Bianca explained, "Rita might not be back for a few days, and I've never cooked before, so… can you cook?"
Fu Lin shook his head.
"Ah~! But when you were baking a cake, you seemed so confident…" Bianca's voice grew quieter and quieter. She glanced at Fu Lin nervously, worried he might be angry because she'd been watching him. But when she saw his calm expression, she sighed with relief.
"Looks like we'll have to go hungry for a few days…"
Bianca flopped onto the bed and muttered to herself, then glanced at Fu Lin and sighed, "Actually, I'll be the one starving. You can still eat canned cat food."
Fu Lin pulled a disgusted face and held up a wooden sign that read, "I refuse to eat canned cat food!"
---------------------------
"This wooden sign...?! Why aren't you using a tablet anymore?" Bianca blinked, looking at the wooden sign in Fu Lin's hand, tilting her head slightly.
Fu Lin took out another wooden sign. "Don't ask. If you must ask, it's just how it is in the second dimension."
Then Fu Lin tossed one away and took out another. "Isn't this way of chatting kind of fun?"
Bianca nodded in confusion. Busy with training every day, she hadn't watched much anime and didn't really understand, but the cat holding the sign did seem even cuter.
Bianca patted her face, snapping back to reality from Fu Lin's cute appearance. At that moment, her stomach let out a loud growl.
Fu Lin raised a wooden sign, "Are you hungry...?"
Bianca rubbed her stomach. "It's fine, I just haven't eaten since last night."
Fu Lin turned his head awkwardly, realizing that he probably finished all the steak last night. Then he remembered the instant noodles stored in his system space, raised a sign, and asked, "Do you want to eat instant noodles?"
Bianca blinked, picturing Rita's angry face in her mind. "Rita says eating too much instant noodles is unhealthy. She never lets me touch them."
Fu Lin looked at Bianca's face, which slowly overlapped with Kiana's in his mind. His eyes gleamed sharply as he turned and ran out of the room toward the bathroom.
He took out a Honkai Crystal from the system's treasure bag and quickly circulated his cultivation technique. In no time, the Honkai Crystal was completely absorbed, turning into powder that scattered onto the floor.
Fu Lin opened his eyes, slowly transforming into a human. He casually pulled out a set of clothes from the system space, changed into them, and clenched his fist in satisfaction.
"Phew, my strength is gradually coming back. Not much, but enough."
He then turned and pushed open the bathroom door, looking at Bianca pacing around the hall. He tied up his hair, revealing a confident face. "Bianca."
"Fu Lin, you can turn back into a human now?" Bianca turned around, her eyes sparkling as she examined Fu Lin from head to toe. Her gaze finally settled on the cat ears on top of his head.
"Ahem!" Fu Lin's smile gradually faded. He coughed dryly, then stared at Bianca with a meaningful smile, his eyes flashing red.
'If Kiana could learn to cook, then Bianca, as her older sister, should definitely be able to. Plus, Bianca is way smarter than that stupid paramecium.'
"Do you need something, Fu Lin?" Bianca withdrew her gaze, rubbing her arms as a chill crept over her.
Fu Lin smiled faintly, struggling to hold back his grin. He pulled out the recipe book he had once given to Mei and offered it again with a sly expression, "It's nothing. I just happen to have this ultimate recipe book. Anyone who reads it can make delicious food. Bianca, are you interested?"
"Really?!" Bianca's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Her eyes locked onto the recipe book in Fu Lin's hand, desire flickering in her heart.
"Of course. Let's start with something simple — stir-fried shredded potatoes with green peppers."
Seeing Bianca's interest, Fu Lin flipped to the page with the recipe and placed the book in her hands, giving her a reassuring wink.
"Alright, let me take a look first... Hey, I'm not done reading yet!" Seeing how much Fu Lin trusted her, Bianca smiled confidently. But before she could finish reading the recipe, Fu Lin was already pushing her into the kitchen.
"It's fine. You can read while you cook. The last person who read this succeeded on the first try — I'm sure you can too."
Fu Lin patted Bianca's shoulder meaningfully before disappearing from the kitchen. Bianca froze for a moment, then turned and saw Fu Lin already lounging on the sofa. She puffed her cheeks and shot him a dissatisfied glare.
Fu Lin's lips curved into a beautiful arc, revealing a row of bright white teeth. He gave Bianca a thumbs-up, then closed his eyes and emptied his mind.
"Is this book really that magical?" Bianca stopped paying attention to Fu Lin and lowered her eyes to the contents of the book. Then she glanced at the pots and pans on the stove, feeling a wave of dizziness.
...
A while later...
Staring at the food on the table, Fu Lin stiffly turned his head toward Bianca, who was looking down at the floor. His mouth twitched as he pointed at the food in his hand and asked, "What... is this?"
Bianca turned her head slightly, not daring to meet Fu Lin's gaze. She replied softly, "...Rice."
Fu Lin then pointed at another black, smoking, stick-like object and asked, "And this?"
Bianca's ears turned red again. "Shredded potatoes..."
Fu Lin tilted his head back and covered his eyes, speaking with difficulty, "Let's just eat out."
"Okay." Bianca finally lifted her head, revealing a shy smile.
"You... Ahem!" Fu Lin stared at Bianca's face — now completely covered in soot — and the contrast with her shining white teeth. He held back a laugh, stood up, and gently rubbed her cheeks with his hand. Then he showed her his blackened hand.
"...You worked hard. Go wash your face first." Bianca looked at Fu Lin's stained hand and quickly ran toward the bathroom. Seeing her own face in the mirror, she narrowed her eyes and let out a silvery laugh.
But when she heard Fu Lin's laughter from outside, the sound suddenly stopped. The curve of her lips slowly faded as her expression turned neutral. She twisted the faucet open, scooped up some water with her hands, and softly splashed it on her face.