The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

The night air was filled with a cool evening breeze. Bai Ci stood on the steps at the entrance of the Enforcement Bureau, watching Sister Li's figure disappear into the night.

Xiaoqi's voice drifted out of my mind, soft and sweet, like it was coated with a layer of icing sugar, her joy almost overflowing: "Bai Bai is so adorable! Sister Li has arranged for her to get free haircuts for life. I won't have to worry about the cost of haircuts anymore, and I won't have to agonize over whether to pay 15 or 25 yuan for a wash, cut, and blow-dry."

Bai Ci lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small, light shadow beneath them, obscuring the subtle warmth in her eyes.

He looked at the flickering lamplight on the road, his voice soft and gentle, carrying a hint of humility: "It was just a small favor. Anyone else would have helped. The most important thing is that Sister Li is very warm-hearted and kind, and doesn't like to owe favors."

Bai Ci didn't think she had done anything particularly remarkable. She simply couldn't bear to see honest people being bullied, so she lent a helping hand. Yet, she was remembered so fondly, and a tender feeling she had never experienced before welled up in her heart.

In the past, in the mountains and forests, everyone, whether birds and beasts or fellow practitioners, was kind and gentle. This pure kindness reminded him of his old days.

"Oh dear, Bai Bai, that's just how you are!" Xiao Qi said with a hint of reproach, her voice becoming even softer. "You're clearly brave and kind, but you always try to push the credit onto others."

After a pause, Xiao Qi perked up again, her tone incredibly confident, "I declare that Bai Bai is the best human I've ever seen, no, the best rabbit spirit, no, anyway, the best and one-of-a-kind Bai Bai!"

A faint blush crept up Bai Ci's ears, like peach petals brushed by the evening breeze.

He gently kicked a small pebble at his feet. The pebble rolled across the road, shattering a patch of lamplight and dispelling the barely perceptible unease in his heart.

Occasionally, a car would drive by, its headlights piercing the night and leaving a fleeting streak of light.

Bai Ci suddenly thought of a question: Just now, when Sister Li asked him where he lived, he subconsciously answered that he lived at school. However, the original owner's memories were scattered and fragmented, mostly fragments of being looked down upon and neglected. As for accommodation, they were as blurry as if covered by a layer of fog.

He spoke softly, asking Xiao Qi in his mind, "Xiao Qi, can you help me find out where I live?"

Xiao Qi quickly searched for information: "The academy has arranged a detached villa for F4. It's on the far east side of the campus, next to the artificial lake. It's two stories and has a small garden. The original owner's room is in the far corner. Let's go back early."

Bai Ci took out her phone and opened the bank's app.

Card balance: 123.00.

The haircut cost fifteen dollars, using the seventeen dollars in change I had in my pocket. Now I only have two coins left. Taking a taxi from the enforcement bureau back to school will cost at least thirty dollars. I also need to eat tomorrow, and... have a family dinner.

Bai Ci was troubled when she thought of Bai Yanzhi's words, "Dress more presentably."

He looked down at himself. His school uniform jacket was borrowed from Song Shiyu, the collar of his shirt underneath was torn by Huang Mao, his pants were the original owner's faded black trousers, and his shoes were old sneakers with no discernible brand.

This outfit is far from "decent," and it's barely even clean and tidy.

"Xiao Qi," he called out in his heart.

"exist!"

"Are there any places nearby...where I can buy clothes at a cheaper price?" Bai Ci carefully chose her words. "I mean, the kind where I can get a set for a few dozen yuan."

Xiaoqi was silent for two seconds.

"Bai Bai, do you know what 'respectability' means to someone of Bai Yanzhi's level? A shirt he wears can easily cost five figures."

"I know," Bai Ci said softly, "but I only have a little over a hundred yuan."

Xiaoqi fell silent again.

"There's a market in the old town," Xiao Qi said in a muffled voice, "about two kilometers from here. Things there are very cheap. T-shirts are twenty-five, pants are thirty-five, jackets are fifty... but don't expect much in terms of quality."

