Chapter 61
Yu Shi visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and her smile became relaxed. "I'll arrange everything. Don't overthink it. I told my mom about you, and she said that my dad is coming back for the New Year, so we can have a meal together."
He scooped up all the beef tendon balls and gave most of them to Li Chi'an, saying, "Eat more, you've lost weight recently."
The two ate for a while longer, then Li Chi'an got up and said, "You can eat slowly, I'm going to the restroom."
Do you want to eat more?
"Yes, I'm not full yet."
...
The cleaning lady, who was cleaning the restroom, saw a young girl standing outside the door rushing in and immediately said, "Miss, wait a minute, I still need to rinse someone else's face. You can come in when I'm done."
"Okay, please clean up first." Li Chi'an stood at the bathroom door and waited.
A short while later, the cleaning lady finished cleaning one of them and warmly invited, "Beautiful lady, please come in."
With that, she left the cleaned room and prepared to clean another one.
Li Chi'an went into the cleaned cubicle, when suddenly a young girl rushed in from outside, getting ahead of her.
She and the cleaning lady were both stunned.
Li Chi'an subconsciously said, "Why don't we follow the principle of first come, first served?"
The cleaning staff immediately said, "It's okay, I'll clean this one right away."
Because of consideration for Li Chi'an, the cleaning lady cleaned very quickly, finishing in less than half a minute.
After Li Chian went inside, he told the cleaning lady, "It's not a big deal."
She was originally saying this to the cleaning lady, who responded with a smile, "It's because you're a nice person."
Unexpectedly, the woman who cut in line while using the toilet next door suddenly burst into a string of profanities:
"It's nothing serious, why are you still babbling on and on!"
"What are you yelling about? Do you think you're the only one with a mouth? Do you own this toilet? Call it and see if it answers! I'm in a hurry! Don't you have any sense of propriety? Standing here like a block of wood, didn't your mother teach you to respect the elderly and care for the young? I get angry just looking at you!"
"Say one more word and I'll slap you!"
Then he said a lot of vulgar things that were impossible to record in words...
Li Chi'an rarely encountered such low-class people in his life, and he wouldn't argue with them using foul language. He simply said, "You have such low class!"
Unexpectedly, the woman started again, saying, "May your whole family be hit by a car and killed if you go out!"
Li Chi'an wasn't initially that angry, but now he was furious.
"What kind of car hit you? Your hearse?"
The woman fell silent instantly...
...
When Li Chi'an returned, he saw that his bowl was more than half full of his favorite dishes. "Thank you."
"Did something happen just now?"
Li Chi'an was surprised by Shi's keen observation of his emotions. "You noticed that?"
"Hmm, you were smiling before, but when you came back, the smile wasn't on your face," Yu Shi asked gently. "Did I see you were in a bad mood? What's wrong?"
Li Chi'an then recounted the strange encounter he had with Yu Shi in the restroom.
"Hahaha..." Yu Shi laughed uncontrollably, "That was a killer shot, awesome!"
"Sure! Arguing without using profanity is my comfort zone, do you think you can get away with it?" Li Chian was both annoyed and amused. "I was originally planning to let it go, but who knew she would insist on jumping on my landmines. I thought to myself, I won't be polite then."
"That's right, you deserve to be scolded!" Yu Shi laughed. "I should have gone with you just now."
"What can you do there?" Li Chi'an asked, puzzled. "You don't mean you're going to help me fight, do you?"
“At least, I can stand by your side and protect you if the other party has violent tendencies.” Li Chi’an raised her arm to show the other party her arm that she had trained for several months. “Look, I think I’m strong enough to kill a bull now.”
Yu Shi felt adored and couldn't stop laughing. "Yes, yes, yes, the great writer who is 166 cm tall and weighs 96 catties, strong enough to kill a cow, should eat some meat to replenish his strength."
He casually picked up a strainer, scooped up a spoonful of freshly cooked beef, and put it into Li Chi'an's bowl.
The rain outside the window gradually intensified, tapping against the glass with a fine, continuous sound.
The hot pot was still bubbling away, the steam blurring their faces but making the distance between their hearts even clearer.
Li Chian thought that love might be like this beef hot pot. It doesn't need fancy decorations, just real ingredients; the heat must be just right, too fast or too slow won't work; and most importantly, there must be someone willing to share the pot with you, not caring who eats more meat or who drinks less soup.
"Would you like to add a serving of kueh teow?" she asked softly. "It'll be cooked last, so it absorbs all the essence."
Yu nodded and beckoned to the waiter, "Add another serving of kueh teow."
