Chapter 148: Homecoming: The Promise of Spring.
The "pets" were all in the group chat, and Squalo naturally saw the panel that popped up in front of him.
He followed Zhu Xingda's gaze and saw a gray head. He raised his eyebrows slightly, "Who is this black loach? Why is he gray?"
Black loach...
The group chat avatars were all Q-version animal heads. The little raccoon, the little shark, and the little black cat could all be seen from their heads. However, it was indeed difficult to determine what specific animals they were from the dull black avatars... However, Dai Moroboshi could vaguely see scales and judged that it was a black snake or a lizard.
He pondered for a moment. "According to the conventions of other social media apps... a gray profile picture should mean that you're not online."
In the following exploration, he tried to click on the avatar, but it showed that the other party was not online, and he could not click on the large picture; the group card of this mysterious "person" was also blank, which looked quite curious.
What exactly does it mean to be offline in a group chat? Is it just a literal meaning, or is it due to the status of the contract or other factors? And who is this Mr. Black Reptile?
Zhu Xingda fell into deep thought.
Although Chaomu wasn't present and hadn't spoken, her profile picture was still lit, so that couldn't be the reason... Did her absence mean the contract hadn't been concluded, or did she only sign a temporary contract with the other party, which had now expired? Or perhaps the other party had suffered an accident, lost consciousness, or simply passed away...
Many theories flashed through his mind, but none of them could be confirmed. He could only tentatively send a message to Chaomu, asking her which "family member" the extra profile picture represented, and whether she needed training with Squalo... Although Zhu Xingdai actually didn't want to waste her time on such a task, asking her this way should increase the probability of her answering.
Judging from her momentary guilty reaction when Squalo was mentioned earlier, Chaomu was aware that finding a new pet might upset him. He felt that if he pressed her too hard, she'd likely feign ignorance. It would be better to exploit her guilt and proceed slowly.
It had to be said that Zhu Xingda was quite adept at understanding his "master's" psychology. He quickly made a plan in his mind and only sent a text message this time, not calling again, considerately giving her some time to recover.
He seemed quite adept at dealing with his master, and his personality was much better than those eccentric fellows like Xanxus or Varian. Having such a reliable "colleague" gave Squalo a subtle sense of comfort.
"If she won't interfere with our daily lives... then is she easy to talk to?" The silver-haired mermaid turned over in the bathtub and sat up, asking her new colleague curiously, "I thought she'd be the stubborn type who doesn't understand what people say, but from the look of you, it seems like she's not completely uncommunicative."
It was a relatively private, relaxing environment, with the boss away. The colleagues, who had just gotten into a fight, reconciled. The sound of running water seemed to drown out the crickets, and there were no bugs in the bathroom to listen to their conversation.
The feeling of complaining about the boss with colleagues was quite strange... even a little pleasant. After all, before this, there was basically no one who could share the topic of morning and evening with Zhu Xingdai - and no one could understand his current magical situation.
This strange feeling of pleasure made the black-haired sniper silent for two seconds, and he swallowed back the topic of complaining about his "master".
Although this mermaid seems to be a simple person and his attitude towards Chaomu is quite distant now...but the possibility of him filing a complaint in the future cannot be ruled out.
Therefore, in the face of his question, Moroboshi Dai finally just answered tactfully: "She is still young, and may be a little temperamental occasionally... But most of the time, she is still easy to talk to. If you have work to finish and can't come back, just tell her that you will give her double the special props next time, and she won't be angry with you."
"Although Matsuda-kun didn't manage to treat us to the limited-edition caramel pudding of fifty servings this time, you're making up for it by treating us again tomorrow."
The "easy-going" Chaomu finished his last skewer of grilled chicken wings, wiped his mouth, and commented, "Anyway, the yakitori at this restaurant is really quite delicious. I have no problem coming back for another try tomorrow night."
"...We just ate...I'm sure you'll be ravenous." Matsuda, who had just returned from paying, said with disdain, "And your appetite is ridiculous...You're eating so much for a late-night snack, are you a pig?"
