Chapter 370: Jade Feet

If that were said out loud, he’d definitely be taken back to the Capital City.

A long while later.

After stowing the luggage and bustling about for a bit, Wang Chao finally walked to the door.

“I’m heading back now.”

“Brother Niu, if you need anything, be sure to call me.”

“Okay.”

Zhang Niu thought nothing of it.

‘If I can’t even handle the things I might run into, what good would calling Wang Chao over do!?’

‘Besides…’

‘What is there that I can’t handle myself!?’

‘Plus, I’m just here for the New Year. Ten days in a place where I don’t know anyone, with no enemies… and I’m not the type to cause trouble.’

‘So what kind of trouble could I possibly run into!?’

Zhang Niu thought to himself.

Zhang Min looked at her father, wanting to speak but stopping herself, then wanting to speak all over again.

After a long moment, she silently left the room.

…

…

January 17th.

9:00 AM.

There were less than four days until the New Year.

Xu Huo was up bright and early.

As for whether 9 AM could be considered “early”… of course it could!

It was better than those on winter and summer breaks who go to sleep when it’s dark and wake up when it’s still dark.

Jiangsan City was in the north, and Xu Huo and Chu Xi were, naturally, northerners.

When it came to the New Year, northerners placed a greater emphasis on rituals and the festive spirit, which was likely related to their customs and geography-influenced temperament.

One such tradition was preparing special foods for the New Year.

“We can just buy the meatballs, you know. There’s no need to make them at home.”

Xu Huo said with a yawn, standing at the kitchen doorway after brushing his teeth and looking inside.

Chu Xi had been up for a long time.

She had started getting the ingredients for the New Year’s food ready around five in the morning.

The three old staples: meatballs, tofu, and ribbonfish.

She would prep the ingredients in advance, cook a small batch now, and then make the rest a day or two before New Year’s Eve.

Right now, she was still frying vegetable and meatball varieties.

Niuniu was able to stand on her own.

Her small body, not much taller than Xu Huo’s knees, stood beside Chu Xi. She tilted her head up, opened her mouth, and pointed a finger at it.

“Ahhh~”

Chu Xi’s delicate, yet adorably dazed-looking features blinked. She then picked up a meatball with her chopsticks and blew on it gently with her thin lips.

Once the meatball was cool, she popped it into Niuniu’s mouth.

Niuniu’s mouth was immediately stuffed full by the meatball, and she chewed with big bites.

Xu Huo glanced at the boiling oil in the wok, then at the faint red marks on her arm.

When deep-frying, if you aren’t a seasoned pro or if your skin isn’t particularly tough…

…then the more vigorously the oil boils in the wok, the more vigorously you’ll be jumping around next to it.

“Hmm, let me put some ointment on that for you.”

Xu Huo thought for a moment and found some ointment.

He then took hold of Chu Xi’s arm—as smooth and pale as a lotus root—and slowly rubbed the ointment in with the pad of his finger.

It was very soft.

And very warm.

Xu Huo’s skin was different. His muscles were taut and firm, and so was his skin.

But Chu Xi’s… her skin was like cream, delicate and fine. Holding it was like holding a piece of warm jade.

A string of poetic descriptions suddenly surfaced in Xu Huo’s mind.

By the time he snapped out of it, he realized he was still holding her arm.

Chu Xi tilted her head, watching him.

“Ahem, I was thinking about something important. Got a little distracted.”

Xu Huo said with a completely straight face.

Chu Xi glanced at her fair, jade-like arm, then at Xu Huo. After a moment’s thought, she extended her arm toward him again.

“Do you want to touch it some more~”

Two little figures once again popped up beside Xu Huo’s head.

The little devil said: ‘Have three kids! Have three kids! Have three kids!’

The little angel said: ‘Jade-like arm! Jade-like arm! Jade-like arm! Jade-like arm!’

Xu Huo’s expression darkened.

‘Both of them are idiots,’ he thought. ‘Especially the little angel. All it knows how to say is “jade-like.”‘

He mentally swatted them both away. Looking into Chu Xi’s affectionate, almond-shaped eyes, he said sternly:

“I’m not that kind of person!”

Hearing this, Chu Xi pulled her hand back.

Xu Huo breathed a sigh of relief.

But right after, her voice rang out again.

“Then do you want to touch my feet~”

Xu Huo: ?

“Where did that idea come from!?”

Xu Huo was appalled. Suppressing his inner turmoil, he stared in shock at Chu Xi, who was still silently frying the New Year’s food.

Chu Xi looked up and thought for a moment, her soft, sweet voice chiming in.

“Well, you said you’re not the kind of person who’s into arms.”

“If it’s not arms… I remember you seem to like my feet.”

“Do you want to touch them?”

The two little figures hadn’t even appeared yet, but Xu Huo already knew what they were going to say.

The little devil: ‘Have three kids! Have three kids! Have three kids!’

The little angel: ‘Jade-like feet! Jade-like feet! Jade-like feet! Jade-like feet!’

They were met with another mental swat that sent them flying.

“No, I don’t.”

“But you look whenever I wear sandals in the summer.”

“…You must have seen wrong.”

“Really?” Chu Xi asked skeptically.

“Really! When have I ever lied to you!?”

Xu Huo glanced at Niuniu beside them and quickly tried to end the conversation.

‘There’s a child present.’

Thankfully, Niuniu was only focused on opening her mouth, signaling for Chu Xi to feed her.

Chu Xi popped a meatball into Xu Huo’s mouth as well.

Her slender, jade-like fingers brushed against his lips, and the strange sensation shot through his brain like an electric current. Xu Huo began to chew subconsciously.

He had to admit, they tasted really good.

They were just vegetable meatballs, but she could fry them into something that could be called a delicacy.

They were much more delicious than anything you could buy outside!

No wonder her cooking skills had earned their shop a legion of die-hard fans in such a short time.

Xu Huo found an apron and a jacket for her to put on, then stayed in the kitchen as well.

Niuniu stood with her mouth open, waiting to be fed.

Xu Huo, on the other hand, was an adult.

He could secretly grab them himself!

This made the little human, who wasn’t even as tall as the stove, extremely envious.

Just as Chu Xi was wondering why the pile of meatballs on the plate wasn’t growing no matter how many she fried, the door suddenly knocked.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~

“I’ll get the door.”

Xu Huo said, turning to walk to the door.

He glanced through the peephole before turning the handle and opening the door.