Chapter 158: You’re My Girlfriend, Not the Cat’s!
After giving Cheng Shizhu some instructions, Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan returned to the Jiang family home.
The following days were similar to the time before the college entrance exam, except that both she and Xiao Luo were learning new things at a steady pace, without putting too much pressure on themselves, simply maintaining a disciplined study routine.
Jiang Xue only had the fourth driving test left. She tried to study for it while Xiao Luohan wasn’t practicing the guqin, so they could review similar content and interact.
Xiao Luo’s guqin skills were now far beyond her understanding, and vice versa, Xiao Luo couldn’t keep up with the textbooks she was memorizing. Their academic paths were diverging.
This wasn’t a big problem, but Jiang Xue was subtly concerned, hoping that she and Xiao Luo could still maintain some common topics, even if it was just a little.
Like, Non-Dream related topics.
She had been following the game’s development, even setting the Non-Dream studio’s official account to receive notifications. Knowing that the exhibition date was set for late August, she practically counted down the days until the tickets went on sale at midnight.
With two phones in front of her, she was even more eager than Xiao Luohan to get tickets, even persuading her entire family and Xie Xitong to help, afraid of missing out.
But in the end, the entire Jiang family “failed,” but Cang Ling managed to get tickets.
“I calculated the auspicious time,” Cang Ling explained when sending the screenshot of the ticket purchase interface. “It’s not because I’m ‘lucky.'”
She had been playing gacha games recently, and according to Xie Xitong, she had even, unaware of the rules, posted a “how to raise this new character” post in the player community, subtly showing off her luck, and had been scolded and banned.
This was very metaphysical. Jiang Xue often bought tickets and helped others buy tickets, and she knew that this kind of software was purely based on hand speed, internet speed, and luck.
How Cang Ling had managed to do it was a mystery, especially since Xie Xitong had also failed.
Anyway, it was good that they had the tickets.
Xiao Luohan, a die-hard Non-Dream fan, was overjoyed. With the ticket screenshots she received at midnight, she woke up early the next morning, took her guqin, and went to the Xie family’s home to express her gratitude, making desserts and cold drinks for Cang Ling, and even playing the guqin for her.
Cang Ling felt that she hadn’t done much, just calculated the auspicious time, and was embarrassed by the excessive gratitude, so she decided to “return the favor.”
“It seems there’s some progress with the CP I’m shipping!” she said excitedly to the two, holding her milk tea, while Xie Xitong was still at work with Jiang Mei. “Mei-jiejie isn’t as resistant anymore!”
Her reminder made Jiang Xue also recall some details.
Her older sister had been lost in thought since returning from Mingjing Taoist Temple. Like her, her older sister would prioritize work, taking her questions home to ponder slowly.
She couldn’t remember exactly when it started, but her older sister had suddenly seemed “relaxed,” her demeanor more at ease, and she had even seen her older sister, dressed in red hanfu, practicing sword dance alone in the courtyard to the music of a guzheng.
She hadn’t seen her older sister practice sword dance in a long time, not since the New Year’s Eve gala rehearsals.
“What’s the reason?” Jiang Xue couldn’t help but ask curiously. “Does A-Xi know? I haven’t heard her mention it.”
“I don’t know, I didn’t go to work with them,” Cang Ling shook her head. “A-Xi doesn’t know either, she only told me, ‘Mei-jiejie seems to have suddenly figured it out.'”
“Figured it out, and then?” Xiao Luohan asked.
“Following the ‘usual trope,’ she should have accepted the relationship, right?” Cang Ling said uncertainly. “I did a divination for their relationship. They’re compatible, but it will be complicated. Even if Mei-jiejie accepts it now, it might not be easy for them to be together.”
“That’s true, A-Xi was admitted to a university far away,” Jiang Xue thought of Xie Xitong’s university choice.
She still wanted to study veterinary medicine, but few universities offered that major for “politics, history, and biology” students this year. In the end, Grandma Xie had made the decision for her, choosing a university almost at the northern border as her first choice, and she had actually been admitted.
“But this also fulfilled A-Xi’s wish,” Jiang Xue said with a wry smile. “She’s always wanted to visit that city since she was little.”
“That city has a high altitude, and the stars are very beautiful,” the former high-ranking official from the Office of Astronomy said. “It’s also a suitable place for her as a metaphysics practitioner. The spiritual energy in high-altitude areas is beneficial for cultivation.”
“Has A-Xi already made up her mind?” Xiao Luohan asked, then said something that made Jiang Xue stare at her in surprise, “To study veterinary medicine, which she likes, and then return home to inherit the ‘family business’ after graduating.”
The Xie family’s “family business” could only be Grandma Xie’s metaphysics legacy.
“Yes… she did tell me that,” Cang Ling tilted her head. “But how did you guess? Neither she nor I told you.”
“Just intuition and deduction,” Xiao Luohan said. “Before you arrived, A-Xi was still in a confused state. After all, metaphysics has practically disappeared in this era, and it’s not surprising for traditions to be lost. But Grandma Xie is A-Xi’s favorite elder.”
Although with proper care, “living to a hundred” wasn’t an impossible legend, Grandma Xie was already old, and anything could happen.
“So after you arrived, and she saw you inheriting and mastering metaphysical knowledge, she naturally revisited her own wish, both for Grandma Xie and for herself.”
Sometimes, Xiao Luohan felt that Xie Xitong and she were actually quite similar.
They both liked to pretend, burying their true feelings deep inside, not letting those close to them know easily.
