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Weekend chapter: 3/10
The large round cushion by the floor-to-ceiling window of the cat café had been replaced with a single soft pad, just spacious enough for the big cat weighing over ten pounds.
The cushion was fluffy, and so was the cat.
Within the snow-white belly lay a snow-white egg.
Now, a tiny crack had appeared on the eggshell. Whether it was caused by the big orange cat pressing on it or… was it about to hatch?
Soon after, a strong tapping sound came from inside the egg. Neither humans nor cats could see through the crack to check on the chick inside. They could only gauge its condition by the sound.
However, the eggshell was too hard for the chick, so even with the crack, it couldn’t break free from the shell’s confinement in a short time.
But it was indeed about to hatch!
They had just come to pet the cats as usual, yet they had the chance to witness the birth of new life firsthand. How lucky!
Chen Yingying quickly took out her phone and switched to recording mode, joining the other customers in nervously watching the bird’s egg. Chen Yingying’s boyfriend loved birds dearly. This was his first time seeing a chick hatch in person. He couldn’t help but lean in closer.
Dan Huang was frantic with worry. The usually gentle café manager’s fur bristled slightly at the back of his neck. He nearly hissed at the intruder but managed to restrain himself.
Chen Yingying quickly swatted her boyfriend’s hand away.
Perhaps startled, the tapping sound from inside the egg suddenly stopped. Dan Huang cautiously nuzzled the eggshell, wanting to call Pei Shiyi over to take a look but afraid to leave the hatching phoenix under everyone’s watchful eyes.
Fortunately, Pei Shiyi sensed the fluctuating spiritual energy and had already walked over.
Dan Huang: “Meow meow!”
Boss! Why is there no movement inside the egg?
Pei Shiyi glanced at it and said nonchalantly, “It’s just tired from tapping and taking a break.”
Phoenix eggshells were extremely sturdy. Hatching could take several hours. When tired, the chick would rest inside, regaining its strength before slowly tapping again.
Pei Shiyi had been the same. When he was born, he was even weaker, waking and sleeping inside the eggshell for a whole day before finally hatching.
Dan Huang anxiously hooked Pei Shiyi’s pant leg with his paw: “Meow.”
Boss, don’t leave.
Pei Shiyi had no choice but to grab a cushion and sit down beside Dan Huang: “Alright, alright, I won’t leave.”
Since winter had arrived, small cushions had been tied to the café’s stools, regularly washed and replaced to prevent the cold seats from deterring customers.
Pei Shiyi propped his chin on his hand and stared at the egg along with the surrounding customers. Unlike him, the onlookers were far from calm, aiming their phones at the egg and the cat, holding their breath.
Layers of customers surrounded the small cushion.
Finally, after a few minutes, the tapping sound from inside the egg resumed.
Tap, tap, tap.
The “chick” inside pecked vigorously. Soon, a small piece of eggshell fell onto the cushion. The original crack widened into a tiny hole, and a pink beak flashed briefly before retreating into the eggshell.
The beak was a pale pink. As it pierced through the white eggshell, it looked like a faintly colored flower, blooming for an instant before disappearing.
The crowd let out sounds of disappointment.
Pei Shiyi idly played with the dark green-black beads on his wrist. He still didn’t know who was inside the egg because, aside from the phoenix egg, he hadn’t used his spiritual energy to probe the others. What if it was a girl? Wouldn’t that be too disrespectful?
However, the one inside this egg clearly wasn’t the type to dawdle. After gathering a bit of strength, it continued its efforts to break free, pecking along the crack with crisp crack sounds, the fissure in the eggshell growing larger and larger.
At the smaller end of the egg, a smooth crack was formed by the bird’s beak.
“Cheep—”
A faint chirp was muffled inside the eggshell, seeping through the crack in a trembling, delicate sound.
Following this shaky chirp, the customers couldn’t help but imagine a frail little bird huddled pitifully inside the shell, calling out for an adult bird to come to its aid.
