Chapter 9, The Supermarket Incident

Breakfast is generally quite simple, consisting of a cup of soy milk or milk, a few steamed buns, bread, pastries, and a fried egg. Moreover, there is usually no need to prepare breakfast for Sister Xin and Sister Han, as they typically get up around the time lunch is served. Liu Xue Ning spoke while selecting ingredients to place in the shopping cart, while Chen Shi Hao remembered Liu Xue Ning's reminders and took note of the prices of the vegetables, instantly calculating the total cost of the items in the cart.

Zhou Ling speared a small piece of beef with her fork, elegantly placing it in her mouth. Without any visible chewing, she speared a second piece and put it in her mouth. In this manner, the entire steak disappeared completely within less than two minutes from Zhou Ling's delicate and refined mouth

As for Liu Xue Ning being a vegetarian, her ethereal appearance makes it quite understandable. However, it is a pity that she had to prepare dishes she did not enjoy in the past. Well, having taken on the responsibilities of the kitchen herself, Sister Xue should no longer have to deal with meat dishes, right? For some reason, Chen Shihao suddenly had such a thought.

When Chen Shihao saw the graceful figure before him, his gaze momentarily became dazed, as he thought he was witnessing a scene of a bright moon illuminating a clear lotus. Various feelings such as tranquility, aloofness, sanctity, and elegance surged forth.

Turning his head to take a look, it was none other than the gentle and delightful Liu Xue Ning. Seeing her dressed in a pure and elegant home outfit, standing so charmingly on the stairs, Chen Shihao couldn't help but slightly lower his head and said, "Yes, senior." For some reason, he found himself unable to call her Xue Jie as Ling Han had, yet he naturally addressed her as senior.

While he was muttering to himself, he suddenly heard someone across from him exclaim, and then a sharp pain struck his head. Following that, a wave of coldness enveloped his entire body, and he, already feeling a bit dizzy, realized that he had been doused with ice water from above. This ice water falling from the sky not only left him feeling dazed but also caused him to shiver uncontrollably. In such hot weather, it was needless to say that he was bound to catch a cold. What pained him even more was that his mobile phone had been thoroughly soaked in ice water. Watching the droplets of water dripping from the phone and the blackened screen, it was clear that the phone was ruined. This ice water falling from the sky not only left him feeling dazed but also caused him to shiver uncontrollably. In such hot weather, it was needless to say that he was bound to catch a cold. What pained him even more was that his mobile phone had been thoroughly soaked in ice water. Watching the droplets of water dripping from the phone and the blackened screen, it was clear that the phone was ruined.

Liu Xue Ning smiled lightly and said amicably, "Then let's hurry up, Sister Ling's breakfast time is at 8 o'clock, and the bento needs to be ready before 8:30"

Liu Xue Ning did not present herself as a girl; she pushed a shopping cart ahead, leading the way. Naturally, Chen Shi Hao, who understood nothing, followed closely behind while carefully observing his surroundings

Upon opening the door, the house remained quiet. Linghan turned her head and hissed softly, saying: "Younger brother, wait a moment. Let your sister wash up first; she still wants to take a nap. It is well known that lack of sleep is a woman's greatest enemy in maintaining beauty, so do not call your sister for breakfast until after 9 o'clock." With that, she released Chen Shihao and quietly made her way upstairs.

Upon hearing this question, Chen Shihao immediately nodded. For some reason, although Chen Shihao was not good at refusing others, there were times when he felt a sense of reluctance in his heart. However, girls with such gentle personalities were his natural adversaries; no matter what requests they made, Chen Shihao would genuinely feel no dissatisfaction. Of course, girls with such personalities would not make any excessive demands.

Liu Xue Ning placed the measured tomatoes into the shopping cart and said to Chen Shi Hao: "We have almost bought enough, it is time to go back and prepare breakfast"

The fat man was already in so much pain that tears were about to come out. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly nodded and said, "I am willing to resolve this privately! Let me go quickly!"

Chen Shihao felt a bit embarrassed as he handed his phone to Liu Xueqing, saying, "I apologize, Xuejie, I didn't notice for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xue Ning covered her mouth and chuckled softly: "Hehe, junior, do you call me senior sister or Xue Jie?"

There is no need to say more; one set was left by Sister Li Xin, who returned from the night shift, and another set belongs to Sister Ling Han. But whose is the third set? Looking at the basket specifically for outerwear, Chen Shihao couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh. Last night, Sister Ling Han's sexy outfit was prominently displayed there, which means it still belongs to Sister Ling Han.

