By the time He Yanzhou arrived home with Pipi, the sky had turned completely black.
The orange cat was sleeping haphazardly inside the pet carrier. After getting its shot, its energy had improved slightly, but it was still rather listless.
He placed the carrier on the living room rug and unzipped it. Pipi sluggishly crawled out, rubbed against his pant legs, and curled back into a ball, refusing to move.
He Yanzhou loosened his collar, sat down on the sofa, and pulled out his phone. The screen still displayed his chat log with Little Taotao; the last entry was a cold goodbye, right before Little Taotao deleted him.
He Yanzhou found it somewhat amusing.
He didn’t even know which exact sentence of his had pricked her sensitive nerves—perhaps she was also working in the service industry?
He Yanzhou exited the Moyu interface. Originally, he had only kept this account to play around, look at photos, and occasionally pass the time. Little Taotao’s face was indeed very much to his liking, and looking at her once in a while served as a decent diversion. Her personality was interesting too—pampered, dramatic, yet retaining a fresh, vibrant temperament untouched by the grind of life, which was far better than the deep-scheming men and women in his social circles who talked in endless circles.
But it was merely that.
Since she deleted him, so be it. It would save him from having Jiang Cai constantly buzzing in his ear, asking, “Brother, are you in love?”
He just felt a slight tinge of regret.
He had actually saved that photo of her wearing cat ears and looking into the camera with watery eyes. He saved the subsequent one too—the one where she knelt sideways, clutching the hem of her skirt with her fingertips.
They were quite nice to look at, and saving them didn’t take up much storage anyway.
He Yanzhou turned off his phone, got up, and poured some water for Pipi.
The cat bowl was still more than half full, but following the vet’s orders, he only added a small amount of wet food. Sensing the aroma, the orange cat’s ears twitched. It sluggishly padded over and began taking small, delicate licks.
He Yanzhou walked over to the cat bed, squatted down, and reached out to stroke Pipi’s furry head. The orange cat narrowed its eyes, letting out a rumbling purr from its throat.
Cats are much more genuine, he thought.
On Qiao Yan’s end, things were going terribly.
On the day he blacklisted He Yanzhou, he had indeed felt pure bliss for twenty-four hours. He wanted to hum songs while walking down the street, feeling exceptionally cool, deeply principled, and remarkably unyielding for the sake of a meager livelihood.
Then, he discovered his Alipay was out of money.
In truth, he had planned his budget quite well when he received that ten thousand yuan from He Yanzhou—eating well every day while saving a bit for next semester’s accommodation fees. However, the sole problem was that Young Master Qiao’s definition of “eating and drinking well” was drastically different from that of an ordinary person.
Breakfast couldn’t be simple buns and soy milk; it had to be a five-star morning dim sum delivery. Lunch couldn’t be compromised either—it had to be a Japanese set meal with thickly sliced salmon and sweet, fresh shrimp. Dinner was even less negotiable; French and Italian cuisines rotated daily, occasionally accompanied by a bottle of red wine to liven up the mood.
As for clothing, although there weren’t many occasions to dress up right now, he still couldn’t resist purchasing a limited-time discounted designer collaboration hoodie.
A new skin dropped in his video game? Buy it.
A limited-edition manga merchandise release? Buy it.
A livestream claimed a shampoo could keep hair oil-free for an entire month? Buy it.
In short, ten thousand yuan in Qiao Yan’s hands vanished as quickly as a hundred yuan. It was already nearly depleted before he even went to the pet clinic, and now that He Yanzhou was out of the picture, it ran out entirely within a few days.
Waking up one morning, Qiao Yan wanted to order some crab roe soup dumplings for breakfast, only for the Alipay pop-up to directly display insufficient funds. He bolted upright from the bed to check his balance.
Single digits.
It was in the single digits.
Qiao Yan stared at the screen, blinked, and blinked again, refusing to believe his eyes.
