The album 《Cat》 features two lead singles, 《My Dear You》 and 《Long-Lasting Affection》.
This release is the one accompanied by a music video, 《My Dear You》.
The MV was uploaded to music websites along with the audio. It was also released on Bishui Station. Just silently reciting the name of this lead song once in your heart is enough to make it melt into a puddle of tenderness.
My dear you.
Upon clicking the audio or MV, the intro instantly captures the listeners’ full attention.
The playful piano notes are like a cat leaping across the keys, forming no coherent melody. No one can guess what the next note will be. It was as elusive as a cat.
Yet it brings a faint smile to the listener’s lips, as if that piano-stepping cat, tail held high, is walking from the chest straight to the heart.
Accompanied by the lighthearted intro, a man with a backpack appears on an empty road. Head bowed, bearing the weariness of a wanderer, he opens the door to a rented room.
A large orange cat is crouched by the entrance. As the door swings open, the cat tilts its head and lets out a long meow, almost as if saying, “Welcome home.”
In just four minutes, the MV tells a clear and complete story: a solitary individual, after drifting for a long time, arrives in a new city. Originally planning to stay only briefly, he encounters cats. These clingy, fluffy little creatures sent as solace from above filled a void in his heart that had been empty for years.
The solitary man, who never understood the meaning of stability, decides to stay in this unfamiliar city, building a haven for his cats.
Two scenes in the MV are particularly moving, leaving viewers in tears.
The first scene shows the solitary man playing the guitar in his rented room. The lyrics perfectly match the setting, expressing the cold glances and sarcasm he has endured over the years.
These lyrics were inspired by Wei Lan’s own feelings, each word piercing the heart and striking a chord with many.
Just as this sense of discouragement begins to take hold, the fluffy creatures appear in front of the camera.
Their eyes hold the purest trust in the world, free from any ulterior motives, their wholehearted reliance and deep affection.
The solitary man puts down his guitar and asks the orange cat, “Do you like it?”
The orange cat puffs out its chest: “Meow!”
Suddenly, the man’s shoulders slump. He bends down to tightly embrace his cats. A beautiful golden shaded cat tilts its head and plants a kiss on his cheek.
Warm yellow sunlight streams through the small window, casting a bright patch of light on the floor.
The poetic lyrics and melodic tune sing:
“Snuggling gives a sense of existence,
Kisses find a place to rest…”
Fans watching the screen nearly burst into tears. Why do so many people wish to keep pets? Because, adrift in an unfamiliar city, they can only connect with their parents over the phone, unable to touch them through the internet.
When did they start habitually sharing only good news and hiding their troubles? When did they learn to confide their grievances to their pillows? When did more and more plush toys fill their beds but fail to fill the emptiness inside?
They long to confide, to be affirmed, and to be needed. So, they find companionship in beloved pets.
The second scene that brings tears is when the solitary man steps onto a “stage” with an audience for the first time, even if it’s just a small bar’s performance area.
Holding his guitar, he is so nervous he forgets how to strum.
Instinctively, he looks back. From his bulging backpack, eight little cat heads pop out. The solitary man breaks into a smile, gathers his courage, and steps up to the microphone.
After the performance ended, amidst thunderous applause, he simply turned to look at the fluffy ones.
The final scene of the MV mirrored the cover. A freelancer who had earned some extra income was returning to his rented apartment, humming a tune as he walked into the brilliant sunlight with his cat and musical instrument.
The humming in the background music grew increasingly distinct, accompanied by the soft meows of cats.
And so, this piece came to an end.
…
The new album ventured into a style Wei Lan had never attempted before. It was warm, healing stories and melodies that captivated countless listeners. Even though free audio versions were available on other platforms, fans insisted on replaying the video repeatedly until every detail of the storyline was etched into their minds, after which they would contentedly scroll through the barrage of comments.
The serene prelude, the rising climax, and the finale featuring a harmonious duet with cats were nothing short of a stroke of genius. While listening to the music, one could remain seated in stillness, yet their thoughts would soar away with the melody.
