After experiencing two university lectures, Xi Xi felt like her horizons had broadened.
It wasn’t that the material was particularly advanced; rather, the chaotic classroom atmosphere and the professors’ monotonous teaching style were completely different from what she had imagined university to be like.
Wasn’t this at least supposed to be a second-tier private university?
But even amidst the noise, Lily remained unfazed. She had barely spoken five sentences all class and had still managed to focus entirely on her studies.
As expected of Lily-jie...
"I’m so hungry~"
Yan Xinya was far from her usual lively self. She remained slumped over her desk, her big ears drooping against her hair. Even her ever-energetic tail was still.
Rubbing her growling stomach, she looked up at the group. "Should we go to the cafeteria together? Let’s make it a welcome meal for the new student!"
"Sounds good."
"Count me out," Ning Chu said, rolling her eyes at Zhang Shaoqing. "Xinya wasn’t talking to you anyway. Why are you butting in? Always being such an eyesore."
"Hey! That’s exactly why I’m coming! I love bothering you!" Zhang Shaoqing huffed, rolling up his sleeves as he stood. "Fine, we’ll eat on the second floor of the cafeteria. My treat!"
Perfect. Ning Chu smirked, satisfied with the outcome of her reverse psychology. "Alright, let’s go! Don’t hold back, everyone. Eat as much as you want—he’s loaded!"
"Not everyone’s as shameless as you, taking advantage of people all the time."
Taking advantage? Ning Chu thought smugly. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even exist!
After all, if Ning Chu hadn’t randomly written Zhang Shaoqing as a rich second-generation troublemaker in her story, where would he have gotten the money to throw around?
Once the classroom door cleared up, the group filed out, heading en masse toward the cafeteria.
Xi Xi, still feeling a bit out of place, naturally gravitated toward the most familiar face—Ning Chu. But seeing Ning Chu walking arm-in-arm with Wen Yang at the back of the group, whispering to each other with heads tilted close, Xi Xi hesitated. Not wanting to be a third wheel, she looked down awkwardly and shuffled closer to Lily instead.
She was just about to greet Lily when her sharp ears caught a snippet of conversation between Lily and Yan Xinya.
"Lily~ I’m losing it here~ It’s unbearable! When will this end~"
"Do you need it?"
"No! Why do you even have that on you?"
"In case you needed it urgently."
Xi Xi, still innocent in her thoughts, didn’t grasp the suggestive undertones of their exchange and curiously leaned in. But before she could ask, Yan Xinya turned around sharply, her wolf-like instincts on high alert.
Startled, Xi Xi stammered nervously, "Uh... what were you two talking about?"
"Nothing!" Yan Xinya yelped, shoving the small item Lily had handed her deep into her pocket, terrified of being misunderstood on Xi Xi’s first day.
To cover her tracks, the wolf-girl quickly switched gears, grabbing Xi Xi’s arm with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Is your red hair natural or dyed? It’s so pretty!"
"Natural..."
"And that cat you /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ have—where is it? I haven’t seen it around. It’s so cute~"
Though Yan Xinya’s friendly energy was familiar, Xi Xi still felt shy and out of place. She would much rather talk to Lily, hoping to exchange thoughts about being magical girls. But Lily’s icy demeanor kept her at arm’s length.
Eventually, Xi Xi worked up the courage to approach Lily again, speaking in a small voice. "Lily-jie... can we add each other as friends?"
"Mm."
Lily’s curt response masked the growing anxiety she felt. Hidden under her coat, her hands clenched tightly inside her pockets.
Talking to people she didn’t know well triggered her social anxiety, making her face even more rigid than usual. Outwardly expressionless, her heart was racing.
While she tried to compose herself, Xi Xi had already pulled out her phone and held it out. "I’ll scan your code!"
"Okay."
After exchanging contact info, Lily finally exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.
At least we can talk online... that’ll be easier. She reminded herself to tone things down in their conversations—Xi Xi wasn’t a succubus, after all.
Reaching the cafeteria’s second floor, Zhang Shaoqing eagerly called out to the group.
"Take a seat! What do you all want to eat? Drinks?"
Like many guys, he seemed particularly keen to show off in front of girls.
"Cola!" Ning Chu shouted immediately.
"Buy it yourself. I wasn’t asking you."
Scoffing, she rolled her eyes at him, muttering under her breath before turning her attention to Xi Xi. "Why are you on your phone all of a sudden?"
"I’m talking to Lily-jie."
Despite sitting less than half a meter apart, Lily’s social anxiety had her preferring online interaction.
"Oh... she’s a bit socially awkward. It’s easier for her to talk online; otherwise, it’ll take her ages to say anything."
Still, Ning Chu couldn’t help but worry. What if Lily sent Xi Xi links to her, ahem, "toys" or some suggestive content to lure her into her world of niche interests?
Peering over Xi Xi’s phone screen, she asked, "She hasn’t said anything weird to you, has she?"
"Weird? No." Xi Xi looked puzzled. "Lily-jie is really nice. She even uses a lot of cute emojis."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah! She told me I can ask her anything I don’t understand in class."
Then why did Lily send me toy links so soon after we met? Ning Chu thought, scratching her head.
After a moment’s reflection, she remembered that she had approached Lily first, asking how to deal with certain needs. Lily might be bold online, but she clearly wasn’t careless in public.
Otherwise, their class group chat would already be flooded with questionable links and content.
"Food’s here!"
Zhang Shaoqing came bustling over, setting two plates of stir-fry on the table before heading back with Wen Yang and Wang Jie for more. In total, they’d ordered six dishes for the group of seven, plus a bag of drinks from the downstairs mini-mart.
He even remembered to grab Ning Chu a cola, though he tossed it at her with a sour face.
"Tsundere much~" Ning Chu teased.
"I’m paying, so don’t hold back. If it’s not enough, we’ll order more," Zhang Shaoqing declared grandly.
Watching his show of generosity, Xi Xi leaned closer to Ning Chu and whispered, "Is he rich? He’s so generous~"
"Yeah, filthy rich."
"Wow... tall, handsome, and rich!"
"???"
Ning Chu stared at Xi Xi, bewildered. "Are your beauty standards okay? What’s handsome about him?"
He wasn’t tall or handsome—more like mischievous and annoying. Sure, he was generous when treating friends, but he pinched pennies on his own takeout orders, always obsessing over discounts.
"He’s a catgirl fan, and he already has a girlfriend—our English teacher, Qian Qian," Ning Chu explained.
"Teacher-student relationships are allowed?"
"That’s why Qian Qian is planning to quit. She’s probably already processing her resignation and could leave any time."
Ning Chu sighed dramatically.
If Qian Qian left, there’d be no one to help her scrape through the English final. And if she ended up with a strict professor? She was doomed.