He climbed down from his bed and slumped into his desk chair, feeling his life turn completely bleak once more.
He tried to contemplate life, contemplate the future, and contemplate how he was going to survive until next month on single-digit funds.
Contemplation failed.
His mind was entirely filled with the delicious, buttery aroma of the bakery he had passed by yesterday.
“This won’t do…” Qiao Yan closed his eyes in agony, scratching his hair. “If this keeps up, I might actually starve to death in this dorm. Since the air conditioning is shut off due to arrears, my corpse won’t rot too quickly, so it probably won’t be discovered until next term starts.”
“Achoo—!”
He sniffled, trying to wrap his blanket tighter around himself, but he still shivered relentlessly from the cold.
Qiao Yan attempted to use willpower to warm himself up, but failed. He then tried to generate body heat by doing a few push-ups, only to collapse limply onto the floor after barely completing a couple.
Ultimately, he chose to crawl back into bed, curling himself into a tight ball. Using his frost-nipped, reddened hand, he fished out his phone from beneath the pillow to unlock it, the screen’s glow illuminating his struggling face.
The Moyu icon sat quietly in the corner.
Qiao Yan stared at the icon, a fierce internal battle raging in his mind.
Should I really add him back?
No way!!!
That’s way too spineless! I deleted him so proudly and fiercely just a few days ago, and I’m adding him back today?? Does he, Qiao Yan, not care about his dignity at all?!
Don’t add him?
Then he could look forward to feasting on the bitter winter wind, or perhaps chewing on the drywall of his dorm room.
Qiao Yan: “……”
Five minutes later.
[Little Tao Bites Real Hard has sent Yan a friend request.]
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Daddy… I was wrong QAQ can you add me back? Little Taotao really misses you… wailing noises
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: (Kitty weeping silently.jpg)
Qiao Yan expressionlessly tossed his phone onto the bed, awaiting Yan’s reply.
However, after waiting for more than half an hour, there was absolutely no movement from his phone.
The old man can’t possibly be this petty, right?
It was just a temporary blacklist, wasn’t it?
He was clearly the one who claimed I had terrible emotional management and a bad attitude first! How can he be like this!!
Just as Qiao Yan was about to send another friend request, his phone vibrated.
[Yan has accepted your friend request.]
Yan: ?
Why is he so cold?
Qiao Yan’s fingers moved swiftly.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Daddy! You finally added me!! I knew Daddy is the most magnanimous~
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: (Kitty lunging forward to nuzzle.jpg)
Yan: Short on money again?
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Can’t I look for Daddy even if I’m not short on money~ People just missed you~
Yan: Oh.
Oh your head, you big idiot!
Qiao Yan bared his teeth at the screen, but the words he typed out were exceptionally obedient.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Has Daddy been doing well lately~ Has Pipi recovered yet~
Yan: Mm.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: That’s wonderful~ By the way Daddy, Little Tao’s hands are indeed a bit tight lately QAQ the dorm is so cold, I can’t even afford to turn on the air conditioner
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: (Kitty wrapping itself tightly in a blanket and shivering.jpg)
After sending this, he waited anxiously.
According to their usual pattern, He Yanzhou should be sending money by now.
But this time, the other party went completely silent.
No way? For real?
Is he discarding me just like that?
Anxiety clawed at Qiao Yan’s heart, yet he didn’t dare to urge him directly, so he could only continue to play the pity card.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Daddy, are you still there?
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Little Taotao really knows she was wrong. I’ll never throw random tantrums again. Daddy, please talk to me…
Yan: Why should I give you money?
Because I’m your daddy!
Qiao Yan furiously typed words into his phone, deleting and revising them repeatedly.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Wahhh Daddy I was really wrong QAQ I’ll never dare to do it again wahhh
Yan: Show some sincerity.
Being a man himself, Qiao Yan understood the implication behind He Yanzhou’s words almost instantly.
This old pervert acts so refined and cultured on the surface, yet in private, he directly demands intimate photos from a decent girl like Little Taotao.
