Hiding under a small square table with a long lace tablecloth draped over it. Those little rascals sure knew how to pick a spot. It was close to a pillar, the space wasn’t large, and there was no one around. A perfect “lawless” hideout.
Pei Shiyi emerged from behind the pillar. Meng Xia, who was keeping watch, spotted him immediately. He was about to alert his companions under the table.
Pei Shiyi raised an eyebrow, feeling that his authority as the head of the household needed defending. How dare they try to tip each other off right in front of him?
Meng Xia’s eyes widened as he suddenly realized he could neither make a sound nor move.
Meng Xia: QAQ I’m sorry, Xiao Man.
Pei Shiyi lifted the hanging tablecloth and said with a smile, “How’s the new flavor of nutrient paste?”
Sui Shou: !
Xiao Man: !
The two fluffy little ones were so frightened they scrambled around under the table. Pei Shiyi said, “Come out.”
Sui Shou bravely puffed out his little chest, shielding his sister, and stepped out from under the low table first. He sat down in front of Pei Shiyi, hanging his head in apology.
Xiao Man was also a responsible little girl and bravely stepped in front of her brother: It was me! I wanted to eat it!
Pei Shiyi bent down and retrieved the nutrient paste from under the table. He took one look at the packaging and laughed in exasperation. He never bought this flavor, so it must have been Bo Jin who bought it.
The three little troublemakers sat in front of Pei Shiyi, tails curled around their paws, all hanging their heads, looking utterly pitiful.
They appeared to be apologizing, but Xiao Man kept sneaking glances at him. This little thing was clever and mischievous, always causing trouble.
Pei Shiyi held the nutrient paste that had only been nibbled a few times and gritted his teeth, saying, “You three really have both courage and strategy. Is there anything else?”
Xiao Man tried to play dumb, rubbing her forehead against the back of Pei Shiyi’s hand to act cute. Pei Shiyi mercilessly pushed her back: “Resistance leads to severity, confession leads to leniency. Spill it.”
Xiao Man flopped over from his push, rolling onto her back and exposing her little belly to Pei Shiyi.
Xiao Man was a yellow tabby cat, a color also known as “golden silk tiger”. In theory, she should have looked quite majestic. But Xiao Man was born sweet and adorable, melting hearts at first glance. She had also mastered the art of acting cute without being taught. Everyone spoiled her.
Spoiled her into a little chubby ball.
Pei Shiyi pinched Xiao Man’s little face: “Look at you. You’re overweight, you know that?”
Taking advantage of Pei Shiyi scolding Xiao Man, Ru Fu, who had been lying on the cat tree, quickly jumped down to find reinforcements. Director Bo, upon hearing about the family dispute, put down his bowl, washed his hands, and followed him out.
Ru Fu was extremely clever. After meowing out the whole story, he quickly pretended to be an innocent cat and wandered off to the side.
Pei Shiyi was in the middle of explaining the dangers of being overweight to the kittens when Bo Jin overheard from behind and couldn’t help shaking his head. Boss Pei had gone from overweight to slightly chubby, and from slightly chubby to outright obese…
Xiao Man trembled in fear. Bo Jin finally couldn’t take it anymore. “It’s normal for kids to be a bit greedy…”
Pei Shiyi flared up at the sight of him: “How dare you say that!”
Bo Jin: ?
Director Bo was a bit confused. What had he done wrong?
Pei Shiyi: “Who told you to open the nutrient paste for them?”
Bo Jin: “I didn’t know it was for Xiao Man.”
Pei Shiyi: “You didn’t even know who it was for, and you still opened it? And what was that you just said?”
Bo Jin understood immediately. Pei Shiyi couldn’t bear to scold the furry kids, so he was taking it out on him instead. He immediately shifted tactics, trying to steer the conversation back to the education of the furry kids: “Actually, changing habits should be done gradually. Xiao Man, she…”
Pei Shiyi wasn’t having any of it. He pointed at Bo Jin and said, “You sit down right now. It’s you who spoils them every day, buying all those messy snacks at home. You two just keep causing trouble for me…”
Bo Jin fell silent for two seconds. He was, after all, a grown man. Being told to sit down and get scolded alongside a bunch of kids, wouldn’t that be utterly humiliating?
