Is My Cat Secretly Crushing on Me?! - Chapter 7

It was only after Lan Shen’s repeated pleas and assurances that Xie Xinlan briefly summarized the situation.

“Lin Miao hasn’t deliberately talked about it, but those of us who have known him for a relatively long time are all aware.”

“His parents passed away in an accident very early on, and he was raised living with relatives.”

Lan Shen frowned deeply, patiently listening to him speak.

“Well, they didn’t withhold money or food, but… it definitely can’t compare to being raised by your own parents, sigh.”

“Fortunately, Lin Miao is a capable person; he started earning his own money after getting into university.”

Xie Xinlan’s tone was full of sympathy: “I met him when he joined the department in his first year. His first and second years were tough; he was earning money through work-study programs.”

“But Lin Miao studies design, has good grades, and his drawings have a lot of spirit; later on, he was already able to take on his own freelance work.”

“Don’t worry about him; he’s doing quite well now and isn’t short of money anymore.” Xie Xinlan’s tone carried a hint of pride.

Lan Shen generally understood and regretted asking Lin Miao to treat him to a meal.

He had to earn his own living expenses while also attending classes.

How could he have the nerve to let him treat him to a big meal?

Lan Shen sighed softly: “Thank you for telling me.”

“It’s nothing. Lin Miao is much stronger than he looks.”

Before hanging up, Xie Xinlan didn’t forget to remind him again: “Don’t poke at his sore spots, alright?”

—

Lin Miao and Lan Shen finished their meal and returned to the dorm room.

Ding Yizhou instantly flipped down from his bed, his voice laced with bitterness: “Wow, Little Miaomiao actually remembered to come back and see us.”

The other roommate, Su Bin, also put on an act: “Our specialized classes finished this morning, but unfortunately, Lin Miao ignored us ‘widows and orphans’ and hasn’t returned, leaving us alone in our empty room, boo-hoo.”

Lin Miao held his phone, unsure how to respond.

The two of them were already engaging in a back-and-forth.

Su Bin: “I wonder where Lin Miao went.”

Ding Yizhou: “You don’t even know that, old man; your news is too outdated.”

“Oh, how so?”

“He’s… got someone on the outside!”

“Oh, you shouldn’t just spout nonsense like that.”

“Would I lie to you?”

Ding Yizhou had only figured things out after being shooed away by Lan Shen yesterday.

He now spoke up for Lin Miao, sounding indignant, to Su Bin: “Lin Miao has been with Lan Shen for the past few days. Yesterday, during that heavy rain, Lan Shen drove specifically to pick him up.”

“Just him. He sent the rest of us back to the dorm.”

“What?!” Su Bin’s mouth dropped open in shock. He adjusted his chin.

“Wait, wait, is it that Lan Shen?”

“Yes, the handsome guy from the Veterinary Medicine department.”

Su Bin suddenly turned his head, staring at Lin Miao with predatory eyes.

Lin Miao knew he was in trouble.

“How can there be something that I, S-University’s number one little news hound, don’t know!”

Su Bin’s girlfriend loved gossip, and Su Bin had become increasingly nosy after starting to date, priding himself on knowing all the gossip at S-University.

His mind was constantly like a relationship web, knowing how everyone met and who was dating whom.

Lin Miao felt guilty and instinctively tried to gloss over it vaguely.

He stammered: “We met a few days ago, just… friends, you know.”

Ding Yizhou softened his tone: “Seriously, why is he so enthusiastic towards you?”

Lin Miao looked bewildered: “Huh?”

“Coming specifically to pick you up, helping you with your things, holding an umbrella for you…”

Ding Yizhou listed a few simple examples, and Su Bin was even more shocked: “Holy cow, I’m not even that thoughtful with my girlfriend.”

“Right? Right? I really think he has ulterior motives.”

Lin Miao argued: “We’ve only known each other for less than a month… Maybe, maybe he’s just a more enthusiastic senior.”

