When Shen Nian saw the cats and dogs locked in cages, her gaze seemed to be glued to them and she couldn't look away. By the time she came to her senses, she had already walked over.
A huge cat cage was placed on the table. Inside were dozens of palm-sized kittens, probably only a little over two months old. Although the cage was big enough, having so many kittens crowded into one cage was still a tight squeeze.
Among them, a little white kitten was curled up fast asleep in the corner, its paws kicking the face of its neighbor...
Seeing the little kitten's face squished as it slept, Shen Nian couldn't help a faint smile as the corners of her lips curled up.
The one selling the cats was a young lady with short hair and glasses. Seeing Shen Nian staring intently at the white kitten, she immediately said, "If you like it you can hold it."
As soon as she finished speaking, she opened the cage and took out the little white kitten to hand to Shen Nian.
The little guy was half-asleep and dazed when suddenly taken out. It opened its eyes to a slit.
As the shopkeeper handed over the kitten, Shen Nian carefully and gingerly took it into her embrace. Small and soft, the sight made Shen Nian's heart melt.
The little kitten nestled in Shen Nian's arms, stretching out its paws to yawn, then fell back asleep.
Lu Lingchuan was walking ahead. After taking a few steps, he glanced sideways and didn't see Shen Nian, so he immediately stopped and turned around.
At this time of day the shopping district was liveliest, with many families who had just finished dinner taking their children out to wander, as well as many young couples who came out to eat.
Lu Lingchuan walked against the flow of people, brushing past loving couples holding hands, families of three with parents holding a child's hand on either side, families of four with the father carrying an older child of three or four while the mother held a five or six month old baby in her arms...
Suddenly, he halted in his tracks, his dark eyes tightly fixed on the slender black figure not far away.
When Shen Nian went out today she wore a thin black knee-length coat. Although it wasn't very cold, there would be a cold breeze at night.
She stood in front of a pet stand, holding a palm-sized kitten in her arms. Small and soft.
A ray of light from the lamp beside her fell on her black hair. A strand of hair hung down as she lowered her eyes to look at the little creature in her arms, the tenderness in her eyes was almost overflowing...
Lu Lingchuan just stood there, lost in a daze...
After holding the little one for a while and seeing that it was sleeping too soundly, Shen Nian gave it back to the shopkeeper, "Let it sleep."
The shopkeeper put the kitten back in the cage. Seeing that Shen Nian's gaze still lingered on it, she immediately tried to make a sale, "If you like it, just buy it and take it home. Coming home from work every day and seeing a little creature like this waiting for you, you won't feel tired no matter how exhausted you were."
It was obvious Shen Nian really liked the white one. She went on, "This is a purebred white Munchkin. Its mother is known among all our shop's cats for being super affectionate and good-tempered. Right now it's just too sleepy. When it's awake during the day it will be clingy beyond belief, even wanting to cuddle up against you when it sleeps..."
Shen Nian smiled faintly, just about to decline, when a low, pleasant male voice sounded from behind her, "How much?"
The shopkeeper looked up to see a handsome young man standing behind Shen Nian.
Since he had just gotten out of the shower to go eat, his outfit was simple and casual. On top he wore a loose white t-shirt, and on the bottom were black pants rather than suit pants.
Lu Lingchuan was used to wearing suits every day, and his wardrobe was filled with shirts and suits in similar styles. He didn't actually have many casual clothes for daily wear.
His hair was freshly washed but not completely dried by the hair dryer. Even so, it didn't detract one bit from his good looks, proud brows, eyes as dark as ink that contained allure and temptation, tall nose, lips as thin as blades perfect for kissing, a jawline sharp and refined adding a touch of seduction, a tall and slender yet not bulky build.
He stood behind Shen Nian, one tall and one short, looking quite well-matched as a pair.
Shen Nian exuded an aura of gentleness. Even the sharpest blade seemed to turn soft as the wind around her. Beside her, Lu Lingchuan was aloof and detached, noble and elegant.
The cat-selling shopkeeper was stunned the moment she saw Lu Lingchuan's face, but she quickly regained her composure. Seeing the two standing together so naturally, she assumed they must be an enviable couple - of course a boyfriend would buy a cat for his girlfriend.
So she quickly introduced, "Our pet shop has a promotion these days, all cats are 20% off. The one this young lady is looking at is a pure white Munchkin. Its fur is flawless without any impurities, hard to beat in quality, so the price is a bit high... After the discount it's 5500 yuan."
This was certainly not a cheap price for a cat. The shopkeeper quickly added, "If you get a membership at our shop when purchasing the cat, you can get long term discounts on vet visits, cat food, toys, etc... And free lifetime baths..."
Lu Lingchuan didn't really have a concept of prices. He simply took out his phone, ready to scan the payment QR code nearby.
But just as he lifted the phone, a hand grabbed his wrist.
Lu Lingchuan's brows furrowed slightly as he looked down at her. Shen Nian lifted her head and gently shook it at Lu Lingchuan, "Don't buy it, I don't want it."
The shopkeeper tentatively asked, "You don't like it?"
But judging by her reaction earlier, it didn't seem like she disliked it.
"If you don't like this one, we have many more - golden tabby, silver tabby, blue-gold tabby, Maine Coon... Today we only brought out a few. Our pet shop has many more cat breeds. Tell us what you like and we can help pick out ones with good quality."
Shen Nian still held Lu Lingchuan's hand without letting go. Hearing the shopkeeper, the corners of her lips turned up in a faint smile as she politely declined, "No need, I'm quite busy usually and don't have time to take care of it."
After speaking, she pulled Lu Lingchuan away.
The two walked in the flow of people, one in front and one behind. Shen Nian held the hand Lu Lingchuan was holding his phone with, but he didn't struggle, letting her grab it.
The shopping district was not short on restaurants. There were several hot pot restaurants here, skewer places beside them, barbecue across the way - whatever you wanted to eat was available.
After walking a stretch, Shen Nian finally turned around to look at him. Only then did she realize she was still holding his hand. She hurriedly let go awkwardly, lowering her eyes to conceal the hint of emotion in them.
"What do you want to eat?" She asked, trying to keep her tone normal.
Seeing her withdraw her hand, a flash of strangeness flickered through Lu Lingchuan's eyes. He put away his phone and glanced at the restaurant next door - it was a Sichuan homestyle place.
This restaurant catered to those who liked spicy food.
Shen Nian preferred light flavors and couldn't handle spicy.
Lu Lingchuan turned his head to look at another homestyle restaurant across the way. "Let's go there," he said lightly. "Their tomato fish soup tastes pretty good."
Shen Nian nodded. "Okay."
