Eleven Cats

The interaction card lasted for two hours.

After spending half an hour playing around, Shuo Yu and Ji Mianmian devoted the remaining hour and a half to diligently diving and collecting oysters. To her surprise, the system didn't reclaim the diving suit from Ji Mianmian, and the cat-eared girl's wardrobe now included the diving outfit as an unlocked option. The fish she collected also automatically went into the resource inventory.

After the event ended, the oysters automatically opened up, and Shuo Yu took stock of their total haul:

[White Pearls x67, Colored Pearls x18, Sea Cucumbers x4, Starfish x2, Cuttlefish Bone x1]

"Wow, Mianmian, you're amazing!" Shuo Yu smiled brightly. "You managed to grab more than just pearls while collecting oysters."

Shuo Yu had been focused on finding pearl oysters and hadn't noticed or even considered that they could collect other sea creatures as well. But Ji Mianmian, with her diligent and resourceful nature, had picked up anything of value she came across. How thrifty and clever!

Ji Mianmian blushed and lowered her head, smiling shyly without saying a word. However, the cheerful and bashful expressions floating above her head gave away her true feelings.

The two walked back to the square, basking in the sunlight and enjoying the sea breeze. By the time they arrived, Ji Mianmian's cat ears and tail had fluffed up again, making her look extra soft and cuddly.

Shuo Yu tried out the two outfits that came with the house purchase. She handed the new clothes to the girl, who looked bewildered and unsure of what to do.

"Mianmian, these are new clothes for you. Feel free to change into them whenever you like," Shuo Yu said. She loved the element of surprise that came with letting the character choose what to wear, just as she had enjoyed with her virtual companions in other games.

Cat Island Diary was, after all, a game centered around raising cats, so cats were an essential part of the experience. While the outfits Shuo Yu received were tailored to fit Ji Mianmian perfectly, there were also versions designed for the cats. However, since the other cats hadn't reached the required affection level, Shuo Yu could only watch popular videos of dressed-up cats to satisfy her cravings for now.

Ji Mianmian went off to take a bath, once again blushing and insisting that Shuo Yu not peek. Left with nothing to do, Shuo Yu adjusted the camera view to hover over the medical station.

The three cats were chatting inside, and instead of entering the room, Shuo Yu sneakily watched their conversation bubbles from above.

Goldeneye was whining, "I think my right eye isn't as itchy anymore. Maybe I can see something now. Little White, could you help me take off the bandage?"

Little White meowed back, "No way! Sister Mian said it has to stay on for three days, and this is only the first day. Do you want some dried fish? I can get you some."

Little Flower, meanwhile, kept making loud munching sounds, with greedy expressions floating above its head.

Little White quickly noticed, "Hey! Little Flower, stop eating! Your belly is already so round! Aren't you full yet?"

Little Flower responded, "But I'm hungry, hungry! Little White, give me more food!"

Little White snapped, "No way! This is for Goldeneye! You go play over there and digest first. You can eat more when it's mealtime."

Seeing an opportunity, Goldeneye meowed loudly, "Little Flower, I have food here! If you help me take off this bandage, it's all yours!"

Little White's expression grew increasingly angry and frustrated as it realized it was losing control over the situation. Worried and annoyed, Shuo Yu decided she couldn't just stand by and watch.

She shifted the view into the medical room and used the "Greet" interaction with each of the three cats.

Little White gained the most affection, increasing by a full 10 points, showing its gratitude for being rescued from a sticky situation. Shuo Yu had always known the NPCs in this game were intelligent, but this was the first time she had interacted with the cats without Ji Mianmian being present.

The fluffy cats looked up at the screen with their big round eyes, gazing at her from afar.

If only she had a toy to play with them, Shuo Yu thought. The cats would probably follow the toy's movements, back and forth.

Seeing the cats staring curiously and affectionately at her, but not being able to pet them, made Shuo Yu feel frustrated. To ease her longing, she cleared her throat and said, "You all go ahead and continue what you were doing. I just came to check on you."

The upgraded graphics of the game, especially when projected onto the screen, made Ji Mianmian and the cats look incredibly lifelike. The cats' fur was so vividly detailed that it looked soft and irresistible—Shuo Yu could almost feel how nice it would be to touch.

Watching as the cats went back to licking their fur or daydreaming, the peaceful scene made Shuo Yu remember the S-rank reward she hadn't opened yet.

Rubbing her hands together in anticipation, she opened the prize box.

A slot machine-style device, complete with neon lights and a pair of cat ears on top, fell from the sky. It had three colorful spinning wheels on the display and a lever on the right side.

Shuo Yu eagerly pulled the lever, and an exhilarating tune filled the air. The display wheels spun wildly before finally stopping, all three showing the image of a metallic heart, which then burst into electronic fireworks.

[Congratulations! You have obtained a Mechanical Core!]

"Now I can make the exploration robot! Yay!" Shuo Yu exclaimed, thrilled by the reward. She threw the controller aside and pounded the couch in celebration.

Before the game's mechanics had been updated, the last blueprint she had was for the "Exploration Robot," which she couldn't build without a mechanical core. And the newly opened trade shop didn't sell mechanical cores, so Shuo Yu had pretty much given up on making the robot. She never expected that this date would give her the most crucial component!

She quickly checked the materials list, then switched to the trade shop to purchase the remaining metals and parts for 2,800 Cat Coins.

When Ji Mianmian finished bathing and changing clothes, opening the bedroom door, she was greeted by the sight of a cylindrical cat-eared robot standing in the doorway.

The robot was about the same height as Ji Mianmian and looked rather simplistic, with its head, body, arms, and legs all made of cylindrical shapes. It didn't have facial features, but two metal cat ears on its head made it fit in perfectly with Cat Island's aesthetic.

Ji Mianmian looked up at Shuo Yu with a curious expression.

The exploration robot was just an NPC, so Shuo Yu couldn't control it freely in first-person mode like she could with the little cloud person. Still, that didn't stop her from getting playful. After creating the robot, instead of sending it off to explore, she manually guided it step by step to Ji Mianmian's door and left it there to wait.

With a bright smile, Shuo Yu said proudly, "Mianmian, this is the robot I just made! It can explore and gather resources in areas I haven't unlocked yet. It might not look great, but it's really useful!"

Ji Mianmian, being polite, praised it with wide-eyed wonder. She then seemed to think of something and went back into her room.

Shuo Yu watched as she brought out the white dress she no longer wore. After comparing sizes and seeing that it would fit, Ji Mianmian carefully dressed the robot in it.

Patting the robot on the shoulder like an old friend, she said, "Now that it's all dressed up, our robot can go out!"

Shuo Yu had been so caught up in the excitement of showing off her new creation to her wife that she hadn't even noticed Ji Mianmian had changed into a new dress herself!

Last time, she had only taken candid photos of the maid outfit. Now that Ji Mianmian had a new look, Shuo Yu wasn't going to miss the chance to properly capture it!

She quickly set the robot to its exploration task and sent it on its way, then eagerly switched the game to photo mode.