A One-Piece-of-Meat Protest: Zhou Yu's Hardcore Way of Making It Up to His Wife
The evening glow bathed Flamebearers' Academy in an orange hue.
The wind on the abandoned rooftop ruffled Dania's pink hair. She sat alone on the edge, her legs dangling in the air, the tips of her little leather shoes circling in the air.
The pink glow stick remained unlit in my hand.
Dania:(｡•́•̀｡)
"Big liar."
She murmured to the wind, her voice so soft it seemed to dissipate.
You promised to have dinner with me, but all you got were bear-shaped cookies.
"He promised to wait for me, but he ran off again."
"The worst part is, they couldn't even finish their strawberry milk with me."
The glow stick rolled around in my hand, once, then again.
A series of hurried and disordered footsteps came from the stairwell, approaching and stopping behind the iron gate to the rooftop.
Zhou Yu leaned against the door frame, her chest heaving violently, her bangs damp with sweat and clinging to her skin, while she carried a silver thermos in her other hand.
Zhou Yu:(⇀_⇀;)
"Phew... finally, I made it."
Dania's shoulders tensed, and she turned around, her back to him, arms crossed over her chest, even her ahoge (cowlick) drooping.
Zhou Yu caught her breath, picked up the thermos, walked over, and squatted down about a meter away from her.
No nonsense.
No explanation needed.
He simply unscrewed the top of the insulated container.
"Click".
An intensely sweet and sour aroma, mixed with a hint of caramel, wafted from the bucket and spread across the entire rooftop.
"Gurgle..."
An extremely untimely sound came clearly from Dania's belly.
Her cheeks flushed red, she bit her lower lip, and tightened her arms around her chest, desperately trying to maintain the last shred of her "neglected girlfriend" persona.
Zhou Yu didn't react at all. She took out folding chopsticks and a porcelain bowl from the side compartment of the thermos, picked up a piece of bright red pork rib coated with a glistening sauce, and put it into the bowl.
I know you haven't had dinner.
He handed the bowl to her side, his voice hoarse from running.
"The handover documents for those prisoners in the Northern Territory must be completed today, and the security system needs to be upgraded, otherwise the principal will use this to cut my budget again next week."
Dania: (Hmph!)
No turning back.
He glanced at the piece of pork rib out of the corner of his eye.
The pork ribs, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, were coated in a sweet and sour sauce that shimmered in the setting sun.
Zhou Yu placed the bowl on the ground next to her and sat down herself, about half a meter away.
"I've used up all my overtime quota for the next two weeks in these three days."
He took the fluorescent yellow vest, which was tied in a tight knot, out of his canvas bag and placed it between the two of them.
"It's to free up time later on."
Dania's eyelashes trembled.
Zhou Yu didn't touch the knot, but pulled out another A4 sheet of paper from the bag. It was in standard format, with the title in bold black font.
[A deep apology for neglecting my girlfriend recently and a schedule for making up for it with dessert next month]
The paper was shoved directly into Dania's hand.
"It's stamped and signed; it's from the Security Supervisor's Office of the Logistics Department at the Flamebearers' Academy. You can verify its authenticity."
Dania lowered her head.
The paper contained a "deep reflection" on the "lack of companionship due to work" over the past few days, followed by a densely packed table.
Monday: After class, on the street behind the cafeteria, I got thick-cut fried yogurt with taro balls.
Tuesday: After training, at the South Gate Dessert Shop, strawberry double-skin milk pudding and double red bean soup.
"Wednesday: Before evening self-study, at Central Café, limited edition tiramisu."
"Thursday..."
"Friday..."
The desserts for the entire month are listed clearly, with recommended ingredients and shop addresses next to them, from ice cream puffs to mango pomelo sago, and even the best temperature for enjoying matcha mille-feuille is written at the end.
At the very bottom of the document is a bright red seal: [Office of Security Supervisor, Logistics Department Flamebearers' Academy], and a flamboyant signature: Zhou Yu.
