Pei Shiyi was astonished by Wei Lan’s idea: “Shooting an MV with the cats?”
Wei Lan nodded, somewhat sheepishly. “Since these songs are all related to cats, performing them alone feels too thin, even if I can convey the emotions. I thought, since the inspiration came from them, why not invite the muses themselves?”
Wei Lan continued, “Whether it’s Dai Dai, Mao Mao, Dan Huang, Yun Chao, Fondant, Miss Penny, Yin Zhou, or the kittens, each has their own personality. It makes me feel as if they have their own stories. Based on their characters, I imagined new stories and composed songs and lyrics accordingly.”
Pei Shiyi smiled. When it came to stories, many of the cats indeed had them.
For instance, why did Dan Huang come from Jinhua to Yuchuan? What sights did Yun Chao see during her time as a stray? How did Tong Qian, the silly cat, manage to grow up safely? What was Fondant’s background and lineage? The foreign tales Miss Penny used to soothe the kittens? The changing seasons Yin Zhou witnessed in the mountains…
In Dai Dai, Mao Mao, and the kittens’ memories, the warm-hearted owner and the elders in the cat café likely took up the most space.
They were children raised in a sweet haven, but that didn’t mean they were unaware of hardships. Pei Shiyi never hid from them the reasons they came to the cat café. The public service advertisements they filmed taught them that there were still stray cats outside.
Sweet but not fragile.
No one told them what kind of cats they should grow up to be. But the little furballs, looking up to their elders, naturally learned their strengths and weaknesses.
The little angels were just as captivating as the cats with their stories.
Pei Shiyi smiled faintly. “If they could appear in your songs, I think they’d be delighted. So, on their behalf, I’ll boldly accept.”
Wei Lan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
Pei Shiyi: “It’s I who should thank you.”
Wei Lan, now a rising star, was a walking source of attention. One could imagine the buzz if the cats appeared in the MV for his album.
But saying that out loud would sound too crass.
Pei Shiyi added, “The cats will surely be thrilled to collaborate with a rising star. Especially Tong Qian. He loves the spotlight. Oh, and please, don’t let him sing.”
Wei Lan laughed. “No, I should be the one thanking you. The day I left the cat café, I really wanted to write songs, but my agent had lined up too much work for me. I simply had no time to finish the unfinished compositions…”
Wei Lan’s smile faded, and he fell silent for a moment. “I kept rewatching the video of my duet with Dai Dai and Mao Mao. I realized I couldn’t bear that kind of life anymore… I make a living with my voice and my songs, so… it was actually Dai Dai and Mao Mao who gave me the courage.”
Pei Shiyi smiled warmly. “That’s wonderful. Dai Dai and Mao Mao will be very happy to have helped you.”
…
The cat café’s lottery ended on Wednesday. The one-in-a-million lucky winner was officially announced by the café, sparking waves of envy and jealousy, with the winner repeatedly mentioned and discussed in the fan community.
The “lucky winner” wasn’t actually all that fortunate. He was just an ordinary young man, perhaps different only in that he kept many cats at home. All of them were strays.
Tao Yang was quite surprised when he discovered he had won the prize. Holding his phone, he felt a gentle warmth in his heart. His reason for following the cat café was different from most fans. It wasn’t simply because of a particular video that drew him in, but because of a cat.
The café’s resident cat, Dan Huang.
Dan Huang looked exactly like the orange cat Tao Yang had once taken care of, and their personalities were strikingly similar, too.
It was by chance that he stumbled upon a video of Dan Huang on Bishui Station, which led him to follow the cat café, hoping to see if Dan Huang was the same cat he had known. In the subsequent videos, Tao Yang became almost certain that this was indeed the cat he had once raised.
When Dan Huang was with Tao Yang, his name was Ju Zi.
On a heavy, snowy day, Ju Zi had carried a tiny kitten in his mouth and crouched outside Tao Yang’s door. Tao Yang took in both Ju Zi and the kitten. When spring arrived, and the kitten could run and jump, Ju Zi quietly slipped away.
Tao Yang searched for him for a long time but never found any trace. Little did he expect that when he saw Ju Zi again, he had become someone else’s Dan Huang, still the same warm-hearted, fatherly cat, loving the young ones and friendly with his peers.
It was clear that he was well cared for and living a happy life.
The relaxed atmosphere, so palpable even through the videos, brought Tao Yang joy as well.
At first, Tao Yang followed the cat café for Ju Zi, or rather, Dan Huang. But over time, he gradually grew fond of the café itself. Like most fans, he would quietly watch the videos, give his likes and shares, but rarely left comments or participated in giveaways.
This time, however, was different. The moment Tao Yang laid eyes on that painting, its vibrant colors struck a deep chord within him. He reposted the announcement, not holding out much hope. But to his surprise, he actually won this time.
When he retrieved the painting from the parcel locker, his heart was practically dancing with excitement.
Tao Yang brought the painting back to his modest 40-square-meter home. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a chorus of meows from the cats waiting at the entrance. All of them were strays he had rescued. Some had been in serious accidents, injured so badly they couldn’t survive on their own, so Tao Yang took them in to live with him.
To this day, his home is shared with thirteen stray cats.
Tao Yang crouched down and patted the head of a large black cat.
This was the biggest black cat he had ever seen. Rather than a cat, it resembled more of a sleek little black panther, weighing nearly twenty pounds. When Tao Yang found him, he was covered in wounds, but his recovery speed amazed even the veterinarians. He was discharged in less than a week.
Tao Yang named him Xuan Ying, meaning pure black.
Xuan Ying was usually quiet and reserved, a very steady and dignified cat. But today, he was acting strangely, circling around the parcel box in Tao Yang’s arms.
