Chapter 506: Life is just such a simple thing

Good things come without delay, Zhuo and Ling immediately went to the nearest shopping mall.

Because Ling said, "There are not enough tableware at home," Zhuo followed her obediently.

Zhuo didn't often come to crowded commercial facilities like this, so in his opinion, Ling's familiarity with the place, holding his hand and walking quickly seemed very reliable.

He didn't point out the fact that Zero's pace was faster and more excited than usual, but just smiled and enjoyed her guidance.

After a while, they arrived at a store where the goods sold seemed to be mainly daily necessities produced in Northern Europe.

"Giving a gift in the name of a couple, even Uesugi Eri can understand some of the meaning. As for Yamamoto Yurina, I think it's better to leave it alone. Frankly speaking, I'm very worried about that woman."

That woman...

"It can't be too fanciful, nor too rude. The toy yellow duck in the bathroom was given to us by her, or more precisely, a wedding gift to Zhuo. So it should also have a certain amount of thought."

Certainly...

"You need to make her realize it in time, but don't be too direct. You can't choose jewelry or clothes or other personal items, and you shouldn't choose things that you won't use. I think ordinary tableware is suitable."

When did you learn these?

I always feel like Zero has learned some weird things without him knowing.

The atmosphere of this store feels very elegant, and the classical music played in the store is also very beautiful.

The tableware displayed on the shelves was indirect yet gorgeous, with a very elegant design, and Ling Zhuo had the feeling that "Ling might like it".

"The things here are not expensive, but the design and durability are good. I have been considering it for a long time."

"No wonder you came here without hesitation. It turns out you wanted to share your recommended things with me."

"Isn't it okay? If it doesn't suit your taste, we can go to other stores."

"Silly, I'm just glad you told me what you like. When I came in, I thought this might be your type, and I was glad to get confirmation."

Zhuo didn't have a clear preference for tableware, so Ling's way of letting Zhuo know what she was thinking and considering every day and her hope for recognition was something he wanted very much.

If you want to give it as a gift, it is better to choose other stores.

"Huh? I didn't say these were gifts. This is what we're going to use."

Zhuo watched in amazement as Ling packed several sets of tableware, then took out his credit card from his pocket to pay the bill, and turned back and said as a matter of course.

"Well, that's fine. If you give something you like to someone else, you'll be unhappy."

"Does Zhuo have any favorites?"

"Just use what you like. I just don't understand this."

"Is it okay if I like it?"

"Of course. If I use something I like, I'll be happy using it, and you'll be happy seeing it, right?"

"Right."

The tableware neatly arranged on the shelf is very tasteful.

Some tableware has realistic flowers printed on it in light colors, and although Zhuo doesn’t specifically choose this common type, all the items sold in this store have flower images on them.

Zhuo also does not reject the use of objects with smooth lines and tones.

"I think it's better to buy the size you usually use. At the beginning, I accidentally bought something with a nice design but a shape or size that was not useful, and then I had to put it away..."

Zero whispered as he examined the various tableware.

"At the beginning?"

"Just when I was cooking for you."

"So that was the wrong one, not the extra-large one that was specially chosen to accommodate my appetite!?"

"Unfortunately not... since we both need one each, it depends on the size of the dining table."

Another issue is simply the size of the placement location.

Zhuo's dining table is a low table that matches the sofa, and can be used by one or two people. Originally, he thought that there would be no guests visiting anyway, so he chose a house with this set of furniture that was just the right size when renting it. But now it seems that the result was counterproductive.

"I now think it's better to have a bigger dining table. After all, it's troublesome to stack the plates every time, and it's easy to slip."

Occasionally, when Ling gets serious, Zhuo will worry that the table is not big enough to put all the dishes on. For this reason, Ling often divides a plate into parts to put the dishes on. Even if it looks beautiful, Zhuo still thinks a full plate is better.

"I can get a bigger one later, just make do with this one for now."

"makes sense."

If there is any problem later, just buy a new one - Zhuo put this thought in a corner of his mind and walked around the store in coordination with Ling's steps.

Because this is a shop she often visits, she often stops to think carefully, but never makes a decision on what to buy.

“I still think they are all very good.”

"I see you are very happy."

"I'm very happy to be able to go out with you after such a long time. I haven't had such an experience since you entered the third year of high school, so I want to take this opportunity to buy some more."

"You are usually so restrained, so it's okay to indulge yourself occasionally, right?"

"No."

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on your differential brakes, don't worry."

With Ling's self-control, Zhuo's brakes would probably be useless, but he still agreed first.

Ling seemed to feel better after hearing Zhuo's answer. She picked up the plate again and again, comparing it with great care, and entered into thinking mode.

Probably no one could have imagined that Ling would look like this. She looked just like any other woman in the market, or rather, she had successfully blended in. In the eyes of the person concerned, Ling's appearance was so lovable that Zhuo couldn't help but stare at her with a smile.

It might not be a good idea not to express an opinion at this time, but Zhuo didn't intend to pour cold water on Ling who was so serious.

Ling muttered in a voice that only he could hear, "Maybe I can use this in my future home." Then he picked up a simple flat plate covered with small flowers and vines and put it into the shopping basket that Zhuo was holding.

She looked very satisfied.

"...Are you already thinking about what to do after moving?" "Well, you can say that. I will prepare daily necessities in advance, so I won't have to think about these things when the time comes. And if I can see these things in my daily life, I can understand why I am working hard."

"I understand. I get motivated as I watch."

Even Zero, who never really cared about this, seemed to have learned a lot. He also began to think about these beautiful tableware and bowls. He was quite impressed by this.

"I also think that if you eat with beautiful or favorite plates, you will feel good. Taste is important, but appearance is also important. The same is true for people. The first impression others have of you is determined by the first sight they have of you."