"As long as it's wearable," Bai Ci said. "The family dinner is tomorrow night, I'll go buy it during the day tomorrow."

"But Bai Bai... there's something we forgot." Xiao Qi hesitated before speaking.

"What's wrong?"

"The dorm key seems to be in the original owner's backpack. We left the backpack in the lounge, and that building closes after 10 PM. It's already 9:47 PM."

Thirteen minutes is too little time to take a taxi back, and it would take forty minutes to walk.

Moreover, even after getting downstairs, the access control system is already activated, and you can't get in without a student ID card.

His student ID was in his pocket, but the access control system required both facial recognition and card swiping. The original owner's face was most likely registered in the system, but now that he had cut his hair, whether it could be recognized or not was a problem.

"You can stay at a hotel," Xiaoqi suggested tentatively.

Bai Ci glanced at his balance and then checked the prices of nearby hotels on his phone; the cheapest was 100 yuan a night.

I've checked into a hotel, and I only have twenty-five yuan left tomorrow. Buy clothes? What clothes? Maybe a pair of underwear.

"Bai Bai..." Xiao Qi's voice was filled with heartache.

Bai Ci stood in the November night breeze, her phone battery down to 15%.

He suddenly remembered the original owner's situation; no one could make a call without hesitation when in despair.

He seems to be in a similar situation now.

No, that's not right. He has Sister Li's phone number and Song Shiyu's friends, but these are all people he just met. He can't bring himself to call them in the middle of the night and say, "I have nowhere to stay."

"Xiao Qi," Bai Ci took a deep breath, "what kind of lock does the villa have?"

"It's a regular security door, unlocked with a key," Xiaoqi said. "What do you want to do?"

Bai Ci didn't answer. After thinking for a moment, she thought about ringing the doorbell. The villa's main gate did have a video intercom, but at this hour, should she call Ji Huaizhou, Lu Ciyuan, and Shen Tinglan out of their rooms to open the door for her?

Just thinking about that scene made Bai Ci's scalp tingle. None of those three people would give him a kind look. Rather than humbling himself and begging them to open the door, he would rather find a way himself.

The second floor isn't very high, so climbing in through the window doesn't seem like a bad idea.

The rabbit was used to jumping around on the cliff, and this height was nothing compared to what it used to be.

This body now...

"Bai Bai! You're not thinking of climbing out the window, are you?" Xiao Qi's voice boomed.

"I know."

"You know you still—"

"Xiao Qi," Bai Ci's voice was calm, "do you have a better idea?"

Xiaoqi stopped talking.

Bai Ci put his phone back in his pocket, pulled his coat tighter, and walked into the night.

Instead of taking a taxi, he walked along the road toward St. Andrew.

Every little bit helps.

After walking for about ten minutes, my phone vibrated.

He looked down and saw a message from Song Shiyu.

"I've taken care of your school uniform application. I'll message you when the uniform is ready."

Then another one:

"Niu Niu is asleep. She was still talking about your candy before she went to sleep. Goodnight."

Bai Ci stared at the screen for a few seconds, the night wind blowing his bangs up to reveal his smooth forehead.

He typed back, "Thank you."

Song Shiyu replied instantly: "You're welcome."

Bai Ci replied with an "okay," put her phone back in her pocket, and quickened her pace toward the school.

The night was deep, and the streetlights cast his shadow long and short.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the spire of St. Andrew's bell tower came into view. He took out his phone to let Sister Li know he was safe, and Sister Li replied with "okay".

......

East of St. Andrew's College, Villa F4.

The second floor.

Climb out the window.

Whether I can get in tonight depends on whether this body can hold up.

"Bye-bye," Xiao Qi's voice rang out softly, "I just checked, and it's definitely possible to climb through your window. But..."

"But what?"

"There's a flowerpot on the windowsill. It was a cactus that the original owner used to keep. It's been dead for half a year now, and it's dried up like a hedgehog."

"..."

"Be careful when you flip over, don't sit on it."