Running wild and letting loose with his dog was probably the most embarrassing moment of Cheng Fengyang's day when he was caught in the act by an attractive member of the opposite sex. He was so startled that he braked suddenly, spilling half the bubble solution in his hand.
Lin Lan on the other side expressed that she was the one who got the fright. She had just stepped into the square and hadn't walked far when someone suddenly came darting over from the side, almost making her stumble back two steps.
"Cheng Fengyang?" Recognizing who it was, Lin Lan instinctively called out his name.
"It's you, Lin Lan. I, I was just playing with Xingxing!" The young man immediately hid the bubble wand behind his back. The Border Collie behind him saw its owner quickly close the toy and screw the lid tight. That was one thing, but then he turned and stuffed the bubble wand right into its mouth for it to hold. He then swiftly turned back to face her, speaking awkwardly, "Is that a cat you're carrying?"
Looking at the unfortunate Border Collie who had to take the blame and hold the toy for its master, Lin Lan blinked a couple of times and decided to ignore all that, steering the conversation along his lead. "Yes, it's a stray cat I just picked up from the roadside. I'm planning to take it home and raise it."
"You're going to raise a cat too? I remember you adopted a litter of black cats not long ago?" Cheng Fengyang blurted out almost without thinking. Last time they met at the police station, he had overheard quite a bit about her recent situation. "Before that litter of black cats, you already had two cats at home. Eight cats weren't enough, and now with two more, that's ten! Won't that be exhausting?"
While having pets is fun, taking care of them is also tiring work. Cheng Fengyang felt that having just one intelligent Border Collie at home was already quite demanding for him, let alone cats, which are generally more fragile and finicky compared to dogs.
"Well, on one hand it's because I like them, and on the other, I'm planning to open a cat tea house," Lin Lan didn't hide it and told him directly. "I have two shops whose leases are up next month. I won't be renting them out then; I'll keep them for myself to open a shop. You can't really run a cat tea house with too few cats."
"Cat tea house, like a cat café kind of place?" Cheng Fengyang knew about these. It wouldn't be much fun to open a cat café with too few cats. But recalling some of the more famous shops he knew of, he couldn't help but hesitate. "Um... Lin Lan, if you're opening a shop, you have too many black cats."
Aside from some superstitious people considering black cats unlucky, black cats are also local mixed breeds and not very attractive. Yet, black cats currently make up the largest portion of Lin Lan's feline population.
With that kind of breed distribution, even with that Ragdoll cat as the star attraction, the shop wouldn't have much appeal.
Lin Lan knew what Cheng Fengyang left unsaid. She immediately smiled at him. "So that's why I'm looking for more little cuties that can attract customers." Raising the pet carrier in her hand, she gestured for him to look inside. "If you're willing to put in the effort, you can still find pretty pedigree cats wandering the streets."
Cheng Fengyang instinctively looked through the carrier's see-through window and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! What kind of luck do you have!"
The two cats inside the carrier, though a bit dirty from living on the streets, were clearly recognizable by breed. One was a British Shorthair Blue that most people could identify, and the other was a very familiar Siamese.
While both are common pedigree pet cats, finding two at once like that is just too impressive!
"Not bad, not bad," Lin Lan said modestly. "I happened upon a stray cat gathering spot and lured them back with cat food."
"Not to be rude, but your cat-attracting luck has really been off the charts lately," Cheng Fengyang shook his head and sighed. In such a short time, she had already gathered so many cats. "Oh, right! You said you plan to open a cat café... well, tea house. You'll definitely need to renovate the shop later, right? How about I design a tea house renovation plan for you for free?"
"Ah?" Lin Lan was stunned, not expecting him to say that.
Cheng Fengyang, thinking she didn't believe him, quickly added, "My job is interior design. Look, here's my company business card." As he spoke, he pulled a business card from his inner chest pocket and handed it to her.
Lin Lan took it in a daze. The company name on it was quite familiar, a very well-known and capable design company in West City. But the confusion on her face grew heavier. "But, why?" Design drawings from designers at that company aren't cheap.
"Have you forgotten? The wallet you handed in at the police station last time," Cheng Fengyang gave her a hint.
Lin Lan's face stiffened. That was something she didn't want to remember; it almost got her into legal trouble.
