Chapter 029　 He should contribute more in their daily lives, because he was a grateful person.

  *

  Li Chengshi was wearing the apron he had taken to Hokkaido last time, standing by the narrow counter, serving rice.

  "Team Leader, go get the cushions from the shopping bag and put them on the floor."

  "Okay."

  There wasn't enough space in the room for a dining table, only a small foldable low table.

  Su Xian found two cute cushions in the shopping bag, cut off the tags, and placed them on both sides of the low table.

  Li Chengshi came over with one tray. "This is yours." Then he went back to the kitchen and brought the other. "This is mine. Alright, let's eat."

  Each tray contained a bowl of rice, a plate of grilled salmon with asparagus, a mixed salad, and a bowl of miso soup.

  "Wow, this is so Japanese!" Su Xian exclaimed. "Also, where did you get these nice dishes from?"

  "I just fired them in the kiln this morning. Not bad, right?"

  "You never take anything seriously when you talk."

  "I bought them at a 100-yen store. There's one outside the station." (Note: Japanese 100-yen stores offer a wide variety of household goods with decent quality, making them a first choice for young people.)

  Both of them said, mimicking anime: "Itadakimasu (Let's eat)."

  *

  It was a simple yet delicious meal, with a balanced nutritional content. They ate every last grain of rice.

  Extremely satisfied.

  Su Xian looked around. He had tidied up his small home to be spotless and organized. She couldn't help but sigh, "You're so capable! I feel like hiring you to help me tidy up my place."

  "Sure, why don't you check the hourly rate for domestic help here." She's an ex-girlfriend, so he shouldn't work for free.

  Su Xian asked ChatGPT, "It's usually 4,000 to 5,000 yen per hour, and more on holidays. Is now considered a holiday?"

  "Of course it is."

  "Then I'll give you 6,000 yen per hour."

  "Friendship price: 5,000."

  "Deal!" After thinking for a moment, Su Xian cautioned, "This counts as illegal part-time work. Don't tell anyone. Better safe than sorry."

  They were on a Humanities/International Services visa, which indeed prohibits side jobs.

  "Got it."

  *

  Back in 203.

  Su Xian moved her low table onto the bed, opened her laptop, and started organizing documents. Li Chengshi, like a busy little ant, went in and out of the room, quickly organizing everything. Finally, he swept and mopped the floor, finishing the job.

  She checked her phone. The timer showed only 1 hour and 20 minutes.

  Su Xian handed him 10,000 yen. "The extra is a tip."

  "No way, we don't accept tips." Li Chengshi handed her back 3,300 yen.

  "You're quite stubborn." Su Xian casually placed the money on the corner of the table, then suddenly realized something: "Where is my underwear?"

  Li Chengshi opened the closet door. "They are sorted and placed in these four drawers. The labels are already attached."

  Su Xian looked inside. Bras, panties, socks, and vests were not only categorized but also neatly folded. She closed the drawer and said awkwardly, "You really don't have to be that professional."

  "I'm paid to do a job. Don't think of it in a dirty way."

  "I wasn't! But were you doing this at home...?" She hesitated.

  "Are you asking if I did this for my mom at home?" Li Chengshi read her mind. "Yes. My mom works at a state-owned factory that isn't doing well, and she works late almost every day. So, I started learning to do all kinds of housework since I was four or five years old. But there's a dedicated washing machine for underwear, so don't have any perverted thoughts."

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  "I didn't!" Why would she think that? She just felt he was too sensible, which made her feel a little heartache for him.

  "Don't give me that look, as if I suffered some kind of abuse. Besides, since Mom was promoted to section chief, she rarely works overtime anymore and doesn't make me do much housework."

  "Li Chengshi, I won't let you do housework for me anymore either," she said solemnly.

  "Don't say that! My salary is low; I really need to earn some extra money."

  "You should study knowledge for your work, practice Japanese, exercise to keep fit, and put all your effort into your job. Don't worry, Zhao Nanfeng will give you a raise. Of course, I'm not criticizing your home life. It was hard for your mother to raise you alone, and you are very loving and sensible. But unless you want to become a professional housekeeper, you should do as little housework as possible and focus on things that will benefit your future career."

  *

  Li Chengshi was slightly moved. He had never met his father; that irresponsible man had run off with another woman when his mother was pregnant. His father had always been absent in his upbringing. While his mother offered him some advice, she herself was trapped in life and couldn't see the way forward, so her guidance often focused on trivial and specific issues. He realized that this woman had, more than once, given him life guidance, advised him on his career, and cared about his future, even though his future had nothing to do with her. He had once scoffed that she was "full of Dad-vibes," but now he felt a real warmth.

  However, this thought immediately made him feel uneasy: Was his past affection for her mixed with a "father complex"? That would be too abnormal!

  Thankfully, it was all in the past.

  Even though he couldn't accept some of her actions and views, and thus couldn't be in a relationship or marry her, he could still be a colleague and friend! If he had genuinely "have a thorn in his heart" previously, he was now willing to put that “thorn” aside and care for and look after her mutually. Since his upcoming work would rely on her more, he should contribute more in their daily lives, because he was a grateful person.

  *

  Seeing him spacing out, Su Xian raised her hand and waved it in front of his eyes. "What are you thinking about, Li Chengshi?"

  He smiled. "Team Leader, I'll take your advice. I will work harder."

  Su Xian smiled, handed him a glass of ice water, and pulled him to sit by the floor-to-ceiling window to watch the laundry on the opposite terrace fluttering in the wind.

  "I'm going to follow your lead: focus on earning money and building my career. I'll consider dating and marriage in a few years."

  This declaration caught Su Xian off guard. She thought: Oh, don't! I've already changed my mind.

  But then she reconsidered. It seemed like there was no loss. He had already rejected her in terms of a relationship, and now he was cutting off others too. Wasn't that a good thing? So, she quickly expressed her support: "That's great! I support you!" However, out of conscience, she added, "But dating and marriage aren't necessarily obstacles to a career. Many partners are mutually supportive. Look at Lao Zhang and Wang Jing, aren't they a great example?"

  "So, Team Leader, you know that good relationships and marriages exist. Then you really shouldn't refuse to embrace love again just because of that one scumbag, Engineer Zhao."

  Su Xian didn't reply, thinking: I'm not refusing love anymore, but you've already refused me.

  He continued, "Because 'locking up your heart' is actually punishing yourself for someone else's mistakes; it's self-abuse. Anyway, during the days I liked you, every day was happy."

  Su Xian reminisced. Indeed, during those days, she was happy every day, too.

  **