The walls of the Supernatural Management Bureau were painted a pristine, snow-white. Mengji pressed himself against the wall, biting down on his large tail, his pale golden eyes wide open. Anyone could see how tense he was at that moment.
This Mengji was quite handsome, with widely spaced ears that framed a forehead that looked irresistibly soft to the touch. His limbs were strong, his paw pads broad and thick, and his tail was nearly as long as his body. His silver-gray fur was adorned with black rings. Yet from his chest down to his tail, there was a patch of soft white, its fine, dense down looking incredibly pleasant to stroke.
He was younger than Pei Shiyi had imagined, roughly equivalent to a human age of fifteen or sixteen, even younger than Tong Qian.
Pei Shiyi found it strange. This young Mengji had been rescued by the Supernatural Management Bureau, so logically, he shouldn’t harbor such deep distrust toward them. Had he suffered mistreatment at the hands of the thieves, making it hard for him to let go of his vigilance? Or was his living environment so hostile that he remained perpetually on guard against his surroundings?
Just then, a tiny meow came from one of the boxes. It was a perfectly ordinary sound, but in the prevailing silence, it seemed startlingly abrupt.
Mengji leaped into the air, rising half a person’s height, all four paws splayed out to reveal his soft, snow-white belly. It was the very picture of fright. After landing, Mengji seemed to realize he’d overreacted and immediately turned to face the wall, as if in penitence.
Pei Shiyi couldn’t help letting out a soft chuckle. Mengji, embarrassed and angry, turned back and growled at him lowly. At first glance, he looked quite fierce, with his conical, sharp canine teeth truly intimidating.
Yet his ferocity was all bark and no bite. As far as Pei Shiyi was concerned, anyone who growled without attacking was just putting on a show—a paper tiger, all bluster and no substance. This skittish nature was rather endearing, especially when his nerves made his two rounded little ears tremble.
But it seemed he had inadvertently wounded the young leopard’s fragile pride.
Pei Shiyi leisurely shifted his gaze and resumed the half-finished tale about Egyptian cats.
Mengji huddled in the corner, his peripheral vision fixed on Pei Shiyi’s movements. Only after confirming that the man wouldn’t turn around anytime soon did he cautiously settle back down in the corner, pressing his large paw pads against his tail as he gnawed on it, ears perked up to listen to the conversation behind him.
“If we take all the cats, will there be enough space at the cat café?”
That was the voice of the Supernatural Management Bureau’s fierce and formidable director.
“There will be. I plan to set aside a separate area on the second floor for the kittens, enclosed with glass walls. Customers won’t be allowed inside, but the kittens can come out. I’ve also thought about these cats. Not every cat wants to stay in a cat café, dealing with a constant stream of customers. If anyone is willing to adopt them, I can arrange for them to be placed in homes.”
That was the man who had laughed at him earlier. His voice was pleasant, and he seemed good-natured.
No, he was actually quite annoying.
Mengji gnawed on his tail: And going to a cat café… What kind of place was that? Taking the kittens away? Would they take him, too? He wasn’t some milk-drinking cub.
Lost in thought, his ears caught the sound of fabric rustling. He discreetly shifted his gaze and saw the tall, slender man walking over!
Mengji immediately turned and bared his teeth at him, but his body remained pressed tightly against the wall, inexplicably timid, even a little cowardly.
Pei Shiyi estimated that if he took even one more step forward, the young Mengji’s first reaction wouldn’t be to pounce and bite, but to bolt straight up to the ceiling of the Supernatural Management Bureau.
For the sake of the Supernatural Management Bureau’s ceiling, Pei Shiyi stopped in his tracks, maintaining a safe distance for both birds and cats. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
Mengji had never encountered this kind of Chinese human-style greeting. His ferocity stalled halfway. “…No.”
Pei Shiyi crouched down, trying to minimize the intimidation his height brought to Mengji. “What would you like to eat? Should we ask Director Bo to make something for you? Or… order takeout?”
Bo Jin, holding the little curled-ear cat, didn’t even glance over. “The Supernatural Management Bureau doesn’t have a kitchen.”
Director this, director that. It sounded nice, but he was clearly just being treated as a cook.
Pei Shiyi turned back in surprise. “You don’t even provide meals? With such poor treatment, no wonder you’re always short-staffed.”
Bo Jin: “You provide food and shelter, yet you’re still short on cats, aren’t you?”
