Xu Ye furiously knocked on her own head in frustration and hastily exited the live stream. She deeply regretted not owning a book titled “108 Clever Ways to Change the Topic.”
The young man with a cast sitting in the front row was so startled by her phone-banging antics that he trembled and awkwardly switched seats, crutch in hand.
Staring blankly out of the window, Xu Ye brainstormed ways to smooth things over. For now, she could claim the “photo feature is temporarily unavailable” as an excuse to avoid sending pictures. But what if David asked her to exchange photos once the feature was live again?
Luckily for her, David’s usual habit of making her nervous before brushing past the topic saved the day once again.
Without waiting for her reply, he shifted the conversation elsewhere.
[David: For a moment, I was spooked seeing two ‘Da Bai’ in my list. He keeps asking me whether his head or Snowball’s head is rounder. It’s exhausting.]
[David: Just kidding, I have no interest in those silly new features. The little punk is coming home tomorrow night—are you free? I’m not sleeping if you’re not playing Glory.]
The alias David almost exposed was conveniently saved by David himself. Xu Ye exhaled deeply, calculated her time of arrival home, and responded to his last message.
[Xiao Bai: I’m free. How about around 8 PM? /heart /heart]
[David: Sounds good.]
Just then, two members of her Feixin group chat who had been silent chimed in simultaneously. Xu Ye hurriedly closed the forum and picked up her second phone.
[Huo Shuyan: Sorry, I was driving and couldn’t check my phone. The term ‘boss’ refers to cats or dogs who’ve lived in a particular area for a long time. When dealing with strays—who tend to be more aggressive than house pets—we first notify the ‘bosses’ in the area as administrators. The bosses then relay the message to the strays. Animals are more receptive to familiar peers than to strangers. Most forum users have only encountered one or two bosses, so they’re naturally curious about the others.]
[Liu Shuo: Yeah, yeah, you and your wall of text are right. @Xu Ye, good news: the cat you and Old Huo rescued from the trash and that yellow mutt are both getting adopted! They’ll be picked up tomorrow. Want to stop by the store to see them one last time?]
[Xu Ye: Sure, I’ll be at the neighborhood gate in about ten minutes.]
When Xu Ye got off the bus, she immediately spotted a tall man in black riding a garishly pink electric scooter with matching cat-ear helmet. He was heading her way.
Amid whispers from nearby young women, the scooter came to a stop beside Xu Ye. The cat-ear-wearing man spoke in Huo Shuyan’s voice: “Senior, hop on.”
With the solemnity of awarding a banner, Huo Shuyan handed her another pink cat-ear helmet. Xu Ye took it with a horrified look, donned it with a numb expression, and got on.
Who knew Junior Huo had such a wild sense of aesthetics?
Three minutes later, Liu Shuo stood outside the pet shop, peering expectantly. His hopeful gaze turned into a sigh of disappointment as the pink scooter arrived.
The two riders sat ramrod straight, leaving a Grand-Canyon-sized gap between them. Xu Ye was perched so far back she was almost on the rear wheel.
“Good evening, Liu Shuo,” Xu Ye greeted cheerfully, oblivious to his dismay.
“Your core strength is impressive,” Liu Shuo quipped, amazed she hadn’t fallen off.
Xu Ye didn’t catch the compliment. She waved hello to the store’s staff before heading inside. It was her second visit, and the employees recognized her immediately.
The round-faced receptionist waved enthusiastically, her smile bright: “Huo-ge’s senior is here! We just finished sterilizing the space and mopping. Feel free to sit on the sofa.”
“Good evening,” Xu Ye replied with a smile, “I’ll check on the cat and dog being adopted first.”
“Over here,” said the groomer, who had changed out of her uniform and disinfected her hands. She pointed toward two small enclosures near the stairs.
The yellow mutt was as round as ever. Recognizing Xu Ye, it happily stood on its hind legs, wagging its tail against the glass.
Xu Ye extended a finger, tracing circles on the glass to play with the dog before snapping a few photos.
The dog cooperatively struck various poses, letting Xu Ye take a series of casual shots. The groomer, glancing over unintentionally, gasped in astonishment: “Ms. Xu, your photos look amazing!”
Xu Ye had simply taken a few pictures at random, but they turned out better than the staff’s carefully composed, edited ones.
Waving her phone, Xu Ye agreed: “That’s the power of the latest Grape Phone. Triple rear cameras, over 50 million pixels, optical image stabilization, and subject-tracking capabilities—it’s comparable to professional cameras.”
“I wasn’t talking about that… Did Grape pay you for this ad?” The groomer pulled out an identical phone. “Look at my photos!”
She angrily opened her album, showing images that made Xu Ye’s eyes sting.
A one-centimeter-tall, hunchbacked border collie. An overexposed odd-eyed ragdoll cat that looked like it had cataracts. A turtle-necked British Shorthair stretched by the lens. A sleazy yellow mutt caught mid-steal of dog food…
“Hmm… Placing pets in the center of the frame highlights the subject, but it can make the composition look stiff.”
