Pei Shiyi asked curiously, "What made you think you could just come here and recommend yourself?"
Xu Tuzhi scratched his head. "We saw the videos online and thought you seemed easy to get along with."
Before coming, he was worried that showing up uninvited might be too presumptuous. So he decided to pretend to be a customer first, just to test the waters. He even deliberately chose an auspicious day to leave home to avoid running into Bo Jin. But not long after stepping into the cat café, he saw Bo Jin. At that moment, Xu Tuzhi was so startled that he froze on the spot. And like a frightened rabbit, he ended up spilling everything without being asked.
Pei Shiyi couldn't help but chuckle. He truly couldn't understand how the Yaoguai Beast Clan, a species known for deception and cunning, had managed to produce a rabbit like Xu Tuzhi.
The Yaoguai Beasts were a race adept at weaving lies, using their intelligence to navigate between different species. They resembled rabbits in appearance, but their courage was anything but rabbit-like. Still, considering Xu Tuzhi dared to come find him without gathering any information first, he wasn’t exactly timid either.
Xu Tuzhi pulled out some samples from his small bag and opened each box one by one. A faint spiritual energy drifted from the food inside. In a time when spiritual energy was so scarce, cultivating such ingredients was no easy feat.
Xu Tuzhi explained, "I run a farm with Dang Kang. Our production isn’t very high, and other non-humans can’t buy from us often. We were hoping to find a stable client. Also... even though these products are great, they’re really difficult to cultivate. But mortals don’t understand their true value. They just care about the taste and aren’t willing to pay the price..."
Bo Jin asked, "If you can’t sell them, why not go to the Bureau of Non-Human Affairs?"
Xu Tuzhi looked confused. "Why would we go there? We’re just running a business, not causing conflicts with other beings."
Pei Shiyi couldn’t hold back his laughter. "See that? This is exactly how your Bureau is perceived."
That bird never missed a chance to throw shade.
Bo Jin’s thin lips moved slightly. "...Childish."
Pei Shiyi took it as a sign that Bo Jin had nothing to say and felt surprisingly pleased.
Xu Tuzhi, unable to understand the dynamics between these two powerful figures, still nervously continued, "We only sell agricultural products, nothing processed. But as soon as the price is a little high, wholesalers don’t want them. They’d rather go for ordinary goods."
His voice carried a hint of grievance. "It’s true our products are a bit expensive, but not by much. The main issue is that the wholesalers coming to us don’t have the right sales channels. If their costs are a little higher, they can’t sell them either."
At the end of the day, it was all about distribution.
Pei Shiyi thought for a moment and said, "Let’s discuss the details a bit more."
At the very least, he could improve the quality of food for the fluffy ones.
Finally, they confirmed the order, which included fresh milk, seasonal fruits, and various meats.
For Xu Tuzhi’s small farm, this was already a sizable deal. Overcome with gratitude, he left all the samples he had brought and stammered, "I-I just wanted you to taste them."
Then he turned to leave.
Pei Shiyi found it both funny and exasperating. "Don’t run away. You just took such a big order, and we already paid. At least sit down and finish your food."
Xu Tuzhi scratched his head and found an empty seat. The café’s staff quickly brought out desserts and drinks, filling the table.
Pei Shiyi glanced at the time. They had been talking for hours, and now it was evening—time to prepare snacks for the fluffy ones.
Just then, Fondant pounced on a cat toy, accidentally bumping into Pei Shiyi’s leg before dramatically flipping onto her back, playing dead. "Meow."
With her mouth slightly open, the tip of her pink tongue peeked out as she tilted her head up at Pei Shiyi, whining as if to say: I bumped into you, and my toy went flying!
The customers who witnessed the act burst into laughter. "So she really is a ragdoll dog, huh? Hahaha."
That tongue-out expression was way too dog-like. And the way she fetched and carried the toy stick was beyond adorable.
She was so sweet that Pei Shiyi couldn’t resist. He bent down, picked up the toy stick, and waved it in front of her.
The stick had two colorful ribbons attached, fluttering like waves as it moved. Fondant’s feline instincts kicked in—her eyes locked onto the ribbons, her body lowered into a crouch. Anyone familiar with cats would recognize this posture: she was preparing to pounce.