Upon thinking of this, Chen Shihao could not help but turn his concerned gaze towards Liu Xue Ning beside him, only to be astonished to find that she, with more exposed skin than himself, showed no signs of feeling cold at all, maintaining a demeanor of calmness and ease. However, it seemed that Liu Xue Ning sensed Chen Shihao's concern, and suddenly smiled at him, instantly lifting his previously slightly downcast mood.

Setting the washing machine timer, he stepped out to check the wall clock in the living room, which showed 7:30. Chen Shihao helplessly scratched his head, realizing that a specific time for doing laundry needed to be established in the future. Shaking his head, he returned to his room to grab his keys and cash. Just as he was about to head out, someone called out to him: "Chen Shihao, are you planning to go shopping?"

Liu Xue Ning naturally sensed the change in Chen Shi Hao's expression; her eyes suddenly narrowed. However, upon feeling the mix of infatuation and attachment in Chen Shi Hao's gaze, her expression softened. She turned slightly, her skirt fluttering gently, and with a faint smile on her face, she asked, "How is it? Does it look good?"

The two slowly increased the weight of their shopping cart and gradually arrived at the produce section. Upon seeing a pile of charmingly red tomatoes in front of her, Liu Xue Ning immediately bent down and began to select them carefully. Chen Shi Hao also intended to join in the selection, but upon noticing that Liu Xue Ning's bending motion caused her knee-length skirt to rise a few inches and the hem to spread slightly, he instinctively glanced around. He discovered that the men nearby were subtly directing their attention towards this scene. Chen Shi Hao also intended to join in the selection, but upon noticing that Liu Xue Ning's bending motion caused her knee-length skirt to rise a few inches and the hem to spread slightly, he instinctively glanced around. He discovered that the men nearby were subtly directing their attention towards this scene.

Uh... Chen Shihao then realized that the two pronunciations only differed in tone; when called quickly, it was hard to tell which one it was. He couldn't help but muster the courage to call out, "Sister Xue, is there anything you need me to buy?" As he spoke, he raised his eyes and timidly glanced at Liu Xue Ning.

Chen Shihao nodded vigorously. She, dressed in a snow-white sleeveless knee-length dress, complemented by her figure, appearance, and demeanor, could only be described as stunning; anyone who claimed otherwise must be blind. Of course, when Chen Shihao's gaze fell upon her long, flawless, snow-white legs, which were exposed for the most part, he immediately averted his eyes, his face turning red once again

Chen Shihao and Liu Xueqing returned home with large and small bags. Deng Shuyu was already exercising on the balcony, while Zhou Ling, the big sister, was sitting on the sofa dressed in standard office attire, watching the morning news. Upon seeing the two return, Deng Shuyu simply greeted Liu Xueqing with a call of "Sister Xue." In contrast, Zhou Ling nodded and smiled at the two, saying, "You’re back?"

Chen Shihao then remembered that there was an older sister who had to go to work early. He thought about how complicated the members of this family were: one white-collar worker, one bartender, one university student, and three high school students. It seemed that breakfast would have to be served in several rounds.

"Uh, I'm back." Chen Shihao responded with a slight bow, feeling somewhat unaccustomed. This week, Zhou Ling left the deepest impression on Chen Shihao; aside from her commanding presence as a strong woman, it was her elegance, which seemed to be ingrained in her very soul. Every gesture, every word, and every action exuded an extraordinary grace. It was as if, when she merely greeted him, it felt like a noble princess addressing a peasant, creating a peculiar sensation. It was not that she looked down from a high pedestal, but rather that the one being greeted naturally diminished themselves. In any case, Zhou Ling gave off an aura of having come from an ancient noble family.

Liu Xue Ning looked at Chen Shi Hao with a hint of confusion. She was surprised to find such great strength in his frail body and took a keen glance at his palm. However, upon seeing the chubby man gripping tightly and revealing the camera phone behind the cover, combined with Chen Shi Hao's words, Liu Xue Ning naturally understood what was happening

Oh. Chen Shihao did not think much about why Liu Xue Ning was so eager to cook; he simply followed her orders and began to busy himself. Before long, three plates of fried eggs, a plate of steamed buns, and three cups of soy milk were served on the table. Having just finished exercising, Deng Shuyu sat down without any hesitation and exclaimed, "I’m starting!" Within a few seconds, she devoured the fried eggs, then grabbed two steamed buns and took a cup of soy milk, claiming the television for herself.

