Is My Cat Secretly Crushing on Me?! - Chapter 4
“Of course, if it’s not convenient, that’s fine too.”
Lan Shen considerately stepped back.
Lin Miao suddenly snapped back to attention, lowering his head and avoiding eye contact, “N-No problem, I’ll send it to you right now!”
He took a deep breath, slowed his heartbeat, and tried his best not to stutter, “Just a moment, let me find it.”
“Don’t be nervous, I’m not in a hurry,” Lan Shen chuckled lightly.
Lin Miao thought he was making fun of him, felt a bit annoyed, and afraid of losing face again, he simply shut up and focused on flipping through his photo album.
Xie Xinlan’s eyes darted between the two of them a few times, sensing a subtle tension.
She frowned and looked at Lan Shen, “You’re not allowed to bully him either.”
“How could I?” Lan Shen smiled and raised his hands, signaling his harmlessness.
Xie Xinlan was half-convinced, but she had other things to do, “Then I’ll get busy. Lin Miao, if you have any problems, you can always find me.”
She waved her fist like a tomboy, “It’s okay, with me around, no one dares to bully you.”
Lin Miao pursed his lips and smiled, “Sister Xie, I’m not a child anymore.”
Xie Xinlan left helplessly.
Lin Miao originally wanted to go and follow up on the data, but he looked back and saw that Lan Shen had finished downloading the pictures and was still lingering.
Lin Miao could only bite the bullet and ask quietly, “Is there anything else, Senior…?”
Lan Shen stared at him for a while, making him feel uneasy, before slowly speaking, “Of course. I’m not very clear about the departmental divisions of the hospital yet. Could I trouble you, Lin Miao, to show me around?”
Lin Miao believed him. This was not a difficult request, so he nodded, “I was just about to go check on the others too.”
He led Lan Shen through the departments, only to feel that this senior was a bit odd.
Instead of looking at the departments, he kept staring at him.
Lan Shen’s presence was strong, and Lin Miao didn’t dare to look at him at all.
Fortunately, the senior didn’t seem to have any malice.
“By the way, do I have to intern in the canine and feline specialty?”
“Ah, not necessarily… It’s an internship, so you go wherever people are needed. It’s possible as long as it doesn’t clash too much with your major.”
Lan Shen pointed to the room in front of them, “Then what is this place?”
Lin Miao looked up, “This is the rescue department.”
Mentioning this, he felt a bit dejected and couldn’t help but quietly complain to Lan Shen, “There’s a lot of miscellaneous work and the pay is low, so many people are unwilling to come. Luckily, the government provides subsidies, and several nearby schools often have volunteers helping out…”
He noticed Lan Shen looking at him and subconsciously stopped talking, “Am I being too talkative?” He pinched his fingertips, “Sorry, you don’t need to worry about knowing this…”
“No, I want to know,” Lan Shen replied promptly, “I like listening to you talk.”
“Oh.” A strange feeling flashed through Lin Miao’s heart, and he was also inexplicably happy.
He plucked up his courage, “Then do you want to go in and take a look?”
Lan Shen’s eyes softened and he said gently, “Of course.”
The room contained rows of cages, and many cats wearing Elizabethan collars were receiving treatment.
However, the cats were all energetic, meowing constantly when they saw people, showing that they were well cared for.
Lin Miao led Lan Shen to a cage and pointed to the calico cat inside, “This is a stray cat from our school, here for sterilization. I was the one who caught her.”
Lin Miao blinked, looking at Lan Shen.
Lan Shen somehow read “praise me” in his eyes and laughed, “That’s impressive. I know her, she’s a famous campus cat.”
Lin Miao raised his hand to touch his nose, suppressing the joy in his heart.
He looked down and saw a long-haired white cat sitting on the ground in a strange posture in the cage below.
It was dragging its butt on the ground with its front paws.
Lin Miao couldn’t help but worry, “What’s wrong with Mimi? Is there something wrong with its leg?”
Lan Shen also squatted down.
