At any time, in any place, and in front of anyone, Elysia's enthusiasm was so contagious that Sakura almost felt as if she had known her for a long time.
Ryan was used to it by now and knew that Elysia was not only enthusiastic but also quirky. For example, the last time at the noodle stall in Canghai, she made Mobius suspicious.
Ryan was certain that Elysia's visit wasn't just a casual one, but he didn't rush to ask. He simply continued to busy himself in the kitchen, even more seriously than usual while cooking.
He skimmed off the center of the pork loin, cutting it into patterned pieces, soaked it in white wine, and then rubbed it with flour to remove the fishy smell. Next, he fried fist-sized meatballs in the pan while chopping pickled peppers, ginger, garlic, and blanching the winter bamboo shoots.
He moved with skill. After scooping the meatballs into a bowl with vegetables at the bottom, he added oil and other ingredients, then poured in broth to thicken the sauce. Finally, he poured a spoonful of cooking oil over the meatballs.
"It smells so good..." Elysia ran over, following the delicious aroma, and watched Ryan work.
"Aren't you going to take a rest?" Ryan glanced at her, pouring more oil into the pan and watching Ying come back with the teapot. "Sakura tea is great. Come and sit down."
"I can't sit still with such a delicious smell. Ryan, do you want some help?"
"No need, just watch." Ryan poured in the kidneys and stir-fried them over high heat. After a few silent moments, he removed the pan and served the dish.
The room filled with an enticing fragrance. Elysia blinked and said in surprise, "You really know how to cook. The pan-flipping you just did was so cool."
"Haha, I never brag. Go sit down. Sakura, set the table."
"I'll help too." Elysia volunteered, opening the rice cooker and scooping rice into her bowl. She piled it high but, noticing the strange looks behind her, turned and pouted. "It smells so good, of course I'm going to eat more. Also, don't talk nonsense!"
A meal with four taels of rice—what else could they say?
Ryan shrugged, scooping a bowl of rice for her. By the time they reached the dining room on the second floor, Sakura had already set the table.
It was evening, and the sea outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was bathed in a golden hue, with a few seagulls soaring. The view was magnificent. As for the room, it was even more beautiful.
The two pink-haired girls stood side by side. One was cool, the other enthusiastic. Despite their differences, they looked like a pair of sisters.
Sakura wore a T-shirt, her long hair tied into a ponytail, looking smart and capable. Elysia, however, was still wearing her slightly glamorous dress, holding her head high, her eyes curved into crescent shapes.
"Ryan, you're staring at us so intently. You must be thinking about beauty, right?"
Ryan's eyes jumped. He hadn't expected to be seen through. He sat down awkwardly, coughing lightly. "You've learned a lot of idioms during your trip to Shenzhou."
Elysia stretched out her slender fingers and began counting. "Yes, I also learned how to keep a beautiful woman in a golden house, a match made in heaven, be a playboy, be fickle, be easily attracted to other men..."
"Stop, there's something messed up in the back."
"Hey, what do you think?"
Ryan glanced at the puzzled Sakura, his scalp tingling. Fortunately, Sakura, being a sister-complex, couldn't understand what Elysia was saying.
"Does Mobius know?"
"It's all over headquarters, and they dragged me into it. It's really funny to see dear Mobius like that sometimes. It's a pity I didn't take a picture of it."
Damn, those gossip agents are really into everything.
Ryan gritted his teeth, recalling his own words, "What's wrong with a hero being lustful?" That had been the perfect alibi, but he forgot about Mobius' reaction.
It seemed useless to explain things to Elysia, so he decisively raised his chopsticks. "Let's eat. We'll talk in detail after we finish."
He made braised lion's head and stir-fried pork kidneys, and considering Elysia's appetite, he also prepared shredded pork with fish flavor and vegetable soup.
Sure enough, as soon as Ryan spoke, Elysia's attention was completely diverted. She stretched out her chopsticks, picked up a piece of kidney, and put it in her mouth, her expression one of complete satisfaction.
"It's delicious. Ryan, you really weren't bragging."
It was chewy, tender, and had the aroma of pickled peppers—no worse than anything she had eaten in Shenzhou.
"I've already told you, I'm the most honest person. Come eat, I made more."
"Okay, but Ryan, now I finally understand why you can mess around with other girls."
"Don't use those weird idioms of yours!"
Elysia stuck out her tongue and quickly buried her head in her food. Her movements weren't elegant, but they certainly weren't vicious either. She ate quickly, and the pile of rice disappeared almost instantly.
Sakura, as usual, ate slowly, still pondering the relationship between Elysia and Ryan.
This Miss Elysia is really likable, and Ryan seems to be really fond of her. Are they lovers? But what about Dr. Mobius?
Also, why do I feel like I'm being dragged into this?
As she was thinking, she realized Elysia was eating much faster than expected. In the blink of an eye, the full bowl of rice was gone. With a deep breath of satisfaction, Elysia got up and went downstairs to get more rice.
"Eat quickly, or you'll just have to lick the plate later." Ryan put a few pieces of shredded meat in her bowl.
