"Huh? Your boyfriend ran away?"
The playful banter between Tang You and Momo was overheard by Miaomiao, who didn't understand what was going on. She stood up with a shocked expression and looked at Momo in disbelief:
"Did... did your boyfriend lose his mind, or did he eat expired mushrooms in some restaurant, and broke up with you?"
Hearing that Momo's boyfriend ran away, Miaomiao was completely stupefied, as if her worldview had been turned upside down.
This is Momo, the flower of the College of Agriculture, a top-ranking rich girl at the school.
As soon as she arrived at the college, she not only captivated the boys but also attracted several of the hidden beauties in the dormitory.
With outstanding looks and a personality free from major flaws aside from occasional narcissism, she was a love goddess with no scandals throughout four years.
Even this ended? Is this a joke?
"Is there anything strange about it?" Momo waved her hand with an unchanged expression and said, "To be fair, marrying me, in a certain sense, is quite a financial burden...."
"Hmm?"
Momo's words first calmed down the startled Miaomiao, even drawing the attention of Ansheng and Ah Qing.
"Firstly, I'm not lacking in appearance, and secondly, my family background is decent enough..."
Momo continued methodically, "Therefore, the first issue faced after marrying me is whether one can truly fully trust me...."
"With eyes and mouth on other people, if others look at me or strike up a conversation, I can't just blind them, can I?"
"Going out together is fine, but if I go out shopping or hang out with friends while my husband is at work, and he can't get in touch with me, would he be able to resist overthinking?"
"Don't let it come to the point where I say I'm at the gym with friends, and he hears it as me wearing yoga pants attracting perverts."
"Over time, how could he concentrate on work, probably thinking every day about whether there's a green hat on his head or not."
Momo solemnly gave an example and continued to speak to the roommates: "If I were a guy looking for a harmonious marriage, I definitely wouldn't consider someone too pretty who likes to dress up."
"My breakup with An Biao was unexpected, but also within reason."
Momo spoke with conviction, and when speaking emotionally, she even gnashed her teeth as if she detested Mo Shengjie.
But knowing part of the truth, Ah Qing had a peculiar expression on her cheeks.
Momo was making sense, but Miaomiao's quip was the truth: An Biao really was blind, running off with a local girl who looked like a silverback gorilla.
"Sure enough, Zhang Wuji's mom was right, the prettier the girl, the more deceitful she is....."
"Still, it's better to have a big dummy like Ah Qing..." Ansheng secretly critiqued in her heart, taking a sip of iced cola.
So many theories, are you vying to be a leader?
If it weren't for knowing your nature, I would almost believe your nonsense.
"Ah Cai, come here!"
After joking with her roommate sisters, Momo looked toward the flowerbed and called out.
"Woof?"
The stray dog joining in the fun was surprised, then trotted over enthusiastically, sitting in front of Momo with a serious expression, wagging its tail.
As if to say: Sis, who do you want to take down this time? I receive your salary and alleviate your worries, just say the word.
"Go, give a jab to the little brothers opposite, complete the task well, and tonight I'll treat you to a roast lamb."
Momo raised her hand and pointed, signaling Ah Cai to scatter the group of boys egging each other on.
Although hitting on someone like that is pretty normal for other good-looking girls.
Given Momo's understanding of her classmates, they could probably even shout the wrong surname.
The Mo Yi in Mo Yiqing is a compound surname, but lazy people like Ah Qing just keep calling her Momo, Momo.
But... Momo was getting jealous.
Kidding me, I haven't even wooed myself yet, and you guys come over to snatch the girl from me? I'll smash your basket to bits!
"Woof!"
The stray dog named Ah Cai, with a determined demeanor, ran into the group of boys without looking back, crouched, raised its muzzle to aim, and charged, crashing heavily into the middle of a boy's groin.
Followed by a back kick, it knocked down the boy who seemed to be the point man as well.
"Oh... that's harsh, isn't it?"
Ansheng wore a pained expression while the girls at the same table looked subtly awkward, subconsciously drawing their legs back.
Though they didn't have the "thing", getting hit there would still hurt, even if not as intensely.
"In love! A bit of sour and painful is normal." Momo happily petted the little fox.
"Otherwise, if it's all sweetness, how could it be called memorable?"
"Alright, enough slacking off, it's time for us to head to the cafeteria and help wash the vegetables."
