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"I learned it online."

Ning Ruoxi’s cheeks flushed as she replied.

She’d been bored and scrolling through TikTok yesterday when she saw some girls calling their boyfriends that to be cute. At first, she thought it was a bit embarrassing, but the guys’ reactions seemed pretty positive...

So, today she decided to try it on a whim.

"Say it again."

Ye Ling lunged for Ning Ruoxi again, his face full of eager expectation.

"I won’t!"

But Ning Ruoxi just tilted her head back haughtily and huffed.

’You jerk, why weren’t you this eager when I asked for your help cooking a moment ago?’

’Pah!’

’Men are such pigs!’

"Come on, say it again, and I’ll help you cook," Ye Ling immediately said.

"B-Big... brother?"

Ning Ruoxi’s pretty face was beet red as she called out tentatively.

Ye Ling was holding Ning Ruoxi, so they were practically face-to-face, their faces no more than a fist’s-width apart. He could feel her warm breath on his skin as he listened to what she called him...

’I’m dead.’

’How can my girl be this adorable?’

"Say it again!"

Ye Ling was like a child who’d just discovered a new toy, his eyes shining.

"Big Brother!"

Ning Ruoxi suddenly got into character, calling out with a wide smile.

"Again!"

Ye Ling grew even more excited.

"Nope, not saying it again. I’ll say it more after you’ve finished cooking."

Ning Ruoxi pouted and shook her head, suddenly deciding to play hard to get.

"Well... alright then."

A hint of disappointment flickered in Ye Ling’s eyes, but he stood up anyway.

Seeing Ye Ling being so unusually obedient, Ning Ruoxi couldn’t help but smirk. ’Hehe, looks like those cutesy tricks from the internet really work!’

’Hmph! Stinky, sooner or later, I’m going to conquer you!’ she added silently.

It was almost noon, so Ye Ling started cooking. Or to be more precise, he was helping Ning Ruoxi cook.

"Alright, you can go sit down. I can handle it from here."

Ye Ling said, feeling a little protective as he watched her delicate hands washing vegetables.

"No way. Even if I can’t really cook, it’s the thought that counts. I have to at least participate, otherwise it’d be like I was lying..."

But Ning Ruoxi shook her head, adamant.

Seeing her so determined, Ye Ling didn’t try to stop her. After all, her attitude made him very happy.

By now, Ye Ling’s cooking skills were superb, rivaling those of restaurant head chefs. He could make both Western and Chinese cuisine.

However, considering that her dad probably wasn’t used to things like steak, he stuck to home-style dishes.

Besides, these dishes had a more rustic, home-cooked feel to them—they were more believable as something Ning Ruoxi would make.

"Um... maybe I should handle the fish?" Ye Ling said hesitantly, his gaze shifting from Ning Ruoxi, who had just finished washing the vegetables, to a fish swimming in a nearby basin.

"No, I can do it!"

Ning Ruoxi said stubbornly, immediately reaching out to grab the large black fish.

SPLASH!

However, before Ning Ruoxi could even touch it, the big black fish gave a sudden leap, splashing water all over her face.

"Ahem, you sure about that?" Ye Ling asked, looking amused.

But since she didn’t want his help, he wasn’t about to offer it. He found it highly amusing to watch her looking so helpless.

"Hmph! Who do you think you’re looking down on? I’m going to get Yueyue to help me!"

Ning Ruoxi shot Ye Ling an indignant glare, then went to drag Luo Yue, who was playing games in her room, out to help.

"Whoa! Big fishy, watch Yueyue come and get you!" Luo Yue shouted, rolling up her sleeves.

The girl had only ever eaten fish, never handled a live one, so she was incredibly excited.

And so, the two women worked together and managed to get the big black fish out of the water.

"See? I told you I could..."

Ning Ruoxi lifted her head proudly, shooting a glance at Ye Ling.

However, before she could finish her sentence, the big black fish gave a sudden FLOP and shot out of her hands with a SWOOSH, like a black bolt of lightning!

"WAAAH!"

Luo Yue shrieked in terror as she saw the big black fish flying straight at her face.

THUMP!

Luo Yue fell hard on her bottom, and the big black fish landed right on her face. Its tail flapped back and forth, slapping the poor girl’s cheeks. SLAP! SLAP!

"Yueyue, are you okay?"

Seeing this, Ning Ruoxi rushed over to help her best friend up, her expression awkward.

’She clearly hadn’t expected killing a fish to be so difficult.’

’It always looked so easy when Ye Ling did it... Why is this happening?’

"Aren’t you going to come help?"

Ning Ruoxi glared at Ye Ling in the distance. That jerk was actually still over there laughing!

"Didn’t you say the two of you would be enough?"

Ye Ling was laughing so hard his stomach was starting to hurt.

Especially when he saw the big black fish actually slap Luo Yue’s face a couple of times with its tail. It was just priceless!

"’Waaaah, Master, you’re laughing at me!’"

Luo Yue felt incredibly wronged.

’Damn it all, I’ve figured it out. Do I really have zero status in this house?’

’I can handle being the third wheel on a daily basis, but now even a fish that’s about to be cooked dares to bully me?’

At that moment, Luo Yue, fueled by an unknown strength, lunged for the big black fish with her small hands.

"WAAAH, I, Yueyue, will fight you to the end!"

Luo Yue shouted, then snatched the big black fish right up.

Whether it was because the fish had been out of the water for too long or because Luo Yue was genuinely strong, the big black fish struggled a few times before finally going still in her grasp.

"Badass!"

Ye Ling couldn’t help but give her a thumbs-up when he saw that she’d actually gotten the big black fish under control.

"’Eee, Yueyue, you’re amazing!’"

Ning Ruoxi immediately started clapping.

However, the two girls soon ran into another problem.

They had caught the fish, but now they had to kill it.

’But how?’

The fish twitched a couple of times on the cutting board, and Ning Ruoxi, holding a kitchen knife, found she couldn’t bring herself to strike.

"Alright, let me take it from here."

Ye Ling decided not to torment the two girls any longer and shooed them aside.

"Go wash and chop some tomatoes for me. I’m going to make tomato and scrambled eggs," Ye Ling said.

"Oh..."

This time, Ning Ruoxi didn’t argue. She obediently pulled Luo Yue aside to chop the tomatoes.

After all... she was only eighteen. She really couldn’t bring herself to do something like killing a fish.