When the Tsundere Rival Turns Into a Cat - Chapter 29

Given that Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue would be staying here for the next two days, Xuanyu shared some basic knowledge about the demon race with them. After gaining sentience, demons share certain similarities with humans, but most traits remain distinct—for instance, they retain the primal territorial instincts of animals, so one shouldn’t casually intrude near another’s dwelling.

With that covered, it was time to arrange their accommodations. Xuanyu’s plush house, judging by its material, was never meant to be spacious. While it had been more than enough for Xuanyu alone, adding two more people made it feel cramped.

“You two will stay here and look after each other. For the next couple of days, I’ll be working with the other elders to finalize the barrier that will completely separate the demon realm from the human world, so I’ll be staying there. I’ll come fetch you when it’s time to leave. White Crane will deliver your meals—let him know if you need anything.”

They were no longer children, and Xuanyu trusted they could take care of themselves—as long as they didn’t wander off recklessly.

Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. These were extraordinary circumstances, and they could make do.

Once everything was settled, Xuanyu departed again, leaving the two alone in silence. Jiang Qingyue was the first to break it, picking up the medicine bottle. “Should I change your dressing first?”

Li Xingcan nodded and sat on a chair, pulling aside her collar. The once-gruesome wound had already scabbed over, proof of the demon race’s effective medicine. All that remained was to wait for it to heal.

“Take the oral medicine first,” Jiang Qingyue said, pouring a cup of water and placing the pill in Li Xingcan’s hand.

“Oh? So attentive?” Li Xingcan tossed the pill into her mouth and washed it down with water.

“This is my home, after all. Consider it my duty as host.” Jiang Qingyue shot a glare at Li Xingcan’s teasing grin. This woman really had a knack for switching between reliability and sheer infuriatingness.

The two days passed quickly. Out of consideration for Li Xingcan’s injury and their unfamiliarity with the surroundings, they stayed indoors without venturing out. During the day, Jiang Qingyue pored over Xuanyu’s demonic texts while Li Xingcan leaned by the window, watching the bizarre array of demons outside. At night, Li Xingcan took the bed, and Jiang Qingyue transformed into a cat to sleep on the sofa.

Occasionally, they exchanged a few words, but neither brought up the topic of what would happen after they left.

When Xuanyu returned, Jiang Qingyue closed her book, and Li Xingcan’s expression grew solemn. They knew it was time to depart.

Silently, they gathered their meager belongings. This time, Li Xingcan took a different shrinking pill with a shorter duration before joining Jiang Qingyue in the basket. White Crane, now in his true form, lifted the basket while Xuanyu transformed into a black cat and leaped onto his back. The group set off.

The descent from the mountain peak was far more thrilling than the ascent.

Li Xingcan gripped the basket tightly, and Jiang Qingyue dug her claws deep into the woven base, crouching as low as possible. At such speed, the journey from the thousand-meter-high summit to the forested plains took barely over ten minutes.

Once they steadied, the two sat in the basket, feeling the gentle breeze, each wanting to say something but falling silent at the thought of their impending separation.

Li Xingcan was the first to reach out, embracing the cat taller than herself. “Take care of yourself from now on, you heartless little cat. Remember to miss me.”

When Jiang Qingyue was in human form, Li Xingcan had felt somewhat awkward, but saying these words to a cat was much easier.

In Li Xingcan’s eyes, she was simply holding a cat. But to Jiang Qingyue, it was undeniably Li Xingcan embracing her. Beneath the long fur, her face flushed crimson. Yet, knowing they were about to part, she resisted the urge to push Li Xingcan away.

She thought it would just be a brief hug, but Li Xingcan clung tightly, even nuzzling her face into the fur at Jiang Qingyue’s neck. Raising a paw, Jiang Qingyue patted Li Xingcan’s back before gently pushing her away by the shoulders, meeting her upward gaze. “I think that’s enough.”

Jiang Qingyue suddenly speaking human language startled Li Xingcan. “When did you learn to talk?”

“Just picked it up these past few days, still keeping it simple,” Jiang Qingyue replied, eyeing Li Xingcan’s shocked expression with exasperation.

Li Xingcan nodded absently. Oh no, this was getting weirder by the second. The cat’s face began merging with Jiang Qingyue’s human features in her mind. Her hands grew awkward, unsure where to place them, and she stiffly released her hold, shuffling backward clumsily before hugging her knees and staring at the cat.

“Ahem, this feels a bit strange.”

Understanding Li Xingcan’s embarrassment, Jiang Qingyue comforted her, “Don’t worry. Once we reach our destination, your memories will be erased. You won’t remember any of this.”

