The teahouse’s first day of business went better than anyone had expected, much to the delight of the elders in the Lin family.
“I honestly thought hardly anyone would be willing to come in and spend money,” Wang Xiuzhi said as she stood in the bar area, a space only staff were allowed to enter, watching the lounge area while chatting with her husband.
She was genuinely stunned to see some customers casually drop tens, even hundreds of yuan, just to buy a few cans of cat food and some cat treats to feed and play with the cats in the shop.
If it were her, she’d be foolish to spend money on such expensive things for someone else’s cats... In fact, she probably wouldn’t even step foot in a place like this.
“Mom, the times have changed,” Lin Youyu said, tilting his head as he spoke to his wife, clearly impressed. “Young people’s spending habits nowadays are totally different from ours. Back then, just being able to eat meat every meal was considered a good life. Things aren’t like that anymore.”
Just then, Cheng Fengyang walked into the bar area carrying two boxes of supplies. “Uncle, Auntie, should I put these two boxes here?”
“Don’t move, Xiao Cheng, let us handle it!” The couple quickly took the boxes from his hands, expertly placing them in the empty space under the bar counter. “You’ve already helped a lot. There’s no need to tire yourself out. You can just rest in the shop today. I’ll have Lan Lan make you some milk tea and cake later.”
“No need, Auntie, I’m not tired,” Cheng Fengyang said with a bright smile, wiping the thin sweat from his forehead. His expression was fresh and excited. “Although my family owns a big shop that we rent out, I’ve never really been involved in running a business. Today’s the first time, and it’s pretty interesting!”
Seeing the handsome young man wearing a Cat Teahouse apron, grinning foolishly and saying silly things, the elderly Lin couple couldn’t help but think that the youngest son of the Cheng family was truly a lovable goof.
He was actually a year older than their daughter and had a decent job, so why did he look so simple-minded? But somehow, that naïveté made him even more endearing.
“Dad, Mom, what are you whispering about?” Lin Lan, who had been busy outside, walked in. “Get me three more cat treats and two cans of food — there’s a customer asking for them!”
“Coming!” Wang Xiuzhi answered, but before she could move, Cheng Fengyang was already quicker, rummaging through the boxes on the back shelf and handing the items over.
“Thank you, Fengyang,” Lin Lan said, grabbing them quickly and hurrying off.
“I’ll help you, Lan Lan!” Cheng Fengyang quickly followed. “You definitely can’t handle all this by yourself.”
The two of them bustled around the shop, attending to customers together, leaving the elderly couple with complicated expressions.
“That kid... it really looks like he wants to become my son-in-law,” Lin Youyu concluded.
“But Lan Lan doesn’t seem to have any reaction,” Wang Xiuzhi said knowingly. “She’s gotten so hooked on taking care of the cats lately that even if a man is right in front of her every day, she probably wouldn’t notice much.” She was actually pleased by this. If a girl is too easy to be pursued, she tends not to value it — just like the jerk who cheated on their daughter before. Back then, she was young, just out of school, but now she definitely wouldn’t fall for that again.
“Mom, get me two more cat treats!” Lin Lan returned once again.
Wang Xiuzhi immediately handed it over, but her mind couldn’t help but calculate how much more income they had made. After her daughter walked away, she watched the teahouse, where more and more customers were drawn in by the cats, and couldn’t help but shake her head.
“They just don’t get it, really don’t understand these young people.”
Lin Lan’s shop had a great atmosphere—any corner was perfect for taking photos and checking in on social media. On top of that, the teahouse was filled with rare and precious pet cats, all well-behaved, affectionate, and playful. Their meows were pleasant, making customers who originally came just because they liked cats linger longer and come back again and again. Almost every visitor wore a smile rarely seen in their daily lives, cuddling cats, playing with them, or simply enjoying their company.
Using a cat teaser wand was the most basic move, but some regulars who often played with the cats had even developed their own secret tricks for interacting with the kittens.
“Come on, Jin Tan, high five!” On a round, lazy sofa, a female customer knelt down, pressing the sofa into a water-drop shape. At the other end sat a Siamese cat. When the woman reached out her palm, the cat also stretched out its paw, covered in black “gloves.”
