First, there was the sweet overload from honeymooners in the Aegean, then the scandalous romantic histories of the "Scumbag Gods" group stabbed at her heart. Lin Lan completely lost her interest in following the guidebook to visit attractions one by one. After hastily circling the Acropolis and taking obligatory check-in photos like completing a task, she returned to her hotel.
In the following days, she abandoned all itineraries and guides, simply letting herself go with the flow. She rode buses to tour the surrounding scenery, getting off at stops that caught her fancy and wandering aimlessly. She was truly determined to treat this trip abroad as a journey to unwind.
The weather had been lovely these past few days. Staying away from those love landmarks swarmed by couples, Lin Lan could finally watch the sea and the tides in peace.
Just like now, she was sitting at a seaside eatery, having ordered lunch. At her outdoor table, she ate while gazing at the sea across the way. A few kittens rubbed against her ankles, meowing incessantly.
Even without understanding cat language, she knew these little fellows were begging for food.
"A bunch of little gluttons." Lin Lan smiled and shared the fish from her plate with them. These cats had varied coat patterns but uniformly glossy, sleek fur, clearly living well despite being strays. She looked at one pure white cat with a hint of nostalgia. "You look so much like my Snowflake at home. The build and fur color are the same, but its eyes are golden. Yours are one blue, one gold—even rarer."
The white cat eating the fish looked up and meowed at her twice, as if responding, though Lin Lan had no idea what it was saying this time.
Perhaps it was saying it was prettier?
Lin Lan guessed randomly, but her heart sank a little. It had only been two or three days abroad, and she was already feeling homesick.
She missed her parents, her grandma, and also the big white cat Snowflake at home. Every time she returned home for a long holiday, it would leave "gifts" at her door—like dead mice, dead little birds. After being scolded by the family, it switched to new tastes, including but not limited to half a sausage, salted fish stolen from who-knows-which neighbor, candy... and so on, all sorts of strange things. It was completely incorrigible.
Thinking of this, she smiled, but as she smiled, her eyes grew moist.
Just then, the white cat with odd-colored eyes suddenly jumped onto her lap. It didn't do anything else, just sat primly, looked up, and meowed at her again.
"Are you comforting me?" Lin Lan tentatively reached out to stroke its head. Finding the cat didn't resist, she continued petting it. The fluffy little animal was beautiful and cute, and the smooth sensation under her hand seemed to soothe her heart, gradually calming her emotions. "Thank you. You're really perceptive."
The shop owner's voice suddenly chimed in: "It's rare to see this little guy being so generous, actually letting someone pet it willingly. You're quite popular with cats, miss." He spoke in English, a bit fast, but Lin Lan managed to grasp the meaning through guesswork.
She replied in English: "It's alright. Cats don't dislike me, at least my cat at home really likes me." Every time she returned home, it brought her gifts, a privilege unique to her in the family—though maybe that was because she was the only one working out of town and often absent.
As she thought this, the shopkeeper spoke again: "Do you know about the Cat Wishing Well around here?" Seeing her blank expression, he knew the answer and eagerly pointed out, "Just down this street not far ahead, there's a fountain square. There's a Moon Goddess fountain and wishing well there. But we locals prefer to call it the Cat Wishing Well because it's more popular with cats. If someone liked by cats goes there to toss a coin and make a wish, it's said to be a bit more effective than for others."
"There's such a legend?" Lin Lan laughed.
"It's not a famous tourist spot, but it's quite well-known among us nearby residents. At least, my neighbor's child wished there the other day to find her lost doll in the park, and the next day a cat really brought it back for her."
Whether the tale was true or not, with its plausible anecdote, it sounded like a nice diversion for Lin Lan, who currently had nothing better to do. Since she was already here, walking a bit further to look around was fine, a way to walk off her meal.
"Ah, could you pack a few more portions of fried fish for me? Chicken is fine too. There should be quite a few cats over there, right?"
The owner hadn't lied to her. It was indeed a fountain square, and the main goddess statue was very beautiful. The lovely Moon Goddess here emphasized her aspects of nature and hunting, wearing a belted tunic and hunting boots, holding a bow and arrow, accompanied by two deer. Only now, on the backs of these two deer and on the goddess's shoulders, cats were lounging. There were also many cats around the fountain pool, curled up in "loaf" poses, basking in the sun.
Lin Lan scanned the area. Some passersby were feeding the strays with cat food. The coins at the bottom of the continuously spraying fountain glittered with the refraction of light.
"Meow, meow, meow—"
Cats with sharp noses caught the scent of food from her bag, far more enticing than cat food, and soon many gathered around.
Feeding stray cats was something Lin Lan was quite familiar with, though she wasn't the type of kind soul who specifically brought food for them. She only gave out food when a cat came to her feet on its own. Everyone earned their keep. She earned her salary through her own ability, and the kittens earned a meal by finding her through their own skills. There was no reason to wait for handouts just for being cute.
It wasn't like her boss gave her less work, no overtime, and more pay for free just because she was pretty-looking.
"You Greek strays are quite lucky. Even the local cats back home haven't received the treatment of me actively offering food once." Lin Lan remarked offhandedly to them, not mentioning that this was because she had quit her job and now had plenty of time to idle about.
