Chen Anke received a call from Shi Ran at seven in the morning.
The call woke up the new boy she had met on a date last night. The boy's fluffy head nuzzled against her chest, delighted that she was still here when he woke up.
"Chen Anke," Shi Ran's voice was full of energy, "Are you up? Chen Anke! Chen Anke!"
"Get lost… It's seven in the morning, why are you barking like a dog?"
Chen Anke was irritated, secretly resenting that Shi Ran's call had prevented her from slipping away in the morning, which meant a lot more trouble. Hmm, what was the name of the boy who kept nuzzling her…?
"Yesterday you were calling me sweetheart, and today you're turning your back on me, huh." Shi Ran said with a chuckle, "Big-shot blogger Chen, do you have time this morning? I'll take you to pet some cats for free."
"Miss…" Chen Anke felt her temples throbbing with anger, "Haven't you gotten over your jet lag yet? What cat café is even open at this hour?"
"It's not a cat café, it's a stray cat sanctuary. Oh, by the way, let me tell you something," Shi Ran said with complete naturalness, "Your friend here is now a proud, licensed veterinarian."
"…"
What nonsense was she talking about?
Chen Anke went to great lengths to coax the boy out the door, then frantically rummaged for her equipment.
Shi Ran's spur-of-the-moment idea had her running around in circles. She had just gotten into the elevator with her camera gear when the phone rang again: "I'm at the entrance of your neighborhood! Don't bother with makeup—your videos don't show your face anyway, what's there to worry about…"
"So what if I show my face? I'm gorgeous right now." Chen Anke's temples continued to throb. She steadied herself, staring at the blinking floor indicator in the elevator, trying to muster more patience for her friend who had finally returned from studying abroad, "Miss Shi Ran, you've given me such an important task, shouldn't I at least find the right equipment? Even if it's all connected through the internet, I still need to make it look good to find the right match…"
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
The elevator stopped at the floor Chen Anke least wanted to stop at, and then in walked the person she currently least wanted to see.
Her neighbor, classmate, childhood friend, Shi Ran's ex-husband—Cheng Zimiao.
No different from before—a perfectly tailored designer suit without a single wrinkle, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making his figure even more striking. The luxury watch on his wrist glinted with a faint cold light. He was the very picture of refined elegance—a well-dressed man with a handsome face.
He stepped into the elevator, carrying a faint trace of cool cedar-scented men's cologne. He glanced up casually, and when his gaze landed on Chen Anke's face, his brow lifted almost imperceptibly.
Chen Anke rolled her eyes dramatically.
Even after the divorce, he was still strutting around like a peacock. Who was he even showing off for?
Before the two could exchange greetings, Cheng Zimiao's phone suddenly vibrated.
The screen lit up, and Chen Anke, sharp-eyed, caught a glimpse of the caller—Lin Yujia.
Her eyelids twitched violently.
Lin Yujia—the spoiled young lady who had been trailing after Cheng Zimiao since elementary school. Back when Chen Anke didn't even know Shi Ran yet, she had eaten snacks given by Lin Yujia and had even delivered love letters to Cheng Zimiao on her behalf!
They were still in contact now?
No… Lin Yujia was also abroad doing some kind of legal work. Had they been in contact all along?
"Hello," Cheng Zimiao answered, his tone familiar and amused, "Yujia."
In a flash, Chen Anke's fingers tightened around her phone, and she raised her volume: "Shi Ran! Let me tell you! There are thousands of men in this world, don't you worry—with your bestie here, I'll definitely get this sorted for you!"
The elevator doors opened. Chen Anke hung up the phone directly, tightened her grip on her camera equipment, and walked out of the neighborhood gates with her head held high.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
"Oh?" A lazy voice sounded from behind. "Isn't this Chen Anke?"
Chen Anke turned around, crossing her arms and staring at him coldly.
Cheng Zimiao raised an eyebrow slightly. Those deep, peach-blossom eyes seemed to carry a smile whenever they looked at someone, but unfortunately his mouth was too sharp: "The lunar surface has smoothed out, the ugly duckling turned into a swan—I didn't recognize you for a moment."
"Go to hell," Chen Anke said through gritted teeth. "I recovered back in college. I looked like this when I attended your wedding!"
"Is that so."
