Chapter 39
“The biggest taboo in our profession is falling for a customer.” Big Fatty Orange, lying comfortably in Mimi’s arms, shared his professional experience.
Mimi had chosen a secluded corner booth, afraid of being seen talking to a cat.
The cafe owner walked over and asked, “What would you like to drink?”
Mimi asked hesitantly, “What do you have?”
The owner handed him a menu. Mimi hesitated, then chose a coffee.
“I’ll bring it over in a moment.” The owner petted Big Fatty Orange, whose tail stood straight up.
The owner said, “This is our star attraction, very friendly, loves greeting customers at the door.”
Mimi belatedly realized he was also one of the greeted customers.
He said honestly, “I thought the star attraction should be very beautiful.”
The owner burst into laughter, “A good personality is more important than looks or breed.”
Was that so?
Mimi wasn’t sure if his personality was considered good.
“What’s its name?”
“He Yonggan.” (He is a common Chinese surname. Yonggan means brave.)
The owner patted Big Fatty Orange’s backside: “He Yonggan loves this, you can pat him more.”
Even before the hand touched him, He Yonggan’s butt was already raised, his hind legs kneading Mimi’s thighs painfully.
With a human present, he endured it silently.
The owner said, “Alright, I’ll go make your coffee, have fun.”
He Yonggan looked longingly at the owner’s retreating figure, then said, trying to sound nonchalant, “I actually don’t like being patted, it’s all an act for the humans, to make them think I’m friendly.”
Mimi was skeptical, “Really?”
He Yonggan flopped onto Mimi’s lap, “Of course, I’m old, not that… eager for attention anymore.”
“…” Mimi was silent. After days of internet exposure, he knew what “eager for attention” implied.
Did Shao Sui also think he was eager for attention when he raised his butt during petting?
Mimi felt a little confused.
Just then, his phone rang. The contact name was “My Favorite Shao Sui.”
Mimi was overjoyed that Shao Sui had called him, but also afraid of being discovered, so he nervously answered the call, whispering, “Shao Sui…”
Shao Sui’s tone was unusual, “Where are you?”
Mimi became even more nervous, “I’m at home.”
“Really?” Shao Sui asked, “Are you in danger?”
Mimi looked at the surrounding cats, “No danger, I’m fine.”
Shao Sui said he understood and hung up.
Mimi was even more confused.
He Yonggan asked, “Your owner? He knows you’re a cat spirit… I thought you ran away with his phone and clothes.”
Mimi said unhappily, “I have manners, I’m not that kind of cat.”
“Okay, okay.” He Yonggan meowed. “Oh right, where were we?”
Mimi replied, “You were saying not to fall for a customer.”
He Yonggan remembered, “Right, the biggest taboo in our profession is falling for a customer.”
Mimi asked, “Why?”
He Yonggan rolled over in Mimi’s lap and meowed a few times at a long-haired Holstein cat on the windowsill, “Huahua, are you still waiting for her?”
The Holstein cat looked dejected, letting out a soft meow, its gaze fixed on the outside world.
He Yonggan meowed, “She’s not coming back.”
The Holstein jumped onto the table, delivered a cat punch to He Yonggan, then walked away indifferently.
“Hey! Still angry.” He Yonggan sighed dramatically. “That woman was just infatuated for a moment, claiming she would buy Huahua and give him a life of luxury, he waited for a month, but she never came back.”
Mimi sympathized, “So pitiful…”
If Shao Sui said that to him, he would probably wait too. Falling for Shao Sui was perhaps his destined fate as a cat.
“That’s the consequence of falling for a customer.”
“Besides cat spirits like us, other cats are trapped in this small cafe their whole lives. And the customers come and go freely, their relationship with us just a transaction of money and fleeting physical touch. They might say sweet nothings in a moment of infatuation, promising to take us home, then forget all about it, and those foolish cats will believe them, waiting day after day for them to return, even refusing to be touched by other customers, and eventually, they might even lose their job at the cafe.”
