Good Friends

Those black shadows with green eyes were all minor spirits in the demon market, lacking in power and often found trailing behind the sword spirit or Su Qiushui, resembling a gang of idle street loafers. Sometimes, after playing too recklessly and knocking over a display rack, the hanging spider plants at the window would swing their tendrils to give them a couple of smacks, then brush Ning Zhixia’s dazed head before retracting in peace.

Ning Zhixia blinked, perplexed.

So, was he really the only one in this room who survived by breathing and amounted to a weakling in a house full of powerhouses?

He recalled how, as a child, he would secretly pluck leaves from those spider plants, and now his backside ached with phantom pain at the memory. The next day, he bought compound fertilizer and carefully fed it to them.

Now, customers came even during the day, but since he was the only one in the shop, he’d lost quite a few new clients.

Considering the shop’s peculiar circumstances, Ning Zhixia pondered for a while and finally messaged his childhood friend to see if he’d be willing to help out.

His friend’s name was Qu Banqing, a well-known artisan. They had been in the same class since primary school, but after high school graduation, Qu Banqing insisted on choosing an art academy thousands of miles away.

That summer, Ning Zhixia was so angry he puffed up like a pufferfish. When he accompanied Qu Banqing for registration, he couldn’t hold back and cried his heart out at the school gate, earning Qu Banqing the title of “scumbag who breaks up post-exams” for four years.

But lately, Qu Banqing had been busy making custom pinched figurines. Ning Zhixia wasn’t sure if he’d be free to come.

After feeding the plants, he sent him a message.

It was nearly afternoon before his phone screen finally lit up with a reply.

[Little Qu’s Pinch Crafts (Order List)] : Ah, just woke up (scratching head.jpg)

[A-Ning’s Nail Shell Decoration]: Finished all your orders?

[Little Qu’s Pinch Crafts (Order List)]: All done! Worked all night yesterday and collapsed at my desk, but I slept great after all that exhaustion!

[A-Ning’s Nail Shell Decoration]: …Did you air out the molds when making them?

[Little Qu’s Pinch Crafts (Order List)]: Nope.

[A-Ning’s Nail Shell Decoration]: Hah!

My friend! You passed out from the fumes!

Qu Banqing assured him it was fine; after shipping out the orders, he’d get a checkup at the hospital, then return to Yucheng to rekindle their “father-son” bond. Knowing how carefree he was, Ning Zhixia made him promise repeatedly to get checked before he could relax.

Having a good friend agree to come made Ning Zhixia so happy that, to celebrate, he decided to officially adopt the stray kittens living outside his house and schedule their sterilization.

He set aside time, opened the newly bought pet carrier, and herded the cats in, carrying boxes on either side, one on his head, another stuffed into his backpack, and took them to the pet hospital for vaccines.

By the time he returned, he was breathless with exhaustion. He let the little “mahjong squad” of cats roam freely in the front yard, then floated off to the kitchen to cook.

“Meow! Hiss—”

Just as Ning Zhixia was putting on a lively cooking show, he heard hissing outside.

“Hey, get out of the way, shoo, shoo…”

Hmm, that voice sounded so familiar!

Ning Zhixia poked his head out, his eyes lighting up.

At the gate, a young man was dragging a huge suitcase. He was delicate-featured and not tall, with a small mole on his nose, his wavy brown hair bouncing as he was squeezed by a group of feisty, tail-raised kittens beside the flower stand.

“Buddy!”

“My son!”

Ning Zhixia darted out in delight, and the two youths, about the same height, spun around hand-in-hand under the cats’ strange gaze.

“You came at the perfect time!” Ning Zhixia beamed, ushering him inside and leading him to the kitchen.

Qu Banqing put down his luggage, sighing in relief at the prospect of a hot meal.

He picked up the rice ladle to serve—

“Clack, clack…”

The ladle scraped over the hard surface of the rice, and Qu Banqing’s smile froze.

He gawked, “Did this rice watch a horror film? It’s rock hard.”

Ning Zhixia mumbled, “You know my cooking skills. That’s why it’s so great you came…”

“…”

Qu Banqing took a deep breath. “Kid, what do you usually eat?”

“Takeout, instant noodles, and…”

Ning Zhixia bounced to the fridge and swung open the door, revealing four neat rows of paninis.

He pointed honestly, “Here.”

Qu Banqing was stunned—a veritable arsenal!

Weekend eight-piece set, no sauce, no greens—three and a half yuan each. It wasn’t that Ning Zhixia was stingy with meal money; it was just more convenient, as he never ate on a regular schedule.

At this point, Qu Banqing wasn’t even concerned about boredom with the food. Trembling, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll go bad?”

Ning Zhixia spun with arms wide, pressing his palms together in reverence: “The freezer is eternal!”

“…”

Qu Banqing applauded his beautiful state of mind, then resignedly grabbed the spatula. “Your loyal servant is late.”

Ning Zhixia’s eyes sparkled with tears. “Mommy!”

Qu Banqing huffed and kicked him out of the kitchen. “Scram.”

Banished, Ning Zhixia trotted off to the living room to set the table.

In the kitchen, Qu Banqing swiftly disposed of the culinary hazards, found two tomatoes and a box of beef in the barren fridge, and got to work.

Both starving, he made tomato beef noodles, serving them straight from the pot.

He peeled and diced the tomatoes, sautéed them in hot oil until the juices came out, and even with a short simmer, the broth was fragrant, sweet, and rich. The beef was blanched, with no scum, just tender slices half-submerged in the red broth.

After mixing, Qu Banqing used chopsticks to scoop up a glossy tangle of noodles, filling the little bowl Ning Zhixia pushed to him.

“Mmm, I’m alive again!”

Cradling the bowl, Ning Zhixia slurped the noodles with gusto, the long-missed taste of home making him emotional.

