Chapter 404 |
Fang Qi suddenly remembered.
In the early hours of the eighth day...
He had ordered a food storage container online for Liguang.
It was specifically meant to preserve that egg pancake she treasured so much.
The first meal he had ever cooked for her with his own hands.
He still remembered it.
The container had a star pattern on it. It was neatly square.
Come to think of it, when he placed the order that day, Liguang had been really happy, hadn’t she?
But it only arrived just now.
just yesterday in the early hours!
But because of all those resets...
It really had been dragged out for ages and ages.
Tsk.
This delivery company is totally unreliable!
A delivery company that can't transcend resets isn’t a good delivery company!
From outside the door came the sound of the elevator opening.
Liguang’s ears twitched slightly, and she immediately pulled open the door!
Fang Qi looked over and saw a delivery guy standing at the entrance, holding a neatly square cardboard box.
The guy froze on the spot when he saw the stunning silver-haired, mismatched-eyed beauty standing inside the door!
"Thank you!"
Liguang quickly took the box, gave a slight bow, and then...
"Click!"
She shut the door with swift precision!
Before the door closed, Fang Qi could see the delivery guy still standing there in a daze!
Liguang turned around with the box in her arms and winked at Fang Qi.
"Master, you should eat first!"
"Otherwise, the food will get cold!"
At the same time, a faint streak of crimson light flickered at her fingertips, cleanly slicing through the tape on the box!
She took out the container, held it in both hands...
And, unable to contain herself, trotted quickly to the kitchen!
Fang Qi propped his chin on his left hand, watching her busy figure in the kitchen, slightly lost in thought.
With his right hand, he picked up a piece of beef brisket and put it into his mouth.
Mm, delicious...
In the kitchen, the silver-haired girl washed the container inside and out until it was spotless, then carefully dried it with a paper towel, holding it up to the light to check for any water spots...
Next, she opened the sterilizer, placed the container inside, and pressed the button.
Then she clasped her hands together, as if performing some kind of ritual!
After that, she cautiously took out that egg pancake from the fridge.
Fang Qi’s chopsticks froze mid-air.
He saw it again—the egg pancake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
The one he had made before.
Crooked and uneven.
Pretty average-looking.
But it was the first meal he had made for her.
In her eyes...
It was a treasure worthy of the most solemn ritual to preserve.
Fang Qi pressed his lips together.
Watching Liguang’s careful movements, his heart softened into a complete mess.
It was just too much!
He kept watching as she went through some preservation steps he didn’t quite understand...
Until, finally, she stored the egg pancake securely in the container!
Then she hugged the container to her chest, spun around, and ran over!
Holding the container high, she showed it to Fang Qi!
"Master! Master! Look!"
Her voice was bright and cheerful, her amber pupils sparkling, the crimson in her other eye twinkling with joy!
"Liguang has finally preserved the first meal Master ever made for her!"
Seeing her radiant and satisfied smile, Fang Qi couldn’t help but curl his lips upward too.
"Alright, alright~ I see it, I see it~"
He reached out and gently flicked the little plastic star dangling from her earlobe.
The little star and Liguang’s earlobe both swayed slightly.
The silver-haired girl blinked, her cheeks flushing just a little.
Then she giggled, hugged the container to her chest, turned around, and trotted over to the most prominent shelf in the living room...
She placed the container squarely in the center slot!
She stepped back twice, tilted her head to examine it for a long while, adjusted the angle twice, and only then nodded in satisfaction!
Then she scurried back on little steps and sat down beside Fang Qi.
Her whole series of little moves was unbearably cute!
Fang Qi couldn’t help but reach out and pinch her nose:
"Someone here wouldn’t let me cook earlier," he teased.
"Otherwise, Master could have made Liguang a second meal!"
The silver-haired girl hugged his arm and rubbed her soft cheek against his shoulder, giggling:
"Master making Liguang one meal is already enough to make her happy!"
"And besides..."
She blinked, looking at Fang Qi with innocent eyes.
