zong Ling and Mu Jiayi ride his hype for free. Since they wanted to use this food review to gain popularity, he would make sure they went “viral” in a way they’d never forget.
They wanted fame? Going viral was nothing. Wouldn’t it be better to send them straight to the “most wanted” list?
After Ichi hung up, Zong Hao’s paws had been stretched for too long. He couldn’t help but want to pull them back; they felt numb. But when he looked up and saw the little guy thinking intensely about the next move, he dutifully continued to serve as a feline cat’s cradle frame.
At some point, Ning Yunyi sat down beside them. He reached out and hooked the next move, taking the string from the Big Cat’s paws and rescuing the cat from the brink of a cramp.
Xiaomiao’s eyes lit up. His father’s move had given him a hint, and he instantly knew how to flip the next part. He happily reached out his small hands to continue.
Although Zong Hao’s paws were freed, when Ning Yunyi had taken the string, his fingertips had brushed right against Zong Hao’s paws to hook the thread.
He didn’t know if Ning Yunyi’s hands were carrying an electric charge, but in that instant, he felt like the fur on his paws was going to stand on end. It was a tingling, numbing sensation—it must have been static electricity from the dry weather. He couldn’t help but secretly flex his paws. Suddenly, he heard Ning Yunyi speak. He looked up. “Meow?” W-what?
Ning Yunyi looked at him strangely. “What are you dazing off for? Did you not hear what I asked?”
Zong Hao played dumb. “Meow.” Ugh.
Fortunately, he was a cat right now; he only needed to reply like this.
As expected, Ning Yunyi didn’t suspect anything. “I’m going out for a bit. You stay here with the cub. It shouldn’t take long—I’ll be back in about two hours. Once I’m back, you should head out. I won’t be keeping you for the night.”
He had originally intended to gradually lessen the bond between the Big Cat and the little guy, but somehow, it was working in reverse. Why did it seem like they’d gotten even closer over the last two days?
Zong Hao wanted to ask what Ning Yunyi was going to do, but remembering he was currently a cat and that Ning Yunyi said it would only be two hours, he figured it wasn’t anything too troublesome. He didn’t ask further.
He could only watch as Ning Yunyi left the small building. He took over the position again, continuing to act as the string frame, occasionally reminding Xiaomiao of the next move.
However, thinking of the “shock” Ning Yunyi had given him earlier, he couldn’t help but use his paw to touch the back of the cub’s hand when it was his turn to flip. The cub gave him a confused look. “Mao-Mao?”
Zong Hao touched him again under the guise of brushing away cat hair, then shook his head. The man and cat continued their game.
He was thoroughly confused. He had clearly felt a shock when Ning Yunyi touched his paws, so why was the cub not “electric”? Were adults and children different in that regard?
Ning Yunyi, unaware of Zong Hao’s inner turmoil, applied an Invisibility Talisman and bypassed the guards outside the Ning house. He headed toward the place where Zong Ling, Mu Jiayi, and little Lyman were currently staying.
It wasn’t far from the Ning house—only two streets away.
When Ning Yunyi reached Zong Ling’s home, he easily vaulted over the wall as if entering an uninhabited place. He soon located Zong Ling. As he expected, Zong Ling was staring at the food box with a sour expression, clearly unhappy.
The adjutant looked down at him arrogantly. “Zong Ling, don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is a mission you must complete. It’s not for you to choose. His Highness said that if you can’t properly utilize the hype of reviewing ‘Sect’s First Blade’s’ Ancient Blue Star food, then your usefulness is at its end. When that time comes, little Lyman might just need a new adoptive father.”
Zong Ling slowly looked up, his face devoid of expression. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. Tell His Highness that I won’t disappoint him.”
The adjutant stood up with a smile, looking at him with pity. “Glad you know your place. Prepare yourself and start the livestream shortly. Oh, and remember to bring your dear fiancé along. After all… you still need to play your ‘devoted lover’ role well.”
Zong Ling’s face twitched. He could hear the mockery but forced himself to endure it. “…Yes.”
Once the adjutant was gone, he suddenly smashed an object nearby. After venting his anger, he stood before the food box, panting heavily. He wiped his face hard and went upstairs to wash up and change for the livestream.
Ning Yunyi took in the scene with a cold, mocking gaze, then went to find his actual target.
He soon found Mu Jiayi in a room at the end of the first-floor hallway. The man was lying there, half-dead. In such a short time, Mu Jiayi looked as though his vitality had been drained. His face was full of deep resentment; even in sleep, his teeth were gritted, but he was powerless.
When Ning Yunyi first saw the two on a livestream, he thought Zong Ling was just acting. He hadn’t expected the man to actually be that ruthless. To make it convincing, Mu Jiayi’s mental power had truly been dropped to C-level, his mental sea partially destroyed, and his legs were genuinely paralyzed.
Was this to keep him prisoner here, or was it to ensure that the “act” wouldn’t be discovered later by making the fake reality true?
Ning Yunyi closed the guest room door. The clatter caused the drowsy Mu Jiayi to snap his eyes open. “Who is it?” Once his consciousness cleared a bit and he saw he was alone in the room, he was confused. Did I just hear the sound of a door opening and closing?
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out in the room. “It’s me.”
The strange yet hauntingly familiar voice made the hair on Mu Jiayi’s body stand on end. “Who is it? Who’s there playing ghost?”
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