6: Sorry, she’s got money now
At that moment, Ye Susu’s heart and eyes were completely captivated by the pot in front of her.
She lifted the lid and carefully peeked inside.
Inside, plump, snow-white grains of rice had burst open, lying in a thick rice broth. Soft and tender, they trembled slightly amidst the boiling bubbles.
A wave of steam surged upward, carrying the distinct aroma of rice grains. It swept over her in an instant.
Ye Susu sniffed the air, reached out her arm to grab a small bowl, and cautiously scooped out a small spoonful.
After blowing on it vigorously a few times, she carefully took a taste with the tip of her tongue.
The soft, glutinous texture of the plain porridge melted effortlessly in her mouth, leaving a delicate fragrance on her lips and teeth.
The warm porridge slid smoothly down her throat, following her breath, down her esophagus, and warmed her stomach with a cozy sensation.
That single spoonful made her stomach rumble with hunger.
After lunch, she had been busy for four or five hours.
Back at home, she had sorted through the former owner’s impractical belongings—taking photos to post on Xianyu, trying them on for her live stream audience, bustling about until she was utterly exhausted.
“Mmm…”
Not bad.
Ye Susu had a preference for light flavors and quite enjoyed this porridge.
But her gaze drifted and landed on the refrigerator.
Hot porridge paired with fish…
Just the thought of it made her mouth water.
She opened the refrigerator door, took out a can of tuna, and pried it open roughly with a knife.
Suppressing her urge to drool, she first filled a small bowl with porridge for Ye Xun, the little one who had been quietly watching her all this time. Then she added an extra generous spoonful of tuna to his bowl.
She also picked three or four boiled vegetables from the side and neatly arranged them in his bowl.
Ye Susu looked around, grabbed one of the two remaining eggs from the refrigerator, and dropped it into the pot of boiling water.
“Oh right, cub, try the plain porridge first.”
Remembering this, she turned around, fetched a new bowl, bent down, and brought the small spoon to the child’s mouth.
“Say ‘ahhh’—open wide.”
Ye Xun was still clutching his storybook, his nerves immediately showing as he squeezed the corner of the book until it crumpled slightly.
Hearing Ye Susu’s exaggerated “ahhh,” his little face flushed a bit. He took half a step back before timidly parting his lips just a fraction.
The spoon slipped right into his small mouth.
Ye Xun took the bite.
The warm porridge instantly filled his cheeks.
It was fragrant and soft.
He had felt a little uneasy with Ye Susu suddenly getting so close, but now he was pleasantly surprised by the subtle, delicate sweetness in his mouth. His dark, grape-like eyes brightened ever so slightly.
“How is it?”
Ye Susu watched him nervously, too.
Her little one might have different tastes than her.
Without hesitation, Ye Xun nodded, and even a hint of quiet admiration flickered in his dark eyes.
Mommy’s cooking was so much better than his own.
“Here, this is all for you.”
Only then did Ye Susu feel relieved. She pushed the bowl of tuna-topped porridge toward him.
Then she began eating her own dinner.
The boiled vegetables were bland and tasteless, and biting into them felt tough.
After one bite, she nearly spat it out.
But then, in an instant, she remembered her former owner’s teachings—she must eat vegetables, or her fur wouldn’t look good. Reluctantly, she wrinkled her little face and forced it down.
After barely managing two bites, she frowned, went to the bathroom, and brought out the book Breakfast. She scanned the table of contents, then flipped to a page in the middle.
The moment she saw the bright, vibrant picture, her eyes lit up.
[Fried Dried Fish.]
[Exchange?]
Ye Susu rubbed her little fingers together.
In the recipe book, the vegetables were all boiled too—they probably wouldn’t taste much better, right?
They’re just naturally unappetizing.
Hmm…
Ye Susu glanced between the recipe and the little one quietly sipping his porridge.
She hesitated for only a second.
Hmm, better trade for the dried fish!
Eating fish makes little ones smarter.
Right, this is all for the sake of her mission—for the child. It’s definitely not because she, a little cat, was craving something tasty.
[Please read aloud.]
“Ahem, cub, I’ll teach you to read. The method for making this dried fish is…”
Ye Xun’s little tuft of hair swayed slightly in confusion.
Ye Susu quickly finished reading aloud, her face flushing red.
[Fried Dried Fish: Mastered.]
All of Ye Susu’s exhaustion instantly turned into excitement.
She rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush into the kitchen.
But unfortunately, her phone rang again.
Ye Susu turned back to see the name ‘Ye Wan’ flashing on the screen like a curse.
Headache.
Every time Ye Wan spoke harshly, it wasn’t good for the little one’s mental well-being.
Ye Susu pouted and put on a pair of headphones before answering the call.
“Susu, what are you up to?!”
As soon as the call connected, Ye Wan’s accusatory tone lashed out.
