Font Size:
The heavy snow didn’t fall even by the time the holiday began. Jian Li applied to stay on campus. Qingwen and Chu Yue had finished their exams a day earlier than her and had already packed up and gone home.
She politely declined Tan Xueying’s kind invitation to stay at her house. After tying up her hair, she got ready to do a deep clean of her dorm.
“Call me anytime if anything comes up,” said Tan Xueying.
Jian Li smiled, “Don’t worry.”
Only then did Tan Xueying leave with her suitcase. On the other side of the door, the sound of rolling luggage wheels echoed continuously. Some were busy calling rides, some talking to their families about what time they’d get home, and what they wanted for their first meal back.
Just as lively as when they had first arrived.
By the time the cleaning was done, the sky outside was already darkening. Fewer people were pulling suitcases; the whole building felt empty.
Jian Li went to the cafeteria for dinner, then rode the bicycle Tan Xueying had sold her out of the school, heading to the convenience store where she had picked up a winter break job.
“You’re here,” said the girl in charge of handing over the shift, who was counting the day’s cash. “Everything adds up. Check it yourself.”
Jian Li replied, “Okay.”
Once confirmed, the girl left, reminding her:
“Be careful tonight, you’re on your own. If any drunk guys come in causing trouble, just call the police. The surveillance cameras run 24/7. If you get tired, you can take a nap in the back.”
“Got it, thank you.”
After she left, Jian Li restocked the shelves from the storage room. The store was near a food street, so it got really busy at night. Jian Li juggled cashier duties with handling takeout orders, without a moment to rest.
Once the last takeout was picked up, Jian Li could finally catch her breath. She immediately checked the accounts to make sure everything was correct. The water in her thermos had gone cold, so she poured it out and refilled it.
Outside, the BBQ stand across the street was full, and the milk tea shop at the corner was playing the festive song “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (“Wishing You Prosperity”). Red lanterns hung, symbolizing peace and happiness.
Past midnight, there were hardly any customers. Jian Li took out a book from her bag and read, massaging her calves which were sore from standing.
“Welcome,” chimed the robotic voice at the door.
Jian Li looked up and froze.
Zhou Shubei walked in, dressed in a black down jacket, snowflakes still clinging to his hair and shoulders. The cotton candy-colored cat nestled in his arms. Spotting her, the cat widened its eyes and let out a “Meow!”
Zhou Shubei’s narrow eyes rested on her. “Still haven’t bought a ticket?”
She hadn’t seen him since New Year’s. Their departments were far apart, and exams had kept her busy. The day before exams ended, he messaged her asking when she was going home. She had only replied she hadn’t bought a ticket yet—wasn’t sure.
Jian Li said, “No, I’m not going home.”
Zhou Shubei nodded and grabbed two cans of cat food off the shelf, heading to the register.
“Meow~”
The cat jumped out of his arms and nudged Jian Li’s hand with its head, wanting her to pet it.
The cat was dressed in a little denim jacket, making it look even more handsome. Jian Li petted it, and it immediately flopped on its back, belly up and paws in the air.
Seeing this, Zhou Shubei smacked its head without hesitation.
“Screamed like it was being murdered just now. Now it’s acting all sweet. Sneaky little thing.”
“Meow!”
The cat glared at him, clearly annoyed. Zhou Shubei chuckled, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. The cat immediately behaved, tail swishing flatteringly against his jacket, and meowed softly.
Only then did he release it. Sitting on a nearby stool, he opened the can of cat food. The cat sniffed it, instantly forgetting its earlier indignation, burying half its face in the can.
“You’re staying at school?” he asked.
Jian Li: “Yeah.”
Zhou Shubei checked the time—it was nearly midnight.
“When do you get off work?”
“8 in the morning.”
He looked at her like he couldn’t help but laugh from frustration.
“You enjoy suffering or something?”
Jian Li’s lashes fluttered slightly.
“I just want to make as much money as I can.”
She looked up, meeting his eyes.
“Like how squirrels gather acorns in the winter so they can survive, making money is the same for me. The money you gave me is enough to last until graduation, yes, but for me, it’s not nearly enough.”
“Post-graduation expenses, job hunting, research projects—so many unknowns, all of it needs money. I don’t want to be in the same situation I am now when that time comes.”
So she had to keep making money. Even if it was just a little, she had to earn it. Only when money was in her hands did she feel slightly secure.
She was terrified of being poor again.
Under the light, she looked even more frail. Her body was slim and delicate, but her spirit was unbreakable.
Zhou Shubei’s gaze shifted slightly. Just as he was about to speak, the glass door swung open again. Two drunk men stumbled in, leaning on each other.
“Pack of smokes.”
The stench of alcohol was overwhelming. Jian Li frowned slightly.
“What brand?”
“Hua Zi.”
She grabbed a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, scanned it.
“Fifty-five yuan. I’ll scan your code.”