“Meow-meow—oof!”
“My butt hurts so much, there’s poop, woo-woo-woo”
Lan Shen paused, then returned to normal, not attracting Lin Miao’s attention.
Perhaps because of the transformation into a cat, he could suddenly understand cat language.
Lan Shen’s gaze narrowed slightly behind Lin Miao.
It wasn’t strange to understand it when he was in the cat’s body, but how could he still understand it now?
Many conjectures flashed through Lan Shen’s mind, and his eyes subtly shifted.
“Don’t worry, Mimi.”
Hearing Lin Miao’s voice, Lan Shen collected himself and put aside his doubts for the moment.
Lan Shen pointed at the cat’s rear, “It seems the fur is too long, and some cat poop is stuck to it, making it uncomfortable.”
Lin Miao blinked, “How do you know that?”
Lan Shen said calmly, “After all, I’m studying this.”
Lin Miao said “oh.” Since Lan Shen couldn’t understand cat language, it was probably a coincidence.
“Can I open the door?”
“Yes, we usually take care of them too.”
After getting a positive answer, Lan Shen skillfully picked up the cat and, without any disgust, wiped the poop and cat litter off the cat’s fur.
He also carefully trimmed the fur around the cat’s rear end.
His technique was gentle, and he finished quickly while the white cat was still in a daze.
Lan Shen put the cat down and gently stroked its head, “There, are you more comfortable now?”
The white cat shook its head, “Meeow.” “I like it, pet me.”
Lin Miao looked at Lan Shen, thinking that the senior was quite nice.
He looked a little aloof, but he could take care of the cat so patiently.
If he interned here, the cats sent from the school would certainly receive better care.
As if knowing what Lin Miao was thinking, Lan Shen asked, “Can I intern in the rescue department?”
“I think so. I’ll go talk to the hospital and see if I can arrange a transfer for you.”
Lin Miao prepared his words, took a deep breath, and walked into the administrative office.
Lan Shen waited at the door, and after a while, Lin Miao came out.
“How did it go? Did it work?”
“It’s settled,” Lin Miao pressed his lips together, but his eyes were still bright.
“That’s great. Thank you, little junior,” Lan Shen naturally raised his hand and patted his shoulder.
Lin Miao was also happy that his first task was a success and said modestly, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing.”
The other interns also successfully started their jobs and had been working for a few days.
Just as Lin Miao was musing that the job wasn’t too difficult and he felt he could do well, someone suddenly came rushing over in a panic.
That day, Lin Miao was volunteering at the hospital, cleaning cat cages with Lan Shen.
A classmate knocked on the door and then pushed it open.
His face was anxious, “Lin Miao, Lin Miao, I didn’t receive my work badge today, and when I asked, the hospital said they hadn’t received my application materials!”
“I’ve been interning for several days! I wanted to get re-registered, but the administration said no. He checked for me, and he really couldn’t find me.”
“What should I do, Lin Miao, please help me! If I don’t get the internship certificate, I’m finished!”
The classmate’s voice was unavoidably loud because of his anxiety, and Lin Miao instinctively shrunk his shoulders.
“The administration won’t allow it? Are you sure you submitted it…”
“I’m sure! I submitted it with my classmate, how could it be missing! Didn’t you submit them all together?” the classmate anxiously interrupted him.
Faced with the aggressive classmate, Lin Miao’s mind went blank.
He clenched his fingers, his voice trembling, “I-I don’t know, I submitted all of them…”
“Classmate, don’t worry first.”
Lan Shen stepped forward, seemingly casually protecting Lin Miao.
“Let’s think of a solution together, and then go to the administration office later,” his voice was calm, and the classmate also quieted down.
“Sigh, I’m just so anxious.”
Lin Miao calmed down and asked Lan Shen in a low voice, “Where’s Sister Xie Xinlan?”
“She has classes all day today,” Lan Shen placed a hand on Lin Miao’s shoulder, “Don’t worry. Did Xie Xinlan give you the WeChat ID of the hospital manager?”
