Maimai Chapter 8

“Comrades, make way!” Jin Li cleared the path, with Yuan Jiaming following close behind, carrying a large cardboard box. Upon entering the room, Yuan Jiaming set the box down with a heavy thud.

It was almost the New Year, and Cheng Lin was in the middle of discussing holiday system maintenance with his team when he noticed the commotion. “What’s going on?”

Jin Li replied, “We’re doing a good deed.”

“Yeah, a really good one. The warming shed I set up with some other volunteers was taken down by the property management. I’m worried the cats won’t have anything to eat or anywhere to stay during the New Year. They could freeze or starve in this cold weather,” Yuan Jiaming explained, straightening up with his hands on his hips. “I’m planning to let them shelter in the break room outside. Jin Li and I will clean it up first.”

Cheng Lin readily agreed, “Great. What do you need me to do?”

Yuan Jiaming waved him off. “Nothing for now. Just help us catch the cats later and bring them inside. I can’t touch them myself.” He was allergic to cat fur, but his love for cats remained undiminished.

With numerous project deliveries approaching at the end of the year, Cheng Lin was busy all morning. He managed to order lunch for Maimai before spending the afternoon locked in a client meeting with Yuan Jiaming that lasted over an hour.

After seeing the client off, Cheng Lin collapsed into his chair and sipped some water. His mind wandered back to a few days earlier when, out of sheer boredom, he had commanded the cat, “Maimai, get me a glass of water.”

Maimai had eagerly complied and gazed at the cup longingly while handing it over. “Your cup is so beautiful.”

The cup, which Cheng Lin had made during a team-building event, featured a design inspired by the golden fur of the orange cat. Cheng Lin began to wonder if he should make a similar cup for Maimai since he seemed to like it so much.

…Or perhaps, he mused, he could simply use a plain white mug himself. After all, it was just a cup. Why was he being so stubborn?

As these thoughts lingered, Cheng Lin started to miss Maimai. What was he up to at home all by himself? It had been days since Maimai had messaged him.

People can be quite fickle. When they receive a message, they’re amused and happy, even if they don’t know how to respond, often using the excuse of being busy. But now that Maimai wasn’t texting him, Cheng Lin felt uneasy. Why had Maimai stopped? Was the TV and his phone more interesting than Cheng Lin these days?

Cheng Lin pulled out his phone and dialed the landline at home.

Beep, beep, beep. No answer.

He didn’t even pick up. Cheng Lin felt a twitch in his right eyelid, and the word “rebellious phase” crossed his mind. He opened the security feed to check on Maimai.

To his surprise, the living room TV was off, which was unusual, and Maimai wasn’t on the couch. The small blanket he usually clung to was neatly folded into a tofu block and set aside.

Cheng Lin didn’t think much of it, assuming Maimai had gone to his room for a nap. He grabbed his tablet and joined a short meeting. Half an hour later, he checked his phone again, but the screen still showed nothing new.

Amid the heated discussion among his team, Cheng Lin suddenly had a realization. He opened the app that automatically saved footage at intervals.

He fast-forwarded through the video until, finally, he saw movement.

The footage showed that three hours earlier, Maimai had opened the front door and walked out.

And he hadn’t come back.

Cheng Lin jumped from his seat, accidentally knocking over Jin Li’s milk tea. He hurriedly wiped the spill with a napkin, but after a few half-hearted swipes, he tossed the paper aside and bolted for the door. “Sorry, something came up. You guys carry on.”

 

Meanwhile, Maimai had finished his lunch, cleaned up the takeout bag, and began preparing for his job search.

He carefully combed his hair and stole one of Cheng Lin’s shirts from the closet. As he adjusted his appearance in the mirror, he realized this was his first time venturing out alone in his life as a cat. He was heading to a place a full five kilometers from home, so he figured he should pack a few essentials.

Maimai grabbed a backpack from the closet, unzipped it, and packed three cans of cat food as his rations.

After extensive online research, Maimai had to admit that, despite his broad understanding of the world, being undocumented with no ID or education ruled out most legitimate jobs.

But Maimai wasn’t easily discouraged. He had never forgotten his other identity.

