The thought of which leopard cat was a “bad guy” had already been tossed aside. Li Tong and her best friend cautiously sat at the low table. Luckily, they had arrived early. The cat café had just opened, and there were only a few people inside. Otherwise, the best spots near the cats would have long been taken.
At this hour, when the café had just opened, Song Gao, dug out of bed by Bo Jin, was still half-asleep. After all, he was young and never seemed to get enough sleep. Once at the café, he could hardly keep awake and had curled up on the table, dozing off.
Of course, Pei Shiyi didn’t want to wake him. After all, as long as the fluffy ones stayed in the café during work hours, it was enough. They didn’t need to be alert all the time.
Just waking up, Song Gao’s eyes were misted with tears. He drew back his paws, pressed them to his mouth to yawn, and, still drowsy, stood up, somewhat disoriented.
Li Tong’s trembling right hand gently landed on Song Gao’s tail. Song Gao tilted his head toward it. The girl’s fingers were delicate and soft, resting on his tail without pressing.
His golden gradient fur was short and dense. Unlike a long-haired cat’s soft fluff, it felt solid to the touch.
Song Gao moved his tail, letting it softly drape across the back of Li Tong’s hand. “Meow.”
Yes, he was officially on the job now.
Song Gao rubbed against Li Tong’s arm, took two gentle steps, and called to Li Tong’s best friend twice, drawing her attention to himself.
Work hours still meant proper business.
The ever-professional Song Gao gave a little shake of his fur in place, letting the girls pet him as they pleased.
Li Tong felt her heart melting. But soon, her gaze was drawn to another snow-white ball of fluff. An astonishingly large white cat leapt down from the climbing frame. Despite its size, it landed with astonishing lightness. Its flowing long fur hung like drifting clouds, perfectly embodying the phrase “untainted by dust”.
The white cat walked past a low table. A man reached out to pet it, but the cat twisted away and, with a flick of its tail, showed clear impatience, not even glancing at him.
The man’s expression fell.
Her best friend whispered, “What a diva temper.”
Li Tong whispered back, “But she’s so beautiful… like a fairy.”
A temperamental beauty, especially one so stunning, had a way of teasing the heart. Even if aloof, she drew attention irresistibly. When the white cat came closer, Li Tong couldn’t help but reach out her hand.
She braced herself, expecting to be scratched. But the cat paused mid-step and lifted its head to look at her.
Its heterochromatic eyes bore a pattern like cracked ice, like a cosmos of stars, almost mesmerizing. The white cat slowly turned, then deliberately walked toward Li Tong.
Li Tong: “!!!”
When her fingers touched the silky fur, Li Tong couldn’t help but smile.
Xian Chan Cat Café was far better than her best friend had described. She felt it was the best café she had ever been to.
The cats were just too sweet.
That night, Li Tong returned home in a daze, carrying dozens of photos. She not only followed Xian Chan’s account but also left a comment under the video:
Li Dudu: Ahhh, I went to the cat café! The moment we walked in, we saw the store manager, and they even helped us find a place to sit. It’s totally magical. We originally came for Tong Qian. The leopard cat was super lively, constantly jumping around, and even secretly sniffed the drinks and cakes we ordered! Yun Chao is really amazing, such a strong presence. I was worried it might scratch me at first, but its temper was actually pretty good.
Under the video, similar fresh comments weren’t rare. Anyone who had personally visited the café gave glowing feedback. It was more persuasive than any recommendation. Some even posted articles on Bishui Station, sharing photos taken at the café: food that instantly made mouths water, and fluffy cats that were impossible to forget.
Many of these comments came from students at Yuchuan University. They were Bishui Station users themselves. When they saw the café’s official account appear on a site they frequented, they were delighted by the unexpected encounter. They flooded the comments, showing off the café from every angle to those who couldn’t visit in person, leaving a full 360-degree, no-detail-left-out display.
Song Gao was like a little adult, seriously cute in the most endearing way. And just like Dan Huang, he would actively greet the customers, his fur feeling almost like a freshly baked cake.
Fondant was the little princess! Can you even imagine how sweet and affectionate she was?!
Those who couldn’t visit the café: sob, sob, we’ll never know.
