18. On: The Relationship Between Raising a Cat and Having a Girlfriend

As soon as Li An walked into the office, Xu Hongxin called out to him. Chen Xuan and Ma Tao both turned their gaze as well, watching intently. The three of them had already placed a bet in the office.

Ma Tao wagered that Li An wouldn’t go, Xu Hongxin bet that he would, and Chen Xuan played the judge. If Li An went, Ma Tao would treat Xu Hongxin to a week of steamed buns. If Li An didn’t, Xu Hongxin would buy Ma Tao a week’s worth of pancakes.

“Sorry, everyone. I can’t make it today—I’ve got work tonight,” Li An replied crisply, refusing without a trace of hesitation. Since he was certain he couldn’t go, there was no point in dragging it out.

Though he said it so plainly, he still felt a pang of guilt. Ever since he’d joined, every time the office planned a gathering, it coincided with his evening side job. So the four of them had never truly managed to arrange a proper get-together.

Seeing Li An’s firm response, none of them pressed further. Although they were disappointed, work came first—everyone understood. It’s the same for anyone.

“We’ll leave it for another time, then,” Xu Hongxin conceded, accepting his loss without complaint. Ma Tao’s victory felt hollow.

“No, let’s not just put it off,” Li An calculated the days. “We’ve all been so busy lately—it’s about time we unwind a little.”

“How about this—tonight I won’t join, but you three go ahead. Then next Thursday or Saturday evening, I’ll host. If those dates don’t work, we can push it to the week after.”

Xu Hongxin loved hearing Li An take charge and perked up immediately. “An, we already agreed—the first office outing is going to be split evenly.”

He glanced at Chen Xuan. “Xuan, shall we just follow An’s lead and wait until next week?”

Ma Tao looked at Chen Xuan as well. For a moment, she was the center of attention.

Chen Xuan glanced at Li An, teasing, “The boss has spoken.”

That settled it—they’d wait until next week.

At that moment, Xu Hongxin flicked something from Ma Tao’s desk that landed on the floor. “Thursday or Saturday works for me.”

“I’m good either day. What about you two?”

Chen Xuan replied, “I’m fine with both.”

Ma Tao agreed, “Me too.”

Li An picked up the thread, “Let’s tentatively set it for Saturday.”

Xu Hongxin slapped his hand down, “We’ll do as An says—but let’s make it clear, no bringing partners.”

“Get lost,” Ma Tao retorted, tossing a water bottle at him. “Who else in the office has a partner besides you?”

---

Xu Hongxin dodged and shot back, “What’s it got to do with you two, you’ve been single since birth.”

Feeling as though he’d been shot straight through the heart, Ma Tao’s energy drained instantly. But then he realized he actually didn’t know if Li An or Chen Xuan had partners—neither had ever mentioned it.

“An… you don’t have a partner, do you?” Ma Tao asked uncertainly.

“Can barely afford a cat, let alone date anyone,” Li An said simply, making the guys burst out laughing. Amid their laughter, the question circled back to Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan was still mulling over Li An’s answer. She wondered, does being unable to afford a kitten mean you can’t date? What kind of logic was that?

Before she could reply, the office door swung open. Lin Pengfei swaggered in, stomach protruding. Since hearing Qin Yong’s lecture, he felt he’d gained at least twenty pounds.

“What’s everyone laughing about? Let me in on the joke!”

He glanced toward Li An and Chen Xuan’s desks. Honestly, he envied Li An—he got to look at a beautiful woman every day, while Lin himself only had middle-aged ladies for company.

But Lin Pengfei seemed unaware of his innate power: wherever he went, he could bring instant silence. Like now—the atmosphere shifted, and the office fell quiet.

So Chen Xuan swallowed her words, feeling an odd sense of… something she couldn’t quite describe.

Xu Hongxin quickly smiled, “What’s got you so happy, Pengfei? Come on, tell us!”

Lin Pengfei, pleased, decided to keep a low profile for once. “Oh, nothing. Principal Qin just finished listening to my class and chatted with me for a bit. You guys carry on, don’t mind me.”

Xu Hongxin arched an eyebrow. “We’re planning an outing. Pengfei, are you free tonight? Want to join us?”

Hearing “us,” Lin Pengfei’s heart soared. He’d wanted to get closer to Chen Xuan for ages; since she started, he’d spoken maybe five times to her. Not that he had any ulterior motives—who wouldn’t want to befriend a pretty teacher?

Here was his chance.

Feigning indecision, Lin Pengfei didn’t say he was available. Instead, he replied, “I have a tutoring session tonight, but I can cancel it.”

Saying it like that gave a different impression, didn’t it?

Xu Hongxin scoffed inwardly. He knew Lin Pengfei well—his “tutoring session” was probably real, but most likely the student had already canceled.

He protested, “That’s not right, don’t let us make you lose money.”

Lin Pengfei waved it off. “No worries. After a full day teaching, I’m tired anyway. One session more or less doesn’t matter.”

He played it up, and Xu Hongxin nodded, “Alright, we’ll head out after work.”

Lin Pengfei asked, “Where to?”

---

Three seconds passed.

“Foot massage,” Xu Hongxin said, giving an unmistakable look. “Just you, me, and Ma Tao.”

Li An: ~

Chen Xuan: …

Ma Tao: -_-||

Lin Pengfei: ?

Foot massage?

Just those two?

Lin Pengfei’s interest vanished instantly. He thought, am I crazy to spend a weekend hanging out with these two for a foot massage?

He regretted not clarifying sooner.

He’d hoped to seem easygoing in front of Chen Xuan, but now he’d boxed himself in.

Having spoken, he could only force himself to agree, “Alright.”

Ma Tao couldn’t stand awkwardness; seeing Lin Pengfei uncomfortable made him feel even worse. Although he didn’t appreciate Pengfei’s grandstanding, he gave him an out—it was just a joke, after all. If they really made him skip a tutoring session, it would be different.

Ma Tao was a good guy.

“Since you’re going with him, I’ll skip—I already have other plans tonight.”

Hearing this, Lin Pengfei immediately grasped the lifeline, feigning regret, “Two people isn’t much fun. If Tao’s busy, maybe we should call it off for today.”

He quickly added, “Next time, I’ll host. All five of us will go—An and Xuan included.”

He glanced at Li An and Chen Xuan, but Chen Xuan was absorbed in her phone and didn’t look up.

He had no idea that when Chen Xuan heard her name, the phone screen blurred before her eyes.

Her arm seemed to go numb in layers…

Why were there people so shameless? Compared to the other three, even Ma Tao seemed forty pounds lighter in her mind.

Xu Hongxin chimed in, “If Pengfei’s treating, I have to go.”

Lin Pengfei grinned, “Of course, you all must come. Oh, it’s time—I have to go, got to visit my second aunt.”

Tutoring at his aunt’s house?

Watching Lin Pengfei leave, Li An thought, this guy really is something…

That saying needs to be turned on its head… what was it again about pitiful people…