Adele and First Snow arrived at a bustling eatery by the street. Usually, these popular places offered a wide variety of dishes made with fresh ingredients and were known for their delicious food.

Adele planned to have lunch with First Snow here and then take a nutritious meal to Li Lige, who was recovering from her injuries.

First Snow didn’t have any objections. The young girl curiously surveyed the surrounding scenery and people with her bright, light blue eyes.

“Boss, we’d like to order.”

“Just scan the QR code with your phone.”

“Alright.”

The technology within the book and outside was mostly parallel; things like scanning QR codes had long been popularized in the city.

 

Adele ordered a few of her favorite dishes and was about to pay when she looked up and saw First Snow’s pleading eyes.

“…Then, how about another small yellow croaker?”

Adele asked her.

First Snow clutched her skirt tightly, a smile blooming on her face.

“Meow!”

At the same time, at the table outside another milk tea shop, not far from Adele and First Snow.

A woman wearing a mask gracefully sat down. She waved to the waiter and ordered a sweet milk tea.

 

Then she began to silently observe the situation with First Snow.

Accustomed to the bitterness of coffee, Winona occasionally wanted to recall the sweetness of the past.

The time she spent adventuring with First Snow.

 

Although First Snow had mostly been a hindrance, whether they entered ruins or ancient sites, wherever there were traps…

Without a doubt, First Snow would “accidentally” trigger them with her clumsy paws.

And then, Winona would be the unlucky one.

Every time Winona wanted to teach First Snow a lesson for this, First Snow would immediately put on a pitiful expression, making it hard to stay angry.

 

As for later, First Snow did change.

But what changed wasn’t her knack for causing trouble.

Instead, her expression after making a mistake became – “Yeah, I did it, what about it, meow!”

Fortunately, later Winona realized that most cats, except for a small number who were little angels, were just like First Snow, and she felt relieved.

Until today, she saw First Snow behaving so well-behaved and adorable next to that girl.

Winona finally understood… It turns out that kittens are also two-faced and discriminate between people!

Even though she was now the esteemed principal of Cromwell Academy, Winona couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

 

So many years of friendship couldn’t compare to a little girl she had only known for a short time?

What kind of love potion, what kind of enchanted cat food did she give First Snow!?

When she returned to school, she must find this girl’s file and see what her background was!

As for now, apart from the jealousy, honestly, Winona didn’t have any other good ideas, nor could she expose the fact that she had been following them in front of that girl and First Snow.

Soon, several home-style dishes were served at Adele and First Snow’s table.

The dishes seemed quite spicy; even from afar, Winona could see the red and green chili peppers adorning them.

Quite a strong taste, this little girl.

 

 

Winona thought to herself.

But was she so selfish that she didn’t consider that First Snow couldn’t eat spicy food?

She didn’t even order a steamed fish for First Snow?

Even if they were in a consensual relationship, Adele’s self-centered behavior meant she couldn’t give the pampered First Snow happiness.

First Snow had just entered the cat-bird’s adolescence and was naive and easily deceived by bad girls.

Yes, that must be it.

Winona became even more convinced of her thoughts. Clearly, Adele’s current actions had not yet earned her approval.

 

The next moment, Winona’s eyes widened even further.

The waiter delivered her milk tea, and she casually took it, her gaze fixed on Adele and First Snow.

Adele… she actually picked up a piece of meat that was obviously too spicy with her chopsticks and offered it to First Snow.

A troubled expression immediately appeared on First Snow’s cute little face.

Winona quietly clenched her fists.

What did this mean?

Was she forcing First Snow to eat spicy food that she couldn’t handle?

 

But First Snow, she couldn’t handle spicy food at all!

A bad word suddenly popped into Principal Winona’s mind, a term she had only recently learned about, called “PUA.”

PUA originally meant “Pick-Up Artist,” referring to men and women who systematically train themselves to improve their pick-up skills and emotional intelligence.

But later, it was exploited by bad people and gradually evolved into a form of “control,” manipulating the minds of their partners through a series of methods to make them obedient, thereby achieving their goals of defrauding money and sex or self-gratification.

Its prominent feature was to suppress the other person’s self-confidence and personality and restrict their thoughts.

For example, First Snow couldn’t eat spicy food, but Adele deliberately made her eat it, implying that if she didn’t eat it, she didn’t like her, and she was a useless kitten.

This was suppressing First Snow’s self-confidence and personality.

