Chapter 154: Cat Cafe

Chapter 154 Cat Coffee Shop

When Liang Xu said, "Come ask me again if you don’t understand next time," it was half out of politeness and half on impulse. What he didn’t expect was that Shi Lv would take him at his word without hesitation.

Every day, this guy would log into BlueBlue on time with a cat emoji, then send a sticker that read, "Kind sir, are you there?" Once he got a definite reply, he’d start sending photos.

Shi Lv wasn’t particularly good at economics, and his photography skills were a disaster—truly the epitome of a stereotypical straight guy. But even from the distorted, unflattering angles he managed to capture, his enviable physique was undeniable. His abdomen was flat, his waist slender and toned, with broad shoulders tapering into a narrow back that seamlessly connected to a well-defined waistline. His muscles were perfectly proportioned—neither too lean nor overly bulky—making him the ideal male model, fit for a fashion magazine cover.

Liang Xu had attended countless parties and seen plenty of male models. To outsiders, he was the head of the Ye family, a man of status and prestige, with no shortage of people vying for his attention. He’d seen his fair share of figures worthy of modeling.

But Shi Lv was different from those models, and his photos were nothing like magazine spreads. Despite the bizarre angles and lack of professional lighting or retouching, his youthful body exuded boundless energy. The unedited photos carried a natural, lazy charm, as if Liang Xu were his Omega or girlfriend, and Shi Lv had just finished working out, eager to show off his physique to his "partner."

Liang Xu: "..."

But this illusion never lasted long before Shi Lv would unabashedly start asking him for help with questions.

The Intern genuinely knew nothing. Shi Lv’s grasp of economics was as terrible as his photography skills, riddled with basic mistakes. Liang Xu often found himself exasperated, ready to ignore him, only for Shi Lv to send various 'cat peeking' stickers.

"Mr. X, teach me a little more!"

"Mr. X, you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met! You’ve already taught me so much—what’s a little more?"

"Mr. X, please! Otherwise, my boss will scold me tomorrow! *Cat bowing* *Cat begging* *Cat praying*"

Liang Xu: "..."

He cursed inwardly, thinking, *Your boss—me—would never scold you.* But in the end, he relented and resigned himself to being a personal tutor.

One day, Shi Lv attended a meeting with Liang Xu as usual.

Having served as the note-taker for several days now, Shi Lv had become quite proficient. He could type while still mulling over Liang Xu’s points. But as he listened, he sensed something amiss.

The meeting was yet another discussion about a coastal real estate project, a topic that had sparked a protracted dispute within New Leaf Group without reaching a consensus. To Shi Lv, the proposal from New Leaf seemed rushed, with risks outweighing the potential gains.

The proposal had been put forward by Liang Xu. Shi Lv, with his rudimentary understanding, obviously couldn’t compare, so he assumed he must be misjudging things and kept quiet. But that night, he stealthily messaged X online.

After all this time communicating, Shi Lv had complete confidence in X’s professional expertise. The man’s reputation as a company executive was well-earned. Even if his penchant for admiring abdominal muscles was a bit odd, Shi Lv still deeply admired him.

Shi Lv omitted the context and specifics, framing it as a school project on investment fundamentals, then applied New Leaf’s situation and asked for X’s opinion.

When Liang Xu saw the message, he paused for a couple of seconds.

He was still on the 29th floor of Zhenhai Hotel. The curtains were open, revealing the serpentine, deep coastline outside, the city’s neon lights tracing the shore like the fringed edge of a soft-shelled turtle.

The room was dark, with even the nightlight turned off. The only illumination came from his business laptop, its screen displaying New Leaf’s recent stock trends. The glow reflected off his glasses, only faintly reaching his eyes. He let out a low chuckle as he read the kid’s message, his expression unreadable.

Lifting a hand, Liang Xu typed: "You’re right. This is a downright atrocious investment proposal."

X: "Your judgment is sound. Under normal circumstances, if an investment manager brought me this proposal, I’d call them to account."

Shi Lv immediately caught the key point.

Shi: *"Normal circumstances? Are there exceptional ones?"*

"There are always exceptional circumstances," X replied evasively, glossing over the question. "Why don’t you tell me why *you* think it’s a bad proposal?"

