I Can Talk to Cats C1

Chapter 1 : A Stormy Situation (Part One)

Translated and edited by Lime

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Please keep in mind that the rest of the book is not like these first two chapters.

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An autumn day, during the weekend.

In the late afternoon, the urban park was very lively.

On a rare day of rest, everyone wanted to go outside and casually wander around.

The sun was in the ideal position and many locals decided to stroll at the shopping district, which was located next to the park. Parents who brought their children out to play and lovers that were on a date would subsequently stop by the fountains.

The shrewd peddlers sold toys here and some had set up small roller-skating rinks to rent out skates as a form of recreation. A child ran with a balloon while laughing, and their short, little legs were faster than their parents who chased them.

Separated from the hustle and bustle, there was a sizable fountain where the surroundings were much quieter. Here, Lin Lan was squatting, in her hand a sausage that she fed to a stray cat. 

Her hair was tied back into a low ponytail and the off-white windbreaker that she wore made her appear gentle and quiet. As she watched the cat gnaw on the meat, a smile widened on her face. The sausage was slowly severed into several chunks.

“Lan Lan!”

Presently, a young man waved in her direction, jogging towards her from the nearby street, his steps hasty.

Lin Lan recognized the familiar voice and did not stand up, but rather, continued to slowly feed the cat. When she was almost finished, she tore the remaining sausage in half and threw the pieces to the cat. As the young man approached her, she used a wet towel to wipe her greasy fingers. Her expression was a faint smile.

“You are too polite, Shao Xiuye. You were the one who suggested that I come, yet you let me stand here awkwardly for more than an hour.”

Her eyebrows raised, and the pitch of her voice went up: “Your behavior is very appropriate.”

“No, no, no, that’s not it!” Shao Xiuye rapidly shook his head, absolutely remorseful and ready to beg for his life: “When I was on my way over here, there was an urgent matter at my company, and they required me to return to deal with it! I also sent a text message to you earlier. Lan Lan, we have been dating for so long, don’t you know what kind of person I am already? Besides, I have never been late for any of our previous dates!”

Lin Lan was silent and examined her boyfriend from head to toe. The two had not officially met in a while. Shao Xiuye was worthy of being praised: He had an upright figure, and his appearance was dashing. His facial features were sharply defined and he was tall. Two years prior, Lin Lan was envied by many women when he persistently courted her.

Half a year ago, he had to move locations due to a transfer from his job in the city where both of them worked and lived, to the place where his company’s headquarters were located. Due to this, the two had no choice but to live in separate cities. They had been in a long-distance relationship for nearly six months already. 

The man right in front of her eyes was wearing a high-quality suit. His leather shoes were polished and he had even paid attention to his hair. Lin Lan wasn’t used to this appearance at all.

“This… this is my company’s dress code.” Her eyes continued to inspect him, and Shao Xiuye promptly explained, “Earlier, I truly didn’t have a choice. The company had me resolve a critical problem that needed to be handled. Lan Lan, I didn’t purposely dress like this to meet you.”

“Why are you panicking?” The corner of Lin Lan’s mouth curved up: “I was only going to mention that you must appear very suave at work. There must be no shortage of girls that like you.”

Shao Xiuye was unexpectedly thrown into an awkward situation and forced a smile: “Lan Lan, what are you saying?” He was eager to change the subject, and with one step, he grabbed Lin Lan’s hand. “You have waited this long already; your stomach must be starving. Let’s go to that one restaurant we always eat at.”

The two were only office workers, so even if they were going on a date, they would not go to a high-class restaurant. The place that Shao Xiuye specifically mentioned was a family-owned restaurant that was pretty decent. The usual price for each person was around 90 yuan. 

_{(T/N: 90 yuan  ≈ $13 USD)}

In the past, Lin Lan would follow him happily, and eat with gusto. However, when Shao Xiuye reached out for her hand now, she shook him off.

“Shao Xiuye, last month, you texted me saying that you were promoted and given a raise. We seldom see each other in person, and it’s me who continuously takes the initiative to find you. Are you always going to treat me to eat this?”

He knew from his girlfriend’s tone of voice that she was still angry and stiffly retracted his hand:

“Lan Lan, you’re right, we shouldn’t go there. How about…  I treat you to European cuisine!”

The couple crossed the public park and walked onto the pedestrian street. They spotted the European restaurant that they saw on a previous occasion, and this time they went inside. Shortly after being seated, the waiter brought over a beautiful menu, and politely asked for their order.

“We…” Shao Xiuye had not finished speaking when the menu was taken out of his hands by Lin Lan.

“I’ll have this one, this, this… and this.” The woman’s fair fingers moved over the menu, pointing to an expensive steak, caviar, a thick soup, and some dessert. Finally, she added a four-figure bottle of red wine. The well-trained waiter quickly finished writing down their order in shorthand and Lin Lan returned the menu with a smile: “That’s all for now, thank you.”