“Selling clothes online? You’re a streamer, not a street vendor, even your socks are up on Xianyu? This streaming account belongs to the company, not to you personally!”
“Also, Xiao Li told me you mentioned a child on camera? Was it Ye Xun? Did you talk to him and get it recorded on the stream? Are you just giving up on yourself?”
“I’ve been waiting for you at the hotel, where are you? What kind of nonsense are you pulling at home?!”
Ye Susu turned the volume all the way down, took the small fish she bought earlier out of the plastic bag, and skillfully began processing them step by step, following the instructions now etched in her mind.
“Ye Susu, say something!”
“So, I pressured you for rent, and now you’re selling stuff on Xianyu? You’re so naïve, do you really think anyone would buy anything? Even if you sell a couple of items, what does it matter? Could you scrape together ten thousand yuan to pay me back?!”
Ye Susu paused her movements, stretched out all ten fingers, and frowned as she made a quick calculation.
The most expensive items were the three coats and a down jacket from the original owner, along with a diamond necklace and bracelet gifted by an ex-boyfriend.
And then there were all sorts of other miscellaneous things. If everything could be sold…
Lost in thought, she shifted her gaze to the phone screen, opened the Xianyu app, and checked the transaction status.
But what she saw left her stunned.
[Your item has been sold successfully. Order amount: ¥1,888.00.]
[Your item has been sold successfully. Order amount: ¥500.00.]
…
Notification after notification.
Checking the backend, she discovered that all the items she had just listed on Xianyu that afternoon had been sold!
They were all in the “awaiting shipment” status.
The total amount came to ¥20,132.
Ye Susu stared blankly for a moment, then rubbed her eyes.
“Are you still there? Pretending to have a bad signal again?”
Ye Wan’s voice was brimming with frustration.
“Come over by taxi now. I’ll clean up your mess one more time, I’ll handle this streaming incident for you. If you don’t have the money to pay me back, I can give you a little more time.”
Ye Susu pinched her own cheek.
It hurt.
This wasn’t a dream.
All the items on Xianyu had sold successfully!
“Cousin… um, I think… I might have some money now.”
Outside, the night breeze gently lifted the curtains.
On the other end of the phone, Ye Wan’s voice cut off abruptly. For three seconds, there was only silence, broken by a single, stunned breath.
After a long pause, a voice filled with disbelief finally responded.
“What did you say?”
Ye Susu touched her cheek, where a smile was threatening to take flight. “I have money now. I’ll pay you the rent within three days at the latest.”
On Xianyu, you only receive the funds after the buyer confirms the delivery.
“Even so, you caused a streaming incident. The company will hold you responsible—”
“Isn’t my contract expiring soon? It should be terminated by tomorrow, right?”
Ye Susu’s tone was cheerful.
Even after paying off the debt, there would still be over ten thousand yuan left—enough to rent a new apartment.
This streaming account belonged to the company, with gifts and donations split 80-20 in the company’s favor—the original owner only kept 20%.
And all the clothes and props used for streaming were purchased by her.
After two years of hard work, the original owner hadn’t saved much.
Back then, she had taken up streaming to find her child’s father, but now Ye Susu wasn’t particularly concerned about that anymore.
Besides, even if she continued streaming, she didn’t need to stay under Ye Wan or remain with a company that exploited her.
“Ye Susu!”
Ye Wan’s voice rose half an octave.
“What do you mean? You’re going solo? Without the company, how many followers do you think you’d have? If the company hadn’t boosted your viewer count, do you think you’d have those numbers?”
Ye Susu nudged the headphone slightly away from her ear.
Earlier, Ye Wan had insisted that her performance was too poor and she’d be dropped by the company.
Now, she was suddenly claiming that going solo would be a disaster as if Ye Susu leaving was some unforgivable sin.
“Cousin, to avoid putting you in a difficult position, I’m fine with the company letting me go.”
Ye Susu’s voice remained cheerful.
“You—! My apartment was specifically lent to you for streaming! If you quit—”
Ye Susu lowered her gaze.
The apartment and the debt were likely Ye Wan’s biggest leverage over the original owner.
As she was thinking, a text message popped up on her screen.
[Miss Ye, this is Xiao Zheng from Lianjia. I’ve tried calling several times, but you didn’t answer. I have an apartment—only 20 minutes from your son’s kindergarten, and the rent is just ¥1,000 a month!]
[Check out the photos. You can view it today and move in tomorrow—no deposit required.]
Ye Susu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly scrolled to the photos and drew a sharp breath.
The three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment in the pictures had a duplex layout.
The first photo showed a spacious black-and-white European-style open kitchen, twice the size of her current bedroom.
The second photo featured the deep blue bedroom available for rent—seemingly recently renovated, with not only a large bed and a vanity but also a brand-new, enormous walk-in closet.
The remaining floor space in the room was enough for her to roll around comfortably…
This apartment… for only a thousand yuan?
