The cat cafe employees never expected that after just one night away, they’d return to find a whole litter of tiny kittens sleeping in a box, with all the adult cats in the cafe gathered around watching.
The moment the staff laid eyes on the kittens, they couldn’t move another step. The boss didn’t seem to be around either, so they simply crowded around the box. The pastry chef exclaimed, “Oh my, one, two… twelve kittens! There are even some purebreds among them… ouch!”
He was suddenly swatted on the leg by Yun Chao’s tail.
The chef complained, “Boss Cat, I didn’t even touch you.”
Everyone in the cafe knew this particular cat didn’t allow men to pet him. Though he’d been standing near Yun Chao, he hadn’t dared let a single fingernail brush against the cat’s fur, afraid of displeasing the feline overlord.
Zhou Yan crouched by the box with his phone raised, whispering, “Boss Cat is telling you to be quiet.”
The entire box of kittens was dozing, and the adult cats remained silent. Even the tiny kittens Dai Dai and Mao Mao just clung to the edge of the box to watch. Humans certainly shouldn’t make noise either. Everyone knew Boss Cat’s temperament and that he wouldn’t indulge any man’s nonsense.
The chef quickly covered his mouth.
Zhou Yan was recording a video of the kittens when, after about a minute, Pei Shiyi emerged from the back, holding another cat, followed by his good friend Mr. Bo, whom they hadn’t seen for a couple of days.
Whoa, the boss was carrying another big cat! This cat sat in the boss’s arms—white with black markings, likely a silver tabby from the back view. Its two large paws clung to the boss’s neck, face buried against his shoulder, seeming utterly attached to him. It presented only a fluffy back to Zhou Yan, with a chubby little bottom from which hung an exceptionally long, thick tail that swayed back and forth, making everyone’s fingers itch to pet it.
Wow, this cat was absolutely stunning.
Zhou Yan quickly turned his phone camera toward Pei Shiyi.
“Boss, when did our cafe get so many cats?”
Zhou Yan, who had previously been indifferent to cats, had now completely fallen into cat servitude. His heart melted at the sight of these new little darlings.
Pei Shiyi stroked Yin Zhou’s back and casually pointed at Bo Jin. “Well, this gentleman can’t keep them anymore, so I’m helping out.”
Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly. “Mr. Bo is such a good person.”
He leaned closer to Pei Shiyi, practically drooling over the fluffy bundle in the boss’s arms. “Boss, this is…”
Pei Shiyi said, “This is our Yin Zhou. Hey, don’t go reaching out randomly.”
Zhou Yan had to withdraw his hand sheepishly.
“Everyone, gather around,” Pei Shiyi said while holding Yin Zhou. “We’re preparing to open the second floor of our cat cafe. There will be a special kitten area. The little ones will be moved upstairs then. Renovations start Tuesday and finish Thursday. You can all return to work on Friday.”
He planned to change the second floor’s style to a more Chinese-inspired decor, using furniture he was accustomed to. Since there would be many kittens upstairs, having his scent around for protection would be better. Additionally, the cafe couldn’t stay closed too long. Ideally, renovations would finish before next Saturday. With that timeline, time was short, so skipping furniture selection would help.
Actually, for normal renovations, three or four days would be far from enough. Fortunately, the second floor had been renovated not long before Pei Shiyi took over as living quarters. The flooring, ceiling, and even the diatomaceous earth on the walls were eighty percent new and didn’t need changing. Though tasks like removing walls and installing glass were major undertakings, with Pei Shiyi around, employing some minor tricks made things easier.
To put it plainly, Boss Pei himself was basically a cheat code. Otherwise, what normal person could just decide to renovate and have it done?
The cat café staff were already mentally prepared for the expansion. After all, with the café having grown to this scale, the first floor could no longer accommodate all the customers.
Seeing the place where they worked thriving, the staff felt a shared sense of pride and congratulated Pei Shiyi one after another.
Pei Shiyi smiled and said, “Alright then, everyone, go do what needs to be done.”
Having spent quite some time watching the kittens, the staff checked the time and quickly dispersed to prepare for opening.
It was almost time to open, and the kittens needed to go upstairs. Miss Penny hadn’t seen the little kittens all morning and would surely want to see them now that she was awake.
Pei Shiyi was holding Yin Zhou in one hand, making it inconvenient to carry the box. Bo Jin took the box from him. “Let me handle it. Are we going upstairs?”
