Chapter 22
Director Ao’s one-take scene ended perfectly. After he turned and returned to the sofa, Yin Fuliu sniffled, trying to untangle her braided tail.
Damn it, no wonder he dared to open the door so casually, it turned out this place had a guardian!
Yin Fuliu’s arrogance vanished. She obediently returned to her human form, secretly frowning as she looked around the room.
“I rarely do press-on nails. Do you have any designs in mind? If not, you can look at the reference pictures in the shop.”
Ning Zhixia smiled and pushed his tablet over, showing her the most popular recent designs.
Making money was the priority. He could ask Audrow any questions after she left.
Yin Fuliu had cultivated for a thousand years, failing to transform into a dragon during her tribulation, but she had glimpsed a sliver of heavenly secrets and come to this world, accidentally protecting a village during a battle. When the Bureau came to send her back to the Yokai plane, they found that she was already being worshipped as a goddess by the local villagers.
Because of this good deed, she was granted a fifty-year residency permit. She had come here two years ago to exercise her privilege and, with her outstanding beauty, had a smooth-sailing career in the entertainment industry.
Yin Fuliu listened absentmindedly to the young man’s introduction, twirling her hair and saying disdainfully, “I’m not an ignorant Yokai like Su Qiushui. If you dare to fob me off with ordinary stuff…”
A small icicle suddenly landed on the table, a few centimeters from her wrist, emitting a chilling aura.
“…I mean, your works are all miraculous, I’ll leave the design entirely to you.” Yin Fuliu nodded humbly with a smile.
Ning Zhixia glanced towards the living room and said admiringly, “You’re really adaptable.”
Yin Fuliu covered her mouth dramatically: “Hee hee.”
Ning Zhixia took back the tablet, tilted his head in thought, and started sketching a new design.
Yin Fuliu continued scrolling through her phone, her gaze repeatedly returning to the viral watercolor ice lotus design.
“Pink and delicate, just like her age, still liking this kind of thing.”
Ning Zhixia glanced over, and she quickly swiped the picture away, then muttered after a while, “Hmph, it’s barely passable after looking at it for a while…”
Girls’ relationships were so hard to understand. Ning Zhixia focused on his drawing, and when he was almost done, he pushed the tablet back to her: “How about these two designs?”
One was a blue-black watercolor rose, with varying shades of depth, creating a hazy, moonlit effect.
The other was a combination of blending and Swarovski crystals, with a unique three-dimensional red-eyed snake wrapped around the middle finger, its round head coiled around a small, off-center crystal.
Yin Fuliu was immediately captivated, abandoning her phone and leaning over the tablet, zooming in on the design, and asking eagerly, “Can you really make this?”
Ning Zhixia nodded earnestly: “Yes, yes, yes!”
Yin Fuliu narrowed her eyes: “Exactly the same?”
“Yes.” Ning Zhixia scooped up some PVC sculpting gel, rolled it into a long strip like he was playing with clay, gently placed it on the nail tip, and shaped it with a silicone tool. He added color, then another layer of gel, and used a cuticle pusher to create the scales.
It was just a rough demonstration, but Yin Fuliu’s eyes were filled with amazement, unable to imagine how beautiful it would be after careful crafting.
Ning Zhixia asked uncertainly, “Do you like it? If not, I can…”
“I’ll take both sets!”
Yin Fuliu, as if afraid he would change his mind, quickly made her decision without even asking for the price, and immediately transferred the money.
“20,000 yuan received!”
“Holy crap!” “Gorgeous!”
Ning Zhixia held his phone, displaying the payment notification, while Yin Fuliu happily held the tablet.
Both the human and the snake felt like they had made a great deal!
Since making press-on nails took time, Yin Fuliu, after having her measurements taken, didn’t want to wait around. She arranged for someone to pick them up tomorrow and quickly left.
Ning Zhixia was still waving enthusiastically at her retreating figure when he turned around and saw Audrow silently peeking out from behind the screen.
“Done?” he asked.
Ning Zhixia walked over: “Yeah, made a killing!”
Audrow pulled him closer and asked, staring at him, “Continue?”
His soft voice was like a cat’s tail brushing against his ear.
Ning Zhixia’s heart fluttered: “Yes, yes!”
Qu Banqing, who was making lace bibs for the kittens, suddenly looked up, his eyes narrowing warily as he glanced between the two of them.