Cheng Zimiao shrugged nonchalantly, drawing a glare from Chen Anke. She waved her hand: "I'm not talking to you anymore. Go make your warm-guy hotline calls. I have important things to do…"
"What important things?" Cheng Zimiao's voice still carried a smile, but it was deeper now, with an indescribable sense of pressure, "Don't do anything unnecessary."
…
"Cheng Zimiao and Lin Yujia—"
Chen Anke hurriedly pulled open the car door and sat down. Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed that the unfamiliar man in the front seat didn't quite look like a driver, so she quickly shut her mouth.
"…" Shi Ran introduced, "Chen Anke, Shen Lizhou."
The car started. Shen Lizhou looked at her through the rearview mirror and said, "Hello."
"Hello." Chen Anke looked up, her sluggish brain turning, "Shen Lizhou?!"
"Long time no see." Shen Lizhou picked up the conversation naturally.
"Long time no see…" Chen Anke stumbled a bit, looked at Shi Ran, and forced a smile. "How come you two are together? Have you… been in contact all along?"
"No, we just ran into each other after coming back. He's taking us to the Stray Cat Manor." Shi Ran tilted her head to look at her, her gaze questioning. "What's wrong?"
Shen Lizhou casually looked up, meeting Chen Anke's eyes for a brief moment, and both of them dropped their gazes.
"It's just exciting to see an old classmate," Chen Anke beamed at Shi Ran, raising an eyebrow. "He's so handsome after all—the Cat Campus Heartthrob, haha."
"What Cat Campus Heartthrob?" Shi Ran asked.
"You don't know?" Chen Anke looked a bit surprised. "It's the title the Girl Group Club gave him after he saved that kitten from the high platform of the teaching building."
The Girl Group Club…
Shi Ran narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling a touch of nostalgia.
Lianshi No.1 High School had no academic pressure to speak of. Everyone had plenty of money and free time, so their energy went elsewhere.
Club activities had to stand out, school magazine covers were fiercely contested, and the Arts Festival, Sports Festival, and Culture Festival were each more competitive than the last. The Girl Group Club came into being, and with their strong push, Lianshi No.1 High School even had two extra summer uniforms and three extra winter uniforms compared to other schools—specially commissioned from a designer.
When you're young, everything seems interesting. But the most interesting thing of all was sitting together and rating the boys one by one.
Every PE class, the members of the Girl Group Club would sit in the shade and start their commentary: this one's pretty handsome, but he's always fixing his hair—knows he's good-looking, a bit greasy; this one's face is decent, but he's a bit short; this one has a good image and temperament, but his grades are lacking…
After comparing back and forth, they'd always circle back to one name.
"What about Cheng Zimiao—"
This pattern continued on and on.
Until one day, Shen Lizhou saved a kitten from the high platform of the teaching building.
He usually had such a faint presence—always wearing a mask, always alone, forever drifting at the very edge of the crowd—so the Girl Group Club had never discovered such a treasure before.
The kitten-rescue incident alarmed the school administration. The school installed protective netting overnight, and a chain of accountability ran from the vice principal down to the grade director and homeroom teacher. They lectured Shen Lizhou repeatedly, then made an example of him in every class. That was how the Cat Campus Heartthrob became known to everyone.
"You really dared to do that—you had no regard for your life," Chen Anke said with a sigh. "That platform was so high, and you were half your body hanging over the edge trying to catch that kitten…"
The car drove through a long, deep tunnel, across a narrow bridge, past the grayish mountain walls on both sides, and then the view opened up.
Peach and plum trees intermingled, flowers in full bloom, and when the wind blew, it stirred up faint ripples.
A signboard of natural wood color stood at a slant.
Four characters were carved into it: Sheng Sheng Manor.
They had arrived.
Chen Anke got out of the car, stretched with a long, lazy yawn, and felt refreshed.
This was the best piece of land in the outskirts of Lianshi, backed by the lush Phoenix Mountain foothills, with a glimpse of a silver-glinting sea ahead. The air was fresh and pleasant.
It didn't look like a stray animal shelter at all—more like some rich person's vacation villa, except the residents were fluffy little animals.
Chen Anke remembered the information she'd looked up that morning.
Sheng Sheng Manor never publicly solicited donations; all operating costs came from the founder's personal investment. Judging by the look of the place, it was indeed no small sum.
Just as she was thinking about it, she heard movement behind her.
Shen Lizhou was bending over, hauling things out of the trunk, and Shi Ran was standing beside him, smiling and saying something.
