When the Tsundere Rival Turns Into a Cat - Chapter 46

When Fu Duosui and Lin Xie were with them, Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue temporarily forgot their earlier awkwardness and could relax. However, when the four of them returned to the dormitory after evening self-study and only the two of them entered the room, the awkwardness began to spread in the silence.

Li Xingcan glanced at Jiang Qingyue, just as Jiang Qingyue happened to look her way. Both quickly averted their gazes, trying their best to act as if nothing was amiss.

Jiang Qingyue took out the book she had brought back and sat down with her back to Li Xingcan. “I’ll review for a bit first. You can go wash up.”

There was only one bathroom in the dorm, and while two people could technically use it at the same time, it clearly wasn’t appropriate now. It was better to stagger their routines.

Hearing this, Li Xingcan finally didn’t have to pretend to be busy fidgeting with the desk. She quickly agreed and grabbed her toiletries, heading to the bathroom.

Once the bathroom door closed, Jiang Qingyue also let out a subtle sigh of relief. Though her eyes had been fixed on the review materials, she hadn’t absorbed a single word—she had only been trying to break the awkwardness.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Qingyue listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom. The pen in her hand tapped lightly against the desk. This couldn’t go on.

Though they were no longer in the same class, they still ate and lived together, meaning they would spend a lot of time in each other’s company. If things remained this awkward and uncomfortable, neither of them would feel at ease.

Jiang Qingyue wasn’t one to procrastinate on problems. Once she noticed something, she had to address it.

At its core, their discomfort stemmed from an accidental action at noon. It wasn’t a big deal—if they could just talk it out, they could change the current dynamic and make their future interactions much smoother.

With this in mind, Jiang Qingyue waited for Li Xingcan to come out.

Li Xingcan took a quick shower and emerged, drying her hair. She met Jiang Qingyue’s gaze, paused for a moment, then deliberately looked away as if nothing was wrong.

“Li Xingcan, we need to talk,” Jiang Qingyue said proactively.

Only then did Li Xingcan hesitantly return her gaze. “About what?”

“Sit down first.”

Jiang Qingyue turned her chair to face Li Xingcan directly. Li Xingcan walked over and sat on her own chair, resting her arms on the backrest as she waited for Jiang Qingyue to continue.

“Here’s the thing—I think we should clear the air about what happened at noon. Otherwise, it’ll just keep feeling awkward. I know that action of yours was unintentional, right?”

Jiang Qingyue couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Li Xingcan knew this was the best way to frame it. All she had to do was nod or say something lighthearted, and everything would be over. But deep down, she knew there had to be more behind that subconscious action.

The longer she stayed silent, the heavier the atmosphere grew. The two locked eyes, and Li Xingcan wanted to ask Jiang Qingyue if she had felt the same way. But the words weren’t easy to say—it was too strange, and perhaps she was the only one who felt that way.

Under Jiang Qingyue’s gaze, the scales of hesitation in Li Xingcan’s heart gradually tipped until she finally forced a smile and nodded firmly. “I’m sorry. Maybe I wasn’t thinking straight at the time, or maybe I was just too used to fooling around with Fu Duosui and the others. Did it make you uncomfortable?”

Hearing this response, Jiang Qingyue felt a simultaneous wave of relief and an inexplicable sinking in her chest—though she couldn’t quite articulate why. She brushed the feeling aside and followed Li Xingcan’s lead.

“Actually, it wasn’t that uncomfortable. Just… unexpected and awkward, I guess. Maybe I’m not used to it.”

“Okay, I won’t do it again. Don’t worry,” Li Xingcan said before swiftly changing the subject. “Do you want to go wash up now? It’s getting late.”

“Sure, I’ll go now.”

Jiang Qingyue gathered her things and headed to the bathroom. Li Xingcan exhaled deeply—it seemed the issue had been neatly resolved. So why did she still feel… just a little off?

If she couldn’t figure it out, she wouldn’t dwell on it. A veneer of peace was still peace, after all.

After this conversation, the two seemed to officially settle into a friendship—neither awkward nor overly intimate. They occasionally joked around but always stopped at an appropriate distance.

