Wen Qian didn't want to see any Beastmen. The sight of their corpses lying in the streets was a nightmare from her childhood. She hoped no more Beastmen would ever be discovered. Even if they had to eke out an existence in the shadows, at least they would still be alive.
But now, the silver gradient she had taken in had actually transformed in her home...
'The sky is really falling!'
"You mean... you're Little White?" Wen Qian tilted her head up to look at him, but she could only see his sharp jawline.
"Mhm," Yin Zhi responded, then lowered his head and rubbed it forcefully against her slender neck. Wen Qian dodged and frowned. Just as she was about to question him, she saw the man squint his eyes in comfort, his ears tilting back along with them.
'That little gesture... damn it, it really is Little White!'
'Wait, according to Little White's usual habits, after cuddling comes...'
"Hey! Don't you lick me!!" Wen Qian shrieked.
She struggled with all her might, but the result was being forcefully held in Yin Zhi's arms and licked twice more.
Staring up at the ceiling, Wen Qian looked as if she had lost the will to live. She felt like this stupid cat had licked her hair completely damp.
After Yin Zhi had his fill of affection, Wen Qian had to plead with him before he finally agreed to let her go. But he clearly retained his habits from when he was a cat, like always following Wen Qian around and curiously observing her every move...
Even though Yin Zhi's original form was a very cuddly silver gradient, Wen Qian still blushed under his gaze.
"Here, put this on first..." After rummaging through her drawers and closets, she tossed him a boyfriend-style T-shirt she had bought a couple of years ago. Wen Qian sniffled, terrified that some liquid might start dripping from her nose.
Yin Zhi first frowned at the T-shirt in his arms, but after sniffing it, his brow relaxed. He put on the shirt happily, then moved close to Wen Qian again, resting his chin on her shoulder.
He really was very well-behaved, and he really loved being clingy with her.
But faced with this version of Yin Zhi, Wen Qian felt a bit helpless. 'This guy really has no self-awareness about his looks,' she thought. 'Lean muscle, pale skin, a high nose bridge, and full red lips... Who could possibly resist that?!'
'He looks like he's almost 190 cm tall, too... With him being so shamelessly cuddly with me, I'm about to grind my teeth to dust.'
'It's not like I'm a saint! Can't he restrain himself a little?'
"Listen to me, don't be like this, hey... hey!" Wen Qian shuffled forward a couple of steps, trying to put some distance between them. But before she'd moved two steps, Yin Zhi reached out and pulled her back. Her back was pressed tightly against his solid chest, leaving them even closer than before.
'Great. This damned cat is all about rebellion.'
...
'Question: What do you do when your pet transforms into a human?'
The girl tried searching for an answer in an online encyclopedia, but in the end, she didn't hit the enter key.
She didn't dare. She was worried her search queries would be monitored by the government. After all, in this day and age, humans had traded their privacy for a life of comfort and ease.
"How did you transform?" Wen Qian was a little curious. The government had never given a clear explanation for animal transformation. In fact, for many people who had never seen a Beastman with their own eyes, the whole thing felt more like a nonsensical dream.
Yin Zhi thought for a moment, then gave an answer that was not an answer at all: "Just like that."
Wen Qian was speechless. 'I feel like his mind hasn't fully developed at all.'
'Doesn't the news say that transformed animals have high IQs? Why is he only showing animal instincts? For instance, right now, his language skills are mediocre, but his body language is very expressive...'
After failing in her resistance countless times, Wen Qian finally decided to give up.
She had more important things to do.
For example... buying pants for Yin Zhi.
Unlike the old online shopping platforms, there were now many express delivery systems that could get you your order within half an hour. Wen Qian didn't dare to measure Yin Zhi, so she just placed an order based on his height.
The wait was agonizing. Wen Qian had absolutely no power to refuse Yin Zhi's enthusiasm. She was sprawled on the sofa as if she'd gotten high on catnip. She was so scared, so scared that if she looked down, blood would pour from her nostrils.
And as for Yin Zhi, he was kneeling before her, a blanket draped over him, obediently resting his head on Wen Qian's lap... The tips of his ears, hidden in his silver hair, would occasionally peek out. He would look up at her from time to time, appearing quiet and languid.
Wen Qian stared at the ceiling. She wasn't someone with much self-control. Just in case, she couldn't risk another glance at Yin Zhi.
'Temptation incarnate, that's what he is! Freaking temptation incarnate!'
Seeing this, Yin Zhi didn't say anything. A faint, intoxicating curve played on his lips, and his soft ears twitched from time to time. Of course, that's if you could ignore the tail that was currently swaying nonstop, lightly tapping against Wen Qian's calf...
After a month together, Wen Qian knew him all too well. Although he looked obedient and well-behaved right now, it couldn't hide his smugness.
He was just like this when she first took him in. He would deliberately knock things over to get her attention, then leap to a high place to admire his handiwork. Whenever Wen Qian questioned him, his eyes would always look so innocent, but the wagging tail behind him would always give him away instantly...
'This stupid cat is no simple character. On the surface, he looks like a gentle, innocent little flower, but who knows how many mischievous ideas he's hiding inside!'
'He wags his tail whenever he's pleased with himself. Did he really think I didn't know?!'
DING DONG—
Thankfully, the doorbell rang just then. Guessing it was the delivery person, Wen Qian immediately jumped up from the sofa... without sparing Yin Zhi a single glance the entire time.
Watching her fleeing back, the man lazily straightened up, a dangerous and displeased expression on his face.
...
Yin Zhi retracted his beast ears and tail and obediently changed his clothes.
Only then did Wen Qian dare to look at him directly.
'Yin Zhi is definitely the type who looks slim in clothes but is muscular underneath,' she thought. 'The simple white T-shirt and gray trousers he's wearing accentuate his lean, tall frame.'
Turning to fold the rest of the clothes, Wen Qian let out a brief sigh of relief.
Although Yin Zhi had transformed, his personality was no different from a cat's. He still liked to lie on his side on the bed, leisurely watching Wen Qian tidy up for him, and also... lose her mind over him.
Yin Zhi found this little female fascinating. She always looked like she was angry but didn't dare to say it. Even though he had clearly annoyed her, she refused to look him in the eye.
"Yin Zhi, stop hooking my leg with your tail!" she exclaimed, her face flushed as she pulled her skirt down forcefully.
Retracting his tail, Yin Zhi blinked innocently.
The girl sighed in relief and was about to leave when the man's tail shot out again and pulled her onto the bed.
The man's embrace was extremely firm. Through the thin T-shirt, Wen Qian could feel a wave of warmth. But she didn't dare to dwell on it, merely clutching her nose for dear life.
Yin Zhi raised an eyebrow, unfazed. He wrapped one arm around her and expertly nuzzled her earlobe with the tip of his nose. After a moment, his thick, fluffy tail snaked around the girl's calf once more.
"I told you not to do that!" Wen Qian was at her wit's end, flailing wildly in his arms. The man chuckled, calmly holding her down and stroking her head twice as if to soothe a pet.
"Be good, Qianqian." He mimicked the tone she used to use to comfort him, trying to soothe her. But Yin Zhi's smile quickly vanished when he saw blood trickling from Wen Qian's nose.