"Hey."
"Xue Jiamin."
Xie Chuchu spoke softly.
"I advise you to watch what you say."
"Otherwise..."
"The consequences could be serious."
Xue Jiamin:...
"You were the one who made me choke on water just now."
"Oh."
"Sorry."
Xie Chuchu apologized without hesitation.
"..."
Xue Jiamin fiddled with the thermos in his hands.
"...Why are you here?"
"What did you come for, anyway?"
"Teacher Gao invited us."
Xie Chuchu sounded perfectly justified.
It wasn't as if she had come of her own accord.
"Since Teacher Gao was so enthusiastic about inviting us, I came to see how you were doing."
"Not bad."
Xie Chuchu gave Xue Jiamin a hearty pat on the shoulder.
Xue Jiamin nearly stumbled.
He turned and glared at her.
Xie Chuchu didn't notice at all. She was beaming.
"Your performance just now was great."
"That makes all the nagging I did yesterday worth it."
"But there's still another competition coming up."
"This isn't the time to relax yet..."
Xue Jiamin rubbed his ear.
He opened his mouth.
Then he remembered the pain from earlier and instinctively touched his forehead.
The word that came out was—
"Big Sis."
"Hmm?"
Xie Chuchu nodded to herself, satisfied.
Good.
Looks like he'd learned his lesson.
"What is it?"
"I just..."
Xue Jiamin furrowed his brow.
He looked deeply conflicted and uncertain.
"I think I saw a leopard with a human face..."
"Huh?"
Xie Chuchu and Chi Xiuke reacted in exactly the same way.
Both of them widened their eyes.
They looked astonished.
"A leopard with a human face?"
Xie Chuchu's voice sounded strange.
"Here?"
Even Xie Chuchu thought her voice sounded odd.
Xue Jiamin said he'd seen one just now...
Wasn't he onstage just now?
Or had he seen it