The customers leaned in closer and closer until someone finally couldn’t resist asking, “Can we help crack it open? I can see the shell is already broken, and it’s trying so hard. Can we give it a hand?”
“Yes, yes, let’s help it out. It sounds so pitiful.”
“I’m so worried. The poor little thing won’t get hurt, will it?”
Pei Shiyi: “…”
Sounds pitiful… Do you even know it’s cursing up a storm?
Among the five phoenix lineages, the Honghu is the most plain in appearance, often favoring pristine white robes untouched by worldly dust. However, their temperaments are the most explosive, excelling in both fighting and cursing.
Pei Shiyi said. “It’s fine. He’s just a bit tired.”
As if to confirm his words, another sound came from inside the egg—a continuous series of crack noises, as though the little bird inside was stretching its body, trying to break free from the shell’s confinement.
Pei Shiyi: “He’s about to come out.”
The customers: !
Dan Huang carefully lay down, encircling the egg with his body and warming it with his belly, which radiated heat, while channeling spiritual energy into it.
Crack.
After an especially crisp shattering sound, a small white bird with sparse feathers emerged, a piece of eggshell still perched on its head. Its beak was a tender pink, its eyes like black jade. Although it had just hatched, it was already covered in soft white down, with little to no sticky fluid on its body.
It looked so neat and tidy, unlike a freshly hatched baby bird.
Struggling to climb out of the shell, it stretched its bones, extending its once-curled wings and claws. Faced with a circle of onlookers, it showed no timidity. Instead, it stood tall and proud, stepping onto Dan Huang’s furry belly and perching atop him, letting out a chirp toward the crowd.
The onlookers: “Awwww, it’s so adorable! It’s so pretty, so cute, so soft, and so friendly!”
Pei Shiyi: “…”
This little brat is clearly cursing. What it’s saying is, ‘Why are you making such a racket in front of me?’
Dan Huang didn’t understand bird language. Blissfully sprawled on his back, he reached out a front paw and wrapped it around the little Honghu: Aww, my little one.
Honghu: “Cheep—”
How dare you!
…
The hatching of this Honghu caused a commotion across all three floors of the cat café. Even Jing Zhe and Qing Ming, who had been resting on the third floor, came down to watch.
Forget the humans. Even the cats gathered around to observe.
Pei Shiyi, however, had little desire to deal with this Honghu. When Pei Shiyi was young, he hatched slowly. By the time he emerged, all the other birds of his generation had already hatched. One particularly troublesome Honghu insisted on chasing him around and pecking at him.
Yes, it was this very Honghu.
Pei Shiyi stared expressionlessly at the Honghu standing on Dan Huang’s back for a moment, thinking to himself: So, you’ve finally fallen into my hands.
The Honghu remembered nothing. It raised its head and chirped at him.
Pei Shiyi curved his lips into a slight smile: Good. Keep acting all high and mighty. Let’s see how long you can keep it up.
Pei Shiyi had originally been the only bird in the entire cat café, but now there was another one just as fond of showing off. Every glance made his palms itch. He wanted to slap that bird right off. What was it doing stepping all over his café manager?
The Honghu stood proudly on Dan Huang’s back, head held high, basking in the “admiring” gazes from all directions, occasionally letting out a few chirps. Having just finished its eggshell, the Honghu was full of energy and liveliness.
Dan Huang had no objections to such a tiny bird hopping around on his back. The kittens in the cat café had grown over the past few months. Some hadn’t grown much in size, but with the awakening of their intelligence, they were no longer the clingy little kittens that stuck close to their elders.
Old Father Dan Huang felt a bit lost.
Now, the hatching of the Honghu had undoubtedly comforted the old father’s lonely heart. Not only did he carry the Honghu, but he also wanted to give it a good grooming.
