Cat 185: Sub-Account Players, Please Pay Attention

Chapter 185: Sub-Account Players, Please Pay Attention

Yan Jiyun didn’t know if Liu Jingxi had deliberately chosen this moment to appear. After all, there was no tacit understanding between them; Liu Jingxi had no knowledge of his true purpose here. Maybe he simply intended to surprise Liu Jingyi in his study.

At any rate, it worked out perfectly for Yan Jiyun.

The instant Liu Jingyi heard the knock, he closed the casket he’d just begun to open. With no time to hide it, he simply set it at the side of the desk and covered it with a book.

As Liu Jingyi opened the door, Yan Jiyun leapt up to the window ledge, darting under the desk. Once he was sure Liu Jingyi wouldn’t look back, he jumped onto the chair, hooked his paws over the desktop, and dragged away the book, uncovering the box.

Liu Jingyi opened the door to find Liu Jingxi standing outside. “What are you doing here?”

Liu Jingxi spoke softly. “Brother, I wanted to talk with you about Jinghao. I don’t think things are as simple as they seem.”

Liu Jingyi, still pretending before his brother, gave a cough. “Alright, let’s chat in the next room. Too drafty here—I’m not feeling well.”

Liu Jingxi agreed. “Okay, brother. It’s autumn now, so take care. Leave the work to others.”

Liu Jingyi laughed quietly. “I wish I could leave it to you.”

The very mention made Liu Jingxi look like he’d seen a wild beast. “You know I can’t stand numbers—don’t even joke about that.”

Liu Jingyi coughed again. “Someday the family business will still pass to you. After we’ve settled Jinghao’s affairs, you should shadow me and learn the ropes, so that if I’m gone, you can assist Father as well—”

Liu Jingxi quickly interrupted him. “Don’t say such ominous things. You’ll live a long healthy life.”

And so, with an easy nudge, Liu Jingxi led his brother out to the tea room, leaving Yan Jiyun alone in the study—with a golden opportunity to open the box.

He moved the book aside, revealing the box beneath. The lock had already been picked. Using his paw pads, he pried open the lid to find, inside, a piece of parchment neatly rolled into a tube.

Grabbing the rolled-up parchment in his mouth, Yan Jiyun bounded toward the window ledge. But this time, the leap wasn’t as easy—jumping back down would be much harder, and if he missed, he could crash straight to the floor.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Liu Jingyi was coughing harder than ever—hoping to hurry his brother along. Liu Jingxi, ever the actor, played his part, half-listening as he pretended to panic over his brother’s health and rushed off to fetch someone for assistance.

“Brother, have you taken your medicine? I’ll get someone to bring it. Where’s Sister-in-law?”

“She’s with Mother. I just need a rest—no need to call anyone.”

“That won’t do, Brother. You mustn’t neglect your health—I’ll fetch help now!”

He was gone in a flash, even outpacing Liu Jingyi’s attempts to call him back.

During all this, Yan Jiyun was still weighing up how to make the leap. Couldn’t Liu Jingxi stall his brother just a bit longer? He still hadn’t figured out the best way to jump down; coming across had been a horizontal move, but going back was a vertical drop.

As soon as Liu Jingyi saw his brother out, he headed straight back toward the study. Gritting his teeth, Yan Jiyun jumped for the lower edge!

His front paws landed softly on the narrow ledge; his hind legs wobbled, nearly sending him tumbling into the fishpond. Cold sweat drenched him, but, twisting midair, he managed to stick to the wall and avoid falling.

Hastily, he retraced his route and slipped out through the side door of the east wing.

Just as he thought he’d escape without trouble, he came face-to-face with Liu Jingxi, waiting at the doorway. Their eyes met, and Yan Jiyun bolted—Liu Jingxi giving immediate chase without a word.

A black cat dashing ahead, a human on his tail; the servants passing by looked puzzled.

“Is Second Young Master out for a night run?”

“No idea, but there’s always some new trend with him. Second Young Master’s very modern.”

“True enough. Wonder what the latest town craze is.”

“If it’s not a fad, it’s a new food—like that ‘bubble milk tea’ or fried chicken with beer. Odd combo, but I tried it and it’s great.”

“I’ll have to go next time I’m off.”

Sometimes Yan Jiyun cursed his sharp hearing. Did he need to hear these conversations now? He wanted fried chicken too; he wanted bubble tea too!

