Chapter 31: Here’s Some Money. Spend it However You Want
Even after getting into the taxi, Mu Xiangxiang still hadn’t fully processed the concise explanation from the girl in Class 9—
Guo Zhi had secretly taken some money from his father and left behind a letter saying he was dropping out of school to go make his fortune. Unexpectedly, while dragging his suitcase down the street, he ran right into his dad. During the ensuing chase and beating, he fell and fractured his shin.
Yan Zhiyang and two other boys from Class 9 had also been caught with him.
Mu Xiangxiang had a strong impression of the pale-skinned, fairly good-looking Guo Zhi. Although he carried a gloomy aura, not long ago he had still rushed without hesitation alongside Yan Zhiyang and the others to fight Cao Wei’s friends for her sake.
At the time, she had personally escorted them to the community clinic to get their wounds treated. The feeling of being protected remained vivid even now.
But they were only in eleventh grade. What kind of move was dropping out of school? And it sounded like it had been entirely their own idea.
Mu Xiangxiang’s family was poor, but thanks to her parents’ upbringing, she had known since childhood that studying was the only way to change her family’s future. Even when the Mu family had been so poor they couldn’t fill their stomachs, Father Mu and Mother Mu had never once cut corners on her education expenses. Because of that, Mu Xiangxiang had always regarded “going to school” with deep reverence and treasured the opportunity immensely.
She truly couldn’t understand why students would voluntarily give up that right.
Qiao Nan sat beside her, elbows braced on his knees, body bent forward low, his expression stormy and unreadable as though something churned in his mind.
Mu Xiangxiang could feel his anxiety and became somewhat self-reproachful. “I never heard anything about this before.”
“It’s not your fault.” Qiao Nan supported his forehead, brewing anger. “They’ve talked about not wanting to study ever since first year. Every time I heard it, I beat them up for it. So this time they probably organized everything behind your back on purpose.”
Mu Xiangxiang: “……”
What a bizarre group of brothers.
But honestly, she had already noticed something strange about Class 9 before this—especially Yan Zhiyang and the others closest to Qiao Nan. Compared to the “students” Mu Xiangxiang was familiar with, they were fundamentally different.
Ever since childhood, Mu Xiangxiang had been the kind of student teachers never worried about. She excelled academically and worked hard. Even after transferring schools so many times, she always entered the best classes. Students in those classes—even the spoiled rich young masters and young ladies at Yingcheng—possessed self-discipline and awareness regarding their futures.
But Qiao Nan’s group of friends looked like they were aimlessly drifting through life every second of the day. Of course, things weren’t as exaggerated as Qiao Nan had previously described—classroom chaos, playing cards during lessons, fighting, hostile relationships with teachers, and so on. At least after spending some time there, Mu Xiangxiang found the teachers of every subject actually got along quite well with Class 9. Setting aside homeroom teacher Old Mo, who practically mingled with the students like one of them, even the relatively stern math and English teachers would often crack jokes during class. The atmosphere wasn’t much different from many ordinary classrooms she had seen before.
And yet they genuinely didn’t study.
When teachers were present, they would at least politely look at books. The moment class ended, however, they reverted to their true selves immediately. Aside from the first day of school, Mu Xiangxiang had never seen them touch tutoring worksheets or practice papers again.
Amazingly, none of the teachers seemed inclined to discipline them for it. Instead, every single one wore expressions like, “Oh my god, you all didn’t yell and wreak havoc today? Such good children!”
In short, everyone at this school, from top to bottom, behaved strangely.
****
Passing through the noisy hospital lobby and squeezing into an elevator already packed with people, Qiao Nan’s agitation had become almost tangible. Watching him abandon his usual lazy demeanor, Mu Xiangxiang honestly felt a little envious.
Envious that Qiao Nan had such a large group of friends worth worrying over. It was only after switching into this body and entering No. 12 High School that she had truly seen what friendship looked like.
Friends could sling arms over each other’s shoulders, care for one another, step forward without hesitation to take the blame when she was dragged into a false accusation, and gather recklessly to rescue her when they thought she was in danger.
It was a kind of strength different from family affection, yet equally warm and powerful.
