Chapter 27: Counterattack

Ji Pei watched Jiang Xihan nibble on the ribs slowly, her elegant demeanor captivating, and placed two pairs of new chopsticks nearby.

She picked two more ribs for Jiang Xihan’s plate, resting her chin on her hand, admiring the beautiful sight.

“Professor Jiang, you eat so slowly.”

Jiang Xihan, without looking up, picked a small chicken drumstick and placed it in Ji Pei’s bowl.

“I told you to chew slowly. Eating too fast is bad for your stomach.”

Ji Pei hummed, quickly devouring the drumstick, then snagged a piece of crispy pork from Jiang Xihan’s plate.

“Man, it’s crowded.”

As Ji Pei reached for the pork, Bai Yin appeared with a clay pot, settling beside her.

Seeing Ji Pei casually take food from Jiang Xihan’s plate, Bai Yin’s eyes widened, wondering if she’d seen wrong.

“Professor… Professor Jiang…”

Bai Yin, sitting next to Ji Pei, clutched her chopsticks and spoon, her gaze darting between the two.

Just as Ji Pei thought Bai Yin had figured out their relationship and was about to clarify, Bai Yin spoke.

“Professor Jiang, I didn’t expect you to be so kind, treating Ji Pei to crispy pork.”

Bai Yin stared hungrily at the glossy sweet-and-sour ribs on Ji Pei’s plate, her appetite stirred.

“Classmate Ji Pei, can I have a piece of your ribs?”

Ji Pei: “…”

Jiang Xihan’s head snapped up faster than Ji Pei’s.

They exchanged a glance, and Ji Pei said, “Sure, I think the auntie said this was the last portion. Didn’t you get any?”

“Yeah, I checked every counter, but they were sold out, so I got a clay pot dish instead.”

Bai Yin wiped her chopsticks, happily picking a small piece, saying, “These are new chopsticks, unused.”

Jiang Xihan noticed Bai Yin sitting close to Ji Pei, their shoulders nearly touching. She withdrew her gaze, tapping the table, hinting at something.

Ji Pei quickly switched to her left hand for chopsticks, scooting her chair over, saying, “It’s a bit cramped. I’ll move over.”

She glanced at the clear boundary between her and Bai Yin, secretly pouting at Jiang Xihan, telepathically conveying, ‘Don’t be so petty.’

Jiang Xihan seemed to understand her expression, giving her a glance before resuming eating.

After Bai Yin took a rib, Jiang Xihan naturally claimed the last piece from Ji Pei’s bowl.

Bai Yin, wiping her mouth, caught the moment.

She found it both curious and odd.

Since when were Professor Jiang and Ji Pei so close? Bai Yin, her student for years and assistant for six months, had never seen Jiang Xihan act so familiar with her.

Could the rumors be true—were Ji Pei and Jiang Xihan really relatives?

She recalled a post on the confession wall that noon, mentioning a bold student in Jiang Xihan’s class.

This student arrived ten minutes late, without a textbook, played on their phone the whole class, and even made faces at Jiang Xihan.

Despite this, Jiang Xihan neither failed her nor reprimanded her, acting as if nothing happened.

This sparked outrage, with comments flooding the confession wall.

“Professor Jiang, I saw a post on the confession wall.”

Jiang Xihan didn’t look up. “About what?”

Bai Yin showed her phone. “Classmate Ji Pei sat in the back and got reported as a connected student, saying you’re lenient with relatives, ignoring classroom discipline.”

“Oh.”

So what.

Ji Pei hadn’t expected her casual comment to end up on the confession wall, feeling guilty for causing Jiang Xihan trouble.

Her reputation was already shaky, and now she’d added a favoritism scandal—unforgivable.

“Professor Jiang, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through and caused you trouble.”

Jiang Xihan glanced at her, sipping tomato egg soup.

“Let them say what they want. You’re not my student.”

The soup was salty, bland, and not fresh.

She’d thought it would taste like Ji Pei’s homemade version, but it was so bad she frowned, wondering if it was dishwater.

“Why’s this soup so awful?”

“What soup?”

Ji Pei sniffed her bowl. “It’s free, so it’s just…”

Jiang Xihan’s face darkened. She rarely ate in the cafeteria and hadn’t expected free soup to be this bad, with white foam floating on top.

“What’s this white stuff?”

Ji Pei: “…”

“It’s egg? One egg for a whole pot, huh.”

Jiang Xihan called the school office, demanding cafeteria improvements.

Even free soup shouldn’t be this careless—serving slop to students could hurt enrollment.