Everything finally fell into a steady rhythm. Their lives became structured: Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue would walk to class together in the mornings, the four of them ate every meal together, and evening strolls became routine. Sometimes they chatted idly, sometimes laughed loudly, and sometimes simply watched the sunset in silence. Before major exams, Jiang Qingyue and Lin Xie would even bring their study materials to the field.

Day after day, the monotony dulled their sense of time—until the first snowfall in Jiang City drifted down, marking a rare break in their routine.

Located in the central-south region, Jiang City’s winters were never too harsh, rarely dropping below freezing. Snowfall, arriving late and sparse, paled in comparison to the north. But this year was different.

As thick flakes cascaded from the sky, gasps of amazement rippled through the school. Even the usually strict administration made a rare exception, canceling morning exercises and granting a forty-minute break for free time.

Fu Duosui, of course, wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip. She tugged at Li Xingcan. “Let’s go!”

They hurried to the second floor, where the entire corridor remained eerily quiet. Even Li Xingcan and Fu Duosui instinctively softened their footsteps. Peering through the windows, they saw students in every classroom bent over their desks, scribbling away—utterly oblivious to the world outside.

Li Xingcan exchanged a glance with Jiang Qingyue, both shrugging. Being a model student wasn’t easy.

Slipping silently to Class Nine’s door, they found no teacher supervising—yet no one moved about freely. Hardly anyone even looked up.

Just as Li Xingcan was wondering how to catch Jiang Qingyue and Lin Xie’s attention, Jiang Qingyue lifted her head and immediately spotted her, eyebrows quirking in confusion.

Li Xingcan waved, then mimed walking before pointing at Jiang Qingyue and Lin Xie, signaling them to come out.

Jiang Qingyue hesitated but finally tugged Lin Xie’s sleeve, nodding toward the door.

Fu Duosui’s hand flapped wildly, her exaggerated expressions practically screaming for them to hurry up.

Lin Xie glanced at it, then capped his pen and exchanged a look with Jiang Qingyue before both stood up to leave.

As they stepped outside, Li Xingcan still seemed a bit uneasy. “This doesn’t count as skipping class, right?”

“No,” Jiang Qingyue shook her head. Lin Xie added, “The homeroom teacher just told us to be more self-disciplined. At most, we’re being a little undisciplined.”

“Then who cares! Let’s go!” Fu Duosui, unable to hold back any longer, urged them to hurry.

The sound of their footsteps running down the hallway was light, only drawing a few curious glances out the windows.

Outside, the snow was still falling. As they dashed out of the school building, the snowflakes landing on them didn’t feel cold at all. The grounds and pathways were crowded with people, but their destination was clear—they headed straight for the sports field.

The snow from the first two classes had already piled up thickly, a rare abundance. The field was packed, snowballs flying everywhere.

Li Xingcan paused to take it all in when suddenly, she felt an icy chill on her neck—a large clump of snow slipping under her collar sent a sharp jolt through her. She immediately turned to find the culprit: Fu Duosui, grinning triumphantly.

“Oh, you—!”

Before she could finish, Li Xingcan bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, packed it into a ball, and chased after Fu Duosui.

What followed was pure chaos. Snowballs seemed to come from every direction, and Li Xingcan, unable to keep track of who was hitting her, resorted to indiscriminate retaliation.

Still remembering the snow Fu Duosui had stuffed down her neck, Li Xingcan was looking for a chance to retaliate when she turned and saw Fu Duosui slip and fall, instantly becoming the prime target for everyone’s snowballs.

Watching Fu Duosui nearly buried under the snow, Li Xingcan went over and dug her out, brushing the snow off her.

“Xingcan! You’re the best!”

Before Fu Duosui could finish her heartfelt thanks, she felt another icy chill—this time on her back. Turning, she saw Li Xingcan’s mischievous grin.

“You’re welcome!”

Li Xingcan shoved an entire snowball into Fu Duosui’s coat and crushed it, savoring her sweet revenge.

“Li Xingcan!!!”

By the time Fu Duosui and Li Xingcan emerged from the battlefield, covered head to toe in snow, they spotted Jiang Qingyue and Lin Xie standing clean and untouched by the building. Jiang Qingyue had a few stray snowflakes on her, but Lin Xie was completely pristine.

