Pei Shiyi carved the final cat tag and casually hung it on the headboard. He deftly avoided the bed full of fluffy creatures, pulled back the blanket, and got up to change clothes.
He hadn’t slept all night, having set up a small barrier around himself to carve the cat tags in peace. One night was enough for him to finish tags for all the adult cats. Threaded with leather cords, they could be adjusted freely to ensure they wouldn’t choke their necks.
Bo Jin was already in the kitchen downstairs. While changing, Pei Shiyi caught a whiff of steamed egg custard and lean meat porridge. The aroma had already drifted upstairs. Dan Huang, eyes still closed, instinctively turned toward the door, his nose twitching as he sniffed the enticing scent in the air.
It was only 7:30 a.m., not yet time for the fluffballs to wake up.
These little rascals often wandered around in the middle of the night, patrolling upstairs and downstairs. Dan Huang would even drink some water or nibble on cat food before returning to bed for a snooze as dawn approached. They usually slept soundly in the mornings.
Pei Shiyi tiptoed around the screen. The adult cats’ beds were all empty, except for a pile of sleepy kittens nestled together in one bed. Among them, a little orange kitten showed signs of the shop manager’s former flair. Eyes still shut, the little one sleepily followed the scent toward the door, only to bump headfirst into a large “obstacle”. The kitten plopped backward, sitting dazedly as it looked up.
Meow? So tall, can’t see meow.
The little orange kitten lowered its head to sniff, not yet recognizing who it was, but already feeling an inexplicable attachment. It nuzzled the figure in a daze.
This little orange was a girl, round and chubby, the most talented among the twelve kittens, even possessing a hint of spiritual awareness. Yun Chao adored her. Well, the big shot adored all the kittens, except for Tong Qian and Dan Huang, who didn’t even deserve a mention.
Pei Shiyi bent down, scooped up the little orange kitten, and placed her in Yun Chao’s arms. Yun Chao, still asleep, instinctively wrapped her front paws around her. The large bed was strewn with cats sleeping in all directions. The girls were more reserved, huddling closely together. Tong Qian and Dan Huang, on the other hand, slept more boldly, limbs splayed and bellies exposed, while the little tortoiseshells clung to each other. Yin Zhou and Song Gao had slept between Pei Shiyi and Bo Jin last night and were still nestled among the pillows.
Just as Pei Shiyi was about to leave, Song Gao sleepily wrapped his arms around his forearm, pressing his little face against it and half-opening his eyes.
“Sir, I want to get up, too.”
Pei Shiyi bent down and lifted him. “Let’s go. We’ll wash up and brush our teeth.”
In the bathroom, Pei Shiyi gently wiped Song Gao’s face and whispered with a smile, “Is Song Gao happy today?”
Sitting in Pei Shiyi’s arms, Song Gao’s tail tapped rhythmically against his wrist as he brushed his teeth, unconsciously conveying his excitement.
Holding the toothbrush in his mouth, Song Gao nodded.
Pei Shiyi playfully flicked the soft tip of Song Gao’s tail. This child was a bit starved for affection and overly sensitive, which often led to busy, self-proclaimed mature adults overlooking his feelings. Perhaps encouraged by someone yesterday, he had mustered the courage to act a little spoiled.
This was good. If he wanted something, he should say so. Such a young child shouldn’t suppress himself in front of his guardians. Maybe he should teach Song Gao how to be a little more spoiled.
Pei Shiyi leaned in close, whispering in his ear with a voice so warm and gentle it felt intoxicating. “Later, when Bo Jin goes to work, how about Song Gao gives him a kiss?”
Song Gao’s eyes grew moist as he looked at Pei Shiyi. “C-can I?”
For cats, licking and nuzzling each other is perfectly normal, but a formal farewell kiss from the Bureau Director… Song Gao hugged his tail to cover his face, feeling a little embarrassed.
Pei Shiyi leaned down and kissed Song Gao’s cheek. “Of course, he definitely won’t mind.”
