Chapter 5: A Check-up and Camellias

Raising a cat really is therapeutic.

Duan Yan watched the playful little cat run to the sofa, the corners of her lips turning up involuntarily. The lively, spirited motion lifted her mood as well.

Seeing the little cat leap up gracefully without falling from the sofa, she turned to get the cat food she had prepared for it that morning.

Fearing the little cat might not like yesterday’s ham sausage, Duan Yan had specifically asked Auntie Lian to buy a few other brands of cat food, which she now placed in front of the kitten.

In front of Song Jin was a partitioned box containing cat food and the ham sausage she had eaten yesterday.

…

‘When has she ever been so wronged?’

‘She wasn’t demanding that Duan Yan serve her delicacies at every meal, but why was it ham sausage for two meals in a row?’

She glanced at the cat food next to it. ‘Oh well, ham sausage is ham sausage. It’s better than eating cat food.’

‘She has sacrificed too much to defeat her nemesis!’

‘A little impatience spoils a great plan.’ Song Jin took a deep breath and stuck her head into the box to eat the ham sausage. After just a few bites, a clean, fair hand suddenly blocked her way, stopping her from eating.

She looked up and saw it was Duan Yan’s hand. Song Jin was instantly furious. Her two round eyes stared intently at Duan Yan, her whiskers trembling.

“Meow meow meow!”

‘You stingy Duan Yan! You’re not even going to let me eat my fill, are you!’

“Good baby, are you hungry? Come eat from mommy’s hand.” Duan Yan placed the ham sausage in her palm. The red and white made a striking contrast. She held her hand at a suitable height, making it easy for her to reach.

‘Is she really raising me like a little cat? And now she wants to experience the joy of feeding me from her hand? How could I possibly agree to such an unreasonable request?’

Song Jin stared resentfully at Duan Yan. This detestable woman had not only defeated her in their careers, but now she was being toyed with like this!

“You’re not going to eat?” Duan Yan bit her lip. ‘Why isn’t it eating?’

Song Jin was very sensitive to voices and immediately caught the disappointment hidden in Duan Yan’s puzzled tone.

‘She still has to make a living under her roof. If she pleases Duan Yan now, then once she has pried away all of Duan Yan’s career skills, who will ever know about her “shameful” experience as a cat?’

‘It is only her physical body that bows, but her soul will always stand tall and proud.’

Ignoring the detail that she was a little orange cat and looking at it from another angle, it wasn’t a loss.

After all, who else could make the top actress Duan Yan serve them a meal? And willingly at that—only her.

Song Jin had it all figured out. It was do or die. She stuck her head into Duan Yan’s palm and lowered her head to eat.

Duan Yan was completely oblivious to Song Jin’s thoughts.

All she knew was that Sister Yang’s method was indeed effective. The little orange cat was obediently eating from her hand, which made her both surprised and delighted.

While eating, the kitten’s pink tongue would inevitably lick her palm by accident. The eating kitten would then suddenly freeze, seemingly embarrassed by this slip-up. But Duan Yan quite liked these little accidents and stroked the little orange cat’s head.

The moist touch, cool yet carrying the warmth of an animal’s body, felt like a ball of warm water enveloping her heart, making her feel cozy all over.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, bathing the little orange cat. Its originally soft, orange-toned fur was dyed golden, like an exquisitely crafted Western oil painting.

Her dark pupils dilated slightly. The clamor of the surroundings seemed to be muted. Duan Yan couldn’t tear her gaze away from the scene before her, as if the world consisted only of her and the cat she was watching.

This meal was truly difficult.

Song Jin licked her lips, looked up, and met Duan Yan’s gaze fixed upon her.

It was gentle and lingering, full of affection.

Song Jin was enveloped in warmth, unsure if it was from the sunlight outside or from being stared at with such a gaze.

The sound of the doorbell from outside broke the tranquil atmosphere. Auntie Lian led a guest in.

“Hello, I’m Zhao Qing, the pet doctor you scheduled an appointment with.”

Duan Yan wiped her hands, holding the little cat, and watched as Auntie Lian led the vet to the sofa opposite them. She flashed her signature smile, her voice polite.