Mimi praised, “You know so much, very knowledgeable.”
“Of course.” He Yonggan said, “I’m an old cat spirit.”
“Why don’t you find a human to take care of you?”
He Yonggan said, “We owe a debt of gratitude to those who feed us. We’re spirits, a step above ordinary cats, how can we rely on humans? We have to be self-reliant.”
Mimi strongly agreed, “That’s what I think too.”
But he didn’t have an ID card and couldn’t find a job, and Shao Sui wouldn’t let him be touched by others at a cat cafe.
“Is your salary high?”
“Salary? What salary… oh.” He Yonggan suddenly understood, “You mean money? The owner would never pay me! He sees me as just a cat, even if he knows I’m a cat spirit, he wouldn’t give me money. He’s incredibly stingy, to save money, he catches all the cats in the cafe from the streets.”
Mimi’s face was filled with horror, “So scary.”
He couldn’t bear the thought of just walking down the street and being captured to work at a cat cafe, what about cat rights?
He Yonggan said, “It’s not that bad, at least there’s food, lodging, and shelter. I’m the only one who came here willingly, he wasn’t even happy about it at first.”
Mimi was curious, “Why?”
He Yonggan boasted, “He thought I was too fat, that I would eat too much and cost him money—hmph, but most of his customers come here for me, without me, this cafe would have to close down.”
“Then you should be his business partner.”
“No one would make a cat their business partner.” He Yonggan licked his paws. “I’m content, there’s food, shelter, and I can sneak out at night to play. It’s a good retirement plan.”
Mimi could smell that He Yonggan’s life was nearing its end.
“By the way, little one,” He Yonggan reminded, “Our lifespan as cat spirits in human form is similar to humans, but our lifespan in cat form is only slightly longer than ordinary cats, about thirty or forty years. If you don’t want to age too quickly, transform less often.”
“Why don’t you do that?”
He Yonggan’s tone turned philosophical, “I have no one I care about, what’s the point of living so long? I’ve slept with humans, eaten delicious food, seen the bright lights of the city, that’s enough.”
Mimi decided to transform less often.
He cared deeply about Shao Sui, wanting to live with him for a hundred years, then be buried together.
The cafe owner brought over the coffee, “Don’t open the lid, He Yonggan loves stealing sips of coffee, but coffee can be fatal to cats.”
Mimi froze.
He was also a cat.
After the owner turned around, he quietly pushed the coffee away.
“He’s exaggerating.” He Yonggan stood up and stretched. “Cigarettes can give humans cancer, and they still smoke every day. But when it comes to us cats, we can’t eat this, we can’t drink that… push it over, let me try.”
Mimi refused, “No, what if you die and he makes me pay for it?”
He Yonggan said angrily, “You young people…”
Ding—
The bell at the entrance rang, signaling a new customer.
Mimi saw a woman in a suit. He recognized her, the woman he met at the milk tea shop who mentioned Shao Sui’s name.
Although Shao Sui denied it, Mimi believed she was talking about him.
Yu Yifei, looking windswept, entered and scanned the cafe, “Owner, is Huahua still here?”
The owner looked around, “Yes, not sure where he ran off to, let me find him…”
He finally emerged from behind the sofa, holding a cat, the Holstein cat that had fallen for a customer. So this woman was the one who promised to buy him?
Huahua must have seen her arrive but was sulking behind the sofa, upset that she came so late.
“I’m sorry.” Yu Yifei hugged the hesitant Holstein cat. “I was on a business trip abroad, I just got back today.”
Huahua calmed down, licking Yu Yifei’s nose.
The cafe owner sighed, “He hasn’t been in the mood to entertain customers these past few days, just staring outside dejectedly, probably waiting for you… makes it seem like I’ve been mistreating him, so eager to leave.”
Yu Yifei chuckled, “Cats don’t understand these things, he’s probably just feeling unwell, I’ll take him for a checkup tomorrow.”
Afraid Huahua would forget her, she found a seat, wanting to spend some time with him before taking him home… wait, why did that boy over there look so familiar?
