Amorous Kitchen

"Is there anything else?" Miao Xin asked. "I've been practicing capturing ' Resentment Mark ' lately, it's really difficult."

"Of course it's difficult, "Su Ming sighed. When he saw the introduction to the "Resentment Mark" system in " In the In a Quiet Place," he began to doubt whether it could really be established.

The power of vengeful spirits is a double-edged sword; its essence is negative and uncontrollable. But that book creatively proposed a new approach: using the side effects to strike at the opponent.

It captures the traces of how things work, and also adds side effects to the opponent's trajectory. One attack, double the benefits—or even more than double.

The theory seemed simple, but Su Ming had no idea what it actually entailed. It was almost certain that Miao Xin would encounter problems, a world of difference compared to the obstacles he himself had faced with the Deathly Word spell.

No matter how you look at it, "Resentment Mark" is not a concept on an ordinary level.

[Good luck! We've already relayed everything we deduced from the book to you.] Su Ming said. [By the way, help me find a game I can play on a computer. Two-player, casual—preferably cooperative.]

In a confrontational situation, he was afraid of bullying Zijin too much, and the girl might get angry and start hitting him.

Miao Xin had never played this type of game before, and luckily there was a computer shop by the roadside. Normally, the shop was closed during holidays, but the owner lived there.

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

Miao Xin revealed Su Ming's needs.

The shop owner didn't refuse a customer who came to his door. He thought for a moment, "I have some, it's what my girlfriend and I play together." He removed an SD card and started copying the cracked version's installation files.

While waiting, Su Ming took over control of the Little Spiky Head and contacted the Jili Studio.

This is an AI team he found, carrying out the tasks he assigned. Since expanding his available funds to eight figures, Su Ming has found things much easier.

"We've built a lightweight recurrent neural network, and the rented computing platform is currently processing it," Jisu reported on the progress. "The task is progressing smoothly; the intermediate analysis reports have been sent to your email, and the final results will be available in a week."

"OK."

On the other end of the communication software, a programmer with the online name "Jisu" closed the chat window and took off his headphones. This was the most bizarre client he had ever dealt with; the client provided a whole bunch of strange runes and operating modes, asking them to model and analyze them.

This job was completely baffling, yet he paid enough. Several members visibly lost hair, and they even had to hire some math whizzes to do the work.

"Analysis of ocean fish model?" He looked at the project name and found it hard to imagine which game development or research would need such a thing.

In contrast, it is now a normal demand for customers to develop path navigation software for multi-car sled train systems based on UAV terrain remote sensing technology.

Jisu sighed and began organizing the data.

Earning bonuses is tempting, but for him and his team, this Spring Festival is probably ruined.

****

Over here, the computer store owner had already copied the SD card. "It's a cooperative game with a heartwarming cooking theme. It's guaranteed to be fun," he recommended.

Su Ming took the two controllers, paid the bill, and then found a corner to transfer the items back to the other world.

[Thanks, happy holidays!] He said to Miao Xin. [Yeah, have fun!] Miao Xin put on her helmet and continued to stroll back into the street, trying to grasp the elusive traces of the "Resentment Mark".

The computer store owner's friend walked over and said, "Overcooked —weren't you being too cruel?"

"This is a normal test," the shopkeeper said. "We've been hooked by the customers, shall we play a few rounds?"

"Okay, just don't get angry."

Su Ming quickly completed the installation and opened the game. The screen showed several cartoon chefs standing in front of a cutting board. Su Ming selected story mode and started the new game.

In the first level, he and Zijin familiarized themselves with the controls. The game was very simple: in a scene full of various kitchen utensils and ingredients, the two of them each controlled different characters and cooperated to create dishes.

There were only two ingredients, and the process involved chopping, processing, transporting, and serving. Su Ming had played games far more complex than this, and the scholar's learning ability was beyond question. The two of them quickly created the vegetable salad required by the game, achieving a perfect score.

"This game is great!" Zijin praised. "It's quite fun."

"Shall we continue?"

"Certainly!"

Qiluo slipped out of the motorcycle's cab and climbed onto the roof of the workshop compartment in the cold wind.

Finally, the moon came out, and she flashed a wide smile. She could finally get her revenge for what happened during the day!

She revealed her true form as a unicorn, and the moonlight on the snowfield converged into the Moon Prayer's hand, unleashing a very obscure lunar divine spell.

"The Moon's Amorousness!"

Su Ming and Zijin were completely unaware that the moonlight outside the window had turned pure pink, even flowing into the room from the window and spreading to their feet, climbing upwards inch by inch.

The laptop screen wasn't large, and the two of them were sitting on a sofa playing it. Zijin moved a little closer to Su Ming.

A few dozen seconds later, Moonlight relayed a message to the unicorn: both targets had been hit.