Seeing Jiang Xihan’s stern expression, Bai Yin whispered to Ji Pei, “There, her reputation’s restored. Students will thank her.”

—

After the clean-plate campaign, Ji Pei told Jiang Xihan to stay seated while she returned their trays to a nearby cart.

The laptop was supposed to be carried by Bai Yin, but Ji Pei grabbed it from another chair, holding it.

Jiang Xihan glanced at her lightly, and Ji Pei, embarrassed, followed her.

Bai Yin, touched, thought Ji Pei was such a kind person, voluntarily helping with the laptop without complaint.

No wonder Professor Jiang liked her—they were so alike.

Jiang Xihan had no afternoon classes, and Ji Pei planned to drive her home to rest after lunch.

Jiang Xihan wore soft flats, intending to stroll the campus with Ji Pei, relax, and bond.

Ji Pei, holding the laptop, asked, “Do you need to bring all this back?”

Jiang Xihan nodded. “Important lecture files. I need to organize them.”

“Then let’s head back. I’m worried your foot will swell again.”

Jiang Xihan smiled. “Think I’m a porcelain doll? My foot’s fine.”

Ji Pei countered, “Not hurting is one thing; fully healed is another. Why don’t you listen to the doctor?”

“The doctor said to walk more to prevent muscle adhesion. It’s good for my ankle.”

“…”

Ji Pei had almost forgotten that.

“Alright, how about a walk by the lake? We can feed the cats.”

Ji Pei patted her crossbody bag. “I brought extra fish treats. They’re pretty popular.”

“Why do you carry fish treats?”

“Forgot? My two fat cats at home love them. They eat several packs a day.”

Jiang Xihan recalled that, as Winter, Ji Pei had mentioned her two cats.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to the cat hotspot.”

Ji Pei’s eyes sparkled. “Cat hotspot? How many strays are at our school?”

Jiang Xihan thought for a moment. “I had students count—about sixty-eight stay on campus.”

“Bai Yin said you’re the head of the campus cat club. Is that true?”

Jiang Xihan nodded. “Yes.”

Ji Pei’s jaw dropped, shaking Jiang Xihan’s arm. “I didn’t know my dear Professor Jiang was so amazing!”

“You’d be even better if you dropped the last three words.”

Ji Pei, noticing people around, let go, mumbling, “We’re in public. Gotta keep up appearances. Besides, calling you Professor Jiang is kinda fun.”

Jiang Xihan considered it, nodding. “True. It’d be even more fun in bed.”

Ji Pei: “…”

How could she say such things so casually, without blushing?

Ji Pei changed the subject. “Do all the cats get neutered?”

“Yes, neutered cats have a mark. We once caught one, took it to the vet, and found it was already done.”

Jiang Xihan made a habit of funding neutering for strays, especially female ones in the wild.

Stray cats were vulnerable, and without intervention, they’d keep breeding.

Ji Pei gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re the neutering queen of cat eyes.”

Jiang Xihan laughed at her new title. “Then what are you, my queen?”

With people passing by, Ji Pei glanced around, whispering, “You’re so annoying, Jiang Xihan.”

Jiang Xihan huffed. “Am I not?”

—

At the cat feeding spot, Ji Pei saw other cats eating kibble and cans, so she poured fish treats into a bowl.

The cats were wary at first, but the smell of fish treats had them rubbing their paws, eager to jump on her.

Jiang Xihan stood behind. “Careful, don’t get scratched.”

Ji Pei, heeding her, said, “It’s fine. My cats at home scratch me all the time. The doctor suggested an annual vaccine package.”

Jiang Xihan’s eyes flashed with concern. “Try to avoid vaccines. They have side effects, bad for your health.”

Ji Pei stepped back after setting down the treats.

“True. Last time a dog bit me, I got a rabies shot and spiked a fever over forty degrees.”

Ji Pei sighed. “I was delirious. Didn’t expect such strong side effects. My arm was so sore I couldn’t lift it.”

“So, fluffy things are nice, but touch them less.”

Jiang Xihan continued, “The registered campus cats get regular deworming and vaccines. Getting scratched isn’t a big deal.”

“But if you got scratched, I’d be heartbroken.”

Ji Pei raised her hand. Jiang Xihan grabbed her fingertips. “You got scratched?”

Ji Pei shook her head, confused. “No.”

Jiang Xihan relaxed. “Good. Scratches hurt and might scar.”

Seeing Jiang Xihan so worried, Ji Pei felt a warm surge. “Don’t worry, I’m not prone to scarring.”

