Friend Of The Ladies'

"On campus?" Er Mao frowned.

He hadn't thought about renting on campus. Generally, the buildings on campus posed more restrictions than normal residential neighborhoods. He couldn't do what he wanted there.

"I know some of the housing on campus is open for rent to non-students. They are harder to get, but it's worth the extra work. The atmosphere on campus is good. The buildings are quiet and you will be surrounded by good people. One takes on the color of one's company. I read in a magazine that your surroundings can change you. You need to settle down now," Wei Ling said calmly.

Er Mao rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

Wei Ling had good reasons for wanting Er Mao to rent on campus. He was always a fickle child and fooled around too much. He knew his heart was in the right place, but was worried he was making bad friends. He hoped to put Er Mao back on the right track and thought this would be a good start.

Wei Ling didn't know much about the rest of campus, but he was sure of the environment in the Eastern Quarters. He would very much like it for Er Mao to be influenced by the retired professors that lived there. He would have something to tell their old master.

It was difficult to rent on campus but Wei Ling trusted Er Mao's abilities. He might look like a rascal, but he was smart and resourceful. Wei Ling himself lived close to here and could be of immediate help if Er Mao caused any trouble.

Wei Ling also took the Jiaos into consideration. Papa Jiao was going abroad soon and Er Mao could be of help to the family in his absence. He heard taking care of other people could increase a man's sense of responsibility.

Zheng Tan didn't know of Wei Ling's plans yet. He was busy setting his schedule for the following week.

Papa Jiao was leaving soon and Zheng Tan had been counting the days.

One afternoon, he stared at the calendar. He had to spend Monday helping out Mr. Guo. There was a performance that he wanted to catch at the Night Tower on Friday afternoon. He promised to accompany Fang Shaokang to a business meeting with Liu. He decided to not stroll off campus during these days before Papa Jiao's departure. He would spend his days sleeping on the parasol tree inside the quarters. That way, he would see the Jiaos the moment they came home.

He wondered what his life would be like after Papa Jiao went abroad. He could go on long strolls now because of Papa Jiao's support. Mama Jiao was always worried he would get kidnapped again. She would never let him out at night.

If Papa Jiao wasn't here, he might never get to go out at night again if he got into any trouble. Would he have to stay at home all day? That would be so boring. He was now used to leaving campus and saw staying home as a waste of time. The only thing to do at home was to sleep.

He rolled around on the sofa and swayed his tail. He tried to think of a plan when he caught sight of the bedroom door.

The door to the master bedroom was open. The bedroom led to the balcony. That door was open too, and the room was pleasantly warm. He had targeted the room not because of the balcony but because of the computer on the desk.

Papa Jiao was the only one who used the computer. The kids were allowed to play computer games on the weekend, but only for a short amount of time.

There was a passcode and Zheng Tan was the only one who knew it besides Papa and Mama Jiao. He was often on the desk when Papa Jiao used the computer and had seen the password many times.

Papa Jiao would be abroad and Mama Jiao and the kids would be at school working and studying on the weekdays. He could surf the internet during this time. Mama Jiao wasn't as observant as Papa Jiao and he wouldn't get caught as long as he was careful.

He hadn't been on the internet for a very long time now.

Papa Jiao knew their cat was special, but he would never guess the car had set its eyes on the computer.

Now that he had a new found way to kill time, Zheng Tan jumped off the sofa and went out for a stroll.

The temperature rose quickly here in Chuhua city. The season for thick jackets was over.

Fatty was sitting on his balcony and enjoying the sun. He heard Zheng Tan leave the building and opened his eyes slightly. He then quickly closed his eyes again and went back to sleep. He showed no signs of wanting to move.

He didn't see the other two cats. Sheriff wasn't moaning these days anymore. He wondered if Sheriff had found a female cat friend.

He strolled out the gates and saw someone in a tracksuit squatting beside a stone stool near the gates to the eastern quarters. The man had a lollipop in his mouth and stared at Zheng Tan with a weird grin.

He cursed the man and looked away. He took a few steps then paused.

Something was off.

He knew the man!

He looked over again, and then realized it was that idiot Er Mao!

His hair was dyed back to black and he was in a track suit instead of one of his colorful suits. He looked almost like a student on campus.

He waved to Zheng Tan, "Hey Black Charcoal! Going out?"

Zheng Tan was speechless. Who the hell was Black Charcoal?

He hated people who messed up other people's names.

Zheng Tan looked around. This was not the place to start a fight. Er Mao got lucky this time. He turned to leave. He couldn't stand being around this man any longer.

"Oh yes, Black Charcoal, I'm moving here in a few days. I'll be staying in your building," Er Mao said slowly.

Zheng Tan stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to face Er Mao, trying to figure out if he was messing with him.

Zheng Tan had thought Er Mao was like Long Qi and would stay as far away from cats as possible. Now he realized Er Mao was the kind of person who would choose to stay around someone who disliked him just to annoy that that person.

However...

He thought about the residents in his building. Many of the professors disliked renting to people who weren't associated with the university. They didn't trust outsiders. There were a few apartments in his building that were usually empty, but the co-op board was strict. Professor Lan hated it when people rented out their places to outsiders. Bribing him would make him even angrier. There was no way Er Mao could rent a place in his building.

He felt he could relax now, so he ignored Er Mao and left.

Er Mao watched him leave and said in a quiet voice, "He really did understand what I said!"

He didn't believe Er Mao could manage to rent an apartment in building B, so he forgot about the matter. Er Mao probably said it to annoy him.

On Sunday morning, Papa Jiao took the kids out for a jog. Zheng Tan went with them. When they passed the school square, he suddenly caught sight of a man among the old ladies who danced there every day. The man was familiar. It was only then that he realized Er Mao had been serious.

The ladies were dancing with fans and a group of students was laughing whilst watching them. They were used to seeing the ladies dancing, however, it was their first time seeing a young man in the group. He had a red fan and was dancing to the beat of the music. The old ladies were grinning at him. Madame Di was looking on with a fond smile as if he was her son.

If Madame Di was on his side, then Professor Lan was no threat.

Er Mao had decided to worm his way into Building B by portraying himself as a friend of the ladies'.

Er Mao was a cheeky bastard, but old ladies loved him. They didn't appreciate shyness.

Professor Lan preferred being called Mr. Lan like he was an ordinary teacher. However, most people called him Professor to show their respect. Er Mao, however, got him.

"Plant it over there by the Azalea flowers."

"What about these?"

"Over there."

...

Zheng Tan watched Er Mao work. He had to admit, Er Mao was probably close to achieving his goal.

This put him in a sour mood.

He turned to go home. He was thinking about how to ruin Er Mao's plans when he heard a child yelling in the distance.

"Brother blackie!"

He hastened his steps when he heard the voice and cursed silently. Damn it!