Chapter 40: Bad Intentions +1 

Late at night, Wen Chu turned over and startled himself awake.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xiu sleeping completely defenseless facing him, his long golden hair cascading down, just like every night in the ocean when Xiu slept guarding him.

“Xiu?”

Wen Chu whispered.

Xiu’s breathing was light and shallow; there was no response.

Seems to be asleep.

The little black cat nuzzled Xiu’s cheek, revealing a tiny fang.

He wants to take a secret bite.

No need to eat a lot, just a bite of the neck is fine, or the earlobe.

Just as Wen Chu was about to bite down, he suddenly remembered what Xiu had taught him before.

—Mating with someone casually without asking for the person’s opinion is irresponsible behavior.

Wen Chu’s biting motion paused.

Th-then, is eating him without asking for his opinion also considered irresponsible?

Xiu didn’t teach this QuQ.

Wen Chu curled his tail in distress, looking at Xiu’s sleeping face, pondering seriously.

Can’t figure it out.

Wen Chu chose to poke the System: [Does taking a secret bite of Xiu count as being irresponsible?]

System: […It counts. And in this world, I advise you best not to eat secretly.]

Wen Chu was puzzled: [Why? I can eat gently; I won’t be discovered.]

The System flashed, ultimately not explaining out loud, just saying very quickly: [Anyway, this is irresponsible. Can’t you just ask properly?]

After speaking, the System disappeared directly, leaving only a kitten continuing to ponder on the spot.

“Ask properly…?”

Wen Chu repeated the System’s words while recalling everything since he met Xiu.

Wen Chu’s eyes lit up.

He thought of a good way to eat Xiu.

And it’s a good way to keep eating continuously.

With a happy and relaxed mood, Wen Chu moved his tiny fang away from where it was about to bite Xiu’s neck.

Won’t eat Xiu tonight. Only eating the neck is too much of a loss.

Wait until tomorrow, he wants to kiss Xiu… no, he wants to eat Xiu’s nai…

No, he wants it all.

Wen Chu happily curled up into a ball in Xiu’s arms again and went back to sleep.

---

The next day, Wen Chu was woken up by Minnie’s urgent knocking.

“Sir? Are you there? Sir??”

Wen Chu yawned dazedly, poked his head out of Xiu’s arms, looked at the banging wooden door, and then looked up at Xiu, who had obviously just woken up.

Xiu’s long golden hair was loose, and he was obviously also a bit confused about the current situation.

Minnie’s banging continued: “Sir? We are going out. You haven’t appeared all morning; we are very worried about you.”

Xiu recovered from his brief confusion, quickly put on his black robe, picked up Wen Chu, held him in his arms, and went to open the door.

“Si—”

Minnie was burning with anxiety, already considering breaking down the door. Just as she raised her hand to continue knocking, she heard a creak.

The door opened.

Xiu, draped in his black robe, holding the little black cat from yesterday, was looking at her coldly.

Minnie froze for a moment, then lowered her head a beat too slow. “Sir, I’m preparing to go out this week to observe the patrol police’s duty schedule, and incidentally continue to inquire if any boiler rooms can sell Hearts of Steam. I originally wanted to ask for your opinion this morning, but didn’t see you even by noon, so I was a bit anxious.”

Xiu usually avoided people but didn’t hole up in the stone building without leaving.

Most of the time, he stared blankly at the sickly seedlings in the vegetable field, occasionally appearing elsewhere—which usually meant something important was happening there.

For example, yesterday Xiu suddenly proposed to go out with her to purchase coal, which led to her bringing back John’s sister Catherine, learning from Catherine that she was the illegitimate child of the Southern District leader, and understanding the Southern District’s faint rebellious intent.

The ground surrounding the God of Steam statue in the Central Square was divided into East, South, West, and North districts. The circle in the middle was the Main City Area. Minnie had basically controlled the West District. If she could unite with the South District through this incident of John’s arrest, the entire southwest direction could be taken into her pocket.

In Minnie’s heart, Xiu was already an existence equal to the God of Steam, like a prophet. Unable to find Xiu before this trip, she inevitably had some bad guesses.

“Then go,” Xiu said coldly.

Out of politeness, he added an explanation: “I fell asleep this morning, so I didn’t hear.”

Minnie was stunned.

Xiu? Overslept?

How are these two words connected?

