The night was pitch-black. In the dimly lit cabin, Zhang Yemiao set down a cup of tea and invited the cat-eared girl to sit.

The tea wasn’t good—cheap, really. Neither Zhang Yemiao nor Wang Qi cared much for tea. Wang Qi had just grabbed some in town one day.

The catgirl didn’t take it well. She took a tiny sip, then pulled a disgusted face.

“Meow-hmph~! You, as a person, meh. But your wife’s pretty sensible, meow!”

Wang Qi was speechless. Zhang Yemiao stood beside him, composed, wearing the bare minimum of a polite smile.

“Yemiao, don’t let her spook you. She’s a thief too,” Wang Qi explained fast. “We ran into each other trying to steal the same thing. She failed, got spotted, felt salty, and exposed me.”

Even saying it felt absurd to him. “Even thieves have codes. I’ve never seen someone this tasteless. Even Zou Moan wouldn’t do that.”

Zhang Yemiao frowned.

“What were you trying to steal?”

“That thing wants a body, right? I thought about it. Harming innocents is bad. I heard a noble got a Life-related treasure. I wanted to probe it. If it could substitute, I’d steal it and avoid slaughter… Stealing’s not good either, but it’s better.”

Zhang Yemiao nodded, studying the cat-eared girl in the chair. Compared to Yemiao’s technically eleven-year-old body, the catgirl could model on Earth, no problem.

Long legs, wasp waist, curves front and back. Cat ears and that speech tic, with a tail swishing behind her. A type that pokes at men’s urge to conquer.

“Then why’d you bring her back?”

She tried to make her tone flat, not like a jealous little girl, but it still felt off.

Seeing she didn’t seem to mind, Wang Qi explained, casual, “She said she’s proficient in Life Magic. If her level’s decent, she might help us.”

Zhang Yemiao blinked. “Proficient in Life Magic?”

The catgirl lifted her chin, proud.

“Proficient to what degree?”

Zhang Yemiao pressed, suddenly sharp.

She wasn’t clueless. Besides basic elemental magic, Time, Space, Life, and Arcana are four unique schools.

Arcana has simple tricks like Unlocking. The other three are powerful and high-bar.

“That depends on what level of Life Magic you need, meow!”

They exchanged a look. Wang Qi picked up, “Can you directly shape a body?”

The catgirl froze, then gave them a look so contemptuous it made you want to hit her. “Shape a body, meow? Dream much, meow? Meow… Folks living in places like this have zero perspective, meow. If I could do that, I’d just rob that treasure outright instead of sneaking. Do I even need to explain that, meow?”

“But that burst you did earlier, that secret art—I can help with that.”

A glowing orb floated from her hand and drifted into Wang Qi. He flinched back, then felt a force seep into his body.

He felt a lot better, all at once.

Forcing out the Swift Dragon King’s power had side effects. His body had been burning with pain.

He knew many blood vessels carried tear-like fissures.

They were actually repairing.

“Unlike Divine Art healing, Life Magic injects raw vitality. No matter how bad the wound, it keeps you alive, meow.” She looked smug. “With your level, a dose of life force and you’ll recover on your own, meow.”

She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Finding a corner, she dropped to the floor, curled up like a real cat, and slept.

Zhang Yemiao and Wang Qi both froze. How could she—just sleep? Not afraid we’d kill her on the spot?

Or haul her to a slave market? A catgirl like this would fetch a fortune.

Yes—where there’s slave magic, there are slave markets. Nations never stop warring, and rampant slave trade follows.

Productivity here is high. By Earth’s theories, that should spark revolution once productivity’s high enough…

If this weren’t a world where power rests with individuals.

Here, it is.

Archmages at the top have, in history, wiped out cities with Forbidden Spells. There are Deities said to shatter continents at full power.

When individual strength crushes the collective, systems trend toward simple forms—toward catering to the strong.

Hence, slavery becomes a convenient tool.

Dose the catgirl and sell her now… With Life Magic under her belt, she’d mean instant cash.