"There's only one container—a second meal would be hard to preserve!"
Fang Qi: "..."
Wife, has it ever occurred to you that food is meant to be eaten!
Feeling the softness against his shoulder and seeing the table full of dishes and the silver-haired girl still grinning foolishly beside him...
Forget it!
It was time to enjoy himself!
He’d worked hard for so long—couldn’t he just enjoy a little?
No one was going to stop him from enjoying this!
So he slapped his chopsticks down with a "smack!"
Then leaned back against his chair!
"Don’t feel like moving—my arms are sore!"
He glanced loftily at the silver-haired girl hugging his arm.
"Feed me!"
The silver-haired girl was stunned for a moment, then immediately straightened up!
Both mismatched eyes lit up!
"Yes, Master!"
She quickly picked up the chopsticks, grabbed a piece of braised pork ribs, carefully removed the bone, and brought the meat to Fang Qi’s mouth.
"Master, say aaah—"
Her other hand was cupped beneath it, worried any sauce might drip onto him.
Fang Qi opened his mouth and bit into it.
The full, rich meaty flavor!
He chewed in satisfaction!
Great, great...
If his wife was willing to wait on him, why bother moving himself?
Liguang, keep going!
Just keep spoiling me until I’m a useless lump!
And so the meal continued with an endless stream of "Master, say aaah—"
Liguang started off leaning against him, and later...
She was sitting right in his lap!
She picked the best parts of every dish for him!
She deboned the fish, trimmed the sinew from the brisket, and even chose the most intact florets from the broccoli.
She didn’t eat anything herself—she was too busy serving him.
Fang Qi leaned back in his chair, holding the warmth in his arms, chewing the food Liguang fed him...
Well, well—this felt a bit like a decadent palace of pleasure!
So sinful...
But still...
Nice!
Nice was all that mattered!
...
Fang Qi rubbed his round belly and flopped back onto the sofa.
"Burp!"
He let out a satisfied, utterly ungraceful belch.
Liguang had already knelt on the carpet at his feet, gently massaging his legs.
Her small hands applied just the right amount of pressure, pressing on pressure points in a steady rhythm, working from his thighs all the way down to his ankles.
Ahhh...
Heavenly...
Fang Qi’s consciousness began to drift.
If he could lie in a recliner with a fishing rod nearby...
It would be like... retiring early into an old man’s life of leisure...
If he could just keep living like this, without having to dwell on all those complicated, heavy things...
How wonderful would that be...
He stared faintly at the ceiling, lost in a daze.
Right now, all he wanted to do was lie here.
All he wanted was for his wife to massage his legs.
All he wanted was to eat the food his wife cooked.
And maybe, once in a while...
be locked up or tased by his wife?
Mm.
That wouldn’t be so bad either.
A comfortable and exciting little life!
So yeah...
Maybe going with the flow was the best choice.
Let’s just... do that?
Slack off!
No, wait...
Go with the flow!
All that stuff about the world’s foundations, nine pieces of authority, offering one’s soul...
He really didn’t get any of it!
Now he...
Ring!
The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang again.
Fang Qi’s eyelids twitched slightly.
Here we go again.
Who was it this time?
Liguang glanced sideways at the phone, let go of the hand massaging his legs, and gently picked up the phone from the table.
She took a look, and her crimson eyes flickered slightly.
But she didn’t answer it herself. Instead, she held it with both hands and obediently handed it to Fang Qi.
“Master, it’s your call.”
“It’s from Miss Gu Xi.”
Oh, so this time it was Gu Xi.
Fang Qi looked down.
The number on the screen was unfamiliar.
...Huh?
How did Liguang know it was Gu Xi’s number?
...Forget it!
He’d just eaten and was too lazy to think anyway!
He took the phone directly and pressed the answer button.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Fang, nice to speak with you.”
Gu Xi’s voice came through the receiver.
Her tone was so serious, so formal!
So formal that Fang Qi was slightly caught off guard.
