Uneasy daily life

The door opened, and a pair of slightly deep-set eyes glared at the unreliable guy through the crack. Sakurajima Mai stretched out a hand from the crack and said irritably, "Give me your phone, go play by yourself, and don't bother me."

"Hi!"

Bai Ying respectfully returned the phone, which was still in use, to its owner.

The door was slammed shut, and then things became complicated.

Sakurajima Mai took a deep breath, a slight blush of embarrassment and annoyance on her face. Did that guy think she couldn't understand? The internet is a place full of black boxes; one careless step could open one and unknowingly learn some strange things...

These will not be discussed for now.

"Sorry, there was an unexpected situation just now."

Sakurajima Mai gripped her phone tightly, a little nervous, and said, "Mom, you called... is there something you need?"

You haven't forgotten me, have you? But you clearly forgot me before, I really don't understand.

"Didn't you call me?"

Sakurajima's mother hesitated for a moment, then said, "Oh, it must have been Shiro who called me using your phone?"

“Before that, I called my mother once,” Mai Sakurajima said calmly, her palms sweating.

"Yes, you called, but hung up after only a few words." Sakurajima's mother was silent for a moment, then asked, "How have you been at school lately?"

Things that have been forgotten, even if recalled, will be understood in a 'normal' way, rather than feeling as if something is amiss...

“I have always been able to keep up with my studies, and I am also used to school life.”

Mai Sakurajima asked with a smile, "How's Mom been lately?"

"It's alright... What's the situation between you and Bai Ying? It was all a mess just now."

"We are learning acting skills."

Mai Sakurajima said casually, "You know, that person really likes to mess around."

【Oh……】

Within the changed distance of the relationship, no topic could be found to discuss, and both ends of the call fell into an unspoken silence.

Sakurajima's mother hesitated before asking, "Mai, the movie is coming out soon, do you want to go see it?"

"I've already retired from the entertainment industry. Going to the cinema would only attract too much attention and cause too much trouble."

Moreover, let's resolve this strange situation of ours first.

After a few brief, meaningless exchanges, Mai Sakurajima steeled herself, hung up the call first, and stormed out the door.

This hater—!

The pungent smell hit me like a punch to my nose.

"Hate Fan! What are you doing?!"

"Cook."

Chapter 57 This is a Deadline

"If the stove in a restaurant is a planetary engine and the stove in an ordinary household is a rocket booster, then what you're selling is at best a little girl's matchbox. And the range hood, the one in a restaurant is a tornado generator, the one in an ordinary household is a helicopter propeller, and what you're selling is just a bamboo dragonfly."

The tenant pointed and gestured with considerable dissatisfaction: "And this kitchen—an open-plan space like a bar?"

"This is the layout of an ordinary family home; both the range hood and the stove are very ordinary!"

The landlord, his face dark, used a small round fan to try to dispel the slightly pungent smell in the living room, and opened all the windows in the house.

The moment she stepped out of the room, she thought the house was on fire. But before she could take more than a few steps, the smell hit her nose like a punch, and she immediately realized that it wasn't a fire, but that someone was poisoning her!

It wasn't until I rushed into the living room and looked into the kitchen that I noticed the figure shrouded in cooking fumes.

"Are you some kind of cooking oil smoke master from somewhere?"

Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but cover her mouth and nose with her hand and sniff.

“Oh, I see. Because the food is light and low in oil and salt, the kitchens are rarely enclosed, which makes them more aesthetically pleasing. The fact that the kitchen is visible from the outside adds a lot of life to the space…” Bai Ying commented with deep agreement, holding her phone. “In my hometown, this kind of kitchen would only be the trigger for a designer to be driven to despair.”

Mai Sakurajima chuckled lightly: "It will also become the fuse that makes me kill you."

"Hmph, do you dare to defy me, the one who controls the kitchen?"

"I don't need you, I can cook for myself."

Mai Sakurajima glanced at the white figure and deliberately stepped on the other person's toes as she walked past.

The rice was already steaming in the kitchen, and two plates of cooked dishes were placed next to it, with a faint aroma of steam rising from the edges of the plates.

