Starting with taking in female college students

The girl's two friends had disappeared sometime ago, most likely abandoning her to go play on their own. The girl, for some reason, hadn't left; she just stood there motionless, like a scarecrow.

Fortunately, her gaze didn't fall on Chen Rang; otherwise, being stared at like that from outside would have been quite awkward.

Moreover, it's not good to keep having her stand at the door like a door god.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Rang raised his head.

"Would you like to come in and take a look?"

"..."

The girl paused for a moment, then looked up and opened her eyes, somewhat bewildered. She glanced at Chen Rang, then at the flight cases on the ground, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear.

"As long as you don't touch them with your hands or open the box, there shouldn't be any problems. Of course, if they are afraid of you, then you should step back and not get too close. Even if you want to show concern for them, you should wait until they have recovered before getting close to them."

After speaking casually, Chen Rang turned around, sat down at the front desk, and took out his phone to start reading a novel.

He knew that the girl was only there for the cats, and he didn't need to overthink it.

Of course, he hadn't given up on his plan to persuade the girl to take these six troublesome people away. After all, judging from the girl's appearance, she shouldn't be short of money.

He himself has lost interest in raising cats and has no intention of being a cat owner for so many cats.

Chen Rang even thought that it would be best if the girl could adopt Dou Dou as well. Dou Dou, that rascal, had only brought him regret and headaches these past few days; he couldn't possibly appreciate its good qualities now.

Chen looked up and found DouDou still fiddling with the door of the flight case, and glared at it fiercely.

DouDou ignored him, focusing instead on her persistent "study" of the box door's structure.

It tilted its head and tried its best to stick one of its front legs out from the gap in the carrier door, stretching its arms and spreading its claws, aimlessly rummaging around. Even though it didn't find anything after a while, it was still having a lot of fun.

"Are flight cases so easy to open from the inside?"

Chen Rang scoffed dismissively.

Looking at the other cats, they were much more well-behaved compared to DouDou's mischievousness.

The narrow, dark flight crates seemed to give them a great sense of security. They huddled motionless deep inside the crates, watching with slight nervousness as a somewhat familiar presence slowly approached them.

Like a timid little kitten, this girl ultimately couldn't resist the temptation.

Ni Youlin didn't know what she was thinking.

She glanced at the man behind the table, who was looking down and completely ignoring her, and pursed her lips nervously.

She desperately wanted to tell herself that she shouldn't stay here any longer; she needed to go back and properly comfort her two newly formed friends.

But when she looked down and saw the pitiful, disheveled cats in the carriers, she couldn't bring herself to leave.

Since arriving at Sarawak University, after a whole semester of loneliness and fear, she finally found a reason to stay in the city thanks to the affectionate cats at that cat cafe.

She had nowhere to go and no idea what to do. Only these cats weren't among the prohibited items.

She has never been allowed to do anything else in her life.

Thinking of something unpleasant, Ni Youlin's expression became even more wooden.

She told herself not to think about those terrible things anymore, nor about the failure she had finally mustered the courage to do. She simply crouched down carefully, holding her skirt, and quietly looked at the disheveled cats in front of her.

Because Chen Rang was rough with them, the fur on these cats was rubbed and soaked with wet paper towels, and now it has various shapes.

Especially the long-haired Ragdoll cat; its fur was all over its body, some strands sticking up and splitting in various ways. The poor little guy seemed quite image-conscious; it patiently and tirelessly licked its fur for a long time, but it still couldn't make it docile and obedient.

On the other hand, the Munchkin cats and American Shorthair tabby cats were not so lucky.

Because of their injuries, to prevent bacterial infection, Chen had Elizabethan collars put on both of them, as well as the badly injured silver shaded dog, preventing them from licking their fur. Even turning around inside their carriers was difficult while wearing them.

This was something Chen Rang did intentionally.

Reducing their movement in this way helps protect the wound and speeds up healing, while also lowering the risk of infection and wound rupture. It's not too late to let them move freely after a day or two when the wound has scabbed over.

Looking at the various movements of the cats, Ni Youlin smiled slightly.

She likes cats.

Because only they would approach her without any ulterior motive, and act cute and affectionate without making any demands.

She used to think that being a cat was a very happy thing.

Whether kept at home by an owner or petted by kind cat lovers in a cat cafe, it's a carefree experience. No need to think about anything, no need to make choices—it's so simple.

However, what she witnessed today was like a resounding slap in the face, making her feel that pain, numbness, and despair once again.

So this is what happens when you're a cat.

If this doctor hadn't discovered them in time, and if he hadn't been so kind and helpful, what would these poor cats have gone through, and what would they have become?

Recalling the poor kitten lying motionless in the dusty corner, its body cold, Ni Youlin felt a chill run down her spine.

*Snap.*

A soft tapping sound interrupted Ni Youlin's thoughts.

Chen Rang, however, did not move his body. He simply filled a cup with hot water from the water dispenser next to him, placed it on the front desk, tapped it lightly with his knuckles, and then continued to look down at his phone.

The steaming water cup offered Ni Youlin a touch of warmth from afar.

She pursed her lips and looked at Chen Rang, but from this angle, all she could see was some messy hair on the top of his head. The boy seemed to have done it casually, which lowered her guard, and she carefully stood up, supporting herself on her knees.

"Thanks."

She thanked him softly, stood up, took the water glass, and held it in her hands.

The disposable cup, which had no insulation, was a little hot to the touch, but Ni Youlin still held it in both hands and boldly looked at Chen Rang for the first time.

But when she suddenly saw Chen Rang's head move slightly as if he was about to look up, she quickly lowered her eyes again.

"Ah~~ Ooh~"

Chen Rang yawned silently and put his phone aside.

He walked out from behind the front desk, bypassed the slightly stiff and motionless girl, and squatted down next to the five flight cases to inspect them.

The collection kit was spotless, but a few of the little rascals hadn't even bothered to urinate yet. He was still waiting to check their urinalysis results, but he didn't know how much longer he'd have to wait.

After confirming that the kids had behaved themselves and hadn't caused any trouble, Chen Rang returned to the back of the front desk.

"Hello...

Ni Youlin mustered her courage and spoke cautiously.

"What's up?"

Chen Rang's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this girl had finally softened and decided to adopt these pitiful cats who needed so much sympathy?

"I would like to ask a question."

Ni Youlin bit her lip and asked timidly, "Are they all alright? If they stay here, will they be safe? And... when will they be cured?"

"Will you adopt them after they're cured?"

Chen Rang raised his head, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"..."

Ni Youlin fell silent.

She certainly wanted to live with the cats, but ultimately, she didn't have the means. Her frequent petting of the cats had already upset her roommates; if she brought the cats home, who knew what they would say next?

In particular, Song Li, her roommate, has stated several times that she is allergic to cats and does not want to see any cat hair. She is criticizing the few cat hairs that were on her body after she returned from the cat cafe.

Song Li even mocked her more than once for carrying fake goods to pretend to be a designer brand, but she didn't understand that she didn't need to do that at all.

But in the end, Ni Youlin wasn't good at talking back.

Faced with Chen Rang's question, she didn't even know whether she should refuse. She was worried that if she said no, it might make him angry, worsen his attitude towards her, and so on.

So she could only lower her head and remain silent.