But before she could make her move, another figure was faster—Tongqian leaped from the cat tree, mouth open, and bit down on the toy stick, hanging from it like a dangling rope.
Fondant: "??"
Pei Shiyi: "…"
He really couldn’t understand Tongqian’s thought process. Was this how he planned to impress a girl?
Not far away, Yunchao watched coldly for a while before jumping onto a shelf, grabbing a toy fish, and placing it in front of Fondant.
Fondant happily pinned down the fish, then licked Yunchao’s ear affectionately before snuggling up to him as they walked away together.
Tongqian, still hanging from the toy stick, let go and dropped to the ground, staring blankly at their retreating figures.
Even Pei Shiyi felt a bit sorry for him. But to Fondant, Yunchao was her lifesaver, while Tongqian was just a goofy cat who had fallen from the sky.
To prevent any heartbreaking love triangles in the workplace, Pei Shiyi could only offer a piece of sage advice: "Silly child, fairy girls only play with other fairy girls."
Tongqian turned his back in silent misery, wallowing in self-pity.
Bo Jin crouched down and gave his fur a few strokes. "Even silly cats are pretty cute."
Tongqian: "…" His inner voice roared: I’m still a young and handsome boy! How did I suddenly become just a silly cat?!
But as soon as he met Bo Jin’s gaze, all he could muster was a feeble, "Meow."
As a part-time worker, Xiao Zhou only worked four hours a day. Yesterday, he had the morning shift; today, he was on the evening shift and had just arrived at the cat café. He hurriedly ran in to swap shifts with another part-time worker. Seeing his bright smile, the other worker chuckled and asked, "You're in such a good mood today?"
Xiao Zhou grinned and said, "Yeah! I watched a video before coming here, and it was hilarious."
In truth, last night, feeling inspired, he had edited a video of Tongqian scratching at a scratching board. He ended up watching it twice himself and nearly laughed himself silly.
After greeting his coworker, he entered the cat café. "Take your time on the way back, I'm heading in."
As soon as Xiao Zhou stepped through the door, he spotted Tongqian and immediately bowed and flattered him, "Good evening, Boss Tong."
Tongqian, who had just suffered the greatest emotional setback of his feline life that afternoon, lifted his head with an exceptionally cold gaze.
Xiao Zhou instantly became even more ingratiating. "Boss Tong, I added background music and edited yesterday’s impromptu performance. The final version is ready. Would you like to review it?"
Tongqian patted his paw on the ground: Present it.
Zhou Yan swiped open his phone and propped it up in front of Tongqian.
After a brief black screen, the video started playing.
On the screen, an orange cat with its back to the camera stretched itself out into a long shape. Unlike the stereotypical chubby ginger cat most netizens imagined, this Bengal cat had a lean, muscular build. The black spots on its coat further accentuated its predator-like physique.
The video showed the Bengal cat vigorously scratching the board, the sharp scritch scritch sounds playing in sync with a deep, muffled drumbeat. With each swipe at the board, the cat’s sleek body swayed precisely to the rhythm. Through clever editing, every motion matched the beat perfectly.
A female voice joined the background music, low and melancholic, while the Bengal cat twisted and swayed with delight. As the song continued, its long tail lifted high, and the rhythmic scratching sounds blended seamlessly with the music. The oddly satisfying scritching made it unexpectedly enjoyable and stress-relieving to watch.
Even though Zhou Yan had already watched it twice, he still couldn’t help but laugh.
Tongqian didn’t quite understand human humor but felt that the video captured his charming physique from multiple angles. Pleased, he patted Zhou Yan’s arm in approval.
With Boss Tong’s blessing, Zhou Yan excitedly ran off to find Pei Shiyi.
"Boss, I finished editing the video. Boss Tong has already reviewed it. Do you want to take a look?"
Pei Shiyi hadn't expected him to actually go through with making a video of Tongqian scratching the board. "Sure, let’s see it."
