18: Earning Money & The Crisis of a Child’s Darkening Heart
Soon, it was approaching the peak lunch hour.
The area around Yili Road wasn’t just home to upscale residential neighborhoods; it also housed several SOHO office buildings and a comprehensive shopping mall.
Occupying the most prominent spot at the crossroads, Meow-Meow Private Kitchen had both timing and location on its side.
Before long, a steady stream of people started to gather around.
“Oh, when did this new shop open?”
“It used to be run by a young couple. They closed it and went back home. Looks like the owner changed. Let me see, what do they have now?”
Usually at noon, office workers prefer economical set meals.
But many people paused when they saw the menu written on the small blackboard by the entrance.
[1. Fish Porridge (For Nocturnal Meows)]
[2. Shrimp Steamed Egg Custard (For Shedding Meows)]
[3. Small Dried Fish (For Dieting but Craving Meows)]
Next to each price on the blackboard was a cute cat paw print.
Fish Porridge and Steamed Egg Custard cost 10 ‘paws’ each, and Small Dried Fish cost 12 ‘paws.’
“Kind of special. Doesn’t seem expensive either, wanna give it a try?”
“Haha, Brother Chen, you just said you’re joining the premature baldness club. Looks like you’re saved!”
“Get lost!… Alright, let’s go with this one then.”
Office workers were pretty much numb when it comes to choosing what to eat every day.
After working for a month, you’ve tried every restaurant nearby. After that, it’s just a cycle of repetition.
Even your favorite places can become tiresome if eaten consecutively. When a new restaurant pops up, everyone usually wants to try the new flavors.
If it’s not good, it just gets added to the ‘never again’ list.
However, as this trio of three entered the shop, they quickly noticed the place was extremely quiet.
During the peak lunch hour, not only were all the tables empty, but there wasn’t even a server in sight.
There was only one girl, half-slouched by the sunny windowsill, sipping from a bottle of mineral water…
Backlit, her features were a bit hard to make out.
“Owner? Are you open for business?”
The guy who had just mocked Brother Chen for being bald unconsciously ran a hand over his own receding hairline.
Just as they were wondering whether to leave, a slender finger lazily pointed toward the cash register by the door.
The trio looked in that direction.
The cash register area was fully equipped with all the necessary devices. The QR code for payment was neatly displayed.
Next to it was a sterilizing cabinet.
Beside the cabinet was a large bucket, and next to that were rolled-up packets of what looked like small dried fish items.
Further back, there was a small table with a note: ‘If you want Steamed Egg with Shrimp, call me. The rest, help yourself.’
The three exchanged suspicious glances.
“Probably just opened, hasn’t had time to hire staff yet.”
“Kind of feels like a roadside stall… Wait, are there no other dishes?”
They murmured, lowering their voices.
However, a delicate, clear voice soon rang out from the sunny spot.
“No others. Just the menu by the door.”
The balding guy among the three was startled.
He had spoken very softly just now. The boss lady was at least seven or eight meters away. How could she hear so clearly?
That hearing was a bit frightening.
But before he could say anything, an exclamation from beside him beat him to it.
“Whoa, holy crap, the boss lady’s voice is so cute! Seems even softer than that ‘Loli Baby’ uploader…”
The balding guy’s expression froze.
The third person, a guy with a face full of acne, also looked surprised upon hearing this.
Being programmers and single dogs, they liked to huddle together during lunch breaks watching cute online uploaders.
Hearing this voice, they couldn’t help but compare it to their favorite uploader.
“Loli Baby is just cute-looking, not really known for her voice.”
“So, are we eating here or switching? Let’s eat quickly. Isn’t Sasha doing that 56 types of instant noodle eating stream later?”
“Eh, maybe we should go for the beef noodles next door? Let’s wait until the chef here is set up. This place doesn’t even have vegetables or proper meat.”
The three muttered among themselves, their feet already inching toward the exit.
But the lazy, soft voice behind them sounded again.
