Chapter 8
Su Qiushui, with a playful smile, pushed the fox cubs towards them, then went to the living room as if she owned the place, watching TV and eating braised beef, as comfortable as if she were in her own den.
The four fox cubs all had elegant names: Luomei (Falling Plum), Youlan (Hidden Orchid), Baizhu (White Bamboo), and Shuangju (Frost Chrysanthemum), which Su Qiushui had painstakingly come up with after pacing around the Yokai Mountain for ages.
Although Baizhu was the only boy, he was just as interested in the pretty bottles and jars on the shelves as the others. He sat down, wagging his tail, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Ning Zhixia, and slapped his small hand on the table—
“I’m ready!”
“Wow, Baizhu is so cunning!”
There were only two seats. Luomei squeezed in as well, leaving the other two cubs pouting and grumbling beside them.
Ning Zhixia picked up Baizhu’s small hand for a closer look. His nail beds were round, his little hands tender, and they felt slightly fleshy when squeezed.
He smiled: “These little nails will be done quickly, it won’t take long.”
“Eat some chips while you wait.”
Qu Banqing opened the snack cabinet and grabbed a few bags of chips, handing them to the sulking fox cubs.
“Chips?”
Youlan hugged the opened bag and shook it, the unfamiliar aroma of spices wafting out. She tilted her head and nuzzled another little head, wanting to stuff the chips into her pocket, her tail wagging excitedly.
“Good thing I have a lot of snacks here…” Ning Zhixia muttered to himself, placing his tools on the table.
The tiny nails in front of him were round and small. Even though they weren’t exactly babies, they were both extra careful with the builder gel application.
After applying the clear base coat, Ning Zhixia thought for a moment and suggested painting plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums with watercolors to celebrate the fox cubs’ transformation and their new names.
“Then mine is bamboo…”
Baizhu pursed his lips, swinging his little feet that couldn’t reach the ground, and mumbled, “Not as pretty as flowers…”
“Ah! Sorry.”
Ning Zhixia paused with his brush, thought for a moment, opened the drawer where he kept his watercolors, and took out a small porcelain box.
Watercolor techniques were versatile. To achieve different styles and effects, Ning Zhixia had also bought a few pearlescent watercolors. He had originally worried that he wouldn’t use them, but now they came in handy.
Baizhu was immediately captivated, leaning forward, his two perky ears tickling Ning Zhixia’s forehead.
“Sit still, sit still.”
Ning Zhixia pushed him back into his seat, mixed some gold pearlescent paint on the color chart, and began painting with a small multi-purpose pen.
The child’s nail beds were short and cute. The gold pearlescent paint was already eye-catching, so painting a whole bamboo branch would be too crowded.
Ning Zhixia tilted his head, looking from side to side. Baizhu also tilted his head along with him, their movements resembling a childish game.
“Hmm.”
Bamboo leaves seemed simple, but if not painted well, they could easily look like chicken feet, messy and sloppy. Ning Zhixia pursed his lips, pressing the brush down against the grain, then pulling it downwards and slowly lifting it.
Two strokes for a fishtail, three for a swallow. The lively and delicate bamboo branches shimmered with gold on the translucent nail surface. No need for excessive detail, leaving some blank space created a wonderful effect.
Ning Zhixia put down his brush with satisfaction: “Do you like it?”
“Wow…”
Baizhu’s mouth had been open at some point, his eyes glazed over. When Ning Zhixia asked again, he immediately looked up at the human in front of him, saying adoringly, “I like it, I like it! Big brother is so amazing!”
“Of course I’m amazing!”
Ning Zhixia proudly hummed, quickly finishing the remaining nails and having him cure them under the lamp. He then patted the table enthusiastically, “Next!”
“Yay! My turn!”
A rustling of plastic bags followed. The waiting fox cubs poked their heads out of the chip bags, their faces covered in crumbs, and excitedly gathered around.
Qu Banqing also waved, beckoning the last fox cub who was looking on longingly. He was a multi-talented craftsman, and even his long-dormant manicure skills quickly returned.
