Wang Jiayi had been holed up in her newly rented apartment for less than a day before she started feeling restless.
If she hadn't fallen out with her family, her original plan was to come to West City in the spring after the New Year when it was warmer. She would have taken a long-term suite in a high-end hotel downtown, visited and explored all the famous attractions in West City, and then returned home to handle other matters.
Now, well, the plan was moved up entirely, and it was still the bleak, chilly winter.
I should have just booked a flight and gone straight to Hainan for the winter... This thought flashed through her mind, but Wang Jiayi dismissed it herself.
Because of this rebellion against her family, her supplementary credit card had been frozen by her parents. She could only rely on her own savings now. If she really went to Hainan, with her extravagant nature, she'd probably blow through the little money she had left in less than a month.
Thinking of the mere one million plus yuan in her bank account, Wang Jiayi sighed sorrowfully, feeling utterly pitiful with so little money.
For the next six months, she had to control herself and absolutely must not go on random shopping sprees for clothes and bags anymore. To prevent her family from finding her, she couldn't rent a hotel room either; she had to hide more discreetly.
Hmph, her parents would never expect that she didn't rent a hotel room or an apartment in some upscale neighborhood, but instead moved into a building in an urban village, right?
And the rent here was really so cheap! The money she used to spend on a few days in a luxury hotel here could cover several months' rent. She was saving so much money all of a sudden.
Recalling her thrifty act of moving all the furniture and appliances from one of her own apartments here to save more money without lowering her living standards, Wang Jiayi felt she was extremely wise.
As long as she behaved herself and stayed put in this rented room for a few more months, that one million plus would definitely be enough for her to live on for half a year!
The naive young lady thought this way, and on her first night staying there, she even clenched her fist with a determined expression.
...Then, the very next morning, she ran out to wander around.
Back when she was following the agent to view the place, Wang Jiayi had already noticed the cat café at the bottom of this building. The shop, with its fully transparent glass walls and bright, warm interior style, immediately stood out among the surrounding ordinary stores, which were either tobacco and liquor shops or snack stalls. Today, barely a few steps after coming downstairs, she couldn't control her curiosity and pushed the door open to enter.
When the young lady stood inside the shop, it was Song Xinmin who greeted her first: "Welcome to the Cat Café!"
The memory of running into each other at the agent's office just a couple of days ago was still fresh. Wang Jiayi was almost startled to see this familiar face—just recently they were both looking at rentals, and now one had become a customer, the other a staff member.
Comrade Xiao Song, long seasoned and experienced, felt no awkwardness at all. He maintained his perfect smile and service: "Is this your first time at our café, miss? Please come over here to wash and disinfect your hands."
Wang Jiayi gave him a few suspicious glances but ultimately followed the instructions to sanitize.
After washing her hands and putting on shoe covers, the young lady stepped into the café's lounge area. Song Xinmin followed behind, about to enthusiastically start his introduction, but she waved her hand without even turning her head: "Just give me your most expensive single-person set."
Ignoring the dismissed waiter Xiao Song, the young lady looked around at the café's environment. Wooden or fabric forest-themed tables and chairs were scattered about, with some guests sitting lazily, drinking tea and chatting. The scents of fruit and milk mingled together but weren't cloying.
Two walls were solid. The one near the water bar counter had a large wall-mounted TV screen quietly playing cat videos. The other wall had tables and chairs on one half, and two tall wooden hamster wheels on the other half.
A beautifully built silver-gray Maine Coon was slowly jogging on the larger wheel, its posture elegant as if taking a post-meal stroll.
The smaller wheel was moving faster, with a pure black large cat running on it swiftly, its fluid movements full of powerful grace.
Next to the large and small wheels, several cats of various sizes were sitting, their little heads swaying along with the movements of the cats on the wheels, as if waiting in line.
On the wall behind the wheels, Wang Jiayi saw a conspicuous notice that read: Cat Digestion & Weight Loss Area. Please do not pick up the cats while they are using the wheels. (Winking with a heart emoji.jpg)
The young lady's expression turned somewhat dumbfounded. She hadn't expected a cat café to be such a magical place, where the cats would actually come voluntarily to exercise and burn calories, more disciplined than people!