“No vegetables, but there’s vegetable juice. Want some?”
As the voice fell, a slender hand holding a bottle of green vegetable juice was already presented before their eyes.
It was as quick as a blink.
They had no idea how she had gone from seven or eight meters away to suddenly appearing behind them.
And… her fingers were slender and long, her skin milky white, her fingernails a translucent pink, quite lovely.
The three turned around, mouths agape, then with difficulty pushed up their thick-rimmed glasses.
“Holy f—”
Whoever let it out, the faces of all three instantly flushed red.
They saw the girl’s delicate face before them, seemingly flawless as jade in the sunlight, poreless and glowing.
Her cat-like dark eyes, corners slightly upturned, held a hint of youthful allure. Combined with her petite, perky nose, pink lips, and a fluffy pink dress…
A moe girl!
Alive!
Half their HP bars emptied in their hearts.
The remaining half of their HP was completely drained when the cute-looking boss lady approached another five centimeters closer!
“Five yuan per bottle. Bought from the supermarket next door, no markup. Want it?”
“Supplements vitamin B and fiber.”
Ye Susu flipped the bottle over and read the ad copy without emotion.
“Okay.”
“I’ll take one.”
“Mhm.”
The three otaku with zero HP left instinctively took out their phones, ready to scan.
In less than ten minutes, each of them was holding a bowl of porridge, a portion of steamed egg custard, a packet of small dried fish, a bottle of vegetable juice, and a large chicken leg bought from the supermarket next door, their gazes dazed.
Ye Susu glanced at her task panel and let out a sigh of relief.
[Task 2: Earn 500 Yuan (230/500).]
She was really clever.
Even buying things from next door and reselling them counted as income.
The task didn’t require net profit.
Clearly, this was only the third day of her 100th lifetime. The ancestors were still reasonable; they didn’t give her a hellish difficulty level right off the bat.
This current level was just right for a cat new to the human world.
Ye Susu wiped away a bead of sweat that had nearly formed.
Earlier, after sending Manager Zhang off, she had been ready to dive in and earn those 500 yuan quickly. But as she sat and waited, no customers came.
Finally, after secretly pretending to sleep and using her cat-like hearing to eavesdrop on potential customers’ conversations, she discovered the problem was “no vegetables,” “no meat-heavy dishes,” and “not filling enough.”
Unfortunately, she had no more Parenting Points to spare. She could only go next door to purchase some vegetable juice and large chicken legs.
Thankfully, she managed to retain three customers.
Thinking this, Ye Susu revealed a gratified smile.
Meanwhile, at the temporarily combined four-person table, the programmer trio stared at the items on the table, exchanging glances. Before long, they all felt a bit embarrassed.
“Let’s go. This shop doesn’t even have proper dishes.”
“The owner is messing with us. Let’s get out of here, go eat sauerkraut fish next door!”
“Huh? Are people really eating at this place?”
Groups of people entering the shop to look at the menu quickly left. Before leaving, they cast suspicious glances at the trio, suspecting they were the owner’s hired plants.
The trio wished they could hide their faces under the table.
“Brother Chen, why did you ask for vegetable juice? It’s so embarrassing now. Even the girl from the service department looked at me like I’m an idiot.”
“Holy crap, wasn’t it you who said the boss lady’s voice was cute? Otherwise, I would have walked out long ago!”
“Damn, Brother Chen, you, a sucker for looks, have the nerve to say that about me? How dare you stop peeking at the boss lady!”
“Appreciating beauty is everyone’s duty. What’s wrong with that?”
The three argued for a bit. Finally, when Ye Susu lazily slumped back onto the ‘best sunspot’ sill again, they couldn’t help but let out a collective, soft sigh.
A beauty in real life, no filters.
So sweet-looking, eyes so adorable, voice so soft.
“I used to think cute girls only existed in 2D.”
“And at cultural festivals and shows…”
“So close to the company. How about buying sauerkraut fish next door and eating it here tomorrow?”
