Cat Cafe, Second Floor
Yin Zhou lay sprawled on the highest perch of the cat tree, his pale golden eyes fixed intently on the daylight outside the window.
Today was Friday, the day the boss had said he would officially start work.
Working meant interacting with humans alongside the other cats.
Yin Zhou rolled over in his cat bed, lying on his back as his thick, round tail twitched restlessly. He stared at it for a moment before pouncing, pressing it down, and starting to gnaw on it.
He was too nervous.
The thought of facing a constant stream of humans after daybreak made Yin Zhou feel completely out of sorts.
In all his life, the creature he had interacted with the most was actually that silly cat, Tong Qian.
Yin Zhou angrily bit his tail, then sighed and licked it a couple of times. What exactly did “working” entail? Taking the initiative to groom humans? But so many humans didn’t have fur.
And besides…
Although Yin Zhou had recently become fond of the boss’s petting, that didn’t mean he could accept just anyone. What if someone touched him carelessly and he accidentally snapped at them? Would the boss think he was a stubborn, unteachable cat?
No, no, he wasn’t a cat. Even though the boss had said he could take a break from working for now and spend a few days playing with the other older cats, Yin Zhou didn’t want to be an inconsiderate Mengji. He had seen it. The twelve kittens at home needed to drink milk several times a day. Half a bag of milk powder was already gone in no time.
The bigger cats like them ate even more. According to Song Gao, their food was delivered from an outside farm and was more expensive than regular meat. Yin Zhou didn’t want to freeload.
As the sky gradually brightened, Yin Zhou’s anxiety grew heavier. He stood up and paced back and forth on the cat tree, dragging his large tail behind him. His ears suddenly caught the sound of soft footsteps.
It was the boss!
Yin Zhou perked up his ears and turned around. Sure enough, it was the boss, fastening his cuffs as he came downstairs.
He quickly sat up straight. “Boss.”
“Hmm,” Pei Shiyi walked up to the cat tree and reached out his hand. “Come here. Tell me, why aren’t you sleeping in the bedroom in the middle of the night? What are you doing up here on the second floor, spacing out?”
He had noticed the little one sneaking up to the second floor. Ever since the cat tree was assembled, Yin Zhou had taken a liking to staying on it, becoming the cat in the entire cafe, aside from Yun Chao, who most enjoyed “looking down from above”.
Dan Huang had woken up hungry in the middle of the night. He ate a few bites of cat food in a daze. Before returning to his bed, he noticed that one of the cat beds was empty. Startled awake, he counted and realized one was indeed missing. The little Mengji, who had only arrived at the cafe a few days ago, was gone. Dan Huang thought the Mengji had run away from home and hurriedly knocked on Pei Shiyi’s door, voicing his concerns: “Boss, is Yin Zhou not adjusting well to our cafe?”
It was then that Pei Shiyi realized Yin Zhou might be overly nervous. He first coaxed Dan Huang back to sleep, then came downstairs to comfort the little one.
Before Yin Zhou arrived, the cats at the cafe had all been easygoing. Even if they had worries, they would forget them in an instant, never holding onto them. Even Fondant, who had been so concerned about her lineage, had put the matter behind her after being pampered for a few days. Pei Shiyi had thought that being carefree was an instinct of felines. But it seemed there were significant individual differences. Yin Zhou might be one of the more sensitive ones.
Yin Zhou pawed at his cat bed. He was at the very top of the cat tree. If he jumped down, wouldn’t he hurt someone?
Pei Shiyi’s shoulders shook as he laughed. “Hahaha, I’m not made of paper. I can catch you. Come on down.”
If it had been any other cat in the cat cafe, especially Tong Qian, they would have jumped down without a second thought, not considering so much at all.
Only then did Yin Zhou leap into Pei Shiyi’s arms. The scent that cats adore immediately enveloped him. Yin Zhou stretched out, rolling over to expose his belly toward Pei Shiyi.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
Yin Zhou whispered.
Pei Shiyi said, “Then why did you come down… to contemplate your cat life, sweetheart?”
Yin Zhou’s big paws immediately covered his face.
Pei Shiyi chuckled softly, letting Yin Zhou lie on his lap and holding his front paws. “Are you nervous? Don’t be afraid, tell me about it.”
Yin Zhou said dejectedly, “I’m afraid I might bite someone… I’ve bitten the boss before.”
Pei Shiyi chuckled softly, “That was clearly just you giving me a kiss.”
He had realized now that Yin Zhou lacked affection and was insecure. Whenever something went wrong, he would dwell on it repeatedly, trapping himself in his thoughts. Someone needed to reach out and pull him out of it.
Yin Zhou stared at him blankly.
Pei Shiyi blinked and said, “You didn’t even use any force, just held my hand in your mouth. If you weren’t trying to kiss me, were you just being coquettish?”
Yin Zhou whispered, “…I wanted to kiss you.”
Pei Shiyi leaned down, lowering his voice with a smile. “That wasn’t fierce at all. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see how fierce your sister Yun Chao can be.”
