ABFMV Chapter 2 Part 2

Xu Linlang focused on the matter at hand, ignoring the flattery of others. She muttered a few polite responses, then sat thinking of a plan.

With things changing, she certainly couldn’t wait for the little beastman to deliver red tea.

Her only option now was to ensure that no beastmen in the arena died today.

That way, even if something happened to the little beastman later, it wouldn’t be connected to her.

To survive, she had to—

Stand at the center of the universe and call for love!

After deciding, Xu Linlang gently massaged the kitten’s soft ears, taking advantage of its sleep, while speaking nonsense with a completely straight face.

“Steward, today, don’t let anyone die. My father is out hunting the insect clan, and I want to pray for his safety. I can’t bear to see this.”

Everyone suddenly understood. No wonder this young lady seemed to have changed; now it made sense.

Those familiar with Xu Linlang knew how much she cared for her parents. Her softer side only appeared in front of them.

Perfectly reasonable.

 

Seeing everyone suddenly grasp the situation, Xu Linlang secretly wanted to give herself a mental thumbs-up.

By making her intentions clear, there was now a witness present. Even if the little beastman later suffered some unavoidable accident, the blame could never fall on her.

Her mood lifted considerably, a faint smile curving her lips.

The nobles present were struck dumb by the sight.

They were used to Xu Linlang’s stern, icy demeanor; they had never seen her smile so warmly, so openly.

The stark contrast left them even more stunned.

So this was what the young lady looked like when she smiled.

And… it was kind of cute.

Having given her instructions, Xu Linlang had no desire to linger. She had no stomach for watching the fights.

Rather than witnessing real-life brawls, she would much prefer to collapse onto her bed and sleep.

If she could wake up tomorrow back in her original world, that would be even better.

Seeing Xu Linlang preparing to leave, the other nobles also stood. If she returned to the city, they had no reason to stay behind either.

The beastmen looked up at them regretfully.

This time, none of them had taken anyone away—only a single kitten.

A muffled roar sounded above the spaceport. Clouds in the blazing sun were suddenly swept aside, revealing a colossal starship nearly a kilometer long.

Arcs of electricity and flames flickered across its hull as it slowly descended from the sky, drawing everyone’s attention.

The sight was overwhelming. The beastmen stared in awe and terror at the unexpected visitor.

Xu Linlang herself looked up, astonished. In the past, she had only seen such wonders in science fiction films. Even now, it seemed almost impossible.

Only… when she had disembarked earlier, hadn’t the ship seemed much smaller?

“This is bad.”

Chu Luo Chi shifted nervously, his gaze flicking between Xu Linlang and the starship.

Xu Linlang frowned. “?”

Seeing her calm expression, Chu Luo Chi reminded her, “It seems Madam discovered that you snuck into the arena.”

Xu Linlang froze. “!?”

What?

She had snuck in?!!!

Did that make her… a schoolkid caught sneaking into an internet café by her parents?!

Xu Linlang felt like she might suffocate.

Perhaps noticing her unfriendly glare, Chu Luo Chi protested, “It wasn’t me who leaked it! I know Madam never allows you to go to these places. If you hadn’t insisted on coming, I wouldn’t have risked sneaking you in.”

His explanation only made things worse.

She thought carefully of Madam Xu’s identity. In the character notes, there was only a single line about her:

Rong Ru Yue—gentle in appearance, bold in action, wife of Marshal Xu Mu, sister of His Majesty Rong Chen.

Xu Linlang shivered at the words “bold in action.”

She could only hope that Madam’s way of disciplining children wasn’t equally fierce.

With a nervous heart, Xu Linlang boarded the starship with the kitten in her arms, barely noticing the ship’s interior.

When they returned to a villa the size of half a city district, Xu Linlang still hadn’t fully processed everything.

An elegant woman in a white shawl stood at the villa entrance.

“You’re finally back. I was worried sick. Next time, don’t go to such remote places again,” Rong Ru Yue said gently as she approached.

Xu Linlang felt as if bathed in spring sunlight, nearly forgetting to react. She had expected a scolding instead.

Rong Ru Yue glanced at her and noticed the filthy little kitten in her arms, her eyes flicking with curiosity.

“And this is?”

Xu Linlang looked down at the kitten, sleeping soundly from the medicine, and explained with some effort, “This is a cat I brought back and want to raise.”

Rong Ru Yue found her careful, nervous explanation amusing.

This child was probably worried she wouldn’t be allowed to keep it.

Rong Ru Yue hadn’t intended to forbid it. Xu Linlang’s status was precious, and going to a chaotic place like the arena was like sending a lamb into a tiger’s den.

A few days ago, Xu Linlang had insisted on bringing back a beast after seeing others with beast slaves.

She had refused, never expecting the girl to sneak off to the arena.

Her audacity was growing.

However, the spies she had placed reported Xu Linlang’s words about praying for her father’s safety.

This comforted her. Even a pampered child could show signs of thoughtfulness.

Finally, Rong Ru Yue nodded and allowed, “You can keep it, but no more sneaking out of the city.”

Xu Linlang felt like she had been pardoned, nodding vigorously.

After going upstairs with the kitten, she found herself puzzled.

Rong Ru Yue, intelligent and gentle, radiated maternal warmth—how could she be described as bold and fierce?

Xu Linlang opened a window to get some fresh air and saw the nobles’ sons lined up descending from the starship.

Each one had his head bowed, looking like a group of kids in detention.

Chu Luo Chi was at the front, trembling like a little rabbit before a cheetah.

Xu Linlang leaned closer and heard Rong Ru Yue scolding them soundly.

“I want to know who thought it appropriate to bring the young lady to the arena!”

“If anything happened to her, were you planning to present my head?”

“You didn’t even report to me first—did you think I didn’t matter?”

It felt like a principal lecturing wayward students.

Indeed, bold and extremely double-standarded.

She pinched the kitten’s soft little paw pads and said solemnly, “You better not make my mom angry in the future. Otherwise… you might end up in cat hotpot.”

The little kitten slept on, oblivious.

Listening to its steady breathing, Xu Linlang felt herself growing sleepy too.

Had she made it safely through today’s ordeal? She thought so.