Chapter 39: The Pet Shop

Sister Chen put on her apron, picked up Xiao Bao, and placed it into a bathtub. Turning on the showerhead, she began to dampen its fur bit by bit. Lu You and Tang Wan stood by, observing.

Xiao Bao neither meowed nor fussed; it simply gazed at the girl bathing it with its large, wide eyes.

Watching the kitten’s quiet demeanor, Tang Wan said in surprise, "It’s so well-behaved. Aren't kittens supposed to be afraid of water? It actually looks like it’s enjoying it."

"Every kitten is different. Xiao Bao is on the calmer and bolder side, so it isn't really afraid of water," Lu You explained. "Besides, when Sister Chen was trimming its claws earlier, it didn't put up much of a fight either."

"I suppose that’s true."

Once Xiao Bao was thoroughly soaked, its appearance changed dramatically. Its fur clung softly to its body, though its overall volume didn't shrink much.

Seeing this, Tang Wan exclaimed, "It’s solid!"

"Short hair and short legs—it doesn't shrink much even when drenched."

Sister Chen squeezed some pet shampoo into her palm, lathered it from head to tail, and massaged the kitten continuously with both hands.

At this moment, Tang Wan poked Lu You’s arm with her finger, signaling him to ask about their ten-year journey.

Lu You asked, "Sister Chen, how are things with you and my cousin?"

"How are things? I’ve already accepted the ring, what do you think?" As she spoke, Sister Chen picked up the showerhead to rinse the suds off Xiao Bao.

"I heard he chased you for ten years. Is that really how long it’s been?"

Sister Chen carefully parted Xiao Bao’s fur to ensure the water rinsed away all the shampoo, smiling as she replied, "Yes, we’ve stumbled along for ten years now."

"Were there many obstacles?" Lu You asked.

"I wouldn't call them obstacles, but there were certainly frictions and arguments." Past memories and emotions welled up in her heart. "We met in our senior year of high school and happened to be in the same class. Back then, your cousin really disgusted me. I’d often see him surrounded by several girls, and on holidays, he’d have piles of gifts. If you called him a playboy, he never crossed the line with anyone; if you called him devoted, he acted quite ambiguously with those girls. One dormitory even got into a fight because of him. I used to go out of my way to avoid him. But I never imagined we’d end up at the same university. He even came up to me and said he liked me, asking if I’d be his girlfriend."

"You didn't agree, did you?" Lu You guessed.

"Of course I didn't. My first reaction was panic—why was this jerk targeting me? I told him, 'Get lost. If you're lonely, go rent a car and set up a milk tea stand, but don't bother me.'" Having said that, Sister Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"What did he do after that? Did he pester you?"

"No. After hearing me, he just smiled and apologized, said 'sorry to bother you,' and walked away. It was so clean and decisive that it actually made me feel embarrassed. In the days that followed, I found myself noticing him often. The girls around him had disappeared; he was always on his own. We shared several elective courses. He worked very hard, got great grades, earned national scholarships, and he was handsome with a good temperament. When he confessed again, I realized I couldn't bear to reject him anymore. My logic told me he was a scumbag and I shouldn't get close, but my heart held a sliver of fantasy—could he have turned over a new leaf? This time, I didn't reject him completely. I told him, 'If you’re sincere, show me your attitude through your actions.'"

"Is my cousin good to you? He doesn't seem very serious when he's at home for the New Year."

"He is. Why would I have gone home with him if he wasn't?" Sister Chen smiled tenderly. "He takes care of my daily life, tolerates my bad temper, understands and supports my dreams, and even stayed by my side to help me start my own business, sticking with it until now. In this world, he’s the only one who could do that."

"I really envy you, Sister Chen." Tang Wan’s eyes were filled with longing.

"What’s there to envy?" Sister Chen said, an inexplicable spark of irritation appearing. "Just thinking about how he used to flirt around ten years ago makes me want to punch him." She then gestured toward Lu You with her chin. "And don't you have one too? Standing right beside you—good-looking, good-natured, and clean-cut, not attracting other girls. Although his height isn't quite there yet, he’s still full of promise."

The corners of Lu You’s mouth twitched slightly. If you’re going to compliment someone, just do it fully—why add a jab at the end?

Tang Wan’s face flushed red, and she waved her hands repeatedly to deny it. "Sister Chen, don't say that. We’re just classmates, it’s not what you think."

"For now, anyway. Who knows about the future? Right, Lu You?"

Lu You nodded and gave an ambiguous answer: "The days ahead are long; who knows what the future holds?"

Suddenly, he felt a small hand on his waist. Before she could pinch him, he tensed his abdominal muscles to defend himself.

Tang Wan was embarrassed and annoyed, wanting to show Lu You the consequences of speaking so carelessly. As soon as her hand touched him and applied a little pressure, it felt completely different from what she expected—like touching a wooden board, firm but resilient.

She was shocked. *It’s actually hard! He has abs!*

"You!?"

Lu You pushed her hand away and interrupted her righteously. "Just because we’re close doesn't mean you can take advantage of me."

Before Tang Wan could speak, Sister Chen stepped in to defuse the situation. "Oh, stop it. That little bit of flesh you have—can you even call that taking advantage?" She then turned to Tang Wan and said kindly, "Tang Wan, is it?"

"Yes, that’s right," Tang Wan replied obediently.

"Come here for a second. Keep me company and let’s share some secrets." Then, she spoke to Lu You in an unfriendly tone: "What are you still standing there for? Trying to eavesdrop? Go downstairs and play."

"Oh." Lu You turned and left immediately. Protesting was impossible; he couldn't win an argument against women, so it was better to just give up.

