When the Tsundere Rival Turns Into a Cat - Chapter 4

Li Xingcan returned to Bay Villa, where her parents lived. She had her own place near school—just a five-minute bike ride away—and usually didn’t come here unless her parents were home, which was rare given their busy schedules.

As soon as she stepped inside, she tossed her backpack aside and noticed, for once, both her parents were home. “Oh? What’s this? A family reunion dinner on a random day?”

“Stop being sarcastic,” Xun Lin pinched Li Xingcan’s cheek lightly. “Aren’t you happy to see your mom?”

“Fine, I guess.” Li Xingcan “reluctantly” opened her arms and let Xun Lin hug her.

Li Shaoyuan set down his phone, which he’d been using to handle work matters, and glanced over. “Your brother isn’t back yet?”

Li Xingcan shrugged. “How would I know? Are we really having a reunion dinner?”

“No,” Xun Lin smoothed Li Xingcan’s hair. “An old friend of your father’s is visiting today—someone he hasn’t seen in years. We’re having dinner together, though your brother probably won’t make it. He said he’s busy.”

“Busy with what?” Li Shaoyuan scoffed. “Driving that rideshare car of his?”

Xun Lin shot him a glare. “Leave him be. If he wants to kill time, what’s the harm? You’d hate it even more if he was out fooling around with those Sun and He kids.”

Li Shaoyuan picked his phone back up without another word. Li Xingcan had no interest in listening to their bickering. The mention of an “old friend” immediately clued her in on why Li Zhixing had made excuses not to come.

“You two enjoy dinner. Just have the housekeeper bring a plate to my room. Handle the socializing yourselves.”

“This time it’s different—it’s not some business obligation,” Xun Lin reassured her. “This is a childhood friend of your father’s. They lost contact over a decade ago after he passed away. Now his widow and daughter are coming to ask for our help. The way we treat them isn’t the same as how we handle business associates, understand?”

“Oh.” This was indeed a special case. Li Xingcan didn’t refuse again and simply nodded.

“That’s my girl. Go upstairs and freshen up. Come down for dinner later. Their daughter is around your age—you two might hit it off.”

Satisfied, Xun Lin gave a small nod, and Li Xingcan headed upstairs to change.

As the sun dipped low, the housekeeper knocked on Li Xingcan’s door to let her know the guests had arrived.

Curious about this long-lost family friend her father had never mentioned before, Li Xingcan opened the door and made her way downstairs.

She descended the stairs lazily, the golden hues of sunset streaming in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Li Shaoyuan and Xun Lin had already welcomed the guests inside and were chatting near the foyer.

Standing bathed in the fading light, Li Xingcan narrowed her eyes and paused three or four steps from the bottom, her gaze landing on the slender figure trailing behind the adults. At the same moment, the girl looked up at her.

Their eyes met—both filled with shock.

Li Xingcan stared down at Jiang Qingyue, who stood bathed in the soft glow of dusk yet still radiated an icy, unpleasant aura. Her expression darkened.

Jiang Qingyue straightened her spine, meeting Li Xingcan’s gaze head-on. The sunlight only reached Li Xingcan’s waist, leaving her face shadowed—but the disdain twisting her features was unmistakable. Jiang Qingyue’s brows furrowed.

“Xingcan, you’re down? Come meet your Aunt Xuan and your little sister Qingyue.” Xun Lin spotted Li Xingcan on the stairs and called out to her.

Hearing the term “little sister,” Li Xingcan nearly burst out laughing. She shot Jiang Qingyue a smug look, grinning as she descended the stairs and greeted them sweetly, “Hello, Aunt Xuan. Hello, Qingyue meimei.”

“Hello,” Jiang Qingyue’s mother, Xuan Yu, nodded slightly. Only then did Li Xingcan notice that while Qingyue resembled her mother, their temperaments were worlds apart. Xuan Yu carried an elegant, composed air—cool but not unapproachable, inspiring respect rather than distance. Qingyue, on the other hand, was just plain icy, rigid as a block of frozen steel with thorns.

Like right now, the daggers Qingyue was glaring at her could probably flay skin off.

“Qingyue, why aren’t you saying hello?” Xuan Yu glanced at her daughter, sensing something amiss. Her daughter was never this impolite.

Suppressing her shock and disgust, Jiang Qingyue forced out, “Hello.”

