By the day the giveaway ended, the number of likes on the top comments under the raffle post was staggering.
The top-voted comment featured the full progression of the shop manager eating cat food, demonstrating to cat lovers everywhere the true meaning of “The Big Orange carries the most weight”.
The comment read: The Manager’s weight was truly earned one bite at a time… I have to ask the boss, can you still afford to keep him? [Face with Tears of Joy emoji]
Attached were five photos. In the first, Dan Huang was peeking at the other cats. The bowl in front of him was empty, while the others were still buried in theirs.
The second photo: Dan Huang had shuffled over to another bowl. In the background, Dai Dai had just walked away.
The third photo: Dan Huang was crouched before a third bowl, eating intently. In the background, Mao Mao was leaving.
The fourth photo: All the cats had finished eating. Only Dan Huang remained crouched at the bowl stand, his face still buried in a dish.
The fifth photo: A satisfied Dan Huang was grooming his fur. In the background, a row of cat bowls shone brilliantly. Not a single shred of meat was left. They were licked as clean as if they’d been scrubbed.
The replies to that top comment:
Xiao Guo’er: Finally, I know why the Manager is so fat… Honestly, it’s a bit heart-wrenching. It reminds me of how the older generation eats when they see leftovers, worrying about waste ORZ. The Manager is a total ‘Old Father’ figure.
For those worried about Dan Huang’s health, don’t be! He’s not ‘internet-scary’ fat. When you see him at the cafe, you’ll realize he just has a massive frame. He’s the type of native cat that naturally grows quite large, so there’s really no need to worry. Also, just to chime in, the cats at Xian Chan are extremely well-cared for. The boss pampers them like his own children.
When Pei Shiyi read this comment, he laughed so hard he nearly lost his breath, leaning on Bo Jin’s shoulder just to stay upright.
Bo Jin, acting as a human bird-perch for a moment, looked back at him. “What are you laughing at?”
Pei Shiyi handed him the phone. “Look at this. They say Dan Huang is like an ‘Old Father’. Hahaha.”
As he spoke, he swiped down on the screen, his hand happening to brush against Bo Jin’s reaching hand. Bo Jin didn’t pull away. Instead, he gave Pei Shiyi’s fingers a little squeeze.
The motion was identical to kneading a cat’s paw pad. But when done to a person, it bordered on flirtatious.
Pei Shiyi was stunned.
Bo Jin gave the pads of his fingers one last squeeze before dropping them. He tossed out a casual, “Yeah, Dan Huang is cute”, and walked away.
Pei Shiyi didn’t react at first. He stood frozen for a few seconds, his mind a complete jumble, like a cat frantically washing its head. He truly couldn’t figure out Bo Jin’s recent “playbook”.
Was that a flirtation or a provocation?
He remained silent for a moment, trying to convince himself not to bother with Bo Jin. But the more he thought about it as he walked, the more annoyed he became. He turned and chased after Bo Jin, giving the man’s cheek a sharp pinch. Having finished the deed, he struck first: “Childish.”
Bo Jin: “…”
The fluffballs on the stairs witnessed this scene and froze in unison. Yin Zhou instinctively raised a large paw to cover his face, but lost his balance and bumped into Tong Qian. The two large bundles immediately tumbled down the stairs together. Even Dan Huang couldn’t stop them.
Tong Qian landed in front of Bo Jin, slowly grabbing Yin Zhou’s big tail to cover his own face. He thought to himself, “I’m dead. I’ve stumbled upon the Boss’s secret affair.”
……
The official Xian Chan Weibo account announced the list of winners and dispatched the throw pillows as quickly as possible, reminding winners to keep an eye on their tracking info.
The comments section was a chorus of wails from those who didn’t win:
“Arghhhhh I hate it! I was the eleventh top comment! I wanted the Dan Huang one!”
“This unlucky soul is crying. I really want that pillow. Is anyone willing to sell theirs? I’ll buy it!”
“Plushie collector here. Dying for one, but my luck is trash. Boss, I beg you, open a shop and sell them! I’m willing to pay!”