So beautiful that sometimes Mu Xiangxiang felt unable to withstand it. Because of that, during the time she had spent living as Qiao Nan, she had tried her best to minimize interaction with Yan Zhiyang and the others.
And yet, even now, whenever those faces surfaced in her mind, they were accompanied by a sweet warmth.
The elevator doors opened onto the inpatient floor. Almost simultaneously, furious roaring echoed from somewhere in the distance—
“…I feed you! I clothe you! And you can’t even manage to study properly?! If you quit school, what the fuck do you think you can accomplish?! I might as well beat you to death right now!!”
Mu Xiangxiang’s steps faltered slightly. Then a middle-aged man came into view, restrained by hospital security near the corridor entrance while shouting abuse toward the hospital room. Her sharp gaze swept over him in an instant— His clothes weren’t clean. Mud still clung to the edges of his shoes. His exhausted back was hunched over, and both his face and hands carried the marks of a hard life weathered by years.
He probably earned a living through manual labor. Mu Xiangxiang could almost see the shadow of her own father, worn down by time, reflected in him.
His voice was loud and his curses crude, rage practically exploding from him, as though he truly wanted to kill his son just as he claimed.
Yet muddy tears streamed clearly from the deeply wrinkled sockets of his eyes.
A burst of anger instantly rose inside Mu Xiangxiang. She steadied herself, only to meet the glance Qiao Nan cast back at her.
Taking in the rare displeasure visible on her face, Qiao Nan suppressed his own anxiety somewhat. “You okay?”
Mu Xiangxiang felt a painful bitterness for that still-crying father. She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Qiao Nan assumed she was unhappy about suddenly being dragged to the hospital. Thinking about it that way, it was true—a perfectly good date had been ruined by the mess caused by his friends. Even the movie they’d planned was completely wrecked. What girl could tolerate that?
Qiao Nan had seen Jiang Hai and Yan Zhiyang’s countless little girlfriends throw tantrums before. The fact that Mu Xiangxiang wasn’t getting angry already felt rare enough. Feeling somewhat guilty, he muttered quietly: “I’ll make up the movie to you next time.”
“?” Mu Xiangxiang looked baffled. “What?”
Not getting the reaction he expected made Qiao Nan feel pathetic. Scratching irritably at his hair, he grumbled: “I didn’t expect this kind of shit to happen on our first date either. Damn Yan Zhiyang and those idiots…”
Mu Xiangxiang suddenly felt she’d heard an alarming word. “…Date?”
Qiao Nan paused, interrupted mid-sentence, and looked up blankly. “Huh?”
Mu Xiangxiang: “……”
Their eyes met. A moment later, Qiao Nan’s brows slowly knitted together. “…What do you mean?”
Then uncertainty suddenly flooded his gaze. “…Wait. Why did you ask me out today?”
Mu Xiangxiang fell silent briefly, her face heating slightly. “…I wanted to talk to you about something regarding your family.”
“……”
After speaking, Mu Xiangxiang averted her eyes. When no response came after a while, she slowly glanced back sideways.
Only to find that the already irritable-looking guy before her had somehow become even more terrifyingly tense.
After a long moment, Qiao Nan twitched at the corner of his eye and turned toward the hospital room, finally finding a suitable outlet for his humiliated pride. “…………Yan Zhiyang and those damn bastards…”
****
An entire class attempting to drop out together was no small matter for the school. The teachers of Class 9 and several important administrators from No. 12 High School had all rushed over, crowding the already tiny hospital room.
Guo Zhi lay motionless on the bed with a cast on his leg, while Yan Zhiyang and the others sat beside him with lowered heads, slap marks left by their parents still visible on their faces. Their attitudes radiated passive resistance.
Homeroom teacher Old Mo’s eyes were red with anxiety. He truly couldn’t understand it. The class atmosphere and discipline had visibly improved recently—so why had the kids suddenly done something like this?
They no longer shouted during lessons. No longer fought. No longer deliberately opposed the school. Teachers from every subject thought they had finally turned over a new leaf. And then—bam! Turns out they’d just been secretly preparing an ultimate move all along!