But with an NPC hot on his trail, he couldn’t even get water, let alone snacks.

Liu Jingxi trailed behind. “Little Black, drop the map in your mouth.”

Yan Jiyun ducked under dense shrubs and pressed his body low, darting through the thicket, determined never to give up his hard-won item.

But strangely, Liu Jingxi managed to spot him every time!

Wherever Yan Jiyun crawled, Liu Jingxi tracked him with uncanny accuracy. He was so dark—how was he so easily found? It made no sense.

Still, Yan Jiyun kept running, desperate to learn if Liu Jingxi could truly locate him every time.

Doubling back beneath the shrubs toward the east wing, he was again caught by Liu Jingxi.

Did this NPC have some supernatural sense? How could he follow so closely?

Liu Jingxi stood by the rockery, staring at the black cat clutching the parchment. “Little Black, put down what’s in your mouth. I’ll even bring you dried fish, every day, as a trade.”

That was not tempting at all to Yan Jiyun—he had worked hard for this item and had no intention of giving it up.

Yet, if the scroll would play a bigger role in Liu Jingxi’s hands, it might be worth it. Besides, as “little cousin,” he could still keep an eye on things. The most reasonable solution was to cooperate—cat and human.

Weighing his options, Yan Jiyun finally set the parchment on the ground. Liu Jingxi came over, picked it up, and smoothly tucked it into his pocket. He made a motion as if to pat the black cat’s head, but stopped short as Yan Jiyun tilted away.

“All right, no petting until the deal is sealed, is that it?”

That wasn’t quite the reason, Yan Jiyun thought—he simply wasn’t hungry enough to ‘beg’ for attention.

With the scroll in hand, Liu Jingxi headed for his own rooms, Yan Jiyun trailing just out of reach. Liu Jingxi didn’t object—the cat was clearly extraordinary. Still, he wondered: Why would a cat steal the map? Was it someone’s trained pet? But then, why give it up for dried fish? Could it really be that simple?

If so, he’d struck a bargain.

They returned together to Liu Jingxi’s courtyard, which was warmly appointed—clearly the work of professional caretakers. Inside, Liu Jingxi proved himself utterly committed to his persona: the room was half traditional, half Western, decked with records, basketballs, footballs, and posters.

Once more, the chaos of Jiangnan Town’s setting was clear—even cut off from the world, celebrity posters still lined the walls. Where had he seen them?

Yan Jiyun clambered onto the modern sofa, leaving muddy paw prints on the cream upholstery in a neat row of blossoms.

Liu Jingxi’s eye twitched: “…”

He’d expected the black cat to be shy, but instead it commandeered his sofa without a second thought. Yet, a cat who brought him a treasure map couldn’t be offended easily; with a resigned sigh, he fetched a towel.

Squatting before Yan Jiyun, he said, “Little Black, your paws are filthy. Here, let me clean them.”

Yan Jiyun flopped over on the sofa, obligingly raising his feet.

So clever, Liu Jingxi thought—this cat understood every word, communicating as smoothly as any person.

As he wiped the cat’s paws, though, something about the arrangement felt…odd.

[“AspireToBeHuman” Livestream Channel:]

“Congrats to Cat Cub for recruiting a new servant on his very first day in the scenario!”

“Other players’ scenarios are all thrills and danger—never knowing where the next meal’s coming from. Our Cat Cub plays the game, collects servants, gets doted on, eats, drinks, naps, and has a blast.”

“He’s earned it! Cat Cub works hard, caught a cold in the last scenario, remember?”

“Poor Cat Cub—is it time we see what’s in that map already? We’re dying for the story to move! Looks like this isn’t a supernatural scenario—just a town full of secrets tied to several families. Waiting for Cat Cub to unravel it all.”

Liu Jingxi finished cleaning Yan Jiyun’s paws, then brought a bowl of water and set it before him.

Now, with the parchment in hand, his attitude toward Yan Jiyun changed. No longer just “Little Black,” he offered the utmost respect: “Honorable Cat, please drink.”

Yan Jiyun lapped at the water with no reserve—he really was thirsty after all that running. Secretly, he awarded Liu Jingxi a five-star rating as a ‘cousin.’

When Yan Jiyun was settled, Liu Jingxi sat by the coffee table, unrolling the parchment he’d just acquired.

