When the Tsundere Rival Turns Into a Cat - Chapter 24

Jiang Qingyue carried Li Xingcan as she followed Bai He through the doorway, stepping into what felt like an entirely different world.

The night sky was studded with twinkling stars, and the silhouettes of endless mountain ranges stretched beneath the moonlight, faintly revealing a scene as idyllic as a hidden paradise.

Beneath their feet lay soft grass, but Jiang Qingyue saw no buildings in sight. Just as she was about to ask, Bai He pointed toward a towering peak in the distance, barely visible under the night sky. “That’s the Demon Clan’s Judicial Hall. I’ll take Hui there first, then come back for you two tomorrow. For now, let’s find a place for you to rest and tend to her wounds.”

“Bai He, you’re not planning to secretly let her go, are you?” Hui’s sharp gaze fixed on Jiang Qingyue, clearly distrustful.

“It’s already late. One of them is injured, and the other has no spiritual power—do you really think they can make the journey that far?” Bai He glanced at Hui, who remained unmoved. “Fine, then none of us will go tonight. Let’s find a place to treat this human first, and we’ll all go together tomorrow after resting. Does that satisfy you?”

“Fine.” Hui finally nodded in agreement.

The group made their way toward a nearby forest, where occasional animals darted about but none dared approach.

“This is the outskirts of the demon realm, where most of the demon clans who retain their primal animal instincts reside. Try not to startle them.”

Bai He spoke softly to the group, stepping lightly as they walked.

After some time, a massive, cabbage-like structure came into view—easily over ten meters tall—with an ancient tree piercing through its center. The tree’s lush canopy spread over the “cabbage,” making the whole thing resemble a giant cone from afar.

Bai He approached the “cabbage” and knocked. Two large, leaf-like doors rotated open, revealing an entrance wide enough for two people to walk through side by side.

Inside, the space was brightly lit, with countless fireflies drifting like tiny stars. At the center stood the thick trunk of the tree, around which a counter had been built, resembling a hotel’s front desk. Behind it, a wooden spiral staircase wound upward. Scattered throughout the area were a few tables, two rows of feeding troughs, and a large pool. Guests of all kinds moved about—some in human form, others in beast form, and some who had taken human shapes but retained animal features.

Bai He walked up to the front desk and exchanged a few words with a potted nine-tailed fox hanging from a branch. The fox extended one tail, opened a nearby box, and fished out two leaf-shaped keys, handing them to Bai He.

Holding the keys, they ascended the staircase behind the counter. Jiang Qingyue realized this was essentially a hotel.

When they reached two adjacent rooms, Bai He handed one of the leaf keys to Jiang Qingyue. “You and this human will share this room. I’ll have someone bring medicine later—tend to her wounds. If anything happens, knock on the door next to ours. Don’t go out on your own.”

“Understood.”

Jiang Qingyue took the leaf and, mimicking Bai He, pressed it against the door. The leaf immediately fused into the wood, sprouting fresh buds.

Pushing the door open, the interior was entirely furnished with plant-based items at first glance. The glowing lights were actually fluorescent grass, the ceiling was made of sturdy palm leaves, the coat rack was simply a few branches tied together, the table was a hefty tree stump, and the rug was woven from bamboo. The only non-plant items were the mattress and blanket on the bed, crafted from woven wool.

First, Jiang Qingyue placed Li Xingcan in the bathroom. She collected some water under the showerhead—there weren’t even towels here, just some leaves. Her own clothing consisted only of a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and a pair of Li Xingcan’s shoes.

With no other option, Jiang Qingyue could only cup water in her hands and slowly clean Li Xingcan’s wounds.

The cold water flowed over the injuries, tracing winding trails of bl00d. What troubled Jiang Qingyue even more were the faint wisps of black demonic energy rising from the wounds, making her frown deeply.

Now that everything had quieted down, she couldn’t help but reflect on what had just happened. Why had Li Xingcan taken that falling chain for her? Didn’t she realize how reckless that was?

A knock sounded at the door. Jiang Qingyue set down Li Xingcan, whose wounds had been cleaned, and went to answer it.

