"General!!"
Su Qiluo, dressed in palace attire, strode across on her little short legs and stood on the porch railing, frightening the attendant maids behind her.
"Young miss, please get down!"
"Young miss, you can't stand there!"
"Young miss, I beg you, get down, get down, don't hurt yourself."
Despite the pleas and warnings from the maids and servants, Su Qiluo not only refused to listen, but leapt up from the railing and pounced towards the artificial mountain in the center of the lake.
Though only six or seven years old, with her short arms and legs, her leap forward was like a bird in flight, jumping five meters high into the thin air.
As the ribbons of her palace dress fluttered in the wind, Du ke, hiding in the crevices of the artificial mountain, stared blankly at this tiny little girl gliding more than ten meters through the air and landing right in front of him.
"Is this still a person?"
Staring at the little girl sliding through the air, Du ke felt like he had seen something totally unexpected today.
Which family's child could jump so far?
"Swish!"
Landing steadily on top of the artificial mountain, Su Qiluo hurried down from it and came to the crevice where Du ke was hiding. She crouched on the ground and showed Du ke a big smile.
"General, we meet again!"
Su Qiluo's face filled Du ke's vision, and he shrank back like a frightened cat, letting out a startled cry.
"Meow!!"
Su Qiluo watched helplessly as the white cat general she had been thinking about retreated into the deepest part of the artificial mountain crevice.
She could only see one eye, one eye filled with caution and vigilance.
Just then, several figures also glided through the night sky and landed beside Su Qiluo. As soon as they touched the ground, they knelt down on one knee.
"Young miss, please return to Langya Palace at once, it's time for you to sleep."
One of the women dressed in palace attire gently advised, but Su Qiluo completely ignored her and threw a childish tantrum.
"No! I want my cat general, I want my cat general to come back with me!"
Hearing what their young miss said, the women looked at each other, forced smiles on their faces.
Their young miss had never been so willful before, but today she was throwing a childish fit over a cat.
"Young miss, this lowly one will bring back your cat general. Please go back to the Su residence to sleep."
The woman in palace dress persuaded again, but Su Qiluo still ignored her.
"No!"
"I just want my cat general!"
Su Qiluo slapped the artificial mountain in her childish temper. Not only did the whole artificial mountain shake three times, but a deep palm print was left in its interior.
Seeing this scene, the only expressions left on the women's faces were wry smiles.
Ever since their young miss was born, she had extraordinary talents. Just out of the womb, she could unconsciously crush the midwife's fingers with her grip.
She was simply inhuman, more like a monster from the Hundred Thousand Wild Mountains.
Of course, no one dared say this, because whether it was the family head or the Su family's uncles, they all doted on Su Qiluo.
Even the most vicious uncles would hold Su Qiluo with a smile and call her their precious darling.
Now that their young miss was in a temper, they could only cater to her wishes no matter how worried they were.
However, after exchanging looks, one of the women in palace attire said in a low voice, "Young miss, perhaps you can use some food to lure your cat general out."
"The knight who went to find your white cat general must have had no time to feed him on the long journey back in the freezing cold."
Hearing this suggestion, Su Qiluo immediately widened her eyes. "You're right, go quickly to the kitchen to prepare some food, hurry, hurry!"
Faced with their young miss's urging, the woman who had spoken lowered her head. "Yes."
The one who had made the suggestion immediately left the artificial mountain in the lake center and rushed towards the nearest kitchen.
Su Qiluo continued to crouch patiently at the crevice where Du ke was hiding and called out gently.
"General, cat general, come out please, cat general."
Du ke shrank deep inside the crevice, motionless, while observing Su Qiluo outside with one eye.
He didn't know what breed this feline body of his was. In the dead of night he could still see things clearly as day, just a bit more dimly colored. Otherwise in such a dark environment, a normal person opening their eyes would only see pitch blackness.
Two hours later, the person who had left earlier returned, carrying a food box. Judging by the beads of sweat on his forehead, the trip had clearly been quite exhausting.
"Young miss, I have returned."
The man who placed the food box in front of Su Qiluo knelt down on one knee and spoke in a low voice. But Su Qiluo didn't even glance at him, instead opening the food box herself and taking out the exquisite dishes inside one by one.
The fragrance emanating from each dish made anyone who smelled it salivate. Even Du ke was no exception.
Du ke's three-lobed cat mouth moved, he swallowed, and looked at the gourmet dishes within reach. But he still endured and continued hiding in the crevice.
He wasn't just simply evading this little girl. He wanted to gauge how important he currently was in her heart.
One had to know that children easily tire of things and desire novelty.
No matter how much they like something now, after a while, as their interest fades they will completely lose enthusiasm.
