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“To be honest, it’s not that I don’t want to intervene,” Pei Shiyi allowed Bo Jin to hang onto him, his expression unusually somber. “I can probably guess what happened to that cat.”
“It’s likely that someone got into trouble, the cat saved them, and now that person is begging me to save the cat. But my uncle was at the scene back then. With his temperament, if he could have helped, he would have acted immediately. He would never have just stood by.”
Pei Shiyi fell silent for a moment. “Even though I worry about putting you in a difficult position, if I had been there and could have helped, I might not have been able to follow the Supernatural Management Bureau’s regulations either.”
Raised single-handedly by Pei Huang, he was the crown prince of the Four Directions. His upbringing had instilled in him a strong sense of propriety and self-restraint. But after all, he was a phoenix. By nature, he looked down upon the world and its rules. Expecting him to adhere to regulations strictly was asking too much.
Bo Jin gently kissed him. “Don’t worry. Give me two days, and I’ll look into it.”
As it happened, Bai Jue had some free time these days. Might as well put him to work on something serious. A cat demon is taking on someone else’s calamity. Of course, the Supernatural Management Bureau’s records needed to be updated. Yes, that counted as serious business.
…
Ever since Pei Huang woke up, the tiny third floor of the cat café could no longer comfortably accommodate four adults. At Bo Jin’s urging, Pei Shiyi packed up and moved into Bo Jin’s duplex apartment near the Supernatural Management Bureau.
Song Gao couldn’t bear to be apart from Pei Shiyi and Bo Jin, so naturally, he followed Pei Shiyi back every day.
As a result, Pei Shiyi’s time at the cat café naturally shortened.
Even though the little rascals now had Pei Huang to cling to, they still hoped to spend more time with Pei Shiyi. So every day, Pei Shiyi ended up carrying several fluffy bundles back with him.
Bo Jin, who had initially thought they would finally have some couple time: “…”
Fortunately, the duplex apartment had three bedrooms and a living room. Bo Jin converted the two guest rooms into “children’s rooms”, still leaving a space for himself and Pei Shiyi.
One evening, Yuan Jing said, “You could stay at my place. Why insist on living at the cat café?”
Pei Huang pinched Mang Zhong’s little ear, then smiled as he watched Mang Zhong turn around and start play-fighting with Ru Fu, who happened to be passing by.
“It’s not that I insist on staying here. I’m leaving some space for my Xiao Shiyi to spend time with Bo Jin. With so many furry kids around, where would they find the time for romance?”
Yuan Jing lowered his eyes with a smile. “I see.”
…
Yu Gao recovered quickly, able to stand and walk again before long. Every time Pei Shiyi visited Yu Gao, he would hear the doctors marveling at his astonishing recovery rate.
Half a month before the New Year, Yu Gao was discharged from the hospital. Pei Shiyi brought him to the cat café.
The cats had long known about Yu Gao’s existence. The diligent shop manager, Dan Huang, always concerned about “new colleagues,” had eagerly asked Pei Huang about Yu Gao’s condition.
The day before Yu Gao was discharged, Dan Huang had informed the other cats. So when Pei Shiyi carried Yu Gao up to the third floor, over twenty pairs of bright, shining eyes fixed on him.
Yu Gao: So many cats!
Dan Huang crouched at the front. “Welcome, new kitty.”
The other cats, reluctantly dragged into this welcome ceremony, erupted into a chorus—some speaking human words, others meowing—creating a scene of utter chaos.
Yu Gao felt his worldview shatter into fragments. Xian Chan was a very famous influencer-famous shop in Yuchuan. Yu Gao had long heard of its reputation but had never spared the expense to visit, only watching a couple of videos online. He had thought it was just a very dedicated cat café, never expecting it to be full of cat demons!
Pei Shiyi had just set Yu Gao down when the timid big cat wrapped itself around his calf. He smiled, smoothing Yu Gao’s fur. “I need to go downstairs to prepare your dinner. Don’t be afraid, they won’t bully you.”
With that, he gently detached Yu Gao from his leg and placed him in front of the fluffy group.