 

In this case, First Snow could only open her red-rimmed eyes and force herself to try the spicy meat slice to avoid being disliked and looked down upon by Adele.

Her thoughts were restricted, forgetting that there was also the option of refusal.

And this was just the tip of the iceberg. Adele might also control First Snow’s behavior in all aspects of life, eventually making her lose her own will.

Turning the originally lively and lovely kitten into a haggard, depressed plaything…

Winona’s nails almost dug into her palms.

Clearly, Adele’s action of feeding First Snow spicy meat had triggered many negative thoughts in her mind.

It also deepened her prejudice against Adele!

 

However, the reality was—

“Eh? This is my food. The small yellow croaker will be here soon for you, kitten.”

Adele was slightly surprised to hear First Snow actively wanting to eat spicy food, and immediately refused.

“First Snow wants to eat Adele’s food too, meow!”

“There are vegetables here, eat them.”

But First Snow was puffed up, thinking that Adele was just casually fooling her.

“Kitties don’t eat vegetables, meow! Kitties want to share the joys and sorrows with Adele!”

 

“Pfft, what joys and sorrows are we sharing?”

“Working is sharing sorrows, eating meat is sharing joys, meow!”

Little First Snow spoke with conviction, her eyes sparkling with a light that made it hard to refuse.

“But even eating meat depends on what kind of meat it is. I’ve already ordered you a small yellow croaker. When you eat it later, it will be considered sharing joys with me.”

“You can’t eat spicy food. If I give you this boiled meat, wouldn’t it be making you share another sorrow?”

“…That seems to make sense, meow.”

Eating spicy food was something First Snow wasn’t good at.

 

So it wasn’t sharing joys, but sharing sorrows.

“But even if it’s sorrow, First Snow wants to accompany Adele and eat it, meow!”

“…”

Now it was Adele’s turn to feel helpless but also touched by First Snow’s care for her.

“Alright, just try a small piece. If you can’t handle it, just spit it out.”

Adele knew that no one should stand on a high pedestal and look down upon, refuse, or even despise the way others express their love and affection.

Maybe some of their actions were clumsy, to the point where people would call them “idiots.”

 

But if you refuse them when they are trying so hard, even if they don’t say anything on the surface, how disappointed they must be behind your back?

It’s like when your parents bring back your favorite childhood snacks even when you’ve grown up.

But you’ve grown up and don’t like them anymore.

At this time, would you refuse them and say that you are no longer a child and don’t eat these snacks anymore?

Even if you no longer need other people’s kindness, as long as they are not deliberately stringing you along, you can accept it.

If someone is deliberately stringing you along as a cash machine, then the person who gave the kindness should reflect on whether they have misjudged the other person.

First Snow nodded seriously upon hearing Adele’s words, then swallowed her saliva and took a bite of the small piece of meat that Adele had picked up for her.

 

It wasn’t hot because Adele had also considered that First Snow had a sensitive tongue and was afraid of hot food, so she had specially let it cool down for a while.

But the spiciness still permeated the meat, soon making First Snow’s face flush red.

Even so, she still didn’t spit out the meat but swallowed it with a “gulp.”

Adele immediately handed First Snow the tea beside her, and First Snow hurriedly gulped down a cup, only then exhaling and sticking out her tongue, slowly recovering.

Seeing her like this, Adele couldn’t help but laugh.

But behind her bright smile was also a deep gratitude for First Snow.

But in Principal Winona’s eyes, it became Adele mocking First Snow for not being able to eat spicy food!

 

Bad woman!

How could such a student who corrupted discipline appear in her academy!

This was also a dereliction of duty as the principal…

Winona had already shifted from disappointment in Adele to disappointment in herself.

From this point of view, she was indeed a good principal.

She wouldn’t shirk responsibility and always wondered if she had not done something well.

But it was precisely because of this that she lived such a tiring life, to the point where it was difficult to even find some free time to accompany First Snow.

 

Even after the small yellow croaker that Adele had ordered arrived and First Snow started to happily munch on the fish, Winona was still trapped in her past mindset.

Perhaps now, no matter what Adele did, it would be easy for Winona to misunderstand her as being wrong.

Adele, who was still unaware of this, could only be described as “speechless.”

Soon, First Snow happily finished her meal, and Adele also declared that she was full.

She picked up the meal that the restaurant had already packed for Li Lige, paid the bill, took First Snow’s hand, and walked towards the residential area outside the school.

