When the Tsundere Rival Turns Into a Cat - Chapter 20

The autumn rain arrived suddenly, pouring down as if to wash away the lingering summer heat.

Several seats in Classroom 2 of Senior Year were empty, including the one beside Jiang Qingyue and the one in the back row against the wall.

Large raindrops pelted against the windows, forming a natural lullaby in the morning. Many students were already drowsy, but Jiang Qingyue was uncharacteristically distracted, her gaze frequently drifting toward the back row. Li Xingcan’s books were still there, but she herself was nowhere to be seen.

Had she taken leave, or had she left early like the others?

The desk next to hers still held many books—only the important ones had been taken, while the rest were left behind to be discarded. If it were Li Xingcan, she wouldn’t hesitate to throw everything away.

Had she really left just like that? Without even a word of farewell… Or perhaps, it wasn’t that she hadn’t said goodbye—just that there was no need to say it to Jiang Qingyue.

The rain continued for two days straight, and the temperature plummeted. The autumn wind carried a biting chill, making the damp cold unmistakable.

Jiang Qingyue’s routine at school was fixed—attend classes, eat, return to cultivate and rest. She rarely interacted with others unless necessary, as if living in her own world.

Li Xingcan never reappeared at school either, and more students gradually began to leave. The once-packed classroom grew emptier by the day.

The school’s monthly exam was about to begin. Jiang Qingyue sat at her desk, organizing the study materials from this term. Among the neatly written test papers, one stood out with its wild, untamed handwriting. She pulled it out—it was the one Li Xingcan had given her. Upon closer inspection, in the margins between the multiple-choice questions, there was a hastily drawn cat’s head with an angry vein popping on its forehead. There was no need to guess who it was meant to depict.

Her hands were quick—Jiang Qingyue hadn’t even noticed when she had drawn it, despite watching her closely.

A faint smile flickered in her eyes, but it was soon replaced by a hollow feeling. She folded the test paper and set it aside separately. Perhaps their connection ended here.

After packing her things, Jiang Qingyue was about to place the temporarily unused test papers in the bookshelf at the back when Fu Duosui walked over from the rear and stopped by Lin Xie’s desk to chat.

“Xingcan should be back soon, right? I kinda miss her,” Fu Duosui said, visibly downcast lately. With Lin Xie refusing to go anywhere or eat junk food, she had no one to hang out with. She truly missed Li Xingcan now.

Hearing this, Jiang Qingyue, who had been about to stand, paused and sat back down, discreetly straining to listen. Had Li Xingcan not left?

Lin Xie twirled a pen between her fingers and tapped on the mini calendar on her desk. “Soon. The competition ends in the next couple of days. Today’s Monday—you’ll definitely see her this week.”

“Yay!” Fu Duosui cheered, swaying happily. “Lin Lin, if Xingcan wins that whatever award again this time, does that mean she can skip the college entrance exam?”

“She already has early admission offers from several universities. She just hasn’t decided where to go yet. Last time we talked, she mentioned being interested in the UK—she’ll probably go there.”

Lin Xie shrugged, leaning back in her chair as she looked at Fu Duosui. “Where do you want to go?”

“I’m more familiar with Country L—I can handle the courses there. What about you?” Fu Duosui asked Lin Xie in return.

“I’d prefer to stay domestically, but it’ll depend on my grades. Keeping both options open,” Lin Xie replied.

“That’s great. Taozi and Fanzi also want to stay in the country, but the pressure’s too high—their chances aren’t great.”

“Even less likely for them. Their coursework is different—they don’t have an advantage for domestic exams…”

While Lin Xie and Fu Duosui continued chatting beside her, Jiang Qingyue’s thoughts drifted far away. Li Xingcan would return, but that return wouldn’t mean anything.

After evening self-study, Jiang Qingyue returned to the apartment and continued practicing the techniques from the book in her room. As time passed, she felt something becoming clearer and clearer.

Once again absorbing the spiritual energy drifting through the room, she experienced a sudden enlightenment and attempted her first voluntary transformation.

Reciting the initial incantation, she channeled the spiritual energy within her, gathering it in her dantian before letting it flow through her meridians. By the third repetition, Jiang Qingyue landed softly on the carpet and glanced down at her feline paws—success.

Still wearing her tiny outfit, she padded out of the room and looked at Zheng Wenbai in the living room. “Meow.”

Professor Zheng.

Zheng Wenbai, who understood cat speech, glanced down. “Hmm? Turned into a kitten again?”

“Meow…”

I think I can control shifting between human and cat forms now.

After speaking, Jiang Qingyue recited the incantation once more, directing her spiritual energy. Zheng Wenbai watched intently as the cat on the floor began to change—fur receding, limbs lengthening. In mere moments, a girl with black cat ears appeared, crouching barefoot on the carpet. She wore a short-sleeved jumpsuit, one hand braced against the floor, her fluffy tail flicking once before vanishing.

Jiang Qingyue stood up and examined herself. The tiny outfit had enlarged into a loose-fitting, modest jumpsuit—nothing too flashy.

“You’ve mastered the technique so quickly—breaking through the first stage already. Truly worthy of being Xuanyu’s daughter,” Zheng Wenbai praised, his eyes gleaming.

“Thanks to your guidance these past days,” Jiang Qingyue replied politely, nodding as she stood barefoot on the carpet.

“I didn’t do much—just small favors.” Zheng Wenbai rose to his feet. “Isn’t the monthly exam coming up? Once it’s over, you’ll be able to move to the advanced class. Keep it up.”