Qu Banqing glanced at him, then at the fat orange cat with its head buried in the food bowl, before quietly adding some beef to Ning Zhixia’s bowl, mumbling, “Chatter, chatter, chatter…”

“Hm?” Ning Zhixia looked up, chewing, and pushed a plastic box toward him. “Eat, you too.”

With nothing else to prepare, Ning Zhixia ordered roast meats for takeout while Qu Banqing was busy.

Yucheng’s roast meats were famous—the cold sliced pig’s head, sprinkled with toppings and a soul-stirring chili oil, was fatty yet light, with bits of cartilage adding a satisfying crunch.

When they were kids, Qu Banqing would sneak bites of roast meat at Ning Zhixia’s home before dinner, his lips slick with oil as he licked his fingers.

“It’s been ages since I had this,” Qu Banqing said, picking up a piece.

Ning Zhixia knew that after high school, his family had moved to Qingzhou, a different province, and hadn’t been back in ages.

He asked, “Did your parents know you were coming back?”

“Mm? Gulp, gulp…” Qu Banqing drained the soup, then said, “Yeah, I told them.”

Ning Zhixia was surprised. “Just told them? Aren’t you going home?”

“I’d like to,” Qu Banqing replied expressionlessly, “but they’re road-tripping this month, heading to the southern hemisphere next month—energetically checking off every airport on the globe.”

Ning Zhixia: “Ah…”

What a vibrant couple!

The two languid youths exchanged glances and sighed in unison, then got up to clear the table.

There weren’t many dishes. As Qu Banqing wiped down the table, he noticed a large unopened box of beef slices in the takeout bag. “What’s this? Midnight snack?”

Ning Zhixia shook his head, glanced at the clock on the wall, and explained, “It’s for a customer coming later.”

Qu Banqing was puzzled. “Huh?”

Ning Zhixia paused, dried his hands, and came out of the kitchen, recounting all the recent strange events at the shop.

The smile faded from Qu Banqing’s lips, replaced by a serious look as he pondered.

Ning Zhixia nervously twisted his shirt hem.

After a long moment, Qu Banqing suddenly looked up. “Isn’t this basically the headquarters of a system novel?!”

Ning Zhixia was thrilled. “Exactly! That’s what I thought too!”

The two of them burst out laughing.

Seeing Qu Banqing take it so well, Ning Zhixia relaxed. When the time came, he pulled him to the window to watch the twinkling green lights.

Ning Zhixia remarked, “From this angle, it actually feels pretty atmospheric.”

Qu Banqing replied, “From the perspective of living flesh, you mean?”

Ning Zhixia: “…”

“Sigh, you’ve really taken networking to the extreme,” Qu Banqing said just as a familiar knock sounded at the door.

“Boss Ning, I’m here—oh!” Su Qiushui looked over the dazed young man beside Ning Zhixia and, after a moment, raised an eyebrow with a smile. “And who might this be?”

“My childhood friend, Qu Banqing,” Ning Zhixia replied frankly. “Business has been so good during the day that I asked him to help. Don’t worry, his skills are as good as mine.”

Su Qiushui’s smile deepened, and her eyes narrowed as she sniffed. “Is that so?”

Qu Banqing’s voice was dry. “Miss, what are you sniffing for?”

Su Qiushui replied, “Just checking if you’re fragrant.”

Qu Banqing asked, “And? How do I rate?”

“Not bad,” Su Qiushui said meaningfully. “Seems you’d be quite chewy.”

“…”

Expressionless, Qu Banqing gave Ning Zhixia a nudge. “Son, look at her—”

Ning Zhixia dared not laugh, afraid that tomorrow’s promised braised ribs would become a whole bucket’s worth, and quickly changed the subject. “Here for a manicure today?”

“Yes, but not for me.” Su Qiushui called toward the door, “Come in.”

A chorus of soft, chirping voices replied, and Ning Zhixia looked to see the four fox cubs he’d seen before!

The fluffy white kits, each with three tails, looked extra round thanks to their thick fur. Wiggling their bottoms, they licked their black noses, circled the room, and then sat in a neat row at Su Qiushui’s feet.

She clapped her hands, and a misty white fog instantly filled the room.

When Ning Zhixia and Qu Banqing batted away the fog and looked again, the chirping fox kits had transformed into four exquisitely carved children.

Each young one, aside from the extra pair of ears and three tails, looked no different from a six- or seven-year-old child.

Their first time transforming in front of strangers, they fidgeted shyly, twisting their fingers and shrinking behind Su Qiushui, peeking at Ning Zhixia with big, round eyes.

Seeing Ning Zhixia looking their way, the four quickly exchanged glances and then clung to Su Qiushui’s big tail, burying their faces.

They’d heard that humans were timid—hopefully they wouldn’t frighten this fragrant human.

Ning Zhixia clutched his chest.

Terrified, absolutely terrified—he’d need all four to cuddle him just to recover!

Lifting her skirt to avoid the foxes’ busy tails, Su Qiushui explained, “These are my children from the mountains, just learning to take human form. I brought them here for their first manicures.”

“No problem.”

Qu Banqing squatted down to pat one child’s head, while Ning Zhixia picked up the bravest little fox who’d crept to his side, lifting him high with joy.

Smiling, he asked, “What color nails would you like?”

The little fox tilted his head, thinking, then said, “Something pretty—just like you did for sister.”

Ning Zhixia praised him, “Great taste! Tell big brother, how old are you?”

The little fox grinned, revealing sharp teeth. “Three hundred years old!”

“Mhm, so the baby is just—” Ning Zhixia’s face changed, and his falsetto cracked. “How many?!”

Beside him, Qu Banqing muttered, “So you’re your great-great-grandfather’s great-great-grandfather?”