Audrow, satisfied with the answer, quickly…
Pressed the remote control.
SpongeBob, paused on the TV screen, resumed moving.
Indeed, cartoons were more fun to watch with a buddy!
Qu Banqing rolled his eyes. Sometimes, he really wanted to enroll them in kindergarten.
Childish, what was so interesting about SpongeBob? It was better to study the magic of friendship!
The next afternoon, amidst Qu Banqing’s complaints about “designing without considering the difficulty of execution,” Ning Zhixia finally finished the two sets of press-on nails.
Coincidentally, Yin Fuliu’s assistant arrived. Upon seeing Ning Zhixia, she greeted him respectfully: “Mr. Ning, I’m here to pick up the order. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Ning. We hope to collaborate again next time!”
Ning Zhixia was a little embarrassed by the sudden formality, almost bowing reflexively.
It wasn’t the assistant’s fault for being so exaggerated. Yin Fuliu had repeatedly told her to be polite and not to touch the plants in the house.
The assistant had been working with Yin Fuliu for a while and knew her haughty temper. Hearing her exaggerated instructions, she assumed it was some rich young master experiencing the entrepreneurial life, and that Yin Fuliu was trying to curry favor.
She took the gift box containing the press-on nails, secretly examining it, but it just looked like an ordinary nail salon.
Just to get a custom set of nails, she had canceled last night’s dinner party. She couldn’t understand what her artist was thinking, it was simply not worth it.
She sighed helplessly, carrying the gift box and leaving.
Two days later, Yin Fuliu went to shoot a perfume commercial for the brand, and naturally, she had no say in the styling.
The brand’s stylist kept chattering, and Yin Fuliu impatiently crossed her legs, waiting for someone to remove her nails.
This spring/summer perfume series was a key product, and the brand’s CEO had also come to take a look. He saw Yin Fuliu and his eyes lit up.
“Miss Yin is perfect for our theme!” He turned to ask the person in charge, “But why haven’t I seen this nail design in the previous proposals?”
The person in charge was confused: “This wasn’t part of our styling…”
“It’s a custom set of press-on nails.” Yin Fuliu said casually, “They’re being removed, don’t rush.”
“What? No, no, no!”
The CEO waved his hands and immediately instructed, “Film it with the nails!”
“Wait! This doesn’t fit my design aesthetic! Do you even understand fashion?” The stylist was still chattering, but no one was listening anymore.
Because the spring/summer perfume packaging was all in bright colors, and Yin Fuliu’s usual style was glamorous and sexy, there had been a lot of criticism from both her anti-fans and the brand’s fans since the endorsement was announced.
However, when the luxury brand’s commercial was released, the anticipated backlash was drowned out by a chorus of excited screams, and the fans prepared for damage control were left bewildered.
In the video, Yin Fuliu, dressed in a pale pink fairy dress, was getting ready. She reached through a beaded curtain and picked up a perfume bottle from a tray held by a servant girl.
The middle finger of that hand was adorned with a lively little snake with white scales and red eyes. The snake’s round head was perfectly aligned with the brand’s logo, its scales tinged with a faint pink blush, adding an unexpectedly cute touch.
The brand’s style, visual communication, and most importantly, the memorable element, instantly clicked, capturing both girlishness and sexiness.
“Oh my god, it’s perfect! The packaging and design are amazing!”
“For the first time, I’ve taken my eyes off Yin Fuliu’s magnificent face! This nail art is too good!”
“I’m so tired of the snake element always representing seduction, but this little snake is so cute!”
“It’s like a baby snake working a part-time job!”
“I love it, I’ve watched it three times on repeat, I’m buying the entire spring/summer collection!”
“I’d buy it even if it smelled like snail noodles!”
“Can we get a poster or photocard with the gift box? Liu Liu’s styling is perfect!”
“You guys are all concerned about the perfume, I just want to know where these nails were made!”
“It would probably take four or five hours to do them, right? I think they’re press-on nails, can the brand reveal the artist behind them?”
The commercial, with its talking point, instantly went viral, the response unexpectedly positive. Yin Fuliu didn’t hide it and directly mentioned the source of the press-on nails in a behind-the-scenes interview.
Her straightforward attitude earned her a lot of goodwill, and because this softer image contrasted with her usual aloofness, she gained a wave of new followers.
