This Braised Pork Belly Is a Bit Pale

As a famous Jonin beauty in the village, Yuhi Kurenai was recognized wherever she went, and she was often the subject of discussion—but the topics people whispered about today were different from the past.

Today, they were gossiping about her boyfriend.

Yuhi Kurenai's heart began to race for no apparent reason.

She wanted to explain.

She wanted to say he wasn't her boyfriend, just a neighbor.

But the words died on her lips, swallowed back down.

Explain what?

Why should she explain?

No one had asked her to her face.

If she suddenly blurted out, "We aren't in that kind of relationship," wouldn't that be even stranger?

Then, she snuck a glance at Qiushui beside her.

Qiushui was looking at a vegetable stall ahead, his profile sharp and clean, a faint, elusive smile playing on his lips.

Did he hear it?

Did he hear those rumors?

What... what was he thinking?

Qiushui had no idea what was going on in Yuhi Kurenai's mind. He bought an old hen, turned his head, and asked, "Kurenai, what do you want to eat tonight?"

"Ah..." Yuhi Kurenai was still dwelling on the earlier matter and didn't react immediately. Once she came to her senses, she said in a flustered tone, "Anything is fine. As long as you're the one cooking, it's all good."

As soon as she said it, she felt her words were a bit too direct.

Qiushui liked guests who weren't picky. He bought a few more types of meat and vegetables, and the two headed home together.

"Um, I'm going to head back to take a shower first, then I'll come over," Yuhi Kurenai said.

She had been out all day and had just walked through the market; she was worried she might have picked up a scent that Qiushui would notice later.

"Alright, go ahead. It'll probably take about an hour to get these dishes ready," Qiushui said.

Qiushui pushed the door open, placed the groceries on the kitchen counter, turned around, and walked into the bedroom.

He pulled a book from the shelf titled Comprehensive Guide to Genjutsu. He had bought this thick volume at a bookstore a few days ago; it covered basic theories of Genjutsu, analytical principles of various techniques, and some simple methods for breaking them.

Over the past half-month, his relationship with Yuhi Kurenai had grown much closer.

From occasionally bumming a meal at the start to coming over almost every day now; from polite, distant courtesy to casual, playful banter. She would sprawl on the sofa after dinner complaining about being stuffed, and he would make sure to prepare extra portions of her favorite dishes before she arrived.

With their relationship at this stage, it was time to bring it up.

Qiushui brought the book into the living room and placed it squarely on the coffee table, ensuring it would be the first thing she saw upon entering. He then returned to the kitchen. The first dish he planned to make today was yam and corn chicken soup.

He chopped the chicken into pieces, blanched them in cold water with a splash of cooking wine, skimmed the foam once it boiled, rinsed them with warm water, and set them aside. He washed the sweet corn and cut it into two-to-three-centimeter rounds. After peeling the yam, he cut it into chunks and soaked them in water with a dash of white vinegar to prevent oxidation and discoloration. Next, he added the blanched chicken, corn, ginger slices, and red dates into a clay pot, poured in enough boiling water, and turned the heat to high.

The chicken soup needed to simmer slowly. Taking advantage of the wait, Qiushui started on the second dish: red-braised pork.

Just as Qiushui was halfway through the second dish, Yuhi Kurenai's somewhat lazy voice drifted in.

"That smells so good!"

Because Qiushui hadn't closed the door completely, leaving a small gap, Yuhi Kurenai had followed the scent after her shower. She stood at the kitchen entrance, took a deep breath, and a look of pure intoxication appeared on her face.

Qiushui turned at the sound, nearly losing his grip on the spatula.

Yuhi Kurenai had changed into a set of red summer pajamas. The wine-red silk fabric looked exceptionally vibrant against her fair skin. It was a camisole style with thin straps tied into dainty bows at her collarbones. The neckline was cut just right, revealing the graceful line of her neck and the faint hollow of her collarbone. She wore matching shorts that were loose at the hem, just barely grazing the tops of her thighs, highlighting her long, straight legs. Her dark, freshly dried hair fell over her shoulders, with a few strands resting lazily against her chest.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Qiushui suddenly felt like the red-braised pork reducing in the pan had turned pale.

He forced himself to look away, steadied his nerves, and said, "The kitchen is full of fumes. Why don't you go sit in the living room for a bit? Otherwise, your shower will have been for nothing."

"Okay," Yuhi Kurenai replied softly, turning to head to the living room.

On the coffee table sat the book titled Comprehensive Guide to Genjutsu. As a Jonin specializing in Genjutsu, Yuhi Kurenai had no interest in picking it up; she had lost count of how many times she had read such introductory material as a child.

Half an hour later, Qiushui brought out the red-braised pork, tomato scrambled eggs, Kung Pao chicken, and smashed cucumber salad. The four dishes were served in generous portions, filling the table.

Yuhi Kurenai looked at the spread and said, "Qiushui, isn't this enough? There are only two of us; we won't be able to finish all this."

"There's one more." Qiushui turned back into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a soup bowl, calling out with gusto, "The chicken soup is here!"

Yuhi Kurenai pressed her palms together and said a devout "Itadakimasu" before eagerly picking up a piece of her favorite red-braised pork. It was sweet but not greasy, melting the moment it touched her tongue. A look of pure satisfaction immediately washed over her face, her eyes curving into crescents.

After the meal, Yuhi Kurenai sprawled on the sofa in a state of bliss, rubbing her slightly rounded belly as she sighed, "Qiushui, your cooking is too delicious. If I keep eating like this, I feel like I'm going to get fat."

Qiushui: Is that my fault?

He didn't say it aloud. Instead, he smiled while clearing the dishes and replied, "Should I make less next time?"

A clear look of conflict appeared on Yuhi Kurenai's face. Reason and appetite waged a war in her mind, but in the end, the food won out. "Just keep the portions as they are. I'll just add an extra hour of training every day."

Qiushui chuckled and didn't respond, carrying the dishes into the kitchen. By the time he finished washing up and returned to the living room, Yuhi Kurenai was sitting up on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the Comprehensive Guide to Genjutsu.

"Qiushui," she pointed at the book, "are you looking to learn Genjutsu?"

Qiushui sat down across from her and nodded. "Yeah. I encountered an enemy who used Genjutsu during a mission before. I didn't even see a shadow before I fell into their trap. If it weren't for my teammates, I would have lost my life. Now that I'm a teacher, I want to master more knowledge in this area so I can teach my students. At the very least, when they encounter Genjutsu-type enemies, they won't end up like I did, not even knowing how they were caught."

As Yuhi Kurenai listened, a hint of admiration grew in her eyes.

He was truly responsible when it came to his students.