If this boss lady became an uploader, just looking at her, they could eat three more bowls of rice!
Even the melancholy of coding could be forgotten in an instant!
Thinking this, the trio couldn’t help but push up their glasses, pretending they hadn’t been peeking, and lowered their heads to take a bite of the “shop’s cuisine” before them.
Instantly, their eyes widened.
“Hmm…”
The guy with the receding hairline ran a hand over his hairline, instantly feeling the springy texture of the shrimp in his mouth. Nestled within the soft, warm, tender egg custard, the shrimp burst with savory juice that danced on his teeth.
Delicious!
In that moment, his lower back, sore and numb from sitting all morning, felt most of its vitality restored.
Even his fingers, aching from coding, erupted with unprecedented speed, scooping toward his bowl.
A living, conversational, interactive, and cooking moe girl!
After wolfing down their food, the trio exchanged glances. All three pairs of eyes gleamed like wolves’, startlingly bright.
“I just remembered, seems like I can work overtime tonight. Overtime means another meal…”
“Makes sense. I have a lot of bugs to fix today too.”
“I have an evening release. Perfect for having some porridge. Good for the stomach even when staying up late.”
However, by 12:30 PM, business at Meow-Meow remained quiet.
Apart from the trio, many more people who saw the menu simply left later on. Even Ye Susu’s offering of vegetable juice didn’t help.
“Ugh, vegetables are so nasty to eat. Isn’t drinking them down better?”
On the sunny sill, Ye Susu rubbed her temples and took out her book, ‘100 Breakfast Questions‘.
To learn new menu items, it would have to wait until at least tonight.
Fortunately, Manager Zhang was reliable. Soon, he sent people to install the bookshelf and delivered two boxes of cookbooks.
Ye Susu casually flipped open one—*’600 Examples of Internet-Famous Shop Recipes.’*
This time, she didn’t dare act rashly.
Human choices regarding food were different from what she had imagined, she had realized.
A noble cat occasionally deigns to show their human caretaker some good grace.
After some thought, she picked up the book and, with an air of doing them a great favor, walked over to the table of her only three customers.
“Two new menu items tomorrow. You can choose.”
The soft, sweet voice, paired with what seemed like a ‘customized cuisine’ gimmick, drained the little HP the trio had just regained from their meal.
Letting them choose? Listening to them?
This kind of interaction also happens in uploaders’ live streams.
But that’s usually reserved for the biggest spenders, the ‘whales.’ When does it ever come down to ordinary folks having a say?
Without tipping a few fleets’ worth, cute uploaders wouldn’t even notice a single hair from them!
“Ah… okay, okay!”
“Let me see, let me see…”
Receiving the cookbook, the trio’s hands trembled slightly.
As they browsed, their hearts bloomed with joy.
The guy with the receding hairline finally couldn’t hold back a soft, “Damn.”
He secretly opened his WeChat top-chat [Keyboard Warrior Group].
[Ougi: Comrades, discovered a moe girl. Alive. Coordinates: ‘Meow-Meow Private Kitchen’.]
[Ougi: Come eat small dried fish, see the cute, soft boss lady!]
[Ougi: She’s letting us customize tomorrow’s menu. Customize! VIP treatment!]
Of course, Ye Susu didn’t understand the otaku psyche.
However, as a noble and beautiful cat, she was very familiar with the appreciative gazes of humans and didn’t feel the slightest bit awkward.
After waiting ten minutes, she swayed her slender waist, took her signature cat-walk over to the trio still poring over the cookbook, and silently lowered her head to take a look. Her watery eyes instantly sparkled.
“Oh? Spicy grilled fish, shrimp paste stir-fried water spinach… Hmm, sounds alright. Thanks for the suggestions.”
With a stretch of her hand, she took back the cookbook, leaving the trio with her delicate, retreating back.
The trio looked up, “!!”.
They had been too busy staring dazedly; they hadn’t finished looking, hadn’t even chosen.
They had only randomly flipped through a few pages.
Damn, damn, damn!
