“Chi Qingya…”
If it weren’t for Bai Huizi mentioning her, Su Li would have nearly forgotten this person entirely due to how busy she was.
Although the two were classmates and technically saw each other in class every day, Su Li usually arrived right before class and appeared in the classroom just in time.
Su Li thought about it earnestly; it seemed she really hasn’t seen Chi Qingya in a long time.
Sometimes people were just like that—subconsciously ignoring certain things until someone else reminded them, only then realizing they hadn’t really been paying attention to the matter at all.
“I haven’t seen her in quite a while,” Su Li explained to Bai Huizi. “Perhaps it’s because she hasn’t appeared before me for a long time.”
Compared to the period right after she moved out, when Chi Qingya would occasionally pop up to make her presence known, she really hadn’t been around much lately.
Perhaps it was because Su Li had been too busy recently and hadn’t gone to the classroom for lectures very often.
However, none of that was important.
“Sister Bai, you know that S City is huge. Unless one deliberately tries to run into someone, the chances of meeting—even as neighbors—aren’t very high.”
“I also don’t know what Chi Qingya does in her daily life now; she has her own circle and her own life.”
“Even though we are classmates, not everyone likes going to the classroom for lectures.”
“Plus, I’ve been quite busy lately, so it’s normal not to see her.”
Hearing Su Li explain this in such a calm tone, Bai Huizi’s gaze lingered on her for a moment.
Su Li was indeed a bit too calm.
Even when mentioning people related to her, she remained completely unruffled.
Perhaps in Su Li’s heart, Chi Qingya was just like a customer whose transaction had concluded.
She clearly remembered the eldest Miss of the Jin family she had collaborated with last time.
She remembered the look of anger and resentment the other woman had when looking at Su Li.
She could understand that expression; it was unwillingness. She couldn’t believe she had been rejected by someone who used to provide her with services.
‘But I won’t make a stupid move like Jin Ke’er,’ Bai Huizi thought. ‘As an owner, how could I abandon my beloved little pet?’
‘Since she was abandoned, isn’t it only natural for the little pet and the owner to become estranged?’
Thinking this, Bai Huizi tightened her grip on Su Li’s arm.
“Sister wants to hear the story between you and your little ex-girlfriend.”
“Let’s just forget it.”
Su Li didn’t want to waste her breath, and she could sense that Bai Huizi didn’t genuinely want to hear it.
She just wanted to use this opportunity to tease her.
‘If Bai Huizi had a strong desire to do something, she would have transferred money to me in advance.’
Seeing Su Li reject her, Bai Huizi didn’t mind too much.
She just held Su Li’s arm and said with a hint of regret, “What a pity. Sister originally wanted to get to know Little Su Li better.”
“I’m sorry, Sister Bai,” Su Li said with an apologetic expression.
“It’s okay, Sister forgives you.”
“However, Sister had previously planned to let Little Su Li act as an assistant and collect rent. I didn’t expect Little Su Li to look down on that amount of money, so in the end, Sister has to do this kind of thing herself,” Bai Huizi sighed, sounding somewhat distressed.
“I’m sorry.”
Su Li had initially planned to work as Bai Huizi’s assistant to collect rent.
An income of eight thousand a month was still relatively good.
But later, eight thousand clearly wasn’t very cost-effective anymore, and it might involve running around to various places to collect rent, so Su Li eventually dismissed the idea.
A job paying eight thousand a month was simply too inefficient for her in terms of making money.
Su Li suddenly thought of Cat.
‘Perhaps I could let Cat do this job.’
Although the money wasn’t much to her, it could improve Cat’s life.
However, as always, Su Li didn’t want Cat to get involved in her work.
Her clients weren’t exactly benevolent types.
It was better for her to provide for Cat.
She could certainly find a more suitable and relaxing job for Cat.
Moreover, if Cat was willing, it didn’t matter if she stayed home every day.
Even if she wanted to work hard as a human, Su Li would give Cat that opportunity.
Since Cat could now communicate with her, she naturally had to respect Cat’s opinions more.
“Some tenants forget to pay rent, and after Sister urges them for a long time without a reply, I have no choice but to come collect rent door-to-door like this.”
Since Su Li hadn’t taken the assistant job, Bai Huizi explained the things to watch out for in the work while walking upstairs with Su Li.
Su Li just nodded silently from the side.
She was relatively familiar with the tenants in this building.
Although she hadn’t interacted with them much.
Su Li followed behind Bai Huizi and watched as she knocked on the door.
After the knock sounded, it wasn’t long before the door slowly opened.
The person who opened it was a middle-aged uncle.
Su Li had some impression of this middle-aged uncle.
In the past, when she went downstairs to take out the trash every night, she would always see this uncle sitting alone in his car, unwilling to go home.
She could understand this uncle.
In her previous life, she only had to support herself and Cat, and that had already required a long time of hard labor.
Not to mention that this uncle had to support a family of three.
The middle-aged man raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of his wrinkled shirt.
His bloodshot eyes darted around behind his lenses, and he squeezed out a dry smile at the corners of his mouth.
“Miss Bai, look… I just paid for the child’s cram school this month…”
“Could you give me a little more time?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and his yellowed collar was creased even deeper.
He pushed the door open a crack further, revealing the stack of delivery boxes in the entrance hall, from which drifted the sour smell of overnight meals.
“Next week! I can definitely make it up when my bonus comes next week!”
His suddenly raised voice shook the pothos plant on the windowsill, causing withered leaves to rustle down onto the dusty ledge.
Sweat from the uncle’s forehead slid down his temples into his hairline, glistening in the morning light.
“I forgot to reply to your message before; I am truly sorry.”
“And I made you come all this way personally.”
The middle-aged uncle’s fingers tapped the door frame nervously, black stains from printer toner still lodged under his fingernails.
“Three days… just give me three days…”
His voice suddenly dropped, filled with pleading, like a deflated ball, with dark circles under his drooping eyelids.
Bai Huizi’s gaze shifted to Su Li, who was standing to the side.
The middle-aged uncle’s gaze also turned to Su Li, the pleading look in his eyes intensifying.
His voice filled with sycophancy as he said:
“Miss Su, for the sake of us being former neighbors, could you please help beg Miss Bai to grant me a grace period of three more days?”
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