Once Lu You disappeared at the top of the stairs, Sister Chen turned to Tang Wan. "May I call you Wanwan?"

"Yes, my friends and family call me that."

"You can call me Sister Yu-ning, too."

"Okay, Sister Yu-ning."

Chen Yu-ning turned off the showerhead and began applying conditioner to Xiao Bao. Throughout the process, it didn't make a sound, just tilted its head and looked back and forth between the two with its dazed, cute eyes.

Tang Wan’s eyes were overflowing with tenderness as she watched. "It’s really so well-behaved."

"It is," Chen Yu-ning agreed. "Just like its owner."

"Lu You?"

Seeing that she looked skeptical, Chen Yu-ning explained, "The way he is in his hometown is exactly like Xiao Bao. Quiet, well-behaved, and he doesn't say much."

Tang Wan imagined Lu You sitting on the sofa with his legs together and his back straight, and found it quite comical.

"By the way, Wanwan, how long have you known each other?" Chen Yu-ning combed Xiao Bao’s fur to let the conditioner soak into the roots.

Tang Wan recalled the night they met. "Three months."

"In that case, your relationship is progressing quite fast."

"It’s not fast, we’re still just classmates. There’s no progress."

"But your feelings for him are already more than just a classmate, aren't they?"

Tang Wan didn't speak, which was as good as an admission.

Chen Yu-ning continued, "Once you recognize your own heart, take your time getting to know him. I can tell that Lu You is very fond of you. Two people liking each other—it would be a shame if they didn't end up together."

"Does he... really have feelings for me?"

"I’ve seen how he acts around other girls, so when he showed up with you and introduced you to me, I knew he was different with you."

Tang Wan smiled unconsciously, her heart filled with peace.

...

On the other side, Lu You was wandering around the second floor. This floor was primarily for pet exhibits, featuring Ragdolls, American Shorthairs, Huskies, and Golden Retrievers. It was said that the fourth floor had rarer pets like geckos, snakes, and turtles, but Lu You had an innate aversion to reptiles; just seeing them made his skin crawl, so he hadn't visited.

Suddenly, Lu You stopped. He noticed a few round, fluffy black-and-white creatures in a pen nearby, watching him with their tongues lolling out.

"Have you guys started raising pigs?" Lu You asked the nearby employee, pointing at the unidentified creatures.

"Those are Alaskans; they just arrived not long ago," the employee explained with a smile.

When the little "pigs" realized someone had noticed them, they excitedly piled onto the fence and began barking at Lu You with all their might.

"Woof! Woof!"

Lu You became interested. "Can I go in and see them?"

"Of course, no problem," the employee said, leading him inside.

The moment he took a step in, the fur balls swarmed him, licking him all over. After finally squeezing through and finding a spot to sit, they crowded around him, poking him with their fluffy heads.

"Are these things always this enthusiastic?" Lu You was almost out of breath, his face covered in dog hair.

"Not really. They’re usually quite well-behaved. Maybe they have a soft spot for you?" The employee was also puzzled. These little guys weren't even this eager during mealtime, but now they were acting like they were on stimulants.

Lu You couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the back of the neck of an "Alaskan pig" that was spinning around in front of him and warned, "That’s enough! If you keep crowding me, I’ll shave your fur off and make you run naked. Everyone, sit down."

The little pigs seemed to understand him and obediently squatted on the ground.

The employee was stunned. He had never seen such a thing. "How are they so obedient to you? Do you know them?"

"No," Lu You said, patting each of their heads. "This is my first time seeing Alaskans. As for why they’re listening to me, ask them—how would I know? Anyway, bring me a bag of freeze-dried treats; I’ll play with them for a while."

"Please wait a moment."

...

After Xiao Bao came out of the drying box and was placed in its travel carrier, Tang Wan said to Chen Yu-ning, "Sister Yu-ning, I’m heading out."

Chen Yu-ning nodded. "Alright, take care. Come back and visit with Lu You when you have time."

"I will." Tang Wan picked up the carrier and left.

When she reached the second floor, she wandered around and happened to see a scene: Lu You was sitting on the floor, his right hand extended with his palm up, his left hand holding a treat, with several black-and-white fur balls sitting in front of him.

"Piggy One, shake hands."

The fur ball lifted a paw and placed it on his right hand.

"Very good. Open your mouth."

The fur ball complied, opening its mouth. Then he popped the treat inside.

"Next."

The fur ball that had been in front of Lu You moved to the end of the line, and the second one stepped forward.

"Piggy Two, give me a bark."

"Woof, woof."

"Very good. Open your mouth."

Tang Wan was stunned, never expecting Lu You to have animal-training skills. She walked up and couldn't help but ask, "Did you use some kind of spell?"

"You’re here!" Lu You looked back at her and said, "Do you want to come pet them? They feel incredibly fluffy."

Tang Wan felt tempted, but seeing the fur sticking to Lu You, she lost interest. She declined, "No, thanks. I’ll just watch you play."

Lu You thought for a moment and decided to stay with Tang Wan. He turned back and said, "Alright, little piggies, I’m heading off. Let’s play again next time." He patted each of their heads, stood up, and stepped out of the pen.

He then pulled out a lint roller to remove the dog hair from his clothes before walking toward Tang Wan.

As he approached, Tang Wan asked, "Done playing already?"

"I’ve been playing for almost an hour; that’s enough."

"Do you have any other plans for the rest of the day?"

"No. How about you?"

"Neither do I."

Lu You thought for a moment and said, "Then let’s go back and play cards with Li Yu and the others. I’ll take you home after dinner."

"Okay."