Chapter 279

The walls were so dilapidated that the paint and plaster had faded, and the room was so sparsely furnished with only a bed, figurines, and a stool. A feeling of utter misery crept into her heart. There was barely any room to put her feet down, and the bed was right next to the door. Moreover, the bedroom had no windows. Hua Xin couldn't even open a window to see the outside world like she used to do in her dark Little Black, let alone cool herself with a breeze in the sweltering summer heat... It was more like a coffin than a room. Thinking of this, Hua Xin couldn't help but shed tears of misery, not only sliding from her eyes onto the pillow but also into her already fragile heart. Even though she tried to convince herself of a brighter future and be strong, just one night in this room would likely make her realize the depth of her suffering. Could anyone truly live happily in such a place? Even someone as indifferent to material things as Hua Xin had to admit that her future seemed bleak. "Uh..." Suddenly, the girl felt a weight on her leg, followed by a sensation of heat transferring through the feline fur and the delicate human skin... Wiping away her tears, Hua Xin straightened up and looked at Chun Qiu, who had already collapsed. The two, one human and one cat, on the small bed in the room, seemed to depend on each other for survival. She wanted to die. Hua Xin stared at the dim light on the ceiling, unsure of what to say to rouse herself. It had been almost a month since Xia Yan left again. Although they still chatted online as usual, the subtle sense of oppression was easily felt by both Gu Xin Hua and Hua Xin through their voices and words. Grandpa Xia Yan's condition seemed to be worsening. The promised return date had been repeatedly postponed, finally settling on returning after the new semester started. If his condition were stable, there wouldn't be such a rush... She hoped Grandpa could recover well. The girl closed her eyes devoutly, praying sincerely. But then again, at least Xia Yan still had his grandfather and Xia Fen. Hua Xin bounced her legs, the powerful resistance of the weight only causing her to meow softly in dissatisfaction at being shaken awake, but she quickly returned to calm. Chun Qiu, the cat who was very easygoing and could live well as long as she had food, seemed to feel her misfortune at this moment, choosing to join the humans in their emo. Because the room was just too small... making one feel like they didn't want to live just being in it. The girl couldn't help but miss the days when she was still in the Little Black. At least during that time, her thoughts about the future were only about what to eat the next day, and whether she would still be alive in this world when she opened her eyes, having not yet boarded the golden elevator to heaven. But now... she was in many, many different situations than before. The word "future" had somehow changed from simply about what to eat each day and whether she could survive to anxieties and hopes for the days to come. The girl wanted to live. And she wanted to live well. This is why she was willing to make a deal with Hua Shanming using the Little Black in exchange for a real, legal identity that would allow her to appear in society without attracting attention. Her conversation with Chen Yu was clearly similar to Hua Shanming's. There was some surprise, some dissatisfaction, and some helplessness. But when she heard about selling the house and splitting the money, she became very interested, almost exactly like Hua Shanming. The rest was no longer something she could think about, and it was no longer relevant to her. The girl once thought she might never want to explore the outside world, but Xia Yan's appearance shattered her life and everything to some extent. The girl once thought she would never have a friend to talk to and play with, but now she did. Her life was monotonous and always moving forward in the same way; all Hua Xin needed to do was follow the flow of time until she reached her own end. Do miracles really exist in this world? The girl had pondered this question more than once in the quiet of the night. If miracles truly exist, why wouldn't they happen to someone as miserable as her? Shouldn't she at least find tens of thousands of yuan on the street to improve her life? Uh, that's a bit of a cruel joke. Back then, she couldn't even seem to leave the house, let alone find money on the street. Hua Xin sat up, her face suddenly turning serious as she picked up her phone. She instantly remembered something very important. If last year was a turning point in her life, a step from darkness into light, then now it should be... Hua Xin quickly opened the calendar. August 17th. "What..." The feeling of misfortune vanished, replaced by a faint, wry smile. "It's exactly one year." 216. "Teacher" 3k2 "A monthly salary of six thousand yuan, after deducting necessary expenses, leaves five thousand seven hundred yuan..." "But this month I rented a place, so I'll have to deduct an extra twelve thousand yuan, making it four thousand five hundred yuan... My current savings are a little over fifty thousand yuan..." So, if she can continue working at the cat cafe, even with the added debt of twelve hundred yuan per month, she can still save a considerable amount of money. Not to mention there are still more than two years until graduation, and if she develops some side hustles during this period, she might be able to save even earlier. It feels like saving one hundred thousand yuan before graduation isn't difficult at all. If she's lucky enough to find a bank card with a PIN and a million yuan deposited on the back while walking, that would be even better! Hua Xin thought to herself with some emotion, completely ignoring the counselor, Ms. Li, who was talking incessantly in front of her. Although they had only met a few times, the girl still felt a strong sense of kindness and gratitude towards this kind teacher who had always been tolerant of her. But let's exclude the first lesson of the new semester, right? It's nothing more than safety, studying hard, avoiding conflicts, and telling her not to bottle things up... That's quite helpful. Hua Xin nodded to herself; she acknowledged that asking her for help would solve any problems. She had previously thought that Teacher Li was like all the other teachers she'd encountered—indifferent to everything—but after several online chats, she realized that wasn't the case. Speaking of which... how time flies. Hua Xin looked up helplessly. Despite the sweltering summer heat, she was still wearing a mask and her familiar black hoodie set. For the two months of the holiday, she had only worn simple short-sleeved shirts and blouses. Wearing a hoodie again, she no longer felt the same ease; the weather sometimes made even breathing difficult. There's a saying... from frugality to extravagance.