Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Hang Minyu carried You Nan into the room and gently placed him on the bed. The man straightened up, only to receive a light tap from the person he had just set down.

You Nan’s voice reached his ear, "Put that chair over there so Qing Er can get down."

Hang Minyu followed You Nan’s指 direction. The room was dimly lit, and though he had seen nothing out of place earlier, a pair of small legs had suddenly appeared.

The little legs swung playfully, and a small head peeked out, seemingly amused.

Hang Minyu’s eyelid twitched.

The room was low-ceilinged, with beams not too high—just right for a child to climb onto.

Hang Minyu didn’t fetch the chair. Instead, he took two steps forward and reached out to Qing Er, saying, "Jump, I’ll catch you."

The little girl cheered and leaped down like a fledgling swallow darting into the woods.

Hang Minyu steadily caught her by the arms. The moment Qing Er’s feet touched the ground, the large hands that had been holding her clothes let go. Before she could react, Hang Minyu’s sudden release almost made her fall.

"Brother Hang, you scared me!"

Qing Er patted her chest, her eyes wide open.

Though she claimed to be frightened, her eyes shone with eagerness.

Hang Minyu walked over and sat down. "If it had been one of your sisters who came in instead of me, they would have been frightened sick by you."

Qing Er thought about it and agreed, but she couldn’t help but laugh.

"Next time, I’ll hide up there again."

Hang Minyu glanced up at You Nan, who had already lain back down in bed.

It wasn't hard to guess who had given the child the idea to use a chair to climb up and then move it away.

The tea on the table had cooled. Hang Minyu poured a cup for himself and took a sip. "We’ll rest here tonight. Tomorrow, the three of us will go shopping together and come back to cook."

You Nan replied obediently, "Okay."

With Hang Minyu sitting there, both You Nan and Qing Er felt at ease.

The noise outside gradually quieted down. The room remained unlit, and You Nan lay awake, lost in his thoughts.

He wondered where 007 had gone. After entering this minor world, they had been separated.

You Nan pondered this, his blinking slowing until, at some point, he fell asleep.

Qing Er still lay on the bed's step.

Hang Minyu sat in the chair, leaning back but with his spine straight, without a trace of slouch.

The night passed quietly.

You Nan slept early and woke early.

When he opened his eyes, the other two were already gone, leaving him alone in the room.

You Nan pushed back the covers and picked up the clothes beside him to get dressed. It was his first time wearing ancient-style clothing, and he didn’t know how to put them on. But as he slipped the garments on, his body's muscle memory took over and guided him through it.

You Nan clenched his hand into a fist.

His strength was still weak, but compared to his frail state yesterday, he was quite an improvement today.

You Nan pushed the door open and stepped out, finally getting a full view of the "Opera Troupe."

It was a complex, maze-like courtyard with many rooms. Aside from his side room, the other rooms had their doors shut, each hung with a red lantern.

You Nan stared at the red lanterns, and he thought he understood what they meant.

"Brother You! Over here!" Qing Er appeared from outside, a smile on her face as she waved to You Nan.

As soon as You Nan approached, a bowl of millet porridge was placed in his hands.

"Drink up. But it’s just what was left in the pot from the guests."

The child spoke honestly.

Some guests stayed overnight, so they had to prepare breakfast in the morning.

After these people left, they wouldn't open for business from morning until evening.

"The sisters usually don’t get up until noon. After we finish cooking later, you help me carry the plates and bowls outside while I take them to the sisters’ rooms."

Qing Er drank quickly, finishing her porridge in a few quick gulps.

You Nan was hungry too, and he didn’t mind. Everyone ate from bowls, not directly from the pot. It's not dirty.

After finishing his porridge, You Nan took the bowl from her and said, "Let me help you wash it."

Qing Er paused in surprise. She hadn’t expected the new brother to be so kind. The girl’s smile widened, unconsciously revealing the dark gap from her missing tooth. "You’re so nice, brother."

You Nan hadn’t known Qing Er was losing teeth. The little girl cared about her appearance and usually smiled carefully.

