Chapter 6: A Culinary Confession and a Familiar’s Wisdom

“……”

“We’ve arrived.”

Lin Xi extended her hand, pressing it against the recognition device, and the house’s grand door slid open on its own.

“Come in.”

“……”

Bai Li, like a puppet being idly manipulated, drifted through the doorway in a daze.

Ever since she heard Lin Xi’s casual utterance of “Come to my place tonight” a short while ago, she had remained in this state of utter bewilderment.

There was no other reason; the sheer impact of those words, spoken by Lin Xi in such a state, had struck her with overwhelming force.

It was akin to a character one had adored since birth, even buying all their merchandise, suddenly appearing in reality and shyly confessing, “I’ve always liked you too.”

A fleeting thought crossed Bai Li’s mind: could this be a hallucination born of her fervent longing?

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t visited Lin Xi’s home at night before.

Because Lin Xi often whined about feeling lonely, Bai Li would occasionally come over to sleep with her; in fact, she spent almost more time at Lin Xi’s house than her own.

Of course, her ultimate goal was to move in with Lin Xi permanently.

However, none of that was the point now.

The crucial detail was that this time, Lin Xi had invited her to her home while blushing, after someone else had pointed out the word “girlfriend.”

One study suggests that a way to determine if you like someone is when you consciously realize you have fallen for them.

This implied that Lin Xi had, in all likelihood, now recognized her own romantic feelings.

So, what came next?

Would it be a confession?

Would they sleep together?

Would it be ‘dado tedo’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term, ‘dà do tè do,’ implying intense, often intimate, activity)?

Would it be marriage and a registration certificate?

Bai Li felt a surge of excitement just thinking about it, almost detecting the faint scent of blood in the air.

****

“Meow~”

Just then, a black cat leaped out.

“Ruth.”

“Meow.”

Upon hearing Lin Xi’s call, the black cat walked over and settled beside her.

“Meow, it’s the aroma of food, meow.”

As Lin Xi stroked its chin, the black cat suddenly spoke in a human voice.

“We just went out for some snacks, so the scent probably clung to us, right?”

“Is there a share for me, meow?”

“Ruth is a magical creature, so it shouldn’t be able to taste it, right?”

Indeed, this black cat was no ordinary feline; it was a magical creature, or more accurately, a magical girl’s familiar.

Just as they appear in many magical girl narratives, most magical girl-type ability users also possess familiars, which might serve as aids for casting magic or as beings born from a contract.

It is said that the abilities of many espers are permeated by concepts found in human civilization, such as cultivators or Sentai (TL Note: A Japanese genre of superhero teams, often featuring color-coded members, like Power Rangers).

These are all concepts from works created by humans, and there are even abilities similar to popular internet memes from daily life, as if abilities are manifestations of “stories” created by humans.

Conversely, it’s also possible that these memes appeared due to the influence of abilities.

In any case, this black cat named Ruth was Lin Xi’s familiar as a magical girl, and it was safe to assume it was an ally.

“I can’t taste physical flavors, meow, but I can savor the ambiance and significance. It’s like how the presence of others affects the taste of your meal, meow.”

“Hmm… that’s true.”

Lin Xi picked up Ruth, then turned to Bai Li.

“So, Bai Li, I’m counting on you.”

“No problem. It’s just food for a little cat; there’s nothing difficult about it.”

Unlike ordinary cats, Ruth, being a magical creature, wouldn’t suffer from an upset stomach or similar issues, so Bai Li didn’t need to worry too much about the differences between cat and human food.

“Uh… actually, I wanted to eat it from the start, since Bai Li’s cooking is so delicious…”

Lin Xi shyly poked her fingers together, and Bai Li, hearing her words, instinctively felt that something was amiss.

“……So, you wanted me to come to your house tonight just for food?”

“Yes.”

“……”

Bai Li felt a crushing blow to her heart, realizing that all the excitement she’d harbored on her way here had been for naught.

…No… that wasn’t right… she was overthinking it.

Lin Xi was so perfect; she naturally wouldn’t entertain such sordid thoughts.

Compared to Lin Xi, Bai Li herself was far too ‘H’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term, ‘H,’ used to imply ‘hentai’ or ‘horny.’).

After all, one shouldn’t go to a friend’s house and immediately start planning out the names of their future grandchildren.

“I understand. So, I can just cook as usual, right?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. Even better, in fact.”

“Look at you, your mouth is practically watering.”

Bai Li playfully squeezed Lin Xi’s soft cheeks to her heart’s content, then made her way into the kitchen.

Before long, she had prepared dinner for two people and one cat.

“There isn’t much left of the ingredients. I’ll help you buy some more another day.”

Bai Li said, untying her apron.

Lin Xi, already seated before a spread of food, couldn’t wait any longer.

She immediately picked up her chopsticks and placed a chicken wing into her mouth.

“Mmm~ Bai Li’s cooking is truly delicious. You’d make a perfect wife someday.”

“It’s just some home-style cooking.”

“But it’s still incredibly tasty. If I keep eating like this, my palate will become utterly spoiled.”

“Really?”

Seeing Lin Xi’s blissful expression, Bai Li’s lips couldn’t help but curl into a slight smile.

She knew perfectly well that to capture someone’s heart, one must first capture their stomach.

Thus, she had diligently honed her culinary skills, constantly observing Lin Xi’s reactions to different foods to master her taste preferences.

One could say that these dishes were born from her love for Lin Xi, created for Lin Xi, and made solely for Lin Xi.

“Ugh… I can’t stop eating… Oh? Bai Li, have you finished already?”

Lin Xi, who had devoured most of the food in a short time, noticed that Bai Li had stopped eating and was simply smiling at her.

“I’ve had enough from tasting it earlier. You go on and eat.”

“How can that be? You need to eat more to be healthy.”

Saying this, Lin Xi picked up a piece of stewed meat with her chopsticks and brought it to Bai Li’s lips.

“Here, this piece is just right. Eat it.”

“……Then I won’t be shy.”

Bai Li didn’t refuse further.

She swept a strand of hair away from her face with one hand, bit into the meat held by the chopsticks, and ate it bite by bite.

The slow, deliberate movements, combined with the sauce mingling with her saliva, appeared utterly scandalous from Lin Xi’s perspective.

“Mm, I’m full.”

“……”

Lin Xi retracted her chopsticks, her eyes staring blankly at the chopsticks Bai Li had licked.

Then, her face instantly flushed a vibrant crimson.

“S-s-since we’re done eating, I’ll go wash the dishes! I can’t let you do all the cooking every day, Bai Li; I should at least help with some housework!”

Lin Xi stammered out her words, scrambling to her feet, swiftly collecting the dishes, and dashing straight to the kitchen.

“……How truly adorable.”

Bai Li merely watched her swift escape from the scene, chuckling softly.

Subsequently, her gaze fell upon the black cat beside her.

“So, shall we have a little chat?”