Although it seemed this little girl was quite fond of him at the moment.
But who could predict what would happen in the future? So he had to do a test.
Test how much time and effort this little girl was willing to spend on him.
Then, take this opportunity to cling to her side and subtly influence her.
As the saying goes, when you cling to survival, everything goes well. Loli cultivation must be started early.
Du ke forcefully suppressed the hunger in his belly and retreated further back, shrinking into the deepest part of the crevice. He silently observed the little loli Su Qiluo outside the crevice.
"General, general, come eat!"
Su Qiluo grabbed a piece of fish white as snow and extended it into the crevice. As Su Qiluo's hand reached inside, she said, "General, I've waited for you for so long!"
"I knew you would come."
"Just like in my dreams, driving away my nightmares and saving me from danger!"
Hearing Su Qiluo's soliloquy, the women guards led by the one in palace attire thought back to previous events.
Back then, their young miss had frequently suffered from nightmares and thus slept uneasily every night.
No matter who they asked for help or what methods they used, they couldn't dispel these nightmares.
The nightmares had tormented their young miss for a month. But then one morning after that month had passed, their young miss woke up asking for the white cat general.
When others asked, she said she had seen a divine white cat in her dream that had captured the nightmare that had been plaguing her for many days.
No one knew what that dream white cat actually was.
But this white cat hiding in the crevice was naturally the exotic spirit cat most matching their young miss's description, found in the Hundred Thousand Wild Mountains by people sent by their master.
Bringing this cat back was of course to cure their young miss's lovesickness.
Now hearing their young miss say this, the women in palace dress didn't dare expose Su Qiluo's little fantasy. They could only silently watch how things developed.
Crouching at the crevice entrance, Su Qiluo chatted endlessly to Du ke inside.
“General, I knew we would meet again.”
“Just like in my dream, you told me you would come back to my side, to protect me, shield me, prevent me from getting hurt.”
“I know you must be so scared now, because those bad guys were so violent towards you. Don’t worry, I already had Father punish them. You don’t need to be afraid anymore.”
“General, talk to me.”
“General, do you want to try some fish? The fish is very tasty.”
“Here, have a bite.”
“General, just come out. Su Qiluo won't hurt you.”
“Su Qiluo has been waiting for you for a long time!”
“General, if you don't come out, Su Qiluo will cry!”
..........
Su Qiluo waited by the crevice where Duke was hiding. At first she was excitedly talking to Duke, but children inevitably get tired at night.
Over time, she leaned against the rockery, her eyes blinking more and more, her voice getting lower and lower, drowsiness growing heavier and heavier in her eyes.
Eventually, under the watchful eyes of the guards, Su Qiluo fell asleep leaning against the rockery.
Seeing the young miss they served sleeping, a bald rough fellow behind the palace maid said in a low voice, "Housekeeper Yun, should we take the young miss back?"
"No, the young miss is determined to wait for the white cat to come out. If we take the young miss back to Langya Palace arbitrarily, we would likely end up no better than the one who startled the white cat and caused it to run away."
"That's right, it was meant to be a great achievement, but unfortunately he bumped into the young miss, and got exiled to the frontier army, given a tiny official position."
"Hush, we shouldn't question what the master decides. Let's just keep an eye on Miss Xiao."
"You're right, Housekeeper Yun."
"Hey, look, the white cat came out!"
A cry attracted the others' attention. They saw the white cat emerge from the crevice in the rockery. Although still somewhat wary, it headed straight for their sleeping young miss.
As he crawled out of the crevice, Duke looked at the little girl sleeping against the rockery, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
Slowly approaching the little girl, Duke eventually arrived before her. Looking up at the exquisitely charming little girl, Duke gently nudged her with his head.
Unexpectedly, the petite powerhouse who could leap over ten meters and casually push a burly man flying seven to eight meters with one push was tipped over on the ground by Duke's gentle nudge.
Su Qiluo's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing her long hoped-for white cat right before her, she immediately wanted to rush over and hug it.
But she controlled her emotions, maintaining a safe distance as she said in a low voice, "General?"
"Meow!"
Duke meowed and nodded slightly at the same time.
Only then did Su Qiluo’s face light up with joy as she moved closer to Duke.
One step.
Duke didn't back away.
Two steps.
Duke didn't run off.
Three steps.
Su Qiluo embraced the white cat Duke in her arms, delightedly rubbing her cheek against Duke.
"General, General, General, my white cat General!"
The overjoyed Su Qiluo, with snot bubbles coming out, kept rubbing against Duke. Duke was quite disgusted, pushing the little girl away.
Control yourself, you're about to rub snot all over me.
But in any case, the first step here could be considered accomplished.
What remained was grinding work.
That is, lolita upbringing!