"Miss Elysia, if you eat so much, won't you get fat?"
"Shh, don't let her hear that, or she'll argue that she's just enjoying a delicious meal."
Sakura took a bite of rice and whispered, "Ms. Elysia is quite likable."
"Of course. There's a saying that goes, 'I love everyone, and everyone loves me.' Elysia just takes that to the extreme."
Sakura was stunned. She had seen the darker side of the world and knew how difficult it was to live by that saying. It took her a while to pick up her bowl.
"It's remarkable."
"What are you two whispering about?" Elysia returned and noticed the rice in her bowl had already been filled up again.
"I was just praising you. I have some pickles I made myself. Want to try them?"
Ryan pulled out a jar of chopped pepper beef as if by magic. Elysia scooped a spoonful out of curiosity, and her mouth opened slightly from the spiciness. She quickly ate two mouthfuls of rice.
"Looks like I'll have to eat two more bowls."
"Eat as much as you want. There's plenty of food."
"Hehe, you're not as stingy as Mobius said."
"That's the scorer."
"Since you've invited me to dinner, I'll keep the bad things you said a secret."
Elysia buried her head in her food again. Seeing her like that, Ryan also felt full. The girl wasn't greedy, she just really loved the things she liked with all her heart.
Well, it's definitely not because I'm greedy.
With Elysia around, the meal was lively, and in the end, even the soup was gone. While Ying was washing the dishes, the two of them went to the living room to drink tea.
The scented tea exuded a refreshing fragrance, and the coffee table was filled with snacks and nuts. Ryan glanced at Elysia.
She was curled up on the sofa, hands resting on her slightly bulging belly, looking utterly satisfied.
"I'm full. I'm full. I just came back from Europe and Japan. It's nice to be able to return to my daily life right away."
"Europe and Japan? What did you do?" Ryan held the teacup and glanced at Elysia.
I ate so much, but my stomach doesn't feel full. So where did all the food go?
"Hunting Honkai beasts. One uses ice, and the other is really fast. I'm exhausted." Elysia lay back on the sofa, holding her face and swinging her white legs. "Ryan, I feel relieved when I see you."
Her full chest drooped, the deep cleavage facing Ryan, and the man quickly turned his gaze away, not showing any expression.
"Where can you be assured?"
"You look just like a married man." Elysia turned around, spotting Sakura washing the dishes in an apron, ponytail swaying gently. She turned back to Ryan and said, "Although I don't care, you're too fickle. Someone will care."
Puff.
Ryan almost choked on his tea and quickly put the cup down, only to meet Elysia's mischievous eyes again.
"Don't tease me, you've already guessed the real reason."
"Creating an alibi?"
"Well, I don't like letting others speculate. Even if those little geniuses figure out the truth, they'll only cause trouble for themselves."
"You sound quite gentle."
"I've always been considerate."
The two looked at each other for two seconds, then both smiled. Ryan was even a little moved.
Elysia came running over in a hurry, with no intention of testing him at all. She just guessed the truth and, worried she was thinking too much, ate happily when she saw that Ryan was fine.
This is too naïve for an old pervert.
"Don't worry, everything is under my control. Even if the Herrscher targets me, it's normal." Ryan twisted open a macadamia nut, putting it in his mouth and chewing slowly. "But aren't you curious why the Herrscher targets me?"
"Can the reason help you relieve stress?" Elysia tilted her head.
"Of course not. No one can help with this, but it's essentially very simple." Ryan leaned forward and said word by word: "It's just a life-and-death war. On the contrary, because of this, I feel relieved."
Conjecture becoming reality, the unknown becoming known—this was a good thing for someone on the journey of destiny.
"Then I won't ask. You have your secrets. Just be happy."
Ryan was startled. He had prepared many arguments, but none of them came in handy. He smiled knowingly. "Ellie, you're the one who's considerate."
"Yeah, I've always felt that way." Elysia blinked, stood up, and paced in the living room. "Anyway, the world is always full of surprises. We can only try our best to deal with them, and you've done a lot of things quietly."
"As expected, I can't hide anything from you. Yes, Sakura is also an important character, and her fighting power is indispensable."
"Hehe, there are Hua and Vil-V, oh, Mobius, Mei, and Kevin too. And of course, me. Are you organizing some kind of hero team?"
"That's about it. Humanity will need heroes in the future. To be honest, it would be strange if there's no response to the Honkai." Ryan waved his hands. He had figured this out a long time ago. Then, he saw the excitement on Elysia's face, and his heart skipped a beat.
Clatter.
Ryan's eyes blurred, and Elysia had already rushed in front of him, holding onto the armrest. Her face quickly approached his, her blue eyes sparkling.
The soul of a middle school student was burning fiercely, and it couldn't be hidden. Ryan suddenly remembered who created the Thirteen Heroes. Without the soul of a middle school student, how could there be the "mark" and ranking?
"You..."
Before he could finish his words, Elysia tightly held his hand, making Ryan feel a bit hot.
"Please let me participate in this interesting, no, great thing!"