The small portion of meat couldn’t withstand Jian Zhou’s voracious appetite and was quickly devoured.
Pei Shiyi had only finished half of his glass of ice water, the ice cubes melting faster than he could drink. Seeing Jian Zhou finish, he set his glass down as well.
Jian Zhou sheepishly licked his lips and whispered, “…Th-thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Pei Shiyi smiled. “Now, can I ask you a few questions?”
Jian Zhou immediately sat up straight. His tail curled around his paws, and his ears perked high.
Pei Shiyi paused. Noticing his expression as if facing a strict teacher, he deliberately softened his tone: “Is your brother your only family? Have you registered with the Supernatural Management Bureau? Your boarding period has ended, but no one has come to pick you up, and we haven’t been able to reach your brother for now.”
Jian Zhou quickly straightened up: “I only have my brother, his name is Yuan Jing. My parents are no longer here, and I am registered with the Supernatural Management Bureau. My brother said he would come to get me once he’s finished with his busy schedule. Is it really impossible to reach him?”
Pei Shiyi replied, “His phone is unreachable. We’ve tried other contact methods as well. Do you know where your brother went?”
Jian Zhou shook his head blankly: “He didn’t tell me. He just told me to behave like a cat at the boarding shop.”
Pei Shiyi frowned briefly, then gently stroked Jian Zhou’s fur: “Then, until your brother comes, would it be okay for you to stay here? Being at the boarding shop might make the other cats a bit uneasy. Here, there are other friends you can talk to.”
Jian Zhou was a supernatural being. Although he had a concealment spell on him, his animal instincts still made the other fostered cats feel nervous.
Knowing he was currently staying here for free, Jian Zhou naturally had no objections to Pei Shiyi’s arrangements and nodded in agreement.
…
When Bo Jin returned from work to the cat café, a passing waitress covered her mouth and giggled: “The boss is in the kitchen.”
Bo Jin nodded. He took off his thick black wool coat and casually tossed it onto the round cushion by the floor-to-ceiling window. Xia Zhi, who had been in the corner, immediately rushed over. She was a small black furball herself. Upon landing successfully, she perfectly disappeared into the coat.
Xia Zhi was quite pleased with her perfect camouflage and sprawled out on the coat, exposing her little belly.
Bo Jin thought for a moment before walking over and folding the coat’s sleeve over Xia Zhi’s belly. Xia Zhi opened her dark green eyes and let out a soft meow.
Her voice was sweet and gentle, tinged with a hint of drowsiness.
The little clingy ones at the cat café were always experts at acting cute.
Bo Jin: “Sleep for a while.”
Xia Zhi purred twice and soon fell asleep in the comforting scent.
Bo Jin then walked into the kitchen.
His particularly precious phoenix was directing a sponge to wash dishes.
Well, directing.
Bo Jin glanced at the sponge scrubbing cat bowls under the faucet, then at Pei Shiyi’s serious expression. He couldn’t help but shake his head.
Most males of the winged clans were dexterous, especially the phoenixes, known for their virtue and elegance. It wasn’t surprising that they excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, and tea. A few days ago, he even went to learn to knit. Bo Jin had no idea what he was thinking. However, they also had their quirks, with cleanliness likely being the most common. They had little interest in household chores and would avoid doing them themselves whenever possible.
Bo Jin walked over. He took the foam-covered cat bowl and sponge and rinsed them clean in a few quick motions: “Is this bowl new?”
The cat café’s small bowls each had the cat’s own portrait on them, but this one didn’t.
Bo Jin wiped dry the cat bowls and opened the refrigerator to prepare dinner for the cats. “Did someone break a bowl?”
Pei Shiyi walked over, trying to take the fish out of the fridge, only for Bo Jin to grab his wrist and pull him back. Pei Shiyi switched hands and reached into the refrigerator again, lazily saying, “A little cat came to stay temporarily.”
Pei Shiyi briefly explained Jian Zhou’s situation and added, “His older brother is also a cat demon from Jianzhou. He hasn’t been reachable for days. You should go to the Supernatural Management Bureau tomorrow to check it out. It’s not a small matter for a demon to disappear without reason.”
But Bo Jin kept frowning, holding his wrist, seemingly lost in thought. He probably hadn’t heard much of what Pei Shiyi just said.
Bo Jin: “Why is it so hot?”
The skin and bones in his palm were scorching. Even holding it felt uncomfortable, let alone how Pei Shiyi himself must feel.
Bo Jin didn’t dare to move him recklessly. Although he wasn’t aligned with water, his spiritual power was fierce and sharp, not gentle at all. It is great for fighting, but useless for healing.
Bo Jin could only press Pei Shiyi’s hand against his own cheek. “Are you uncomfortable? Did something go wrong with your cultivation recently? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Pei Shiyi’s palm rested against the slightly cool cheek. He narrowed his eyes gently, his tone unusually soft. “I don’t know. I’ve always felt hot. Lately, it’s been especially intense, as if…”
There’s a fire burning inside.
Pei Shiyi blinked quickly, soothingly rubbing Bo Jin’s cheek with his fingertips. “It’s fine. I’ll adjust and be okay.”
