NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31:
Chapter 31: This Wasn’t a Scheme… You Gave It to Me Willingly.
Zhang Youcai’s eyes widened in shock.
“What was that? Where did this cat come from?”
Xuan Mo poked out half of his little head, lazily lifting his eyelids.
His attitude was completely different from how he treated Lu Chen earlier.
“So there really is a cat. Did you bring it with you, or did it just wander over?”
“This forest is full of dangers. In my opinion, it’d be better to just put it outside the cave…”
Before Zhang Youcai could finish his sentence, Lu Chen’s expression instantly darkened.
“This is my cat.”
Zhang Youcai immediately stuck out his tongue and casually tore off a piece of chicken tail.
“Fine, fine. Since it’s yours, we can’t let it go hungry. It deserves a bite too.”
Right in front of Lu Chen, Zhang Youcai held out the chicken tail to Xuan Mo.
Xuan Mo turned his head away, twisting his neck completely to the side.
“Huh? That’s strange. Don’t all cats love meat? Why is this one so picky?”
“He doesn’t like what you’re offering.”
“Then what if I force him to take it?”
Zhang Youcai asked cautiously, curious to test it out.
Lu Chen’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, “Then he’ll be unhappy. And when he is unhappy… I’ll be unhappy.”
Zhang Youcai flinched.
He instantly understood what Lu Chen meant.
Glancing at the little black cat in front of him, then looking at the roasted chicken in his hands, Zhang Youcai gulped before finally reluctantly tearing off a chicken leg.
“This should do, right? Even I didn’t want to eat this.”
“Two.”
“…What?” Zhang Youcai blinked. “Brother, a whole chicken only has two legs. And you’re giving both to a cat?!”
Lu Chen simply nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Youcai struggled to calm himself down.
“…Fine. I mean, this cat is kind of cute. Two drumsticks for him… I won’t complain.”
Even as he said that, Zhang Youcai looked like he was about to cry.
His face twisted into pure misery, as if he were suffering the greatest injustice of his life.
If he hadn’t been poisoned… if he hadn’t been dealing with all these problems…
How could he have ended up suffering like this?!
He had originally thought that giving up two chicken legs would at least earn him some sympathy from Lu Chen.
But to his utter disappointment, Lu Chen didn’t even spare him a glance.
Instead, he simply placed both drumsticks in front of Xuan Mo.
…
A tiny black cat, not even as big as his own palm, was about to eat two entire drumsticks.
Wouldn’t it burst from overeating?!
With the drumsticks gone, the only other prime pieces left on the chicken were the two wings.
Zhang Youcai divided them evenly—one for him, one for Lu Chen.
“Why are you being so stingy? Didn’t you say you had more? Take out another two.”
After saying this, Lu Chen even added another sentence.
“The cat might still be hungry.”
This time, Zhang Youcai nearly exploded.
“Does that little thing even have such a big stomach?! Aren’t you afraid—”
Before he could finish, he suddenly fell silent.
Right in front of him, Xuan Mo was calmly licking his paws—both drumsticks completely gone.
Lu Chen glanced at Xuan Mo and raised an eyebrow gently.
The message was very clear.
Resigned to his fate, Zhang Youcai hurriedly finished his chicken wing and took out another roasted chicken from his spatial pouch.
Just as he was about to tear off two more drumsticks, Lu Chen suddenly turned toward the cave entrance.
“A group of people is approaching. Their movements are unsteady, and they seem anxious.”
“If I’m not mistaken… they’re coming for you.”
Lu Chen’s voice was calm, but the weight of his words made Zhang Youcai’s heart sink.
Panicking, Zhang Youcai forgot all about his chicken.
“How are they here so fast?! That shouldn’t be possible!”
“You know these people are after you?”
Zhang Youcai covered his mouth, his regret overwhelming.
He shouldn’t have been so careless.
He shouldn’t have followed Lu Chen’s words so easily.
That’s a whole group of people!
What if Lu Chen abandoned him?!
Awkwardly laughing, Zhang Youcai tried to lighten the mood.
“Well… I’m not exactly sure. You’re the one who said they were after me.”
“This forest is full of strange things. Maybe they just got lost and are trying to find their way out.”
“We should just focus on protecting ourselves and ignore everything else.”
His eyes shifted nervously, clearly lying.
Lu Chen calmly tore off another chicken leg and placed it in front of Xuan Mo.
“If you’re not going to tell the truth, then I have no reason to treat you sincerely.”
“No, no, no! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
Sensing imminent danger, Zhang Youcai’s expression grew solemn.
“They are chasing me. So… if there’s a lot of them, does that mean we’re done for?”
Lu Chen didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked one of his own.
“You scammed them out of money, didn’t you? That’s why they’re after you.”
Zhang Youcai’s jaw nearly dropped.
His words came out stuttering.
“H-hold on… Am I the fortune-teller here, or are you the fortune-teller?!”
“How do you know everything?!”
Lu Chen simply lifted his gaze.
“Now that I’m with you, they’ll assume I’m your accomplice. Which means… this trouble became mine the moment you showed up.”
Zhang Youcai frowned deeply.
“…So, we have to work together.”
At first, he didn’t think much of it.
But the moment those words left his mouth, a realization struck him.
The moment he appeared, Lu Chen was already marked by them.
From that moment on, they were in this together.
If one of them suffered, so would the other.
They were already bound to each other.
But wait…
Why had so many other things happened afterward?
If they were already in this together from the start…
Then why had Lu Chen still demanded top-grade spirit stones from him?
This wasn’t part of their deal—Lu Chen had simply taken advantage of the situation!
“…Brother, did you trick me?”
Zhang Youcai was unsure, but his heart was pounding.
Even though the truth was becoming clearer and clearer, he still wanted to hear it from Lu Chen himself.
Lu Chen’s reply was calm and casual.
“This wasn’t a scheme… You gave them to me willingly.”
Zhang Youcai panicked.
“Willingly?! I only did it to stay alive! That was exploitation! You’re taking advantage of my suffering!”
“Karma always comes back around! Beware of retribution!”
In his desperation, Zhang Youcai blurted out all the typical fortune-teller talk.
This was too cruel!
So many top-grade spirit stones!
How many fortunes would he have to tell to make that back?!
It’s not like rich fools appeared out of nowhere!
Zhang Youcai wanted to cry.
To sob uncontrollably.
But just then, Lu Chen’s voice sounded again.
“Pack up. If we don’t move now, we won’t make it.”
Zhang Youcai shuddered and quickly nodded.
“Alright, alright! I’ll listen to you!”
When it came to running for his life, Zhang Youcai prided himself on having a natural talent.
And that talent had developed perfectly from his years of scamming people.