At the moment the five-petaled black “mangosteen” paw met the delicate human hand, a phone clicked—capturing this sweet moment on screen. The clicking wasn’t just once, but several times, until the photographer was satisfied.
“How’s it look? Did you get the shot?” The woman quickly stood up and leaned over to her best friend, who was taking the photos, to check the screen. “Oh my gosh, so cute and adorable!”
In the photo, the high-five between her and the Siamese cat was crystal clear. The soft lighting in the teahouse was perfect for photos, gently highlighting her profile and making the cat’s fur shine—warm and utterly charming.
She had just exclaimed this when two phones were thrust into her hands—not only her own but her friend’s as well. “Now it’s my turn, hurry and take some pictures for me too!”
The Siamese cat Jin Tan cooperated perfectly, posing for the two girls’ selfies and group shots. It wasn’t just the classic “give me five” pose; there were other tricks too—
For example, when they sat down for selfies, it elegantly perched on their laps;
When they hugged it for close-ups making peace signs, it nuzzled their chins and tilted its head for a killer look;
Or when they wanted it to sit on their shoulders or walk along their arms, as long as conditions allowed, Jin Tan was happy to oblige.
—In fact, it wasn’t just Jin Tan; all the cats in the shop had been trained with some of the “Eighteen Cute Moves” Lin Lan taught them, tricks that helped them earn even more treats.
They only casually tried out a few moves, but the humans went crazy—kissing and hugging them, jumping and squealing with delight.
“Boss, another can of food, please!”
These little cats in the shop were just too well-behaved, practically maxing out on human understanding!
Today, these customers planned to spend the whole day soaking up the cat café atmosphere, nonstop taking photos and flooding their social media feeds with cute updates!
On the other side, Tang Xiaoya, sitting comfortably on the cushioned bed, finally got to hold the big cat she had been longing for. However, the cat was too focused on eating its canned food to pay her much attention, while she took the opportunity to pet and cuddle it from every angle. Like the other customers in the shop, she was also busy snapping photos with her phone.
The café’s décor was stunning, and the cats were just as charming. After shelling out nearly two hundred yuan—not for anything unsavory, but for cans of cat food—Tang Xiaoya finally managed to lure the big Maine Coon down from the cat tree. If she didn’t stay until closing time in this café today, she knew she wouldn’t leave at all. She had basically “rented” this big Maine Coon for the day; otherwise, she wouldn’t get her money’s worth!
Mercury, who had already eaten five or six cans, tried to sneak away without paying—planning to wolf down the food and then slip away. But just as it was about to wriggle free from the human’s arms, Lin Lan released the Ragdoll and the black cat squad, who usually served as the shop’s mascots, from the window display area.
The arrival of the new kittens—the same ones that initially drew customers into the shop—instantly stirred up a commotion among the guests.
Several customers immediately switched their allegiance, clutching cans of unopened food to win over the new feline arrivals.
“Wow! The Ragdoll’s here! The Ragdoll’s here!”
“That’s Sapphire, right? Her eyes are absolutely stunning!”
“Sapphire, come over here! I’ve got canned food for you!”
“Why would I go to you? Come here, little darling! I’ve got unopened cat treats just for you!”
The moment the Ragdoll jumped onto one of the fixed cat trees in the center of the room, it was instantly surrounded by an array of cans and cat treats eagerly offered by the humans, who all wore creepy, lovestruck smiles.
“Hehehe, kitty, you’re so beautiful…” one customer accidentally blurted out what was on his mind.
Humans.
All the customers scrambled to get a closer look at the Ragdoll, even using cans to tease it, which naturally left some of the other cats without any attention. Especially the Chinchilla that had been hogging the food before—now, with its big round eyes full of confusion, it watched the scene helplessly from the side.
“Meow—” (What’s going on? Where are my servants? Why are they feeding other cats with my cans?!)
“Meow!” (Come back, servants! Weren’t you all my favorites just a moment ago?!)
At this moment, Lin Lan walked over, gently scooping up the clueless cat who had lost its admirers without even realizing it. She tenderly stroked its little head. “Silly child, this is human love. They’ll never stay loyal to just one cat.”
Even those with house cats still cared about the stray cats outside their neighborhoods. Petting stray cats wasn’t enough; when walking down the street, they’d still be drawn to the pretty cats in the café.