Chen Yingying, meanwhile, cupped her face in her hands, utterly enchanted. “Oh my god, this is just too adorable. The cat is so doting!”
Her boyfriend chimed in, “A cat and a bird actually getting along so well. It’s magical.”
Pei Shiyi slowly walked over, smiling as he stood behind the couple. “Of course, they can.”
Otherwise, what was he, dead?
Chen Yingying jumped in surprise. When she turned around and saw Pei Shiyi’s face, her cheeks instantly flushed bright red. “I-I’ve just never seen this before, so I was curious. What kind of bird is this?”
This man was way too handsome. Even celebrities weren’t this good-looking.
Pei Shiyi had no intention of charming a girl who was already in a relationship, so he turned away and continued the conversation about the bird and the cat. “It’s a cockatiel, golden-crowned with a white face. Pretty, isn’t it?”
Chen Yingying asked curiously, “Even as a chick, it’s so beautiful. When its feathers grow in fully, it’ll be even more stunning. My boyfriend really likes birds. This one looks lovely. Is it easy to care for?”
Her boyfriend, who had been secretly glaring at Pei Shiyi, immediately broke into a silly grin.
Pei Shiyi replied, “In theory, they’re relatively gentle birds…”
Chen Yingying nodded thoughtfully. “Then we could raise one. I also want to get a cat…”
As she spoke, she had already forgotten the anger she felt when she first entered the cat café, now fully immersed in planning for the future.
Not just her. Curious customers and cats alike gathered around to take photos and record videos.
In the afternoon, several cats who had spent most of the day sleeping on the third floor came down to the first floor.
Gu Yu, a cow-patterned cat, fully embodied the traits of cats with this coat: mischievous paws and an insatiable curiosity. He clung to Dan Huang, his round eyes brimming with boundless curiosity.
The Honghu tilted its head, looking at Gu Yu.
Gu Yu leaned in, pressing his nose against the Honghu and sniffing gently.
The cat’s cool nose touched the Honghu’s body, and the sniffing motion looked rather dangerous. The customers couldn’t help but tense up. Although Manager Dan Huang was very tolerant of this little white bird, Gu Yu could get really wild when he played. And he was a bit of a dimwit, the feline equivalent of a Husky.
That’s right. Aside from Tong Qian, Gu Yu, who was gradually growing up, was the silliest in the entire cat café. At nearly a year old, this little cat was already a troublemaker, both exasperating and amusing.
Gu Yu lowered his front half, stuck his butt up in the air, and raised his tail high.
He meant no harm. In fact, he quite liked the scent on the Honghu. It was a bit like the boss’s, but much smaller than the warm, cozy boss. It looked like something he could balance on his head.
The Honghu spread its wings and pecked Gu Yu.
It actually hurt quite a bit.
Gu Yu: “……”
Gu Yu was a pampered little cat. He immediately went wild. Tipping his head to the side, eyes wide open, he let out a series of indignant yowls.
The reputation of this cat, being the Husky of the feline world, is well-deserved.
Honghu pecked him again.
Gu Yu turned and leaped away, while Honghu, with his still-soft little paws, chased after him, stepping on Dan Huang’s thick fur.
Gu Yu: “Meow meow meow aow aow—”
Help, he’s pecking me!
The onlookers:
“I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before…”
“When I was little, at my grandparents’ house…”
“That’s exactly how you run when being chased by a goose.”
“Same world, same grandparents’ house.”
“I’m different. I got pecked by a swan in the park.”
Those with similarly tragic experiences all cast sympathetic glances—
The white-feathered fledgling stretched its neck and chased after him with its wobbly little paws, hopping and jumping with fierce determination.
Gu Yu: “Meow aow aow—”
Help—
Author’s Note:
Honghu: The grumpy old man, cursing online.
Honghu is also another name for wild geese and swans. The reference here is to swans, specifically white swans.
In the next chapter, the little uncle makes his appearance. Let’s go, cat café branch!
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wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1