22 – Then I’ll take full responsibility for you.
One minute later, Xin Jushang calmly went to open the door to greet the teacher who had come to inspect the room.
The teacher walked around, checked the bathroom, under the bed, the wardrobe, and the curtains. Finding nothing unusual, she reminded Xin Jushang to lock the doors and windows at night and get some good rest before leaving the room.
Xin Jushang closed the door again and hurriedly opened the window to let Zhou Yuchuan back in.
In a moment of inspiration earlier, she had thought of the platform outside the window meant for the air conditioning unit—a reinforced platform that could just accommodate another person. So she had opened the window earlier for Zhou Yuchuan to hide there.
Zhou Yuchuan held onto Xin Jushang’s arm for support as he climbed back into the room, but his face showed clear signs of lingering fear.
“Xin Jushang, you really had the nerve to make me hide in such a dangerous spot. What if I had accidentally fallen and died…”
Before Zhou Yuchuan could finish his sentence, Xin Jushang replied expressionlessly, “Then I’d take full responsibility for you.”
That shut Zhou Yuchuan up completely.
Xin Jushang then explained the second problem Zhou Yuchuan had asked about earlier. Zhou Yuchuan listened absentmindedly, his thoughts completely elsewhere.
He stared blankly at Xin Jushang’s profile.
As if sensing Zhou Yuchuan’s distraction, Xin Jushang tapped his forehead with her knuckle, deliberately putting on a fierce expression. “You don’t even know how to solve the problem, yet you dare to space out.”
Zhou Yuchuan winced in pain, rubbing his forehead and grinning mischievously at Xin Jushang. “Xin Jushang, you hit really hard. If I don’t do well on the exam tomorrow, I’m blaming it on you.”
After finishing the explanation, Xin Jushang shooed away Zhou Yuchuan, that troublesome pest.
If he stayed any longer, there was no telling when they might be discovered by the patrolling teacher again.
After sending Zhou Yuchuan away, Xin Jushang touched her burning ears and buried her head in the pillow.
Her heart kept pounding, and it took a long time for her emotions to settle.
After smoothly completing the morning math competition, the group took a bus to a restaurant for lunch.
After lunch, Xin Jushang returned to her hotel room and took a good nap. When she woke up, she found many unread QQ messages on her phone.
【Chosen One-Chuan】: The lead teacher said we can have free time after dinner tonight. Do you want to go explore the area together?
【Chosen One-Chuan】: I know there’s a famous snack street nearby. Want to go check it out later?
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Xin Jushang, are you sleeping? It’s been three hours and you still haven’t replied. Are you a pig?
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Four hours! You still haven’t replied? Xin Jushang, you pig.
…
Xin Jushang checked the time on her phone—it was already past six in the evening. It seemed she had indeed taken a four-hour nap.
She replied to Zhou Yuchuan with “You’re the pig,” then went to the bathroom for a shower, changed clothes, and quickly headed downstairs to the lobby to gather.
Tonight, like last night, they were to gather at seven o’clock before heading to a nearby restaurant for a buffet dinner.
After finishing dinner quickly, Xin Jushang received a message from Zhou Yuchuan. He sent an address and asked her to meet him there later.
Xin Jushang replied with “Okay,” then followed the navigation on her phone to the location.
Not long after leaving the restaurant, Xin Jushang heard faint meowing from the roadside greenery.
One cry after another, sounding pitifully distressed.
Xin Jushang crouched down and parted the overgrown grass, discovering a tiny kitten with bloodstains on its leg.
The kitten seemed too young to have been weaned, mewing softly as if seeking milk.
Xin Jushang’s heart tightened. She quickly took off her jacket and carefully wrapped the kitten in it.
She opened her phone’s navigation app and searched for the nearest veterinary clinic, hoping to get the kitten treated.
She found one less than two kilometers away that was still open. Next, she checked ride-hailing apps but discovered that demand was extremely high at this hour—dozens of people were already waiting in line.
With no time to spare, Xin Jushang set the veterinary clinic as her destination on the navigation app, cradled the kitten in her arms, and began walking along the guided route.
Halfway there, a fine, dense drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Xin Jushang tucked the edges of her jacket tighter, making sure the kitten was completely covered.
As if sensing her kindness, the kitten let out two understanding meows, almost like a thank-you.
The rain grew heavier, forcing Xin Jushang to quicken her pace in hopes of reaching the clinic sooner.
Suddenly, an umbrella appeared over her head.
Surprised, she turned and saw Jiang Xie standing silently behind her, holding the umbrella.
“I’ve been following you since you left the restaurant. Sorry,” Jiang Xie explained.
At that moment, Xin Jushang didn’t dwell on what had happened between them earlier—her only concern was getting the kitten to the vet as soon as possible.
With Jiang Xie holding the umbrella, the kitten would stay dry.
By the time they reached the veterinary clinic, most of Jiang Xie’s clothes were soaked from the rain, but he still stepped forward to help register the kitten.
Only after the veterinarian took the kitten did Xin Jushang finally relax. Then she suddenly remembered her appointment with Zhou Yuchuan and hurriedly pulled out her phone, only to find it had shut down from a dead battery at some point.
Xin Jushang didn’t have Zhou Yuchuan’s phone number and couldn’t contact him. She worried he might still be waiting for her foolishly in the same spot.
But then she reconsidered—Zhou Yuchuan wasn’t a fool. How could he not find shelter in such heavy rain?
With that thought, she temporarily set her worries aside.
Since Xin Jushang’s phone was off, she couldn’t pay for the kitten’s treatment, so Jiang Xie covered the cost.
“Let me have your Alipay account. I’ll transfer the money to you later,” Xin Jushang suggested.
Jiang Xie paused, then rubbed his nose somewhat sheepishly. “That’s not necessary.”
As soon as he said it, he seemed to regret it and lightly smacked his own forehead. Then he cautiously asked Xin Jushang, “Would WeChat work instead? My Alipay isn’t linked to a bank card.”
In truth, he was lying—this was the only way he could get Xin Jushang’s contact information as he wished.
Two hours later, the doctor came out holding the kitten and informed Xin Jushang that its right leg was injured from a fall, but it was nothing serious.
Looking at the bandaged kitten and then at the unrelenting rain outside, Xin Jushang couldn’t bear to abandon the little creature again. So, she and Jiang Xie decided to take the kitten back to the hotel with them.
It was already past ten in the evening when they took a taxi back to the hotel. Jiang Xie held an umbrella as he and Xin Jushang, who was cradling the little kitten, stepped through the hotel entrance together.
As soon as Xin Jushang entered the lobby, she heard a cold, youthful voice not far away—
“Xin Jushang.”