Chapter 45
"Ugh! What kind of design should I give the tail?" Ning Wensong was tearing her hair in frustration. In front of her was the calendar, and the day before she was to leave was fast approaching, but she still hadn't come up with a complete design. Ning Wensong was feeling increasingly pressured.
We're leaving tomorrow, and the official competition is the day after...
It started snowing again in Yuncheng a few days ago. The wind howled outside the window, but it was warm and cozy inside. However, Ning Wensong felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Chen Che was cooking downstairs. She broke down upstairs for a while and then slowly walked downstairs, constantly telling herself that she couldn't let herself get emotional, because she might see something that would trigger her thoughts.
Upon seeing Shen Che's back, Ning Wensong rushed over and climbed onto his back, asking in a very soft voice, "What are we having for lunch today?"
"Let's have some sauerkraut fish, and I'll make you a little dessert too?" Chen Che gently lifted her up with his hand to make her more stable.
"Hmm, sure, I like them all." Ning Wensong said slowly. She was feeling listless but didn't want to be alone, so she simply lay on Shen Che, since he had plenty of strength.
Shen Che glanced at her sideways, feeling a little worried. As he cooked, he thought about how to alleviate her anxiety.
He thought for a moment. There was still half an hour before the sauerkraut fish was ready, enough time to call another person. He turned his head and nuzzled Ning Wensong's face, his voice sticky, "Baby, how about we invite Xu Lin to eat with us? Maybe chatting together will spark some inspiration?"
Ning Wensong thought about it and agreed. Working in isolation was not a good idea. Her mood improved a bit, and she jumped down with a smile to make a phone call.
The kitchen was warm, but Chen Che felt a bit lonely without Ning Wensong. He had a faint smile on his face, hoping that his brother-in-law could give him some good advice later.
Making just sauerkraut fish wasn't enough, so Chen Che rummaged through the refrigerator to prepare to stir-fry some shredded pork with garlic sauce. That would be enough for us.
Xu Lin arrived in a hurry just as the food was being served. He was carrying a large bag and was complaining as he entered that they hadn't told him sooner.
Ning Wensong smiled and took the large bag, curiously peeking through the opening to ask, "What did you bring?"
Upon hearing this question, Xu Lin instantly stopped blushing and out of breath. He raised his head high and said smugly, "This is a starry sky picture I drew when I went hiking a few days ago. I had a feeling you would need it, so I brought it with me. This is the first one I drew after leaving the pet grooming industry. Since you are my sister, I just gave it to you. Worship me!"
He said it in a really irritating tone, but Ning Wensong didn't mind. She opened the painting right there in the living room, lifted the curtain hanging on it, and stared blankly at the starry sky picture.
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "The night you went hiking... were there really so many stars in the sky? Or were they stars in different directions?"
Xu Lin froze for a moment upon hearing this, then his face instantly turned red. "Okay, okay, I just looked at the starry sky and filled in all those different galaxies."
Ning Wensong smiled innocently, "Okay, I didn't mean anything by it. Let's eat. I already know what the stylist is doing."
Shen Che was a little excited. This painting had given her an idea. If only she had called Xu Lin over a few days ago, she would have felt very irritated every time she saw Ning Wensong's anxiety.
He came over and took one of their hands in each, saying, "Okay, let's eat first, we'll talk after we finish eating."
Xu Lin was led through the entire meal in a daze. He didn't know what to say at the table, he just kept staring at the happy smiling faces of the two people opposite him.
Was the painting he just brought something very important? He didn't understand, but his sister's words just now made him a little concerned.
It's not like you still haven't decided on your look two days before the competition, is it?
The atmosphere during the meal was so pleasant that Xu Lin planned to speak as soon as the meal was over.
After Shen Che cleared the bowls into the kitchen, he immediately spoke, staring intently at Ning Wensong, "Tell me honestly, you really haven't decided on your look yet, have you?"
Ning Wensong was taken aback, then chuckled. "How could that be? I'm just not entirely sure about the tail design right now, but I'm already very skilled at designing the other parts."
She looked at Xu Lin with grateful eyes, "Brother, your drawing gave me a lot of inspiration. I've finalized the design of the tail. Without you, I don't know what I would have done..."
Thinking back on her anxiety a few days ago, Ning Wensong felt a little scared. She stood up and hugged Xu Lin. Her brother's embrace made her feel very safe.
Xu Lin's heart pounded. His sister hugged him, "What's so surprising... coming up with the final look is all thanks to your talent! I'm really looking forward to your competition. I'll be there this time too, but I can't go with you guys. My grandpa insists I go with him..."
Actually, it was to make his grandfather believe that Ning Wensong was his sister; the old man was too perceptive.
After Chen Che finished cleaning up the kitchen and came out, the two had already started chatting about everything under the sun, and the topic had seriously gone off track. He shook his head helplessly and interrupted their further conversation, "Alright, alright, you should go now. Baby, you should continue practicing too. If we keep chatting, we won't have time."
