Chapter 21: The Alt Account

Perhaps it was because her conversation with Meng Shao had unburdened her, but Jiang Ying enjoyed a rare, restful night’s sleep.

Well-rested and in high spirits, she rose early, joined Zhou Anning for a delicious plate of steamed buns at a small canteen near the dorms, and then took a leisurely stroll to the underground café in the No. 5 Teaching Building for coffee.

Based on past experience, it would take about ten days for the results of the direct-to-doctorate program interviews to be released. Since the school had also announced yesterday that the first draft of the graduation thesis was not due until the end of January, Jiang Ying decided to give herself a break and spend a few days idling.

Zhou Anning happened to be free as well, so the two sat at an outdoor table chatting. In the middle of their conversation, Jiang Ying’s phone chimed with a new WeChat message.

Noticing she had suddenly gone quiet, Zhou Anning asked, "What’s wrong?"

"…Lu Zhixi sent me a message."

Zhou Anning gave a cold laugh. "You should just block him. Sending messages after a breakup? He’s clearly asking to be cursed at."

Jiang Ying was caught between laughter and tears. If there were a category for it, Zhou Anning could easily write an article titled "One Hundred Ways to Humiliate an Ex-Boyfriend," complete with a tiered strategy based on the level of animosity.

However, Lu Zhixi wasn't like Qi Wen, who would suddenly "rise from the dead" with messages like "Have you really never thought about me at all?" or "Are you there? I can't sleep," or "I've been sneezing all day—is it a cold, or are you cursing me again?"

He simply mentioned the issue of the clothes that had been sent to her by mistake. Jiang Ying assumed he had just discovered the error and, finding it troublesome to have them shipped back, offered to buy her new ones instead. She replied with a polite "thank you."

After sending it, she worried he might misunderstand her intent, so she hesitated for a moment before adding: "No need to send me the old clothes either. Just throw them away like trash."

After exiting the chat, another message popped up—this time from the animal hospital. Holland would be ready for discharge in a week!

Zhou Anning cheered at the news, clinking her coffee cup against Jiang Ying’s. "Thanks to you, he’s been given a second chance at life."

Jiang Ying grinned. "And thanks to you, I’ve been given a second chance, too."

The day she found the dying Holland at the dorms was the lowest point of her life. Now that Holland was recovering, Jiang Ying felt she was slowly healing as well.

Heartbreak was terrifying—like an earthquake, like a severe illness—but that was all it was: like. The world hadn't truly collapsed, and her heart hadn't truly shattered. Tears eventually dried, and as time moved forward, she realized she was thinking of him less and less each day.

A cool breeze swept by, rustling the leaves of the shrubs beside the café. An orange cat that lived near the teaching building strolled past, suddenly lifting its head to sniff the chill in the air.

A new worry stirred in Jiang Ying’s heart.

Holland was a stray; once discharged, he would have to be released back onto campus. Having had his teeth removed due to stomatitis and having just recovered from a major illness, he was still very frail, and survival in the wild would be difficult. The biggest problem was that autumn had arrived. Autumn in Beijing was brief, and for many stray cats, the cold snap was like a sickle that could sweep away their lives.

Ever since Holland’s condition had stabilized, the Stray Cat Association had been busy looking for someone to adopt him, but they hadn't yet found a reliable candidate. Until someone was willing to take him in, Holland would have to drift in the school, and accidents could happen at any time.

"If only we could keep cats in the dorms," Zhou Anning sighed after hearing the situation.

Jiang Ying sighed along with her. "If only I had a trusted friend or relative with a house in Beijing."

As soon as the words left her lips, she thought of someone.

"No problem at all. I’ll definitely be in Beijing for the next six months. Send him to me; I’ll look after him. If I can keep him with me afterward, I will, and if not, I’ll take him to my mom. She’s been 'virtually raising' cats every day anyway."

Meng Shao must have been out, as he replied to Jiang Ying’s WeChat with a voice message. Jiang Ying had her volume turned up, and Zhou Anning, sitting beside her, heard his voice and her eyes brightened. "Your childhood friend has a nice voice. What does he look like?"

"He’s very sharp-witted," Jiang Ying said without hesitation.

She scrolled through Meng Shao’s social media and picked a photo where his face was clearly visible to show Zhou Anning. While studying in the UK, Meng Shao had been quite the trendsetter in the fashion scene. He didn't work as a model himself, but he worked with fashion products and often attended parties with stylish people of all backgrounds, so his feed was full of impressive photos.

Zhou Anning scratched her head in confusion. "How on earth do you describe a man who looks this ruggedly handsome as merely 'sharp-witted'?"

"He wasn't like this when we were kids. He was like a monkey, climbing trees and walls every day, sunburnt and skinny. He only grew into this look later."

