Chapter 28: Café Confessions and Park Encounters

At midday, the quaint establishment known as “Cat’s Paw Café” was bustling, every seat occupied, yet a serene quietude prevailed, broken only by the soft, continuous chorus of meows.

The short-haired girl gently stroked the head of the cat nestled on her lap.

The feline, seemingly in bliss, stretched languidly, licked its front paws, then curled back into a ball, purring contentedly as its tail swayed gently in the air.

“Qiaoqiao!”

The short-haired girl’s gaze was drawn by the soft call.

A young woman, clad in white, entered the café and settled into the seat opposite the short-haired girl.

“Is there something important you needed to tell me? Something that required us to meet out here?” the white-clad girl inquired after ordering her drink.

“Meow~”

“So adorable—”

The girl scooped up the little white cat that had rubbed against her leg, then stretched her arms high, holding it aloft.

“Shiro-chan (TL Note: A Japanese diminutive term, ‘Shiro-chan,’ literally meaning ‘little whitey,’ often used as a cute nickname for a white cat.)~”

“Xiao Bai—”

“Hmm?” “Meow~”

Both the girl and the white cat turned their heads simultaneously, looking at the short-haired girl, tilting their small heads in unison.

The short-haired girl almost burst into laughter at the adorable sight, but she suppressed it with a light cough, striving for a serious tone.

“Xiao Bai… I recall the person you like is named Li Jianren, isn’t it?”

“Ah, it’s pronounced *xian*…” the girl corrected softly, placing the cat down.

“Well, whatever, whatever, I’ll just get straight to the point…” The short-haired girl paused her ministrations on the cat’s head, raising her gaze to meet Bai Ruijin’s with a serious expression.

“It seems he already has a girlfriend…”

The white-clad girl’s smile froze on her face.

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, the only sounds around them the incessant meows of the cats.

It was the white-clad girl who finally broke the silence, “Well, then there’s nothing that can be done… After all, if two people… are mutually fond of each other…”

She nodded slightly, and though her expression remained unchanged, the despondency and regret in her eyes were almost palpable.

“Uh, Xiao Bai, don’t worry too much just yet.

They might not even be dating.

From what I know, that Zhong Tian is quite aloof at school, not very approachable, so it’s likely…”

Seeing the white-clad girl about to bury her head under the table, the short-haired girl reached out and pinched her cheek.

“Xiao Bai! You haven’t lost yet! We can’t make any conclusions until I’ve thoroughly investigated after school starts!”

“Mmm… Mmm…”

“Cheer up, Xiao Bai!”

****

“Cheer up, Zhong Tian…”

“Ugh, I’m so tired.

Can’t I just get some proper rest?” Zhong Tian mumbled, sprawled on the sofa with a cushion tucked under her stomach.

“I just finished the final draft of my manga, and now you want me to draw your adaptation… Even a production team’s donkey isn’t as exhausted as I am…”

“But, I want to see the first chapter’s manga adaptation.

Just a sketch is fine.

I want to see the general effect…”

Su Linxi drained the pure milk from her glass, then reached out a small hand to tug at Zhong Tian’s hair.

“Ugh… How about I draw it tonight? Tonight…”

Su Linxi was silent for a moment.

“Never mind.

Tonight, I want to go for a walk and see this city…”

“…Fine, I’ll go for a walk with you after dinner.” Zhong Tian nodded, though she didn’t bother to get up.

After all, a walk was far less taxing than drawing drafts!

****

“See, this is Soho Park… The riverside promenade and the artificial lake inside the park have all been featured in my manga,” Zhong Tian explained to Su Linxi.

“It looks even better in the morning; sunlight always creates a more beautiful effect than these artificial lights.”

“To each their own, I suppose…” Su Linxi nodded, trailing behind Zhong Tian.

“Mm, I suppose so.”

Zhong Tian and Su Linxi settled onto a stone bench, quietly listening to the chirping of insects all around them, feeling the evening breeze weave through the trees and flowers.

“The good thing about a small city is that it’s not as noisy or bustling, and the air is good too.” Zhong Tian glanced at Su Linxi.

“You used to live in Seaside City, didn’t you?”

Su Linxi nodded.

“How does it feel compared to Seaside City?”

“To each their own…”

“Hmm—” Zhong Tian stretched languidly.

“What about just the environment?”

“You also know it’s wrong to judge by appearances, don’t you?” Su Linxi raised her eyes.

“Every city has its own essence and life.

How can they be compared?”

“From a cultural perspective, that’s true.”

