Lin Lan's mood was far from calm.
To be precise, quite a lot had happened this weekend. From Miss Wang calling friends of similar status to retrieve the lost cat, to Qian Xuan coming to arrange foster care for Niu Niu, Sister Tang's rental troubles, and then the dinner incident with Cheng Fengyang... it seemed like one thing after another without pause, making it much busier than usual.
Well, it must be the sheer volume of events causing these emotional fluctuations. It absolutely couldn't be because she had just become aware of something she hadn't noticed before that her heart was in such turmoil.
As expected, when she got home late, her parents questioned her. Lin Lan selectively told them about Cheng Fengyang's unfortunate incident of getting hot pot splashed in his eye, successfully diverting their attention from scolding her for coming home late. She leisurely listened to their exclamations about young Cheng's bad luck while taking out dried grilled fish to feed the cats.
"Time for fish jerky!" Although the dozen or so cats lazing at home had already caught the scent and gathered around her with tails held high, Lin Lan still called out to them. "Old rules, everyone lines up for dinner! Cats who don't behave not only get nothing, but their fish jerky will be given as a reward to the best-behaved cat this time!"
That won't do!
The cats, often driven to distraction by the aroma of food, instantly sobered up. One by one, they obediently lined up in three rows according to size, tails held high and swishing, waiting for Lin Lan to inspect the troops before distributing the food.
Because Old Zhou's family also kept and doted on cats, this barbecue shop was an expert at grilling the fish jerky cats loved most. It had fattened up the calico cat Hua Hua and was also one of the favorite treats of the Lin family's eldest cat, Miao Xuehua. Similarly, after Lin Lan took in a group of cats, it became a beloved snack for all the cats at the teahouse.
Even the orange cat and the black-and-white cat, currently in isolation cages and trying this snack for the first time, were no exception.
The two formerly stray country cats devoured their portions, wolfing them down. The series of "meows" in Lin Lan's ears translated to a continuous stream of "so delicious" and "never eaten such tasty fish jerky before."
And as everyone knows, orange cats are famously big eaters among colored cats. The pretty little orange cat quickly finished its share and clung to the cage, peering into the other cats' bowls.
The little orange cat saw that one large white cat was different from the others—it actually had two pieces of grilled fish jerky in its bowl.
The little orange cat: "!!!"
Every other cat only had one piece, even Mo Mo, the black cat leader here!
This two-legged creature it had pledged allegiance to was playing favorites!
"Meow meow!" (Lan Lan, I want more! I want another piece of fish jerky too!) The orange cat pawed at the cage and called out loudly.
Understanding cat language, Lin Lan immediately turned to look at its cage. While most cats were only about halfway done, this orange cat, having already finished and clamoring for more, successfully caught her attention.
A red alert symbol instantly popped up in Lin Lan's mind.
She hadn't forgotten the famous saying online: "Nine out of ten orange cats are fat, and the tenth one flattens the kang bed." While not 100% accurate, it's a widely acknowledged fact that orange cats love to eat.
Lin Lan looked at the sleek and handsome orange cat before her. Its white gloves and white triangular chest bib made it look truly pretty and dashing. But once it overeats and gains weight...
No, no, no. She absolutely would not allow any obese little kittens in her teahouse, whether for health or aesthetics!
"None left, Gentleman. I only bought this much. Each cat can only have one piece of grilled fish jerky." Reaching a finger through the cage bars, Lin Lan gently tapped its head as it rubbed against her, patiently explaining.
Yes, this orange cat was named Gentleman, living up to its coat color name.
But the little orange cat did not inherit the reserve and elegance of its new name. Instead, it cried out to her even more urgently: "Meow!" (But why can that white cat have two!)
"You mean Xuehua?" Lin Lan laughed upon hearing this, scratching the orange cat's chin with her index finger, her tone still patient. "Xuehua is different. It's a regular at the shop that provides the fish jerky, a loyal customer for almost four years. The extra piece is a bonus the shop specifically gives it."
The little orange cat immediately widened its large, golden eyes, its pupils dilating to the maximum, seeming utterly shocked.
