Compared to Ding Yun's efforts for over a month, which had only yielded a small spark and no income whatsoever, Ju Zhu's venture had unexpectedly exploded in popularity.
Yes, Ju Zhu had become famous.
Fu Shiyun, after receiving the chip from Ding Yun and successfully assimilating the two secret techniques within, began to train diligently. She spared no effort, practicing whenever she had free time.
The Body Cultivation Technique and the Guiding Technique not only improved her physical condition but also extended her lifespan. With successful cultivation and completion, she could easily live to seventy or eighty. Compared to the usual lifespan of ordinary kittens, which was only ten to twenty years, seventy or eighty was incredibly tempting. Fu Shiyun did not want to leave this world prematurely, so she had to train hard.
The Body Cultivation Technique looked similar to yoga, while the Guiding Technique resembled meditation. Ordinary humans performing these actions would be indifferent, but for a kitten to do so was quite rare. Before long, Ju Zhu, as the "Yoga Cat" and "Master Cat," had become a viral sensation. It even became a new popular meme. Coupled with the intelligence displayed during its live streams, many jokingly suggested it was a spirit and should be sent to school immediately, lest it miss out on its college entrance exams and the chance to attend top universities like Tsinghua or Peking.
These were, of course, jokes. However, they did not detract from Ju Zhu's popularity. Most importantly, Fu Shiyun within Ju Zhu's body was enjoying herself immensely and actively cooperating. She had never been praised in her life; her parents and elders at home never complimented her, nor did her teachers at school for her average academic performance. During her work, she was criticized for being slow, and even when she became more agile, no one praised her. Some people outwardly called her thrifty, but privately labeled her as stingy, a miser who wouldn't part with a single penny.
Therefore, when she transformed into an orange cat and saw people praising and liking her online, even if she wasn't being praised in her human form, she felt very good. Sometimes she even thought, perhaps this was for the best. Perhaps this was the right choice. She had failed as a human, but she could be a good cat. Being human was so difficult. Birth and background had a huge impact, and if one's intelligence wasn't exceptional, they could only just survive. Without being outstanding, it was truly hard to earn praise from others.
But as a kitten, being able to do basic arithmetic could lead to compliments about not wasting potential, and even if she became as fat as a pig, people would only call her cute and worry about her health, not call her a fat loser. In short, being a cat was much easier than being human.
Before long, Fu Shiyun gradually accepted, and even began to enjoy, her current life. She no longer contacted Ding Yun to complain. She was quite like the last emperor of Shu Han, finding joy in her current circumstances and forgetting her past hardships. Ding Yun, on the other hand, was delighted to see this outcome. After all, she didn't want to be disturbed unnecessarily, or frequently woken up in the middle of the night. Furthermore, Ding Yun even embellished and reinterpreted Fu Shiyun's actions with a touch of literary flair, presenting them as her own experiences to the advanced Meow Star civilization. She claimed to be engaged in cultural invasion, turning humans into adoring fans of the Meow Stars. With this, she managed to secure another batch of new resources, feeling incredibly pleased and comfortable with her life.
As time passed, Ding Yun's "Guide to Cosmic Travel for Meow Stars," which she had started writing, not only grew in length but also saw a slow but steady increase in readership. Although it hadn't reached phenomenal levels, it had gained considerable popularity and received good online reviews. These undoubtedly fueled Ding Yun's enthusiasm to continue writing.
It was at this point that the matter Ding Yun had initially worried about finally occurred: her prolonged absence from work had, inevitably, led to gossip. This matter was brought to Ding Yun by Aunt Zhao. One morning, around 9 AM, Aunt Zhao knocked on Ding Yun's door and informed her that she had found several more potential suitors for her to meet. She had already vetted their character beforehand, assuring Ding Yun that they were excellent and good-looking, definitely worth considering.
Ding Yun found it difficult to refuse. After all, it was the original host who had asked Aunt Zhao to help her find blind dates long ago, and it would be awkward for her to suddenly change her mind. So, she agreed, and they arranged a specific time and place to meet. She also obtained their phone numbers.
After discussing the blind dates, Aunt Zhao looked at Ding Yun with some hesitation and said with a troubled expression, "There's something I don't know if I should say!"
If it were a friend, Ding Yun might have simply replied, "If you shouldn't say it, then don't," but since Aunt Zhao was an elder, she went along with her words and replied, "Please, just tell me."
"Weren't you unemployed a few months ago? I saw you busy looking for a job before, but lately, there's been no news. Have you found a job, or what's going on? I don't mean to pry. It's just that in our neighborhood, because you haven't been actively looking for work or going out much lately, some unpleasant rumors have started circulating. They're affecting your reputation. I won't repeat the specifics, as it would just upset you and harm your health. Why don't you tell me, and I can help spread the word? Otherwise, if these rumors persist, even denying them later might be disbelieved. You must believe me, some gossip needs to be nipped in the bud, or else it becomes a case of 'a rumor flies on a mouth, and the truth struggles to catch up, yet no one believes it.'"
Aunt Zhao, though not a professional matchmaker, was undeniably sharp when it came to information. Moreover, she was quite familiar with Ding Yun and knew for certain that Ding Yun was not the kind of person described in the rumors. Coupled with her slight guilt over introducing several unreliable blind dates before, she had come specifically to warn Ding Yun and offer her help.
Upon hearing this, Ding Yun remembered her initial concerns when she first arrived. She smiled and said, "When I initially gave up on looking for a job and decided to work from home as a freelancer, I did have these worries. But then I got busy and forgot. I didn't expect my guess to be true and for such rumors to spread. Those people really have too much free time."
"Aunt Zhao, let me tell you. I'm actually working as a freelancer now, writing novels. You could say I'm a writer. Please, you must help me dispel these rumors. I really beg you!"
After saying this, Ding Yun got up, went inside, and brought out some snacks and fruit, pressing them into Aunt Zhao's hands as a token of her sincerity, urging her to take the matter seriously. After some polite back and forth, they reached a mutually beneficial agreement and formed an alliance.