Zhou Anning propped her chin on her hand, grinning at her. "He’s such a catch now—don't you have any feelings for him?"

Jiang Ying shook her head and said sincerely, "In each other’s eyes, we’re both still just monkeys."

As soon as she finished, Zhou Anning pinched her cheek. "Chong Chong, you really are a little bug. When will you put on some weight and turn into a little butterfly?"

*

As the days passed, the pressure of her studies eased. Jiang Ying began to regulate her routine, eating on time, and she actually started to gain a little weight.

At the same time, the intense sorrow of her breakup faded into a faint, hazy melancholy that lingered in her heart. Occasionally, she would recall moments from their relationship, and the sadness would return, but it was like ripples on a lake stirred by the wind—they would calm down before long.

On the day Holland was discharged, Meng Shao happened to have an important remote meeting. Jiang Ying met Shang Yiming from the Stray Cat Association at the hospital and took a taxi directly to Meng Shao’s place. He had just finished his meeting when they arrived.

Meng Shao’s three-bedroom apartment in Liangmaqiao was simple and stylish, with excellent ventilation and sealed window screens that wouldn't be blown open by Beijing’s winter gales. After Shang Yiming verified the environment, she pulled out an adoption registration form for him to fill out.

"You guys are quite formal with these adoptions."

Shang Yiming laughed. "After all, these cats are being sent out by us, so we have to be thorough." She turned to Jiang Ying, "Ying Ying, bring me the hospital receipts when you have a moment. I’ll take them to the association to process your reimbursement. You’ve worked hard these past few days."

In truth, Shang Yiming had also contributed a great deal. When Jiang Ying was busy, Shang Yiming would ride her bike to the hospital to accompany Holland during his IV drips and chat with the vet about his recovery. After completing the handover, she didn't linger; after thanking them both, she left efficiently.

Although Meng Shao had been busy lately, he had made thorough preparations: a cat tree, a litter box, and bowls were all ready. He had even bought a bundle of cat teasers, which he had arranged artistically in a vase. Jiang Ying had provided the remaining food, canned goods, and basic medication.

Knowing that Holland was frail and would require extra care, and that Meng Shao had likely agreed to take the cat mostly out of their friendship, Jiang Ying felt a bit guilty.

"I’ll cover all the canned food and cat kibble from now on!" she promised.

By the cat tree, Meng Shao was earnestly trying to make eye contact with Holland, who was crouched on a wooden platform. Hearing her, he laughed. "Are you really going to be that formal with me? I have a big heart, too. It’s no trouble to raise him."

He then asked Holland, "But why do I feel like you’re the one who feels put out?"

Holland was clever; he knew the human in front of him was speaking to him, but he remained silent, watching him with wary eyes.

Jiang Ying found the staring contest between man and cat amusing and took a photo of Holland. Just then, sunlight from the window hit the cat—his translucent pink ears, round eyes, red nose, and the white fur that had regained its luster all shone with a golden glow.

She was satisfied with the photo and posted it to her secondary social media account.

"New home, new life!"

Meng Shao was still trying to build a rapport, reaching out to pet the cat. Holland didn't move his body, but he shied away every time Meng Shao tried to touch him, turning it into a game of cat-and-human guerrilla warfare.

"Holland is very affectionate, but he’s in a new environment, and to him, you’re a large creature—a 'giant'—so he’s a bit nervous. Just let him be for a while," Jiang Ying said, putting her phone away. She scratched Holland under the chin, and he immediately began to purr happily.

Feeling left out, Meng Shao finally gave up on communicating with his new roommate and sat on the sofa.

"Alright, as it happens, I have some real news to tell you."

Seeing the serious look on his face, Jiang Ying felt a spark of tension and sat down beside him. "What is it? Why does it sound like something big?"

"It is a big deal," Meng Shao said with a smile, adding, "A very good one."

It turned out that after Jiang Ying gave the accessories Meng Shao had designed with his friends to Lily, Lily had posted photos and short videos of herself wearing them on her social media.

With thousands of followers on her Instagram and TikTok—mostly fellow fashion-loving socialites—the pieces had gone viral. Friends and followers kept asking where she bought them. The number of shares and inquiries grew rapidly.

Lily, who had exchanged contact info with Meng Shao previously, had only complimented the products at first, but after the posts took off, she approached him with the intent to invest.

"We were just a small workshop before. We had the intent to bring in investors, but the terms offered by the ones we met were very strict. While Lily isn't a professional investor, she’s... honestly, she’s got deep pockets and a laid-back attitude, and her requirements are quite flexible. Plus, after talking, it’s clear she can help us tap into a lot of connections in the fashion world. This is a rare opportunity for our company, so we’ve already entered the stage of negotiating equity distribution."