Other little cats who heard this answer also became restless. Many finished their fish jerky and gathered around meowing. The message from the feline community was very consistent: they wanted to become such regular customers too.
"Everyone will, everyone will. As long as you keep working at my teahouse, everyone will get there!" Surrounded by furry bodies, subjected to a coquettish assault of hand-rubbing and leg-nuzzling, Lin Lan remained unperturbed, skillfully petting some of the kittens. "As long as this month's performance passes, everyone can enjoy another fish jerky treat at the end of the month. Also, our teahouse has New Year benefits! On New Year's Eve, I'll prepare a luxurious Spring Festival cat meal, exclusive for the teahouse cats. You can eat to your heart's content then!"
With this series of promises, the cats' antenna-like tails stood even straighter, followed by another chorus of excited meows.
The two cats in the cages were no exception.
"Meow!" The black-and-white cat, Dian Dian, was overjoyed. If not for the isolation cage, it would have rushed over to rub against the new two-legged leader it was following. Unable to do so, it could only send joyful signals to the orange cat in the next cage. "Meow!" (Gentleman, Gentleman, this place is so good! Following this two-legged creature was definitely the right choice. Thankfully we were both chosen!)
The orange cat next door, however, ignored the black-and-white cat's delight. It just stared at the large white cat not far away, leisurely finishing its fish jerky. Although it had been here less than a week, the orange cat had already noticed this white cat's unique status. It never attended the training sessions at the teahouse. Even though it was a male cat, even the leader, the black cat Mo Mo, usually gave way to it intentionally or unintentionally.
And now it could even eat two pieces of fish jerky!
The orange cat stared fixedly at the large white cat that had already jumped onto Lin Lan's lap and was rubbing its head against her face, its white-gloved front paws twitching restlessly.
There's definitely something up with that cat!
When the lights went out and the humans, having finished washing up, went to their respective rooms to sleep, Gentleman, still in its cage, lifted its eyelids from feigned sleep, scanning the companions resting obediently on the heated pads.
Cats are nocturnal creatures. Sleeping over ten hours during the day and having midnight dance parties is commonplace. But such things don't exist in the Cat Teahouse. Whether you spent the day at the shop playing with humans with little time to sleep, or managed to "hunt" cans of food just by napping cutely, once you return here at night and the lights go out, any cat daring to cause a ruckus would face consequences: no specially made cat meals from Lan Lan the next day, only ordinary brand cat food. Also gone would be the cat massages that happen every few days, so comfortable they make kittens collapse in bliss.
At first, some kittens didn't follow the rules. But after a few days of torture—watching others eat feasts while they got kibble, and seeing others enjoy massages while they could only watch—they all fell in line.
Later, if any mischievous troublemaker still couldn't break old habits, it wasn't a problem—the black cat boss, Mo Mo, would directly use her claws to teach it how to be a proper teahouse cat.
The well-mannered orange cat, Gentleman, was very quiet—even without the black cat's threats, locked in a cage, even if it wanted to make a fuss, it had no space to do so. In the pitch-dark living room, using its excellent night vision, it easily confirmed the count of its fellow cats and noticed the absence of the big white cat and the Ragdoll cat.
They must be sleeping with the two-legged boss again!
Gentleman was very displeased. This was the two-legged boss it had its eye on, yet it was being monopolized by those two cats!
Perhaps sensing its restless irritation from inside the cage, the Munchkin cat La Chang, who happened to be sleeping nearby, lifted its head and looked over, letting out little snores.
The two kittens began a silent conversation in their feline language.
La Chang: "Don't you know? Even though Mo Mo is the boss here, Snowflake is the true treasure in Lan Lan and Grandma's hearts. It doesn't need to hunt for itself; Lan Lan will provide for it."
Gentleman: "...!! Then, what about Sapphire?"
La Chang: "Lan Lan says Sapphire is a Ragdoll cat, very popular among humans. It's a large cat and eats more than Snowflake, so it can use its beauty to hunt for cans at the teahouse. You saw it during the day at the teahouse—it's super skilled at hunting cans. Plus, Sapphire was raised single-handedly by Lan Lan since it was little, so of course it's different too!"
