"Meow, bring the dishes over first—I'll grab some pickles to go with them in a minute."
Chen Yi gently lifted Sister Meow's small hand aside. He recalled there were still two jars of pickles in the kitchen cabinet, bought during the Lunar New Year.
What a shame—they'd just been sitting there in the cupboard, hardly touched. He still remembered dropping seven hundred yuan on them.
"Brother, get more of the shredded kelp and peas! The radish strips aren't tasty at all."
Li Miao'er smacked her lips, snatched up the cold dish and fruit plate, and scurried into the living room. Her stomach had already begun to rumble softly.
The seal looks tight… they shouldn't have gone bad.
With some effort, Chen Yi hauled out the two dust-coated ceramic jars. After wiping off the grime, he pried off the lid with a knife.
A strong, savory aroma wafted out—still fragrant, still promising. Seems fine.
He sampled a pea. Salty, fragrant, sour, and spicy all at once—far better than the pickles he'd tried to make in his past life.
"Not bad at all," Chen Yi smiled in approval.
Back then, he'd once attempted pickling cabbage himself, but the result was unbearably salty—one piece could down an entire bowl of rice. After just two tastes, he'd tossed the whole jar.
Pshhh—
Catching the scent of something burning, Chen Yi hurriedly turned off the gas. Cooking rice in a steel pot really was tricky—controlling the heat was nothing like using a rice cooker.
He scooped out a bit to taste. The rich aroma of rice carried a hint of toastiness—the flavor was actually pretty good.
Chen Yi retrieved the strips of meat from the water basin, coated them thickly with salt, and set them aside to marinate until evening, when he'd hang them up.
He washed the dishes and chopsticks, then splashed his face with cold water.
Carrying the steel pot and bowls to the living room, he finally sat down. After all that work, it's time to eat.
"Meow, don't just eat the sides—have some rice too."
Chen Yi served a bowl of rice for Sister Meow with a smile. She'd already polished off more than half of the cold dish—she really must have been starving.
"Thank you, brother… mmm!"
Li Miao'er accepted the bowl and dug in with such gusto that anyone watching might think she'd been starved by cruel parents.
"Eat slowly, don't choke."
Content, Chen Yi pinched his own slightly rounded cheek, then stood and fetched two bottles of chilled cola from the refrigerator.
The weather was still quite hot. With the air conditioner out of power, a thin layer of sweat clung to his skin.
"Meow, have some cola—no need to rush."
He handed a bottle to Sister Meow, his gaze fond. The way she ate, eyes narrowed in delight, was utterly adorable.
"Thanks, brother… glug, glug…"
Li Miao'er took the cola and drank half in one go, let out a comfortable little burp, and returned to her bowl with undiminished enthusiasm.
Whew.
Chen Yi stood, wiping sweat from his brow. He'd barely finished one bowl and couldn't eat more; with a bottle of cola filling him up, he was completely stuffed.
"Meow, I'm going to shower. Clean up the kitchen after you're done, okay?"
Smacking his lips in satisfaction, Chen Yi headed toward the bedroom. Sister Meow had already put away three bowls of rice and still didn't look full—her metabolism was truly enviable.
I'll ask brother for a massage after his shower… I'm really looking forward to his special service!
Li Miao'er deftly cleared the kitchen, then applied light makeup and changed into something softer, more alluring.
So excited…
Lying on the floor mat, she scrolled through a steamy novel on her phone, her cute face flushing, beautiful eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Good thing the complex has its own water reserve—otherwise, I wouldn't dare use tap water at all.
Chen Yi filled the bathtub with hot water. He worried about zombies contaminating the municipal supply—that kind of pollution would be fatal.
Ahh… so refreshing.
He sank into the water, closed his eyes, and relaxed for a quiet moment. After sweating all morning, a hot bath washed away the fatigue, leaving him physically and mentally renewed.
Time to head out and hunt some zombies.
Chen Yi stood up, let out a long breath, and changed into a fresh white T-shirt and new white shorts.
He'd wear the camouflage gear outside—but at home, light and breezy was the way to go.
Gulp.
Li Miao'er stared with wide, sparkling eyes at her freshly showered brother, fighting the urge to pounce on him, hug him tight, and bully him onto the bed.
With his slim, fair figure and delicate, pretty features set off by the simple white outfit, he looked like a fairy who had just descended to the mortal world—holy yet enchanting.
Like a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains, not yet in full bloom but already tempting plucking.
His slightly damp black hair, the alluring scent of soap and skin, and the atmosphere of a young man and woman alone together…
If this were any other woman, whether he resisted or not, she'd probably have rushed over to tease him already.
"Brother, my back is so sore, and my arms hurt… come massage them for me!"
Li Miao'er lay curled on the mat, hugging a pillow and cooing softly, her adorable face tinted with less-than-innocent thoughts.
"Um, Meow… could you at least put on a vest?"
Chen Yi shook his head helplessly and passed her some clothes. She was wearing tight shorts and a light blue silk tube top, leaving her smooth, fair shoulders and jade-like back exposed.
Her slender waist held not a trace of excess, supple and delicate as polished white jade.
Her long, straight legs were equally captivating, and her dainty crystal-clear feet swayed playfully—mischievously cute.
What a pity such a picturesque figure belongs to my little sister. Chen Yi felt not the slightest urge to be tempted—if anything, he wanted to nudge her aside.
After eating, drinking, and bathing, he was feeling drowsy and just wanted to sprawl on the bed for a good nap.
"Brother, just massage me like this—hurry up!"
Li Miao'er gazed at Chen Yi with shimmering, liquid eyes, as if saying, Come on, give me your best shot.
Chen Yi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. In his past life, he'd picked up some basic massage techniques from the family housekeeper over a couple of days—he wasn't sure how correct they were.
"Alright, Meow, I'll try for a bit. Have a good nap—we'll go out to clear zombies this afternoon."
He decided to give it a shot. He wasn't aiming to be a professional—just rubbing her like a cat would do, as long as it wasn't uncomfortable.
Hehehe…
A sly grin flickered across Li Miao'er's face. If brother's technique is poor, I'll just flip him over and bully him onto the bed!
Chen Yi took off his shoes, wiped his feet dry, and sat down beside Sister Meow, ready to attend to the little kitten.
"Meow, I'm starting now—tell me if it hurts."
He placed his hands gently on her jade-smooth back. The skin was soft, supple, and moist—far more lovely to the touch than any girlfriend from his past life.
Her delicate frame trembled slightly, and a soft murmur escaped her throat. Is her body really that sensitive?
Mmm…
Li Miao'er bit her lip, holding back any embarrassing sounds. She hadn't expected her brother's massage skills to be this good.
Surrounded by his fresh, clean scent and soothed by his firm yet gentle pressure, she nearly moaned aloud in comfort.
Where his warm palms kneaded, a pleasant numbness spread, and for a moment, her mischievous thoughts faded away.
Looks like I can manage this alright. Not bad to have one more skill.
Satisfied, Chen Yi continued working over Meow's shoulders and legs, not stopping until her breathing steadied and she drifted into comfortable sleep.
"Sleep well. In summer, without a nap, you won't have energy for anything."
Smiling, Chen Yi dabbed the moisture from the corner of Sister Meow's lips, then lifted her delicate form to the inner side of the bed, giving her soft, pink cheek a gentle squeeze.
Mmph…
Sound asleep, Li Miao'er clung tightly to him, her soft limbs wrapping around Chen Yi's body like a cozy octopus.
Forget it… better not wake Meow'er. Let her nap in peace.
With that thought, Chen Yi closed his eyes, a contented smile on his lips. All of this… it's really not bad. I'm quite satisfied.