Staring blankly at the line of cats waiting for the wheels for a while, Wang Jiayi suddenly felt something brush past her leg. As she instinctively looked down, she heard a sweet, coquettish meow.
"Meow." A snow-white Chinchilla cat had appeared before her at some point. Its long fur made its petite body seem plump. After rubbing against her a few more times, it flopped onto the floor, rolled over to show its belly, and made an utterly adorable tumble.
"Wow, so cute!" Wang Jiayi's heart instantly melted. She was done for, completely smitten by this cat!
Because her parents disliked how cats and dogs shed hair everywhere, her family had never kept pets. At most, Wang Jiayi had seen cats and dogs at classmates' or friends' homes. Although they were all quite pretty and cute, she didn't feel strongly about them. She couldn't even understand why some people doted on them as if they were their own children.
Until now, seeing this Chinchilla cat, she seemed to understand.
This adorable creature, snow-white without a single stray hair, had large, round, light blue eyes lined as if with eyeliner. It was clean and beautiful, like a moving snowball. When it meowed at her, Wang Jiayi surrendered instantly, picking up the cat with immense fondness and holding it in her arms.
The little darling's fur was long, soft, and silky. It also carried a pleasant shampoo scent, clearly groomed carefully every day. The young lady held it even more delightedly.
Wang Jiayi stopped watching the other cats running on the wheels for exercise. Instead, she carried the cat towards a fabric sofa-style table and chair set, intending to focus solely on kissing, hugging, and lifting this cat high.
The exquisite, aristocratic young lady and the beautiful, elegant Persian cat—one had to admit, the two looked quite well-matched together.
When Lin Lan brought a large tray of exquisite tea and pastries to Wang Jiayi's table, the young lady was still happily petting the cat, but the Chinchilla in her arms was gradually growing impatient.
The Chinchilla, Silver, had been acting cute for this female guest to pet, but after waiting for what felt like ages, no treats appeared. Impatient, it got up from her embrace, meowed at her once, then jumped away and left without a backward glance.
The sound was still sweet and coquettish, as if the little darling was being affectionate. Only Lin Lan nearby could decipher the sarcasm within: (Petted me for half the day and didn't even give me a single fish stick. Pah, useless servant!)
Lin Lan, holding the tray, shuddered. How had it come to this? This little kitten had already been spoiled by a bunch of cat slaves into becoming so mercenary?
Across from her, the young lady who had been abruptly abandoned by the cat looked utterly bewildered: "What happened? Why did it just leave like that?" She resembled a pitiful straight guy whose girlfriend had suddenly broken up with him for reasons completely unknown.
"Ahem, customer." As the shop owner, she could only step forward to smooth things over. "My Silver is just a bit capricious like that. Perhaps you could try using some food or toys to recapture its attention."
When it came to spending money, the young lady caught on immediately. Her exquisitely maintained jade-like hand waved with grand flair once more: "Give me one of every cat snack you have in the shop, the best ones!"
So, a few minutes later, Miss Wang leaned elegantly against the sofa, legs crossed, holding a bone china teacup as she sipped her tea, with a Chinchilla cat in her lap that was enthusiastically gnawing on a codfish treat held in both paws. With the snacks, the little kitten allowed itself to be petted and its belly rubbed, as long as it wasn't hindered from eating.
Lin Lan didn't bother considering how much dignity a kitten might retain in the face of food. She just glanced down at the cat in the young lady's arms when she delivered another round of snacks like catnip and small toys that Miss Wang had requested: "Silver, if you finish all these snacks, remember to go queue up for the running wheel."
The Persian cat, happily munching on its fish treat, froze, looking over somewhat pitifully and letting out an ingratiating meow: (Lanlan, I'll eat less, can I not run? It's so tiring.)
The young lady keenly sensed that her little darling was being bullied and immediately showed her displeasure, pulling the cat closer to protect it and opening her mouth to complain, but Lin Lan was faster.
