Chapter 135: Just Passing Through

"It is not what you imagine. Sister Huijing and I were just taking a bath, nothing more!" Shangguan Ningyu quickly explained, seeing the look of fascination on Xin Lang's face.

"Sister Huijing is coming! What should we do? If she catches you here, you're dead!" Shangguan Ningyu said anxiously. It was so late; if Princess Huangfu Huijing found Xin Lang in her room, it would be impossible to explain.

Xin Lang panicked and said, "Didn't you say earlier that you were on your period? You can't take a bath when you're on your period!"

"Ah!" Reminded by Xin Lang, Shangguan Ningyu called out to Huangfu Huijing outside the door, "Sister Huijing, my period really started, so I can't join you for a bath!"

Xin Lang assumed that Huangfu Huijing would leave upon hearing this, but to his surprise, she pushed the door open and said, "Is that so? I'll have to see for myself! Wait... what are you doing in Ningyu's room?"

"Uh... heh... well... I was just passing by to buy some soy sauce!" Xin Lang scratched his head and said awkwardly.

"Buying soy sauce? You came to my Princess's Mansion to buy soy sauce?" Huangfu Huijing gritted her teeth, struggling to contain her rage.

Hearing this, Shangguan Ningyu asked urgently, "Didn't you say you came here to catch a cat? How did it turn into buying soy sauce?" She was terrified that Huangfu Huijing would misunderstand the situation of her hiding a man in her room.

"Well... it’s like this..." Xin Lang cleared his throat, stalled for a moment, and said, "The story starts from this afternoon..."

Huangfu Huijing snapped, "Stop the nonsense. Get to the point! How did you end up in Ningyu's room?"

Xin Lang replied nonchalantly, "The matter is simple, but it is complicated to explain. If you don't want to listen, I'll just leave!" As he spoke, he made a move toward the door.

"You stop right there! You are not leaving this room until you explain yourself clearly!" Huangfu Huijing roared in frustration.

"You were the one who told me not to talk a moment ago! Now you're shouting at me again. I don't know whether you want me to speak or not!" Xin Lang said, feigning grievance.

"Speak, but no nonsense!" Huangfu Huijing shouted in anger.

"Oh, alright! I'll keep it brief!" Xin Lang cleared his throat and continued, "The story starts from this afternoon..."

Suppressing the urge to kill him, Huangfu Huijing squeezed out through gritted teeth, "Keep it simple!"

"Uh..." Xin Lang complained, "Even if it's simple, I have to start from this afternoon!"

Huangfu Huijing was nearly driven mad, "Can't you start from tonight?"

"Oh, I can! If I start from tonight, it's that I was buying soy sauce and happened to pass by..."

Before he could finish, Huangfu Huijing interrupted, "I told you to explain why you ended up in Ningyu's room while 'buying soy sauce'!"

"Oh, that? To explain that, I have to start from the afternoon!" Xin Lang said earnestly.

"You..." Huangfu Huijing was on the verge of exploding. Finally, she gave in, "Fine, start from the afternoon then!"

Xin Lang said, "At noon, I had some soy-braised beef at the Wei Jixian restaurant. It was delicious, so I ordered an extra portion to take back to my dorm for dinner. But I felt the flavor was a bit light, so I wanted to buy some soy sauce to dip it in. But I spent the whole afternoon looking and couldn't find my favorite Haitan-brand soy sauce."

Huangfu Huijing’s expression grew increasingly grim as she hissed, "And how does that explain why you ended up in my Princess's Mansion?"

"It’s all because of this cat!" Xin Lang retrieved the little calico cat, Rourou, from Shangguan Ningyu's arms. "It saw a fat mouse outside the mansion, and the mouse ran inside. The cat chased it in, and I followed them in. That’s how I accidentally stumbled into Shangguan's room!"

Huangfu Huijing had seen the cat, Rourou, when she bet against Xin Lang at the 19th Combat Pavilion, but she didn't believe him. "Is it really that much of a coincidence? My mansion has so many rooms; why did it happen to run into Ningyu's?"

"Heh... I don't know about that. You'd have to ask the mouse!" Xin Lang chuckled.

Huangfu Huijing didn't buy his nonsense. She turned to Shangguan Ningyu and asked, "Ningyu, is what he said true? Did he really come here to catch a cat?"

"Um... perhaps... but it is true that Rourou came in first," Shangguan Ningyu replied truthfully.

"Rourou?" Huangfu Huijing didn't know who Rourou was.

"It's this little cat," Shangguan Ningyu explained.

"Oh."

Huangfu Huijing looked at Shangguan Ningyu, then scrutinized Xin Lang. Finding no further clues, she said to Xin Lang, "Fine, I'll believe you this once. Take your cat and get out!"

"Heh, alright!" Xin Lang carried Rourou out of the room, but only took two steps before returning.

"Why are you back?" Huangfu Huijing asked, exasperated.

"Well... could Shangguan please walk me out?" Xin Lang asked tentatively.

Huangfu Huijing could bear it no longer and raged, "What do you mean? Do you have improper intentions toward my Ningyu?"

"Oh, please! I just don't know the way out of the mansion! I would have asked you to lead the way, but you are a princess of high status; I wouldn't dare trouble you, so I had to ask Shangguan," Xin Lang explained.

"There is no need. My mansion has plenty of servants. I will have someone show you out."

Huangfu Huijing summoned a servant to escort Xin Lang out. Shangguan Ningyu watched the little cat in Xin Lang's arms with longing, her eyes filled with reluctance. Huangfu Huijing, standing nearby, assumed she had developed feelings for Xin Lang!

"Ningyu, you've been pushing me away lately—is it because of him?" Huangfu Huijing’s tone was laced with jealousy.

"Ah... Sister Huijing, what are you talking about? What does he have to do with us? I was just looking at the cat. You don't know how cute it is; I suspect it came into the mansion today just to find me!" Shangguan Ningyu said narcissistically.

"Oh... so you just like the cat," Huangfu Huijing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's just a cat. I'll get you eight or ten of them tomorrow!"

Shangguan Ningyu pouted like a spoiled child in front of Huangfu Huijing, "But I like the one in Xin Lang's arms!"

"Fine, I'll go find him tomorrow and make him give the cat to you!" Huangfu Huijing promised, patting her chest.

Xin Lang was escorted out of the mansion by the servant and returned safely to the Martial Arts Academy.

When Xin Lang entered his dorm, he was shocked to find Murong Yueyin standing in his room, looking as if she had just stepped out of his bedroom.

"Ah... Student Murong, what are you doing in my dorm so late at night?" Xin Lang asked in complete surprise.