The sunlight was just right, falling evenly. It landed on his handsome profile and the clearly defined lines of his forearms, and also on her gentle, smiling eyes and slender figure.
They somehow looked perfectly matched—even like a young couple who'd driven out for a camping trip.
Ah. If only back then…
Chen Anke felt her nose sting a little and suddenly wanted to sigh.
She rubbed her nose, her attention drawn to what they were unloading—
A portable ultrasound machine, a sterilization box, several large bags of medicine and supplies… Wang Lixiang and Xiao Yu were also helping on the side, neatly stacking the equipment onto a handcart.
Chen Anke was dumbfounded. "Shi Ran, you're really a veterinarian? You're joking, right?"
Shi Ran cast her a light, airy glance. "How could I joke about my career?"
"…"
Before Chen Anke could say anything, Wang Lixiang and Xiao Yu had already come up to greet them with warm enthusiasm.
"Welcome, Mr. Shen! Welcome, Dr. Shi!" Wang Lixiang's face jiggled with laughter. "Welcome, big blogger Chen!"
Chen Anke waved her hands repeatedly. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Shi Ran smiled and shook hands with Wang Lixiang. "Hello, Brother Lixiang." She also bent down to greet Xiao Yu. "You're Xiao Yu, right? How old are you?"
"Fourteen," Xiao Yu blinked. "And Dr. Shi?"
Shi Ran secretly winked at her. "Secret."
The group exchanged pleasantries as they walked inside. Shi Ran took in Sheng Sheng Manor and was pleasantly surprised.
The escape-prevention system was very thorough—a reinforced band had been poured along the base of the walls to prevent digging, the perimeter wall was about three meters high, and the top curved inward with a rounded lip, making it very hard for cats to find any foothold.
The floor was made of slip-resistant epoxy, with a matte finish that was easy to rinse and disinfect.
Drains were installed at the lowest point of each courtyard, with a slope built around them to quickly channel away wastewater and rainwater, preventing bacteria from breeding.
High-powered ventilation systems were installed under the eaves of every courtyard, and even the litter box area had its own exhaust fan…
"Brother Lixiang, where did you find the designer?" she exclaimed. "This is a really professional shelter design."
Wang Lixiang said proudly, "Mr. Shen designed it himself. It was already here when I arrived."
"Impressive." Shi Ran praised without hesitation, then added, "And there are separate areas for healthy adult cats, kittens, quarantine observation, and recovery wards…"
Wang Lixiang said proudly again, "Mr. Shen specifically instructed that they must not be mixed."
"So professional." Shi Ran praised once more, looking around as she walked. "The infectious disease zoning is also very standard… and the medication storage is no problem either."
Wang Lixiang was about to say proudly for the third time, "Shen—"
Shen Lizhou finally spoke up: "Is the treatment room set up?"
"It's all set up," Wang Lixiang called out with a laugh. "Just as Mr. Shen instructed. It's over here—everyone, follow me—"
The temporary clinic tent was set up in the open space of the estate, with blue disinfectant mats laid on the ground. Two standard stainless steel examination tables stood side by side in the center, next to a rolling instrument cart.
Shi Ran walked into the tent and immediately shifted into work mode.
She pulled out the printed procedure sheets and handed them out: "Brother Lixiang, you take two people to handle triage—check temperature and weight, then bring them in one by one. Xiao Yu, you're in charge of disinfection—after each examination, disinfect the instruments and replace the disposable pads."
Everyone quickly took their posts, and Shi Ran did the same.
White coat on, long hair pinned up into a high bun, stray strands tucked neatly under a disposable hairnet, stethoscope hung around her neck, a thin layer of PE gloves, then medical rubber gloves over those. She waved at Chen Anke and showed off: "Scratch-proof and bite-proof."
The first kitten was brought in—an orange tabby.
Shi Ran let it sniff the back of her hand, then used her fingertips to gently press along the kitten's lymph nodes, from the jaw to the neck, then to the armpits and groin. She then flipped open its eyelids and pried open its mouth for a careful examination.
The whole process was fluid and seamless, not a single wasted movement.
Chen Anke quickly pulled out her camera gear and started filming videos of the dogs and cats, capturing some precious footage of Dr. Shi in action. She even took a moment to post on her social media.
【When you've got the skills, everything you do succeeds—one thing after another, all of them done right!】
Only a few kittens were particularly uncooperative.