“Drop out? Do you even understand what dropping out means?!” Old Mo shouted until his voice turned hoarse. “You’re only in eleventh grade! If you quit school now, are you really treating your futures like they mean nothing?!”
Yan Zhiyang muttered quietly, “Even if we don’t drop out, with our grades now, we still won’t get into a good university anyway.”
The teachers and school staff in the room found themselves unable to refute him. The grades of these bottom-ranking students in Class 9 truly were abysmal. Taking Yan Zhiyang as an example, at his current academic level, his college entrance exam score probably wouldn’t even meet the threshold for a vocational college.
But were they supposed to just watch these kids ruin their futures?
Even Principal Sun had a headache over this. Massaging his forehead, he said, “You’re only in eleventh grade. There’s still plenty of time ahead. If your grades are bad, can’t you work harder and improve them?”
Even he felt his own words lacked conviction. If getting a group of students who hated studying to suddenly become hardworking were really that easy, a failing class like Class 9 would never have existed in the first place.
Sure enough, none of the boys were moved.
Painful helplessness appeared on the teachers’ faces. As adults who had been through it before, they knew kids this age would never listen to heartfelt lectures from grown-ups. Yet they also didn’t know how to stop them. The female English teacher even burst into tears. “You’re destroying yourselves!”
Remembering the hopeful look in her eyes when she had patiently written English names into his workbook, Yan Zhiyang felt too ashamed to face her directly. He could only comfort her softly. “Teacher, if we keep studying, we’re just wasting our families’ money anyway. Better to start supporting ourselves early.”
Before his sentence even finished, a striking figure suddenly swept into view like a gust of wind.
The newcomer arrived fast, carrying an impossible-to-ignore aura. The violence and sharpness surrounding her brows and eyes were almost tangible. Before anyone could react, she had already stormed furiously toward the hospital bed—
“AOOOW—!”
A series of loud smacking noises erupted alongside the boys’ miserable howls. Yan Zhiyang took the brunt of it first. Covering his head, he scrambled frantically to dodge. “Who the hell are y—”
Qiao Nan swung his arm viciously, eyes blazing with murderous intent. “Who am I? I’m your damn father!”
Shrouded by the familiar oppressive aura, Yan Zhiyang didn’t even have time to get angry before recognizing that terrifyingly beautiful face—
Holy shit!
The boys collapsed to the floor in fright one after another. Wasn’t this Brother Nan’s girlfriend?!
The heroic image of her smashing people with a steel pipe remained deeply carved into their minds to this day. In some ways, she was even scarier than Brother Nan himself. Forget resisting—they were so scared they nearly pissed themselves. They could only huddle together trembling, hoping to draw strength from the collective suffering of their fellow criminals.
The school administrators were also startled by the sudden appearance of this ferocious girl. They stared blankly at the violent scene for several seconds before finally snapping back to reality and preparing to intervene.
At that moment, a tall, handsome young man stepped into the room through the commotion outside the doorway. The instant he appeared, the little animals curled together on the floor all wilted. Some even began whimpering pitifully.
“Bro-Brother Nan!”
Who had tipped Brother Nan off?!
Was this going to become a mixed-gender double beating?!
Mu Xiangxiang swept them with a calm glance, thinking to herself, What nonsense are you yelling? Your Brother Nan is the one beating you right now. Then, turning around and discovering all the school administrators staring at her, she immediately straightened her attitude.
Respecting teachers and elders was a traditional virtue. She was just a student—how could she let the teachers stand there to welcome her? So she hurriedly raised a hand politely. “Teachers, please sit first—”
BAM BAM BAM BAM—
W-What was happening?!
Principal Sun, who had also intended to stop the fight, received several bewildered looks from the people beside him. He slumped weakly back into his chair for a moment before deciding it was better to remain silent for now.
Thus, they once again helplessly watched several more minutes of Young Beautiful Girl Beats Hospital Patient.avi.
By the time Qiao Nan grew tired, no more howls could be heard in the room. Only helpless puppy-like whimpering remained. Yan Zhiyang and the others curled up holding their heads with tearful eyes. The only comforting thing was that the imagined mixed double-beating had never arrived.
