I awakened the cultivation panel.

Chapter 78 The Cat is for You!
Chen Jingle rode his electric scooter at breakneck speed all the way to Baida Plaza.

First, park your electric scooter, then go to the entrance to find Li Shiming.

Chen Jingle had good eyesight and saw her standing there from afar, so he led Changmao towards her.

Li Shiming quickly spotted Chen Jingle and waved to him with a smile from afar, attracting the attention of many onlookers.

Beautiful women attract attention wherever they go, especially in a small place like Jiangbei.

As a result, many passersby cast envious glances at Chen Jingle.

Uh, it seems like I've been misunderstood.

Only the parties involved know that the two are just ordinary friends, completely innocent, and not at all as outsiders imagine.

"Sorry for being late."

Chen Jingle smiled apologetically, not expecting the other party to arrive even earlier than him.

The long-haired cat next to her meowed and greeted Li Shiming, but the other party might not have been able to understand what it was saying.

"No, I just arrived too. Besides, it was supposed to be 9 o'clock, so there are still a few minutes to go."

Li Shiming smiled slightly, waved to Changmao, and half-squatted down to scratch its chin.

The kitten immediately felt incredibly comfortable and rubbed against him repeatedly.

Seeing this, Chen Jingle handed over the leash and said with a smile, "Here, take your time playing with the cat. I'm going to the supermarket to buy some things first."

Li Shiming's smile froze, and a look of confusion appeared on her face: "You... gave me the cat?"

No, is that right?

"Yeah, weren't you going to tease the cat?"

Chen Jingle did not notice anything amiss.

Li Shiming, this cat fanatic, just wants to see long-haired cats, doesn't she?

The other person wanted to pet the cat, and he happened to need to leave the cat at his place—it was a perfect match!

Feel free to pet it, just remember to return it later.

Li Shiming was a little at a loss. After thinking for two seconds, a flash of inspiration struck her: "Uh, maybe, maybe we can take the cat to the supermarket!"

Please!

She's not here to be a tool today.

The other person's innocent and harmless gaze almost made her question her existence, and she mentally ranted.

If we were chatting on WeChat, she would definitely send a "Very good, here comes the poisoned wine" emoji.

But remembering what her friend had told her before, she held back.

"Can I bring the cat in?" Chen Jingle asked uncertainly.

These days, the long-haired dog is no longer the tiny creature it used to be, unable to fit in a pocket, for fear that a security guard might see it and stop it.

The original idea was that since Li Shiming wanted to pet the cat, he could watch over Changmao while he was at it, so that Changmao could go to the supermarket to buy some items first.

Now it seems he misunderstood.

Well, it's not that we're using each other as tools, it's just that we each get what we need, a win-win situation!
“I’ll hold it in my arms, no one should say anything,” Li Shiming quickly said.

Chen Jingle thought for a moment and nodded: "Then let's give it a try, and we'll see if it works."

If you don't let him in, let the long-haired guy out of the entrance. Once he comes out, he shouldn't run around.

If it really encounters a cat trafficker, it will struggle on its own.

Of course, it's best to bring it with you.

Although he had great confidence in Longhair's intelligence, he had little confidence in some of his eccentricities.

……

Li Shiming breathed a sigh of relief, picked up Changmao, and asked, "Are you in a hurry to buy something?"

"Not really."

Chen Jingle replied, "Just some daily necessities. We've basically used up all the stockpiled supplies."

"Stockpile? Do you stockpile enough to last a long time?" Li Shiming asked curiously.

Chen Jingle nodded: "Yes, apart from buying groceries, there's no need for that. I generally don't go out, at most I'll go out to pick up a package. So there's always a lot of food, snacks and dry food stocked at home."

One reason is that I don't like going out, and another is that I have a lot of daily tasks now, so I want to reduce the number of times I go out and shorten my activity range.

This way, you can focus more time and energy on important matters.

What's the point of going out?
Most of his social connections are in the provincial capital; he has basically lost contact with his classmates in Jiangbei.

At most, he'll say that Sister Xin invited him to dinner, and that they'll go out for a stroll.

"So much of a homebody?" Li Shiming asked in surprise.

"got used to."

Chen Jingle smiled and said, "Everyone has a different lifestyle; do whatever makes you comfortable."

"That's true. But I thought I was lazy enough, I didn't expect you to be even lazier than me..."

Li Shiming covered her mouth and chuckled softly, a little embarrassed to continue.

Chen Jingle didn't care and chuckled, "Life is short, just be happy."

"you're right."

Li Shiming nodded: "That's why I like to eat and drink. I eat when I'm happy, and I eat even more when I'm unhappy."