Pei Shiyi raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking at?”
Bo Jin silently sat down next to Xiao Man, receiving sympathetic glances from the three little kittens.
Customers drawn over by Boss Pei’s voice laughed so hard they nearly crowed. Did the one human and three cats have to be so perfectly aligned? Who would have thought such a handsome man, the boss’s close friend, could be so flexible?
One guy said, “Remember that meme that went viral online a while back?”
His friend replied, “Huh?”
The guy continued, “The one where the wife is scolding the kids. The husband tries to intervene and ends up kneeling with them?”
His friend glanced over and burst into hysterical laughter. “Holy crap. It’s exactly the same. Hahahahaha!”
…
Time Stands Still was a professional pet photography studio. Its founder was the photographer who had taken the free promotional photos for the cat café. He was a middle-aged man named Wu Zhong, who was smooth and skilled at marketing himself. He followed a similar path to the cat café. While running the physical business, he also devoted part of his energy to managing an online Weibo account. He often posted candid shots paired with professional captions, crafting an image of positivity, warmth, and coziness for the studio.
This attracted a following of pet “parents” and fans interested in photography and who appreciated this lifestyle. It was a major account with one million followers.
Although Wu Zhong himself held some views on pet pedigrees that Boss Pei considered unnecessary, his professional skills were truly impeccable. The rapid growth of his Weibo following was also closely tied to his outstanding photography skills.
Time Stands Still posted a set of photos with the caption: “Single for too long, even a cat starts looking handsome/pretty.”
Anyone interested in cats couldn’t resist clicking on a title like that. And once they opened the high-resolution images, they were captivated by the cats’ beauty—
The first high-res image: A golden shaded cat lay on its back on a wooden tabletop. Its eyes are emerald green, giving the camera a sweet wink.
The second high-res image was a candid shot: An orange tabby ran toward the camera with a small dried fish in its mouth. Its little belly jiggled as it moved.
The third high-res image featured two adult cats. One pure white as snow, the other a sweet-looking Ragdoll. They are sitting on a windowsill. Their fluffy tails intertwined, showing only their fuzzy backs to the camera.
The fourth high-res image: Two identical tortoiseshell cats tugged at a cat teaser as if in a tug-of-war. Since they looked exactly alike, it appeared almost like a mirror image.
The fifth image showed seven little cat heads peeking out from behind a wall, each revealing half their face. From bottom to top: a Maine Coon, a white cat, a calico, a long-haired black-and-white cat, a short-haired black-and-white cat, an orange spotted cat, and at the very top, a wider version of a black-and-white cat.
The sixth picture: A little orange cat and a curled-ear cat are sleeping in their bed, with the curled-ear cat extending its paw to rest on the little orange cat. The cat bed is fluffy, and the cats are fluffy too, making one’s heart melt at the sight.
The seventh large picture: A short-legged silver tabby stands on a low table, while a sleek and agile leopard cat rests its front paws on the table, seemingly sniffing the scent of the short-legged silver tabby.
The eighth large picture: A long-haired Norwegian Forest cat tilts its head, eyes narrowed, with two cats snuggling closely beside it. One is pure black, and the other is black with a white mouth. Beneath the fur, a white cat’s head peeks out.
In total, there are eight portraits, capturing the cats’ beauty in every detail. The lighting is handled with such finesse that it could almost be described as exquisite. Their eyes, like glass or precious jade, reflect the passage of day and night, fully showcasing what it means to have “stars and seas in their eyes”, almost compelling one to fall in love.
Yet what truly captivates the heart is not their beauty, but the undeniable spirit that even a frozen photograph cannot conceal.
Cats are mysterious and spirited creatures. Since ancient times, when technology was underdeveloped and tales of the supernatural abounded, stories of cats and their eerie connections have continuously emerged. Across different versions and eras, the image of cat spirits remains largely consistent, much like fox spirits. They’re elusive yet enchanting.
