Chapter 7

Shen Che lowered his eyes and gazed tenderly at Ning Wensong, "Shall I buy you one as a gift? Okay? The rest of the clothes are up to you."

He already considered Ning Wensong as family in his heart.

"Ah, why... Okay, then I'll buy you clothes when I make money. I feel like I owe you more and more." Ning Wensong hesitated for a moment. Emotionally, she was very willing to be with Shen Che, but rationally, she still wanted to be independent.

“It’s alright, Ah Song. We’re practically inseparable. There are so few cat demons in modern society. I’m very rich, so you don’t need to worry. I haven’t told you yet, but after all these years, my savings could buy 100 shopping malls.”

It was only after a long while that he realized he hadn't mentioned his situation. Could Ning Wensong have thought he was poor?

Ning Wensong's eyes widened upon hearing this. She stared at Shen Che without moving, for she had never seen so much money in both her lives combined. But at least Shen Che's presence made her feel less helpless.

"Then I'll listen to you, but I'll keep working hard! To create more looks! I'll buy you more in the future." Ning Wensong stared at Shen Che with feigned seriousness, not letting him refuse.

Chen Che looked at her and felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. "Okay."

He believed it.

The sales assistant, who had been watching the two customers whispering to each other for a while, finally found an opportunity to step forward and introduce them, "Madam and gentleman, you two look very well-matched, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Would you like to come and see our store's new winter products?"

"This garment was designed by Chu Lin himself. It's a black and white gradient plush coat with an A-line dress underneath. The skirt has a specially made lace trim and many bow elements. It's slimming and cute, and it's also quite warm. I see that you, madam, have a slender figure and are tall enough to carry this garment off perfectly. Would you like to try it on?"

The sales assistant guided the two to the new product area and did her best to showcase their clothes.

Shen Che looked at the outfit and connected it with the prototype of Ning Wensong. It suited him so well and made him look so cute.

"Ah Song, do you like this? It looks good on you, and it also suits the kitten." Whether clothes look good or not is determined by the person wearing them, so Chen Che asked Ning Wensong for his opinion.

"I like it, it feels so comfortable. I'll go try it on, wait for me a moment." The clothes were fluffy, and the texture felt like cat fur, which greatly satisfied Ning Wensong's wish to touch himself after he turned into a cat.

Ning Wensong came out not long after.

She twirled in front of Shen Che, her flowing skirt fluttering down to his legs, and the girl looked at her with a beaming smile.

It felt as if a string in Chen Che's heart had been plucked.

"It looks great, it suits you perfectly, like a kitten." Shen Che was a little speechless; this outfit seemed tailor-made for Ning Wensong.

"I think so too. They're very comfortable to wear, light and not cumbersome at all," Ning Wensong replied with a smile. This was the first time she had worn this kind of material.

While Ning Wensong was exchanging the money, Shen Che went directly to the front desk to pay the bill. It was 7800, not expensive. He also got a card and said he would come again next time.

After that, the two went shopping together at budget stores and bought some of their winter necessities.

Before leaving the mall, Ning Wensong looked back and memorized a jewelry store.

—

Wishing Cat Cafe.

Gu Nian was shaving the sofa when she saw her brother saunter downstairs. She was immediately furious. "Who's the manager here, you or me? You don't pay me a salary. Do you expect me to work for you for free?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her parents went on a trip, leaving her alone here. The school's summer vacation was also bizarre, starting in September and not starting until November. Was it a perfect combination of the hot summer and the cold winter?

Gu Ci scratched his head, feeling scolded. "Hey, you're staying here and I'm providing you with food and lodging. I'm not making you earn money or spend money."

"What a bizarre reason!" Gu Nian resolutely defended her rights, saying, "I don't care, if you don't pay me, I'm not doing this anymore. Every penny counts."

"Alright, alright, here you go. Stop working and wake up Baozi. Chen Che and the others want it." Gu Ci had no choice but to agree.

He spoils his own sister.

Ning Wensong sensed something was off as soon as she stepped into the cat café, but she kept quiet and didn't ask. "Sister Gu Nian, we're here."

"When can we start styling? You guys watch me do it, it'll be a lot of fun." Ning Wensong was itching to get her hands styled after a few days without styling, and was quite impatient.

Gu Nian calmed herself down and said, "You're even cuter today! We can do it now."

After saying that, she leaned forward and rubbed Ning Wensong's face.

After Ning Wensong broke free from the clutches, she began to prepare. She first went to get to know Baozi. Baozi was very well-behaved in the cat cafe and did not show any of the stress that Gu Ci had mentioned when she went outside.

Ning Wensong smelled strongly of cat. After sniffing her fingers, Baozi started rubbing against her. After a while, Baozi even lay down and waited for Ning Wensong to pet him.

"Good little kitty, don't move around while I'm styling your hair." Ning Wensong's gentle voice calmed Baozi's excited emotions.

It seemed to understand and meowed, instantly putting Ning Wensong in an extremely good mood.

She arranged the buns into a standing position, first using flat scissors and small scissors to trim the stray hairs on their bodies, and then using water-washable paint that wouldn't harm their skin to draw the shapes of wings and wind patterns on the sides of their bodies and under their eyes.

Baozi started to feel sleepy after standing for a long time, and uncontrollably collapsed and fell asleep in a second.