“Even without scarring, it’d bleed and hurt.”

Jiang Xihan’s serious stare made Ji Pei shiver, limbs tingling.

A casual remark from her, and Jiang Xihan took it so seriously.

Growing up, Ji Pei’s parents were hands-off.

Independent early, with a sister three years younger, Ji Pei felt adult responsibilities before adulthood.

Colds, fevers, cat scratches, or dog bites—she handled them alone, never telling anyone.

But now, she had Jiang Xihan, who cared deeply.

Ji Pei poked Jiang Xihan’s arm, voice soft with a hint of grievance.

“Then I won’t touch them. I’ll protect myself.”

Watching the cats devour the treats, Ji Pei realized she hadn’t seen one fierce feline.

“Meow—”

“Meow—”

A rough meow echoed. Ji Pei followed the sound from the bushes, spotting a massive tabby cat.

Leaves clung to its fur, a dark scar across its eye, exuding menace.

Ji Pei finally met the infamous Wang Erhu, the cat king.

Despite being female, students gave her a rugged name straight out of Water Margin.

When the hefty, menacing calico appeared, Ji Pei understood why.

She looked like she carried several cat lives on her back, making others tremble.

Jiang Xihan followed Ji Pei’s gaze. “That’s Wang Erhu. Always fighting for territory. That eye scar is from a fight with a tomcat three months ago.”

“That tomcat was too much, nearly blinding her.”

Ji Pei pitied the poor female, but Jiang Xihan added, “That tomcat lost a leg to her bite.”

Ji Pei: “…”

Seeing Ji Pei’s shock, Jiang Xihan said, “I was afraid she’d seek revenge and kill it, so I found an adopter and sent it away overnight.”

Ji Pei hadn’t expected such a bloody cat saga. While pitying the tomcat, she marveled at Wang Erhu’s prowess.

“So fierce. Can I take her home to discipline my lawless cats?”

Jiang Xihan laughed. “Better not.”

As Wang Erhu strode to the food bowl, other cats fled at lightning speed.

“…”

Ji Pei thought Wang Erhu’s name was understated. It should be Scar or Fierce Tiger.

Wang Erhu gobbled the fish treats in under a minute, then eyed the kibble, sniffed, and walked away.

Ji Pei: “…”

No wonder she’s so sturdy—she scorns kibble, only eating the good stuff.

“Erhu, come here.”

Jiang Xihan made a soft sound, and Ji Pei watched the massive cat charge toward her.

Ji Pei instinctively stepped in front. “Careful! Run!”

Before she finished, Wang Erhu skidded to a stop, flopping at Jiang Xihan’s feet, rolling to show her soft belly.

Ji Pei: “…”

Who knew the fierce tiger had such a clingy side?

Ji Pei heard its loud purring, louder than other cats.

So sycophantic!

Like a human in disguise!

Jiang Xihan laughed, not yet crouching when Wang Erhu rolled closer, rubbing her head on Jiang Xihan’s leg, leaving fur on her pants.

Caught off guard, Jiang Xihan bent to pick her up, struggling with the weight.

“You got heavier?”

The cat was weighed monthly, but Wang Erhu was an exception, weighed weekly, always shocking Jiang Xihan.

She’d thought Wang Erhu’s weight was unhealthy and took her for a checkup.

The vet, after multiple checks, said it was all muscle, not harmful.

Besides fighting, Wang Erhu was a master at cozying up.

Ji Pei watched quietly, wary of touching her, fearing a scratch that’d draw blood.

Seeing Jiang Xihan struggle to lift her, Ji Pei snapped photos of the tender moment.

When Wang Erhu tried climbing Jiang Xihan’s shoulder, Ji Pei grabbed her from behind.

“No! Get down!”

Ji Pei’s hands smelled of fish treats. Sensing a stranger and the scent, Wang Erhu went wild, scratching Jiang Xihan’s hand.

Jiang Xihan frowned, setting her down. Wang Erhu vanished.

“Jiang Xihan!”

Ji Pei’s pupils shrank at the bloody scratch. “You’re hurt!”

She grabbed Jiang Xihan’s wrist, furious and regretful. “I shouldn’t have touched her…”

Blood beads oozed from the broken skin. Ji Pei’s eyes reddened, holding her wrist.

“We’re going to the hospital now.”

Jiang Xihan looked up, seeing Ji Pei’s teary eyes, and her heart skipped.

“It’s just…”

Before finishing, she saw Ji Pei staring, tears falling onto the scratch.

“…”

Hiss…