Ning Zhixia had no doubts about his friend’s abilities. He glanced over and raised an eyebrow slightly.
The red plum blossoms against the snow painted on Luomei’s nails were exquisite and cute. Two of her fingers were blended with gray and white to create a distant winter mountain scene, a strong sense of atmosphere emerging on the limited space of her short, round nails.
Next came a set of elegant orchids and a set of gold-outlined ink chrysanthemums, neither of which posed any difficulty for the two of them.
The multi-purpose nail art pens they used were affordable and practical. Their water retention and flexibility were different from tools like brushes and calligraphy pens, but as long as the pressure and technique were correct, and with practice, they could create various styles of art.
When Su Qiushui strolled over to the work area, the boisterous fox cubs all held their breath, staring intently at Ning Zhixia and Qu Banqing’s movements, more focused than when watching them perform magic.
The final result naturally satisfied the four little customers. They huddled together, looking at each other’s nails, their tails wagging excitedly.
One of the cubs lost its balance and rolled around on the floor. The other cubs pounced on it, rubbing their faces together affectionately, their ears flopping over without them noticing.
“Such energetic little ones.”
Su Qiushui knew it was almost time. She took out a jade-like bead and tossed it to Ning Zhixia.
Yokai never asked for prices, seeming to have their own set of measurement standards, paying only what they deemed the value of the service.
“Thank you for your patronage.” Ning Zhixia caught the bead.
Seeing that the little foxes were still eyeing the chips longingly, he gave them a lot of his stash. “Come back anytime.”
Su Qiushui: “Naturally.”
After the foxes left, Qu Banqing stretched and looked at the small bead in Ning Zhixia’s hand, saying, “The fox cubs are quite cute, but for such a small thing, how much could it be worth?”
“I’ll try.”
Under his puzzled gaze, Ning Zhixia placed the bead next to the QR code. The bead instantly disappeared, replaced by the cold electronic voice—
“20,000 yuan received!”
“Holy crap!”
Qu Banqing clutched his chest and stumbled back.
Ning Zhixia asked, “Friend, what’s wrong?”
Qu Banqing pushed his head away, a blissful smile spreading across his face: “Don’t disturb me, I’m being overwhelmed by money.”
With Su Qiushui’s generous reward and the recent surge in business, this month’s income was promising. Ning Zhixia decided to give Qu Banqing a 40% share of the profits from now on.
Qu Banqing thought for a moment and agreed, but he didn’t want to take advantage of him, so he offered to cover the daily expenses of the shop and their living costs.
After reaching an agreement, Qu Banqing happily bought new bedding and furniture for his room, and even bought a cat tree for the Mahjong Kitten Squad, placing it in a corner of the first floor.
The cat tree needed to be assembled. Qu Banqing squatted down early in the morning to work on it. The fat orange cat, supervising from the floor, found him too slow, stared at the nearby bamboo lounge chair, and extended its mischievous claws.
“Scratch, scratch…”
Qu Banqing frowned: “Hey, don’t scratch there!”
The fat orange cat turned its head, hissed contemptuously: Hey~ don’t scratch there~
Qu Banqing: “…Tsk!”
“Waah…”
Ning Zhixia was completely oblivious to the escalating tension in the room. He lazily yawned at the sky, then lowered his head and continued watering the flowers.
He had been woken up early for breakfast, smacked his lips, and felt like something was missing, so he took out his phone.
As soon as he opened the food delivery app, a red pop-up for a coupon appeared.
Ning Zhixia’s eyes lit up.
“Good morning, Ele.me, a coupon for 9.9, ice is the backbone, a sip to dilute the bitterness of work, the savior of worker bees.”
He savored his impromptu poem, “Remembering Jiangnan – Ele.me,” when a piercing scream jolted him awake.
“Waaaah…”
Qu Banqing wailed, clutching his hand. The fat orange cat squatted beside him, licking the bleeding wound.
Ning Zhixia comforted his sorrowful friend: “Milk tea?”