Mimi looked away and whispered, “There’s nothing wrong with falling for a customer, she came back.”
He Yonggan’s eyes were glued to Yu Yifei, saying involuntarily, “I noticed last time she’s very rich, that bag she’s carrying costs tens of thousands of yuan, she could buy Huahua so much good canned food…”
Mimi: “?”
He Yonggan, realizing his slip-up, lifted his leg and licked his belly to hide his envy, “Just lucky, meeting a lovesick customer, do you think we’ll have that kind of luck?”
His mistake was getting old and losing his looks, those humans who loved young, pretty cats wouldn’t look at him twice, leaving him to spend his twilight years in this cat cafe, being manhandled by countless customers every day.
How tragic.
Mimi added, “I already have a human.”
He Yonggan felt a pang of jealousy, changing the subject, “So what if she took him home? Being away on a business trip for so long means Huahua isn’t her priority. And from what she just said, she won’t treat Huahua as an equal, just a pet.”
Mimi disagreed, “You’re asking for too much.”
He Yonggan said, “Don’t you want your owner to treat you as an equal?”
“…”
Mimi, of course, wanted that, but he was a cat spirit, he could turn into a human, while Huahua was just an ordinary cat, he wouldn’t care about such things.
If only he was also an ordinary cat, then he wouldn’t have so many worries.
He Yonggan’s eyes darted around, “How’s your owner? Thinking of getting a second cat?”
“No!” Mimi was instantly wary, “He said I’m the only cat he’ll ever have!”
He Yonggan, having seen his share of heartless humans, was skeptical, “Really?”
Mimi felt a pang of guilt, Shao Sui hadn’t actually said that. But he didn’t want Shao Sui’s attention to be divided, so he resorted to this lie.
The little cat spirit avoided Big Fatty Orange’s gaze, “Really.”
“Okay, why are you so nervous, I was just asking, showing some concern as your senior.” He Yonggan asked, “Does he treat you well?”
Mimi thought about it carefully. He was probably a good owner.
Knowing he was a cat spirit, Shao Sui hadn’t called an exorcist or sent him for research. He had spent so much money on his medical treatment, hadn’t abandoned him when that bad man came looking for him, bought him clothes and a phone, and even though he disliked the smell of durian and luosifen, he still bought them for him.
Shao Sui could have used the money he spent on Mimi to take care of many ordinary cats.
Thinking this, Mimi still said, “I don’t know if he’s good or not, he doesn’t let me eat at the table.”
Mimi didn’t think this was a lie. When he ate luosifen the other day, Shao Sui made him eat on the balcony.
He Yonggan stroked his whiskers, “That’s…”
An ordinary cat not being allowed to eat at the table was one thing, but Mimi was a cat spirit, making him eat on the floor was a bit disrespectful.
Mimi continued, “He also doesn’t let me sleep in his bed, I have to sleep in the wardrobe.”
He Yonggan: “Hmm…”
Seeing that Big Fatty Orange still didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, Mimi added fuel to the fire, “And he’s also abusive!”
He Yonggan stood up angrily, “Abuse is too much!”
“Yes!” Mimi said, “You have no idea, there are rulers everywhere in the apartment, just so he can hit me whenever he wants! And he gave me the silent treatment this morning…”
He had just been complaining, but Mimi suddenly felt genuinely aggrieved.
If he disappeared, would Shao Sui even care?
Perhaps Shao Sui was tired of him, tired of an expensive cat spirit. Even if he kept him, he might still bring home an ordinary cat, showering it with affection while he could only watch from the side.
“You should leave him,” He Yonggan said seriously. “Domestic violence shouldn’t be tolerated.”
“I… I can’t leave him, I love him.” Mimi said weakly. “Just know that he’s not a good owner.”
He said this because he didn’t want He Yonggan to have any ideas about Shao Sui. A cat spirit’s nose was very sensitive, it wouldn’t be a problem for He Yonggan to find their apartment.
