Liang Zhecheng bent down, picked Lu Nan up, and settled him in the armchair in front of him. Then he leaned close and took an enormous sniff. “Yes! That's it! That cat smell!”
Poor little Lu Nan tucked in his neck and backed away. Anyone would retreat with a face that big looming right in front of them. He closed his eyes and silently cursed. What was wrong with this guy?
Liang Zhecheng was so excited he almost cried. He gathered the cat up and kissed him again and again. “Oh, baby, you have a home now. Do you know that? A home! You're not a stray anymore. Don't worry. Daddy's going to take good care of you.”
Another excited kiss followed, a resounding “Mwah!” ringing through the air.
Lu Nan felt as though he was being squeezed to death. Finally, before all the jostling could make him dizzy, Liang Zhecheng let go. He hurried to lick his fur in disgust. It felt covered in the man's slobber. Before he could get started, Liang stopped him. “Let's give you a bath in a minute. How long have you been living out there?”
“Actually, only two and a half days.” Lu Nan sighed.
“Well, I can't understand all that meowing, but let's wash you first. Dirty little cats aren't allowed on the bed.” Liang Zhecheng patted his head, went to the bathroom to find a basin, filled it with some water, and carried him in.
“Who wants to get on your bed?” Lu Nan couldn't help rolling his eyes, fiercely.
Liang Zhecheng approached bath time with astonishing tenderness. He called Lu Nan “baby” over and over and chattered away, though Lu Nan barely listened. He even produced a little toy duck from somewhere and dropped it into the basin, encouraging Lu Nan to play as though he were entertaining a child.
Naturally, Lu Nan was having none of it. He meowed and thrashed.
“Oh, for fuck's sake, you rotten man! Don't touch me! Keep away! Hey, hands off my butt! I don't want you washing me! You villain! Let go!”
The little cat bared his teeth, trying to look ferocious, and kept scrambling to get out, scattering water everywhere. He twisted around and bit Liang Zhecheng's hand. Liang wasn't wearing gloves, and the bite left a distinct mark. He clicked his tongue. “Well, someone's got a temper. A little chili pepper! You're so cute, kitty.”
Lu Nan felt his world collapsing. What a weirdo. He stretched out his paws, but no matter how hard he tried to escape, he was drawn back into the man's clutches and subjected to more washing.
Pet shampoo was rubbed all over his coat. He felt slippery and ticklish, an unfamiliar sensation that left him thoroughly unsettled.
He didn't know what ordinary cats thought during a bath, but he certainly knew how he felt. Baring his teeth, he swung around for another bite. “You rotten man! Leave my balls alone!”
“Ha! Missed!” Liang Zhecheng waggled his hand with an infuriating grin. “You'll have to do better than that to beat me, little guy. Humans are pretty smart, you know.”
One human enjoyed the bath; one cat decidedly did not. Since Liang Zhecheng had found Lu Nan entirely by chance, he hadn't had time to buy many supplies, including a blanket of the cat's own. He grabbed his own bath towel instead, wrapped Lu Nan in it, and rubbed his little head. Before he could put him in the pet dryer, Lu Nan shook his head and sprayed water all over him. It wasn't an accident. It was entirely deliberate.
Liang Zhecheng turned aside and wiped his face. “Tsk. Such a temper.”
One tenth of a second later, he had made peace with it. “Still, that's good. A bit of attitude means you won't get pushed around outside. I like it. You've got spirit.”
Sitting in the dryer, Lu Nan stared wordlessly at the man outside, who had propped his chin in his hand and couldn't take his eyes off him. Had coming home with this person really been the right decision? He'd had his backside handled, been given a bath, and been covered in slobbery kisses. Where was his dignity as a human being?
When he was dry, Liang Zhecheng lifted him out. He'd switched off the air conditioning, worried that the freshly bathed little fellow might get cold. A faint scent lingered in the room, fresh and cool, perfectly suited to the understated luxury of the dark décor.
