Could it be… a mother-daughter relationship?!

“Where is Xuan Bai?” Wei the Cat asked, having spent several days transforming her vibrant, multicolored fur back to its original black.

With no further progress on her own, she was compelled to seek Bai’s assistance once more.

“Xuan Bai isn’t here right now,” a staff member truthfully replied to the visiting Wei the Cat. “She likely ran off to play somewhere unknown, but she usually returns around 6 PM.”

“She went out by herself?!” Wei the Cat’s already large eyes widened even further. “Doesn’t she know she needs to hide her true form? What if she causes a commotion out there? What if she turns some ordinary people into cat-people like me?”

“Furthermore, why wasn’t I informed about something this significant?”

“The Director gave orders for you to rest these past few days,” the staff member explained. “He said you should only resume work once your state of mind is stable.”

“Hmph! …I’m perfectly fine now! My mindset is completely stable!” Wei the Cat declared loudly, her face flushing as she recalled her tearful state from last time.

“Do you know where she went?”

“Coincidentally, we’ve just located her.”

The Shop Manager, Zhou Zhiting, lowered her head, preparing desserts for sale, while subtly glancing up at Bai, who was intently watching the television.

After that strange, enormous cat arrived last time, Zhou Zhiting had been quite frightened.

Perhaps the cat food she made had been to its liking?

This large cat, taking advantage of the absence of people, had licked each of the welcome cats on the first floor, establishing itself as the undisputed boss of the place.

Wherever it went, a cluster of other cats followed and stayed.

What was even more astonishing was that it had taught itself to use the remote control to watch the television in the lobby!

This only further convinced Zhou Zhiting that it was a cat demon.

Bai’s constant presence in the shop led customers to believe it was a new employee, often petting the cat as it lay on the table watching TV.

The first time Zhou Zhiting witnessed this, her heart skipped a beat, and she rushed out, intending to stop the customer.

Fortunately, the patrons here were all ‘seasoned veterans’ skilled in interacting with cats, so Bai did not resist these somewhat clumsy massages.

Nevertheless, to prevent any mishaps, the Shop Manager discreetly placed a small sign next to the table that read: “Our new employee is shy and afraid of people; please do not touch her casually.”

Luckily, this cat demon seemed to be merely visiting.

After enjoying free food, drinks, and pets, it would quietly vanish just before closing.

The Shop Manager had secretly checked the surveillance footage this time, confirming its sudden disappearance.

Truly worthy of being a cat demon.

The troublesome part was that every afternoon, it would suddenly reappear, just as mysteriously as it vanished.

It was truly bizarre and wondrous.

Truly worthy of being a cat demon.

…

After staying there for a few days, Bai finally understood the purpose of the place.

It was an agency and a company!

These two terms were the most fitting descriptors Bai could find in her human vocabulary after much thought.

Cats could work here to earn food, or they could wait for suitable humans to take them home.

As for the job description, Bai felt she understood perfectly.

The humans who came here all loved cats and sought relaxation.

Therefore, all she had to do was slightly open her Pure Land of the Heart and simply exist there!

How wonderful. Was this what work was like? How interesting.

Bai pressed her paw on the remote control, changing the channel on the television.

She stared blankly at a nature documentary.

The Shop Manager gently placed a small bowl of cat food mixed with kibble in front of Bai.

Just then, a simple black sedan pulled up directly in front of the shop.

The Shop Manager groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead before pushing open the door. “You can’t park here.”

The car door opened, and a small, delicate figure jumped out, wrapped in an unseasonably thick coat.

A hood completely obscured her head, revealing only half of a face, suggesting she was a young girl.

The girl ignored the Shop Manager and walked straight into the cat cafe.

The sedan behind her drove away from the entrance, parking to the side.

The car window rolled down, and several pairs of eyes could be faintly seen, fixed on the cat cafe.

‘What’s this? A young mistress visiting a common cat cafe?’ The Shop Manager’s imagination was always vivid.