Ye Susu raised a finger and gently pressed down on her rising smile.
Some kind of luck must be on her side—call it… feline fortune?
“Cousin, you can keep the apartment for yourself. I’ll probably be moving out by tomorrow.”
The other end of the line once again fell into an eerie silence before a sharp inhale broke through.
“You… did you find a man… to take care of you?”
There was no denying Ye Susu’s stunning looks.
Other than that, Ye Wan couldn’t think of any other explanation for how she suddenly had both money and a new place lined up overnight.
“No.”
But through the phone, Ye Susu’s denial came through crystal clear.
“The blessing of the Cat King.”
“What?”
This made no sense to Ye Wan.
Not that Ye Susu expected her to understand. After saying she was busy, Ye Susu quickly ended the call.
She washed her hands before laboriously typing out a reply to the rental agent.
[I want…]
“Oh!”
She gasped as her clumsy fingers hit send before she had even finished typing.
Fortunately, the agent seemed sharp.
A reply came immediately.
[Miss Ye, the landlord is available tonight. Let me know when you’d like to meet—I’ll be waiting at the Lianjia office and take you there.]
[ok!]
Ye Susu clumsily tapped at her phone.
Taking a deep sniff of the dried fish, she turned back.
“Cub, what time do you usually go to bed? Want to come with me to see the new apartment tonight?”
Little Ye Xun was sitting on a tall stool by the small table, his short legs dangling in the air without touching the floor.
But hearing this, he nodded immediately and firmly, like a brave little man.
His teacher had said it was unsafe to go out alone after dark.
It was dangerous outside.
“Should we have a small fish before we go?”
Ye Susu swallowed her drool and glanced back again.
Ye Xun looked up at the clock on the wall, then at the pitch-black sky outside, before reaching out with a small hand. He tore off a corner of a tissue from the table and wiped his mouth.
“Can eat when come back.”
“…”
Ye Susu pouted.
She’d hold back.
On a night bordering winter, the wind was especially biting, stinging against the skin with a chilling pain.
Walking outside after seven was enough to make anyone want to dive straight into bed.
They hadn’t gone far when Ye Susu noticed the little one trembling badly.
Despite having just eaten, his clothes were still too thin for the cold.
She quickly reached out, grabbed the loose openings of his sleeves, and firmly held them closed, blocking the wind from sneaking in.
Humans had no fur, only hair—they had to rely on clothes.
They were so fragile.
Ye Xun’s body stiffened. With his small hands suddenly tucked into the warm sleeves, his walking pace faltered slightly.
He looked up at Ye Susu, a faint confusion in his eyes.
Clearly, the original owner had never done anything like this.
But his expression soon retreated as he saw strangers around, his gaze shifting awkwardly downward.
The agent was already waiting at the office entrance. As soon as they arrived, he smiled and opened the car door.
“Hop in. It’ll take about half an hour to get there.”
Ye Susu stretched her lips into what she thought was a grateful human smile.
The agent glanced in the rearview mirror, caught sight of her delicate, sweet smile, and immediately blushed.
“If this rental goes through, I’ll earn a commission too.”
He didn’t specify the amount, but his face was glowing with excitement.
Ye Susu continued to stretch her lips into a smile.
Humans trying to make small talk with a cat—hehe.
A noble feline wouldn’t know how.
But the agent’s face turned even redder, and he began enthusiastically pointing out the buildings around them.
The road was busy with traffic on both sides.
Soon, they drove into a quiet, upscale-looking residential complex.
From a distance, the sign “Haitang Compound” came into view.
Inside the complex, numerous streetlights illuminated the lush greenery, making the plants and flowers appear vibrant and dewy even at night.
Just the exterior surroundings were worlds apart from the old apartment.
“Here we are—Building 18, a small duplex.”
The agent parked the car, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes.
Though Haitang Compound was labeled as a “small duplex,” it was practically close to being a villa in definition.
Compact as it was, every inch of the building exuded elegance.
Ye Susu mimicked her little one, nodding slightly, and holding onto the child’s sleeve, she stepped out of the car.
But before the agent could lead the way, she twitched her nose from a distance, sniffing carefully in the chilly night breeze.
“I’ve smelled this scent before.”
Under the dim yellow light, her delicate face took on a faint warm glow, and her bright eyes grew even more luminous.
“Hmm?”
The agent looked curious.
She hadn’t spoken a word during the entire ride.
Ye Susu closed her eyes, drawing in deep breaths of air from both sides.
“It’s catnip… that’s dangerously tempting to cats…”
The agent blinked, then chuckled after a pause. “You mean someone keeps a cat? That’s common—lots of residents do.”
“No.”
Ye Susu took a small step forward.
Her bright eyes, shimmering with excitement, sparkled like stars.
“Not common.”
“This is the scent of catnip that only an elite cat servant would have.”
**