Chapter 531: The Cactus Meal
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Li Du was not the most intelligent person. However, since youth, he had known what he wanted. He had also been well aware that his family would not be able to provide for him what he wanted.
So he had worked extra hard in school. He knew that as someone without any strong financial background or support, he could only depend on education to change his destiny.
He did well on his high school exams and made it to a highly-regarded university back home. But for his postgraduate studies, he was more ambitious. As he had always wanted to study overseas, he was conned into entering that fly-by-night university.
In order to dedicate himself to his studies, he gave up on many things, including the chance to pursue puppy love in school.
While he did have a pint-sized girlfriend during his kindergarten days, the pathetic Mr. Li hadn't been in love since. He'd never had the slightest chance of being kissed.
While he was inexperienced in this area, he knew that this moment was the best opportunity for him to get kissed.
The heart will guide one towards success.
While Mr. Li was inexperienced, Sophie was even more so.
The girl in his arms stood there in a daze. Li Du kissed and kissed but she neither resisted nor reciprocated. She just stared at him with her widened peepers, and a face filled with anxiety.
After two kisses, Li Du had wanted to progress to a French kiss, but Sophie did not reciprocate. His tongue was licking the outside of her mouth, not achieving its goal.
As though possessed, Sophie stepped back and looked at him. "My lipstick's inedible."
"Huh?" Li Du was dumbfounded.
As though suddenly jolted into reacting, Sophie gave him a shove and then said in a panic, "Hey, what are you doing? What did you do? Why are you here?"
Seeing her flustered look, Li Du knew that he had given her a scare. "Sorry honey, I couldn't help myself. You're just too beautiful."
Sophie didn't answer, but instead took a quick glance around before zipping, just like a little deer, into a lane nearby.
Li Du was embarrassed; he thought Sophie was mad at him and so he chased after her to apologize.
As the lady doctor ran into the small alley, she kept turning back to look at him. Li Du was about to speak when she hushed him and then glanced behind him sneakily.
After making sure that no one was around, she walked over to Li Du and said shyly, "Come on."
Li Du was stunned again. "Huh?"
Sophie reached out to tug at his clothes, like a lass throwing a tantrum. "Let's kiss here. How could we kiss out on the streets? So many people were looking at us."
As he looked at her blushing face illuminated by the bright moonlight, Li Du felt that never in his lifetime would he forget how the lady doctor looked in that moment.
The two of them embraced, and this time Sophie reacted quickly. Li Du's tongue made its way to her mouth and she welcomed him in without any hesitation.
Animals are very sensitive; seeing that the two of them were locked in a kiss, Ah Meow could sense that their relationship had become more intimate. He panicked and then went forward, wanting to get close as well.
From where could Li Du gather the energy to fend him off? Ah Meow climbed onto him in a hurry as he meowed for attention.
As he climbed up his calf, Mr. Li quickly tried to shake him off with a kicking motion—Ah Meow was flung off.
Although the ocelot was flung off, his great balancing skills helped him to adjust quickly in the air. He managed to land firmly on the ground after doing a somersault, just like a gymnast.
Ah Ow, who was about to approach them as well, was shocked upon seeing this. She was not as agile, and if given the same treatment, such a fling would probably cause her to be incontinent.
Li Du did not know how to go about the kiss, but just went with whatever felt good as he sucked.
He did so with gusto, like how he devoured his popsicles when he was young.
Then, Sophie pushed him off, panting and groaning, "Oh my God, my mouth feels numb. Is it swollen?"
"No." Li Du pushed her back against the wall and continued slurping his popsicle with enjoyment.
Sometime later, when he was also out of breath, Sophie suddenly burst out crying.
Li Du got a fright, and hastily wrapped his arms around her. "Don't cry, don't cry, honey. I'll take responsibility, I'll marry you"
Sophie cried, "No, my mouth is swollen! Really swollen!"
When she had complained earlier Li Du didn't pay attention, as his lips were not swollen. When he had read in novels about how the characters would kiss until their lips were swollen, he thought it was an exaggeration.
But now, as Sophie walked under the streetlamp, he was taken aback to see that her lip was indeed swollen—her upper lip looked like a mini sausage.
Luckily, due to the nature of her job, the lady doctor always carried a face mask around. However, it seemed a little strange to be wearing a face mask at night.
And so, the two of them couldn't continue kissing. As Li Du held Sophie's hand in search of food, she vented her anger along the way by using the tips of her toes to kick him.
Ah Meow, Crispy Noodles and Ah Ow saw how Li Du's enjoyment in being kicked by Sophie. They went forward to emulate her action. As Ah Meow clawed at him, the bottom of Mr. Li's pants tore…
Winslow was relatively close to the Navajo and the Hopi Reservations; the local cuisine, which had Native American influences, tended to be rough and rugged.
Li Du bought Sophie a cup of cactus juice extract; honey and lemon juice had been added to it. It was sweet and sour, and didn't taste half bad. It was a little slimy though, and reminded him of nasal mucus, so he didn't like it.
Sophie didn't like it either, but cactus juice could ease swelling, which was what she needed.
She took a sip, then raised her head to whine pitifully, "It's not good."
Li Du lowered his head to take a sip. "Bear with it. I'll drink it with you."
This way, both of them took turns sipping the drink. Initially, Sophie was content with this, but then she got annoyed. "You didn't drink at all! You only put the straw in your mouth but didn't sip at all—don't think I don't know!"
Li Du lifted the cup of cactus juice for a look. "You speak as though you drank some." The full cup of cactus juice had only reduced a little; it was obvious that neither of them had drunk much at all.
They didn't like the cactus juice. But the grilled cactus meal was still very delicious; it was a Winslow specialty.
A palm-sized cactus, which had been emptied, was stuffed with meat and vegetables, and then grilled on the stove. It was considered cooked when the cactus skin burst.
The cactus meat that had been dug out was not wasted; it was sliced and then seasoned with rosemary, cumin powder and paprika before being grilled on aluminum foil. It smelled tantalizing.
Li Du didn't want to add the paprika because it would aggravate Sophie's swollen lips.
However, she insisted on adding it. While she usually preferred lighter-tasting foods, she liked spice.
There was also a special malt beer, which was similar to regular beer but lighter. The drink, which was very famous, had a sweet-and-sour taste to it.
The cactus meal also included an extreme item: grilled cactus needles. Of course, these needles were not those commonly-seen small spikes. They were large needles as thick as one's pinkie taken from gigantic-sized cacti.
Accompanied by their three furkids, the two of them tucked into their cactus meal washed down by malt beer. Li Du thought it was the best dinner he had ever eaten.