Just as Li Xingcan was about to speak, an idea flashed in her mind. She turned to Fu Duosui, who was already smirking, molding an enormous snowball in her hands.

“Wait—”

But before she could stop her, Fu Duosui had already launched the snowball.

Li Xingcan’s eyes followed the “Plus-sized” snowball as it traced a perfect arc through the air, speeding straight toward Lin Xie!

Her eyes widened, already picturing Lin Xie tearing Fu Duosui apart in retaliation. Silently, she lit a candle for Fu Duosui in her heart.

At the last possible second, Li Xingcan saw a figure swiftly step in front of Lin Xie, shielding him with their back.

The snowball struck the back of the figure’s head, and in that moment, all expression drained from Li Xingcan’s face.

“Whoo! Bullseye!” Fu Duosui cheered, not caring who she’d hit—as long as it landed.

Just as Fu Duosui was reveling in her triumph, she noticed Li Xingcan striding quickly past her.

When Li Xingcan arrived, Lin Xie was brushing snow off Jiang Qingyue’s hair. “I’ll make Fu Duosui pay for this later and get revenge for you!”

“It’s fine, just playing around.” Jiang Qingyue shook her head dismissively, dislodging more snow from her hair.

Li Xingcan stood nearby watching expressionlessly, observing their interactions.

The oblivious Fu Duosui came bouncing over. “Tsk tsk, Jiang Qingyue, you actually blocked for her! If you hadn’t, you’d be seeing an absolutely furious version of Lin Xie right now! It would’ve been epic!”

“Fu Duosui, you asking for death?” Lin Xie wanted to punch her immediately, but seeing her completely covered in snow, couldn’t find a clean spot to hit. She withdrew her hand angrily. “Just you wait.”

“Pfft, I’ll wait! Next time you try to hit me, I’ll just roll on the ground! Since you hate getting dirty with snow, you won’t be able to touch me at all!” Fu Duosui stuck out her tongue triumphantly.

“You’re really asking for it!”

Lin Xie glared but decided to ignore her, turning back to Jiang Qingyue’s hair. “Forget it, you should go wash your hair. The melted snow will make it dirtier.”

“Alright.” Jiang Qingyue didn’t refuse, feeling uncomfortable herself. “But class is about to start. Could you ask the teacher for a short leave? I won’t take long.”

“Don’t worry.”

As Lin Xie agreed, Jiang Qingyue glanced at Li Xingcan and Fu Duosui – compared to her slight snow dusting, they looked like snowmen.

Before Jiang Qingyue could ask about them, Lin Xie pulled her away. “Don’t mind them!”

Li Xingcan frowned and followed. “Wait, why am I being dragged into this?”

Fu Duosui, initially carefree, immediately chased after them. “Li Xingcan! What happened to sharing joys and sorrows? You’re ditching me now?”

“This counts as sharing sorrows?”

“Of course it does!”

…

Their noisy group headed back. At the fork between dorms and classrooms, Lin Xie went ahead to class while the other three returned to change – Li Xingcan and Fu Duosui needing complete outfit changes.

Inside the dorm building, Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue parted ways with Fu Duosui at her door. Closing their dorm room, Li Xingcan watched Jiang Qingyue prepare to wash her hair, finally voicing the question she’d held back.

“Why did you block the snowball for Mumu? You don’t even like snow play.”

Li Xingcan could tell – while Jiang Qingyue loved watching snow, she disliked snowball fights and getting messy. She preferred quiet appreciation.

Jiang Qingyue looked puzzled at the question. “Lin Xie has germaphobia, right? I just thought she’d be really uncomfortable covered in snow. Whether I like snow or not doesn’t matter – washing hair is no big deal.”

After answering, she countered, “Wouldn’t you have blocked for her too?”

Li Xingcan paused before responding. “I… would have used my hands.”

“But blocking with your hands would still let the snow spray onto Lin Xie when the snowball breaks. That doesn’t help much.” Jiang Qingyue had thought this was the most thorough solution at the time. What puzzled her more now was why Li Xingcan would ask her this—wasn’t it just common sense?