“Aunt Xuan, please come in and sit! What a coincidence—Qingyue meimei just transferred to my class today.”

Li Xingcan played the gracious host on the surface, but every deliberate “Qingyue meimei” was a calculated jab to annoy Jiang Qingyue.

Sure enough, before the words even settled, she saw Qingyue’s expression flicker—like she was barely holding back something explosive.

Xun Lin, oblivious, was pleasantly surprised. “What a wonderful coincidence! The two of you must really be fated. How have you been getting along?”

Li Xingcan gritted her teeth slightly, emphasizing her answer, “Extremely well.”

Xuan Yu looked between Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue. “Qingyue, is that true?”

Not wanting to worry her mother, Qingyue nodded stiffly. “Mm. Very well.”

As the two families chatted, they moved inside for tea while the housekeeper and chef prepared dinner.

While the adults conversed, Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue sat quietly in their designated spots, refusing to so much as glance at each other.

After the usual pleasantries and catching up, Xuan Yu straightened slightly and got to the point of her visit.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to trouble you both, but circumstances leave me no choice. Qingyue just transferred here, but I still have urgent matters to attend to back home. I can’t stay to look after her, so I was hoping to ask if you could take her in for a while. Would that be possible?”

“Don’t even mention ‘trouble’—the girls get along so well! Think of it as giving them more time together. Don’t worry, just focus on your affairs. If you need anything, just say the word.”

This had been discussed beforehand, so Xun Lin naturally agreed without hesitation. She then turned to the two stunned girls. “Xingcan, you’ll take good care of Qingyue, won’t you?”

Before Li Xingcan could respond, Jiang Qingyue cut in sharply. She hadn’t known this was Li Xingcan’s house beforehand—and now she absolutely refused. “Mom, I can take care of myself.”

“You’re not even of age yet, and you don’t know anyone here…” Xuan Yu frowned slightly. They’d already agreed on this—why was she backing out now?

“Qingyue,” Xun Lin chimed in to help persuade, “Since you and Xingcan are classmates and so close, it’s only natural to look out for each other. Xingcan is currently staying alone in that villa near your school, and we’re a bit worried about her being by herself. Could you do Uncle and Auntie a favor by keeping her company?”

Li Xingcan, who hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise, felt her world collapsing. Pretending to be friendly just to annoy Jiang Qingyue was one thing, but actually moving her into the villa? Living together with Jiang Qingyue? This was pure torture!

“Mom, shouldn’t we respect Jiang Qingyue’s wishes…” Xingcan glanced at Qingyue pleadingly—I won’t mess with you anymore, just say no already.

Qingyue merely glanced at Xingcan before meeting her mother’s worried gaze. Taking a deep breath, she knew this situation was unusual—she couldn’t afford to distract her mother with more worries.

If it was just dealing with Li Xingcan… it wouldn’t be impossible.

Under Xingcan’s wide-eyed stare, Qingyue nodded. “Mom, I’ll listen to you. Thank you, Auntie Xun.”

“What a polite child, no need for formalities,” Xun Lin smiled as the butler announced dinner was ready. “Let’s eat now that we’ve settled everything.”

As everyone stood up, the elders led the way while Xingcan deliberately lagged behind, grabbing Qingyue’s arm to whisper fiercely, “What the hell are you playing at?”

“It’s just living together. Are you scared?” Qingyue glanced at her mother’s retreating back before replying in equally hushed tones, throwing in some provocation.

Predictably, Xingcan sneered. “Scared? We’ll see who’s scared of whom.”

At the dining table, as juniors, Xingcan and Qingyue were seated directly across from each other. Throughout the meal, aside from occasional exchanged glances, neither spoke a word.

While the elders chatted, Xingcan half-listened as they reminisced about events from years ago—how Qingyue’s parents had even attended Xingcan’s parents’ wedding. They nearly dug out old recordings before deciding against it due to time constraints.

After dinner, Xuan Yu had to catch a flight that evening, so she didn’t stay long, leaving Qingyue’s luggage behind before departing.

Xun Lin arranged Qingyue’s accommodations. “You’ll stay in the room next to Xingcan’s tonight. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the house near your school. You two can spend the holiday together, and after term starts, I’ll arrange day student status for both of you since it’s conveniently close. We’ll even provide a car.”

“Why should I become a day student too? No way!” Xingcan, who’d been holding back all evening, immediately protested.