Liu Xue Ning did not express as many sentiments as Chen Shi Hao, and she pulled him slightly, reminding him: "Sister Ling is waiting for breakfast, hurry to the kitchen"

Liu Xue Ning occasionally caught a glimpse of Chen Shi Hao holding keys and cash, and couldn't help but smile slightly. She said nothing, but instead pointed out to Chen Shi Hao: "We all enjoy fresh food, and tomatoes and cauliflower are our favorite vegetables. Ling Jie even treats tomatoes as fruits. Of course, meat is also essential; Ling Jie, Xin Jie, and Xiao Shu all love to eat meat. The types of meat that Xin Jie and Xiao Shu prefer are usually pork loin and fresh seafood, while shrimp, crab, and medium-rare steak are Ling Jie's favorites. Han Jie, on the other hand, is not picky about meat and can eat anything, but she prefers ingredients that are good for skin care and weight loss. As for me, I am a vegetarian and do not like meat." Of course, meat is also essential; Ling Jie, Xin Jie, and Xiao Shu all love to eat meat. The types of meat that Xin Jie and Xiao Shu prefer are usually pork loin and fresh seafood, while shrimp, crab, and medium-rare steak are Ling Jie's favorites. Han Jie, on the other hand, is not picky about meat and can eat anything, but she prefers ingredients that are good for skin care and weight loss. As for me, I am a vegetarian and do not like meat.

Chen Shihao was completely taken aback, staring blankly at Zhou Ling, who was delicately eating tomatoes as a dessert. It was already strange enough to have a high-calorie steak for breakfast, but what was even more peculiar was how elegantly and swiftly she was eating! This bizarre feeling truly left Chen Shihao at a loss.

When a gentle knock on the door and Liu Xue Ning's soft voice, "Chen Shi Hao, are you ready? It's time to go out," awakened Chen Shi Hao, he hurriedly got up, tidied his clothes, picked up his keys and cash, then took a deep breath, forcing himself to appear calm as he replied, "Oh, I'm coming," and opened the door.

Chen Shihau nodded blankly. It is not surprising that Deng Shuyu and Li Xin enjoy eating meat; Li Xin, who pretends to be a man, naturally needs to eat meat. Deng Shuyu has a bit of a violent girl tendency, so it is also quite normal for her to eat meat to maintain her strength. However, it is quite strange that the strong-willed Zhou Lingjie actually likes to eat high-protein and bloody steaks. But this is a matter of personal taste; since she can maintain such a slender figure, she can eat whatever she wants. Who can say anything about that?

Chen Shihao was so enraged that he was left speechless. This guy, having committed such a despicable act, actually turned the tables on him; it was truly outrageous. In a fit of anger, he couldn't help but exert more force, causing the fat man to scream for help in pain

However, his eyes immediately turned red, for he saw that the fat man was actually holding a smartphone with a camera facing upwards in his palm. Although he had never used a smartphone, he had seen many classmates in his class taking pictures and showcasing them, and he had also heard those classmates talk about matters of voyeurism. Naturally, he understood what the owner of that phone had just done

Chen Shihao, who stayed in the room, felt his mind in a chaotic state. He could not focus on the books meant to pass the time; all he could think about was: "Sister Xue wants to go shopping with me"

This Sister Linghan really doesn't know how to express herself. Doesn't she realize that she will be responsible for the laundry in the future? Even if she doesn't know, she should be aware that a little boy will soon follow to use the bathroom. How could she not pay attention to that? Perhaps she doesn't consider herself to be a girl at all

I find the people here to be quite indifferent; how can they not remind each other of such disgraceful matters?" Chen Shihau realized that he had inadvertently brought up something that would embarrass the other party, and he couldn't help but lower his head in apology: "Uh, I'm sorry, Sister Xue, I didn't mean to...

Upon seeing this situation, the security personnel realized they had been caught off guard. The team leader shouted into the intercom: "Attention all units, we have identified a middle-aged, overweight man wearing a white short-sleeved outfit, black shorts, a large black waist bag, and black-framed glasses. Please intercept him immediately!" Without offering any formalities to Chen Shihao and his companion, he waved his hand to his subordinates and rushed off. Meanwhile, the onlookers naturally dispersed, pretending as if nothing had happened.

As Liu Xue Ning watched Chen Shi Hao flee in disarray, she smiled gently and then calmly walked into the bathing area

"It's nothing, I was just not paying attention," Liu Xue Ning said as she took the phone, quickly cleared and formatted the memory stick, then played with the phone for a moment before handing it back to Chen Shi Hao with a smile, "This is the latest model, the camera function is very powerful, it costs at least three to four thousand yuan. You don't have a phone, do you? This is just right for you to use"

"Alright, alright, I'll give it to you," the chubby man said while nodding busily. Suddenly, with a flick of his hand, his phone was sent flying under the vegetable stall. Chen Shihao naturally let go and squatted down to pick up the phone, and the gaze of the security guards and onlookers naturally followed to the area beneath the vegetable stall. However, the majority of people openly lingered their eyes on Liu Xue Ning's undeniably perfect calves. At that moment, the chubby man suddenly burst out of the crowd, his hips swaying as he maneuvered around the haphazardly placed shopping carts and vegetable stalls, disappearing from everyone's sight.

