Gurgle, gurgle.

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“Seaweed paste, black pearl powder, uh, and some unidentified fish liquid…” Ning Zhixia watched with a complicated expression as Popocula mixed these things together, inserting its tentacle into the basin and stirring constantly, producing a squelching, unappetizing noise.

The visual impact was too much. Qu Banqing, who only liked cute things, felt dizzy halfway through and collapsed onto the sofa—he simply couldn’t allow this pitch-black, nightmarish concoction to pollute his eyes.

That day, after Audro left, Popocula returned to its own dimension that very night, gathering a pile of materials, and came back excitedly to demonstrate the magical ocean mud!

“Smoothes your skin, repairs after sun exposure, makes it delicate and radiant… It does it all!” Popocula enthusiastically recommended. “I have a bunch of friends who love using this!”

“Thank you,” Ning Zhixia said, lowering his gaze to observe the lump of ocean mud for a moment. Suddenly, he grabbed Qu Banqing’s hand, and under Qu Banqing’s bewildered gaze, plunged both their hands into the basin—

“Aaahhh! I’m dirty!” Qu Banqing’s hair stood on end, his hands completely engulfed by the cold, wet, jelly-like substance, which made sticky, awful noises with every movement.

“Mmmmmm—” Ning Zhixia’s small face trembled; his whole body shivered comically, producing a ridiculous wave-like motion. But after just a few seconds, he got used to the addictive sensation, kneading it as if playing with crystal slime.

Popocula checked the hourglass and cheered, “Time’s up!”

“Hurry, give me a towel!” Qu Banqing couldn’t wait to pull out his hands. He took the towel offered by a tentacle and wiped his hands, then froze in disbelief, staring at his now smooth, white, and delicate hands.

“So soft, so smooth, so comfortable…” Qu Banqing stared at his hands, even the loving scratch marks left by the cats had vanished. He shouted in excitement, “It actually works!”

“Wow, amazing!” Ning Zhixia rubbed his soft, smooth face with his tender hands, squinting in comfort. He turned to Popocula and asked, “Can I use it all over my body?”

“Of course!” Popocula played with a lump of mud, rolling it into a ball with two tentacles, delighted. “Just soak your whole body in it!”

The two exchanged glances, imagining themselves wrapped head to toe in sticky, slippery black mud, and shivered involuntarily.

On second thought, maybe not.

Thanks to the ocean mud’s incredible effects, Ning Zhixia bought a batch of delicate little jars, packed up Popocula’s concoction, and sent it off after filing the necessary paperwork, planning to use it on clients.

Mondays were usually slow for appointments, so Ning Zhixia decided to take the day off. After lunch, he cuddled a kitten and watched cartoons.

Qu Banqing, dressed neatly, clattered down the stairs.

Hearing the noise, Ning Zhixia turned and asked, “Are you going out?”

“Yeah, the supermarket’s having a big sale.” Qu Banqing slung a canvas tote over his shoulder, neatly folding some sturdy plastic bags inside as he changed his shoes. “Don’t eat too many snacks at home, we’re having squid and chicken wing casserole for dinner.”

“Okay, bye, Mommy.” Ning Zhixia waved, only to receive a light knock on the back of his head.

Qu Banqing stepped out, then looked back to see his friend, just like when they were kids, dramatically clutching his head and wriggling around on the sofa, wailing. He couldn’t help but smile, eyes crinkling in amusement.

A few seconds later, the smile faded from his lips. He quietly watched for a moment, drooped his head, and left.

Thunder rumbled that afternoon, and soon it began to rain—spring’s relentless showers, unlikely to stop soon.

Ning Zhixia stood by the window, messaging Qu Banqing, wondering if he’d brought an umbrella. Then he remembered Qu Banqing had a car key too, and immediately yawned lazily.

When Lu Yaoguang arrived with a friend, she saw him dozing off, head-to-head with a few cats sprawled on the windowsill.

“Boss Ning, are you off today?” Lu Yaoguang knocked on the open door. “I’ve brought a friend from out of town, she wants to try a manicure.”