Looking at her smiling face, it was clear that she was eager for the food and satisfied with herself.

Chen Jingle felt that her attitude towards life was something many people should learn from.

"Since there's no rush, how about we sit here for a while, order some milk tea and chat, then come back to the supermarket after we finish eating?"

Li Shiming pointed to the milk tea shop next door and made a suggestion, while carefully observing Chen Jingle's reaction.

Chen Jingle thought for a moment and did not refuse: "That's fine too."

He only wants to buy ingredients, food, or some daily necessities, which supermarkets don't lack, and it doesn't matter when he buys them.

Then, hesitatingly, he asked, "Are you really going to treat me to dinner?"

Li Shiming's lips curled up: "That's right, but it depends on whether you're willing to do me the honor."

Seeing Chen Jingle's hesitant expression, she quickly assured him, "Don't worry, it'll definitely be delicious!"

"Besides eating, is there anything else?" Chen Jingle asked.

Li Shiming asked in confusion, "What could possibly happen during a meal?"

It seems like they need his help with something.

Is this truly pure cat diplomacy?

Fine.

"it is good."

Chen Jingle nodded, seemingly realizing that he had been too concise and impolite, so he added, "I won't take advantage of you. You treat me this time, and I'll treat you next time."

Li Shiming waved her hand dismissively, "It's just a meal, why make such a fuss? Of course, it's great that you're willing to treat me to a meal, then I'll wait for you."

She looked all smiles, not worried at all.

The two found a seat in the milk tea shop and ordered a milk tea.

Li Shiming's gaze swept over Chen Jingle's face: "How long do you plan to rest?"

Chen Jingle shook his head: "It's hard to say. It might be three to five months, it might be a year and a half, or it might be a long rest period."

"Won't this long break have any negative effects?"

"Fortunately, with some savings, I won't starve anytime soon. If things really get tough, I'll just consider it an early retirement," Chen Jing chuckled.

"envious!"

Li Shiming stared wide-eyed. Retiring at such a young age, it really makes one feel happy.

"Speaking of which, we first met here at Baida Shopping Mall," Chen Jingle suddenly remembered.

"Yes."

Li Shiming smiled, then suddenly remembered something, her expression a mix of coquettishness and reproach: "Back then, Changmao was just a tiny chicken wing wrapped in rice, which you stuffed into your pocket. You even lied to me and said it was a keychain."

Chen Jingle looked somewhat embarrassed. He had thought it was just a chance encounter, but who knew there would be a follow-up? It seems he shouldn't speak carelessly in the future—or rather, he shouldn't talk to people casually.

(I'm not feeling well tonight, so the second update will probably be late tonight. Sorry!)

……

Li Shiming finally understood why her psychologist friend had advised her not to try to get close to men who had been single for a long time when she consulted him.

Because with this kind of person, it's hard for you to even pursue them!

It sounds like a contradictory statement.

Logically speaking, shouldn't men who have been single for a long time be so desperate that they'll kill any ugly woman they find?
"However, the truth is quite the opposite," her friend warned her in a very serious tone.

Following the principle of analyzing specific problems in specific ways, different people will react differently.

People like Chen Jingle are categorized separately.

From a psychological perspective, such people, due to a prolonged lack of social interaction and a habit of being alone, will gradually desensitize their brain's dopamine receptors.

In addition, with the increasing maturity of regulatory mechanisms such as cortisol, they do not need external recognition to relieve their inner stress and anxiety like ordinary men.

It's even less likely that they will be driven by hormones and actively pursue a partner like they were in adolescence.

Compared to romantic relationships, they prefer to gain a sense of accomplishment from other aspects.

This is why many men become fascinated with fishing, raising fish, growing flowers, photography, and even observing the universe once they reach middle age.

Men generally mature later than women, but by middle age, they generally come to their senses and begin to break free from the control of hormones.

The best among them need not be mentioned.

At this age, they know better than anyone what they want and what they don't want.

With clear understanding and efficient behavior, every choice is the optimal solution derived from careful consideration.

In their eyes, many of those so-called close relationships, relatives and friends, are ineffective social interactions.

Some people are polite and at least maintain a superficial friendliness; others are more direct and simply ignore you.

Ordinary people who want to enter his circle must go through this screening mechanism.

In her friend's words, it was just too much trouble.

"Unless the other person is truly outstanding, so outstanding that you feel you'll likely never have the chance to meet a man of that caliber again in your life, then you should decide whether to give it a try. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it."

For most people, love will never be their destiny; marriage and settling down together is their ultimate fate.

The other party neither approves of nor recommends that Li Shiming pursue so-called love, even though it sounds cruel and heartless.