In that residential area, in the apartment that belonged to her and Celeste, lived Li Lige, the former student council president and Adele’s senior, who still needed to recuperate.

Winona’s hand almost crushed the half-drunk milk tea cup, and the overflowing milk tea floated in the air in defiance of gravity.

 

Fortunately, everyone around was focused on their own business, and no one noticed.

The next moment, Winona calmed her anxious heart, and the milk tea fell back down.

After much thought, she decided to give First Snow her current freedom. If she continued to follow them, she was really worried that she wouldn’t be able to help but confront and intervene.

That wouldn’t bring good results, nor would it be the best time to step in.

On the contrary, such behavior would only cause First Snow, a cat-bird in her rebellious adolescence, to have an even stronger rebellious mentality.

In other words, the more Winona thought she was right and doing it for her own good, wanting to wake her up and bring her back on track, the more First Snow might resist and rebel, and the less willing she would be to listen to her analysis and words.

In that case, she would only push First Snow away from her, making her sink deeper and deeper into the bottomless abyss behind that girl.

 

The image of Adele in Winona’s mind now was that of a “master of PUA techniques” and a “cat-girl seducer.”

Winona decided to return to the academy first and start searching for information about this female student based on the girl’s characteristics that she had memorized.

She would learn more about her and then prescribe the right medicine.

Using threats or inducements would be the best, as long as First Snow wasn’t harmed…

Regarding this, don’t think that Winona was overreacting.

She wasn’t a bad person, but her preconceived notions made it difficult for her to think clearly.

More importantly, as a genius, Winona had been lonely since childhood.

Even though she had climbed to the peak of the magic world and become the youngest legendary mage, it still couldn’t change her loneliness.

And in such a long journey, only First Snow had accompanied her all the way.

She was her most precious and cherished… friend.

It was precisely because of this that Winona was so indulgent towards First Snow. No matter how much trouble she caused or how much mischief she made, Winona would settle it for her one by one.

No matter what, as long as it was something First Snow wanted or wanted to eat, Winona would do her best to get her the best.

It’s not just romantic love that can be so selfless and unconditional.

In fact, the weight of friendship is far heavier than most people imagine.

So when First Snow was hanging out with a student who made her steal wands and potions, it was really hard not to make Winona worry about First Snow.

It was normal for her to feel that First Snow had placed her trust in the wrong person.

Winona let out a long sigh, holding the remaining half cup of milk tea, and walked lonely on the way back to school.

She wasn’t walking in the opposite direction of Adele and First Snow, who were walking together.

But they were indeed walking on two different paths.

………………

Perhaps it was because she had been on the mind of Winona, a genius legendary mage, since earlier.

Adele started sneezing constantly, causing her to frown her delicate brows, mistakenly thinking that she had caught a cold.

But… that shouldn’t be possible. Although her physique wasn’t strong, she had just transformed into a witch.

If a witch could easily catch a cold, it would be a laughingstock among other witches.

Because the distance from the restaurant to the residential area was only about 1.5 kilometers.

It wasn’t too far, but it wasn’t too close either, to the point where even taxis were reluctant to take them.

So Adele and First Snow simply held hands and walked all the way there.

It was the first time First Snow had walked with someone for so long.

In the past, Xiao Wei had been too busy. The school, the magic world, there were too many things that needed her to handle.

Sometimes, it really made First Snow want to catch and eat the magical owl that the magic world used to deliver messages!

But First Snow thought that she had caused enough trouble…

In the end, she still didn’t do such a “crazy” thing.

Eating a message-delivering magical owl was something only a “terrorist” in the magic world would do…

Besides, even if Principal Winona had time, with her personality, she didn’t like to be in crowds, and the number of times she went shopping was very few.

This was why the lonely First Snow had to go out and play alone.

It was also what led her to eventually meet Adele, whom she wanted to get close to.

In a sense, it was all Winona’s fault that First Snow became so close to Adele!

Of course, it wasn’t impossible that even if Winona tried to accompany First Snow every day, First Snow would still “cheat” and find Adele.

After all, being petted by one person was great, but being petted by two people… wouldn’t it be even better!

Speaking of which, although First Snow was the principal’s cat, and the principal was related to the magic world, and the magic world had close exchanges and cooperation agreements with the human race’s higher-ups, and Li Lige was currently a wanted person by the human race’s Enforcement Bureau…

But even with all these connections, the problem shouldn’t be too big.

