Chapter 61 When will you give me a proper title in the future?

When it came time to actually film the video, Shu Qing added a little something extra. She focused the camera on Jiu Su's hands as she assembled the shielding array equipment, turning it into a handicraft video.

Jiu Su didn't speak, and neither did she. The only background music playing in the shot was a soothing melody. She didn't even let Jiu Su's face appear; only a pair of slender hands were quietly doing handicrafts in the shot, while another equally beautiful pair of hands would occasionally appear in the frame, handing over something or taking something away.

The touch of fingertips, though silent, is gentle and serene, possessing a unique and touching quality.

"Has Xiaohong learned to make such complex equipment for the super-administered bureau?"

"Wow, this is so nice! It's sparked my desire to raise little monsters!"

"To be honest, I dream about my cat turning into a genius cat-eared boy every night."

Finally, she finished the piece with a marvelous spatial folding device. Amidst the gasps of amazement from the onlookers, Shuqing showed the finished product to the camera from all angles before hanging it around Yunduo's neck.

Tu Nan's voiceover cuts in at the right moment, telling the story in a gentle and detailed way, explaining how pitiful this little monster was, being treated as a malice absorber by people, and what efforts the Super Management Bureau and the studio made to save its life, and so on.

The softly told tragic story contrasted sharply with the gentle and peaceful scenes. No further emphasis was needed from Shu Qing; people had already spontaneously risen to this level, with the comments section flooded with messages like "Resist man-made monsters" and "Respect life."

In short, although the final data wasn't as good as last time, it still maintained its popular position. Shu Qing tried promoting it a few times, and gradually, it rose to a level similar to her other "Monster Encyclopedia" videos.

Little Sheep Cloud was getting better day by day, but since it wasn't a naturally born monster, it certainly couldn't be given to an ordinary person to raise; but if it stayed at the Super Management Bureau like that, it wouldn't get to benefit from Shu Qing's "golden touch." So after several discussions, Cloud, like the other little monsters Shu Qing had adopted before, stayed with her.

If the previous period could be considered a "trial period" of her cooperation with the Supermarket Management Bureau, then from now on, it will be a formal cooperation.

Shu Qing's "Monster Compendium" series has also changed from a assigned topic to free creation. She can now choose any monster from the Super Management Bureau to create her works. She has good professional skills and a vivid imagination. Now that she has been given freedom, she is like a fish in the ocean, creating all sorts of strange and wonderful ideas one after another.

Jiu Su was often driven crazy by her wildly imaginative ideas, and finally couldn't take it anymore. Just as Jiu Su was enthusiastically eyeing the latest monster, Jiu Su gently reminded her, "Have you forgotten that we have plans for the weekend?"

“Oh right,” Shu Qing slapped her forehead, “I was just saying last time that I wanted you to come with me to that newly opened shopping district this weekend.”

Jiu Su looked at her with a half-smile.

"Isn't it because you still remember me?" Shu Qing skillfully coaxed him. "You want to go too, don't you? Don't worry, I keep my word, I definitely won't stand you up."

As expected, they didn't skip each other over the weekend. The two of them went to a newly opened shopping district nearby and strolled around hand in hand.

Because Shu Qing has been dealing with the Supermarket Management Bureau a lot lately, she can't always wear a skirt to their government offices, so she plans to buy herself a couple more proper outfits. So she dragged Jiu Su to a clothing store.

She picked out a few dresses and prepared to go into the fitting room. As she entered, she righteously and sternly reasoned with Jiu Su: "You can't come in with me."

Jiu Su's gaze drifted to a young couple who had entered the fitting room together. "Why not?"

“They are them, and we are us.” Shu Qing gently pinched his waist. “I said no, and that means no. Stay here obediently and hold my bag.”

Jiu Su reluctantly hugged the bag that she had stuffed into her hand and obediently waited outside.

Shu Qing went into the changing room and breathed a sigh of relief.

She rarely tried wearing designer clothes, and she was hoping to impress him with her new outfit. But with his snake-like eyes staring at her, what "newness" would there be? It would probably just become a little fun between lovers, which wasn't appropriate for the occasion.

Or, I could buy him a couple later so he can wear them on appropriate occasions. He seems restless if he doesn't flirt with her all day; I should just indulge his desire...

Shu Qing quickly changed his clothes and came out. Just as he was about to call Jiu Su, he suddenly noticed two young girls talking to him. This wasn't unusual. Jiu Su was beautiful and had a unique appearance. It was common for her to attract other people to talk to her when she wasn't around. However, he would usually just tell them directly that he was "waiting for his girlfriend" to end the conversation.

Therefore, she had never distrusted him. Why were they chatting like this, and they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation?

Shu Qing gritted her teeth, instinctively cursing under her breath, "You damn snake, you just wait!"

