Chapter 60: Going to Adopt a Cat
Vivian Lowell watched Julian Faulkner’s steady strides, almost thinking she had misheard him. She wondered, "Adopt a cat? Is he serious?"
"Julian Faulkner!" In the underground parking garage, after following Julian into the Maybach, Vivian looked at the man sitting beside her and asked, "Are you sure you want to adopt a cat?"
Vivian didn’t think Julian liked cats at all. The big Golden Retriever at home was usually taken care of by Grandma Faulkner and Ms. Shaw. Julian barely even glanced at the dog.
"Yes." Julian’s tone was incredibly flat. Without looking at Vivian, he simply said, "You really like kittens, don’t you? So, do you want to keep one?"
Vivian did want to. It was just that Sharon Galahad hadn’t allowed it before. Sharon was allergic to cat hair. Once, when Eleanor Rhodes temporarily fostered a cat at their place because she didn’t have enough cages, Sharon had completely opposed it. She strongly disliked the kitten. If Vivian hadn’t happened to come home early that day, Sharon might have thrown it out on the street.
"I do," Vivian answered truthfully. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Did you see my Moments post last night?"
After arriving at the pet hospital the previous night and settling the kittens in, she had casually snapped a picture of a beautiful white Lion Cat. She had captioned it, "So cute!" She really liked this Lion Cat. It was a long-haired beauty, only four months old, with a sweet face and a gentle temperament. It even rubbed against Vivian’s hand when petted.
After posting that on Moments, many people had asked if it was up for adoption, but she hadn’t had the time to reply yet. She and Eleanor would always vet anyone who came looking to adopt. They needed to see if the person genuinely loved animals and whether their family members agreed with the decision. They also needed to ensure the adopter could take responsibility if the cat got sick. It couldn’t be a spur-of-the-moment whim, nor could it be a student without the ability to support themselves trying to adopt behind their family’s back.
"I saw it," Julian said calmly. "Since you want one, just bring it home."
"Okay! Thank you, President Faulkner." Vivian was very grateful to him. She had originally thought she had no fate with the Lion Cat, but to her surprise, Julian had agreed to let her keep a cat in the Faulkner Family home!
By the time they arrived at the pet hospital, it was already past eight o’clock.
Stepping out of the car, Vivian noticed that the hospital was incredibly crowded. Just as Eleanor had mentioned in her message that morning, many people had learned about their stray cat rescue efforts through Vivian’s posts on X last night. They had also found out about the raincoat-wearing man who had dumped sick cats there to vent his anger and seek revenge. Now, there were many cats being brought in for deworming and vaccinations, and quite a few people had come hoping to adopt a cat.
"Don’t rush, please! Everyone needs to fill out a personal information form first. I’ll review them and screen the applications. If you’re approved for adoption, we will contact you!" Eleanor was so busy she was practically running off her feet.
A man in the crowd took the information form Eleanor handed him and couldn’t help but mutter, "I have to fill out a form and get vetted just to adopt a stray cat! It’s not even a purebred. Is this really necessary?"
As soon as the man finished speaking, several bystanders who were just there for the spectacle nodded in agreement. Perhaps they had seen too many stray cats in the city. These cats were usually filthy, and some looked even worse when they were sick. In their minds, these cats’ lives were worthless. They felt that by adopting one and feeding it their leftovers, they were already being extremely "kind-hearted."
"In my heart, stray cats and purebreds are exactly the same. There’s no difference in their worth," Eleanor retorted, already swamped with work. "It’s just like people—there’s no such thing as an innate hierarchy. Are you saying that someone from an ordinary background is naturally inferior to a rich man’s child?
"Are kings and nobles born to their high status? Anyone who has read a book should understand this principle, right?
"Sir, if you feel that a stray cat isn’t suitable for you, then I’m sorry, but please leave. You can go to the pet shop across the street and buy whichever purebred cat you like!"
