Maimai Chapter 42

Cheng Lin’s Birthday

“Hello, can you come upstairs and wait for me?” came the voice over the phone. “I still have some work to finish.” His tone was so structured and precise that it seemed flawless.

Cheng Lin naturally agreed, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

“Alright, I’ll be right up.”

While waiting for the elevator, he wondered if Maimai had forgotten.

After all, earlier that morning, Cheng Lin himself had forgotten. Like any other day, the human and cat had exchanged goodbye kisses before heading off to excel in their respective duties. It wasn’t until Yuan Jiaming barged into his office and tossed two cards onto his desk that the birthday boy remembered it was his birthday.

Clearing his throat twice, Cheng Lin stepped into the elevator. He never doubted the strength of the bond between him and the cat. Of course not—it was only their paper anniversary, and the cat’s sincerity was evident to all under heaven.

Maimai hadn’t said anything, most likely because he had simply forgotten. It wasn’t a big deal—just an ordinary day, after all.

Still, Cheng Lin thought, if the day passed unnoticed and Maimai remembered later, he might feel sad. It was better to drop a subtle reminder now.

But how to do it naturally? Should he mention the date, hint at himself, or weave in a keyword?

As he pushed open the door to the cat cafe, a brilliant idea struck him: astrology.

Today was the first day of Libra season, making it a perfect way to tie in the date. Besides, he had heard that Capricorn men and Libra men were a great match—

His train of thought abruptly stopped. The room was engulfed in silence and complete darkness, so black he couldn’t see even his hand in front of him.

“Bang—”

In an instant, the lights flashed on, confetti burst into the air, and the small cafe was filled with people.

The cafe’s cats, Wang Derong and Guiying, Shi Jing and Shi Ting, Maomao and Gungun…

And of course, Maimai, pushing a small cart with a birthday cake on top.

Everyone was there: cats, humans, and the kitty people alike.

Amid the melodious singing of “Happy Birthday,” someone plopped a birthday hat onto Cheng Lin’s head. Dazed, he let Maimai guide him to a seat.

He thought to himself that zodiac signs were truly accurate. Just like their Capricorn orange cat at home, who was grounded, responsible, and devoted to family.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2024

At ten in the morning, Cheng Lin strode in confidently, cradling his orange cat in his arms.

“Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome!” In the most affectionate tone of her life, Jin Li exclaimed, “Oh my, Maimai, what are you wearing? Is that a little bee on you?”

Maimai’s harness today featured a small bee plushie, and he seemed quite pleased with it.

“Achoo!” Yuan Jiaming turned his head before quickly looking back. “I’ve got new meds, so it’s fine. Let me give it a try!”

Cheng Lin frowned in disgust. “Keep your distance! Don’t touch my cat!”

The Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes for the big clients were already piled up in the corner, with stacks of cards covering the table. Everyone had their spot at the assembly line: Cheng Lin signed first, then passed the cards to Yuan Jiaming, who handed them off to Jin Li, and so on.

Each team member signed with the utmost sincerity. The final signature was a paw print from the cat.

–

Maimai’s biological clock was more reliable than any alarm. As dawn broke, he woke up right on schedule.

The night before, after transforming back into his cat form, he had insisted that Cheng Lin play with a cat wand until he was fully satisfied. Only then had he collapsed into a deep sleep. Now, fully rested, the orange cat stretched out luxuriously, his four paws spreading wide. His front paw brushed against something furry.

Rolling over onto the pillow, Maimai’s eyes landed on what had appeared on the head of the person next to him.

Bunny ears?

Stepping across the pillowcase, Maimai bent down, his expression grave, and sniffed. The scent was unmistakably Cheng Lin’s. He batted at the fluffy ears with his front paw. The long ears twitched in response, as if ticklish.

Maimai immediately patted Cheng Lin’s face with his paw.

A few sharp cat slaps later, Cheng Lin finally stirred, blinking and smiling. “Awake, baby?”

His vision blurred, and a naked man was pressing urgently on his chest, exclaiming, “Something is growing on your head!”

Three minutes later, Cheng Lin stood frozen in front of the mirror.

Maimai swayed curiously beside his spouse, then suddenly reached out, catching Cheng Lin off guard as he grabbed his newly sprouted rabbit ears. “They’re real! Not a toy!”

“Stop pulling on my ears!” Cheng Lin’s face flushed bright red from the vivid sensation. He muttered anxiously, “What kind of doctor should I see? A vet?”

“Don’t you like them?” Maimai still fiddled with the ears and asked excitedly, “Are you a bunny person now?”

Cheng Lin: “I need to figure out how to change back.”

Seeing Cheng Lin’s distress over his sudden species change, Maimai poked the droopy gray rabbit ears with a finger and devoutly commanded, “Change back.”

With a “pop,” the ears vanished, and the bunny person returned to being Cheng Lin.

Translator’s note:
This is what is found on Weibo. I’ll add more if the author posts more extras but this is all for now. Thank you ❤️