He pretended not to notice and replied as usual, "You’re nice too."

He squatted by the well, setting the clothes he'd washed on his knees. "Where’s Brother Hang?"

Qing Er went into the kitchen and called out, "He’s already eaten. Brother, Hang Minyu says you should call him troupe leader from now on."

You Nan lowered his eyes as he washed the bowl. "Okay."

Qing Er's head peeked out again, glanced at him, and quickly ducked back.

After washing the bowls and pot, they each took a broom to clean the courtyard and kitchen. By the time they finished, sounds of activity were just beginning outside their courtyard.

The sun was up, and early risers were already out and about.

Hang Minyu came out of his room, gave the courtyard a once-over, and without a word, led the two of them to the market street.

It was You Nan’s first time in this ancient era, and he was curious about everything.

His eyes wandered curiously, but he managed to keep some attention on Hang Minyu and Qing Er ahead, so he wouldn't get lost.

The streets were crowded, with many people looking pale and skinny. Those huddled in corners, dust-covered and eyes shut, were a common sight.

The noisy streets, the silent passersby, and the gray, desolate figures emerging unexpectedly from corners lent everything an air of absurdity.

This feeling made You Nan feel disconnected, as if he didn’t belong to this world at all.

His eyes were strikingly clear.

Qing Er liked You Nan's face—it was innocent and gentle.

She kept glancing back from time to time, with a sense that each glance might be her last chance to see him.

Qing Er wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and bumped into the man walking ahead.

Hang Minyu stopped in his tracks.

Realizing her mistake, Qing Er quickly moved out of the way and apologized, "Sorry, troupe leader."

Before Hang Minyu could say anything, another person bumped into him.

You Nan, whose attention was still on a passing street vendor, suddenly found himself colliding with a chest that carried a faint scent of cold sandalwood.

It felt familiar—he had smelled it just last night.

You Nan quickly came to his senses, straightened up, and said, "Sorry, troupe leader."

Qing Er covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

You Nan was a man, so there was no need for Hang Minyu to avoid physical contact with him.

He directly reached out and steadied You Nan by the shoulder. "Walk properly. There are all kinds of people here—be careful not to get snatched away."

Hearing this, You Nan felt a shiver of fear and became more cautious.

He no longer dared to let his eyes wander left and right.

The two adults and one child bought some vegetables. When they passed by a butcher shop, Hang Minyu also bought a pound of lean meat.

Under current conditions, most households preferred fatty meat because it contained a lot of fat, which provided necessary fats—a rare treat throughout the year.

Fatty meat was expensive, while lean meat, which was highly popular in modern times, cost only half as much.

You Nan whispered, "I know how to cook. What ingredients or seasonings are left in the kitchen?"

Qing Er spent almost all day in the kitchen, so she knew exactly what was there.

"We have green onions, ginger, garlic, a small jar of lard, a small bottle of vinegar, a small bag of flour, a small jar of salt, and a little more than half a container of millet."

They only bought what they needed and never kept leftovers overnight.

You Nan nodded in understanding.

Basically, there was almost nothing.

Hang Minyu, walking ahead, furrowed his brows.

Qing Er still needed to be taught more carefully—not to tell everything to someone she had just met less than a day ago.

Otherwise, she might end up being sold off one day and still be happy about it.

The three of them bought the groceries and returned home.

You Nan voluntarily started cooking.

He didn’t need to exert much effort—Qing Er managed the fire and chopped the vegetables, while he only needed to stir the ingredients in the wok with a spatula.

In the corner of the room stood a stove with two pots and two ports for heating water in between, allowing them to heat water while cooking.

You Nan glanced at the ingredients and decided to make sautéed bean sprouts and vegetable porridge. He added a bit of salt to the porridge, melted a small amount of lard, sliced the lean meat into small pieces, and pan-fried it.

The aroma of the meat soon filled the air, and Qing Er couldn’t help but sniff hungrily while tending the fire, her mouth watering.

After breakfast was ready, Qing Er went from room to room delivering meals, gently urging the sisters to wake up and eat.

