...
The group returned home, and Lucian put down the bags and directly sat on the sofa, "Tired. Feels like I wouldn't be this tired standing at the training ground for an entire afternoon."
"If Lucian-kun doesn't want to accompany us shopping, just say so." Perhaps influenced by constant exposure, Silence Suzuka had also picked up some tea-like tones.
Lucian was too lazy to even look at her. Didn't she have any self-awareness about why he was so tired?
Lu Fengzhou was brewing tea and poured a cup for Lucian too, "Lucian, rest a bit, then go cook dinner."
"Dad, you're not cooking tonight?"
"No, someone said my cooking isn't good."
"Who? Whoever dares say your cooking isn't good, let her..." Lucian's voice gradually weakened. In this house, there didn't seem to be anyone who dared say Lu Fengzhou's cooking wasn't good.
"Let her do what?" Lucia asked.
The horse girls were already covering their mouths and laughing.
"Let her taste my cooking."
A true man can bend and stretch, be hard or soft as needed.
But just like how he missed the taste of home, his parents probably missed his cooking too.
Lucia: "Hmph, good that you know better."
"Since we're cooking anyway." Lucian got up from the sofa, "Then we need to start now, or it won't be done if it's too late."
When it came to cooking, Lucian never skimped.
"Onii-sama, I'll help you out."
"Trainer-san, I'll come too." After Rice Shower spoke, Special Week also chimed in.
Tokai Teio wanted to join too, but saw Lucian nod and say: "Alright, two people are enough. I leave washing the veggies and rinsing the rice to you."
...
Under Lucian's guidance, Rice Shower had some basics in cooking and could participate in the kitchen.
Special Week had absolutely no experience and seemed a bit clumsy.
"Trainer-san, is this meat I cut a bit too ugly?"
"It's fine, just don't cut your hand..."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Special Week suddenly gasped, "Trainer-san, I think I cut myself."
Lucian: "..."
"Impressive." He didn't make a big fuss, took out the ointment he always kept on hand, and applied it, "It stings a bit; endure it and it'll be fine."
"Spe-chan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine... As expected, I shouldn't come to the kitchen. I can only get in the way and make Trainer-san distracted worrying about me." Special Week had no other intentions; she just wanted to help Lucian and get closer to him.
"We all go through this." Lucian extended his finger, showing Special Week the old scars that wouldn't fade.
Rice Shower also raised her little hand, "Spe-chan, I have them too."
But her wounds were healing and wouldn't leave scars.
"Alright..." Special Week was still a bit unhappy.
What to do when a horse girl's mood is low? As a Trainer, he should immediately come up with a good plan!
"Rice-chan, go to the fridge and look for some dried scallops. There's none in the one on the first floor; check the second floor." Lucian immediately sent Rice Shower away.
At least apologize now, Rice-chan~
"Okay, I'll go right now." Rice Shower didn't think much of it and left the kitchen, putting down her tasks.
After confirming Rice Shower had left, Lucian intimately leaned close to Special Week, "What's up with Spe-chan today? Want to spend some alone time with Trainer?"
"Mm." Feeling like someone might appear at the kitchen door at any moment, Special Week didn't want to waste time, "Trainer-san, it's been so long since we did that..."
"Alright, before Rice-chan comes back, I'll satisfy Spe-chan."
Racing against time, Lucian didn't dawdle and lightly kissed Special Week, tilting up her chin.
...
Rice Shower came back with a pack of dried scallops. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she saw Lucian rubbing his lips with his fingertip, "Onii-sama? What's wrong?"
Special Week stood lightly floating to the side, kissed to the point of losing herself, and had swollen Trainer-san's lips again ...(~_~;)
But her mood was no longer down at all.
"It's nothing. I accidentally hit my mouth with my hand just now."
"Oh? Oh." Rice Shower tried to imagine it but couldn't picture the scene, "Onii-sama, here are the dried scallops."
"Okay, thanks Rice-chan."
"Mm." Rice Shower was about to go back to her tasks when, passing by Special Week, she noticed her face was red, "Does Spe-chan's cheek turn red when injured?"
"Ah?" Special Week panicked and spoke incoherently: "N-No no no, it's because the kitchen is a bit hot."
"Oh, that's how it is." Rice Shower felt both Special Week and Lucian were acting a bit strange, but her pure self was destined to see nothing.
...
Dinner proceeded amid nonstop praise; no one was stingy with their expressions, and Lucian's heart was greatly satisfied.
He already knew the horse girls' food preferences well.
He didn't even need to specially remember; when he entered the kitchen, his mind would automatically recall them.
...
After dinner, Lucian finished washing the dishes and came out, but didn't see the group. Finally, he found them in Lucia's room.
The horse girls were surrounding Lucia, who was leaning on the sofa, not sure what they were doing.
Lucian curiously came behind Lucia and pinched her shoulders, massaging her.
"You go out once, and your cooking gets even better; even your massage skills are this good." Lucia sighed, thinking Lucian must have suffered a lot too.
Back then, to make their son give up, they basically gave him no help.
No one thought he'd succeed, yet he really carved out a career.
Thinking of this, Lucia felt some guilt. After all, she only took care of Lucian's basic needs back then; as for ideals and dreams, she hadn't supported them.
"Indeed, it took a long time to learn. I practiced every day until my hands ached, but I had to master it because I usually give them leg massages too."
"Trainer worked hard~"
"Thank you, Onii-sama."
"Trainer-san is amazing."
...
Lucian smiled indifferently, skipping the topic:
"Right, Mom, what are you all looking at? All gathered here again."
"Oh~ this." Lucia specially raised the photo album in her hand so Lucian could see clearly what it was, "Photo album."
"Photo album?"
Lucian thought his mom was going to tell the horse girls some past stories, introduce places they'd traveled to, or something.
But when he saw the cover of the photo album clearly, he immediately remembered these were photos recording his childhood memories.
"Wait a minute!" Lucian reached to grab it, but Lucia nimbly dodged, "Then I'm out."
Turning around, he saw Dextrous Bailey and Seiun Sky already blocking the door.
Silence Suzuka and Tokai Teio pulled Lucian to sit on the opposite sofa, "If Trainer doesn't want to look, just sit here for a while~"
"Lucian-kun, actually we'd rather hear some firsthand accounts from the person involved."
...