Over the past few days, the silly guy had been diligently attending his online literacy classes and going out to feed the cats. In his spare time, he also learned how to make coffee and picked up some customer service skills. He was brimming with confidence, feeling like he’d accomplished a great deal.
In the evening, Cheng Maimai squatted on the floor, packing for his first day at work.
He brought his ID, phone, a red envelope, and…
Eight cans of cat food, sixteen cat snacks, and two large bags of freeze-dried treats.
Cheng Lin stood nearby, watching with growing anxiety as the sight stirred up some unpleasant memories. He began removing the food the cat had packed, asking with concern, “Why are you bringing so much cat food?”
“I need to get along with my coworkers,” Maimai explained. “There are eight cats in total. I want to bring them something to eat.”
“Director, you don’t need to bribe anyone. Just being there is enough for them to like you.” Cheng Lin said, “And besides, your boss will take care of the cats’ food. You don’t need to prepare it yourself. They… aren’t exactly your colleagues.”
It wasn’t that Cheng Lin was stingy or reluctant; he simply had never seen someone so eager to give away things on their first day at work. He worried Maimai might become an easy target for more cunning individuals.
“I’m not a director yet! Sister Shi Ting said it will take twenty years.” The cat sighed helplessly. “I’ll save the food for later then.” He reluctantly returned the cans and snacks to the cabinet.
Cheng Lin propped his chin in his hand, watching Maimai work diligently. The more he watched, the more he wanted to kiss him. This had been happening a lot lately—kind of vile.
Struggling to keep his composure, he pulled Maimai closer and asked, “Maybe you should think it over. Are you sure… you want to start working so soon?”
Maimai looked at him and responded matter-of-factly, “Of course, I have to go to work! Even Rongrong has to work.”
“Rong… Grandpa Rong is much older.” Cheng Lin said, “And you’re just a kitten. Why are you so eager to go out and take care of other cats?”
Maimai had thought it through carefully. He had several reasons for wanting a job.
First, he believed that the encyclopedia was right—everyone should have their own career. Plus, he genuinely wanted to help and take care of other cats, and this job seemed perfect for that.
Secondly, he had never fully understood the cost of things before, but now he realized that Cheng Lin had been handling all the expenses. Maimai felt that since they were a family, it shouldn’t be just one person earning money.
Lastly, even though Cheng Lin said he wouldn’t get married, that wasn’t a sure thing. Rongrong had mentioned that cats should be content with what they have and that owners don’t always love their cats the most. What if Cheng Lin found someone else he liked more, like Duanmu Ze with Qin Wenwan? Maimai wanted to be prepared, just in case.
Maimai broke free from Cheng Lin’s embrace, packed his backpack, and declared, “I’m going to work, no matter what!”
Cheng Lin was left speechless, unsure how to handle his frustration. After all, it was the cat’s own choice to work, and Cheng Lin couldn’t go against it.
Feeling dejected, he sat alone on the sofa.
It felt as though his most cherished treasure was about to be paraded in front of the world.
This was his cat! They were even registered under the same household!
Cheng Lin’s frustration grew. He couldn’t act on his wishes, and his thoughts became increasingly dark.
He desperately wanted Maimai to stay home and go nowhere—after all, he was a cat. What was wrong with staying home, eating, drinking, watching TV, and then playing with Cheng Lin when he got back? Did becoming human really have to change all that?
And he had already met a Rongrong from the founding era of the People’s Republic of China. Who knew if there would be a Rongrong from China’s Economic Reform era or one from the millennium1China’s Economic Reform era refers to reform from around 1980, the millennium is the turn of the millennium aka 2000. Also, the Rongrongs use different characters for “Rong” (绒绒, 蓉蓉 and 荣荣). Kind of like saying Zack, Zac, Jack.? How could anyone predict that?
Cheng Maimai was completely unaware of Cheng Lin’s grievances. He was focused on one thing: fulfilling the responsibilities listed in the job description and becoming a qualified cafe server.
“Would you like some coffee?” The kitty person tied on an apron, emerged from the kitchen, and sat next to Cheng Lin, patting him expectantly. “Maimai’s cafe is open for business.”