She couldn’t help but look up at Xiu again. The mysterious mentor who was usually tightly covered under the black robe revealed some flaws at this moment.

Xiu’s clothes looked hastily thrown on, still having unsmoothed wrinkles, and a strand of ungathered long golden hair had fallen out of the hood.

The little black cat in his arms was curiously playing with this strand of hanging long hair.

Minnie discovered with horror that she actually saw some gentleness and kindness in Xiu.

Xiu tightened his hood expressionlessly: “By the way, when you go to the Central Square, check if there are any oxygen tanks for sale, and buy more back.”

“Okay.” Minnie didn’t ask for the reason and agreed directly.

Xiu continued: “Also, see if there are any rattan woven cushions, the kind for sharpening claws.”

Minnie continued to nod: “Okay.”

Xiu: “And incidentally bring me back a bolt of cloth, half a jin of cotton, and a sewing kit.”

Minnie: “Okay… Huh?”

Minnie couldn’t care less about fear and awe at this moment, looking at Xiu in astonishment.

Holding the little black cat, Xiu said in a matter-of-fact tone, “I want to make him a cat nest, otherwise he won’t sleep well at night.”

Saying this, he added with immense disdain: “Hard to raise.”

Minnie: “…”

Is Sir possessed?

Otherwise, why would inconceivable things keep happening all morning?

Wen Chu was also stunned. He patted Xiu’s arm to indicate he wanted to speak.

He thought Xiu was going to change the bed; why make him a cat nest?

He doesn’t want to sleep alone; he wants to sleep with Xiu.

Xiu pinched the scruff of his neck: “Behave.”

Wen Chu: “Whimper.”

Looking at this barking kitten, Xiu remembered Wen Chu was illiterate and asked Minnie, “Are there classes this afternoon?”

Minnie snapped out of her trance and answered, “Yes, language class in the morning, math class in the afternoon.”

“That’s good.” Xiu walked away holding Wen Chu. “I’ll take him to cla… to see the classroom. There are many people there, and Dorothy also raises a cat; it can play with him. You go busy yourself.”

Xiu didn’t give Minnie time to reply, carrying Wen Chu and leaving directly.

Minnie stood on the spot, looking at the departing black figure, and slapped her own cheek blankly.

It hurts.

Not dreaming.

…So Sir is actually a black cat lover?

---

On the other side.

Wait until Minnie was completely out of sight and sure there was no one around, Wen Chu protested aloud: “I don’t want to sleep alone.”

“You were the one who complained the bed was hard,” Xiu said coldly.

Wen Chu bit his cuff: “I meant you could make the bed softer.”

Xiu lifted the trouble-making little black cat directly: “No, troublesome.”

Wen Chu barked and whimpered in anger, but Xiu looked at him coldly, showing no intention of backing down.

If Wen Chu had proposed that he re-make the bed last night, he might have reluctantly agreed. But after discovering with astonishment this morning that he had actually fallen asleep with Wen Chu, Xiu made up his mind never to sleep with this cat again.

Sleeping was not a good thing; it meant his spirit began to relax.

Xiu didn’t wish for himself to slack off.

He, who brought calamity to the world, did not deserve such comfort.

Wen Chu barked for a long time but didn’t get Xiu to back down. Instead, he was carried all the way to the classroom by Xiu.

It was break time now. The children were all active on the playground outside the classroom. Dorothy and Catherine sat aside, using a wire tied to a nut as a cat teaser, playing with the calico cat.

Xiu’s figure appeared by the classroom.

The playground fell instantly silent. All the children quickly lowered their heads, lined up quietly as chickens, slipped quickly into the classroom, picked up their books, and started studying.

Xiu was used to this. He put the kitten in his arms on the ground. “Go in yourself. Class will start in a while; listen a bit.”

Wen Chu blinked his eyes: “I have to attend class too?”

Xiu nodded.

Wen Chu pressed, “Just me alone? Won’t you accompany me?”

Xiu glanced at the children trembling like quails in the classroom and continued to nod.

Afraid Wen Chu wouldn’t be willing, he specifically emphasized: “I don’t raise illiterates.”

Wen Chu had intended to play pitiful and stick to Xiu, but remembering his plan from yesterday, his round cat eyes rolled, and he readily agreed: “Okay.”

Xiu looked at him in surprise. Ultimately assuming Wen Chu hadn’t suffered the hardship of school, he simply instructed, “If someone bullies you, tell me in time. If there’s really no way, turn into mist and escape; I’ll solve it for you.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand, as long as you can learn something.”

