“Oh oh!” That sweet and sticky cat-like cry from Su Yun instantly sent the entire crowd into an even higher (meow) climax.
They were shouting.
Even Zhang Deyi, who had been furious just moments ago, was now stunned.
“Be your cat, meow meow~ fall asleep in your arms.
Be your cat, meow meow~ leave behind plum blossom paw prints.”
As the voice echoed once more from the speakers, Zhang Deyi suddenly felt as if his hand no longer hurt at all. He grabbed his phone and brought it close to his ear.
He closed his eyes.
The next second, Zhang Deyi felt as though countless cute little white cats had appeared all around him. Their soft paws gently pressed against his body, leaving behind plum blossom marks.
“Meow meow~”
And the second after that, those cats all transformed into the image of his goddess, one after another pouncing into his embrace.
Heaven.
Zhang Deyi peacefully fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Liu Fei, still at the scene, was still fired up, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Princess, your voice is so sweet!”
Aside from admiring Su Yun’s steady and syrupy vocals, the crowd also couldn’t take their eyes off her princess-like appearance.
Even though the winter sunlight wasn’t particularly strong, it was still present.
The rays of sunlight beamed down and illuminated the entire figure of this “Snow White.”
Online, people often say that those with dark skin shouldn’t wear white, as it can make them look even darker.
But the girl on stage clearly had no such concern—in fact, the white made her appear even fairer and more delicate, like a tender white blossom about to bloom, awaiting the first step in her life.
The nearly transparent white stockings under “Snow White’s” skirt looked even whiter under the sunlight—perhaps this was the original skin tone of a young girl’s legs.
Under the light, the stockings even reflected a bit of glare that stabbed into the audience’s eyes, yet no one found it unpleasant. On the contrary, they felt that this pair of legs was a sacred object.
Her slender jade-like legs swayed slightly left and right in rhythm as “Snow White” sang.
Some thought it sacred and untouchable. Others wanted to kneel and lick.
……
“Sllrrp, uh...” A short-distance runner below the stage sucked in the saliva that had nearly dripped from his mouth.
Though the atmosphere here today was fiery enough to make anyone want to scream, the past few days of training had left him utterly exhausted. He didn’t even have the strength to shout during the first girl group’s performance earlier.
He had thought today’s competition was hopeless.
But now, his heart was filled with motivation. The sweet underclassman on stage felt like a girlfriend giving him a cute cheer before the match, telling him to relax.
“Princess!” Before long, he too joined the surrounding voices, shouting the same thing.
……
“Announce to the world, your importance~”
“...”
“Loving you needs no warning signs~”
Su Yun sang her heart out on stage, and as countless voices of praise rang in her ears, she felt her mood soar higher and higher.
She had never been this recognized by so many people before.
By the end, Su Yun wasn’t nervous at all anymore. She went full throttle, using her free hand to strike cute poses.
When meowing, she’d hold her hands in front of her chest like cat paws. When expressing love, she’d make half-heart shapes.
And every time she did, the crowd’s excitement flared even more.
……
“She’s got some talent, huh, hehe.”
Behind the grandstand, by the staircase, Qin Xue was still kneeling. But her legs had gone a bit numb, so she let her upper body lean against the steps. She didn’t mind the dirt—she’d be changing at noon anyway.
Her face now held a gentle, motherly smile as she gazed lovingly at the hardworking little one performing on stage. Her heart was full of warmth...
She just wanted to hug her Xiaoyun so badly.
Such a pure and adorable girl, meowing non-stop like that—she couldn’t take it anymore!
And Qin Xue now felt a strange dissatisfaction: what used to be something only she could hear was now shared with everyone, and even in an upgraded version.
After this, she had to make Xiaoyun wear a catgirl outfit and sing it just for her again!
*Bzz.*
Just then, a vibration came from under Qin Xue’s skirt, pressed against the step.
It was a call from Qin Xuanyuan.
“Hello, what is it?”
“Suspicious person found and captured. After this ends, please come handle it... at...”
“Got it.”
After getting the update, Qin Xue hung up.
Actually, letting Su Yun go on stage to boost her image hadn’t been Qin Xue’s main plan.
The real goal was to draw out anyone lurking in the shadows with malicious intent. Qin Xue had arranged people to blend in across the sports field and the campus.
And now, it seemed... success.
*BOOM!*
Just as Qin Xue was about to feel pleased, a loud crash suddenly erupted from the stage, like the sound of a massive rock dropping.
Right after the bang came a wave of screams and panic.
“Ah!” Soon, a panicked-looking person appeared in front of Qin Xue—it was one of her own club members.
Qin Xue was still in that awkward position on the stairs: kneeling with legs apart, her upper body sprawled over the top step. From below, it would be an incredibly indecent sight.
