Chapter 140: Birthday Gift (Part 1)
In black shoes, black stockings, a black skirt, black hair, and black horns, except for a white apron, Ji Ma was dressed entirely in black, presiding over the kitchen while Jenna and Lianxi assisted her.
The pot under her command was steaming, and pieces of beef brisket were tumbling in the sauce. Ji Ma picked up a large piece of beef with chopsticks, disregarded the scalding heat, and took a big bite.
As she chewed, the flavor of red wine seeped from the meat, tender and just right.
“Mm, the cooking is just right.” Ji Ma set the bitten piece of beef brisket back on the plate and poured sauce over it from the pot. After placing the plate down, she waved to Jenna and said, “Pepper.”
Saint Jenna hurried over; the burdens on her chest had become even more cumbersome. She held a pepper mill, bent at the waist and stretching her arms to avoid her chest from getting in the way, which could lead to some embarrassing situations.
Using her strength, she ground the peppercorns into powder, letting it sprinkle onto the piece of beef brisket.
She said, “Ji Ma, I’m really envious of how well you cook.”
Red wine braised beef is a dish from the Knightly Nation of Barto, which tests one’s control over cooking time even more than frying steak.
Ji Ma stared at her chest and smiled, “Jenna, don’t say that. Besides, there’s one dish only you can make, and no matter how skilled I am, I can’t replicate it.”
“What dish?”
“Ah, it should be ready.” Ji Ma removed the hot metal steamer lid with her bare hands, unharmed as a demon could handle fire.
As a sweet-smelling white steam spread out, a tender half-circle pudding was revealed. She picked up a plate of pudding and placed small, bright red strawberries on top.
“Alright, Jenna, hold this plate of pudding carefully.”
Jenna moved some pudding to the front so her chest wouldn’t touch it and picked up the milk pudding, asking, “Ji Ma, you still haven’t told me what dish I can make?”
Ji Ma wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, supporting her breasts and said with a mischievous smile, “It’s simple, just change one word in ‘milk pudding.’”
“What word?”
“Change ‘milk’ to ‘human.'”
“Ji Ma!”
Jenna’s face turned pink, and the pudding on the plate in her hands wobbled.
“Hee hee hee.”
Ji Ma released her grip, laughing as she untied her apron.
In the kitchen’s smoky atmosphere, Ji Ma’s quirky demeanor was softened a bit. It made the aloof Saint Jenna appear less distant.
George stood by the door, watching the two women play around in the kitchen, a faint sense of happiness welling up in his heart.
Lianxi was the first to notice George. Her red cat ears perked up. In her eyes, George was a lazy, good-for-nothing villain who threatened Ji Ma with brute force all day long. She quickly nudged Ji Ma and said, “Master, George is here.”
Ji Ma handed the apron to Lianxi and said, “No wonder I smelled a hint of peach blossom fragrance.”
After saying that, she gave Jenna a playful smack on the backside and whispered in her ear, “Look, George is watching you.”
Jenna turned around to face George. Today, she had styled her hair in a single ponytail hanging over her left shoulder, cradling a plate of white pudding with wobbling red strawberries. She gave George a gentle smile, a stark contrast to her previously distant attitude.
Ji Ma could smell an even stronger peach blossom fragrance as she placed a hand on Jenna’s shoulder and flashed a grin at George, flashing her pearly whites.
George’s expression softened, and the peach blossom scent became even more appetizing.
“Dinner is ready,” Jenna announced as she approached him with the milk pudding, smiling, “Tonight I’ve prepared a birthday gift for you.”
Ji Ma trailed behind Jenna, proudly lifting her tail and also smiled at him, “Tonight, I hope you have fun, hee hee hee.”
She carried a faintly sweet scent mixed with the aroma of pepper, a mark of her culinary efforts.
George felt some of his irritation dissipate; although Ji Ma often tricked herself into doing bad things, she treated him quite well.
He realized that when facing Ji Ma’s smiling face—despite seeing her wagging tail and knowing she likely meant mischief—he felt his anger diminished significantly.
Punishment was definitely on his mind, he was firm in his belief, just not tonight; tonight was about everyone enjoying themselves.
The meal arrived quickly. For this birthday dinner, there were only one man and four women.
The feast was rich yet not excessive, and within no time, the five finished eating, after which Ji Ma revealed the show’s highlight for tonight.
Ji Ma lit the twentieth candle on the birthday cake, saying to George, “Come, congratulations on getting older by another year.”
“What’s this custom?”
“As the birthday person, you should blow out the candles.”
“Okay.”
“Remember to close your eyes and make a wish before you blow.”
George looked at Ji Ma’s face behind the candlelight, along with the two girls behind her, closed his eyes, made a wish for happiness, and blew out the candle.
“There’s a flaw!”
Suddenly, Ji Ma grabbed a piece of cake and smeared it on his face. The surprise attack succeeded, adding sticky cream to his face. Without a word, George wiped his face and grabbed the cake in an attempt to retaliate.
“Hey, you can’t catch me.”
Ji Ma opened her wings and quickly retreated.
George threw the cake at her; Ji Ma quickly grabbed Lianxi the cat nearby.
“Poof.”
Poor cat maid received a face full of cream cake.
Although it was wasteful, and Ji Ma was not playing fair and being quite sneaky, it did liven up the atmosphere. The usually serious George unexpectedly smiled as he and Jenna smeared cream on each other’s faces, both seeming to revert to the carefree state of ten-year-olds.
The battle was intense.
Even the usually cold and silent Eve Frostleaf, who ate alone, could not escape the chaos.
Ji Ma threw a piece of cream cake at her face. Eve elegantly raised her finger to deflect it, not even batting an eyelid, saying, “I’m already one hundred and forty years old; I don’t want to play childish games.”