And He Yonggan, despite being so fat, was still the cat cafe’s star attraction. He must have his ways. If he could win over these diverse customers, perhaps he could also win over Shao Sui.
“You lovesick fool!!” He Yonggan said in exasperation, then suddenly thought of something, his eyes widening. “Don’t tell me you’re in love with him?”
“No.” Mimi knew what “in love” meant, a man and a woman being intimate, inseparable. “He’s a man, I’m a male cat, how can we be in love?”
He Yonggan didn’t think much of it, meowing, “There are plenty of homosexuals in both the cat and human worlds, what’s so strange about same-sex relationships?”
Mimi didn’t understand, “But Shao Sui should be interested in women, and I should be interested in female cats.”
He said “should be” because he hadn’t approached any female cats, and Shao Sui hadn’t brought any women home.
He Yonggan said sympathetically, “Then you’re in trouble!”
Mimi asked, “Why?”
He Yonggan said, “Newly transformed cat spirits often have this problem, not knowing their place, thinking they’re still the favored kitten they used to be, habitually cuddling and kissing their owner.”
“…”
“Tell me, aren’t you like this?”
Mimi guiltily lowered his head, “But…”
He Yonggan said decisively, “No buts! Since your owner likes women, he’ll eventually find a girlfriend, and do you think she’ll tolerate you cuddling and kissing her boyfriend? Humans in love are very possessive, they might accept a shared pet, but not each other’s individual pets, especially you, a cat spirit who looks just like a human.”
“And when they have children, your owner’s love will be completely transferred, leaving only a tiny bit for you.”
He Yonggan raised his paw, gesturing a small circle.
Mimi felt incredibly sad, “You’re talking nonsense.”
“You’ll see if I’m talking nonsense or not.” He Yonggan said earnestly. “And being in love with your owner isn’t a good thing either, most humans can’t treat cat spirits as equals, they just see us as playthings.”
Mimi silently placed He Yonggan on the sofa, no longer wanting to hold him.
“That’s not true…”
“How is it not true? I’ve seen it too many times.” He Yonggan reminisced, “When we get old and lose our looks, they’ll abandon us, settle down, get married, have children, or find a younger, prettier person or cat.”
Mimi said angrily, “Shao Sui is not like that!”
He Yonggan said, “Your owner is called Shao Sui? How long have you even known him? And you already know what kind of person he is? Don’t be too confident, little cat spirit.”
Mimi felt angry and sad, both feeling that He Yonggan was slandering Shao Sui and also feeling that what he said might actually happen.
“If I don’t fall in love with him, I’ll be neglected, if I do, I’ll be abandoned, then what should I do!?”
“Work here, earn your own living.”
He Yonggan jumped off the sofa and took turns lying on each customer’s lap for ten seconds, then returned to Mimi, meowing, “Like me, enjoying all the flowers but never settling down. Even if today’s customers leave, there will be new ones tomorrow, I’ll never be heartbroken.”
Mimi felt He Yonggan was lying. Huahua was heartbroken because of the woman’s late arrival, and he wasn’t even a cat spirit.
“I’m leaving, I have to go home.” Mimi said indifferently. “I have to drink water in front of the camera, my owner will check.”
He Yonggan was a bit skeptical, “Is he really as bad as you say? Your clothes aren’t cheap, and your phone is top-of-the-line…”
Mimi said, “He really is, incredibly bad! Find someone else!”
“Okay.” He Yonggan said, “By the way, do you know that person outside? He’s been watching you for a long time.”
Mimi turned to look at the window, and his mind went blank!
It was Shao Sui!
How did he know he was here!?
Separated by the glass window, both man and cat were filled with anxiety.
Mimi was terrified. Would Shao Sui misunderstand that he was here to sell himself at the cat cafe? Would he be disgusted and abandon him?
Shao Sui also felt incredibly uneasy. Was Mimi this heartbroken? Because he had been stingy with hugs and kisses, and given him the silent treatment, so he decided to leave him, to spend the rest of his life in a cat cafe surrounded by humans?
