In fact, every tea house cat had been given a bath at the pet clinic before entering the tea house. Cats with prior experience as pets reacted a bit better, but the stray cats who had lived outdoors their whole lives and never been held down in water for a scrub had rather unpleasant feelings about it.
"Meowww-ow!" (Didn't we get washed once before? Why do we have to wash again!)
Led by the orange cat and the tuxedo cat, the resistance faction's usually soft meows grew sharp and high-pitched.
"You all said 'before,' but that was a whole month ago," Lin Lan said helplessly, looking at the cats who had fled to a distance. "If you all stayed home and didn't go to the tea house to hunt for cans, I definitely wouldn't make you bathe in the winter. But you've been kissed, hugged, and lifted high by so many people for those cans, so a bath is definitely necessary."
"Aren't you a species that loves cleanliness? Are you really willing to keep so many human scents on you?"
Lin Lan kept talking, but the bath-fearing cats still darted far away, terrified she would come over, catch them, and press them into the water basin.
Of course, while some cats feared baths, others did not.
For example, the Ragdoll and the five little black kittens who had been bathed since they were young, and the fastidious Chinchilla. They all stayed by Lin Lan's side. The Ragdoll cat, Blue Jewel, even let out a puzzled meow.
(Mom, isn't bathing comfortable? Why don't they want to?)
Its cry resonated with the other pro-bath faction cats.
(Exactly!)
(I like baths, they make me clean!)
(Lanlan, when are we going to wash?)
"Blue Jewel, you guys are so sensible and sweet," Lin Lan rubbed the heads of the kittens beside her. "We'll go as soon as I adjust the heater and fill the tub. Sigh, I was thinking since it's Little New Year's Eve today, we could finish all the baths early, then calculate this month's cat performance stats, each kitten's commission in cans, and who the Cat of the Month is to get three of Old Zhou's grilled fish fillets... Looks like the bonuses won't be handed out today."
As soon as she uttered those last words, many cats immediately grew anxious. The neutral cats, who hadn't cared much about bathing and were just watching Lin Lan talk to the resistance faction, now refused to accept this. High-combat-power cats like Ink, Charcoal, and Mercury all turned their gaze towards the resistance faction, suddenly lowering their heads and crouching into a ready-to-attack stance.
They also let out threatening growls: "Grrr—" (Go get washed, all of you! If we don't get our fish treats today, we'll beat you up!)
Once the black cat mom let out that call, the five black kittens who had been circling Lin Lan's feet quickly joined their mother's ranks and started yowling at those cats just like their mom.
Any cat preventing them from getting cans and fish treats is an enemy cat! If they don't submit, we'll beat them until they do!
As it turned out, under the dual pressure of force and sweet rewards, even humans can't resist, let alone simpler-minded kittens. The feeble resistance of the holdouts didn't last a single round before they all surrendered meekly.
Cats like Gentleman hung their heads in dejection, while cats like Ink kept a cold, intense watch. None of the cats noticed the only human among them was smiling with a faint, slightly wicked curve of her lips.
So easy to handle... no, so adorable.
Having secured the cats' "willing" cooperation, Lin Lan began the actual cat-washing work. With over ten cats, she couldn't do it alone, so she called her mom over to help. Washing two at a time would speed things up considerably.
As a homemaker who had kept cats for nearly five years, Wang Xiuzhi was quite adept at washing cats. Sitting in the warm bathroom under the heater, she began scrubbing the cat in the bathtub.
Warm water poured over the cat's originally fluffy fur, instantly making it look a whole size smaller.
"Hey, you really are quite well-behaved!" Wang Xiuzhi, who was wetting the Russian Blue cat Grey Grey, marveled as it sat obediently in the basin where the water only reached its chest. "When I used to bathe Snowflake, she'd desperately claw at the tub and cry nonstop. This one doesn't even make a sound."
No sooner had she spoken than Grey Grey meowed at her.
"Mom, Grey Grey says to be gentler, don't pour water directly on its head, it's scary," Lin Lan, who was bathing the silver shaded cat Milk Candy next to her, heard and reminded her mother.
"Got it," Wang Xiuzhi shot her daughter a look. As if all those baths she gave Snowflake were for nothing.
With the kittens cooperating, the bathing progressed quickly. Soon, the two fully washed cats were wrapped in thick towels and placed into a dedicated pet drying box.
The Storm Box, a fully automatic, silent pet blow-drying marvel. Lin Lan had decisively bought two once the number of cats at home increased. Although the four-figure price tag was painful, she knew it was a purchase she'd never regret.
Like now, she opened the drying box, and she and her mom placed the two cats inside. After starting it up, the two soaked cats sat quietly inside, licking themselves while enjoying the warm air drying their fur.
"Next two!" she called towards the line of cats waiting for their bath. Immediately, two cats came trotting over.
Lin Lan and her mom picked up a cat each and went back into the bathroom. A little over ten minutes later, they came out and placed the two similarly wrapped cats into the other empty drying box.
"Next two!"
By the time the third pair of cats were washed and brought out, the first pair in the drying box were already dry. Lin Lan let them out and put the third pair in.
This cycle repeated until all sixteen cats at home (except Snowflake) were bathed.
"That really wore me out," Wang Xiuzhi wiped sweat from her brow after dealing with all the cats. She had been under the heater in the bathroom the whole time and worked up a sweat. "I need a bath too. Lanlan, you should also go shower, don't catch a cold."
"I know, Mom, I'll go after I finish up here," Lin Lan responded, then turned to look at the cat crowd. "I keep my promises. Since you all were very obedient during the bath just now, I'll give you the grilled fish treats first. Line up properly!"