Lin Miao nodded. He looked up at the classmate again, and said quietly but firmly, “I remember you. Your data was definitely in the materials I submitted.”
“Why don’t you send a message on WeChat first, Lin Miao, and then go to the administrative office? After all, it’s more appropriate for you to resolve this matter,” Lan Shen suggested.
Lin Miao instinctively wanted to refuse, but then he remembered his promise to Sister Xie.
He could do this.
He bit his lip and mustered his courage.
“How about I go in with you? Don’t be nervous,” Lan Shen observed Lin Miao’s expression and spoke in time.
Lin Miao’s eyes instantly lit up, “Will that be too much trouble for you?”
“I’m very happy to help others,” Lan Shen said with “genuine sincerity.”
Lan Shen led Lin Miao and was the first to knock on the office door.
Lin Miao was clutching his hands, following behind him like a little chick.
“What is it?”
Lan Shen gently pushed Lin Miao forward. Lin Miao took a deep breath, “Hello, I am the person in charge of the S University internship. We have a problem with one of our classmate’s data entry.”
“Oh, I know about that. The team leader just told me, but our data archive system is not always open.”
“We are very sure that the materials submitted were complete. I wonder if I could trouble you to check again?” Lin Miao asked politely.
The person seemed hesitant, communicating and asking someone on WeChat.
Lin Miao was still reasoning with him, slowly speaking the words he had prepared.
“Okay, the backend has re-opened the archive. I’ll check again.”
A few people gathered around the computer and searched for a long time. The classmate waiting outside also couldn’t help but enter the office.
“Is my information there?”
“Found it!”
They finally found the classmate by phone number.
The staff member adjusted his glasses, “There was an error in the letter entry of this classmate’s ID number. When copied, it became garbled, so the name wasn’t recognized.”
He quickly corrected it and replied politely, “We also value the S University internship very much. The work badge will be made up for you later.”
The classmate lowered his head in shame and muttered, “I’m sorry, I caused trouble for everyone.”
He bowed and apologized, “I was too anxious just now and didn’t watch my tone.”
Lin Miao looked at the scene before him, feeling helpless, and instinctively looked at Lan Shen.
Lan Shen nodded, signaling that it was okay.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just be more careful next time,” the staff member waved his hand.
Lin Miao also quickly said, “It’s fine, as long as it’s resolved.”
The heavy burden in the classmate’s heart finally lifted, and he thanked them repeatedly.
He even bought milk tea for all of them.
“Alright, I didn’t do much. You should go back to work,” Lin Miao said, feeling a little embarrassed.
The classmate shoved the milk tea into their arms and left.
Lin Miao had no choice but to hold the cup and start drinking.
The sweet and salty cheese foam topping was relaxing. He held the warm cup and let out a long breath.
Lin Miao looked up and saw Lan Shen walking ahead. He raised his hand and tugged at his sleeve.
“That… Thank you for just now, too.”
Lan Shen chuckled, “Thank me for what?”
“Thank you for helping me out and telling me what to do,” Lin Miao pursed his lips and answered obediently, “If it weren’t for you, I’m really not good at these kinds of things.”
“Then is that all the thanks I get? No actual action?”
Seeing him so obedient, Lan Shen, who had held back all the way, finally couldn’t resist and indulged his mischievous side.
Lin Miao was confused, “Then, should I buy you a cup of milk tea too?”
Lan Shen let out a soft laugh, and his heart skipped a beat.
Lin Miao suddenly felt his chin being grasped by Lan Shen, and he naturally lifted his head.
He saw Lan Shen extend his thumb and wipe it across the corner of Lin Miao’s mouth, wiping away the cheese foam clinging there.
Lan Shen felt his pocket, couldn’t find a tissue to wipe his hand.
He naturally retracted his hand and licked it clean.
“You had some on you,” Lan Shen said with a smile in his voice, “How could I let you treat me? Let’s just say I’ve had my share.”