NOVEL WEB
Book 1: Chapter 17: Sirin Sleeping In
Faillen Angel Gabriel: Excellent. I lack teammates like you. Actually, I’m good at games too. I just keep running into lousy teammates. So, what are we playing?
Blank Never Loses: Let’s play League of Kings. It is a game that became popular recently. 5v5. Adding my younger sister, we definitely can win as long as the last player is not lousy.
[TL Note: League of Kings was later rebranded as Honor of Kings (Wangze Rongyao). It is a mobile MOBA dominating the Chinese market. Here is the Wikipedia entry on it; you can read more about League of Kings under the history section: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_of_Kings.]
Faillen Angel Gabriel: Let’s do it. Wait a moment. I need to import the game into my computer first. The games in the association’s store are truly cheap! There are many that I have never seen before.
Umaru-chan: Sure. I have played it a few times before. It is pretty interesting.
He Who Knows Fate: It looks like the newcomer does not need us to guide him. Explain things to her when you are playing. Remember to do it in a group voice chat, and don’t let the other teammates hear. @Blank Never Loses @Umaru-chan
Umaru-chan: Got it.
He Who Knows Fate: Goodbye. I’m going home to cook for Sirin.
Iron Fist Teacher: I envy Sirin for having someone to cook for her.
He Who Knows Fate: I have no way to follow up on your statement.
Iron Fist Teacher: There’s no need to follow up. I’d better go to the school’s store to buy some bread.
He Who Knows Fate: It sounds very pitiful. Well, I’ve got to go.
While chatting, Chen Heng arrived at the market.
When he walked out of the market, he was carrying two bags full of ingredients. When cooking yesterday, he had used up almost all the ingredients, so he bought a larger quantity today. Since Sirin was still growing, he needed to consider balanced nutrition, including vegetables and meat.
As for cooking dinner at Mo Qingtong’s home, he planned to use their ingredients. They usually kept some high-class ingredients there, allowing for more delectable dishes.
------
When Chen Heng arrived home, he realized that the house was utterly silent.
“Don’t tell me Sirin has not woken up yet? Let’s check to see if she ate breakfast.”
Chen Heng walked to the microwave and opened it. The egg fried rice was still there, completely untouched.
“This child, Sirin. What time did she sleep last night? It’s past 11 already. Didn’t I tell her not to sleep too late?” Chen Heng had a headache. Although he knew that children would not take the words of adults seriously, he did not expect Sirin would still be in bed at such an hour.
Chen Heng went to the second floor and knocked on Sirin’s door.
Knock! Knock! Knock! “Sirin, are you awake?”
“Huh? Who is it? What time is it? How irritating!” This was definitely someone who just woke up.
Calm down. Calm down. Sirin is still a child. She had a terrible past. I have to be more tolerant. I must stay calm. This is her first time using a cell phone. It is normal for her to forget about the time. Chen Heng continuously reminded himself not to get angry.
“Sirin, it’s already 11! Quickly get up and wash up. It’s almost lunch.”
“Ah! It’s 11 already? Elder Brother, I’ll get up immediately!”
“Take your time; there’s no rush. If you rush, you might fall.” This was not his real younger sister, after all. If she were, Chen Heng would show her how red flowers could be [give a spanking].
“I’m going to cook first. Wash up after tidying up, then come down and eat.”
“I got it, Elder Brother.”
Chen Heng walked downstairs calmly, entered the kitchen, and prepared the ingredients for cooking. He had to maintain his calm. After all, he was getting points for this. He couldn’t beat up the guest after taking the points, right?
Chen Heng somewhat missed that young girl with the time abilities. That was easy for him. The only downside was that she was too easy, practically like a robot. Sirin’s current behavior had its benefits too.
“Let’s cook stir-fried lamb with scallions, then braised fish and Mapo tofu. That will be enough for lunch.” Martial artists like Chen Heng ate a lot, so he did not have to worry about leftovers. Of course, he could control his food intake. If he overate, he could convert the food into energy. If not, then never mind. His martial art had already reached the pinnacle; further improvement was impossible. He could eat however much he wanted.
It did not matter how much Sirin could eat. He decided to feed her all kinds of food and observe her for a few days to see what she liked. Then, he could cook more of those dishes.
Half an hour later, Chen Heng felt rather satisfied with the three dishes before him. He had not wasted the 500 points; the mid-tier cooking was incredible.
Fortunately, Chen Heng had more than one hob. Otherwise, he could not finish cooking within 30 minutes; braised fish took too much time.
Chen Heng took out the three dishes and two bowls of rice. Then, he saw Sirin playing with the phone on the sofa. She was still wearing the tailor-made clothes that she wore yesterday.
“Sirin, it’s time to eat!”
“Got it!” Upon hearing Chen Heng call for her, Sirin reluctantly put down the phone.
Chen Heng was curious about what Sirin was playing for her to be so engrossed. However, he felt too embarrassed to ask.
“Sleep earlier next time; don’t sleep so late. You need to eat breakfast too. You are still growing. If you don’t eat breakfast, you might not get sufficient nutrition, making it easier for you to fall sick.”
“Got it, Elder Brother.” Who knew whether Sirin listened?
“Good that you do. Quickly eat. I cooked these for you. If there’s anything you’d like to eat, just tell me. I will try to cook what you like.”
“Thank you, Elder Brother.”
“Silly child, why thank me? Oh, right, I’ll be cooking at Uncle Mo’s house. Just tell me if you crave anything. Uncle Mo’s house has much better ingredients than the market. They will taste better. Remember, Chinese dishes. It’s not that I can’t cook foreign dishes, but Uncle Mo’s house won’t have ingredients for those, and I can’t trouble them to buy those ingredients.”
“Uh…I don’t know.” Sirin cocked her head and thought about it seriously. Unfortunately, she had not had much exposure to Chinese dishes, so nothing came to mind.
“Then, think about it. When you figure it out, let me know.”
“Alright.”
Fifteen minutes later, the two had their fill. Chen Heng had eaten most of the food.
Chen Heng glanced at Sirin. He had not expected Sirin to eat as much as she had of the three dishes. This child was not very big, but she ate a lot. However, she is still growing, just 14 years old. It is good that she is eating more.
“Elder Brother, I’ll do the dishes.”
“You? Just leave it.” Chen Heng glanced at Sirin’s clothes.
“What’s wrong? Do you think that I can’t clean the dishes properly?” Sirin puffed up her cheeks. She seemed a little mad, like a young child looked down on by her parents.
“Look at your clothes. That’s the only set of this. If it’s stained, there is no more. Another, prettier set is being made, but it will take time.” Chen Heng could tell that Sirin loved this set of clothes.
“Alright, then.”