You Nan, meanwhile, sat face to face with Hang Minyu and ate together.

"How are you feeling?" Hang Minyu asked.

You Nan replied, "Feeling much better today. Thank you, troupe leader, for saving my life."

Hang Minyu said, "If you’re only here to work as a helper, you can leave after two months."

You Nan acknowledged this.

Two months wasn't a short time, but he wanted to find 007 as soon as possible.

You Nan asked, "If I want to go out later to earn money, would that be alright?"

Hang Minyu took a bite of food. "That’s fine."

Hang Minyu added, "But you can’t bring anyone else here."

You Nan understood—they needed to protect the safety of the girls. "I won’t."

You Nan temporarily made his home in this humble Opera Troupe.

During the day, he helped with cooking and cleaning alongside Qing Er.

They didn’t need to clean the girls’ rooms, as the girls never let anyone into their quarters during the day.

The work at the Opera Troupe wasn't demanding, and the days were often too idle, so You Nan frequently went out to search for 007 and find money-making opportunities.

Meanwhile, 007, whom You Nan was thinking of, had appeared in the imperial city of the Song State.

A foreign merchant who had sailed across the ocean raised a cage in his hand and, speaking in clumsy official speech, introduced one of the tributes he had brought from afar to the emperor and officials of the Song State.

"This is a cat from our country. Its fur is deep blue, almost black, with amber-colored eyes. Its coat is glossy and smooth..."

As he spoke, he reached into the cage and scratched 007 under the chin. 007, wary under everyone's gaze, narrowed its eyes and instinctively flattened its ears.

A purr rumbled in its throat.

The merchant opened the cage, and 007 shook its head, its front paws slipping slightly as it stumbled.

The small Russian Blue emerged from the cage.

Unlike the cautious stray cats, Russian Blues were household pets and tended to be more affectionate than territorial strays.

At that moment, 007 showed no fear despite being watched by so many people.

Its tail swayed gently behind it.

Its fur was beautiful, like silk, and its face was round and chubby—a breed unseen in the Song State. It instantly won the hearts of those in power.

Several consorts and children around the Emperor of Song State had longing, eager looks in their eyes.

007 had no idea how it had survived the past half-month.

The distance between it and You Nan was growing wider and wider.

In the previous world, it had been near You Nan's "hometown," but in this world, it started out overseas.

To be chosen as a "tribute," 007 had fought so many cats, clawing their fur off until they went bald, that it finally stood out among a bunch of "bald cats" and ended up here.

007 felt like crying its eyes out.

While the little cat was zoning out, the people in power began arguing about it.

"Your Majesty, this little cat is really cute. I really like it," said the favored noble consort, who sat beside her young son, holding his little hand with a smile.

There was only one kitten, and rarity made it precious.

If the noble consort took it, the others would be out of luck.

The Sixth Princess was naturally unwilling. "Hua'er wants it too, Father! Please give it to Hua'er!"

Once the Sixth Princess spoke, the other princes and princesses jumped in to fight for it.

Although Song State had only taken control of the Central Plains for five years, they originally came from tribes from beyond the borders. The current Emperor had many children even before entering the Central Plains.

But the one he favored most was his eldest son.

The more fiercely the consorts and children argued, the more it showed how much everyone wanted it.

After letting them beg for a bit, the Emperor waited for silence before turning to his eldest son sitting next to him. "Crown Prince, what do you think?"

Fu Lingtan's lips naturally turned up, giving him a friendly look even when expressionless.

"It's not bad."

Hearing this, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh and, brushing everyone else aside, granted the rare tribute to his Crown Prince. "Since you like it, it's yours!"

Fu Lingtan didn’t even have to get up and kneel to thank him. He remained sitting up straight, a smile on his lips. "Thanks, Father, for the reward."

The consorts, princes, and princesses nearby were grinding their teeth at the sight.

007 was given to Fu Lingtan and was immediately taken away by a palace eunuch in charge of looking after cats and dogs. After being bathed and dried, it was sent to Fu Lingtan's Eastern Palace.

The eunuch set out a soft cushion for 007.

