Ten Cats

As much as she wanted to, Shuo Yu restrained herself from using the little cloud person to try hugging Ji Mianmian. She had realized by now that Cat Island Diary wasn't just a cat-raising game; it was also a virtual companion-raising game.

From her experience, characters in otome games tended to be reserved and prideful in the beginning. A single misstep could cause a significant drop in affection, leaving players out in the cold. Although Ji Mianmian appeared soft and sweet on the outside, Shuo Yu could sense a stubborn streak in her—after all, she had single-handedly raised two little kittens.

Shuo Yu respected Ji Mianmian and cherished her. She didn't want to ruin things by acting impulsively, leading to a scenario where she would have to chase after her in regret.

"Are you scared?" Shuo Yu asked, controlling the little cloud person to turn and face Ji Mianmian before they dove into the water.

Most cats are afraid of water, and the ocean must seem incredibly terrifying to them.

Wearing a diving mask and oxygen tank, Ji Mianmian kicked the water awkwardly with her flippers, laughing as she shook her head. She then took the initiative to hold the little cloud person's hand and led the way into the ocean.

She was very happy to participate in the diving activity.

Seeing her so brave, Shuo Yu activated the "Swim with the Cat" feature.

To her surprise, the little cloud person effortlessly wrapped an arm around Ji Mianmian and sped towards the deeper waters like a gust of wind.

On land, the little cloud person felt cold and wet to the touch, but in the ocean—compared to the even colder seawater—it felt almost warm.

Ji Mianmian instinctively understood that this cloud-like entity was merely a manifestation of Shuo Yu. However, being able to interact face-to-face and hold hands with her made her genuinely happy.

Shuo Yu, feeling playful, held onto Ji Mianmian and swam circles around the ocean, leaving intertwined trails of white foam on the shimmering surface.

Unfortunately, the interaction card had a time limit, and the quality and quantity of the pearls they collected would determine the final score. Achieving the highest score would unlock additional rewards.

Given how much effort and money it took to synthesize even a single card, Shuo Yu was eager to get the reward.

Otherwise, if Ji Mianmian didn't say stop, she could have kept playing with her all day.

Before diving deeper, Shuo Yu carefully checked the oxygen level in Ji Mianmian's tank. Reluctantly, she controlled the little cloud person to let go of her. "If you feel uncomfortable, just wave at me. Let's go find some pearls now."

Marine pearl oysters typically hide at depths of 8 to 15 meters, where daylight can still penetrate, so there was no need to turn on the dive light.

Shuo Yu activated the "Search for Pearl Oysters" skill.

The little cloud person hovered in the water, gracefully moving its arms before sending two streams of water shooting out.

The water streams seemed to have a mind of their own, dividing into several strands that circled around areas where oysters were hidden.

Cat Island Diary had done an excellent job of making the ocean details realistic. After swimming on the surface for so long, Shuo Yu had observed the underwater environment. The map didn't seem to have any repetitive textures or models, making it look just like a real ocean.

Green seaweed swayed, and vibrant corals concealed the ordinary-looking oyster shells.

Without the little cloud person's help, Shuo Yu knew she wouldn't have been able to spot many of the oysters with the naked eye.

She pulled Ji Mianmian to the surface, momentarily dazed by the sight of the girl's wet face.

"Mianmian, where you see bubbles in the water, that's where the pearl oysters are," she quickly explained, pointing to the bubbling spots underwater.

The two of them dove back into the water, splitting up to start working.

Shuo Yu didn't expect the game to accurately simulate how sound travels poorly underwater. While the little cloud person, as a "water vapor complex," could still speak freely, Ji Mianmian couldn't hear her.

After picking up a few oysters, Shuo Yu would glance back at Ji Mianmian to ensure that the dark blue wetsuit was still within her line of sight.

She controlled the little cloud person to search for oysters while also wondering if Ji Mianmian's wrapped-up cat ears and tail were uncomfortable in the water.

Unlike Shuo Yu, who was multitasking, Ji Mianmian was fully focused on her work.

Shuo Yu had provided such a wonderful safe zone for her and the kittens without asking for anything in return. Ji Mianmian wanted to repay her.

The materials she had previously gathered in the forest weren't worth much, but the pearls inside these oysters were so beautiful—surely they would be valuable.

It was the first time anyone had dived for pearls near Cat Island, and since no one had explored this part of the ocean, there were plenty of oysters to collect.

Shuo Yu thought that if they had time after gathering the oysters, she would definitely take Ji Mianmian for another swim.

But instead, the first thing she received was a system notification:

[Interaction will end in ten minutes. The cloud avatar, interaction skills, and equipment will all be reclaimed. Please guide the cat out of the ocean promptly.]

If this were an interaction on land, Shuo Yu could beg Ji Mianmian to spend more time with her after the tools were taken away. But in the water, without a wetsuit, Ji Mianmian would definitely get water in her lungs.

Shuo Yu couldn't take that risk. After picking up the last oyster, she controlled the little cloud person to grab Ji Mianmian and start swimming back to the surface.

The girl's eyes were full of curiosity and shyness at being held so close, water droplets sliding down her hair.

Shuo Yu thought this was even more thrilling than the bathing scene she had been looking forward to.

She explained, "This interaction is ending soon, so we need to get back to the shore."

"Will the little cloud person disappear too?" Ji Mianmian's face showed obvious disappointment, and she no longer struggled against the embrace.

Shuo Yu sighed regretfully. "It probably will. I'll save the interaction cards for you, and as soon as we get another chance, we'll go out and play together. I want to spend more time with you, but the game won't allow it."

Only now did she remember that the game developers hadn't changed how interaction fragments were obtained. Currently, she knew of only two methods: receiving them weekly through the monthly pass and getting them from defeating evil spirits.

Who knew when the next interaction card would be ready?

"It's okay. Even without the little cloud person, I can still see you," Ji Mianmian pointed to the sky as if to comfort her. "I can always see you in the sky!"

Shuo Yu looked up at the sky, which was empty except for blue skies and white clouds.

She guessed that what Ji Mianmian was referring to was part of the player-following feature, which allowed her to sense Shuo Yu's presence whenever she opened the game.

From an NPC's perspective, waiting for a player to arrive must be a lonely experience. But Shuo Yu had her own life to live; she couldn't be in the game 24/7.

Not wanting to dwell on this, Shuo Yu changed the subject. "We'd better hurry to the shore. We collected so many oysters that the King of the Oysters might be mad and come after us."

Ten minutes later, Shuo Yu noticed that the cloud forming the little avatar's body was starting to dissipate in all directions.

She only had time to gently touch Ji Mianmian's fluffy cat ears before her view shifted back to the distant third-person perspective.

The little cloud person had indeed disappeared—two hours of bliss gone in an instant.

Seeing the sad, teary-eyed expressions bubbling up from the girl on the screen made Shuo Yu feel both heartbroken and angry at the developers.

She shook the controller and used both the "Greet" and "Pat" interactions on Ji Mianmian.

In a soft voice, she reassured her, "Don't be sad, Mianmian. Let's go open the oysters now."