However, although the fat man was furious, he was not overly concerned. In such situations, he could seek compensation from the building's owner. Therefore, he immediately raised his head with a fierce expression, preparing to find the name of the building in order to extort a good sum. However, he was soon dumbfounded to realize that he was actually in the gap between two buildings. Apart from the greenery on the ground, there were no structures reaching up to the sky, making it impossible to find anyone responsible for the compensation.

Just as the tomatoes were being prepared for weighing, an incident occurred. Chen Shihao had just turned around with the bag in hand when he saw a chubby man, also selecting tomatoes next to Liu Xue Ning, quickly retracting a plump hand from beneath Liu Xue Ning's skirt. Chen Shihao was momentarily stunned. What was this guy trying to do? Was he attempting to grope Liu Xue Ning or to push aside the shopping cart behind her?

"It's nothing, indeed, the world has become quite indifferent to human feelings." Liu Xue Ning scanned her surroundings with somewhat vacant eyes and spoke in a rather indifferent tone

Oh. Chen Shihau absentmindedly followed Liu Xue Ning towards the currency exchange office

Sensing this gaze, Liu Xue Ning inexplicably felt a sense of closeness from Chen Shi Hao, akin to the affection one feels towards an older sister. Liu Xue Ning smiled slightly and said, "Let me freshen up a bit, and I will go with you to the supermarket downstairs, which opens at 7:00 AM. Is that alright?"

Ling Han was no longer on the first floor; apart from a faint fragrance, the place was empty. Upon entering the bathroom, he once again felt the discomfort of being surrounded by waves of scent. Chen Shihao quickly freshened up. When he was about to wash the clothes, his face couldn't help but turn red again, and the color was very deep, as he discovered two sets of women's lingerie and three pieces of women's underwear in the laundry basket

"Bastard! Hand over your phone!" Chen Shihau swiftly seized the wrist of the overweight owner. This middle-aged man, wearing large black-framed glasses, a casual short-sleeved outfit, and loose black shorts, with a large black waist bag tied around his waist, first showed a moment of panic, followed by a grimace as he gasped in pain. However, he instantly shouted in alarm, "What are you doing? Is this a robbery? Someone help! It's a robbery!" The last few sentences were shouted at the top of his lungs.

Chen Shihao shook his hand vigorously, saying, "No, no, the other party has dropped it; it should rightfully belong to Sister Xue. I cannot take it."

When Liu Xue Ning stood at the doorway of the bathroom and glanced lightly at Chen Shi Hao, he immediately turned beet red and ran back to his room, his heart pounding like thunder. It was only then that he realized he had been acting somewhat like a guard while someone was using the restroom, which was truly embarrassing

What is going on? How could ice water suddenly fall from the sky? And it just happened to land on my head? The confused fat man felt weak all over, truly coming down with a fever. He couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated, considering himself unlucky as he struggled to hail a taxi to the hospital

After completing these tasks, Chen Shihao, who felt at ease following along to select tomatoes, did not notice that Liu Xue Ning, who was examining the tomatoes while holding them, suddenly revealed a mysterious smile.

When Chen Shihao was still a bit taken aback, Zhou Ling elegantly brought over a fragrant medium-rare steak. She smiled and nodded in thanks to Liu Xue Ning, then gracefully picked up her knife and fork. With a few gentle cuts of the knife, the entire steak was surprisingly divided into dozens of small square pieces, revealing a significant degree of redness inside, truly deserving of its medium-rare status.

On the street outside the supermarket, a plump middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a blue shirt, brown shorts, and carrying a large black bag wiped the sweat from his brow and muttered: "Hmph, you want to catch me? Don't you know I'm the Master of Disguise? Just by changing a few conspicuous items, I become a different person. It's just a pity that my tool, the phone, got lost. However, if the client's phone goes missing, that would be a huge loss!"

Liu Xue Ning took out a small phone from her pocket and shook it slightly: "I have a better one; if I say you can use it, then you can use it. Don't refuse, okay?" As soon as these words were spoken, combined with Liu Xue Ning's ocean-deep gaze, Chen Shi Hao instinctively nodded and accepted it.