“Xingcan,” Xun Lin sighed, though accustomed to her daughter’s dormitory habits. “Fine, you can keep living on campus while Qingyue commutes.”

“Why does she need to commute?” Xingcan frowned, uncomfortable at the thought of someone living alone in her property.

“Because there aren’t any spare double rooms at your school. That’s enough—no more objections. What did you promise Auntie Xuan earlier? To take good care of Qingyue. Have you forgotten already?”

Xun Lin reminded Li Xingcan, who puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. Hugging her arms, she glanced at Jiang Qingyue standing meekly beside her. Well, considering the girl at least knew how to bow her head under someone else’s roof, she might as well make this concession.

“Fine, I’ll commute too then.”

“Good girl. Come on, let’s first show Qingyue her room.” Xun Lin understood Li Xingcan’s temperament—this matter was basically settled now.

“You two go ahead. I’m heading back first—it’s not that late yet. I can still squeeze in a couple of gaming sessions.”

Li Xingcan waved her hand and prepared to leave.

Jiang Qingyue looked at Li Xingcan, then lifted her suitcase. “Aunt Xun, no need to trouble yourself. I’ll go with Li Xingcan. You should rest early.”

“But…” Xun Lin hesitated, “Are you sure you two can manage?”

“I don’t want to go with her!” Li Xingcan protested.

“We’ll manage,” Jiang Qingyue first smiled at Xun Lin, then turned a cold face to Li Xingcan. “Do you really want to make Aunt Xun make another trip just to send me over?”

That was a fair point. Li Xingcan gritted her teeth. “Mom, don’t worry. We’ll go together.”

Observing their dynamic, Xun Lin felt somewhat relieved. She’d never worried about her quick-tempered daughter suffering disadvantages, and now it seemed this Qingyue girl knew exactly how to handle Li Xingcan’s temper. Neither should come to harm.

“Alright then, get along well. Since you don’t need me, your father and I will leave for our business trip tomorrow. Call if anything comes up.”

“Got it.”

Li Xingcan waved and walked out with Jiang Qingyue.

Their car waited at the entrance. The two got in the backseat, sitting side by side yet carefully avoiding each other’s gaze now that no elders were present. Each stared fixedly out their respective windows throughout the silent ride.

The villa district stood close to their school—a mid-range development with modest-sized properties boasting excellent security and decent greenery.

Stopping at the gate, Jiang Qingyue observed the three-story standalone villa before her. The yard overflowed with various flowers. Though not peak blooming season, the lush foliage radiated vibrant vitality.

No butler resided here—just an auntie who managed Li Xingcan’s daily needs. Cleaning staff came periodically, eliminating household worries.

Entering, Jiang Qingyue still carried her suitcase and backpack. Standing in the foyer, she heard Li Xingcan point beside them: “That guest room on the first floor is yours. Have the auntie tidy it up, then do whatever else you want. One rule—don’t touch anything outside your room, and definitely don’t move anything around. Understood?”

“I’ve no interest in your belongings.” Jiang Qingyue glanced toward the room and wheeled her luggage away.

Watching her retreat, Li Xingcan couldn’t predict whether Jiang Qingyue would maintain peaceful coexistence or start making trouble. One thing was certain—she wouldn’t shake off Jiang Qingyue anytime soon.

With a gesture summoning the auntie to assist Jiang Qingyue’s settling in, Li Xingcan headed upstairs. Whatever—no use dwelling on it now. Time for some gaming.

While Li Xingcan was typing away upstairs, Jiang Qingyue downstairs had already finished packing her belongings with the help of the housekeeper. Looking around the fully-equipped, soft and comfortable room, she was quite satisfied.

After thanking the housekeeper and closing the door, Jiang Qingyue was finally alone. She took a moment to survey the room before sitting down to organize some important items—things her mother had specifically asked her to take good care of.

Once everything was in place, she reassured herself that she would manage just fine and hoped everything was going smoothly for her mother as well.

As it was getting late and she was feeling tired, Jiang Qingyue washed up and went to bed.

Meanwhile, upstairs in Li Xingcan’s room, the relentless clatter of the keyboard continued well into the early hours of the morning.

At six the next morning, the sky was bright with the rising sun, and Jiang Qingyue woke up right on time. Stretching comfortably, she glanced at the sunlight streaming through the window—today was going to be a good day.

