Douluo Continent: Starting with a Tom Cat

"Oh, even if you're not hungry, you can still try it."

"I really don't want to, and you shouldn't follow me either. We're no longer related," Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.

What an annoying person! Can't he see I don't want to talk to him? Yet he keeps bothering me and chattering on and on.

Shen An felt helpless. Was she really not hungry? Then he decided to eat by himself. Just then, Tom took the skewers from Shen An's hand and shoved them directly into Zhu Zhuqing's mouth.

Smelling the tempting aroma, and seeing the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside meat skewers sizzling with oil, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been eating dry rations for almost a month, couldn't resist opening her cherry-like mouth and taking a bite. Mmm, so delicious!

Really fragrant!

Tom looked at Shen An smugly, as if to say, "What's the use of just talking? Do something! If she says she won't eat, can't you feed her? You deadbeat straight man."

Shen An remained silent. It was another day that Tom had taught him a lesson. It turned out that when a girl said no, she didn't really mean no; she just wanted him to put the object in her hand.

Zhu Zhuqing's originally icy face flushed slightly as she ate her meat skewers and muttered to herself:

"I'm not giving you face, I'm giving Tom face. If I don't eat, it will hurt Tom's feelings," and so on.

The person and the cat beside them nodded frantically, "Yes, yes, then give Tom (me) a little more face and eat a little more."

The two, one human and one cat, had different intentions. Shen An was thinking that he was indebted to those who fed him and received gifts from them.

Then, he can take Zhu Zhuqing out for some fun and food, and then casually bring up his idea of ​​getting his first spirit ring. Zhu Zhuqing will surely be too embarrassed to refuse.

Tom's plan was that he would be indebted to those who fed him and received gifts from them. He planned to take Zhu Zhuqing out for some fun and games, eventually winning her over. Then, Shen An would win her favor and confess his feelings to her. In that case, Tom would have another mistress!

So, at Shen An and Tom's invitation, Zhu Zhuqing reluctantly agreed.

The two people and the cat began their nighttime adventure in Soto, and the journey was truly eye-opening.

There were acrobats who climbed poles, walked on tightropes, crawled through fire hoops, and stabbed people in the throat with guns.

There was a monkey trainer, and the person and the monkey had a close relationship. They moved with such agility and coordination that the trainer and the monkey even put on a wonderful fight scene.

Although the audience knows that the scenes are naturally pre-arranged, they are still willing to pay for them.

Various magical martial spirits were displayed by soul masters on the streets. These were mostly life-oriented soul masters who did not have strong talents but made a living by doing so.

Zhu Zhuqing was still a young girl at heart, and she was reserved at first, but after Shen An and Tom insisted on playing roadside games with her, she gradually let go of herself.

Shen An watched as Zhu Zhuqing, her face flushed, happily ate sugar figurines and played ring toss. He thought to himself, "That's more like it. That's what a normal twelve-year-old girl should be like, not a big ice shard."

However, Zhu Zhuqing's cold demeanor was understandable; Shen An seemed to have heard her roommate mention it before.

They say Zhu Zhuqing is so pitiful, that she met a scumbag fiancé who has no sense of responsibility, and that she has to face the pressure from her family and the threats from her sister all by herself, so she can only be strong on her own.

Looking at Zhu Zhuqing, who was as happy as a little girl, Shen An thought to himself that if Zhu Zhuqing had abandoned them and run away that day, he, Shen An, might have lost his life.

So Shen An silently prayed in his heart: "Don't worry, one day I will let you truly be yourself again, no longer threatened by anything. This is my way of repaying you."

Tom, on the other hand, was desperate to bring them together, constantly searching for games on the street that the two could play together, creating opportunities for them. Heaven knows why Tom liked Zhu Zhuqing so much.

After the joy, everyone must leave. The hustle and bustle of the night must also come to an end. Shen An said, "There are hardly any people on the street anymore. It's so late. Let me take you home."

Zhu Zhuqing reluctantly withdrew her gaze; she hadn't had enough fun yet.