Song Gao buried his face in Pei Shiyi’s embrace and responded with a barely audible murmur.
Pei Shiyi chuckled softly and carried him downstairs.
Director Bo might have been the Kitchen God in his past life, observing the mortal world’s hustle and bustle by the stove every day. His culinary skills were nothing short of divine, with eighteen different techniques for frying, stir-frying, boiling, and deep-frying. Even breakfast was prepared in several exquisite varieties.
The breakfast for the furry kids consisted of rabbit meat paired with egg yolk and a small amount of organ meat. The cats who had gained sentience disliked artificially produced vitamin powders, claiming they had a strange taste. To ensure a balanced diet, the cat’s meals were made with a variety of ingredients.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Bo Jin dished out the last portion of cat food. Turning around, he saw Pei Shiyi with Song Gao perched on his shoulder. His little grown-up furball was looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes, already wearing the small tag Pei Shiyi had carved the night before. The coin-sized round tag was engraved with the name “Song Gao”. It is barely visible amidst the thick, soft fur.
Bo Jin set down his chopsticks and gently rubbed Song Gao’s head. “Did you sleep well last night?”
Song Gao nodded. “Very well. Are you heading to the Supernatural Management Bureau now?”
Bo Jin replied, “Yes. There’s been a lot going on lately.”
For a moment, Song Gao looked disappointed, but he quickly lifted his head and said, “Alright, please don’t overwork yourself. I’ll do my best at work and wait for you to pick me up tonight.”
When a child is too well-behaved and sensible, even parents can’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
Bo Jin lowered his voice. “Alright, we’ll go out and have fun tonight.”
Song Gao’s eyes lit up. “Okay.”
Pei Shiyi walked him to the door. As the moment of parting approached, Song Gao grew increasingly nervous, restlessly kneading his paws on Pei Shiyi’s shoulder. Pei Shiyi subtly supported the little cat: Be brave, my dear.
Bo Jin gently smoothed Song Gao’s fur. Suddenly, mustering all his courage, Song Gao leaned in. Bo Jin was puzzled but leaned closer anyway. The warm, fragrant scent from Pei Shiyi enveloped him. Before he could feel even a hint of discomfort, he felt a cool, slightly damp touch brush against his cheek. Song Gao had kissed him.
Bo Jin was taken aback.
Song Gao said, “I’ll wait for you at the cat café after work.”
Pei Shiyi scooped Song Gao into his arms, raising an eyebrow with a subtle, radiant charm that made him shine like polished jade. He held up one of Song Gao’s front paws and waved it lazily at Bo Jin. “Goodbye.”
Song Gao chimed in, “Goodbye, Director!”
Even after Bo Jin left the cat café, he couldn’t quite snap out of it.
He glanced back at the café, slowly circling, feeling reluctant to leave. The cat café owner had taken his cub and still expected him to dutifully go to work. It just didn’t seem fair.
…
Episode 2 of 《Small World》 has finally aired!
The high quality of the first episode led many hesitant viewers to eagerly click the “follow” button. Many of them were young. Although they often joked in the comments and bullet chats about never being able to afford a house or make friends in this lifetime, deep down, they all harbored a dream of owning a home.
A place to call their own.
《Small World》 cleverly tapped into this psychology. The theme of its first episode was home renovation, and it was exceptionally eye-catching. In the twenty-nine-minute debut, it showcased the renovation of a duplex apartment worth hundreds of millions and a compact home of just thirty square meters. The sheer mention of “hundreds of millions in value” was enough to captivate viewers.
At the end of the first episode, a preview for the second episode featured the cat café owner who had made a fleeting appearance in the trailer, instantly grabbing the audience’s attention and fueling their anticipation.
Thus, even before the release of the second episode, eager viewers were already waiting by their phones. The moment it dropped, they rushed in to be among the first to watch.
The second episode opened with the cat café. Viewers followed the camera as it swept along a long, ancient street, where shops on both sides were closed, though customers could be seen through the large glass windows arranging merchandise.
