Su Qing'an was washing the vegetables. Actually, he didn't know exactly what to make, but he had just looked at the ingredients that Raiden Mei or Himeko had prepared, and there were many dishes to choose from.
Feel free to improvise.
He didn't specifically ask Himeko how much food she wanted to make; he planned to make as much as he could, since Kiana had a big appetite and he wasn't worried about wasting any.
From this perspective, Kiana is quite useful.
The cleaver flashed with a cold, sharp light in his hand, and then the ingredients on the cutting board were neatly and uniformly separated, the spacing as precise as if measured with a ruler.
Su Qing'an's cooking skills were only average in the past, but the effects of the State of Still Water and the improvement in his physical fitness have made his cooking skills different from before without much practice. Moreover, he had been Kiana's chef in Changkong City for a period of time, which can be described as honing his skills through countless trials.
There was no way around it; Kiana's one meal was equivalent to him cooking several meals for a normal person. It was practically extra practice with a higher price tag.
Murata Himeko watched TV, her mature body slumped lazily into the soft sofa, looking very relaxed and comfortable.
A crisp "snap" sound mingled with the noise from the television.
In her hand was a freshly opened can of chilled beer.
Although she had carefully pulled the metal ring, a slight sound was still unavoidable. The woman glanced towards the kitchen to make sure there was no movement before showing a satisfied expression.
Hmm, didn't you notice? Turning on the TV on purpose does work, doesn't it?
Murata Himeko felt a surge of joy within her.
Although the child is a good person, the way she tries to control her drinking still leaves the woman feeling somewhat helpless.
Secretly drinking near Su Qing'an felt, for some reason, a bit like going back to my student days and snacking under the table.
Murata Himeko herself had never done anything similar during her student days, but the moment the cool beer went down her throat, she felt almost the same pleasure.
"Major Himeko, it's best not to drink alcohol before a meal," the girl said softly in Himeko.
"Hey! Fu Hua, what are you doing here! Give me back my wine."
The Lord Immortal's footsteps were so silent they were like a ghost. Himeko was startled and her body stiffened for a moment while lying on the sofa. After confirming who it was, she relaxed and lowered her voice to accuse the girl.
"Are you afraid Su Qing'an will find out? It seems Major Himeko still has the self-awareness of an elder in this regard. Don't worry, I won't tell him, but as a price, I'll confiscate this bottle of wine."
Fu Hua rarely showed a hint of helplessness as she said, "
"First of all, it's important to clarify that Major Himeko, you told me last time after you got drunk that I shouldn't touch alcohol, so there's no way you can come back."
"That... that was just drunken ramblings, Fu Hua, how could you take it seriously?" Himeko was almost in tears; she didn't have much authority in front of Fu Hua.
Clearly, Fu Hua's advice was much more effective on Himeko than Su Qing'an's.
"There's a saying in Shenzhou: 'In vino veritas' (or 'truth comes out after drinking'). I can't tell which one Major Himeko is, but drinking frequently is never good, so I'm confiscating it."
Himeko glanced longingly at the beer in the girl's hand, then asked:
"Okay, so what's your reason for coming here? I don't recall you having a habit of visiting my house, although I'd be very happy to."
"Let's discuss this once everyone's gathered. But Major Himeko should be able to guess what's going on." The girl's expression remained unchanged, but her tone unconsciously became slightly heavier.
The woman paused, as if recalling something, and then sighed, "That's right, it's almost time."
"Is Su Qing'an cooking? I'll go help him. Major Himeko, you just need to rest."
Not intending to continue the discussion, Fu Hua went into the kitchen.
Murata Himeko's expression was complicated.
Although she knew she had brought Su Qing'an over to slack off, Fu Hua's words made her feel like her authority as an elder had been undermined.
"Speaking of which, were they actually quite close?" Murata Himeko pondered, recalling that she hadn't seen the two of them interact much.
Perhaps it was because Fu Hua saved the little guy's life that they had the opportunity to interact.
She pulled a bottle of beer from the crack in the sofa. Without dwelling too much on the relationship between Su Qing'an and Fu Hua, Murata Himeko pulled the metal tab, a victorious smile spreading across her face.
Beer was practically everywhere in her room. Although it was a bit of a shame that the beer wasn't chilled, this was undoubtedly a victory for Murata Himeko.
"Hey, Aunt Himeko, why are you drinking again?"
The familiar voice entered the room like a nightmare, and Himeko's expression froze, her hand holding the beer trembling slightly.
Murata Himeko lost her smile.
Kiana snatched the beer from her hand with a annoyance, put her other hand on her hip, and said, "Have you forgotten about the time you got drunk and slept in my bed, leaving me reeking of alcohol?"
"You're just like your stinky old man! You're such a worry."
"It's rare that I'm on Kiana's side, Major Himeko. You should really watch your alcohol intake. Did you drink again this morning before breakfast? I noticed a bottle was missing from the fridge when I was making lunch."
Raiden Mei sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. Although Major Himeko, as an adult, had a mature and composed side, she was sometimes just like a child, indulging in her body and bad habits.
"Bronya, I second that." Bronya, clutching the HOMU doll in her arms, nodded, indicating that she rarely agreed with the idiot Kiana's opinion.
"I wonder what Su Qing'an's reaction will be when he sees Major Himeko drinking again," Satou Yunona said quietly, delivering a Murata Himeko.
"Okay, okay, I know." Himeko raised her hands in surrender, revealing a helpless smile.
Even though this person said that, they will definitely do it again next time.
The four people present had the same thought at that moment.
"Who's cooking in there?" Raiden Mei asked, hearing the sounds from the kitchen and looking at Himeko, who was sprawled on the sofa, clearly enjoying herself.
"Su Qing'an is cooking up ahead, but Fu Hua went in to help just now," Himeko replied, switching TV channels with the remote.
"Oh, is Su Qing'an cooking? I haven't had his cooking in a long time. Su Qing'an's Shenzhou dishes are still very delicious."
"Hmm, I'm starting to get hungry." Kiana looked expectant, seemingly unable to suppress her habit of sneaking a bite beforehand.
"Wait, why is the Class President here too?" The white-fuzzy ball realized the significance in Himeko's words, looked surprised, and muttered, "She's even helping with the cooking and stuff."
"Don't let her serious demeanor fool you, Fu Hua is incredibly versatile. She has quite a few skills that exude a youthful charm. Cooking is a piece of cake for her. She's much better than Kiana," Himeko said.
"Hmph, it's enough that Valkyrie can fight. What's the use of all those fancy skills?" Kiana pouted, slamming her beer down on the coffee table as she said guiltily.
"Yes, yes, Kiana is the best," Himeko replied dismissively.
Mei, ignoring the bickering between the two, glanced at Kiana with a strange expression and remained silent.
The position of the Cook is precarious.
"Major Himeko, Bronya wants to watch Honkai Impact 3rd." Bronya sat next to Himeko and made the request expressionlessly.
"Okay." Smiling, Himeko ruffled the girl's hair and switched the TV to a channel playing the HOMU anime.
Bronya did not resist Himeko's caresses and was engrossed in watching television.
"Mei's cooking is really good too." Kiana quickly said, finally noticing Mei's expression.
"No, Mei's cooking is the best! It's a special attack on Kiana!"
"Kiana, what are you saying! It's not that exaggerated." Mei, who was easily appeased by Kiana's words, even felt embarrassed.
Ah, doesn't this sound like a fickle, scumbag man easily fooling a naive woman?
Watching them playfully bicker, Satou Yunona couldn't help but smile.
Then, as if she had thought of something, she chose to walk towards the kitchen.