Shao Xiuye helplessly watched as his girlfriend ordered food totaling to more than thousands of yuan in one breath and his face went stark white. Across from him, Lin Lan faintly smiled: “What? Is your heart in pain? It didn’t hurt this much when you bought a pair of 8000 yuan AJ shoes behind my back.”

_{(T/N: 8000 yuan ≈ $1,125 USD)}

“That was…!” The man wanted to refute but felt his throat clamp up. All of a sudden he bowed his head and said, “Lan Lan, I was wrong. It was my fault that I never discussed it with you.”

“Seems like you remembered that we agreed to actively work hard and save up money together. Let me remind you, we wanted to get married and buy a house together.” The waiter had tactfully left with the menu already, and Lin Lan didn’t miss this chance to keep scolding, “I thought that after moving to a different city and seeing the environment change, the person in your heart has changed as well.”

The man couldn’t speak further, maybe because he was in the wrong, or maybe because his girlfriend was being very aggressive. The lovers’ meal was supposed to be romantic and elegant but had become silent. Despite the lively atmosphere and the uplifting violin music, the tension in the air could not be relieved.

The food was quickly served, and the waiter deftly served the exquisite dishes. He uncorked the four-figure red wine bottle and poured the wine into the tall glasses.

The clear glasses that were dyed red by the wine mirrored the couple at the dining table. One was bowing his head in silence, while the other was innocently eating with a knife and fork.

Shao Xiuye stared at the graceful actions of Lin Lan cutting the steak. Unconsciously, his eyebrows wrinkled. In his mind, she lived in a cheap rental house like him and was used to eating at random food stalls along the street. She frequently rode a small, second-hand moped that was bought without hesitation from the marketplace. That same girlfriend, who rode the moped while laughing carefreely, was very familiar with this high-end European cuisine.

Looking at his girlfriend’s youthful face, a speculation that filled him with rage appeared in his thoughts.

“What are you thinking about?” Shao Xiuye glanced up, and somehow she had already finished all her food. “We rarely have such a lavish meal, but you are distracted. Perhaps, there is something you want to talk about?”

When she said this, Shao Xiuye became composed again. The thought from earlier had submerged his feelings of apprehension.

“It’s really not much. I simply wanted to ask you: In these past six months that I was gone, did anything happen that you weren’t used to? Honestly speaking, when I first arrived here, I encountered an obstacle. I was constantly busy trying to secure my position. Unintentionally, you were excluded a great deal. Lan Lan, I am truly sorry.”

Hearing the apology, the corner of Lin Lan’s mouth strangely curved: “Don’t say it like this Ah Ye, it is natural to be busy after moving to a new city. Not having time to contact me is normal, how could I blame you for this? Long-distance relationships are generally harder after all. You don’t need to apologize to me, besides, I wasn’t uncomfortable after you left.”

The guilt that Shao Xiuye originally felt was completely dissipated by Lin Lan’s heartless last sentence. She wasn’t finished yet, and picked up her napkin to wipe her mouth lightheartedly.

“Suddenly complaining to me about all your problems, do you want to break up with me?”

His girlfriend replied with a joking attitude but had uncovered Shao Xiuye’s private plans.

“…Yes, long-distance relationships are too difficult.” He dropped his utensils, breathed deeply, and raised his head to look straight at her. With a determined stance, he said, “Lan Lan, let’s… break up.” 

When the final three words were spoken, Lin Lan’s motion of wiping her mouth abruptly stopped.

Shao Xiuye’s heart jolted and continued: “I know that this decision will have a considerable impact on you, but I’m sorry. Lan Lan, I don’t have the courage to maintain our relationship…”

“Let’s break up then.”

A calm and steady response interrupted Shao Xiuye’s mental outline that he had spent a long time thinking about. In a daze, he stared at the woman across from him, who threw the napkin back onto the table.

“I also think that it is not necessary to continue this sort of relationship where both sides are suffering. To be able to see you, I have to ride a car here every time and you have never tried to visit me. Shao Xiuye, how dare you?”

There was no disbelief, no crying or other altercation, not to mention hysteria. The woman’s appearance was completely calm and was levelheaded enough to point out the other’s faults.

The man who should have been relieved for such a smooth breakup was embarrassed, leaving him feeling flustered.

He thought about how the woman was so familiar with the etiquette of eating European food and the theory that he guessed earlier made him increasingly certain.

Just when he was about to ask her, the woman who had just become his ex-girlfriend casually glanced at him and pointed her finger at the high-quality suit he wore: “By the way, I wanted to ask you this earlier. Your suit seems to be hand-made and tailored. The price must not be cheap. Is your company so nice to all their employees?” 

She spoke gently, but it was as if a basin of cold water was poured over Shao Xiuye’s head, quenching his fury.

Shao Xiuye was too afraid to make another sound and certainly did not want to bring up any other trivial topics. In a slightly difficult situation, he meekly said, “Seeing that you are finished with the meal, let’s leave.”

Not wanting to say more, Lin Lan nodded and stood up from the seat. The two wanted to maintain their last bit of dignity, and when it was time for the man to pay the bill, the woman even stood to the side and waited for him. It was almost as if the breakup did not just happen.