Li Xingcan faltered. She had to admit Jiang Qingyue’s consideration seemed more thorough, but was this level of thoughtfulness normal between friends?

As Jiang Qingyue’s gaze grew increasingly suspicious, Li Xingcan scrambled for a reasonable excuse, adopting a deliberately casual tone laced with probing. “Oh, is that all? I thought maybe you had a crush on Mumu.”

“Huh?” Jiang Qingyue’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why would you think that?”

“I just…” Li Xingcan panicked slightly, forcing herself to appear composed. “No reason, really. Just random thoughts. Isn’t it pretty common? Like how there are several couples in the class next door, and then there’s—”

She realized she was rambling nonsensically. Trying too hard to act normal was probably making her seem even more suspicious.

The sudden ringing of the class bell saved Li Xingcan, cutting off both her babbling and Jiang Qingyue’s puzzled expression.

“Whatever. It’s not like that anyway. I need to wash my hair quickly and get back to class.”

With that, Jiang Qingyue grabbed her things and hurried into the bathroom. In five or six minutes, she washed her hair, hastily blew it half-dry, then rushed out the door.

The dorm room fell silent with only Li Xingcan remaining.

Li Xingcan took off her snow-soaked clothes, tossed them into the laundry basket, and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

Jiang Qingyue said no.

So that was that.

Distractedly finishing her shower, she threw on a bathrobe and was about to dry her hair when the dorm door creaked open stealthily.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Li Xingcan sat down in a chair, toweling her hair. “You’re quick.”

Fu Duosui, now changed into fresh clothes, pushed the door open fully. “Jiang Qingyue left?”

“Yeah, went back to class,” Li Xingcan replied.

“Are we going back too? I don’t feel like it,” Fu Duosui said, leaning against the desk beside Li Xingcan. “This class is almost over anyway. Let’s skip the next one too and just wait for lunch.”

“Why skip?” Li Xingcan lacked enthusiasm.

“Why not skip? Since when do you ask that? Not going to class is the whole point of skipping!”

Fu Duosui gave her a strange look.

“Boring. Not skipping. We’re going back.”

Li Xingcan felt completely off—everything felt wrong!

Irritated, she stood up and tossed the towel aside, grabbing the hairdryer.

Fu Duosui stood there bewildered. Had she said something wrong? Why did Li Xingcan seem so angry? That didn’t make sense.

By the time Li Xingcan finished drying her hair and changing clothes, the class period had ended. As they walked back to the teaching building together, Fu Duosui—never one to hold back—had to voice her confusion.

“Did someone upset you? You were fine just a moment ago—what happened?” Fu Duosui quickly ran through everyone Li Xingcan had interacted with recently, then suddenly had an epiphany and smacked her forehead. “Oh! Did you and Jiang Qingyue get into an argument when you went back to the dorm?”

“No!” Li Xingcan immediately frowned and denied it. “I’m not upset—I’m in a great mood right now! Stop guessing!”

Fu Duosui was startled by Li Xingcan’s sudden raised voice and stared at her expression in bewilderment. This was a great mood? Was Li Xingcan out of her mind?

But Li Xingcan clearly had no intention of explaining. She quickened her pace and entered the classroom building.

For the rest of the class, Fu Duosui watched as Li Xingcan, as if deliberately provoking someone, openly slept through their homeroom teacher’s lecture. Even someone as oblivious as her belatedly realized something was seriously wrong.

But what was it?

She had no clue. Watching as Li Xingcan was sent outside to stand in punishment, Fu Duosui grimaced. Standing outside in spring, summer, or autumn was no big deal—it was just admiring the scenery. But now it was winter, with snow falling and a biting wind. Standing out there for an entire class period would be miserable.

When class finally ended, Fu Duosui immediately went to find Li Xingcan. Seeing her leaning against the wall lost in thought, Fu Duosui’s heart sank—was this heartbreak?

Before Fu Duosui could let her imagination run wild, Li Xingcan straightened up and looked at her.

“What are you standing there spacing out for?”

“Waiting for you to snap out of it.” Fu Duosui hurried over and walked downstairs with Li Xingcan, sneakily studying her expression—though she couldn’t decipher anything.

