Troublesome – Chapter 67
by Little PandaNervous
Lu Zhenqiu is unconsciously nervous
Lu Zhenqiu and Jin Shuilan’s eyes met. One was squatting inside the elevator petting Maomao, the other was standing outside holding the leash. The elevator couldn’t close because of the leash and was emitting a beeping alarm. Lu Zhenqiu was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “Did Teacher Jin go out last night?”
“I went out this morning,” Jin Shuilan said as she walked out. She said, “Go on in.”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded slightly.
The two switched places. Lu Zhenqiu stood in the elevator, and Jin Shuilan spoke, “By the way, Qiuqiu, I’m going to be moving out for a while, so you don’t need to cook extra.”
Lu Zhenqiu was dazed for a moment. “You’re moving out?”
Jin Shuilan smiled. “Yes, something came up.”
Lu Zhenqiu didn’t ask what it was. The elevator doors closed. In the narrowing gap, she and Jin Shuilan looked at each other for a few seconds. Maomao barked “woof woof woof” at the closed doors. Lu Zhenqiu tugged its leash and called, “Maomao.”
Maomao became obedient and sat beside her.
Downstairs, a cold wind greeted them. Lu Zhenqiu tightened her clothes and hailed a taxi. The driver was startled to see Maomao and kept insisting that pets were not allowed in the car. In the end, after finding two more drivers, one finally agreed to take her to the pet shop.
Hua Luo was standing at the entrance of the pet shop with Bai Mao beside her. Bai Mao’s face was wrapped in a thick towel, only revealing her eyes. Hua Luo said, “Teacher Bai, what kind of cat do you want to get? I know quite a bit about cats.”
Bai Mao said, “Let’s look first. If it feels right, that’s enough.”
Hua Luo said “oh.” When Xiao Yu arrived, she didn’t go over, only waving when she saw Lu Zhenqiu’s figure. “Qiuqiu.”
Lu Zhenqiu turned her head and saw Xiao Yu walking over. Her arm was linked by Xiao Yu, and she heard her say, “See those two over there?”
It was Hua Luo and Bai Mao.
Lu Zhenqiu asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Yu muttered, “Don’t you think their relationship is too close? They even watched a movie together yesterday. I feel like there’s a situation.”
After speaking, she said worriedly, “It’s just that with Teacher Bai’s personality, I don’t know if she can handle Hua Luo’s mom’s tantrum-throwing nature1.”
Her mom’s personality… every time Xiao Yu brought it up, she got goosebumps all over and felt extremely uncomfortable.
Lu Zhenqiu glanced at the two of them but didn’t speak. Hua Luo saw their figures and shouted, “Over here!”
Xiao Yu walked over, greeting with a smile, “Good morning, Teacher Bai.”
Lu Zhenqiu also bowed her head slightly. “Good morning, Teacher Bai.”
Bai Mao’s face, hidden behind the scarf, blushed slightly. Although she had met them twice, she was still not very familiar with them. She said, “Morning.” After speaking, she asked strangely, “Jin Shuilan didn’t come?”
Hua Luo and Xiao Yu looked at Lu Zhenqiu. Lu Zhenqiu was stunned by their stares and shook her head. “No.”
“I thought she would accompany you here.” After Bai Mao said this, Hua Luo couldn’t hold back her laughter, her gaze towards Lu Zhenqiu filled with ambiguity. Lu Zhenqiu suddenly thought of what Jin Shuilan had said this morning.
She said she was moving out.
Is it because of last night?
Or…
Xiao Yu said, “Let’s go inside and talk, it’s freezing out here.”
The group walked into the pet shop. The shop’s interior was quite large, with dogs on one side and cats on the other, separated. As Lu Zhenqiu entered, she saw the owner feeding a cat. She called out, “Miss Qi.”
Qi Le turned her head. “Zhenqiu?”
Then she said, “You brought the dog?”
Lu Zhenqiu hummed in agreement. Maomao leaned against her. The surrounding cats and dogs bared their teeth at it. Maomao didn’t seem to like it here very much, whimpering and squatting by her feet, not moving an inch. Qi Le said, “It’s quite timid.” She walked to Maomao’s side and said, “You’re a Golden Retriever!”