He found Li Chi'an's hand under the table and gently grasped it.
...
After finishing their meal, the two strolled along the mall corridor to digest.
Passing by a boutique supermarket, Yu Shi suddenly stopped and asked, "Want to go in and have a look?"
Li Chi'an nodded, "Okay."
When Yu Shi pushed a shopping cart over, Li Chi'an put the things in the cart. "Sometimes when I'm in a bad mood, I like to go to the supermarket, especially to see those colorful vegetables and fruits. It's very therapeutic."
“Me too.” Yu Shi pushed the cart and laughed. “The news online has really messed up my mind these past few days. I need to buy some fresh food to heal myself.”
Li Chi'an laughed, "Doesn't your company have a cafeteria?"
I previously photographed the staff meals at MixC Mall's cafeteria, and they looked pretty good.
"It's alright," Yu Shi said, "but you can't eat it every day."
"If you're coming to Xiyuan, you can let me know in advance. If I'm in a good mood, I can feed you."
"Really? Baby, you're so wonderful." Yu Shi was overjoyed and hugged Li Chi'an tightly, giving him a big kiss.
Li Chi'an rarely felt such intense love and joy. The moment Yu Shi picked him up, he felt both nervous and excited.
She hugged Yu Shi's neck, buried her head in his shoulder, and blushed. "Can't you be a little more mindful of your image as a public figure?"
"Baby, you're so cute." Yu Shi continued to laugh. "Don't worry, I'm watching. If anyone takes pictures, I'll go and give them a piece of my mind."
"What trouble?"
"Make them delete it."
After a brief playful exchange, the two seemed to have entered a shopping frenzy mode, putting everything they saw into their shopping cart in the fresh produce section.
Li Chian didn't object, but found it a bit funny, "You bought so much by yourself, how long are you going to eat it all?"
Yu Shi leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I need to practice my cooking skills properly. If I can’t finish all the dishes I’ve made, I can just invite a few people over for a meal.”
"Why do you want to practice your cooking skills?"
"Next time I visit your house, I can cook with you."
Without even thinking, he answered.
Li Chi'an was rendered speechless by the other party's natural thought.
After a moment, he laughed again, "Okay, I'll be waiting for your feast."
Yu Shi patted her chest and assured him, "Don't worry at all, your boyfriend is so capable, what can't he do?"
It was already 8 p.m. when I got back to the car.
Li Chi'an took out the apricots from the back seat and carefully separated half of them, putting them into the bag given to him by Yu Shi.
"Here you go, we agreed to share it with you."
Yu Shi took it and handed her the bag of fruit he had just bought, saying, "This is for you."
Li Chi'an took it with a puzzled look. "What is this?"
"I just bought the fruit," Yu Shi said casually. "I originally bought two portions."
Li Chi'an accepted it without saying anything.
Yu Shi glanced at his watch. "It's getting late. I'll take you home."
On the bus, Li Chi'an looked at the lights flowing outside the window and suddenly asked, "Have you ever eaten fresh apricots? I don't mean the kind from the supermarket, but the kind that are ripe and picked directly from the tree."
Yu Shi focused intently on the road conditions. "It seems there isn't anything. What's wrong?"
“Me neither.” Li Chi’an’s voice softened. “When I was little, my grandma had a plum tree. Every summer, when the plums ripened, my cousins and I would rush to pick them. The ripest and sweetest ones were always hidden at the top. I was small, so I was assigned to pick plums at the bottom of the tree. Sometimes I would accidentally squeeze them until they were soft, and the juice would drip all over my hands.”
She smiled and continued, "Once, my cousin climbed a tree to pick plums, and his pants got ripped by a branch. When he got home, my aunt scolded him. The next day, we secretly put the biggest and reddest plum in front of my aunt's window, and she stopped being angry."
Yu Shi chuckled lightly, "You were very happy back then, weren't you?"
“Yes, we had a lot of happiness in the countryside when we were young, but the children of today can no longer see it,” Li Chian said. “The chickens and ducks we raised ourselves, and the fruits and vegetables we grew in our fields, are completely different from those we bought in the supermarket. They are especially fresh and sweet, and have a taste of sunshine.”
The green light came on, and the car continued forward. Yu Shi listened quietly as Li Chi'an recounted his childhood in the countryside.
She also occasionally shares stories from her childhood.
When they arrived at Li Chi'an's apartment building, Yu Shi took her gym bag and the bag of fruit from the trunk and handed them to her. Suddenly, he said, "My studio is having an outdoor team building activity next weekend. Do you want to come?"
Li Chi'an was somewhat surprised, "Do you want me to go?"
