Chapter 114: Likes the Daughter?
The little girl pointed at the lame kitten, making Vivian Lowell pause for a moment.
Come to think of it, the lame one was a long-haired white cat, too. It had injured its tail, losing half of it, and later hurt its leg as well. It had a very difficult life for a cat.
"Of course."
Vivian Lowell thought for a moment, then brought out the lame kitten and said to the little girl, "It’s a little shy, so be gentle when you pet it, okay?"
"Mm-hmm..."
The little girl agreed gently, then extended the hand she had hidden in her sleeve.
In that instant, Vivian Lowell was taken aback.
The little girl’s right hand had only three fingers. Her ring and pinky fingers were missing. The stumps were smooth, indicating it had happened a long time ago.
The little girl was very sensitive and seemed to notice Vivian Lowell’s stare. She looked up, a little embarrassed, and asked, "Miss, did I scare you?"
"It was an accident when I was a kid. I’m sorry."
"It’s okay."
Vivian Lowell’s nose prickled with emotion. Seeing the girl’s cautious demeanor, she knew that some kids at school must have secretly laughed at her for this.
’She’s clearly self-conscious about it, but she doesn’t let it show.’
She was still a kind little girl. Even if others were malicious toward her, a light shone in her eyes as she petted the lame little kitten, her movements exceptionally gentle.
Vivian Lowell wanted the little girl to relax a bit, so she said softly, "Look, the kitten seems to like you. When you pet it, it’s even purring."
"Huh?"
The little girl didn’t quite understand. She looked up at Vivian Lowell with wide, shimmering eyes and asked, "When kittens purr, does it mean they like you?"
"Mm-hmm..."
Vivian Lowell explained a few things to the little girl.
When approaching an unfamiliar cat, it’s best not to reach out with an open palm. In the "cat world," that can be seen as an aggressive gesture. Approaching with a closed fist is better.
Also, when a cat purrs while you’re petting it, it means it’s really enjoying your touch, so you should keep it up.
Some of the more aloof cats will rub against their owners with their rears and tails. That’s their way of marking their person with their scent, telling other cats something along the lines of, "This is my human, you’re not allowed to touch."
The little girl looked surprised as she listened, but she nodded along, silently committing it all to memory.
"I understand now."
The little girl cradled the lame kitten lovingly and said softly, "Don’t worry, Miss. When I take Baibai home, I’ll take very good care of it."
’Baibai?’
’Is that the name the little girl gave this lame little white cat?’
It was a simple enough name, but Vivian Lowell could feel the little girl’s sheer joy and delight.
"Okay, good."
In her heart, Vivian Lowell was very pleased with the little girl as the adopter for the lame little white cat.
’She may be young, but she’s so loving and treats animals like family.’
However...
There were still procedures to follow. Vivian Lowell looked at the little girl’s parents and asked, "You both know she wants to adopt a kitten. Are you supportive of this?"
"She’s not an adult yet and has school, so the cat will mostly need your care at home."
"If either of you aren’t truly on board, I can decline her adoption application."
Vivian Lowell had encountered this kind of situation before.
The child of one family had wanted a pet, and the mother brought them in to adopt one. But the father disliked the idea and secretly abandoned the kitten, leaving the child utterly heartbroken.
When Vivian Lowell heard about it, her feelings were complicated.
In a way, it was their fault for not being thorough enough during the screening process. A cat’s life is still a life. The father’s actions not only hurt his child but also created problems for Vivian Lowell and her team. It was incredibly irresponsible.
But Vivian Lowell didn’t say anything at the time. After quietly rescuing the cat, she and Eleanor Rhodes worked to refine their screening process.
Hearing Vivian’s question, the little girl’s parents exchanged a look before answering. "We’re on board with it. Our daughter... she can be a bit introverted at times."
"Maybe having a kitten to keep her company will cheer her up a bit."
Vivian Lowell understood.
Seeing the tender compassion in the parents’ eyes, she had them follow her outside to handle the adoption paperwork and pick up a little "dowry" to take home.
"This is all stuff the kitten loves to eat. If you decide to switch its food later, you need to do it slowly. Also, the kitten won’t be used to its new home at first. If it hides, don’t disturb it..."
"Right, right."
The parents readily agreed and signed the contract.
Vivian Lowell asked the receptionist to get the "dowry," then thought for a moment and added, "She’s still young, and with her missing fingers, some kids at school might laugh at her or bully her. You should spend more time with her whenever you can."
"Girls can be very sensitive, especially at her age. They can be easily influenced. She’s a sweet kid; she deserves to grow up safe and happy."
The parents’ expressions shifted. They understood what Vivian was implying and made a silent note of it.
Once the "dowry" was ready, Vivian Lowell went back inside to help the little girl put the kitten into the cat carrier.
As soon as she was back in the room,
Vivian Lowell saw Julian Faulkner gently coaxing the little girl. "If you want to bond with it," he was saying, "you can feed it something it likes."
"Cats are just like people; if you’re good to them, they’ll know it."
"Okay. Thank you, mister."
The little girl replied. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see her parents, then stood up and said happily to Julian Faulkner, "Mister, I have to go now. I wish you and the nice lady a lifetime of happiness!"
!!?
Vivian Lowell’s hands, holding the cat carrier, nearly shook.
But Julian Faulkner was completely unfazed. He walked over to Vivian Lowell with a cat in his arms, a slight smile on his face, and asked, "What’s the matter?"
"N-nothing..."
Vivian Lowell felt a little awkward.
’The little girl seems to have gotten the wrong idea.’
The family of three soon departed.
Vivian Lowell saw them to the door, breathed a sigh of relief, and then sent a message to Eleanor Rhodes, telling her the lame white kitten had been adopted and giving her a few details about the family.
Eleanor Rhodes didn’t reply, and Vivian figured she was probably busy trying to catch a cat.
Vivian Lowell didn’t think much of it.
When she went back inside, she planned to tidy up the room a little more before heading back to the office.
The moment she stepped back into the room,
Vivian Lowell saw that Julian Faulkner had put on gloves again and was diligently tidying up the litter box area.
Seeing his serious expression, Vivian Lowell couldn’t help but smile and tease, "I never thought our President Faulkner could be so gentle with a little girl!"
"It’s the first time I’ve ever seen President Faulkner looking so gentle! Hey, Julian Faulkner, are you hoping for a daughter someday?"
Hearing Vivian Lowell’s question, Julian Faulkner stopped what he was doing, turned, and looked at her with a deep, meaningful gaze.
"Oh?"
A smile with an unreadable meaning flickered across Julian Faulkner’s lips as he asked, "Are you hoping for a daughter too?"