Maomao glanced at her, a sound rumbling in its throat. Lu Zhenqiu pulled her back. Qi Le asked, “Are these your friends?”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded. She had chatted with Qi Le on WeChat and knew about the boarding situation here; the procedures were complete, and Qi Le was also very good at taking care of pets, so she brought Maomao to check out the situation first. Hua Luo said, “Are these cats over here? Can we buy them?”
Qi Le said, “All of these here can be bought.” She pointed to the cages above. “The ones up there are being boarded.”
There were two full rows, about ten of them, with all kinds of cats: Silver Shaded2, Golden Shaded3, Ragdoll4, Blue Cat5, and also an orange cat6. It was big and fat, sitting at the very end and looking at the few strangers. Unlike the other cats that were baring their teeth, it had an expression of looking down upon all under heaven7. Hua Luo said, “This one is good-looking, so imposing.”
Bai Mao expressed her agreement. Lu Zhenqiu asked, “Teacher Bai wants to buy a cat?”
“Just looking for now,” Bai Mao said. “I’ll buy it if it feels right.”
After she finished speaking, Hua Luo led her further inside. Inside, there was a litter of newborn kittens, solid-colored and extremely beautiful. Xiao Yu saw the two interacting over there and decided not to join the fun, just standing here with Lu Zhenqiu. She heard Qi Le say, “Shall I take you to see the inside?”
To the right and further in was the dog boarding area. Each dog was in a cage, some lying down, some sitting. Lu Zhenqiu led Maomao over. Qi Le said, “When it comes, it will be in that cage.”
Xiao Yu asked curiously, “Will they be walked during the day?”
Qi Le smiled. “No, but there’s a free-roaming area.”
It was very small, and they could only come out for a short while each time because two dogs could not be allowed to roam freely at the same time to prevent them from fighting. Xiao Yu frowned and said to Lu Zhenqiu, “Will Maomao be able to get used to it?”
There would definitely be some getting used to.
Lu Zhenqiu suddenly remembered that Maomao was always a bit unaccustomed to new houses, but it had adapted very quickly when it went to Jin Shuilan’s place, as if it were its own home, both happy and free. Even if she didn’t take it out for a walk, it was very content staying at home.
Her expression was one of rare indecision. Xiao Yu said, “Okay, then we’ll consider it again.”
Qi Le smiled and nodded. “No problem.”
Hua Luo called for the lady boss from the other side. Qi Le walked over. Xiao Yu asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Maomao will have so little freedom here. Why don’t you just ask Teacher Jin to help take care of it? Besides, didn’t you say Teacher Jin likes Maomao a lot?”
Lu Zhenqiu was speechless.
If none of this had happened, she might have asked Jin Shuilan for help. But with things as they are now, how could she possibly trouble Jin Shuilan?
Xiao Yu saw her expression and leaned in to ask, “Qiuqiu, you and Teacher Jin…”
“Qiuqiu, is this one good-looking?” Hua Luo’s voice interrupted their conversation. Lu Zhenqiu looked over. Hua Luo was holding a cat. She couldn’t tell the breed. Only when she walked over did she hear Qi Le’s introduction, “A British Shorthair8. It’s quite easy to raise, not a picky eater, just very active.”
Hua Luo asked Lu Zhenqiu, “Isn’t it cute?”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded. “It is quite cute.”
The British Shorthair was held in Hua Luo’s hands, licking her palm. Hua Luo had an expression like her heart was melting. Bai Mao saw her and asked, “You like this one?”
Hua Luo asked her, “Does Teacher Bai like it?”
Bai Mao said, “I like it a lot, but I’ve never raised one before. Didn’t you have a cat before? You can teach me later.”
When Lu Zhenqiu heard this sentence, she found it surprisingly familiar.
Hua Luo nodded. “No problem!”
They tentatively decided on that one. Since they still had to go buy gifts, it was inconvenient to carry it, so they left it at the pet shop. On the way, Hua Luo told Bai Mao about the other things they needed to buy. Seeing that Bai Mao was slow at choosing, she directly took Bai Mao’s phone and started selecting things. Bai Mao turned her head to look at her actions, her face hidden behind the scarf turning slightly red, her cheeks burning. As they walked, Hua Luo chattered on, “Actually, it’s really good to have a cat. You live alone and especially need companionship. Staying at home alone for too long can make you sick. Teacher Jin got sick a while ago.”
