Chapter 12 : Strange Dream

After the training session ended, Shi Pengpeng performed a transcendence ritual for She Manting as promised. 

She dispelled the resentment lingering on him, allowing him to break free from Luo Jin Tower and move on to the afterlife.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing worked swiftly. 

Within just two days, word spread within Cat Claw Live that Kang Lu, the Channel Department Manager, had been dismissed and investigated for accepting bribes. 

All businesses that had provided him benefits had their cooperation plans revoked, with the more severe cases permanently blacklisted by Cat Claw. 

Liu Yuguang’s products were also among those removed, though since it was primarily his personal actions, Fuxi Foods remained unaffected.

Soon after, Shi Pengpeng received a call from Cat Claw’s staff, informing her that she could continue participating in the special event. 

In addition to restoring her original recommendation slot, the platform compensated her with additional traffic support, including a front-page display in a major category.

Shi Pengpeng was shocked upon receiving the news. 

She thought to herself that Yan Jing was truly loyal—he had managed to secure her so many benefits.

A front-page display was something she had never even dared to imagine before. 

She quickly sent Yan Jing a message to express her gratitude.

Yan Jing’s reply was brief and direct.

Yan Jing: “No need to thank me. That Liu guy from your company already paid for it.”

SPP: “0.0”

It turned out that Liu Yuguang’s deal with Kang Lu not only involved squeezing Shi Pengpeng out of a recommendation slot but also included a series of resource transfers afterward. 

The front-page display was one of them. 

To secure it, Liu Yuguang had paid a hefty sum in bribes.

Now that Kang Lu was under investigation and his accounts were frozen, retrieving that dirty money wouldn’t be easy for Liu Yuguang. 

Moreover, Cat Claw reserved the right to pursue legal action against him.

So, while it was somewhat of a joke, the resources Liu Yuguang had “paid for” weren’t entirely untrue.

Of course, it was impossible that this all happened without Yan Jing’s intervention. 

However, he had done it through proper channels. 

Given his status, this was merely a minor favor for him.

Liu Yuguang was in a state of panic, so anxious that he developed ulcers on his lips over the next few days. 

Unfortunately for him, his deep-rooted connections in Fuxi made it difficult for Tan Wei to take action against him at this stage, so she could only suppress the matter for the time being.

Shi Pengpeng felt a bit disappointed about this, but she had no energy to dwell on it. 

The Cat Claw Live agricultural aid event had officially launched, and she was busy with it.

Initially, she only had a small recommendation slot and planned to focus solely on promoting bamboo crafts from Pinghe Village.

But with the additional traffic support, exposure increased for her other store products as well.

Shi Pengpeng found herself juggling both operations and customer service, working tirelessly. 

But despite the hard work, the effort paid off. 

Her products were selling well, and within just a few days, sales nearly matched those of major clients.

While the sales of Pinghe Village’s bamboo products were limited by their niche appeal and didn’t experience explosive growth, they still performed much better than expected. 

Wen Miao was evidently satisfied with the results and sent Shi Pengpeng multiple thank-you messages, along with two large packages of local specialties.

Shi Pengpeng opened the packages in her office. 

Seeing that they contained dried bamboo shoots and cured meats, she shared them with her colleagues, keeping only a portion for herself. 

She also sent Yan Jing a message.

SPP: “Bro, the folks from Pinghe Village sent me a lot of dried bamboo shoots and cured meat. They made it themselves, and it tastes pretty good. Want me to send you some?”

It took over an hour for Yan Jing to reply.

Yan Jing: “Pinghe Village?”

SPP: “Yeah, the local specialties I’m selling.”

Yan Jing: “No need.”

Ten minutes later, another message came through.

Yan Jing: “Busy. Don’t cook.”

SPP: “0.0 Oh, okay then. I’ll eat it myself.”

There was no further response. 

Shi Pengpeng didn’t think much of it and was about to return to work when another new message popped up.

Brave Special Forces Soldier: “Sis, are you there?”

SPP: “Who are you?”

Brave Special Forces Soldier: “Awooo, it’s me, Guo Jintai! You saved my life on Yujian Mountain, remember?”

At the mention of Yujian Mountain, Shi Pengpeng immediately recalled—it was that special forces guy who went up the mountain at midnight to watch the sunrise and ended up encountering the Yellow Lady.