One was a pure white kitten. Wang Lixiang missed his grab and it bolted. Freeze-dried treats, meat strips, cat food cans, various toys—they tried everything. Wang Lixiang blocked the corner, Xiao Yu held up a can to draw its attention, while Shi Ran sat quietly to the side, looking completely harmless.
The white cat let its guard down, stepping softly—one step, two steps… slowly approaching. Then, at the closest moment, Shi Ran flipped her wrist, grabbed it by the scruff, and with her other hand supporting its bottom, scooped it steadily into her arms.
The white cat struggled a couple of times, but after she stroked its back twice, it went limp and stopped moving, only daring to let out soft whimpers as she carried it obediently to the examination table.
"Severe ear mites in the right ear, mild in the left, three patches of ringworm on the back, otherwise basically healthy. About four months old, suitable for adoption." Shi Ran dipped a cotton swab in ear-cleaning solution and reached into the cat's ear. The little white cat shook its head in pain, and she pressed her wrist down to hold its head still, her tone dangerous: "Tsk. Be good now—the more you move, the more it hurts."
The white cat didn't dare move a muscle. Chen Anke's camera zoomed in, and Shi Ran showed off the obedient white cat: "Isn't it cute?"
Xiao Yu chimed in from the side: "Its name is Egg! It loves eating eggs the most."
"Anyone who's meant to be, feel free to contact us about adoption," Wang Lixiang added. "It's a little boy cat, found under a car."
Everyone was busy at their posts, lively and bustling.
Everyone except one person.
Shen Lizhou stood not far away, his whole figure swallowed by the dense shade of the trees, his gaze somewhat vacant.
The liveliness of the entire clinic tent—the cat cries, the voices—all seemed to reach him as if through water, muffled and distant.
Water. Yes, water. He always felt that the direction he looked toward the world was a murky gray haze of water. He was wrapped in that water, and all the sounds around him were soaked and distorted, hard to make out.
Occasionally a cat would dart past his feet, stirring a breeze. His body would stiffen slightly and sluggishly for a moment, then slowly relax again.
The very act of being alive was like holding his breath underwater—it had already taken all his strength.
Even fear had grown dull and numb, let alone any other emotion.
Let it be.
Slowly, slowly.
Sink entirely into the bottomless, dark pool.
"Shen Lizhou!"
A voice crashed in.
The water's surface rippled. He blinked sluggishly.
"Shen Lizhou," Shi Ran called from not far away, smiling, her voice crisp and pleasant. "Come here."
His vacant gaze slowly focused, landing on her. He paused for two seconds, then lifted his foot and walked toward her.
Her footsteps were light. Shi Ran watched him, like looking at a sick kitten.
"Help me register and file this." She shoved the pen and notebook into his hands without allowing any argument, her fingertips brushing against his skin, cold as a piece of jade. She pulled over the folding chair farthest from the treatment table, facing away from the cat cages, and pushed it in front of him. "You sit here. Whatever I say, you write."
Shen Lizhou held the pen and sat down on the chair.
The file notebook lay flat on the table, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting shifting patches of light on the paper.
He lowered his head, the pen tip landing on the paper.
"Name: Nian Gao. Tortoiseshell female cat, about a year and a half old. Hmm… interdigital dermatitis, a bit infected." Shi Ran said.
The kitten's paws were slightly red. Shi Ran repeatedly rinsed the wound with saline solution, washing away the pus and dirt bit by bit, then thoroughly disinfected it with iodine, applied ointment, and wrapped it layer by layer with gauze, finishing with a neat bow. "Change the dressing in three days. If it's still oozing pus, she'll need anti-inflammatory shots. Follow up in a week—she can only be adopted once she's fully recovered."
The pen tip scratched softly along with her voice.
Shi Ran glanced sideways and saw his quiet profile, along with the faint shadow cast by his long lashes.
How strange. Shi Ran picked up the next kitten, her mind wandering.
The campus heartthrob from back then, now a big shot who single-handedly invested in building a rescue station of this caliber…
Was actually afraid of kittens.
"Dr. Shi," Xiao Yu reminded her from the side, "your phone is ringing."
Shi Ran couldn't answer it with her gloves on, so she asked Xiao Yu, "Who's calling?"
Xiao Yu looked at the screen and smiled sweetly: "It's—hubby!"