ARIOCC Chapter 70

Wei Lan cautiously stepped into the territory of the cat café. This was his first time visiting such a place. It was completely different from what he had imagined. The air carried the sweet aroma of desserts. With one breath, warmth spread from the inside out, filling his heart with a bubbling sense of sweetness. The floor was even cleaner than a typical pet-free home, with not a single cat hair in sight.

Even now, he still felt the situation was a bit surreal. First, he had been stopped by a media outlet and asked questions related to the cat café, and then he was recognized by a girl from the cat café. Fortunately, Boss Pei reacted quickly and had his friend bring Wei Lan to the cat café first.

Bo Jin: “If you’re worried about being recognized, you can go to the third floor.”

Wei Lan: “Thank you.”

As the two turned past the entrance, Dan Huang walked over with his tail held high, sitting down in front of Wei Lan: “Meow?”

Another new customer?

Wei Lan crouched down and tentatively reached out to stroke Dan Huang. The glossy, well-fed cat had fur as soft as satin, radiating a warm body heat. Dan Huang had a pair of amber eyes, gentle and serene in their gaze.

Wei Lan stroked the cat’s head a few times before standing up contentedly.

Looking around, he spotted several cats wandering around the café: the one with the black tail and white body must be Xiao Shu, right? The black-and-white cat was called Qing Ming… and Fondant! The one that just jumped past was Fondant!

Wei Lan felt like staying. But as soon as he entered the cat café, he noticed many people’s eyes falling on him. Or more precisely, on the pillow he was holding.

He remembered. This pillow was a limited edition!

Wei Lan hugged his little pillow tightly and decided it was better to head to the third floor.

Bo Jin bent down and picked up Dan Huang: “Tired? Let’s go upstairs then.”

Without waiting for Dan Huang to respond, he tucked the cat under his arm and led Wei Lan to the third floor.

Dan Huang: Meow meow meow?

He wasn’t tired! He didn’t want to skip work! There were already a few slackers on the third floor. Don’t bring him up there!

Without his boyfriend in his arms, Bo Jin had to find a cat to fill the void.

The third floor was a non-public area. Today, three cats were slacking off: the tortoiseshell sisters and Yun Chao.

As soon as the tortoiseshell cats saw Dan Huang coming up, they guiltily hid behind Yun Chao’s tail. They had just spent the entire afternoon on the third floor yesterday. Now, they were back again. They were definitely going to get scolded.

Yun Chao glanced at Dan Huang and closed her eyes again to bask in the sun.

This big shot always slacked off with confidence and was immune to the nagging of other cats, mainly Dan Huang.

Dan Huang struggled out of Bo Jin’s arms and went to scold the two little troublemakers.

Yun Chao lazily opened her eyes. She glanced over and turned away to continue pretending to sleep: Young ones shouldn’t be spoiled too much. They still need discipline. Otherwise, what if they grow up to be as silly as Tong Qian?

Wei Lan stammered, “Th-this is Yun Chao, right? Even more beautiful than in photos and videos.”

Bo Jin gestured for Wei Lan to sit wherever he liked. Wei Lan immediately chose a spot close to Yun Chao. Bo Jin tried to tuck Yun Chao into his arms, but was met with a fluffy tail smacking him in the face.

The big shot had just been petted by a boy at noon and had no interest in dealing with other men.

Wei Lan: “…”

He silently retracted his already outstretched hand.

As expected, the big shot was just as unfriendly toward male creatures as she appeared in the videos. He glanced over at Dan Huang and the tortoiseshell kittens, who seemed to be engaged in some serious discussion and not to be disturbed.

Mr. Pei’s friend didn’t seem interested in chatting with him either. Wei Lan awkwardly sat on the cushion, spacing out. Fortunately, Dan Huang was truly a little angel and soon waddled over to Wei Lan, plopping down right beside his hand.

Wei Lan quickly picked up Dan Huang. The big, plump cat felt absolutely wonderful in his hands. Wei Lan gradually tucked his fingers under Dan Huang’s belly. The warm, soft sensation instantly soothed the panic he had felt earlier when he was stopped by reporters downstairs.

Wei Lan yawned in the sunlight and slowly closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

He was awakened by a familiar melody. Opening his eyes, Wei Lan realized it was a phone playing his hit song. The volume wasn’t loud. Normally, someone asleep might not even hear it. But Wei Lan, in his poor mental state, still woke up.

The two little tortoiseshells were wiggling their backsides away from him.

These two tortoiseshells had exceptionally beautiful coats.

In fact, they couldn’t be called standard tortoiseshells. Dai Dai and Mao Mao had snow-white paws, while the rest of their bodies were black with golden patterns, like brocade woven with gold.

Those little snow-white paws stepped on the carpet, looking even whiter than the man-made rug.

When the cats jumped, they landed as lightly as if they were weightless, and the plush carpet absorbed every last bit of sound.

The tortoiseshell kittens had slender frames and would never grow into big cats like Dan Huang, but they were incredibly agile and light on their feet. When it came to climbing up and down, they had the potential to become “Little Yin Zhou”.

Ever since they danced to “Wild Wolf Disco” last time, these two little creatures seemed to have unlocked some hidden potential. Occasionally, they would use Dan Huang’s phone to play music and sing along.

Their clear, bright meows followed the rhythm of the music, hitting every beat perfectly, instantly putting Tong Qian’s random yowling to shame.

