One day, the human and cat were mysteriously transported into the same dream by Bai Jun(@柏了个君)1This is the author and their Weibo handle. So the “Bai” asking the questions is the author. through improper means.
(Most of these questions come from the Weibo comment section. Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation!)
Bai: Hello, you two. Please introduce yourselves.
Mai: (professionally) Hello, my name is Cheng Maimai.
Lin: I’m Cheng Lin.
Bai: You two are completely different species. How did you meet?
Mai: It was fate—destined by the heavens! He’s my savior!
Lin: …Mm. He was a kitten I picked up. Though now, he’s turned into a human. Can you believe it?
Bai: I believe it.
Bai: What was your first impression of each other?
Mai: Really great. I remembered his scent.
Lin: He was such a tiny kitten and not in great shape.
Bai: As a novice cat owner suddenly thrust into action, how did you feel at the time?
Lin: Anxious. (glances at Mai) …But happy.
Bai: Was Maimai easy to take care of?
Lin: Absolutely. He’s very well-behaved, doesn’t cause trouble, and is smart. My coworkers were all insanely jealous.
Mai: (shyly) Really? Which coworker?
Lin: That sister you saw last time—Jin Li. She has three cats at home. Not that guy who sneezes all the time.
Mai: Why does Yuan Jiaming sneeze every time he sees me?
Lin: He’s allergic to cats.
Bai: So, Maimai has been to your workplace?
Lin: Mm, and he even met the four cats.
Mai: All four have great personalities. I’ve already applied to the organization to have them registered in the system. As of now, the orange-and-white one named Yuanbao has been adopted by Sister Shi Jing’s colleague, while the other three are staying at Sister Xiao Qin’s place and working on a rotation. Coincidentally, the position Maomao left behind became available.
Lin: Very proactive, outstanding, a role model.
Bai: Speaking of Maomao, do you still keep in touch with him and Gungun?
Mai: Of course! Maomao has already turned into a human and reported to the organization. Gungun hasn’t yet; he’s currently working at the café.
Bai: What does Maomao look like as a human?
Mai: (thinking) Like his fur—very white. A bit taller than me, and super cool.
Lin: I’ve seen him too. He looks like a good student.
Bai: Is Gungun still as aloof as ever?
Lin: Is his aloofness really that famous? The last time I saw him, he inexplicably gave me a cold glare.
Mai: I feel like he’s been angrier since Maomao left. Rongrong analyzed that it might be because he misses having someone of the same kind around. After all, only Maomao was a kitty person like him. But when I asked Gungun about it, he just told me to leave.
Lin: So rude.
Bai: Has Cheng Lin been to Maimai’s café workplace again?
Lin: Of course. Got a membership card.
Mai: He comes often. Every time, he orders coffee with a slice of rainbow layer cake.
Bai: Maimai, your motivation is well-known far and wide. Some people are asking if you’ve been accepted into a PhD program yet. Do you have any career plans for the future?
Mai: Not yet. I’m still working through high school courses. Let me finish those first.
Lin: This guy was even watching online courses during our honeymoon.
Bai: So, does he come to you for help when he runs into math problems he can’t solve?
Mai: (answers quickly) He doesn’t know either; he’s only good at English.
Lin: These days, you can just scan the problem with a phone app to get the answer. Why would you need advice from someone like me, who graduated years ago? Besides, do I look like someone who got good grades?
Mai: Well, once I finish the courses, I’ll need to take an exam. Only after passing that can I enroll in the part-time university program. I’ve heard the test is really hard.
Lin: For you, it’ll be a piece of cake.
Bai: So, do you think you’ll become a director within five years? Everyone’s hoping to see a county- or department-level Cat-Mai!
Lin: (indignant) Are you trying to push too hard?! Take a look around—how many people in all of China reach that level of leadership by age 35? Don’t rush a cat’s growth, thanks!
Bai: Has the menu at Maimai’s Café been updated?
Mai: (nodding) We’ve got a new cold brew machine at home. It’s perfect for summer, and business has been great!
Bai: Your customers must really be supporting the business.
Lin: (smiles)
Bai: On your honeymoon, was your first stop really for skydiving?
