Pei Ye thought for a moment. "People do tend to like me."
Then he added, "Maybe animals are the same-isn't that right, Little Cat?"
Black Cat looked at him listlessly.
Zhu Gaoyang's eyes suddenly lit up. "Ah! Finally, a chance to talk. Greetings, Divine Chi Brother. I'm Zhu Gaoyang."
He cupped his fists and bowed.
"Making a life pact with you was like swallowing a great lump of sticky rice cake," Black Cat's languid voice sounded in his Dantian. "It might stave off hunger for a while, but once it sticks, there's no spitting it back out."
Pei Ye held Black Cat in his arms, stroking gently. "There, there. Once we get back, I'll have Xu Chuo feed you lots of elixirs."
Black Cat said, "Then I agree to let you be my 'woman to relieve boredom.'"
"It's 'companion to relieve boredom.'"
Zhu Gaoyang said, "Divine Chi Brother, what a magnificent, majestic figure you cut!"
Black Cat burrowed farther into Pei Ye's arms and said calmly, "Drawing close to worthy ministers and keeping petty men at a distance was how the Former Han flourished; drawing close to petty men and keeping worthy ministers at a distance was how the Later Han fell. Remember that well."
Zhu Gaoyang leaned closer. "Divine Chi Brother, Divine Chi Brother..."
"All right," Pei Ye said, turning to leave.
"Hey, Pei Ye, does the Divine Chi have no ears?" Zhu Gaoyang followed, curious. "Then how do you two talk?"
"Yes. Black Cat just doesn't want to talk to you."
Zhu Gaoyang froze, bewildered. "Wh-why? Divine Chi Brother, my sincerity toward you is wholehearted!"
"I already told you." Pei Ye waved a hand. "Your hair's too long."
Chapter 702: The third day of the third month
The first time Pei Ye had spouted this bullshit, Zhu Gaoyang