Chapter 217: Everyday Play
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“How’s it? Not bad, huh?” Zhou Chao and Jiang Li were sitting in a cozy noodle shop originated from Fog City, a place Zhou Chao had been to previously. “Yeah, Fog City Noodles have a unique flavor!” Jiang Li’s small bowl was almost empty too.
“I think the last time we came here was with Lin Wu. I remember I had two bowls. The taste at this place is truly authentic!” Zhou Chao’s large bowl was already empty, and he had even finished the soup.
“Phew, I’m so full!” Jiang Li quickly finished her noodles, wiped her mouth, and looked at Zhou Chao with a satisfied expression.
“Let’s go. Shoufu is almost done with the bath!” They had been eating for about 40 minutes. Zhou Chao paid the bill and held Jiang Li’s hand as they headed to the pet store.
“You might have to wait a bit. It seems it had been a while since it last bathed, so it might take some time!” The staff noticed Zhou Chao and Jiang Li entering and stopped their work to inform them.
Zhou Chao looked at Shoufu lying in the pool, tongue out and looking a bit helpless, with its adorable big head.
“No problem, you go ahead!” Zhou Chao said and then took Jiang Li to a nearby resting area, where he started playing with his phone.
“Brother Chao, take a look at this!” Jiang Li handed her phone to Zhou Chao.
“What is it? Why are you so excited?” Zhou Chao lifted his head to see what was on Jiang Li’s phone.
“Wow, Lei Mingtang and Zhou Qian seem to be enjoying themselves. Is this their honeymoon? Where is this place? The scenery is so beautiful!” Zhou Chao was surprised to find that Jiang Li was showing him pictures of Lei Mingtang and Zhou Qian’s vacation.
“They shared their location, it’s on Santorini Island, Greece. The scenery here is truly breathtaking. Brother Chao, maybe we can go there too!” Jiang Li looked at Zhou Chao with sparkling eyes, as if her eyes would well up with tears if he said no.
“Sure, we can plan to go there sometime!” Zhou Chao smiled and pinched Jiang Li’s cute face.
“Let’s make a promise then, don’t back out later!”
“Alright, you can count on me! I’ll take you on a world tour!”
The two of them chatted happily in the resting area, but their cozy moment was interrupted by the pet store staff’s call.
“Sir, your cat has finished bathing! Is there anything else you need?” The staff’s voice came from the entrance of the resting area.
“It’s done already? Let’s pick up some cat food and treats from your store. I want the best quality, and have them delivered to my place later!” Zhou Chao and Jiang Li walked out of the resting area and saw that Shoufu was already lying in the pet carrier backpack.
“Alright, we’ll send someone to your home later!”
“Okay!” Zhou Chao strapped the pet carrier backpack onto himself, grabbed a box of cat treats with 10 pieces, and held Jiang Li’s hand as they left the pet store, heading towards their home.
“I wonder if the house has been cleaned!” Jiang Li looked at the approaching courtyard and playfully twisted Zhou Chao’s arm.
Zhou Chao felt a soft collision and couldn’t help but get lost in thought. He didn’t pay attention to what Jiang Li was saying and focused on the soft touch on his arm.
“Brother Chao, what are you thinking about?” Jiang Li saw that Zhou Chao wasn’t responding and looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, I just got lost in thought for a moment. What did you ask me?”
“I said I wonder if the house has been cleaned!”
“It should be cleaned by now. After all, it’s been over an hour, and there were more than a dozen people cleaning. Even if it’s not done, it should be close!” “Yeah!” Zhou Chao and Jiang Li soon arrived at the entrance of their home. They looked at the closed door, and Zhou Chao entered the passcode to unlock it.
“Huh, it’s already cleaned?” Zhou Chao didn’t see any cleaning staff as soon as he entered.
Then Zhou Chao and Jiang Li walked inside and found Property Manager Xiao Liu sitting on a chair, playing with her phone out of boredom.
“All, Mr. Zhou, you’re back. The cleaning has been completed. Is there anything else you need?”
“Yeah, it’s all done. How much is it?”
“These cleaning services are included in the property fees. Mr. Zhou, you can inquire at the property office for the details.”
“Alright, got it!” Property Manager Xiao Liu nodded and apologized to Zhou Chao and Jiang Li before leaving.
“We’re not going back tonight?” Jiang Li sat on the sofa, cradling Shoufu in her arms and feeding him a cat treat.
“Yeah, it’s Saturday tomorrow. It’s a good time to spend with your dad and chat.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead!” After saying this, Jiang Li focused on feeding Shoufu. It seemed like Shoufu had been hungry for a while because it quickly finished two treats, and Jiang Li started petting him.
“All Li, should we cook at home or go out for dinner tonight?”
“Let’s cook at home. It’s been so long since I’ve had your cooking, and I’m really craving it!” Even Shoufu in Jiang Li’s arms meowed as if saying, “Your cooking is delicious!”
“Alright, I’ll order some ingredients online, and you’ll have a feast tonight!” Zhou Chao’s large hand ruffled Jiang Li’s head. He couldn’t remember when he developed the habit of doing this, but it felt strange not to do it now.