Through his research, he discovered that there were many legitimate workplaces for cats in the city—cat cafes.

Without any money for transportation, Maimai used his phone for navigation and walked the entire way, taking in the sights along the route.

He arrived at the nearest cat cafe, located in a mixed-use residential and commercial building. The building’s exterior was quite run-down, and the interior wasn’t much better, with the air thick with cigarette smoke and a faint musty smell.

It was Maimai’s first time riding an elevator alone. He mimicked Cheng Lin’s usual actions, nervously stepping inside and pressing the button for the correct floor.

The elevator walls reflected his image like a mirror, and Maimai studied his appearance, hoping to make a good impression.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, the smell of cats hit him. Following the scent trail, Maimai approached the entrance and asked politely, “Excuse me, are you still hiring cats?”

The cat cafe was run by a young couple. The woman, hearing his question, instinctively asked, “Huh? What kind of cat? Is it well-behaved?”

“It has a good temperament,” Maimai replied, standing up straight, “Just over a year old.”

Seeing how serious he was, the woman started to feel concerned. “Is this a cat you don’t want anymore?”

Maimai shook his head. “No, this cat just wants to find a job. It’ll come home in the evenings.” He pulled out his smartphone. Since he shared the same account with Cheng Lin, his photo album was synced with Cheng Lin’s cloud and contained many pictures of him as a cat.

He selected a photo he was particularly proud of and showed it to the couple.

Trying to be supportive, the female owner said, “Oh, it’s a cute little orange cat!”

Maimai smiled at her words.

The male owner, observing from the side, assessed the young man. While there had been instances of cats coming to “work” in the past two years, they were typically high-breed, purebred show cats, meant to attract customers interested in purchasing or breeding their offspring.

He remarked, “Isn’t your cat just a Chinese mixed-breed cat? We don’t accept those.”

Maimai asked, “What’s wrong with a mixed-breed cat?”

Thinking Maimai was talking back, the male owner replied in disbelief, “Orange cats are everywhere. I could pick one up off the street. Are you kidding me?”

Maimai was given the eviction notice and found himself wandering a street full of orange cats, feeling lost.

He knew he was an orange cat, but he didn’t understand the implications of his breed or its popularity. Cheng Lin’s attitude had always encouraged him and kept him thoroughly deceived.

Now, faced with the harsh reality, Maimai couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

As he aimlessly wandered down the small street, he spotted two orange cats in the bushes that looked just like him. This weighed heavily on his mind. The world outside was similar to what he had seen on TV, but unlike TV, real life didn’t care about cats in the bushes. He had clearly misjudged the situation.

Just then, Maimai’s phone rang. The caller ID showed it was “Cheng Lin.”

Maimai answered, barely managing to say “Hello” before hearing, “Where are you! What are you doing out there alone?”

Maimai replied, “I’m out looking for a job.”

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Cheng Lin exclaimed, “What job? Don’t you know how dangerous it is? If you didn’t have your phone, I wouldn’t even know where you were!”

Sensing the rare anxiety in Cheng Lin’s tone, Maimai reassured him, “I’ll be back for dinner.”

“Where are you?” Cheng Lin demanded, “Share your location on WeChat right now. If you take another step, be careful not to get beaten.”

Twenty minutes later, a motorcycle appeared from across the street, making a sharp turn as soon as it spotted him.

The rider quickly found a place to park, dismounted efficiently, removed his helmet, and crossed the street.

Maimai stood obediently in place. Even without seeing clearly, he knew it was Cheng Lin.

While waiting, Maimai kept replaying the cat cafe owner’s words in his head. They weren’t wrong.

Lately, Cheng Lin had been getting mad at him a lot. Maimai feared that if he pushed Cheng Lin too far, he might actually go to the street and find another cat to replace him. After all, orange cats were everywhere, and there was nothing special about him.

Cheng Lin approached with long strides, his helmet now off, revealing sweat-drenched black hair and a gaze locked on Maimai like a predator on its prey.

Before Maimai could even get out a “Don’t beat me,” Cheng Lin pulled him into a tight hug.

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Author’s note:
I won’t beat a cat…