Chapter 39: Another Ordinary Day (Please Keep Reading)

“Eat up, brother, today Mr. Ao is treating us.”

“Who’s your brother?” Zhuo Ning shot him a glare, then turned to the menu on the wall, picking out skewers and doing the math in her head: lamb skewers, $4 for five, foil-grilled enoki mushrooms, $6 a portion, King Sausage, $2 each. How much would that be in RMB…

Ao Xi leaned close to the waiter and whispered, “Buddy, add ten kidney skewers, twenty chive skewers, and oysters, too—all spicy.”

“Bro, I’m worried you might not be able to handle so much food,” the waiter said.

“My health is top-notch, don’t worry about me,” Ao Xi thumped his chest.

With a body that healthy, why are you eating this? The waiter forced a grin, jotted down the order, then glanced at the pretty, youthful Zhuo Ning and decided to keep an extra eye on her—if anything seemed off, he’d call the police.

The two of them started with a small divided hotpot, dunking in all kinds of skewers: chicken wings, sausages, squid, duck tongues—everything went in.

As a typical Hangzhou native, Zhuo Ning wasn’t great with spicy food; she kept hissing and gasping, but couldn’t bear to stop eating.

Ao Xi quickly handed her a glass of ice-cold beer. “You’ve never had skewers before?”

“Of course I have back home, but since coming to Los Angeles, I haven’t. There’s nothing like this near my school, and I wouldn’t come all the way out here for it.” Zhuo Ning popped skewer after skewer into her mouth, easily eating over a dozen in no time.

It was a good thing the place wasn’t busy, or they might have run out of food; the skewers arrived quickly.

The house specialty was roasted beef marrow, split lengthwise—not some old actor, but the taste was decent, though Ao Xi wasn’t a fan; he still preferred meat.

Then there was foil-baked pork brain, foil-baked shrimp and eggs—honestly, what couldn’t be cooked in foil? Even Ao Xi, born and bred in the North, found it hard to accept.

They ate and drank with gusto, finishing several bottles of beer in no time.

“I can’t do it anymore, I’m stuffed. The drinks take up too much room,” Zhuo Ning groaned.

“You Northerners can’t eat that little, can you? No way. Keep going. We ordered this much, we can’t waste it.”

Zhuo Ning slid several kidney skewers off their sticks and stuffed them into Ao Xi’s mouth.

As he chewed, Ao Xi started to feel something was off. Only after he finished the kidneys did it hit him: it was barely eleven—why eat kidneys so early in the day?

He blamed his distraction on her beauty, but the barbecue did taste pretty good.

Ao Xi slurped down an oyster, immediately feeling a little stronger.

Zhuo Ning collapsed into her chair, gently rubbing her belly. “I’m full, I really can’t eat another bite.”

“Can’t eat? Keep going, eat till you burst.”

“So cruel!”

“Of course. Weren’t these skewers your choices? You eat what you ordered.”

“I… I… I ordered some, but so did you! Did you finish yours?”

Ao Xi tapped his plate. “Sorry, I finished mine.”

“Aren’t you sick of eating so many kidneys?” she teased.

“You knew it’d get sickening, but you still stuffed them in my mouth?!” Ao Xi’s eyes widened in mock fury. If not for this woman, he never would have finished them all. Brothers, eating ten kidney skewers solo is not advisable—less is better.

“I was only thinking of your health,” Zhuo Ning said quickly when she saw him glare. “Whatever we don’t finish, we can pack up to go. At worst, I’ll pay for my share.”

Would Ao Xi let her pay? Of course—he would.

He hadn’t even seen what a paycheck looked like yet; living off his savings as it was.

The two of them, carrying a bag of leftovers, strolled down the street to digest. It had to be said, the climate in Los Angeles really was pleasant—the July high around thirty degrees, never too hot.

San Gabriel’s environment was lovely as well, with palm trees at varying heights and neatly trimmed lawns. The two walked together along the stone path, bathed in warm sunlight and a gentle breeze.

Whenever Zhuo Ning spotted a small animal in the grass, she’d dash over in delight, trying to pet it, only to send it scurrying away, making her laugh like a bell, the skirt of her floral dress swirling.