But he hadn't noticed and continued explaining. "My brother-in-law was tearing his hair out over that deceased person's case, couldn't find any clues, hadn't slept properly for days. Who would have thought that traces of the suspect would be found in that wallet later? They finally cracked the case two days ago. My brother-in-law has always been very good to me. You helped him a great deal, and I'm very grateful too!"
At the end, he gave her a sincere, grateful smile.
Perhaps because of his carefree attitude and genuine way of treating people, the young man in casual clothes before her, with that brilliant smile, looked even younger than his actual age.
Lin Lan couldn't help but feel a bit dazed, remembering her own time before graduating from university. She had only been working for a few years, so why did she suddenly feel old?
"Cheng Fengyang," she looked up at him and asked a seemingly unrelated question. "How old are you today?"
The question made the young man pause, his reply a bit stuttered. "T-twenty-six. Why?"
Oh, one year older than her.
"Nothing, just thought you looked very young to already be a senior designer, so I asked casually," Lin Lan replied with a squinting smile. "Very impressive."
"It's alright," Cheng Fengyang blushed a little at being praised so by a pretty girl, then quickly composed himself and emphasized seriously. "I mean it, designing your shop for free! And I'll treat you like a real client, won't cut corners just because it's free. I just gave you my card. Whenever it's convenient for you, you can contact me to come look at the shop. Feel free to state any design requirements you have then!"
"I believe you. My tenants' lease is up next month. I'll definitely invite you to come take a look then," Lin Lan replied with a smile, lightly waving the business card in her hand. In the sunlight, her pretty face, adorned only with a light lip gloss, looked serene and gentle. "Let's consider it settled then. I'll be troubling you later, Designer Cheng."
"N-no problem!" Cheng Fengyang instinctively straightened his back. "Leave it to me!"
"I need to take the cats to the vet clinic for check-ups and cleaning, so I won't chat any longer. Let's connect next time."
"Okay, next time then."
After saying goodbye to Cheng Fengyang, Lin Lan walked on, carrying the pet carrier. Cheng Fengyang stood where he was, watching her departing figure, but he looked a bit stunned.
Not far away, Cheng Xingyu, who had noticed the commotion there earlier, slowly walked over with her daughter. She gave her still-dazed younger brother a pat on the back: "Snap out of it, she's already gone."
The young man jolted and turned to look at her: "Sis?"
Seeing her brother's dumbfounded look, Cheng Xingyu couldn't help but giggle and teased: "What, taken a liking to her?" As she spoke, she glanced in the direction Lin Lan had left.
"No! No, no, no!" Cheng Fengyang shook his head vigorously, desperately trying to clear up the misunderstanding. "I was just talking to her for a bit, we've barely met a few times, sis! Oh, right, that young lady is the good Samaritan who last time handed in the wallet and helped Old Li crack the case, so I chatted with her for a while."
Cheng Xingyu immediately gave her brother another whack: "Why didn't you say so earlier! Why didn't you call me over before? I've been wanting to thank her properly on Old Li's behalf!" If that kind-hearted person hadn't turned in the wallet with its contents intact to the Public Security Bureau, her Old Li wouldn't have known how much longer he'd be stuck on that murder case.
"I... I did thank her. She's about to open a shop, and I'm helping her with the interior design and renovation for free!" Rubbing his sore back, Cheng Fengyang grimaced, feeling a bit wronged.
Cheng Xingyu immediately glared at her brother: "You blockhead, no wonder you're still single at 26! Just providing design plans isn't enough, you need to help her pick out and introduce the material suppliers and the renovation crew for later! Best if you go over when the renovation is happening, whenever you have time, and discuss the specific modification details properly with the client, understand?"
Just giving someone the blueprints and letting them figure it out themselves is hardly enough. Single dogs really earn their bachelorhood through sheer skill.
Thinking of their mom at home, worried that her son is still single at this age, Cheng Xingyu felt she should visit her parents' home more often to help her dear mother keep an eye on her unreliable brother.
Over at the small building, Doctor Liu was probably the happiest shop owner among all the ground-floor stores.
Ever since the landlord's daughter returned, his pet clinic, which had only been scraping by, had genuinely seen a lot of improvement.
