Cat, Childhood Sweetheart vs. Childhood Sweetheart

Another morning.

Xi Nian changed into his outdoor winter gear and headed to school. This was also the last school day of the week. The day after tomorrow would be the annual Christmas holiday, and middle and high schools across America, big and small, would be on break starting tomorrow—a full week-long mini vacation.

Passing through the intersection, he didn't run into Gwen like usual. He wondered if she was still calling in sick today.

But as he passed the junction near his neighborhood, a flash of orange fur darted out from the park lawn, startling Xi Nian badly.

Maybe it was because, since the night before last, he'd opened the Supernatural Gate and been frequently exposed to supernatural matters.

With one foot already on the threshold of the world's reverse side, Xi Nian was mentally and physically exhausted. His worldview kept getting overturned, and he wasn't quite used to it yet, his nerves and heartstrings stretched taut.

Xi Nian cautiously swept his gaze over and saw a small cat crouched on the ground. It was less than a year old, its young body a bit thin, its orange fur marking its breed.

"Just a little orange cat," Xi Nian breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help a wry smile.

He really had been on edge lately. The world was huge—how likely was it that he'd run into something supernatural so easily?

"What, are you hungry?"

Seeing that the kitten had no name tag on its neck and looked pitifully dirty, Xi Nian figured it was probably a stray abandoned in the park.

After a moment's thought, Xi Nian ran to a nearby convenience store, bought three ham sausages, and came back.

Seeing the two-legged creature approach, the little orange cat quickly retreated into the grass, faintly revealing a pair of emerald-green vertical pupils, its eyes full of deep wariness.

"These are edible. Look." Xi Nian tore open the wrapper in front of it, ate one of the ham sausages with relish, and placed the remaining two on the ground in front of the grass.

Class was about to start, so Xi Nian didn't linger long.

After he walked out of the park, he looked back and saw the grass in the distance shake violently, while the ham sausages on the ground had vanished without a trace.

Xi Nian smiled to himself and continued on to school.

Inside the grass.

Those emerald-green vertical pupils watched Xi Nian's retreating figure with a faint, lingering gaze. The kitten licked its paw, its tiny belly showing no sign of swelling. As for the two ham sausages from earlier, even the wrappers had completely disappeared.

At the school gate.

Xi Nian ran into Gwen, who had also just arrived. They both visibly froze for a moment when they saw each other.

"Gwen, is your cold any better?" Xi Nian stepped forward to greet her.

But instead, Gwen suddenly puffed out her cheeks, deliberately acting as if she hadn't seen him, and quickened her pace into the school.

Xi Nian was completely baffled.

What was going on?

A girl's heart really was hard to figure out.

Xi Nian shook his head, scratching it in confusion, and decided not to dwell on it.

Still, he had to chase after her.

Xi Nian quickened his pace to catch up. But the faster he chased, the faster Gwen ran ahead.

The two of them dashed into the teaching building, one after the other.

Just then, a girl called out to Xi Nian in the hallway: "Senior, could you stop for a moment?"

Xi Nian looked up and saw a lower-grade female student around fifteen years old.

Her golden hair was tied into a plain, old-fashioned ponytail, with many stray strands messily falling over her forehead and face. Paired with a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses, and her habit of keeping her head down, afraid to meet anyone's eyes, she looked like a total shut-in, a wallflower at school—or the perfect target for bullying and mockery among girls her age.

Xi Nian had no particular impression of this female classmate, but out of politeness, he asked gently, "This classmate, is there something you need?"

"Um..." The girl hesitated, bit her lip, and mustered her courage: "Senior, my name is Kara Danvers. We met at the Opening Ceremony Party."

"I remember now," Xi Nian said, realization dawning. He recalled that at the Opening Ceremony Party, this girl had been standing alone in a cold, quiet corner away from the crowd. Maybe it reminded him of his own experiences before meeting Gwen when he was younger, so he'd taken the initiative to approach her and explain some of the school's facilities and rules.

But that was almost half a year ago.

"You still remember me." The girl's eyes lit up, and she lifted her head a little, staring intently at Xi Nian in front of her. The hesitation she'd shown earlier seemed to vanish as she finally made up her mind.

"Huh?" Whether it was her own Spider-Sense being too sharp, or some female sixth sense, Gwen, who had stopped ahead in the hallway, suddenly felt a bad premonition at this scene.

She wanted to step in and cut off whatever Kara was about to say.

But as if predicting Gwen's intention to interrupt, Kara clenched her fists secretly and sped up her tone, as if pushing through in one breath: "Senior, I, I like you. Please go out with me!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either—almost the entire hallway could hear it clearly.

Xi Nian's mouth fell open.

"This!" Gwen, a step too late, felt her beautiful eyes contract sharply. Seconds later, the students in the hallway erupted in commotion.

"Youth is wonderful."

A passing teacher turned a blind eye, shaking his head with a sentimental remark.

Ring, ring, ring!

The bell for class ended rang.

The sprawling high school campus erupted with noise as a flood of students poured out of the teaching building. While some chatted about classes and lunch, most were still buzzing about the Silver-Haired Goddess and this morning's campus confession incident.

Childhood friend versus sudden arrival girl?

Popularity rank NO.1 versus popularity rank dead last?

This was definitely going to make the school news weekly! But thankfully, after today, a short week-long break was starting.

Xi Nian, the male lead of this incident, had packed up early and walked out the school gate. Behind him, Gwen, holding her schoolbag in one hand, hurried after him with her boots clacking. She had completely forgotten her earlier embarrassment and irritation, chasing after him with a pout: "Xi Nian, you're not really going to accept a confession from a girl you just met, are you?"

"Not just met." Xi Nian corrected. "More like the second time we've met."

"Second time, that's still way too soon!" Gwen grew anxious.

"Relax, I didn't say yes."

"But you didn't say no either."

"That's because..." Xi Nian paused, looking at Gwen seriously. "You know? Confessing in public means she mustered up a lot of courage."

"As for me, I haven't figured out how to respond to that courage and determination yet." Xi Nian said this with an apologetic tone. "Sorry, Gwen, for dragging you into this. It had nothing to do with you in the first place."

Gwen stared blankly at Xi Nian's retreating back as he continued walking. Her soft, glossy lower lip had unknowingly been caught between her teeth.

It's not like it had nothing to do with me at all, Gwen thought to herself.