Chapter 287 : Strange Items
“Ling Ning, you’re really amazing at cooking!”
Nanase Ren watched Ling Ning handling the ingredients with admiration. Whether she was washing vegetables or chopping ingredients, Ling Ning’s every move radiated confidence, giving off a vibe of a skilled and experienced cook. Ren couldn’t help but feel she fell short in comparison—even compared to her mother, Ling Ning’s expertise was impressive.
And in that apron, Ling Ning exuded the perfect “wife energy.”
“Oh, it’s nothing special~ I just cook a lot, and it’s mostly simple home-cooked dishes.”
Ling Ning smiled shyly. Though she’d started learning to cook in her previous life, she only became proficient after her reincarnation. Practice really did make perfect.
Initially, she had hated cooking—handling greasy food and inhaling smoke was a nightmare for someone with a cleanliness obsession. But her girlfriend had encouraged her, and over time, she grew to enjoy the process of cooking.
There was nothing like the joy of seeing others enjoy the food she’d made.
“What are you making now? Fried pork ribs?”
Ren asked curiously as she watched Ling Ning coat pieces of marinated pork ribs in flour before placing them in the hot oil.
“I’m making sweet and sour pork ribs~”
Ling Ning replied with a smile. Sweet and sour pork ribs were one of her specialties. Her girlfriend had loved them in her past life, and her daughter loved them in this one. Plus, she herself was a fan of the dish.
With that balance of sweet and tangy flavors, it was irresistible!
“Oh no! We’re out of sugar!”
Just as she was about to make the sweet and sour sauce, Ling Ning realized the sugar jar was empty. She remembered storing some extra sugar in a cabinet.
Opening the cabinet, she reached in but couldn’t quite reach the jar—it was too high and set far back. Even on tiptoes, her current height only allowed her to reach the lower edge of the cabinet.
Sigh, Ling Ning ran to the living room to fetch a chair. Standing on it gave her the boost she needed to see inside, where the sugar jar was indeed tucked in the far corner.
At that moment, a sudden breeze blew in from the open window, lifting the hem of her skirt slightly. Standing on the chair, her “little bear” patterned panties were fully visible to Ren, who happened to be watching from below.
Ren was taken aback. She would never have guessed that Ling Ning, with her refined and “housewife” aura, would be wearing underwear that even an elementary schooler might consider childish. Even her younger sister wouldn’t wear such juvenile designs!
“What’s wrong?”
Stepping down from the chair, Ling Ning noticed Ren’s dazed expression.
“N-nothing!”
“Oh, I found the sugar. Now I can get back to cooking!”
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“Did we… make too much food?”
Ling Ning looked at the table covered with dishes and let out a small, embarrassed laugh. She and Ren had gotten so absorbed in their conversation about cooking, and with all the ingredients they’d bought, they’d gotten carried away, making way more than they could eat.
Although everything looked delicious, there was no way the two of them could finish it all, no matter how much they tried.
“S-sorry! I didn’t notice either…” Ren apologized, embarrassed. She’d been so caught up in the fun of cooking that she hadn’t realized how much they’d made until it was too late.
“Ah, I know!” Ling Ning suddenly thought of Xia You. It was about time for her to be awake. “I’ll go see if my neighbor wants to join us!”
Ding-dong~
After waiting outside Xia You’s door for a while with no response, Ling Ning was about to call her when she noticed a message. Xia You had gone out to the electronics market and had asked if Ling Ning needed anything.
Sigh, Ling Ning realized it would just be the two of them for lunch.
Seeing her return alone, Ren looked puzzled. “Didn’t you go to get your neighbor to join us?”
“She had something to take care of, but it’s fine! We’ll just pack up the leftovers and keep them in the fridge. This way, I won’t have to cook dinner tonight~ Alright, let’s dig in—I’ve been excited to try your cooking, Ren!”
“Mm!”
Despite their best efforts, the two of them only managed to eat about half of the food. Ren’s fried pork cutlets were especially tasty—Ling Ning herself had eaten most of them.
After the meal, Ren offered to handle the dishes, but Ling Ning waved her off. No way she’d let a guest do the washing!
“Hm? What’s this?”
Relaxing on the sofa, Ren noticed a small notebook tucked under the coffee table. Curious, she reached down and picked it up.
The cover featured an anime character who looked remarkably familiar. On closer inspection, she realized the character resembled Ling Ning almost exactly…
This notebook was something Ling Ye, Ling Ning’s daughter, had sneaked out from her mother’s room. When she’d been caught, she’d stashed it under the table, where it had been forgotten—until now, when Ren stumbled upon it.
Curious, Ren slowly opened the notebook.
Not understanding the Chinese text, she skimmed through the pictures instead, finding them easy to follow. The plot seemed ordinary at first, depicting Ling Ning’s character visiting a neighbor.
Initially, Ren thought it was just a regular doujinshi, but soon she realized that the storyline was veering into strange territory. Suddenly, the two “madams” were undressing, and there were strange props she couldn’t quite understand. How had the story taken such a bizarre turn?
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Author’s Note:
A second update from this “lazy fish” today. My neck and back are killing me from all this typing!