The narrator’s voice chimed in: “In Yuchuan, nestled within the Feiyun Cuishan mountains, we’ve arrived at the world-renowned Shiliu Street. Named after the ‘Shiliu Garden,’ our destination today is Xian Chan Cat Café.”
Comments flooded the screen:
“Here we go! Reporting from Yuchuan!”
“Representing our great Yuchuan!”
“Huh? There’s still a cat café in downtown Yuchuan? (laughing-crying emoji) I thought they all went out of business?”
“Little brother! Little brother—ahhh!”
As the narrator introduced the scene, the cat café that had kept everyone in suspense for a week finally appeared on screen: a mint-green storefront, as refreshing as a glass of mint water on a hot summer day, adorned with various cat paw prints. The color scheme immediately caught the viewers’ eyes.
It was pretty cute.
“Xian Chan enjoys a prime location. It’s the only standalone shopfront on Shiliu Street. Rumor has it that this was originally a small villa that changed hands several times before ending up with the current owner. The designer of Xian Chan Cat Café is Kong Fanyang, an emerging talent in minimalist design within our industry.”
Huh? A minimalist-style cat café? That doesn’t sound right.
Before viewers could voice their doubts, the cat café’s door suddenly swung open. The owner stood at the entrance, a faint smile playing at the corners of his eyes and lips. He wore a light ash-gray shirt in a relaxed style, paired with black trousers, standing bathed in light. It was a striking contrast of black and white.
The comments exploded instantly:
“I’m in! I’m so in!”
“I admit it, I’m shameless!”
“I’m totally into him! His proportions are unreal!”
“Thank you for coming,” the cat café owner said, stepping aside. “Please, come in.”
After that, whatever the designer and narrator said went largely unnoticed as viewers frantically scanned the screen for glimpses of the owner. It wasn’t until the cats appeared that most people’s attention was pulled back.
“Hahaha. Why does that Ragdoll cat look like a dog?”
“Nine out of ten orange tabbies are chonky, and the tenth one’s so heavy it could collapse a bed, tsk tsk.”
“Emm… that leopard cat looks so damn familiar.”
“The white cat looks familiar, too! Is that a Chinchilla?”
“Holy crap, aren’t those Tong Qian and Yun Chao from the pet zone? They’re super popular!”
The appearance of these internet-famous cats instantly captivated the viewers. Those who followed Xian Chan Cat Café’s account helpfully reminded everyone in the comments that the café had an account on Bishui Station.
Driven by curiosity, some viewers exited 《Small World》 and searched for Xian Chan Cat Café. Sure enough, they found the uploader, and upon clicking, discovered it already had nearly 150,000 followers. It’s a respectable following in the pet community, making it a moderately well-known uploader.
Netizens curiously clicked into the submission page and scrolled down. Some who occasionally watched pet or funny videos were surprised to find that they had actually come across some of these videos on the homepage before!
If they didn’t cherish their last encounter on the homepage, then this time they would watch it properly.
Netizens clicked on the video, never expecting that the first leopard cat video would trap them right from the start.
As for those netizens who weren’t obsessed with cats, after finishing 《Small World》, they clicked into the comments section and saw Xian Chan Cat Café at the top of the hot comments.
The official account, which had just reached level five, seemed like a parody account, barely rescued by fans. The tone of the hot comment was cute yet hilariously silly. After laughing for a while, a bunch of netizens couldn’t help but click into the cat café’s official page, only to find that the cover and title seemed quite interesting.
So they randomly picked a video to watch, and a few minutes later:
“This leopard cat is addictive.”
“I could watch Boss Yun Chao hitting people a hundred times!”
“I love you, Dan Huang!”
In the end, it all boiled down to one sentence:
“Damn it, I can’t get out of here!”
Author’s Note:
Is Song Gao cute? Want to pet him?
No, he belongs to Director Bo.
Cunning Bird: Teaching how to act cute online.
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