It couldn't be helped. This big client kept sending pets over every few days—sometimes for deworming and vaccinations, other times for cat baths and simple pet grooming. She also bought a lot of common cat medications, nutritional supplements, and cat treats.
Even though she had been upgraded to a VIP client with discounted rates, she still brought in a significant income for the clinic.
So much so that now, whenever Doctor Liu saw Lin Lan walk in, he couldn't help but wear a warm, friendly smile: "What's up? Are you out of cat food bowls again, or did the kittens chew up more toys?" She had bought quite a few of these small items too.
“Two more cat food bowls, please.” Lin Lan placed the cat carrier on the table. “Also, these are two stray cats I just picked up. Same as usual, please, Doctor Liu.”
See, business just keeps coming.
The customer is king. Doctor Liu happily took on the job, and together with the assistant he employed at the clinic, began the now completely familiar routine.
At the Lin family home.
When Lin Lan finally brought the two freshly bathed cats upstairs, her family also observed the two cats their daughter had brought home through the carrier.
"Why are they both kind of skinny and long, like noodles? With this bone structure, even if they get fat, they won't look round." Grandma Lin, holding a little black cat, pointed at the two cats in the carrier, somewhat puzzled. "And this cat, its face and paws are as black as charcoal. Even after washing, it still looks like it crawled out from under a stove?"
"Lanlan, is this skinny gray cat also a British Shorthair?" Wang Xiuzhi pointed at the other cat. "I remember the one at Xiao Qian's house was quite plump and round, with a chubby face. Why is this one so thin its face is pointy?"
Hearing this, Lin Lan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Mom, Grandma. This is a Russian Blue and a Siamese. Russian Blues are naturally slimmer and longer than British Shorthairs, and Siamese have this build too. Also, Siamese cats just have this coat color. And if you don't keep them warm in winter, their fur gets even darker."
"Just like it got burnt black in a stove," the old lady remarked bluntly with a hint of disdain.
"Pfft!" Lin Youyu burst out laughing. "A cat that gets 'burnt' when winter comes... hahahaha!"
Lin Lan... Lin Lan had no rebuttal.
"Ahem! Anyway, you need to understand these are also very expensive and popular pet cat breeds!" That was all she could conclude. "Same rule as before, new cats need to be isolated from the residents for a week. I'll take them to the new room and put them in with the little black cat family."
These two newcomers didn't match the aesthetic preferences of the older Lin family members, so when Lin Lan took the cats over, the adults showed little interest.
With them gone, Lin Lan felt free to talk to the cats in the new room without reservations.
"Meow—" From inside the carrier, the Siamese cat was the first to meow. (Lanlan, I think your family doesn't like me much. And I understood them saying I'm 'burnt'! My previous owner often said that about me when they had me.)
There was a hint of protest in its little tone.
"My parents haven't seen much of the world, they haven't encountered a magical little cat like you before, so please forgive them." Lin Lan kept a straight face while soothing the kitten. "Even though I asked you both back when we were with the cat boss, I still need to confirm now. Are you both sure you want to stay here from now on, hunting and foraging with me?"
"Meow—" 2
Both pet cats meowed simultaneously to confirm.
They both had owners before but ended up on the streets. They'd had enough of the hardship of scavenging through trash bins and not finding food. Most importantly, they always lost fights to the street cats—it was just too exhausting. As soon as they heard the cat boss's gang putting out word that a human was looking to adopt pet cats, they eagerly came running.
The outdoors really wasn't suitable for them at all. They just hoped to live in a big house again, living the life of being served by a poop-scooper every day.
The lively and outgoing Siamese cat was the first to pledge loyalty. It stood up on its hind legs inside the carrier, its black-gloved paws spread open like five-petaled mangosteens, ready for a "give me five" at any moment.
"Meow!" (I'll be very good! I can also play the high-five game with humans! They can hug and snuggle me all they want, I absolutely won't resist!)
Not bad. A little cat with special skills, plenty of experience, and high awareness. Lin Lan nodded in satisfaction.
The Russian Blue cat was a beat slower, seeming a bit simple and honest. It cautiously let out a meow: (I didn't think too much about it. I just heard there was food here and came. As long as there's food, Lanlan, I'll do whatever you say. I'll also let humans snuggle me obediently!)