Pei Shiyi raised an eyebrow. “I won’t be short on cats for long.”
He turned back to see that Mengji had, at some point, picked up his tail again. His light golden eyes were wide open, fixed intently on Pei Shiyi.
When their eyes accidentally met, Mengji was startled and instinctively bared his teeth, his canines already showing before he silently retracted them.
He was still just a child, yet so guarded. He must have suffered a lot growing up. It made sense. Without parents to protect him, having to fend for himself, how could it not be difficult? A child like this must yearn for care and attention.
Pei Shiyi: “Hello, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Pei Shiyi, and I run a cat café.”
In all his life, aside from his deceased parents, no living being had ever been this gentle with Mengji. Unaccustomed to such kindness, Mengji turned his head away and said, “Yin Zhou.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted how harsh his tone had sounded.
“Mm, Yin Zhou,” Pei Shiyi nodded. “That name suits you.”
Yin Zhou stole a glance at him.
“You heard earlier—I run a cat café,” Pei Shiyi continued. “My café has many cats, all around your age. Would you like to come and see? If you like it, you can stay there. However, the café has many customers. You don’t have to interact with them, but you can’t bite or scratch anyone.”
Pei Shiyi didn’t think a spiritual beast like Yin Zhou could endure loneliness. Yin Zhou secretly longed for interaction with other beings. From the moment Pei Shiyi started speaking, Yin Zhou had been listening intently, but perhaps because he had grown up in a dangerous environment, he always put on a tough front, clumsily masking his curiosity.
“A cat café is a coffee shop. Do you know what a coffee shop is? It sells food and drinks. My cats are also in the café. During business hours, they come out to wander around, sleep, or play with customers. Do you like humans? If not, that’s fine. You don’t have to pay them any attention. You can just play with me.”
“Hmm… do you like me?”
A flicker of longing, unnoticed even by himself, sparked in Yin Zhou’s eyes as he listened intently.
As Pei Shiyi spoke, he slowly extended his hand, tentatively placing it on Yin Zhou’s head.
Yin Zhou flinched and instinctively turned to bite Pei Shiyi’s hand.
Having lived alone for so many years, he had long developed a fighting instinct. Just moments ago, he had been listening to Pei Shiyi’s words, imagining the cat café he described. When Pei Shiyi suddenly reached out, his body reacted faster than his mind.
Yin Zhou stared blankly, still holding Pei Shiyi’s hand in his mouth, when a wave of sadness suddenly washed over him: he had messed up again. He hadn’t meant to bite anyone. He didn’t dare look at Pei Shiyi, but he could feel the other man stiffen completely the moment he bit down. Yin Zhou released his grip, silently turned around, and resumed facing the wall.
He was so bad. No wonder everyone was afraid of him and disliked him. A child like him was better off alone.
When Pei Shiyi was bitten, his rationality nearly snapped before he even registered the sensation. It didn’t hurt at all. With Pei Shiyi’s cultivation level, he had long since become impervious to blades and spears, let alone Yin Zhou’s gentle bite. But…
Pei Shiyi lowered his gaze. There was a clear saliva mark on his hand.
A saliva mark!
Pei Shiyi took a deep breath, his attention completely unable to shift away from his hand.
He had always been particular about many things. While he wasn’t exactly disgusted by the saliva mark, acting as if nothing had happened was clearly impossible for him.
Pei Shiyi stood frozen like a mute, staring fixedly at the back of his hand as if under a spell, remaining motionless for a long time. Bo Jin sighed, walked over, and silently wiped the fussy bird’s claw for him.
Pei Shiyi snapped out of his trance and patted him: “Good, good. You’re getting the hang of it this time.”
Bo Jin stiffened at the touch. The phoenix’s palm was unusually warm, “scalding” the patch of skin it touched with a faint, tingling numbness.
Pei Shiyi, completely unaware of any abnormality, left Bo Jin behind after his praise and focused on comforting the cat.
The Mengji’s fur was dense and thick, with slightly stiff tips, making it feel like a solid plush toy when held—a first-class texture. The charm of a big cat was irresistible. They weren’t as soft or delicate as kittens. Their beautiful claws and teeth were honed by time, sharp and formidable. They possessed a sturdy frame and stature capable of sustaining life. When they lazed about, their ferocity and sharpness remained hidden, making them all the more captivating.