Thinking Xuan Ying just wanted to play with the box, Tao Yang smiled and patted his head. “Alright, you can have it now, okay?”
With that, Tao Yang swiftly opened the box, carefully unwrapped the well-protected painting inside, and then placed the empty box over the black cat’s head.
The black cat: “…”
Tao Yang removed the packaging. The painting’s bright, vivid colors leaped into view. He lovingly ran his fingers over it before taking the beautifully framed artwork into his bedroom and placing it on his bedside table.
Xuan Ying had already shaken off the box and jumped onto the bed, trying to nudge the painting off.
Tao Yang quickly pushed him away. “No, no, this is a prize from Xian Chan Cat Café. It’s the first time I’ve ever won anything in my life. Look, isn’t this painting beautiful?”
Xuan Ying stared intently at the painting. The spiritual energy emanating from it was far too dense. His instincts screamed that something was off. He made up his mind. Once Tao Yang fell asleep that night, he would get rid of this mysterious painting.
Such concentrated spiritual energy was rare, whether for humans or demons. It could be considered a precious artifact. But… how could there ever be a free lunch in this world? How could such a treasure be given away for no reason?
There had to be a trap behind it.
When night fell, Tao Yang dragged his exhausted body and collapsed onto the bed. Ten hours of work each day, plus taking care of thirteen cats at home, meant he fell asleep almost instantly every night.
Yet his sleep was still plagued by dreams. Though it had improved somewhat since raising Xuan Ying, nightmares still invaded his rest.
In his drowsy state, Tao Yang thought: So warm and comfortable…
Within minutes of closing his eyes, he was sound asleep. By midnight, he gradually felt a heavy weight on his chest, his breathing growing more and more labored. Even so, he couldn’t rouse himself from his deep slumber.
Until…
He felt a chill on his neck.
Tao Yang finally forced his eyes open, first pushing away the drooling white cat beside his neck. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the night, he was startled by the figure looming over him and gasped, “You—”
There was actually a grown man lying on top of him!
Though Tao Yang managed to stifle his voice as quickly as possible, the inexplicably appearing man was already startled awake. He opened his eyes silently and met Tao Yang’s gaze.
Tao Yang stared blankly at him, feeling an uncanny resemblance to Xuan Ying.
The man was now fully awake. Tao Yang asked, “How did you get in? If you want something, you can just take it…”
Wait, even a burglar wouldn’t sleep on top of the homeowner, right? If he wasn’t here to steal money, then… was he here for something else?
Xuan Ying: “…”
He looked down at himself, stunned to find he had transformed from a cat into a human and was currently lying on top of Tao Yang.
The spiritual energy from the painting had healed his internal injuries. Unconsciously absorbing too much of it, his body had automatically shifted from cat to human form to digest the excess energy.
Xuan Ying: “…I’m not here to steal anything. I’m the cat you’ve been raising.”
Tao Yang: “Huh?”
Had he woken up in a fantasy world? A cat turning into a human—was this for real?
Xuan Ying: “I was originally sleeping on top of you.”
Tao Yang: “You’re Xuan Ying?!”
Xuan Ying nodded, picking up the painting from the bedside. “As you can see, I’m a cat demon who has cultivated into human form. I came here to subdue a vengeful spirit and got injured in the process. Luckily, you saved me.”
“This painting,” Xuan Ying raised it in his hand, “contains abundant spiritual power. It dispelled the lingering yin energy in my body and allowed me to regain my human form.”
Tao Yang still struggled to accept it.
Xuan Ying placed a hand on Tao Yang’s cheek, leaning in to gently nuzzle him, just as he used to do as a cat. “I’ve never harmed you, and I never will. Don’t be afraid. I originally planned to leave once I could move again, but… your constitution has a peculiar issue. You always end up bringing all sorts of chaotic things back from outside. Fortunately, they’re all minor nuisances. As long as I’m here, you’ll be better off.”
This nuzzling…
Whenever Tao Yang remembered that this was the cat he had rescued and raised for several months, his heart would soften instantly. And whenever he thought about the reason Xuan Ying had stayed at home, Tao Yang couldn’t help but soften his expression. “It’s not that I’m particularly afraid. So, what do you plan to do with this painting?”
Xuan Ying: “I initially thought this painting was part of a scheme, but now it seems there’s no ill intent. Still, something of unknown origin is too dangerous to keep around.”
Tao Yang felt a bit reluctant. “Are we going to throw it away?”
Xuan Ying lowered his gaze slightly. “But it’s been good to you. You slept soundly tonight, didn’t you? I want to visit that Xian Chan place. If there’s no issue, we can keep it.”
He had never encountered such powerful yet gentle spiritual energy, one that didn’t harm fragile humans. It was even more protective than him, a pure-blooded black cat.
If only they could keep it.
Tao Yang fell silent for a moment. “Then I’ll go with you.”
Xuan Ying: “What about work?”
Tao Yang smiled at him. “Tomorrow is Sunday, I’m off. Besides, it’s not entirely for you. The cat café opened a branch, right? It’s at Yingnan Square, about an hour and a half by subway and a short walk. The pay and benefits are better than my current job.”
Raising so many cats meant the monthly expenses for cat food alone were staggering.
Tao Yang had a full-time job and a part-time gig. Over time, his body couldn’t handle such high-intensity work.
Xuan Ying nodded.
Sunday
Tao Yang and Xuan Ying stood at the entrance of the main Xian Chan Cat Café.
Although they arrived right at opening time, the sign at the entrance flipped to “Temporarily Closed” shortly after they entered.
Tao Yang was at the counter ordering drinks when a familiar orange cat appeared before him.
Unable to resist, Tao Yang whispered, “Ju Zi!”
Dan Huang: “??!”
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Saturday: [0/5]
Sunday: [0/5]
Meow meow On TPH Chapter 26.1