I’m Also Waiting for the Male Protagonist to Usurp the Throne Today

Li Jinyu was taken aback, his mind going blank for a moment.

“You’ve only been a spiritual mouse for a few years. How could you have undergone the Heavenly Tribulation?” 

The little black cat’s tail twitched anxiously as it met Li Jinyu’s clear gaze, feeling a strange restlessness. “It was me who endured the Heavenly Tribulation, and you were simply caught up in it because of me.”

Li Jinyu stared at the small black cat, unable to comprehend.

“So, I’m not as kind-hearted as you think. I merely saw a little rat like you who got entangled in my Heavenly Tribulation, so I offered you some compensation.” The little black cat averted its gaze. “If you have any thoughts of repaying me, then you’ve got the wrong person.”

Li Jinyu stood up in disbelief after a moment of stunned silence. “So, it wasn’t me who experienced the Heavenly Tribulation?”

“Exactly.”

No wonder, based on his understanding, celestial beings should possess considerable cultivation levels and knowledge of various magical techniques when they face the Heavenly Tribulation. However, he felt completely ignorant and powerless when confronted with the tribulation.

He hadn’t yet reached the stage of crossing the Heavenly Tribulation!

He was merely being hindered by this black cat!

Li Jinyu lowered his head and fixed his gaze on the black cat, causing it to feel uneasy. It deliberately spoke in a firm tone, “If you harbor any intentions of seeking revenge against me, you still have the opportunity.”

Li Jinyu paused for a moment, then burst into laughter unexpectedly.

The black cat felt offended, asking defensively, “What’s so amusing?”

“Nothing,” Li Jinyu smiled and bent down to pick up the cage. “Now that we can go out, let’s take a stroll.”

“Did you understand what I said?”

“Yes, you’ll be in the company of Dumpling from now on, so you should not frighten it.”

“…”

“By the way, what is the connection between you and Chi Zhongming?” Li Jinyu prodded the black cat’s buttocks with a stick again.

The black cat swished its tail and deflected Li Jinyu’s stick with a swift motion. It let out a soft snort and replied, “There’s nothing much to tell. I accidentally saved him when I arrived, and then he kept bothering me.”

Li Jinyu waited expectantly, but that was the extent of the black cat’s explanation. Suddenly, his eyes widened in disbelief. “Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

“I don’t believe it. Chi Zhongming looks at you with such deep affection, it can’t be that straightforward?”

“Deep affection?” The black cat rolled its eyes at last. “Didn’t you attend any language classes after gaining consciousness? Is that how you use the term?”

“Tell me in detail how you saved him,” Li Jinyu persisted, unwilling to let the matter rest. He threatened, “Otherwise, tomorrow I’ll hang you on the imperial carriage and decree that everyone in the entire palace must refer to you as Chonky.”

“…”

The black cat finally answered, “What else could I have done to save him? When I transmigrated, I happened to land in the Prime Minister’s Mansion. Prime Minister Ye was beating Chi Zhongming in his cell, so I took the opportunity to intervene because I didn’t like what I saw.”

Li Jinyu blinked, feeling somewhat perplexed. “Why was Prime Minister Ye beating Chi Zhongming?”

He hadn’t read the chapter in the novel that delved into Chi Zhongming’s backstory. All he knew was that Chi Zhongming joined Huo Caiyu’s rebel army after his family was destroyed by Di Dynasty. Now it seemed that Prime Minister Ye was somehow involved?

“I don’t know. Humans don’t need reasons to harm each other,” the black cat shrugged. “When Prime Minister Ye saw me intervene, he shouted for someone to bring a temple abbot, calling me a demon. I was afraid he might attract some high-ranking monk, so I got a bit carried away…”

Li Jinyu sensed the underlying message in the black cat’s words and shuddered, realizing that Prime Minister Ye was not deserving of sympathy. He then relaxed and inquired, “What happened next?”

“What else? He was severely wounded at that time, and I felt sorry for him, so I kept him in the Prime Minister’s mansion to recover. Later, I discovered that I had transmigrated into a world based on a novel, and the person I had just killed was the real Prime Minister. So, I decided to assume his identity and enjoy his wealth and status.”

Li Jinyu comprehended the situation and furrowed his brow. “But I couldn’t detect any trace of your disguise.”

He had been under the impression that the person he interacted with was the genuine Prime Minister Ye.

“Just a minor spell to extract some residual memories from the corpse,” the black cat responded with a bored tone, stretching out and allowing its tail to hang limply. “There’s no point in discussing it now. My faction as the Prime Minister has already collapsed.”

“So, Chi Zhongming knows that you’re a cat demon?” 

“Yes, after he recovered, he repeatedly expressed gratitude for saving his life and the life of his adoptive father. He was willing to do anything for me, believing that he owed me a debt. I tried to drive him away several times, but even when he learned of my cat demon identity, it didn’t scare him off.”

This revelation didn’t surprise Li Jinyu. Chi Zhongming had mentioned his sweetheart on multiple occasions and even boasted about his fondness for cats, indicating that he was aware of the black cat’s true nature.

However…

“Chi Zhongming knows you’re a cat and still has feelings for you?” Li Jinyu muttered to himself. “His taste is surely odd.”

The black cat found this strange. “Who said he likes me? Besides, he has seen me in my human form.”

