Her favorite pastime was to chat energetically with the elderly about their wild youth, which successfully invigorated more than half of the seniors in our community, driving them to behave eccentrically. She was also known for explaining physiological hygiene knowledge to teenagers, adhering to the principle that understanding between genders should start from childhood. Because she had three adorable bunnies, everyone called her Mrs. Tu.
She hailed from an incredibly wealthy family, so rich it was indescribable. Everyone from the nearby communities knew it; otherwise, that brash middle-aged woman wouldn't have walked away just like that earlier—there would have been an escalation of the quarrel. As the saying goes, the poor can't fight with the rich; money talks, and however much they hated her, they had to bite their tongue on account of her wealth.
But to date, I still couldn't understand why she flaunted her wealth so openly without fear. Why hadn't those who resented society tried to kidnap or blackmail her? Moreover, although she lived in a luxurious villa-styled apartment in a high-end expatriate community just across the street, she insisted on spending her days in Rose Garden, the ordinary community where I lived, which was a world away from her place.
"Happy birthday, dear. Come, let Mrs. Tu tease you a bit." She squeezed over and, although shorter than me, still managed to pry open my collar to look when my guard was down, "Eh, no red berries!" She then checked my face, "Your complexion is pale with anger in your eyes, not at all looking like someone who has been loved before. Seems like I wasted my money yesterday, you just don't know how to enjoy the good things!"
"But you'll still need to pay up," Xi Lin chimed in from the side, but no one paid him any attention.
"I don't have the appetite to digest that. I nearly died of fright last night, did you know?" I said.
"The one who almost died was me, beaten to death." Xi Lin interjected again, but still, no one paid him any mind, completely ignoring his presence.
"Don't you dislike matchmaking?" Mrs. Tu said, "That's why I arranged a romantic encounter for you. Once you understand a bit about men and women, you'll open up your thinking and not be so old-fashioned."
"That wasn't romantic; it was a surprise attack, and it's not okay to play tricks on someone like that."
"Xiao Xin, you need to understand your situation. You're not a young girl, nor are you an old maid. Twenty-five or twenty-six, that would be old maid territory. You are Super Girl, you get it? An over-aged young woman, a woman of this age should have the capability to overwhelm any man!" She clenched her teeth and fist.
"How about you gift me something practical next time, like those big diamonds or pearls that you never get a chance to wear. Last time you even said, for Super Girl, material things are more important than men." I protested and glared at Mrs. Tu, then ran out of the community like I was escaping, wary that she might start talking to me about the human body again.
But she yelled behind me, her voice so loud that everyone in the community could hear, "What you need now is a man! A man!"
The echo lingered, refusing to fade, and I was so ashamed that I wished I could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and never come out again, running as though several hooligans were chasing me.
Being twenty-nine without being married or having a boyfriend, it's like I had caught some bizarre virus, with everyone looking at me like I had let them down, causing my mother to be unable to hold her head high. She would flee in panic every time someone mentioned anything about children and marriage.
In reality, whether I get married or not is none of their business. I haven't taken anything from them, and I run a pet clinic with a good reputation, affordable prices, capable of curing pets' ailments effectively, serving both the public and animals and contributing to society. I'm able to support myself.
Besides, it's not that I don't want to get married; the problem is my terrible luck with love. Men I find attractive don't like me, and those who like me just don't appeal to me.
Marriage, love, can you just settle for whatever comes?
Rushing into the clinic as though fleeing, despite having received formal Martial Arts training and being physically fit with great lung capacity, I was still gasping for air. Ah, getting older really isn't the same as being a teen girl. In fact, my clinic was just down this street, a less than ten-minute walk away. But Mrs. Tu's words pierced me like a needle, making wish for instantaneous disappearance as the journey seemed unbearably long.
As soon as I entered the clinic through the back door, my assistant Yue Lanshan immediately pounced to help me change, babbling, "Sister Xiao Xin, why are you late? How was the birthday gathering yesterday, did you have an exciting romantic encounter, rolling around in the sheets with a man, and that's why you're late this morning? Oh dear, I forgot to wish you a happy birthday. I've bought you a pearl hair clip, it'll go perfectly with your short hair."
Just my luck to be reminded of this annoyance. Could it be that being twenty-nine signifies great misfortune? I encounter such embarrassments wherever I go.
For a moment, I really wanted to smack this airheaded girl, but seeing so many pet owners around, now would be a bad time, too many witnesses; I had to hold back for now.
But there she was, blurting things out in front of so many people—with them all smiling slyly, including a strange uncle sizing me up while holding a Labrador. I was going crazy, really wanting to order that little dog to bite its owner.
"Stop the nonsense, the clients have been waiting for a while." I reprimanded Xiao Shan, pretended nothing happened, and began the day's work.
I am a veterinarian and have a superpower; I can diagnose precisely and swiftly what ailments animals have, hence I can heal injured or sick animals quickly. And I charge very little because I fear if the price is too high, many owners will hesitate to get their pets treated, and the poor little things will suffer.
For that reason, my clinic was always bustling with customers, yet I didn't earn much, even less than my mother made from her dumpling shop. She was the true capitalist.
However crowded it might get in the mornings with a long line outside, by noon, except for those staying for IV treatments, all the sick pets were taken care of because I diagnosed quickly and didn't waste time.
Xiao Shan could handle the rest, which usually meant I could take a break and happily think about what to have for lunch or how to finagle some money from my mother. But today, I couldn't stop thinking about the man I saw in the video from last night.
Tall and thin, with medium-length hair, frameless glasses, and impeccably handsome features like a template for cosmetic surgeons, he had an elegant and refined demeanor, especially when he smiled, appearing very good-natured.
He looked so kind and approachable! This unknown man was precisely the type I had dreamt of for years.
Maybe he was a celebrity invited to some grand opening? However, I don't really watch movies or TV; I only like reading books and watching animal shows, so I didn't recognize him. But what difference does it make? A man like that wasn't meant for an ordinary woman like me. He was to be admired from afar, untouchable.
You must remember, I'm Super Girl!
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......Liu Liu has something to say......
Old friends are familiar with my divider line, right? Hehe.
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