"Being cute won't work. You're a Chinchilla with a rather delicate digestive system. If you don't want to get sick and feel miserable from overeating, you still have to run your laps. A kitten looks best when it's neither too thin nor too fat. If you become a chubby ball, you won't even be able to snatch little fish treats from other cats in the future."
"Meow!" This was a cry of anguish, clearly Silver recalling some painful memories.
After speaking, Lin Lan paid it no further mind. Instead, she smiled and looked at Wang Jiayi, who wore an expression of astonishment. "Customer, thank you for being so fond of Silver, but please be careful not to overfeed it, as it can cause digestive issues. Given that you don't intend to switch to feeding another cat, even if you wish to purchase more cans and snacks later, our shop will not sell them to you."
"...Oh, okay." It wasn't until Lin Lan had already walked away that the young lady responded somewhat dazedly. She looked down at the kitten in her arms and gently rubbed its little head. "I'm sorry, Silver. I didn't know I couldn't feed you too much. After you finish eating, I'll run on the wheel with you, okay?"
The young lady, who had a somewhat spoiled personality and no shortage of money, patiently spent the entire day in the teahouse with the cat. As the teahouse was about to close for the day, as expected, she made a purchase request to Lin Lan: "Shop owner, I sincerely want it. How much would you be willing to sell it for?"
"Customer, don't be hasty. Please listen to our shop's transaction rules first before discussing anything else." Lin Lan repeated the cat adoption rules she had mentioned before to Wang Jiayi. Ignoring the young lady's surprised expression upon hearing them, she reached out to summon the Chinchilla, holding it in her arms and asking softly, "So, what do you think, Silver? She's spent the whole day playing with you. Do you want to go home with her?"
Silver looked at Lin Lan, then up at the somewhat nervous Wang Jiayi opposite, tilting its head and pausing for a moment: "Meow!" (No! This servant isn't good enough, she doesn't take care of me as well as you do, Lanlan!)
What a pragmatic little kitten! Lin Lan couldn't help but sigh once again. The cat's previous owner was probably on the same level of cat servitude as Qian Xuan from the fourth floor.
"What did Silver say?" Wang Jiayi wasn't at all surprised that the shop owner could understand the cat. She had visited police dog training camps before and had a deeper understanding of the high level of tacit understanding between small animals and people. For someone like the shop owner who trained cats, understanding a cat's thoughts should be quite simple.
Lin Lan gently patted the Persian cat's head: "Just meowing isn't enough. Express it to the customer yourself. Nod if yes, shake your head if no."
Then the young lady saw, to her disappointment, the kitten shaking its head at her repeatedly.
“Chinchillas are a breed of pet cat that requires meticulous care, not just in terms of physical health. Their long fur needs daily combing and maintenance, especially a cat like Silver, which is pure white. If the house isn't clean, its fur can easily get dirty. This breed also has cleanliness obsessions and gets irritable when dirty,” Lin Lan explained softly to the disappointed young lady. “If you really like it and want Silver to be willing to go with you, the effort you'll need to put in is far greater than caring for other cats.”
If she couldn't understand these cats' words and directly grasp their various needs, honestly, raising so many precious cats would drive her crazy too.
Rarely finding something she liked so much, Miss Wang naturally wouldn't admit defeat easily. After being harshly rejected by the kitten, she came to the teahouse every day. For a while, the Chinchilla practically became a privately sponsored cat.
The young lady began seriously learning how to care for a Chinchilla, starting with daily fur brushing, to the proper proportions for feeding, and so on. Although her movements were clumsy and she was often disliked by the cat, she was genuinely making an effort.
Unconsciously, several days passed, and it was the weekend again.
The part-time worker, Tang Xiaoya, arrived at the shop on time for her shift. Today, as soon as she entered, she let out a cry of delight.
"Boss, you've brought new kittens to the shop again?"
The newly arrived cats, who had already adapted well to the old house upstairs, were brought to the teahouse this weekend, cages and all.
