Chapter 34: The Sulking Leader and Cai’s Quest for Cheer

Wang raised a single finger, her voice imbued with a profound gravity as she addressed Cai:

“My foolish woman, do you truly understand? Many things in this world are not as simple as they appear on the surface.”

This, of course, was what one might call solemnly spouting nonsense:

“Take, for instance, the game we just played. The victor might not have truly won, and the loser might not have truly lost…”

“Ah, I see!”

Cai clapped her hands together, a soft smack echoing in the air. Her eyelids lifted, making her eyes appear slightly larger, and her voice sounded even more melodious than before:

“Then, do you know this? It’s not very becoming to go to such lengths to find excuses simply because one has lost a card game!”

Cai had no ulterior motive; she merely adopted an exceptionally serious expression as she stated this plainly obvious fact.

“…”

Wang found herself speechless, not out of shock, but because she was utterly incapable of responding. In such an awkward situation, silence was often the most prudent course of action.

However, Cai’s intention wasn’t to put Wang in an embarrassing position; otherwise, she wouldn’t have offered comfort, saying:

“Both winning and losing are perfectly normal. When you play cards, your expressions often betray you. I only need to observe your face as you pick up your hand to predict your next move…”

“Wait, say that again!”

“Huh? Say what?”

“The sentence you just said.”

“Oh, I said, ‘Both winning and losing are perfectly normal.'”

“Not that one, the sentence before it.”

“When you play cards, your expressions often betray you. Although I’m not skilled at reading people, if I just watch…”

“That’s the one!”

Thanks to Cai, this honest soul, Wang finally unraveled a mystery that had plagued her for years:

“No wonder, back when I used to play cards with everyone, apart from Little Eagle, I would always inexplicably lose dozens of rounds in a row! Those rascals have been ganging up on me all this time!”

The only reason Little Eagle couldn’t maintain a consistent winning streak against Wang was because she was considerably more benevolent. Though Little Eagle couldn’t stop herself from observing Wang’s expressions, she would intentionally “go easy” when necessary, allowing Wang to secure a victory.

The other demons, however, neither cared to spare their leader’s feelings nor considered their victories unfair. Thus, when facing Wang, they could utterly dominate her in terms of their track record.

At that moment, Wang stood up, clearly intending to go and confront her subordinates.

Driven by a desire to mediate, Cai reached out and grasped the cuff of Wang’s beast-hide clothing from below. Waiting until the other person lowered their gaze, she shook her head and said:

“Let it go. Don’t take such a trivial matter to heart.”

“How can I possibly let it go? This concerns the very integrity between humans and demons! Otherwise, how will I ever be able to enjoy playing with those rascals again in the future?”

“But even if your opponents didn’t exploit this weakness of yours, the outcome would likely be no different. Your luck at cards is simply dreadful!”

The arm Cai was laboriously holding suddenly drooped. The person who reacted this way wore an expression of utter dejection, as if struck by some profound blow.

“Yes, you’re right, the problem lies with my luck—or rather, my inherent disposition. Someone like me is simply not cut out for card games.”

As the light outside the window grew steadily brighter, Wang’s expression deepened into an even greater gloom. With scant light reaching the corner, Wang simply retreated further into its shadows, burying her face in her hands and letting her head hang low. Within the now brightly lit room, the darkness of the corner became even more pronounced, accentuating a heavy, gray atmosphere.

“Are you alright?”

“Hmph, leave me be. Just let me wallow in peace for a while.”

“Why do you seem so utterly disheartened? It was only a few rounds of a game.”

“Of course, a foolish woman like you wouldn’t understand. A victor like yourself will never comprehend the psychology of a loser.”

Cai realized:

Seeking a rational explanation for Wang’s current dejection was clearly not the wisest approach. Instead, she should interpret it thus: Whether a girl or a boy, sometimes when faced with an issue, they experience intense emotional fluctuations. Commonly known as “throwing a tantrum”!

As their time together lengthened, Cai gradually began to understand the young woman before her. She started to perceive that Wang possessed many seemingly contradictory character traits simultaneously.

If the previous Wang had been domineering and unreasonable, then the current Wang was simply willful and unreasonable. At first glance, these two temperaments might seem indistinguishable, both indicating a certain level of arrogance. Yet, the underlying emotions were entirely different.

This latter “unreasonableness” was closer to a childlike, natural reaction—a rare glimpse of innocence Cai had seen in Wang!

Cai extended a finger and gently poked Wang’s shoulder.

“Leave me alone!”

The shoulder on that side immediately tensed, and a swift hand shot out, swatting towards Cai’s finger.

Cai was equally quick, and the hand failed to connect.

A moment later, Cai poked again, but Wang shifted her body, clearly rejecting the contact.

After two consecutive attempts at contact, a rare flush of color appeared on Cai’s pale face, and she let out a small, fond sound:

“So adorable!”

When Wang threw a tantrum, her demeanor became aloof and dismissive, accompanied by dramatic physical gestures. Didn’t this reaction closely resemble… that?

For a fleeting moment, Cai thought it might be enjoyable to continue this game, but her rationality reined in her impulses.

‘(Quietly) “It’s partly my fault that you’ve become like this. What can I do to make amends?”‘

Wishing to improve Wang’s mood, Cai tiptoed out of the room. As she exited, she gently propped a chair against the doorway, preventing a gust of wind from automatically closing the door.

Solitary contemplation was not a commendable choice; Cai believed more in the truth of collective wisdom. Thus, she set off along the mountain path, searching for anyone who might be able to help her.

She hadn’t walked far before she encountered a tall, one-eyed cyclops.

“Please, wait a moment!”

The height difference between them was so immense that if Cai hadn’t called out proactively, the cyclops might not have noticed her at all.

“Greetings, Big Sister! Why aren’t you with the Boss today?”

The cyclops bowed respectfully, but his doubts were not entirely assuaged.

Cai decided some details were best omitted. She truncated the full story, presenting only the core inquiry to the cyclops:

“Based on your understanding of your Boss, do you know of any way to lift her spirits when they’re low?”

“I don’t know! But if it were me, my mood would brighten simply by hunting prey in the mountains.”

Just as he spoke, a wild rabbit prepared to dart past them. Without hesitation, the cyclops demonstrated his point right before Big Sister’s eyes, raising the large club in his hand!

After a dull thud, the wild rabbit was sent flying into the air. Before it could fall, the cyclops raised his palm and caught the freshly acquired prey.

“Although the Boss has brought us rabbits from the market before, I still think wild game caught personally tastes the best… Big Sister, would you like one?”

The cyclops presented the now tragically disfigured rabbit to Big Sister. Mindful of avoiding nightmares later that night, Cai politely declined this offer of raw, primal generosity.

Spending a few seconds to bid farewell, Cai continued on her way.

The second being she encountered was a canine-shaped demon.

Initially, Cai simply assumed she had stumbled upon a giant dog and wasn’t particularly surprised. However, just as they passed each other, a male voice reached her ears:

“You are Big Sister! I stood at the back of the assembly line yesterday and saw you from a long distance. Woof!”

“Are you also a subordinate of that individual?”

Cai turned around and shook the furry paw extended towards her, finding it unexpectedly warm.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Max.”

Among Wang’s demon subordinates, only Little Eagle and this particular dog used names; otherwise, Wang typically addressed them by their species. Now, Max, the large canine, was wagging his tail enthusiastically at Cai.