Chapter 44: Miracle Kitten

“Is this the miracle you brought, Sir?”

Seeing the green seedling again, Dorothy’s voice pitched up a few degrees.

Xiu tightened his hold on the cat in his arms and looked down at Wen Chu.

Wen Chu puffed out his chest as if claiming credit, ready to receive Xiu’s praise.
Human, have you fallen in love with the cat?

But Xiu didn’t speak.

He used his pale fingers to touch Wen Chu carefully and cherishingly, then stared at the cabbage seedling in the ground in a trance.

Miracle.

Xiu repeated Dorothy’s word in a low voice.

It was one thing for Wen Chu to say he could purify the vegetable patch; it was another thing entirely to witness the exaggerated effect of this purification with his own eyes.

This was indeed a miracle.

Xiu thought.
Being able to purify barren land, resurrect the dead, and coming to his side like this—how could it not be considered a miracle?

“Wang-wu.” Wen Chu waited for a long time but didn’t get Xiu’s praise.

Dissatisfied, he patted Xiu’s hand and jumped directly into Xiu’s hood.

Relying on the fact that others couldn’t hear, Wen Chu leaned into Xiu’s ear and whispered: “Xiu, do you like it? Aren’t I amazing?”

Xiu had deep-set Western features, his side profile highlighting a high nose bridge. Standing on his shoulder, Wen Chu could see how the Evil God lowered his eyes coldly and said indifferently: “Mmn.”

It wasn’t convenient to talk here. Taking advantage of everyone surrounding that precious green seedling, Xiu took Wen Chu and walked a bit to the side.

Only when they were far away from the crowd did Xiu continue: “Very amazing. Very beautiful color.”

Wen Chu was happy; he finally got a compliment from Xiu.

Sprouting in the wasteland was a spectacle never seen before on the ground. Since it was early morning and work hadn’t started yet, people kept flocking to the vegetable patch, clucking their tongues in wonder around that seedling.

Because of this, even though Xiu had taken Wen Chu to a corner, they couldn’t avoid being watched by the crowd with gazes mixed with worship and awe.

In everyone’s eyes, he was the one who grew the vegetable seedling.

Wen Chu had no objection to this.

He purified the vegetable patch to make Xiu happy. If these people worshiped Xiu, Xiu might be even happier.

Xiu, on the other hand, felt very uncomfortable. He tightened his hood and whispered: “I’ll send you to your classroom to wait for class first?”

Wen Chu had no resistance to going to school and agreed readily: “Okay.”

He added quickly: “After I finish class, you have to give me something to eat.”

Xiu let out an “Mmn” as he fled with Wen Chu under everyone’s gaze.

Today, the backyard and back roads were crowded with people. To avoid bumping into others again, Xiu had to take Wen Chu through the center of the courtyard.

His steps were fast, just hoping not to run into any reverent gazes.

However—

“Sir.” Minnie’s voice rang out.

Minnie had also heard the news about the vegetable patch and was rushing there after getting up, not expecting to run into Xiu on the main road. She greeted him with some surprise.

She understood when she saw the cat in Xiu’s arms.

“Sir, are you taking him to the classroom?” Minnie asked.

Xiu nodded and said succinctly: “Letting him go play.”

He couldn’t tell Minnie he was sending a cat to school; that would be too shocking.

Minnie let out an “Ah,” then said: “James’s brother passed away yesterday. James has been very dazed. I gave him a day off and let the children rest for a day too. No class today.”

Minnie looked at Xiu and added carefully: “This was a decision I made temporarily last night, so you might not know.”

Xiu’s footsteps paused.

Of course he knew; this was part of the future. But yesterday, his mind was completely occupied by the missing Wen Chu, and he totally forgot about this.

“Oh,” Xiu said coldly. “Then forget it. I’ll take him back.”

“Wait.” Minnie boldly stopped him. “Sir, I happen to have a plan I want to discuss with you. I was just looking for you. Do you have time now?”

As she spoke, she glanced at the cat in Xiu’s arms.

Wen Chu: ?
Eh, me?

Xiu looked at Minnie doubtfully and nodded.

Receiving permission, Minnie breathed a heavy sigh of relief: “Then Sir, why don’t we go to the classroom ahead to talk?”

Xiu didn’t answer, just carried the cat and walked towards the classroom.

Minnie hurriedly followed his steps.

Inside the classroom.

Minnie pushed two desks together to make a simple conference table and sat opposite Xiu.

Wen Chu sat properly on the desk, leaning against Xiu’s arm.

“What is it?” Xiu asked.

Minnie composed herself and asked: “Sir, may I ask if you grew the vegetable in the backyard?”