“Professor Zheng… I still can’t contact my mother, can I?” Jiang Qingyue wasn’t particularly cheered by the news.

Zheng Wenbai also seemed troubled. “Just wait a little longer. Don’t worry—if anything happens with your mother, I’ll let you know immediately. Who knows? She might return soon.”

Jiang Qingyue nodded and didn’t press further, retreating to her room.

The next two days were dedicated to the monthly exams, and she needed to focus.

To her surprise, Li Xingcan returned on the very first day of testing.

The back of the classroom buzzed with excitement as classmates crowded around Li Xingcan, congratulating her—likely on some outstanding achievement. Jiang Qingyue glanced back and saw Li Xingcan at the center of it all, radiant with pride.

How nice. She must have gotten what she wanted.

Before Jiang Qingyue could avert her gaze, she saw Li Xingcan looking her way. The moment their eyes met, she noticed the smile in Li Xingcan’s eyes fade as she coldly looked away, waving off the others around her.

A pang of discomfort struck Jiang Qingyue as she withdrew her gaze. She knew Li Xingcan would hold a grudge against her, but she hadn’t expected it to affect her this much.

On the other side, silence settled around Li Xingcan. When she glanced back at Jiang Qingyue, the latter had already returned to her studies, pen in hand, focused on reviewing.

Li Xingcan scoffed inwardly. Jiang Qingyue really is a drama queen—won’t even admit it. Just a few words from me and she has to turn around and glare like I’m some kind of nuisance. So many issues.

Soon, the homeroom teacher entered and handed out exam seating arrangements. “Do well on today’s exams, and no funny business. A special note about the last exam hall—due to a shortage of teachers, it’s been moved to the lab building. Don’t get lost.”

Li Xingcan frowned. “I just got back, and now there’s an exam?”

“You’re exactly who I’m talking about!” Yang Liusong shot her a pointed look. “All the computer labs in the lab building are locked—specifically to keep you out. How many times do I have to say it? Don’t touch anything. Understood?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Li Xingcan replied dismissively, scanning her exam slip. Unsurprisingly, she was assigned to the last hall. What an honor.

As morning reading ended, students packed up and headed to their exam halls. Li Xingcan stuffed a pen in her pocket and left.

While others wandered the main building searching for their assigned rooms, she moved against the crowd and stepped outside. Walking toward the lab building with her head down, she suddenly heard familiar footsteps behind her.

Turning, she saw Jiang Qingyue trailing her, backpack in tow.

Her heart skipped a beat, but Li Xingcan feigned annoyance. “Why are you following me?”

Hearing that tone, Jiang Qingyue’s expression turned icy. “Same path.”

Li Xingcan frowned as Jiang Qingyue walked past her toward the lab building. Then it hit her—Jiang Qingyue was a transfer student with no prior records here, so naturally, she’d be placed in the same exam hall.

Realizing she’d misjudged the situation, Li Xingcan watched Jiang Qingyue’s retreating figure before quietly following behind.

For Li Xingcan, the last exam hall was old hat, but Jiang Qingyue clearly wasn’t used to it—especially with the rowdy bunch inside making her visibly uncomfortable.

Finding her seat, Jiang Qingyue ignored the surroundings and double-checked her stationery, ensuring everything was in order.

“Hey, I forgot my pen. Mind lending me one?”

The student in front of her turned around, reaching toward Jiang Qingyue’s pencil case.

Before Jiang Qingyue could respond, a crumpled paper ball smacked the outstretched hand.

“No pen? Then don’t write.”

Li Xingcan sat slightly behind Jiang Qingyue, her cold glare fixed on the intruder.

The student muttered under their breath and turned away. “Wasn’t asking you anyway.”

Jiang Qingyue glanced at Li Xingcan, but the latter was already chatting with someone else, as if the incident meant nothing to her.

Soon the bell rang to start the exam, but the invigilator was late, sauntering in lazily before tossing the test papers to the front row. “Divide them yourselves. It’s such a long walk—I’m exhausted!”

No one in the exam hall objected. Once the papers were distributed, they wrote their names and smoothed them out neatly, making it easier to nap face-down.

When the rustling sounds finally subsided, only one distinct writing noise stood out—Jiang Qingyue’s side of the room.

Though over ten minutes had already been wasted, she remained confident she could finish.

Li Xingcan glanced her way, and clearly, others had noticed too. Seeing this unfamiliar face in the lowest-ranked exam hall, they couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Especially when the first exam ended. Watching Jiang Qingyue hand in a neatly written, fully completed paper, they couldn’t hold back their astonished murmurs.

The moment the invigilator left with the papers, someone immediately crowded around Jiang Qingyue’s desk. “You actually knew the answers? Pass me the answers next exam, will you?”

“No.” Jiang Qingyue packed her things without even looking up.

The abrupt refusal clearly didn’t sit well with the other student. “What’s the big deal? Just pass them along!”

“If she says no, she means no. Quit being a pest!” Li Xingcan kicked her desk, pushing her chair back with a screech, raising her voice at the person hovering near Jiang Qingyue.

The student turned, baffled. “What’s your problem, Li Xingcan? Who is she to you that you’re defending her like this? It’s not a big deal—why can’t she just help out?”

“No means no. Why do you need a reason?” Li Xingcan glared impatiently. “Say one more word, and I’ll make sure you don’t sit the rest of your exams. Want to test me?”

“You—!”

Gritting their teeth, the student shot Li Xingcan a glare before storming off. “So what if your family’s got dirty money? Big deal!”

Li Xingcan nearly laughed at that. If dirty money wasn’t a big deal, then why had they run off?