Chapter 28: Using Your House as a Warehouse

Ning Shengsheng suppressed the discomfort in her heart. She knew that not everyone loved little animals, and moreover, Ning Xuan was a young emperor who didn’t even care about human lives. Reasoning with him would definitely not work.

She tucked a messy strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, her expression innocent and pure. “Older Brother, I just like this one!”

“Look how cute it is! A fat cat brings prosperity to the home. I want to take it back to Zhaoxia Palace and raise it.”

Ning Xuan hesitated, his gaze falling on Ning Shengsheng’s eager eyes. He couldn’t refuse. Finally, he relented. “Alright then.”

“Thank you, Older Brother! You’re the best to An’an!”

Ning Shengsheng clapped her hands happily and turned to let Snowball out. But Ning Xuan behind her spoke again. “I’m not refusing you, but… you can raise it, but it must be in a cage.”

Her hand, which was opening the iron cage, froze.

Shuangxi timely stepped forward. “Princess, His Majesty is also worried about you. This little beast almost startled His Majesty. If it weren’t for the princess’s fondness for it, it would have been dealt with long ago.”

The scorching sun beat down on the grass and trees in the garden, but she, standing in the sunlight, felt not a trace of warmth. She adjusted her mindset and feigned obedience.

“Alright, I’ll listen to Older Brother.”

Only then did Ning Xuan’s brows relax, and he instructed Shuangxi to have the iron cage sent to Zhaoxia Palace.

“Then I’ll go first.”

Just as she was about to leave, Ning Xuan’s voice came from behind.

“An’an, you’ve been a little too kind lately.”

Ning Shengsheng’s heart instantly leaped into her throat. She nervously licked her dry lips. After silently counting to three and controlling her heartbeat, she turned and smiled with abandon.

“Have I? I’ve just been particularly fond of fluffy little things recently. Actually, one cat is far from enough. Older Brother, how about you give me your Thunder and Lightning Lion too?”

“!!!”

This girl dares to have ideas about his Thunder and Lightning Lion.

The little bit of suspicion in Ning Xuan’s heart instantly vanished. He quickly called for his palanquin and returned to the palace, fearing that Ning Shengsheng would pester him for the Thunder and Lightning Lion. That steed was so cool, and it was the only one in all of Great Ning.

Seeing Ning Xuan run faster than a rabbit, Ning Shengsheng let out a sigh of relief, a lightheartedness in her clear almond eyes.

Everyone in the imperial garden had left. Xue Chen slowly emerged from behind the tree and glanced in the direction Ning Shengsheng had left. He followed her unhurriedly.

Shuangxi had carried the iron cage halfway when he was sent away by Ning Shengsheng. She glanced around; there was no one in sight. She hid in front of the iron cage and said in a soft, gentle voice, “Snowball, don’t run around here in the future. It’s very dangerous. If something happens to you, your master will be very sad.”

“I’ll let you out now. You go back to your master. If you understand what I’m saying, meow once.”

“Meow!”

Snowball wagged its tail.

“Good boy. Go on now!”

Ning Shengsheng quickly opened the iron cage.

Snowball rubbed against her skirt, then leaped onto the wall and disappeared.

Before long, Shuangxi returned. Seeing the iron cage wide open, he panicked. “Your Highness, are you alright? How did the cage open?”

“Hmph, this princess just wanted to open it and pet it. That bad thing pushed open the door and ran away!”

She feigned a fit of pique.

“Oh my, that scared this old slave to death. Are you hurt? Let this slave have a look!”

“I’m fine!”

Shuangxi looked her over and saw she wasn’t injured, but he was still worried and ordered someone to summon the imperial physician immediately. While they waited for the physician in a nearby pavilion, he finally relaxed after the physician had examined her.

“This slave will go back and report to His Majesty. Your Highness, please rest well.”

“Mm.”

Ning Shengsheng glanced around. No one should have seen any of this. She walked with a light step to meet Songgao, who had come to fetch her.

The garden was completely deserted. When there was only the sound of insects, Xue Chen slowly emerged from behind the wall. He walked to the front of the iron cage, his expression dark and unclear, his gaze thoughtful as he looked in the direction Ning Shengsheng had left.

