A million-follower celebration couldn’t just be a single video. While editing the clip, Pei Huang picked up a brush and painted a family portrait of the first Xian Chan Cat Café branch, even including the birds and the dragon. Framed and displayed, it looked like a carefully retouched photo from a distance. The Siamese family, along with Zuo Bai, Yu Gao, and Jian Zhou, belonged to the second branch, so they didn’t appear in this painting.
The cats were crouched in three rows beneath the massive climbing frame on the second floor, with the smaller ones in front and the larger ones behind. The little birds, now fully feathered after hatching, perched haphazardly on the cats’ heads.
A chibi version of Pei Shiyi sat beside the cats.
Pei Huang’s style was bright and warm, perfectly matching the cat café’s vibe.
Pei Shiyi loved this painting so much that he was reluctant to give it away after bringing it home.
Bo Jin studied the painting for a moment and asked, “I don’t seem to find myself in it.”
Pei Shiyi: “Huh? You’re right here.”
He pointed to the chibi Pei Shiyi’s wrist. “This black circle.”
Bo Jin: “…”
The bureau director was deeply dissatisfied. To make his boyfriend understand just how wronged he felt, he lowered his head and bit his boyfriend’s wrist.
Pei Shiyi: “Hahahaha.”
Bo Jin: “Truly uncle and nephew. You added a few black lines to the introduction board and called it me, and now your uncle draws a black circle on your wrist and says it’s me, too. Boyfriend, am I that thin?”
Pei Shiyi laughed so hard he leaned back. “…No dirty jokes allowed.”
…
The million-follower celebration video was released on the first day of the cat café’s reopening for the new year. The thumbnail featured a snowy street with paw prints winding through the snow, leading to a Norwegian Forest Cat glancing back over its shoulder.
An excellent video captivates even with its thumbnail. When fans pushed the video to the homepage, the thumbnail alone attracted a wave of netizens who didn’t usually browse the pet content section.
Who could resist such beautiful, fluffy creatures?
Some users couldn’t even wait to open the video before eagerly commenting: “Miss Penny’s beauty is killing me!” “Begging for the thumbnail, I want it as my wallpaper!” “Too gorgeous! Please share a group photo of the long-haired cats—Miss Penny, Yun Chao, Fondant, Jing Zhe, and Qing Ming!”
And when they opened the video, the opening scene delivered a stunning visual blow. It was a single snowflake that seemed to graze the lens, falling lightly like goose down and as clear as crystal. The background street was slightly blurred, making it feel as if the entire world had narrowed down to that one snowflake.
As the focus adjusted, the street in the background grew clearer, revealing both the street and the cats on screen. The background music was light and melodious, dancing on the eardrums like a joyful dance.
A short-legged silver tabby pressed a paw print into the thick snow in front of it, then leaped up and dove into the snow, creating a cat-shaped crater complete with ears and a tail.
Next, Yin Zhou trotted through the snow on its short legs. The snow wasn’t too deep, but Yin Zhou’s short limbs meant that in deeper spots, the white snow nearly brushed against the fur on its belly.
“LOL. Yin Zhou looks like it has no legs when it reaches the flower bed. So jealous as a southerner. We didn’t get any snow this year.”
“That crater! I love it so much. How can it be this adorable?”
“Yuchuan’s weather has been weird this year. It’s super hot in summer and freezing in winter. And the snowfall this year is huge. As a Yuchuan local, I haven’t seen snow this heavy in ages.”
After Yin Zhou went out, Miss Penny also stepped into the snow. Fluttering snowflakes clung to her black ear tufts, so she gently shook her head, her satin-like long fur shedding a shimmering layer of snow.
A row of twelve cats quickly followed in Miss Penny’s paw prints, only for nine of them to immediately freeze and retreat. Among them, Ling Ze was a standard short-haired cat with delicate paw pads. As he ran back, he shook his paws all the way, looking thoroughly chilled.
After the group of kittens ran out of the frame, soft, sweet meows and the owner’s clear laughter came from the video.
While the audience burst into laughter, Yun Chao and Fondant appeared on screen. Fondant seemed extremely curious. Although her body stayed close to Yun Chao, her little head kept poking out everywhere, meowing incessantly.
Yun Chao occasionally responded with a meow of her own.
The two cats stopped in a spot where the snow was thick.
Comments:
“The big boss blends perfectly into the snowy scene. Hahaha.”
“I started looking for the cat and couldn’t find her at all. Thank goodness for Fondant, or Yun Chao would’ve been lost.”
“Once again, I’m amazed at how much the big boss dotes on Fondant.”
Suddenly, a familiar meow came from the video, and a figure dashed through the snow toward Yin Zhou. The short and stout Yin Zhou tilted his head, motionless. However, after running a short distance, the figure turned and sprinted back even faster. A trembling meow could be heard off-camera.
Comments:
“??? What just went past?”
“0.5x speed—it’s Tong Qian. Hahaha!”
“Pretty normal, actually. Leopard cats aren’t very cold-resistant. Hahaha. Still, I can’t stop laughing. He ran even faster than Sui Shou and the others!”
“Yin Zhou looks so confused. Was Tong Qian’s meow from his teeth chattering in the cold?”
Just as the audience was laughing so hard they were pounding their beds, a slightly hoarse voice came through the video: “Why are you up so early?”
Headphone users felt their ears tingle and their legs go weak. The voice sounded as if someone were whispering right next to their ear, the slight rasp tickling their hearts.
The man seemed very close, as the recording device clearly picked up soft, slow breaths and meaningless nasal sounds. It was not words, but like a sleepy cat purring at the ear, an unconscious act of affection.
