The Radiance of Huazi

Wait, what?
Removing the armor?
He wants to pull out my nails!
As soon as those words left her lips, the fox spirit bit her own, as if unable to believe she had agreed.
Nothing is more taboo to a spirit than making a promise. A new fate was forged, and the strange rules of this place had temporarily drained all her powers.
This shop hadn’t appeared in the demon market for ages. She’d come tonight out of curiosity, just to have a look, and yet she’d so easily fallen into a trap.
The fox spirit’s ears drooped, her expression sour as she tried to replay what had happened. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the young man, who was holding some unfamiliar tool and moving purposefully toward her nails.
Right now, she couldn’t so much as harm a single hair on his head, let alone do anything drastic, not before this “removal” was finished.
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Meanwhile, the young man seemed oblivious, his eyes smiling as he asked, “Teacher, what’s your name? Can I follow you?”
“Su Qiu Shui.”
“Teacher, your username sounds so cultured!” Ning Zhixia praised. “Come, other hand.”
Su Qiu Shui didn’t understand, but it sounded like a compliment. Warily, she glanced at the tool in his hand, then silently switched hands to let him continue.
It’s just nails. If he wants them, let him have them.
While she was mulling this over, she had no idea the young man was also deep in thought, plotting his own little plans.
Ning Zhixia slowed down the rotary tool, gently reshaping the sharp edges of her nails. Once the brush swept away the gathered white dust, her nails had been transformed into elegant long almond shapes.
The ever-popular medium-long tapered shape was versatile, suitable for nearly anyone. Yet with her slender nail beds and rounded roots, the almond shape gave her hands an extra hint of grace.
The entire process was tingling but not painful—a novel sensation she’d never experienced.
After a long while drooping, one of her ears slowly perked upright.
Su Qiu Shui suddenly realized that perhaps “removing nails” had another meaning altogether.
The clean nail surface was brushed with a base coat, then cured under a lamp. Next came the builder gel—this was the true test of a nail artist’s skill.
Ning Zhixia picked up a bead of gel with a flat brush, spread it evenly across the nail, then inverted her hand to let it self-level before curing. Finally, he patted the table in satisfaction. “Alright, under the lamp.”
“Under the lamp? Under the…” Su Qiu Shui snapped out of her daze, eyes darting around, and uncertainly slid her hand under the table where he indicated.
By the time the other hand was being built, she no longer needed instructions—she switched hands under the lamp with practiced ease.
When both hands were finished, she examined her nails curiously. There was no vivid red or flower juice, just a natural, polished shine that made them look fuller and more luminous.
What was this called again?
Oh! Builder gel!
Su Qiu Shui’s tail swayed. She asked uncertainly, “Is it done?”
“Huh? Teacher Qiushui, don’t you want a design?”
Every detail of her clothes and accessories was exquisite; her faux fur surely crafted by a master. She looked like she was born with it—let alone the lifelike tail and ears, which must have taken so much effort.
That outfit must have cost a fortune!
Ning Zhixia didn’t want to miss out on such a potential VIP client, and was already planning to ask her for some after photos.
“Teacher, trust me!”
He swiftly brought out his price list, propped up his tablet, and flipped through his university portfolio like a slideshow. Looking up with a serious face, he announced, “I’m great! I can do anything!”
So that’s what a ‘design’ is!
Su Qiu Shui’s interest was fully piqued. Her eyes sparkled as she quickly placed both hands before him. “Do as you see fit!”
“No problem.”
Ning Zhixia understood—aha, time for this young master to shine!
Nail art’s endless techniques were its greatest charm and fun. Ning Zhixia chose a translucent pink and teal base, and when all ten delicate fingers were shrouded in misty green and pink, he brushed on a matte top coat and cured it… Instantly, the shine faded.
Ugly, so ugly!
Su Qiu Shui’s face fell. Before she could voice her protest, she saw him take out a small watercolor palette from his toolkit.
He’s going to paint on my nails?
Su Qiu Shui knew a thing or two about painting, and squinted curiously—just how much artistry could fit on such a tiny canvas?
The watercolor palette was prepped for nails and would last him ages. Diluted pigment pooled in the mixing well, and Ning Zhixia dipped his all-purpose brush, then began to paint.
The slightly flexible tip tapped and lifted, and once a glossy top coat was applied, a delicate pink lotus bloomed at her fingertips.
Su Qiu Shui raised an eyebrow, holding her hands under the lamp. Beautiful, yes, but a bit bland if you looked too long.
If more layers and color were desired, he could have sketched the shape in white first, then filled in the hues. But that wasn’t the translucent effect Ning Zhixia had in mind.