With the belief that the morning sets the tone for the day, she got up swiftly, freshened up, and stepped out of her room to find the housekeeper watering the plants.

“Good morning, Miss Jiang. I’ll prepare breakfast for you—do you have any preferences or dietary restrictions?”

Putting down the watering can, the housekeeper greeted her warmly.

“No need, thank you. I’m going for a morning workout first. I’ll make my own breakfast afterward—please don’t trouble yourself,” Jiang Qingyue replied.

She still wasn’t used to being waited on hand and foot. She preferred handling things herself—and she was perfectly capable of doing so.

“Oh, you’re working out? There’s a dedicated gym on the third floor if you’d like to try it. Now that it’s October, the mornings are getting chilly. If you plan to exercise outside, make sure to dress warmly,” the housekeeper advised, eyeing Jiang Qingyue’s thin short-sleeved top.

“Got it, thank you.”

After considering the temperature and the crisp morning air, Jiang Qingyue decided the gym was the better option. It would also give her a chance to review her textbooks while exercising to reinforce her basics.

Returning inside, she grabbed her books and headed upstairs. The second floor was divided into several rooms—Li Xingcan’s bedroom was in the center, along with a study and guest rooms. The third floor was smaller, arranged like an attic, housing only a gym and a sunroom for tropical plants.

Finding the gym easily, she pushed open the door. The equipment inside was professional-grade, and the space was spacious, though Jiang Qingyue didn’t need much—just the treadmill by the window. She opened the window to let in some fresh air.

The crisp breeze filled the room, making her feel light and refreshed. Taking a deep breath, she studied the treadmill’s controls, placed her textbook on the display panel, and after a quick warm-up, began her morning routine.

Her steady footsteps and rhythmic recitation created a harmonious rhythm. Gazing out the window at the sky, it felt as if all her worries had momentarily faded away.

“…Winding corridors, eaves like beaks; each embracing the terrain, interlocking in intricate harmony…”

“…Ships stretched for miles, banners blotted the sky; wine poured by the river, spears raised as poetry was composed…”

“…To honor the late Emperor’s virtues and inspire the morale of the righteous…”

Her clear voice drifted out through the open window and seeped into the room below.

To Li Xingcan, it sounded like someone was chanting a spell right above her head, tossing and turning in restless irritation. Even in her dreams, it felt like she was back in Chinese class, listening to the old teacher’s droning recitations—like a relentless incantation.

Sitting up with two dark circles under her eyes and a messy bun, she let out a big yawn, rubbed her eyes, and looked out the window. The sun had barely risen; it was definitely not the time for her to be awake.

Scratching her head and digging at her ears, she wondered what was going on. Even though she was awake, why did it feel like she could still hear sounds from her dreams?

“…The long bridge lies over the waves, what dragon is there in the clouds? The double paths traverse the sky, what rainbow appears when it doesn’t clear? High and low, dark and confused…”

The voice continued, and Li Xingcan held her head in her hands. Oh no, could it be that staying up late had caused her to lose her mind and hear things?

Trying to cover her ears made the sound disappear, but when she let go, it returned. It seemed like it wasn’t just auditory hallucinations.

Throwing off the covers and getting out of bed, Li Xingcan followed the sound to the window, where it became clearer and more familiar.

Leaning out the window, she realized the voice was coming from upstairs. Li Xingcan turned her head to look up. “Jiang Qingyue! What are you doing up so early, making a fuss!”

Upstairs, Jiang Qingyue thought she had misheard. After stopping the treadmill, the voice disappeared again. Just as she was puzzled, she heard the sound of footsteps thumping up the stairs.

Li Xingcan pushed open the gym door, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Jiang Qingyue, and squeezed out a questioning voice from between her teeth, “What are you doing?”

Jiang Qingyue looked confused. “Morning exercise, can’t you tell?”

“Waking up this early for morning exercise? It’s only seven-thirty!” Li Xingcan exclaimed, pointing at the clock in disbelief.

“What else would you call it if not morning exercise? Besides, I got up at six, and I’m almost done with my workout now.”

Jiang Qingyue looked at Li Xingcan, feeling utterly baffled. Did she expect to do morning exercise at three in the afternoon?

Six o’clock… At that time, she had only slept for about two hours. Li Xingcan took a deep breath. “In this house, there is no morning exercise!”

With that, Li Xingcan turned and left, heading back to sleep.

