But things weren't really better the next day either. Or the day after. Or the day after again.

  Ruru consoled Lihua with his teddy bear.

  Don't feel sad.

  His adorable expression melted her heart, and she tightly hugged him. "Aiya. My Ruru is really cute. Hehe, I won't be sad so soon. I won't give up!"

  Then one day as Lihua had set up her camp like always, a young girl slowly approached her. She wore glasses and was quite on the healthier side. She wore a high school uniform. Her school was two minutes walk away from the park.

  "Umm…"

  Lihua beamed. "Hello!"

  The girl coughed. She fidgeted with her fingers. "I have been…watching you for a few days. You seem to want people around you but…"

  So in short, the girl only approached her out of pity because nobody else was. After watching Lihua patiently waiting for people to talk to them but not getting so, she couldn't help but meet her just once.

  "What do you want to do?"

  She patted the space in front of her. "Sit, sit!"

  The girl thought for a moment and sat opposite her. Since there was another woman and a child with her, she didn't find Lihua to be suspicious. Plus there was a cat who was very adorable.

  "I am Song Lihua. What is your name?"

  "……Xiao Jian."

  "Xiao Jian. This is Ruru and she is Jiang Hua. They are my friends. And she is Qingqing!"

  Qingqing glanced at her once and went back to take her nap.

  Xiao Jian smiled. "Is it a male or female cat?"

  "Female. She is cute, right?"

  She nodded. "You too," she glanced at Ruru.

  Ruru was a little uncomfortable with a stranger. He hugged Lihua and stayed by her side.

  Xiao Jian pulled out a toffee from her bag and offered it to Ruru. "Do you like toffee?"

  Ruru's eyes shone with joy. But he was still on guard.

  Jiang Hua smiled. "Take it and thank the sister."

  Ruru thought about it and happily took it from her. "Thank you…" he cheerfully said.

  "You are good with children," Lihua noted.

  At first, he was on guard but now he seemed comfortable.

  Xiao Jian hesitated. "I have a little brother at home. My parents are quite busy at work, so I take care of him mostly."

  "Oh! A little brother! That's so nice. I have a little brother too," she immediately said as she thought about Lu Bojing. "He is a year younger than me. He cries easily, but he is very cute and very strong."

  Xiao Jian blinked. "He cries but he is strong?"

  Lihua coughed. "I know it seems ironic, but that's his nature. He is super strong! That person is dead meat once my brother punches him, hahaha!"

  She looked back at Shen Yang and sneered. "Nobody can win against my brother in a fight."

  His face darkened. Though it was true that he was physically strong too, he was still no match against Lu Bojing.

  Xiao Jian visualized a heavy and burly man with lots of muscles and abs. Imagining such a man to cry easily was…a little difficult to digest.

  Why would such a man cry so easily?

  Only if she knew how Lu Bojing truly looked.

  "So, so! You are a high school student, right?"

  She nodded.

  "That's cool. I miss my high school days. It was filled with so much fun."

  Jiang Hua was puzzled as to what Lihua was trying to do.

  Talking to random strangers…what does she want to accomplish?

  Xiao Jian lowered her gaze. "You are lucky…"

  Lihua's ears perked up. "Lucky? Hmm, sometimes I really wasn't. I was always bullied in the class for being dumb. I barely passed exams and my classmates used to make fun of me!" She giggled. "Though once my sister came to know about it, she would thrash all the bullies with her fists, hohoho!"

  Xiao Jian clenched her fists. "Wish somebody would protect me like that too…"

  "Why? Are you bullied in school?"

  She stiffened. "Um n-no…Just a little teasing that's all."

  "About?"

  Xiao Jian looked embarrassed. "H-How I look…"

  Lihua frowned. "What is wrong with how you look?"

  She widened her eyes. "Huh?"

  "Why are you so shocked?"

  "I-I mean I wear glasses and…and I am a little fat…"

  "So? There is nothing wrong with it. First of all, you are not fat. You are a little chubby and that's really cute. And even if you had been really fat, what is the problem? You should be proud of your body."

  "T-that's easy for you to say. You are slim and beautiful."

  She gasped. "What are you talking about? I was pretty chubby when I was a teenager. But it all got reduced because," She coughed, "I had to work really hard to get into a good University. I sacrificed my food and sleep for studies. My sister was really disappointed to see me so thin. The point is that your classmates tease you because you are ashamed of yourself. During my high school days, I was chubby myself, but nobody bullied me for my body because they knew it was useless," she smirked. "I didn't care how I looked."

  Xiao Jian bit her lip.

  "They only bullied me because I wasn't smart in studies. But oh well, I just used to say, 'What do you mean I am not first!? I am first from the last! That's an achievement, alright?'"

  "……"

  Xiao Jian suddenly laughed. "W-What kind of logic is that? First from the last? That's some positivity you have there, ahahaha."

  Lihua pursed her lips. "Being the last ranker in the class was pretty good."

  "How?"

  "Because the teachers lost all hope in me, so they didn't bother telling me to answer any questions in the class," she sheepishly grinned. "I was always safe in that sense."

  "……"

  Ruru - "……"

  Jiang Hua coughed. Qingqing was utterly displeased.

  Useless.

  Xiao Jian couldn't control her laughter anymore. The others in the area were quite stunned.

  It's that camp woman. So, she already got the first member of her cult?

  Xiao Jian shook her head. "You are so funny…"

  "Hehehe."

  "Oh, I am getting late! I have to shop for tonight's dinner," Xiao Jian hesitated. "I am sorry."

  "No problem!"

  "C-Can I come tomorrow too? Will you be here?"

  She beamed. "I will be. Same place!"

  Xiao Jian brightened. It was after a long time she genuinely smiled.

  "Okay, then! I will meet you tomorrow!"

  After she left, Lihua exclaimed happily. "Well, it was a good start!"

  Jiang Hua slowly asked, "What were you trying to do?"

  "Talking to her."

  "……I understand that. But why?"

  "You noticed her eyes, right?"

  "Yes. She seems to be taking drugs."