The small izakaya was bustling with activity, the bar filled with young people enjoying a late-night snack. He had to raise his voice to make his disapproval reach the ears of the short-haired girl next to him—and then, as she stood up, she stepped hard on him, causing him to grimace in pain and leaving a noticeable footprint on his new leather shoes.
"I'm eating a normal amount," said the player, who had actually eaten several meals today, but he still felt quite confident. "I just ate a few more skewers of meat... Neon skewers are so small, it's normal to eat a little more!"
Hagiwara Kenji also smiled: "Little Chaomu is still in the growth stage, it's normal for him to eat a lot at this age."
Matsuda bent down to polish his shoes, his face livid. He simply muttered a few words about "super-powerful woman" and didn't comment on her appetite. After all, as the one treating, it would seem a bit stingy to complain about someone eating too much, and he didn't mean to do that.
Chaomu, who had the upper hand, decided to quit and followed Hagiwara with his hands in his pockets.
Before leaving the store, Kenji Hagiwara helped her put on a scarf, put his fingertips under her pointed chin, and his eyes seemed to inadvertently sweep across her smooth and flawless neck.
Matsuda casually put a cashmere hat on her forehead before pushing her into the cold wind. "Just so you know, I might not be free tomorrow night... I seem to have a lot of work to do these past two days."
Chaomu is actually not that afraid of the cold, but he doesn’t feel hot even though he is wrapped so tightly. He feels warm and comfortable.
"If you're not free, then the night after tomorrow." She put her hands in her pockets and said casually, "Anyway, if Matsuda-kun wants to treat me, I'm always free."
Anyway, the task of "training" Squalo has been handed over to Mimi. Mimi is so sensible, she should be able to help her arrange everything, right? She shouldn't have to worry too much, right?
The temperature outside was significantly lower than before they'd entered for their late-night snack. Advertisements played on the large screen in the building, and the weather forecast at the bottom indicated that this winter would be colder than usual, advising everyone to wrap up warm. The scrolling note had already begun predicting the weather for November 6th: tomorrow would still be sunny, but on the 7th, a cold snap would arrive, with the temperature plummeting by more than five degrees. The short-haired girl walked briskly in front, bundled up like a ball, a stark contrast to her previous appearance in the thin gray hoodie. It was clear she was well-prepared for the cold snap.
The two gentlemen who had provided her with these equipment were not dressed so extravagantly, both wearing windbreakers, following behind her, one in front and one behind. Hagiwara was a little closer to her, walking on the outside of the sidewalk, blocking her at the inner end.
She bounced with every step, and the pom-pom on her hat swayed, making it tempting to grab it. Matsuda tugged at her hat angrily by the pom-pom, instinctively wanting to argue with her: "I just said if you didn't get the pudding this time, I'll make it up to you next time. I didn't say I'd be free these few days... I might not be free the day after tomorrow, maybe next week!"
How on earth did this guy manage to book his next trip with such a straight face? It made me want to rub the pom-pom on her face.
Chaomu answered quickly: "Then next week - since you promised me, I must eat it, any time is fine."
"If Jinpei-chan is really busy, I'll fill in for him," Hagiwara Kenji coaxed her. "It's just a limited batch of pudding for the first fifty, isn't it easy to get it?"
A chilly wind blew across the street, sweeping a few fallen leaves from their feet behind them. Behind them, neon lights flickered in the city, and the fallen leaves were swept up into the colorful sky. From above, the shadows of the pedestrians resembled flocks of birds hurriedly returning to their nests.
At this moment, Chaomu is also a bird about to return to her nest, having finished a day of hunting and returned to her new nest where she is temporarily living. Although it is a temporary stay, the male bird in the nest has been diligently bringing back a lot of things home in the past few days, including small items such as hand cream, which she has replenished and filled in the cabinet of the guest room bathroom.
"This cup can be used to drink hot drinks. The glass cup I used before didn't have a handle, which was actually not very convenient. Xiao Chaomu can use this from now on."
After cleaning the guest room, Hagiwara Kenji casually placed a mug with a raccoon pattern on the table, placing it next to the dog mug he had used earlier, and casually reminded: "I'll put it here first... Xiao Chaomu?"