Even though it was already past eight in the evening, and despite Cheng Lin’s sour mood and pent-up frustration, he couldn’t bring himself to disappoint the cat. So he said, “I’ll have a small Americano.”
“You can’t just say it like that!” Maimai pulled him up and quickly ran behind the open bar table, standing at attention and urging, “Come on, as we practiced.”
Cheng Lin sighed as if he was reluctantly going along with it, but in truth, he was willing to go along. He stood in front of the bar and knocked on the marble counter next to the wall. “Is anyone here?”
“Ah, welcome!” Maimai put on an expression of surprise as if a real customer had just walked in. He flashed a bright, businesslike smile. Recalling his lines, he handed over a piece of paper placed nearby. “What would you like to drink?”
It was a menu, handwritten by Maimai.
At the top, it read “Maimai cafe,” and underneath, there were only two items scrawled in marker, limited by the ingredients available: Americano and Latte.
The uneven, wobbly letters on the page made Cheng Lin’s eyes ache just looking at them.
“I’ll have an iced Americano,” he said.
Maimai’s expression froze for a couple of seconds before he whispered, “We’re out of ice.”
Cheng Lin played along, pretending to reconsider. “I’ve changed my mind. It’s cold out anyway. I’ll have a hot latte instead. Thank you.”
The kitty person let out a sigh of relief and said happily, “Okay, one moment please!”
Cheng Maimai began working methodically, just as they had practiced over the past few days.
Cheng Lin stayed silent, simply watching the cat work.
The coffee beans were a light-medium roast from Ethiopia, releasing a distinct, slightly sour aroma as they brewed.
Cheng Lin felt a mix of pride and bitterness. As the saying goes, if you’re talented, you’ll shine. If Maimai could already make coffee this well, he might really end up becoming a director in the future.
Once the coffee was ready, Maimai poured milk into a steel pitcher and used the steam wand on the machine to heat and froth it.
Cheng Lin reminded him with concern, “Be careful. Don’t pour too much milk, and keep a safe distance from the machine.”
“Mm,” Maimai replied, his focus unwavering. He carefully poured the heated milk into a mug.
A white heart floated gently on the surface of the hot latte.
“Customer, please take a look.” Maimai announced, “Latte art!”
Cheng Lin was caught off guard by how happy this made him, forgetting his earlier despondency.
Trying to stay composed, he said, “You better not make this shape for the other customers.”
Maimai looked puzzled. “But this is the only one I’ve learned so far.”
“Then don’t make any art for them.” Cheng Lin said coldly, “They don’t deserve it.”
Maimai was set to start work tomorrow, and his excitement lingered even as bedtime approached.
Cheng Lin had already confiscated Maimai’s phone, leaving it charging on the other nightstand. Fortunately, Maimai preferred chatting with his master.
The kitty person turned over, lying on his stomach, and raised his head to chide the human leaning against the headboard, engrossed in his laptop. “Why aren’t you sleeping? You’ve been staying up late every night lately, always on your computer. And you tell me not to be on my phone.”
Cheng Lin’s insomnia had a clear cause: caffeine.
Worried about not doing well at his new job, the cat had been practicing making coffee nonstop. Since he found coffee too bitter to drink himself, the human ended up consuming it all. Now, forced to stay up due to the caffeine, he found himself getting scolded for it.
Cheng Lin said, “It’s not the same. You insist on making coffee every night at eight. If you did it earlier, I wouldn’t have to stay up so late.”
Maimai switched topics. “I’m a bit nervous. Do you think the boss will be happy with my work?”
“Yeah.” Cheng Lin glanced at the cat and reached out to smooth down Maimai’s hair. “I’ve never seen such an outstanding barista.”
But then he added, “Though, you usually don’t wake up until eight or nine. If you don’t get up on time, I won’t wake you. You can just skip work.” It was clear he really didn’t want Maimai to go to work.
“I’m going!” Maimai insisted. “If I’m not up, you have to wake me.”
Cheng Lin pretended not to hear, so Maimai repeated, “You have to wake me.”
Cheng Lin finally responded with a reluctant, “Got it.”
Satisfied, Maimai scooted closer, pressing his face against Cheng Lin’s hand. Cheng Lin turned his hand over to stroke his cheek. Emboldened, Maimai lifted his head, trying to kiss Cheng Lin.
