I Really Want to Pet My Wife's Cat Ears - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Twenty Cats

The DJ controlled the restless music while the colorful disco ball rotated slowly, casting lights onto the passionate and frantic men and women.

Shuoyu accepted the gesture of goodwill accurately. With a slight nod, she sat down beside Ka Ling and helped herself to a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. She glanced back; the bartender Shen Zhiyin had hired was showing off his skills at the open kitchen counter. One moment he was spinning bottles through the air, and the next, he was lighting a pale blue flame in a tiny shot glass.

A circle of young people who loved a good scene and a drink gathered around. The bartender’s technique seemed top-notch, as many were out with their phones recording videos. Having not had a proper drink in a long time, Shuoyu felt like ordering a Margarita to taste. But after a second thought, she decided not to squeeze into the crowd.

She had a pretty good guess now as to why Shen Zhiyin was so anxious to throw a party on only her second day of rest. The numerous men and women in the room with dyed hair and unique outfits provided the answer for her. Out of dozens of people, you couldn’t find two who hadn’t styled or dyed their hair; Shen Zhiyin clearly wanted to use this party to build momentum first, by getting the word out about their niche cultural trend district.

The sweet Ferrero melted in her mouth, but the restless music made Shuoyu’s mood feel exceptionally flighty. Unconsciously, the image of Ji Mianmian from earlier clutching her tail, bowing her back with eyes veiled in a layer of watery mist reappeared before Shuoyu’s eyes.

She wanted to go home and accompany the Cat-Eared Girl so badly. But since this party was launched for the sake of her own career, she couldn’t leave all the promotional work to Shen Zhiyin alone. What kind of person would that make her?

After gulping down half a glass of cool lemon water, Shuoyu nudged Ka Ling’s shoulder, intending to distract herself. She struck up a dry conversation: “Xiao Ka, what was your major?”

The woman raised an eyebrow and glanced at her: “Archaeology.”

“That sounds amazing!” Shuoyu’s academic performance had been average; relying on her height and long legs, she had studied fashion performance, making her a “professionally trained” model. Perhaps it was a common trait among those who hadn’t studied much, but she had always held high respect for intellectuals like Ka Ling.

The two chatted idly about their professions. Both knew this hollow conversation likely wouldn’t stick and would be forgotten by tomorrow. But as they spoke, they did feel their relationship grow a bit closer.

During this time, Meng Xu also arrived. Today she was wearing a very grand tea-party Lolita dress, paired with a small crown atop her pink hair, truly looking like a princess. Only then did Shuoyu realize it was also Meng Xu’s first time meeting Ka Ling.

The “visual-lover” (yan kong) saw this cold, abstinent-looking older sister, and her eyes lit up. After just a few sentences, she blushed and grabbed the woman’s suit sleeve to ask: “Sister, you’re so beautiful. Are you single?”

Shuoyu caught Ka Ling’s pleading, resentful gaze and almost died laughing. She hurriedly peeled another Ferrero and handed it to Meng Xu, saying earnestly: “Your Sister Ka is single, and your Sister Shen is also single; the two of them haven’t figured things out yet and are in a frantic tug-of-war. Don’t join the chaos. Be good, child, eat more candy and don’t touch romance.”

Before long, Shen Zhiyin returned, followed by several people Shuoyu found familiar. There was the owner of a Shibuya-style nail salon, a woman who sold vintage clothing, and an old lady who made hats, brooches, and earrings out of twigs, pinecones, and hay…

As a part-time niche fashion blogger, these were the “treasures” Shen Zhiyin had accumulated over the years. Every one of her praised outfits was inseparable from the help of these people who specialized in exquisite small items. Back in school, Shen Zhiyin often took Shuoyu to visit their shops; most of the few beautiful decorations in Shuoyu’s home were bought from them.

As the host of today’s party, Shen Zhiyin’s appearance immediately made the atmosphere even hotter. When her gaze swept over, Shuoyu saw Shen Zhiyin flash a happy smile. The lights in the room were dim, so she didn’t know if the girl was smiling at Xiao Ka or at her.

Shen Zhiyin ran joyfully onto a raised platform and tapped a wine glass. The crisp sound of glass clinking instantly drowned out the clamor. The DJ also switched the music to gentle, soothing white noise, and the dozens of people in the room fell silent at once.

Shen Zhiyin tapped the microphone and said excitedly: “Welcome to my home today! I had things to do the last couple of days, so the preparations were a bit rushed. If there’s anything that needs improving, just tell me directly. The main thing is to eat well and play well we just want to be happy!”

The party-goers below cheered and shouted along with her, making Shuoyu’s eardrums buzz. She often felt lucky that no one lived on the floor below; a landlord from out of town had bought the unit and never appeared again. Otherwise, given Shen Zhiyin’s frequency of several parties a month, there would definitely be constant arguments over noise.

The woman on stage smiled and continued: “The reason I invited everyone today is to announce something. Compared to Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, Yunxi City is a small city. Although she is very open-minded and most people on the streets accept our ‘eccentric’ styles, we often find that when we do a full face of makeup and wear a full set of dresses, we can’t find a suitable place to take photos.”