“Yes, to see Miss Penny,” Pei Shiyi said, looking down to soothe Yin Zhou. “Have you met Miss Penny, Yin Zhou? She’s a very gentle Norwegian Forest Cat. Thanks to her, the Supernatural Management Bureau was able to rescue you in time.”
Yin Zhou shook his head.
His aggressive nature had led to him being locked in a cramped cage after being captured. He only saw living creatures during mealtimes. The rest of the time, he was alone. Even the other kittens captured with him were strangers to him until now.
Miss Penny was indeed awake, lying on a cushion in front of the large window. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, she turned her head, her eyes like gentle, rippling waves of a lake, so tender they seemed to envelop anyone who looked into them.
Miss Penny was a blue tabby and white Norwegian Forest Cat. Her double-layered coat and triple-layered ruff made her look like a fluffy cotton ball basking in the sun. The tufts of long fur on the tips of her ears, characteristic of forest cats from cold regions, along with her mottled coat, made her appear like an ethereal spirit who had wandered into the mortal world.
“Mr. Pei,” Penny struggled to stand up, her voice filled with delight. “Director Bo! Have you brought all the kittens over? Oh! Is there a Munchkin among them?”
Bandages were wrapped around Penny’s hind legs, making her movements difficult.
Bo Jin placed the box in front of Penny and gently lifted the kittens one by one onto the cushion. Pei Shiyi drew the sheer curtains, softening the intense sunlight.
There were twelve kittens in total. Some were still asleep when taken out of the box, while others were already awake, energetically piling on top of each other. The once-bare cushion now looked as if it had sprouted twelve kitten-shaped patterns.
Penny’s heart melted at the sight, and she lovingly licked each kitten’s fur.
Yin Zhou stood dazedly at the edge of the blanket. One of the kittens took a liking to his big tail and suddenly pounced, biting it. Startled, Yin Zhou leaped into the air, landing on his hind legs before bouncing behind Pei Shiyi in a panic, clinging tightly to his calf.
Penny froze in surprise.
Bo Jin: “…”
He silently withdrew his hand, which had stealthily given the fluffy tail a gentle squeeze under the cover of the kittens’ antics.
Pei Shiyi burst into laughter, bent down to pick up Yin Zhou, and sat on the blanket.
Smoothing the fur of the still-frightened little Yin Zhou in his arms, Pei Shiyi said to Penny, “These kittens will stay at the cat café from now on. When they’re a bit older, if they want to go with someone, I won’t stop them. Oh, and by the way, these little ones have good potential. They might even embark on the path of cultivation someday, so you should keep an eye on them.”
The people who had captured them specifically targeted cats with spiritual aptitude. While they were far from extraordinary, they were still promising candidates.
The latter part of Pei Shiyi’s words was directed at Bo Jin, as new supernatural beings needed to be registered, issued identification, and guided to integrate into society once they awakened their spiritual awareness.
Bo Jin nodded in agreement.
Penny said gratefully, “Thank you for being willing to take them in.”
Pei Shiyi changed Penny’s dressing and chuckled, “I’m not doing this without any expectations. It’s mutually beneficial. And you, Miss Penny, are you willing to stay at the cat café?”
Penny replied somewhat gloomily, “I can’t go back anymore. If you’re willing to take me in, that would be wonderful.” Her involvement in helping the Supernatural Management Bureau rescue the kittens had already infringed upon certain people’s interests. Returning to her own country would leave her with no place to stand.
Pei Shiyi smiled, “My dear Miss Penny, let me correct you on one thing. This isn’t a place to take you in. This is your home.”
…
The cat café posted news about the second-floor renovation on its official website, and the “Cat Petting Guide” wall at the entrance was also updated with an announcement.
Since the announcement was only made two days in advance, some customers mistakenly thought the café was open on Tuesday when it was closed for renovation. Upon learning that the café was expanding and would be closed for a few days, they were pleasantly surprised.
During this time, the cats were also completely on vacation. Bo Jin was busy dealing with the aftermath of the theft group and had no time to look after the kittens, so Song Gao had been staying at the cat café these past few days.
The layout of the first and second floors was identical, so the renovation wasn’t difficult at all. After installing the glass door in one day, the basic structure of the kitten nursery was completed. Once it was cleaned up and furnished with furniture and decorations, the second-floor renovation would be finished.
The third floor had also been cleared out. Although it was smaller than the second floor, it was more than enough to accommodate over twenty cats and people.