Cheng Lin could still feel the warmth of Maimai’s cheek against his palm. But worried that Maimai might aim for his lips, he leaned back like a goose stretching its neck to avoid it.
“Ah.” Maimai noticed and stopped, feeling a little hurt.
Cheng Lin caught the look and quickly leaned down to kiss the cat’s forehead.
“Why do you only kiss my forehead?” Maimai asked. “You didn’t used to do that.”
“That was then,” Cheng Lin replied. “What’s wrong with kissing your forehead? The more I kiss it, the smarter you’ll get.”
This human, who often risked offending the kitty person with his words, had learned something valuable: as long as he fully affirmed Maimai’s words, acknowledged that Maimai was his cat, and maintained a certain level of physical affection, Maimai wouldn’t have too many complaints.
Sure enough, Maimai was convinced, thinking that if it made him smarter, it was a good thing.
Seeing Cheng Lin still leaning against the headboard, unmoving, Maimai wiggled a bit and burrowed into Cheng Lin’s arms, resting his face against his chest.
Cheng Lin lifted his arm to make Maimai more comfortable, losing all interest in his PPT.
“You’re like a crop I’ve been raising,” he said, lightly touching the back of the kitty person’s head, trying to sound casual. “When I first found you, you weren’t even as big as my palm.”
“Mm,” Maimai responded, though he didn’t really know what “crop” meant. “I almost died back then. You really had it tough.”
Cheng Lin felt a pang in his heart. What if he hadn’t been willing to spend the money? What if Maimai hadn’t made it through? What if he hadn’t brought Maimai home in the end?
All those “what ifs” could have meant they wouldn’t have the life they had today.
“Rongrong is going to visit Granny’s grave,” the cat said slowly and softly. Then he asked, “Cheng Lin, are you going to die too?”
Cheng Lin was silent for a moment before answering, “Yes, but… I feel like I’ve still got a long time left.”
“Will I die too?” The cat continued, “Like I almost did that time in the bushes?”
Cheng Lin wanted to say no. He closed his laptop, placed it on the nightstand, turned off the bedside lamp, and pulled the cat closer into his arms.
He said, “Wang Derong is already as old as the country itself. You kitty people are pretty long-lived.”
“Yeah,” Maimai said happily. “We still have a lot of time to play together.”
Cheng Lin didn’t respond, just held Maimai tighter. He took a careful sniff and noticed that Maimai smelled both sweet and warm. Was this the unique scent of a kitty person? What did he himself smell like? Maimai seemed to like it so much that he needed to hug two of his clothes to fall asleep.
“Do you know about ‘cat huffing’?” Maimai asked.
“Hmm?”
“It’s like what you’re doing now.” Maimai couldn’t quite describe the feeling of bliss, so he simply said, “There are a lot of people online who do the same thing.”
Cheng Lin: “Is that a problem?”
Maimai replied, “No, it’s fine.”
“…But only I can do this to you, got it?” Cheng Lin whispered in his ear, “When you’re outside, keep your phone with you and don’t turn back into a cat. Be careful, or someone might try to abduct you.”
“I know.”
“When you’re at work, don’t be too nice to people. Don’t smile all the time. If someone treats you badly, just slap them.”
Maimai couldn’t agree with the double standard. “Why? I’ll get complaints.”
Cheng Lin tightened his hold on him. “Let them complain. I’ll open a cafe for you someday.”
Maimai thought about it, tempted, but still had concerns. “But I want to be a director.”
Cheng Lin pressed his forehead against the cat’s shoulder, unable to hold back a muffled laugh. “If I open a cafe, wouldn’t that make you the chairman?”
“Oh, is a chairman higher than a director?”
“Mm, it’s a higher rank. You’d be someone important across all of China.”
“Great!” Maimai snuggled deeper into his arms, feeling sleepy. As his eyelids grew heavy, he mumbled, “Then let’s open Maimai cafe.”
“Mm.” Cheng Lin murmured, “But there’s already a Maimai cafe2Mai cafe is McCafe in Chinese out there. I’m afraid we might hear from a lawyer. You should think of another name next time.”
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