“Regarding the matter I mentioned at your home earlier, about needing your cooperation for a detailed discussion in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Intelligent Machinery Safety Law...”
This official jargon...
“...Please make sure to come to the city bureau before five o’clock this afternoon.”
Gu Xi continued.
“There are some things we need to verify with you in person. It won’t take long. I hope you can cooperate.”
...Huh.
Fang Qi glanced at the silver-haired girl kneeling by his feet.
Liguang was still bowing her head, continuing to massage his legs with both hands. But the pressure of her fingers...
Had clearly increased!
It was painful enough to dig in!
Her nails were even lightly pressing into his flesh!
She was doing it on purpose!
Fang Qi knew exactly what her actions meant!
—Master, just try saying yes, and see what happens.
She was threatening him.
And besides...
His feet still felt so heavy.
He looked down at his ankles.
On his feet, those heavy and furry shackles were still hanging!
Even if he agreed, he couldn’t go anywhere!
Fang Qi pressed his lips together, sank back into the sofa, and organized his words...
“Officer Gu.”
He began, his tone earnest.
“Look... it’s not that I don’t want to comply, it’s just that...”
He hesitated awkwardly.
“I really can’t make it...!”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
Fang Qi kept explaining:
“Officer Gu, you know how Liguang is...”
Uh...
He didn’t even know how to explain.
He couldn’t exactly tell the truth, could he?
—My wife has locked me at home and won’t let me leave! Officer Sister, come rescue me!
Yeah, right...
Then he’d really get to experience that “no escape” situation!
And if he did that...
His image in front of the Officer Sister would be completely ruined!
Though he probably had no image left anyway, after that whole “harassing the beautiful policewoman” performance in front of her...
“Anyway, it’s...”
Fang Qi racked his brain.
“Uh... I really can’t leave the house right now. Could you give me a few days’ extension?”
Gu Xi was silent on the phone for a long moment.
“...Liguang?”
She murmured softly, and then...
“Liguang...?”
“...Oh...!”
Next...
“...Pfft.”
An extremely faint, suppressed laugh leaked from the receiver!
Fang Qi: “?”
What are you laughing at?
“Understood, Mr. Fang.”
Gu Xi’s voice returned to a normal, serious tone.
“Then you go ahead and handle your... hmm, ‘family matters’ first. We won’t disturb you for now.”
She cleared her throat, her tone growing more professional.
“It’s not very urgent on our end anyway, since we’ve waited quite a while already.”
“So, once you’ve sorted out your family matters, you must—must—pfft!”
A short, sharp burst of laughter came through from the other end.
Fang Qi: “??”
“...Family matters...”
Her voice was trembling now.
“Pfft... haha—”
The call ended.
In the last half-second before it cut off, besides the laughter, he also heard...
The sound of something slamming onto a desk!
Like someone was laughing so hard they banged the table.
Fang Qi: “???”
He stared at the “call ended” screen on his phone.
What the hell?!
Gu Xi, what do you mean by that?
Had she figured it out?
Yeah.
She probably did know him well enough, she really should...
...Damn it!
You...!
“Master, would you like some fruit?”
Liguang’s voice came from near his feet, sounding sweet and obedient.
Fang Qi looked down at her.
Liguang, still kneeling by his feet, had softened her massaging pressure again.
Her little hands gently pressed along his legs, her fingers much more relaxed now.
Her whole posture radiated satisfaction and happiness!
Fang Qi stared at her obedient, docile demeanor for about two seconds.
“...Yes, I’ll have some!”
“Liguang will go wash it right away!”
The silver-haired girl hopped up from his feet, turned around, and happily trotted into the kitchen!
Fang Qi listened to the sound of the faucet running in the kitchen...
Slowly, he let his entire back sink into the sofa cushions.
Forget it.
As long as the wife is happy!
Life is comfortable...!
Ring!
The phone rang again.
Fang Qi’s expression dropped.
Oh, come on...?
Who is it this time!