Ning Wensong was both amused and exasperated. Fortunately, the shape had already been sketched out. She arranged the buns into the perfect shape of a cat lying on its side and began to carefully sketch the small shapes of the wings with a clipper.

Time passed by, the sky grew dark, and the last rays of the setting sun shone into the room, leaving a dim, yellowish light.

Ning Wensong slowly straightened up. It took two hours to finish making the wings on both sides of the body. Although he was a little tired, the effect was really good. Now Baozi has woken up. It walks around with its two wings and is a luminous body that attracts the attention of the four people present.

"Ah Song, this work is award-worthy. Last year's winner of the Creative Competition is nowhere near as good." Chen Che stared intently at the wings; so detailed, so innovative. He had to find a way...

"Thank you! Hehe, I'm not finished yet. Are you guys hungry? It'll take me about an hour to finish one. I promised to treat you tonight!" Ning Wensong endured her hunger, afraid that they would worry about her.

Gu Nian and Gu Ci said in unison, "You continue, we're not hungry!"

After saying that, the two looked at each other, then silently turned their heads away.

Ning Wensong smiled, her eyes crinkling, and turned her attention to Baozi. She comforted Baozi for a while, and Baozi stood still.

Next came the wind patterns on her face. Carefully avoiding the whiskers and the unique markings of a leopard cat, she created the patterns in the blank spaces, meticulously adding traces of wind from the side of her face to her body. The patterns on her feet didn't need to be particularly prominent; she only needed to highlight the leopard cat's natural markings to make them more three-dimensional. Baozi's tail was very long, and after a moment's thought, Ning Wensong began the final step, trimming the tail fur to create the effect of a raging wind.

An hour passed quickly, and a brand new steamed bun was freshly baked.

The four watched as Baozi, finally able to move freely, nimbly leaped in front of the fan. The deliberately trimmed, prominent fur on its body swayed slightly in the wind, making it look like a perfect leopard.

Looking at the perfect work, Ning Wensong finally relaxed; his idea had truly come true.

"Chen Che! Let's make a video and upload it to see what netizens say. I, a believer, wish for wealth!" Ning Wensong exclaimed excitedly, pulling Chen Che up from the sofa.

"Okay, go rest for a while and have some snacks. I'll take the photos." Shen Che led Ning Wensong to the small dining table and went to find the best angles for the photos himself.

After searching for a long time, Gu Nian suggested taking pictures of the way the wind was blowing on them. After thinking about it carefully, they realized that it would indeed show the scene better.

With the combined efforts of the three, a meticulously filmed video was uploaded online.

The four of them joked and laughed as they headed towards the hot pot restaurant.

At that time, they had no idea how popular this style would become, and various low-end and bizarre versions even appeared.

—

An unnamed mansion.

He Ran walked alone down the dark corridor, carrying a cage containing a tabby cat. A cool breeze blew past, and he shivered violently, unable to stop complaining in his heart.

Honestly, why does he have to live deep in the mountains and forests? And why does he have to find a tabby cat? He looked at more than a dozen a few days ago but wasn't satisfied with any of them. This time he found the most similar one, and if he's still not satisfied, he won't serve it anymore.

He Ran thought this to himself, but dared not show it.

Soon, He Ran entered a study. He spoke to the person on the sofa with a mixture of fear and awkwardness, "Mr. Chang, I've found the most similar one this time. Are you satisfied with it?"

Upon hearing this, Chang Qian glanced at the cage and stared at He Ran with disgust. "So many times, and you still can't find a single cat?"

"No, it's still my fault. If I hadn't been so rude, he wouldn't have run away. If I hadn't treated him badly, he wouldn't have run away."

"No! It's his fault. Why should I reflect on myself? He deserves to die for running away from me; he's guilty of a terrible crime..."

"......"

He Ran looked at the lunatic-like person in front of him, feeling a thousand indescribable bitterness in his heart. "Is he out of his mind?" he cursed himself. If it weren't for the new, unreleased design he was holding, he wouldn't have come here.

"...Mr. Chang, could you be more specific? Where did the cat go missing? What is its most distinctive feature? We don't know anything just because you say it's a tabby cat." He Ran tried her best to reason with him.

Chang Qian remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "That tabby cat can talk."

He Ran looked at Chang Qian with a crazy expression, his lips moved for a while, and then he managed to squeeze out a single word, "Okay."

He walked out of the house in a daze.

"Damn it, I forgot to ask him for the design. I've helped him find so many cats and he hasn't even paid me once." He Ran angrily threw the cage in his hand into the woods next to him.

It's average-looking, worthless, and I'm too lazy to keep it.

—

Hot pot restaurant.

Looking at the bright red hot pot, Ning Wensong felt the Sichuan and Chongqing spiciness god awakening within her.

She stared at the duck blood floating on the surface, then swiftly scooped it into her bowl and took a big gulp.

"Sizzle, sizzle, how is this so spicy! Chen Che, what level of spiciness is this broth?" Ning Wensong went to the restroom while they were ordering, completely missing the opportunity.

Shen Che looked at her with a complicated expression. "It's mildly spicy. I'll go get you a bottle of milk." Ning Wensong had said before that he thought she could really handle spicy food, but he was naive.

"Mildly spicy? Really? Aren't I the king of super spicy food?" Ning Wensong was stunned and could only accept that he was a little bit of a nutcase.