At this point, she tugged at her irregular black-and-white houndstooth skirt, laughing nonchalantly.

“So, I Sister Shen plan to build a niche cultural trend district together with my good friends Shuoyu and Meng Xu. The location is right at the top of the Time Plaza in the city center. I’m letting you all know first. I’ve been contacting various stalls and sponsors lately. Once the renovation is finished in a few months, you all have to come and play!”

The people below really gave her face, clapping loudly, and someone raised their hand to ask for details about the district. Shen Zhiyin answered them one by one, calling Shuoyu and Meng Xu up to speak whenever there was something she couldn’t finalize alone. Shuoyu didn’t like being the social lead, but she never dropped the ball on serious business!

After promising that the trend district would hold niche culture fashion shows periodically once built, Shuoyu even walked a short runway in the corridor the crowd specifically cleared for her. Shuoyu was beautiful, her features had no blind spots, and she was a natural at still photography. But every model has a supermodel dream in their heart; she had practiced her runway walk relentlessly in private against a mirror when she first debuted.

Because today’s outfit was more “aggressive,” her walk was also more flamboyant than usual. In just a dozen steps, she practically stepped right into everyone’s hearts. Shuoyu’s waist was so slender it looked as if it could be encircled by a single hand, her abdominal lines were clear and moving, and the sound of her high heels hitting the floor was heavy and steady. Her shoulders barely swayed as she walked; it was very pleasing to the eye.

Shen Zhiyin’s friends were just as enthusiastic as she was: “Ahhh! So handsome, sister! Do you have a Weibo? I’m starting to stan only you from tomorrow!”

“Sister, do you have any big-brand endorsements? My aunt’s birthday is coming up, and I haven’t decided what to get her. I’ll go support you!”

“This is the first time in my life I’ve hated that Victoria’s Secret isn’t held anymore, otherwise sister would definitely be showing off her long legs on it! I really want to be reincarnated as a supermodel in my next life!”

Shuoyu had only ever seen “insanity literature” on Weibo before; hearing it in person now made her a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, a fashion show is a performance for people to appreciate from a distance. If people were always this close-talking about “flying pants,” she would have been too thin-skinned to continue in this industry.

However, knowing people liked and recognized her still made Shuoyu very happy. Her joy was internal; right now, with her head held high, she looked unrestrained and elegant someone to be admired from afar but not profaned.

Several lively girls crowded around, looking at Shuoyu with expectation. The one in the lead, eyes sparkling, held out a plush phone case: “Sister Yu, can we take a photo together? I love watching the runways and have always liked you!!”

“Thank you for your support. Of course, anyone who wants a photo can. Everyone, please wait a moment.” Shuoyu was surprised that someone could actually call out her name, and a slight curve touched the corners of her lips. Since she was tall, she took the initiative to take the plush phone from the girl and, hugging the young girl, snapped several selfies.

The girls took back their phones, whispering excitedly: “Selfies from a high angle really make you look thin; these look so beautiful! Thank you, sister!”

“Actually, you don’t necessarily need long legs; you can take photos from this angle for each other. The person taking the photo just needs to bend their knees a bit and lower the angle. Most importantly, lean your body back slightly…” Shuoyu, seeing the atmosphere was good, even taught them some basic modeling poses.

These people were very good with social media; after their trend district officially opened, they couldn’t rely solely on their own promotion. Gradually deepening their impression before the district was built and relying on word-of-mouth was the correct marketing strategy.

She thought she would only stay at the party for a little while, but it was over two hours before Shuoyu found the chance to leave. Without even having time to remove her makeup or change her clothes, she hurriedly turned on the TV and projected Cat Island Diary onto the screen.

Shuoyu’s pupils constricted slightly as she discovered, to her amazement, that there seemed to be a few more cat paw icons representing cat locations on the edge of the screen! She hadn’t seen a new cat in days. She pumped a fist at her side in a quiet celebration and quickly moved the controller to where the cats were.

Ji Mianmian was talking to the new cats and putting out food for them. Sensing something, she looked directly up.

After eating, drinking, and playing wildly for two hours in a crowded place, Shuoyu’s makeup was even more settled than when she left. The green and silver cut-crease eye look appeared even more bewitching and beautiful.

Shuoyu blinked, trying to see the new cats on the screen clearly.

“Shuoyu, you are so beautiful…” As her eyes roved, she heard Ji Mianmian’s voice, sweet and light, making her heart itch. The tone was sincere, as if she truly could see her.

Shuoyu’s eyes went wide, her long “fairy” lashes casting faint shadows under the light. “Eh? Baby, can you tell that I look different today than usual?”

Shuoyu remembered that since she started her vacation, she had either been barefaced or wearing “plain water” style light makeup. This was the first time she had done heavy makeup and styled her hair, and Ji Mianmian had actually made such a comment!

The AI intelligence of this game was simply astonishing!

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