While the assistant was still coordinating Yin Fuliu’s schedule, her manager called to say that the brand wanted to give her a full line endorsement and that she should prepare for a career boost.
This was a brand endorsement that many people were vying for. The assistant looked at Yin Fuliu, who was still taking pictures of her hands, and was utterly shocked. Damn, what kind of nail salon was this? A visit there was more effective than praying to the God of Fortune!
Ning Zhixia, not wanting to waste the free publicity, posted the design of the little pink snake on social media. Seeing the many comments pleading for him to sell press-on nails, he decided to open online sales for them.
He and Qu Banqing were both fast workers, but with regular customers booking appointments, they couldn’t devote much time to making press-on nails. Moreover, these things had to fit perfectly, otherwise they would be uncomfortable and unsightly.
“Let’s set the price at 588 yuan, limited to 30 sets.” They were using luxury gel polishes and materials. Qu Banqing, after making breakfast, saw him pondering the pricing and casually suggested this.
This price was actually quite high. Although press-on nails could be reused, people always preferred new ones, rarely wearing the same set twice. Moreover, Ning Zhixia had posted the design, so not everyone would necessarily order from him.
Ning Zhixia, smelling the aroma of food, stopped agonizing over it, casually typed a few numbers on the keyboard, and bounced over to the coffee table to eat.
Early summer was approaching, and the first batch of tender pumpkins appeared in the baskets of the market vendors.
These pumpkins looked like zucchini, crisp and watery, usually boiled and served with chili dipping sauce, a low-fat and delicious meal.
However, they didn’t want something so heavy in the morning, so Qu Banqing picked a small pumpkin, shredded it, and stir-fried it. The sweet and refreshing dish paired well with the plain congee.
Ning Zhixia slurped down two bowls of congee and was still not satisfied. Life was too good. He rubbed his belly and sighed, “If only I had big clients like Yin Fuliu every day!”
“Dream on.” Qu Banqing poked his belly and ordered, “Go wash the dishes, we have a customer coming soon!”
“Okay.”
Ning Zhixia obediently agreed. When he came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands, he saw Qu Banqing frozen in front of the computer.
“What’s wrong?”
Qu Banqing took a deep breath and said, his voice almost tearful, “Son, look what you’ve done!”
Ning Zhixia leaned closer to the screen, pushing Qu Banqing’s head aside, and saw the words “limited to 300 sets,” a mushroom cloud exploding in his mind, his lips trembling as he was speechless.
Damn it, he had accidentally added an extra zero!
He grabbed the mouse to take down the listing, but Qu Banqing said faintly, “Too late, they’re all sold out.”
“What?!”
Ning Zhixia then noticed that the inventory was zero. He frantically ruffled his hair into a mess. So expensive, and pre-orders at that, and people still bought them?
And there were still countless private messages popping up, asking for restocks. Ning Zhixia didn’t even have the courage to open them, because 300 sets were enough for him and Qu Banqing to file their fingers to the bone!
The shipping date was twenty days away. It wasn’t convenient to hire skilled employees, and refunds would damage his reputation, so Ning Zhixia resigned himself to working overtime.
In the evening, Qu Banqing saw off the last customer and was about to start cooking when he heard clapping.
Ning Zhixia was tearfully slapping his hands red, muttering to himself.
Stupid hands, it’s all your fault, work faster, work faster, work faster!
Qu Banqing was used to his antics and asked casually, “How far along are you?”
Ning Zhixia cried out miserably: “Abandon! Abandon!”
At this rate, he would never finish. Ning Zhixia grumbled, “If only I had eight hands, it would be so much faster…”
Qu Banqing was about to suggest explaining the situation and offering refunds when a familiar cupping-like knock interrupted him.
“Ning Ning! Qing Qing!” Popokula waved its eight tentacles cheerfully. “I’m here to see the kittens!”
They exchanged a look, and Ning Zhixia opened the door at lightning speed. Qu Banqing stuffed some freeze-dried treats into the kittens’ mouths to force them into business mode.
They herded the activated kittens towards the pink octopus, their eyes gleaming: “Hee hee, Popo, you’re here!”
“Yes… yes.” Popokula felt that the humans were unusually enthusiastic today. “Wh-what’s up?”
“A money-making opportunity, a big one.” Ning Zhixia’s face was full of smiles. “Are you in, Popo?”
Popokula instantly turned even pinker, nervously rubbing its tentacles: “Um… is it… legitimate?”