Seeing the small figure about to push open the door, a practiced sales pitch slipped out. “Excuse me… please scan the QR code or pay with cash before entering. It’s 40 yuan for unlimited time, and it includes a small bag of cat food, a cup of coffee, and a dessert. Coffee is latte or Americano, dessert is pudding or cookies.”

The small figure paused, and a clear voice reached the Shop Manager’s ears. “You can see me?”

‘What a girl, her voice is so cute,’ the Shop Manager thought to herself. ‘Why would she ask that? Was I not supposed to see her? She’s not that cat demon… wait a minute.’

The Shop Manager detected a hint of something unusual.

The small figure, without waiting for an answer, mumbled, “Was it Xuan Bai again…?”

Wei the Cat rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a large black leather bag, utterly incongruous with her appearance, like a child secretly taking her father’s wallet.

She withdrew a bill from it and handed it to the Shop Manager.

“Did a very large white cat with three black stripes on its forehead visit your shop a few days ago?”

The Shop Manager’s pupils constricted.

‘She’s looking for that cat?’

It was then that the Shop Manager noticed Wei the Cat’s vertical pupils as she tilted her head, revealing the upper half of her face, and the protrusions on top of her hood.

It seemed this was not a rich young lady’s casual visit.

The Shop Manager’s mind immediately went into overdrive: ‘Internal strife within the cat demon family? Or is the true young mistress actually the one sprawled on the table watching TV? Could it be some kind of cat demon civil war?’

Her runaway thoughts did not prevent the Shop Manager from speaking to the small girl, who was likely a cat spirit. “Ah, yes, you are its owner, aren’t you?”

‘I’ll pretend I haven’t noticed they’re cat demons for now.’

Wei the Cat shook her head, offering no reply, and pushed open the door to enter the cat cafe.

Bai, who had been engrossed in the television, remained motionless but twitched her ears, sensing Wei the Cat’s arrival.

“What are you doing here?” Wei the Cat asked, sitting down at a table next to Bai.

Only then did Bai shift her gaze from the television.

Wei the Cat glanced at the screen as well; the nature documentary had ended, and a movie was playing now—Final Destination?

“Mrow~” Bai stretched her front paws out, her tail held high, letting out a languid yawn.

‘Working here! Educating employees!’

Receiving such a strange answer through their contract, Wei the Cat pressed a hand to her forehead.

‘Cats working in a cat cafe does make sense… but what does ‘educating employees’ mean? Never mind, these details aren’t important.’

“You haven’t signed another contract with anyone, have you? Or played with your flying cat bed, or transformed, or spoken?” Wei the Cat’s primary concerns revolved around these things.

“Um… you two…” The Shop Manager cautiously approached.

This small girl was speaking seriously to a cat, just like she sometimes did, yet the surrounding customers seemed oblivious.

‘Could it be that only I can see her?’ The Shop Manager recalled the girl’s earlier question: ‘You can see me?’

‘Hmm, is this why I’ve been ‘haunted’ by a cat demon? Am I exceptionally gifted?’

“Ah, hello, my name is Wei… you can just call me Wei. This one is Xuan Bai, a… an unusual cat. You must have realized that, right?” Wei the Cat believed that since this girl could see her real cat ears through the disguise, she likely already had a deeper connection with Bai.

‘Given her unchanged appearance, she probably hasn’t signed a contract yet.’

Wei the Cat removed her hood, and her ears, liberated from the fabric, eagerly perked up, twitching twice with a bouncy motion.

“Do you have a quiet place here?”

“Oh!” The Shop Manager clapped a hand over her mouth, then whipped her head around to check the other customers.

Seeing that no one was looking their way, she whispered, “Come upstairs with me.”

Wei the Cat nodded, hoisted Bai onto her shoulder, and followed the Shop Manager upstairs.

There was no other way; Bai, when stretched out, was almost as tall as Wei the Cat, making it impossible to carry her in her arms.