“Please, have a seat.”

“This is the little cat I adopted yesterday. It still refuses to eat cat food and will only eat ham sausage. I’m worried it might have some illness.”

“I’ll do a routine check-up first.”

The vet, named Zhao Qing, did not lose her composure upon seeing the top actress in the entertainment industry, Duan Yan. She simply took out gloves from her medical kit, put them on, and gestured for Duan Yan to hand her the kitten.

Song Jin panicked. Being treated as a cat by Duan Yan was her absolute limit; she could not accept it from anyone else.

‘If a vet paws her all over, where would her dignity be?’

Duan Yan sensed the kitten’s unease and gently stroked its smooth back, trying to soothe its emotions.

The kitten’s round, amber eyes were wide open, its tail tucked tightly under its body. Its body was stiff, and it let out a “meow-wu” sound, a mix of pleading and begging in its voice. It was clearly scared.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s just a check-up.”

Duan Yan’s words did not comfort Song Jin; instead, they made her even more frightened.

‘It seems Duan Yan is determined to have this check-up done. I’m not willing. I have to run! I must run!’

But before her legs could move, she was caught by Duan Yan’s hand. She struggled forcefully but found she couldn’t break free.

“Don’t run around. Be a good girl and let the doctor see if you’re sick.”

Duan Yan’s voice was naturally on the cooler side, but at this moment, she deliberately softened her tone to comfort the kitten. Song Jin didn’t notice, or she would have been very smug.

“Meow meow meow!!!”

‘You’re the one who’s sick! My health checks are perfectly normal!’

Seeing that she was about to be handed over to the doctor, Song Jin burrowed into Duan Yan’s arms, unwilling to be touched by Zhao Qing.

The atmosphere grew tense. Zhao Qing, being experienced, said, “Don’t force the kitten. It might get stressed. How about this: I’ll ask the questions, and you can describe the kitten’s condition.”

“I suppose that’s the only way.” Duan Yan sighed helplessly and, following the vet’s instructions, began examining the kitten.

Throughout the process, the little orange cat was completely uncooperative, grumbling and complaining like a child throwing a tantrum.

But as its owner, Duan Yan couldn’t just cater to the kitten’s wishes; she had a responsibility to ensure its health.

Song Jin had been thoroughly examined by Duan Yan. Finally, after the routine check-up was over, she bolted from Duan Yan’s arms in a flash.

‘If Duan Yan hadn’t been holding her so tightly just now, she would have run away long ago. Who would stay in Duan Yan’s arms to be petted all over!’

‘That despicable Duan Yan! Taking full advantage of her! Ahhhhh!’

But if Song Jin had heard the conversation between Duan Yan and the vet, she would have wished she had been there.

After the kitten in her arms had scurried away, Duan Yan and Zhao Qing chatted about the subsequent precautions for raising a cat.

“Thank you for your hard work. It really wasn’t very cooperative.” Duan Yan offered an apologetic smile and then transferred ten times the consultation fee to Zhao Qing.

“Isn’t this too much?”

Zhao Qing was stunned by this “superpower.” She had only done a routine check-up and was paid so much.

‘Is top actress Duan Yan a rich fool?’

“It’s fine. Let’s add each other on WeChat later. We can contact each other again if anything comes up.”

[TL Note: WeChat is China’s most popular messaging and social app, similar to WhatsApp.]

‘A cat lives better than I do. Someone worries about its every need, while I have to work my butt off. It doesn’t have to work, gets to spend all day with top actress Duan Yan, and can just lie flat.’

Zhao Qing lamented internally for a moment, then pulled herself together and continued the consultation. “It’s fine. Kittens usually only rely on their owners. It’s normal for them to be shy around strangers.”

Duan Yan was clearly pleased by these words. The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she continued to ask about related matters.

“The orange cat you adopted, based on its fur color and teeth, should be around two years old. It seems very healthy at the moment, with no signs of pests or diseases. Besides being a little thin, everything else is fine. You don’t need to worry too much…”

Zhao Qing was a cat lover herself, otherwise she wouldn’t be in this profession. After a few pleasantries, she began to describe the cat’s detailed condition to her employer.