Xiu wasn’t surprised Minnie asked this first. After all, growing vegetables on the ground was indeed unbelievable.

He glanced at the little black cat sitting properly.

From morning until now, he had received too much praise that didn’t belong to him, but Wen Chu wasn’t anxious at all, seeming to have no intention of claiming credit in front of other humans.

Xiu poked Wen Chu’s head directly and asked: “Want to claim your credit?”

Wen Chu was seriously waiting for Minnie’s next words when he was poked in the head off guard. He turned to look at Xiu.

He couldn’t reveal that he had already communicated with Minnie in front of Xiu yet, so he couldn’t speak.

Wen Chu thought for a moment, let out a “Wang-wu,” nodded, then shook his head.

Meaning he didn’t care, whatever worked.

Xiu understood and looked at Minnie: “I didn’t do it. This cat did it.”

Minnie: …
This is too nonchalant, isn’t it?

If she hadn’t known in advance that Wen Chu wasn’t an ordinary cat, she would have couldn’t help suspecting if Sir had hysteria.

Minnie swallowed and tried hard to look surprised: “Cat?”

Xiu had no intention of discussing this topic in depth: “In short, it’s not my credit, no need to praise me. Just say whatever you have to say.”

Minnie tried hard to maintain the professional expression a leader should have and said: “It’s like this. Previously, I planned to send a few children to disguise as minors escaping from the welfare institute and fake their deaths in the Central Plaza. But this would only incite conflict, not enough to make them see hope.”

“Seeing the seedling in the vegetable garden today, I suddenly thought, if we let these few children come back to life, and at the same time new seedlings grow on the wasteland, with words written on the new seedlings—”

“‘Green returns to the earth, the army treads the Cloud City’?”

Minnie looked up at Xiu, her green eyes full of ambition: “People on the ground can be numb to death, but they will absolutely fall into fanaticism because of the miracle of new life, and even doubt if the God of Steam has descended again. And this time, God stands on our side.”

“Moreover, even the patrol officers wouldn’t dare destroy the new seedlings on the ground immediately; they would have to report it layer by layer. This period of time is enough for countless people to watch and spread the news…”

“God died long ago.” Xiu interrupted Minnie expressionlessly.

Xiu’s first reaction was actually to refuse. He didn’t want Wen Chu to participate in human strife, not to mention that in the trajectory he knew, Minnie’s plan was bound to have accidents.

After Wen Chu’s brief disappearance, Xiu detested any possibility of putting Wen Chu in danger.

But glancing at the little black cat sitting foolishly in front of him, Xiu changed his words:

“Your plan is feasible, but as I said, I didn’t grow the vegetable. If you want to do it, you need to ask my cat’s opinion first.”

Wen Chu: “Wang-wu?”

Him? He’s fine with whatever. If Xiu wants to do it, he’ll do it; if Xiu doesn’t want to, he won’t.

Hearing this, Minnie looked at Wen Chu, clasped her hands together, and really started begging: “Please, Lord Cat, I’m kowtowing to you.”

Wen Chu: …
Xiu: …

Wen Chu pawed at Xiu, signaling him to talk in private.

Xiu nodded, picked him up, and said to Minnie: “Wait a moment, I’ll discuss it with him.”

Minnie maintained her clasping posture, watching Xiu skillfully tuck the cat away and leave, feeling a bit dazed.

Sir cares about this cat way too much.
To respect a cat’s opinion, Sir would actually do such neurotic things in front of a subordinate.

“I thought Sir carried himself with a lot of dignity…” Minnie whispered.

Meanwhile, outside the classroom, Xiu looked at the cat in his arms: “What do you want to say?”

Wen Chu climbed directly onto Xiu’s shoulder and whispered in his ear: “Xiu, do you want me to agree?”

Xiu was expressionless: “Whatever.”

“Ah.” Wen Chu was in a dilemma.

Xiu’s “whatever” was too vague; he didn’t know if Xiu actually wanted him to agree or not.

Wen Chu probed: “Then, agree?”

Xiu pursed his lips: “You want to agree?”

“Mmn.” Wen Chu thought and said, “I think her plan is pretty good. With me there, the children faking death will be in much less danger.”

More importantly, he had a private employment relationship with Minnie. Helping Minnie with such a small favor would allow Minnie to give him a bit more money.

He still wanted to install a shower in Xiu’s bedroom, buy a few more sets of clothes, and also needed a bedside table, a shoe rack…

Their house was still too empty.

Xiu listened quietly to Wen Chu.

Wen Chu was right; with his ability, the Rebel Army’s operation would be much smoother.