The process went so smoothly that Qiluo was surprised, and she almost burst out laughing.

She listened happily to the commotion below, only to find the carriage filled with noise, such as "Why are you throwing this in the trash can?", "Stop making this, hurry up and steam the fish!", "How can I steam it if you haven't even stirred it yet!"

What the heck? It's not working at all! Qiluo was baffled. This was supposed to be a love charm spell; it shouldn't be like this!

Qiluo was unwilling to give up. She gritted her teeth and summoned the phantom of the moon spirit. Moonlight from a wider area of the snowfield converged, and a magnificent sight of the bright moon above the Youth Civilization appeared.

"Moon God Technique - Astringent!"

The entire carriage was enveloped in bright pink, which seeped in and enveloped the two people inside. The unicorn listened intently and found the carriage still buzzing with noise: "Why did you take my frying pan?!" "Hurry up and wash the dishes!" "The hot air balloon is moving!" "Don't push, you're pressing down on my hand!"

Are these two's composure truly terrifying? The unicorn lay down dejectedly, lamenting alone in the moonlight.

****

Inside the train carriage, the game mission failed once again, failing to even achieve a one-star rating. The two simultaneously threw down their controllers.

Zijin said angrily, "I'm not playing anymore!"

Su Ming was equally angry, "I already told you about the division of labor, but you still keep taking my work!"

"It's all because you're too slow!"

"I have a plan. Besides, you're crowding in so close together, it's affecting my work!"

Su Ming turned to look at the girl, preparing to continue arguing, but upon seeing the look on Zijin's face, he forgot what he was going to say.

The girl was beautiful; even though they saw each other every day, he was sometimes still amazed by her beauty. But now, looking into her deep blue eyes, he felt completely captivated.

Zijin was also looking at Su Ming, and an unprecedented look of curiosity appeared on the scholar's face. She looked at Su Ming with a dreamy gaze and unconsciously moved closer.

Su Ming raised his hand to stop her, but Zijin brushed his hand away and then kissed him like a chick pecking at rice.

The soft, warm touch on his lips, unlike anything he had ever experienced before, left Su Ming completely stunned. The faint fragrance he had vaguely smelled last night now felt incredibly real.

Su Ming subconsciously sensed something was wrong and tried to lean back. But Zijin continued to move forward, her soft body pressing down on him and pinning him down on the sofa.

Suddenly, with a warm and soft body in his arms, Su Ming's mind went blank—so, what was he planning to do just now?

On the roof of the carriage, the unicorn wallowed in self-pity for a minute before the biting wind became unbearable. Shivering, she stopped the spell and prepared to return to her warm room to sleep.

She sighed and squeezed through the window into the aisle between the carriages, only to bump into someone.

The unicorn looked up and saw Zijin, the former dragon, staring at her with an extremely dangerous gaze.

Qiluo trembled as she backed away, "Um, I... I didn't succeed, did I?"

She encountered an obstacle behind her, turned around, and saw Su Ming. This usually gentle young man was now glaring at her with a displeased expression and full of resentment.

***

Last night, Qiluo, who was supposed to take over the shift, didn't come, and Hansite didn't go to look for her either. Now, Gospel can drive very steadily, and this is a smooth ice surface on the river; all that's needed is for someone to keep an eye on it.

It was warm inside the locomotive, so he slept on a makeshift bed on the floor all night. When he went to wash up in the living quarters in the morning, he saw Miss Sacred Beast tied up and hanging from the ceiling of the dining car. Below her was a large pot of braised meat, with various spices bubbling in the boiling water, and sharp red peppers.

So breakfast is braised pork, but what's with the smoked unicorn?

"Hansite, save me!" Seeing Hansite, Qiluo cried out in tears, "They were so cruel! Waaah, this pot of meat smelled so good! All night, waaah, they hung me up all night!"

That was indeed a bit mean, Hansite thought as he watched Qiluo's tears mixed with saliva, flowing endlessly.

He looked up at the tightly bound alchemical rope, which was clearly bound by powerful runes, and shrugged, indicating that he couldn't help.

Hansite scooped a piece of braised pork out of the pot, poked it, and found it to be quite tender. He sliced it, placed it on a plate lined with vegetable leaves, and poured a spoonful of braising sauce over it, instantly releasing a fragrant aroma.

"Shall I feed you something?" He carried the plate toward Qiluo, and the unicorn nodded with a whimper.

Hansite rolled up a large piece of meat in a vegetable leaf, about to feed it to Qiluo, who opened her mouth wide to take it. Suddenly, the carriage door burst open, and Zijin stormed in, her face sour. "Don't give her any!"

Hansite shrugged helplessly, turned and stuffed the meat roll into his mouth, while Qiluo burst into tears.