"Yes," Yu Shi smiled. "I really want to take you along."
"OK, I can never refuse Mr. Yu's invitation."
After returning home, Li Chian took a shower and carefully arranged the apricots in a bowl in the kitchen.
The golden, round fruits exuded a faint sweet fragrance. She picked one up and felt the delicate texture of the peel.
Thinking back to the happy times I spent shopping at the supermarket with Yu Shi, I realize that some things are indeed immeasurable in value, but they make life softer and richer.
The phone rang; it was a message from Yu Shi: "I forgot to mention, your pull-up form was very good, and your core control has improved."
Li Chi'an replied with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment, Coach. I will continue to work hard."
...
The manor in the southern suburbs of Xianghai City is bathed in the golden light of early summer, with six Victorian-style villas standing gracefully amidst the greenery.
Li Chi'an stood on the terrace of the largest villa and took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with the fragrance of fresh grass.
“This is it.” She turned to Xu Zhuwen and Li Chian, her eyes sparkling. “Imagine treehouses built on those big trees, where guests can drink tea and stargaze, and children can realize their fairytale dreams.”
Xu Zhuwen adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and carefully examined the surrounding environment. "The treehouse could indeed be a highlight, but we need to have a structural engineer assess the load-bearing capacity and safety issues first."
Gao Yinxi had already taken out her phone calculator. "Based on each treehouse accommodating 4 people, if we build 6, the extra income per night will be at least 3,000 yuan, and it may double during peak season. The return on investment is quite considerable."
Li Chian smiled and shook his head, "The most important thing about treehouses is creating an experience, allowing urban dwellers to reconnect with nature."
These past few days, Gao Yinxi was getting restless at home, so she invited Xu Zhuwen and Li Chian to stroll around the Rose Manor. As they looked around, Li Chian suddenly had a thought: could they build a few fairytale treehouses in the manor?
"Our Rose Estate focuses on healing, so what do you think about building treehouses?"
Gao Yinxi put away her phone. "As far as I know, we don't have any competitors in the whole city. I think we can succeed."
"If you think it's okay, then it's okay." Xu Zhuwen had no particular opinion on this.
All three are action-oriented.
Once the plan was finalized, Gao Yinxi immediately communicated with the manor's designer via voice. Soon, the design drawings were available, and after the three of them reviewed and made revisions, the construction of the treehouse proceeded smoothly.
The treehouse was built on one of the thickest ancient trees on the estate, and the workers carefully constructed it to minimize damage to the trees.
Li Chian would come to the site to supervise the construction every few days. Xu Zhuwen was meticulous and could slack off at work, so she was in charge of purchasing materials. Gao Yinxi managed the accounts and did financial planning. The three of them worked together very well.
When the first treehouse was taking shape, Li Chian and Xu Zhuwen even brought champagne to Jin Yu Hua Fu to celebrate with Gao Yinxi.
"When the baby is born, he/she will be the first little guest to stay in the treehouse."
Li Chian gently stroked Gao Yinxi's slightly protruding belly, his face beaming with happiness.
"I'll have your brother Zui Zui take you with him then."
However, one morning when the three treehouses were almost finished being built.
Gao Yinxi was still asleep when he suddenly received an urgent call from the foreman, Old Chen: "Boss Gao, something terrible has happened! An old lady has arrived with an excavator, saying we've disrupted the feng shui and she's going to raze the treehouse!"
Gao Yinxi almost dropped her phone. "What old lady? What does she look like?"
"He wasn't very old, had long gray-white hair, was very tall and thin, and arrived very early in the morning. He was very fierce! He said we were saboteurs."
The phone line was filled with the deafening roar of machinery and the shouts of workers.
"She really called an excavator!" Old Chen was clearly very anxious. "Mr. Gao, our people couldn't stop her no matter what they did. She called an excavator in and said she was going to dig up all our treehouses."
"You guys move aside, don't let anyone get hurt." Gao Yinxi felt her head buzzing. "Take a video of the whole thing as evidence, and also take a picture of that old lady."
"Mr. Gao, the excavator is already shoveling!" The communication suddenly stopped.
Gao Yinxi felt dizzy with anger, sat up in bed, and dialed Li Chi'an's number.
"An'an, something's happened at the manor! The landlady is sabotaging our construction with an excavator!"
Li Chi'an gasped on the other end of the phone, "What? The contract clearly states this in black and white! This is a breach of contract and damage to property!"
"I'm coming right now!" Gao Yinxi threw off the covers and was about to leave when Yuan Ergeng stopped her.
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