You Can Sleep in My Room!

Since it was already close to afternoon, the vendors at the market Mu Yun usually visited in the morning had long since sold out and packed up, so the two of them went to a large supermarket instead.

Although the prices were a little higher, the cold-storage technology kept the vegetables fresh enough.

Carrying bags in both hands, Mu Yun and Song Xiaomeng arrived at her front door together.

"Ding-dong~~"

The instant the doorbell rang, Mu Yun, whose hands were both full, gave Song Xiaomeng a strange look. Instead of taking out her key, she had rung the bell.

Sis, this is your house. Why are you ringing the doorbell?

Don't you have a key?

But Mu Yun did not dare ask. Song Xiaomeng's expression had been truly strange the whole way here—blushing one moment, then letting out low, odd chuckles the next.

Honestly, if he had not known her so well, Mu Yun might have suspected he had run into someone mentally ill.

Were Psychic-type Trainers all this neurotic?

"Ahem, isn't it just polite? What if Old Song is home doing something inconvenient? This gives him time to clean up!"

Perhaps realizing she had been acting strangely, Song Xiaomeng explained herself.

If her tone had not sounded so guilty, Mu Yun might have believed her.

With Aunt Zhu at home, what could Uncle Song possibly be doing that was inconvenient?

At most, secretly smoking a cigarette.

Did she think Aunt Zhu did not know?

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Hearing the doorbell, Song Fu assumed a guest had come to visit and immediately went to the door and opened it.

What greeted him was Mu Yun, laden with bags, and his own daughter, who had her head slightly lowered and cheeks faintly flushed.

"?"

Why did this feel like someone was visiting his future in-laws?

Why had Mu Yun come back with Xiao Meng? And why had she rung the doorbell when returning to her own home?

He had only smoked half a cigarette before hurriedly stubbing it out and rushing over.

"Xiao Meng, Xiao Yun, what's this about?"

Perhaps because of the doorbell, Song Fu was a little unsure of the situation as well.

Were they coming home? Paying a visit? Or perhaps...

As if thinking of something, Song Fu hurriedly shook his head. He admitted that Mu Yun was a good kid, his proudest student, but Xiao Meng was still young. It was far too early to talk about marriage!

"Puff puff!!"

At that moment, Aunt Zhu, who had been using Confusion to control a small knife and peel an apple in the living room, spotted Mu Yun and the other two at the door. She immediately came over happily, took one of them by each hand, and pulled them inside.

Mu Yun did not know whether it was just his imagination, but when Aunt Zhu saw the two of them, he thought he caught a flash of excitement and anticipation in her eyes.

"I'm going to be with him! I won't marry anyone but him for the rest of my life!"

The moment they entered, a resolute female voice rang out from the television in the living room.

Mu Yun glanced over. It was the currently popular melodramatic romance drama, Lopunny's Love Story. As the name suggested, the heroine was a tall Lopunny, but the one she loved was a human man. Public opinion, ethical constraints, her family's opposition, her friends' disapproval—it seemed as if the whole world was telling her this love would lead nowhere. Yet she refused to believe it and bravely pursued her love!

It was ridiculously melodramatic, but people loved watching it anyway...

No wonder Aunt Zhu had been so excited just now. She was shipping the couple.

Sure enough, even older women—even Pokémon—could not escape the pull of melodramatic romance dramas.

"Uncle Song, Aunt Zhu, here's the thing. I happened to run into Sister Xiaomeng at the Battle Hall this afternoon. I realized I hadn't visited you two in a long time, and I've recently been practicing my Cooking, so I bought some ingredients and came over to show you what I can do!"

Under Song Fu's faintly resentful gaze and Aunt Zhu's eager, expectant expression, Mu Yun awkwardly scratched his head and explained.

This was obviously a normal visit. I come here all the time. Why did I feel so pressured this time?

"Enough, Dad. What kind of expression is that? It's not Xiao Yun's first time at our house. Is that really necessary?"

Standing beside Mu Yun, Song Xiaomeng glared at Song Fu and spoke up for him.

Song Fu: When a man reached middle age, did his adorable little padded jacket really start letting in the wind?~~

"Ahem, Uncle Song, Sister Xiaomeng, you two talk. I'll go to the kitchen." Facing Song Fu's somewhat aggrieved gaze, Mu Yun made a tactical retreat.

