Little Yin Stars weren’t earned one way only. For instance, after showering each night, warming the master’s bed earned half a Little Yin Star; being a cuddle pillow earned two Little Yin Stars.
There were also rewards for fulfilling the master’s physical needs, doing chores, playing with the master, and so on, earning varying amounts of Little Yin Stars.
Especially regarding fulfilling the master’s physical needs, there were extensive and detailed categories.
Take clothing, for example: wearing outfits the master liked earned more Little Yin Stars than choosing one’s own; wearing stockings earned more than not wearing them.
Seeing this, Xu Yinsheng almost pointed at Zhao Yicheng and yelled, You’re so talented, why are you playing around with finance?
Why aren’t you a top web novel author instead?!
Xu Yinsheng declared that with her noble character, she would absolutely not stoop to such a damned system!
“No braised pork today, save three silver Little Yin Stars. Tonight, I’ll warm the bed and be a cuddle pillow to get three silver Little Yin Stars, for a total of six. After offsetting, I’ll still have three silver Little Yin Stars left.”
At her desk, Xu Yinsheng counted on her fingers the remaining silver Little Yin Stars after subtracting the black Little Yin Stars this week.
After the deduction, she had three silver Little Yin Stars left, enough for a meal of sweet and sour pork ribs.
There were silver Little Yin Stars for rewards, and also black Little Yin Stars for punishments.
Black Little Yin Stars were incurred when Xu Yinsheng talked back to Zhao Yicheng, argued, or disobeyed her master, and so forth.
Different amounts of black Little Yin Stars corresponded to different levels of punishment.
For example, one black Little Yin Star meant a one-minute electric shock from the cat collar or a five-minute spanking.
Ten black Little Yin Stars meant the master would “bite” her once, with extra rewards for swallowing.
Black Little Yin Stars were settled every two weeks and could be offset with silver Little Yin Stars.
If any remained after offsetting, the punishment would be forcibly enforced.
The punishment’s content was decided by the number of black Little Yin Stars and Zhao Yicheng, with punishment intensity adhering to the highest standard.
For example: if, after offsetting, Xu Yinsheng still had ten black Little Yin Stars, Zhao Yicheng would forcibly execute the punishment.
At this point, ten black Little Yin Stars could not be broken down into ten cat collar electric shocks but could only be offset by an equivalent level of punishment like “master bites once.”
“No, there’s also compulsory labor.”
Xu Yinsheng remembered this and frantically ran her hands through her hair.
“In that case, after tomorrow’s settlement and offsetting, I’ll still have one black Little Yin Star left.”
“Still have to take the punishment,” she murmured, her head drooping weakly.
Compulsory labor, once every two weeks, meant fulfilling the master’s physiological needs without compensation.
This could be offset with four silver Little Yin Stars.
“I’m so short on Little Yin Stars!”
“Young Master Xu,” who had been incredibly wealthy since birth, loved to splurge, and felt no connection to money, felt this poor for the very first time.
With enough Little Yin Stars, she could eat rice, have braised pork, sleep in a big bed, even remove the cat collar, have her own bedroom, and have Zhao Yicheng take her out to play.
After a moment of complaining, Xu Yinsheng still dutifully copied the “Kitty Obedience Sutra”—those few bound pages from before.
Secretly, she ridiculed it as the “Chuunibyo Sutra,” the “Childish Sutra.”
Copying had to be neat, with straight strokes, otherwise it would be invalidated and had to be recopied.
She thought days would slowly pass like this, but after copying the “Kitty Obedience Sutra” that afternoon, as Xu Yinsheng was getting some air on the second-floor balcony, she saw a black vintage car slowly stop in front of the Zhao family villa’s iron gate.
A man with green eyes, golden hair, and the air of a noble young master stepped out of the car.
Zhao Yicheng went to meet him, like old friends.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, he led the green-eyed, golden-haired man toward the main door.
Xu Yinsheng frowned in confusion, but then, her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She had figured out how to earn silver Little Yin Stars.
In the living room.
Zhao Yicheng and the green-eyed, golden-haired man had just sat on the sofa when they saw a silver-haired loli descending the stairs, carrying a tray, walking towards them.
She held a tray with two cups of hot tea.
She placed the teacups in front of them, then looked up at the two men sitting opposite her.
“Please have some tea.”
***
“And this is?” the man asked in broken Federalese, dressed in a white suit with a few buttons undone on his shirt, a Rolex on his wrist, exuding an air of nobility.
Though he asked, his gaze lingered on the cat tag collar around Xu Yinsheng’s neck, as if he already knew.
“My lover, Xu Yinsheng,” Zhao Yicheng said, pulling Xu Yinsheng closer and placing a kiss on the silver-haired loli’s forehead.
Xu Yinsheng’s cheeks immediately flushed, unsure if from anger or embarrassment.
He then introduced her to the green-eyed, golden-haired man, “This is He Zizhang, a good friend I met while studying abroad.”
After the introduction, he patted the silver-haired loli’s head, dotingly saying, “Alright, go play. And clean my bedroom thoroughly. I’ll make you something delicious tonight.”
The red-eyed, silver-haired loli nodded obediently upon hearing this, then turned and left Zhao Yicheng’s room.
“Under Federal marriage law, she could be your daughter,” He Zizhang remarked, gazing at the figure less than 1.4 meters tall, speaking in broken Federalese with a meaningful tone.
“It’s all the same,” Zhao Yicheng said, taking a sip of tea and shaking his head slightly.
“She’s sick; I’m treating her.”
Inside Zhao Yicheng’s bedroom.
Xu Yinsheng, holding a small broom, meticulously cleaned the tiny bits of trash in the room, carefully reviewing her earlier performance.
Pouring tea for the master earned half a star, and pouring tea for the master’s friend earned another half, making exactly one silver Little Yin Star, which could offset a black Little Yin Star.
This week’s settlement meant she wouldn’t be punished.
She just wondered when she would be able to exchange for a bedroom of her own. Xu Yinsheng thought to herself.
She was very familiar with Zhao Yicheng’s bedroom, so much so she could almost walk around with her eyes closed.
Every night, without her own bedroom, she either slept in a cage or served as Zhao Yicheng’s cuddle pillow.
The bedroom’s decor leaned towards a cool blue, with blue curtains and a blue lamp, resembling a vast, boundless ocean, inviting relaxation.
A single sofa and a desk were placed by the window, above which were rows of mahogany bookshelves filled with various books.
As she swept, Xu Yinsheng suddenly noticed an open book on the desk.
She leaned her head in curiously and took a look.
The establishment of any rules ultimately serves only the creators of those rules.
These walls are funny.
First, you hate them; then you get used to them; enough time passes, gets so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.
— “The Shawshank Redemption”
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