After all, he wasn’t finished yet.
Su Qiu Shui pursed her lips, eyeing the young man’s chest mischievously. “All done?”
“Not yet.” Ning Zhixia was fully absorbed, rummaging through his acrylic boxes with a clatter. “We’re only halfway.”
Su Qiu Shui’s eyes widened.
What?
Only halfway!

But now my butt’s gone numb!
Ning Zhixia tapped the table, and Su Qiu Shui reflexively placed her hand back, grumpily tucking two tails under to cushion her seat.
Leaving aside the all-purpose brush for now, Ning Zhixia used a silicone tool to scoop out clear sculpture gel, quietly shaping it with his head down.
What was once an unruly blob became obedient under the wedge-shaped tip, and soon, two large and two small transparent ice lotuses were formed.
A little color was needed—Ning Zhixia squinted under the lamp, using colored gel to shade the petals from light to dark.
He hadn’t used a mold; the hand-formed ice lotuses were half-open, full of lively spirit, not merely realistic but evocative, as if the artwork at her fingertips had just surfaced from a spring pond.
Su Qiu Shui stared, mouth slightly open, lost in thought until Ning Zhixia asked, “I think it’s nearly done. Do you want any more ornaments?”
“Ornaments?”
Ah!
That I understand!
The shelf behind the workbench was packed with treasures—mini display racks on the bottom tier crowded with assorted trinkets, each clearly labeled and corresponding to compartments in the neighboring acrylic boxes.
As her gaze swept across, one particularly large acrylic box sparkled under the warm lights, making Su Qiu Shui’s eyes light up as well.
“These are my newest Hua Diamonds. The color range is pretty complete…”
Ning Zhixia slid open all nine layers of the 56-compartment transparent villa, cocked his head, and asked, “Which do you like?”
Which one?
Su Qiu Shui’s tail flicked eagerly, eyes shining.
Was there even a question? Of course, all of them!
Su Qiu Shui waved her hand grandly. “One of each! I want them all!”
“Greedy and insatiable…”
Ning Zhixia tactfully corrected himself, “I mean, you only have ten fingers.”
Su Qiu Shui frowned. “Can’t you stack them for me?”
Ning Zhixia was shocked. “I’m a nail artist, not an architect!”
“I don’t care, I want them!”
Ning Zhixia had clearly underestimated this lady’s enthusiasm for Hua Diamonds. After much back and forth, with Su Qiu Shui apparently in a hurry, they finally reached a compromise.
Her left middle finger was adorned with a pink-rose moonlight sugar cube as the main stone, fixed at an angle at the nail tip, with small ice lotuses filling the gaps. The right ring finger featured a large ice lotus paired with a small olive-green diamond. The remaining fingers were decorated with spare ice lotuses and scattered tiny gems.
Though there were plenty of ornaments, the arrangement was well-balanced and harmonious. Su Qiu Shui’s ten fingers shimmered in the light—she couldn’t stop admiring them, reluctant to look away even for a moment.
So this was nail art!
It was… marvelous!
Seeing her so pleased, Ning Zhixia merrily pulled out a calculator, tapping away with a little shake of his head.
“Complex design, flat rate 368, Hua Diamonds 40 for the big square, two singles 30… and three small gems… That’s 450 in total.” Ning Zhixia pointed to the stickered QR code stand. “Just scan to pay.”
“What’s your name?”
Su Qiu Shui glanced where he pointed, then stood up slowly.
Ignoring her numb legs, she looked at the owner with interest. “I’ll come back for you next time.”
A repeat customer—she’s a repeat customer!
Ning Zhixia happily gave his name.
“Ning… Zhixia…” Su Qiu Shui smiled meaningfully. “Alright, I’ll remember.”
“Heh, it’s easy to remember.” Ning Zhixia clipped a simple fill light to his phone, cradling it shyly. “Teacher, could you give me an after—”
Click.
With a soft sound, a golden hairpin was placed before the QR code like an offering. By the time Ning Zhixia looked up in surprise, the dark red hem of her garment had vanished through the door.
“Hey, Teacher Qiu… Qiu Shui—”
Ning Zhixia dashed to the doorway, but suddenly stopped dead, gripping the handle tightly.
Outside, a menacing green glow seemed to lock onto its target, growing brighter and denser in the chill white mist…
Ning Zhixia’s face went deathly pale, like an old rusty robot, and he closed the door with stiff movements.
In the eerie silence, he didn’t move. The second hand, frozen at 7:28, suddenly ticked forward.
The long-lost ticking resumed, merging with his quickening breath. Ning Zhixia opened the door again—familiar streetlights shone brightly and the bustling noise surged back like a wave.