"I'm quite surprised you said that."

Zero is not the type of person who judges people by their appearance. To be more precise, she is the type of person who would be better off not caring about other people's appearance, so I thought she would not say such a thing, but she shook her head in confusion.

"Even I can't escape this truth. It's just like cooking. If you have a dish in front of you that's been cooked to a mess, will you still move your chopsticks? But if you don't eat it, you won't know how it tastes, right?"

"That's right."

"It's the same with people. If you give people a good first impression, others will be willing to interact with you, and it will be easier for them to understand your inner self. If I wasn't like this at the beginning, Zhuo wouldn't have stared at my legs all day long."

"Uh-huh!"

"Why do you look so shocked?"

"Well, after all, I always judge people by appearance. For a long time, I thought, "Although this guy is dangerous and unkind, his appearance and figure are still very attractive." Like this."

Before Zhuo and Ling walked side by side, he was in a state of indifference to himself and not much concern for others.

He even thought that love was not a big deal, since JK was there for him to see every day, and he would be at a disadvantage if he didn't watch her, so he just kept watching her. As a result, he exuded an air of isolation from the world.

Although he has not reached the level of a suspicious person, he has indeed shown no remorse for his past behavior, and he is now reflecting deeply on this.

When Ling heard this, he stopped looking around and put down the steamer he was examining. He turned around and looked at Zhuo's depressed look.

"As for your situation, I don't think your idea is bad. It's just that I feel complicated because I think my figure is very attractive. I don't know whether I should be thankful or not. You are the only one who feels this way."

"Huh? It's super hot."

"Is that so?" Ling tilted his head, "I've always thought that Mai's figure, the one you can't bear to look at directly, is what you like."

"Can't you just not mention this?"

"...Zhuo did a great job, was very restrained, and worked very hard. He deserves encouragement."

Ling stood on tiptoe and wanted to touch Zhuo's head and praise him for being "very good", but Zhuo stopped her immediately, which made her eyes reveal obvious dissatisfaction. However, just as Zhuo saw the clerk covering her mouth to hold back her laughter, Zhuo briefly told her "we are outside now", and her dissatisfaction disappeared in one breath, and her cheeks also revealed a color of regret.

Zhuo also hoped that Ling would not treat him like this outside, so he stopped it at the critical moment. Although he was relieved, he also felt a little regretful.

After the two of them selected a set of plates and soup cups, Zero stopped in an area not related to tableware.

At first glance, this store looks like it sells tableware, but it seems to sell all kinds of kitchen supplies, even items like blenders.

On the display shelf that attracted Zero were beautifully designed lunch boxes and kettles.

"Can I walk around here?"

"Yes, but I remember we already have several of them, right? Are they broken?"

“…I need to buy a new one.”

"new?"

Hearing Ling suddenly say this, Zhuo blinked, and she continued: "You don't seem to know."

"After all, you've grown up a lot since three years ago. As an adult, your appetite isn't that big, but compared to three years ago, you still eat more, don't you? I think the lunch box from three years ago might not be big enough for you. But if you have to keep using the lunch box, I don't think it's appropriate."

“Oh, that’s right—”

When they first met, Ling started preparing meals for him. The lunch boxes from that time have been used until today. Ling also started cooking at home and basically no longer needs to use the lunch box.

Zhuo was not very particular about what container to use for the food, but because Ling seemed to care a lot about it, she let him do whatever was convenient for her.

"I feel so ashamed when I think about it. I made you spend so much time on it, but you didn't consider it when it was obviously your own business."

"We don't use lunch boxes very often now. Even if we do, it will probably be after we expand our 'delivery' business, so it's normal that we don't think of it. And since school days, Zhuo has always come to help me even if he just woke up, right? When you said it was delicious, I felt very happy and didn't feel tired at all."

"Really? Anyway, thank you for cooking for me, and thank you for marrying someone as useless as me so that I can have a delicious meal."

I was able to spend my three years of high school enjoying the food that the "Princess" personally prepared. If my classmates at the same school heard about it, they would definitely be envious.

Zhuo, who was quite conscious of this, looked at Zero, who displayed a level of godliness beyond that of any previous god, and was willing to condescend to take care of a mere mortal, Utsunomiya Zhuo. She had already reached the level of compassion of a goddess, and he could only worship her in his heart.

"I should thank you for eating so gustatiously."

Even though Ling's heart is always concerned about Zhuo, Zhuo still feels that she has become a great burden to her, so she will never rely on Ling to do everything alone.

"Is there anything else you want to buy?"

"If there's anything else I haven't bought, it's probably a soup spoon, fork, and chopsticks."

"Well, it is indeed possible to change it. This is a rare opportunity, so let's change it all at once."

Since the tableware has been replaced with new ones selected together, the chopsticks should also be the same type prepared by both of them, so that it will be more pleasant to use - Zhuo nodded to this suggestion.

"If you want to buy chopsticks, there's a store in this mall that specializes in them. Let's go over there and have a look. I think we can buy a pair."

"I agree. By the way, you have small hands. If you buy the same size as mine, you will probably find it difficult to use. If you are going to buy it, choose one with different sizes."

Zhuo clenched and released Ling's hand several times, and then she said "emmm——" obviously thinking about something.

He really wanted to buy the same chopsticks, but if the size was the same, one of them would have trouble using them. So why had he neglected this before?

"After all, Zero's hands are small and soft."

"I haven't reached that point yet."

"I don't mean to look down on you - look, I'm glad I could wrap your hand."

Zhuo let go of Ling temporarily and gently held her hand as if to cover her from above.

Ling's little hand fell into Zhuo's palm without any resistance.

(End of this chapter)