For cat lovers, loving only one cat is simply impossible—they can be completely captivated by several.
“And besides, Mercury, you’ve already eaten quite a few cans. It’s time to take a break and let your stomach settle.” Holding the Chinchilla, Lin Lan placed it on the flower-shaped shelf in the window display. “The mascot cats rotate every two hours. Now it’s your turn to sit still.”
Silver wanted to act cute and protest to Lin Lan, but her sharp eyes caught sight of a little black cat trailing at her feet. She instantly recalled how the Chinchilla had become obedient after that beating.
Meanwhile, Mercury, the Maine Coon, was going through the same ordeal. Being one of only two cats in the entire teahouse to have been roughed up by the black cat gang—and both of their names containing “Silver”—Mercury and Silver were both filled with fear and unease toward the black cats.
When the deathly gaze of the black cat mother, Momo, swept over them, Mercury, who was trying to wriggle free from Tang Xiaoya’s embrace, instantly froze. Letting herself be hugged, nuzzled, and snuggled without any resistance at all.
“Meow…” Mercury let out a pitiful whimper. (Why is this happening? I don’t want humans to cuddle me like this…)
Completely unaware, Tang Xiaoya continued happily petting the big cats, then pulled out a can of cat food from beside her. “Here, kitties, time to eat!”
“Meow!” The large, voracious Maine Coon buried its head straight into the can. (Well, as long as there’s food, I can endure it a little longer.)
After carrying several cats who had eaten their fill over to lounge in the display window, Lin Lan glanced around the shop and pursed her lips lightly.
The black cats and Ragdolls had all come out, but their popularity was worlds apart. A crowd surrounded the sapphire-eyed Ragdoll, while only two or three of the six black cats were taken into arms.
It was exactly as expected, yet it left her helpless. All the little Momos were so adorable, and their fur felt incredibly soft when held.
Just then, the bell above the door jingled as it opened. Lin Lan immediately turned around. “Welcome… Ah, Ms. Yao?”
It was none other than the woman who had gifted her the Abyssinian cat a few months ago. Seeing her again now, Ms. Yao’s belly had grown noticeably larger. She carried a flower basket and nodded in greeting. “I heard from Xu Xiangfei that your cat café is opening today. I came specially to support you and wish your business great success.”
“Thank you, Ms. Yao.” Lin Lan accepted the flower basket but instinctively glanced around behind her, as if searching for something.
“Don’t look. I came alone,” Ms. Yao said knowingly, cutting to the chase. “They don’t even allow me to keep a cat, so there’s no way they’d let me come here today. I went out by myself, didn’t tell them.”
Clearly, the family had some serious cracks after the cat incident.
Lin Lan, who usually didn’t meddle in others’ affairs, just smiled and changed the subject. “You’re here to see Pudding, right? Let me get her and bring her over.”
A pregnant woman deserved extra care.
After escorting Ms. Yao to a table with a soft sofa against the wall, Lin Lan quickly brought over the Abyssinian cat.
“Pudding!” The moment Ms. Yao saw her beloved pet, her sensitive pregnant emotions overwhelmed her, and tears welled up in her eyes. She clutched the furry companion she hadn’t seen for over a month, unable to hold back her tears. “Pudding…”
The Abyssinian was calm and compliant, even lifting her head to lick away the tears on Ms. Yao’s face. “Meow…” (Mom, I’m okay. Don’t cry.)
“Meow—” (Lan Lan makes me so many delicious treats every day, and she even grooms my fur. I have plenty of playmates too, so I’m never lonely.)
“Meow…” (Mom, Lan Lan taught me how to hunt for canned food. Today, I even caught some from other humans. I’ll be able to hunt on my own from now on, so you don’t have to worry about me surviving when I leave home.)
Pudding softly called out again and again, comforting her former owner. After two years of companionship, Ms. Yao could understand the soothing meaning behind the cat’s meows, and tears welled up in her eyes. Lin Lan, who understood the meaning as well, lowered her gaze and pressed her lips tighter.
“Well, Ms. Yao, why don’t you stay and play with Pudding? I’ll go get you something to drink.” Using that as an excuse, Lin Lan turned and walked away.
That scene made her heart ache.
