Why did she, who was fine just a moment ago, suddenly head to a place like that?
Lu Yunze had just stepped out with one foot when he stopped in his tracks.
Jiang Sui wasn’t the type to willingly walk into danger, so she must have been lured by something in the Secret Alley, drawn in to investigate.
There must be something going on. She should be out soon.
Lu Yunze trusted Jiang Sui, so he kept staring in that direction, waiting and watching. His eyes never left that spot, and he didn’t even shift his position.
But after waiting a good while, Lu Yunze still didn’t see the little maid come out of the alley. He really couldn’t wait any longer.
Could something have actually happened?
Lu Yunze quickened his pace and arrived at the mouth of the alley, then, after a slight hesitation, stepped inside.
The tall buildings on both sides blocked out the light, and the surrounding environment instantly became dim and gloomy. The air carried the stench of decay and rot, irritating his nerves.
He spotted Jiang Sui’s figure squatting in a corner deep within the alley, her back to him, not sure what she was investigating.
Too focused on her, Lu Yunze didn’t notice and stepped right into a small puddle, the splash soaking his shoes.
As Lu Yunze frowned at his wet shoes, Jiang Sui, having heard the commotion, turned around.
“Young Master, what are you doing here?”
Caught, Lu Yunze didn’t bother to hide it and asked directly:
“I should be asking you that! What are you doing here?”
Jiang Sui didn’t answer right away, but stood up, picking something up.
A cute Black Cat nestled in the girl’s arms, yawning lazily. Its golden eyes glanced at Lu Yunze with a look of utter indifference.
“A cat?”
“Young Master, you remember it?”
Jiang Sui stroked the Black Cat’s head with one hand.
“We’ve only met it once before, back when you first got to know the Young Master.”
“I think I remember that.”
Lu Yunze wanted to say that maybe not; Lan City was such a big place, who knew how many stray cats there were. Even if they were all black, the one in her arms might not be the same as the one they’d met before. That first cat might have already been flattened by a car for all he knew.
But… these three Black Cats look too similar, don’t they? Even their fur and eye color are the same.
“So you came to a place like this just to pet a cat?”
“What, Young Master, don’t you like cats?”
“No, it’s not that, but aren’t you afraid it’ll scratch you?”
Most stray cats are quite fierce. If you’re not careful, they’ll scratch you. Then you’d have to go to the hospital for a rabies shot, which costs a few hundred yuan. Totally not worth it.
“Don’t worry, this little guy is really friendly. See? I’m holding it like this and nothing’s happened, right?” Jiang Sui said confidently.
Lu Yunze moved closer and just reached out his hand when the Black Cat shot him a glance. But it was only a look—when Lu Yunze placed his hand on its head, it didn’t react at all.
Lu Yunze raised his eyebrows slightly. A wild cat this tame was rare. To be petted by a stranger without even a hiss—this was truly a cat among gentlemen.
Could it really be the same one I saw in the park before? That’d be quite the coincidence.
Lu Yunze remembered that when he was a child, he’d tried to pet a mixed-breed wild cat. Maybe it was in heat or something—it was really vicious, hissing and even launching attacks at people.
Back then, Lu Yunze tried to be brave and show off, only to end up getting scratched on the back of his hand. He had to be rushed to the hospital for a rabies vaccine.
If only all cats in the world were as gentle as this one.
Just as Lu Yunze was lost in thought, he noticed the sensation in his palm had changed.
At some point, Jiang Sui had set the cat down and used her own head to replace the Black Cat beneath his hand. When Lu Yunze noticed, she didn’t seem the slightest bit embarrassed. Instead, she asked boldly,
“How is it? Comfortable?”
“Uh, it’s… pretty comfortable.”
Lu Yunze instinctively withdrew his hand.
“Then, compared to me, who feels better?” Jiang Sui pointed at the cat in her arms and asked.
“The cat.”
“So that’s how it is. What a pity,” Jiang Sui genuinely looked a bit disappointed. “I guess I need to work even harder and use my body to serve Young Master until you’re completely satisfied.”
She’s saying strange things again.
Not just Lu Yunze—even the Black Cat in her arms glanced at Jiang Sui.
Lu Yunze deliberately ignored the weirdness in her tone. Since Jiang Sui hadn’t run into any danger, he didn’t plan to keep lingering here.
“Young Master, you’re leaving so soon, but you haven’t answered my question.”
“Ah?”
“Why did you show up here, hmm?” Jiang Sui said, “Don’t tell me you’ve been secretly following me?”
“How could I? I was just… passing by. Yeah, what a coincidence,” Lu Yunze answered, instantly guilty.
“Really? But you’re sweating a lot, Young Master.”
Jiang Sui moved in close, leaving one hand free, and reached up to his cheek. She lightly brushed his face with her fingertips, the sensation like a feather sweeping past, gathering up a bead of sweat that slid down his jaw.