What kind of ridiculous ID is this… 

Shi Pengpeng quickly changed his contact name.

SPP: “I remember. What’s up?”

Guo Jintai: “Nothing much, just wanted to ask if you take private requests. My roommate wants to hire someone to perform a ritual at his house.”

Shi Pengpeng found it a bit odd. 

Since Guo Jintai’s roommate was also a college student, whether they believed in this stuff or not, the first thing that should have come to mind for a ritual would be a proper Taoist priest at a temple. 

Why were they looking for her instead?

She was about to ask when the next message arrived almost instantly.

Guo Jintai: “It’s not for a person, it’s for his cat.”

Guo Jintai’s typing speed was no joke—way faster than Yan Jing’s. 

A series of messages flooded in, quickly explaining the whole situation.

It turned out that his roommate had a cat that had been with his family since childhood. 

The cat lived for over twenty years—far beyond the average lifespan of a regular cat. 

Last month, due to old age, the cat finally passed away. 

His roommate was heartbroken for a while, but since it died of natural causes, he eventually came to terms with it.

However, about half a month ago, his roommate began having recurring strange dreams. 

In the dreams, his deceased cat would sit at the head of his bed, staring at him with its large, emerald-green eyes, silent but filled with a gaze of deep, unspoken reproach.

At first, he thought it was just a reflection of his thoughts—thinking about the cat too much during the day and dreaming about it at night. 

But when the same dream repeated for two weeks straight, he started feeling uneasy and told his roommates about it.

Most of them didn’t think much of it, but Guo Jintai—who had personally experienced supernatural events—immediately felt that something wasn’t right and shouldn’t be ignored. 

So, the two of them put their college research skills to work, scouring the internet for answers. 

After some deep diving, they concluded that this situation fell under the category of a restless spirit and that a ritual should be performed to send off the departed soul.

At first, his roommate considered hiring a Taoist priest, but since it was for a cat, he worried about being laughed at and was also afraid of running into scammers. 

That’s when Guo Jintai thought of Shi Pengpeng. 

After all, he had witnessed her abilities firsthand, and since she was around their age, she would probably be more understanding. 

His roommate agreed and decided to go with it.

After reading the messages, Shi Pengpeng was speechless.

So this is the pure logic of university students? 

Just a little internet research and they’re fully convinced…

SPP: “Alright.”

Money was money, after all, and this was actually her real profession. 

But she was still busy these days, so she scheduled the visit with Guo Jintai for the evening.

***

On the appointed day, Shi Pengpeng left work an hour early, carrying her canvas bag and a bag of specialty products from Pinghe Village as she headed to Luojiang Riverside.

The specialty products were for Guo Jintai. 

When they had eaten farmhouse dishes on Yujian Mountain, he kept saying how delicious they were. 

Shi Pengpeng had casually asked if he wanted some, and he had instantly replied with three enthusiastic “Yes!” messages, fully embracing his freeloader nature.

Luojiang Riverside was a well-known high-end residential complex in Xiluo City, home to the wealthy and influential, with strict security measures in place.

After registering her identity at the security booth, Shi Pengpeng stood by the guard post, waiting for Guo Jintai and his roommate to come pick her up. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out beside her.

“Little shaman, what are you doing here?”

Shi Pengpeng turned and found herself face-to-face with a strikingly handsome man.

Yan Jing was dressed in black sportswear, his toned arms exposed beneath short sleeves. 

A light sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead—he had clearly just finished working out.

Shi Pengpeng blinked in surprise before breaking into a bright smile. 

“What a coincidence!”

“Mm.” 

Yan Jing gave a slow nod, his gaze slightly skeptical. 

He remembered that she lived quite far from Luojiang Riverside—this wasn’t her usual stomping ground.

His eyes drifted downward to the bag of dried bamboo shoots and cured meat in her hand, and he suddenly recalled her message from a few days ago.

So she actually went out of her way to bring them over? 

How troublesome.

Yan Jing’s expression grew reserved, and he put on an air of detachment. 

“Didn’t I tell you there was no need—”

Before he could finish, two energetic young men burst out from the residential area. 

One of them ran straight up to Shi Pengpeng. 

“Sis, sorry to keep you waiting! These rich-people complexes are such a hassle.”

He naturally reached out to take the bag from her, then let out an excited gasp. 