Bo Jin frowned and looked at him for a moment. “I’ll cook dinner and then go back.”
Pei Shiyi hummed in agreement and continued to cause chaos in the kitchen.
…
When dinner was served, Pei Shiyi specifically asked Jian Zhou whether he wanted to eat alone or with the other cats.
Jian Zhou was a very well-mannered cat and felt it wouldn’t be right for everyone to eat together while he ate alone. Suppressing his nervousness, he said he wanted to go downstairs and eat with the others.
Pei Shiyi shook his head and smiled.
Although the cats in the cat café had awakened their spiritual intelligence and were gradually shedding some of their feline habits, expecting them to follow human “etiquette” was wishful thinking.
Compared to demons, Jian Zhou’s way of thinking was more human-like. He was also quite independent, refusing Pei Shiyi’s offer to carry him and insisting on going downstairs by himself.
Pei Shiyi had no choice but to watch him hop down the stairs step by step, following the aroma to the “dining hall” on the first floor.
Jian Zhou suddenly stopped in his tracks: !
There were so many big cats!
Instinctively, Jian Zhou turned to look for Pei Shiyi, who gave him an encouraging smile. Summoning his courage, Jian Zhou stepped forward. As soon as he entered the circle of cats, he received the undivided attention of all the felines.
Fondant leaned close to Yun Chao’s ear and meowed, quickly introducing little Jian Zhou.
Yun Chao glanced at him, licked Fondant, and urged her to finish her meal.
Dan Huang, the shop manager, had been informed about Jian Zhou beforehand and explained to the other cats that Jian Zhou would be staying at the café temporarily.
The twins were the most curious, especially about Jian Zhou’s ears. They approached him.
Jian Zhou resisted the urge to puff up his fur. They were two big cats he couldn’t possibly defeat!
Jian Zhou had awakened his spiritual intelligence at birth, grew exceptionally slowly, and didn’t eat as well as Tortoiseshell, making him noticeably smaller.
Dai Dai leaned in to sniff him. “Meow—”
Your ears are so pretty.
Mao Mao was more direct. “Meow!”
So cool! Boss, I want ears like that, too!
Pei Shiyi: “…”
Such a tiny kitten already knows about cosmetic surgery? How truly…
Jian Zhou’s ears flushed red from the praise.
Pei Shiyi patted each head in turn. “Go eat now. No more mischief.”
He stood up, subtly bracing himself against the table.
Only then did Jian Zhou escape the overly enthusiastic twins and make his way to his own small bowl to eat. The cat café served excellent meals. It was pure meat, cooked to a mouthwatering aroma.
The cats’ mealtime was always one of the café’s “iconic scenes”. After all, there were over twenty cats eating together. If you wanted to see all twenty-one cats at once, lunch and dinner were the best opportunities.
Regulars often fought for reservations during these times or timed their visits precisely.
But today, they noticed an unfamiliar little cutie.
“I counted, and it seems like there are twenty-two. Did I miscount?”
“There’s an extra tabby. We never had a tabby at Xian Chan before. I’ve been regretting it for a long time.”
“That new little kitten seems to have four ears! Is it a domestic shorthair? Or some rare breed?”
Pei Shiyi turned to the curious customers with a smile. “It’s a Jianzhou cat. This breed has unique ears. From a distance, they look like four ears, but in reality, it’s just the structure of their ears that differs from other cats.”
He briefly introduced the origins and some legends about Jianzhou cats, eliciting a chorus of understanding “ohs” from the customers.
While Pei Shiyi spoke, the cats had already finished their meals.
Tong Qian, ever the busybody, insisted on squeezing past Yin Zhou to observe Jian Zhou, while Dai Dai and Mao Mao, having finished eating, trotted over as well. Four large cats crouched beside Jian Zhou, three of them craning their necks to watch him eat.
Jian Zhou: …
The customers: “Hahahaha.”
…
By the time Bo Jin returned, the cat café had already closed for the day.
Pei Shiyi had taken a shower and, unusually, wasn’t in the bedroom but was resting by the floor-to-ceiling window on the third floor, facing the street. Bathed in the neon lights outside, his eyes were closed, and his brow was slightly furrowed.
Bo Jin reached out to touch him. He seemed even hotter than before he left. Pei Shiyi appeared to be truly asleep. Even when his face was touched, he didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he leaned toward Bo Jin.
Bo Jin quickly sat down, just as Pei Shiyi tilted into his arms.
Pei Shiyi pressed his forehead against Bo Jin’s neck, breathing rapidly, drawing a hint of coolness from him.
For a moment, Pei Shiyi almost thought it wasn’t blood flowing through his veins but scalding magma, as if he were about to burn from the inside out into a brilliant blaze. Sensing a cool presence nearby, he struggled briefly before quickly surrendering to the familiar scent, nestling in contentedly.
Bo Jin took out a bluish-black scale from his pocket. After holding it for a moment, it shrank into a bluish-black bead the size of a soybean.
He tapped the bead with his fingertip, piercing a fine hole through it. From the sewing box under the cabinet, he casually picked out a piece of red thread, strung the bead onto it, and tied it around Pei Shiyi’s wrist.