“Thin? How should I supplement its diet? It won’t eat cat food.”

Duan Yan recalled how light the little orange cat felt in her arms, like a feather, and grew worried.

“It might be because it was a stray, with inconsistent meals. Plus, cats are carnivores. Besides eating meat to supplement protein, they occasionally eat some fruit. However, different cats have different habits. You just need to pay a little attention to what it likes to eat.”

After hearing the explanation, Duan Yan looked thoughtful. “What about the kitten liking to knead on people? Is that normal?”

“That’s the kitten kneading, it’s normal. Generally, when a cat kneads, it means it trusts its owner very much.”

“Kneading?” Duan Yan was a bit puzzled.

“It’s a way for kittens to express their reliance on their owner. I didn’t expect this little cat to trust you so much after only being adopted for two days. It shows you two have a strong connection.”

“We do have a strong connection,” Duan Yan thought about how the first cat to ever stage a run-in with her was so attached. It was truly a cat chosen by fate. “Then… what happens if I interrupt the cat while it’s kneading?”

“It’s best not to disturb a cat when it’s kneading. It might provoke negative emotions from the cat.”

Zhao Qing added one last reminder, concluding the consultation, “Cats can be quite vengeful. You should soothe the kitten’s emotions later.”

After seeing Zhao Qing off, Duan Yan found the little orange cat wandering in the second-floor conservatory.

The conservatory on the second floor was open-plan, situated on the sunny side of the house. A lot of space had been reserved for it, and a gardener had been hired to grow many of her favorite flowers.

The little orange cat weaved through the sea of flowers, seeming to like it here very much. It looked left and right, occasionally sniffing the flowers with its nose.

After being put through such an ordeal, Song Jin was mentally and physically exhausted. Passing by the conservatory and seeing the blooming flowers inside through the glass door, she decided to go in to look at the flowers and clear her mind.

A rich fragrance filled the air, making one feel refreshed and forget their troubles.

She had to admit, Duan Yan had excellent taste and aesthetic sense. The conservatory was arranged elegantly and beautifully. Closest to the outside was a wooden swing chair, a place to relax when one had nothing to do.

As she moved, Duan Yan also quietly approached the little cat.

Song Jin saw the camellias at the very edge.

March was the month when camellias were in full bloom. The vibrant red petals were as delicate as meticulously tailored silk, their brilliant color like the rouge on the cheeks of a court lady from ancient times.

A faint floral scent wafted into her nostrils, not as passionate as a rose, nor as rich as a peony, but as distant and resonant as the lingering notes of a guqin.

Duan Yan had a preference for red, and even most of the flowers in her home were red-toned. This vibrant camellia was very much like the feeling Duan Yan gave her.

The thought of how Duan Yan had forced her in the living room made her angry. She vented her frustration on this camellia, treating it as Duan Yan.

She gently tapped the camellia closest to her with her paw. The camellia couldn’t withstand the pressure, and the entire branch bent downwards, just like her nemesis Duan Yan bowing her head to her.

Song Jin felt vindicated and silently accused Duan Yan of her tyrannical behavior.

“You can’t treat me like this in the future, do you hear me?”

She used her paw to press the camellia into a nodding motion. Song Jin nodded in satisfaction.

“I’ll forgive you this time.”

Duan Yan watched the little cat playing with the camellia, so focused that it hadn’t noticed her at all. She suddenly bent down and scooped the kitten into her arms.

She casually plucked the flower the little orange cat had been playing with and placed it on its head, making it look playful and cute.

Startled by being picked up so suddenly, Song Jin turned to look at Duan Yan.

Half sunlight, half flower shadow, spilled onto the hem of her red-patterned dress, dyeing it with a magnificent luster.

Her raven hair was soft and fine, and her eyes were like a pool of clear autumn water, reflecting only her.

She didn’t look like a person, but rather like a fairy descended from the ninth heaven, appearing specifically in her dream.

Song Jin stared at her, mesmerized, her heart skipping a beat.