C4 Being Kept

Lu Xiaoxiao gazed wistfully at the chin of the person before her. Why did he always seem like he wanted to devour her? After staring for a while, she finally felt a bit sleepy and found a warm spot in his arms to drift off.

Cang Xu had a restful night, but as soon as he woke, a flash of white darted from his embrace like lightning. He raised an eyebrow.

Lu Xiaoxiao found a secluded spot among the flowers to take care of personal matters. After watering the flowers, she sighed in relief, feeling much better after holding it in all night. Suddenly, a large shadow loomed behind her. She hunched her shoulders and turned her head, unsurprised to see the tall figure standing there with arms crossed.

He saw... he saw... was all that echoed in Lu Xiaoxiao's mind.

Cang Xu smirked at the little creature at his feet. So, she was... at her limit... huh!

Feeling utterly embarrassed, Lu Xiaoxiao hung her head and followed Cang Xu back inside.

A line of attendants entered, and Cang Xu stood with arms outstretched as they dressed him in his formal attire, then freshened up.

Lu Xiaoxiao nestled on the table, curiously observing. It seemed this man was some kind of high-ranking official. She couldn't distinguish the ranks of ancient officials, but she could guess based on the elegance of his attire.

Once everything was ready, a man's voice called from outside. Dressed in black, Li respectfully announced, "Your Grace, it's time for court."

So, he was a Duke! Lu Xiaoxiao realized. Cang Xu noticed the little one staring at him and, in a good mood, went over to gently pinch her ear. "Wait for me to return," he said, instructing Yue to look after her.

The Duke being so gentle with a cat? Outside, Li felt like the sun had risen in the west. He glanced at the chubby white cat on the table. Hmm, it really was quite adorable!

Cang Xu stepped out the door and glanced at Li. "Let's go."

Li followed closely behind Cang Xu, serving as both his personal guard and trusted confidant.

Once they left the manor, Cang Xu suddenly stopped and turned his head. "Look into the background of that little creature," he said, his eyes thoughtful. It could understand human speech and seemed almost human-like in its behavior. If no one trained it, could it actually be some kind of cat spirit?

In the courtyard of Tongxin, which belonged to Vice Consort Bai Yanling, she was furious after hearing the servant's report. Originally, she had planned to quietly get rid of the little beast, but the Duke had taken an interest in it and even assigned a maid to care for it. Despite her hatred, she couldn't openly harm the creature now.

Bai Yanling clenched her sleeves tightly, biting her lip as a hint of malice flickered in her eyes. She summoned her attendant and whispered instructions. It was just a cat, after all. As Vice Consort, she couldn't believe the Duke would refuse her if she asked for it.

By noon, Cang Xu returned to the manor. Li reported that the Ninth Princess had recently lost a beloved white cat in the city and was now searching for it everywhere.

So it was the mischievous Ninth Princess, Cang Xu mused. That explained yesterday's incident. The little creature had chosen its spot well.

Li observed the Duke's expression and ventured, "Should I return the white cat to the Ninth Princess?"

"This cat has already settled in here and refuses to leave. Oh well, go buy a similar one from the street and return that to her," Cang Xu said, taking a sip of tea to mask his amusement.

Li thought, "Just one night and it's already settled in? Is there really someone—or rather, a cat—that the Duke can't send away? Could his excuse be any more transparent?"

"Yes, Duke." It was best not to reveal anything, so Li went downtown to look for the white cat.