More importantly, Wen Chu’s eyes were sparkling when saying these things, obviously liking this job.

“…Also, just purifying a small piece of ground won’t use much lifespan—Xiu? What’s wrong?”

Wen Chu looked up after finishing and was startled by Xiu’s expression.

Why does Xiu look so terrible?

“If you don’t like it, I won’t go.” Wen Chu realized something was wrong and quickly changed his tune.

There were many ways to make money; Xiu’s happiness was the most important.

“No… I don’t dislike it.” Xiu squeezed words out of his mouth with difficulty. “Do whatever you want to do; I’m happy with anything.”

Wen Chu was skeptical of Xiu’s words. He reiterated: “I’m not going. You are the most important.”

“I am the most important?” Xiu voiced his doubt.

Then, remembering Wen Chu’s words last night, he curled his lips in understanding: “Right, if you don’t eat me, you can’t gain lifespan.”

The Evil God was not only harsh to others but equally harsh and sharp-tongued to himself.

He patted the little mist cat’s head: “You go. I will replenish your lifespan.”

Wen Chu: “Huh?”

Why talk about lifespan suddenly?

Xiu lowered his eyes, voice cold: “This time is very dangerous. If you accidentally get hurt or die again, I won’t go out of my way to save you.”

Wen Chu tried to comfort him: “I won’t…”

Xiu raised his eyelids lazily and glanced at him: “Do you know the future or do I know the future?”

Wen Chu fell silent, shrinking into a ball cowardly.

Xiu’s platinum long eyelashes drooped again, casting a shadow.

He looked at the black energy permeating his hand, self-loathing surging again.

Xiu said: “How much further can you go in eating? I can give you anywhere. It’s best to boost your lifespan to one or two years in advance.”

Flesh, heart, anything is fine.
He’s a god anyway; even if his heart is dug out, he won’t die.

Wen Chu: Ah, ah…?

Why is Xiu s-suddenly so erotic?
Go further, into where?
Is mating okay too?

It was really too erotic. Wen Chu was dizzy from the pie falling from the sky, tongue tied for a long time before smoothing out a complete sentence: “N-n-no need to eat so much at once. Just l-l-letting me eat the black energy on your body completely is f-f-fine for now.”

He also wanted to mate right away, but let’s wait until he and Xiu become lovers for that kind of thing.
He had to be responsible for Xiu.

Wen Chu felt a bit guilty after speaking: “I haven’t gone to school yet; can I really eat?”

Only after saying those bold words did Xiu realize his shame belatedly. He tightened his hood, no longer letting Wen Chu see his face.

He said in a muffled voice: “Of course.”

He paused: “Can you skip eating black energy and eat more deeply directly?”

Tearing away the black energy on his body was a bit too stimulating for Xiu. Compared to such overwhelming pleasure, Xiu preferred Wen Chu to eat his flesh and blood directly.

Wen Chu also wanted to eat more deeply. He asked carefully: “Then do you like me?”

Xiu didn’t look at him: “I’m feeding you. What does that have to do with liking?”

Wen Chu: …Oh.

Wen Chu asked the system: [Can I increase lifespan by directly mating with Xiu in this world?]

System: […No, only eating black energy increases it.]

Wen Chu regretted: [Fine.]

He lay on Xiu’s shoulder and said weakly: “Can’t. Right now, only eating black energy saves lifespan.”

If mating with Xiu could increase lifespan, he would have done it. After all, this was Xiu’s personal invitation.

But mating couldn’t increase lifespan; he still had to find a way to make Xiu like him.

Wuu wuu, it wasn’t easy for Xiu to actively invite him to mate T^T

Such a big pie, yet he couldn’t catch it. Wen Chu bit the clothes on Xiu’s shoulder in sorrow.

Damn it, favorability is only at fifty so far.
If only Xiu liked him upon meeting.

Xiu looked doubtfully at the kitten biting his clothes, not quite understanding why Wen Chu started feeling sad on his own after rejecting him.

But he could understand Wen Chu not being able to eat him more deeply.

After all, Wen Chu vomited even eating canned food; he definitely couldn’t digest him now either. Better to raise Wen Chu a bit bigger before feeding him.

Thinking this, Xiu couldn’t help whispering: “Delicate crybaby.”

Wen Chu: ?

Wen Chu bit the clothes on Xiu’s shoulder even more sadly.

Asking if Xiu liked him got him called a delicate crybaby.

And this was under the premise that he tried so hard to act obedient and pitiful to hide his bad intentions.

Why is Xiu so hard to chase wuu wuu wuu.

.