Yu Gao trembled: “Meow—”
Will they hit me?
Tong Qian darted over: “We won’t hit you, we won’t! How old are you? What kind of cat are you? Do you have any special skills?”
Miss Penny: “Tong Qian, you’re scaring him.”
Tong Qian: “Really? Such a big cat shouldn’t be so easily scared. It’s not like Yin Zhou—ow—”
Yin Zhou bit Tong Qian’s tail. Tong Qian leaped three feet into the air, curling himself into a large yellow-and-black spotted fur ball, pretending to be pitiful.
Seeing their friendly attitude, Yu Gao finally let go of his anxiety and tried to communicate with the cats.
Yu Gao didn’t want to occupy Zuo Bai’s body, and these cats before him showed no ill will. They also seemed quite capable, so he gritted his teeth and laid out his entire story, hoping these fluffy beings could help him.
The kittens’ logic was still unclear. Yu Gao himself was nervous, so his words came out jumbled. The kittens quickly became confused.
The youngest, Shang Qiu, patted the eldest brother Sui Shou’s tail: “Meow?” What is he saying? I understand every word, but what do they mean together?
Sui Shou licked him apologetically: “Meow.”
Sorry, I didn’t understand either.
Yun Chao wasn’t interested in grown male cats. But after hearing Yu Gao’s story, she quietly opened her eyes and licked the teary-eyed Fondant.
Fondant was dejected: “Meow.”
They were so good to me.
Yun Chao’s gaze flickered slightly.
Dan Huang: “Have you told the boss about this? The person who carried you in earlier is the owner of the cat café. He understands these things better than we do.”
Yu Gao quickly explained that he had told the boss, but the boss hadn’t responded.
Dan Huang twitched his ears: “Maybe the timing or place wasn’t right.”
Their boss was very gentle and would definitely help if he could.
Miss Penny said gently, “You were in the hospital. How could the boss discuss this with you there? Besides, you’re already dead. Bringing someone back to life comes at a cost. It’s not something that can be done just because you want to. It’s the same as when you saved that girl. The boss isn’t refusing to help you. He might just be unable to.”
“Not necessarily.”
Bo Jin’s cool voice rang out.
Yu Gao’s eyes lit up instantly.
Miss Penny looked up, pleasantly surprised: “Do you have a solution?”
Bo Jin nodded, pulling a cushion over to sit in front of Yu Gao. Song Gao jumped down from Bo Jin’s shoulder and naturally nestled into Miss Penny’s arms.
Bo Jin was tall, his expression cold. He made no effort to soften his imposing presence, which felt even more overwhelming to Yu Gao in his cat form.
Yu Gao didn’t dare look at him.
Bo Jin glanced toward the stairs. Pei Shiyi’s cooking skills were rusty, so it would be a while before he came back up. Bo Jin had overheard the kittens’ conversation downstairs and had listened for a moment.
Bo Jin lowered his gaze slightly, meeting Yu Gao’s eyes. “First, I hope you understand one thing. Reviving the dead is inherently against the rules. Shiyi isn’t unwilling to help you, but he can’t act rashly without understanding your situation and the cat’s circumstances. The more powerful a being is, the more they must consider the rules and cannot act as they please.”
“Secondly, you saved that girl willingly, and Zuo Bai saved you willingly as well. As outsiders, we are not obligated to help you.”
Mao Mao snuggled up to her sister and whispered, “Meow.”
Mr. Bo is so fierce.
Dai Dai said calmly, “That’s just him protecting his husband.”
Although Yu Gao didn’t mean to complain about the boss, Mr. Bo definitely wanted to explain things on the boss’s behalf.
Dai Dai: “I also don’t want anyone to misunderstand the boss as unkind.”
That’s why the nearby shop manager and Miss Penny didn’t comfort him right away. Instead, they explained to Yu Gao why the boss ignored him.
Yu Gao quickly said, “I absolutely don’t mean to complain. I understand everything you said. I’m already endlessly grateful that the gentleman who resembles the boss was willing to save me.”