“He’s a really good person, honestly.”

Although Lan Shen was famous, they genuinely didn’t know much about his specific personality.

Ding Yizhou convinced himself: “Maybe.”

Su Bin chuckled playfully: “Maybe he has a crush on you, ‘presenting affection without cause’!”

He glanced at Lin Miao’s expression and obediently zipped up his mouth: “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore, or our little Lin Miao will get flustered and angry.”

“I’m not.”

“Speaking of the Veterinary Medicine department, I just remembered.” Ding Yizhou changed the subject. “Lin Miao, the dorm building you asked me about opposite ours, that’s where the Biology and Veterinary Medicine departments are.”

He pointed: “I asked around for you. Lan Shen’s class is on the first floor.”

Lin Miao paused: “I see… Thanks, Ding-ge.”

“Small matter.”

The suspicion from before resurfaced in his mind.

Lin Miao was still thinking about the little orange cat.

He had already figured out the times when the orange cat darling usually appeared: mostly in the mornings and during the lunch break.

This day, Lin Miao deliberately went earlier during lunch, crouching beneath the male dorm building, trying to lure the orange cat.

“Mimi? Darling—” Lin Miao turned his head to look around, trying to see clearly where the orange cat usually ran out from.

He wanted to figure out if the orange cat was kept by a student so that he could arrange for neutering.

Suddenly, a rustling sound reached his ears, and Lin Miao quickly looked in the direction of the sound.

He saw the orange cat emerging from beneath a windowsill.

It was the windowsill at the very end.

Lin Miao secretly noted the location.

“Come here, darling, time for canned food.”

Stray cats are extremely sensitive to the sound of food.

The slight sound of opening a can is like a clap of thunder in their ears.

In the blink of an eye, three or four other cats ran out, asking for affection.

Lin Miao was intent on building a good relationship with the orange cat, so he shooed the other cats away.

The orange cat proudly shook its head, meowing as it ran over.

“I knew my wife loves me the most!”

“So narcissistic…” Lin Miao chuckled softly.

After eating, it also enjoyed a full set of Lin Miao’s petting services.

The orange cat happily squinted its eyes.

Lin Miao even intentionally covered the orange cat’s paws.

“Let’s play ‘Paw on top’!”

“Meow.” “So childish. I’ll humor you and play a little.”

No sooner said than done, the orange cat’s body was very honest, pulling out its paw and pressing it down on Lin Miao’s hand.

But Lin Miao pinched its paw pad.

This happened for several rounds.

The orange cat saw through it: “Just say you want to hold my little hand, don’t be shy.”

“Meow-woo.” “Since I like you so much, you can hold it however you like.”

It lifted its little ‘mountain peach’ paw, immediately demonstrating a ‘paw flower bloom’.

Lin Miao gave a soft laugh: “You’re too cute and too smart!”

After having its paw rubbed by Lin Miao for a while, the orange cat’s nose twitched, and it turned its head, having smelled something.

Lin Miao followed its gaze and spotted a slender orange and white cat.

The orange and white cat’s eyes were full of caution.

“Oh, it’s that rare orange and white mommy cat.”

Lin Miao was surprised. This orange and white cat was quite famous—it was one of their difficult cases for neutering.

Because it was very timid and quite smart, even Lin Miao couldn’t catch it after several attempts.

It was already the mother of several litters of kittens.

Why was the sun rising in the west today?

“Are you hungry? Do you want some food?”

The orange cat glanced at the orange and white cat, not very interested, and quickly withdrew its gaze.

“Mimi meow!”

“Look at me! Don’t pay attention to her!”

Unexpectedly, the orange and white mother cat, hearing the orange cat’s meow, actually moved forward two steps.

“Meow.” “Hello.”

Seeing this, Lin Miao put the orange cat down on the ground and stepped back two paces.

The orange and white cat approached, sniffing all the while, until it started circling the orange cat.

Lin Miao had a premonition and turned on his phone camera to record.