Xiu carried the cat out and came back with a teary cat head biting onto his clothes on his shoulder for dear life.

Minnie looked at the little black cat who seemed to be venting anger by biting Xiu’s clothes, then at Xiu who was covered tightly in a black robe.

What’s the situation now? Sir and the cat fought?

Xiu sat down: “He said he can help.”

Minnie breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She continued: “Okay, Sir. Also, there’s news about the Heart of Steam. James’s brother Claude intercepted a train transporting Hearts of Steam while escaping. But now that he passed away, we are looking for where he hid the Hearts of Steam from that train…”

Xiu’s mind wandered as he listened. Finally, he turned his head directly and reached out to rescue his clothes from Wen Chu’s little sharp teeth.

“Don’t bite,” Xiu said. “Careful you’ll break your teeth.”

Wen Chu didn’t let go and gnawed several more times on Xiu’s shoulder.

He gnaw gnaw gnaw gnaw gnaw.
His teeth are great!

Minnie: …
Minnie felt she was brighter than the latest model of kerosene lamp.

She forced herself to report: “…Anyway, that’s it. After the fake deaths, the conflict is bound to intensify. Therefore, I want to find the whereabouts of the Heart of Steam first, contact the South District, and arm and strengthen the Rebel Army first to ensure that after the fake deaths, we can launch an attack quickly and create chaos immediately. So when exactly we need you… your cat to help hasn’t been decided yet. I’ll contact you when needed.”

Xiu nodded: “Mmn.”

After reporting the matters, Minnie secretly winked at Wen Chu, intending to signal Wen Chu to talk alone later.

Wen Chu, who was diligently gnawing on Xiu’s clothes, felt Minnie’s gaze, looked up to meet her eyes, and then continued to struggle against Lord Evil God’s black robe.

Minnie: .
Doomed. Wen Chu can’t read other people’s eyes at all.

Xiu had already stood up with Wen Chu. He always left without saying goodbye. Minnie could only watch the little black cat leave on Sir’s shoulder.

The little black cat’s butt faced her, wagged its tail, and suddenly a small ball of black energy separated from the tip of the tail and floated to her side.

“What is it? Say it quickly, I’m in a hurry to go home with Xiu.” Wen Chu’s voice came from the black energy.

Minnie was surprised for a moment, then quickly said: “Are you free at eleven tonight? I want you to resurrect Claude.”

Claude?

The small ball of black mist thought for a moment and remembered it was James’s brother whom he heard Minnie talk about yesterday. He agreed: “I can, but resurrecting people requires a great price, especially since Claude’s situation is so special, so…”

Minnie held her breath, waiting for Wen Chu’s follow-up.

So what price needs to be paid? What does she need to do? Is it some evil art of trading a life for a life?

The little black ball said slowly: “Add money.”

Minnie: “…Huh?”

The little black ball said seriously: “Need lots of money. Give me however much disposable money you have. I want to buy things for Xiu.”

“Call me next time you go out shopping. I’ll separate a ball like today to tell you what to buy. After buying, you send it over, saying it’s distributed by the Rebel Army. Otherwise, it’s hard for me to explain to Xiu.”

Minnie: “…”

Minnie: “Okay.”

The little black ball’s tone suddenly became cheerful: “Okay, then see you tonight. I’m going to find Xiu.”

This ball of black energy floated away impatiently after speaking, giving Minnie no chance to ask further questions.

Minnie stared trance-like at the drifting black energy, starting to calculate how much money she had left and how many more times she could hire Wen Chu.

—By the way, these two are so identical in disregarding whether others live or die, aren’t they?

Meanwhile.

This small wisp of black energy finally floated back to the tip of Wen Chu’s tail.

Wen Chu became a complete cat again.

He lay on Xiu’s shoulder, looking at the unaware Xiu, feeling once again that insisting on keeping the kitten form was genius.

Xiu couldn’t detect just a tiny bit of weight reduction.

Xiu’s steps didn’t stop, only lowering his eyelids after sensing the weight on his shoulder return to normal.

Wen Chu was hiding something else from him.

This was normal. Wen Chu was an independent individual; everyone had their own privacy. Wen Chu hiding things from him now only meant their relationship wasn’t intimate enough.

Remembering his usual attitude towards Wen Chu, Xiu pursed his lips and softened his voice: “No class today, it’s still early. Is there anything else you want to do?”

Wen Chu answered immediately: “Eat you.”

Xiu: “…Things other than this.”

Wen Chu thought for a moment: “Help you farm?”

Xiu: “…”

---

Author’s Note:
Xiu: You can eat more.
Chu: B-beheading meal?