She used what was called a “cold and aloof” demeanor in this world, while A-Xi used a smile and a “carefree” attitude, as if she lived without worries every day, all her troubles gone.
Being similar, whether it was A-Xi looking at her, or her looking at A-Xi, they could easily guess each other’s hidden thoughts.
Jiang Xue, listening in, was dumbfounded, but she quickly composed herself and murmured, “If it’s A-Xi, it’s not surprising.”
She knew that for A-Xi, inheriting the Xie family’s “ancestral business” was both a constraint and a responsibility. A-Xi’s mothers didn’t have this talent, but she did.
Just like how Cang Ling had spent her entire life in the Office of Astronomy, talent in this field often became a cage.
There was only one good thing: besides during university, A-Xi wouldn’t be living far away for the rest of her life, and could remain neighbors with Mei-jiejie, whom she liked, and then naturally confirm their relationship and… get married.
Jiang Xue had always respected her childhood friend’s decisions, no matter how outrageous—she knew that A-Xi always had her own plans and ideas.
It was the same now.
Xie Xitong, who was working on the monthly report, sneezed. Before she could even wonder if Cang Ling had mentioned her to Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan, she felt a weight on her shoulder.
Jiang Mei had placed her jacket over Xie Xitong’s shoulders without a word, focusing on her computer screen.
It wasn’t until lunch break that she finally asked, “Do you need me to take you to Y University?”
Y University was the university Xie Xitong had been admitted to.
“No, I’ve arranged to go with Yuanyuan. We’re renting an apartment there,” Xie Xitong refused. “You’ve met Yuanyuan before.”
“Yes, Dan Yuanyuan,” Jiang Mei nodded. For some reason, she felt the atmosphere between them was a little awkward.
Like there was a distance, a sense of detachment.
…A-Xi wasn’t avoiding her, was she?
Xie Xitong, seeing Jiang Mei’s slightly puzzled expression, winked mischievously. “But you have to promise me one thing.”
“Okay.”
“The altitude there is high, and Xixi’s body can’t handle it, so I can’t take it with me,” Xie Xitong said. “And my grandmother seems to have some plans, the housekeeper has to accompany her on a long trip, so there will be no one to take care of Xixi at home.”
“Mei-jiejie, can Xixi stay at the Jiang family’s home while I’m at university?”
Even without their “temporary girlfriend” relationship, Jiang Mei would have agreed if she asked.
Even if she was working overtime, Ms. Wei would take care of the white cat. Besides, it had grown up pampered by both families.
But now, when Xie Xitong made this request, Jiang Mei felt that it was like… a promise between lovers.
Xiao Linghan, in her consciousness, instantly sensed this strange association of “single mother with a cat” and clicked her tongue.
A career-focused mind turning into a love-struck mind!
The white cat, unaware that its future had already been decided, was rolling around on Xiao Luohan’s lap, demanding attention and petting.
Unlike its initial wariness and displeasure towards the soul, it now truly liked Xiao Luohan. When Jiang Xue picked it up and tried to move it to her own side, it would howl and struggle, reaching out its paws towards Xiao Luohan, showing off its pink paw pads.
Jiang Xue, jealous, couldn’t even tolerate the cat. “That’s my girlfriend, not yours!”
She hadn’t even tried that yet!
But after a brief show of possessiveness towards the cat, she obediently handed it over—Xiao Luo loved petting cats.
“A-Xi is going to university, what about you? Are you going with her?” Jiang Xue asked Cang Ling.
“I’d like to, but it’s too far. It’s better to stay at home, and Mei-jiejie has also learned to burn incense and make offerings for me,” Cang Ling said. “I’ve been researching ‘virtual livestreaming’ recently and have even commissioned an artist to design my avatar. The artist thinks that using my ‘Office of Astronomy uniform’ would definitely attract fans. She’s never seen such an elegant and mysterious design.”
Her voice was pleasant, with a unique languidness and casualness, perfect for livestreaming. She had even posted some study-aid audio before, which had been well-received, exceeding 100,000 views without any promotion.
But due to her special circumstances, to conserve spiritual energy, she couldn’t appear on camera as frequently as Xiao Luohan, so she could only become a VTuber.
“I’ll probably be a gaming streamer. They seem to want to watch me play horror games,” she said, resting her chin on her hand, a little puzzled. “But I’m not afraid at all? I’m a ghost myself! But when I watch other streamers play these games, the louder they scream, the happier the viewers are.”
“They’re watching precisely because you’re not afraid, it’s the contrast that’s appealing,” Jiang Xue said, having experience in this. “It’s like… to use an example from your world, a big, burly, bearded general embroidering under the lamp at night.”
Cang Ling’s reaction made Jiang Xue feel like a series of question marks were appearing above her head.
But she managed to persuade her in the end. Cang Ling didn’t imitate other streamers, but livestreamed horror games in her usual calm manner.
Jiang Xue didn’t know where she found the game, but even she didn’t dare watch it. The realistic character models were too scary!
Originally, she, Xiao Luo, and the white cat were sitting by the computer, watching Cang Ling’s livestream, but as soon as the horror scenes appeared, while Xiao Luo and Cang Ling watched intently, she felt uneasy, and looking down to avoid the screen, she noticed that the white cat had also flattened its ears, clearly not wanting to stay either.
Jiang Xue immediately picked it up from Xiao Luohan’s lap and happily left the room.
She had finally found an excuse to leave!