And ten minutes later, a steady stream of people, in groups of three to five, began pouring into the shop.
At a glance, they were all male, ranging from twenties to forties, most showing signs of hair loss.
“Ah, there really is a boss lady!”
“So cute… I mean, we’ll have the dried fish.”
“Whoa, it’s real! To-go, porridge? Okay.”
The guy with the receding hairline in the original trio was instantly thumped by his companions.
“Idiot! You ruined our nice spot!”
“What about ‘keep it within our circle’!”
[Task 1: To improve the child’s quality of life, earn 500 yuan (823/500).]
[Task Completed.]
[Reward: Parenting Points +1.]
By 4 PM, Ye Susu had finally tallied her day’s earnings.
She had decisively completed the task.
Even after deducting the costs of vegetable juice, chicken legs, rice for porridge, etc., her net profit was around 200 yuan.
For her first time earning money with her own hands, this amount was satisfying.
Checking the time, she closed the shop.
“Haven’t seen the little one all day, kinda miss him, feeling a bit anxious.”
Ye Susu muttered to herself as she walked toward the kindergarten.
Kindergarten let out at 4:30 PM.
Meow Meow Private Kitchen was very close to the kindergarten, but by the time she arrived, many parents were already gathered in clusters at the gate.
Besides full-time moms, most of those who could pick up their kids were grandparents.
Ye Susu looked around, finding no familiar faces.
The original owner hadn’t communicated much with other parents. On one hand, being a single mom, she didn’t want to be questioned about it; on the other, because of her live streaming, she didn’t want to be recognized by her voice.
Of course, the absence of any wealthy single men worth the original owner’s attention among the parent group was also key.
So, when Ye Susu arrived at the school gate today, others only cast a few glances her way but stood at a distance, showing no intention of striking up a conversation.
Compared to the other parents gathered in twos and threes, discussing their children’s primary school entrance exams, extracurricular art classes, etc., she stood especially alone, seemingly excluded.
Anyone else might have felt awkward, but Ye Susu was perfectly comfortable, even feeling the air was fresher occupying a large area by herself.
“Susu, you are here. Where did you move to these past two days?”
However, a gentle yet agitated voice abruptly shattered her peace.
Before Ye Susu could turn around, her right arm was grabbed with considerable force!
“I heard from Ye Wan you’re living with a man? Is it true?! Why would you willingly sink so low…”
The voice was both angry and anxious.
But before he could finish the complete sentence, the small bag in Ye Susu’s hand transformed into a meteor hammer, whooshing through the air and smacking him squarely in the face with a thud!
“Susu!”
The man cried out in pain, both shocked and furious.
But he didn’t let go.
The pain shooting through her arm made Ye Susu’s scalp prickle!
She had just been thinking about the little one, letting her guard down, and hadn’t expected a human to get so close.
In her 99 lifetimes, even when wandering, humans who wanted to pet her needed her to be in a good mood first.
This rude, presumptuous human!
She raised her foot and kicked him hard in the shin!
With her left hand, she used the bag to thwack, thwack, thwack against him.
“How dare you! In broad daylight, in this orderly world, you dare bully me like this!? I’ll teach you a lesson!”
The man seemed completely unprepared for this treatment. Finally letting out another cry of pain, he released her and stumbled back several steps.
“Susu, calm down! It’s me, your Brother Jingwen!”
Ye Susu’s fur bristled, her watery eyes glaring furiously at the newcomer.
The other person was decently dressed in a grey overcoat and a black woolen scarf. His features were gentle, his appearance refined—he didn’t look like a bad person at first glance.
But who would have thought, such a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Ye Susu quickly scanned the original owner’s family memory bank, and her fair little face immediately darkened.
“Nonsense, I only have a younger brother.”
Zhou Jingwen, having stepped back, had a fleeting moment of bewilderment and awkwardness on his gentle face.
But seeing the full-blown wariness on Ye Susu’s delicate little face directed at him, he frowned, feeling an inexplicable pang in his heart.
