After Su Li departed, Cat looked at the Chat Interface of Su Li’s account on the computer screen.
She then took out a piece of paper and began to carefully record the voice messages Su Li had sent, writing them down one by one.
“Baby, baby, time to get up.”
Cat softly recited Su Li’s voice message, crookedly writing several words on the paper. She felt as if her brain were constantly running at high speed.
Now, every time she encountered a character she did not recognize, it was like meeting a new Friend.
When she saw characters she already knew, Cat felt as if they were old Friends she had known for a long time.
She recorded Su Li’s voice messages one by one. Although there were already note prompts on the Cell Phone, she felt a different sensation when she wrote them out herself. It was like greeting an old Friend after a long separation.
While Cat was busy, she soon felt an itch at her feet.
“What’s wrong, Big Thunder?”
Seeing Big Thunder rubbing against her feet as if he had something to do, Cat asked in confusion. Tu Dou and the other cats followed behind Big Thunder, surrounding her feet.
“Meow~“
“Do you want to watch cartoons?”
“Meow!“
Hearing Big Thunder’s response, Cat took out her Cell Phone and found the Tom and Jerry cartoon.
She went to the Living Room, placed the phone on a stand, and played it for the cats. Big Thunder and the others sat obediently in their spots, staring intently at the screen.
Cat did not know why Big Thunder and the others liked Tom and Jerry, but back when she worked at the Convenience Store, she also liked to click on the pretty covers that popped up on her cracked Cell Phone. Some of those covers would lead to interesting cartoons.
After setting up the cartoon for the cats, Cat returned to her Room to continue recording Su Li’s voice messages on the paper.
She could use these papers for reference when she worked later.
Once everything was finished, Cat turned on the computer. Following the methods Su Li had taught her, she did not start studying right away.
Instead, she softly whispered, “How to better communicate with people.”
Her slender fingers tapped the keyboard very slowly; Cat was not particularly skilled at using it.
However, she would work hard to become more familiar with it.
After searching for an explanation, Cat clicked on the first Video, took out her notebook, and began to watch and record seriously.
Whether it was communicating with Su Li or Su Li’s user, Xiao Yuyu, Cat felt she needed to learn!
She also planned to learn how to cook a Meal so she could make something delicious for Su Li at noon.
Cat was full of anticipation for delivering the Meal to Su Li.
……
In Chi Qingya’s Room, the Curtains were pulled tightly shut. A few rays of Sunlight forced their way through the gaps in the fabric, carving narrow lines of light onto the floor.
Delivery Food bags were piled in the corner like leaves scattered by the Wind.
The greasy Plastic Bags were half-open; some were stained with dried sauce, while others had disposable chopsticks dangling out.
In the corner, two stacks of yellowed meal boxes wobbled like small mountains ready to collapse at any moment.
The top box of stir-fried noodles was not closed tightly and had developed dark green mold spots. A lot of Beer bottles were piled on the Table.
She avoided the spots of light penetrating the Room, wanting to bury herself in the Shadows. A despised existence like her should not live under the Sunlight.
Chi Qingya leaned against the arm of the Sofa and let out a boozy hiccup. An empty Beer Can rolled from her hand onto the floor with a clatter.
A sour, rotten smell wafted through the Room, and a film of oil had formed on the surface of leftover soup.
Even though the ends of her hair were matted with dried sauce and the curry stains on her collar had hardened, Chi Qingya remained wrapped in her wrinkled Pajamas.
She did not even have the strength to brush off the Chips crumbs stuck in the cracks of the Sofa when her elbow brushed against them.
She could not remember how long it had been since she last showered. Maybe it was one day, maybe two days, or one week.
Just like when she asked her Teacher for leave, claiming she was sick and needed to rest at Home, she did not remember how long it had been since she went to School.
Meeting Su Li had happened not long ago, but it felt as if a very, very long time had passed.
It was as if she had been sick with a high fever, and her perception of time had become blurred once again.
“Su Li…”
Su Li’s figure appeared in Chi Qingya’s groggy mind. She reached out to hold Su Li’s hand but caught nothing.
Instead, she knocked a Beer bottle off the Table, and it shattered on the floor.
“School.”
“Su Li… should be at School.”
Chi Qingya dragged her exhausted body, trying to stand up. If Su Li was at School, she might be able to see her if she went there now.
But despite that thought forming in her mind, Chi Qingya’s body did not move an inch.
Her mind had completed the entire action of standing up, but her physical form had not.
‘I could see Su Li if I just went to School.’
But she did not know what she would do once she saw her. She did not dare face Su Li.
She was afraid that Su Li would look at her like a stranger. She did not know how to face her, even though…
Deep down, she desperately wanted to see Su Li.
Her Younger Sister…
Her Younger Sister should be arriving this evening. She had not wasted any time, nor had she failed to pick her up.
Otherwise, her Younger Sister would have already called to scold her.
‘It is good that I didn’t mess that up.’
Chi Qingya felt her mind was unusually active after drinking. She thought of Su Li again.
She wanted to see her. Even just a distant glance would be enough. But she was afraid and nervous.
In her daze, Chi Qingya took out her Cell Phone. The Group Chat with her Sisterhood was still silent. No one cared about her.
She so desperately hoped someone would mention her or ask how she was doing.
Then, she could ask them about Su Li. She could ask her experienced friends what she should do now.
She used to be able to ask anything in the group without hesitation. But for some reason, Chi Qingya had suddenly become timid.
She did not even have the courage to speak in the Group Chat anymore.
She worried that no one would reply if she spoke. She feared that the others would not even notice her message.
Even though she had not been to School in a long time, none of her friends had checked on her. No one cared.
‘Perhaps… they are gathered in some corner I don’t know about, talking about me?’
Chi Qingya was still very sad… even though she was not actually Burning Up with a fever right now.