Chapter 128 Part 1: Little Shu, How Much Longer Can I Stay With You? (1)

At the dining table,

Chu Wang Shu scooped a mouthful of ice jelly, her eyes squinting happily. The crushed peanuts added a crunchy texture, while the raisins and hawthorn bits added layers of sweetness. The syrup made with brown sugar made the ice jelly taste very sweet and refreshing, smooth and delightful to eat, perfect for cooling down.

The little girl stirred the ice jelly with a spoon, feeling nostalgic. She remembered the day when she argued with her dad, and there was green bean soup and ice jelly in the fridge, with a note on the table reminding her to eat them.

It could be said that even when her dad was most distant from her, he never forgot to take care of her daily life, as meticulous as taking care of a child.

And it was for this reason that she felt very puzzled about how their father-daughter relationship had come to this point.

If her dad didn’t like her and was only raising her out of obligation and responsibility, he could have just given her some pocket money like some single-parent families do, there was no need to put in so much effort and caring.

Chu Wang Shu had once suspected that Chu Yuanying had health issues. However, after secretly looking at her dad’s medical examination report from work, she found everything was normal.

Though reassured, this led to more confusion.

The sense of unease brought about by this confusion was what motivated her to overcome her inner discomfort and rebellion during adolescence, willing to take the initiative to break the ice.

Chu Wang Shu no longer dwelled on the past. She gazed at the bowl of ice jelly, as if seeing a beautiful future in a daze. The curve on her young and pretty face, with a hint of happiness at the corner of her lips, exuded a sense of bliss.

Now, she and her father have a great relationship and she advanced smoothly to the A1 stage in the second round.

As long as they form a stable team of five, with their current team setup, they will definitely not be eliminated in the second round and will gain more popularity and fans.

Even if she doesn’t get a debut spot in the entertainment circle, which equals money, she can still earn enough to relieve her father from working overtime.

– Half a year.

In just half a year, her and her father’s life will improve – no more squeezing in a small rental house, no more working long hours, no more penny-pinching when shopping for groceries…

Chu Wang Shu paused her thoughts, took another bite of her ice powder, and whispered softly:

“Little Qing’s cooking skills are as good as my dad’s, but he prefers milder flavors, and the ice powder he makes isn’t as sweet.”

Chu Yuanqing had mixed feelings; she wasn’t foolish. Even though she wanted to pamper her daughter by making a normal meal without counting calories to meet nutritional and taste needs, she wouldn’t show any flaws in her cooking.

Whether it’s ice powder, braised pork with osmanthus, scallion-blooming eggs, spare rib soup, or seafood congee, she used the most authentic and common methods and added many unique details in the seasoning.

Also, after her body changed like this, her taste buds improved slightly. At least now she can somewhat taste salty and sweet flavors, without having to meticulously follow a scale for seasoning to prevent the taste from being too strong, which used to result in an overall bland taste.

Chu Yuanqing untied her apron and sat next to her lovely daughter, tilting her head to admire her daughter’s profile. Her daughter blinked her long eyelashes, revealing a joyful smile, and softly asked:

“Does Little Shu prefer to eat food that is not too strong in flavor?”

Chu Wang Shu felt a bit uncomfortable under the gaze and shyly stirred the ice cream with her spoon, honestly replying in a soft voice:

“It’s okay, I enjoy food whether it’s a bit sweet or a bit bland.”

It was strange; she used to be quite outgoing when facing Little Qing before, never feeling shy or awkward.

However, now, sitting at the dinner table eating Little Qing’s cooking while being watched by Little Qing, she couldn’t help but feel something odd, like… the feeling of being kindly watched by elders while eating?

There was also an inexplicable sense of nostalgia, and a familiar déjà vu overflowing her mind, flooding her emotions like rising tides, stirring up memories of the past.

Chu Wang Shu momentarily lost focus and mistook the solemn expression of a pretty girl with gentle eyes and brows for her mother, who was not present and wearing a veil.

Yes, what makes Little Qing so special compared to her mother, who is also kind and beautiful, tells bedtime stories, cooks delicious meals, occasionally gives advice, and cares so deeply?

Oh, the difference is she doesn’t know my dad.