Xu Ye, surprised by the groomer’s suboptimal photography techniques, delicately suggested, “If you adjust the angle slightly, the result will improve a lot. For example, diagonal shooting is a simple yet effective method.”
She tilted her phone slightly to demonstrate. The groomer mimicked her and took a shot of the yellow mutt.
“Diagonal angles give photos more dynamism. It’s a great technique to try when photographing animals,” Xu Ye explained.
The groomer, admiring the improved picture, gave Xu Ye a thumbs-up. “Yo, professional!”
As they chatted, Huo Shuyan walked in with two helmets in hand. The groomer put away her phone and waved goodbye.
“Boss Huo, I’m off for the day. Ms. Xu, take your time—see you around!”
After bidding the groomer farewell, Xu Ye went to check on the kitten she had rescued from a trash can.
The little cat, with its black, gray, and yellow coat, had grown larger and rounder. It had been lounging lazily but sprang to life upon spotting Xu Ye, eagerly pressing its paw pads against the glass to meet her fingertip.
Encouraged by Liu Shuo’s glance, Huo Shuyan stepped forward and began explaining the tabby cat’s habits. The two crouched side by side, each extending a finger to play with the kitten.
Watching their heads close together, Liu Shuo smiled with the satisfaction of a doting parent.
But his joy was short-lived.
A soft, endearing meow floated down from the second floor. Both Xu Ye and Huo Shuyan paused and looked up.
Perched on the stair railing was a regal white cat surveying the room like a sovereign inspecting its domain.
The cat’s upturned eyes, one golden and one blue, glistened like precious jewels. Its chest and neck were adorned with a lush mane reminiscent of a lion’s, exuding an aura so commanding that Xu Ye nearly dropped to her knees, ready to exclaim, “Your Majesty, you’ve arrived!”
The white cat lazily observed Xu Ye, then gracefully leaped down to the first floor.
With a disdainful flick of its paw, it nudged Huo Shuyan’s leg as if annoyed by his presence. Huo, not one to argue with a cat, obligingly stepped aside.
Satisfied, the white cat nuzzled Xu Ye’s leg before curling up on her shoe.
“Is this a Maine Coon? It’s so majestic!” Xu Ye cautiously reached out. To her delight, the lion-like cat showed no resistance, prompting her to stroke it confidently.
Huo Shuyan gave the unusually docile cat a surprised glance. “No, this is a Shandong Lion Cat. Some of them resemble Maine Coons in appearance, but their temperaments are worlds apart.”
“Maine Coons look aloof but are incredibly affectionate and clingy. Lion Cats, on the other hand, are genuinely aloof,” Liu Shuo added, “This one is Huo’s cat—her name is Dai Dai. She’s a girl and usually ignores everyone.”
He marveled at the sight of the white cat almost melting into Xu Ye’s shoe, his gaze filled with envy.
As a pet shop owner, this was his first time getting close to such a rare and prized Shandong Lion Cat—a heterochromatic one from Linqing, no less. These cats were typically reserved and wary of strangers.
Yet this proud, standoffish white cat had chosen to rest at Xu Ye’s feet.
In awe, Liu Shuo exclaimed in a mock-serious tone, “Miss, she hasn’t been this happy in a long time!”
Xu Ye playfully pinched the cat’s ears, her fingers grazing its majestic mane.
“Meow~”
Another soft call echoed from the staircase. A black cat with gleaming pupils jumped down to join them, settling by Xu Ye’s other foot.
“Is this Huo Junior’s black cat?”
The black cat mimicked Dai Dai, curling up neatly on Xu Ye’s right shoe.
Xu Ye was overjoyed, petting the pair of cats as though wearing furry slippers.
Rowing her hands back and forth to stroke both cats, she sighed contentedly, “This must be heaven.”
The two cats exchanged glances before seemingly competing with each other. They stretched their paws toward Xu Ye, letting out increasingly coquettish chirps as they gently scratched at her pant leg.
Xu Ye shivered under the double assault of their sweet meows. Memories of a certain flirtatious poodle in her neighborhood surfaced, making her uneasy.
“Are they… in heat? I thought only male cats chirp like this?” she asked.
Huo Shuyan’s lips twitched, suppressing a laugh. “No, they just want you to pick them up.”
Not one to miss the drama, Liu Shuo clapped his hands and teased, “Well, Ms. Xu, who will you choose first? Will you offend Bombay Cat Xiao Hei or Lion Cat Dai Dai? Let’s wait and see!”
Amid Liu Shuo’s playful jeers and the cats’ expectant gazes, Xu Ye used both hands to scoop them up simultaneously.
Their chubby faces squished together, prompting mutual paw-slapping in protest.
Flexing her toned arms, Xu Ye smugly showed off her feat. “The mighty Xu Ye conquers both! Left carries white, right holds black!”
Liu Shuo: …
She’s unstoppable.
Author’s Note:
Dai Dai: I did that on purpose.
The photography tips were consulted with professional photographer friends.
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