Chapter 13 How about you sleep with me?

Zhu Zhuqing said with a shifty look in her eyes, "No need, I can go back by myself. The city is much safer than the wilderness, so don't worry about me."

She subconsciously didn't want Shen An to know about her current predicament of having nowhere to go, or rather, she wasn't used to showing weakness to anyone.

Shen An laughed and said, "How can that be? We've been through life and death together. Besides, even though I'm weaker than you now, I'm still a man. How can I let a girl like you walk alone at night?"

"Partners who have been through life and death together? And a man's sense of responsibility?" Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shen An's gentle smile and felt a sense of unreality. If only Dai Mubai could be like him.

"When I arrived at Shrek Academy, I found out that it wasn't time for the start of the semester yet. When I returned to Soto City, all the hotel rooms were booked." Zhu Zhuqing pondered for a moment before telling Shen An about her situation.

"Meow meow meow!" Tom jumped around nearby.

Seeing Tom's reaction, Shen An understood what it meant. "Hmm? It's not entirely impossible."

“Zhuqing, what Tom means is that our room is big, you can sleep with us, it’s always more comfortable to stay in a hotel than to stay out overnight.”

"Can 'meow meow meow' really be translated into so many words?" Zhu Zhuqing wondered.

While Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, Tom kept tugging at her trouser leg, making a sound like a cat being caught in a trap, which softened Zhu Zhuqing's heart immediately.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you tonight, thank you." Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment before agreeing to Shen An's invitation and whispered a thank you.

What? Did I hear that right? The ice queen actually said thank you!!! That "thank you" made Shen An feel incredibly good. It was a real treat for an ice queen like Zhu Zhuqing to thank him.

You know, along the way, he somehow offended Zhu Zhuqing, and Zhu Zhuqing just ignored Shen An, even refusing to teach Tom the meditation method directly.

-

"Huh? As soon as Zhu Zhuqing entered the room, she smelled a perfume scent in the air, as if it was covering something up."

Shen An couldn't help but mutter, "This hotel is quite thoughtful; they didn't forget to clean the room to remove any odors."

You should know that the impurities that were initially expelled from Shen An's body smelled truly nauseating.

After playing all night, everyone was sweaty. Shen An noticed that Zhu Zhuqing's eyes kept glancing towards the bathroom, so he said, "I'm going downstairs to buy something. You can go take a shower first."

"Um"

So Shen An immediately took Tom out. Tom looked at Shen An with a blank expression, "Why are you taking me out? I want to lie down comfortably."

"Bang!" The door to the room slammed shut. Zhu Zhuqing pursed her lips and looked at the spot where Shen An had disappeared. He was actually quite nice; he even knew to give me some space.

Girls are naturally clean, but Zhu Zhuqing was constantly on the move, enduring wind and rain, and had no chance to take a bath; at most, she would just wash up briefly.

Taking out her clothes from her soul tool, Zhu Zhuqing walked into the bathroom with a hint of anticipation.

Enjoying the feeling of water flowing over her skin, Zhu Zhuqing lay in the bathtub washing her body. Shen An's face inexplicably flashed through her mind, and she remembered how Shen An had secretly watched her blush.

"Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuqing, what are you thinking? Forget about this. From now on, you and he are just strangers. He is just an ordinary soul master."

-

Shen An and Tom bought some snacks and fruit to eat as treats. Shen An waited in the hotel lobby for an hour, thinking it should be about time, before going upstairs to knock on the door, but there was no response!

Shen An thought he had given enough time, but he underestimated the girl's love for bathing and cleanliness. He and Tom had to wait outside for another half hour before they were allowed to enter.

When Zhu Zhuqing opened the door, her black hair was still wet, and she exuded the dampness after her bath. As soon as she opened the door, a fragrant breeze wafted towards Shen An. Shen An looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a resentful expression. Do girls take this long to take a bath?