“I know you’re still angry with me. So many years have passed, and you haven’t forgiven me… But even now, I still hope you can find happiness, Susu. Just like me and… Well, in short, I hope you find someone you truly love to spend your life with, not throw yourself at someone for momentary gain.”
Ye Susu was utterly fed up with this guy’s nonsense.
However, just as she was about to move to another spot, a sudden realization froze her neck.
She remembered who this was.
Zhou Jingwen, the original owner’s first love, also her high school senior.
The year she turned eighteen, she decided to give herself to him. They secretly went to a bar, drank to bolster their courage, planning to go to a hotel that night.
Yet, who would have thought after she got drunk, Zhou Jingwen was called away by a phone call from home.
When she woke up the next day, she was in a hotel bed, found by a flustered-looking Zhou Jingwen and Ye Wan. Only then did she learn she had spent the night in a daze with some unknown person from the hotel.
The other person was not Zhou Jingwen.
After that day, Zhou Jingwen was filled with remorse, doting on her in every way. But upon learning she was unexpectedly two months pregnant, he proposed a breakup. He said this incident made him realize his feelings for the original owner weren’t love but more of a brotherly affection. He was willing to protect her for life, but as an older brother.
From then on, the original owner was utterly disillusioned with love and began her descent into chasing wealth, because she knew true love was unreliable.
“Hah,” Ye Susu scoffed. “So, it’s you.”
Scumbag!
Not only did this man cause the original owner’s unexpected pregnancy, but every time he appeared before her afterward, he still acted with the magnanimous air of ‘he was willing to care for her.’
“Susu, let’s talk about your current situation, okay? The past is in the past. Don’t you see all the compensation and self-blame I’ve offered over these years? You have to know, I’ve suffered greatly too.”
A shadow of hidden pain crossed Zhou Jingwen’s fairly handsome face.
Ye Susu just rolled her eyes.
He still dares to act like a victim, like he’s endured so much pain?
Disgusting cat eyes!
She remembered that, according to the later plot of the novel, he also got together with the original owner’s scheming cousin, Ye Wan.
Those two knew the whole story of what happened back then.
This Zhou Jingwen felt Ye Wan best understood his predicament and his debt to Ye Susu, that Ye Wan had always comforted him, stood by his side giving him strength, was so kind.
In the novel, after the original owner sent Ye Xun to the countryside, Zhou Jingwen felt Ye Susu had finally escaped the nightmare of having a child out of wedlock, and he no longer needed to blame himself. He then publicly announced his relationship with Ye Wan. Soon, thanks to the Zhou family’s background in the entertainment industry, Ye Wan became a top-tier agent.
“Susu, if you’re short on money, I’ll give you some. Move out of that man’s villa.”
Zhou Jingwen’s face was full of anguish.
“How have you become like this?”
At the kindergarten gate, there were already many gossiping parents gathered.
Instantly, Ye Susu and him became a melodramatic prime-time soap opera, drawing everyone’s gaze. Their eyes frequently swept over Ye Susu’s lovely face and curvaceous figure with prurient interest.
Zhou Jingwen obviously hadn’t thought that far. He only knew Ye Xun attended this kindergarten.
Ye Susu was bound to appear here, which is why he came.
But now, noticing the strange looks, he realized he’d caused trouble.
“Susu, come with me to the car first. My car is nearby.”
However, Ye Susu raised her delicate little face, smiling brightly as she lifted both hands.
“Do you know how the wild kingdom deals with creatures like you?”
Zhou Jingwen was taken aback, but quickly adopted a stern expression. “Let’s talk in the car. It’s not good to discuss this here.”
“Discuss my foot!”
Ye Susu retreated to the edge of the flower bed, snatched the broom from a sanitation worker’s hands with an ‘I’ll borrow this,’ and swung it at Zhou Jingwen.
“You scumbag, get lost!”
Among the line of cars parked at the kindergarten gate, a Cadillac soon quietly turned around and drove away via a side road.