Qu Banqing stopped wailing: “Okay.”
Ning Zhixia: “…” So easily appeased!
The scratches on Qu Banqing’s hand weren’t deep, but they had broken the skin. He could only sigh and go out to get a rabies shot.
Ning Zhixia watched him leave, then turned to reprimand the fat orange cat, “Bad piglet.”
The fat orange cat was cleaning its ears with its hind leg. Hearing this, it stopped, stretched lazily, turned its head, and walked away. Just as it reached the doorway, it suddenly let out an enthusiastically sweet meow.
“Good morning.”
Audrow was dressed casually today. He looked down at the fat orange cat rolling on the ground, and preemptively took a small step to the side, dodging its paws.
The fat orange cat tilted its head in confusion and blinked.
As if amused by this action, the corner of his lips curled upwards, and he whispered, “Stupid.”
The fat orange cat’s eyes widened, and it reached out its paw again, but the other party had already stepped over it with his long legs.
After the previous incident concluded, there had been no further contact from the Bureau. Recently, everything had been calm and normal, so he didn’t know why Audrow was visiting.
Ning Zhixia rubbed his hands nervously: “Looking for me for something?”
“Yes.” Audrow nodded, handing him a heavy leather pouch. “One hundred thousand, a reward for assisting in the restoration of 103.”
The weight of money was reassuring.
Ning Zhixia happily accepted it, his words flowing smoothly, “You didn’t have to come all the way here just to give it to me.”
“…” Audrow paused, as if about to take the pouch back.
Ning Zhixia quickly yelled, “I’m wrong, I’m wrong, big brother, I’m wrong!”
He didn’t dare to joke anymore, hugging the pouch tightly as if he would never let it go.
After quickly going to his room to put the money away, he returned and saw that Audrow was holding an exquisite box with a logo that seemed to be from a famous tart shop in the city.
Ning Zhixia blinked, the meaning in his eyes obvious.
Oh, is this for me too?!
Sensing the young man’s gaze, Audrow held the box behind his back. Perhaps feeling that his action was rude, he seemed to struggle for a moment, then brought it out again and asked casually, “They’re molten custard tarts, do you—”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Ning Zhixia nodded frantically.
“…”
Audrow’s attempt at keeping them to himself failed. He looked down and sighed regretfully.
The tart shop on Commercial Street was famous for its unusual sunflower-shaped tarts. They were generously sized with fragrant and crispy crusts, the custard filling perfectly cooked, smooth and delicate, with a rich milky flavor that wasn’t too sweet.
They were limited in supply every day, and Audrow had managed to buy three flavors: original, molten cheese, and pistachio.
The box was opened, the tarts inside still warm. Ning Zhixia picked up a pistachio tart and ate it while blowing on it. Worried it might be too rich, he brewed a pot of Maojian tea and placed a cup in front of Audrow.
The tarts were quite large. While Ning Zhixia was brewing tea, Audrow had already eaten two, and somehow, there were no crumbs on his face.
Audrow looked down at the teacup. The tea inside was bright apricot green. He touched the cup with his fingers but didn’t immediately pick it up.
Ning Zhixia scratched his face: “My tea-making skills are average. You’d probably like it if my grandfather made it.”
Audrow glanced at him and explained, “It’s too hot.”
He thought for a moment, then added, “Lu Huai mentioned that your grandfather’s tea was very good.”
Ning Zhixia was surprised: “Really? When did he say that?”
Audrow: “The day after Lu Huai came to explain the abilities of this house and was chased away with a broom, he came back to apologize and your grandfather offered him tea.”
Ning Zhixia paused: “My grandfather must have experienced a lot of mental shock that night.”
Audrow nodded in agreement: “So far, you’re the kindest owner of 19 to Lu Huai.”
Ning Zhixia: “…”
Hmm, a sense of guilt welled up inside him.
It seemed that the secret of this house had been passed down through generations. Ning Zhixia just didn’t understand why his grandfather never mentioned it when he was young, and neither did his father.