The kittens, freshly bathed, each looking beautiful and clean, instantly started meowing and lining up again, their big eyes wide open, all fixed on Lin Lan.
The scene made Mrs. Lin, who was about to leave, shake her head with an amused smile. No matter what cat-training methods you used, they ultimately only worked if there was food as a reward.
While the interaction between humans and cats was lively on the third floor, the second floor seemed quite deserted.
How could it not be deserted? The neighbors on both sides had gone home for the New Year, leaving only the sulking Miss Wang, who refused to go home, alone in the middle apartment.
In one more day, it would be Spring Festival. Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers; bright red couplets covered doors and walls; even the street lamps were adorned with decorative red lanterns. Standing by the balcony, Wang Jiayi looked out at the festive scene outside, especially the sight of families going out together, feeling only a sour, stifling ache in her heart.
With a sharp tug, she yanked the curtain shut. The heavy, high-quality fabric instantly blocked out everything outside. Wang Jiayi turned around, stomped angrily into the living room, and plopped heavily into the chaise lounge. Grabbing her phone, she immediately dialed a number.
The call connected quickly.
"Brother Yuze, my parents are being absolutely awful!" Her first words were a complaint. The pampered young lady felt both furious and wronged. "I've been away from home for so long, and with New Year's almost here, they haven't even called me once!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end: [Jiayi, you were the one who blocked their numbers first, and then changed your SIM card. Also, you told me not to tell them where you're living now.]
Wang Jiayi was momentarily speechless, but her stubborn, spoiled nature flared up. "Just because I blocked them doesn't mean they can't find me! And it's been so long, they haven't even tried to look! Only you, Brother Yuze, call to check on me now and then. I'd be an idiot not to realize you told them about me!"
Cao Yuze sounded surprised: [You've improved! You actually figured that out.] He then thought that although this girl was naive, she had still gotten into a top university on her own merit, and felt relieved. [Yes, Uncle and Aunt Wang know you're living in West City now. I told them.]
"Then why are they still..."
[Your parents said that since you're so determined to run away from home to prove your independence, they, as your parents, shouldn't stand in the way of your resolve. So, this Spring Festival, they'll grant your wish and let you spend it alone.]
Wang Jiayi: "!!?"
[What's wrong? Getting scared of being alone?] The voice on the other end continued, as if he had anticipated this. [It's okay if you're scared. Just call your parents yourself, apologize, and give them your address. I'm sure Uncle and Aunt would be more than willing to send a car for you right away.]
"Don't even think about it! I'm not apologizing!" Wang Jiayi predictably exploded, refusing loudly. "You're all bad people, ganging up to bully me! Waaahhh!"
She hung up the phone and curled up on the sofa, crying all by herself.
She had been frail and sickly since childhood, coddled and pampered by everyone. Her parents and everyone else had always indulged her wishes. She had never experienced anything as harsh as spending the New Year alone.
No parents, no classmates, no friends... no one by her side. Wang Jiayi suddenly remembered the experience of lying alone in a hospital bed as a child. That feeling of lonely helplessness made her feel vulnerable and terrified.
When she first ran away from home, she had been full of bravado. But now, truly facing this reunion holiday, she realized she couldn't handle it at all.
Afraid of spending the New Year alone, yet unwilling to swallow her pride and give in, the young lady could only resort to crying helplessly.
And with Spring Festival just around the corner, hotel room service and food delivery were about to stop. She didn't know how to cook, and she couldn't bear the thought of eating alone in a hotel restaurant while every family was celebrating together, even if those high-end hotels stayed open for the holiday.
Did that mean she could only survive on packaged food during the New Year?
The thought made Wang Jiayi feel even more miserable.
Just as she was sobbing uncontrollably, she vaguely heard a knocking sound.
It was soft at first, then grew louder, accompanied by a familiar voice calling out: "...Miss? Miss Wang? It's Lin Lan. Are you okay?"
The greeting that followed made Wang Jiayi realize she had been crying too loudly, loud enough for the person outside to hear.
Flustered, she got up, grabbed several tissues to wipe her tears, and quickly freshened up in the bathroom before hurrying to open the door.
Unfortunately, the moment she opened it, Lin Lan saw the young lady's red, tear-filled eyes. Not to mention her voice, which was unavoidably hoarse as soon as she spoke: "What... what do you want?"
Lin Lan maintained a calm expression and a gentle smile. "It's like this, Miss Wang. You've always been very supportive of my business. As a token of thanks, my family would like to invite you to have New Year's Eve dinner with us tomorrow night."
"Inv... invite me to your home for New Year's Eve dinner?" Wang Jiayi, her eyes still red, was stunned. She even forgot her post-crying habit of sniffling.
"Yes," Lin Lan said softly. "Not just you. My employee, Song Xinmin, will be coming too. You're both tenants of mine, and it just so happens you're both alone for the Spring Festival. That would be too lonely. So I took the liberty of coming to invite you. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous..."
"Waaahhh—" Before Lin Lan could finish, Wang Jiayi, who had been listening with tears welling up in her eyes, burst out crying, rushed forward, and hugged her, sobbing loudly. "I'll go! I'll go! Thank you for inviting me! I don't want to spend New Year's alone! I don't want to!"
The unprepared Lin Lan: "!!" Goodness, she was startled!
While it's said an adult's breakdown always comes suddenly, Lin Lan felt Wang Jiayi's breakdown didn't quite fit that category. It was more like dealing with an oversized child.
The girl was crying so pitifully that Lin Lan's heart softened. She extended an invitation for her to come upstairs and spend Little New Year's Eve together. At that, the other party suddenly stopped crying, tidied her face, and then followed her upstairs silently with her head bowed, like a primary school student.
