“Who is it?”
Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng pulled open the iron gate. Standing outside was Zhao Yicheng, holding two large bags of vegetables and meat, a gentle smile on his face.
“Oh, not bad. You even bought ribs and rock sugar. It’s just enough to make Sweet and Sour Ribs.” Before he could even speak, Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng beat him to it. As she spoke, she naturally took the bags from his hands.
Then, carrying the two heavy bags, she walked back into the house. The iron gate remained open. After a few steps, she turned back to look at the man who was still dazing in place.
“Hey, what are you standing there for? Get in here. I need a hand with the cooking.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Zhao Yicheng was suddenly startled out of his daze. He nodded quickly and followed her inside, stepping with excitement.
Xu Yinsheng was no longer pressing the Shotgun against his forehead, telling him to get lost, nor was she blasting the things he brought into pieces.
‘Does this mean… Little Yin isn’t as repelled by me as she was at the beginning?’
When Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng entered the Bieshu with the two large bags of groceries, she bumped right into the current Xu Yinsheng, who was bringing a bowl of tomato egg soup out of the kitchen. When Zhao Yicheng saw two identical versions of Xu Yinsheng, he stood frozen on the spot.
“Why did you let him in?” Xu Yinsheng set the tomato egg soup down, her expression dark and her face unfriendly as she questioned the Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng.
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The assassin girl shook the bags in her hands, then pulled out the ribs and rock sugar, thumping them onto the coffee table.
“We’re adding Sweet and Sour Ribs for lunch.”
“And.” She turned her head to glance at Zhao Yicheng, her tone suddenly becoming severe.
“Palu Zhao, what are you standing there for? Go wash the vegetables!”
Zhao Yicheng was stunned for a moment, then he understood instantly. He was no mediocre man; he realized their identities almost immediately. One was the current Xu Yinsheng, and the other must be the Xu Yinsheng from the future.
As for how to tell them apart, the Xu Yinsheng from the future had gone through twenty years and three growth spurts. Her little rabbits—no, her large meat buns—were simply unrivaled, easily recognizable at a single glance.
And her intention right now was to close the distance for him and create some goodwill.
Immediately, with ribs in one hand and rock sugar in the other, he vanished into the kitchen like a puff of smoke.
Xu Yinsheng unhappily snatched up her Shotgun. With a crisp *clack*, a shell was chambered.
Her movement was fast, but Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng was faster. She used Flash to appear behind her and hugged her tight.
“Calm down, Xiao Xuxu.”
“I know you had a falling out with him, but right now we have free labor. It would be a waste not to use him.” She continued, “As the saying goes, only a fool doesn’t take advantage of a bargain.”
As she spoke, she quickly and skillfully disarmed the other woman, fearing that Xu Yinsheng might have a misfire and blast Palu Zhao, who was currently busy in the kitchen.
Even after being disarmed, Xu Yinsheng stared fixedly toward the kitchen, the Evil Fire burning fiercely in her beautiful eyes.
“Alright, alright, don’t be angry. Getting angry is bad for your skin; it makes you look old. Calm down, calm down. After lunch, I’ll take you to train your Ability.” The assassin girl coaxed her, patting her back with her small hands to help her breathe.
“Xiao Xuxu, you must not become extreme. If extreme emotions stimulate the Magical Girl’s soul again, you might end up being bound by the bandages on your clothes again.”
The memories of that night suddenly rushed back. Xu Yinsheng shuddered involuntarily. The experience of becoming the Water Dragon King… it was something she would never forget.
She took several deep breaths of cold air to calm her extreme emotions. She gave the assassin girl behind her a sharp look. “It’s nothing. I just think it’s bad luck to let this dog inside!”
“And you, you didn’t even give me a heads-up before letting him in.”
‘If I had told you, you probably would have swung that Shotgun around and blown him away,’ the assassin girl grumbled inwardly.
But on the surface, she continued to pat her back and coax her.
Finally, after a flurry of coaxing and persuading, Xu Yinsheng’s anger subsided. Accompanied by Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng, she entered the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, Zhao Yicheng looked as if he had activated the Shadow Clone Technique. He was washing vegetables, washing dishes, and checking if the small steamed buns in the pot were finished. He was doing the work of several people at once; he was truly a fighter among Palus.
Even while doing these trivial chores, there wasn’t a hint of slack on his face. He was focused and dedicated; he hadn’t even been this serious when he was shorting stocks.
With the addition of the two Xu Yinshengs, he felt even more like a fish in water. While he kept busy, he also chatted and laughed with them.
Current Xu Yinsheng still gave him no face, but Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng was chatting and laughing with him quite well.
A short while later, a lavish feast was completed through everyone’s collective efforts.
The table wasn’t rectangular, but a circular Brocade Table. It was covered with exquisite dishes: stir-fried cabbage, shredded pork with garlic sauce, Sweet and Sour Ribs, tomato egg soup, and lamb roasted with leeks.
Xu Yinsheng sat down quite indifferently. Assassin Girl Xu Yinsheng acted as if she were at home and sat right next to her. Zhao Yicheng originally intended to sit in the seat next to Xu Yinsheng or at least one close to her.
However, under Xu Yinsheng’s icy gaze, he could only sit awkwardly in the seat directly opposite her.
But even so, Zhao Yicheng knew how hard-won this opportunity was. He worked hard to liven up the atmosphere, sharing social gossip and international jokes. Anything he had ever read was narrated vividly.
The quiet or lonely environment Xu Yinsheng usually experienced while eating alone was gone. In its place were jokes born of racked brains and the sound of women laughing.
Some jokes were very interesting, or perhaps very dark. Sometimes Xu Yinsheng couldn’t help but let the corners of her mouth curl up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.
She didn’t know why, but she felt she should face Zhao Yicheng with this cold and ruthless expression.
She wanted him to know she wasn’t some poor little thing to be toyed with. she had her own temper and pride, and she certainly wouldn’t change her mind just because of his apologies and compensation.
Xu Yinsheng kept her head down, eating her food alone. Even when Zhao Yicheng deliberately brought up topics concerning her, she ignored him.
No initiative to communicate, no replies, and no attention given.
Uh… perhaps describing it as cold violence was more fitting.
The cabbage was organic and stir-fried over a high flame. One bite was refreshing and crisp. The ribs were from the most tender part of the pig, with the surface caramelized into a beautiful sugar color. Chewing carefully, they were fresh, tender, and delicious, leaving a lingering fragrance.
And the lamb roasted with leeks tasted even better. The two flavors of lamb and leeks merged perfectly—tender, fragrant, smooth, and savory.
With just one skewer, Xu Yinsheng felt her somewhat overdrawn kidneys recover a bit.
All in all, Xu Yinsheng was very satisfied with this lunch. It would have been even better if Zhao Yicheng wasn’t there.