His family treated this place as a place for him to drink tea, invite friends, and play chess. Even when his grandfather left the house to him before he passed away, he only said that if he ever wanted to return to Yucheng, he would have a place to stay.
“Not everyone is willing to deal with these strange things. Fear, disgust, suspicion… these emotions are common in your plane, let alone for non-human beings.”
Hearing the young man’s question, Audrow picked up the slightly cooled teacup and took a sip. “Whether he told you or not was his own consideration. How you choose to deal with it is up to you.”
Ning Zhixia was stunned, then said after a while, “Xiao Ao, let’s not suddenly get all emo. I’m not closing the shop. I’m going to make it big and strong, waiting for you to invest.”
Audrow gave him a strange look: “I’m trying to say, be prepared. When the shop stores enough energy, it will connect to other planes.”
Ning Zhixia murmured: “Wow, my life is going to be even more exciting.”
Audrow: “.”
“By the way.” Now that he mentioned it, he looked at Audrow, who had started pouring tea for himself, and asked, “What plane are you from?”
Audrow replied calmly, “Another plane.”
“…” Ning Zhixia choked, “Then are you powerful?”
Audrow blinked: “Average. Last time, it was you who helped the fox by getting information out of Shan Gu.”
“That’s true, hahaha…” Ning Zhixia, flattered by his praise, felt his vanity swell, the pleasure reaching his bones. “It’s nothing, really. As a manicurist, I have to deal with all sorts of customers, it’s no big deal.”
Audrow seemed very interested: “I haven’t asked how you did it.”
“It’s very simple…” Ning Zhixia was a little smug, explaining vividly, “While doing her nails, I talked to her and complimented her, enough to distract her. Every time I asked a question, I patted the table to add a little suggestive cue…”
Audrow pondered, tapping the teapot with his long fingers: “That’s still quite remarkable.”
“Hee hee… oh, it’s empty.” Ning Zhixia, feeling pleased with the praise, brought the thermos to refill the teapot.
Audrow asked, “Who taught you that?”
Ning Zhixia waved his hand: “It’s not a course or anything. I saw it in cat training videos, teaching kittens to ring a bell, ding-dong, a treat, ding-dong, another treat… haven’t you seen it?”
Audrow shook his head: “No.”
“Clink.”
Hot water slowly poured into the teapot. Audrow helped him close the lid. “Applying what you’ve learned, you’re very clever.”
“Aw, it’s nothing, hee hee… my college classmate is even more amazing!”
“Clink.” Audrow took a sip of tea and put down his cup: “How so?”
Ning Zhixia put down the thermos and chuckled: “She does the same when interrogating her boyfriend.”
Audrow asked again, “Interrogating him about what?”
Hearing this, Ning Zhixia’s desire to share gossip reached its peak. He chattered about the juicy gossip he had heard, then picked up his teacup: “Gulp, gulp, gulp…”
“Clink.”
Audrow propped his chin on his hand, tapping his finger against the cup, and asked with half-closed eyes, “Have you ever done that to your boyfriend?”
“I, uh…”
Ning Zhixia froze for a moment, then heard Audrow push the empty teacup towards him, clinking against the teapot.
“Clink.”
He immediately put down his cup and poured tea for Audrow, muttering reflexively, “I haven’t had a boyfriend yet.”
“Oh.” Audrow nodded calmly.
Ning Zhixia: “…”
Hmm, that was a bit unexpected.
When Audrow left, he surprisingly patted the fat orange cat’s round head.
The cat’s owner stood at the door like a petrified statue, his eyes blank and dazed.
Suddenly, his gaze, fixed on the courtyard wall, paused.
Outside the half-meter-high wall, Qu Banqing, eating a popsicle, poked his head out like the rising sun, his line of sight unclear for how long he had been hiding there.
Ning Zhixia asked, “What’s up?”
Qu Banqing, with a complicated look in his eyes, clicked his tongue and sighed, “Friend, your blind date prospects are quite impressive.”
Ning Zhixia: “…”