But even a solo beating was fucking terrifying!
Where exactly had Brother Nan found this girlfriend?! Why did she beat people exactly the same way he did?! Every slap felt like getting hit by a truck!
Qiao Nan rolled up his sleeves, brushed back his sweat-damp bangs, and stood over them condescendingly, glaring down at the troublesome idiots beneath him. “Dropping out, huh? Come on then. Someone tell me—are you still dropping out or not?”
This wasn’t the first time Yan Zhiyang and the others had shouted about quitting school. Of course, before this, it had only ever been private complaints. Usually one good beating solved the issue. So Qiao Nan assumed this time would end similarly.
Unexpectedly, the next second, a stubborn crying voice rang out in the room—“I-I’m still dropping out—”
Qiao Nan’s gaze sharpened instantly. He glared furiously toward the speaker, fists tightening as he prepared to strike again— Only to hear Mu Xiangxiang’s calm voice beside him: “Stop hitting them.”
Qiao Nan turned toward her, silently signaling that she didn’t need to involve herself in this mess.
But Mu Xiangxiang shook her head. Listening to the angry curses outside the door gradually weaken from vigorous shouting into exhausted, broken muttering, she could practically picture that middle-aged man’s weary figure after screaming himself hoarse. The way she looked at Yan Zhiyang and the others differed completely from everyone else in the room. There was disdain in her gaze. Mockery mixed with disappointment.
She had grown up watching her parents struggle. Ever since she could remember, she had known she needed to lighten the burden on her family as much as possible. When she lacked the ability to earn money, she helped wash clothes and cook meals. After growing older, she chased scholarships through various competitions. She had never thought herself pitiful or hardworking. To her, those were simply things she naturally ought to do. Yet after meeting the people before her, she finally realized that not all children in the world thought that way.
Mu Xiangxiang felt sad. These were clearly kind, loyal people. Just recalling them brought warmth to her heart. So why couldn’t they spare even one ten-thousandth of the care they showed friends toward understanding their own families?
She thought of her younger brother, who also constantly argued with their parents. Her chest tightened painfully. Lowering her eyes, she spoke in a calm voice: “So you’ve really decided to drop out?”
Yan Zhiyang sensed hope in her emotionless tone. His eyes lit up instantly. “Brother Nan! Will you support us?”
Mu Xiangxiang laughed softly. Then she suddenly turned toward the hospital bed. “Guo Zhi, how much money did you take from your dad?”
She said “take,” but it was practically theft. Guo Zhi hesitated awkwardly but didn’t dare refuse to answer. “Two thousand…”
Two thousand. And outside, that man was still wearing old Liberation shoes.
Mu Xiangxiang asked again: “How long were you planning to make that money last?”
“Huh?” Guo Zhi froze, then looked toward the boys on the floor. It became obvious none of them had actually thought about it. “Uh… never really considered it. But we only get a hundred yuan a week for allowance now, so two thousand should probably last a pretty long time.”
At first, the school administrators had looked confused by Mu Xiangxiang’s questions. But upon hearing this answer, several immediately realized where she was going with it and began exchanging looks.
Mu Xiangxiang continued: “What about work? Have you thought about what jobs you’ll do?”
The boys clearly hadn’t expected such realistic questions coming from Brother Nan, who always seemed so wealthy and detached from ordinary life. One after another, they scratched their heads. “No idea—”
“Don’t know—”
“We figured we could probably find something if we looked casually—”
Only then did Mu Xiangxiang finally reveal a faint smile. “I believe in you all. And I support your decision.”
The sudden happiness hit Guo Zhi and the others like a meteor. Their faces lit up with joy so bright they almost glowed. “BROTHER NAN!!!”
Qiao Nan frowned and looked at Mu Xiangxiang in confusion. Then he heard her continue in that calm, methodical voice: “But dropping out is a major life decision. I think you should at least make some preparations first. You should save up more money first, right?”