Su Ming followed Zijin in, his whole body feeling like it was about to fall apart. Last night, he had been tortured by the scholar for half the night, and even when his Magic Power power was exhausted, the scholar wouldn't let him go. He was almost ready to fight him in his Bone Dragon Form.

His eyes were both bruised, so he opened the window, grabbed a piece of icicle from the edge of the carriage, and started applying it to his eyes.

White Skull baked the soft pancakes and served them on the table. The three of them ate them with braised meat.

"Qiluo, every drop of your saliva that falls into the pot adds an hour to your punishment!" Zijin said. "Su Ming, set up a camera to monitor her."

"Oh," Su Ming replied.

"Waaaaah, how could I possibly do that!" Miss Unicorn was heartbroken.

After breakfast, the scholar, unusually diligent, went out and hunted a few pheasants. The skeleton servant chopped them into pieces, and Su Ming took the braised meat out of the pot, replaced it with water, added ginger and mushrooms, and changed the pot for stewing chicken soup.

"Ying, I was wrong, I'll never do it again!" Qiluo cried, filled with remorse. "Just give me a quick death!"

The morning was spent amidst the scholars' low spirits and the unicorns' wailing. Su Ming studied the Deathly Word Art, while also secretly reminiscing about the warm touch of the previous night.

Miao Xin contacted him somewhat smugly, saying, "[I've found something good.]"

Su Ming shifted part of her view and discovered that she was in a villa.

Judging from the furnishings and decor, the place had been uninhabited for some time. On the coffee table in the living room lay a bunch of keys, along with several sets of ID cards, bank cards, mobile phones, and other items.

Miao Xin continued rummaging through the room, tossing anything useful she found onto the coffee table.

Whose is this?

"The director of the Pine Mountain Sanatorium, huh?" Miao Xin replied, "I went to his house and found this set of keys."

Following the previous report, both the dean and his wife were arrested. They have now been transferred to the procuratorate and will be prosecuted on charges of illegal business operations and money laundering, with an expected sentence of three to five years.

Miao Xin found his house this morning. Although the economic crime investigation team had searched the place many times, Miss Vengeful Spirit still found the couple's hiding place under a big tree nearby.

"[So many useful things.]" Miao Xin exclaimed. "[We should have looked for this kind of target from the beginning; it would have saved so much trouble.]"

Anonymous assets, clean alternative identities, legitimate communication devices, and easily accessible bank accounts—these needs aren't limited to Little Spiky Head.

"[Did you trace it down through the ' Resentment Mark '?]" Su Ming asked.

"Yes," Miao Xin replied, "I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I've barely got a tiny bit of a feeling."

In the villa's garage, there was a car. Miao Xin was itching to drive. "[Su Ming, would you like to teach me how to drive sometime?]"

You need to get your driver's license first.

"I now have [this] identity." Miao Xin showed her identification.

Su Ming first took her for a drive around the area near the villa. Seeing that she picked it up quickly, he began to teach her more advanced techniques. Before long, she was able to navigate the area on her own.

The next day, Miao Xin requested to set off.

Su Ming glanced at the several scratches on the car and hesitated, but considering there were fewer cars on the road in the morning, she figured it would be good to let her experience it.

[Alright, let's go around in circles and come back to practice in open areas.]

The villa area was in a relatively remote location, with very few vehicles and pedestrians. Miao Xin hadn't driven far when she encountered a convoy of cars.

"So early in the morning." Su Ming took a closer look; the front of the vehicles were all decorated with white flowers. "[A funeral, no wonder.]"

This place is not far from Pine Mountain Sanatorium, and is considered the edge of Su Ming's hometown. According to local custom, funerals are held very early in the morning.

[I'm actually very curious about what my funeral will be like.] Miao Xin looked at the funeral procession with some emotion. She slowed down to let them pass, [My father originally wanted to hold the funeral after the murderer was caught, but now it seems like who knows when that will be.]

The Nether Sea rippled and spread, clearly indicating that Miao Xin's emotions were not calm. Recalling her description of an emotional indicator, Su Ming couldn't help but chuckle.

Miao Xin stirred up her Nether Sea, slapping Su Ming's sea of consciousness a few times in the void, and said angrily, "[Aren't you worried I'll lose control!]"

"Didn't you realize it yourself? The less you care, the easier it is to control," Su Ming replied.

[Besides, death is inevitable for everyone. I might not even "live" as long as you.]

As Su Ming spoke, he noticed a slight change in his Magic Power cycle in the other world.

Zijin looked up at him. "Congratulations, you've made progress again."

"This counts?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. "I was just chatting with Miao Xin and casually remarked that I'd die sooner or later too."

Sometimes, acknowledging objective facts is also a form of insight.