Chapter 172: Cat-Coaxing Rules

Chapter 172: How to Soothe a Cat

"Who said that?"

Ling Qingjue stared straight at him, tilting his head slightly, every word sending a chill down one's spine: "I'll go kill him."

Meng Shu shook his head extremely slowly, bitterly. "I think so myself. I'm already pretty terrible as it is, otherwise I wouldn't have been abandoned by everyone. Only you think I'm good..."

Ling Qingjue frowned. "You are the Lord Hero."

"Everyone who comes here from another world is called Lord Hero. The village chief let it slip the other day—he said heroes are just tools, just here to do chores for the residents."

Ling Qingjue let out a light laugh.

That laugh somehow made Meng Shu sense a hint of mockery.

"You believe what that old baldy, the village chief, says?"

Ling Qingjue said, "I still haven't settled the score with him for kicking my butt."

Meng Shu hung his head dejectedly. "But I really am terrible."

"Do you think just anybody gets to be a hero?"

Ling Qingjue said slowly and deliberately. "Do you think the rules let just anybody waltz into our world?"

Meng Shu looked up blankly. "Isn't that the case? I just picked up a homeless guy on the roadside, mumbled some dumb spell, and crossed over."

Ling Qingjue took a deep breath and laughed. "If all it took was knowing a spell to come to our world, this world would have been corrupted ages ago."

Moon Bay was a tiny, out-of-the-way town.

In this world, even if you slacked off and did nothing, no one would blame you.

Everyone worked because of their interests and hobbies. Moon Bay embraced every difference, giving everyone a place to belong.

The reason Meng Shu was able to enter this world was simply because he wanted it badly enough.

If reality was too harsh, if you couldn't bear to open your eyes and face tomorrow, then go hide in Moon Bay.

In Moon Bay, you could play knight, tsundere cat, goofy neighbor, or busy bee.

In Moon Bay, you could do anything.

Ling Qingjue's fingers hooked around Meng Shu's palm, as if flirting with him, his voice dropping low, hoarse and echoing in his ears, "You are the Lord Hero, very powerful. Everyone in Moon Bay thinks so."

Meng Shu buried his head. "I'm not powerful. It's just that Moon Bay is too small, so they think I'm powerful."

"Do you think Moon Bay has no big shots?" Ling Qingjue sighed. "The people in Moon Bay are generally very old. They are proficient in all kinds of professions and have long been max-level adventurers."

Meng Shu's eyes went wide in surprise. "Really? Then how come they call me for help when they run into something like a coal golem?"

"Because they want to increase their favorability with you, or maybe they're bored and like to tease you."

Ling Qingjue cupped his face and gazed deeply into his eyes. "Meng Shu, you have to understand: there is no shortage of strong people here, but everyone doesn't like to show off. This is Moon Bay. There aren't that many twists and turns. If they like you, they like you. If they want to see you, they want to see you."

In Meng Shu's memories about love, the phrase Ling Qingjue heard most often was "Lord Hero."

There were so many strong people in Moon Bay, perhaps a hundred times stronger than Meng Shu.

But they still liked to call Meng Shu "Lord Hero."

"You always belittle yourself like this, thinking we don't like you, that we're tricking you, that we'll abandon you someday. Then what about those who truly care about you?"

Ling Qingjue frowned, his dark green eyes emitting a cold light. "Meng Shu, a true knight should have eight virtues: humility, honor, sacrifice, valor, compassion, honesty, justice, and spirit. You've already mastered six of them."

"Meng Shu, by defeating me, you will achieve supreme glory."

"As for honesty, you are just a liar. It'll take you a lifetime to fix that."

Ling Qingjue stroked his cheek and said softly, "You have no idea how good you are. Every time I hear you say you're not worth it, I want to choke you. You are the Lord Hero of Moon Bay, born to defeat the Demon King, to be loved by all. How could you not be worth it?"

Meng Shu's lips trembled slightly, a faint light flickering in his eyes.

He wanted to cry again.

He hadn't cried when he was beaten before, but a couple of words from Ling Qingjue could make him burst into tears.

Sure enough, he was the worst little kitten in the world, always making people cry.

"I hate hearing you say sorry. I hate hearing you say 'I won't do it again.' You're always apologizing. What else can you do besides apologize?"

Meng Shu's lips moved. He could tell Ling Qingjue was a little angry, but he didn't know how to win him over.

"Then, what do you want me to say?" Meng Shu asked timidly, seeking guidance. "I can change that."

"Say some sweet love words, like 'I'll love you forever,' sleep with me tonight, or give birth to a little kitten for me..." Ling Qingjue turned his head away awkwardly.

Meng Shu nodded in a daze. "Is this how I coax you? I thought that was called making empty promises."

"I'll eat your empty promises too," Ling Qingjue grumbled. "You humans love to ramble on while hugging a cat, don't you? You've never done that for me. You've never treated me like your cat."

Meng Shu had learned his lesson this time. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Ling Qingjue's back, his slightly cool palm gently pressed against his back. "Cat, thank you for telling me this... I'm really too dense. Having an owner like me must be such a letdown for you."

"It's not that disappointing."

Ling Qingjue was still acting aloof. "Anyway, I don't want to hear you apologize anymore. It really annoys this cat."

Meng Shu rubbed his back, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Cat, before you get locked into the second floor of the Demon King's Tower, let's go again?"

"..."

Ling Qingjue's cat ears flicked. He tried to act calm, but his tail gave him away.

That tail had already eagerly wrapped around Meng Shu's slender waist, its tip frantically tracing the lines of his abs.

He frantically grabbed his tail. "I didn't tell it to do that!"

Meng Shu let out a low laugh, pressed down on the tail, and gave it a couple of expert rubs. "I know, your tail isn't under your control."

He looked up, his eyes seemed to shimmer with light.

He didn't say a word, but Ling Qingjue felt as if his eyes had spoken countless love words. He couldn't help lowering his head, his soft lips planting a kiss on Meng Shu's forehead.

His lips slid down along the bridge of his nose, tentatively brushing against his lips.

Meng Shu kissed back eagerly. "Hurry up. After we finish, I'll go find Jia Zhao, get my memory restored quickly, and then attack the Demon King's Tower."

Hearing this, Ling Qingjue turned his head away, not letting him kiss anymore. "Why are you bringing someone else up at a time like this?"

"Are you angry again?" Meng Shu touched his cat ears, "What, are you jealous about everything?"

"I'm not jealous." Ling Qingjue said grumpily, "I don't get jealous."

"Then what are you angry about?"

"You bring up someone else at a time like this? Of course I'm mad."

Meng Shu was about to argue, but suddenly remembered what Ling Qingjue had told him, and said smoothly,

"Don't be mad. I love you, I really love you. Let's keep going, and tonight we'll have a little kitten." That one sentence was all it took—Ling Qingjue's tail shot up in delight.