But this set of photos is different. The photographer seems like a “cat whisperer”, understanding each cat’s personality. Every photo carries a distinct feeling, as if shot and edited by the same person, yet each portrait exudes a unique style.
Warm when it’s warm, silly when it’s silly, sweet when it’s sweet, and heartwarming when it’s heartwarming…
Hmm, it seems something strange has slipped in.
These cats carry their own artistic flair, much like humans with their distinct temperaments. Even those who know nothing about cats can maintain a sense of discernment after viewing so many at once, without succumbing to confusion or face blindness.
Among the comments, there are even fans of both Time Stands Still and Xian Chan Cat Café:
Shang Zhou: AWSL1AWSL is Chinese internet slang for “啊我死了” (ā wǒ sǐ le), which translates to “Ah, I’ve died.” It is used to express that something is so incredibly cute, touching, or amazing that it makes you feel like you are dying from the intensity of the feeling.! I’ve been a longtime fan of Time Stands Still and recently started following Xian Chan. I never expected to see photos of the cats on Time Stands Still today. My favorite photographer captured my beloved cats. My Xian Chan, my darlings, you are just too beautiful! I could love you forever! I beg for a physical edition of the cat café portraits to be sold! I’d buy it in a heartbeat! I’ve been bitter ever since I didn’t win the cushion last time!
Kun the Great: Absolutely stunning, wow! I’m studying photography at university in another city and have been following Time Stands Still for two or three years. I visited Xian Chan once during a holiday and have been dreaming about it ever since. I rely on videos to “cloud-pet” the cats every day. But Xian Chan only updates weekly. It’s never enough! I hate it!
Of course, there are also many who don’t know about Xian Chan and only follow Time Stands Still. Compared to the longtime fans of the cat café, their reactions are much more intense. After all, those who have visited the cat café have seen the cats in person. No matter how beautiful the portraits are, they are still edited and lack the authentic charm of the real cats.
For the fans of Time Stands Still, this set of portraits is truly breathtaking.
Brother Lou: Time Stands Still has always had a recognizable style. But this time, I feel like the cats have taken over. Whose cats are these? They have even more distinctive flair than Time Stands Still’s style.
Below, a row of cat science enthusiasts quickly emerged. Soon after, Xian Chan’s official Weibo account also came to check in, successfully trending and making it to the hot topics. The comments section was flooded with people asking if they could release a physical photo book or print the photos on T-shirts, expressing their willingness to buy.
Before Pei Shiyi even had this idea, Wu Zhong had already taken the initiative, calling Pei Shiyi to discuss whether they should launch a collaboration product between Xian Chan and Time Stands Still—a T-shirt featuring photos from the photo shoot.
Time Stands Still had always meticulously managed its branding, running an online store with its own merchandise, mostly small accessories or clothing featuring the Time Stands Still logo. Because the quality was quite good, fans were more than willing to spend a little money. After all, they could use the items in their daily lives while also supporting their favorite creators. Why not?
Pei Shiyi brushed off Bo Jin’s hand, which had been circling him. After listening to Wu Zhong’s proposal, he grew a bit interested: “That’s a pretty good idea.” He quickly grabbed a pen and paper and began discussing the details back and forth with Wu Zhong.
Bo Jin, left out on the side, tried to make his presence felt again by lightly tracing his fingertip along the back of Pei Shiyi’s hand.
Pei Shiyi felt a tickle on his hand: “…”
Still on the phone with Wu Zhong and unable to speak freely, he tapped Bo Jin’s hand and pointed his pen toward the wall, mouthing the words: “Go stand in the corner and reflect on your actions.”
Bo Jin followed the direction of the pen and saw three fluffy troublemakers from earlier that day squatting in front of the wall, all lowering their heads in perfect unison.
They were being affectionately licked on the tops of their heads by passing adult cats.
Was he really supposed to go stand in the corner and reflect alongside the furry little ones?
Bo Jin decisively dismissed the thought: Impossible. He was the boyfriend. There were other ways to apologize.
Author’s Note:
Director Bo: Gradually losing his authority.
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wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1