Bathing a Cat is Hard!

Another tranquil period had passed, during which Xiao Bai’s head seemed to grow taller, and her brain capacity increased.

Xiao Bai could now understand much more information, though the journey to full comprehension was still long.

Recently, Xiao Bai had become able to understand most daily conversational speech.

This was a moment worth pride and joy.

Unfortunately, her understanding of common sense and emotions still needed improvement.

For instance, those three young boys the other day had no malicious intent; they were simply too rough and driven by some adolescent energy, wanting to prove themselves even against a cat.

They were often defeated, whether by accident or by Xiao Bai’s easy detection.

This had instilled a slight sense of respect for the adorable cat in them, and regrettably, they visited Xiao Bai less frequently for ‘play.’

Now, Xiao Bai was leisurely strolling in the sunshine.

The streets were nearly empty, with the air shimmering in the heat, making distant trees seem to wiggle.

The incessant cicadas provided a constant background noise from morning till night.

Summer had arrived, and luckily, Xiao Bai was white and had a higher body temperature; otherwise, she might have suffered a heatstroke.

“Meow…”

Xiao Bai approached an old wooden sign reading ‘5 Yuan Haircut’ and nudged open the bead curtain to enter.

“Oh! Little Bai is here?”

An elderly man, the shop owner and sole barber, greeted Xiao Bai from his reclined position, watching a large-screen TV and fanning himself.

He was about fifty years old and named Zhao.

“Looking for Wenwen?” The man stood up and spoke to Xiao Bai, opening the back door.

“Meow!” Xiao Bai responded and walked through the door into a fenced courtyard.

Zhao Wenwen was the man’s late-in-life daughter.

His eldest son had joined the military and returned home only once or twice a year.

At nearly fifty, the man had another child, a daughter, with an eighteen-year age gap between the siblings.

Ah, these details are unnecessary.

Xiao Bai knew but didn’t fully comprehend.

Xiao Bai simply wanted to visit for a meal.

“Is Mimi here?”

Before seeing Xiao Bai, a lively and energetic voice rang out from the house, growing louder as a bare-legged girl in slippers rushed out, charging straight toward Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai calmly watched the girl approach, struggling to lift her, and cooperatively placed two paws on the girl’s shoulders.

The girl happily carried Xiao Bai back into the house, leaving the man shaking his head in amusement as he resumed his TV watching.

“Wenwen, don’t feed the cat too much ice! You shouldn’t eat too much either; both of you might get sick!”

Wenwen’s mother, a music teacher at the local elementary school, called out as Wenwen rushed to the fridge with Xiao Bai.

Wenwen was the girl who had promised to treat Xiao Bai to ice cream, finally fulfilling her promise now that summer had arrived.

Tasting ice for the first time, Xiao Bai was astonished.

Initially perplexed by the cold sensation in summer, the unfamiliar icy texture shocked Xiao Bai’s untouched palate.

Xiao Bai quickly became fond of this new sensation, gently wagging her fluffy tail as the girl skillfully retrieved colorful ice pops from the freezer and several square ice cubes for her.

Unlike the sticky ice cream and popsicles, Xiao Bai was more intrigued by the transparent ice cubes, as they could be used for more than just eating.

Wenwen lay on a grass mat, propping her chin up, her tanned legs swaying in the air.

She licked her ice cream while watching Xiao Bai bat the ice cubes around, seeming to play ice hockey.

The girl giggled, delighting in Xiao Bai’s engrossed play.

Xiao Bai glanced back to ensure everything was fine before continuing her ice cube game, occasionally licking the diminishing ice, only to be left with a numbed tongue, shaking her head to disperse the chill.

Soon, the ice cubes melted into a puddle on the floor.

Xiao Bai tilted her head, sniffing to confirm the ice was gone, before turning to Wenwen for more affection.

“Meow!”

Xiao Bai’s magnetic voice and soft fur against the girl’s hand and arm melted her heart.

“Want more? I’ll get it for you!”

The girl stood up eagerly, so hurried that she forgot her slippers, stepping on the wet ice puddle.

“Ah!” She fell with a light thud, her half-eaten ice pop flying through the air and landing precisely on Xiao Bai’s back.

Xiao Bai felt the pressure and cold seep into her fur.

Instinctively, she leaped up, shaking off the ice pop, but the melting ice cream had already soaked into her fur, clinging to her back.

Unable to shake off the weight, Xiao Bai felt burdened, as if carrying a thousand pounds, arching her back and crawling on her belly for a few steps before giving up and lying on her side.