“Mmm.” Ning Zhixia tilted his head and spotted a familiar-looking woman behind her. Rubbing his eyes for a better look, he exclaimed in surprise, “He Mingzhu?”

There were countless internet celebrities on social media, many of them faking a wealthy heiress persona, but He Mingzhu was the exception—she truly was the heiress of Haiyan Group. While she didn’t have a huge following, her influence was strong, and her fans were loyal. She didn’t need money, nor did she take on cheap sponsorships.

“Hey, this isn’t our first meeting,” He Mingzhu greeted him openly.

“You two know each other?” Lu Yaoguang asked in surprise.

Ning Zhixia smiled and invited them to sit. “My family’s in business too. We met at a banquet in college.”

His father’s business had expanded since junior high, and the growing demands of socializing put him and Mrs. Lu on diverging life paths, leading to their amicable divorce.

Back at that banquet, Ning Zhixia and He Mingzhu bumped into each other repeatedly at the buffet, both focused on food and drink, determined to make the most of the occasion. Even with his face blindness, he couldn’t help but recognize her after several encounters.

Lu Yaoguang made a disappointed noise—she’d thought this might be an elite marriage connection, but it was just two foodie acquaintances.

“I came to Yucheng to travel and film a vlog,” He Mingzhu said, gently rubbing the head of a curious kitten. “Yaoguang told me there’s a great nail salon here, so I had to check it out. Didn’t expect it to be run by our very own Young Master Ning.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place,” Ning Zhixia said, a proud hum in his voice, waving grandly. “Any style you want, I can do it!”

He Mingzhu knew he wasn’t just boasting. She trusted his skills, so she pulled up the design she wanted on her phone.

Ning Zhixia saw no difficulty in it and took out his tools to get started.

The design was luxurious and auspicious, perfectly suiting He Mingzhu’s aura. After applying a nude base to the long almond-shaped nails, he used a thin layer of cat’s eye gel polish. The patterns—flowers and butterflies—were drawn directly with sculpting gel, then finished with a layer of golden mirror powder.

It was simple to execute, but to maintain the translucent effect, the cat’s eye gel needed to be high quality. As Ning Zhixia laid out his collection, He Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. “You really went all out.”

This cat’s eye gel was from a luxury brand, nearly a hundred yuan per bottle. Ning Zhixia, mindful of costs when opening his shop, had only bought the cat’s eye series.

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Still, you got what you paid for. When applied in a thin layer, the golden sheen was clear and brilliant, and the magnetic particles moved smoothly without turning gray.

Lu Yaoguang sighed, “So beautiful! You should just switch all your polishes to this level!”

Ning Zhixia was about to say he’d go broke, but then thought of those generous clients at night and fell into a strange silence. It seemed that before long, he really might achieve freedom with all the luxury gel colors he wanted!

Lu Yaoguang was only there to keep He Mingzhu company. Worried she’d get bored waiting, Ning Zhixia suggested, “I’ve got a new hand mask mud. Want to try it?”

“Oh? Something new?” Lu Yaoguang’s eyes lit up. “I love trying out new products!”

After she washed her hands, Ning Zhixia, while He Mingzhu was under the curing lamp, took out a jar of ocean mud, poured it into a basin, and pushed it over.

“You’re saying… this is a hand mask?”

He Mingzhu stared incredulously at the basin of black, slime-like substance, inching her stool away.

Ning Zhixia nodded, highly recommending it. “It might not look promising, but the results are really good!”

Not just unpromising—this was downright alarming…

Lu Yaoguang was skeptical, but Ning Zhixia had never tricked her before. Gathering her courage, she closed her eyes and plunged her hands in.

“Whoo…” It felt like a perfectly moist fluffy foam, and as soon as her fingers entered, she instinctively began kneading it.

He Mingzhu was drawn in by how much fun she seemed to be having.

“Want to try?” Lu Yaoguang kneaded away, “It’s as satisfying as plunging your hands into a big sack of rice!”

