Chapter 145

"It's so cool," said Chun Qiu, who had just finished his bread soup midnight snack. He seemed a little lazy. "A full stomach and a warm room—it's the happiest thing in life!"... "Meow... (Not full.)" Chun Qiu, who was lying on his back with his paws paws pawing, let out a lazy squeak, but it was so perfunctory that it didn't even wag its tail. Well, not only was she cold, but Hachimi, even with his fur coat, was cold too. The girl curled up peacefully on the bed. Wait... had it gotten even fatter? The "Sang Biao" that she remembered, so agile and spirited like a cheetah leading his underlings in the school's small pavilion, was gone, replaced by a greasy old man immersed in sleeping and eating. Hua Xin looked hesitantly at Chun Qiu, who had sprawled out like a giant chicken leg, and couldn't help but compare his physique over the past month. Thin? → Fat?... Being too fat must affect one's health, right? Not to mention that Chun Qiu used to be a stray cat, but now it's become a lazy, fat otaku just like her. Most importantly... it eats more and enjoys it more than she does! The two large bags of cat food Xia Yan brought are almost finished. Xia Yan pays for everything for the cat, so now she'll have to buy more cat food herself, right? She can't exactly tell Xia Yan, "Bring two more bags when the cat food is gone," like a master ordering a servant around, can she? Poverty shouldn't diminish one's ambition... but this will probably only worsen the already difficult situation for her family. The girl nudged Chun Qiu with her foot in disdain, saying with exasperation, "If you keep eating like this, I'll have to send you back to school." "Can't you go hunting every day and bring back some pigeon-egg-sized diamond rings and over a thousand grams of gold for your master? Then I can buy you cat food!" "Slurp." Chun Qiu turned and licked Hua Xin's toes, its eyes clearly showing its disgust. "..." The girl, who was fantasizing about having a warm house, delicious food, and brand-new electronic devices—scenes that seemed like her last wishes before death—had her peaceful reverie shattered the moment she felt a faint prickling sensation from the jailer's barbs. Seeing Chun Qiu's expression, Hua Xin was instantly enraged: "What do you mean?! You unfilial son!?" "Speak up!!" Hua Xin rolled over on the bed, then sat up from her spring roll, revealing a thin short-sleeved shirt and pumpkin pants. She grabbed Chun Qiu and placed him in front of her. So heavy. "Apologize to me!!" After barely managing to pull the large chicken leg away, the girl pinched the cat's head and threatened fiercely. But the kitten didn't understand, and Chun Qiu just wagged his tail listlessly... The girl, somewhat unconvinced, bent down, grabbed his little paws, and sniffed them. "It's already been washed and doesn't smell, why are you looking at me like that!" "It smells good! It even smells of soap!?" "Hehe, I'm the cleanest person, unlike you, you just lick yourself all day..." "Sigh..." Chun Qiu ignored her, leaving Hua Xin feeling like she was performing a monologue. The girl released her hand that was gently pinching the cat's head, sighed, and lay back on her pillow. What was she arguing about with a Hachimi? Now it was the only one left to rely on, and this year's New Year was a rare treat—she wasn't alone... well, it was rare to have a companion to celebrate the New Year with. After all, cats aren't people. Hua Xin still had a strong attachment to the New Year. It wasn't just because of traditional festivals and the beginning and end of the New Year, nor was it about eating delicious food. Besides, she was always alone during the New Year, and she was always home alone, so what was there to celebrate? Because of some attachments, because of some past experiences, she had promised to have a happy New Year. Even if she was alone. The Small Sun illuminated the small room, making it cozy and cozy. Compared to the chill of the past few nights, this small sense of happiness easily satisfied the girl. Hua Xin lay silently on her pillow, her hair loose. Her world was actually very simple. As long as she could eat her fill and have a place to shelter from the wind and rain, that was enough. If she could have a meal of meat sometimes, that would be even better. Save money diligently and persevere. Until the day she could relax and stop thinking about anything. After enjoying the warmth for a while, the girl stopped her musings, reaching out to touch the warm Chun Qiu on her body, a hint of warmth flashing in her eyes. Xia Yan. Hua Xin paused, her hand on the Chun Qiu and autumn fabric, and involuntarily thought of him. But this time, there was no lingering entanglement or hesitation between Gu Xin Hua and Xia Yan, but rather a smile she had never shown before, and a rare peace settling in her heart. In truth, this world is made up of countless coincidences. A coincidental birth, a coincidental upbringing, a coincidental gift, a coincidental romance, a coincidental ordinariness... When she heard her counselor say she had to attend classes at university, she was truly terrified and nervous, mentally prepared to be treated like a monster again, isolated and verbally abused. Those memories wouldn't simply disappear with time; they would remain, like the needles or wood shavings on a shared bicycle seat—sometimes she remembered, sometimes she forgot. It hurt the first time she sat down. That's why she subconsciously checked next time, to avoid getting hurt again. And each time she checked, what drove her to subconsciously guard against was that same painful memory. Meanwhile, wasn't her encounter with Xia Yan also a coincidence with extremely low probability? "Is it warm, Chun Qiu?" Hua Xin's eyes glistened with tears, her hands still gently stroking Chun Qiu. The girl had seen many beautiful campus scenes in videos and envied that laughter and youth. She was even more envious of 2D. Although the relationship between the male and female protagonists was fraught with obstacles and misunderstandings, after resolving the various psychological issues that plagued their youth, the ending was ultimately a beautiful love story. She had fantasized about someone loving her. She had fantasized about someone coming to save her. But that wasn't realistic. She was just someone barely surviving, hiding in Little Black. Unhappy, but not sad either. Then Xia Yan appeared. Not just appeared, he just waited for her at the entrance of the residential area on his motorcycle. Come to think of it, had she even suspected Xia Yan was some kind of human trafficker who stole her personal information? If she hadn't confessed on her birthday night, she probably would have continued to misunderstand that Xia Yan wanted to bully her with Lin Qingyu, and that he approached her just to see her make a fool of herself? But... Hua Xin wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, then involuntarily smiled softly. But she was neither the male nor the female protagonist. Xia Yan, anywhere else, would probably be a dazzling figure on par with a Japanese anime male lead. "Alright!" "The emo phase is over!" She rallied, her face resolute as she patted Chun Qiu, who was grooming himself. Having calmly masked her emotions, the girl didn't want to dwell on it any longer. She wasn't a weak man. Hua Xin rolled around on the bed again, turning herself into a spring roll once more, while Chun Qiu went to the foot of the bed, still lying down near the Small Sun.