Outside stood Bai He, holding two leaf-wrapped bundles and a bamboo tube. “This bamboo tube contains spiritual spring water for cleansing wounds. After rinsing away the bl00d, use this to purify the viper’s venom. This bundle has medicine for external and internal use, along with silk cloth for bandaging her wounds. The last bundle has clean clothes for both of you. The conditions here are limited, so please make do for now.”

Jiang Qingyue accepted the items. “Alright, thank you.”

“I know you must have many questions. I can briefly answer a few for you,” Bai He said, glancing at the adjacent room before lowering his voice.

“Is my mother Elder Xuan? Am I an anomaly among the demon race? Did my mother return because she’s in trouble?” Jiang Qingyue asked only what concerned her most.

Bai He pondered for a moment. “First, yes, your mother Xuan Yu is an elder of the Xuan Cat Clan. Second, children born between demons and humans are called anomalies by the conservative faction, though others disagree—it’s still debated. Third, Elder Xuan did return because your existence was discovered, but don’t worry, it’s not too serious. The Elder Council is reconsidering the matter. After all, you’re still a descendant of the demon race, and no outcome would harm a fellow clansman.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Qingyue roughly understood now.

Bai He nodded. “When we head to the demon realm’s center tomorrow, you’ll see Elder Xuan.”

Having said what was necessary, Bai He left for the neighboring room. Jiang Qingyue closed the door and turned around—only to meet a pair of eyes staring straight at her.

Startled, she saw that Li Xingcan had woken up. Jiang Qingyue approached and explained the current situation.

Still weak, Li Xingcan listened while surveying her surroundings. So this was the demon realm?

“Now I need to apply your medicine,” Jiang Qingyue said, retrieving the items from the bundle. “Bear with it if it hurts.”

“Woof…”

Understood.

Li Xingcan averted her gaze. She didn’t want to lie down—despite the pain in her shoulder blades, she forced herself to stand up, making it easier for Jiang Qingyue to treat her.

Lying down, nothing seemed amiss, but upon standing up, it became apparent that Li Xingcan’s fur was soaked on one side from washing the wound earlier, with even part of her face wet. The stark contrast between the damp and still-fluffy fur looked particularly comical.

Jiang Qingyue couldn’t help but laugh. Li Xingcan tilted her head in confusion and let out a soft, “Woof…?”

What’s so funny?

“Nothing.” Jiang Qingyue knew she shouldn’t laugh, but Li Xingcan’s current appearance was just too ridiculous. She forced herself to look away.

“Woof! Woof!”

Have you no shame? I got hurt saving you, and now you’re laughing at me?

Li Xingcan barked indignantly at Jiang Qingyue.

Jiang Qingyue suppressed her smile and lifted the lid of a bamboo tube nearby.

Seeing her turn serious again, Li Xingcan felt she might have overreacted. “Woof… whine…”

Fine, as long as you stop laughing. No need to be so stern.

Jiang Qingyue didn’t respond, simply pouring the spirit spring water over Li Xingcan’s wound.

It didn’t hurt as much as expected—instead, a cool sensation soothed the burning pain. Li Xingcan glanced down and saw the dark energy around the wound dissipating with the water. The injury itself wasn’t as gruesome as she’d thought, just a surface-level tear, far from bone-deep. Animal fur really is much thicker than human skin.

Next came applying the medicine. Jiang Qingyue mixed the medicinal powder with the spirit spring water according to the instructions, preparing an ointment before setting it aside. She then turned back to Li Xingcan.

Most of Li Xingcan’s fur was still wet, especially around the wound, which would make the medicine less effective. Unfortunately, there were no towels here, so Jiang Qingyue had to wipe it dry by hand.

As she dabbed the water off Li Xingcan’s shoulder, she absentmindedly wiped her face as well.

“Why are you touching my face?”

Li Xingcan jerked her head away—and both of them froze at the sound of her voice.

Before Li Xingcan could rejoice over regaining speech, Jiang Qingyue swiftly scooped her up and bundled her into a blanket on the bed.

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

Li Xingcan’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Quiet,” Jiang Qingyue said firmly, tucking the blanket tightly around her. “You’re about to turn back into a human. I don’t want to see you naked.”

Li Xingcan: “…”

Just as Jiang Qingyue predicted, Li Xingcan felt her limbs gradually lengthen. She lifted her uninjured arm—completely human again.