The scroll, tied with a fine cord, unfurled to reveal a map. Some symbols Yan Jiyun didn’t recognize, but one thing was clear: the map was incomplete. By the way it was drawn and cut, it had originally been part of a set of four. To form a complete map, all four must be gathered and pieced together.

So was this a treasure hunt scenario?

Damn this system—if “Cherished Heart” was the theme, who or what was supposed to be cherished?

If it was a treasure hunt, why not call it “Search for X” or maybe “The Mystery of XX”?

Despite his internal grumbling, the system still dutifully issued a notification.

[Congratulations, Player. You have obtained Mysterious Treasure Map x1. Collect all parts of the treasure map to unlock a hidden quest.]

Oh-ho.

So this wasn’t a main quest, but a hidden one?

Which meant his main quest was still to escape Jiangnan Town or explore the tangled family dramas?

What was the key to leaving? Was it about uncovering the town’s great secret?

So far, nothing supernatural—not a ghostly event in sight. That meant the scenario probably wasn’t paranormal, nor did any gigantic horror demand investigation.

If the treasure map was only a quarter complete, he’d have to continue searching.

For now, he needed to pursue the tasks related to Liu Jinghao’s death.

Was the Liu family’s restaurant hiding another secret?

It was late now. By the town’s rhythm, the restaurant would be closed for the night; there was no need to rush over now—not to mention, he didn’t even know which establishment belonged to the Liu family.

Wait—since Liu Jinghao was dead, his belongings would soon be cleared out for burial. Yan Jiyun had to hurry to his bridal chamber to look for anything related to the restaurant before it disappeared.

Now that one-fourth of the map was safely in Liu Jingxi’s keeping, Yan Jiyun relaxed. He knew exactly where the piece had gone; it would be easy to retrieve if necessary. Liu Jingyi would never suspect Liu Jingxi, since his absence was proof enough, and the theft had been a furtive one, after all—no one would want to broadcast their own misdeeds.

He was content for now. Switching between cat and human form made it inconvenient to keep the map on his person, so this arrangement worked perfectly.

Plan set, Yan Jiyun decided to slip into Liu Jinghao’s bridal suite in the dead of night to investigate anything linked with the restaurant before the personal effects were gone for good.

Liu Jingxi, having copied down what he’d seen on the map, sketched it out in pen and ink. Yan Jiyun jumped onto the table to watch, memorizing the map for double insurance.

After a few minutes’ rest, Yan Jiyun set off for Liu Jinghao’s wedding chamber.

Liu Jingxi trailed him, but this time he really couldn’t keep up, and grumbled, “All that paw cleaning for nothing.”

Yan Jiyun nearly slipped in surprise—was that really the only thing he cared about? He’d thought he was being chased.

He darted into the shadows toward Liu Jinghao’s room. At that moment, the deathly solemn atmosphere of the Liu estate burst into sudden activity; servants with flashlights moved toward the main hall.

Yan Jiyun listened to their conversation as he went.

“What exactly did the madam lose? Why’ve we all been called over?”

“No idea, maybe a thief in the main house. Something’s been stolen.”

“Hope no innocents get blamed—I haven’t even been near the master suite today.”

So the map’s theft had already been discovered?

How had the madam found out so quickly? She’d only just been scolding her daughter-in-law a moment ago.

Maybe Liu Jingyi or Ajuan had let something slip.

Yan Jiyun slipped into Liu Jinghao’s bridal suite. No one had cleaned up yet—the room was still lit, swathed in red, looking eerie in the night.

The parlor lay in front, the bedroom beyond, another room along the side where maids would normally rest, and a locked study off to one side.

Where would the important items be stored?

Surrounded by crimson, Yan Jiyun’s fur bristled all over.

Then, a sudden “beep beep beep” alarm shrilled in his ears.

Startled, he dashed for a corner to hide. What was that? He’d never heard such a sharp, frightening sound in a scenario before!

But it wasn’t from the current storyline—the alert came from the system, flashing a red warning:

[Sub-Account Players, Please Note: The life of the Primary Account Player is about to end. If the Primary Account Player dies, the sub-account risks deletion. You now have two options—]

[A: Upon the death of the Main Account Player, the system will delete both main and sub-accounts. You will be erased from the game.]

[B: Enter the current scenario of the Primary Account Player to assist in clearing the game.]

Yan Jiyun’s fists clenched with fury.

Damn this system! Did he even have a choice?