The two arrived at the teahouse, and Chu Hui immediately noticed her son showing allergy symptoms.
Jiang Chuhuai was unconcerned, repeating “It’s nothing” several times. Wang Lianhua, however, didn’t dare take it lightly.
After all, her own daughter was the culprit. She joined Chu Hui in persuading Jiang Chuhuai, and under the two ladies’ urging, he finally agreed to go to the hospital.
The teahouse room was left to Qiu Xuan and her mother. After inquiring about the hospital visit, Mrs. Wang warned, “No bringing the cat home! Don’t expect me to take care of it!”
“Oh…” Knowing her mother well, Qiu Xuan didn’t even consider that option.
Wang Lianhua added, “And definitely no keeping it in the dorm!”
Qiu Xuan pouted, unable to deny this immediately since the idea had indeed crossed her mind. Her mind was already working on excuses to convince her roommates.
Seeing her expression, Wang Lianhua knew she’d hit the right spot and sternly repeated, “No! I just promised your Head Teacher today that you’d be convinced to dye your hair. One wave hasn’t even settled before another one starts. If you get called in for a parent-teacher conference again, I’m the only one with any shame here.”
Qiu Xuan bargained, “So if I dye my hair, does that mean I can keep it?”
Wang Lianhua was stunned. Had she ever said that?
“No keeping it. Or you lose your living allowance.”
The ultimate weapon was unleashed. What could she do now?
She truly lacked backbone in this matter. Though she didn’t crave material things, her good appetite depended on a stable income.
Besides, without her living allowance, how could she feed the little thief?
Doing good is hard, Qiu Xuan sighed.
“Your hair too— hurry and dye it a normal color. Next time I see you with the same hair, I’ll personally take you to dye it. If you dye it black, you won’t get to choose anything at all,” Wang Lianhua said as she twisted a lock of Qiu Xuan’s hair, her expression a mix of helplessness and disdain.
Qiu Xuan was a little angry and yanked her hair away.
She just didn’t understand. Cats had black, white, orange, blue fur, and even calico, tabby, and cow patterns. Why must high school students have only black hair?
Was it only right to be the same as everyone else?
–
By the time Jiang Chuhuai arrived at the hospital, the redness and itching had noticeably improved. The doctor inquired about the allergy symptoms and diagnosed it as a common allergy to a specific protein found in cats.
“Luckily you intervened in time. If it had reached the nasal passages and throat, you’d have kept sneezing uncontrollably. Severe cases can even trigger asthma. But since the symptoms have subsided, I’ll prescribe some medicine to consolidate the treatment. Just minimize contact after this, and there shouldn’t be any problems,” the doctor reassured him.
Chu Hui finally relaxed. “That’s good. Thank you, doctor.”
The taciturn boy spoke up, “Is there a way to prevent it?”
While prescribing medicine, the doctor explained, “It’s complicated. This specific protein is present in a cat’s sebaceous secretions and saliva. Since cats constantly lick their fur, it’s also on their hair. Prevention involves measures on both the animal and the human sides. Either regularly wipe the cat’s body with special medicated wet wipes or undergo immunotherapy yourself. Both are troublesome unless you’re very attached to your pet and can’t give it up. Otherwise, it’s better to just limit contact.”
Jiang Chuhuai asked, “What exactly does immunotherapy involve?”
The doctor glanced at him. Chu Hui turned her head, watching her son’s profile.
He showed no expression, casually asking as if chatting.
“It’s similar to getting vaccinated— subcutaneous injections or sublingual doses of allergens, starting from small doses and gradually increasing. This allows your immune system to adapt slowly, reducing allergic reactions until they disappear,” the doctor smiled, “The whole course takes at least several years. Who has the time for that?”
The boy said nothing, clearly indifferent.
Chu Hui also took it as a simple science lesson.
After getting the medication, mother and son left the hospital.
Just after getting into the car, Chu Hui received a call from Jiang Bingkun asking about Jiang Chuhuai’s Monthly Exam results.
Chu Hui: “Top thirty in the grade.”
“First when enrolled, now only top thirty? Why the drop?” Jiang Bingkun’s tone was neither reproachful nor particularly kind.
Chu Hui: “Grade fluctuations are normal. Top thirty is still not easy. The child is satisfied, and so am I.”
Jiang Bingkun: “That’s because he doesn’t fit No.1 High School’s teaching style. I think going back to Foreign High would be safer. Foreign High has many international programs, so adapting to studying abroad would be faster. Isn’t his sister there?”
Chu Hui replied calmly but firmly, “We’ll discuss the future later.”
After hanging up, Chu Hui glanced at her son in the passenger seat.
Jiang Chuhuai remained silent, staring out the window, his stern profile revealing a hint of resistance. The boy already carried an aura that could intimidate adults. Jiang Bingkun had never managed to reach him by phone.
Gifted intellectually, low-key, steady and resolute personality, and flawless appearance— his father’s ambitions to groom him were understandable.
But he had never cared whether his son wanted any of it.
If this was his destiny, it was also his responsibility.
But originally, this should not have been his.
There was no walking away unscathed from a struggle to snatch what was not yours.
Chu Hui turned to ask, “What do you think?”
Jiang Chuhuai: “No.1 High School is good.”