The owner’s voice still held a hint of laughter as he explained and then asked about the remaining cats that hadn’t appeared on camera yet.
“Dai Dai and Mao Mao are still asleep. Yu Gao is watching Zuo Bai. The Siamese is feeding the kittens. Dan Huang is on… me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, an orange cat descended from above, landing beside Yin Zhou’s cat-sized snow pit and creating one twice as large.
Comments:
“Hahahaha. Truly an orange cat. Has the manager gained weight again?”
“I came here to admire cats, but somehow I ended up eating a bowl of dog food.”
“Is the owner’s friend a cat? Just like my cat purring in my arms when I pet him.”
“A cat-like boyfriend. I’m so jealous! The owner’s tone is so doting!”
But what really sent fans into a frenzy was the official pinned comment.
Xian Chan Cat Café: We’ve prepared two gifts for everyone. One is the video, which has already been posted. The other is a hand-drawn family portrait. Please actively share the video, little angels. We’ll randomly select one person from those who share it to receive the portrait.
You can view the full-size image of the family portrait on Weibo. /link/
Netizens clicked the link and opened the full-size image.
The picture was an electronically scanned upload, incredibly clear.
The cats were all sitting upright. Ten kittens named after solar terms were crouched in the front row, while Sui Shou, Da Shu, Jing Zhe, and Qing Ming—being larger cats—sat in the second row alongside Yin Zhou and the Tortoiseshell sisters.
Sui Shou and Da Shu were huddled together, seemingly whispering secrets. Qing Ming and Jing Zhe sat perfectly straight, and a little bird perched on the head of each Tortoiseshell sister.
The third row consisted of the other big cats. Tong Qian lifted a paw as if trying to pat Yin Zhou, who remained completely oblivious.
Fondant snuggled against Yun Chao, Miss Penny had a little bird by her ears, her gaze gentle, while two more birds nestled against Dan Huang’s plump belly.
In the back row was the Q-version of the cat café owner, Boss Pei, with curved eyes and a proper, well-behaved posture that made fans inwardly scream: How can he be so obedient and adorable!
And now this painting was actually being given away for free!
What more needed to be said? Share, share, share!
…
The branch store began its renovation. The designer hired was still Kong Fanyang. However, Kong Fanyang was no longer the same as before. He had established his own studio and was even invited to be a designer on a long-running home renovation show.
But no matter how accomplished Designer Kong became, he couldn’t escape the nightmare of clients being devils. Those responsible for communicating with Kong Fanyang were Yuan Jing and Pei Huang.
Yuan Jing, with decades of experience in graphic design, also had some insights into interior decoration and shared common ground with Kong Fanyang. The only problem was Pei Huang.
His ideas were wildly imaginative, and his aesthetic sense was exceptional. Though his suggestions were numerous, dazzling, and extremely difficult to implement, the final results were so stunning that they tormented Kong Fanyang to no end.
Pei Shiyi could offer little help in this regard. Faced with his enthusiastic uncle, he wanted nothing more than to stay as far away as possible. Using the excuse that the cat café needed to reopen, he hid back at the original branch store and refused to show his face.
When the branch store’s renovation began to take shape, the cat café posted a notice on the small blackboard in the entrance hall announcing the ongoing work. Many customers living near Yingnan Square were pleasantly surprised.
The cat café’s accounts on Weibo and Bishui Station also shared updates about the branch store with fans. As the messy construction site gradually transformed into the future cat café, fans felt a sense of pride. It was wonderful to witness the rise of a new cat café. However, the main attraction, the new cats, was kept tightly under wraps, not making a single appearance.
While fans eagerly awaited news, the cat café welcomed a special guest. It was Wei Lan, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time.
He looked much more spirited than during his first visit. On the opening day, with customers filling the first and second floors, Pei Shiyi simply took him up to the third floor.
Today, there were no resting cats on the third floor. Right after the opening, manager Dan Huang had shooed them all downstairs under the pretext of “new year, new atmosphere”. Even Yun Chao was coaxed downstairs by Dan Huang’s persistent persuasion.
Wei Lan removed his hat and mask, accepting the hot drink Pei Shiyi handed him with both hands. Gratefully, he said, “Thank you.”
Pei Shiyi: “You’re welcome. During the New Year, we saw you on the Spring Festival Gala. It seems your career is going well?”
Wei Lan smiled slightly. “I’ve opened my own studio now, so I have more time to write songs for myself. Today, I came…” He pursed his lips, looking a bit embarrassed. “Actually, I have a favor to ask. It’s about cats.”
Pei Shiyi: “Please, go ahead.”
Wei Lan: “After singing with Dai Dai and Mao Mao that day, I was deeply moved. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed such pure music. I went back and watched many videos from the cat café. Each video gave me a lot of inspiration, so I wrote a song for Dai Dai and Mao Mao when I returned.”
Pei Shiyi was surprised. “Then Dai Dai and Mao Mao will be very happy. Do you want me to call them over now?”
Wei Lan quickly replied, “No, no, no. Although I really want to see Dai Dai and Mao Mao, my main purpose today is something else. I want to invite the cats to participate in the MV recording for my album.”
“My new album is titled ‘Cat’.”
It is as pure as snow, as elegant and spirited as wealth, as warm and resilient, and as sweet and ethereal.
Wei Lan: “I want to collaborate once more with these dear cats. I heard that your new shop will take in stray cats. After I returned, I also learned a lot about the plight of stray cats and watched your public service ad many times. So, my album will also include a song about stray cats. Could you give me this opportunity?”
May every encounter in this world become a melody to commemorate his first meeting with the spirits of this earthly realm.
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wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1