To Shi Lv, X was an excellent teacher—someone who could explain complex concepts simply, guide him through answers, and make complex concepts accessible.

Shi Lv didn't think much of it and, after some thought, listed four key points.

Having just started studying economics, his ideas were a bit green. X responded, "You made good points, but to add to that, here are some additional considerations."

X also listed four points, but his analysis was way more thorough. His arguments were sharp and clear, and even his phrasing was polished and professional. Even through text, Shi Lv could almost picture the other man in a well-tailored suit, cool and collected.

Shi Lv muttered to himself, "Good thing brains aren’t my type."

Otherwise, he might have already fallen hard for this X, who he’d never even laid eyes on.

Even so, Shi Lv was still a little curious about what X looked like. He opened X’s profile picture—a side profile shot taken against the light—then ran it through a reverse image search, hoping to find the original.

No results.

Not some random internet pic. X really was that good-looking.

He thought, "Probably another hotshot young exec like the big boss, Liang Xu."

Shi Lv closed the reverse image search tool and sent a genuine thanks: "I understand now. Thank you, X."

X: "You're welcome."

Ten seconds later, he added, "It's almost midnight. I have clients tomorrow, so I’m signing off."

Shi Lv: "Good night, Mr. X."

These days, he had been saying good night to X almost every day.

X: "Good night to you too."

His icon went dark.

With X’s analysis, Shi Lv was certain his judgment was correct—the investment proposal really was flawed. He hesitated over whether to mention it to CEO Liang, but as an intern, overstepping to question the boss didn’t seem appropriate. So, he briefly set the matter aside, preparing instead for the weekend.

This was his first weekend since starting work.

Shi Lv woke up early, took a shower, and got ready to check out the café his roommate Xu Fan had recommended.

He skipped formal wear, opting for casual athletic clothes and a canvas backpack, screaming college kid. Following the address Xu Fan had given him, he found his way to the café’s entrance.

The owner spotted him from a distance and checked her phone. "You must be Shi Lv, the one Fanfan recommended?"

She looked him up and down with a smile. "Fanfan said you were tall, handsome, the hottest in your year. I thought, ‘How hot could he be?’ But seeing you now, he wasn’t kidding."

Shi Lv turned pink, unsure how to respond. The owner shooed him inside. "Come on in, handsome. It’s still early—we won’t get customers for another hour or so. I need to clean the litter boxes first. Go ahead and change."

Then she turned back. "Oh, by the way, did Fanfan tell you what kind of café this is?"

A sense of dread hit him.

He eyed her suspiciously. "What kind of café?"

The owner’s smile turned sly. "A cat café. The kind where staff dress up in costumes."

Shi Lv: "Seriously?"

A cat café was one thing, but staff dressing up in costumes? What was that about?

The owner pushed the door open. "Get in here. Gingerbread and Tangyuan have been clawing at the door to check you out. Seems like you’re catnip to these furballs."

Gingerbread was a ginger-colored orange tabby, a chubby ball of fur, while Tangyuan was a gray-and-white bicolor cat. Both were pressed against the glass door, their big tails swaying back and forth as if greeting Shi Lv.

The proprietress scratched Gingerbread and Tangyuan under their chins: "You shameless flirts, can't even take a step when you see a handsome guy."

The shop stood along the street, with the counter at the entrance. Further inside, two small glass-enclosed rooms housed cat scratching posts and climbing frames, while the middle area was for customers to dine.

When Shi Lv walked into the changing room, he was startled again.

Now he knew what the cosplay was about—cosplaying as a butler!

This was actually a butler café (cat-themed)!

The changing room door was tightly shut, with no windows. The proprietress was right outside, and she was his roommate's relative. Shi Lv took a deep breath...

Whatever, the hourly wage was so high. So what if it was a butler?

Gritting his teeth, he changed.

When he came out, the proprietress, never missing a chance to stir things up, said, "Handsome, if you share our café on social media and keep it up for eight hours, I’ll give you a raise—plus a free couple's meal!"

Shi Lv wasn’t interested in the couple’s meal—it wasn’t like he could drag Xu Fan here to eat—but the raise? Very tempting.

—After all, he was drowning in credit card debt.