He hadn't chosen proper cat bowls yet, so a small ordinary bowl served for the food. He'd already fed Lu Nan a little before the bath, but not much. After such a long stretch without food, he worried that eating too much at once wouldn't be good for him.
“Mimi.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, Liang Zhecheng clapped his hands. “Come here. Let Daddy see if you're dry all over.”
Up to no good, Lu Nan thought, shooting him a glance.
He huffed and stalked off with his tail stiffly raised.
He hadn't even left the room before he turned back. Somehow, Liang Zhecheng had acquired a cat wand, probably from the vet. He waved it, and its little bell gave an enticing jingle. Lu Nan's traitorous head swiveled. His hindquarters wiggled twice, and then he launched himself forward, eyes dark and shining.
When in cat form, do as cats do. He couldn't resist a waving cat wand any more than his human self could resist a delicious little cake.
His ears flattened sideways. At that moment, those airplane ears meant only one thing: the Lu Nan missile was about to launch.
Whoosh! He sprang onto the bed, where Liang Zhecheng caught him and gave his coat several enthusiastic strokes. Loose fur floated down like snow. Nobody minded.
They kept playing until Lu Nan was exhausted—too tired even to resist Liang Zhecheng's hands. At last, he was willing to lie quietly in the man's arms.
Liang Zhecheng smiled and held him. “You can go anywhere in the house, but stay away from anything dangerous, and don't hide where I can't find you. You'll sleep with me tonight. A lady comes to clean every week. I'll introduce you when she's here. Just telling you now so you won't be frightened.”
“Oh, right.” He rubbed his chin. “How about we go out tomorrow and buy you some tasty things? I can bring someone who knows about cats. Would that scare you?”
Then he chuckled at himself. “I forgot. You're just a little cat. You don't understand, do you?”
Of course he understood.
Lu Nan shook his head like a rattle. All this talk of kindness and affection was so much hot air. Delicious food was the only eternal truth. His eyes sparkled as he rubbed his head against Liang Zhecheng's arm. “Meow.” Of course he wanted to go.
“You really seem to understand me, kitty!” Liang Zhecheng was delighted. “You're clever, aren't you? They say cats like you bring wealth. Maybe I should call you Lucky.”
Lu Nan didn't want to be Lucky or Fortune or any of those names. He already had a name. The little cat who had been nuzzling his owner a moment earlier abruptly changed his tune and gave him a firm bite.
The corner of Liang Zhecheng's mouth twitched. “All right. Mimi it is, then.”
Lu Nan wished he could plant his hands on his hips and give this man a lecture. “Lu Nan! My name is Lu Nan!”
Liang Zhecheng looked both amazed and delighted, his eyes lighting up. “Wow, Mimi! You know your name is Mimi, don't you?”
“Lu Nan!”
“Mimi!” Lu Nan's meows were music to Liang Zhecheng's ears, apparently leaving him too enchanted to tell east from west. He moved in for another kiss, but Lu Nan raised a disdainful little paw and blocked his mouth. Respectfully declined, buddy.
Good grief. Stupid human. He couldn't understand a word His Feline Majesty said. For the first time, Lu Nan realized just how hard talking to people could be. He was getting firsthand experience of what it meant to play music to an unappreciative cow. Here he was, arguing himself hoarse trying to explain that his name was Lu Nan, while the man over there gazed at him with stars in his eyes and kept chirping, “Mimi, Mimi, Mimi,” as though he'd just proven himself a naming genius.
Whatever. Mimi it was. A name was just a name. No big deal. Lu Nan shook his head, surrendering with remarkable speed. Silently, he repeated: I'm not angry. I'm not angry. If I make myself ill over this, nobody can suffer for me. I'm not angry. I'm not angry. I'm a good preschool teacher. I'm excellent with children. Even if this one is...
He cast a helpless glance at Liang Zhecheng. Even if this one looked nearly thirty.
A child was still a child!