Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Fleas
Chapter 177: Fleas
Translator: End less Fantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The waiter asked if they wanted to order more main dishes so Lin Xiaowan looked at the menu and said, “Blue lobsters and barbecued pork noodles? I want to try it. Are you okay with it?”
Lu Yingxin, of course, had no objections. She nodded every time Lin Xiaowan asked for her opinion.
Lin Xiaowan flipped through two more pages before she asked, “I want soup. Do you have any preference?”
“I’m fine with anything,” Lu Yingxin said.
Lin Xiaowan was a classic example of someone with big eyes and a small stomach. She wanted to eat everything she saw. As such, when she went out, she usually let others do the ordering. She was only responsible for eating. Since she was ordering today, it was not surprising that she could not make up her mind.
“Seahorse pigeon soup? How interesting. I didn’t know that seahorses are edible. Let’s try it,” Lin Xiaowan said.
After placing the order, the waiter served them fruits before the meal started. There were strawberries, blueberries, and peeled lychees on the exquisite plate.
As they chatted, Lin Xiaowan kept thinking about the matter that Aunt Wu mentioned. In the end, she could not help but ask, “By the way, how’s your little orange kitten? Has it grown in size?”
At this moment, Lu Yingxin was showing off the fact that she was eating in Sea Cloud Pavilion to her friends in a group chat. When she heard Lin Xiaowan’s question, her hands that were typing paused for a moment. Then, with a smile on her face, she lied with a straight face, saying, “I’ve been a little busy recently, and I’m often not at home. 1 was worried I wouldn’t be able to care for it so my friend’s helping me to temporarily care for it.”
The orange cat stayed awake until late in the night and kept meowing. Lin Xiaowan’s house was not big. Even if she locked the cat up in the furthest room, she could still vaguely hear the cat meowing at night. The sound was sharp, making her annoyed. She was also worried that the neighbors would complain. As such, she simply brought the kitten outside and left it there. In her opinion, the cat was useless to her. If she needed it, she could simply get another one.
“Oh,” Lin Xiaowan said. She did not know what else to ask so she only said, “Bring Mimi to play the next time you’re free. Since both of us are staying in Xilin Imperial Garden, it’s not too troublesome. Moreover, cats need to socialize as well.”
Lu Yingxin naturally could not easily agree to this. She said, “My friend doesn’t live in Xilin Imperial Garden so it’s a little inconvenient…”
“Oh, okay…”
Lin Xiaowan was not very good at speaking, to begin with. She could not directly ask Lu Yingxin if the cat Lu Yingxin brought over the first time was the same one she brought the second time. She also could not ask if Lu Yingxing’s first cat died. However, she was also not good at talking in a roundabout manner.
Fortunately, the meal went smoothly. During the meal, Lu Yingxin would take the initiative to find topics to talk about. Logically speaking, the two got along rather harmoniously, but for some reason, Lin Xiaowan felt a little uneasy.
When the meal was finally over, Lin Xiaowan felt relieved. She naturally did not dare to show it on her face. She was not confrontational after all and was worried that Lu Yingxin would notice. It was uncomfortable for her to be around Lu Yingxin alone.
When the waiter appeared to lead them out, Lin Xiaowan relaxed greatly now that she was no longer alone with Lu Yingxin.
When the driver opened the car door for Lin Xiaowan, she politely said to Lu Yingxin, “Get in the car. We’re both going to Xilin Imperial Garden anyway.”
Lu Yingxin did not live in Xilin Imperial Garden. How could she go back with Lin Xiaowan? She could not possibly go to Old Master Li’s house. If she went to his house without any notice, he definitely would not let her off easily.
Lu Yingxin’s lying skills were so good that she did not even need to think about it. She said with a straight face, “You go ahead. I still have something to do. 1 plan to visit Mimi at my friend’s house.”
Lin Xiaowan naturally no longer said anything upon hearing these words. After bidding farewell, she left.
Lu Yingxin waited until Lin Xiaowan’s car was out of sight before she hailed a cab.
When Lin Xiaowan returned home, she realized that it was already quite late, but the housekeeper was still cleaning the house. When she heard the heart-wrenching yowling noises on the second floor, she quickly ran upstairs, shocked.
When Little Chestnut saw its mother, it no longer yowled. Instead, it meowed cutely, sounding a little aggrieved.
Little Chestnut’s toys and belongings had been cleared away, and someone was spraying something everywhere at this moment. There was the smell of wormwood and a strange smell that permeated the second floor.
Little Chestnut was yowling earlier because it was forced to take a shower by the vet and Aunt Wu.
“What’s going on?” Lin Xiaowan asked, stunned.
‘The new year has passed, but we’re doing spring cleaning now?’
Huo Zheng was in another room, putting away Little Chestnut’s toys and daily necessities. When he heard Lin Xiaowan’s voice, he walked out. He smelled like wormwood as well.
Lin Xiaowan scrunched up her face when she smelled it.
Huo Zheng’s expression was quite unsightly at this moment. He came over and held her hand as he said, “Let’s go upstairs first.”
As soon as they went upstairs, Huo Zheng pushed her to the bathroom to shower.
Lin Xiaowan grabbed him and asked in confusion, “Wait, wait. What’s wrong? What happened?”
Huo Zheng had been suppressing his anger ever since he came home. When he saw the confused expression on Lin Xiaowan’s face, he was even more disgusted with Lu Yingxin. It was truly difficult for him to control his emotions so his voice was a little dark as he said, “There’s a flea infestation. Aunt Wu saw fleas on Little Chestnut in the afternoon and arranged for people to clean them up.”
Lin Xiaowan was shocked. “Fleas? How’s that possible? Ever since we moved here, Little Chestnut hasn’t been anywhere else. Not only do we frequently spray her with flea repellent, but she also hasn’t gone out at all. How can there be a flea infestation?”
Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan silently for a long time. After a while, he sighed helplessly and asked, “So what do you think is the reason?”
Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that Little Chestnut had come in contact with Lu Yingxin and Mimi. She asked in disbelief, “It’s from the kitten that Lu Yingxin brought over?”
“There’s no other possibility,” Huo Zheng said confidently, determining the source of the flea infestation.
Lin Xiaowan was a little scared. “I, I’ve been playing with Little Chestnut frequently! Don’t tell me I have fleas as well? You, do you have fleas?”
Seeing the pitiful and aggrieved expression on her face, Huo Zheng quickly hugged her. However, just as he was about to kiss her, she pushed him away.
“What are you doing? If there are fleas, won’t it be contagious?”
Huo Zheng said, amused, “We’re fine. It’ll be obvious if you have fleas. Does your scalp feel itchy recently?”
“No… But what if I feel itchy after showering?” Lin Xiaowan asked pitifully.
Huo Zheng sighed. “Forget it. Qingqing, go and shower first.”
Huo Zheng threw away the clothes she wore immediately. He also went to the walk-in wardrobe on the fourth floor and brought a set of new clothes over for Lin Xiaowan..