Gao Yan returned to her dorm after class and, as usual, went to check Weibo. As soon as she opened the app, she was notified of a private message. Puzzled, she tapped on it and then let out a shriek!
“Ahhh—I won!”
Her roommate was startled. “Won what?”
Gao Yan clutched her phone. “I won the cat café’s pillow! Ahhh, this is the first time I’ve ever won anything in my life!”
As she spoke, she quickly typed out her address and contact information to send to the official Xian Chan account. Then, she frantically scrolled through her phone to find pictures of the pillow from before.
Her roommate leaned over curiously. “Is it from that giveaway you shared and asked for likes on the other day? You really won?”
The roommate knew Gao Yan loved cats deeply. She was always “cloud petting” cats online. A few days ago, she had suddenly joined a giveaway, asking for likes and comments all over her social media circles. Gao Yan wasn’t usually the type to ask for favors, so when she suddenly got involved in such an activity, her friends naturally gave her face and liked her posts.
Gao Yan said, “Yes, that’s the one! I won! I just don’t know which cat’s pillow it is. The owner said they’d send them randomly.” Honestly, any cat’s pillow would be fine, but she really wanted Song Gao’s! Song Gao, the little angel, wuwu.
Her roommate said enviously, “That’s great! Remember to show me when it arrives. I really like that pillow, too.”
Like Gao Yan’s roommate, many people had clicked on the giveaway links shared by friends or family. Before they could even find their friend’s comment, they were captivated by the cat café’s official high-quality images. The giveaway post featured a group photo of all the cats in the café. Over twenty cats sat in front of the camera, with the bigger ones in the back and the smaller ones in the front, arranged like a graduation photo. The hierarchy of sizes and heights was so clear it was almost overwhelming, leaving viewers unsure which cat to focus on first.
Most of those who had the time to spare for liking the post weren’t in a hurry. So after giving their likes, they eagerly browsed the official Xian Chan account. Xian Chan’s Weibo also reposted videos from Bishui Station, though with a one-day delay. By the time of the giveaway, all the videos had been uploaded, and the view counts were quite impressive.
These videos were easily searchable on Bishui Station as “iconic moments”. The quality of the videos themselves was so high that viewers couldn’t stop watching. Once they finished all the videos, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss.
Ahhh, they hadn’t had enough cat time!
So, those who had initially only liked the post quietly followed the Weibo account, falling for this subtle cat café promotion.
With just one Weibo giveaway, the cat café successfully made waves again within the fans’ social circles, gaining a considerable number of new followers for its Weibo account.
Two days later, Gao Yan’s pillow arrived. She was notified to pick up the package.
Her close roommate accompanied her to get the delivery. The two of them opened it on the way back. The packaging was secure, but the girls were experts at tearing open packages with their bare hands. Together, their efficiency doubled, and they quickly opened the box.
Gao Yan exclaimed excitedly, “It really is Song Gao’s!”
The light yellow pillow was sealed in a plastic bag. The chibi-style face was remarkably lifelike, perfectly capturing Song Gao’s calm, steady aura. It was just the right size to hug. If she sat down, she could even rest her chin on the top of the pillow.
Her roommate touched it through the plastic bag. “It looks great! Almost exactly like the sample picture. The material is really nice. You hit the jackpot!”
Gao Yan tossed the plastic bag aside. The pillow felt soft and springy to the touch. She brought it close to her nose and took a deep breath. It really had Song Gao’s scent, a sweet, milky fragrance.
“Feel it. It’s super comfortable!”
Her roommate pinched the pillow’s little paw and said enviously, “I want one, too! Does his shop sell these pillows?”
Though she wasn’t a pillow enthusiast, the quality of this shop’s pillows was simply too good to resist!
Gao Yan replied cheerfully, “Not sure about that. For now, they’re not selling them.”
She took out her phone and snapped several photos of the pillow. After some editing, she posted them on her social media.
Zhu Yan: The prize pillow I won has arrived! Going absolutely crazy for Xian Chan!
#PhotosAttached#
…
As the shipped pillows were gradually delivered, most winners shared photos of themselves with their new pillows.
Fans who hadn’t won the giveaway grew even more eager after seeing the shared pictures. They flocked to the official page, pleading for the shop to start selling the pillows. Since they couldn’t win them, they were ready to buy!
