Chapter 145: Getting In the Car-A Cat for Every Cat Owner(Wise as snow, cold as ice.)

After sending that message, Qin Shishen couldn't help but recall Lin Luyou once mentioning something about "wanting to try giving a cat a bath," so he added a few more lines:

[Qin Shishen: I remember you seemed interested in cat grooming and bathing?]
[Qin Shishen: The pet salon I frequent is not far from your university. Would you like to come along?]
[Qin Shishen: I'm driving, it's on the way.]

Watch how a little cat gets a bath?
That sounded fun! Of course she wanted to go!
Suppressing the lingering disappointment of just being turned down, Lin Luyou grew excited once more.

Her family had once "hosted" a stray kitten, but before they even had the chance to raise it, Madam Ji Lan ordered it to be released back into the wild. Perhaps it was from that very moment that she harbored an extraordinary longing to one day truly own a little cat—to feed it, care for it, and share in every single day of its remaining life.

So when Qin Shishen extended the invitation, she agreed instantly. Even if she couldn't do the washing herself, just being able to watch from the sidelines would be enough to satisfy her craving.

After waiting in the dormitory for nearly half an hour, her phone chimed again. It was a message from Qin Shishen saying he was about to arrive at the campus.

Lin Luyou quickly tapped out a reply saying "See you at the old spot," hastily put on her coat, and checked her reflection in the mirror to carefully smooth down her hair.

As she pushed open the door and stepped outside, she happened to run into Jiang Xiaohan, who was just returning from outside. The two of them almost bumped faces.

"Slow down, what are you rushing for?"

Faced with Jiang Xiaohan's inquiry, Lin Luyou gave her a mysterious smile:
"Hehe, got business! Not telling you!"

With that, like a gust of swirling wind, she hurried off in the direction of the campus monolith.

Running so fast along the way, her newly smoothed bangs and hairstyle became messy again, and even her trench coat ballooned with the wind into the shape of a cape. The fellow students she passed all cast curious glances her way.

Finally reaching the campus monolith, Lin Luyou spotted Qin Shishen at a glance, standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the driver's side door. She immediately hit the virtual brakes and hurried to fix her hair and clothes.

Since this guy was dressed so sharply and handsomely, her own appearance... well, she couldn't look too sloppy.

"You're here? Sit in the front."

Before Lin Luyou could even draw close, Qin Shishen seemed to sense her presence, looked up, and smiled gently at her. He then walked around the front of the car to the passenger side, pulled the door open for her, and even considerately placed his hand above her head to shield it from the frame.

"Dragging you out even on a weekend, I hope I haven't disrupted your holiday plans."

Settling back into the driver's seat, Qin Shishen fastened his seatbelt while turning his head to chat with Lin Luyou.

"Not at all, not at all... A person like me usually just stays in the dorms on weekends." Lin Luyou hurriedly shook her head, thinking to herself that he was being far too polite and gentlemanly.

Qin Shishen glanced back at the two now-calmed cats in the back seat, then released the handbrake and started the car.

"Um... how did you know I was interested in these things and think of inviting me along?"

The car felt a bit stuffy without any music playing, so Lin Luyou couldn't help but make conversation just to fill the silence.

"You said it yourself. What, did you forget?"

Qin Shishen flicked on the left turn signal and let out a soft laugh.

She had actually said it herself?

A wave of vexation rippled through Lin Luyou's heart:
She truly was hopeless at this; she was genuinely terrible at making conversation, a certified conversation terminator no matter where she went.

Seeming to notice Lin Luyou's discomfort, Qin Shishen freed his right hand and opened the compartment in front of the passenger seat. Pointing to a stack of discs inside, he said to her:

"There are some discs in here. You can put on whichever one you like to listen to."