“Uh…” The girl rubbed her sore bottom, moaning as she stood up.

Seeing Xiao Bai’s comical crawl, she broke into laughter again.

“What happened?” Wenwen’s mother rushed in, seeing the water on the floor and the sticky cat.

“…#”

“Ahaha, no, Mom, let me explain!”

The punishment was to clean the floor and bathe Xiao Bai.

Cleaning the floor was easy, but bathing a cat was not.

“Meow!”

Even though Xiao Bai was an intelligent cat with unique abilities, she was still a cat.

Cats hate baths.

As it turned out, this might have been Xiao Bai’s first bath.

The moment she touched the water, her mind went blank.

Perhaps it was fear of illness, or the heavy, water-logged fur that didn’t feel secure, or maybe it was the genetic memory of her desert ancestors.

As soon as Xiao Bai was submerged, her pupils dilated, her legs flailed, and her intelligence disappeared.

(φvφ)!!

“Meow!”

Xiao Bai shot out of the basin, her abilities fully activated.

The startled girl, trying to catch Xiao Bai, witnessed what it meant to have a ‘cat with psychic powers.’

Wall-running, high-speed dashes, jumping, spinning, and quick pivots.

In the small bathroom, Xiao Bai performed a breathtaking parkour routine, her wet body tracing intricate paths through the air.

Speechless, Wenwen couldn’t even grab a single fur.

Finally, Xiao Bai landed on the showerhead, balancing perfectly on the tiny space, licking her fur.

(0v0)?

As Xiao Bai licked, her pupils returned to normal, indicating she had regained consciousness.

“Meow?” Xiao Bai looked down at Wenwen, who was craning her neck to see, and let out a curious meow.

“…Can you come down? Baths aren’t scary.”

“Meow…” Xiao Bai obediently jumped down, vigorously shaking her body.

“Ah… Stop!… Never mind.”

The girl, doused in water, reluctantly picked up Xiao Bai and placed her next to the basin, pointing from Xiao Bai to the basin.

“Go in?”

Xiao Bai extended a paw, testing the slightly warm water, and licked her paw, feigning ignorance with a dim-witted expression.

(OωO)

Seeing Xiao Bai’s clear dislike for the basin, Wenwen had no choice but to use the showerhead.

Fortunately, Xiao Bai could tolerate that.

After the bath, Wenwen used a towel to dry Xiao Bai’s fur, removing most of the moisture.

As she reached for the hairdryer to finish the job, she paused, struck by an idea.

Wenwen stepped back, turned on the hairdryer.

The sharp, piercing sound immediately captured Xiao Bai’s attention.

Wenwen cautiously approached, and Xiao Bai subtly leaned back.

Wenwen moved closer, and Xiao Bai’s claws slightly retracted.

As Wenwen inched forward, Xiao Bai prepared to flee.

Just as Xiao Bai was about to run, Wenwen gave up and put down the hairdryer.

Seeing the bothersome noise disappear, Xiao Bai sat up straight again.

Xiao Bai understood the hairdryer’s purpose but didn’t accept it; it was too loud.

There was no other way to dry the cat.

Looking out at the bright sunshine, Wenwen had a daring idea.

“Mom, can I borrow the scissors?”

Wenwen ran into her parents’ room and took the scissors, leaving her mother confused and worried.

“Where’s the cat? Did she leave?”

“No, Mimi is sunbathing.”

Wenwen lay at the window, gazing at something.

“Sunbathing?”

“Yes, I just finished bathing Mimi, but Mimi doesn’t like the hairdryer, so I’m letting Mimi dry in the sun.”

“Oh, I see,” Wenwen’s mother smiled, listening to her daughter’s heartwarming words. “Where is Mimi sunbathing?”

“Right there,” Wenwen pointed out the window, at the same spot she had been watching.

(On the tree?)

Wenwen’s mother followed her daughter’s finger, seeing no white form on the tree.

Instead, something hung on the clothesline, a white mass glinting in the sun.

Squinting, Wenwen’s mother stepped out to get a better look.

A sturdy plastic bag had been cut with four holes, allowing Xiao Bai’s limbs to poke through.

Her wet head rested comfortably on the bag’s handle, and her tail hung out another hole.

“…” Wenwen’s mother chuckled and shook her head.

Xiao Bai swung contentedly, completely at ease, her simple mind filled with one thought.

(=ω=)

‘Swing, so fun!~’