It felt as if the soul had transformed into a cat, leaping onto a courtyard wall, gently sniffing the flowers on a branch, and kissing the breeze that brushed against its face…
…
《My Dear You》 could be considered Wei Lan’s finest work in recent years, which is why it was granted the only MV in the entire album. The song lived up to expectations, skyrocketing to the top of the daily charts on all music platforms on the very day of its debut.
Subsequently, Xian Chan also released behind-the-scenes footage of the MV shoot:
The captivating, seemingly unstructured prelude music was a collaboration between the tortoiseshell twins and Wei Lan. The strikingly beautiful and elegant identical twins scampered across the keys of a hand-roll piano, while Wei Lan, with a smile, filled in the notes.
The background was bathed in radiant light, with fluffy cats lounging in the sun, purring contentedly as they dozed off.
And there was the deliberately hushed laughter of the cat café owner.
Comments flooded in within the blink of an eye.
Top comment:
Little Monster: “I’ve been working overtime for a whole week, exhausted to the point of breaking down. For days, I’ve been falling asleep to this music. The behind-the-scenes footage feels like a real-life fairy tale. It brought tears to my eyes. I live too far from Yuchuan to visit the real cats, but being able to connect with all of you online feels incredibly fortunate. I hope one day I can visit Xian Chan in person.
Also, just for this one song, I’m buying this album like crazy!”
Thanks to this hit single, Xian Chan broke into the mainstream.
It transformed from a niche cat café, more renowned within the 2.5-dimensional space, into a widely recognized and highly praised establishment.
As the album’s songs were released, behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions was also shared. Every track on the album was a masterpiece, maintaining a cohesive yet distinct style.
Fans soon understood why the album was titled 《Cat》. Every song was related to cats and featured their involvement. Those beautiful, ethereal creatures either played a few notes or contributed their delicate voices to the music.
As one comment aptly put it, these fluffy beings were treasures sent from above. Just watching them lazily swish their tails as they padded across the piano keys was enough to evoke a strangely joyful feeling.
Ah, with cats this adorable, even if they chewed on data cables or scratched the sofa, it would be hard to stay angry.
Within a week, the follower count on Xian Chan’s Bishui Station and Weibo accounts surged past three million, just a few thousand shy of four million.
Amidst this soaring popularity, the cat café maintained its original routines. Just as fans were marveling at its steady and confident demeanor, Xian Chan dropped a bombshell announcement.
Xian Chan Cat Cafe: The Xian Chan Cat Cafe branch (Yingnan Square location) will officially open on the 16th of next month. For details, please click @Xian Chan Cat Cafe (Yingnan Branch).
Attached is a photo of the cat cafe.
It was taken from outside the new store. The large windows made the yet-to-open cat cafe exceptionally bright and clean, giving viewers a sense of openness at first glance.
Through the windows, the entire cat cafe appeared to be decorated in a Chinese style, seemingly more ornate than the simple and elegant original Xian Chan branch. However, with only one exterior photo available, fans zoomed in to catch more details.
And that’s when they were left breathless—
Fluffy faces were pressed against every window. Three large windows, each with six little furry faces peering from the windowsills, all with their paws tucked in, heads tilted curiously toward the camera as if wondering what the two-legged creatures were up to.
Viewers behind their screens felt as if they were being stared down by a crowd of fluffballs. Faced with eighteen pairs of curious eyes, they gasped: “Sorry, we were just… taking a look.”
Top comment:
Snowcake Snowcake, I’m Durian: This photo could also be titled “Secretly Observing”, “Cats with Paws Tucked”, “What Are You Doing, Huh?” or “Can We Play with the Cats Too?”. Feel free to add more.
Most feline species are skilled at ambushes and enjoy hiding behind walls to observe their owners. It was something every cat owner knows. But being observed by so many cats at once is an almost heavenly experience.
After dazedly counting the cats, fans suddenly snapped to attention. Wait, did you just say you’re opening a branch?
A branch?
Fans were stunned on the spot.
Xian Chan had kept the branch’s details tightly under wraps from the start. The storefront had been covered with waterproof and dustproof cloth, so while passersby knew a shop was being renovated there, no one knew what it was.