She was answered by various incomprehensible meows and contented purrs over the food.
Couldn't understand a word. Looking at this large group of cats, Lin Lan couldn't help but think, though these cats probably understood even less of what she was saying.
If only she could communicate with cats without barriers—if she could understand what they were saying, and they could understand the meaning of her words.
For the second time this thought arose, Lin Lan didn't hesitate. She tossed this wish, along with a casual attitude and the coin in her hand, into the wishing well.
Dusk arrived quickly. After buying a Turkish kebab for dinner on the street, Lin Lan took the bus back to her hotel. At the entrance, she fed those two kittens again. After these days of feeding and interaction, those two strays were already willing to let her pet and hold them. So, after some more cat cuddling, she returned to her hotel room in a pleasant mood. After washing up, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
That night, Lin Lan had a dream.
In her dream, she was running through a forest, the wind whooshing all around her. As if venting some pent-up emotion, she sprinted wildly, with no destination in mind. Then, a voice told her she could now choose to turn into an animal. Wanting to run even faster, Lin Lan immediately chose to become the fastest creature—a cheetah. And so, in the dream, she was no longer running on two legs but instantly transformed into a leopard, dashing across complex terrain as if it were flat ground.
Forests, plains, mountains, and rivers were all left far behind her, until a sudden meow jolted her awake.
Sitting up in bed, she saw the sun was already high. Scratching her head, Lin Lan frowned, trying to recall the dream but found she couldn't remember anything. Yet, the lingering gloom she had felt was now completely washed away, replaced by an unprecedented sense of clarity and lightness in her heart.
"What a wonderful dream. It's a shame I can't remember any of it."
Lin Lan's regret didn't last long. Her return flight was scheduled for that very afternoon, and the remaining time was needed to properly pack and prepare for home.
By the time she checked out and left the hotel, a happy smile was on her face. Just outside the hotel entrance, she luckily hailed a taxi. As she put her suitcase in the trunk and was about to open the car door, she caught sight of two cats near the entrance out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but smile and wave at them. "Bye-bye!"
As the car door closed, she heard the two cats meow back. Somehow, though, Lin Lan inexplicably sensed other meanings in their meows: "Goodbye, come visit again sometime!" and "Thanks for the treats these past few days, they were tasty!"
Had she been petting too many cats lately, to the point of losing her mind?
Another ten-hour flight later, Lin Lan dragged her luggage through the long journey, transferring from the airport to the long-distance bus station, and finally returned to her hometown, West City, after a two-hour bus ride.
It was already ten in the morning. Stepping out of the taxi, Lin Lan found herself facing a row of storefronts lining the street. Laden with bags, she had just taken a step forward when a person emerged from one of the shops, a small tobacco and liquor store, and rushed straight toward her.
"Lan Lan, you're back!" A loud voice, filled with pure delight.
"Dad." Looking at the middle-aged man hurrying over, Lin Lan's face broke into a smile. "I'm back. I brought lots of local specialties from Greece for you guys."
"Why didn't you call? I could've gone to pick you up." Lin's father, wearing a gray wool sweater, chided gently while quickly taking the various bags from his daughter. "Look at you, all loaded down. You should've just called out as soon as you got off the bus. Your mom and I would've heard and come to help."
Speak of the devil, as soon as Lin's father mentioned her, a middle-aged woman still wearing an apron came rushing over upon hearing the commotion. It was Lin's mother.
"You're finally back, you silly girl! I've been so worried about you all this time!" After checking that her daughter was safe and sound, Lin's mother began her scolding. Noticing some of the souvenirs Lin Lan had bought, she frowned. "I told you before, things at tourist spots are expensive, you should buy less. You never listen, buying a whole pile. Such a waste of money!"
At this moment, Lin's father subtly nudged her. Usually prone to nagging her daughter, Lin's mother suddenly seemed to remember something and stopped short, breaking into a careful smile. "Well... it's just good that you're back, Lan Lan. I went to the market today and bought lots of groceries, all your favorites."
Lin Lan pressed her lips together. There was no way to hide what had happened to her—Uncle Yu would definitely have told her family everything. And the sudden move, hauling all her belongings back from the rented apartment, was too big a commotion to keep from them.
Her parents knew everything now. That's why they were worried about her.
"Dad, Mom." Lin Lan lowered her head, her eyes instantly reddening. As if admitting a mistake, she whispered hoarsely, "I quit my job." She had lost the job that was just one step away from a promotion and raise, abandoned everything in that big city, and come slinking back home.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and her father's reassuring voice followed. "It's okay. Your mom and I both know. Young people will always encounter some setbacks."
Lin Lan looked up and saw her parents' earnest, concerned faces, smiling at her with understanding.
"And even if you fail, it's not scary. Your mom and I are still here." As he spoke, he put an arm around his daughter's shoulders and gestured for her to look up ahead.
Before them stood a building with six shopfronts on the ground floor and six stories of residential apartments above. Built facing the street, the exterior of the small building was nicely decorated, and the location was excellent, with a constant flow of people.
The family of three stood there, gazing at the building. Lin's father continued to pat his daughter's shoulder comfortingly.
"Quitting your job is no big deal. Your dad here still has a whole building for you to inherit."
