Chapter 212

In the midst of the joyful atmosphere, he didn't realize he'd drunk too much, but the joy of victory still made him involuntarily happy. A very familiar phone with a shattered screen appeared in his blurry vision, causing his pupils to focus slightly. So familiar. But the alcohol prevented him from retrieving any useful information from his memory. After a while, he forced himself to stay awake, then swayed and helped Hua Xin back to her room. The lights came on and weren't turned off. Lights left on on New Year's Eve. He dazedly looked at the girl lying on the bed, her breathing even, and almost unconsciously lay down on the bed himself, then gently embraced Hua Xin's waist and closed his eyes. Xia Yan had never felt so safe and happy. And Hua Xin felt the same way. The girl, like a drowning victim finding a branch floating on the water, wrapped her arms around Xia Yan, a look of deep peace on her face as she leaned against his chest. Just like that day in the alley where she had cried out. Perhaps for the two of them, in this winter New Year, they were each other's only refuge and haven from loneliness. Many things had happened this year, good and bad. But for both the loner and the girl, meeting each other was enough. Happy New Year. [Volume 1, The Loner and the Girl.] [The End.] Volume 2, Lies and Doubts Will Not Shatter True Feelings 160. "Ah..." "Meow..." Feeling something tugging at her arm, the girl reluctantly sat up, then subconsciously touched her frizzy hair. Turning to look beside her, Hua Xin, whose eyes were still tightly closed, barely opened a crack, her gaze sharp as she stared at the unidentified creature lying beside the bed. "?" What the heck, when did a semi-trailer truck appear in the house? Her blurred vision brought out the most terrifying thing: the 2D rebirth device she had seen countless times in novels and anime, which had left a deep impression on the girl's memory. Rubbing her eyes to clear her vision, the girl stared speechlessly at the cat staring back at her. Chun Qiu was clearly licking itself repeatedly with its large paws, the message it wanted to convey to Hua Xin was obvious... it was hungry! Didn't it even know what time it was? It was already nine in the morning! Shouldn't all the corrupt officials be up by now? Why hadn't it received its daily rations yet? Having lived with it for four months, Hua Xin could easily understand Chun Qiu's meaning, but instead of immediately going to the living room to feed it, she silently reached out and pinched Chun Qiu's cheeks, which were now puffed up like a hamster's. Not to mention its truck-like body, which had practically bulged out of its sac. Hua Xin had no doubt that if Chun Qiu stood up and acted even slightly mischievously, it would rush into her arms for a pat. Judging by its small size, breaking three or four ribs would be considered a relatively good outcome. After a slight pause, Hua Xin, as if consulting with a human who could understand Chinese, earnestly stroked Chun Qiu's large head: "Spring has arrived, the temperature has warmed up, and the students at school are coming to feed us again." "How about... we go back to school and continue being the king?" "Meow?" Chun Qiu, who was licking its paws, paused as if it had crashed, and then its mind truly recalled the days when it and the Big Orange Cat were conquering battlefields at school... Back then, it and the Big Orange Cat weren't teammates on the same side, but rivals fighting for territory. But it still managed to subdue it with its superior skills, and it eventually became its subordinate. Speaking of which, it seems there's still half of the school's territory that it hasn't conquered yet, but... "Clatter." A sound of grains hitting the bottom of a bowl suddenly came from the living room. This sound was no less tempting than telling a young person that they can get 300 yuan for free by cutting a price on Pinduoduo, a middle-aged person buying fraudulent insurance, or an elderly person receiving free eggs. You know, conquering the world isn't nearly as carefree as eating your fill of cat food, sleeping, waking up, eating more cat food, and then casually playing with the Ragdoll Chacha at the delivery station downstairs... (huffing and puffing?...) Hua Xin watched Chun Qiu devour its food, then glanced at the nearly empty bag of cat food beside it, a look of worry and heartache appearing in her eyes. If Chun Qiu kept eating like this, she was afraid she really wouldn't be able to afford to keep it. What cat can finish two large bags of cat food in a month? Even a wealthy man couldn't withstand such a financial drain. If it really came down to it... should she give Chun Qiu back to Xia Yan? With his financial resources, he should be able to support Chun Qiu. But this idea was quickly rejected by the girl, because after all, Xia Yan had seen Chun Qiu when it was as fat as a ball, and even if it were as fat as a car now, he could still tell... so... The girl stood up somewhat helplessly, refilled the bowl with water, and went to the bathroom to slowly wash up. She couldn't possibly go to school with this messy hair, could she? More than a month had passed in the blink of an eye, the dreaded cold winter giving way to warmer weather, but at least she could wear her old clothes again. (Referring to Hua Xin's old clothes.) It was already March. And so it was that time of year Hua Xin dreaded most. Although she had passed all her final exams perfectly with Xia Yan's help and even got full marks, her classes were extremely irregular, and because the class times were fixed, she had almost never attended several courses, and didn't even recognize the teachers. Therefore, her final grade was only average. Scholarships were out of the question. But for Xia Yan ... he was a model student in the eyes of the teachers, someone who studied diligently even in university, a capable assistant to the counselor, and had effortlessly secured a place in the Student Council. After all, Lin Qingyu was pursuing him. The girl paused, brushing her teeth, her eyes involuntarily filled with a sense of unease. Well, this long holiday had truly allowed her to forget many things, and also to enjoy a peaceful and wonderful time. That is, to say, to get rid of Lin Qingyu with a lie. But now... school has started!!! Of course, this was all for Hua Xin, who had a "special" situation. Even without the usual first-day class meeting, the endless moving of luggage and books, checking schedules, and then the dorm dinners and other group activities, she, still unwilling to give up after seeing Xia Yan's "girlfriend" on his social media, unsurprisingly, unexpectedly reconnected with her ally, the undercover agent. That is, Xia Yan's current girlfriend and the undercover agent of the alliance!!! ... Hua Xin. "I want to die..." The girl, her eyes filled with despair, gurgled the toothpaste foam in her throat for a moment before spitting it out, but the feeling of helplessness remained. You know, this seems like an unsolvable problem. It seems like the intimacy with Xia Yan has reached its limit now; a hug and holding hands is about enough, right? They even spent the New Year together...