Li Xingcan: “…That’s not comforting at all.”

Her mood dampened as she leaned against the basket, gazing at the distant blue sky. “If I made a run for it the moment we reach the human world, do you think I could outrun Aunt Xuan and the white crane?”

“…Stop deluding yourself. There’s no escaping.”

Crushing Li Xingcan’s wishful thinking, Jiang Qingyue used her paw to slide a small bundle toward her. “Take this. It has your medicine—both topical and oral. Once you finish them, you’ll be mostly healed, except…” Carefully tapping Li Xingcan’s shoulder with her paw, she added, “This might leave a scar.”

“A scar’s fine. Even if I forget you, at least it’ll remember.”

Li Xingcan glanced sideways at her shoulder, speaking nonchalantly.

After a brief silence, Jiang Qingyue said, “When you see this scar after losing your memories, your first reaction will probably be to curse loudly, won’t it?”

“You know me well.”

Li Xingcan laughed, and a hint of amusement flickered in Jiang Qingyue’s eyes, lightening the mood.

Soon, they landed at the forest’s edge—the very place where their journey began. The other three reverted to human form, while Li Xingcan remained unchanged as the medicine’s effects hadn’t worn off yet.

Xuan Yu took out the iron token, channeling spiritual energy into it. A door slowly materialized and opened, revealing the other side—the former Demon Race Human World Management Office. As they stepped through, the door vanished behind them.

On the other side, a temporarily assigned demon awaited to receive them. Xuan Yu addressed him, “Any updates on the investigation into Ding Pei and Zheng Wenbai?”

“They’re in a bit of trouble right now. The youngest daughter of the Li family in Jiangcheng has gone missing—reportedly kidnapped—with eyewitnesses coming forward. They’ve been detained by the police for questioning, making it impossible to approach them,” the liaison responded.

The group’s gaze turned to Li Xingcan, who knew this must be Li Zhixing’s doing. “So now I need to help you get them out of the police station?”

“Just getting them temporarily released is enough. Then we can find an opportunity to resolve this matter,” Xuanyu explained to Li Xingcan.

Li Xingcan’s eyes sparkled with an idea. “Does that mean Aunt Xuanyu can’t erase my memories for now?”

“Of course not,” Xuanyu nodded.

“Then this is easy. Let’s go to my place first.” Li Xingcan clapped her hands and was promptly picked up by Jiang Qingyue as the group set off.

Upon arriving at Li Xingcan’s home, they faced a minor hiccup—Li Xingcan was too small to use the fingerprint lock. Fortunately, Jiang Qingyue could operate it, allowing them to enter smoothly.

Li Xingcan then called Li Zhixing, asking him to come over. After hanging up, she turned to Xuanyu. “Aunt Xuanyu, how long until I change back?”

“It should be soon. The potion only lasts three or four hours.”

“That’s a relief,” Li Xingcan sighed. “If Li Zhixing saw me like this, he’d never let me live it down.”

“But you’re adorable,” Jiang Qingyue couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shut up,” Li Xingcan huffed, turning away, though her ears turned red unnoticed.

Luckily, Li Xingcan returned to normal before Li Zhixing arrived. When he entered, he was greeted by a room full of unfamiliar faces—aside from Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue.

“Let me introduce everyone. This is Aunt Xuanyu, Jiang Qingyue’s mother, and the others are her friends,” Li Xingcan quickly explained before getting to the point. “No time for small talk. I need you to go to the police station and arrange for Ding Pei and Zheng Wenbai to be sent home. Aunt Xuanyu and her group need to handle some matters involving them and the demon realm.”

“No problem,” Li Zhixing agreed readily. He’d already guessed that everyone present, except Li Xingcan, were likely demons but chose not to pry.

The matter was swiftly settled—Ding Pei and Zheng Wenbai would be released the next day. Li Xingcan and the others now had to prepare quickly. Xuanyu and Bai He would infiltrate Ding Pei’s home in advance to lie in wait, while Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue…

“We don’t want to go to school! Aunt Xuanyu, can’t we come along?” Li Xingcan felt she and Jiang Qingyue should be present for such a critical moment. School could wait.

“This isn’t a game—it’s dangerous. If you’re discovered, it could ruin the entire operation, wasting a precious opportunity, and you could get hurt…” Xuanyu tried to refuse but eventually relented under Li Xingcan’s persistent pleading, giving her another shrinking pill. She agreed partly because she wanted Li Xingcan to see for herself that forgetting might be the best choice when faced with an untouchable world beyond her own.

Once everything was prepared, they set out under the cover of night.