Tong Qian stealthily crept to the staircase entrance to listen for any movement. After confirming that the boss wouldn’t be coming upstairs anytime soon, he hurried over to Song Gao.
“Song Gao,” Tong Qian lowered his voice, “I noticed these past two days that Director Bo just drops you off and leaves, only coming back to pick you up after work.”
Song Gao remained unfazed, letting the kittens climb all over him as he tilted his head to look at Tong Qian. “Hmm, what about it? Are you looking for him?”
Tong Qian: “No, no, no, no! I’m not looking for Director Bo. I was just asking. Will Director Bo continue like this recently, just dropping you off and picking you up without staying at the cat café all day?”
Song Gao flicked his tail, wrapping it around a kitten that nearly fell. “Hmm, Mr. Bo’s three-month observation period is over.”
Tong Qian let out an excited howl and scrambled up the cat tree. “I’m free!”
As soon as he reached the top of the cat tree, he met Yin Zhou’s eyes. Yin Zhou instinctively hissed at him.
Tong Qian: “This is clearly my spot!”
Yin Zhou: “The boss said anyone can climb it!”
The two little leopards stared at each other for a moment before simultaneously leaping up, tussling on the cat tree. They jumped up and down with impressive agility, like two furry balls scaling walls and leaping across rooftops.
Fondant looked up, her eyes following their chaotic movements as she treated the two little leopards like living cat toys.
The soft-faced little Song Gao licked his paw. When the two cats tumbled off the cat tree and landed in front of him, he spoke up: “I just heard Mr. Bo say that Director Bo will still be coming this afternoon.”
Caught off guard by this devastating news, Tong Qian was momentarily distracted. Yin Zhou took the opportunity to smack him on the forehead with a paw, flattening his ears into airplane ears.
Tong Qian collapsed to the ground, feigning weakness. “I can’t go on…”
Little Yin Zhou emerged victorious, licking his lips happily before climbing back up the cat tree.
At noon, Pei Shiyi received a call from Bo Jin. At the time, he had just finished installing the glass room. Picking up the phone, he heard Bo Jin’s deep voice: “Are you free this afternoon?”
That sounded a bit strange…
Pei Shiyi: “I’m in the middle of renovations here. What’s up?”
There was an eerie two-second silence from Bo Jin before he said, “An interview. From the 《Major Event News》 program on the local Yuchuan TV station.”
Pei Shiyi, who was in the middle of changing the curtains, thought he must have misheard. “What?” How did this turn into a TV interview? Pei Shiyi was both amused and exasperated. Had his identity as a rare protected species been exposed?
Bo Jin explained, “It’s still about the foreign theft case. The case caused quite a stir, and too many cats and dogs went missing. We just returned the pets to their owners yesterday, and today we received notice of the TV interview. The Supernatural Management Bureau prefers not to appear publicly too often. If you don’t mind, I can have them interview you instead.”
《Major Event News》 was a highly-rated semi-entertainment evening program on Yuchuan’s local TV station. It often covered various issues of public interest, big and small, and was hosted by a well-known local presenter with a witty and humorous style.
The recent wave of pet disappearances in Yuchuan had already caught the attention of 《Major Event News》. Now that the case was solved, the program naturally wanted to follow up on the outcome.
The Supernatural Management Bureau had handled the case entirely but was reluctant to step into the spotlight. They had initially planned to pass the interview to a human department as usual, but when Bai Jue mentioned the interview, Bo Jin immediately thought of the cat café.
Why give such a great opportunity for exposure to outsiders?
Bo Jin stopped Bai Jue from refusing and promptly contacted Pei Shiyi.
Pei Shiyi wasn’t very familiar with the program, but he wasn’t about to pass up a chance to be in the spotlight. “Alright, have them come over.”
Bo Jin said, “We’ll arrive at two in the afternoon. Clear a spot for them to film. But remember, they’ll still edit the footage afterward. How much makes it to the program depends entirely on your skills.”
Pei Shiyi casually pointed to a soft couch nearby and asked, “Is the person in charge a man or a woman?”
Bo Jin was puzzled. “A woman. Why?”
Pei Shiyi stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Actually, it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman. With a face like mine, I can make them reluctant to cut even a single second.”
Bo Jin: How shameless.
Author’s Note:
Pei Shiyi: With my beauty, you wouldn’t dare cut a second.
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