Kids really do have a sixth sense when it comes to lies. She wasn’t wrong—I did kind of dislike her not that long ago.

Hearing the exchange between me and Jing, Meow Meow turned toward us with a soft, amused smile. She was completely different from the fierce delinquent girl from earlier. Leaning down, she planted a light kiss on Jing’s cheek, her whole aura shimmering like stardust—she had switched into full idol mode.

“Aww, are you my fan too, little one?”

Jing’s eyes lit up with sparkles of awe. She clutched her hands nervously to her chest and nodded like a bobblehead.

“Yes! I—I love listening to your songs!”

“I’m so happy to hear that!” Lei Meow Meow beamed, then glanced at Fei and gave Jing’s ultra-soft cheeks a playful pinch.

“You know, I’m actually friends with your big sister. If you listen to her like a good girl, I can save you special front-row seats to my concerts in the future… Xiao Xi, you’re okay with that, right?”

She looked to Tian Xi for confirmation—guess even idols still need their manager’s sign-off?

Tian Xi confidently patted her chest. “Of course! And not just little Jing. If any of you want to come, just let me know in advance—I’ll make sure you get the best seats in the house.”

After that heartwarming offer, Meow Meow turned her nose up and shot me a judging look.

“Mm… But as for Lingmeng? You can buy a ticket. Actually, no—don’t come at all.”

“Huh?! Why not?! That’s totally unfair!”

“Big sis is just messing with you. She doesn’t actually hate you that much,” Tian Xi said with a laugh. Then, shifting the topic: “Speaking of which, you still owe a performance with us.”

“Oh right. That volleyball bet.”

“You still have a broken bone, so we let it slide. But now…” she gave a very pointed glance at my chest, “…you seem to be in top shape again. How about thinking of going on stage with Meow Meow, and debut while you’re at it?”

What do you mean, “how about debuting?” Why don’t YOU debut? As far as I know, a good chunk of Meow Meow’s fans are also fans of Sis Xi. She’s got the looks, the charm—she could totally be an idol.

“No way. I can’t sing, I’m too shy, and I get tongue-tied in crowds.”

“That’s fine! Lingmeng you can debut as a clumsy moe-type idol!”

“But I’m prettier than Meow Meow, and I’ve got a better figure too. Wouldn’t I steal all her spotlight?”

“Getting cocky, are we? Say that again and I’ll deck you, you idiot!”

“Eeek! Sis Xi, help!”

Lei Meow Meow had instantly dropped the idol act and gone full delinquent mode again, lunging to throttle me while I dove behind Tian Xi for cover.

Jing couldn’t help giggling. “Pfft… You all get along so well.”

This counts as getting along? Seriously?

Still, thanks to Lei Meow Meow’s support, little Jing seemed to have perked up quite a bit. Fei also gave Meow Meow a grateful look, though the latter just crossed her arms and turned away awkwardly.

“It’s not a big deal. Making fans happy is part of an idol’s job, after all.”

Wow, sounds so noble and inspiring… except—

“Except you just slammed one of your own fans(Sharo), into a couch and beat her up.”

Lu Le chimed in flatly, “She was crying too.”

Caught in the contradiction, Meow Meow tried to justify herself.

“If a fan screws up, it’s my duty as an idol to guide them back on the right path, isn’t it? I was doing it for her own good!”

Hearing that, I threw my arms open and lunged toward her dramatically.

“Sis Meow Meow~ I’m your devoted fan too! Won’t you love me just a little more~? Buu huu huu~”

My sudden switch made her recoil in horror. Instead of punching me, she actually dodged out of the way.

“What the heck is that voice?! Gross! Stay away from me! I don’t want fans like you!”

Oof. Gross? That kinda stung.

Even though Jing had cheered up, Fei still seemed weighed down. She had this bad habit—always blaming herself for things. Even though none of this was her fault, she still took it all on her shoulders.

She was beating herself up over not being able to do anything when her daughter got kidnapped. Even without Rinka spelling it out, I could picture how frantic she must’ve been.

Lu Le led us back to the crowded main street. The pirated poster advertising Meow Meow’s debut performance had already been torn down at the alley entrance.

Before parting ways, Sis Xi said to me, “We’re heading back to school now. If anything comes up in the commercial district, just call Lu Le. He’ll be stationed here for a while.”

“Got it. Thanks again to Sis Meow Meow and Brother Lu for everything today. I’ll treat you all to a meal sometime—including you, Sis Xi!”

But Meow Meow just covered her mouth and snarked, “Oh my~? You offering to treat someone to dinner? What’s this—had a change of nature?¹ …Ah, no, wait—you really have, haven’t you? If you’re serious and not just saying that to be polite, then forget 'next time'—let’s go now! I’m in the mood for Japanese. Not the buffet kind.”

Wow, she really never passes up a chance to push my buttons, huh? Just because I tricked her once, she’s still holding a grudge… Isn’t this way too petty?!

And non-buffet Japanese food? That’s gonna be expensive!

“I’ve got stuff to do today… Next time for sure! I promise!”

Lu Le left together with Tian Xi and Meow Meow. They were old friends, after all—probably had a lot of catching up to do.

After everything that had happened, we finally returned to the café where Xiao Lei and Aunt Huaying had been resting. It was already close to 5 PM. The moment she saw us, Xiao Lei chirped and scurried over, cupping my face and inspecting me like a worried nurse.

“Commander, you okay? You’re not hurt or anything? If I knew it’d be like this, I would’ve gone with you!”

Rinka had already filled them in on what happened.

“Hmph, like anything could happen to me. That girl thug ended up kneeling and apologizing, y’know?”

“As if that was your doing. She was terrified of Sis Meow Meow,” Rinka cut in mercilessly.

Aunt Huaying also fussed over Jing for a bit. But she quickly realized her youngest daughter—the supposed victim—was in a surprisingly good mood. Meanwhile, her ex-husband, also her eldest daughter, was looking utterly defeated.

She took Fei’s hand and tried to comfort her, but Fei only seemed even more downcast. She pressed her lips together and rested her head on Aunt Huaying’s shoulder, who gently stroked her hair. It was a quiet, bittersweet moment—sad, but somehow warm.

Rinka pulled Jing aside to give the pair some space.

“Commander, need a shoulder to lean on? I’ll lend you mine~”

“No thanks. I’m good.”

That soft scene held for maybe five minutes—until the barista behind the counter suddenly erupted into a coughing fit loud enough to rattle the windows. Rinka clapped her hands and declared:

“Alrighty! It’s getting late—let’s head home!”

We figured getting Fei back in the kitchen might help her mood and prepare her for the final part of the evening.

Leaving the Tianping Commercial District, the six of us split into two taxis. One headed to Rinka’s high-rise apartment near the metro station.

The only weird thing was how we split the group—Aunt Huaying, little Jing, and I in one taxi, while Rinka, Xiao Lei, and Fei took the other.

Why do I get the feeling they’re deliberately shuffling me out of the picture…?