Yan Zhiyang and the others already looked close to tears from gratitude. “Yes, yes!” “That makes sense—”
“Let me give you an idea,” Mu Xiangxiang said. “It’s only March right now. The weather’s still too cold. If you really want to leave, why not wait until April or May when it’s warmer? During these one or two months in between, you can first try adapting to working life and save up some money.”
The boys froze for a moment, exchanging glances. The more they thought about it, the more reasonable their boss’s suggestion sounded.
Seeing them wavering, Mu Xiangxiang added calmly: “Oh right. While you’re at it, you can also move out from home first. Let the people who think you can’t survive independently see what you’re capable of.”
The boys instantly became fired up, shouting excitedly: “Right! Right!”
“Long live Brother Nan!!!”
Mu Xiangxiang twitched the corner of her mouth, then turned toward Principal Sun, who had been staring at her the whole time. Her expression became a little more respectful. “What do you think? Can the school make an exception?”
Principal Sun: “……”
He looked complicatedly at the nervous children staring back at him, coughed once, and for a moment couldn’t decide whether he felt relieved or miserable. Then he looked back at the polite young person before him, who had quietly dug a massive pit without anyone noticing, and unexpectedly felt a trace of retreat. “If… the parents are willing to cooperate,” he said slowly, “then of course the school can accommodate it.”
The boys who had just been beaten immediately erupted into New-Year-level cheering. Principal Sun felt even more pity. With IQs like these, they still wanted to drop out…
The moment they stepped outside, they’d probably get trafficked and sold off. And after being sold, they’d probably still help the traffickers count the money.
*****
Yan Zhiyang felt that Brother Nan was simply too incredible. Practically omnipotent. He had actually dealt with those difficult school administrators so easily.
And even better things came afterward— The school contacted all their parents. No one knew what had been said in between, but the families—who had originally reacted violently against the idea of them dropping out—had unexpectedly chosen compromise. Aside from looking at them with unusually strange expressions, nobody tried to stop them anymore.
Their families agreed to let them move out. Agreed to let them live independently. Agreed to let them temporarily stop attending school!
The school had even agreed to use its connections to help them find jobs during the first period after moving out. This was simply…
Long live!
Long live!
Long live No. 12 High School!!
Long live Brother Nan!!!
Amid the celebration, the real Brother Nan’s face was dark as water. He watched helplessly as Mu Xiangxiang finalized every detail with the school, leaving absolutely no room for reversal. That Principal Sun had even pulled out his phone on the spot and arranged part-time work for Yan Zhiyang and the others that they could start immediately, under the noble excuse of “helping them save more money for their upcoming independent lives.”
The excited state Yan Zhiyang and the others were in because they thought they were successfully dropping out was absolutely not something Qiao Nan wanted to see!
He worried about his brothers’ futures, and he understood Mu Xiangxiang’s actions even less. “What exactly are you thinking…”
At that moment, they had already followed the crowd to a large shopping mall near the hospital. The jobs Principal Sun arranged were here. Aside from Yan Zhiyang and the others, nearly all of Class 9 had also arrived. Most students in Class 9 had little enthusiasm for studying. Compared to boring schoolwork, they were far more interested in the unknown adult world. Even Guo Zhi, whose leg was now in a cast, stubbornly came along despite his injuries.
The mall managers were overjoyed seeing such a large group of energetic youths arrive. They immediately dragged over several coworkers to distribute uniforms to the students— A pile of bulky mascot costumes with oversized heads.
The surrounding students had already gone wild with excitement. Hugging mascot heads while taking selfies and fooling around, they looked ridiculously enthusiastic. Mu Xiangxiang coldly observed the cheerful chaos around her before lowering her head to the enormous mascot head she could barely hold with both hands.
Instead of answering Qiao Nan’s question, she suddenly asked: “Qiao Nan, have you ever lived independently before?”
Qiao Nan froze. How could he not have? Although he didn’t know why his father and brother had recently stopped leaving, in the past the Qiao house had usually only contained him for most of the year.
He had just opened his mouth to answer when Mu Xiangxiang added: “I don’t mean living alone. I mean being completely independent both financially and emotionally. Earning your own money. Paying your own rent.”
Qiao Nan fell silent. That… he definitely had never done.
