Time to eat~

"Mm-hmm, I hadn't been open long before I went to cultivate at Yunkui Summit. I'll buy some groceries in a bit and make lunch for you."

"Ooh~ Then we get to properly taste our junior brother's cooking today~" Ye Shunguang was a little excited.

"Senior sister, let me tell you, he's just too lazy to cook. He only used to serve five customers a day." Belle took Ye Shunguang's arm and started chattering away.

Xu An took out his keys and unlocked the shop, then went upstairs, opened his door, and invited the two inside.

Xu An led them to the balcony and brought over two lounge chairs so they could enjoy the sun for now.

After entering, Xu An used a few minor spells to clear away some of the dust in the room.

Looking at the tidy room, Xu An nodded. Now this would be pleasant for senior sister to look at.

"Rest here for now. I'm going to buy some groceries." After letting them know, Xu An left.

Senior sister Ye hasn't mentioned what she likes to eat yet. Something sweet? Hmm, tomatoes and eggs could work. What else? Stir-fried garlic scapes with pork.

He spent quite a while choosing before finally tearing himself away and heading back.

"What did you buy?" Belle poked her head out from upstairs to look, with a Ye Shunguang beside her.

"Umm, some home-style dishes, plus something you haven't tried before: crispy sweet-and-sour porkie."

O_o? Belle and Ye Shunguang exchanged a look. Crispy sweet-and-sour pork is crispy sweet-and-sour pork. Why say porkie?

"All right, just wait a little longer. I cook fast." With that, Xu An plunged into the kitchen ♪٩(´ω`)و♪, humming as he cooked.

"Senior sister Xiaoguang! Senior brother Xu's cooking smells amazing. When I was over here on Sixth Street before, I came here to eat almost every day," Belle told Ye Shunguang.

Fairy: Affirmative. Master diverted a considerable amount of my operating budget to food expenses. This demonstrates Xu An's culinary prowess.

"Hahahaha." Ye Shunguang couldn't help laughing at that.

"Fairy!" Belle's cheeks reddened slightly, and she seemed a little embarrassed and annoyed at having her embarrassing business exposed.

She glanced up at Ye Shunguang, and seeing her laughing, lost her temper for arguing and could only say resentfully, "Firay, if you're going to be like this, I really will have to consider asking my brother to cut the electricity budget from now on."

Fairy: Negative. Assistant Number Two does not possess greater authority than Master. The decision rests with Master.

Xu An: See! That's what you call professional.

Even Fairy knew that Wise, of the video-peddling siblings, was a total siscon.

Of course, Xu An would have had to be there to know that. Downstairs, hearing the laughter upstairs, he merely remarked, "How do those two get along so well? O_o"

After working away all noon, Chef Xu brought the fruits of his labor to the table. "Come down and eat!"

Hearing him, Belle and Ye Shunguang hurriedly put down what they were doing, straightened their clothes, and headed downstairs.

O_o?

Xu An noticed that the two seemed somewhat disheveled and couldn't help looking a little surprised [・ヘ・?].

"What were you two... doing upstairs?" Xu An asked instinctively. After all, he wasn't so twisted that he would use his spiritual sense to spy on two girls playing around.

All right, he actually was; he just didn't dare, afraid he might see something that would make him lose control.

Some lingering flush remained on their faces, gradually fading.

"Nothing! I just discovered a little secret about senior sister Ye, hehehe (.-`ω´-)," Belle said smugly.

"Belle!" ╭(╯ε╰)╮ Ye Shunguang lightly patted Belle's back, signaling her not to say any more.

"Ahem, Belle, come here. Two meals. Tell me." Xu An pulled Belle aside.

Ye Shunguang: Huh? (O_o)

"How could I possibly do that!" Belle declared loudly, walking toward Ye Shunguang as she continued, "Senior sister Ye is practically my own sister now, my dearest bestie! You'll have to pay extra. No, I mean, add another meal. A big mixed stew!" As Belle spoke, tears suddenly couldn't help slipping from the corners of her mouth.

Ye Shunguang: Huh?! Could you two be any more brazen? Belle just sold me out right in front of me. At least I'm pretty expensive, hehe. I'm worth several meals.

"Deal!" Xu An agreed readily.

"Come on, come on, tell me, tell me." Xu An tugged Belle along.

With her hand held in Xu An's, Belle felt her mind wandering. After a light cough, she leaned close to his ear. Whether intentionally or not, her voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for Ye Shunguang to hear.

"Senior sister's waist is really ticklish~" Her tone carried a teasing note, quite clearly fanning the flames.

But Belle, had you forgotten that you liked Xu An too? Why were you so strangely handing your romantic rival's weakness to the guy you liked? If that wasn't giving him a helping hand, what was?

OAO! Hearing that, Xu An couldn't help looking at Ye Shunguang's slender waist.

For some reason, as though scorched by Xu An's burning gaze, Ye Shunguang kept feeling an itch roaming around her waist.

She shot the two a fierce glare, then said a little bashfully, "Eat already! It'll all get cold if you don't!"

Then she sat down and started eating by herself, looking very much as though she wasn't going to pay them any more attention.

Xu An looked at her: Positive review. Ten out of ten. So cute.

He secretly high-fived Belle under the table.

Only then did the two start digging in.

Since they'd had a bit of exercise that morning, all three ate quite a lot.

Even Ye Shunguang, who normally had a small appetite, ate two bowls.

What, why hadn't they invited Wise and Ye Shiyuan? Those two older brothers were sitting forlornly in the video store eating instant noodles. Neither wanted to see how his little sister acted around Xu An. Hiss, it felt rather like the cabbages they'd raised so carefully had been unreasonably carried off by a wild boar, one on each tusk. The crucial part was that when they tried to bring the girls back, they discovered that the two were already hanging from those tusks and couldn't be pulled off...

Such hatred! Ye Shiyuan and Wise wanted to bite their slippers to pieces!

"Ah~ Senior brother Xu's cooking is still so yummy ^O^ I stuffed myself again. It's all your fault my diet plan failed this time. You owe me a delicious meal as compensation," Belle announced.

Xu An: O_o? Are you kidding me?

"You little rascal. You're the one who can't control your cravings every time, and in the end you blame the cook? Hmph." Xu An frowned.

"Hahaha, junior brother, my plan failed too. My tummy's even bulging (*^▽^*)," Ye Shunguang said, rubbing her slightly rounded belly as well.

Hearing that, Xu An said, "Ahem, senior sister, you're so thin it hurts me to see it. You clearly haven't been eating properly. I'm definitely going to feed you until you're nice and plump!"

Ye Shunguang said, "Hahahaha, junior brother, are you raising a pig?!" She put on an indignant expression as she spoke.

"While you're feeding pigs, feed me too~" Belle said meekly.

"Honestly, Belle, has it occurred to you that you're the pig? Senior sister Ye certainly isn't," Xu An shot back mercilessly.

"Argh~" Belle mimed coughing up blood. "Such cruel words. Ah, I'm dead. It'll take another two meals before I can get up."

Xu An rolled his eyes.

Ye Shunguang: o＞_＜o Junior sister, what's wrong~ Are you all right~

"All right, let's go for a stroll now we're done eating~ A walk after a meal~ Lets you live to ninety-nine~" Xu An muttered, leading the way out the door.

Belle and Ye Shunguang glanced at the bowls and chopsticks on the table, quickly cleared them away, and followed Xu An.