However, it was only an illusion.

After departing the restaurant and going outside again, Shao Xiuye’s expression had completely fallen.

“Lin Lan.” He called out to stop his ex-girlfriend from leaving. Although she wore cheap clothes, her beauty was not hidden. She looked back at him, and he was unable to resist her elegant appearance. 

“In the past six months that we separated, did you find someone else…” 

He was interrupted by two sudden blasts of a car horn behind him, and a fiery red Bentley gradually stopped in front of the two.

The flamboyant sports car was like its owner who had just opened the door: beautiful, glamorous, and dignified.

“Shao Xiuye!” The person from the driver’s position that had walked out with her chin held high, was Ms. Perfect, wearing high heeled shoes. With one look, anyone was able to tell that she was arrogant. “I was wondering why you were unfocused at the company earlier and found a random excuse to leave. Turns out, it was for a woman!” 

_{(T/N: ‘白富美’ or “Ms. Perfect”, means fair-skinned/pale, wealthy, and beautiful. It is commonly referred to as the qualities of a “perfect” woman.)}

The man’s face paled when he saw her: “Miss Jiang, why are you here?”

“For this date, you drove here in the company’s car. Why shouldn’t I know?” The young lady that was obviously from a rich family ignored Shao Xiuye and sized up Lin Lan’s appearance with a critical glance. First, she looked at her face in disgust and then smiled after seeing the cheap clothes that she was wearing. “This is the kind of person you used to date? Her dull character fits you…What? You still can’t bear to throw her away?”

Instead of being crushed at the arrival of a overbearing rival in love, Lin Lan wasn’t even bothered and turned her head to look at her ex-boyfriend: “Is this your new lover? Looks like it was quite easy to date me on the side. It’s really nice to have money.”

With these words, Miss Jiang was startled and became enraged.

Seeing a luxury Bentley car parked on the side, a handsome man, and two beauties arguing with explosive dialogue, many passersby stopped to watch on the bustling street.

Shao Xiuye felt as if his entire body was being roasted over a fire as many curious people looked at him. He stepped up to coax Miss Jiang: “I broke up with her already. Let’s go back now.”

His request was instantly disregarded by Miss Jiang, whose prestigious upbringing was gone in an instant. Facing Lin Lan’s face of frost, she began to laugh ferociously: “You’re correct, having money is indeed very nice. I have heard that you and Ah Ye planned on saving money together to purchase a house in Shanghai, and then get married. It’s very hard right? I don’t even know if I’ve saved up enough money for a tenth of the down payment. However, I don’t even have to worry about this problem. My family owns many apartments there already and with a few words, I can casually give Ah Ye a set.”

“Miss Jiang’s words are correct.” In the face of blatant sarcasm and mocking, Lin Lan stayed calm: “It’s no surprise he depended on you to work half a lifetime less. Since ancient times, people have loved the rich and despised the poor. Climbing up is not only for women, now in modern times the sexes have equal rights, and him doing this is just human nature. For that reason, I don’t blame him at all. I’ll leave him up to you to take care of.”

These words made the onlookers instantly laugh. It turns out that the equality of the sexes and human nature could be used this way. For Shao Xiuye, this situation was beyond shameful.

“Enough!” He stared at Lin Lan and pointed at her with his hand, “What right do you have to say that about me! It’s true that I betrayed you, but aren’t you the same? Do you dare to say that during the past six months, you didn’t betray me as well?”

At the restaurant, she was not at all frightened while in an unfamiliar environment. He vividly recalled that her posture was even better than his while dining in the European restaurant. This alone made no sense, which meant that nothing more needed to be said!

The spectators began to get excited as the melon was getting sweeter and sweeter the more they ate. Many people were reluctant to leave the scene. 

In the midst of Shao Xiuye’s accusation, Lin Lan faintly smiled, “It’s not early in the day anymore, I should get going. My car has come to pick me up.”

Car?

The bystanders turned around, hearing two car horns sounding from the other side of the street. Unexpectedly, they saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly pulling up behind the Bentley.

The body of the car was very wide and had a luxurious appearance. The silvery grey color reflected the sun, and the iconic figure of a little gold man above the double R logo gave off an imposing aura. It made the Bentley parked in front of it look like a small servant girl.

The car stopped, and the middle-aged chauffeur stepped out from the driver’s seat and opened the rear door.

A man with blond hair and blue eyes stepped out from the car. He was wearing golden spectacles, a black suit, and carried a briefcase. This made him appear like an elite foreigner out of a movie. The man slowly walked over with his long legs and many of the onlookers were secretly flustered.

However, the foreigner stopped in front of Lin Lan and respectfully bowed: “Eldest Miss, I am here to take you back home.”

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This is my first time actually translating a novel/editing it. I can somewhat read/fluently speak Chinese, but for uncommon phrases I rely on machine translations. Hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and the next chapter explains more of her situation.

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