Momo, having done something mischievous, was not planning to linger at the crime scene for long. Without a scapegoat like the disloyal Arber who prioritizes romance over friendship around, a lot of trouble would ensue.
Though graduation might be considered the season of breakups, it is equally a peak time for confessions.
Even though it's not yet graduation, the students who feel the stirrings of romance ahead of and after summer vacation are the cleverest.
If a confession succeeds, great. If it fails, there's a two to three-month buffer, and by the next term, you can return as if nothing ever happened, avoiding any awkwardness.
Momo hid with her roommates in the kitchen, managing to keep those flirtatious classmates at bay.
"Hey, hey, hey! Xiaolan isn't food!" Ah Qing quickly scooped up the little fox, wary as she looked at the classmate who was just about to pick him up.
"...I can see he's not food." The classmate remarked, a little peeved, "Can't even give a pet, so stingy!"
"This is the kitchen's critical area, who would dare..." Ah Qing muttered, unzipping her down jacket and stuffing the little fox inside, leaving only his head exposed.
"Xiaolan, be careful in the kitchen..."
"Hmm? I feel like the kitchen pot still can't cook me, Ansheng."
"It's not about cooking, you just didn't notice that Classmate Bai had just slaughtered a lamb. Her hands were greasy, perfect for wiping on your entirely fluffy white fur," Ah Qing said.
White, fluffy, downy, belongs to someone else, it's practically the perfect hand towel in the kitchen.
If Huhu could still lick, it would be even cleaner.
"Is this something a human could come up with?" Ansheng blinked slightly, then looked at Ah Qing in bewilderment.
"You... wouldn't have used me to wipe your hands, would you?"
"Uh..." Ah Qing drifted off into her thoughts, whispering, "I've used the village's Doggy before, it's quite handy..."
Ansheng: "..."
You've had your way with the village's Doggy, haven't you? No wonder you understand these sorts of things.
The Harvest Festival begins, and the students are busy, each handling their class's ingredients.
Only.
The aunties responsible for cooking stared blankly at the serving window, looking at the brown bear.
The brown bear raised a paw, pointed at the roasted lamb from the electric grill, and gestured as if to pick up the tray.
The cafeteria auntie tentatively handed it over, and the brown bear, taking the tray, began to walk out.
Next, the panda stepped forward, pointed at the roasted chicken, and gestured to pick up the tray.
"Auntie, didn't we agree on serving the food? The students performing on stage are nearly exhausted!"
"They've gone out! Over sixty chickens, seven lambs, and nearly two hundred pounds of cold dishes!"
The counselor and cafeteria auntie cross-checked their counts, bewildered as they looked towards the empty serving window. Then they eyed the chubby cat inside the supermarket buying drinks with suspicion.
"Meow?"
The chubby cat meowed once, casually hoisting four boxes of drinks as he ran towards his den.
Counselor, cafeteria auntie: "..."
There you have it, the pantry's got mice. No need to ask where the missing food went; asking is as pointless as not asking.
"Start with the staple dishes and cold plats!" The counselor instructed with a grimace, quickly leaving.
The whole school's teachers and students gathered at the stadium for a feast, along with performances and entertainment programs; you can't leave the venue unattended.
The Harvest Festival encountered a mild hiccup with the pantry mouse ordeal, but it didn't cause much of a fuss; the order of dishes just changed.
The performances continued; the Fox Fox Choir took the stage once more, singing expressively.
The feast lasted until two in the afternoon.
After cleaning up, the students returned tables and chairs to the equipment room and went to their dormitories to pack their luggage, ready to embrace the long winter break at Xinxing Agricultural Science College.
"Just drop the luggage at my place? No need to ship it back and forth next term; we can head straight to the Imperial Capital..."
Dragging his suitcase, Momo was brimming with excitement as he urged his roommates, "Hurry up and pack, I'm going to get the car with the little fox now..."
"Hmm?"
As Ansheng packed the little tea tree, black-banded cockroach, skullcap, and Treasure-Seeking Mushroom, he looked puzzled.
Drive? Didn't I already give you the car keys? Why did you specifically call me along?
"Hurry up..."
Momo gave the little fox a look, signaling the fox to come out with him to talk privately.
"Oh..." Ansheng nodded slightly, shook his paws, and jumped onto Momo's shoulder. "Alright, let's get the car!"