Yin Zhou hugged his tail, looking puzzled: Sister Yun Chao isn’t fierce at all.
Pei Shiyi stroked his fur and smiled faintly.
Yin Zhou’s mood had taught him a lesson. These furry kids weren’t truly carefree. He needed to pay more attention to them, especially now that the cat cafe had so many cats.
…
Finally, Friday’s business hours arrived.
The eagerly waiting customers, under the coordination of the staff, lined up to wash their hands and change their shoes before entering the cat cafe.
The first floor remained the same as always. Shopkeeper Dan Huang, as usual, waited at the entrance during business hours, allowing the entering customers to gently pet him. Occasionally, he would meow, as if greeting them with a “welcome.”
Regular customers were used to it, but new customers found it delightful and gathered around to give him a good rub.
The regular customers circled the first floor but didn’t see any new cats, so they headed straight for the second floor.
The customers had already seen the panoramic photos released on the official website. But when they actually found themselves there, they couldn’t help but marvel at the cafe’s exquisitely detailed decor.
The cafe’s interior design embodied Pei Shiyi’s meticulous attention to detail, down to the tips of his feathers.
The glass room was the most prominent feature on the second floor, aside from the cat trees, and it occupied half of the space. Yet, despite its size, there was only one kitten inside, and even the neatly arranged incubators were empty.
Outside the glass room sat a fluffy, golden-shaded cat, the little angel Song Gao, familiar to all the regular customers. Inside the glass room, a black-and-white-patterned cat stared back at him through the glass.
Song Gao was soft and sweet, still a kitten who hadn’t fully grown, small enough to be held in both hands. Many girls who had come specifically to see the new cats nearly couldn’t walk away once they saw him.
The black-and-white-patterned cat reached out a paw and pressed it against the glass. Not understanding, Song Gao, wanting to comfort the kitten, raised his paw and pressed it against the same spot.
A young man among the onlookers, his train of thought derailing for a moment, blurted out, “Congratulations to the male and female guests for successfully holding hands!”
The other customers: Are you insane?
Song Gao glanced at the young man and suddenly understood why Sister Yun Chao always gave boys a cold shoulder. He turned and let out a dissatisfied meow toward the boy.
Talking nonsense in front of the baby would set a bad example for the little one.
The commotion outside reached the glass room. A forest cat slowly emerged from the wooden cat house.
“My god. It’s so beautiful.”
“I know cats are pretty, but I thought cats as stunning as Yun Chao were rare. But why! Why does Xian Chan have so many of them?”
“Probably because the owner is beautiful, too.”
While the customers were mesmerized by the forest cat’s beauty, one fluffy little ball after another crawled out of the oversized cat house.
There was a little tabby, a curly-eared cat, a little orange cat, and… eleven in total!
No wonder the other kittens were nowhere to be seen. They were all inside the cat house.
The forest cat lay on its side on the carpet, gently swishing its tail and softly meowing. The kittens seemed to hear the call and scurried straight toward the big cat with clear purpose.
The black-and-white cat meowed twice at Song Gao, then turned and ran toward the big cat. Song Gao hesitated for a moment before crouching down and squeezing through the cat flap into the glass room.
But…
Song Gao hesitated as he stepped onto the carpet: Should a cat as big as him really be mingling with a bunch of little babies?
The gentle Miss Penny turned her head toward him and softly meowed.
Song Gao was slightly taken aback. Penny was so gentle, always reminding him of his late mother. He glanced back and noticed that Tong Qian, the teasing older brother who loved to mock other cats, wasn’t around. So, he slowly lay down beside Miss Penny, closing his eyes and enjoying the gentle licks.
Both the Boss and the Director gave Song Gao an unparalleled sense of security, as if they could hold up the sky even if it collapsed. But Penny’s gentle and nurturing nature was something no male creature could ever imitate.
Yet, the warmth the Boss and the Director gave him was also irreplaceable.
Suddenly, Song Gao missed the Boss and the Director dearly, longing to sleep beside them.
Song Gao stretched out his body, sprawling his sun-warmed form across the carpet. The kittens, having been fed not long before their “work shift”, were full of energy, running around and occasionally letting out soft little mews. Lost in his thoughts, Song Gao slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Outside the glass room, the customers held their breaths. Even if someone wanted to speak, their companions quickly pulled them away to other areas, such as the cat tree.
In front of the cat tree were rattan chairs and a coffee table, where people could sit and rest or play a round of tabletop games. Some, however, became fascinated by the cat tree itself.
“It’s so big and yet so exquisitely made,” one person murmured, gently tracing the intricate, rustic carvings on the frame. “I wonder what kind of wood this is. It feels quite expensive. It seems like a waste to use it for a cat tree. It should be made into a wooden sculpture or even a wardrobe.”
His companion whispered, “The owner is willing to spend the money. You don’t have cats at home, so you don’t know. The cat beds in this café are all branded. Even though they’re classic styles and not the latest trends, think about how many cat beds there are in this café. How much must that cost? Honestly, even raising a child, we wouldn’t splurge on several Simmons mattresses…” As he spoke, he tilted his head back to get a closer look at the cat tree that had amazed his friend, only to find himself staring directly into a pair of pale golden eyes.