“What exactly are you looking at?!” Li Xingcan finally snapped. From the classroom building to the school gate where they picked up their lunch, Fu Duosui had glanced at her over a hundred times. She had no idea what Fu Duosui was trying to see.

Fu Duosui was startled. “You’re the one acting weird first! Why are you suddenly so angry?”

“I’m not angry!”

Fu Duosui: “…”

As the two walked back with their lunches, Li Xingcan stepped on the crunching snow underfoot, her mood calming slightly. “Really, there’s nothing wrong. Don’t worry.”

Fu Duosui nodded, clearly unconvinced, but given Li Xingcan’s reaction, she unusually chose not to press further. “Alright, fine. If something’s bothering you, just tell me. Maybe I can’t help, but talking about it will make you feel better, right?”

“It’s just…” Li Xingcan struggled to explain. “I feel like there’s a fire burning inside me for no reason. I’m just… irritated.”

“Oh! I get it,” Fu Duosui said instantly, nodding sagely. “You’re probably about to get your period. No big deal—just relax, and it’ll pass soon.”

Li Xingcan: “…”

Never mind.

Carrying their lunches, they headed to the cafeteria. They were a bit slower this time, and by the time they arrived, Jiang Qingyue and Lin Xie had already been waiting for a while. The two seemed to have been chatting about something but stopped when they spotted Li Xingcan and Fu Duosui approaching.

The four of them entered the cafeteria. As usual, Fu Duosui sat beside Li Xingcan while Jiang Qingyue took the seat across from her. But this time, Li Xingcan’s gaze lingered on the arms of Jiang Qingyue and Lin Xie pressed closely together.

Normally, Li Xingcan and Fu Duosui would be bickering nonstop, but today, Li Xingcan was unusually quiet. Left with no other option, Fu Duosui shifted her focus. Since she wasn’t particularly close with Jiang Qingyue, the only one she could strike up a conversation with was Lin Xie.

However, Lin Xie was still holding a grudge against Fu Duosui, and within moments, their exchange nearly escalated into an argument.

In the past, Li Xingcan would have stepped in to mediate, but today, she seemed completely oblivious, not uttering a single word.

Jiang Qingyue glanced at the uncharacteristically silent Li Xingcan, recalling the abrupt question she had asked in the dorm. Why would Li Xingcan think she liked Lin Xie? Just because she had blocked that one hit? That was absurd, wasn’t it?

On one side, Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue were both out of sorts, their minds wandering far away. Meanwhile, Lin Xie and Fu Duosui, who had been on the verge of a fight, finally noticed something was amiss.

Their argument paused as they turned to look at Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue, scrutinizing them for a long moment before exchanging glances. In each other’s eyes, they saw the same thought: something was wrong.

After dinner, the four headed back to the dormitory. As they walked, Fu Duosui and Lin Xie deliberately fell behind, watching the oblivious pair continue ahead. Lin Xie spoke with certainty.

“Those two are hiding something from us.”

“No kidding, you think?” Fu Duosui crossed his arms, deep in thought. “I suspect they had a fight. Li Xingcan has been acting really off since we got back to the dorm earlier. No matter how much I pressed, she wouldn’t say anything.”

“Back to the dorm?” Lin Xie thought for a moment before slapping Fu Duosui’s shoulder. “This is all your fault! You just had to throw that snowball. Now look what happened.”

“How is this my fault?” Fu Duosui felt Lin Xie was just seizing the chance to retaliate.

“If you hadn’t thrown that snowball, would Jiang Qingyue have needed to go back to wash her hair? Would they have gone to the dorm together? Would they have fought?” Lin Xie’s reasoning sounded airtight, though Fu Duosui felt something was off but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Of course, that’s just the reason they ended up alone together. As for why they fought, we still don’t know. We’ll have to keep observing.”

With that, Lin Xie hurried to catch up, leaving Fu Duosui behind. Only then did Fu Duosui realize—wasn’t the fight ultimately unrelated to him? Lin Xie was definitely taking revenge!

Meanwhile, Li Xingcan and Jiang Qingyue had already returned to the dorm and closed the door, unaware that the other two had fallen behind. They busied themselves with their own things, preparing to wash up and rest.