The window, closed by the man in the back seat whose face was chillingly cold.
“Liu Zhen, Ye Xun’s new kindergarten, get it arranged within three months.”
“Investigate all parents and teachers. Any connection to this situation, arrange for them to transfer.”
His words carried a biting coldness.
Liu Zhen noted it down with a wry smile. “Understood.”
The boss was truly furious this time.
Miss Ye really was too indiscreet. One moment swindling three hundred thousand, the next pulling and tugging with a man at her child’s school gate. Soon, all the parents and teachers would know. If Ye Xun heard the gossip, how would he cope in the future?
Ah, Miss Ye’s private life was even messier than the investigation report indicated.
Liu Zhen rubbed his nose. “Boss, heading home now?”
“Mhm. In ten minutes, have Dr. Dong call me.”
Dr. Dong was a senior child development expert.
“Alright.”
Just as the Cadillac drove away, at the kindergarten gate, Ye Susu had already smacked the affectionately pained-looking Zhou Jingwen to the roadside!
“Get lost! If you dare come cause trouble in my territory again, I’ll hit you every time I see you!”
Her ferocity stunned all the onlooking parents and passersby.
Even Zhou Jingwen, covering his head as he got into his car, looked at her with agony. “Susu, I heard from Ye Wan you quit your job, refusing her well-intentioned advice. I didn’t believe it, but I truly never thought you’d be so unwilling to listen… Where is the pure, understanding girl you once were?”
Before he could finish, the broom head was shoved in his face.
Zhou Jingwen’s expression shifted repeatedly. Finally, he rolled up the window, tossed out a “Think it over,” stomped on the gas, and drove off with a look of utter disappointment.
Hands on hips, Ye Susu triumphantly returned the broom to the sanitation worker with a thank you.
However, her gaze swept over and spotted little Ye Xun standing dumbfounded at the kindergarten entrance.
He seemed a bit frightened, staring at her blankly.
Oh, cat!
“Cub…”
Ye Susu dashed over in an instant.
If the little one’s mood value dropped, she’d go drag that scumbag Zhou back and beat him up again!
Mood dropping was easy, but raising it was so hard. If that task appeared again, she would definitely turn into a little cat who had lost her dreams.
But Ye Xun, with his little backpack on, flinched.
He had been very happy just moments before, having finally secretly discovered the kindergarten’s WiFi password in the teacher’s office. He could secretly live stream for the aunties and uncles for a while… earn more money to give to Mommy later.
But now, his shoulders completely slumped.
The moment he walked out, he saw Ye Susu hitting someone. Moreover, the murmurs from the nearby cluster of parents reached his ears.
“Tsk, that child really is from a single-parent family, no dad…”
“That woman actually sold herself for money, to live in a villa… It’s easy to imagine how that child came about.”
“I always said I’ve never seen the child’s father. Oh dear.”
“She herself doesn’t really care much about the child either, just dumping him here and there. If she picks him up on time even once a week, it’s already good! Clearly, her mind isn’t on this at all!”
“Oh my, never thought this school would have such a person. I hope her kid doesn’t corrupt ours.”
Ye Xun instantly clenched his little fists, his lips pressed into a tight line.
His grape-black eyes glinted with a cold light.
If you looked closely, his demeanor was really quite similar to a certain cool, detached man.
However, Ye Susu had no mind to analyze this, as a thunderous alert sounded in her head.
[ALERT: Your little cub is showing initial signs of darkening.]
The next second, she saw little Ye Xun bare his tiny teeth, like a small beast defending its territory. Fiercely cute, he shot out from the kindergarten entrance like a cannonball.
“Stop talking!”
“You… all of you… stop talking!”
[ALERT: Your little cub’s darkening signs have intensified. If no action is taken, will escalate to Intermediate Darkening in 5 minutes, causing some damage to the surrounding environment.]
[Countdown: 4 minutes 59 seconds… 4 minutes 44 seconds…]
Ye Susu: “…!”
**