The companion gasped, “Holy crap!”
The owner of those eyes, realizing it had been spotted, quickly ducked back into its hiding spot.
His voice was a bit too loud, drawing disapproving glances from the other customers. The companion quickly apologized and explained, “I suddenly saw another cat up there and got startled.”
What? There’s another cat?!
That’s right. The official release showed fourteen new cats: twelve kittens and two adult cats. But there was only one adult cat in the glass room!
Curious customers quickly gathered around the cat tree, searching for the new arrivals. The classmate who had spotted them earlier pointed upward: “At the very top!”
At the highest point of the cat tree, a round little head peeked out. Upon seeing a row of faces staring up from below, it quickly ducked back in.
The girls whispered excitedly: “Ahhh, I saw it! It’s the silver tabby from the picture. He’s so adorably round-headed!”
“I want to pet it, but the kitty seems so shy.”
“Come down and let your big sister see you, little angel! QAQ”
As if sensing the girls’ calls, the silver tabby peeked out again. After a moment’s hesitation, it slowly stood up and, with a graceful leap, nimbly jumped over two platforms, landing on the second level of the cat tree in the blink of an eye, all under the amazed gazes of the customers.
The girls exclaimed: “Ah, a munchkin! A silver tabby munchkin! What a heavenly kitty!”
This wasn’t the kind of munchkin cat with a belly dragging on the ground. Its legs were just a bit short, paired with the silver tabby’s sturdy limbs and body, making it look particularly healthy and energetic.
The heavenly kitty lay on the second-level platform, its fluffy tail dangling down. When a girl walked over and reached out to touch its tail, the silver tabby was startled and quickly pulled its tail back.
The girl looked disappointed: “I really wanted to pet it…”
Her hand slowly lowered. After all, you can’t force cuddles or pets on café cats. Suddenly, something soft and furry brushed against her fingertips. The girl looked up in surprise to see the silver tabby stretching out its little paw to gently touch her.
The girl covered her face with her other hand: “Wahh, it really is a heavenly kitty.”
What a little angel…
…
It wasn’t until the café closed that the customers reluctantly left, urged repeatedly by the staff.
Comments on the café’s official page skyrocketed, with many customers even posting their own videos. At first, these clips didn’t attract much attention beyond a small buzz on the café’s page.
However, there were also some complaints:
“I really have to complain. The cat introductions aren’t comprehensive enough! I strongly urge the owner to put name tags on every cat! I spent the whole day doting on the golden British Shorthair, and I still don’t know its name!”
“The café has more and more cats! Adding name tags gets my vote, too.”
…
Such comments quickly rose to the top of the trending list, and Pei Shiyi naturally saw them. After work, he consulted the cats: “Would you be willing to wear little name tags? Not collars, but the kind that hang around your necks, like Dan Huang’s.”
The cats had no objections. For convenience, they had bought the kind of tight collars that felt uncomfortable around their necks. But wearing a name tag was fine. Dan Huang wore one every day without any issues. Plus, it would save humans from always referring to them as “that lion cat” or “that chubby orange cat”.
Having secured their agreement, Pei Shiyi was about to take the furry kids for their extra meal when Bo Jin arrived to pick up Song Gao.
Little Song Gao was unusually clingy today, insisting on snuggling in Pei Shiyi’s arms. It was a rare occurrence.
Pei Shiyi had been quietly marveling at this for a while. This little sweetheart was usually quite reserved, always thinking of himself as a big kid and feeling too embarrassed to be as clingy as the kittens. In the past, whenever another cat came near, he would “generously and promptly” make room. He was nothing like today.
Or is it feeling wronged? Does the new cat make Song Gao feel its presence is being overshadowed?
Pei Shiyi gently stroked Song Gao while quickly thinking of ways to comfort it.
As soon as Song Gao saw Bo Jin approaching, it wanted to get close but couldn’t bear to leave Pei Shiyi’s embrace. So it fixed its gaze on Bo Jin and slowly extended a small paw.
Bo Jin’s heart stirred: it was acting coquettishly with him.
He walked over, sat down close to Pei Shiyi, and gently took Song Gao’s front paw. “What’s wrong?”
Song Gao tightly hugged Bo Jin’s wrist, pressing against his arm. “I don’t want to go back tonight…”
Bo Jin gently stroked Song Gao’s back, his fingertips less than a centimeter away from Pei Shiyi’s clothes, as if he could feel the other’s body heat. His hand paused, and he lowered his gaze, saying, “If you don’t want to go back, then don’t. You can sleep at the cat café…”
Song Gao whispered, “But I want… you to stay here, too.”
Author’s Note:
Song Gao: I want you to stay here, too.
Acting coquettish? No, it’s playing matchmaker, hahaha.
Yin Zhou is super sweet, and everyone is a little angel! (Background: Yunchao is beating up Tong Qian.)
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152