Make another dish and cook a vegetable soup, and that will be enough for dinner.

Mai Sakurajima began preparing, chopping carrots and other vegetables, the sound of chopping echoing through the air.

A head popped out from in front of the kitchen counter, observing cautiously.

"What are you looking at?"

"Hmm..." Bai Ying said solemnly, "You're not the Deadly Chef, are you?"

With a swift motion, the cleaver pierced the tomato, lifting it up. Sakurajima Mai smiled and said, "Sure, would you like to try?"

"Hmm, it seems you're at most a physical-type deadly chef, not one who deals magical damage." Bai Ying breathed a slight sigh of relief and complained, "This kind of narrow kitchen knife is really perfect as a murder weapon."

Mai Sakurajima continued chopping the ingredients, not wanting to get into the conversation: "Black Fan, how do you know Mom hasn't forgotten me? During that phone call before, she clearly didn't remember me or my number, and she couldn't even hear me..."

"how could I know?"

"?" Sakurajima Mai asked, puzzled. "Don't you know why we made that call?"

Bai Ying asked, puzzled, "If I know, does that mean I'll definitely make that call?"

Mai Sakurajima raised her face, her eyes filled with questions.

"Oh, you think I made that call because I was concerned about you, wanted to know what was going on, and wanted to help you? What an adorable, overly self-conscious idea." Bai Ying confidently raised her head and puffed out her chest. "Since that's what you think, then there's nothing I can do! Come on! Offer me your 'Arigato'!"

Mai Sakurajima slowly raised the kitchen knife and asked with a smile, "Guess what I'm going to do right now?"

"You want to make Bai Ying's Mao Xue Wang (a spicy Sichuan dish)."

The white figure crouched down and magically disappeared in front of the kitchen counter.

What an oddball! He insists on twisting good intentions and expressing them in a way that makes people furious.

Sakurajima Mai mentally grumbled a few words before putting the vegetable pieces into the water to boil.

"That won't do. You have to stir-fry the vegetable pieces over low heat first to release their juices, then add boiling water to make a delicious vegetable soup. It would be best to add a few dried chilies to enhance the flavor..."

Mai Sakurajima: #!

A white figure popped its head out, leaned against the kitchen counter, and pointed with satisfaction, saying, "Your knife skills aren't very good either. These vegetable pieces look uniform in size, but they're not perfectly shaped, so they lack aesthetic appeal. You added a bit too little salt..."

Mai Sakurajima calmly retorted, "Stir-frying will produce too much oil, causing the vegetables to grow unevenly, and too much salt will mask the original flavor of the vegetables."

"To experience the true flavor of vegetables, I suggest eating them by hand, preferably the kind that grows in the ground, has bugs on it, and is still covered in soil when you pull it out, it's very fresh."

"Since you have so many opinions, why don't you come in and teach me?"

"That won't do. Arguing with people will only make them angry, but lecturing them will only make you angry." Bai Ying declined. "Hey, hey, don't stop. If you dawdle any longer, the food I'm making will get cold... This kind of bar-style kitchen has its advantages. It's quite convenient to point out what others are cooking."

Mai Sakurajima brandished a kitchen knife, agreeing wholeheartedly, "It's quite convenient to give a piece of your mind to those who criticize your cooking."

The white figure vanished again, seemingly by magic.

It's even more chaotic than when I lived with my mom... It turns out this decision wasn't so bad. With a hater in the house, I spend most of my time feeling angry, embarrassed, and annoyed, instead of just brooding over things and making my mood worse.

As long as you maintain a positive and stable mindset, that adolescent syndrome should gradually ease and disappear, right?

Mai Sakurajima began to think with some unease.

……

……

Mai Sakurajima picked up a piece of tofu dipped in dark red sauce with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. Without changing her expression, she shoveled some rice into her mouth, chewed and swallowed, her lips slightly pursed and glistening with oil. She glanced at the expectant white figure and said, "Your tricks are nothing special in some variety shows."

Bai Ying stroked her chin and tentatively asked, "What if I let you eat this whole plate of Mapo Tofu?"