Xu Lin pursed his lips. Since they could meet again the day after tomorrow, he decided not to linger. After saying goodbye to Ning Wensong, he went to the mall to buy a camera so he could record his sister's victory.
That's right, he was certain that Ning Wensong could win the championship, and no one else had the ability. Thinking of what his grandfather had secretly said, Xu Lin was looking forward to the final.
After Xu Lin left, Ning Wensong began to organize her thoughts, and she pulled Shen Che to sit with her on the carpet.
"When I first saw that painting, my first thought was all sorts of galaxies. We did the Big Dipper on the face, so we can use other galaxies too! But your tail fur is very long. I was just thinking about whether it would look bad if we shaved it short and then styled it. Sure enough, I just tried to think about it and it looks particularly out of place on the cat."
Shen Che asked at the opportune moment, "So what method have you come up with?"
Ning Wensong said smugly, snuggling in his arms, "Hmph, your fur isn't very long, so let's ignore that and just weave it. Your tail is long enough to make two galaxies. We'll weave a five-pointed star shape according to the position of the stars, and we'll just use the long fur to weave the lines in the middle. That way, it won't affect the overall beauty. It'll be a fluffy, dreamy meteor shower!"
She mentally recreated the complete design and gave herself a perfect score for her creativity.
“That’s a great idea, but you can’t practice in your dream today. Although it’s convenient and efficient, it can also cause fatigue during the day. Trust yourself, baby. You only have the tail end to practice. You’ve done a great job on everything else. How about we go on a trip after this competition?”
Shen Che really felt sorry for her. She practiced every day, from the moment she opened her eyes until the moment she closed them. He couldn't stop her because it was Ning Wensong's dream. All he could do was encourage her and offer some help.
Ning Wensong was very relaxed nestled in his arms. Upon hearing his words, she immediately cheered, "I love traveling, let's just the two of us!"
She looked up at Chen Che's expression, knowing what he was worried about, and gently patted his head. "Don't worry about me, I'm really fine. I'll be alright after the competition! I won't worry about the ranking, but winning would be the best!"
"good."
With little time left, Ning Wensong chose to practice the tail styling in her dreams in the afternoon and the overall styling late at night, making sure to manage her time well.
The requirements and competition rules for the finals are more comprehensive than those for the preliminary rounds. This time, it is mandatory to complete the styling within three hours, and you must stop when the time is up. The entire venue is monitored.
Even with a bright moon and few stars, my dreams remain passionate, a testament to the effort I've put into pursuing them.
—
the next day.
"It's time to go." Shen Che checked the styling tools one last time, then turned back to urge Ning Wensong, who was still a little sleepy.
She used up too much energy in her dream last night, and she hasn't fully woken up yet.
Shen Che walked over and helped her lean against him, muttering a few words, "Luckily, today is just for preparation and not the actual competition, otherwise it would be too scary."
She spoke very softly, but Ning Wensong's posture was just right to hear her clearly. She spoke in her dream, "You bad guy, I will definitely be very awake tomorrow."
"......"
Chen Che sighed, first carrying her to the car before going to get the luggage.
The morning wind was so cold it hurt your face. Even though we were still in the car, Shen Che put a scarf on her and wrapped Ning Wensong's face up tightly.
Perhaps to cheer them on, the sky cleared up in Yuncheng after they arrived at the airport; such good weather hadn't been seen since the snowfall.
The gentle sunlight shone down, bringing a long-lost warmth.
Ning Wensong was awakened by the light. She opened her still sleepy eyes and exclaimed, "Wow, the sun is out!"
She straightened up, leaning against Chen Che, and shielded her eyes with her hands. "That's great! It seems even God thinks I'll have a smooth competition this time!"
Shen Che held her hand and walked slowly, nodding in agreement with her words, "Of course, you're the best!"
"Hehe." Ning Wensong buried her face in her scarf, her cheeks flushed red, like an apple.
He wanted to kiss her. Shen Che had restrained himself these past few days for the sake of the competition, but he secretly planned to get his way after the competition ended.
They are resting in the waiting room, with half an hour until their flight takes off.
Time ticked by, and then the announcement came over the loudspeaker. They stood up and were about to head towards the boarding gate when a voice came from behind them.
"Ning Wensong?"
The speaker was He Ran, who was also going to watch the game and never expected to be on the same flight as her.
"Oh, what a coincidence," Ning Wensong said in a slow, deliberate manner.
He Ran didn't care. He had been stuck at the company for a while and had no other thoughts. Looking at Ning Wensong, who seemed to be surrounded by bubbles of happiness, he finally smiled and said, "I wish you the best of luck in winning the championship, really."
Ning Wensong paused for two seconds, then replied with a smile, "Thank you."
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