Free Web NovelChapter 17: Chapter 17: A Little Ball of Yarn
"A toy?"
Jiang Xia’s eyes flew wide. "M-me? I’m not a pet! Why would I need a toy?"
He might think this female, Shi Lan, was good-looking, good-tempered, and kind, but he absolutely could not tolerate being treated like a pet!
He was a proud and dignified male Beastman!
Jiang Xia bared his teeth in anger, his sharp canines brushing against his lips. His bright red tongue flickered in and out as his breathing grew heavy with indignation.
His words made Shi Lan feel a bit guilty. She had just taken out the ball of yarn and was now clutching it in her palm, embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to treat you like a pet. I’ll take it back now."
"Don’t be mad, okay?"
As she spoke, she prepared to put the yarn ball back into her Space Bag. However, as she lifted her hand, the ball swayed beneath her palm, and she saw Jiang Xia’s head tilt along with it twice.
Hmm?
Shi Lan tried dangling it by its string and moving it again. Jiang Xia’s golden eyes narrowed, and his pupils instantly became two focused, pitch-black dots.
That expression was exactly the same as her friend’s cat when it saw something interesting.
To be honest, Shi Lan really didn’t think of Jiang Xia as a pet. After all, he was transformed from a Beastman and was no different from a human. It was just that his Pallas’s cat form made her instinctively think of a cat, which was why she had bought a toy that cats liked.
And right now...
Shi Lan swayed it twice more and finally confirmed that Jiang Xia was reacting to the ball of yarn. Just like cats love playing with balls, perhaps his animal instincts as a Pallas’s cat meant he was interested too.
Still, if Jiang Xia didn’t like it, she couldn’t force him.
With that thought, Shi Lan regretfully put the ball of yarn away.
After the yellow ball of yarn disappeared, Jiang Xia’s pupils finally returned to normal. He belatedly realized he had just been completely mesmerized by a little yarn ball!
’This is impossible. That female must have a Fox Clan spirit body; I was just being bewitched by her.’
Jiang Xia’s paws unconsciously dug into the snow a couple of times. Thinking of the yarn ball, he said menacingly, "It’s just a little ball of yarn. I was wondering what kind of toy it was. Since you bought it, I’ll reluctantly accept it."
He wanted to see for himself just what magic this ball of yarn held.
Shi Lan was speechless.
A mischievous urge suddenly took hold of her. She feigned thoughtfulness and said, "It’s alright, it’s alright. If you don’t like it, I’ll just take it back. There’s no need for you to force yourself, sir."
Jiang Xia’s paws dug into the snow even faster. What was originally just a small paw print around him was now a circular pit, deep enough to reveal the prison floor beneath.
For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. His mouth was clamped shut like a clam, unable to open.
Shi Lan continued her "self-reflection." "It’s all my fault for not paying attention to your preferences, sir. I won’t presume to buy things like this and make you angry again."
Jiang Xia’s ears twitched, and his tail swished anxiously a couple of times. When he finally spoke, he couldn’t help but raise his voice. "I never said I didn’t like it!"
"Oh? So you do like it, sir..."
"That’s a relief."
Shi Lan smiled. Seeing Jiang Xia was so flustered he looked like he was about to dig a hole through the floor, she finally stopped teasing him and tossed the ball of yarn through the small window.
It traced an arc through the air. Jiang Xia subconsciously started to chase it, but halfway there, he feigned composure and walked toward his Snowfall Chair instead. He couldn’t help but watch the toy out of the corner of his eye until it landed.
Robot Number Four thought a piece of trash had appeared in the room. It scanned the object and confirmed it was an item that did not belong to its master. A pet toy was, in any case, something Jiang Xia would never use.
With that conclusion, the robot materialized its cleaning tools and prepared to tidy up.
Jiang Xia’s pupils contracted sharply. Forgetting everything else, he scurried over and snatched the ball of yarn in his mouth. Seeing Shi Lan was still at the door, he felt ashamed and spat it out, choosing to vent his anger on the clueless robot instead. "Get lost! Don’t let me see you for the rest of the day."
Robot Number Four, not understanding, stared at the ’trash’—the ball of yarn—by Jiang Xia’s side, still itching to act. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Jiang Xia casually nudged the object closer to himself with a paw and urged viciously, "Still here? Get lost!"
Number Four could only say, "Oh," and automatically found a corner to enter standby mode.
’Youngsters these days have quite the temper.’
Shi Lan shook her head helplessly. But seeing that Jiang Xia, despite his words, actually really liked the ball of yarn, she was happy that he enjoyed the little toy she’d bought.
She didn’t linger any longer and walked over to the door of Cell Number Five, Yan Huoshui’s prison.
First, she passed the snacks inside, then took out the flowers she had just picked that morning.
"The pink China roses in the courtyard bloomed today, so instead of roses, I picked these."
The pink flowers bloomed with a splendid, intense vigor, radiating the vitality of life.
Yan Huoshui stared intently, then approached the window with the unhurried, elegant gait of a fox. His nine tails fanned out ostentatiously, their fur a glossy, bright red.
He propped himself up slightly and sniffed gently. His scarlet pupils were like clear springs, and his vulpine eyes, shimmering with light, looked at her. "Thank you. They’re very fragrant and beautiful."
His low, magnetic, and husky voice seemed to whisper right beside her ear, and Shi Lan almost let the flowers slip from her trembling hand.
Fortunately, all the inmates in the prison had distinctive voices and their own uniquely magnificent appearances. Having been through this for some time now, Shi Lan’s composure had greatly improved, and she didn’t embarrass herself.
She blinked, looked at the robot behind Yan Huoshui, and gestured for it to come take the flowers.
But the robots in each cell only followed their master’s commands, so Number Five didn’t move. Yan Huoshui’s lips twitched. He ordered Number Five to come over, deciding not to test Shi Lan further. The initial unfamiliarity and defensiveness in his eyes relaxed slightly.
However, he still felt this female was not simple. She had quietly captured the trust of several people in the prison, one by one. Although he hadn’t yet found out who was backing her, she was right under his nose. Sooner or later, she would show her true colors.
At this thought, he suddenly felt that his dull and uninteresting prison life had gained a little bit of flavor.
Shi Lan breathed a secret sigh of relief after the robot took the flowers. Seeing that all the snacks were delivered, she started walking toward the Prison Director’s office.
As she turned back, however, she felt several resentful gazes on her from all sides. She glanced to her left and right. The White Lion’s head was turned inward. She couldn’t see Ye Ming’s eyes in the darkness. Mu Tangfeng shot her a glare, his mouth moved silently, and he pressed the button to thicken his protective door.
Shi Lan had a feeling he had mouthed two words: "Not fair." But how could that be?
After all, she didn’t have the ability to read lips, so she had probably guessed wrong.
’Why did Mu Tangfeng get mad all of a sudden again??’
’Looks like I’m really better off single. Men... so moody and unpredictable.’
Shi Lan shook her head like a wise old elder, tossing her worries aside. The thought of the many snacks in her Space Bag made her pick up the pace on her way back.
After Shi Lan left, the prison fell silent for a long while. No one made a sound. Only suppressed, silent breaths swirled in the air.
Just then, the sound of Jiang Xia pouncing broke the dead silence. "You’re not getting away, you little ball of yarn!"