“It’s not just cities.

Nothing, whether people or things, can truly be compared.

Everything is equal…”

“So that’s how you see it.” Zhong Tian smiled, casually plucking a green leaf from a nearby branch, folding it gently, then folding it again and again.

“Do you find any fault with my way of thinking?” Su Linxi looked towards the distant lawn, where lush, verdant grass swayed in the breeze.

“None at all.” Zhong Tian stood up.

“Aren’t we supposed to explore the city? Come on, while it’s still early.”

Su Linxi withdrew her gaze and nodded.

****

“Qiaoqiao… what time is it now?”

“Half past seven…” The short-haired girl lowered her arm, glancing at the still distracted white-clad girl beside her, then sighed.

“Alright, don’t overthink it.

Let’s go, I’ll walk you back.”

The white-clad girl nodded.

“I’ll have a lemon tea, Linxi, what would you like?”

“The same will do.”

“Two then.”

“! Xiao Bai, come here.”

“Huh, huh?” The short-haired girl’s sudden tug startled Bai Ruijin, who then instinctively moved behind a tree.

“What’s going on…?” The white-clad girl stood bewildered behind the short-haired girl, who was peering out.

“Your enemy, there! Your enemy is right there!”

“Huh…?”

The white-clad girl followed the short-haired girl’s gaze and spotted Zhong Tian and Su Linxi standing in front of the drink shop.

“It’s the one with black hair.”

“Oh… what a beautiful person…”

Despite the distance, Zhong Tian’s beauty left an indelible impression on the white-clad girl’s mind.

Compared to her…

The white-clad girl lowered her gaze.

Just in appearance alone, she had already lost too much…

“Xiao Bai!” Seeing the white-clad girl’s spirits plummet, the short-haired girl quickly interjected, “It’s alright, looks aren’t everything, and you’re very cute too, Xiao Bai.

You two are just, uh, different types of beautiful, that’s all.”

“Mm—”

It seemed to have little effect.

The short-haired girl grew anxious.

“Bai Ruijin! Don’t give up before you’ve even figured things out!”

The short-haired girl, not one for eloquent words, looked at the dejected Bai Ruijin before her, unsure how to comfort her, and could only fret helplessly.

“Let’s, let’s follow them!”

The short-haired girl took the hand of the white-clad girl, Bai Ruijin, and strode directly into the drink shop.

“Two milk teas.”

The short-haired girl quickly placed the order, paid, and, still holding Bai Ruijin’s hand, settled into the table right next to Zhong Tian and Su Linxi.

The short-haired girl discreetly observed the two conversing individuals out of the corner of her eye.

Previously, in the dim light of the KTV, she hadn’t seen clearly, but now, up close, she truly understood how breathtakingly beautiful this girl named Zhong Tian was, enough to make one feel utterly inadequate.

The girl seated opposite Zhong Tian was also an undeniable beauty—or rather, a budding beauty would be a more accurate description.

One was exquisitely cute, like a doll; the other, beautiful as if she had stepped out of a painting…

What was the deal with these two?

Were they an idol group…?

Now, even the short-haired girl herself felt that Xiao Bai’s chances were slim.

Any boy with a normal sexual orientation, given a choice of girlfriends, would surely pick the prettier one… unless her personality was utterly dreadful…

…Wait, but what if he just liked “bad girls”?

It was quite common for one’s values to be swayed by physical appearance (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘sanguan genzhe wuguan pao,’ meaning one’s ‘three views’ (worldview, values, outlook on life) are influenced or dictated by physical appearance.), wasn’t it?

Hiss—no, that’s not right.

The short-haired girl pressed a hand to her forehead.

Where had her thoughts wandered off to…? Right now, she should be figuring out the relationship between Zhong Tian and Li Jianren!

Hmm… should she strike up a conversation…?

But what would she do after striking up a conversation…? Could she just directly ask her, ‘What’s your relationship with Li Jianren?’

That would be too stupid…

It was better not to alert the enemy; she would observe for now and slowly investigate after school started.

…Why is this person staring at me constantly…?

Zhong Tian calmly sipped her lemon tea.

The short-haired girl at the next table had been staring at her ever since she sat down… and her gaze was quite intense… The girl next to her, however, kept her head bowed…

Surely she hadn’t run into a lesbian…?

But since she didn’t seem to intend to speak, Zhong Tian decided to pretend not to notice.

Su Linxi held the large cup of lemon tea with both hands, lifted the lid, and took small sips.

“No straw?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t like straws.”

“I see.”