Chapter 13: Injured on the Job

Lin Zhou was a small-time internet celebrity who built his following on his looks. After graduating from high school, he didn’t continue his studies. However, he was quite good-looking and had gained some online fame during high school. After graduation, he amassed over a hundred thousand followers by charming viewers and performing borderline provocative dances.

Back in high school, Lin Zhou had a crush on Xu Ying, but she had rejected him, saying she wanted to focus on her studies. This was the first time the popular Lin Zhou had ever been turned down, and he had held a grudge ever since.

This time, Lin Zhou’s decision to join Xu Ying’s live stream was premeditated.

The night before, he’d seen a trending topic: Xu Ying had gone to work as an animal rescuer in the desert!

Seeing the rescue station’s rundown and shabby conditions, and Xu Ying’s dusty, grimy appearance, while he himself lived in an elegant, high-end duplex apartment, Lin Zhou felt a surge of satisfaction. He wanted to connect with Xu Ying over a video call to mock her, to boost his own sense of superiority.

Also, he wanted to latch onto the popularity of Xu Ying’s live stream.

“Xu Ying, didn’t you say back then when I chased after you that you wanted to study hard and wouldn’t look at some minor internet celebrity like me?” Lin Zhou asked, holding a ragdoll cat in his arms. He stroked the cat’s fur as he spoke.

His hands were adorned with so many metal rings and accessories that he could have opened a hardware store. Some of the sharp decorations poked the cat, which disliked the touch but was trapped in his firm grip.

Viewers in the live chat exploded with excitement at Lin Zhou’s bold opening.

“Wow, this is Xu Ying’s classmate? He’s quite handsome, they’d make a good couple.”

“No way! This guy’s foundation shade is whiter than my walls, and I heard he’s been two-timing. He’s not a match for our energetic beauty station chief.”

Among Lin Zhou’s followers were many devoted female fans. Hearing that Lin Zhou had once pursued Xu Ying—who had rejected him for being an internet celebrity—made them furious.

They flooded Xu Ying’s live stream with mocking comments.

“Haha, she thought Lin couldn’t get into college and would just be a streamer, and now she’s graduated and is making pennies streaming herself. Does her face hurt from the embarrassment?”

“This is hilarious! She’s even copying Lin by cuddling a pet on camera. Bet she regrets it now that Lin’s so popular and secretly follows him.”

Lin Zhou watched Xu Ying’s live stream on another phone, grinning smugly as he saw the rescue station was worse than a rural shack and that her clothes looked shabby. His delight only grew.

He spoke with a teasing tone, “Old classmate, why so silent? Don’t tell me you still look down on me?”

Xu Ying frowned. This was her first time connecting live with someone who immediately threw accusations back at her, and she thought, how unlucky.

Back in high school, she had never looked down on Lin Zhou; her focus was simply on her studies.

Xu Ying, an orphan like herself, knew that for kids like them from small towns with no safety net, the college entrance exam was a chance to change their fate—a stepping stone.

Looking at Lin Zhou’s smug face, she wanted nothing more than to reach through the screen and give him a good punch.

She sneered coldly, “What’s your problem? Can’t control your mouth and just bite at people? Or do you just go wherever you please?”

Xu Ying went straight to calling him out live, which no one had expected.

Her viewers cheered, exhilarated by her sharp comeback.

Having seen her gentle and caring nature before, they couldn’t believe she was someone who looked down on others in school.

Lin Zhou was stunned. “Where’s your manners? Why are you cursing? Are you losing it? Getting defensive?”

“Oh, sorry, said that a bit too quickly.” Xu Ying smiled. “I was asking if there’s something wrong with your cat.”

“I’m a vet; I treat animals. Are you admitting you’re not human?”

“Right off the bat, you’re spreading rumors. I don’t know what you want here, but if you need help, I suggest you contact the director of the internet celebrity psychiatric clinic.”

“Besides, I never said I looked down on you or that you only became a streamer because you couldn’t get good grades. Maybe your memory’s faulty. Shall we ask our old classmates to recall how I really behaved back then?”

Xu Ying’s voice flowed like a rapid-fire machine gun, and with her lively, innocent face delivering cutting words, more and more viewers fell in love with her.

“Director, you’re awesome! You’re speaking for all of us!”

“That was four years ago. He’s really petty to still hold a grudge, and honestly, he’s not that handsome—too much airbrushing and filters.”

Xu Ying’s relentless verbal assault left Lin Zhou stunned. He wasn’t good at arguments—just at pushing boundaries.

Her face was filled with blatant disdain. “If your cat’s fine, then leave my stream.”

“Using resources meant for animal care to seek attention? Isn’t that embarrassing?”

Lin Zhou’s face flushed red from the scolding. Meanwhile, Xu Ying’s live stream was gaining viewers rapidly, many passing by as fans took her side. Some even jumped over to Lin Zhou’s stream.

Sensing trouble, Lin Zhou quickly grabbed his ragdoll cat as a shield.

“It must be because my cat’s unwell that I joined your stream. You’re a vet, so why are you so impatient?”

The ragdoll’s ears drooped, and it looked listless—clearly not in good shape.

Xu Ying’s tone softened when speaking to the little animal. “What’s the kitty’s name? What’s wrong?”

Lin Zhou held back his irritation and answered honestly, “Rong Rong.”

“It’s been randomly going crazy and scratching me, and I have a bunch of wounds from its claws.”

He lifted his shirt to reveal scratches across his toned abdomen.

Xu Ying immediately covered her eyes, frozen in place: Damn!

A sly borderline provocateur!

Here to drum up business on her stream, wasn’t he?

Lin Zhou’s fans, seeing his abs, swooned: “Brother’s so handsome!”

Lin Zhou suppressed a smirk, feigning sincere concern. “So, Doctor Xu, what’s wrong with my Rong Rong?”

Xu Ying fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Can you focus the camera on the cat, please?”

“No one cares about your lame abs. This little fennec fox is less than a month old and super smart—it understands human speech.”

“You’re being borderline inappropriate in front of a baby. Are you out of your mind?”

Xu Ying voiced what many viewers were thinking. Except for Lin Zhou’s fans, no one wanted to see that. Everyone came to watch the director’s consultations and see the cute, refreshing little animal.

“Director’s so fierce! If the cat didn’t look genuinely unwell, I bet she’d have ended the stream.”

“This guy should pay me for the damage he’s done to my eyes. Clearly here to ride on Xu Ying’s popularity!”

Borderline behavior like that isn’t something to flaunt. Lin Zhou’s face turned bright red from Xu Ying’s verbal onslaught, and he hurriedly aimed the camera at the ragdoll cat.

Xu Ying’s expression immediately softened upon seeing the cat. “Rong Rong, why have you been scratching people lately? Are you feeling unwell?”

The ragdoll cat let out a plaintive meow: “Meow meow meow~”