The protective scale from the heart of a Zhulong quickly alleviated Pei Shiyi’s fever. As Pei Shiyi regained his senses, he murmured groggily, “You’re back?”
Bo Jin gently pressed Pei Shiyi against the cabinet, his voice tinged with anxiety. “What’s really going on with you?” His spiritual energy circled cautiously around Pei Shiyi, not daring to probe inward for fear of disturbing the now-calm energy within him.
Pei Shiyi was terribly thirsty, his voice hoarse as he replied, “It’s really nothing.”
Bo Jin said, “How could it be nothing? Do you think I’m…”
Pei Shiyi leaned into his embrace with a laugh. “Maybe it’s a good thing?”
Bo Jin’s jaw tightened, gritting his teeth. “You’re burning up like this. If it were someone with weaker cultivation, their own spiritual energy could boil them into a stew. And you’re telling me it’s a good thing?”
Only when curled up in his arms did he realize how thin this body truly was.
From the first time he met Pei Shiyi, he had always thought him slender. But his striking presence overshadowed any hint of frailty, making him appear far less sickly than Bo Jin.
Bo Jin had always assumed Pei Shiyi favored the sickly look, which was why he had crafted such a human form for himself. Now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.
Just as Pei Shiyi was about to speak, his phone, left aside, suddenly rang.
Pei Shiyi kissed Bo Jin’s neck before picking up the phone and answering, “Hello?”
“Boss, it’s me, Xu Tuzhi.”
His voice trembled: “W-we found a cat demon, badly injured. I think it’s on the verge of dying. Can you contact the Supernatural Management Bureau?”
Pei Shiyi frowned. “Bring it to the cat café first. Both Director Bo and I are here.”
He hung up and tried to stand, but Bo Jin wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him.
Pei Shiyi was stunned. “What are you doing?”
The little ones were right in the bedroom, separated from them by just a door. If they saw him like this, a grown man being carried, wouldn’t he lose all dignity?
Bo Jin: “Carrying you downstairs.”
Pei Shiyi protested, “I can walk!”
Bo Jin: “You’d better not speak right now.”
Pei Shiyi: “…”
Xu Tuzhi arrived quickly. Not long after the two went downstairs, he arrived with Dang Kang from the farm.
Dang Kang was a tall man with handsome features. He’s exceptionally quiet. When he stood before Pei Shiyi and Bo Jin, he merely bowed slightly as a gesture of respect.
In his arms, he held a bundle of clothes wrapped around a large tabby cat. The cat was covered in wounds, but no fresh blood flowed. It had frozen within the injuries, a layer of red ice crusted over its fur, making one wonder if its insides had already turned to ice. Fortunately, demons possessed remarkable vitality. Its belly still rose and fell faintly, though its spiritual energy was rapidly dissipating.
It seemed on the brink of death.
Pei Shiyi gestured for Dang Kang to place the cat before him. As soon as he touched it, the warmth from his fingertips was swallowed by the chilling cold emanating from the cat demon.
Xu Tuzhi explained, “It seems to have come from the deep mountains behind the farm. It crawled into the farm and then collapsed. Luckily, I have sharp ears and heard the commotion, or it would have been a disaster.”
Dang Kang murmured softly, “The injuries are too severe. We couldn’t save it, so we had to trouble the Director.”
Bo Jin leaned down and sniffed lightly, frowning. “These aren’t wounds from a fight. There’s no spiritual energy from a living creature on them.”
Pei Shiyi gently stroked the tabby cat’s head, his spiritual energy slowly flowing into its body, first protecting its internal organs from within and expelling the invading cold. As he did so, he remarked casually, “They were cut by extreme cold energy. It’s not a big deal. As long as there’s a breath left, it can be saved. Once it recovers, it’ll be fine.”
Bo Jin stayed close to Pei Shiyi, worried that the flow of spiritual energy might harm him. However, as the cold energy dissipated from the cat demon, Pei Shiyi’s own temperature also dropped.
Xu Tuzhi’s eyes widened. This wasn’t a big deal?
He glanced at Pei Shiyi. This deity of unknown origin wore a calm expression, but his gaze as he looked down was exceptionally gentle.
Bo Jin asked, “You said earlier, where did it come from?”
Xu Tuzhi: “It’s from the back mountain.”
Pei Shiyi lowered his gaze.
Bo Jin, however, furrowed his brows tightly and repeated, “The back mountain of the farm—Chunshou Mountain on the outskirts of Yuchuan City?”
Xu Tuzhi stammered, “I-Is there something wrong? That place has always been rich in spiritual energy. Our farm was specifically chosen for Chunshou Mountain.”
Bo Jin glanced at him but said nothing, shifting his gaze instead to Pei Shiyi.
The other little demons might not know, but Bo Jin, as a divine guardian of this realm, was well aware. Chunshou Mountain was the entrance to another world, the Four Directions. Over two hundred years ago, the entrance suddenly closed, and the divine guardian of the Four Directions, the phoenix, vanished without a trace.
If he remembered correctly, Pei Shiyi’s registered original address with the Supernatural Management Bureau was none other than Chunshou Mountain.
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wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1