Such unanimous praise, and clearly heartfelt rather than fake reviews, made many users who hadn’t planned to visit the café start itching to go. Maybe, when there’s time, they could gather some friends and check it out.
Just to take a look. It’s a little pricey, but isn’t money for enjoying things?
Even Xiao Zhou, who knew the power of the internet well, hadn’t expected that a single video could bring new customers to the café. Not many, but a few would come every now and then.
Online promotion costs little and has good effects. But it was rare for it to work so directly. This wasn’t a movie or a product you could buy online. It was a non-chain physical store. Even local users who said they wanted to come might not actually show up, let alone those far away.
For the effect to be almost immediate like this, Xiao Zhou was genuinely surprised.
With a good start, the account needed careful management. Having worked in social media for several years, Xiao Zhou knew exactly what a strong beginning meant. Perhaps in less than a year, this account could bring considerable revenue to the café.
Zhou Yan closed the comments section and planned to find Pei Shiyi to discuss making a video introducing the cat café to post on Bishui Station and other sites, boosting the café’s visibility.
…
“Hello, is this Boss Pei?”
Pei Shiyi picked up the call. On the other end was the café designer, Kong Fanyang.
Pei Shiyi gave Zhou Yan an apologetic smile and gestured for him to wait. Zhou Yan nodded in understanding, letting him finish the call.
“Boss, it’s me.”
Kong Fanyang said, “Boss, remember I told you I entered a themed design contest? Our café passed the preliminary round. The day after tomorrow at 2 PM, the judges will come for an on-site shoot and inspection. Don’t worry, it won’t affect normal operations.”
Pei Shiyi almost forgot about this and was a little surprised at the news. “So strict? They’re coming for an on-site inspection?”
Kong Fanyang laughed. “Not really strict. It’s just a small event organized to attract attention. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have passed the preliminaries with just photos.”
Indeed, it was just a minor online event, not an official design contest. It was more like a café “beauty pageant” than a designer competition. If a business was featured, it got some promotion, and the program team earned a bit in advertising. Everyone will be happy.
The event had a certain level of attention, and the prize money was generous, making it an appealing opportunity for many designers and shop owners. It is a disguised way to promote offline stores.
Kong Fanyang said, “We’ll record some footage then, which will be edited into a video to air on the program. It’ll also promote the café. The top three prizes get cash. No need to prepare anything in advance, just tidy up a bit.”
Pei Shiyi acknowledged this and, curious, asked, “Which site will the program be on? I want to follow it, too.”
Kong Fanyang replied, “This season’s rights were bought by Bishui Station. The program is called Small World. You can search for it directly on Bishui Station.”
What a coincidence. Pei Shiyi thanked Kong Fanyang, hung up, and shared the news with Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan said, “I’ve heard of this documentary! The official team really knows how to play with trends. There’s quite an audience on Bishui Station!” Excited, he continued, “We’ll shoot our video first. Shortly after we post it, Small World will probably release theirs, too, basically giving us free promotion!”
Fueled with energy, Zhou Yan was ready to create a high-quality video.
Pei Shiyi patted his shoulder. “Go for it. I believe our account will become a rising star on Bishui Station. Let’s make this the most popular cat café in all of Yuchuan together!”
Zhou Yan, fired up with excitement, dashed off to grab his camera and started snapping photos wildly at Fondant as she chased a ball. Startled, Fondant thought he was possessed and squeaked, darting behind Yun Chao.
Clinging to Yun Chao, Fondant mewed urgently, “Meow meow meow—”
The two-legged human had clearly lost their mind!
Yun Chao blocked Fondant, swishing her tail across the lens. Her paw pads tapped impatiently on the carpet, signaling Zhou Yan to scram.
Zhou Yan slammed on the brakes just in time in front of Yun Chao, bowing and nodding frantically: “Good afternoon, boss! Please take care and rest well, boss! Goodbye, boss!”
Though this “boss” wasn’t the café manager, her notoriously bad temper and severe preference for females over males were well-known. Anyone foolish enough to push forward would definitely get a face full of furry tail.
Pei Shiyi surveyed the lively scene, lifted his teacup, took a sip, and remarked with a sigh, “Ah, young people.”
If you enjoy my works and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi. Thank you for your support.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152