“Foreign High offers more comfortable conditions, but choosing No.1 High is not only to show those people we don’t want to fight, but also to keep you away from rumors. Your father’s circle—all their children attend Foreign High. I’m doing this to protect you.”
“I know.”
“What about the future? How do you feel about the so-called upper class…”
The boy looked back, his voice low, “What does Mom think?”
After a long silence, Chu Hui slowly said, “If I had known how complicated the Jiang family was, I wouldn’t have dragged you into this mess. I only want you to live an ordinary but good life—get into a decent university, have a good job, be safe and healthy, and live peacefully.”
The boy didn’t answer. His face reflected faintly on the car window, deep eyes hidden in shadow, emotion unreadable.
Chu Hui started the car and drove out of the underground garage.
Only then did the boy reply, “Mm.”
“Want to eat at home?” she asked.
Jiang Chuhuai: “Okay.”
“You heard what I said earlier, right?”
“Mm,” he paused briefly. Just as Chu Hui was about to complain about his silence, he added, “Understood.”
Chu Hui: ……
Well, that’s something at least.
Night fell, city lights glittered, and the car warmed with cozy heat as Chu Hui slowly merged into the flowing traffic.
–
For an entire week, Qiu Xuan adapted to her new role as a cat owner. She scoured all social media for cat care manuals.
To sneak out and see the little thief, she invented all kinds of excuses, feigning every minor illness imaginable— acute gastroenteritis, migraines— the gatekeeper had long seen through her.
At times like this, she had no choice but to slip out through the dog hole she’d discovered when she hid in the bushes.
No matter what, every day she had to see the little thief.
Thanks to the Band-Aids Jiang Chuhuai bought her, even minor scrapes could be treated by herself.
The emotional boost from the kitten was immediate and positive. Every time Qiu Xuan appeared, the once-limp little thief’s eyes brightened, and it’d get up to rub its paws against her through the cage, meowing nonstop.
So engrossed in playing with the cat, Qiu Xuan barely noticed what her classmates were discussing.
She never imagined that the gossip had already spread to her— and she was the last to find out.
Class 302 was among the few who found out the latest.
The moment the bell rang, Su Liujun dashed over holding her phone, looking nervous as she whispered, “Dear, there’s something I think you should know, but you have to keep it together.”
Qiu Xuan: “What?”
“Promise me you’ll keep it together.”
Was she reported for sneaking out? Qiu Xuan stayed calm. “Go ahead.”
“It’s like this— my middle school deskmate Bai Yifei is in Class One, you know, the one involved in that recent Zhan Zhan incident. First, I told her, and she thought it was nothing, so she chatted with others. The rumor didn’t start with her, and no one knows how it got so twisted. She means you no harm.”
“Okay, no problem,” Qiu Xuan hadn’t even paid attention to the names or how the gossip spread. What was there to be upset about?
“But she wanted to make amends, so she told me something…”
Qiu Xuan sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Uh… what is it?”
“Um, well, someone said your dad is a senior executive at Zexiang Group, a ‘general manager’ level. You know Zexiang is a national enterprise in Dongzhou, everyone knows it’s powerful. In the online world, finding someone is easy. They found a photo of your dad and… his wife, but they noticed she’s not the same person as your mom, who came to the Parent-Teacher Conference. An insider said that Wu Zong has never divorced and only has one wife, so they’re assuming you’re an illegitimate child. Now almost the entire grade knows…”
Su Liujun grew more nervous, speaking faster and quieter, barely daring to raise her voice. Especially the last three words—she almost swallowed them.
But Qiu Xuan caught them all.
“Illegitimate child?”
Su Liujun trembled, “Sorry, I’m not the one saying this, but I thought you should know.”
Classmates around overheard and immediately understood the message. Some whispered openly, some pretended to sleep but their shaking shoulders betrayed their laughter, others looked at her with pity.
Qiu Xuan slowly turned her head, scanning the classmates she’d spent nearly a hundred days with. Her gaze finally settled on a looming figure.
Her eyes shifted from curiosity to emptiness, then from emptiness to sharpness.
Su Liujun standing close and Lin Xiqiao sitting beside her exchanged frightened glances.
From questioning to indifference, then from indifference to battle mode, Qiu Xuan took only a few seconds.
“Creak—”
She suddenly stood up, kicking her chair backward loudly, cutting off the whispers in the classroom.
“Qiu Xuan!” Lin Xiqiao and Su Liujun quickly grabbed her arms, pleading, “Find the teacher, let’s find the teacher!”
“Don’t lose your temper, Qiu Xuan!”
But the two girls were no match for an enraged Qiu Xuan. Her arms flailed free, and the frailer Lin Xiqiao almost stumbled into the desk.
Turning around, Qiu Xuan was already standing by “Fu Ge’s” desk. With a single sweep of her hand, she sent Wang Kailin’s books, pen holder, and water cup crashing to the floor.
Despite the height difference, Qiu Xuan raised her chin and pointed her finger at Wang Kailin’s nose, yelling, “Gossiping bastard! If you’ve got nothing better to do, go suck the fat off a pig to grease your eyes! Stop watching those ridiculous prime-time soap operas about rich families and clogging your brain! Try to slander my grandma one more time and see what happens!”