Bai Mao glanced sideways. “Jin Shuilan?”
That person can get sick?
It would be a blessing if she didn’t torment others into sickness.
Hua Luo, suspecting nothing, said, “Yeah, the doctor recommended she get a dog to distract herself, which is why she agreed to let Qiuqiu move in with Maomao.”
After speaking, she looked at Lu Zhenqiu. “If you board Maomao for half a month, wouldn’t Teacher Jin not be able to see Maomao for half a month? You’re so cruel.”
Lu Zhenqiu: …
What’s cruel about it? Jin Shuilan is moving out anyway.
She frowned slightly. Xiao Yu said, “It’s not like it’s been boarded yet. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go buy the gifts first.”
She changed the subject. Hua Luo nodded and said to Xiao Yu, “Hey, are you free this weekend? Come have a meal with me.”
“Another blind date?” Xiao Yu’s lips twitched. Bai Mao glanced over. Hua Luo covered Xiao Yu’s mouth. “Quieter!”
Xiao Yu nodded. “Why don’t you ask Teacher Bai to go with you?”
Hua Luo was completely shocked. “What are you talking about! Teacher Bai is my goddess. I wouldn’t dare even if you gave me ten times the courage!”
Xiao Yu saw her serious expression and held back her laughter, her face turning red from the effort.
Lu Zhenqiu was puzzled. “Didn’t you say your mom doesn’t want you to go on blind dates anymore?”
How long has it been? How did it make a comeback? Hua Luo sighed. “My mom is introducing me to women now.”
“Women?!” Xiao Yu and Lu Zhenqiu looked at each other in dismay. Xiao Yu asked, “Your mom has come around?”
Hua Luo shrugged. “Open-minded my ass9. She thinks I’m out spending my days in flower-filled skies and wine-soaked grounds10, fooling around11, and even thinks I owe loan sharks12 and is afraid I’ll just disappear one day. So now she’s not busy correcting my sexual orientation anymore, she just wants me to realize my mistakes and return to the right path13.”
She didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
But what left her speechless was that the blind dates were back again, which was why she was asking Xiao Yu for help. Xiao Yu was both amused and exasperated by her mom’s actions, exclaiming that she was incredible. She said, “Take it slow, isn’t this a change?”
Compared to before when her mom would have a heart attack just hearing the word “girlfriend,” now she was proactively introducing her to girlfriends. What a huge change!
She had a premonition that Hua Luo’s good days were coming soon.
Hua Luo grinned. “I accept your auspicious words!”
The nearby Bai Mao glanced at Hua Luo several times but ultimately said nothing. The four of them went to the shopping mall together. Hua Luo and Xiao Yu were thinking of buying jewelry for Jin Shuilan.
Lu Zhenqiu said, “That’s probably not necessary. Teacher Jin doesn’t really like to wear jewelry.”
Xiao Yu nodded. “What about perfume then?”
Lu Zhenqiu said, “She has a brand she uses regularly, it’s custom-blended.”
Xiao Yu asked again, “What about scented aromatherapy?”
Hua Luo nodded. “This could work, but we don’t know what scents she likes.”
Lu Zhenqiu said, “Floral scents are fine. She likes the smell of flowers.”
Xiao Yu and Hua Luo turned their heads in unison. Xiao Yu smiled. “You know her well, huh?”
Hua Luo also squeezed over. “How do you know Teacher Jin so well?”
Lu Zhenqiu’s expression changed slightly from their teasing. She explained, “I’ve read Teacher Jin’s profile before.”
“Just from reading her profile, you’re that attentive?”
Hua Luo felt wronged. “Exactly. We’ve been sisters for so long, you tell me, do you know what scents I like?”
“I…” Lu Zhenqiu thought for a moment. She really didn’t seem to know what scents Hua Luo liked. On second thought, the perfume and aromatherapy weren’t from the profile, but things she had noticed in daily life.
Hua Luo laughed. “Just teasing you! You’re not my girlfriend, how could you possibly pay attention to my preferences.”
Lu Zhenqiu was slightly stunned.