Just as Li Xingcan finished washing, her phone lit up. A glance at the screen showed a call from Li Zhixing.

How strange. They hardly ever contacted each other—why would he suddenly call?

Li Xingcan answered the call as she sat on her chair. “What’s up?”

“Xingcan.” Li Zhixing’s voice was uncharacteristically grave, making her heart sink.

“Mom and Dad are missing.”

Sure enough, his next words confirmed her gut feeling.

Li Xingcan’s mind went blank, struggling to process the words. “What do you mean… missing?”

“Mom and Dad were on a business trip to an archipelago near the equator. The area is still quite primitive, so for safety, their team’s daily logs were sent to me. But yesterday, I didn’t receive anything. I couldn’t reach them either. When I contacted the local coordinator, they said Mom and Dad had gone to an undeveloped tidal island. They were supposed to return by noon yesterday, but there’s been no word since.”

Exhaustion seeped into Li Zhixing’s voice. He had been searching since yesterday but found nothing. Now, he had to prepare for the worst.

Li Xingcan could barely feel her heartbeat. She had never imagined something like this could happen.

“I’ll go look for them,” she said, her voice unexpectedly steady. “I’ll go there and see what’s going on.”

“No way. You’re still too young—I can’t let you take that risk. I called because I need you to come to the company. We’ll discuss everything in detail there.”

Li Zhixing would never let Li Xingcan take any risks. But the situation was sudden, and he had too much to handle. Every possible contingency needed to be planned for in advance.

“Have the driver pick me up. I’m heading to the company now.”

Li Xingcan stood up, feeling lightheaded. She steadied herself with a hand on the table.

“I’ve already sent the driver for you. You probably won’t be able to go to school for the next few days. Pack your essentials and head downstairs in twenty minutes. The car will be waiting outside your dorm. It’s snowing, so the roads are slippery—tell the driver to take it slow.”

Li Zhixing’s instructions were firm.

Li Xingcan glanced at the time, hung up, and began gathering her things. Clothes weren’t necessary, and nothing else seemed important. She only took her phone and a bag with some crucial documents.

Though she was told to wait twenty minutes, Li Xingcan couldn’t stand the delay. The moment she had what she needed, she threw on her coat and rushed out. She was desperate to get to the company and demand answers from Li Zhixing.

When Jiang Qingyue stepped out of the shower, all she heard was the sound of a door slamming shut. Li Xingcan was already gone.

It was almost lunchtime—where could she have run off to now?

Jiang Qingyue had no idea and no way to ask. But she figured Li Xingcan must have her reasons.

Once outside the dorm, Li Xingcan sprinted toward the school gates. The moment she stepped out, she spotted Li Zhixing’s driver. She got in, and the car sped straight to the company.

Upon arrival, she went directly to Li Zhixing’s executive office. When she entered, she saw the police were still there.

Li Zhixing had already filed a report. The investigation was ongoing, but cross-border disappearances were notoriously difficult to solve—requiring immense resources, time, and offering little hope of success.

Li Xingcan stayed silent, listening from the side. The missing individuals were, after all, Jiangcheng’s wealthiest, with enormous influence. The police would undoubtedly spare no effort in the search.

Once the discussion wrapped up, the officers left. Li Zhixing saw them out, then returned and gave Li Xingcan a look. The siblings retreated to his private lounge to talk.

The moment the door closed, Li Xingcan couldn’t hold back. “Did Mom and Dad leave any clues at all? They had secretaries, assistants, bodyguards—an entire entourage. How is it possible for so many people to vanish without a trace?”

“Nothing. They went dark suddenly. Everyone with them disappeared too. The only lead we have is the location of that island, but it’s currently underwater. It won’t resurface until the next major low tide.”

Li Zhixing loosened his tie and sank onto the couch, exhaustion etched across his face. “The news has been contained for now, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. If we can’t find them soon, the company will descend into chaos.”

“Then we dive for them,” Li Xingcan said. On the way over, she’d forced herself to stay calm. The priority now was solutions, not emotions. “I’ll go. You stay in Jiangcheng to manage things. I’ll contact you the moment I learn anything.”