Zhang Yemiao tugged Wang Qi. They blew out the lamp. In the dark, she clasped his hand tight, and they went to the room.

They lay on the bed, not doing that.

They just looked at each other in the night. Zhang Yemiao whispered,

“You brought another woman home because you think I’m easy to bully?”

“You serious?”

Zhang Yemiao pouted. He wasn’t flustered. No fun. “Then what are you planning to do with that catgirl?”

“I think she actually stole that thing,” Wang Qi said softly, only for her ears.

“Oh? Why?”

Wang Qi smiled like he had everything in hand. “She thinks I don’t know, but I do. She exposed me so I’d become the target and she could slip away in the chaos. She didn’t expect I’d risk it just to drag her back. Right now she likely thinks I don’t know she took it.”

Zhang Yemiao was quiet for a moment, then murmured, “Scheming boy. I misread you, Wang Qi. You’re that kind of calculating teen… No, you’re not a teen anymore.”

“And you’re not a maiden.”

“Huh? If I tell people I’m eleven, who wouldn’t think I’m a maiden? Even if I’m really not.”

“You’re asking for it again?”

Wang Qi’s hand got restless.

Zhang Yemiao pressed his hand down fast. If they were alone, she’d let him do whatever. But there was a catgirl outside.

She pleaded, “Not tonight, okay…”

Wang Qi felt a flicker of anger toward the catgirl. Why did he even bring her back?

Still, he wasn’t a man ruled by base urges.

Seeing him stop, Zhang Yemiao exhaled in relief, yet felt a little disappointed. She had thought he’d make her cover her mouth and do bad things to her, make her want to cry out but not dare, forced to endure.

Apparently, he wasn’t that outrageous.

The thought flickered and passed. Though she can be a bit lewd sometimes, her head isn’t only full of that.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. Why do you value that shadowed person so much? If you don’t want to trade with her, you could just break the deal. She probably couldn’t touch you…”

Wang Qi smiled. “What kind of person am I? Would I break my word? If I made a deal, I’ll try to honor it. And she knows a lot. Think of her like that wise old-man character. Our stances differ, but if needed, we can squeeze her for knowledge. So I keep her.”

Reasonable.

Zhang Yemiao didn’t buy it.

But disbelief was one thing; she wasn’t going to pry. It was unpleasant he was keeping things from her, but he’d tell her, eventually.

“So, how will you get it out of the catgirl’s hands?”

“Rob her. Directly.”

Wang Qi’s answer surprised her.

She worried. “Is that really okay?”

“Why not? Dorm Leader, don’t let her looks fool you. Catgirl doesn’t mean good. She didn’t hesitate to sell me out. Like I said—Zou Moan wouldn’t do something this trashy. I was joking, but this catgirl isn’t innocent stock.”

“She’s clever. Healing me with Life Magic was her way of showing value and claiming no malice, to make us drop our guard. And you did drop your guard, right?” In the dark, a shard of wisdom seemed to flash in Wang Qi’s eyes. “From what I know, Life Magic is absolutely not weak. She looked casual treating me, but her burden wasn’t light. That’s why she slept at once—she’s exhausted.”

Wang Qi narrowed his eyes. “So she’s betting. Betting we’re good people. The reason she dares bet… is you.”

“Me?”

“You were too friendly, my Miaomiao.” He gently stroked her hair. “She saw you and figured even if I tried something harsh, you’d stop me. That gave her the courage to gamble on me.”

Zhang Yemiao was silent for a long beat. “Do you two really think that complicated?”

“Basic ops. Nothing fancy.”

Zhang Yemiao hugged Wang Qi, then bit his neck lightly, with a hint of sulk. “Either way, she already lost.”

Wang Qi chuckled and hugged her back. “Yeah.”

Even without explaining, she wouldn’t oppose him. Even if he did something excessive, Zhang Yemiao wouldn’t shelter the catgirl out of sympathy.

Watching Zhang Yemiao drift into sleep in his arms, Wang Qi whispered, “I’m really lucky.”