Dania:(✧✧)
She stared at the paper, her eyes shining like they were filled with starlight.
His lips moved twice, and he forced out a sentence.
"... Can this be reimbursed?"
Zhou Yu couldn't help but chuckle.
"All expenses for meals paid for with public funds will be fully reimbursed, with the responsible party bearing the full cost."
Dania's lips involuntarily curled up slightly, but she forcefully suppressed it.
"Can I have two mango pancakes instead of the ones I got on Thursday?"
"Okay, I'll approve it for you."
"What about Saturday? Saturday is free."
"I'll take you to a seafood buffet on Saturday; that's not on the dessert schedule."
Dania's fingers tightened around the paper, her knuckles turning white, and her entire face was a struggle to control her expression.
Zhou Yu leaned over and pinched her puffed-up cheek; it was soft and felt great.
"So, Chief Supervisor, are you satisfied with this compensation plan?"
Dania's lips moved, as if she wanted to say, "Don't let it happen again."
But Zhou Yu had already picked up the piece of pork rib and fed it directly to her mouth, the aroma of the meat mixed with the sweet and sour sauce wafting up.
Her body reacted faster than her brain; she opened her mouth and bit down hard.
The warm chunks of meat melted in my mouth, filling my entire taste buds.
Tasty.
It was so delicious it brought tears to my eyes.
She was engrossed in eating the pork rib when a warm touch landed on her forehead.
Zhou Yu placed a light kiss on her forehead, their breaths almost touching.
"Next time you're angry, you're not allowed to skip meals."
Dania, her face flushed, chewed on the ribs, her mouth stuffed full, and could only nod frantically.
She swallowed the meat, carefully folded the schedule, stuffed it into her pocket, and then picked up the bowl and brought it to the thermos.
I want another one.
Pointing to the largest piece in the bucket.
"No, two pieces."
Zhou Yu smiled and put two pieces on her plate, then handed her the thermos.
Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you.
Aren't you going to eat?
Dania took a sip of warm water, and her chopsticks paused for a moment.
You haven't had dinner either, have you?
Zhou Yu patted the canvas bag.
"Go back and eat. You should pay what you owe first."
Dania stared at him for two seconds, then picked up the smaller piece of pork rib from the bowl with her chopsticks and held it to his mouth with a serious expression.
"Eat this piece first, otherwise the schedule will be invalid."
Zhou Yu paused for a moment, then opened her mouth and bit down on the rib.
Dania picked up her empty chopsticks, nodded in satisfaction, and then continued to pick at the large pieces in her bowl.
Zhou Yu chewed on the ribs, then reached out and picked up the vest that was tied in a tight knot, fiddling with the knot a few times.
The knot she had tied with all her might came undone in his hands in no time.
The vest was straightened again.
He folded it up and put it back in the canvas bag, then looked at her.
"Look, there's no problem in the world that can't be solved."
He paused, his tone carrying a smugness that only Dania could understand.
"As long as you find the right method and schedule it properly, even the gods can put you on their timetable."
Dania chuckled, and the koi fish named "Zhou Yu No. 2" in her heart lake flicked its tail and swam happily again.
She swallowed the last bite of rib and announced with satisfaction.
Dania:(∀)
"Hmm, Zhou Yu No. 2 is swimming very fast now!"
Zhou Yu rubbed her head, about to speak.
The screen of the old-fashioned digital watch on my wrist lit up, displaying a line of small green text.
[System Notification: The annual physical fitness test has been updated, with a new "Teamwork and Stress Resilience" component added, accounting for 30% of the total score.]
[Venue: Lahai-Roi Defense Line replica battlefield.]
His fingers, which were stroking Dania's hair, stopped, and his thumb silently reduced its pressure slightly.
Lahai-Roi Defense Line.
The girl next to him was licking the remaining sauce from the corner of her mouth, completely unaware of what was happening.
Zhou Yu slowly pulled her sleeve down to cover the words.
For some people, the "year-end exam" is just around the corner.