CHAPTER 248: CHAPTER 206 THE CHILD GROWS BEYOND THE MOTHER’S CONTROL_2

"This must be fate! We just ran into each other by chance! Shasha, someone once said we all evolved from monkeys, so it’s normal to look alike! Shasha, what do you feel like eating? Let’s head out first, and we can chat while eating later!"

Bai Shasha kept her gaze on Xiao Guai. "Anything’s fine. What does Xiao Guai like to eat? Let’s find a place where he can eat something too!" As she spoke, she kept planting kisses on Xiao Guai’s forehead, making the dog bare its teeth helplessly and glance at its owner for help.

"Haha, you’ve got it right. Xiao Guai usually eats a lot of fruit, but some of his favorites happen to be yours too!" Li Si said as the engine started and he turned the steering wheel.

"Oh? What is it?" Bai Shasha was immediately curious—her list of favorite foods was pretty long.

"Potato chips!"

"Oh! My goodness! Xiao Guai, you’re amazing! When Auntie gets her paycheck, I’ll buy you a whole box of potato chips!"

Li Si wasn’t having it and shot her a glare. "Who are you calling Auntie? Xiao Guai calls us brother and sister. If he calls you Auntie, that bumps you up a generation! Don’t you know being the ’elder generation’ is no fun? You still expect me to bring Xiao Guai to your house after that?"

Bai Shasha quickly surrendered. "Alright, I was wrong, I was wrong! Sister will buy you potato chips from now on! As many as you want!"

"That’s more like it!" Li Si grinned with satisfaction as he looked ahead.

The two eventually settled on a barbecue restaurant and got a private booth. Li Si placed marinated slices of meat on the grill, and with a delightful sizzle, light smoke rose as he brushed them with oil, making everyone’s mouth water uncontrollably.

Bai Shasha hugged Xiao Guai, staring intently at Li Si’s grilling technique. The moment the meat was cooked, it went straight into her stomach.

Curious, Xiao Guai tilted its head. It wanted to eat too. The pair of foodies, seeing the pitifully greedy look on the dog’s face, fed it a few pieces but didn’t dare give it too much. Xiao Guai could only chew on a banana while imagining it tasted like grilled meat.

Li Si slowed down as he ate, now only half-full, and looked at Bai Shasha, whose mouth was shiny with oil. "Did you not eat meat these past few days? You’re going at it like a savage!"

Her eating was borderline alarming. Just moments ago, the table had been laden with marinated meats, chicken wings, squid, and more. Now, only half a plate was left, a clear sign of how much had been devoured.

Bai Shasha swallowed the meat in her mouth and grabbed a napkin to wipe her lips. "I did eat, but they didn’t taste great!" She found herself missing the food back in North City. The flavors in Beijing were still different from those in her hometown, and she hadn’t quite adjusted. But now that she was in Beijing, she’d have to wait until the Chinese New Year to go home and properly indulge.

"Shasha, you’re new here, so it’s natural to feel out of place. Give it some time, and you’ll adjust! How’s work going so far?"

Bai Shasha nodded. "You’re right. I guess I just need more time. As for work, it’s been okay—after all, there’s the son of my uncle’s old comrade working there. I’ve just started getting to know my colleagues, so there haven’t been any major clashes or anything."

Hearing this, Li Si felt relieved. "So, what have you been eating every day?"

Bai Shasha finally found a shoulder to complain on and rattled off her grievances. "You have no idea, Si. Life out here is nothing like at home. Back in school, we’d go home on weekends and feast. Every time I went home, my dad would cook an entire spread of my favorite dishes.

But now, you don’t realize how tough it is out here until you leave home. If I’m in a rush for work in the morning, I just grab a jianbing or some buns to get by. At lunchtime, I eat in the company cafeteria, but honestly, the taste leaves much to be desired.

By the time I get off work and squeeze onto the subway to go home, I’m too tired to even cook anything. So, I just find some random little restaurant to grab a quick bite and call it a day."

"No wonder you’ve lost weight!" Li Si said, a little heartbroken. She knew this was the reality for most people working away from home, but she didn’t want Bai Shasha to live so miserably.

With a little weight loss, Bai Shasha’s features became even more delicate, and her sharp chin added a slightly fragile, pitiable beauty—at least when she wasn’t talking. The moment she opened her mouth, though, her usual lively self came right through in a flash.

Bai Shasha loved hearing this. Her eyes lit up immediately. "Really? I was wondering about that! You know the skirt set we bought together a while ago? The waistband feels loose now. I thought it was because it stretched from washing!"

"What a fool! A single compliment about weight loss, and look at how happy you are! But seriously, eating like this all the time isn’t going to work. If you keep this up, your health will suffer in the long run.

How about I hire a housekeeper for you? Someone who can clean and cook fresh meals every day. At least then you’d have a decent hot meal when you get home!"

Li Si thought the idea was solid, but as soon as she finished speaking, Bai Shasha rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Si, your brain really works differently than mine nowadays. Do you know how much I make a month? During this internship, it’s just a bit over 2,000 yuan, and you’re telling me to hire a housekeeper?