“…,” He Mingzhu’s expression grew conflicted. Taking a deep breath, she finally relented, “Let me try it in a bit.”

An hour later, there was another basin of ocean mud in the shop, squelching under eager hands.

He Mingzhu couldn’t stop kneading it, grinning like a fool. “Hurry up and start mass production—I want to buy a ton and knead it every day!”

“Pfft,” Lu Yaoguang, stroking her now silky-smooth hands, said pointedly, “Some people hoard face masks at home but never use them—yet when they travel, it’s one every night.”

Ning Zhixia added quietly, “Just like cramming books into your backpack during vacation.”

He Mingzhu: “…”

The ocean mud’s effects were astonishing. Though it had a faint salty tang from the sea, after washing and applying a bit of fragrant balm, the whole body felt sweetly refreshed.

Feeling invigorated, He Mingzhu paid and was seen off by Ning Zhixia, her heart full of joy. She turned and said with a smile, “I really envy you—being able to do what you love so well. But with your skills, you don’t have to stay in Yucheng.”

“It’s about freedom—being able to do work I enjoy, see good friends, enjoy beautiful scenery. It took traveling to realize how lucky I am to have these things.”

Ning Zhixia shrugged. “For now, I just want to enjoy it all.”

He Mingzhu seemed infected by his bright, youthful smile, and laughed along.

“No need to walk us out. Wishing you happiness—let’s grab a meal together sometime.”

She waved, leaving arm-in-arm with Lu Yaoguang.

Though he’d planned to rest, old friends kept showing up and keeping him busy. Ning Zhixia stood under the eaves, yawning like a fierce dog baying at the sky. He spotted Qu Banqing returning, rain streaking his shoulders, arms laden with heavy grocery bags.

“You didn’t drive?” Ning Zhixia was startled.

“I did, but the rain picked up again between the garage and the house. So annoying!” Qu Banqing called as he headed in. “And you, don’t stand outside—you’ll end up drinking the rain if you keep your mouth open.”

“Oh.”

Ning Zhixia wiped his face and was about to go inside when he caught a glimpse of something over the garden wall.

The camphor trees of Qingxi Road formed a dense canopy, their leaves dripping water onto the black surface of an umbrella. Across a veil of raindrops, Audro quietly watched him.

Ning Zhixia shielded himself from the rain and squelched over the waterlogged flagstones to the wall. “What are you doing here?”

Head beaded with rain, he looked up and shook himself like a wet puppy trying to shake off the water clinging to his hair.

Audro tilted the umbrella, the canopy slanting over Ning Zhixia’s back, pulling the rain-soaked fool under its cover.

Ning Zhixia laughed, “Here for cake again? You never get tired of it.”

“No,” Audro shook his head, saying nothing else, just glancing at the house behind him.

“Want to stay for dinner then?” Ning Zhixia followed his gaze, suddenly animated. “We’re having squid and chicken wing casserole tonight—have you tried it? It’s so delicious, let me tell you—”

“Not my taste.” He sounded like a picky eater, entirely uninterested.

Not even that? No taste.

Ning Zhixia pouted. “So what do you like to eat?”

Audro stared at him, slowly curling his lips into a smile. “Human flesh.”

His hand, gripping the umbrella, was deathly pale, blue veins faintly visible, stark against the dim, rainy light.

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Ning Zhixia stared for a moment, then looked away and muttered, “Stop trying to scare me.”

He’d long since realized that, for all Audro’s aloof, civilized appearance, he was rotten to the core and got a kick out of frightening people.

Audro gave a soft laugh. Before the raindrop hanging from his black hair slid down his tender cheek to his neck, he curled his finger and wiped it away.

“I’m leaving.” He left the umbrella with Ning Zhixia, turning to go before the other could react.

*

He Mingzhu ended up spending another day in Yucheng. When she returned, she uploaded her travel vlog. She didn’t rely on social media for a living—her videos were casual, edited on a whim—but this episode’s view count was unusually high.