Wen Chu keenly caught the indulgence in Xiu’s words. He thought for a moment and asked, “Then if I understand, can you give me a reward?”

Xiu chuckled low: “If you understand, what do you want?”

Whether it was a new cat nest, gold, silver, jewels, or even the Steam City floating in the sky, none were difficult things for him to give.

Wen Chu looked at Xiu’s tight black robe: “I want to eat the black aura from other places on you.”

Xiu’s movements froze visibly.

“…Other places?”

The little mist cat looked at him with harmless round eyes: “Can’t I? My life value will drop below five days tonight. I want to try if other places can add a bit more life value.”

Xiu’s first reaction was to refuse.

Wen Chu’s proposal was actually reasonable. He had just agreed to raise Wen Chu yesterday, and only letting the other gnaw on his hands was obviously too perfunctory.

But, places other than hands…

Xiu remembered his reaction yesterday, took a deep breath, and was just about to refuse when he met the little black cat’s round eyes.

Harmless, innocent.

Xiu’s words of refusal reached his lips but couldn’t come out.

How could a cloud of mist understand these things?

In the end, it was he who had a despicable reaction. As long as he can endure it, it’s not impossible.

Xiu turned his head away: “Oh, try then. Only allowed one bite.”

Anyway, this stupid mist couldn’t possibly understand math class.

Wen Chu was happy, perking his tail to rub against the hem of Xiu’s clothes. “Okay, thank you. I will study hard.”

Xiu looked down at the tiny black cat, an inexplicable sense of crisis rising in his heart. He added, “You must actually learn it. I will check. Don’t think about cheating.”

Wen Chu promised: “I won’t cheat. I’m going to school now.”

Of course he won’t cheat. This is the good idea Wen Chu thought of last night—

The System was right. Rather than sneaking around to eat Xiu every time and finally being discovered like in the last world, never to eat Xiu again, it’s better to openly make Xiu agree to let him eat.

At least so far, whether eating hands or neck, or going further tonight, as long as he asks for Xiu’s opinion properly, Xiu agrees.

So as long as he plays pitiful, acts obedient, and makes requests gradually, even for mating, Xiu will agree personally, right?

This is agreed to by Xiu himself; he is just listening to Xiu.

Wen Chu had planned to go out and make money to raise Xiu this afternoon. Now with Xiu’s guarantee of extra meals, he immediately marched towards the classroom with high spirits on his short legs.

Because Xiu was just outside, the classroom was silent. This little black cat running da-da-da into the classroom was particularly conspicuous.

Dorothy sat in the front row, watching the calico cat beside her uneasily out of the corner of her eye, afraid the kitten would cause trouble at this time. She was the first to spot Wen Chu.

She exclaimed in a whisper: “Sir’s cat came in.”

Hearing this, everyone in the classroom looked at Wen Chu.

Yesterday, Sir had fed and called a doctor for a little black cat. The deeds of this legendary black cat had long spread throughout the Rebel Army. At this moment, everyone recognized Wen Chu at a glance.

Whispers arose in the classroom.

“Is it really Sir’s cat?”

“Then where is Sir?”

“Wait—the cat jumped onto the podium—”

Everyone was in chaos. Wen Chu, however, walked his cat walk extremely naturally and chose the highest position closest to the blackboard for himself.

After finding a good seat, Wen Chu looked out the window for his parent, just like every child sent to school for the first time.

But the window was empty; Xiu was nowhere to be seen.

Little Mist sighed.

Alright, he really is a trouble Xiu can’t wait to get rid of.

Just as Wen Chu finished sighing, the classroom door was pushed open.

The young man Wen Chu had seen from afar yesterday walked in with a book in his arms. Seeing him, the young man was stunned, a look of self-doubt appearing on his face.

James Allen, former renowned mechanical engineer, now the Rebel Army’s all-subject teacher. Whether in the Steam City or fleeing to the ground, he was always a respected existence. The biggest hardship he had ever suffered was the slap he took when breaking ties with his brother.

At this moment, he encountered a major accident in his teaching career.

—His podium was occupied by a cat.

While James was reflecting on what he had done wrong to make these children play such a prank, Dorothy whispered from below, “Teacher, that is Sir’s cat.”

James suddenly realized, nodded knowingly, abandoned the podium, took his lesson plan, smiled, and clapped his hands: “So it is Sir’s cat. Let us welcome this special classmate to join us.”