Blegh, blegh, blegh! So disgusting!
But for the sake of survival, Qiao Yan had no choice but to comply.
He paced around the dorm twice. Finally, gritting his teeth, he pulled out the kitty costume, shook it open, and slipped it onto his body with a tragic, solemn expression.
The fabric was still absurdly tight; Qiao Yan found it difficult even to inhale. He walked over to the full-length mirror, adjusted the angle, turned sideways, and slightly arched his lower back, working hard to make his hip line appear fuller under the tight embrace of the fabric.
He raised his phone from behind, capturing a small section of his waistline. His fingers rested lightly against his side, their tips flushing a faint pink due to the intense cold. The photo extended down toward his plump, shapely rear, but he didn’t capture all of it; to pique He Yanzhou’s imagination, he only exposed a tantalizing glimpse.
Qiao Yan picked an angle that allowed the light to stream in from the side, casting a small shadow over his lower back dimple—ambiguous and deeply alluring.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: (Image)
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Daddy~ Is this okay?
Sitting in his study at that moment, He Yanzhou’s fingers paused as the photo popped up on his phone screen.
The photo was taken very calculatingly.
It only revealed a section of the waist and a small portion of the hips—slender, fair, with exceptionally smooth lines, showcasing a pinkish lower back dimple. Yet, in certain areas, it was perfectly plump. Pale pink fingers rested against the side of the waist, acting like an invitation for someone to touch.
The background was awful—dim and cluttered.
But precisely because of that, the strip of warm white skin in the center appeared exceptionally enticing, like a beacon drawing someone to fall and succumb.
He Yanzhou stared at the photo for a few seconds, his gaze darkening.
He knew exactly what game Little Taotao was playing. Running out of money and finding that acting cute didn’t work, she resorted to sending this kind of photo.
The tactics were actually rather clumsy.
But he had to admit, this move worked on him.
He Yanzhou was no saint; he too could be attracted by a beautiful body, not to mention that Little Taotao struck his aesthetic preferences with absolute precision.
She knew exactly how to utilize her advantages, which angles were the most seductive, and what kind of attitude was most effective at softening a person’s heart.
He had originally thought that after the blacklist, all interactions between them would cease. He hadn’t expected her to add him back so quickly and send such a direct photo.
Did she think she had him wrapped around her finger?
The corners of He Yanzhou’s mouth twitched, though there was no real warmth in his eyes.
He set his phone down and didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he got up, walked over to the window, and lit a cigarette.
The smoke curled upward softly, blurring his reflection against the floor-to-ceiling glass window.
After about five minutes, he returned to his desk and reopened his phone.
Yan: Is this your attitude when admitting you’re wrong?
Qiao Yan was currently lying on his bed, shivering from the cold. Seeing the message, he grew even more nervous.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Does Daddy not like it? QAQ
Yan: What do you think?
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Little Taotao is so cute, how could Daddy possibly dislike her? (Grievance twiddling fingers.jpg)
Yan: You said you knew you were wrong.
Yan: What did you do wrong?
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: I shouldn’t have casually blacklisted Daddy… I shouldn’t have been so stubborn… QAQ Whatever Daddy says I did wrong, that’s what I did wrong.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: (Kitty admitting defeat.jpg)
Yan: Out of money?
Yan: Very cold?
Is the old man finally going to send me money!
Qiao Yan typed rapidly.
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: Daddy, I’m really about to freeze to death in this dorm… Please save the pitiful Little Taotao QAQ
Little Tao Bites Real Hard: (Kitty cupping hands.jpg)
Yan: Words alone carry no weight.
Then what else do you want to do?
Why isn’t the old man sending money yet? Can he stop arguing with me!
However, in the next second, Yan’s reply made Qiao Yan’s hair stand on end instantly, causing his phone to drop onto the floor with a loud clatter.
Yan: Video call.
Yan: Right now.