“Yes, just brought them last week. They're still in the adaptation period.” Watching Tang Xiaoya, who was already circling the cages excitedly, Lin Lan replied with a smile. “Let them stay in the teahouse like this for a few days first, to learn on-site how the other cats interact with customers. Then we'll formally introduce them to the teahouse.”
"Wow, it's like pre-job training for employees," Tang Xiaoya joked casually, not knowing she had actually hit upon the truth.
Lin Lan smiled and didn't continue the topic. Instead, she introduced the full-time employee, Little Song, to her. After the two staff members got acquainted, they got busy together, and the shop soon officially opened for business.
As per the usual routine, the first to arrive was Miss Wang from upstairs.
She entered familiarly, disinfected her hands, put on shoe covers, and immediately hugged the Chinchilla that was waiting for her approach. After holding it, she gave it a big kiss: "Little darling Silver, we meet again."
"Meow." (You're so slow, servant! Lanlan says you'll be the one brushing my fur from now on. Being this slow won't do!)
"Ahhh, are you acting spoiled with me? So cute, my precious Silver!"
"Meow!" (Don't come over and sniff me! Brush my fur first, brush my fur, did you hear me, you clumsy servant!)
"Your little paws on my face are amazing too! You can do that more often!"
The interaction between the person, who was written as a young lady but read as a cat slave, and the cat, was something Lin Lan, with her back turned, pretended not to notice throughout, lowering her head to focus on her own tasks.
Tang Xiaoya, however, glanced over curiously a few times, went over to whisper with her new colleague, Comrade Little Song, and roughly understood the whole story. Her eyes even showed a bit of affection towards Wang Jiayi.
After all, she herself was someone preparing to bring a Maine Coon cat home. Everyone was striving on their way, all comrades.
Tang Xiaoya had just thought this when, the very next moment, Miss Wang did something that ruined her good impression.
"Huh? Are these the new cats coming to the shop?" After spending a good while grooming the feline master and also tidying up its appearance, Wang Jiayi, holding the cat, came over and saw the three cages placed on the table near the water bar.
Just as Tang Xiaoya was about to smile and answer yes, that the shop's cats were getting new companions, this young lady suddenly frowned and let out a sound of disdain: "What's this? They're just local cats?"
At first glance, seeing a common orange tabby cat in one cage, Wang Jiayi voiced her dislike without a second thought. Looking at the second cage, it was a black-and-white cow cat. Although quite cute, it didn't change the fact that it was another local cat.
The teahouse, still quiet with few customers in the early morning, fell completely silent.
"Shop Manager, you're so skilled at training cats, why are you bringing more local cats into the shop?" The pampered young lady holding a prized pedigree cat remained blissfully unaware, still asking with an innocent look of confusion. In her experience, whether friends or classmates, everyone kept noble pedigree pets. Miss Wang instinctively looked down on the common native cats found everywhere.
Tang Xiaoya's face turned completely cold. She gave a tight, insincere smile and retorted: "Customer, you shouldn't say that. What's wrong with local cats? We're all domestically bred here. There's really no need for breed discrimination."
Wang Jiayi's face instantly flushed red. She freed one hand and pointed at Tang Xiaoya: "You, you..." wanting to curse but unable to find the words.
Tang Xiaoya sneered and was about to continue the argument when a hand rested on her shoulder. Lin Lan walked up from behind: "Miss Wang, please take another look. It's not just the lovely native cats; there's also a beautiful silver tabby American Shorthair."
The tense atmosphere instantly found room for de-escalation. Knowing she had spoken out of turn and being poor at arguments, the young lady snorted and naturally looked towards the cage with the American Shorthair. She had originally intended to make a casual comment, but when she actually saw the cat, she let out a surprised and doubtful sound: "Huh? This cat?"
"What about the cat?" Her reaction drew the attention of the other three, who instinctively asked.
Wang Jiayi leaned down close to the cage, scrutinizing the American Shorthair inside up and down as if to confirm something, her expression flickering between surprise and doubt.
"This cat... it looks like the one my friend lost."