Gentleman: "..."
La Chang: "Go to sleep soon. We have to go hunt for cans at the teahouse tomorrow. If we don't rest well, how will we have the energy to sell cuteness in exchange for cans?"
The adorable short-legged cat spoke, then opened its mouth in a big yawn, curled itself into a ball, and went back to snoring soundly. The self-heating pad was so wonderfully warm; being able to sleep like this in winter was such happiness.
This left the dazed orange cat, Gentleman, squatting in the cage, its eyes still fixed on Lin Lan's tightly closed bedroom door.
It recalled the American Shorthair cat Wei Wei, who had been with them during the day but was picked up by its owner. The way that two-legged creature looked at Wei Wei with such affection overlapped with the way Lin Lan gazed at Snowflake—they were surprisingly similar.
Gentleman suddenly let out a soft mew and crouched down, its eyes still locked on Lin Lan's room, but now filled with longing.
Having been a stray all this time, enduring countless hardships of hunger, cold, and heartless shooing, it too really wanted a two-legged creature who would love it most.
The night passed quickly. In this season of short days and long nights, by the time the sky was fully bright, it was already quite late.
Not long after Lin Lan opened the shop, Qian Xuan arrived at the teahouse carrying a cat backpack and a large bag of cat litter and cat food.
"I tried learning from you how to make cat food, but I don't know if it's because I'm all thumbs—Niu Niu just wouldn't eat it." Qian Xuan was also helpless about this. She had even copied down the cat food recipe and used a digital scale for precise measurements, but the flavor of the cat food she made simply couldn't compare to Lin Lan's. After wasting a bunch of ingredients, she gave up on her own. "This is Niu Niu's favorite main food and treats, plus the cat litter it's used to. I'll leave her in your care for these three days."
"No problem, leave it all to me." Taking the cat backpack and cat food from her, Lin Lan agreed with a smile.
Although the official cat employees at the teahouse had all learned to use the toilet, the teahouse's dedicated cat restroom still had a litter box placed inside. This was set up for cats who had just arrived for their internship and hadn't yet learned to use the squat toilet. Firstly, it allowed them to gradually transition to using the toilet. Secondly, Lin Lan could also assess the health of new cats by checking their litter clumps. Once she confirmed the cat remained healthy and had learned to use the squat toilet under the guidance of other cats, the litter box would once again become just a decoration.
Niu Niu was someone else's cat and was used to a litter box. Unless the owner specifically requested it, Lin Lan wouldn't change that. Whatever Qian Xuan provided, whether litter or food, she would use for the cat.
Seeing Lin Lan always so straightforward and cheerful, Qian Xuan felt a bit embarrassed recalling how she had looked down on Snowflake for being a "local cat" back in the autumn. "I've spoiled Niu Niu a bit, making her somewhat finicky. If she acts aloof towards you or gives you attitude during her stay, please bear with her. The cats you raise are all better behaved than mine; there seems to be very little fighting. So if Niu Niu gets bored in the cage, if the situation allows, please let her out for a stroll."
Lin Lan gave her an OK sign.
The deal was officially settled. Qian Xuan, who still needed to catch a train, didn't have time to linger at the teahouse. She could only reluctantly bid farewell to her beloved pet, waving sadly at the small window of the cat backpack. "Niu Niu, I have a business trip for a few days and can't be with you. During this time, get along well with Lin Lan and the cats at the teahouse, okay? Don't worry, Mom will be back in a few days. Be happy, alright?"
The British Shorthair cat inside the backpack watched its servant waving constantly. Though not understanding the meaning, it placed a small paw on the transparent cover and called out to her: "Meow!" (Servant! Where are you going? Why are you leaving me here?)
Seeing this, Qian Xuan grew even more sorrowful. "Niu Niu can't bear to see me go. No, I have to leave quickly!" If she stayed any longer, she'd find it even harder to part with Niu Niu.
With that, she covered her mouth, turned, pushed open the door, and ran off.
"Meow! Meow!" (Servant! What are you running for!)