He opened his lips slightly and muttered in a voice so soft that only he could hear, “Ning An, how do you know about Snowball?”

“What secrets are you hiding?”

The young man’s dark eyes were deep, and his face held a mocking look.

…

【Hidden mission complete. Dispensing reward. Host may choose between refining medicine, refining weapons, or soul power cultivation.】

Ning Shengsheng’s elbow was propped on the table, her hands rubbing her temples. She said wearily, “Soul power, I guess.”

She was so busy every day, busier than the emperor. If she wasn’t rushing to save someone, she was rushing to put on an act.

“Sigh… I really want to go back and lie down and be a lazy fish…”

System: 【Host, persevere! When you complete the mission, you will be able to truly lie down.】

“Heh, you’d better be right.”

“Where’s my reward?”

【Dispensing Quenching Soul Art. Host, please remember it well.】

Ning Shengsheng sat up, memorized the incantation, and sat cross-legged with her eyes closed to cultivate. After chanting it twice, the soul power in her mind circulated through her meridians, limbs, and bones before returning. Her soul source was much thicker than before.

“Hiss, this is good stuff!”

Soul cultivation was more powerful than spiritual cultivation because soul power was self-produced and self-sufficient, and it tempered the soul. Spiritual cultivation, on the other hand, relied on spiritual energy. Now that spiritual energy was scarce, it was very difficult for spiritual cultivators to advance.

It turned out she wasn’t a good-for-nothing; she was a genius!

Ning Shengsheng put her hands on her hips and laughed out loud. “System, get ready to live a life of luxury with me!”

【Thank you.】

The system was just being stubborn. In its heart, it greatly admired Ning Shengsheng. After all, there weren’t many soul cultivators in the world above either. This required unique innate conditions and a very pure soul.

Ning Shengsheng was lost in cultivation, unable to extricate herself.

Xue Chen returned to his courtyard. Snowball was obediently lying by the bed, licking its wounds. Seeing him return, it let out a pitiful meow.

“I told you, we’re living under someone else’s roof right now. You should go out less. Have you learned your lesson from getting hurt today?”

Although his tone was harsh, his movements in taking out the ointment were very quick.

“Meow~”

It pitifully rubbed against his hand.

Xue Chen’s face darkened as he applied the ointment. “A lesson learned is a lesson learned. It’s the same for cats. It’s good to learn a lesson early on.”

“Lest you become even bolder in the future.”

He bandaged Snowball’s four paws with gauze. It stood up and swayed, unable to walk properly. It fell headfirst into the bed and lay there, refusing to move.

The young man couldn’t help but laugh out loud, revealing his white teeth and a faint, sharp canine tooth. If Ning Shengsheng had seen it, she would have screamed with delight at how cute he was.

…

The summer heat was unbearable. Today, ice blocks were distributed to every palace. Many in the palace had no cultivation. It was difficult to endure without ice.

Ning Shengsheng received a full ten boxes. She looked up and asked Shuangxi, “Does Hostage Prince Xue have any?”

“Of course not,” Shuangxi replied.

“Send two of my boxes to…”

【System warning: Host cannot be so straightforward and openly good to Xue Chen!】

Ning Shengsheng: …

“Send all ten of my boxes to Hostage Prince Xue!”

【System warning: Host cannot violate—】

“Shut up. I’m sending him ten boxes of ice to freeze him to death. Are you satisfied now?” she silently communicated with the system in her sea of consciousness.

【Cough, well… that’s acceptable…】

Shuangxi hesitated. “Your Highness, ten boxes of ice is quite a lot. Is it alright to send them all to Hostage Prince Xue?”

Ning Shengsheng deliberately darkened her face and said fiercely, “Do you dare to disobey my words?”

“This slave wouldn’t dare! I’ll go at once, I’ll go at once.”

Serving the unpredictable siblings, Shuangxi’s heart was in his throat all day. Before long, a full ten boxes of ice were moved to the pear courtyard.

Xue Chen: ?

Does she want to turn his place into an icehouse?