Chu Wang Shu suddenly remembered the conditions she set for her dad’s new partner and quickly finished her dessert like a shy hamster, avoiding eye contact, eating nervously and silently speculating.

Chu Yuanqing blinked in confusion. Is it really that delicious? It seems Little Shu really prefers sweeter desserts. I should add more sugar in the future.

The green-eyed cat secretly watched, eating while feeling envious and resentful.

Oh, Little Shu is so spoiled by Aunt Mother Qing! She must be Mother Qing’s niece.

Tang Liuli was extremely jealous.

However, she didn’t envy for long, as she immersed herself in the warmth like soaking in a hot spring in the cold winter month, swaying in the selfless love, unable to resist.

The green-eyed cat held the chopsticks shakily, hurriedly eating the rice to hide her emotions behind the rising steam.

Tang Liuli felt like every tiny cell in her body was being surrounded by a soft and smooth touch, bringing a sense of happy safety. Tears welled up in her emerald eyes, almost forming the shape of a heart. Her cute freckles turned pink, and she breathed slightly faster.

Hehehe, Little Shu being loved by Mother Qing didn’t seem so bad after all.

Little Sakura looked at the strange green-eyed cat with suspicion, feeling a sense of unease.

Chu Yuanqing also noticed this difference and looked at the other person with confusion, asking with concern:

“Liuli, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”

Tang Liuli lowered her eyes and nervously rubbed her smooth legs, but was suddenly attacked by this unexpected concern. Her legs tingled for a moment, and she couldn’t help but make a soft sound. She suppressed her breathing, pursed her lips, and explained:

“I’m fine, just… just the mapo tofu was a bit spicy… my tongue couldn’t handle it.”

Chu Yuanqing pondered upon hearing this. The mapo tofu she made was more on the sweet side, not too spicy. Could it be that Little Liuli had a sensitive tongue?

“I’ll put even less chili next time.”

Tang Liuli nodded repeatedly, pretending to eat while her snowy feet, tucked in cotton slippers under the table, were curled up with tension. Her focus was scattered, droplets of water fell, and she finished her meal hastily. Her toes were nervously grinding against the cotton slippers.

The cat with green eyes couldn’t help it and said, putting down her bowl and chopsticks:

“I… I’m full, I’ll go back to the room to rest for a bit.”

After saying that, she inexplicably walked back to the room, stumbling a bit.

Chu Yuanqing didn’t pay much attention.

Kirimi Miyuki’s intuition was still brightly lit, a hint of pink diffused in her pupils, and her emotions involuntarily churned.

This meal felt uncomfortable, even though she could eat the food personally made by Little Qing, which was a very meaningful and happy thing.

But…

It felt strange, irritating, and uncomfortable.

This feeling of restlessness and unease is like having a sneaky invisible mouse that has sneaked into your own rice jar, stealing what belongs to it at all times.

But unable to find the source, nor any way to solve it, can only, like the words spoken by Xie Qingxuan, forcefully suppress deep in the heart, continuing to intensify the meaningless internal consumption.

No, can’t go on like this anymore.

After finishing her meal, Kirimi Miyuki voluntarily tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, placed them in the kitchen sink for washing, the emotions in her eyes were difficult to describe, as a perfect idol, mental management and stress resistance were essential.

In an instant, emotions surged.

Kirimi Miyuki’s fingertips touched the porcelain bowl, the water droplets on the edge danced, frozen in time, the halo inside continued to expand, the fine and extending foam swelled, constructing a dreamy frame, reflecting her current appearance in the smooth water flow.

Since understanding Heart Flow, she no longer needed to rely on the mirror as a medium for fantasy, and she didn’t even need to move, she could still reproduce the means of simulating the pain of gunshots to the heart.

And so, the person in the mirror seemed to come alive.

The innocent and pure face of the girl appeared calm, with a relaxed smile, she slightly tilted her head, looked at Kirimi Miyuki in reality, waved the slender fingers in the shape of a gun, playfully raised the corners of her eyes, the pink lips moved with a “bang”.

In a daze, the loud gunshot rang in her ears.

The bright orange bullet with a hot gunpowder smell pierced through fat and heart, causing a tearing pain in her chest. The taste of rust flooded her throat. Her brain went blank for a moment, the pent-up emotions suddenly dispersed, clearing her mind.