This pose had been perfect for watching Xiaoyun earlier.
But the girl didn’t care at all about appearances. She just grabbed Qin Xue’s hand.
“Xue... Sister Xue... Xiaoyun... Xiaoyun...” The girl was so shaken, she couldn’t even form a full sentence.
“...” Qin Xue was stunned too. Only now did she shift her gaze to the stage, but the club members were all blocking her view, gathered around something.
Her mind began racing, trying to piece together all the information she knew.
Xiaoyun...
Qin Xue refused to believe it. It couldn’t be that sudden.
She had personally inspected the stage setup yesterday afternoon. It should have been safe.
She stood up, flung off the girl’s hand, and ran straight toward the stage.
That’s when she saw her club members gathered around a hole in the stage.
Qin Xue’s eyes widened as she slowly approached.
“Sister Xue, Xiaoyun, she...” The girls were all pale as ghosts, tears streaming down their cheeks.
Today’s performance had gone so well. After it ended, they should’ve been overjoyed. But instead...
Just moments ago, while taking a bow, Xiaoyun—who had been standing right at the front—had suddenly vanished straight down.
“Get back! The area might still collapse!” Qin Xue knelt by the edge of the hole, staring intently down into it.
“What are you standing there for? Move!”
Startled by Qin Xue’s shout, the girls quickly backed away and ran down the stairs.
By now, the audience had fallen into chaos. Some wanted to rush up to save the “Snow White.” Others crouched in fear, hugging their heads.
“This damn school! Why isn’t anyone going up to help?!”
“No kidding—go save her already!”
“Where’s that student council president from earlier? Didn’t he say he’d handle things?!”
The venue was now filled with even more noise—but this time, it was anger.
“...”
“...” Liu Fei and Zhang Deyi, meanwhile, said nothing. They just silently watched the scene unfold.
To be unable to speak—that was the greatest torment.
“Please stay calm! I’m the student council president! I was just calling for help—they’ll be here any second!” someone suddenly shouted from the front of the audience.
Shi Lezhi had already summoned people—or rather, let the ones already in place finally show themselves.
He smiled faintly as he looked at Qin Xue, now on her knees in anguish.
At this moment, Qin Xue couldn’t speak at all.
She couldn’t hear anything around her. Her hands gripped the edge of the hole as she tried to see into the darkness below.
But it was pitch black. It looked like some kind of storage room, cluttered with stuff. Nothing was visible.
Her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest.
She stared with all her might, and in desperation, she once again lowered herself to the ground, bringing her face closer to the hole.
Then she realized—she couldn’t get close enough. Her head was still too far.
At that moment, Qin Xue felt genuine frustration with her own body.
And unlike earlier on the staircase, there was no height difference here. Her current posture caused her skirt to ride up considerably.
But she didn’t care. Her anxious heart had thrown shame aside. She lowered her head and stared down, eyes wide.
“Xiaoyun!” Before long, getting closer to the hole finally paid off. Qin Xue saw a slender, snow-white hand.
That white hand stood out in the darkness like something sacred and warm.
Then, she saw the rest of Xiaoyun, lying right below the hole. Her head seemed to be resting on something—possibly injured.
“Xiaoyun! Su Xiaoyun!” No matter how many times Qin Xue shouted, or how hard she yelled, there was no response.
“...”
“That’s it? Just gone, like that...?”
Qin Xue blinked, confused. But the more she blinked, the hotter and more stinging her eyes felt, until tears fell silently into the darkness below.
She had already called for her maids to bring rope and supplies, but they hadn’t arrived yet.
As for herself—there was nothing she could do...
Her body collapsed. Her pupils slowly lost their light.
In that moment, her mind drifted back to childhood.
When Qin Xue was just learning to speak, a bunch of unfamiliar people had shown up at her home. They taught her to recognize Chinese characters, to speak English.
She hadn’t even been a year old. Normally, someone that age wouldn’t remember anything—but under those conditions, she was forced to learn. Once she had developed some intelligence, she realized how long she had been studying, how painful it had been.
She’d never had freedom—not even once. Let alone friendship or love. The one friend she’d secretly made in high school had been scolded away by her mother.
Now, in college, she’d finally gained a little freedom. She’d made a friend—a good one—and just like that, she was gone.
God, is this how you play with me?
For a moment, Qin Xue’s eyes were clouded with hatred. But the next second, she remembered—it was she who had asked her to go on stage.
“...”
“It’s all my fault, Xiaoyun... If you hate me, I’ll jump down right now.” Qin Xue spoke down into the hole, but there was no reply.
For a moment, she truly considered jumping down.
(End of Chapter)