She’s not Jin Shuilan’s girlfriend either, so why does she pay so much attention to her?
Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head. The phone of Bai Mao beside her suddenly rang. She took her phone out of her bag. Hua Luo asked, “Who is it?”
Bai Mao said, “Jin Shuilan.”
She answered the phone as she spoke, “Yeah, I’m out. Today? We’ll see. Why don’t you come over, we can have lunch together.”
The person on the other end of the phone said something.
Lu Zhenqiu lowered her eyes, hiding the complicated feeling that suddenly rose in her heart. She was actually, unconsciously, nervous about the reply from the other end of the phone.
The author has something to say:
Thirty red packets, memeda.
Jin Shuilan: Is Qiuqiu missing me?
Lu Zhenqiu: Everyone is missing you.
Footnotes
- 撒潑性子 | sā pō xìng zi | Literally “a nature/temperament (性子) of making an unreasonable scene/throwing a tantrum (撒潑).” Describes someone, typically a woman in a stereotypical sense, who is prone to loud, unreasonable, and often public outbursts of anger or complaint to get their way. It carries a very negative and unrefined connotation.
- 銀漸層 | yín jiàn céng | A specific color pattern of the British Shorthair cat, characterized by a silver undercoat with black tipping on the ends of the fur, creating a shimmering, shaded effect.
- 金漸層 | jīn jiàn céng | Similar to the Silver Shaded, this is a color pattern in British Shorthairs featuring a warm, golden-apricot undercoat with black tipping. It’s a highly popular and expensive breed color in China.
- 布偶 | bù’ǒu | Literally “cloth doll.” The Chinese name for the Ragdoll cat breed, named for its tendency to go limp and relaxed like a doll when picked up. Known for its docile and affectionate nature.
- 藍貓 | lán māo | Literally “blue cat.” A common term for cat breeds with a solid blue-gray coat, most often referring to the British Shorthair, but can also refer to Russian Blues or Chartreux.
- 橘貓 | jú māo | Literally “orange cat.” The common Chinese term for any cat with orange or ginger-colored fur, equivalent to an “orange tabby” in English. They are often stereotyped in Chinese internet culture as being prone to getting fat.
- 睥睨天下 | pì nì tiān xià | A Chinese idiom (chengyu). Literally “to look askance at (睥睨) all under heaven (天下).” It describes an attitude of extreme arrogance, pride, and disdain, as if one is superior to everyone and everything else in the world. It’s often used to describe powerful rulers, heroes, or in this case, a very haughty-looking cat.
- 英短 | yīng duǎn | Abbreviation for 英國短毛貓 (yīng guó duǎn máo māo), meaning “British Shorthair.” A popular breed of cat known for its dense coat, stocky body, and generally calm temperament.
- 想開個屁 | xiǎng kāi ge pì | A vulgar but common slang expression. 想開 (xiǎng kāi) means “to become open-minded” or “to not dwell on things.” The suffix 個屁 (ge pì), literally “a fart,” is a coarse dismissal equivalent to the English “my ass,” “like hell,” or “bullshit.” The phrase forcefully rejects the idea that someone has become open-minded.
- 花天酒地 | huā tiān jiǔ dì | A Chinese idiom (chengyu). Literally “flower sky, wine ground.” It describes a life of extravagant and hedonistic dissipation, filled with feasting, drinking, and debauchery. It is the direct equivalent of the English idiom “wine, women, and song” or “painting the town red.”
- 亂搞 | luàn gǎo | Literally “to do messily” or “to engage in randomly.” It’s a colloquial term that can imply disorderly conduct, but most often refers to having messy or promiscuous relationships.
- 高利貸 | gāo lì dài | Literally “high-interest loan.” Refers to usury or loans with illegally high interest rates, often associated with loan sharks and organized crime. It carries a strong negative connotation of financial ruin and danger.
- 迷途知返 | mí tú zhī fǎn | A Chinese idiom (chengyu). Literally “to know to return from a lost path.” It means to realize one’s errors and mend one’s ways, or to turn back from a wrong course of action. The phrase originates from historical texts like the “Records of the Three Kingdoms” (三國志) and carries the cultural value of redemption and self-correction, suggesting that it’s never too late to change for the better.
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