Jiang Qingyue stood there, her hand gripping her textbook tighter. “Concubines and maidens, princes and royal descendants, leaving the lower palace, coming to Qin, morning songs and night strings, for the people of the Qin palace. Stars shining brightly…”

Just as Li Xingcan lay back down in bed: !!!

She was determined to go against her!

Getting up, Li Xingcan slammed the window shut and pulled the curtains closed. Finally, the world was quiet.

Once she caught up on her sleep, she would get up and deal with her.

Li Xingcan slept until one in the afternoon, stretched lazily, and finally felt like she was alive again.

After slowly washing up upstairs, she yawned and went downstairs. The auntie had already figured out Li Xingcan’s routine and had prepared lunch on the table.

Stabbing at the rice with her chopsticks, Li Xingcan propped her head up, lacking appetite. For some reason, she felt like she hadn’t rested well, as if something had happened that she had forgotten.

“Positive, positive.”

“Statesman, statesman.”

…

The repetitive chanting returned, and at that moment, Li Xingcan’s memories resurfaced. She turned to look at Jiang Qingyue, who was sitting in the living room, ignored by her. The device in her hand was playing English vocabulary.

It never ends. In the early morning, she was reciting classical Chinese, and now, in the middle of the afternoon, she was back to listening to English vocabulary!

Slamming her chopsticks on the table, Li Xingcan walked over and stood in front of Jiang Qingyue. “Do you have to study so hard?”

Jiang Qingyue turned off the English recording and looked at Li Xingcan. “Are you saying it’s unreasonable not to study?”

“Is this what you call studying? You’re just rote memorizing! You’re not absorbing anything yourself and you’re polluting other people’s ears,” Li Xingcan replied through gritted teeth. She thought living together wouldn’t be difficult, but she hadn’t expected to reach her limit of tolerance in less than a day.

“How else am I supposed to learn?” Jiang Qingyue frowned slightly. How dare Li Xingcan, who ranked last in class, accuse her of rote memorization? She couldn’t even manage rote memorization herself.

“Isn’t it simple? Start adapting to a multilingual environment from childhood, hire a private tutor during holidays, go abroad for immersive English learning for a few months, then find regular usage scenarios to reinforce it. Won’t you naturally pick it up then?” Li Xingcan said dismissively.

Jiang Qingyue didn’t even address whether Li Xingcan’s learning method was reliable or how many people could afford such conditions. She simply pointed out one thing: “I’ve seen your grades. You scored seven points in English on last month’s exam.”

Li Xingcan:…

She was so angry she almost laughed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to remain calm as she explained, “Last time I handed in a blank answer sheet. Those seven points came from stepping on the answer card—my shoe print happened to look like a seven. Besides, I scored seven on my IELTS too.”

Just as Li Xingcan was about to gloat, she met Jiang Qingyue’s skeptical gaze.

“Hey! What’s with that look? Don’t believe me?”

Jiang Qingyue didn’t want to doubt her, but it was hard to believe. “Then why are you always ranked last in every exam?”

Li Xingcan replied matter-of-factly, “Because I only learn what I want to learn and do what I want to do. As for the rest, I can’t be bothered.”

“So you only want to learn English?” Jiang Qingyue hadn’t noticed—Li Xingcan slept more soundly than anyone in English class.

“Of course not. I learned English to play international servers in games—makes it easier to trash-talk teammates. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered. My mom forced me to take the IELTS, and I’ve forgotten most of those words by now.”

Li Xingcan curled her lip and glanced at the outdated gadget in Jiang Qingyue’s hand—something so old she didn’t even know its name. “That thing’s useless. I’ll ask my mom to find you an English tutor.”

“No need.” Jiang Qingyue packed up her things, ready to retreat to her room and study alone.

“Don’t be ungrateful. I’m just trying to help you out since you’re struggling—”

Li Xingcan called after Jiang Qingyue’s retreating figure, but before she could finish, Jiang Qingyue turned back.

Thinking she’d had a change of heart, Li Xingcan was about to speak when Jiang Qingyue turned the volume to maximum right in front of her and pressed play.

“Policeman, policeman.”

“Chairman, chairman.”

…

The barely civil atmosphere shattered instantly. The noise made Li Xingcan see stars. “Jiang Qingyue, you’re unbelievable! Just you wait!”

“Auntie! Help me bring down my computer and speakers!”