Especially the Yin Zhou pillow design. Since this little treasure was already long and slender, the resulting pillow ended up with short arms and legs. Many fans expressed hope for an extended version of Yin Zhou, something they could cuddle with while sleeping.
When Pei Shiyi came across this comment, Yin Zhou was nestled in his arms. The kitten’s tiny paws clung to Pei Shiyi’s arm as he listened to his owner’s soft laughter, pressing his little head against the faintly vibrating chest. Yin Zhou looked up and mewed, “Meow?”
Pei Shiyi kissed his forehead. “Someone said you’re adorable.”
Yin Zhou covered his face with his fluffy tail and nuzzled against Pei Shiyi’s hand.
A customer noticed Pei Shiyi with Yin Zhou and couldn’t resist approaching to join in teasing the kitten.
Pei Shiyi smiled slightly and released Yin Zhou, letting him interact with the customers on his own.
…
After several months of video content on Bishui Station, the cat café had amassed over 500,000 followers, making it the fastest-growing channel across all categories on the platform in the first half of the year. An account like this was already a considerable asset in itself.
The cats’ popularity was equally astonishing. Zhou Yan was a marketing genius. He knew how to capture and amplify each cat’s unique personality: the aloof Yun Chao who doted on female customers, the ever-nurturing shop manager Dan Huang, the hilariously unaware antics of Tong Qian, the sweet and charming Princess Fondant, and the eighteen different ways the utterly adorable Song Gao knew how to act cute. Each of the twelve kittens featured collectively in the videos had their own distinct charm. Even those like Miss Penny, Tortoiseshell sisters, and Yin Zhou, who hadn’t yet gotten their own dedicated videos, were never confused by the fans.
Each one was so uniquely special. Casual viewers would swoon over the group photos of fluffy cuteness, while the devoted “cloud parents” could recite every detail about their favorites. They loved them all, understood them all, and longed to learn even more.
The potential of Xian Chan’s Bishui Station account wasn’t just evident to fans and the platform itself. Many businesses had taken notice as well.
Over the past month, Zhou Yan had received several offers for promotional videos, but Pei Shiyi had turned them all down. Most were for cat food promotions. The cats at the café treated commercial cat food as occasional snacks. Their main diet consisted of freshly prepared cat meals made by Director Bo. Promoting cat food would essentially be false advertising.
Surprisingly, however, Happy Pets once again extended an olive branch for collaboration.
This time, it was a collaboration, not just a promotion. The previous bath set they had promoted for the cat café belonged to Happy Pets’ Tianzifei series, named “Four Seasons Flying Silk”, which was a bit of a mouthful.
Now, Four Seasons Flying Silk was getting a packaging refresh. The Tianzifei series hoped to feature the cats from the cat café on the new packaging and also film a promotional video for the brand.
Since its founding, Happy Pets has produced over thirty types of pet care products, yet its packaging has never featured any animals. This decision marks a new attempt for the brand. For this breakthrough, the company showed great sincerity and commitment, surprising even Zhou Yan that such a well-known brand could be so humble.
“They said the shoot will be in Yuchuan itself, and they’ll do their best to choose a location closest to the cat café. They’ve also offered us many discounts…”
Zhou Yan read out the various benefits provided by the brand from his phone, then paused and said, “My goodness, are they crazy or just desperate to sell? Do they really have to… lower themselves like this?”
But somehow, it felt endearing.
Pei Shiyi listened while grinding coffee beans brought by Bo Jin, releasing a rich, bitter aroma. Smiling in the fragrance, he said, “What’s wrong with that? Being able to humble oneself and still stand tall, that’s true grace.”
Bo Jin leaned over to take a sniff. “It smells pretty good.”
Pei Shiyi had been grinding for quite a while. He pushed the grinder away. “Alright, it’s done. You’ve gotten so spoiled you dare to order me around now.”
“You order me around when I cook, don’t you?”
Bo Jin poured the ground coffee into a small jar he’d brought.
Pei Shiyi couldn’t be bothered to argue. Leaning on the counter, he smiled and asked Zhou Yan, “With so many benefits, there must be conditions. Did they mention any requirements?”
Zhou Yan quickly scrolled through his phone. “Yes, yes. They want several cats from the cat café to participate, specifically naming Yun Chao, Fondant, and Miss Penny for photos. But they hope all the cats can appear in the promotional video. There will also be dogs in the shoot, meaning we’ll be collaborating with dogs.”
