CHAPTER 718: CHAPTER 437: EVERYTHING, JUST BECAUSE I LIKE YOU

When Hanamaru Hanabi got home, she started getting busy with her chores.

She gathered up the clothes that were drying on the balcony yesterday.

Uesugi Sakura sat on the couch in the living room, tilting her head, watching the silhouette of the girl folding clothes outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

She doesn’t mind the hassle, washing clothes every day, wearing them during the day, and taking them off to wash at night, hanging them on the balcony to dry.

Every day is like this, and Uesugi Sakura has also picked up this habit with her, changing clothes daily.

"Need any help?" Uesugi Sakura asked as she watched her carrying a pile of clothes back from the balcony.

"Haha~ No need, these clothes aren’t heavy." Hanamaru Hanabi peeked her head out from the pile of clothes in her arms, looked at Uesugi Sakura sitting on the couch, and asked, "What would you like to eat tonight, Sakura-kun?"

"What does Hanabi want to eat?" Uesugi Sakura found her adorable in this moment.

"Peppers!" Hanamaru Hanabi chuckled.

"Alright, how about curry beef rice today?"

"Alright," Hanamaru Hanabi thought for a while, looking aside. Then she nodded in agreement, "Sure, I think there’s still some curry powder at home."

Uesugi Sakura: "Okay, I’ll go peel and chop the potatoes."

Hanamaru Hanabi went to the bedroom to organize the clothes into the closet, while Uesugi Sakura headed to the kitchen, grabbing two leftover potatoes from the cupboard, squatting by the trash bin, peeling the skins with a peeler, then standing to rinse them under the sink, finally cutting the peeled potatoes into small cubes.

Chop chop chop.

A large pile of small potato cubes quickly took shape under the knife.

Despite her speed, Uesugi Sakura felt the knife was a little unwieldy because it’s one of those typical Western pointed knives, unlike the sturdy, square Chinese cleavers.

Even though she had mastered it, cutting swiftly, this pointed blade lacked the ability to smash garlic or ginger, and cutting strips seemed less steady, leaving her feeling unsatisfied.

Should I go to a nearby Chinese supermarket and pick up a couple of square cleavers?

Maybe buy an iron skillet too.

Speaking of iron skillets...

Uesugi Sakura suddenly craved the stir-fried dishes made by Hanamaru Hanabi.

Stuff like green pepper beef strips, twice-cooked pork, stir-fried sliced pork, or stir-fried kidneys...

She should be able to make these.

If every evening there were fragrant dishes served with a smile by Hanamaru Hanabi, she’d sit across, placing a small bite of meat onto my plate. Looking at the green pepper beef strips in the bowl, taking a mouthful with hot steamed rice, warmth instantly spread all over the body.

"Sakura-kun, did you finish dicing the potatoes?" Hanamaru Hanabi came to the kitchen after organizing the clothes.

"Yes."

"Then put the potatoes in the pot and add some cool water to boil them first; I’ll slice the beef."

"Okay." Uesugi Sakura recalled this step was to make the potatoes softer during the braising.

Hanamaru Hanabi choppily diced the beef, turned around, and opened the refrigerator behind her, taking out the curry powder.

Curry is actually a kind of "Indian stew," a similar mixed dish of spices and various ingredients.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s next moves were swift, chopping onions into small pieces, peeling and chopping carrots, adding a little oil to the pot, sautéing the onions, potatoes, peppers, and carrots, then stirring the beef chunks with them, adding water, letting it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes softened, finally adding curry powder, until the curry thickened.

It wasn’t long before Uesugi Sakura smelled the aroma wafting from the pot.

Hanamaru Hanabi, wearing an apron, scooped a little of the curry with a spoon, tasting it with her lips.

It tasted pretty good.

"Sakura-kun, come try how it tastes?"

Hanamaru Hanabi said, scooping a little curry again with the same spoon, holding the handle with one hand, semi-covering it with the other, turning to offer it to Uesugi Sakura’s lips.

Uesugi Sakura sampled it.

"How is it?" Hanamaru Hanabi asked.

Uesugi Sakura closed her eyes, savoring it for two seconds, then opened her eyes and said to the girl in front of her:

"Isn’t this like an indirect kiss?"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s cute face froze slightly.

Uesugi Sakura smiled at her.

Hanamaru Hanabi hung her head a little, then quietly turned around, stirring the curry beef in the pot with the same spoon:

"Sakura-kun... Sakura-kun and Hanabi are already married... So even a direct kiss is nothing..."

"Though that’s true, Hanabi, you still look quite shy, don’t you?"

"..."

For some reason.

Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly fell silent for a long time.

Uesugi Sakura noticed the sparkle in her eyes suddenly vanished.

"Sakura-kun...isn’t it annoying? That Hanabi is still like this after so long... unchanged..."

"No, I actually find it very cute, and being cute... who wouldn’t love to have an adorable wife?" Uesugi Sakura gazed at her standing by the kitchen stove, wearing an apron, wearing slippers.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s violet eyes stared at the thick bubbling curry, gently flickering.

She seemed to realize her own awkwardness, bowing her head even lower, in a weak voice gently said:

"I’m sorry, Sakura-kun... Hanabi asked again like this..."

"I’m sorry..."

Her voice grew weaker, more self-blaming.

The sound pained Uesugi Sakura immensely, so she walked behind her, embracing her small frame from behind:

"It’s okay, it’s okay, no need to apologize, it’s not Hanabi’s fault."