Not wasting any time, 007 lay down on it, closed its eyes, and soaked up the sun.

It was lost in thought.

It wondered how You Nan was doing now.

In its system space, there were now two memory orbs.

You Nan and it had completed two tasks excellently, and 007 had started to figure out some of the rules.

It speculated that the Energy Points from these worlds had already gone to the child of the protagonist and You Nan in the previous two worlds.

Was it possible that the child born from this cheat ability was the new source of Energy Points for the world?

007 couldn’t figure it out and didn't even want to think about where that child went after the world tasks ended.

All it knew was that its higher-ups in the system couldn't stop praising it.

It seemed their tasks had been completed really well.

That was why they were given this third world.

The difficulty of this world was high.

The main protagonists were all sharp and ruthless—real wolves.

The environment of this world was no different.

Feudalism, war, and disasters had created a society that "ate people alive."

The originally assigned identity was that of a wealthy young master in the capital—a rich kid who could easily approach the protagonist, a courtesan, and rely on family connections to interact with the other main characters.

But unexpectedly, many hosts had been directly taken out by the protagonists.

Many tried to approach the protagonist who was easier to get to, but every single time, these hosts were killed by jealous rivals who went berserk.

Others tried to side with the main characters, but they were either found out to be useless or seen as enemies by other protagonists and killed right then and there.

Some chose to coast and stay home, which did allow them to survive longer.

But the family of this identity couldn’t just coast along.

To survive, they needed to seek powerful allies.

Yet the outcome was the same—aligning with any faction risked immediate death.

At best, they might be implicated and exiled, only to be captured and eaten by refugees along the way.

Too many hosts had failed, forcing the higher-ups to abandon this entry point.

The era of this world was too harsh.

Those in power could treat human life as worthless.

A single word or glance from them could snatch away someone’s precious life.

Without completing tasks and earning Energy Points, it was impossible to succeed.

The higher-ups, feeling desperate, decided to let You Nan try, given his exceptional performance in the previous two worlds.

They didn’t care whether You Nan would survive in this world.

007 felt they were no different from the powerful figures in this world.

So, You Nan was given a fresh start.

He directly took over the body of someone who had already died to approach the protagonists.

The advantage was that, since the original body was dead, there was no predetermined storyline to follow.

The downside was that this body didn’t come for free.

He has business to attend to.

You Nan must fulfill the original person's wishes.

007 flexed its claws, sighed, and recalled the two wishes of the original body.

One wish was to have a home.

The second wish was to become like those powerful people—standing at the pinnacle of power, able to bully others.

007 had witnessed the original body’s entire life.

A brief sixteen years, yet sixteen years of constant fear and anxiety.

Even in the moment before death, their weakness led to being abandoned and humiliated.

It was completely understandable that the original body harbored such resentment and desires before dying.

The little kitten was deep in thought with its eyes closed when its ears suddenly twitched at the sound of heavy, purposeful footsteps approaching from outside.

The young eunuch attending to it hurriedly bowed to the newcomer. "Your Highness."

"Cage this kitten and bring it with me," said Fu Lingtan.

The young eunuch quickly complied, gently picking up 007 and placing it into the cage.

007 remained still, quiet and relaxed.

The little kitten was perceptive; a cat’s field of vision is much wider than a human’s. Even without turning its head, it could see Fu Lingtan’s deceptively kind face with a ruthless gaze fixed on its profile.

The man’s eyes were cold and menacing. If 007 were an ordinary kitten, its fur would have bristled in readiness to attack.

After observing the kitten for a while, Fu Lingtan grew more satisfied with this gift.

At least it was brave and affectionate.

The young eunuch carried the cage and followed him into the carriage, trembling so badly he looked ready to collapse.

The carriage left the palace and headed toward the South Lane district in the capital.

The kitten in the cage's eyes immediately lit up.

You Nan was in that direction!

The carriage traveled for a while before finally coming to a stop.

Fu Lingtan’s chief eunuch took the cage from the young eunuch and handed it to his master.

Fu Lingtan stepped out with 007.