The “Gacha Gods” and show-offs who received the pillows had no idea that what they were about to receive would eventually become legendary, high-priced collectibles.
On the day Pei Shiyi went to ship the pillows, the cat cafe’s monthly deep clean began.
The cafe was cleaned daily, but a deep clean happened once a month, during which opening hours were pushed back. For other shops, a deep clean meant thoroughly scrubbing dust and cat hair, but for Xian Chan…
It was mainly about finding the toys the “fur-kids” had lost. Every time, they managed to recover a whole crate of miscellaneous odds and ends.
Zhang Yu said while cleaning the kitchen, “I’m extremely curious about one thing.”
Another part-timer, wiping the counter with a cloth, asked, “Curious about what?”
Zhang Yu: “The cafe is too clean! Every time we do a deep clean, I feel like the Boss must have hired professional cleaners beforehand!”
The part-timer didn’t think much of it. “It’s probably just because we clean so diligently. Don’t we do a full sweep twice a day? Once in the morning and once before we leave.”
Zhang Yu ran his hand over the tiled wall. There wasn’t a speck of dust. He scratched his head. But this is just too clean. It’s like the cafe is under a dust-proof shield. It’s clean as if it has a permanent buff.
The cafe was clean, of course, because Pei Shiyi—a Phoenix—lived there. It was stainless inside and out. No dust gathered in the nooks and crannies. Only the areas where humans were active saw any actual grime. The so-called “deep clean” mostly involved cleaning the carpets, tablecloths, and the various trifles the cats had hidden away.
By the time Pei Shiyi returned from the post office, the deep clean was nearing its end. Most of the staff were gathered in a circle, laughing at something. A cluster of cats crouched nearby. Dan Huang’s expression looked utterly despairing.
Zhang Yu was squatting on the floor. “Let me count… one, two, three, four… found six cans of food and a bag of nutritional gel. Holy crap, and two dental chews.”
A new part-timer asked, “Who do these belong to?”
Zhou Yan said, “They’re definitely the Manager’s. No need to check. If it’s food, it’s the Manager’s. If a scratching post is wrecked, it’s 80% likely that Tong Qian did it. If you find a ball, it’s definitely Fondant’s…”
Zhou Yan rattled off a long list, completely oblivious to the “death stares” coming from the cats.
Bo Jin rested a hand on Pei Shiyi’s shoulder. The Dragon and the Phoenix watched Zhou Yan’s live performance of “seeking death” as he offended every single cat in the cafe with his loose tongue.
Pei Shiyi remarked with sincere feeling, “Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed today, or did he just choose to step on every single feline landmine?”
Bo Jin: “Either way, his shift is definitely in a minefield.”
The two looked at each other and nodded, united in having a new target for their mockery.
Zhou Yan was giving a passionate lecture to the new part-timer about the cats’ personalities and preferences when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He hesitantly turned around and locked eyes with a crowd of fluffy faces.
Zhou Yan gave a strained laugh. “…Hi? Good afternoon?”
Zhou Yan, who had spent his afternoon playing “Minesweeper” with his life, felt that the cats were going out of their way to mess with him over the next few days of filming.
After being hissed at by Yun Chao, Zhou Yan scratched his head. “It’s not just my imagination, is it? What did I even do wrong?”
……
Under Boss Pei’s “harsh interrogation”, it was confirmed that they all belonged to Dan Huang. Given that the deep clean had unearthed a significant stash of snacks, the Boss announced that all of Dan Huang’s snacks were confiscated. Furthermore, it was time for the cat’s weigh-in.
Dan Huang: “…”
Why the public execution?!
He peeked around. Tong Qian was lively every day. His physique was still as elegant and explosive as the day he entered the cafe.
The ethereal Yun Chao, who looked like she barely touched the ground when she walked, was half-fluff. She had no worries about getting fat. Upon hearing about the weigh-in, she simply continued grooming Fondant. Miss Penny had no worries either, as she was busy watching the kittens sleep.
The Tortoiseshell sisters and Song Gao were still growing, so their weight didn’t matter much…
The kittens were ignorant, having no idea what would happen if they were overweight.