“There are some secrets in this world that ordinary people cannot access, as you’ve seen,” Wei the Cat explained to the Shop Manager, her ears twitching, a serious expression on her face as she held up a finger.

Having removed her coat, her uninhibited tail swayed behind her, asserting its presence.

“Uh-huh!” The Shop Manager was visibly excited.

This development, akin to a novel’s protagonist, was truly thrilling.

“They exist, but ordinary people are usually unaware of them. You should understand that these things are confidential. However, you don’t need to worry; the government controls most dangers, so they won’t harm ordinary people.”

Wei the Cat continued her explanation.

The Shop Manager’s attention was fixed on the cat-girl’s ears and tail before her, diligently suppressing the urge to pet them, and finally asked the question that burned with curiosity.

“Huh? Do yokai cooperate with the government? Is it true that spirits aren’t allowed to become refined after the founding of the nation?”

“What?” Wei the Cat was momentarily stunned by the question.

“Aren’t you cat demons?” The Shop Manager was also taken aback.

“…Uh… no… this is actually…” Wei the Cat was at a loss for how to explain it to the Shop Manager.

Should she tell her that she was a grown man who had been turned into this?

That would be too awkward.

So, Wei the Cat, unsure how to answer, decided to let the misunderstanding stand.

After all, if nothing unexpected happened, this girl wouldn’t delve deeper.

If something did happen, she could always explain later.

“You can understand it that way,” Wei the Cat nodded.

“Wow… then what’s your relationship with it? Can it also transform into a human?” The Shop Manager’s eyes sparkled, having encountered a new world.

“…That’s a secret…” Wei the Cat adopted an air of handling official business, though her current appearance only made her seem playful and proud.

“Oh… alright…”

“Could you step out for a moment? I have something to discuss with her,” Wei the Cat said, pointing at Bai. “Whatever we discussed just now, you absolutely must not reveal to anyone else, or there will be dire consequences.”

After bluffing the Shop Manager away, Wei the Cat began to repeatedly instruct Bai. “We don’t object to you going out to play, and we won’t even require you to report it. But you absolutely must remember not to act differently from ordinary cats outside! Otherwise… then…”

Wei the Cat thought for a moment. “…then a bunch of people will surround you, and you won’t be able to shake them off. They’ll follow you everywhere, and you won’t be able to play anymore, got it?”

Bai recalled the night she had been surrounded and unable to move even while just walking down the street, and nodded with deep understanding. “Meow.”

“Also, do you like that Shop Manager very much?” Wei the Cat asked.

‘Yes! She gives cats massages and makes food, and she even rescues kittens.’

“Massages and food?” Wei the Cat also noticed the rescue station upstairs. ‘Indeed, she’s a good girl.’ “No matter how much you like her, you absolutely must not casually sign your contract with her! Not everyone can accept changing species.”

Bai shook her fluffy head, indicating that she understood.

Bai was a good child who learned from experience.

After Wei the Cat cried so sadly last time, Bai understood that she couldn’t casually sign contracts with humans.

‘So, before signing, I need to transform into a human, explain the consequences, and ask carefully!’

‘And I can’t just sign with humans anymore; I can still sign with non-humans!’

“Good that you understand… remember to come home after you’re done playing, otherwise… Gao Xin will be very worried about you.”

“Meow~”

‘I understand~’

While Wei the Cat and Bai chatted upstairs, the Shop Manager’s mind was still racing downstairs.

‘Are they friends? Not quite. Master and subordinate? Not quite either. Hmm, one has transformed, and one hasn’t, so perhaps they’re not of the same generation. Could it be… mother and daughter!?’

The image of the black-haired loli with cat ears and a tail flashed before her eyes, and the Shop Manager clapped a hand over her mouth.

‘Who could bring themselves to do that! That’s too beastly.’

Today, the Shop Manager’s thoughts were once again in magnificent overdrive.