“No. That place isn’t as simple as you think. I called you here to sign some documents and introduce you to a few trusted contacts. Only then can I go after Mom and Dad with peace of mind.”

Li Zhixing knew that to uncover the truth behind the disappearances, someone had to go there personally. But with the dangers lurking, he had to make thorough preparations.

Li Xingcan suddenly understood, “What do you mean by this?! If something happens to you, are you expecting me to hold up the entire Li family and the corporation?”

Li Zhixing nodded, “You can do it. I believe in you.”

“I don’t believe it. Absolutely not. If anyone’s going, it should be me.” Li Xingcan couldn’t believe Li Zhixing was actually considering this. He must be out of his mind.

“I’m not discussing this with you. We don’t have time to argue,” Li Zhixing’s voice was already weak. “Xingcan, listen to me. The situation there is complicated, and it’s unfamiliar territory. Sending you wouldn’t help and might even put you in danger. Staying in Jiangcheng, at least here you have trustworthy people around, and you can still be of use. Do you understand?”

Li Xingcan wanted to say more, but she knew Li Zhixing’s personality was just like hers—once a decision was made, it wouldn’t change. And besides, he wasn’t wrong.

She had no choice. All Li Xingcan could do was accept reality sooner and not waste precious time.

Under Li Zhixing’s guidance, Li Xingcan mechanically signed her name on document after document. These papers were the key to ensuring the Li family’s assets and the corporation would remain firmly in her hands in the future.

After signing the last one, Li Xingcan could barely breathe. This sudden turn of events was too cruel for her.

Li Zhixing patted her back, a rare hint of relief in his eyes. “Xingcan, don’t doubt yourself. Believe in yourself. You can handle anything.”

“When will you leave?” Li Xingcan wasn’t in the mood to think about herself now. Whether she believed or doubted, she had to hold on, even if it was just by sheer will.

Li Zhixing pulled out a route map from the side and glanced at it. “Tomorrow. I’ll fly from Jiangcheng International Airport and land at Central Island International Airport in the archipelago. Then I’ll take a boat to the corresponding island. It’ll take about a day or so. Don’t worry, any updates from my end will be relayed to you promptly.”

Li Xingcan nodded and asked a few more questions. She needed to make sure she could truly be of help here after Li Zhixing left.

Li Zhixing couldn’t rest yet either. He had to arrange everything for the days ahead. As for rest, he’d save that for the flight.

Meanwhile, at the school, the lunch break bell had rung. Jiang Qingyue sat on her bed, closing her book and glancing at the neatly made empty bed beside her.

What was going on with Li Xingcan? She still hadn’t returned. The dorm check would happen soon, and she’d be in trouble again.

Worried, Jiang Qingyue was already thinking of ways to cover for Li Xingcan when the dorm supervisor arrived.

Just as she was about to lie and say Li Xingcan had gone to the bathroom, Jiang Qingyue saw the supervisor walk in with a disposable bed cover, temporarily covering Li Xingcan’s bed.

“Auntie, what’s going on?”

“Oh, this?” The dorm supervisor thought Jiang Qingyue was asking about the bed cover. As she smoothed out the cover, she replied, “Isn’t Li Xingcan taking a few days off? We always do this for students on leave—cover the bed temporarily to prevent dust from dirtying the bedding. When Li Xingcan returns, she can just remove it.”

“Leave?” Jiang Qingyue frowned slightly. “What’s the reason for the leave?”

She hadn’t heard anything about it from Li Xingcan.

“You didn’t know?” The supervisor seemed surprised too. “I’m not sure of the reason either, but it was requested by Li Xingcan’s family. She left in a hurry just now and didn’t explain. It’s not our place to ask.”

Her family?

Jiang Qingyue felt a pang of worry but nodded politely. “I see. Thank you.”

“No problem. You should get some rest now.”

After finishing up, the supervisor neatly arranged Li Xingcan’s chair and left the dorm, closing the door behind her.

Alone on her bed, Jiang Qingyue couldn’t shake her concern. What could have happened in the Li family to make Li Xingcan leave so urgently without even saying a word?