Chapter 46 Inspiration "Don't you mind at all?"...
Jiu Su only briefly lost control on the first night. By midnight the following day, although he still couldn't help but transform into a snake tail and still needed Shu Qing to stay with him, he was no longer as unable to resist biting and nibbling as he had the night before. They were able to snuggle together and talk properly.
The two tacitly agreed not to bring up the past life that night again, deliberately keeping the conversation in a safe zone, and determined not to test each other again.
"Am I acting strangely?" Jiu Su asked her. His silvery-white snake tail was a bit oversized, too big for a bed, so it slowly slithered on the floor. The tip of his tail seemed to be trying to hook Shu Qing's ankle, but he restrained himself.
"No," Shu Qing replied in surprise, glancing at the beautiful tail. He wanted to touch it, but worried that the tail might not be a place he could just touch. He was in a sensitive period right now, so it was safer not to stimulate him.
She even pulled out her short video app, pointed to a clip of a newly popular fantasy romance drama, and argued with him, "It's good. Look at this handsome young man with a snake tail and a human body, he's quite popular, he's all over the internet, it's not surprising at all."
Encouraged by her words, Jiu Su immediately wrapped his tail around her. His body temperature wasn't as alarming tonight, but it was still noticeably higher than usual. Clinging to her like this felt like a warm, jade-like object.
Shu Qing wanted to touch it even more.
She quickly controlled her hand to prevent herself from accidentally touching it and causing some unspeakable tragedy.
A thought suddenly popped into Shu Qing's mind, and she thought, "Actually, this isn't so bad."
When they're busy, they can snuggle up and talk like this; when they're free, they can go out and play together. He takes meticulous care of her, and can even turn into a little snake to be her photoshoot model. He's willing to do anything for her.
It's a time of peace and tranquility, so why does she insist on getting to the bottom of things and disrupting this present moment?
The thought flashed through her mind, and Shu Qing shook her head violently, saying to herself, "Wake up!"
If you don't even understand the ins and outs of this relationship, how long can it last, no matter how good the "present moment" is?
She's never been the type to let herself drift along like this. What's this? Love makes people stupid?
"What's wrong?"
"...Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about Director Yang's data requirement." Shu Qing said, trying to cover up her thoughts. "I've been thinking about it all day and I really can't come up with a good solution. I even tried mentioning 'trying to cooperate with the authorities' under that Lucky Bird video, but guess what? Nobody paid any attention to me."
Although her motive was a cover-up, what she said was true. The comments she received were mostly fluffy phrases like "The uploader is amazing, they even got an official collaboration" and "Wow, looking forward to it." As for the data... strictly speaking, it can't be said that it didn't move at all.
She compiled the growth data of her previous videos on the fifth day and compared it with this one. She was pleased to find that her claim of "wanting official cooperation" did indeed bring about some increase in views, by about 1%.
Jiu Su had no idea how difficult this request was, but he trusted the judgment of professionals. When Shu Qing said it was "difficult," he believed her and sincerely began to think with her about what to do.
Finally, he regretfully discovered that the plots in contemporary storybooks where "a non-professional's words gave a professional a great inspiration" were basically made up, and at least did not apply to him and Shu Qing.
Based on reality, he could only suggest, "How about we go to the Supermarket Management Bureau together tomorrow and talk to Yang Zheng again?"
Shu Qing also felt that this was the only way, and she agreed, saying, "Okay, I hope I can persuade him."
...But hope is hope precisely because it is difficult to turn into reality.
The next day, Shu Qing went to the Supermarket Management Bureau and argued with Director Yang in his office for more than half an hour before coming out with a dark face.
Inside the super-management bureau, there was an open-air rest corner with a climbing trellis of flowers, blooming brilliantly in the autumn breeze. It was said to have calming and soothing properties, the work of the tree spirit that had previously tended her yard. She took two deep breaths, deciding it was pure false advertising—it had absolutely no calming effect whatsoever!
She decided to abandon any "unconventional" methods and instead opted for conventional ones, going to the nearby vending machine and getting two iced sodas.
After finishing the two drinks, she realized that Jiu Su had been called away by a monster colleague and wasn't there now.
She sighed helplessly, sat down in the rest corner, and stared blankly at the climbing flowers on the trellis, holding a can of cola.
The negotiations failed. Director Yang, a man of his word, made the decision that if it couldn't be done, there was no point in bringing it up again; clearly, further talks were futile. She realized that the old cadre firmly believed that any harmonious relationship between humans and monsters on the internet was meaningless and a waste of time. In Director Yang's eyes, this project was nothing more than a "child's game with a slightly misguided direction."
The older generation is already very open-minded to let the younger generation give it a try. Unless they can make a name for themselves, why should they need support or resources? Don't other jobs need support?
Shu Qing let out a long sigh, but knew she couldn't blame anyone. After all, if you want investment, you have to prove you're worthy of it; this applies to all collaborations, not just official ones.
"Five times the number of views..." she thought in distress, "Where am I supposed to get so many views?"
