Chapter 223: Appetizing

Zhu Niao took out a small blanket and wrapped it around herself, making sure there wasn’t a single gap from her head down so that no potential danger could find an opening. However, she then realized that the thin blanket draped over her offered no real protection at all.

Thinking this, her hands turned white from gripping the fabric so tightly.

“What’s wrong? Are you cold?” Gou Yu looked at Zhu Niao. “Or are you scared?”

“Me, scared?” Zhu Niao retorted, though her voice trembled slightly. “It’s just that the air conditioning is set too low.”

“It’s autumn, and it’s been autumn for a while now. The AC isn’t even on,” Gou Yu said as he glanced up at the central air conditioning unit, which wasn’t making a sound.

“Didn’t you just say it’s autumn? Isn’t it normal for it to be a bit cold in the autumn?” Zhu Niao shot back.

Gou Yu only chuckled.

In Zhu Niao’s eyes, it looked like he was mocking her.

“You’re still laughing?” Zhu Niao’s one-inch punch was already pressed against Gou Yu’s kidney.

Gou Yu raised both hands. “You have to smile more while you’re at work. Once you’re off the clock and facing life, you’ll have plenty of time to cry.”

“That sentence feels even more tragic than a horror movie.”

At the mention of horror movies, Zhu Niao scanned her surroundings once more. She looked at the powered-off air conditioner and the glass wine bottles displayed on the cabinet, which flickered with an eerie light. Unable to control her thoughts, she began to imagine various accidents that could occur.

Eventually, these thoughts converged into a single, irrational suspicion — ‘Is the store really safe?’

“So boring. I’m going out for a bit.” Gou Yu saw a roasted sausage vendor across the street and thought about buying two — one for himself and one for Zhu Niao.

“No!”

Zhu Niao suddenly grabbed Gou Yu’s wrist. However, when she faced Gou Yu’s confused expression, she couldn’t seem to come up with a reason.

“It’s working hours. If you leave your post without permission, I’ll count it as an unexcused absence,” she said fiercely.

Gou Yu tilted his head. After a moment, he understood exactly what was going on with Zhu Niao. His “Little Bird” seemed to be absolutely terrified right now.

But she was still acting tough.

“But this place is the same whether I’m here or not, right? Or are you saying that the great Lady Zhu Niao is actually too afraid to stay in the store alone?” Gou Yu continued to tease her.

And Zhu Niao fell for it completely.

“I’m just trying to foster your sense of responsibility. You have to take on the appropriate duties for any job you do,” Zhu Niao said. “If you really want to go out and relax, then go. Balancing work and rest is important, but don’t be gone for too long.”

Zhu Niao spoke while avoiding anything that might prove her cowardice. Then, she repeated, “Come back quickly, okay?”

Gou Yu gave her an “OK” gesture, pushed open the glass door, and walked out. As soon as he was outside, he pulled out his phone and called the Store Manager. “Hello?”

“Hurry up and let that stubborn girl off work early. The two of us spending time alone at home is better than being in the store, right?” Gou Yu looked back and saw that Zhu Niao had already pulled her small blanket back over her shoulders.

“I know you said we can go home whenever, but do you think that stubborn girl knows that?” Gou Yu walked up to the roasted sausage vendor and held up two fingers. “Alright, that’s all. Hurry up. I don’t want to be tied down by work when I’m with her.”

He had noticed that she felt uneasy staying in the store.

Holding two roasted sausages, Gou Yu paid and returned to the shop.

“Here. Your old man is back from the hunt.” Gou Yu picked through them and handed the slightly longer sausage to Zhu Niao.

“At least you have a conscience.” As Gou Yu approached, the cautious, wandering look in Zhu Niao’s eyes softened slightly.

Just as she took the sausage and before she could even take a bite, she suddenly looked down at her phone.

“Wait, the Store Manager is calling.” She stuffed the sausage back into Gou Yu’s hand.

Gou Yu held the sausages and waited for her to finish the call. Even though he already knew what the call was about, he leaned over and asked, “What did she say? Is she giving you a bonus?”

“No, she said we can head back early.” Zhu Niao shook her head and put her phone away.

“Isn’t that good news?” Gou Yu stuffed the sausages back into Zhu Niao’s hands. “Let’s go. Come home with your old man.”

Of course, even after learning she could go home early, Zhu Niao was a diligent employee. She conscientiously completed all the closing tasks, including turning off the lights, closing the windows, and locking the doors.

She was extremely focused on potential safety hazards, likely a lingering side effect of the movie they had watched earlier.

“Old Dog, wait a second.” Zhu Niao reached out to stop Gou Yu before she got into the car. “You drive this car every day, and it works at a high intensity. Is it absolutely safe? Are there any hidden risks?”

To this, Gou Yu only replied, “Huh?”

He hadn’t expected Zhu Niao’s paranoia to be this severe after the movie. He thought about it for a while but couldn’t come up with a good solution. “It’s fine. I’ll drive slowly. Even if the car flips, it’ll probably just be a few scrapes.”

Of course, for Gou Yu, flipping the car was virtually impossible.

After a difficult struggle with her decision, Zhu Niao finally got into the car. The autumn night breeze felt comfortable, but she was in no mood to enjoy it.

She only remembered that Gou Yu drove incredibly slowly — like an old lady crossing the street. To be honest, being able to maintain balance at that speed was a testament to his skill. The journey took much longer than usual.

However, because they had left work early, they arrived home at roughly the same time as usual.

“I’m going to get something to eat,” Gou Yu said as he started rummaging through the fridge. He planned to make himself a bowl of noodles.

Zhu Niao just wanted to shower and go to bed. She gathered her clothes and rushed into the bathroom. With a mess of emotions, she stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower.

As the warm water hit her body, Zhu Niao couldn’t help but look up at the showerhead.

‘What if this equipment is old? If a series of butterfly effects occurred, would I end up like the character in that movie?’

The young woman swallowed hard.

“Old Dog!”

“Whoa, what’s wrong?”

Gou Yu, who was holding a bowl of noodles he had just fished out of the pot, rushed to the bathroom door.

“Stay at the door! If something happens, rush in and save me!”

“But… I’m eating noodles.”

“Then stand at the door and eat!” Zhu Niao’s voice from inside was fierce.

Gou Yu looked at the noodles in his hand and listened to the sound of water inside. ‘Well, it’s quite a show to go with my meal.’

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