“No wonder,” Pei Shiyi said. “Let’s take it. It sounds great. The cats haven’t gone out for a stroll in a while.”
Zhou Yan cheered. “That’s fantastic! I’ll let them know right away. Boss, I feel like our cat café is really something now.” After all, these would be the cats featured on the brand’s packaging. Their images would travel into countless households with the products.
Pei Shiyi simply smiled.
Engaging with a brand was no simple matter. There were many details to negotiate, all of which Pei Shiyi had discussed extensively with the brand before finalizing.
The shoot was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at a studio, a fifteen-minute drive from the cat café.
Pei Shiyi took three cats with him in a taxi.
These three furballs were all large cats, requiring three pet carriers to bring them along. Although the ladies didn’t mind staying in carriers, the cat café simply didn’t have three large ones available.
Pei Shiyi stood in the storage room. “Maybe I should buy two more tomorrow.”
Bo Jin was trying to tuck Fondant into his arms, but got hissed at by Yun Chao, who was grooming Fondant. He then picked up Tong Qian, who was gleefully watching. “I’ll drive over on Wednesday.”
Tong Qian: “…” What did I do wrong this time? Boss, you really need to draw a line with your favoritism!
Pei Shiyi’s attention shifted to the car. “You have a car?”
Bo Jin nodded. The Supernatural Management Bureau operated under the guise of the Zhangwei Group. But it wasn’t entirely a front. They did have some small businesses on the side.
Pei Shiyi thought for a moment, then took Miss Penny’s furry paw and kissed it gently. “That’s good. Our little fairy won’t have to squeeze into a small carrier.”
Miss Penny said softly, “Even a carrier would be fine. You’re being too careful.”
Pei Shiyi smiled warmly.
On Wednesday, Pei Shiyi left the cat café with the three little fairies, waiting for Bo Jin in a nearby parking lot. He held Fondant in his arms while Yun Chao and Miss Penny sat quietly beside him.
Fondant, who hadn’t been out in a while, was a bit nervous around the crowd and snuggled into Pei Shiyi’s embrace, her sea-blue eyes cautiously observing the surroundings.
A man with three cats was quite an eye-catching sight. Pei Shiyi hadn’t been standing there for more than three minutes before several people came over to strike up a conversation.
Not long after, a sleek black car quietly pulled up and stopped beside Pei Shiyi.
The window rolled down, revealing Bo Jin’s face. “Get in.”
Pei Shiyi apologized to the two girls. “Sorry, my friend is here to pick me up.”
The girls glanced at him, then at Bo Jin, and suddenly covered their mouths, giggling. “Alright, alright, we won’t disturb you two. Handsome, we’ll definitely visit the cat café!”
Pei Shiyi didn’t understand why they were laughing. He opened the car door and ushered the little fairies inside.
Bo Jin glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Do you plan on getting a driver’s license?”
“No rush,” Pei Shiyi said, extending a hand for the nervous Fondant to cling to. “I haven’t bought a car yet anyway.”
“If you want to learn, I can help you sign up for classes directly.”
Bo Jin turned the steering wheel, and the car smoothly exited the parking lot, merging into the traffic.
Pei Shiyi leaned forward, resting his arms on the back of the passenger seat, watching Bo Jin intently. “Why are you so concerned about everything?”
Bo Jin couldn’t help but glance back at him before quickly returning his attention to the road. “On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t get a license.”
“Huh?”
Bo Jin said, “You distract the driver when you’re a passenger. If you were driving, would you harass the passengers instead?”
Pei Shiyi leaned back into his seat. “Don’t make me sound like a troublemaker, alright? Of course, if my loved one were in the car, that would be a different story.”
Bo Jin thought to himself: What a principled troublemaker.
The three fluffy ones in the back seat: “…”
Fondant hugged Yun Chao tightly, confused. “Meow meow meow?”
But right now, the boss is distracting Mr. Bo. Does that mean Mr. Bo equals the boss’s loved one?
Author’s Note:
Eleven: I dug my own hole and jumped right in.
Among cat food, cat snacks, and bath products, I chose bath products as the sponsor… Feels more reasonable, I guess? But this is a novel, so don’t compare it to reality, mwah!
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Meow meow On TPH Chapter 26.1