Great, it wasn’t a teaching accident.

But a leadership (cat) inspection.

With him taking the lead, applause rang out sporadically in the classroom.

James took the opportunity to pick up a piece of chalk and smiled: “Today we continue to talk about trigonometric functions. Everyone, don’t be outdone by the new classmate.”

“Let’s review the content from last time first…”

At the back door of the classroom, Xiu took a last look at the little black cat nestled on the podium, finally felt somewhat relieved, and left quietly.

Just in time, while Wen Chu is in class, he’ll go find some suitable scrap wood boards to build a frame for Wen Chu’s bed.

At the same time, inside the classroom.

James held the set square in his hand, pointing to the right angle on it: “Remember the mnemonic we talked about before?”

The students below chorused: “Opposite over hypotenuse is sine, adjacent over hypotenuse is cosine, opposite over adjacent is tangent.”

Wen Chu blinked his cat eyes, curiously absorbing knowledge he had never learned.

Tan, cos, sin.

So magical, the ratio of each hypotenuse is actually fixed.

But what can be done by learning this stuff?

Wen Chu listened to James’s lecture while his mind wandered. In less than ten minutes, he had completely lost patience.

Not that he didn’t understand, but he had completely memorized all the trigonometric values and calculation methods James mentioned.

Memory is also a major component of IQ. At least for Wen Chu, who had a near-photographic memory, even if he didn’t understand, he wouldn’t forget as long as he memorized seriously.

Therefore, he completely didn’t understand the significance of James writing one similar example after another on the blackboard after introducing trigonometric functions, constantly making the children below do them.

These children actually couldn’t write them out. Catherine next to Dorothy was already teary-eyed with confusion.

Wen Chu didn’t understand.

Aren’t these questions all the same principle? After introducing trigonometric functions, he could directly move on to the next knowledge point. Now it’s completely a waste of time.

Wen Chu stretched on the podium and shook his tail.

He has learned it. He can eat Xiu tonight. Today’s class ends here.

Now he is going out to make money to raise Xiu.

Under everyone’s open and secret gazes, Wen Chu jumped off the podium calmly and walked out the door swaggering.

Of course, no one would condemn a cat for skipping class.

Especially since this was the leader’s cat.

Wen Chu had an unimpeded passage all the way. Running to the back of the classroom and making sure no one was around, he turned directly into mist, floated into mid-air, and searched for something.

The System spoke abruptly: [Xiu is in the vegetable garden in the backyard.]

Unexpectedly, Wen Chu shook his head: [Not looking for Xiu. I’m looking for Minnie.]

The System was puzzled: [Hmm?]

At this time, Wen Chu had already seen Minnie’s very recognizable red hair. She was riding a steam tricycle and was about to go out.

He quickly floated in Minnie’s direction and caught up with her.

Wen Chu: [I want to find Minnie, let her take me to join the Rebel Army, let her pay me wages. I want to buy things for Xiu.]

He saw clearly yesterday that the Rebel Army got paid wages.

Being able to help Xiu and make money to raise Xiu—Wen Chu certainly wouldn’t miss such a good thing.

The System choked, obviously not expecting Wen Chu to do something like “using Xiu’s money to raise Xiu.” After a long while, he said: [Didn’t you just promise him you wouldn’t join the Rebel Army?]

Wen Chu said as a matter of course: [That was promised by the cat, but I am joining the Rebel Army as a human to find Minnie.]

Not joining the Rebel Army was promised by Little Mist; what does it have to do with him, Wen Chu?

System: [……]

No wonder Wen Chu didn’t make a fuss yesterday and agreed so readily.

Any brains he has are all used on Xiu.

The System had given up persuading Wen Chu and went offline decisively.

Forget it, do whatever he wants. Anyway, he can’t stop Wen Chu and Xiu’s relationship from galloping wildly in an indescribable direction.

As long as Wen Chu doesn’t continue to ask him awkward questions about how to do it with Xiu, everything is fine.

Wen Chu was used to the System going offline.

He floated into Minnie’s tricycle cargo bed, turned into a little black cat again, and earnestly instructed the System in the tone Xiu used to instruct him: [Don’t mess up when I need to turn into a human this time.]

System: […Got it.]

---

Riding the steam tricycle and re-entering the Main City Area, looking at the patrol police coming and going, Minnie was actually a bit nervous.