“Whoa, all this is for me? Isn’t this too much? You’re too kind…”

“Shut up,” Shi Pengpeng said, rubbing her temples at his loud enthusiasm. 

“Just take it.”

“Oh, oh.” 

Guo Jintai obediently clutched the bag.

Only then did Shi Pengpeng turn back to Yan Jing. 

“You were saying?”

Yan Jing pursed his lips, his expression unreadable. 

“…Nothing.”

Shi Pengpeng: “.”

Why does this guy always seem to get annoyed out of nowhere? 

So hard to read, as usual.

Guo Jintai’s roommate, Lu Junqing, was evidently from a well-off family—living in this complex was proof enough. 

His parents were businesspeople, constantly busy and rarely home, so the house was usually just him and the family maid.

Since he was hosting a ritual today, Lu Junqing had given the maid the day off.

Yan Jing listened to the conversation for a bit and pieced together why Shi Pengpeng was here. 

Then he glanced at the bag of local specialties in Guo Jintai’s hand—the bag that was originally meant for him.

For some reason, this realization made his mood inexplicably sour. 

Without thinking, he blurted out, “Mind if I watch?”

Guo Jintai and Lu Junqing were both extroverted and easygoing. 

Since he was Shi Pengpeng’s friend and a fellow resident of the complex, they had no objections.

Only Shi Pengpeng found it odd. 

“You’re interested in rituals now?”

He had always stayed as far away from them as possible.

Yan Jing shoved his hands into his pockets, looking effortlessly cool. 

“Never seen a cat before.”

Shi Pengpeng: “…Oh.”

With that, the group headed upstairs. 

Lu Junqing unlocked the door with his fingerprint and was just about to invite them in when—

A blur of fur leapt down from a cabinet and lunged toward a glass ornament.

Lu Junqing’s eyes widened in horror. 

“Huapen, NO!!”

Too late.

CRASH!

The glass ornament shattered into countless pieces on the floor.

Lu Junqing let out a pained screech. 

“Huapen, I’m begging you, PLEASE stop your destruction! At this rate, I’ll be living in an empty shell of a house!”

The culprit—a robust, tricolor tabby cat—stood proudly amidst the wreckage, its coat sleek and shiny. 

It ignored Lu Junqing’s cries entirely. 

Even upon noticing the new arrivals, it only glanced their way briefly before turning its tail and strutting off toward the balcony with an air of complete indifference.

Shi Pengpeng raised an eyebrow. 

“This is…?”

“Oh, that’s the cat I recently adopted. Her name is Huapen.” 

Lu Junqing sighed as he bent down to pick up the shattered glass. 

“This little con artist. I really thought she was going to be affectionate, like Banzhuan…”

Banzhuan was the name of his previous cat.

Lu Junqing explained that after Banzhuan passed away, he hadn’t planned on adopting another cat so soon. 

But about half a month ago, he had gone out for dinner when a stray cat suddenly ran up to him, clinging to his leg and affectionately rubbing its head against him.

That day, it had been raining heavily. 

The stray was drenched, looking utterly pitiful. 

Lu Junqing’s heart softened, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready for another cat just yet. 

As he hesitated, a flowerpot suddenly fell from an overhead balcony—right in the spot where he had been about to walk.

The near-miss shook him. 

If not for the stray cat stopping him, he might have been hit.

Feeling like the cat had saved his life, Lu Junqing decided to adopt it, naming it Huapen (Flowerpot).

At first, Huapen had been affectionate—rubbing against him and acting sweet. 

Lu Junqing thought she was a clingy, loving cat. 

But within two days of bringing her home, she revealed her true nature.

Forget cuddling—he couldn’t even touch her. 

On top of that, she had boundless energy, constantly dashing around the house in a chaotic rampage. 

Her destructive power was on par with a Siberian Husky. 

And worst of all, she had a particular fondness for wrecking his belongings.

Several pairs of his expensive designer shoes had already been chewed to shreds.

“She’s so unfair. You know what’s the worst part? She completely ignores me now. She won’t even acknowledge me when I call her. At first, I thought maybe she had hearing problems. But then I realized—whenever she watches TV, her ears twitch.”

By the end of his lament, Lu Junqing was practically in tears. 

“Tell me… Have I fallen victim to a cat scam?”

Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing: “……”

Guo Jintai patted his shoulder sympathetically. 

“Look on the bright side. At least she’s pretty.”