When Shen An raised his question, Tom had already walked in, unfazed. He had talked about many female cats who were even slower than Zhu Zhuqing.

"Hmph, of course I need to get cleaner after a bath, don't be so surprised." Zhu Zhuqing was quite happy after taking a bath, and even let out a rare coquettish sigh.

"Alright, Tom, pack your things, we're going to take a bath too."

"What! You're going too!" Zhu Zhuqing's pretty cheeks flushed red. If Shen An went too, wouldn't he have to lie in the bathtub where she had just been lying? How could that be allowed!

She had just checked; the hotel only had one bathtub cover, meaning that Shen An would just use the one she had used when she took a bath.

“Yeah, Tom and I are tired from walking around for so long, of course we have to go. Okay, let’s go, Tom.” Shen An gave Zhu Zhuqing a strange look, then led Tom into the bathroom.

Zhu Zhuqing wanted to speak up to stop him, but she was too embarrassed. After all, Shen An had booked the hotel, and if he didn't have any objections, it would seem like she was being too dramatic if she brought it up herself.

In the end, Zhu Zhuqing watched helplessly as the person and the cat walked into the bathroom, closed the door, and soon the sound of running water came from inside.

Oh no! He really went to take a shower! Zhu Zhuqing felt as if all the embarrassing things in her life had happened to Shen An.

When Shen An came out again, he found Zhu Zhuqing lying on the bed, but for some reason her eyes were lifeless, as if she had something on her mind.

However, Shen An didn't concern himself with it. After traveling for so many days, he also wanted to get some rest. But a problem arose in front of him: the hotel only had one bed. How was he supposed to sleep?

Although this bed is large enough to comfortably fit two people and a cat, it can't be judged solely by its size; the issue of gender must be taken into account.

After a moment's thought, Shen An had an answer. "Zhu Qing, Zhu Qing, I have something to tell you."

"Um, what is it?" Zhu Zhuqing replied listlessly, snapping out of her reverie.

"Look, the hotel only has one bed, and it's separate for men and women. How about I..."

After hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing thought to herself, "This person isn't that stupid. He even knew to give me his bed. Well, then I won't hold it against him for sharing a bathtub with me."

“Why don’t you sleep on the sofa, and Tom and I will sleep on the bed?” Shen An continued, even adding, “The sofa is too small; it can’t fit both Tom and me.”

???

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath. Okay, okay, so straightforward? What a big idiot with absolutely no emotional intelligence!

She walked to the sofa with a cold face and without saying a word, angrily lay down on it, and remained silent.

Tom silently gave Shen An a thumbs up. "You're amazing. I, Tom, am no matchmaker for you two. Even if the God of Love were to tie you two together, you'd break the steel bars."

Zhu Zhuqing lay on the sofa, hugging the cushion tightly until it was slightly deformed. She suddenly felt a little wronged.

I fought to the death for Shen An, whom I met by chance, and he inexplicably saw my body and took advantage of me, but now he won't even let me sleep in a bed.

I'm angry and want to cry.

Chapter 14 Taking Root in Soto (Please Add to Favorites) (Please Continue Reading)

One night passed

Shen An got up early from the sofa and tiptoed out of the hotel without disturbing the sleeping Zhu Zhuqing and Tom.

Although Tom thought last night that Shen An could break the steel bar of the Matchmaker, he still gave Shen An advice: let Zhu Zhuqing sleep on the bed and the two of them sleep on the sofa. There was nothing he could do since Shen An was its owner.

Shen An didn't think about it as trying to win favor, but since Tom brought it up, and it wasn't really appropriate to have a girl sleep on the sofa, Shen An went along with it. It took him a long time to coax Zhu Zhuqing into bed.

Tom the cat, who witnessed the incident that day, clearly saw Zhu Zhuqing sleeping with a smile on her lips.

As Shen An walked towards the morning market in Soto City, bathed in the morning sunlight, he heard the lively cries of vendors.

Finally, he bought some steamed buns, rice porridge, and a few eggs to take home and eat. He also inquired about which shops were available for rent, and a plan began to take shape in his mind.