He glanced into the living room but didn't see Chaomu. Then he spotted her silhouette behind the balcony door. The short-haired girl was squatting on the balcony with her back to him, fiddling with the green plants and newly bought hyacinths he had placed there for decoration, apparently watering them.
The balcony light was off, and in the dim light and shadow, her back looked like a mushroom. She seemed to have encountered some problem, squatting there without moving, looking left and right but couldn't see what she wanted.
Kenji Hagiwara probably guessed what she was thinking about.
The corners of his lips curled up as he pulled out the flowerpot he had bought from his handbag. He pushed open the balcony door and squatted over with her. "If you want to repot the hyacinth, I've already prepared a flowerpot. This size should be enough for its roots to grow, right?"
He also bought nutrient soil with fertilizer and a simple flower stand. The assembled wooden flower stand was quite elegant and could hold a few pots of green plants and his trusted hyacinths.
As expected of Hagiwara-kun... He's really well-prepared. The flowerpots are also quite cute: a raccoon, a Samoyed, and a Doberman sitting side by side, each holding a hyacinth.
Chaomu took the flower pots and arranged them in a row. He skillfully changed the pots for the hyacinths and admired them with considerable satisfaction: "That should be enough... Very cute."
The planting cycle was a little longer than expected, so she decided to secretly add some special fertilizer after Hagiwara-kun left - this was her first time growing this kind of flower, and she wanted to reap the fruits quickly.
They were like two rabbits squatting together, deciding whether to plant carrots or spinach tomorrow. When Chaomu started working, Hagiwara watched with a smile on his face, without interfering too much.
When she finally filled the hole with soil, she clapped her hands and tried to stand up. The young man with half-long hair behind her put his arm around her shoulders and helped her stand steadily.
"After arranging the seedlings, it's time for Xiao Chaomu to go to bed, right? It's getting late, so it's better to go to bed early at night." His tone was gentle, as considerate as always. "Do you want to take a shower first?"
Chaomu hadn't been idle for a while yet, and just as he got up he started to pick up the parts of the flower stand he bought: "Hagiwara-kun, go wash it first, and I'll put up this flower stand by the way."
She couldn't rest until she finished her work—after all, players wouldn't feel tired as long as their energy bar was full, so she might as well finish the balcony renovation first. After setting up the flower stand, she felt she could plant a few more pots of crops and expand her plantation to Hagiwara's house.
Now that her own plantation has grown to a considerable size and the harvest is sufficient, she can focus more on the visual effects at home in Hagiwara.
"I think we could plant some vines here..." She gestured towards the balcony, her eyes sparkling. "It's sure to be beautiful in the spring."
When facing him, she always seemed so innocent, enthusiastic and unreserved.
Kenji Hagiwara was a little glad that he didn't turn on the balcony light when he came over just now.
He silently covered his ears, which were a little hot, and agreed with her plan as if nothing had happened. "It's true that we could plant some flowering vines... Wisteria or something like that would be beautiful, but wouldn't it be difficult to grow? I don't have much experience in growing crops."
"No, if I plant it, it will bloom." Chaomu was very confident in this regard. "Don't worry, Hagiwara-kun, just leave it to me."
In just a few words, she planned her future arrangements, as if she would never be absent from his life in the future.
No matter who the person who left marks on her is...for her, he should still be...her first choice to live in his house, right?
The dark cloud that had been plaguing her heart for the past few days seemed to have dissipated. Hagiwara Kenji quietly watched her profile as she excitedly fiddled with the flower stand, his brows slightly curved. "Then I'll leave it to you, little Chaomu. I'll be looking forward to... the arrival of spring."
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Author's Note: The winner of this cat-fish electronic cricket battle is Hagiwara-kun! Super-big-cup!
(Cat, fish:?)
As you can see, I failed to check the time tonight (very failed), and finally gave up struggling and revised it for a long time and wrote a little more (I think those who bought it first will not be charged for the extra words, I don’t think I have tried it)
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