“Xia Bingbing?”
The expressionless girl approached, the broom in her hand lifting slightly.
“My name is Xia Bingrou.”
Her tone was cold.
The girl seemed angry.
This name sounded like that of a certain disgraced actress, and she didn’t like others calling her that.
“Oh, oh, sorry, sorry, I got your name wrong.”
Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly apologized.
Nicknames were a no-go.
She almost got caught.
Bingbing, I’m sorry.
“No need for that. Just don’t call me Bingbing again.”
After speaking properly, Xia Bingrou continued sweeping the floor with the broom.
She still had three rows left.
“Mm, mm, got it.”
Bingbing, I understand.
Since Su Xiaoxiao had finished sweeping, she considered leaving first.
But after thinking it over, she decided to stay.
She was a guy (not really), after all.
How could she let a beautiful girl (emphasis) bend over and toil in front of her?
Better to help out, and maybe that would change the girl’s impression of her.
“I’ll help you.”
Su Xiaoxiao approached enthusiastically.
“Let’s finish sweeping together. It’s almost done anyway.”
“…Alright, thank you.”
Xia Bingrou, who was sweeping, hesitated a little.
She agreed.
Good.
“Hey.”
After that, Su Xiaoxiao began to move desks, shift chairs, and stretch her arms to sweep the corners by the wall.
Soon, the remaining three rows were also cleaned up.
“Finished sweeping. Thank you.”
Xia Bingrou returned the broom.
“I’m leaving now.”
After sweeping, she didn’t say much else to Su Xiaoxiao.
“Eh…”
Just like birds on duty day—once the cleaning is over, they fly their separate ways.
“Um,”
Su Xiaoxiao wanted to say more, but the girl had already slung her backpack and walked out of the classroom, her steps light and quick.
Fine then.
She’d slip away too, just without carrying her bag.
Time to check if there were any messages on her phone.
Yu Xueqin-jie had told her yesterday to pay more attention to texts.
Then, on the way home, she’d stop by the restaurant and order some twice-cooked pork.
She hadn’t eaten meat in a while—always eating eggplant felt like it might lead to malnutrition.
That way, she wouldn’t grow up strong.
With her plan in mind, Su Xiaoxiao trotted out of the classroom.
***
At noon in Xiamo City, the summer heat pressed down, intensified by rows upon rows of tall buildings, making this bustling area feel even more stifling.
Inside a room of an Enterprise Tower, a mature woman in formal uniform and black stockings sat in a soft office chair, excitedly sliding her finger across her phone screen.
“This AP Host actually posted another great one.”
She tapped on a video that had been uploaded just yesterday afternoon.
She finally had time to watch it today—honestly.
Yu Yao gazed at the screen, where a graceful, lovely young girl appeared, and the corners of her mouth slowly lifted into a silly smile.
“Hehe, hehehe, hehehehe~”
While watching, she crossed one alluring, stocking-clad leg over the other.
This was Yu Yao’s happiest moment these days, no exaggeration.
The earlier meeting had left her exhausted—it was filled with a bunch of old fossils, and talking with them was truly draining.
Still, their work efficiency was high; it just needed proper arrangement.
“So tired, sigh.”
Yu Yao watched the video several times before reluctantly putting down her phone, her expression shifting from a silly grin to emo.
“If only I had a beautiful girlfriend too…”
She’d inherited her parents’ intelligence, skipping grades in elementary and middle school, easily securing a spot in high school, and after university, began assisting her father with work.
But a few years later, her father passed away from illness, and as the eldest daughter, she had to take over the business.
Fortunately, in the years since, everything had gone smoothly—the company had no major issues, and its market value even increased.
A successful life, one could say.
The only regret was that she hadn’t found someone she liked.
Yu Yao liked girls—cute, lively, energetic girls.
Not the dull, lifeless kind.
But with her workload, she never had time to look.
“I wonder how my sister is doing now.”
Yu Yao picked up her phone, looking at her WeChat chat history with someone—just a string of transfer records, with little other conversation.
That was her chat with her sister—a homebody who disliked talking to people and loved playing games.
After graduating from university, her sister ignored their parents and went out to live on her own.
Her parents had been angry at the time, and it was Yu Yao who resolved things.
“Silly sister, if you keep hiding at home, you’ll never find a girlfriend either.”
Thinking of herself, Yu Yao couldn’t help but think of her similarly fated sister.
Both were single, twenty-plus years since birth.
“Maybe I should visit her today, now that the meetings are over.”
Yu Yao opened the chat box, her slender fingers tapping the screen to send a message.
Let the two lonely people catch up.
***
“Meat~ Meat, meat~”
Su Xiaoxiao finished buying lunch, ready to take it home and enjoy every bite.
A takeout order of twice-cooked pork was 16 yuan—3 yuan more expensive than eggplant.
Now that she had money, she could be extravagant!
Oh, but she still had to pay rent…
Sigh, she’d pay when she had time.
Carrying her lunchbox, Su Xiaoxiao walked into the small alley leading home.
There weren’t many people around; most adults stayed at the factory for lunch and didn’t come back at noon.
“Meow~”
As she walked, she heard a cat’s cry.
Yesterday, on her way home, she’d seen several stray cats outside and had sacrificed some fragrant eggplant to feed them.
“Can cats eat meat?”
She wanted to follow the sound and feed them something else.
They looked so pitiful—just like she once was, unloved and alone.
“Mm?”
Turning the corner, Su Xiaoxiao saw a familiar person.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Bingbing?”
By the garbage pile, a girl was squatting, feeding the cats that climbed on the trash.
The cats seemed to recognize her, quickly jumping down to eat the food she offered.
“Mm?”
Xia Bingrou, her hand licked by a kitten and feeling content, was interrupted.
“You again.”
She must have meant that.
“Yeah, I live nearby. I’m heading home.”
Su Xiaoxiao approached.
“I just bought lunch—there are some vegetables inside. The cats should be able to eat them.”
“…I suppose they can.”
Xia Bingrou looked at this unexpected person and quietly shifted aside.
“Tsk tsk, come eat~”
Su Xiaoxiao squatted down quickly, calling the kittens with a gentle voice.
She took out the disposable chopsticks from the restaurant, picked up some vegetables, and fed them to the cats.
Since she had chopsticks at home, she didn’t need these.
“Wait, there’s more to eat here.”
“Meow~”
Seeing someone else summon the cats, Xia Bingrou, unwilling to be outdone, also used her practiced voice.
Maybe using a cat’s language would attract them better?
“Meow.”
Su Xiaoxiao was drawn in by the sweet sound.
Such a lovely cat’s cry—whoever made it gets first dibs on food.
But following the voice, she didn’t see a cat.
Instead, she saw a beautiful girl with long hair draped over her shoulders, her lovely eyes glancing at her with a hint of shyness.
Ah, not a cat, but not bad either.
It’s fine.
Bingbing, come eat.
“….”
Xia Bingrou fell silent, a slight blush spreading across her face.
“Never mind, just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
It was just a reflex…
“Alright, sis.”
Bingbing, whatever you say.
She absolutely did not hear that soft, kitten-like cry just now.
“Meow…”
Suddenly, Su Xiaoxiao heard a small kitten whimpering beneath her.
After watching for a while, she noticed this cat wasn’t eating, just meowing softly at the side.
Was something wrong?
“Wait,”
Xia Bingrou noticed too, quickly squeezing over to check.
“It might have a stomachache. Maybe it ate something bad. We need to find a veterinarian.”
“Eh, find a veterinarian.”
Su Xiaoxiao was still squatting, looking bewildered.
“Should we go together?”
“Mm.”