Well, even though it doesn't have a special trick like the Siamese, its work attitude is highly commendable. Lin Lan was still satisfied.
"As long as you listen to me and hunt together, not only will you be full in the future, but you'll also get to eat even tastier things. Once my hunting ground is ready, everyone needs to give it their all." Lin Lan felt not a shred of guilt as she coaxed the simple, innocent kittens, even patting the black mother cat sitting right beside her. "But before that, everyone needs to undergo a unified orientation training. It's about how you can get more cat food and treats from those humans, and I hope you all learn it well."
Upon hearing they could get more food from humans, all the kittens around Lin Lan started meowing. Listening to the chorus of "Lan Lan, I want to learn," Lin Lan curved her lips in a reserved smile.
Actually, whether new cats needed to be quarantined or not was something Lin Lan could judge from the moment she understood cat language by assessing how well they got along. But she felt she couldn't act too out of the ordinary, so all the necessary preventive measures were still taken.
Perhaps because they had all been strays, the British Shorthair and the Siamese got along quite well with the black cat family. Blue Sapphire, a three-month-old kitten, was at the age where he was curious about everything. Combined with Lin Lan's verbal explanations, it was even more unlikely for him to feel any rejection towards them.
During the quarantine period, Lin Lan brought back another cat, a white Chinchilla Persian. It was the second long-haired cat after Blue Sapphire, and the second pure white cat after Snowflake. After a round of grooming at the pet clinic, its once tangled, snowy long fur became clean and soft again. With its Persian cat lineage, its elegant and luxurious appearance due to the long fur was quite popular with the Lin family.
"This cat you brought back this time is nice, quite good-looking," Grandma Lin commented. "Looks like a noblewoman."
But Lin Lan, who understood cat language, had mixed feelings about this cat.
Chinchilla Persians are fastidious. If the house isn't clean, their long fur gets dirty easily, and once dirty, they become anxious and fretful. They are also picky eaters, loving only meat, yet their stomachs can't handle having meat for every meal and they get sick easily. Their shedding rate is number one in the cat world... Despite these various shortcomings, who could resist its petite, cute appearance, its affectionate nature that lets you hold and cuddle it? It easily makes the cat servant fall completely, granting its every wish.
This Chinchilla Persian, who had unfortunately been a stray and suffered a lot outdoors, saw its spoiled, pampered temper—coddled by its previous owner—fully revive along with its recovering spirits once it had a cat servant again.
"Meow!" (Servant! The fur on my paw is dirty! Clean it up for me now!)
"Meow!" (Servant! I want meat! The meat you made yesterday! I want it now!)
"Meow—ow—!" (Servant! I don't want to sleep in this cat bed anymore! Get me a softer, nicer-smelling cushion!)
"Meow... Meow ow ow wow aah oow—!"
It rained in West City today. Grandma Lin, who didn't go to the senior center to practice dancing, sat by the balcony wearing her reading glasses and knitting a sweater. As her knitting needles moved swiftly, the ball of yarn in the basket at her feet kept rolling around. A little Ragdoll kitten sat beside it, occasionally reaching out a paw to bat at the yarn inside.
"What? Snowflake got into a fight with the new noblewoman cat?"
"Well... to be precise, it was Snowflake and Momo together who beat up the new Chinchilla Persian." Lin Lan propped her chin on her hand, explaining the real situation to her grandma. "The three cats had some kind of disagreement, I don't know why. I gave them a talking-to, and they're fine now."
Momo was the black mother cat's name. As for her five black kittens, they were named with 'Mo' as the prefix followed by One, Two, Three, Four, and Five. Yes, that's how simple and direct Lin Lan was with naming the black cat quintuplets. On naming day, she put lightweight name tags engraved with their names on them, so there was no way to mix them up.
As for the specific reason the three cats fought, she couldn't explain it to her family.
What could she say? That the white cat and the black cat teamed up to teach the Persian cat a lesson because they couldn't stand its spoiled behavior, acting up because it was being pampered?
Grandma Lin, unaware of the details, lowered her head, knitting and muttering, "That noblewoman cat knows how to fight? Wasn't she just cornered by the black cat, then pinned her ears back, tucked her neck in, closed her eyes, and just kept swinging her paws blindly?"