Cats don’t have health insurance, and a trip to the vet is probably more expensive than human medical care. He hadn’t helped the cat café before, so receiving such a life-saving favor made him deeply ashamed.
Yu Gao: “As long as you can tell me how to revive Zuo Bai, I’ll do it myself. No matter how difficult it is, I’ll do it!”
Before Bo Jin could speak, a clear, cheerful voice came from the stairwell: “Do what?”
Yu Gao stared blankly as the tall, aloof man in front of him stood up, took the cat bowl from the cat café owner’s hands, and casually started a mundane conversation: “Why aren’t Uncle and the others here?”
Pei Shiyi said, “Yuan Jing and Uncle went out to play. Jian Zhou went with them. They won’t be back until eleven.”
He patted Yu Gao’s head. “Eat first. You can listen while you eat.”
Yu Gao pricked up his ears and lowered his head to eat.
Bo Jin handed the folder to Pei Shiyi. “This is Zuo Bai’s file. Black cats are believed to have spiritual and protective powers. There’s a clan of black cats in the country that makes a living from this, active in what humans call the feng shui world. This clan places great emphasis on ‘pure blood’, believing that black cats with the appearance it deems ideal have the greatest potential. The clan expels kittens with white markings, though most are driven out only after they gain the ability to survive independently. Zuo Bai was one of those expelled kittens.”
Yun Chao, the big shot, grumbled, “What’s with this pure blood nonsense again? Is it even interesting?”
Although she herself was purebred, she despised the emphasis on bloodlines. Coupled with her affection for Fondant, she particularly disliked others making a fuss about lineage.
Pei Shiyi picked her up and held her in his arms, kissing her with a smile. “Of course it’s not interesting. I suppose they have nothing else to boast about except their bloodlines, so they focus on the skill of being born into the right family.”
Since Pei Shiyi and Bo Jin’s relationship changed, Pei Shiyi’s sharp tongue had been on hiatus for several months. Today, it made a comeback.
Bo Jin secretly reminisced for a few seconds, keeping a straight face as he tried to slip his hand under Yun Chao’s fluffy belly, only to be hissed at by the big shot.
Yun Chao clung to Pei Shiyi’s arm: Foolish man.
Bo Jin had no choice but to scoop up Fondant instead.
Pei Shiyi urged, “So, is there a way to save him or not?”
Bo Jin: “While the notion of pure bloodlines is an utterly tedious concept, this particular black cat does possess some unique traits. Due to its constant dealings with underworld spirits and frequent need for soul detachment, this lineage of black cats can anchor their souls within any vessel. Moreover, to avoid detection by the ghost envoys who guide wandering souls, their presence diminishes to near nothingness. My uncle mentioned he found no trace of the cat’s soul at the scene. It’s highly likely it has already found a temporary vessel.”
Closing the file, Bo Jin continued, “Zuo Bai was exiled from his clan before reaching adulthood. He has repeatedly guided lost living souls back to their bodies and assisted the underworld in capturing escaped malevolent spirits. Each of these deeds is documented. Furthermore, as Zuo Bai’s natural lifespan is not yet exhausted, the Supernatural Management Bureau has approved the reconstruction of his physical form.”
As his words concluded, Yu Gao was already weeping uncontrollably.
Yu Gao choked out, “Th-thank you… Thank you so much…”
Miss Penny gently nuzzled against Yu Gao.
His sobs caught in his throat as he clung tightly to the carpet. “Meeting Zuo Bai, meeting all of you… has been the greatest honor. Thank you, thank you. I would do anything for you.”
He and Zuo Bai had met under the shade of a tree on a sunny afternoon, where dappled light and shadow wove together like a poem. The beginning was joy, the middle brought separation, but fortunately, the ending remained unwritten, leaving space for him to add a few more strokes.
Author’s Note:
Miss Penny is the epitome of composure.jpg
Bo Jin is super fierce.jpg
As for the fairies… well, they’re all fairies. Just don’t try to hug the white one.
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Meow meow On TPH Chapter 26.1