He blinked, glancing at the workbench. The gold hairpin had vanished. A female electronic voice rang out in the quiet shop—
“Account credited, 24,800 yuan.”
It was like hearing celestial music.
Ning Zhixia stood dazed for a long moment, clutching his chest as if a bath heater had just shone into a coffin.
Ah, his heart was warm.
Was this a city legend, or just a fleeting dream? Still tangled in confusion, Ning Zhixia went to sleep.
The next morning, fine rain fell like silk, and the whole street was lush and green with the essence of spring.

Ning Zhixia picked up the garden shears to trim the overgrown branches on the flower trellis. A few furry balls darted from the corners, mewling and twining around his legs, clearly hungry and seeking a free babysitter for breakfast.
“Three bamboo, five dots, eight myriads, blank tile… Wait a second…”
Preoccupied, Ning Zhixia dodged them and crouched down, pulling out his phone after a moment’s hesitation.
He meant to check his bank records, but before he could, a new review for his nail salon popped up on the Digua platform—
“Ning the owner is skilled in many styles, with a great eye for beauty, and he even complimented my nail shape—no need for lengthening, hehe! Totally worth sitting for over an hour! The only hassle is I stuck on so many Hua Diamonds, digging out my heart is a bit awkward…”
Default avatar, garbled username.
When Ning Zhixia read the last part, he jerked his phone away like a startled cat.
Yikes! What do you mean ‘digging out my heart is awkward’?
The kittens, oblivious, climbed up his back in a line. The lead calico puffed out its chest, the first to reach his shoulder, soon turning his black hair into a cat hat.
“That’s odd, why is it gone?”
Ning Zhixia refreshed his online banking, but last night’s deposit was nowhere to be found—only the increased balance remained.
Digging into the details, he saw it had been broken up and distributed among several other payments, as if some unseen rule had made it all make sense.
Perplexed, the calico gave a tiny “meow,” leapt from his head, and sniffed the air with a twitch of its nose.
Having caught some scent, its round eyes sparkled, and it scampered toward the garden fence, bumping into a pair of long legs, shaking its head to clear the daze.
Branches of camphor spread over the eaves, dappling the umbrella with shifting light.
The man standing there was tall, his mixed features friendly to the eye. Surrounded by licking, purring kittens, he paid them no mind. Instead, his pale blue gaze rested quietly on Ning Zhixia, deep and serene.
Damn, how does someone look like that?
On a rainy day, a client was at the door who looked like a model. Ning Zhixia, legs numb, could only look up and call out, “Hello, do you want to—?”
The man paused. “…?”
Ning Zhixia hurried to correct himself. “Er, I mean, do you want your nails done?”
The man shook his head. “No.”
Ning Zhixia was puzzled. “Then you…”
“My name is Odelo.” He stopped before the young man. “I’d like to ask you to come with me. There’s a tricky matter that will require some of your time.”
Ning Zhixia pointed to himself. “Me?” He sounded so serious.
Odelo nodded solemnly.
“Can you explain?”
“It’s inconvenient to explain right now.”
Ning Zhixia frowned, instantly wary and shook his head. “Then I’m not going.”
“I see…”
Odelo seemed troubled, raising the umbrella. His striking eyes looked as though they could peer straight into one’s soul. “That didn’t count. Please answer me again.”
Ning Zhixia froze.
Dude, what is this, a save-and-reload dating sim?
But as he gaped in disbelief, those calm eyes deepened in color, and Ning Zhixia felt as if he were being pulled into a whirlpool at sea. A dreamy song echoed in his mind, a strange, intense panic sweeping through him.
Odelo lowered his voice. “Will you come with me?”
The refusal twisted in his mind, but this time, Ning Zhixia blurted, “Alright!”
Odelo was satisfied. He leaned closer to the dazed youth, his long silver-gray hair cascading down to his waist, a few fine strands brushing across Ning Zhixia’s unfocused face.
It tickled a little. Ning Zhixia’s lips curled with a silly grin.
Odelo’s gaze grew curious, fixed on the dimple appearing on that cheek.
Fingers longer than most people’s came to touch his face. When the soft flesh pressed against his fingertips, the warmth so different from his own spread through his hand.
A mischievous finger poked once,
Then again…
Ning Zhixia grinned foolishly, not dodging at all, until the man paused and slipped a black silk blindfold over his eyes. Suddenly, Ning Zhixia flinched.
Odelo asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just…”
Ning Zhixia nervously played with his jacket zipper, muttering under his breath, “If we’re doing this kind of play… isn’t it moving a bit fast?”
“Hm?”
What kind of progress?
Odelo looked bewildered, lost in thought.
What a strange human.