Why bother with dating when you already have a cat?

"After all, if you're not a couple, you usually wouldn't deliberately go up the hillside. Nobody has that much free time."

"Well, here we are," Xiaoyu chuckled. "So, does that mean my brother and I are lovers too?"

"Obviously not." Ai Qing rolled her eyes at her. "I just brought you here to broaden your horizons. Don't let your imagination run wild."

"I'm not just thinking nonsense," Little Fish pouted and said. "I'm just making reasonable inferences based on the information my brother gave me."

"Where did you learn to talk like that?"

"I learned it from my older brother."

Never mind, I didn't ask.

……

These are the only places you can visit around the school.

Although Ai Qing also really wanted to take Xiao Yu to the swimming pool.

However, Xiaoyu doesn't have a student card, so she can't enter the swimming pool without swiping her card.

Secondly, neither of them wore a swimsuit.

Moreover, Ai Qing also thought of something very fatal.

What happens to the little fish's cat ears and tail if it goes swimming in a public swimming pool?

At least you can cover the cat ears with a swimming cap.

This cat's tail is going to be a problem.

If we don't find a way to solve this problem, the little fish won't be able to go to public swimming areas.

But Ai Qing isn't exactly rich; she can't afford to rent out an entire swimming pool just for the little fish.

If Xiaoyu is interested, he could find a swimming center for cats...

But Ai Qing really wanted to see Xiao Yu in a swimsuit...

Troublesome.

After leaving the west gate of the school, Ai Qing checked the time and took a taxi with Xiao Yu to Baolong Plaza in the south.

Because she needed to allow time to get home, and since it wasn't dinner time yet, Ai Qing didn't specifically look for a restaurant. Instead, she took Xiao Yu for a stroll through the local food street.

I bought some snacks to try.

After a short stroll, I took the subway home.

……

It has to be said that Ai Qing did not expect that the Hangzhou subway would be so crowded even at just past 4 p.m.

The journey from Wenhai South Road to the passenger transport center was alright, except there were no seats available.

However, when we arrived at the passenger transport center and got off the subway to transfer, the platform was instantly flooded with huge crowds.

Ai Qing held Xiao Yu's hand tightly as they squeezed into the subway with the crowd. Although it wasn't as crowded as rush hour, it was still packed with people.

Xiao Yu was held protectively in Ai Qing's arms.

Although Ai Qing wanted to keep a little distance, Xiao Yu didn't mind and nestled into Ai Qing's arms without any hesitation.

So Ai Qing could only wrap one arm around Xiao Yu's waist and hold the handrail above her head firmly with the other.

When we finally arrived at Linping Station, where Yintai City is located, the number of people on the subway suddenly disappeared like water.

There were even extra empty seats available.

"call……"

Ai Qing pulled Xiao Yu down to sit, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

On the contrary, Xiaoyu was a little disappointed, thinking that everyone had left so quickly.

She wanted to hold him a little longer.

“That’s how subways are in big cities.” Ai Qing said, not forgetting to tell Xiao Yu about the situation since there were still two stops to go home. “Especially the routes related to commuting and tourist attractions during peak season, they are basically always packed.”

"Fortunately, it wasn't rush hour yet, otherwise it would have been a real swarm of people, packed like pancakes."

"That's why I work so hard to write novels and don't want to actually go to work."

"If I were to actually find a job somewhere in Hangzhou and have to commute by subway every day, it would be such a chore."

Of course... if he had followed his mother's arrangements and gone to work at her company, there wouldn't have been so many problems.

"It's more comfortable to work from home," Xiaoyu sighed.

Although she quite liked being squeezed into Ai Qing's arms, it would be exhausting to squeeze onto the subway like this every day.

"Everyone seems to be working so hard," Xiaoyu couldn't help but say. "Then why not find a place to live closer to your workplace?"

"If you say that out loud, people will scold you." Ai Qing gently tapped her head and said with a laugh, "Look at our family, under normal circumstances, the rent is about four or five thousand a month."

"And this price is enough to find a relatively comfortable single or two-bedroom apartment in the main urban area of ​​Hangzhou."

"The average person's salary cannot afford such high rent. Most people can only afford around one or two thousand."

"And some companies' offices are located in prime locations where land is extremely valuable, and the surrounding rents are not cheap at all."

