After placing his bid, Lin Jie turned his head and gave Ning Fengzhi a calm, courteous smile.
Ning Fengzhi looked back with interest, clearly not expecting the young man to outbid him. He had only glanced at Lin Jie briefly, but from that alone, he could tell the youth wasn't like the others in the room. There was something different in his eyes—he wasn't looking at the cat-eared girl with lust or desire. Since the boy clearly had a reason for bidding, Ning Fengzhi decided to let it go.
"Two hundred thousand gold spirit coins, second call… third call—sold! Congratulations to our guest from the yellow-tier seats. This cat girl now belongs to you."
As Lin Jie watched the large iron cage being carried down, he rose from his seat. On his way out of the auction floor, he passed close by the white-tier VIP section. As he walked by, he paused.
Ning Fengzhi noticed him stopping and gave him a curious look. Although Lin Jie wore a mask, his youthful frame and energy were unmistakable.
"Thank you for not raising your bid," Lin Jie said sincerely before turning and heading toward the backstage area.
"What an interesting young man," Ning Fengzhi mused aloud, then turned to leave with Chen Xin.
Backstage, the staff immediately came forward with polite smiles when they saw Lin Jie. One of them stepped up and asked, "Sir, this is the cat girl you've won. Would you like us to sedate her first?"
"That won't be necessary." Lin Jie handed over his spirit coin card. "Just process the payment."
Then he walked toward the cage.
He pulled aside the red cloth, revealing the small cat-eared girl curled up in the corner. When she saw Lin Jie approaching, she instinctively shrank back, her timid appearance tugging at the heart.
"Open the cage," Lin Jie ordered, his voice cold.
"Y-Yes, right away!" The staff member hurriedly complied, intimidated by Lin Jie's tone. He didn't even consider the possibility that the girl might try to run. After all, she was a variant Martial Soul user with barely any spirit power—where could she possibly go?
Clack— The iron chains were unlatched. Inside the cage, the girl trembled at the sound. Seeing Lin Jie step toward her, she flinched with wide, fearful eyes.
But Lin Jie's voice turned gentle as he knelt before her. "Don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you. Do you… have a sister named Duo'er?"
The cat girl looked stunned, her voice shaky and close to tears. "H-How do you know that?"
Lin Jie gave her a soft smile. "Duo'er is with me. I promised her I'd find you. Will you come with me to see her?"
She paused, then slowly nodded.
Lin Jie took out a clean cloak from his soul tool ring and draped it over her shoulders. "Can you walk, or would you prefer I carry you?"
"I… I can walk," she replied quietly.
He held out his hand. She hesitated, then cautiously placed her small, trembling hand in his. Lin Jie gently led her down from the cage.
At that moment, a staff member returned with his spirit coin card. "Esteemed guest, here is your card. Please keep it safe."
The cat girl instinctively shrank closer to Lin Jie's side, clearly still afraid of everyone else here.
"It's alright now," Lin Jie whispered, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "No one will hurt you again."
Taking back his card, he walked out of the auction house with the girl in tow.
Outside, the noon sun was high in the sky. The moment they stepped into the daylight, the cat girl instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes—clearly she hadn't seen sunlight in a long time. For her, this may very well be the start of a new life.
Watching her reaction, Lin Jie couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. Duo'er had told him bits and pieces of their story not long ago. Now, seeing the younger sister in person, that feeling of compassion stirred again. The world was just too harsh—nobles and commoners divided by rigid social class, suffering everywhere beneath the surface. Lin Jie wasn't a bleeding heart, but there were some things he just couldn't ignore.
"At least… this much I can still do."
He gently squeezed her hand. "Come on, let's go."
The girl looked up at him, her eyes like autumn lakes—clear, cautious, and uncertain. "My sister… she's really there?"
Lin Jie softly stroked her pale green hair, a warm smile on his face. "Of course. I'm taking you to her now."
A faint smile bloomed across her lips—quiet and beautiful, like spring wind brushing across Lugu Lake, or autumn rain falling on Jiugou Village.
Lin Jie brought her home. After half an hour of walking, they reached his house.
The cat girl paused at the door, her hands tightening around her sleeves.
"What's wrong?" Lin Jie asked gently.
"N-Nothing… I'm just nervous," she whispered.
"It's alright," Lin Jie reassured. "Duo'er should be home right now." He had already told Duo'er about the auction when he learned a cat-eared girl would be featured—she had stayed behind at the house just in case.
Opening the door, he led the girl through the courtyard into the living room.
Upstairs, Duo'er heard the door open and quickly stepped out. The moment she saw Lin Jie, a soft smile spread across her lips—but when she saw the girl beside him, her expression changed completely. Joy and disbelief swept over her delicate features.
"Lili! It's really you!" Duo'er cried as she ran down the stairs and pulled the girl into her arms.
"Big sister!" the cat girl cried back, her face lit up with pure, tearful happiness.
Watching the two nearly identical girls embrace, Lin Jie couldn't help but smile inwardly. He felt an unexpected warmth bloom in his chest.
It was a long-overdue reunion—Duo'er and her twin sister, finally together again.
Once they calmed down, Duo'er turned to Lin Jie, her eyes still shimmering with emotion. "Young Master, thank you. I never thought I'd get to see my sister again. Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me," Lin Jie replied with a gentle grin. "I promised you, didn't I? And also, stop calling me 'Young Master' or my mom's going to think I'm bullying you again." He playfully flicked her nose. "Now, why don't you take your sister upstairs for a bath?"
Duo'er glanced at Lili, then nodded. "Alright. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."
As they went upstairs, Lin Jie let out a small sigh. "Still calling me 'Young Master'... that girl."
An hour later, the two girls returned, freshly bathed and changed. Lili, now clean, was even more beautiful than before. With her delicate brows, clear eyes, soft lips, and porcelain skin, she looked like a blossoming flower next to Duo'er.
Though they were twins, Lili was still a little thinner—making it easy to tell them apart. Their outfits were nearly identical.
Duo'er led her sister back to Lin Jie and gave her a little look.
Understanding the signal, Lili stepped forward, placed her hands demurely in front of her, and whispered, "Y-Young Master…"
Lin Jie chuckled. He could already guess what Duo'er must've told her. Still, he couldn't deny it—he rather liked hearing her soft voice call him that.
Not long after, Lin Jie's mother returned home. Seeing Lili, she lit up with delight. Looks like she'd gained another adoptive daughter.
The four chatted for a while, and Lin Jie made arrangements for Lili to stay. That night, he remained at home with his mother again.
Now that Duo'er and Lili were both around, his mother had good company. His little sister also visited once or twice a week. With everything in place, Lin Jie could focus on cultivation again. Sometimes, he'd be gone for months—or even years. Looking back now, he was glad he'd bought Duo'er when he did.
The next morning, Lin Jie returned to Shrek Academy. The students had all mostly returned from break by now, and Lin Jie made his way through the familiar campus to the advanced class area with practiced ease.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin