Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Back at the apartment complex, it was almost four in the afternoon.
Jiang Li no longer held Kakayan's hand. With both hands in his pockets and a cheerful little tune on his lips, he was already sketching out the next video's editing plan in his head.
Sunlight slanted through the gaps between the buildings, scattering mottled patches of light across the ground. Fallen leaves crackled softly beneath their shoes.
"Jiang Li, what are we having for dinner?" Kakayan asked, trailing beside him.
"Hungry already?"
Jiang Li lifted an eyebrow. Any normal person ought to be full until tomorrow after that enormous lunch. It had been nothing but real meat—pure protein and energy.
"I'm not hungry. I just want to eat more."
Kakayan smacked her lips silently. She'd once read online that the rice-stomach might be full, but the snack-stomach was still empty. That was exactly how she felt now. Not hungry—just greedy.
"You should eat less; it's bad for your health." Jiang Li spoke slowly. "Look, you hardly exercise and you've got a huge appetite. Keep it up and you'll be wearing a swimming ring around your waist."
"A swimming ring?"
"A big belly."
Jiang Li scratched his cheek, feeling the phrase was odd. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced at Kakayan's stomach. "Fat gathers in rolls, so it looks like you've got two stomachs, one stacked on the other."
At that, Kakayan lowered her head and patted her midriff. Through her clothes the flesh did feel a little thicker. Maybe Earth's food was simply too rich for a genius young witch who measured daily exercise in steps between the sofa and the fridge.
"Well? Found the extra flab?"
Seeing her staring down with that complicated expression, Jiang Li couldn't resist teasing.
"You just want to trick me into eating less."
Kakayan pouted in protest.
"I gain nothing from lying to you." Jiang Li found her reaction amusing, then added, "We'll buy a digital scale later. Step on it and you'll know if you've gained weight."
"A digital scale?"
"It shows your weight as numbers. The larger the number, the fatter you are." Jiang Li's mouth curved. "Maybe when you stand on it, the number will be bigger than mine."
"Rubbish."
Kakayan's eyes widened and she shot him a fierce glare.
Watching her indignant face, Jiang Li suddenly remembered the seesaw in the complex's playground. It was still early; most residents would be cooking dinner, and the students weren't out of school yet.
They reached the deserted playground—only the two of them.
Jiang Li sat on the cool metal plank and motioned Kakayan to the other side. She stood beside the seesaw, blinking her violet eyes, studying the simple contraption for a long moment. Even without physics knowledge, she could see that the heavier side would rise.
"Why aren't you sitting down?" Jiang Li grinned. "Afraid you'll launch me into the sky?"
"That's mean!"
Kakayan clicked her tongue in protest. She slipped off her jacket, hung it on a nearby rail, and stepped onto the opposite end.
"Why'd you take your coat off?"
"It's hot."
Jiang Li laughed silently. Did she seriously think her weight could beat his? Then again, with the way she ate... perhaps it could.
As soon as both sets of feet left the ground, the seesaw groaned and Jiang Li's side sank.
"See? You're definitely heavier."
Kakayan's lips curled in a smug smile. "And you said I'd send you flying—you're the one shooting me into the air!"
"Hold on tight."
"Why—"
Before she could finish, Jiang Li pushed off hard with his left foot and rocketed upward.
"Eek!"
A cute shriek rang out. Kakayan dropped, then bounced skyward, her ponytail flicking with every rise and fall. Each time she tried to leave, the moment her toes brushed the ground, Jiang Li sent her up again. The metal creaked and creaked.
"Stop—stop it!"
Only when her voice cracked into a plea did Jiang Li slow—not out of mercy, but because he feared she'd bite her tongue.
The instant her feet touched earth, Kakayan fled the seesaw.
Ugh...
Damn it. She'd fallen into the Hero's trap again. Rubbing her sore backside, she grew angrier by the second. While Jiang Li stood up, off guard, Kakayan marched over and punched him hard.
All his sneaky tricks, used against her. If she still had her magic, she'd bury him in the ground.
"Let's go. Time to head home."
Jiang Li didn't mind; her fist was soft as a kitten's paw. Reminding her not to forget her jacket, he started toward their building.
By the time they got back it was almost five. After a day of eating and playing, the familiar living room felt wonderfully cozy.
Jiang Li stashed the sodas he'd swiped from the hotpot place into the fridge, then dropped onto the couch and opened his laptop. While it booted, he fetched a cable, plugged in his phone, and began transferring the day's footage.
The moment Kakayan stepped inside she made a beeline for the fridge. The cola Jiang Li had just put away was in her hand the next second.
"Didn't you have half a bottle left?"
Jiang Li, sprawled on the sofa, found it bizarre—this girl never stopped drinking.
"That one went flat. Tastes awful."
Kakayan popped open a fresh bottle and took a sip, satisfied smile blooming across her face. One swallow of Happy Water and her mood soared.
"Jiang Li, I've discovered a secret about Happy Water."
"Oh?"
"The first few sips are the best. After that the taste drops off."
"So that's why you waste half a bottle?"
Jiang Li shook his head; living with her was like keeping a spendthrift wife.
"Who says I waste it?"
Kakayan fished the half-empty cola from her pocket and thunked it on the coffee table. "You drink it."
"I'm not drinking flat soda."
"Then you're the one wasting it, not me."
"...?"
Seeing her wicked grin, Jiang Li sighed. He took a sip, grimaced, and tossed the bottle into the trash.
Flat soda really was undrinkable.