But Yin Zhou hadn’t fully grown yet, so this charm carried a hint of youthful awkwardness.
As soon as Pei Shiyi held him, his heart and fingers sank into the soft, plush fur. His tone softened instantly. A saliva mark was just a saliva mark. After all, he was still just a kitten.
He gently squeezed Yin Zhou’s thick, large paw. “Yin Zhou didn’t mean to, did you?”
Yin Zhou twitched his ears and, after a long pause, nodded.
Pei Shiyi: “Then, would Yin Zhou like to live with me? Or do you prefer the Supernatural Management Bureau? Do you like Director Bo?”
Yin Zhou quickly shook his head.
Big cats and kittens alike were drawn to warmth. Even Mengji, living in snowy regions, would bask in the sun after eating their fill. Although Director Bo was a warm, living person, his demeanor was far from approachable.
Pei Shiyi: “But I like Yin Zhou. I want to take care of Yin Zhou, and I want to watch Yin Zhou grow into a big Mengji with my own eyes. Can I have that chance?”
Yin Zhou fell silent for a moment before turning and burying himself in Pei Shiyi’s embrace.
Pei Shiyi hugged the large, fluffy bundle and turned to Bo Jin with a raised eyebrow: “He’s mine now.”
Bo Jin stood with his hands clasped, lost in thought, completely oblivious to Pei Shiyi.
Pei Shiyi: “…” Pei Shiyi, having failed to show off, gritted his teeth. What was he thinking about?
…
Dan Huang had been pacing around the cat café, making Yun Chao dizzy. She was busy comforting Fondant and the kittens and didn’t want to deal with anything else. But her feline instincts wouldn’t let her ignore the rolling shop manager.
Fondant was especially clingy just after waking up, practically wishing he could fuse with Yun Chao.
Yun Chao flicked his tail impatiently. “Can you stop pacing? Are you some kind of land god? Pacing two hundred circles won’t get you to the Supernatural Management Bureau. Act normal. The employees will be here soon.”
Dan Huang, with a kitten perched on his head and another clinging to his back, replied, “I’m anxious! Besides, didn’t the boss say yesterday he might bring a… uh, what was it again?”
“Mengji,” Tong Qian said, kicking a ball. “That kind of cat is so silly. Hey, what do you think a Mengji can transform into? I’m a leopard cat, what about him? Also a leopard cat? Wouldn’t that clash with my character? Not good, not good.”
He had seen a Mengji before, even fought one as a kitten, and knew what they looked like. They resembled leopards, with spotted fur and, honestly, were quite beautiful.
Yun Chao licked his front paw. “Well, you’re uniquely foolish. Who could compare to you?”
Tong Qian retorted, “I’m not foolish! The girls online all adore me.”
Yun Chao thought coldly: That’s because they like how foolish you are.
After the cats chatted for a while, Dan Huang twitched his ears. Hearing the back door of the cat café open, he darted out in a flash.
Tong Qian, still worried about clashing with the Mengji, followed suit.
As Yun Chao stood up, he heard Tong Qian’s voice rise in surprise: “It’s you—you—!”
Puzzled, Yun Chao walked to the back door with Fondant and saw a large cat with a white base and black spots. It was sturdy, with slightly short limbs but a long tail.
The new cat leaped three feet into the air.
Dan Huang and Yun Chao were equally bewildered. Dan Huang asked, “Wait, Tong Qian, you know him?”
Tong Qian stammered, “Didn’t I say I fought a Mengji when I was little?”
Dan Huang: “…”
Tong Qian wailed, “It’s him!”
Truly, foes are destined to meet. Life’s paths are narrow, and it’s just too hard.
Author’s Note:
Halloween Mini-Theater:
If the cat café held a Halloween event—
Pei Shiyi: “Halloween? What’s that?”
Dan Huang: “It’s a foreign holiday where kids dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for treats.”
Pei Shiyi looked down: “Does Dan Huang want to wear a little dress?”
Dan Huang: “No way!”
Pei Shiyi: “Hahahaha.”
Danhuang added, “Even if I’m not wearing a dress, I could still dress up as something else.”
Pei Shiyi: “Hmm… that’s a great idea!”
An hour later:
Dan Huang in a pumpkin witch outfit, Princess Fondant with a crown, Queen of the Elves Yun Chao, Prince Song Gao, Knight Tong Qian, and the little vampire tortoiseshell kittens.
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152