Mai: Mm-hmm. We went skydiving in Queenstown, New Zealand and even took a helicopter ride.
Lin: We’ve been to so many places—let’s change the topic.
Bai: Why?
Mai: He spun around a few times in the air and threw up when we landed. Poor thing—I thought we might have to return home.
Bai: How did you handle it?
Mai: He was fine after throwing up.
Bai: During your honeymoon trip, which day left the deepest impression?
Lin: Hehe, a day in Paris.
Mai: Your birthday, right?
Lin: (not denying) What about you?
Mai: Every day was happy.
Bai: Everyone is curious about your preferences as a kitty person. It’s been said that Maimai had some trouble adjusting to European food. As an iron-willed Chinese cat, what kind of cuisine does Maimai like?
Lin: He can’t handle spicy food very well. We often go for yum cha.2Yum cha is a traditional Cantonese breakfast or brunch that features Chinese tea and dim sum.
Mai: I love shrimp dumplings.
Bai: Is Maimai a picky eater? What human snacks do you like?
Mai: I’m not picky. I like McDonald’s.
Lin: Picky, but he’ll eat whatever is given to him—just more of what he likes. At McDonald’s, he prefers the Double Filet-O-Fish, though that’s not exactly a snack. I don’t think he has a favorite snack since we don’t keep much of that at home.
Bai: McDonald’s, pay up!
Bai: Do you two often act spoiled with each other?
Lin: I don’t, but he does.
Mai: Do I?
Lin: All the time.
Bai: That’s just your opinion, isn’t it…
Lin: When he’s a cat, he wants me to hold him; when he’s human, he wants to hold me. Doesn’t that count?
Bai: What do you do if you upset the other person?
Lin: Apologize.
Bai: Why are you smirking? Did you upset Maimai again?
Mai: (complaining) He imitated the way I talk the other day.
Lin: All I did was mimic that little sound he always makes at the end of his sentences.
Mai: But you were grinning mischievously, and it didn’t feel nice.
Lin: My bad. I promise I won’t do something so unthinkable again.
Bai: So how did you two make up in the end?
Mai: He gave me a sincere apology.
Bai: And you forgave him just like that?
Mai: Of course! Couples need to communicate more. But honestly, I wasn’t really angry.
Bai: Speaking of couples, Maimai, do you still call Cheng Lin your wife? People are saying that it would be more appropriate to call him your husband.
Mai: (confused) Really?
Lin: (magnanimous) It doesn’t matter. Call me whatever you like.
Mai: Husband.
Lin: …
Bai: You’re bleeding from your nose. Want a tissue?
Bai: So, what would make you jealous? And what would you do if you were jealous?
Lin: (wiping his nose) There’s nothing you can do about it.
Bai: Really? Maimai, do you know what jealousy means?
Mai: I do. On our honeymoon, I bought a beautiful new harness at a store. That day, I turned into a cat and was standing on a table during a walk. Everyone thought I was a pet cat and came over to chat.
Bai: Hmm, you must have looked proud and full of energy.
Lin: Yeah, they’d never seen such a cute cat before, so they all came to pet him without respecting boundaries. My partner isn’t just an ordinary cat—shouldn’t someone do something about that?
Bai: How did Maimai learn to write Cheng Lin’s name?
Mai: I looked it up on my phone, but the teacher said it was a printed font and I shouldn’t copy it directly, so I corrected it later.
Mai: Now I’m even studying classical Chinese.
Bai: Impressive! What have you studied?
Mai: Rhapsody on the Epang Palace. “The northern slope of Mount Li twists westward, directly facing Xianyang.” Since I started learning later than others, I need to catch up quickly. I hope to bridge the age gap with everyone by the time I’m in graduate school.
Lin: No worries. You’re a hundred times smarter than the average person (pauses) Starting later is fine too; greatness takes time.
Bai: Has Cheng Lin’s reputation among the neighborhood cats improved?
Mai: (sighs)
Bai: What happened?
Mai: It had improved a lot because he often fed them with me. But ever since he caught three cats for neutering, it’s back to square one.
Lin: There’s no choice. Someone has to take on these responsibilities, and it’s for their own good.
Bai: Does Cheng Lin know that he has the nickname “crybaby man” in the kitty people community?
