In all the TV shows Chu Qi had watched before, she had often heard people use this phrase, but this was the first time she truly understood its meaning on a personal level.

“You… you’ll grow eventually,” the little girl stammered, growing anxious. “Maybe tomorrow, or the day after… Anyway, you’re lying!”

Gu Beiyan was already feeling a headache, and even the food in front of him had lost its flavor. “Han Ya, why do you keep insisting that Yuanyuan is lying? Can you understand cat language?”

“I…” Han Ya hesitated for a long time, her voice becoming quieter. “Well, yes, I can understand it, so I know that Yu Yuanyuan is lying.”

Chu Qi couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “If you could understand cat language, then why did you ask Yuanyuan earlier whether the cat liked you? If you understood, you wouldn’t need to ask, right? I think you’re just bored. If you have nothing better to do, you can help Teacher Su mop the floor.”

Kids in kindergarten don’t need a vast vocabulary to argue, and Chu Qi was sharp for her age, her insults already outclassing those of her peers. She only used half of her strength and nearly brought Han Ya to tears.

Fuming, Han Ya, who had already finished her meal, slammed her tray onto the table, her face red with anger, and stormed off.

Completely unaware of the situation, Yu Yuanyuan kept eating and asked, “Chu Qi, that girl… um, why did she seem upset?”

The funny thing was that little Yuanyuan hadn’t even remembered her name!

“Ha! People like her aren’t important, so don’t bother with her,” Chu Qi replied coolly, continuing to eat elegantly.

The entire day, Han Ya secretly targeted Yu Yuanyuan.

She either made noise to disturb her during nap time or threw crumpled paper at her head during class. But Yu Yuanyuan, who was always a bit slow to react, slept deeply through the entire nap, and it was Teacher Su who had to wake her up.

As for the paper-throwing, it was even less effective. Yu Yuanyuan moved around so much during class that none of the paper balls hit her.

All the pent-up frustration from the day seemed to bubble up inside Han Ya, like a small firecracker ready to explode, yet she couldn’t find the right moment to strike back.

That is, until dismissal.

The children were lined up at the gate, waiting for their families to pick them up. Yu Yuan Yuan stood at the front of the line today, but her dad hadn’t arrived yet. She craned her neck, looking around, but couldn’t spot him.

“Meow~” A cat’s cry sounded from the security booth. A large orange cat lay sprawled by the booth’s entrance, as if it had claimed the spot as its own.

“School’s out, huh?” the big orange cat asked lazily.

“Yup,” Yuanyuan crouched down and patted its head. The cat squinted in comfort. “Do you like dried fish?”

“Hm? You got some?” The big orange sat up straight.

Yuanyuan pulled back her hand, regretfully saying, “Not right now, but… I can bring some tomorrow!”

“Alright, since you’re offering tribute, from now on you’re my little sidekick. If anyone bullies you, I’ll take care of them!” The big orange cat swayed its head and squinted its eyes, looking like an unreliable, lazy boss.

“Yu Yuanyuan, you’re talking to a cat again. You’re so dumb.”

A mocking voice interrupted from behind. Yuanyuan turned to see Han Ya skipping over with her backpack.

“But talking to the kitty is fun!” Yuanyuan said as she continued petting the orange cat. “It’s so cute!”

Han Ya didn’t respond and was about to walk around to line up when the orange cat suddenly bared its teeth menacingly, scaring her so much that she fell onto her backside.

The day’s pent-up anger surged inside Han Ya, and she clumsily scrambled to her feet, pointing at Yuanyuan and yelling, “Did you make it scare me on purpose?!”