"Puff puff!!"

Seeing Mu Yun head into the kitchen, Aunt Zhu immediately got up, intending to help.

Although Mu Yun said he was practicing his Cooking, she knew her own family best. Did she, as his "mom," not know whether Mu Yun could cook?

An hour later.

[ Ding! The host has made a particularly thoughtful and exceptionally lavish dinner. Cooking skill experience +36!]

[Cooking (LV2, 175/1000) → Cooking (LV2, 211/1000)]

"Xiao Yun, you're amazing! This Three Treasures from the Earth is so delicious! The potatoes are soft and flavorful, and the eggplant is rich without being greasy. It's even better than Aunt Zhu's cooking!"

Song Xiaomeng's eyes shone as she ate bite after bite. Her rosy lips were unconsciously coated with a glistening sheen of oil, making them especially alluring.

Song Fu was no exception. Looking at the dozen or so dishes on the table, each perfect in color, aroma, and flavor, he ate with great delight.

All the resentment over his little padded jacket leaking wind had completely vanished.

Good food really could soothe a wounded heart!

"Xiao Yun, don't just watch us eat. Hurry up and eat too," Song Xiaomeng said unclearly when she saw Mu Yun smiling at them. As she spoke, she used her chopsticks to place food into Mu Yun's bowl.

After serving him, Song Xiaomeng noticed Song Fu staring at her longingly. She asked in confusion, "Dad, why are you looking at me? Eat up. Xiao Yun's cooking is so good. Don't you like it?"

Crack~~

Mu Yun seemed to hear an old father's heart shatter.

While the Song father and daughter acted out a sitcom of "fatherly love and filial devotion," Aunt Zhu was directly staging an all-out martial arts tournament.

Under the control of her psychic power, three pairs of chopsticks and a spoon swept through every dish with steady yet swift movements.

The sweet-and-sour pork, stir-fried eggplant with vinegar, and hot-and-sour soup in particular—most of those tangy dishes ended up in Aunt Zhu's stomach.

This was not the limit of Aunt Zhu's psychic power. It was merely the limit of how fast her teeth could chew.

Mu Yun had thought that with over a dozen dishes, there would be leftovers. But to his surprise, Aunt Zhu alone finished more than half of everything while holding the rice bowl.

This was the first time Mu Yun had ever seen Aunt Zhu eat so much.

Normally, she ate Energy Cubes and only occasionally sampled a few bites of the tangy dishes she liked.

If Aunt Zhu lived with them permanently, wouldn't he be able to make a huge tableful of food every day and rapidly gain Cooking experience?

No, his Cooking experience might rise, but his wallet would probably shrivel up.

Should he find a part-time job that could improve his Cooking?

Time passed, and the plates that had just been piled full of food were now completely clean.

"Phew~~ That was so satisfying! I've lived for twenty-one years, and this is the first time I've known food could taste this good! I want to eat like this for the rest of my life!" Song Xiaomeng leaned back in her chair, rubbing her smooth, slightly rounded belly with a satisfied look on her face.

"Puff~~"

Aunt Zhu comfortably narrowed her eyes, wore a contented expression, and chimed in.

"I never expected you to be so talented at Cooking too. As expected of my proudest student!"

Full and satisfied, Song Fu cheerfully praised Mu Yun.

After dinner, Aunt Zhu quickly washed the bowls and plates clean with her psychic power.

"It's getting late, so I should be going."

After resting for a while, Mu Yun recalled the well-fed Xiao Du and Namikaze into their Poké Balls.

Because Song Fu's dining table was not very large, Xiao Du and the others, along with Song Xiaomeng's other Pokémon, had eaten near the coffee table by the sofa.

"It's so late, and it's dangerous to be alone. Just stay here tonight!"

Before Song Fu could speak, Song Xiaomeng immediately cut in.

"There aren't any spare rooms in our house, but we can't exactly make Xiao Yun sleep on the sofa," Song Fu said, rubbing his stomach.

Their home had three bedrooms and a living room—one room for him, one for Zhu Zhu, and one for Song Xiaomeng. If Mu Yun stayed, there was nowhere for him to sleep.

"He can sleep in my room!"

Song Xiaomeng's mouth moved faster than her brain, and the words slipped out instinctively.

Song Fu: "?"

Aunt Zhu: "!"