He didn’t notice the kitten in the cage staring intently at a more distant, secluded area.

Only after entering the building and losing sight of the distant houses did 007 return to the present.

It twitched its little nose and immediately held its breath—the air was thick with the scent of rouge, irritating its nose.

007 recognized this place.

It was the territory of the protagonist shou, the Qichun Pavilion.

007 vaguely realized why Fu Lingtan, one of the protagonist gongs, had brought it here.

So it was to win favor!

The madam of Qichun Pavilion beamed with delight at the sight of Fu Lingtan, her face crinkling into a broad smile.

"Master Fu has arrived!"

Fu Lingtan’s attendants immediately stepped forward to block the madam from getting too close.

"Is Chen Liangren available?" Fu Lingtan asked.

The madam quickly replied, "Yes, yes! I’ll summon him right away."

"No need, I’ll go myself."

Fu Lingtan took 007 upstairs.

007 lay motionless in the cage, though its heart raced so fast it felt like it might beat out of its chest.

You Nan had taken on an identity with an unknown future, leaving 007 completely in the dark about the upcoming developments between the protagonist gong and shou.

The future plot was not accessible to them.

They would have to feel their way forward blindly.

Alone and feline, 007 could only take things as they came.

Chen Liangren heard the knock at the door and called out, "Come in."

007 twitched its ear.

The voice was husky and seductive, making its ears tingle.

Fu Lingtan set the kitten cage on the table. "This is a gift for you."

Chen Liangren met Fu Lingtan’s gaze in the bronze mirror.

Fu Lingtan’s eyes were sharp and fierce, as if fixated on his prey.

Chen Liangren averted his gaze, schooling his features, and stood up to examine the well-fed cat.

"Keep it if you like it," Fu Lingtan said, his intense gaze fixed on Chen Liangren.

007 looked up at the two men before him.

Fu Lingtan was a ferocious wolf who, having become Crown Prince after entering the capital, wrapped himself in the cloak of civility and humanity.

His face naturally appeared approachable, but his true methods and power were enough to instill fear.

Chen Liangren had a delicate appearance, with red lips, white teeth, fair skin, and striking beauty. In 007’s eyes, he was truly worthy of being the top courtesan in the novel’s brothel.

Chen Liangren was the type who, even when standing still, bundled up in many layers of clothing, doing nothing and not even looking at anyone, had a captivating presence that drew attention.

Over the sounds of Fu Lingtan advancing and Chen Liangren retreating, 007 noticed something that stunned it.

Fu Lingtan and Chen Liangren were almost the same height!

Wow! They must both be at least 190 cm tall!

007’s mouth fell open.

A 190 cm tall receiving partner? Isn’t that a bit too intimidating as a trait?!

"Snap out of it! What are you thinking about?"

Someone gently touched its whiskers, and 007 came back to itself.

Fu Lingtan had already left at some point, and only it and Chen Liangren remained in the room.

Chen Liangren felt this cat was a bit different—not just in appearance, but also in the way it looked at him, with what looked like surprise.

Chen Liangren chuckled.

He wondered if he was just tired—how could a cat possibly show surprise?

But in fact, 007 really was.

It was impressed by Chen Liangren’s abilities.

Fu Lingtan was clearly not a pushover—he was the crown prince, with a temper to match.

The man had specially brought such a precious, one-of-a-kind gift today; he definitely expected to get some action.

Yet the Chen Liangren before it was still fully dressed, his hair not disheveled, his lips not even kissed-looking.

Clearly, Fu Lingtan hadn’t managed to gain any advantage over him.

The little kitten’s tail swished and it narrowed its eyes.

So this receiving partner knew what he was doing after all.

Of course, it thought.

If he were too naive, Chen Liangren would never have been able to handle multiple powerful men and still keep himself safe.

Even with the fish in his pond fighting among themselves, he didn't even sweat it, still able to make these men continue to love him and do his bidding.

007 couldn’t help but paw-clap in admiration.

You Nan really ought to come and learn from him, apprentice under him, and see exactly what it truly means to be called a "Daji."