This was the first time fans learned that the cat cafe was actually opening a branch.
But thinking about it, it made sense. Longtime fans had witnessed this small cat cafe grow from one floor to two, from a few thousand followers to tens of thousands, then hundreds of thousands and millions. They’d seen it evolve from accepting promotions to appearing in public service TV ads and collaborating with rising stars, all while running a stable, high-quality online store.
Now, their little cat cafe has become a highly popular internet-famous spot. With both reputation and traffic soaring, it had long been listed on major review platforms and consistently ranked as a highly recommended destination.
It was about time to open a branch.
Yet, no matter how logical it seemed, fans couldn’t contain their excitement. The fan communities on super topics and forums were practically exploding. Following the link provided by the cat cafe, fans discovered a dedicated Weibo account for the branch, which had also set up a Bishui Station account.
Even as a branch, it had its own independent online presence.
In just one day, the branch’s account gained over 200,000 followers.
Fans eagerly awaited updates about the cat cafe branch. Pei Shiyi was well aware of this. On Sunday, he and Bo Jin visited the cat cafe to accompany Pei Huang in filming an introductory video for the branch.
Of course, the main focus was on introducing the cats.
Most of the cats at the branch were rescued by Pei Huang. Some were pedigree cats abandoned after falling ill, others were adopted stray cats, and there were even cat spirits with nowhere to go, like Zuo Bai and Li Mo.
Yes, that’s right. To spend every day with Tao Yang, Li Mo simply decided to work in his original form.
Yu Gao was registered at the branch store, working while training under Zuo Bai.
Jian Zhou was naturally at the cat café, too. As a young, still-growing kitten, he needed to stay by his brother’s side.
Among the cats at the branch store who had awakened their spiritual intelligence, aside from these few, there were four others. The first was a short-tailed Qilin cat who had lived in a temple and one day suddenly attained enlightenment. This was a big, burly tomcat with yellow tabby markings and “sleeve tattoos” on his forelegs. He was the largest cat in the entire café, even bigger than Yuan Jing in his original form. As the café’s most laid-back elder statesman, he arrived with his own name: Guan Zizai.
Because he was the most serene, with a gentle and steady temperament, he became the branch store’s manager cat.
The second was the “Water-Crossing Gourd Cat” from folklore. This cat had an incredibly thick, dense coat and was so plump that even Dan Huang, the main manager cat, felt inadequate by comparison. With a round head and short little paws, when he tucked his paws in, he looked just like a ball. He was quite different from the fierce image in legends. His eyes practically spelled out the word “kindness”. The other cats respectfully called him Xiao Zhu.
The third cat was an unlucky little girl. Originally a clouded leopard cat, she once made a mistake during cultivation and was forcibly rescued by tourists on a mountain and taken to a conservation facility. After recovering from her injuries, she hurriedly escaped and went to register with the Supernatural Management Bureau. She decided to settle in this city, which had unusually rich spiritual energy, and chose the cat café as her home. Her name was You Ling.
The fourth was a witch’s black cat named Catherine. After the witch passed away, she tirelessly followed in her footsteps, vowing to walk every land her witch had ever tread. Eventually, she settled in the place her witch loved most. Miss Catherine ended up staying in China and made the cat café her home. Like her witch mistress, she spent her days observing the daily lives of the “Muggles”.
These spiritually awakened cats were permanent residents of the cat café, meaning they would never be put up for adoption. However, if any of them ever developed a strong desire to accompany someone, the café would never force them to stay.
The remaining ten cats were all available for adoption. The cat café had also partnered with the pet hospital next door on Shiliu Street, sharing a joint contact book. They would take in cats and dogs that the pet hospital couldn’t accommodate and help find new families for the emotionally stable cats.
With one week left before the branch store’s opening, Pei Shiyi, Bo Jin, and Zhou Yan arrived together to prepare an introductory video.
Tao Yang, holding the camera, nervously asked, “A-are there any specific requirements?”
Pei Shiyi and Pei Huang tilted their heads in unison. “Requirements? No, just make it look good.”
Behind them stood all eighteen cats of the cat café, each tilting their heads with puzzled expressions.
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wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1