George, with his palm covered in white cream, grabbed her wrist and directly pressed it against her face.
“Don’t, please don’t! You annoying guy.”
Eve Frostleaf immediately lost her composure, pulling away but finding it impossible to escape. She turned her head to the side but was still unable to escape George’s clutches, the creamy white spread across her face, trickling down her smooth chin and dripping onto her silver thighs, sticky.
That feeling of being unable to resist made her ears flush red. She said, “How annoying.”
George released his hold and handed her a towel he had prepared.
“Take your towel and go. But seeing how you are as eager as a servant, I’ll reluctantly forgive you.”
After saying this, Eve Frostleaf summoned a stream of icy water to wash her face, yet her flushed ears remained proud in the cold water. After a few spoonfuls of devilishly spicy pepper, she finally regained her composure.
The playful time ended quickly, or rather, for someone like George, prolonged playfulness would become tiresome.
Everyone enjoyed some drinks after toasting.
Ji Ma downed a glass of non-alcoholic honey water in one go, slammed the cup on the table, her face turning rosy and slightly tipsy, her eyes becoming more alluring.
“Now that we’ve eaten and drunk enough…”
She squinted, surveying Eve Frostleaf and Saint Jenna, her tail swishing, “Now it’s the birthday gift segment. If anyone has presents for George, feel free to give them; I have none.”
George, wiping the cream from behind his ears, said, “I’ve already received your gift; thank you very much.”
The gift was too strange, a book filled with embarrassing content.
At that moment, Jenna, sitting next to him, brought her hands together and whispered in his ear, “Today’s gift is me.”
George looked at Jenna in shock; she lowered her head, her face flushed, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
Seeing this, Ji Ma felt a surge of jealousy and said, “Actually, I was just joking earlier.”
George looked at her with hope, and the peach blossom scent in the air intensified.
Hehe, what is this kid thinking about? He still doesn’t know that today both women are going to be taken away from him.
Ji Ma pulled over Lianxi, the red-haired catgirl looking innocent at everyone.
“This is my gift; a catgirl maid for you to use as you please.”
Lianxi pleaded with a whimper, “Master, please don’t send me away! I want my master! I want my master!”
George recognized it as a lie and said, “Ji Ma…”
“Ah, I was just joking again.” Ji Ma laughed as she pushed Lianxi away, “My gift is only a dance.”
After saying that, she tossed off her shoes, revealing her long legs in black stockings. Years of exercise and dance had given her leg muscles a smooth and elegant line.
She didn’t hide anything, directly winking at George, saying, “The dance is a bit spicy, so don’t mind.”
George sat up straight.
Heh, wait until you find out later that you can’t handle Jenna; then you’ll see how wrong you were, kid.
Ji Ma snapped her fingers, and a steel pole appeared on the ground. She wrapped her legs around it, spinning around and showcasing her figure.
She did not hide her intentions, blending “teasing desires” and allure into her dance, captivating everyone present.
Saint Jenna leaned against George’s shoulder, shyly lowering her head, gripping George’s hand tightly.
Eve Frostleaf’s delicate face flushed pink as she turned her head, constantly thinking about some unsavory things.
And Lianxi was bolder, directly transforming back into a round orange cat, lifting her head and letting out a meow.
Only George seemed unaffected, focusing intently on Ji Ma’s dance.
As the atmosphere heated up, Ji Ma used the “alcohol” to approach Eve Frostleaf from behind while dancing, her tail snapping at her backside.
Eve Frostleaf jumped in surprise as Ji Ma swiftly embraced her from behind, whispering with a smile in her ear, “I know all your secrets, like the ‘Chronicles of the Fallen Elf Queen’ you carry with you.”
The elf’s body tensed up but she didn’t push Ji Ma away; her hand just tightened around Ji Ma’s wrist.
Ji Ma grinned wickedly:
“I also know you secretly long to be defiled and played with at will, completely sullied. Good sister, let go; this is my territory. George will tell no lies; do you want him to know that you are that kind of woman?”
Eve Frostleaf forced out of her teeth, “What do you want?”
“Come dance with me. It’s so lonely dancing alone.”
Eve Frostleaf still stood up.
The two women danced, black stockings and silver hair intertwining and rubbing against each other. Ji Ma unabashedly took liberties with Eve Frostleaf in front of George; her tail brushed along Eve Frostleaf’s long legs, and her fingers stroked her nape.
Eve Frostleaf whispered, “What are you doing?”
Ji Ma simply smiled and replied, “You’re at my mercy.”
“Despicable.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
As Ji Ma spoke, her calf gently brushed against Eve Frostleaf’s.
The dance lasted for half an hour; Ji Ma was drenched in fragrant sweat, tilting her head back and inhaling the rich peach blossom scent around her, feeling satisfied.
Poor George, still oblivious to the green hat he wore, diligently contributing food—it was truly foolish.
She gave George a scornful smile and sauntered towards him, saying, “I suddenly have a gift I want to give you.”
Ji Ma produced a green hat in her hands and clapped it onto George’s head: “A green hat should be worn properly.”
“Quite a green hat.”
Hehe, this kid surely doesn’t know the meaning of a green hat.
Ji Ma produced another green hat: “Here’s another one.”
Suddenly, George grabbed her horn, forcefully pressing her head onto the table, rendering Ji Ma unable to move.
“Enough, Ji Ma.” George’s voice was low, laced with anger as he removed the green hat and tossed it aside. “Do you really think I’m blind?”
Ji Ma blinked innocently, saying, “I… just wanted to give you a gift; you must have misunderstood.”
“Do you think I’m dumb? Today was supposed to be joyful, I shouldn’t be angry, but you keep toying with me.” George said, “Today I’m going to interrogate you: are you interested in women too?”
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Happy New Year, everyone!
