Caixiangxiang and the other two girls were filled with curiosity about what Su Li did during the day.
Su Li was different from other college students, a fact that Caixiangxiang and her friends could clearly sense.
After several discussions, they had concluded that Su Li was just a poor student living with Chi Qingya, and that it was Chi Qingya who was sheltering her.
They couldn’t understand why a college student with no money would refuse to live in a dormitory and instead rely on someone else for a place to stay.
Consequently, when Su Li skipped class, they suspected she was using that time to work secretly and earn money.
After all, it was nearly impossible to get by in this world without money, let alone in the vast S City. Without funds, there was simply no way to survive.
What they found hilarious was that Su Li looked like an outsider, just like Chi Qingya.
They wondered what price she had paid to get into the university, only to waste her precious time working.
Through subtle inquiries and indirect questions directed at Chi Qingya, they had slowly pieced together a theory: Su Li likely had a strained relationship with her family, or perhaps she had no parents at all.
Otherwise, during their chats, Chi Qingya would have mentioned Su Li speaking about her parents at least once.
They all knew exactly what path a beautiful student with no money would eventually take.
They even suspected that Su Li had gotten into the university just to brand herself and increase her value.
The three of them harbored deep-seated jealousy toward Su Li and Chi Qingya for their outstanding looks.
Only when they saw that Su Li and Chi Qingya were faring worse than them did they feel at ease.
The three girls followed Su Li stealthily. Seeing that she hadn’t noticed them, they relaxed slightly.
“Do you think Su Li is secretly meeting a client?” Caixiangxiang asked suspiciously.
After all, many luxury cars were parked at the school gates every night.
Su Li rarely appeared at the school in the evening, so it seemed perfectly normal for her to meet a client during the day instead.
“It’s possible. After all, it’s not as easy to arouse suspicion during the day,” Wei Yanxi agreed, peeking from around the corner of a wall to observe Su Li.
“There’s no doubt about it. Su Li must be using this quick and easy method to make money. Otherwise, how could she afford rent in S City?” Chen Tangguan sighed. “She has a more convenient and cheaper dormitory available, yet she chooses to sell her own flesh and descend into depravity. An outsider is truly an outsider.”
Even if the heavens had blessed Su Li with such an exceptional appearance, what did it matter?
She didn’t know how to treasure it.
‘If I had Su Li’s looks,’ Chen Tangguan thought, ‘I certainly wouldn’t let myself become a cheap, low-cost commodity like her. I would become an influencer to increase my value, then raise my price and wait for the best offer. I wouldn’t be like Su Li, making myself a short-term product.’
Su Li didn’t know why the three of them were following her, but she didn’t care. Caixiangxiang and the others were always full of bad intentions.
Chi Qingya chose to lie to herself and refused to wake up, so Su Li wouldn’t say much; after all, it was Chi Qingya’s own choice.
Cat had sent her a message on her cell phone not long ago, saying she was heading out.
Because Cat was bringing her lunch, Su Li specifically told Cat to message her when she left.
Given Cat’s personality, if she didn’t know how long it would take to reach the school, she would likely wait until she was at the gate to send a message to avoid making Su Li wait too long.
Then, she would just stand there foolishly.
Thanks to Cat’s frequent part-time work in the past, she didn’t need Su Li’s directions. She could find the school herself using navigation.
By the time Su Li reached the school gates, Cat had just stepped off a bus. Carrying a lunchbox, she was carefully scanning the university entrance.
She peeked at the students going in and out, her gaze sweeping through the crowd in search of Su Li.
As soon as Su Li walked out of the school, Cat’s eyes lit up. She hurried to Su Li’s side, lunchbox in hand.
“Su Li, Su Li!”
Under the curious gazes of the crowd, Cat closed in on Su Li. Her cheeks were flushed from her light jog, and she breathed slowly to calm herself down.
“I prepared lunch for you!”
She said this while waving the bento box in front of Su Li. She had made quite a lot.
Actually, she wanted to eat with Su Li, but she wasn’t sure if she was allowed inside the school.
If she couldn’t go in, she could wait outside until Su Li finished and then take the lunchbox home.
If Su Li couldn’t finish it all, she could just take the leftovers back and eat them herself.
“Let’s go eat in the dining hall together,” Su Li said. She reached out to take the bento box from Cat, but Cat quickly refused.
Seeing this, Su Li simply took Cat’s hand. She didn’t mind Cat’s shy and embarrassed expression.
Cat followed behind Su Li, but her eyes were still secretly darting around at her surroundings.
‘Is this where Su Li goes to school?’ Cat wondered.
Miss Cat’s Pooper-Scooper hadn’t gone to school, so Cat hadn’t spent much time in one.
Even when she did enter a school, it was only because she was following Miss Cat’s Pooper-Scooper during food deliveries, peeking out at the campus from inside a cat backpack.
“If Cat wants to attend university lectures, I can take you with me,” Su Li said.
She thought that having Cat sit in on a lecture wouldn’t be difficult. There were many courses in the university that students from other majors could attend.
However, Shen Cishu’s class was starting soon, and it wouldn’t be very convenient to have Cat there while she was working.
“I… I don’t need that yet.”
“I still don’t know many words. Even if a teacher gave a lecture, I wouldn’t be able to understand,” Cat said sheepishly, her head shaking like a rattle. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to attend class with Su Li.
She was just worried that if she couldn’t understand, Su Li would have to spend effort explaining things to her.
She didn’t want to take up Su Li’s time.
If… if possible, she would wait until she recognized all the characters before going to class with Su Li. That way, she wouldn’t affect her.
Su Li introduced the school buildings to Cat as they walked toward the dining hall.
On the way, they encountered several stray cats. Cat even greeted them and then told Su Li some interesting stories.
Su Li suddenly felt that even if Cat were alone in this world, she wouldn’t get lost. After all, there were many little kittens in this world.
All the little kittens could become Cat’s friends. They could all lead the way for her.
“Su Li, Su Li, is there something on my face?”
“I… I feel like there are so many people staring at me,” Cat said shyly, her grip on Su Li’s hand tightening.