Why are there so many patrol police today?

But as the leader of the Rebel Army, she had long learned to hide her true emotions in her heart.

Minnie purchased the things Xiu needed with a composed expression, while discreetly inquiring about the sale of Hearts of Steam and observing the shift changes of the surrounding patrol police.

“Hearts of Steam…” The worker selling oxygen tanks lowered his voice. “I heard that Boiler Room No. 21 is hiding a high-class person from the Steam City. He brought a batch of unnumbered Hearts of Steam.”

As a strategic material containing terrifying energy, the Steam City’s control over Hearts of Steam was extremely strict.

Every morning, special vehicles transported them. Each batch of Hearts of Steam was coded and distributed to each boiler room in fixed amounts. If the energy produced by the boiler room did not match the quantity of Hearts of Steam distributed, the entire boiler room would be held accountable.

Because of this, even though she controlled the entire West District, Minnie had never found a suitable purchasing channel.

Finally having a clue now, Minnie nodded slightly in thanks, turned around, put the oxygen tanks into the tricycle, and prepared to sound out Boiler Room No. 21 regardless of whether it was true or false.

After all, this was not only to prepare for winter but also to arm the entire Rebel Army.

Ordinary coal simply couldn’t power high-energy machinery like aircraft and steam robots. The large batch of steam robots James brought out were gathering dust in the warehouse.

Just as Minnie was thinking about the next plan, a dark little cat poked its head out of the tricycle.

Minnie’s movements paused.

Why does this cat look so familiar?

Wen Chu didn’t want to poke his head out so soon either, but Minnie bought too many things, and there was no space for him to stand in the tricycle cargo bed.

He gave a well-behaved “Whimper” to Minnie.

Minnie: …

That’s right, a black cat that barks like a dog. This is Sir’s cat.

Her heart had already begun to scream, thinking about how to apologize to Sir after returning to make up for the sin of unintentionally abducting the cat, but her face remained calm.

She lifted the little black cat and reprimanded him with a leader’s demeanor: “Who let you sneak out?”

Wen Chu looked at Minnie with innocent round eyes.

Minnie scratched her stiff red hair: “To be reasonable, you have to explain to Sir when we go back. You followed me yourself; I didn’t abduct you.”

Wen Chu looked at her, continuing to be an innocent kitten.

There were too many workers coming and going around. It was inconvenient for him to speak. Wait until there were fewer people later to turn into a human and explain to Minnie.

Minnie sighed, feeling that talking to a cat was a bit too idiotic.

She carefully placed Wen Chu in the cargo bed: “You sit still first. I still have to go to Boiler Room No. 21. I’ll take you home as soon as I’m done.”

“…Are there people near Boiler Room No. 21? Have them send some burn medicine to Minnie in ten minutes.”

Outside the city, West District. Xiu, holding the skeleton of the newly made cat nest, said lightly as he passed the infirmary.

The doctor on duty today was the one who improvised a breathing mask for Wen Chu yesterday. Hearing this, he immediately said, “Yes, Sir.”

He didn’t ask why, immediately taking out the walkie-talkie to notify the people near the Main City Area.

“Hello, hello, West District Infirmary. Take burn medicine to Boiler Room No. 21 in ten minutes. Minnie is there.”

Sir’s words were absolute prophecy.

This was the consensus of the entire Rebel Army.

If it were in the past, Xiu would have left after appearing so suddenly and giving a sentence without context.

But at this moment, Xiu, holding the cat nest, said thoughtfully, “Shouldn’t have let her buy cloth today. It will all burn if it catches fire.”

The doctor was stunned.

Burn medicine and fire. An ominous guess rose in his heart.

“…Will Boiler Room No. 21 explode today?” the doctor asked carefully.

“Mmh. It won’t hurt Minnie, but the steam tricycle she rides conducts heat; her hands will be burned,” Xiu said concisely.

The explanation ended there.

If not for the sake of the doctor improvising a simple respirator for Wen Chu, Xiu wouldn’t have even stopped to say a word.

After speaking, Xiu left, holding the cat nest and continuing towards the classroom.

Try the size of the cat nest for Wen Chu to see if it fits.

And… notify James to go see his brother for the last time.

---

Author’s Note: 

Cat makes money to raise human, cat is good.
Human makes nest for cat, human is also good.
Qianqian wrote six thousand words today, Qian is also good.