There's no way around it; after working as a psychologist for a long time, you do start to become a little less like a normal person.

……

Based on all of the above, Li Shiming herself struggled with the decision for a long time.

Finally, I made up my mind: "I'll give it a try, and if it doesn't work, so be it."

Anyway, it won't hurt to give it a try.

What if it succeeds?

Many people of the same age are now pursuing the so-called "hexagonal" ideal, which means that age, appearance, education, job, family background, and place of origin must all perfectly meet the requirements, and that the couple must be well-matched.

Li Shiming felt that she was at least a little more rational than them, and could clearly recognize that it was impossible for a person to have both.

A perfect hexagon is extremely rare and hard to come by.

But she also didn't want to settle.

Unfortunately, my social and work circles are limited, so I don't meet many people of the opposite sex, let alone outstanding ones.

The vast majority of outstanding potential partners are snapped up during their student years. The very few remaining don't even make it to the market.

Meeting even one is considered extremely lucky.

At her age, her parents, if not urging her to get married, would at least occasionally inquire indirectly, casually asking if she wanted them to introduce her to someone.
She didn't have such a strong desire for romance before; she was always thinking about eating and drinking, so she rejected the idea.

My parents didn't insist.

The value of an only child in western Guangdong is no less than that of an only child in eastern or northeastern China!

Li Shiming had originally intended to just go with the flow, aimlessly browsing and selecting—

Well, she actually ran into one.

Although it's not a perfect hexagon, it doesn't feel bad; at least it's an irregular hexagon.

However, this hexagon is a bit tricky. Even though she has always been used to everything going smoothly since she was a child, she suddenly felt a little at a loss.

numb.

Given her beautiful face, she's always been the one being pursued; she's never the one actively pursuing anyone else.

They had absolutely no experience.

Back in college, I often offered advice and suggestions when my roommates were dating, but when it came to actually doing it myself, I was completely at a loss.

Help! !

However, she was too shy to tell others about actively pursuing someone.

Even the psychologist friend who had initially given her advice was only asked to analyze whether she should continue the relationship.

Rather than her taking the initiative.

Is the other party playing hard to get, or are they genuinely unaware, or simply unwilling to respond?
distressed!

……

A restaurant called "Donghe Renjia".

This is the restaurant that Li Shiming and Chen Jingle said was delicious, the place where they had lunch.

It's not far from Baida Shopping Mall, just two streets away, less than 200 meters, so I simply walked over.

The interior decoration is very approachable, and the prices on the menu on the wall are also very affordable.

Li Shiming introduced with a smile: "This store is newly opened, but their main store has been open in Donghe County for quite a while. Now they are planning to expand their scale, so they came to the city to open a store."

Chen Jingle nodded in realization.

The two of them arrived quite early, at just 11 a.m. Even so, there were already quite a few people in the restaurant, and it was estimated that there would be even more people coming to dine around noon.

I chose a spot on the side where I could feel the air conditioning.

"Take a look and see what you'd like to eat?" Li Shiming pushed the menu over.

Chen Jingle took it and asked, "Any recommendations?"

"Hmm, let me think... I remember the Sichuan pepper abalone was pretty good. Then there was pan-fried tiger prawns, and braised pork belly with cola and ginkgo nuts." Li Shiming blinked.

"Pork belly? Cola?"

Chen Jingle was slightly taken aback; this was the first time he had seen this method before. Perhaps he was just ignorant. He couldn't help but ask, "How does it taste?"

Li Shiming thought for a moment: "It's baked with cola, but not like cola chicken wings. It's a bit like braised pork, but with ginkgo nuts added, so it's not as greasy. I think it tastes better than braised pork."

Hearing her say that, Chen Jingle was tempted to try it.

So I ordered one serving and added abalone with Sichuan peppercorns.

Jiangbei is also considered a coastal area, although the coastline is not long, seafood prices are relatively affordable, and common small abalone are not expensive.

The menu was handed back to Li Shiming to see if she had anything to add.

"How much do you eat?" Li Shiming asked.

"It's edible."

Chen Jingle smiled and used two words to describe it.

Li Shiming chuckled: "Alright then, I'll order a few more dishes."

Chen Jingle said, "We don't need to order too much, just enough to eat. Even if we can finish it, it would be a bit wasteful to order too much."

"If you can finish it, it's not a waste. Don't worry, I can eat a lot too." Li Shiming practically patted her chest to assure her.

Her "you just wait and see" expression made Chen Jingle a little suspicious.

real or fake?

He doesn't look like the type who can eat a lot; it seems like he's just bragging.

(End of this chapter)