After some thought, Shi Lv didn’t dare post it in any school group chats. Instead, he surreptitiously posted about the café on BlueBlue.

"Knit One, Purr Too Cat Café—dozens of kittens craving cuddles, plus cute butlers and maids~"

The original owner had occasionally shared the café on BlueBlue too, decorating the page with flowery decorations, though no one knew how many credit cards they’d maxed out.

If anyone saw Shi Lv’s post, they’d just assume he was checking out the café—no one would think he was working there. Besides, BlueBlue was full of strangers; no one knew Shi Lv’s real identity.

The only one he had to worry about was X.

For some reason, Shi Lv really didn’t want X to know what he was doing. It felt like the shame of exposing a niche hobby to a mentor. But then again, X was never online during the day.

The high-powered executive only had time to spare for Shi Lv at night.

Shi Lv thought, "If I leave it up till evening, that’ll be exactly eight hours."

Satisfied, he put away his phone and started playing with the cats and preparing coffee. Customers came and went throughout the day, and it wasn’t until the afternoon that things quieted down.

Meanwhile, two kilometers away at New Leaf Group, Liang Xu had just finished meeting with a client.

This particular business partner was a bit unusual—a trust fund kid named Qin Si.

Qin Si came from a powerful family: his father was a business tycoon, and his mother had a military and political background. Born with a golden spoon, he treated business more like a hobby, unconcerned with profits. Fresh back from studying abroad, his family had connected him with Liang Xu, hoping for some guidance.

Liang Xu maintained a warm, approachable, mentor-like persona and was skilled at networking. When the Qin family reached out, he agreed without hesitation. Now, having just met Qin Si, they’d discussed a few minor collaborations.

The rich kid had brought his new girlfriend along, arriving in a loud, neon-colored sports car with an exhaust that roared like thunder.

Seeing this, Liang Xu knew Qin Si wasn’t here for business—he was here to show off in front of his girlfriend. So Liang Xu subtly humored him, making Qin Si look capable while quietly securing an extra two percentage in the deal. Meanwhile, the girlfriend gazed at Qin Si with stars in her eyes.

Pleased with himself, Qin Si was in high spirits. It was around four in the afternoon, and with business wrapped up, his girlfriend clung to him, whining for afternoon tea.

In their newlywed-like phase, Qin Si immediately agreed.

Liang Xu never ate outside mealtimes, but as the host, he was obliged to indulge his guests. New Leaf Group had regular afternoon tea arrangements, and there was also a five-star hotel nearby.

But Qin Si's girlfriend was clearly the free-spirited and energetic type. She said she'd grown tired of luxury brands and didn't want to eat at the company either. Since she was back in Haicheng for once, she insisted on finding a local hole-in-the-wall spot.

Liang Xu felt a headache brewing, but his image kept him good-natured as he pulled out his phone and tried to search for shops that young women might like.

Liang Xu’s phone was bare-bones, with almost no unnecessary apps—just essential communication tools, stock and trading software, and BlueBlue.

After downloading a review app, Liang Xu tilted his phone slightly, trying to cover the BlueBlue icon. But with a single accidental tap, he opened it instead.

He meant to exit immediately, but as the feed refreshed, he paused for a moment.

Shi Lv had posted an update.

"Yarn Ball Cat Café—dozens of kittens just begging for cuddles, along with cute baristas - guys and gals alike~"

The accompanying photo showed an especially cute marmalade cat perched in someone’s hand, its paws clinging to their arm as it tilted its head innocently.

It looked exactly like the emojis Shi Lv loved to send.

And that "someone" was Shi Lv himself.

Liang Xu recognized his hands.

The Junior Intern had a handsome face, and his hands were just as pleasing—slender, well-proportioned knuckles with smooth, firm skin. During meetings, he always sat beside Liang Xu, typing on his laptop, his fingers flying across the keys.

Too bad what he typed was always pure gibberish.

Shi Lv was no prodigy. Even with X’s guidance, it was normal for his early analysis reports to be complete disasters.

Though he improved later, in Liang Xu’s eyes, he merely went from total trainwreck to marginally coherent.

So, while the trust fund kid and his girlfriend chattered away, Liang Xu smoothly interjected, "Do you like cats? I know a cat café nearby with some killer desserts."