Something Was Off About This System

"This is water~"

Xu Ran carried the kitten over to the faucet, letting her get used to being around water before starting the grooming session.

Cats weren't afraid of water. They simply disliked sudden changes in their surroundings, which was why they resisted baths.

Their motion vision was also excellent, so running water interested them.

In the kitten's eyes, the flowing water seemed to become the only thing in the world, making her reach out a paw to touch it.

Feeling her paw get wet, she jerked it back as though shocked, only to reach out again as if she'd discovered a new toy.

[To improve the results of this grooming session, the system will grant the host knowledge of "Basic Feline Contract Beast Grooming."]

As the notification suddenly appeared, a flood of information poured into Xu Ran's mind.

This wasn't the first time. Something similar had happened when he groomed the Blazing Fox, instantly giving him the relevant professional grooming knowledge.

After digesting the knowledge in his mind, Xu Ran brought out his secret weapon for handling the kitten-

Feline Contract Beast calming spray!

A spray that could quickly calm even feline Contract Beasts with a whiff would have no trouble handling a kitten who hadn't awakened yet.

He discreetly sprayed it into the surrounding air, then quietly stepped back twice.

The kitten, who had been curiously playing with the water, suddenly twitched her nose.

Her keen sense of smell instantly detected the change in the surrounding scent.

What smells so good?

She sniffed hard again.

As she kept sniffing, the kitten's attitude began to change.

All of a sudden, she gained the composure to take anything in stride.

A pair of hands held her in place.

Then warm water flowed gently from the showerhead, running down the kitten's back and soaking all her fur.

What?

Water?!

The kitten shuddered, her whole body tensing before slowly relaxing.

That's it? That's all you've got!

This kitty was born for the water!

As water flowed over her at an incredibly comfortable temperature, the human's hands gently rubbed her head and chin, places her paws couldn't easily reach. The kitten purred contentedly, her tense body relaxing completely.

There were no Happiness Points notifications, only two system messages.

``` [Friendly reminder]

[The system skill [Fur Plucking] cannot be used when grooming ordinary creatures.]

[Only creatures that have an owner other than the host can provide Happiness Points. The target creature has no owner and cannot provide Happiness Points.]

Xu Ran: "???"

He had expected that [Fur Plucking] couldn't be used on ordinary creatures.

But that last message...

After reading it several times, he understood.

In short, he could only earn Happiness Points by making someone else's Contract Beasts or pets happy.

Ownerless ones wouldn't work, and neither would his own.

Wait...

Why does something about this feel wrong?

"Meow?"

Feeling the hands massaging her come to a stop, the kitten turned to look at Xu Ran, as though asking why he wasn't continuing.

"Lucky you."

He chuckled as he teased her, then continued gently massaging the kitten in front of him.

He'd already started washing her. He certainly couldn't stop halfway.

As the water rinsed her fur, much of the dirt washed away.

This was only the beginning.

Xu Ran spread the system-provided degreasing product over his hands, then carefully applied it all over the kitten's fur. After gently rubbing it in for several dozen seconds, he rinsed it off.

The powerful degreaser separated the grease and stubborn grime stuck to it from her fur. With a rinse, her coat began to look clean and white.

The kitten's half-closed eyes suddenly flew wide open.

The greasy, uncomfortable feeling vanished in an instant, leaving her whole body feeling lighter!

Wh-what is this?!

"Meow?!"

"Stay still, stay still!"

Xu Ran held down the kitten as she tried to get up, used a foaming machine to lather the grooming shampoo, and spread it evenly over her fur. Then he kept kneading and massaging, letting the shampoo's cleansing effects reach deep into her hair follicles.

The kitten's eyes grew even wider.

A wonderfully pleasant scent enveloped her completely, leaving her a little dazed.

As the massage continued, the shampoo's cleansing effects seemed to reach every pore, filling the kitten with comfort from head to toe.

Her body trembled with pleasure, and an uncontrollable sound escaped her throat.

"Meooow~~~"

Coat conditioning, color care, smoothing, brightening...

The grooming steps proceeded in orderly succession. At first, the kitten still made a few little noises, but eventually she simply sprawled lazily on the table and let Xu Ran work, her eyes narrowed in contentment as she purred every so often.

Finally, Xu Ran put ear-cleaning solution into the kitten's ears. After rubbing them for a moment, he patted her head.

"Shake your head."

The kitten shook her head rapidly, sending the ear-cleaning solution flying out along with the grime and ear mites in her ear canals.

The grooming session was complete.

Now completely transformed, she had a pure white coat without a trace of any other color. Her fluffy, silky fur gleamed under the lights as she moved.

Once he wiped away the tear stains at the corners of her eyes, her mismatched yellow and blue eyes became clear as well.

During the grooming session, the kitten had revealed her sex.

She was a little female cat.

Though at that moment, calling her a fairy cat might have been more fitting.

"Here's the canned cat food I promised you."

Xu Ran opened the canned cat food he'd bought and placed it in front of her.

The kitten bounded over to the food and began eating daintily.

Xu Ran's earlier impression hadn't been mistaken. With her exceptionally beautiful looks after being cleaned up and her elegant table manners, the kitten was practically feline nobility.

She was just a little thin from malnutrition.

He wondered how she'd ended up a stray.

After admiring the kitten's dining manners for a while, Xu Ran opened the system panel the kitten couldn't see. Looking at his unchanged Happiness Points, he sighed.

His plan had fallen through. He would have to wait for another customer to come in for Contract Beast grooming before he could unlock the new feature available at one thousand Happiness Points.

"Meow~"

The kitten's soft call interrupted Xu Ran's grumbling.

She had already finished all three cans of cat food placed in front of her.

"You've certainly got an appetite." Xu Ran reached out and stroked the kitten's head. "I've given you the canned food I promised. Maybe we'll meet again!"

He waved to the kitten, then leaned back lazily in his chair.

The kitten blinked.

For a lifelong stray like her, everything she'd just experienced felt like suddenly arriving in heaven.

Though she cherished her freedom, she suddenly didn't want to leave.

After a moment's hesitation, the kitten leaped lightly onto the counter.

Under Xu Ran's surprised gaze, she sprawled lazily in one corner of the counter, tucking both paws beneath her chest.

"Are you... planning to stick around?"

Looking at the kitten sitting in a loaf, Xu Ran shook his head with a laugh. "Suit yourself."

One cat wouldn't eat much, and having some company wasn't bad.

Unfortunately, this little one was only an ordinary creature. If she had been a supernatural creature, he could have tried forming a contract with her.

Resting his chin in his hand, Xu Ran looked outside with anticipation on his face.

He hoped a new customer would arrive soon.

"Meow~"

Once she was sure Xu Ran wouldn't chase her away, the kitten yawned and settled down even more peacefully.