Ao Xi, infected by her joy, found himself smiling as well, a strange feeling rising inside him.

Before he could figure it out, Zhuo Ning suddenly called out from ahead, “Look, there’s a supermarket having a grand opening! Let’s check it out.”

“What’s so interesting about a supermarket?”

“Come on, let’s just take a look, okay?” Zhuo Ning ran back to grab his hand, giving it a gentle shake.

Looking at her faintly flushed cheeks, Ao Xi couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He didn’t notice that their joined hands never parted from then on.

A banner hung above the entrance: “Grand Opening of 99 Ranch Market’s 63rd Store.” Quite the operation.

Red paper scraps littered the ground, and there were plenty of floral baskets from customers.

The main attraction, though, was that people said there’d been a traditional dragon and lion dance performed by professionals at the opening that morning—a real spectacle.

Zhuo Ning’s face was full of regret. “We came too late and missed the show. I’ve never actually seen a dragon or lion dance.”

“No worries. When they open their 64th store, we’ll come watch.”

Her big eyes sparkled with laughter. “Okay!”

“Excuse me, you two,” a staff member approached. “With purchases over a certain amount, we’re giving away gifts. Spend over $198 and you can enter a raffle. Couples also get a commemorative gift. Please take a look at the flyer.”

“We’re not—” Ao Xi started, but Zhuo Ning interrupted.

“Thank you!” she said, taking the flyer and dragging Ao Xi into the store.

99 Ranch was a typical supermarket, selling only daily necessities—no clothes or electronics.

Ao Xi pushed the cart while Zhuo Ning shopped, and watched as it filled up with apples, bananas, jackfruit, bread, cookies, yogurt, and instant noodles.

“Look, there’s a deli section—come try this,” Zhuo Ning said, holding a sample of braised duck up to Ao Xi’s mouth.

Ao Xi opened up, accidentally brushing her fingers. “Delicious. So tender.”

“You drooled all over it, you’re disgusting.” Zhuo Ning wrinkled her nose in mock distaste.

Ao Xi pretended to stick his finger in his mouth, threatening to smear the saliva on her face, making Zhuo Ning squeal with laughter and run off.

Their playful antics drew the attention of passersby until they finally settled down.

They bought a portion of braised duck, shrimp toast, and crispy Thousand Island radish cake before heading to checkout. Their total easily exceeded $198, earning them a pink insulated drink cup and a gigantic, eye-catching bag of spicy snack sticks.

This bag was truly enormous—a real spectacle.

They also tried their luck at the raffle and won a “lucky prize”: a red string with a tiny orange watermelon charm. The staff said couples received commemorative gifts, so they got a second watermelon charm—one for each.

They wandered all day before finally returning to the apartment.

Zhuo Ning flopped onto the sofa, swaying. “I’m exhausted~~”

Ao Xi put everything away and asked, “What would you like to drink? Beer?”

Zhuo Ning sat up with a half-smile. “You’re not going to say you are the bar again, are you?”

Ao Xi froze for a moment, then blurted in mock outrage, “You know too much.”

With that, he pounced. As the saying goes, wild winds and sudden rain, raindrops battering the banana leaves.

Hours later, Zhuo Ning lay in Ao Xi’s arms, toying with the red watermelon charm on his wrist.

Ao Xi asked, “I never got the chance to ask—why did you suddenly come over today?”

“I missed you. I asked when you’d come pick up the car so I could see you, but you said you were busy and told me to keep it. I was furious.”

“So straightforward?”

“When you like someone, just say it. Bottling it up is so uncomfortable.”

“You make a good point.”

Suddenly, Zhuo Ning asked, “So, what exactly are we?”

“Good friends, of course.”

She rolled over and pinned him, her big eyes staring straight into his. “Say that again.”

Ao Xi looked back at Zhuo Ning. Her eyes were clear and pure, her face utterly serious, as if a wrong answer would make her get up and leave, never to return.

He suddenly remembered her flushed cheeks that afternoon. Testing the waters, Ao Xi offered, “How about we try being together?”

A brilliant smile bloomed across Zhuo Ning’s face. “Yes!”