Only Yin Zhou quietly sucked in his stomach. Director Bo’s cooking was too good. Since he was never disturbed during meals, he always ended up eating too much.
Dan Huang finally found an ally. He leaned against Yin Zhou with tears in his eyes—a round, orange butterball and a squat, silver butterball huddling together, their fluffy backs looking quite desolate.
Pei Shiyi sent Bo Jin to get the scale, then asked with a long, drawling laugh, “What are you two so guilty about, hmm?”
The cats all turned their gaze toward Dan Huang and Yin Zhou. Yep, confirmed. Only these two feel guilty.
Bo Jin set down the scale. Yin Zhou, seeing this device for the first time, silently shrunk back and hid behind the Manager, peeking out with only his pale gold eyes.
Tong Qian gloated, “The Manager can actually hide Yin Zhou completely. Is the Manager too fat, or is Yin Zhou just not that fat yet?”
Dan Huang and Yin Zhou turned in unison to glare at Tong Qian.
Pei Shiyi asked, “Who’s first?”
Yun Chao walked over and sat regally on the scale. The other cats craned their necks to see the numbers. Pei Shiyi sighed, “My goddess, you’ve only gained 100 grams.”
There was no escaping the scale. One by one, they were weighed. When the chart was compiled, the heaviest was indeed Dan Huang. By virtue of his “Big Orange” genes, the Manager led the cafe’s large breeds by over half a kilogram—17.6 catties (8.8kg). A truly substantial cat.
Song Gao and the others weren’t technically cats, so their weight wasn’t judged by feline standards.
However, the one who had gained the most weight proportionally wasn’t Yin Zhou, but Xiao Man.
Yes, the little orange girl.
Pei Shiyi picked up Xiao Man, waited for the scale to tare, and placed the kitten back on. “Sweetheart, how did you gain so much in just a few months?”
Xiao Man was different from Dan Huang. Dan Huang had a large frame and could afford to put on some weight. But Xiao Man’s current weight definitely needed to be managed.
Xiao Man looked innocent. Held up before Pei Shiyi’s face, she reached out her tender little tongue and licked the tip of his nose.
She smelled like canned food.
Pei Shiyi was incredulous. “Which one of you gave her extra meals?”
The cats looked at each other. Dan Huang, still sucking in his stomach, said, “Even though I give the kittens extra, I give them all the same amount. If one gets fat, they should all get fat.”
Bo Jin added, “Feeding her this much isn’t good for her health.”
Pei Shiyi continued, “Xiao Man has a small frame. She can’t grow like Dan Huang. She definitely needs to lose weight.”
Under the gaze of the two adults, Meng Xia, the curl-eared kitten, walked out with his head hanging low. “Meow.”
I… I gave her a lot of snacks.
Pei Shiyi: “…”
He looked at Meng Xia, then at Xiao Man, and said with gravity, “Sweetheart, even if she’s your ‘child bride’, you can’t raise her like this.”
Tong Qian: “Ooh-la-la~”
……
After shooing the “fur-kids” away, Pei Shiyi said, “Luckily, only Xiao Man is overweight. I really need to manage these kids. That idiot Tong Qian is still making a fuss, yet he’s not even as good at ‘flirting’ as a seven-month-old kitten.”
Bo Jin pushed the scale in front of Pei Shiyi.
Pei Shiyi: “Hmm?”
Bo Jin said in a low voice, “Shouldn’t the Boss lead by example and weigh himself?”
Pei Shiyi, lazily planning the kittens’ weight-loss program, said offhandedly, “This Phoenix is as elegant as a jade tree and as dashing as a spring breeze. I charm every girl wherever I go, and my style is even better than in the old days. How could I possibly be fat?”
Bo Jin didn’t say a word. He just looked Pei Shiyi up and down, inch by inch, as if he were mentally weighing the bird. In truth, he didn’t care how much Pei Shiyi weighed. He just wanted to see what a phoenix the size of an armful would look like standing on a scale.
Pei Shiyi felt a chill from the gaze. Finishing the last stroke of his weight-loss plan, he suddenly reached out and shoved Bo Jin onto the scale, laughing. “Go weigh yourself!”
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.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1