Chapter 53: Ungrateful Wretch

Gazing from afar at the dark-haired, snow-skinned little female by the Second Prince's side, the little white cat froze, momentarily forgetting even to conceal its figure.

"Marshmallow?", Nian Tu narrowed her eyes to look closely, and soon her voice rose in joyful surprise: "Marshmallow!"

"What...?", the Second Prince was clueless and utterly confused, but the next second, he saw a familiar white cat darting out from the bushes, running right up to them in a few strides.

The Second Prince almost choked, his breath catching in his throat.

H-His Imperial Highness?!

Wasn't he in the lounge? What is he doing here!

Calling the dignified Crown Prince "Marshmallow" was simply going too far...!

While the Second Prince was silently complaining to himself, his eyes suddenly widened.

He watched with his own eyes as Nian Tu squatted down and reached out with both hands to pick up the little white cat—

"No, no, no!!", the Second Prince broke out in a cold sweat, acting quickly and grabbing Nian Tu's arm.

"I'll take you to play with other small animals! This cat looks fierce, it might scratch people! Don't touch it under any circumstances!!!"

A female must never casually touch a male's beast form! It was far too ambiguous!

If Nian Tu wanted to touch his beast form, he would naturally be more than willing! But given the Eldest Prince's attitude of avoiding Nian Tu like the plague, if she were to touch him, who knew how irritated he would become...

The Second Prince swore to defend the Crown Prince's chastity to the death!

"It's fine, it definitely won't scratch me," Nian Tu said with absolute certainty.

That "King" character mark on its forehead was an anti-counterfeiting label; aside from Marshmallow, no other little cat could look so much like a little tiger.

This was definitely Marshmallow!

Having not seen it for many days, she had been worrying about it constantly, yet it had actually run all the way to the Royal Estate. No wonder it never came back to visit her—had it been living too comfortably here?

Nian Tu felt a little sour inside, her gaze toward the little white cat carrying a hint of grievance.

"You ungrateful bad cat," she scolded playfully, though she wasn't truly angry, extending both arms and opening her embrace: "Come here quickly, let me pet you and I'll forgive you."

The little white cat hesitated, its blue eyes staring at Nian Tu without blinking.

Is it her?

Her vanished memories seemed to be gently tugged, familiar sensations continuously surging forth. As she drew closer, she could smell that faint, sweet fragrance that haunted its dreams...

The blue eyes suddenly lit up with brilliance—

It's her!!

"Meow," His Royal Highness the Crown Prince bolted forward, transforming almost into a white shadow as he flung himself straight into the embrace of his beloved female!

This shocking scene nearly made the Second Prince's jaw drop. Dumbfounded, he felt as though he might be hallucinating.

So much for not being interested in Nian Tu, Your Imperial Highness!

The human and the cat clung together so closely that the Second Prince didn't know whether to leave or stay, standing there like a superfluous presence.

He watched with his own eyes as the Crown Prince pretended to be an ordinary little cat, actually lowering his voice to meow and coaxing the little female until her face beamed with smiles.

The Second Prince: "..."

He had never known before that the Crown Prince possessed such a fine skill; today, his horizons were truly broadened!

Tan Konglin couldn't possibly care that the Second Prince was still standing nearby. Acting like a true little cat, he curled up into a ball in the little female's fragrant, soft embrace, his tail wagging happily and incessantly.

Until Nian Tu lifted him up and buried her face into his fluffy belly—His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince instantly stiffened all over!!

Almost every single hair turned pink, the little white cat trembled uncontrollably, and his pretense of a meow almost broke.

"Hmm?", Nian Tu noticed something was wrong with him, "What's the matter?"

She hugged the little cat tightly, cupping its little face to examine it closely.

Earlier, she had been too excited to observe properly. Examining it at this close range, she was shocked to find that the little cat was shrouded in writhing black mist.

Nian Tu's eyes widened abruptly.

In an instant, those memories she had cast aside came flooding back.

The last time she had passed out due to mental power fluctuations, she seemed to have seen black mist appearing on the little cat, but she hadn't paid attention to it.

Now, however, with a clear mind, everything before her made it impossible to ignore any longer.

"You, you...", she stared fixedly at the little cat.

Could it be a beastman... fielder...?

Before she could voice the question, a wave of dizziness struck her brain. Nian Tu staggered half a step and raised a hand to support her forehead.

The little cat's pupils shrank, and it anxiously clawed at her arm.

Nian Tu's body slumped limply as she fell. The Second Prince nearby was startled and hurriedly reached out to steady her.

Before he could touch the edge of her clothes, a pair of well-knotted, large hands had already wrapped around Nian Tu a step ahead of him.

Nian Tu frowned and lifted her eyelids with difficulty. The instant before her consciousness faded, she seemed to see the figure of a strange man...

The man was tall with broad shoulders and a wide back; even without seeing his face clearly, one could sense he was extremely handsome.

"Y-Your Highness, what should we do?", the Second Prince asked blankly, at a loss.

A perfectly fine little female—how could she just faint like that?

Tan Konglin frowned, cautiously testing the temperature of the forehead of the person in his arms.

The temperature was normal.

The little female curled in the crook of his arm felt as light as a feather, almost weightless, arousing his deepest pity.

"I'll take her to see a doctor," Tan Konglin brushed away the Second Prince's outstretched hand, refusing his interference, "You go on back to the ball."

Accustomed to obeying the Crown Prince's arrangements, the Second Prince nodded without thinking and turned back toward the ballroom.

It wasn't until he was intercepted by Felix that he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Your Royal Highness the Second Prince, may I ask where Nian Tu is?", Felix's tone maintained a facade of respect, but it carried a strong, impending sense of oppression like a brewing storm.

Nian Tu had been taken out of the door by the Second Prince, yet she hadn't returned with him.

Although the Royal Estate was heavily guarded and security was well-guaranteed, if the little female went missing, guardians like them had to demand an explanation from the Second Prince.

Facing the supreme intimidation of the Marshal, the Second Prince shivered helplessly.

Unable to withstand the pressure and incapable of fabricating an excuse, he chose to betray the Crown Prince, blurting out the whole truth in one breath: "...Nian Tu suddenly fainted. Coincidentally, my Imperial Brother was there, so he took her to see a doctor."

The three guardians exchanged solemn glances.

Sudden fainting—it must have been Nian Tu's mental power fluctuating again.

Why did it have to happen at a time like this...

Maintaining his composure, Felix continued to interrogate the Second Prince: "Did they go to the lounge or a dedicated medical room?"

The Second Prince shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

Recalling the Crown Prince's sudden and unexpected intimacy toward Nian Tu, his heart suddenly skipped a beat with a wave of panic.

Surely his Imperial Brother wouldn't take Nian Tu to his own bedchamber, would he? A lonely female and a solitary male alone in a single room... Let's just hope his Imperial Brother doesn't do anything foolish!!

Inside the quiet lounge.

Nian Tu had only been unconscious for a brief moment before waking up.

Before the doctor even arrived, she had already opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat hazy.

Beneath her was a large, soft bed, and her limbs sank limply into the mattress. After a long while, she managed to climb up with difficulty, only to find the familiar little cat nestled not far away at the foot of the bed, quietly guarding her.

Their eyes met, and the little cat walked over quickly, gently pressing against her forehead to test her temperature.

Nian Tu instinctively reached out a hand, wanting to stroke the little cat's soft fur, but midway she suddenly paused and pulled her hand back.

Without a trace, she distanced herself a little bit, stared for a long time at the innocent-looking little cat, and finally made up her mind to ask: "You're a beastman, aren't you?"