"This Mapo Tofu tastes even better than the Mapo Tofu I tried on a variety show before. I ate it all!"

"I took the toilet paper from the bathroom, and there's only one sheet left?"

"Hit fans! No harassment allowed!"

Under the table, a foot pressed down on the white figure's toes, increasing the pressure as Mai Sakurajima's smile deepened.

Just as Bai Ying was about to launch another attack, his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and his expression turned serious.

Why that expression? Sakurajima Mai was taken aback: "Yukinoshita?"

"This thing is much more troublesome than the hero."

Bai Ying answered the phone and preemptively said, "Director of The Untamed, I'm not short of money right now."

[Huh? Hahaha! Don't worry, bro, we don't have any plans to have you write the script yet.]

Okita laughed heartily, "If you're not short of money, that makes things easier. When tickets go on sale, remember to buy ten. Don't miss it!"

"Ten copies?" Bai Ying leaned back in her chair. "I didn't expect that the director would start taking unconventional approaches for the sake of box office revenue."

This is normal marketing hype—can't you find nine people to go to the movies with?

Bai Ying pondered for a moment and said, "Could it be that the director can find ten million people to go to the movies with you?"

"That definitely won't work, but think about it carefully, bro. If you buy ten tickets, you might attract ten people to the cinema. Those ten people might attract a hundred, and those hundred might attract ten thousand. According to your profit-sharing arrangement, the box office revenue from those ten thousand people would cover the cost of the ten tickets, plus interest."

"As expected of the director of 'The Untamed,' he's an expert in pyramid scheme tactics."

Bai Ying sighed and said, "If the box office is a loss, won't the money I spent on these ten tickets become the director's money for tissues to wipe his tears?"

[My dear brother... In this life, luck and misfortune inevitably go hand in hand. We cannot fathom fate, nor can we stop it. The only thing we can do is face it and overcome it! Misfortune can reduce consequences and losses by 9%! Lucky opportunities can amplify results and gains by 9 times! The most successful gamblers only gamble once! The news of Ms. Sakurajima's retirement has generated buzz, your perfectly crafted script, and our united efforts—wow! This is simply divine intervention!]

Bai Ying picked up a piece of green vegetable and chewed it: "Director, are you going home to inherit the family business after filming this movie?"

Of course not! A man's dream never dies! I will win everything!

"But he'll become a clown."

[Shut up! How dare you, you brat, corrupt my principles! Have you finished writing your lyrics yet?!]

Lyrics? Lyrics... lyrics!

Bai Ying: "Is the movie going to be released during the summer vacation?"

You have three days left.

Okita Masashi spoke in a deep voice, deducting four days from the seven days, thus canceling out his conscience, which he owed a great deal.

White Shadow: "So... the deadline has already..."

"Hey bro, looks like you've been a bit lazy lately. I have a professional little black room here..."

pat.

Bai Ying hung up the phone, her chopsticks falling onto the table. She vaguely felt the death line wrapped around her neck, and the clock hand jabbing her buttocks hard.

Hearing some louder sounds, Mai Sakurajima asked knowingly, "Hey, Black Fan, why did you drop your chopsticks?"

"The power of the deadline is so great."

Bai Ying picked up her chopsticks and continued eating calmly, chewing slowly and carefully.

Having witnessed someone being driven to desperation by the deadline and even achieving enlightenment in a dark room, Mai Sakurajima exclaimed in surprise, "Black Fan, are you completely confident?"

"I'm just eating at your pace, I still have to wash the dishes later," Bai Ying said, frowning. "Can't you just gulp it down and stuff your stomach?"

Sakurajima Mai rolled her eyes and said instinctively, "I'll do the dishes. You should think about your own deadline..."

The white figure instantly began eating frantically, and after a short while, put down her chopsticks and rushed to her room.

"..."

Could I have been scammed?

Sakurajima Mai hesitated, picked up a piece of tofu and put it in her mouth. She took a few small breaths to soothe the taste in her mouth, and occasionally pursed her lips and sucked in a few breaths of cool air through her teeth.

The hater's taste is a bit strong; this is much spicier than some of the dishes prepared for variety shows.

……