On the day she was scheduled to visit the cat, Lin Lan deliberately changed into a semi-formal spring outfit. She tied her long hair into a high ponytail, applied light makeup, and wore simple earrings while carrying a shoulder bag, striking a balance between being neither too formal nor too casual.
Her lovely figure waiting by the roadside in her chunky-heeled leather shoes resembled a blooming flower swaying in the spring breeze.
Cheng Fengyang, who drove over to pick her up, was immediately struck by her appearance: "Lanlan, you look absolutely beautiful in that outfit. It's the first time I've seen you in this style!"
Hearing this, Lin Lan smiled and teased, "Well, of course. We only met last autumn, and I certainly wouldn't dress like that in that season." As she spoke, she opened the passenger door and got in. "Let's go, we shouldn't keep people waiting."
"Right!"
The Mercedes started and merged into the street traffic, speeding towards its destination.
The client's home Cheng Fengyang was taking Lin Lan to was located in one of the most upscale residential areas in West City—or perhaps it was more fitting to call it a villa district. One side bordered a wetland park, while the other leaned against a landmark scenic mountain in West City. The feng shui was excellent, and every conceivable amenity was available, ensuring residents never felt any inconvenience.
Thus, although not in the city center, it was undoubtedly recognized as an affluent neighborhood in West City.
As Cheng Fengyang's car passed through the villa community's strictly guarded main gate and began driving again on the beautifully landscaped asphalt roads, Lin Lan stared out the window at the sparsely distributed standalone villas, momentarily taken aback.
"Is the client this wealthy?" she asked, somewhat dazed, never having imagined in her life that she would set foot here.
Cheng Fengyang nodded. "Yes, the client made a fortune from his company a few years ago. The family bought a house here. It was almost two years ago when they commissioned me for the interior design, and they only moved in last year after the renovation was completed."
Lin Lan: "...Oh."
Hearing Lin Lan's complex tone, Cheng Fengyang couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, the houses here aren't outrageously expensive. My family or yours could buy one if we wanted to."
"Ha, we could buy one, but it would definitely be the kind of purchase that requires selling property and shops, a real financial strain." Lin Lan rolled her eyes at him. "Let's not talk about these impractical things. How much longer until we arrive?"
"We're almost there."
Shortly after Cheng Fengyang spoke, the car stopped in front of the wrought-iron gate of a villa. As they got out from the designated parking spot, someone was already waiting at the main entrance.
It was a young man in his twenties and a little girl around eight years old.
"Lao Cheng, over here!" The young man, holding the little girl's hand, called out loudly to Cheng Fengyang and walked forward with a smile. "Haven't seen you for over half a year! Looks like all those late nights on design work haven't made you go bald!"
"Get out of here! You're the one who'll go bald from staying up late!" Cheng Fengyang shot him an annoyed glance, then turned to introduce him to Lin Lan. "Lanlan, this is my university classmate, Yuan Jiaqing. He's also the nephew of the villa owner. He's the one who told me about the cat's problems here and helped make the connection."
"Miss Lin, hello." The young man named Yuan Jiaqing didn't wait for Cheng Fengyang's introduction and skipped straight to engaging with Lin Lan. "I saw your cat training videos from Lao Cheng. They're truly impressive. Having shared a dorm with Lao Cheng for four years in university, I trust his judgment of people. We really need your help with my uncle's cat this time. Otherwise, Leilei will be heartbroken."
As Yuan Jiaqing spoke, he looked down and patted the head of the eight-year-old girl beside him. The adorable little girl named Leilei was looking up at Lin Lan, her clear, bright eyes fixed intently on her. "M-Miss Lin, our Yuanyuan suddenly became so bad. Big Brother said you can change him back. P-Please, you have to help us. If Yuanyuan can become good again, I-I'll give you my whole piggy bank, okay?"
Not only are small animals adorable, but polite and sensible children are equally charming!
Lin Lan couldn't help but gently pat the little girl's head. "Little sister Leilei, first I need to see Yuanyuan before I can know if I can help him change back. Can I ask you to take me to see him later?"
Of course! The little girl immediately let go of her older cousin's hand and trotted on her short legs towards the villa. "Dad! Mom! The person who can fix Yuanyuan is here!"
Led by the little girl and Yuan Jiaqing, Lin Lan and Cheng Fengyang finally entered the villa's foyer, where the homeowner couple was waiting for them.
After the formal greetings, the five adults settled into seats, but by now, both Lin Lan and Cheng Fengyang wore somewhat strained smiles.
"We're very sorry your first impression upon entering was so unpleasant," the male host said awkwardly. "The smell is quite strong, right? Just this morning, Yuanyuan urinated again in the corner of the sofa."
Anyone who has owned a cat knows how potent the smell of their waste can be. Lin Lan had caught a whiff the moment she entered the foyer. Even though the homeowners had used air fresheners or perfume to mask it, they were no match for that overpowering, pungent odor.
It was a meticulously decorated, luxurious mansion, visually impeccable, yet this smell had significantly lowered its ambiance.
"Actually, it's not just the foyer. Yuanyuan has done this in several spots around the house. It's as if he's treating this new home like a giant litter box," the female host said with a worried expression. "And it's not just that. Many pieces of furniture have suffered too. You can always unexpectedly find scratch marks Yuanyuan has made around the house. My husband, Leilei, and I have all been scratched by him. Yuanyuan wasn't like this before. We don't know why he changed after moving here."
"It sounds like a very serious situation," Lin Lan frowned.