Mu Xiangxiang had guessed as much. Smiling faintly, she said: “Then try earning money for yourself today. After that, you’ll understand.”
Qiao Nan listened in confusion, lowering his head to frown at the giant rabbit mascot head in his hands.
Mu Xiangxiang sighed softly. She felt that everyone present—including Qiao Nan—was truly fortunate.
Regardless of whether their families were rich or poor, none of them had ever experienced the crushing pressure of survival. Even Guo Zhi’s poor family still gave him a hundred yuan a week in allowance, despite his father wearing old Liberation shoes.
Kids their age were still stuck in the beginner stage of life where they complained about “studying being hard.”
But compared to supporting a family, what hardship was there in studying?
Mu Xiangxiang remembered that in elementary school, she too had once worried about endless homework and test papers. But after entering middle school and realizing she could win prize money to help support her family, when she looked back on those years where all she needed to do was “study,” her only feeling was— It had been too easy.
People who had never truly carried the burden of making a living would never understand how much bitterness was hidden inside the words “independent living.”
Yan Zhiyang was especially smug. He chose a gigantic octopus costume and, after putting it on, ran around cheering and high-fiving his brothers in celebration.
Qiao Nan, dressed as a rabbit, stood there looking absurdly comical. Mu Xiangxiang withdrew her gaze from him. Since she had nothing else to do and could earn some extra part-time money anyway, she picked a panda costume for herself.
Not long after, the managers came in to register their information. After giving them a lecture, they led the group of mostly first-time part-time workers outside.
One hundred yuan a day one hundred yuan a day one hundred yuan a day—
Under the envious gaze of wheelchair-bound Guo Zhi, Yan Zhiyang ran excitedly ahead, convinced that from today onward, the beautiful future of self-reliance was already hanging before him, just waiting to be plucked.
No more being shackled by the school’s insane schedule. No more teachers and administrators controlling every aspect of life. No more looking at books filled with incomprehensible gibberish. No more piles of annoying homework after class.
Long live independence!!!
Before being assigned to different areas, the boys high-fived passionately, full of fighting spirit. Then they rolled up their sleeves enthusiastically—
Half an hour later.
They realized something seemed… wrong.
Apparently, it was some kind of mall event day, because after evening fell the crowd became enormous. Winter heating was also blasting at full power. Assigned to a certain section, Mu Xiangxiang had barely worked for a while before she started feeling unbearably hot.
But since they had already registered, quitting halfway would definitely earn them a scolding. Having worked summer jobs before, Mu Xiangxiang knew workplace rules fairly well. Bosses at work didn’t stop at “gentle reminders” the way teachers and parents did.
Still, it was just too hot. The costume and mascot head were both heavy. Walking around in them felt like wearing a thick suit of armor.
Her body still had strength left, but the stuffiness was unbearable. Finding an opportunity, she quietly slipped into a corner to rest for a bit.
But the moment she reached the turn in the hallway, the weight on her shoulders suddenly vanished, and her vision opened up.
Turning around, she saw Qiao Nan standing there, having also removed his mascot head. His cheeks were flushed bright red from the heat.
Qiao Nan tossed her mascot head aside as well, fanning himself irritably. Every inch of him radiated impatience. “Fuck, why is it so damn hot?!”
Sweat slid down from the corner of his forehead. Mu Xiangxiang casually wiped her own away.
Seeing him so thoroughly troubled, she couldn’t help wanting to laugh a little. “Have you seen Yan Zhiyang and the others?” she asked. “I remember they were assigned to the same area as you.”
Qiao Nan let out a cold snort, his expression full of mockery. “Those idiots scared six kids into crying within ten minutes of starting work. They slacked off, screwed up nonstop, and already got dragged away for a third round of scolding.”
Mu Xiangxiang thought, As expected. Just from everyday interactions, she could already tell what kind of personalities Yan Zhiyang and the others had. Anyone who could get along with Qiao Nan was bound to be at least somewhat impulsive and free-spirited. They couldn’t even stand being controlled over hairstyles and uniforms at school, let alone the workplace.