Under Zhou Chao’s hand, Jiang Li felt incredibly comfortable, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment.
After a while, Zhou Chao sat down and started ordering groceries online. He selected a few items he liked and some that Jiang Li favored. The order was quickly placed, and they just had to wait for the delivery.
About half an hour later, while Zhou Chao was lying on the sofa, he heard the doorbell ring.
“It might be the grocery delivery. Let me check!” Zhou Chao got up and walked to the door, only to find that both the groceries and cat food had arrived.
“Ah Li, can you come out for a moment?” Zhou Chao realized he couldn’t carry everything himself and needed Jiang Li’s help.
“You hand me the groceries, and just leave the cat food here; I’ll bring it inside myself.” The two delivery guys didn’t make a fuss and followed Zhou Chao’s instructions, placing the items neatly before heading off.
“Brother Chao, what’s going on?” Although she hadn’t arrived yet, her voice reached him first.
“The groceries and cat food have arrived. Come out to help me, please!”
“On my way!” Jiang Li briskly walked toward him.
“Here, you take the groceries, and I’ll handle the cat food.” Jiang Li looked at the three large bags of cat food on the ground, her expression revealing disbelief.
“Don’t underestimate your husband. Watch this!” Zhou Chao grabbed one bag and slung it over his shoulder. With one bag in hand, he walked inside, leaving Jiang Li standing there in astonishment.
“Why are you still standing there? Come inside!” Zhou Chao was about to enter the house when he noticed that Jiang Li was still standing in place. He couldn’t help but call out to her.
“I’m coming!” Jiang Li quickly ran inside, carrying the groceries.
“You go ahead and feed Shoufu. Don’t let him eat too much. I’ll start preparing the dishes!” Zhou Chao placed the cat food in its designated spot and checked the time; it was already past 5 p.m.
“Alright, 1 know!” Jiang Li headed over to Shoufu’s area. There was a special container for cat food and a machine to dispense it. Jiang Li poured the food into the container and gave Shoufu some water before taking a step back to let the cat eat.
Shoufu seemed as though it hadn’t eaten in days and quickly devoured its meal. However, after a while, it finished and began meowing at Jiang Li, seemingly impatient.
“Just eat a little for now, you can eat more later!” Jiang Li rubbed Shoufu’s big head in her hands.
“Meow!” Shoufu felt that there was still more delicious food to come.
While Jiang Li was busy pampering the cat on the sofa, Zhou Chao was bustling in the kitchen. He enjoyed eating meat, so the groceries didn’t include many vegetables, and if they did, they were primarily used as side ingredients for the meat dishes.
Zhou Chao kept busy until around 6:30 pm when he finally emerged from the kitchen.
“Tired? Come here, and I’ll give you a massage!” Jiang Li saw Zhou Chao coming out of the kitchen, looking slightly fatigued.
Zhou Chao sat on the sofa, and Jiang Li knelt behind him, her hands pressing on his shoulders.
“Ah Li, if you keep doing this, I’ll have to charge you with assault!” Zhou Chao felt his head occasionally bumping against Jiang Li’s softness and teased her with a mischievous smile.
“Hmph, if you continue like this, I won’t give you a massage!” Jiang Li huffed and increased the pressure slightly.
“Alright, alright, 1 won’t say anything more!” Zhou Chao closed his eyes and enjoyed the dual massage on his shoulders and head.
After about seven or eight minutes, Zhou Chao opened his eyes, feeling exceptionally relaxed. He spoke up, “Let’s have dinner first, and after we eat, I’ll give you a proper massage!”
Hearing this, Jiang Li immediately understood Zhou Chao’s mischievous intent. She playfully balled her hands into fists and lightly tapped him a few times, then got up from the sofa and headed towards the kitchen.
Zhou Chao, seeing her reaction, also perked up a bit and followed suit, making his way into the kitchen.
“Let’s eat quickly. I’ve put a lot of effort into this!” Jiang Li looked at the various dishes on the table, representing eight different regional cuisines. It was evident that Zhou Chao had put a lot of thought into it.
“Sure!” Jiang Li wasn’t as delicate as a little girl and immediately started enjoying her meal. Perhaps her previous experience as an intern village official had something to do with it.
“Zhou Chao, you bad pig! This last Four Joy Meatball is mine, and you’ve already eaten three!”
“You finished my entire plate of Longjing shrimp in just two bites!”
“Ahhh, my Nine-Turn Intestines!”
Laughter and joy filled the room.
“Burp, I’m so full now! 1 don’t even want to move!” Jiang Li slumped onto the sofa, looking at Zhou Chao, who was also comfortably seated next to her, with even traces of oil still on his lips.
“How about we go for a walk to digest our food?” Zhou Chao suggested.
“Sounds good! Oh, I feel so full!” Jiang Li happily got up, feeling a bit bloated due to overeating.
“Haha, serves you right for competing with me! Now you know, huh?” Zhou Chao teased, taking a few quick steps outside and even making a funny face before leaving.
“Hey, you bad pig, wait for me!” Jiang Li followed him outside. Shoufu was left alone on the sofa, tilting its head and watching the two of them gradually disappearing into the distance..