Her words were more than a little blunt. However, every word Eleanor said made sense. The man was so furious he rolled his eyes, pointing an indignant finger at her. He sputtered for a long time before finally snapping, "How can you compare people to cats!"
Leaving those words behind, he stormed off.
Seeing the man leave, Vivian breathed a slight sigh of relief. She walked in and greeted Eleanor, offering her help.
"Thank goodness you’re here, Vivian!" Eleanor hurriedly handed over the task of distributing forms and reviewing information to Vivian. "There are still several little tomcats waiting for me to neuter them. Take it easy for now. I’ll do a surgery and be right back."
"Go on, go on," Vivian agreed with a smile and started getting busy.
Fortunately, there were still many decent people. A large portion of those looking to adopt had been deeply moved by the videos and wanted to find a companion for their own furry kids. This was a great thing. They had experience raising pets, and most importantly, they were very caring. For this group of people, Vivian essentially approved their adoptions on the spot. However, she also required them to promise that if the kitten conflicted with the existing pets after being taken home, they would try to mediate the situation. If it truly didn’t work out, they could bring the kitten back; Tanya’s Pet Hospital would understand.
By the time she finished dealing with this enthusiastic crowd, over an hour had passed. Vivian glanced at her phone and realized it was ten o’clock.
She thought, "Oh no!"
Looking at the mostly empty cages, Vivian finally remembered Julian. How could she have forgotten about him? She recalled that after she agreed to help Eleanor, she had also followed the procedure and handed Julian a form to fill out. Julian had looked quite helpless at the time. However, since it was the rule, he was willing to comply. He took the form, pulled a fountain pen from his suit pocket, and began to fill it out.
Now, she had no idea where he had gone.
Vivian peeked outside but couldn’t see any sign of Julian. Just as she was beginning to think he had already left, she heard a woman’s voice coming from outside.
"President Faulkner, what a coincidence! What are you doing here? You... aren’t here to adopt a cat, are you? How rare!"
She wondered who was speaking.
Vivian walked out and saw a beautifully dressed woman carrying a Bichon Frise walking into the pet hospital. It seemed she was bringing her dog in to see the vet. She clearly knew Julian. Spotting him sitting near the front desk, she came over to say hello.
"Yes. Hello, Miss Sterling." Julian replied politely.
Observing Julian’s attitude, Vivian vaguely guessed that this Miss Sterling probably belonged to a company that collaborated with the Faulkner Group. It seemed Julian was reasonably friendly toward her, unlike the icy demeanor he showed other women.
Miss Sterling also appeared to be exceptionally talkative. After seeing Julian admit that he was there to adopt a cat, she handed her Bichon to a nearby staff member, mentioning that it needed deworming, and then took a seat right next to Julian.
Vivian noticed Julian frown slightly. He seemed unaccustomed to sitting so close to a woman, but he maintained his good manners and simply leaned his body slightly in the other direction.
"I saw the posts on X yesterday and learned about this pet hospital. I didn’t expect the director here to be so compassionate. Even though I live far away, I was willing to bring Toto over for deworming. This way, I can at least help out the hospital a bit," Miss Sterling said with a very sweet smile. "You know I love dogs and don’t really like cats, so I couldn’t adopt one and take it home."
"I see. Thank you," Julian thanked her politely. He acted exactly as if he were the boss behind this pet hospital.
Vivian was taken aback.
Miss Sterling seemed to notice this as well. Just as she found it a bit odd and was about to speak, two more people walked in through the entrance.
"Henry, I live alone now. Every day when I go home and look at my empty house, my heart feels empty too. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to adopt a kitten?" Wendy Wynn walked beside Henry Sterling. As they approached the pet hospital, she read the sign. "Tanya’s Pet Hospital? Huh? Is this the pet hospital opened by Eleanor Rhodes, your student’s friend?
"I... I didn’t know, I’m sorry. Then, can I still go in and adopt?"