Chapter 38: The Strength of the Art Department
Jiang Cheng was not a person who liked being late.
To avoid tardiness, he had made a point of arriving at the entrance of Cao Wang’s residential complex ten minutes early.
Yet before he even reached the complex entrance, he saw from a distance, an exceptionally graceful beauty already standing there, tall and elegant, as if she had arrived early.
Jiang Cheng had expected Liu Qing wouldn’t be late, but he never imagined she could arrive even earlier than him.
Rare.
Indeed rare.
Originally, when Jiang Cheng went to meet Lin Yao, it was normal for her to casually leave her house half an hour to an hour late.
Even if Lin Yao was an outlier, it was a commonplace matter for ordinary girls to dawdle and drag their feet before stepping out.
“Good morning,” Jiang Cheng greeted Liu Qing as he approached her.
“Mm. Good, morning.”
The voice of Liu Qing was crisp and cool; as she spoke, the heat of Jiang Cheng’s summer trek dissipated significantly.
“Have you had breakfast?”
As soon as Jiang Cheng asked, he felt a tinge of regret.
How could Liu Qing possibly have had breakfast?
If she really had, that would definitely be a problem, right?
As expected, Liu Qing shook her head gently.
Meaning she indeed hadn’t eaten.
Jiang Cheng sighed slightly. Normal people, even if they hadn’t eaten, would politely claim they had.
But Liu Qing completely lacked such social graces, as honest as a creature of the world, cold and slippery like a reptile.
According to snake habits though, she shouldn’t be hungry, right?
However, having vocalized the concern, Jiang Cheng felt it would be rude to just ignore the fact that Liu Qing hadn’t eaten. He said, “There’s a breakfast place next to the sales office; let’s buy something there.”
“I’ll buy it myself,” said Liu Qing. She clearly wanted to be self-sufficient, which seemed to be one of her goals in joining human society.
Jiang Cheng nodded in agreement, fully approving of her idea.
“Alright, I’ll front the cost for you, and we can deduct it from your salary at the end of the month.”
“Mm.”
The two reached a consensus on expenditure, and what followed was the dull task of walking.
Strictly speaking, walking with Liu Qing was not dull.
Although Liu Qing was not a “Natural Charm Body” like Lin Yao, she was still one of the plot leading ladies of the game.
Her figure, appearance, temperament, and posture were all results of the art department’s numerous meetings, collective brainstorming, careful selection, followed by the meticulous refinements of talented (color-critical) artists, constantly polished and improved.
The aim was to craft a game whose content was wholesome and above critique, with no issues for game reviewers to pick on, and a game that appealed to all age groups. Yet, the character design that emerged gave a complicated sense of being aloof and uninterested, inadvertently evoking subtle senses of sultriness.
It could be said that they had reached the highest level of balancing on the edge: any more would fail the review, any less would not be as beautiful.
At least in terms of passing reviews, the art department had reached the pinnacle.
As a result of such design, when Jiang Cheng and Liu Qing walked along the street, she attracted significant attention.
Regardless of whether they were male or female cultivators, everyone would take an extra glance at her.
Liu Qing certainly noticed that many people took special interest in her.
She had long realized that she often drew stares, yet she didn’t understand why.
Luckily, Jiang Cheng was right beside her today, and this kind-hearted human friend would surely answer her confusion.
Thus, Liu Qing looked toward Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng: …
“Cough, your outfit is a bit distinctive. If possible, change into something more ordinary, similar to what those passing female cultivators are wearing. Of course, this includes the shoes as well.”
Liu Qing looked down at her shoes, but her view was obstructed; she couldn’t see them at all.
She extended her foot forward, and the edge of her little cloth shoe just barely peeked out.
Liu Qing looked at Jiang Cheng again.
Jiang Cheng had no choice but to say, “If you want to advance some of your salary to buy clothes, that’s fine, but today, we need to prioritize buying the house first.”