"Yes, it's truly getting worse. About two weeks after moving here, Yuanyuan started acting strange. Now his temper is getting worse and worse, but we have no idea why." The female host sounded somewhat heartbroken by the end. "Yuanyuan was a kitten that wandered into our house on Leilei's first birthday. Our circumstances weren't this good when we decided to keep him. I don't know if cats really bring fortune, but after we got Yuanyuan, my husband's business started going smoother and smoother, leading to where we are today. Yuanyuan and Leilei practically grew up together. For things to suddenly become like this is really distressing."
"Miss Lin, if there's any way, please do help us," the male host chimed in at this point, his face full of sincerity. "Yuanyuan has lived with us for six years; he's an indispensable member of the family. I really don't want him to stay like this. If you can help us resolve this problem, the compensation will definitely be generous."
After listening to the clients' entire account, Lin Lan spoke again, "May I see the cat first? Where is Yuanyuan now?"
"I know!" Leilei, who had been quietly well-behaved until now, raised her hand high. "Yuanyuan is upstairs! Sister, I'll take you!"
With the hosts' permission, Lin Lan followed the child up to the second floor.
The villa was quite beautifully built, with an interior style that was grand and bright, yet one could always catch a whiff of cat urine, more or less, making anyone who entered frown deeply.
"This is Yuanyuan's favorite room to stay in!" Leilei said, leading Lin Lan through the hallway and pushing open one of the room doors. The smell hit them the moment the door opened.
Not just Lin Lan, but the client family following behind all covered their noses.
"Honey, did you forget to open the windows for ventilation again?" the husband asked his wife in a muffled voice.
"We can't open them. Have you forgotten that last time, it was because the window was open that Yuanyuan became even more irritable?"
The couple's words stirred something in Lin Lan's mind, but now wasn't the time for questions. Her primary focus needed to be on the cat named Yuanyuan.
"Yuanyuan!" Unlike the adults who disliked the smell, the little girl didn't seem to mind much. She toddled on her short legs towards a cat tree in the room. At the very top lay a long-haired cat with a pure white base coat and orange round patches.
Hearing her little owner's call, the cat nimbly stepped down the tiers of the cat tree and jumped to the floor, meowing and circling the little girl.
(Leilei, you're here!)
It seemed well-behaved and normal, and the cat was in a pretty good mood. When the little girl reached out to pet its head, it simply tilted its body and flopped over, offering itself for pets. Little Leilei was delighted.
However, the parents at the doorway showed not a hint of happiness.
"Again..." the husband frowned.
"Leilei, come back! We told you not to pet Yuanyuan!" the wife had already stepped forward to stop her daughter.
The little girl was reluctant to leave the cat's side, her hand still on it as she looked back at her parents. "But Yuanyuan is fine now..."
"Meow!"
Almost before her words faded, the previously docile cat suddenly opened its mouth and tried to bite the hand Leilei had placed on it.
Just before the bite connected, Lin Lan, who had arrived a step ahead, had already pulled the little girl away from the cat.
"Leilei!" The mother hugged her daughter, sighing in relief when she saw the girl's hand was unharmed.
The father, however, frowned. "Miss Lin, you see? This is how Yuanyuan is now. It pretends to be friendly and makes contact, then suddenly turns aggressive."
"I'm aware of this situation," Lin Lan said, looking at the spotted tabby before her. After trying to bite someone, it acted as if nothing had happened, even turning around, curling its tail around itself, and sitting with its back to everyone. She couldn't help but sigh and turned to the cat's family. "It seems you've never discovered the reason why it suddenly turns aggressive and bites when you touch it. Yuanyuan is injured, right where Leilei pressed just now."
The cat's family was stunned.
"But... when we first took the cat for a check-up, this issue wasn't found," the husband said hesitantly.
"Uncle, could it be an injury that happened afterwards?" Yuan Jiaqing chimed in at the right moment. "I remember you told me before that when Yuanyuan started liking to pee everywhere, it didn't have this habit of biting you at first."
In other words, urinating everywhere and scratching furniture was one issue, and biting when petted was another, separate issue.
"It probably fell somewhere after coming to this new home because it was unfamiliar with the environment," Lin Lan pointed at the cat and explained. "You should take it to a veterinarian for examination and treatment later. Yuanyuan likely has a bone injury. Cats generally have a high pain tolerance and only show it when they can't bear it anymore. Cats don't speak human language, so they can't tell you directly with words, but their scratching and biting are a clear form of refusal. It wants to play with you, but you always hurt it, making it angry. Like right now, look, it's keeping its back to us. This body language is telling us it's angry now and wants us out of its sight."
"Is that so?" Little Leilei blinked her eyes. "It seems like it... Every time me or mom or dad pet it and get bitten, it either runs far away or often sits like this with its back to us. So this is Yuanyuan being angry and not wanting to deal with us."
The husband also lowered his head in recollection. It seemed that was indeed the case. Every time someone touched the cat's back, Yuanyuan would immediately throw a fit.
"It really is like that!" Yuan Jiaqing, who had also been scratched and bitten, looked down at the three red marks on the back of his hand, his face showing sudden understanding. "I only came to my uncle's house yesterday, and it happened just like that after I stroked its back once."
The wife, with more experience being scratched, was already dialing on her phone. "I'll make an appointment at the pet hospital for this afternoon right away!" With that, she left the room to make the call.
This was the downside of a language barrier, Lin Lan sighed inwardly. If it weren't for the "It hurts so much!" the cat had cried out when it tried to bite someone, Lin Lan wouldn't have been able to discover the hidden reason for this cat's injury.