The man sluggishly scrolled through his phone and chatted with his buddy about someone who pissed him off recently, and how that guy ended up apologizing with a drink since they were close. With every word, his boozy breath blew right in Jian Li’s face. Her eyes showed irritation, but she kept her expression calm, waiting for the payment code.
“Hold on, lil sis, the signal’s slow.” He hiccuped, eyes nearly closed, then suddenly lit up seeing her.
“So pretty! College student?”
Jian Li didn’t answer. The more you engaged with guys like him, the worse it got.
“No response? What, you dropped out? Doesn’t matter, come with big bro, I’ll take care of you.”
He reached out, trying to touch her.
“Cold night like this, if you got sick, it’d break my heart.”
Jian Li stepped back, her face frosty.
“Show me the QR code or I’ll call the police.”
“Feisty one! We’re practically family now, no need for money.” He grinned, revealing yellow teeth, and reached for the cigarettes on the counter.
Jian Li snatched them first. But the man had been waiting for that—his hand shot toward her.
Suddenly—
A blur of white jumped down and swiped his hand, leaving three bloody scratches.
“Shit! Where’d this plague cat come from?!”
The man yelped, holding his hand. Seeing the cat jump into Jian Li’s arms:
“Your cat?”
“Mine.”
Zhou Shubei stood with the empty can in hand, eyes half-lidded, voice lazy.
“Sorry, my cat gets triggered by dog barking.”
The drunk man took a second to react.
“You callin’ me a dog?!”
Zhou Shubei raised an eyebrow, sneered with disdain.
“Yeah. Didn’t catch that?”
“F*** your mom!”
The man spit on the floor and lunged, but before he could get close, Zhou Shubei punched him in the face. The guy dropped to the floor, phone flying.
His friend froze in place under Zhou’s glare. Zhou landed another punch, even harder. He grabbed the guy by the collar, hand pressing into his neck.
“Say it again—what did you call me?”
His voice was low, eyes murderous, like he’d beat the man’s face to a pulp if he dared speak again.
The man sobered up a bit, clearly used to bullying the weak but folding when faced with real strength.
“I… I didn’t say anything! You hit me… I’ll call the cops!”
Zhou Shubei chuckled.
“Go ahead. Let’s see how many punches I can land before they get here.”
He raised his hand again, but Jian Li rushed over, trying to hold him back. She didn’t succeed at first—the force was too much. The cat squealed and jumped onto the counter.
“Don’t hit him anymore!”
She used both hands to hold his tightly.
“Please, stop.”
He looked at her. Her worried, clear eyes slowly calmed his rage. Like a sudden grace, he released the man. The friend quickly pulled him up before he hit his head.
Jian Li breathed a sigh of relief, pulled Zhou Shubei to his feet, then turned to the drunk.
“Show me the bill for any medical expenses—I’ll cover it. Rabies vaccine is your responsibility. If you call the police, make sure to tell them about the sexual harassment too. He’s most likely defending me—you, not so much. When your family gets called to the station, let’s see how they feel about you drinking and acting out in the middle of the night.”
Her voice was loud, firm, and entirely dominant.
The man, initially angry and eager to call the police, hesitated. He could deny the harassment, sure, but if his wife found out—even rumors—it’d be serious trouble.
After weighing his options, he backed down.
“Fine. For your sake, I won’t press charges. Just give me a thousand yuan, and we’ll forget this happened.”
Zhou Shubei scoffed, eyes narrowing threateningly.
The man shrank under his stare.
“Okay, okay—five hundred. Call it even.”
“Fine.”
Jian Li showed the screen of her phone, which had been recording.
“If you go back on your word, the police will believe the recording and security footage.”
The man cursed his luck. He’d wanted a free pack of smokes, and now he was the one losing out.
Once the two men left, the cat padded over to Zhou Shubei, putting a paw on his hand like it was asking, “Are you okay?”
Zhou petted its ear.
“Good job.”
“Meow~”
The cat purred proudly, then leapt onto his shoulder like a little king.
Jian Li watched him playing with the cat.
In her memory, Zhou Shubei always acted indifferent toward everything, like nothing in the world could get to him. Even when he was falsely accused and taken away by the police, he acted just the same—unbothered. He didn’t care what people thought, what punishment might come.
That coldness was nothing like the ferocity she had just witnessed.
She sat beside him.
“Thank you. You helped me again.”
He looked up. His black eyes unreadable.
“Again?”
“First time,” she said.
The cat playfully bit his hand, not hard, just teasing. But even the small sting made him grab its front paws. The fierce cat immediately tucked its tail and went quiet.
“You know how to take care of cats?” he asked.
Jian Li: “A little.”
“Good.”
He handed the struggling cat to her.
“Feed it, play with it, don’t let it get sick or run off this winter break. I’ll pay you the same as the store.”
Jian Li looked at the heavy cat in her arms.
“You want to hire me?”
“Yeah.”
“But today was my first shift.”
Zhou Shubei stood up, voice low and casual.
“Quit.”