Gaining fame points is about spreading one's reputation, but Shen An is just a noob with level 10 soul power.

Gaining fame by arguing with everyone and everything is undoubtedly a recipe for disaster. Therefore, Shen An plans to use opening a shop as a starting point.

If he opened a shop, he could not only own his own house and settle down in Soto City, but also use the shop to spread his reputation. Shen An thought this was a very safe way.

Coincidentally, Shen An saw that there were indeed some shops for rent in Soto City, mostly restaurants that were not doing well, and Shen An also inquired about the prices.

It has to be said that you should compare prices before buying anything. The first shop Shen An asked about, the shopkeeper said it would cost five hundred gold soul coins, and he had an expression that said he was selling at a loss and that Shen An was making a huge profit.

In the Douluo Continent, one gold soul coin equals ten silver soul coins, which in turn equals one hundred bronze soul coins.

According to the original work, one gold soul coin is enough for a family of three to live on for a month, and five hundred gold soul coins are enough for an ordinary family to live on for half a lifetime.

Although Soto City is a big city, Shen An could clearly feel that the shopkeeper was ripping him off at this price.

After asking the questions, Shen An turned and left without pausing. He then went to three more shops, where the average price was around four hundred gold soul coins. Finally, Shen An set his sights on a teahouse in a good location.

The shopkeeper was extremely enthusiastic when he saw Shen An, and couldn't wait to complete the transaction with him on the spot. Shen An felt that it would be better to go back and ask Zhu Zhuqing, since Zhu Zhuqing was a local of Douluo and would definitely have some understanding of the prices.

Furthermore, the shop owner promised that if Shen An was willing to buy it, he could introduce resources to Shen An, including the channels for sourcing goods and a series of facilities in the shop.

Upon hearing this, Shen An silently gave himself a thumbs up. If he hadn't compared prices at several stores, he would have foolishly bought from that shop that charged 500 gold soul coins. He, Shen An, is indeed a man of high emotional intelligence.

But then again, this shop owner seems a bit too enthusiastic, doesn't he? So enthusiastic that Shen An felt a little strange.

After leaving his name and arranging to complete the transaction with the shop owner at noon, Shen An returned to the hotel with his breakfast.

Upon opening the door, Zhu Zhuqing was petting the cat on the bed, while Tom was also enjoying the caresses with a comfortable expression.

"Ta-da! Look what I brought you!" Shen An said with a smile as he picked up the food in his hand.

When Tom saw the food in Shen An's hand, his eyes lit up and almost popped out. He ended up drooling a lot, and soon a small puddle of drool formed on the ground.

The cat instantly leaped out of Zhu Zhuqing's arms, looking at Shen An with a fawning expression, and rubbing against Shen An's legs incessantly.

Zhu Zhuqing watched Tom's performance, thinking to herself, "Tom is amazing! He can drool so much in an instant, and I didn't even realize he darted out like that. Is he really just an ordinary cat?"

Shen An shared the food he was holding with Tom and then gave it to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Here you are, Zhuqing, steamed buns."

Zhu Zhuqing took the food and ate it in small bites. A strange feeling welled up in her heart. Suddenly, she found Shen An quite pleasing to the eye. Having been wandering alone for so long, she hadn't felt the care of others for a long time.

“Zhuqing, you still have some time before you start school. I’m planning to buy a shop, and there are a few rooms upstairs. Why don’t you come and stay with me for a while?”

While eating, Shen An asked, "You've eaten my food and stayed in my room. It shouldn't be too much to ask you to go hunting a soul beast with me in a while, right?"

'A girl like Zhu Qing, who seems cold but is actually kind and proud at heart, I've got her completely under my thumb.'

The scheming boy Shen An has arrived.

Tom, standing nearby, perked up his ears. The cat's ears suddenly grew as big as a rabbit's. Tom was astonished. "My master has finally figured things out? He's actually taking the initiative to pursue girls!"