Mai: He doesn’t know. Maybe we shouldn’t tell him.
Lin: …Who came up with that? Why am I called that?
Bai: If you’re going to cry, don’t do it here.
Bai: Has anything changed in your relationship after marriage? Who makes the decisions?
Mai: We discuss things together.
Lin: Mm, but there’s nothing major. We just talk about what to have for dinner or where to go on the weekend. Nothing serious.
Bai: Can you use an idiom to describe your current life together?
Lin: Match made in heaven. Heh.
Mai: Super duper extra good.
Bai: An idiom has to be exactly four characters…3Chinese idioms (chengyu) usually have four characters.
Bai: Do you prefer hugging or kissing?
Mai: (sticks out his lips)
Lin: I like both.
Bai: Have you ever been drunk? What were you like?
Lin: He drank a little on our wedding day and kept smiling foolishly at me.
Mai: Then I took a long nap.
Bai: Are you planning to have other pets at home?
Mai: No way!
Lin: We’ve rescued many stray cats and dogs outside, but no new members are allowed in this house.
Mai: Turtles and fish are off-limits too.
Bai: What does Maimai spend his salary on?
Lin: …Lately, he’s learned how to shop online and keeps sending strange things home.
Mai: They’re not strange things!
Bai: What did you buy?
Mai: Little mouse toys and insect toys for the cats at the café.
Lin: I almost threw that bug out because I thought it was real.
Bai: Wherever you work, that’s where you spend!
Bai: How has Rongrong been doing lately? Everyone is very concerned about him.
Mai: Rongrong is still working. Now that it’s getting hot, he said he’s planning a trip to Jiuzhaigou4nature reserve and national park in Sichuan
with Aunt Guiying.
Bai: Who is Aunt Guiying?
Mai: She’s the teacher from our craft class. Aunt Guiying is a kind-hearted Linqing Lion cat5a hybrid of the Persian cat and the Chinese native cat 鲁西狸猫
who has taken in many stray cats. They’re good friends now.
Lin: They support and take care of each other. It’s not easy for Rong… Uncle Rong. He is over 70.
Mai: How could that be? Rongrong is only 53 years old.
Lin: Huh? I thought he was as old as the nation?
Bai: By the way, does Maimai still keep a diary?
Mai: Yes, I do. It’s easy now. I can write all the characters without needing pinyin.
Bai: Sounds really J!6J is part of MBTI. J (Judging) people like to plan and organize, while P (Perceiving) people prefer flexibility and spontaneity. MBTI is popular lately—what types are you both? (hands over phone)
—Ten minutes later—
Mai: I’m an ENFJ.
Bai: A natural politician.
Lin: ENFP.
Bai: Two extroverts. This is a first…
Bai: Did Maimai win anything in the recent labor skills competition?
Mai: Yes, I won the popularity award, so I didn’t leave empty-handed. But after seeing others’ latte art, I realized there’s still so much I need to learn.
Lin: You’re already good enough. I can’t even do latte art.
Bai: By the way, Cheng Lin, did you really turn into a cat? Everyone is curious!
Mai: (confused) Really? I thought it was just a dream.
Lin: (super loudly) Alright, that’s it for today’s interview!
(End of the extras)
Author’s note:
This is the last update for Maimai’s extra chapters for now.
About the main couple: As before, snippets will be posted on Weibo at random. While going through compatibility questions, I noticed many people were still interested in “what if” scenarios like childhood friends or classmates. I’ll try to pick up some discarded drafts and write them!
About other cats’ stories: I’m considering a different writing style for Rong, while no concrete ideas for MaoGun yet. As mentioned in my Weibo responses, I might include these in future published extras if the opportunity arises (my editor is already on it!)
Finally, it’s ad time again: Feel free to bookmark my author’s profile and check out my two new upcoming novels! I haven’t decided which one to write first.7Here’s a link if you want to support the author: https://www.gongzicp.com/zone/user-3753486.html
See you in the next story~
Translator’s note:
I think there are some extras on Weibo. Please give me some time to find them. I’m a bit busy with the year-end rush, but I’ll translate them when I can.
Thank you so much for reading❣️
