"Qin Yi! Who told you to butt in? Get back to your class!" Liang Zengguang snapped, his face dark with anger.

Defying the head of discipline—and dean of the grade—in public meant even Old Man Liang couldn’t protect Qin Yi, no matter how stellar his grades were.

But his reprimand came too late.

Xu Lehua sat up straight in his chair, his expression stormy.

"Qin Yi, do you still consider yourself a student of First High?"

"Whether I am or not depends on me."

Facing the furious dean, Qin Yi’s voice remained calm as still water, hard as ice.

The unspoken meaning? *None of your damn business.*

"Good. Very good! What an *exemplary* student! First High’s pride!" Xu Lehua’s laughter crackled with rage.

Qin Yi ignored the bald man completely after that—as if he were air—and yanked his childhood friend out by the arm.

The door Qin Yi shut behind them thudded against the frame, not too loud but not soft either, bouncing back slightly. A draft slipped through the crack.

Yet no one in the office felt any cooler.

Xu Lehua shot Old Man Liang a glacial stare. "The fine student *you* taught."

"The Discipline Office will handle this. You’re dismissed."

With that, Xu Lehua strode out, slamming the door so hard it shook the frame. The thunderous bang jolted half the napping students in Class 334 next door awake.

In First High’s small garden, rotating sprinklers *thwip-thwipped* water into the air.

Qin Yi and Lin Jin strolled side by side. Lunch break meant the garden was nearly empty.

"Thank you," Lin Jin hesitated, then said it anyway. Whatever the reason, Qin Yi had clashed with Baldy Xu over his sake.

"Again?"

Qin Yi’s hands stayed tucked in his pockets, unusually relaxed.

"But… you really want to thank me?"

"Mm."

"Then can I ask for something in return?" Qin Yi’s eyes glinted with interest.

"Sure. Uh… nothing too outrageous, okay?"

After all these years of Qin Yi helping him, this was the first time he’d ever asked for repayment. Lin Jin felt a flicker of unease.

*What if it’s something embarrassing?* They were close, but *that* kind of thing was absolutely off-limits…

"How about you turn into a cat and let me pet you for ten minutes?"

"Huh?" Such a weird request?

"No way."

After witnessing Qin Yi’s manic *rua*-frenzy over her cat form once, she’d never risk handing her fluffy self over to him again.

"Fine. Then give me a foot rub."

Qin Yi switched gears smoothly when he saw Lin Jin’s hesitation.

A foot rub—literally standing on someone’s back to massage it.

They’d done it as kids, but now? At 170cm tall and 60kg, could Qin Yi’s frame even take her weight?

Before Lin Jin could voice his worry, Qin Yi read his mind: "Use your cat body."

*Again with the cat…*

Lin Jin’s eye twitched.

*This guy loves cats so much, he might as well marry a catgirl. Hell, she could even transform—solve the whole baby problem. Perfect.*