And this was only the beginning. Later, there would still be rent, transportation, daily expenses, and endless other problems waiting for them. When that time came, would they still long so firmly for life outside school?
Mu Xiangxiang checked the time and realized several minutes had already passed. Worried they’d get caught slacking off, she quickly bent down to pick up the mascot head.
Qiao Nan, who had already taken off his costume and was sitting against the wall, looked up at her. “What are you doing?”
“We already signed in,” Mu Xiangxiang replied. “If I don’t go back soon and get caught, I’ll get scolded too. They might even dock my pay.”
Pay… One hundred yuan… The hell kind of “salary” was that…
Watching how practiced she looked, Qiao Nan suddenly asked: “Did you do this kind of work a lot before?”
“Hm?” Mu Xiangxiang blinked at the question. “Not that much. During middle school I’d work during winter and summer breaks sometimes. I also handed out flyers occasionally. Nowadays for part-time jobs I usually do translation work instead. The pay’s better.”
Middle school… Wasn’t that still underage?
Qiao Nan propped his chin in one hand and watched her. She bent down, dusted off the mascot head, and without hesitation prepared to put it back on. Sweat streamed down from her temples in lines.
Suddenly, he pushed himself upright and blocked her hand.
Mu Xiangxiang looked at him in confusion. “What?”
Keeping one hand in his pocket and the other gripping the mascot head, Qiao Nan answered flatly: “Take the costume off.”
Mu Xiangxiang: “Huh?”
“Tch.” Qiao Nan frowned. He simply pulled the other hand out of his pocket too, lifted the mascot head away from her, and put it onto himself instead.
Mu Xiangxiang froze for a moment, about to stop him, when the panda’s half-round black-and-white eyes glared at her fiercely. From inside the panda head came Qiao Nan’s impatient voice: “Hurry up. I’m not saying it a third time.”
“But…” Mu Xiangxiang rubbed her ear unconsciously under his stare. “…don’t you already have your own costume?”
Qiao Nan replied: “Why do you care so much?”
Mu Xiangxiang fell silent for a moment and bit her lip. “Actually, I’m really fine. The mascot head isn’t that heavy. Your body’s pretty strong…”
The panda head shook once. Mu Xiangxiang felt like Qiao Nan had probably rolled his eyes inside it. Mr. I never repeat myself three times completely ignored her explanation. He simply moved behind her, reached out, and yanked the zipper on the mascot suit all the way down.
Qiao Nan tugged at the fabric, signaling for her to hurry up and take it off, while giving a mocking laugh.v“You do realize this is my body, right? Could you maybe treat it a little better?”
The moment the mascot suit came completely off and cool air surrounded her body again, it felt like coming back to life. Mu Xiangxiang glanced sideways at the guy beside her who was pulling on the panda costume while cursing under his breath, and unconsciously lowered her head to scratch behind her ear.
When they walked back out together—Qiao Nan now inside the panda suit—they happened to run into several giant octopuses charging wildly toward them. Yan Zhiyang spotted him from afar and immediately started yelling: “Brother Nan! Brother Nan!”
Then he rushed over crying dramatically: “It’s so damn hot! The costume’s hot and heavy and they won’t even let us take it off! I just sat down for a second to rest and they immediately came over to yell at me! And they cursed so fucking harshly and docked twenty yuan from my pay! This job is fucking inhuman! I wanna sit in an office with air-conditioning instead, QAQ!”
Mu Xiangxiang answered calmly: “Management positions require at least a bachelor’s degree—”
Yan Zhiyang and the others fell silent for a moment, visibly deflated. Then suddenly they noticed something. “Huh? Brother Nan, I remember the panda costume was supposed to be worn by sis-in-law?”
Mu Xiangxiang: “……”
The octopus boys all stared at the panda. “Holy shit, Brother Nan, you’re so sneaky! You actually got someone else to do your work for you!”
Suddenly an extremely vicious female voice burst from inside the panda head: “So do any of you have a problem with that?”
“!!!!”
The octopus mascots practically materialized symbols of terror above their heads. They collectively retreated three huge steps before fleeing in panic.