What are you thinking about? Liu Xue Ning's expression remained calm and indifferent, as if the events that had just occurred did not exist at all

Oh. As Chen Shihao entered the kitchen and was about to start working, Liu Xueqing, without changing her clothes, had already tied on an apron. She took out a piece of fresh steak, rinsed it briefly, and tossed it into a frying pan over high heat to sear. Then she picked up a knife to chop the seasoning ingredients. During this time, she glanced at the dazed Chen Shihao and said: "You can fry three eggs, steam four or five buns, and make three cups of soy milk."

Seeing the security guard hurriedly leading the technician towards the air conditioning room, and then glancing at the frost-covered shopping mall, Chen Shihao was left in awe of the mall's powerful air conditioning cooling function, with no other thoughts in mind. After completing the transaction, he simply picked up his goods and quickly followed Liu Xueqing home.

Chen Shihao immediately felt an extreme level of anger, a sudden surge of the desire to scold everyone enveloping him. Noticing this unexpected feeling, Chen Shihao found it somewhat strange, yet he did not dwell on it. He pushed the shopping cart to block Liu Xue Ning from behind.

Hearing faint footsteps, followed by the sound of the bathroom door closing, after more than half an hour, the sound of the bathroom door opening was heard. Glancing at the electronic clock that read 7:00, Chen Shihao gave a wry smile, picked up his change of clothes and the soaked white sneakers, and opened the door to go out

With a smile on his face, he answered the ringing phone: "Boss, how is it? Are you satisfied? Hehe, as long as you are satisfied, that's the best. The payment has been received, and I look forward to our next collaboration." After hanging up, he noticed the bruise on his wrist caused by the iron grip, and while rubbing it and gasping in pain, he cursed: "Damn it! How could such a strong country bumpkin appear in the beauty nest? I was even planning to introduce him to the boss with special preferences! This time, it's a heavy loss. Not only did I fail to capture the indifferent princess's wardrobe malfunction for recommendations, but I also lost over 4,000 for a new phone. What a huge loss!"

Her face immediately flushed crimson, and her eyes displayed a strange mix of embarrassment and annoyance. As she glared at the overweight man, a hint of coldness unexpectedly flickered in her gaze

Understanding that time was running short, Chen Shihao immediately followed Liu Xue Ning out the door without a second thought, disregarding the envious expressions of the security guard. After exiting the building, he turned and entered the supermarket

Chen Shihao, who was just about to return to his room to find some clothes, was momentarily stunned at the door by Ling Han's words. After a while, he shook his head helplessly and went back to his room, took out a book, and quietly waited while flipping through its pages.

At that moment, the mall security rushed over. Initially intending to apprehend Chen Shihao, the security personnel were taken aback upon seeing the beautiful woman beside him, who was filled with shame and anger, as well as the phone in the hand of the overweight man. After a brief pause, they quickly realized what was happening and each stopped in their tracks. Then, a security officer who appeared to be a team leader said, "Gentlemen, if there is an issue, it can be resolved privately. Please do not disturb other guests"

Chen Shihao let out a cold snort: "First, give me the phone!" The most important thing right now is to get the phone to delete the pictures; otherwise, it would not be a joke if the photos were to spread out.

Noticing the tone, Chen Shihao could only respond with an "oh" and fell silent. He thought Liu Xue Ning was in a bad mood, but he didn't know why she suddenly shivered. He felt the air around them had grown much colder and couldn't help but marvel at how wealthy the supermarket was, keeping the air conditioning running from morning till night. He wondered how much the electricity bill must be every day. Even his relatively strong body was shivering from the cold, let alone the others, who were all trembling.

Looking at the frail figure and the delicate face in the mirror, Chen Shihao felt a wave of frustration and began to wash the clothes with his head down. What has been the most arduous task since arriving here? Without a doubt, it is the laundry. It is not merely the presence of those alluring garments that makes it difficult, but rather the fact that, aside from the outerwear of Sister Li Xin and Chen Shihao's own clothes, all other family members' garments must be sorted into inner and outer categories. Furthermore, the washing machine settings must be adjusted according to the type of fabric, and some special items must be washed individually. It is truly a tedious and time-consuming ordeal.

When they reached the exit, they found even the cashiers were rubbing their arms and stamping their feet in shivers. Several security guards were calling for the air conditioning technician, and there was actually mist in the air as they breathed. It could be said that the temperature had dropped nearly 10 degrees in just a few seconds. The sound of sneezing echoed one after another, and many customers had already abandoned their shopping carts and rushed outside