Enjoying a cat’s company brings a fleeting joy, but to continuously enjoy a cat’s company brings endless joy.
In Ruan Shu’s eyes, Almer’s half-hearted apology as he pinched her little paws seemed quite insincere.
“Sorry, I don’t know why, but seeing you like this makes me want to give you a good cuddle.”
After all, the soft and squishy look of a cat was simply irresistible. And she also had this faint, warm scent that was strangely alluring.
Ruan Shu lay sprawled on his lap, feeling too listless to move.
She didn’t really mind, though, since she understood where Almer was coming from. If there were an adorable cat in front of her, she’d probably snatch it up for a good cuddle too.
“Are you hungry?”
Ruan Shu pressed her little paw against her belly, feeling soft and limp. She did feel a bit hungry, but how were they supposed to find food out here?
“Wait here.”
Almer patted her head, then got up. “I’ll go hunting.”
Watching him disappear into the rain, Ruan Shu felt a pang of worry. She returned to her human form, her clear blue eyes anxiously watching the rain outside.
Being alone in the wild like this made her a bit scared.
She checked her personal terminal, where she had a few messages from the family butler.
Butler: Where has His Majesty taken you, Miss?
Butler: Will you be coming back for a meal?
She had no idea where she was, but it must be far—Almer had flown with her for over an hour.
After thinking it over, she sent a message back to the butler, telling him not to worry and that she and Almer would eat outside.
While she was replying, she didn’t hear the faint rustling sounds in the rain.
Ruan Shu obediently sat on a rock at the entrance of the cave. Although it was raining, it was summer, so the temperature wasn’t cold.
She was still wearing her earlier T-shirt and shorts, looking as soft and gentle as always, with a beauty so striking it left people in awe.
The scenery around her seemed gray and bleak, while she alone seemed to emit a gentle, warm light, like a pure little angel who had accidentally wandered into this dark world.
Something brushed against her ankle. The cold touch startled her, making her hair stand on end.
She didn’t even dare to look down. Her eyes reddened with fear, and tears welled up, but she sat motionless like a statue, too frightened to move.
Her imagination was getting the better of her, leaving her legs feeling weak.
No, please, no…could it be a snake?
Help! QAQ
Then her ankle was brushed again, and this time, she couldn’t hold back her fear. She jumped up in an instant, transformed back into a cat, her fur standing on end like a puffed-up dandelion. She flailed her little paws, frantically swinging her tiny cat fists.
“Meow! Meow! Meow!”
What is this thing? Get away, get away!
The little claws of the Ragdoll cat came out, paws swiping wildly, and even her meows had a tremble to them.
She managed to steady herself and look over, finally seeing something near where she had been sitting.
A… vine?
Ruan Shu’s eyes widened, her fur still puffed as she sat on the ground, holding her little paws up in the air, looking both curious and fearful. Her fluffy face was filled with both intrigue and fright.
In her star beast form, her instincts were strongly influenced by her cat-like traits, especially curiosity.
So even though she was scared, her little heart was thumping wildly, but she couldn’t help but peek cautiously in that direction.
It seemed that, aside from that strange vine, there was nothing else.
Could it have been the wind blowing the vine to brush against her ankle?
Ruan Shu slowly lowered her raised paws and took light, silent steps toward the back of the rock. Her puffed-up fur gradually flattened as she calmed down.
With wide, round eyes, she peeked out from behind the rock, her fluffy tail swaying as she experimentally nudged a small pebble towards the vine with a paw.
No reaction.
Ruan Shu finally sighed in relief—it must’ve just been the wind.
She started trotting out of the cave, intending to check if Almer had returned.
But before she knew it, she stumbled over something, and her fluffy white form tumbled forward.
Luckily, she didn’t hit the ground, as an unexpected web of vines that had crept into the cave caught her.
Ruan Shu: ∑(°Д°)
She didn’t feel grateful or relieved; instead, her fur puffed up all over again.
Those vines…were alive!
Ruan Shu turned to run, only to bump into something.
With tearful eyes, she looked up and realized she was completely surrounded by the vines.
Ruan Shu whimpered softly, “Whimper… whimper…”
It was too terrifying.
Just as she started to cry, a fierce dragon roar sounded from outside the cave, echoing through the rain.
The vines surrounding Ruan Shu paused, then swiftly retreated from the cave.
In the blink of an eye, they were gone.
The trembling little cat hugged her head, and the next moment, she found herself scooped up into a warm pair of hands.
The familiar scent reached her nose, and she slowly loosened her grip on her head, looking up with teary eyes.
Then, in a flurry of emotions, she launched herself into Almer’s arms, burying her head in his slender neck, letting out soft mewling sounds.
It seemed like both a scared plea for comfort and a mournful complaint.
She had been so terrified, feeling like she’d narrowly escaped death, almost thinking it was the end for her.
Almer’s heart softened at the feeling of something soft and warm clinging to him.
But anger quickly followed. When he left earlier, he had surveyed the area and confirmed that, aside from a mountain bear he’d driven away, there were no other dangerous beasts nearby. There was a mutated plant, but it was a distance away from here.
Mutated plants generally wouldn’t attack unless someone entered their territory, and this area wasn’t part of that plant’s domain. For safety, he’d even left a dragon scale behind as a precaution.
Who would have thought that even without approaching the mutated plant’s territory, it would come to them on its own?
It was highly unusual, and Almer felt a bit frustrated with himself for his oversight.
“Sorry, I didn’t consider everything thoroughly,” he admitted, taking responsibility without trying to excuse himself. After all, he had brought Ruan Shu along, and nearly putting her in danger was indeed his fault.
The little cat drooped her ears pitifully but soon perked up after some comforting.
“Soon, I’ll take you to get some revenge and get rid of that mutated plant,” Almer said, with a hint of menace in his tone, though he hid it well enough that Ruan Shu didn’t notice.
But she did catch the phrase “mutated plant.”
Her ears twitched as she shifted from her small, fluffy form into a young human child, still held securely in his arms.
Her fluffy ears on top of her head twitched, and she sniffled softly, asking, “Those… are they mutated plants?”
“Mm,” Almer nodded.
His gaze fell to the ground, where he crouched down, cradling the red-eyed little girl with one arm while he picked up a dark purple fruit from the ground.
“Blackberry.”
Ruan Shu, still clinging to his neck, looked on with curiosity. The fruit resembled a blueberry but was about the size of a pigeon’s egg.
“How strange.”
Almer narrowed his eyes, picking up all ten scattered blackberries from the ground.