Li Jinyu was taken aback. “You have a human form?”

“Of course, I do. I have already gone through the Heavenly Tribulation,” the black cat replied, rolling its eyes and refocusing on Li Jinyu’s statement. “Who said he likes me?”

“He himself said so.”

Li Jinyu inadvertently recounted the conversations he had with Chi Zhongming when they first met in Qingshui Prefecture and later reunited in the capital. “He was referring to you, right?”

Upon reflection, Chi Zhongming’s descriptions of his affection matched the characteristics of the cat perfectly!

The black cat was taken aback, its small mouth half open. It stood motionless for a moment before regaining its composure and squatting back down. It lifted its chin with arrogance and said, “Hmph, that’s how humans are. They see someone, fall in love, nothing worth mentioning.”

Li Jinyu muttered to himself, “Chi Zhongming didn’t seem like the type to love more than one person.”

“Shut up!” 

However, Li Jinyu didn’t stay silent and proceeded to ask another question, “Did you send Chi Zhongming to investigate the new tax policy in Qingshui Prefecture?”

The black cat twitched its ears unnaturally and let out a disdainful snort. “After he kept rambling about the new tax policy, I got tired of hearing it. So I sent him to Qingshui Prefecture to see the reality and calm down. Who knew what he actually discovered?”

Li Jinyu recalled their time in Qingshui Prefecture when Chi Zhongming had a mysterious expression while mentioning that his superior was unable to personally issue orders due to his identity. Li Jinyu understood. It seemed that Chi Zhongming believed the black cat had faced difficulties after taking over Prime Minister Ye’s body and had assumed the role of Prime Minister Ye while harboring deep resentment towards the Prime Minister’s crimes.

Thus, Chi Zhongming, on one hand, held deep admiration for the black cat, considering it as being on the side of “justice”. On the other hand, he harbored immense hatred for the Prime Minister and made every effort to undermine his affairs.

Li Jinyu was unaware of the nature of Chi Zhongming and the black cat’s usual interactions that had led to this outcome.

“Later on, when I needed to infiltrate General Meng’s group, I simply assigned him to the task. He thought I was granting him a position and appeared extremely grateful,” the black cat proudly recounted, lifting its chin. “He’s truly foolish.”

Ha, despite being criticized by the black cat, Li Jinyu couldn’t help feeling superior. Even though they both played villainous roles, he executed his part flawlessly, leaving no room for suspicion!

“A few days ago, when you attacked Huo Caiyu, was Chi Zhongming unaware of your intentions?” 

The black cat rolled its eyes once more and grumbled reluctantly, “Since he returned from Qingshui Prefecture, he’s been singing your praises. He’s been so blindly loyal that it’s irritating. How could I let him in on my plans?”

Li Jinyu scratched his ear and reflected, “I thought he deliberately lured Huo Caiyu to Wuyi Lane.”

“I warned him about the danger in Wuyi Lane,” the black cat shifted its position and stretched its body.

Initially, Chi Zhongming believed that the black cat was scheming something in Wuyi Lane. Hence, he specifically cautioned Huo Caiyu against disturbing the black cat… Unfortunately, they never anticipated that the black cat was targeting Huo Caiyu.

Li Jinyu comprehended the sequence of events and heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, everything turned out well.

Fortunately, their interactions with Chi Zhongming remained untainted by any negativity.

“Let me clarify this. You saved Chi Zhongming from punishment and imprisonment, provided him with care and support, and granted him an official position, which led to him falling in love with you?” Li Jinyu relaxed, casually nibbling on melon seeds. “Tsk tsk,” he clicked his tongue twice. “How interesting…”

As he spoke, Li Jinyu suddenly halted.

The series of events described by the black cat seemed oddly familiar.

Saving someone from being punished…

Nursing someone back to health…

Granting someone an official position…

Li Jinyu contemplated for a moment and then had a sudden realization:

Wasn’t this the exact same plotline that occurred between him and Huo Caiyu?!

Upon transmigrating, he saved Huo Caiyu from punishment, nursed him back to health, and diligently worked to elevate his status. Eventually, Huo Caiyu even ascended to the position of Regent.

A similar plotline had unfolded between Chi Zhongming and the black cat, but what about Huo Caiyu…?

Li Jinyu shivered, and his grip on the sunflower seeds nearly loosened.

No, no, no, no, no!

He played the perfect tyrant in the palace, without a hint of imperfection, and surely Huo Caiyu didn’t suspect anything!

Li Jinyu desperately tried to console himself, but he couldn’t help but recall a moment from Wuyi Lane.

When he hurriedly entered Wuyi Lane in search of Huo Caiyu, Huo Caiyu embraced him tightly as if he had discovered a lost treasure. And when they let go, Huo Caiyu gently planted a kiss on his hair.

Back in the palace, they silently avoided mentioning the tender kiss.

However, the spot where Huo Caiyu’s lips had touched was his concealed ear, and he could vividly recall the sensation of her lips against his skin.

Despite his seemingly sturdy appearance, his lips were surprisingly soft…

Li Jinyu took a couple of steps backward and settled onto the dragon bed, his heart in disarray.

In this world, there was no customary kissing ceremony.

What did Huo Caiyu’s kiss signify?