"If you only earn five or six thousand a month, and you have to rent a place near the company, paying two or three thousand a month in rent, and then deducting living expenses, you might not have much money left."

Whenever Ai Qing thinks about this, she feels somewhat fortunate.

Writing online novels is indeed an industry that relies heavily on luck, and different genres have their own life cycles.

You never know when you might fall from a great height and be unable to get back up for a long time.

The advantage is that while it offers job freedom, it also provides substantial rewards once one's achievements stand out.

Everything depends on performance and the number of updates.

Based on performance, the more you work, the more you earn, with no upper limit.

Compared to wage earners who receive a fixed salary, online writers are on a rollercoaster ride.

There is no fixed salary; payment for writing depends entirely on one's own ability.

Xiaoyu had been staying at home all along and thought that everyone's job was like Aiqing's.

My first impression of "work" is quite different from that of ordinary people.

Now, after listening to Ai Qing's words, I have come to realize that everyone has their own difficulties in surviving in this world.

However, this is only relatively difficult given the stable domestic environment.

What the little fish doesn't yet know is that there are still war-torn places in this world, and those are the truly difficult places.

……

The subway arrived at the station, and the two of them made it home smoothly.

Because I hugged Ai Qing for a long time on the subway, I absorbed a lot of warmth.

Little Fish had originally calculated that she should turn back into a cat around this time, but it seems she can hold on for a while longer.

Since that's the case, Xiaoyu simply took out her phone, ordered some ingredients to be delivered, and planned to cook dinner for Aiqing.

"So, after you finish your thesis defense at school today, does that mean you've graduated?" Xiaoyu asked Aiqing after ordering her food.

"More or less, I can pick up my graduation certificate in June." Ai Qing nodded and said, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Xiaoyu shook her head, then said, "I was just wondering when Xiaoyu will be considered to have graduated?"

"You're not studying here, so what kind of graduation is this?" Ai Qing chuckled. "We need to keep learning throughout our lives to keep improving."

"Huh?" Xiaoyu tilted her head and asked quickly, "But didn't my brother graduate from elementary school, middle school, high school, and university little by little?"

"What level of learning is considered graduation level for the little fish?"

“That’s not easy,” Ai Qing said with a smile and a shake of her head. “Why are you worrying about that? Not everyone goes to high school or college.”

"Our country has a nine-year compulsory education system. Only primary and junior high school are compulsory. The rest is considered higher education. Only students who stand out in the education examinations are qualified to continue their studies."

"You don't need to think so much. A junior high school level of knowledge is enough for daily life."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyu asked curiously, "So, what grade am I at now?"

"Um..." When asked this question, Ai Qing was a little at a loss for words. "Your Chinese textbook is for fourth grade, but your math textbook is for second grade. You haven't studied other subjects systematically either, so I really can't judge."

"But it's still quite a distance from junior high school."

"Xiaoyu, keep up the good work. Learning is not something that can be done overnight; you have to be prepared for the long term."

"Sigh..." Xiaoyu sighed upon hearing this.

"What's wrong?" Ai Qing asked, puzzled, when she saw her sighing and still agonizing over whether or not to graduate.

"Oh dear..." Xiaoyu complained, then said, "Didn't my brother say that parents don't really allow students to date before they go to college?"

"When will Xiaoyu graduate? Will she be able to start dating her brother then?"

"Is it because my brother is still in elementary school that he won't date me?"

Ai Qing: "...You're overthinking things. I just don't want to be in a relationship."

"Why?" Xiaoyu leaned closer to Aiqing and asked earnestly, "Can't even Xiaoyu do it?"

Chapter 129 My stingy older brother

Even small fish aren't allowed?

Is that not allowed?

Of course not... um...

Ai Qing had fantasized about this possibility that only existed in novels.

But when Ai Qing thought about how Xiao Yu used to be a kitten, and how she raised her with her grandma and mom, changing her poop and pee, she felt something was off.

And the most crucial point is that when the little fish turned into a human, its level of thinking remained at the primitive state of a cat.

It was through Ai Qing's guidance and teaching, along with the energy that Xiao Yu absorbed from him, that she gradually became what she is today.

At least to some extent, Xiaoyu has truly grown up and is no longer just a cat with a human appearance.