Qiao Nan snorted. “Idiots.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Mu Xiangxiang watched that figure—wearing an enormous mascot head yet somehow still walking with ridiculous swagger. She lowered her head to stare at her toes. No… wait. Those were his toes too.
Suddenly her ears started heating up.
The octopus boys, having fled into the distance, clutched their chests in lingering fear. “My god!” Yan Zhiyang said shakily. “Brother Nan’s girlfriend is terrifying!”
“But I never expected her to be so fierce and spoil Brother Nan that much,” one of the guys said enviously. “Pretty, hot, good figure, spicy personality, and considerate too. Why don’t I have a perfect girlfriend like that?”
Another guy protested indignantly: “Brother Nan’s way too much! It’s one thing not to treasure such an amazing girlfriend, but he even made her wear the mascot suit for him!”
“Exactly!”
“Exactly!”
By eleven at night, when work finally ended, the boys and girls of Class 9 all looked utterly drained. The backstage area no longer contained the cheerful laughter from when they first arrived.
Even after receiving their pay, barely anyone looked happy. “So?” the supervisor asked with a smile. “Tomorrow’s the mall anniversary event too. You guys coming back?”
The entire group immediately shook their heads at rapid-fire speed. “No no no no no!”
Compared to running around suffocating inside heavy mascot costumes, they’d rather wake up early and go study in classrooms. Except for…
A few particularly special people…
Someone poked them. “Hey, aren’t you guys supposed to start looking for apartments tomorrow?”
Yan Zhiyang and his little gang were sprawled on the floor in exhaustion. Holding the day’s wages—already reduced by twenty yuan—he sat there drenched in sweat, eyes vacant. At those words, his mind went blank.
Right. They had proudly declared they’d move out from home within a week.
But after only a few hours…Why did everything suddenly feel very ominous?
*****
Mu Xiangxiang waited outside. The fountain in the shopping plaza sparkled brilliantly beneath the night lights. She absentmindedly watched it until, after quite a while, the familiar figure finally entered her peripheral vision.
Because Qiao Nan had abandoned his mascot costume midway through work—a particularly outrageous offense—he’d been detained afterward for an extra lecture. He’d spent the entire time trading sarcastic remarks with the supervisor and was now irritably raking his fingers through his hair as he walked.
Then he spotted the figure waiting outside the mall entrance.
His eyebrows lifted slightly as he strolled over lazily. “Why haven’t you left yet?”
Mu Xiangxiang met his gaze briefly before quickly looking away again. She pulled a bill from her pocket and handed it to him. “Here. Today’s wages.”
Since the panda costume had been registered under her name, the money had ultimately been paid to her.
Qiao Nan stared at the red banknote, his gaze shifting slightly. He pulled a hand from his pocket, pinched the bill between two fingers, raised it overhead, and examined it beneath the lights. The paper’s texture showed clearly through the glow.
One hundred yuan…
Damn it. Working so hard all night for this tiny amount of money.
But it was the first money he’d ever earned with his own hands. And honestly… The feeling was strangely wonderful.
Qiao Nan smiled faintly and folded the bill carefully.
Watching him, Mu Xiangxiang said softly: “You were the one doing the mascot work tonight. This money belongs to you.”
Qiao Nan lifted the corner of his eyes to glance at her, a half-smile playing across his face. Then suddenly he raised his hand and stuffed the folded bill—now narrowed to the width of two fingers—into the pocket of her jacket.
Mu Xiangxiang froze.
Then she heard him say frivolously: “Go spend it.”
His tone was as domineering as some filthy rich tycoon shoving a black card at his mistress.
Author’s Note:
Mu Xiangxiang stared at the one hundred yuan: “……”
Random passerby who witnessed the entire sugar-daddy scene outside the mall late at night: “Holy shit, this works too?!”
Yan Zhiyang and the gang: “Brother Nan’s unbelievable!” “He’s not considerate at all!” “He made his girlfriend wear the mascot costume while he slacked off!” “And then he made his girlfriend give him money to spend!”
Qiao Nan, dead-eyed: “…mmp.”
PS: Shi Jiajun’s side won’t mess things up. Brother Nan will discover the truth himself—this is part of his growth.
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