Just then, someone ruffled her hair. Jiu Su pulled over the chair opposite her and sat down next to her. He was in a half-human, half-snake state at night, but by daytime, he had fully recovered. His long legs, encased in snow-white uniform trousers, were slender, straight, and powerful, a completely different kind of beauty from his snake tail.
Shu Qing glanced at them a few more times, until the legs were hidden by the tablecloth, before she looked away.
Jiu Su unceremoniously took the other cup of cola on the table, but frowned after just one sip.
Shu Qing snapped out of her daze and said, "Oh, I ordered the sugar-free one. You've been feeding me so much these days that I've gained weight, so I'm on a diet."
"Really?" Jiu Su pinched her cheek. "I can't tell. Tell me where you've gained weight."
Shu Qing rolled her eyes at him: "You've gained weight, as evidenced by the number on the scale!"
But she also felt that sugar-free cola didn't taste as good as the sugary one. Since Jiu Su judged that she "couldn't tell", she simply decided not to make things difficult for herself at this annoying time and made two more cups of sugary cola.
After a couple of bites, I did feel a bit better; sugar is the source of happiness.
"I still haven't figured out how to get these views," Shu Qing poured out her heart to him. "Relying on official backing is obviously unrealistic. If I had another six months, I'd be pretty confident in gradually increasing my followers and making more videos, but a week... I really can't do it!"
Jiu Su couldn't offer her any professional advice, nor would he advise her to give up. He patted Shu Qing's hair, knowing his own limitations, and quietly played the role of a good confidant.
Shu Qing just wanted to vent to someone. After venting her frustrations, she felt much better. She wasn't someone who easily got caught up in emo.
She continued to ponder over the vibrant flowers climbing the trellis outside, while Jiu Su silently kept her company, not disturbing her.
But it was work time after all, and he couldn't stay with her for long. After about ten minutes, he glanced at the time and said softly, "I'm leaving?"
"Okay." Shu Qing was still lost in her own thoughts when she waved her hand. "I'll wait for you to come home tonight. Go on, Xiao Hong."
Oh, right... Little Red?
Shu Qing suddenly had a flash of inspiration: This is an era where looks can be monetized. She initially gained her first batch of fans thanks to Xiao Hong's beauty. Now that Xiao Hong has undergone a complete transformation and her looks haven't deteriorated at all, why can't she monetize that again?
Even a beautiful little snake has its own appreciation threshold; after all, not everyone can accept snakes. But a handsome person is a different story—who doesn't love looking at a beautiful young man?
She quickly looked up. Hearing her say "waiting for you to come home," Jiu Su felt incredibly satisfied, her eyes brimming with joy. He met Shu Qing's frighteningly bright gaze, raised an eyebrow slightly, and instantly understood: "You have an idea?"
"Yes, I've got it." Shu Qing blinked, trying to suppress her eagerness, and asked cautiously, "What exactly is your energy level?"
Jiu Su smiled and said, "6.9. The last time it was measured, it was 6.9, so it will only ever be this number. It will be the same no matter who measures it again."
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Shu Qing tugged at a strand of silver hair that fell across his chest, annoyed. "Isn't it because you absolutely can't raise anything above level 7? Tell me the truth, what level is it?"
"Anyway, you just need to know that Wanli can't beat me."
That means it must be at least 9.2 or higher. It's so hard to get an accurate number from him. Shu Qing pinched his face with both hands and rubbed it hard a few times, but Jiu Su grabbed his wrists and pried them open before she stopped.
However, for her plan, level 6.9 is barely enough.
"Can I film your half-snake form?" She clasped her hands together. "Do you remember that half-snake boy I showed you last night? He went viral, I think he even made it into the top three trending topics. These days, people love to watch cute little animals, but they love to watch beautiful women even more. And I remember that none of these monster-raising content creators have filmed a monster that can transform into human form yet."
"You're so good-looking and a high-level monster, there will definitely be a lot of people who want to watch you. I think this is the most practical way I can think of."
Jiu Su's eyes changed instantly, her emotions were very complicated. First, she showed a bit of embarrassment and annoyance at being offended, then a hint of helplessness, and a faint sense of distant longing.
Finally, he helplessly covered his face.
Seeing the complicated look on his face, Shu Qing tentatively asked, "Is it inconvenient?"
Of course it's inconvenient!
Demons who possess human form rarely reveal their true form. As for their half-human, half-demon state, it is assumed that this is only revealed when they are severely injured and vulnerable, which is tantamount to exposing their weaknesses.
Unless they are among the oldest beings who can be called "gods," who dwell in the heavens and earth and can freely manifest a half-human form, other demons only reveal their half-demon form to their closest relatives—such as parents, best friends, and partners.
Jiu Su had no idea where to begin explaining to her. After a long pause, he asked quietly, "Don't you mind at all?"
He had no biological parents, and while many of his close friends and acquaintances relied on him, few truly cared for him. Aside from the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, only Shu Qing had ever seen his half-snake form. Didn't she care at all?
Shu Qing: ?
She asked, completely bewildered, "What do you mind?"
-----------------------
Author's note: The fact that sugar-free cola doesn't taste as good as regular cola is just my two kids' personal opinion [doge emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
