Chapter 60: Qingling Sang, You've Already Done Wonderfully.

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“Plato once said: If sharp criticism completely disappears, gentle criticism will become piercing; if even gentle criticism is not allowed, silence will be considered suspicious; if sile...”

“Speak plainly.” Qing Ling Mei Long gazed quietly at the boy in front of her, who was expounding at length.

Haruno Arano scratched his head and glanced down at the little delinquent girl.

Their eyes met, locking in an exchange of glances. In those bright, wide eyes, Haruno saw many things: happiness, anticipation, hesitation, and perhaps a trace of pride?

In the end, Haruno Arano surrendered, sighing and smiling, “What I mean is, introduce the dishes you made for me!”

Knowing their names would help him praise them, after all, Haruno doubted he could tell what cuisine the young lady had prepared just by tasting and looking.

“Hehe!” Qing Ling Mei Long gave a subtle smile, her eyes triumphant at his concession.

“This is my fried swordfish!” she said, pointing to the first plate with the blackened contents.

Haruno Arano stroked his chin, examining the dish. Now that she mentioned it, it did seem somewhat fish-shaped.

Fried swordfish, huh?

“Don’t judge by its charred exterior—inside, it’s delicious! Crispy outside, tender within!” Seeing Haruno’s doubtful expression, Qing Ling Mei Long hurried to explain, searching for a flattering description for this food that had changed its species.

“Have you tasted it?” Haruno asked the essential question.

“Um... not yet, I was busy and forgot to try it first,” Qing Ling Mei Long admitted honestly.

“Don’t let that happen again,” Haruno said, covering her small head with his hand, speaking earnestly.

His expression was sincere, his attitude earnest. Please don’t cook anymore—the swordfish has been fried beyond recognition!

“Hmph! Do you think I wanted to cook? I was just in a good mood today, so I let you try my skills. Don’t get cocky, you big idiot!” Blushing, she turned her face away.

Hearing this, Haruno breathed a sigh of relief—just a spur-of-the-moment thing, thank goodness there weren’t plans for more. Otherwise, he feared he’d end up in the ICU within days. He’d been touched moments ago, but the first dish nearly scared him off.

The third dish.

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Fried swordfish that no longer resembled fish.

Cola chicken wings, as though they’d traveled through Africa.

And finally, the pièce de résistance: a healthy, green dish invented by the young lady herself, tailored especially for Haruno Arano—stir-fried tomato and carrot!

When introducing this dish, Qing Ling Mei Long could barely contain her smile, proud of her brand-new creation.

The soup was a simple egg drop, appearing far more palatable than its three predecessors.

At least compared to those, the soup was much more normal.

“Hurry up and eat, I’m starving,” Qing Ling Mei Long chirped, humming as she went to the kitchen to scoop some rice.

Haruno Arano stood there, momentarily at a loss.

Looking at the three dishes and soup, he wasn’t sure what to do.

Across the coffee table, the boy and girl sat facing each other, just as before.

Qing Ling Mei Long’s eyes were full of expectation, but when Haruno looked up, she feigned indifference, turning her head aside, yet occasionally sneaking glances.

Haruno smiled helplessly, picking up his chopsticks and hovering them over the dishes for a while before finally settling on the stir-fried tomato and carrot.

He picked up a piece of carrot with some soft tomato—the only dish among the three that wasn’t black.

Qing Ling Mei Long couldn’t help but open her eyes, watching the chopsticks move until the morsel disappeared into Haruno’s mouth.

“Well? How is it?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Haruno chewed twice and swallowed, then smiled, “It’s delicious. This plate is all mine; don’t fight me for it.”

To be honest, it wasn’t tasty—not salty, but sour and spicy. How could stir-fried tomato be spicy? There was an indescribable flavor.

“Tch, eat it yourself then!” Qing Ling Mei Long said disdainfully, though her eyes betrayed satisfaction.

She then eagerly picked up a piece of the blackened chicken wing.

“Wait a second,” Haruno stopped her, and under her curious gaze, he removed all the burnt parts from the chicken wing, then smiled, “It tastes better this way.”

After removing the charred exterior, the wing revealed steaming, tender white meat—though not much remained.

Apart from their dreadful appearance and mediocre taste, the dishes didn’t have many other flaws.

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Aside from the fish, after peeling away the blackened surface, there were just two bites of meat.

After tasting her own cooking, Qing Ling Mei Long nodded thoughtfully, as if savoring it seriously.

Meanwhile, Haruno Arano was constantly patting her perky backside.

The three dishes and soup were soon finished. Haruno cleared the bowls and took them to the kitchen, while Qing Ling Mei Long sat on the floor cushion playing on her phone, her expression oddly troubled.

It seemed the young lady herself felt her cooking wasn’t quite good enough.

After tidying up, Haruno plopped down beside Qing Ling Mei Long, took out some ointment, and gently held her small hand in his palm. He’d noticed during dinner that her hand was dotted with red marks from oil burns.

Tenderly, he applied the ointment to each spot, cool and soothing. Qing Ling Mei Long said nothing, keeping her head down and playing on her phone, seemingly searching for something.

Once every red mark was treated, Haruno held her little hand up, examining it.

Her fingers were slender and graceful, though the ointment marred their beauty. But with its effect, they'd soon be fine.

Watching Qing Ling Mei Long playing on her phone, Haruno smiled, “Alright, don’t be discouraged. You did great for your first time.”

“? I’m not discouraged,” Qing Ling Mei Long turned, looking at Haruno with puzzlement.

???

[Qing Ling Mei Long’s current state: Feeling proud (strong) because her first attempt at cooking turned out quite well; feeling that cooking is no big deal after her success (strong); slightly troubled about what to make for dinner tomorrow (weak)...]

Seeing Qing Ling Mei Long’s status, Haruno nearly choked. So, the young lady was actually proud of her cooking!

“What are you talking about?” Qing Ling Mei Long tilted her head.

Haruno said nothing, simply pulling her soft body into his arms and planting a kiss on her cherry lips.

Soft, fragrant, and sweet.

Qing Ling Mei Long was used to it, wrapping her arms around Haruno’s neck and settling comfortably on his lap, making it easy for his large hands to wander mischievously over her body.

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