This song was composed and written by Wei Lan himself, with a light and cheerful melody. The crisp little meows echoed in the small living room. Wei Lan couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile, gently tapping along with the rhythm and humming along.

He had a clear, melodious voice. But due to his cold and frequent coughing, it had taken on a slightly hoarse quality, making it surprisingly gentle.

The floor-to-ceiling window cast a square of light, creating a mini stage on the third floor of the small cat café, offering a peculiar chorus of two cats and one human for three audience members.

When Pei Shiyi came upstairs, this was the scene he witnessed. His boyfriend, with an expressionless face, was watching the two cats and one human, holding a camera in recording mode.

Yun Chao’s snow-white tail gently tapped along with the rhythm, while Dan Huang sat beside Bo Jin, gazing affectionately at the two radiant little tortoiseshells.

Pei Shiyi stood at the top of the stairs, not rushing forward. Only when the song ended did he softly raise his hands and applaud:

“I went out for an interview, and when I came back, I got to hear such an amazing chorus. May I shamelessly ask, was this prepared especially for me?”

Wei Lan’s face flushed bright red. He quickly stood up.

Pei Shiyi walked over to Bo Jin’s side. He was nearly half a head taller than Wei Lan and smiled gently at the embarrassed Wei Lan. “It was an honor to enjoy this performance.”

Then, he leaned down and spoke to Dai Dai and Mao Mao: “That was especially wonderful.”

Dai Dai and Mao Mao puffed out their chests proudly: “Meow!”

Wei Lan quickly waved his hand. “It’s my honor, really!”

It was amazing. Just stepping into the cat café made him feel relaxed. He had been so exhausted lately, yet he had just followed along and sung a song. Though his throat felt uncomfortable, the resentment and grievances that had built up in his heart miraculously melted away after singing. It had been too long since he had sung a song so purely.

A genuine smile, one he hadn’t worn in a long time, spread across his face.

“I’m really happy here. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this happy. I should be thanking Dai Dai and Mao Mao instead.”

He leaned down to pat the two kittens’ heads. “It’s incredible. I feel like they really understand what music is.”

Although he also found it unbelievable that cats could sing, there were quite a few pets online that were filmed singing along. The world was vast and full of wonders. Some cats and dogs could even detect if their owners were ill and remind them.

Wei Lan said sincerely, “They’re so adorable.”

Pei Shiyi smiled. “I think so, too.”

…

Before Wei Lan left, Pei Shiyi asked if he could post the recorded video on Bishui Station. Wei Lan agreed.

After all, he had already been interviewed by online media. If the article or video from that media spread widely enough, his fans would definitely recognize him.

After seeing Wei Lan off, Pei Shiyi picked up the camera and praised his boyfriend. “Well done. I was worried you wouldn’t know what to record.”

Patting his boyfriend’s head, Pei Shiyi reviewed the videos recorded during the day. The melody was beautiful. The gentle flow of the music was like a mountain stream. No wonder the twins loved it so much.

Pei Shiyi searched for the song, clicked “like” on the interface, and added it to his playlist.

After doing this, he realized Bo Jin hadn’t said a word yet.

Pei Shiyi poked Bo Jin. “What’s wrong?”

Bo Jin grabbed Pei Shiyi’s hand, his tone flat and emotionless. “Well, they sing better than I talk anyway.”

Pei Shiyi was amused: So, he’s jealous. No wonder he’s been quiet all this time.

He put down his phone and opened his arms. He hugged Bo Jin. “Then sing one for me. I’m sure you sing better than them.”

Bo Jin didn’t know how to sing, so he just sat there expressionlessly.

Pei Shiyi hugged him and shook him gently. “Director Bo? Sing one for me.”

Bo Jin: “…”

…

Several online media outlets contacted through the Supernatural Management Bureau were already rushing to draft their articles. One editor who had interviewed Wei Lan was reviewing usable image materials.

Originally, he had planned to heavily edit out the photos and videos taken during the opening of the pet boarding shop. The editor knew very well that a pet boarding shop called Xian Chan wouldn’t attract much attention, but a cat café called Xian Chan naturally drew traffic.

The editor quickly filtered through the materials. But his rapidly clicking mouse suddenly stopped, hovering over a video.

He remembered that this person had won a cat café pillow at the time, and he had specifically interviewed them. Now, looking and listening more carefully, he felt this person’s voice and face seemed somewhat familiar.

The editor thought for a while. But the more he thought, the more his mind went blank, unable to recall any relevant information. Scratching his head, he decided to finish the article first.

After hesitating over the video for a moment, he still chose to insert it.

Never mind, never mind. Even though this person’s voice was a bit hoarse, it was still pleasant to listen to, and the upper half of their face looked quite attractive. Any detail that could bring traffic to the article shouldn’t be overlooked!

……

When Zhou Yan received the video footage, he nearly had a heart attack, stammering, “B-b-boss, who did you say just now? Who came to our cat café to record a video?”

Pei Shiyi: “It’s Wei Lan.”

Zhou Yan trembled, “Is it the Wei Lan I’m thinking of? The one who’s super popular and really good at singing lately?”

“That’s the one, that’s the one. Thanks for your hard work. I’ll give you a red envelope this week.”

Pei Shiyi was still busy coaxing his sulky boyfriend, so he hurriedly dealt with Zhou Yan before hanging up.

Zhou Yan, still in a daze, opened his computer. He edited the video in a trance and finally filled in the title: Shocking! Popular Singer Wei Lan Actually Sings “Love for One” in a Duet with Cats!

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