People had tuned in to see what sort of high-end manicure a true heiress would get, but the moment a basin of black, jelly-like gunk appeared, everyone’s focus took a wild detour. When He Mingzhu plunged her hands in, viewers’ hair nearly stood on end!

“Ahhhh help! What is she doing to those hands she just pampered last week?!”

“What is that stuff? It looks disgusting…”

“Tsk, tsk, even real heiresses are doing bizarre content now?”

“That’s no hand mask—it’s mutant slime!”

Everyone knew He Mingzhu didn’t take on cheap sponsorships, so they couldn’t figure out her motive. Especially since a gentle voiceover explained the hand mask’s supposed benefits—her fans scoffed.

A thousand yuan for the privilege? They must be mad for money—wouldn’t go even if it were free!

But as the video went on, He Mingzhu became completely absorbed, kneading the mud. The “squelch, squelch” soon attracted two kittens, who sat beside her and started kneading the table with their paws, imitating her.

“So weird, so cute, so weird, so cute…”

“Mad, now I kind of want to try it too!”

“Come on, haven’t you ever played with puffy slime? Water slime, crystal mud—super satisfying!”

No one cared about the hand mask’s effects anymore. The lure of novelty was too strong. Just as they were about to open a shopping app to buy some slime, they saw He Mingzhu wipe off the ocean mud and stared in shock, rewinding the video again and again.

“No editing? Surely there’s a filter?”

“No, there isn’t—even the lighting’s the same. The result is incredible!”

“Sorry, I admit I got a little loud before—if this is real, there’s hope for my rough hands!”

“Actually, that price isn’t bad at all—the owner’s nail skills are amazing, and you get this effective hand treatment as a bonus. What a deal!”

Though He Mingzhu never specified which salon she visited, the internet sleuths quickly tracked down the Monster Nail Salon’s account.

At the same time, Ning Zhixia had just uploaded a video showing off his meticulously organized new rhinestone stock.

It was as if he had obsessive-compulsive disorder—each type of rhinestone was separated into its own acrylic compartment, one per space, arranged from darkest to lightest, with each placement perfectly matching the music’s beat.

“All right, tonight we say goodbye to Queen Hoof and Lady Mushroom, and tell Ear-Cleaning Consort I’ll visit tomorrow.”

Just like that, from one obsession to another, viewers were instantly enchanted by the dazzling array of rhinestones.

Thanks to the hand mask’s effects, customer spending for appointments rose sharply. Ning Zhixia finally splurged on the luxury gel polish series he’d been eyeing and brought home his favorite collections.

“With these, some designs will look even better.”

Ning Zhixia gleefully signed for the packages, and Qu Banqing helped him carry the boxes of bottles inside to organize.

Little did they know, across the street in the Lanhua Hair Spa, the husband and wife owners were watching through the window, their expressions dark and uncertain.

Back then, customers had come in droves, spending like crazy and changing designs every few days. Every visit brought more card purchases and payments. But over time, the pain from over-worn nails sobered them up, and after staying away for a while, they lost interest.

Madame Lanhua glanced at the increasingly empty salon and gave her husband a look.

He quietly slipped upstairs, glancing around warily, and entered his office alone. Reverently, he retrieved an object draped in red cloth from a cabinet.

The cloth’s edge fluttered slightly in the breeze, revealing a shadowy form shifting excitedly beneath.

Sweating profusely, the man quickly closed the window, took a deep breath, and knelt in reverence…

Meanwhile—

Ning Zhixia trimmed the yellowed, unhealthy leaves from the spider plant on the windowsill, nodded in satisfaction, and held up a mirror. “There, isn’t that much prettier?”

The spider plant gently brushed his cheek with a leaf.

Ning Zhixia grinned. “Hehe, goodnight.”

The spider plant raised a branch bearing tiny white blossoms and patted the youth’s tousled black hair, waving vigorously.

Only when his figure disappeared around the stairwell did it finally stop waving, hanging quietly by the window, swaying gently in the night breeze.