“Oh.”
“The house is a bit more important.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll try to make it quick. If everything goes smoothly, we should definitely go buy it tonight.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll buy it even if there’s an accident.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
He had almost been forced by Liu Qing into buying clothes first.
Fortunately, his mental fortitude was strong enough to withstand the pressure from Liu Qing’s perfunctory “Oh.”
Unnoticed, the two finally arrived near the sales office of the apartment building surrounding the wasteland.
Jiang Cheng hadn’t forgotten what he said; he first bought Liu Qing meat buns and soy milk from a breakfast store before leading her to the sales office.
Although Liu Qing clearly preferred meat, she wasn’t picky.
She could eat the meat buns made with dough and the hot soy milk.
Moreover, despite her small mouth and taking little elegant bites, she actually ate quickly. The food seemed to go down instantly once it reached her mouth.
It seemed like she could only tear with her teeth but didn’t chew much with them.
It’s as if she wouldn’t harm the things she took into her mouth, only performing the action of swallowing.
Thanks to the innate attributes of a snake demoness, Liu Qing had a very discrete talent; it seemed that she was naturally without a gag reflex.
No matter how big the cotton swab was for the nasal swab, she wouldn’t feel discomfort.
Jiang Cheng hadn’t noticed before, but the more he got to know Liu Qing and Lin Yao, the more he understood the horror of the art department.
No wonder players of “Immortal Gods” liked to make the artists ride the planners to work.
This demand, upon careful consideration, was indeed justified.
At least those event planners who constantly organized major events deserved to be ridden by artists.
However, the number planners who worked meticulously and had absolutely no issues with their professional skills.
Although number planners and event planners were both planners, Jiang Cheng and those artist mounts weren’t really close.
Four large meat buns and a cup of soy milk were gone before Jiang Cheng reached the sales office.
This time, Jiang Cheng was wise. He didn’t ask Liu Qing if she was full.
Looking at Liu Qing’s flat belly, he knew she was absolutely capable of carrying on Cao Wang’s legacy of eating at buffets until bankruptcy.
If Jiang Cheng remembered correctly, Liu Qing’s true form, that thousand-year-old giant snake, was so large it could blot out the sun.
But now…
Most likely, she would fall over at a single push.
Of course, that’s if she was willing.
Liu Qing walked quietly beside Jiang Cheng.
Sometimes she sniffed habitually, and the scent emanating from Jiang Cheng was clear to her.
Since earlier, Jiang Cheng had been in an excited state.
Liu Qing looked thoughtfully at the tall apartment building in the distance.
Does he like houses that much?
But what’s so good about cold brick walls?
You can’t even curl up and sleep on them.
She didn’t understand.
The apartment building Jiang Cheng wanted to buy was called “Wuyue Residence.”
As it was located in the northern part of the city and not in the South Development Zone where Wuyue mainly focused, the business at the sales office of Wuyue Residence wasn’t bustling, but rather sparse.
When Jiang Cheng and Liu Qing walked in, the yawning greeter at the door almost didn’t react.
“Are you here to see the house? Please come in, come in.”
The top seller at Wuyue Residence was a not-so-tall female cultivator, wearing a sharp uniform and warmly welcoming Jiang Cheng and Liu Qing.
Typically, those who become top sellers are highly sociable and adept at networking.
Upon laying eyes on Jiang Cheng and Liu Qing, the top seller skillfully asked, “What should I call you two? Are you daoist companions, husband and wife, or boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Jiang Cheng thought to himself, what’s the difference between those three options?
“Friends,” Liu Qing said.
“Got it.” Seeing Liu Qing engage, the top seller shifted her main focus onto Liu Qing.
“Miss, you’re truly beautiful, the very definition of a stunning beauty. Of course, your boyfriend is very handsome too. Mainly because he was able to find such a beautiful girlfriend, he is really very lucky!”
Jiang Cheng: …