Touching her face, she found only a pair of ears still perched atop her head, though they’d likely vanish soon, just like Jiang Qingyue’s had that time…

Remembering that incident, she glanced at the blanket covering her and belatedly explained, “I didn’t see anything back then either.”

They had been under the covers at the time—all she’d seen was Jiang Qingyue’s face and her cat ears.

Jiang Qingyue, who was rummaging through a bag for clothes, flushed at the remark and tossed a garment at Li Xingcan. “No one asked! Put this on!”

“Okay.”

Li Xingcan watched as Jiang Qingyue turned away, then picked up the simple robe—similar in style to what Jiang Qingyue was wearing.

With only one functional arm, every movement of the other sent sharp pain shooting through her. Gritting her teeth, she struggled into the robe.

Fortunately, the clothing was quite magical—it seemed to adjust in size. It was loose when worn but automatically conformed to the body, fitting snugly and comfortably.

“I’m ready,” Li Xingcan said, sitting up against the headboard as she called out to Jiang Qingyue.

Jiang Qingyue turned around with the prepared ointment in hand, glanced at the clothes Li Xingcan was wearing, and walked over to the bed. “Pull down the collar. I need to apply the medicine.”

“Okay.”

Tugging at the neckline, Li Xingcan frowned as she pulled it down, exposing the injured shoulder.

The wound stretched from the back of her shoulder near the scapula all the way to just below her collarbone. On Li Xingcan’s current body, it looked even more horrifying.

Jiang Qingyue sat at the edge of the bed, her brows tightly furrowed as she stared at the gruesome injury, her heart heavy. “You could barely protect yourself, yet you rushed to shield me? What were you thinking?”

“It’s nothing on me, but if it had landed on such a tiny cat, wouldn’t it have been fatal? That’s my cat. No owner would stand by and watch their pet die. Just apply the medicine already—it doesn’t hurt at all.”

Li Xingcan felt awkward seeing Jiang Qingyue’s expression. She much preferred when the other woman was teasing her. A heartless person suddenly showing concern was somehow unsettling.

Jiang Qingyue pressed her lips together, struggling to hold back before finally speaking. “I’m not your cat, and you’re certainly not my owner.”

“Ah, this heartless attitude feels much more normal,” Li Xingcan said lazily, feeling more at ease.

Jiang Qingyue dabbed the ointment onto Li Xingcan’s wound, nearly giving in to the urge to press down harder out of frustration. But reason prevailed, and she resisted the impulse.

After applying the ointment, Jiang Qingyue picked up a silk bandage and gestured. “You’ll need to take off this sleeve, or I won’t be able to wrap it properly.”

Li Xingcan tugged at the sleeve, wincing in pain as she tried to remove it.

Jiang Qingyue noticed her difficulty and reached out to hold Li Xingcan’s arm, helping her slide the sleeve off. Thankfully, the clothing’s adjustable size made it easier.

With the sleeve removed, Li Xingcan’s short-sleeved top now hung off one shoulder like a strapless dress. Meeting Jiang Qingyue’s gaze, she felt slightly self-conscious. “Still not done?”

“Almost.” Jiang Qingyue averted her eyes, only now realizing how delicate Li Xingcan’s skin was—almost as if it could be bruised with a touch. It was a stark contrast to her brash, unruly personality. Holding her arm, Jiang Qingyue could feel just how soft she was.

Li Xingcan noticed Jiang Qingyue’s lingering gaze but clearly misinterpreted it. Her face flushed slightly as she tugged the fabric higher, suddenly remembering that Jiang Qingyue had feelings for her. Was she now a lamb delivered straight into the tiger’s jaws?

“Don’t move,” Jiang Qingyue said, pulling the fabric back down to make room for the bandage.

“You—!” Li Xingcan’s eyes widened as she stared at Jiang Qingyue, who was boldly manhandling her. Indignation flared, but since she still needed the other woman’s help, she could only turn her head away and endure it—though her face grew increasingly red.

Jiang Qingyue had no idea what was going through Li Xingcan’s mind. She simply found it intriguing to see her so flustered. Was Li Xingcan really this easily embarrassed?