Watching Liang Zengguang’s gloomy expression, Xie Puyuan comfortingly offered him a cigarette. “Don’t be so angry. Qin Yi keeping a cat might just be to ease his academic stress.”

“No thanks,” Old Man Liang pushed it away, fuming. “Ease stress? Bullshit! This is losing ambition to playthings!”

“Hey, it’s senior year now. These kids are emotionally fragile. Don’t drag him to the office for a harsh scolding like in freshman or sophomore year—he can’t take it.”

“Hmph!” Liang took a sip of tea and said nothing.

If Qin Yi were just an ordinary student, Liang wouldn’t hesitate to be gentle. After all, he wasn’t his own child; if grades slipped, it’d only cost him a few points on this year’s college entrance exam performance review.

But Qin Yi’s maternal grandmother had been his homeroom teacher back in those tough years. That kind, beautiful teacher had given him motherly warmth and care. She and her husband had even paid part of his high school fees out of their own pockets.

A drop of kindness deserved a gushing spring in return—especially for a mentor who’d given him a second chance.

So he treated Qin Yi like his own son. Now, seeing him suddenly obsessed with petting cats, openly playing with one during morning self-study… it made Liang ache with disappointment.

Meanwhile, in the innermost stall of the boys’ restroom.

“Meow~” (What do I do?) Lin Jin’s drowsiness vanished instantly.

Qin Yi calmly glanced at her, pulled out his phone, and said, “Type.”

This guy was blatantly breaking the school’s strict no-phone rule—repeatedly emphasized during study hours.

Lin Jin mentally complained, not realizing that the model student Qin Yi had broken rules twice today because of her: skipping morning self-study to use the restroom, and carrying a phone on campus.

Her tiny pink paw pads tapped the phone screen with the 9-key input method: “What now? Should I sleep again here?”

After their discussion that night, they’d confirmed this was a sleep-related issue. So Lin Jin’s first thought was straightforward: just sleep again.

“In this environment? You can sleep?” Qin Yi gave her a cold glance.

“…” Why did she feel so outsmarted?

“Let’s go. Back to the hotel.”

“Meow?” (Now?)

“Now.”

Qin Yi cradled the warm, soft little bundle and sneaked out of the restroom.

Lin Jin suddenly noticed something odd. She hadn’t typed just now—how had he known what she said? Could this guy be fluent in cat language?

But her confusion didn’t last long.

General Liang stood like a guardian deity, glaring fiercely, blocking the stairwell like an immovable wall.

“Qin Yi, what are you doing?”

“Meow~” (We’re done for.)