As expected, the orange and white cat stopped next to the orange cat, seemingly trying to rub against it.

The orange cat jumped away, startled.

The orange and white cat persisted, continuing to lie down next to the orange cat and letting out sweet, alluring meows.

The orange cat looked utterly bewildered.

“Pfft hahaha, it’s definitely in heat.” Lin Miao couldn’t help but laugh.

“Looks like you’re a handsome guy in the cat world too, darling.”

The orange cat suddenly turned its head, staring at Lin Miao with wide eyes.

Lin Miao somehow managed to read a hint of shock from this cat’s face.

Can a kitten’s emotions be this rich?

The orange and white cat was like a flirtatious older sister, not at all discouraged by the orange cat’s cluelessness, and kept actively showing affection.

It was probably saying things like, “Hey handsome, look at me,” and “Handsome, do you like this?”

Just as it seemed about to rub against the orange cat, the orange cat shuddered, scared enough to have its fur stand on end.

“No—”

The orange cat quickly leaped away, running towards Lin Miao in three bounds.

While running, it didn’t forget to shout: “Male and female cats should also maintain proper distance!”

Lin Miao was just thinking the phrase sounded familiar when he was suddenly startled by the orange cat darling.

The orange cat kept its claws retracted and climbed up Lin Miao’s pants.

It kept climbing until it stopped on Lin Miao’s backpack.

“What’s wrong? Are you really too young to understand?”

Lin Miao was almost dying of laughter, unable to hold his phone steady: “Get down! Could it be that you’re… impotent?”

Lan Shen was so angry he let out a ‘Ha’ sound: “You’re actually recording! So heartless.”

Lin Miao was completely unfazed and even planned to instigate more.

“So we’ve been using the wrong method all along for not catching the orange and white cat.”

He glanced at the orange cat darling: “Turns out we need a ‘honey trap’ involving a handsome male, hahaha.”

The orange and white cat’s efforts proved fruitless, and it looked up at Lin Miao, eventually backing away with caution.

The smile in Lin Miao’s eyes reached his inner corners, and he couldn’t stop his upturned lips.

The orange cat jumped down from him, clearly angry, muttering some incomprehensible words.

“Never mind, never mind, we’re all cats, we’re all cats.” “Wife doesn’t understand anything, don’t be angry, don’t be angry.”

Its eyes darted, and it looked at Lin Miao: “I won’t hold it against you, seeing how happy you’re laughing.”

“Aiyoh, I’m not laughing at you, it’s just, it’s just this scene… pfft hahaha.”

The orange cat huffily gave him a ‘cat punch’ and turned to walk away.

Lin Miao drank some water on the spot before slowly calming down.

After a moment’s thought, he didn’t turn off his phone.

He hesitated and opened WeChat.

Lan Shen’s chat window was at the top.

Lan Shen often talked to him about the cats and dogs at the pet hospital and frequently asked him for photos of the orange cat darling.

Lin Miao had almost gotten into the habit of sending a copy to Lan Shen after taking photos.

He fiddled with his phone and sent the video he had just taken to Lan Shen as well.

Miao Miao: 【Senior, look, Darling was just approached by a little female cat, but he was clueless. But he’s still so cute. (Video)】;

Lan Shen had just woken up on the other side and saw the message on his phone.

He was so angry his teeth were itching.

Then, an idea struck him.

Lan Shen: “I bet he wouldn’t like a little female cat either.”

Lin Miao: “Why?”

Lan Shen smiled mischievously: “It’s obvious he likes you.”

He quickly followed up with: “You’re so cute, who wouldn’t like you.”

Lin Miao’s eyes narrowed, and he pursed his lips, unsure how to respond.

He struggled for a long time, then quickly sent nine pictures of the orange cat: 【Senior, look at the cute cat washing its face】;

Lan Shen could almost picture Lin Miao’s flustered look and sent another message: “The orange cat isn’t as cute as you.”

Lin Miao completely froze.