Then I couldn't help but think, "Or maybe those two weren't actually human? Or... maybe I was a little too harsh on him? Or..."

She walked over with her mind full of random thoughts, but Jiu Su seemed to have eyes in the back of her head, turned around and looked at her, calling out "A Shu".

At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot vertical pupils, but his expression was very calm. Shu Qing glanced at him and knew that this was the persona of "naive little monster" that he had in front of the camera.

Those two young girls, it seems...

The two young girls' eyes immediately fell on Shu Qing. They rushed to her in two steps, then hesitated, as if worried about being too abrupt, and asked, "Are you Shu Qing?"

As expected, viewers who had seen her videos probably recognized Jiu Su. Since Jiu Su couldn't pretend to be stupid, she had no choice but to switch her persona on the spot.

Shu Qing immediately put aside all her distracting thoughts, gave a polite, business-like smile, and nodded.

“I told you, Ashu really is a pretty girl,” one of the girls nudged her companion with her elbow, then immediately clasped her hands together and looked at her with starry eyes. “We’ve been following your ‘Monster Compendium’! She’s been following you even longer, before you opened your studio.”

The other one chimed in, "Can we take a picture together with you? I promise I won't post it or mention that I ran into you somewhere. If not, an autograph would be fine too."

"A photo is better than an autograph," Shu Qing said with a smile, having never practiced autographing before. "Of course you can," she replied.

She pulled Jiu Su, who was still putting on an act, to her side, and the four of them squeezed in front of the camera for several photos. The two girls promised again that they would never post the photos, then said goodbye and left with bright smiles.

Shu Qing watched them leave, her feelings a mix of emotions. She even forgot to ask Jiu Su if her new outfit looked good. After a moment of silence, she finally said, "...So, does this mean I'm really famous now?"

“Obviously.” Jiu Su returned to her usual composed demeanor and agreed, “I think we should be more careful when we go out in the future.”

"You need to be careful." Shu Qing gently tugged at Jiu Su's hair. "Your white hair is too eye-catching... If we come to crowded places, could you change it to black? Any other color will do."

Jiu Su silently twitched the corner of her mouth, "...I am a snake, not a chameleon."

"Oh," Shu Qing said regretfully, "then there's nothing we can do. I'll go buy you a hat later, and you can wear it to cover up."

Jiusu had no objection.

The two of them held hands as they went to the cashier to pay. After the bill was settled, Shu Qing glanced at it and belatedly sighed, "I should have realized this sooner. How could I have bought such expensive clothes so casually before, and even two or three sets at a time? My brain was so full of work that it made me stupid."

Jiu Su patted her hair and said with a smile, "It's alright, you're not obviously stupid. Besides, there are plenty of foolish people in this world. Even if you were a little more foolish, you'd still be enough."

Are you trying to comfort me?

"I'm just stating the facts."

Fine, Shu Qing was completely speechless at his matter-of-fact approach.

Jiu Su changed the subject, "Most of those little monsters in the Super Management Bureau are much better than before. You can breathe a sigh of relief and stop pushing yourself like this, right?"

"I know, it's all about work-life balance." Shu Qing picked out a unisex beret and put it on him, then put one on herself, looking herself up and down in the mirror. "Once we finish filming all these little monsters at the Super Management Bureau, it'll be almost the end of the year. I don't think the Super Management Bureau is really bothering you much, so let's go out and have some fun again, okay?"

Jiu Su picked out another pair of couple hats and tried them on with her. She agreed, saying, "Where are we going? Last time we played around H City. How about we go to the north this time? I heard there are some ancient palaces and ruins in the north that I haven't been to yet."

“Of course, there are plenty of ancient palace complexes in the capital, we can…” Shu Qing hadn’t thought it through at first, but then she slowly realized what she meant and smiled as she glanced at Jiu Su, “Just say you want to come to my house.”

Jiu Su no longer hid her intentions and said frankly, "Aren't you going to take me to meet your uncle and aunt again? Last time I met them, I was just a pet snake. When are you going to give me a proper status?"

His earnest and serious way of asking her for a formal title was quite endearing, which made Shu Qing chuckle.

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “I’ll take you home for Chinese New Year.”

"real?"

"Really?" Shu Qing turned to look at him and solemnly promised, "What happened before is what happened before, and the situation is different now. Although I don't know how I came to be in this life, it was hard-won, and I won't leave you. As long as I want to be with you, my parents won't object to the end. You can feel more at ease, okay?"

Jiu Su paused for a moment, then cupped her face in her hands, feeling the real touch of her palms, and finally nodded.

“Meeting the parents is a two-way street. Logically speaking, I should also meet your parents.” Seeing that his expression had calmed down considerably, Shu Qing felt relieved and said with a smile, “But since you have no parents, that step is out of the question. But at least you should take me to see the place where you were born, right?”