Today, Hua Xin Really Wanted to Eat Her Fill of Meat.

Hua Xin chewed on a biscuit while frantically rubbing her damp hair with a towel.

Long hair was such a nuisance...

At first, she had thought it wouldn't be much different from short hair.

Heh heh.

She had been wrong, meow.

But once summer got hot, it became stuffy, leaving her neck feeling sticky. And whenever she washed her hair, it took forever to dry.

The girl disdainfully grabbed at her strands. The towel didn't seem to be doing much; they were still somewhat damp.

She draped the towel around her neck and climbed onto the bed, sitting on its edge. The cool morning breeze drifted in through the wide-open window, gently lifting Hua Xin's hair, while the ordinary scent of shampoo lingered beneath her nose.

It had the distinctive fragrance of the Thirteen-in-One men's shampoo she had been using for a long time, something that smelled a lot like a certain flower.

Without a hair dryer, she could only rely on the natural breeze.

Fortunately, it was summer. Blowing on wet hair wouldn't make her catch a cold.

After that dream of humiliation that could practically be rated eighteen-plus, Hua Xin only had to close her eyes to see Dong... er, Xia Yan's face, complete with that lewd, shrimp-headed grin.

She simply couldn't sleep.

So she had gotten up to wash and get ready. After all, she still had to spend the entire day outside today matching wits with Xia Yan and finally settle things with him.

For a man, washing his hair before doing something important or going out was one of the basic forms of respect.

There was nothing particularly interesting about the view outside—just ordinary buildings and roads—but she hadn't seen it in a long time, even though all it took was drawing back the curtains.

Ever since only she had been left.

But the sky was beautiful.

The half-black, half-blue sky was faintly illuminated by the light of the not-yet-risen sun. It was quiet, without the noisy sounds of daytime, the repeated crushing of tires against the road, or the honking of passing cars.

The clouds drifted slowly onward, toward somewhere unknown.

When she was little, she had loved lying on the grass outside and staring blankly at the clouds. That way, she didn't have to hear the sounds of curses or breaking cups. Sometimes, when she encountered a kind old granny, she could even get a piece of fruit to keep her stomach from growling so much.

But there had always been more sourness than sweetness.

Now, only the sounds of crickets and wind stirring the leaves remained.

The usually optimistic and eccentric girl sat unusually quietly on the edge of the bed, a trace of bewilderment appearing in her eyes.

Today was actually a very important day to her, but if she was alone, it seemed less important somehow.

Whenever the girl tried to forget it completely, she would always remember it again without realizing it.

Hua Xin didn't think being lonely forever was something especially pitiful.

After all, she had made it through all these years alone, hadn't she?

For some reason, the girl slowly stretched out a hand, as if she wanted to grasp something. Her arm extended out the window, and even her body leaned forward slightly.

When she was little, she had often thought that if only she could reach out and catch a star, that would be wonderful. Stars were so high and so precious. If she could pluck one down, it could surely be exchanged for a lot of money, right?

Then, would they perhaps not leave her either?

Would she have been able to eat her fill and stop that incident from happening?

If only time could be changed as easily as her current gender.

Hua Xin drew back her tightly clenched little fist and gently unfolded it.

"Nothing but emptiness?"

Hua Xin chuckled and murmured. Although she was smiling, her eyes were filled with the disappointment she had kept suppressed for so long.

There was nothing in her hand, only a clump of air.

That was right... What could she hold on to?

Once.

Twice.

Three times...

She couldn't hold on to anything. She could only struggle on alone in solitude.

"Am I some legendary star of calamity destined to be alone...?"

"That sounds pretty impressive, though?"

Hua Xin braced both hands against the bed and closed her eyes, letting the breeze blow over her. Her hair drifted gently over her shoulders, cool and refreshing.

She seemed to have forgotten everything that had just happened. Smiling, she happily muttered to herself:

"Should I go home and eat meat today?"

"I feel like eating meat."

"I want to eat until I'm stuffed!!"

Six in the morning.

Xia Yan ran around the track with even breathing, the short sleeves he wore already soaked through.

Even though he had to host the student performances and the school leaders' speeches today, as well as give a solo singing performance, he couldn't let his self-discipline slip.

After all, exercise was directly proportional to his day.

"Phew..."

Looking at the ten kilometers displayed on his fitness tracker, he slowly came to a stop and sat down on a plastic seat nearby.

The track was huge, and preparations for the stage and other necessary equipment had already begun that morning. After all, this wasn't merely a student performance; there was also an "open-air music festival" segment.

Looking at the busy people in front of him, the usually deserted track was surprisingly lively.

Xia Yan gulped down a bottle of mineral water, then picked up his phone.

"Hm?"

He raised his brows, somewhat surprised as he looked at the messages on QQ.

Wife (nickname): "Are you awake yet?"

Lao Shui: "I'm awake, wife. Why did you wake up so early today, wife?"

Wife: "I had a strange dream, so I woke up."

"What dream?"

Xia Yan wiped the sweat from his head as he replied.

"..."

"I dreamed about someone I really hate—the man who approached me before for some unknown reason."

The fire in Xia Yan's heart flared up at once. His instinctive vigilance as a man made him instantly serious:

"Don't be afraid, wife. You have me."

"If he dares harass you again, tell me. One punch from me will knock all his teeth out and scatter them across the floor ??????."

"What a disgusting creep. Doesn't he have any self-awareness??"

The girl's response afterward wasn't her usual teasing greeting or abuse calling him a shrimp-head. It was somewhat beyond Xia Yan's expectations, and he stared blankly at the message she sent.

"Okay."

"I... am very happy."

There was no follow-up after that.

Xia Yan assumed the girl had gone back to sleep, so he didn't send another message and disturb her.

Very happy?

Had something happened today worth being happy about?

That didn't really suit her personality...

Well... maybe that guy had left today, so she was in a better mood?

Xia Yan crushed the mineral water bottle, then stood up and threw it into the trash can. By sheer coincidence, when he looked up again, he saw a familiar figure.

"Caught you again?"

Lin Qingyu folded her arms across her chest and looked at him with a half-smile. Unlike her previous long sleeves and trousers, she was now wearing a pure-white dress that fell below her knees.

"This time, I'm the one covered in sweat?"

"Senior Sister won't dislike me, will you?"

Lin Qingyu shrugged, her gaze passing over Xia Yan's faintly visible abs. "If someone can pay back the meal he owes me this time, I might consider it."

Xia Yan thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "How about hot-and-sour rice noodles? There's a really good place by the entrance. But would eating something so heavy in the morning bother you, Senior Sister?"

"I don't mind."

"Whatever you like eating, I probably like too."

Lin Qingyu unexpectedly abandoned her previous reserved and conservative approach and said it boldly.

"Bzz."

Xia Yan's phone suddenly vibrated.

"I'll lead the way."

He smiled and walked past Lin Qingyu instead of walking beside her, then picked up his phone to check the message.

The other party's WeChat profile picture displayed several beautifully designed cursive characters.

Mu Fei Cake Shop.