The Heart Is Somewhat Intoxicated

The afternoon sun shone lazily through the glass windows of the cat cafe, spilling onto the wooden table as dust motes danced in the beams of light.

A soft, squishy orange cat lay curled up in Lin Mo's arms, its paws tucked in as it purred softly.

Lin Mo carefully avoided disturbing it, scooped up a large spoonful of cream cake, and held it steadily to Xie Yuling's lips.

Xie Yuling's eyes curved into a smile, but she didn't open her mouth, playfully tilting her head to dodge it.

Lin Mo didn't rush her; his arm simply hovered in mid-air, full of patience.

A few seconds later, Xie Yuling couldn't hold back anymore. She leaned in, opened her small mouth, and took the bite.

She closed her eyes, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed, looking like a hamster hoarding food.

"Chew, chew, chew... it's not as good as the cake you make... chew, chew, chew," Xie Yuling gave her review with a completely serious expression.

As she spoke, she reached over and scooped up a sleepy Lady Calico, playfully forcing the cat's head into her arms and giving it a vigorous rub.

Lady Calico wore an expression that seemed to say "you don't understand love." She kicked her hind legs, nimbly escaped the demonic clutches, and with elegant cat steps, dove straight into Lin Mo's other arm, finding a comfortable position to lie flat once again.

"..."

Xie Yuling's hands froze in mid-air, looking a bit awkward.

Lin Mo didn't say a word. He just opened his mouth at her and pointed at himself with his chin.

"Ah!"

Xie Yuling shot him an exasperated glare, though the corners of her lips crept up secretly. Resigning to her fate, she scooped up a large spoonful of cake and fed it to him with precision.

"Do you think Fang Jun and Cai Junhuang's date will go smoothly this time?"

"Hard to say."

Lin Mo stroked the cat and spoke unhurriedly, "Fang Jun isn't bad on paper. He's neither ugly nor short, has some money in his pockets, and is quite enthusiastic. His only flaw is that his brain operates on a different frequency from normal people, and his emotional intelligence occasionally goes into freefall."

Stroking the cat, Lin Mo gave Fang Jun a thorough evaluation.

"You really are good friends, knowing him so well. But Cai Junhuang is no ordinary girl. The line of guys chasing her could stretch from her classroom all the way to the school gates. A few guys in our class talk about 'that dancer next door' every single day."

"People always say dancers are wild and play around, but I don't necessarily think so."

Xie Yuling poked the cat in Lin Mo's arms. "Cai Junhuang looks unapproachable, but she just can't be bothered to deal with those guys who only want to play around with her."

Many people subconsciously assume that people who dance are very extroverted, and perhaps somewhat promiscuous.

As a result, a lot of guys wanted to try their luck with Cai Junhuang.

"That's exactly why a guy like Fang Jun has a chance."

Lin Mo said, "With his brain, he wouldn't know how to play around even if he tried. Maybe Cai Junhuang actually likes that silliness of his? If she didn't feel anything for him, why would she agree to come out with him?"

"That's possible. If she didn't feel anything, why would she keep chatting with him and even agree to a date?" Xie Yuling nodded in agreement.

The two walked out of the cat cafe and headed off into the distance. Not long after, another pair strolled into view behind them.

"Why did you think of coming to a cat cafe?" Cai Junhuang tilted her head to look at Fang Jun beside her, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"I didn't have much choice. You know my mom won't let me keep a cat."

Fang Jun spread his hands helplessly.

"Yeah, same with my mom. Just mentioning it earns me a lecture." Cai Junhuang nodded in deep sympathy.

"So, you see, cat cafes are a paradise for people like us."

Fang Jun said, pushing open the glass door with a wind chime hanging on it like a familiar regular.

A crisp chime rang out, and warm air mixed with the scent of coffee and the unique, lazy aroma of cats washed over them.

The waitress from that morning was looking down, wiping a glass. Hearing the noise, she looked up and immediately spotted Fang Jun. Her gaze followed him and then landed on Cai Junhuang behind him.

The waitress's eyes lit up, and a knowing smile spread across her lips.

"Back again? Sit anywhere." She lifted her chin at Fang Jun, her gesture very familiar.

She turned around, took a few packets from the storage cabinet under the bar, and handed them to Fang Jun.

"Here, the freeze-dried treats you kept here earlier. You can feed the cats first and bond with them."

They were actually the complimentary treats from the combo meal he bought that morning. The cafe thoughtfully provided a storage service to make it convenient for regular customers when they returned.

Cai Junhuang watched the waitress act like an old friend, then glanced at Fang Jun, her eyebrows raising slightly.

"Come here often?"

Fang Jun felt a bit awkward under her gaze. His eyes darted away as he gave a vague nod. "Occasionally."

The two found a seat by the window and sat down.

The feline masters of the shop had long since entered work mode. A rather large orange cat strutted over with an arrogant gait, being the first to approach, and gently rubbed its head against Cai Junhuang's pant leg.

Fang Jun chuckled and gave half of the freeze-dried treats in his hand to Cai Junhuang.

Cai Junhuang was clearly won over. She carefully tore open the packaging, pinched a piece of the treat, and crouched down to offer it to the orange cat's mouth.

Soon, a few Ragdolls and British Shorthairs were also attracted over, completely surrounding Cai Junhuang.

Surrounded by a group of fluffy little creatures, the smile on Cai Junhuang's face never faded, and the light in her eyes was even brighter than the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Fang Jun didn't disturb her. He simply sat quietly in his seat and discreetly raised his phone.

Through the lens, the soft light outlined the silhouette of Cai Junhuang's side profile. She was looking down, her expression focused and gentle, while several cats looked up at her. The scene was as harmonious as a painting.

The composition was beautiful, but Fang Jun knew it was mainly because the subject of the picture was so beautiful.

She would look beautiful no matter how the photo was taken.

Cai Junhuang suddenly looked up and smiled at Fang Jun, saying, "Look, the cats here are all so cute."

Click.

In that instant, those eyes curved into crescent moons, that radiant smile from the bottom of her heart, along with the starlight sparkling in her eyes, were forever immortalized.

Fang Jun's heart skipped a beat.

It was over. This was absolutely the best photograph he had ever taken in his life, bar none.

"What are you secretly taking pictures of? Hurry up and let me see!"

Cai Junhuang had already stood up and walked toward him. "I'm warning you, don't make me look ugly, or I won't let you off the hook!"

Her words held a threat, but her tone was full of laughter.

For once, Fang Jun didn't dodge. He proactively handed the phone over, though the tips of his ears quietly flushed a little red.

Cai Junhuang took the phone and scrolled back through the photos one by one, muttering softly to herself as she looked, "Hmm... this one is okay... the lighting in this one is nice."

"I'm warning you, you're not allowed to use my photos to do anything bad!"

"Don't talk nonsense, don't slander me!"

Fang Jun reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His cheeks instantly turned bright red. He snatched the phone back, picked up a menu to hide his face, and let out a soft snort in a futile attempt to cover up his embarrassment:

"What do you want to eat? I recommend the matcha cheesecake here; it tastes really good."

"You're the regular, you choose."

Cai Junhuang laughed, reaching out to press down on the menu in Fang Jun's hands so he couldn't hide. "But we have a deal: this meal is my treat. Don't fight me on this, or I'll really get mad."

As she spoke, she deliberately kept a straight face, glaring fiercely at Fang Jun.

Fang Jun's heart felt a little intoxicated.