She raised her eyes and, right in front of him, placed her fingertip into her mouth. The tip of her tongue curled around it, and she gently licked away the trace of sweat.
“Tastes like lies. Young Master, you really are telling fibs.”
“No, I—” This action flustered Lu Yunze so much that he took a step back, his face burning where she’d touched, the heat spreading to his ears.
“I didn’t expect Young Master could act like such a pervert. Truly a Perverted Young Master,” Jiang Sui stuck out her little tongue, giving a mischievous lick, her posture exuding a charm that showed she still savored the moment.
“I think you’re in no position to call me a pervert.”
“Young Master is being unreasonable. I’m always a law-abiding Good Citizen.”
Thinking back on all the things Jiang Sui had done before, Lu Yunze felt that her standards for ‘Good Citizen’ were extremely broad.
“If anything, it’s you, Young Master, who’s the real pervert here.”
Jiang Sui’s laughter grew even more radiant.
“Perverted Young Master, aren’t you worried that your secret identity as a pervert will be discovered by the girls you pursue?”
It’s over!
Lu Yunze could already imagine what would happen next.
The poor victim caught by surprise, the wolfish girl, and a tiny alley where no one would come to the rescue. In his mind, Jiang Sui’s expression transformed into a hungry wild beast.
“I was just a little curious, that’s all. You’re my maid. If you did something illegal, I couldn’t just turn a blind eye, right?”
Lu Yunze coughed twice, pretending to be stern.
“But it turns out my worry was unnecessary.”
“So?” Jiang Sui played along.
“So…” Lu Yunze got tongue-tied for a moment. His gaze wandered before finally landing on the Black Cat in her arms. “Why don’t I go buy you some cat food?”
“Sure! I was just thinking I didn’t have anything good to feed this little guy.”
Jiang Sui was very cooperative and didn’t press the topic further.
Lu Yunze quickly left for a nearby supermarket, bought some cat food, and handed it to Jiang Sui before leaving in haste, feeling that if he didn’t go soon, he’d get trapped in this little alley forever.
Although she didn’t say anything, Jiang Sui didn’t force him to stay either. After saying goodbye, she opened a packet of Pig Feed and poured it out in front of the Black Cat.
The Black Cat sniffed the food, then looked up at her:
“I don’t eat cat food.”
“Senior, even after you’ve become a cat, you still refuse to eat cat food?” Jiang Sui teased, shaking her head.
“This is just a temporary borrowing of this body.”
The Black Cat let out a resigned sigh and turned away.
“Every day I remind myself that I’m not a real cat. I must eat human food.”
“Senior, you’re really disciplined. Why not just give it a try?”
Jiang Sui joked lightly, then walked deeper into the alley.
The Black Cat stared at the Pig Feed, and after a long inner struggle, it finally couldn’t resist the delicious aroma and took a small bite.
“Huh? Not bad… I’ll try another bite.”
Jiang Sui had already reached the very end of the alley.
With the only possible obstacle gone, she no longer had to waste time lingering.
The end of the alley was a dead end. She placed her hand on the wall, searching for something, and soon found a small protrusion.
After pressing it lightly, the wall began to change, a Secret Door opened, and a Secret Passage leading underground appeared before her.
“Senior, it’s time to go.”
“Already? That fast?”
The Black Cat, who had been busy gobbling down food, reluctantly took one last big bite of the Pig Feed before bounding back up to Jiang Sui, this time perching on her shoulder as they entered the underground passage together.
Once the two entered, the Secret Door closed immediately behind them, and the surroundings grew quiet and oppressive.
Jiang Sui took out the Mask Powder she had prepared in advance and applied it to her face, transforming her appearance into Disguise.
The underground passage wasn’t long. Very soon, they arrived at their true destination for this trip.
As the door was pushed open, a voice barked into Jiang Sui’s ear,
“Hey! You TMD little brat!”
“Let’s see if you can get away today! Just wait till you go home and see your old lady!”
“You little punk, watch me teach you a lesson!”
The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and sweat, as well as a variety of other strange and unpleasant odors.
This was an Underground Bar in a hidden location, specifically serving Secret Arts Practitioners.
The walls and ceiling were wooden, but in such a humid environment, they were already rotten and moldy, emitting a sour stench.
The tables and chairs were all wooden as well. The bar wasn’t very crowded; only a third of the seats were taken.
It’s said that the liquor here is not only stronger but that some even have strange effects.
Jiang Sui had no interest in alcohol. She carefully avoided unknown puddles on the ground as she quickened her pace, searching for the person she was here to meet.
Where is he?
While Jiang Sui was still looking around, a loud voice drew her attention.
“Hey, young lady over there, this way!”
She saw a chubby man waving at her, a silly, innocent smile on his face.