The important thing was that Adele believed in the cute little First Snow. She wouldn’t be a bad kitty who tattled.

So Adele had no psychological burden in bringing First Snow to the place where Li Lige was recuperating.

The two entered the residential area, and along the way, they often saw residents walking their dogs on leashes.

For some reason, First Snow was fascinated by the sight and blushed slightly.

Leash… if it was around her neck, being led by Adele…

Meow!

First Snow was too shy to think about it anymore, meow.

“Your face is so red. Is it because the sun is a bit hot today?”

Adele asked gently.

There was also sunshine in the winter of the Eastern Capital, and the one or two hours after noon were the hottest time of the day.

In this city, it was only slightly cold for a small part of the time and at night. During the day, it was still common to see people wearing light clothing to school and work.

“Y-yes, meow!”

First Snow subconsciously tightened her grip on Adele’s hand.

But the sweat on her little paws made her feel a little ashamed and want to pull away.

In short, she didn’t know what to do.

But Adele still gently held her little hand tightly.

When they encountered a resident walking a large golden retriever, Adele noticed First Snow’s fear and pulled her closer, their beautiful bodies almost sticking together.

“My Maomao doesn’t bite.”

The resident, a young lady, said with a smile.

Adele nodded, and at the same time, as if she had thought of something, a blush appeared on her cheeks.

“Yes, I know. My family… also has a golden retriever.”

“Can I pet it?”

“Feel free! Is your golden retriever also well-behaved?”

The resident young lady looked quite curious, and of course, more of it was the closeness she felt towards a fellow golden retriever owner.

“Well-behaved… she is quite well-behaved, but she’s very protective of her owner. She only lets me touch her. If others touch her, she’ll definitely bite.”

“Wow, I’m so envious. My silly dog has no guard against anyone. One day, she might be lured away by a sausage!”

“Hehe.” Adele also laughed.

The two chatted for a bit and then parted ways.

First Snow finally came back to her senses and asked Adele her question.

“Adele, do you have a golden retriever, meow!?”

“…No, that was just a conversation technique, it’s easy to shorten the distance between people.”

“Eh, is that so? First Snow learned something new, meow!”

Adele smiled at First Snow, but she thought to herself that it was better to be careful and not let First Snow cause trouble.

Soon, the two arrived at the corresponding building, took the elevator up, and Adele took out her key to open the door.

“Senior, I brought you food.”

“When will you recover? I’m still counting on you to work for me and pay back the potion money.”

Adele was, of course, joking to lighten the mood.

She was worried that Li Lige would be too bored staying here alone and that her mood would be affected.

She carried the takeaway food and walked straight towards the closed bedroom door.

First Snow also obediently followed behind Adele, wanting to see how Li Lige was doing recently.

First Snow knew Li Lige, meow. When Li Lige was still the student council president, she often fed her dried fish.

But the two-faced kitten’s reputation wasn’t for nothing.

Li Lige had fed the principal’s cat so many times, but First Snow wouldn’t even let her touch her.

Once, Li Lige couldn’t resist and secretly touched First Snow, and the kitten got upset and teleported away, leaving Li Lige standing there in confusion.

But she was completely different towards Adele.

Every day, she would beg for rubs, pets, and hugs, making people feel like she was a different cat.

Adele pushed the door open, but the scene she saw next made her stunned.

In the spacious master bedroom, the woman resting on the bed hadn’t changed, it was still Li Lige, who was in a weakened state.

However, she forced open her purple eyes and faced the girl in front of her with a calm and peaceful smile.

And in front of her, a petite girl with an aura so strong that it was almost suffocating held a Western rapier, pointing it straight at Li Lige’s throat.

The two maintained their respective postures, as if petrified.

This made Adele, who had suddenly barged in, seem even more out of place.

Sweat slowly trickled down Adele’s cheeks.

After a long silence, her little hands holding the takeaway food trembled, and she asked weakly,

“D-did I come at a bad time?”

“I’ll just leave…”

Adele turned to escape, but she didn’t expect the girl holding the rapier to move her gaze. With a “bang,” the door was shut tightly.

Adele and First Snow were left looking at each other, seeing the same panicked expression on each other’s faces.

Adele: I’m just a weak witch! Spare me!

First Snow: I’m just a weak magic kitty, meow! Spare me, meow!