Zhou Yan eagerly played the video. As soon as the peculiar music started, it immediately caught Pei Shiyi’s attention. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Initially, Zhou Yan worried that Pei Shiyi might not like this style of music, so he explained, "This song is called Bad Guy. It has a rather unique style—some people love it, while others don’t—but it’s really popular. A lot of people click on videos just because of the song title."
He had completely misjudged Pei Shiyi’s taste.
Pei Shiyi was actually quite receptive to new and unusual things.
The melody of the song was unlike anything he had listened to before, but it was undeniably interesting. It carried a lazy, almost lethargic vibe, making it hard to get energized, yet it was strangely catchy…
Pei Shiyi suddenly turned his head.
Bo Jin was sitting right next to him. Perhaps because there were no cats to pet, he had returned to his usual half-dead expression, eyes drooping as if he could fall asleep at any moment.
Pei Shiyi tapped his fingers against the table and whispered to Zhou Yan, "Look at him."
Zhou Yan, puzzled, followed his gaze to the boss’s best friend, his face full of confusion—Uh… what about him, boss?
Pei Shiyi said, "Don’t you think this song suits him perfectly?"
Zhou Yan thought about it. The song Bad Guy did have that sluggish, lifeless vibe, and the boss’s best friend also had that sluggish, lifeless vibe… But why did this comment sound kind of gay?
Pei Shiyi finished watching the video. Even with his high tolerance for humor, he couldn’t help but smile, lips curving upward.
He nodded. "That was fun. I never thought Tongqian would have such a talent for music. You did a great job with the editing, and the music choice was spot-on."
Zhou Yan was praised twice, and the fair-skinned young man immediately blushed. "Actually, I do self-media work, but I’ve always been stuck in this half-popular, half-unnoticed state—just barely making enough to support myself. Boss, if you don’t mind, I can register an account for our cat café on the platform and upload the video. It’ll count as a bit of promotion."
If he weren’t in self-media, he wouldn’t be so sharp with editing and catching current trends. He genuinely enjoyed making videos—this kind of work brought him joy and a sense of accomplishment.
Pei Shiyi had already gotten a taste of the terrifying power of online promotion when the cat café first opened. More marketing channels were obviously a good thing, so he patted Xiao Zhou on the shoulder. "Alright, I’ll trouble you with this. And don’t worry, your work won’t go unpaid—you’ll get a bonus this week."
Zhou Yan cheered, "Thanks, boss!"
After he left, Bo Jin finally said coolly, "He’s just a part-timer, and you trust him? Once the account is registered, it’ll be under his name. Aren’t you afraid he’ll cause trouble after quitting?"
Pei Shiyi took a sip of tea and drawled, "No matter how good his videos are, the cats are still mine. Besides… I think he’s a good kid."
Ghosts and spirits could see what others couldn’t. Their judgment of people was sharper and more precise. And Pei Shiyi—being a phoenix—came from an illustrious bloodline that was far more complex than ordinary demon clans. He had encountered countless demons, monsters, and spirits. A mere human who hadn’t even cultivated couldn’t possibly fool him.
Still, he accepted Bo Jin’s subtle warning and lifted his hand to pour him a cup of milk tea.
But Bo Jin disagreed. "The human heart is fickle." No matter how sharp a ghost or spirit’s senses were, the number of mountain spirits and demons who had been ruined by humans was too many to count. And they all fell victim to the same thing—betrayal.
Pei Shiyi was in a good mood and took his words as an unconventional show of concern. For once, Bo Jin didn’t look so annoying to him. He pushed the milk tea in front of Bo Jin and snorted with a smirk. "You’re being overly cautious."
…
That very night, Zhou Yan registered an account for the cat café on Bìshuǐ Station. After battling through the headache-inducing Q&A verification, he held his freshly activated account and clicked Upload.
And so, a few minutes later, the first official video of Xian Chan Cat Café quietly entered the vast sea of internet data—without a single soul paying attention.
Now, it was up to the platform’s review system. At the latest, the video would be visible by tomorrow afternoon. At that point, he could use his long-established personal account to give it a small boost.
As for what to do once the video got some exposure…
He was confident that the sheer cursed energy of this video would leave an unforgettable impression on the audience.