I am a hero of the former civilization.

Ryan had a rough idea of ​​what Aponia was thinking. The two had discussed this before, but because Aponia's abilities weren't strong enough to be of much use, he wasn't certain.

"This leads to an ancient Chinese saying..."

“I know, it’s a wise man to be pragmatic!” Pado quickly interjected.

Ryan lightly patted her forehead and corrected her impatiently, "Man can conquer nature."

"Oh, could it be that we remembered it wrong?"

"You must have misremembered. Okay, finish writing this line of text, then come out for dinner. There's something you like to eat tonight."

Ryan turned and left; he still had to cook. As his footsteps faded into the distance, Paddo muttered to herself.

"Sister Nia, will reading these books really make me as good as a teacher?"

I'm afraid not. He possesses more than just wisdom, and besides, your personality isn't suited to be a wise man.

Aponia had come to a conclusion in her mind, but being considerate of others, she simply smiled and replied, "It should be possible, but it will take time and effort."

"Hmph, I'm instantly motivated. Taking a vacation under such tight circumstances feels like a dream."

Looking at the girl reading diligently, Aponia was very puzzled. She didn't understand Ryan's intention in doing this, because Padofelis had not shown any value that could be used.

He's weak in combat and timid; he doesn't seem like someone who's suddenly become a wise strategist.

So why did he keep Paddo by his side?

Aponia felt that Ryan was like someone in a thick fog, unable to understand many things, but looking at the girl who was yawning while persevering.

At least, this feeling is comfortable, and there is no sense of panic at all.

Ryan didn't really have a definite answer to Aponia's questions. Perhaps his feelings for her had surpassed her monetary value, and he felt more at ease having the little kitten by his side.

He tied on his apron, glanced at Qianjie who was squatting quietly against the wall, and forced back his smile.

'I guess I've been influenced by Alicia and the others; I think a lively atmosphere is better?'

Ryan wasn't too sure either. Back in the day, he was a lone wolf, focused only on completing tasks faster and more efficiently. He never expected to become so lazy now.

No, since we'll have to wait for the fire-chasing moth to reveal its weakness anyway, we might as well take it easy.

Subconsciously finding a reason for himself, Ryan turned on the gas stove with a 'snap', heated the frying pan, put in the chicken breast and fried it until golden brown, then reached out and took the meat out to cut it into pieces.

Turn the heat to low, add the butter, remove from heat and let the residual heat melt the butter, add flour and stir-fry until it becomes a ghee-like consistency, then add milk and quickly stir until it becomes a paste, finally pour in a bowl of stock.

A sweet, milky aroma immediately filled the room, drifting out through the open window. Even if the intelligence agents lived right across the street, they would never have imagined that there was a room full of 'human traitors' inside.

Shouldn't this kind of person be hiding in the shadows plotting something? Why would they be openly making dinner?

Ryan was used to this kind of life. He added the vegetables and meat chunks, stirred them gently with a spoon, and turned his head slightly to see that Qianjie was already standing next to him at some point.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hmm, I always feel like you don't seem to be seriously carrying out any plan." Qianjie rubbed his chin, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Who told you that the plan means fighting and killing every day? Isn't this kind of leisurely life better?"

"Oh no! This is a waste of time!"

You ate three bowls of rice yesterday, leaving me with only soup.

Ryan was too lazy to argue with him. After all these days, he had figured out that Qianjie was not only tough in the fists, but also had a sharp tongue.

According to what Pado secretly told him, he went out to run errands yesterday afternoon, and Qianjie tidied up the house. It was a pity that he didn't see Qianjie wearing an apron and mopping the floor, otherwise he would have taken a picture.

"Tonight we'll have cream soup, and we'll eat it with bread."

"Just one dish?"

You were just saying it wasn't good, but now you're complaining that there's only one dish, right?

"It's getting late today, and I don't have time to make a second one. By the way, would you like to try? I heard from Aponia that you're a very good cook."

That woman is talking nonsense, and why should I do it?

Qian Jie opened his mouth to refuse, but when he saw Ryan's slightly provocative gaze, his eyes sharpened.

"Are you questioning me?"

"No, I just thought that since we can't have a real fight right now, we can still find other ways to decide the winner. The fighting spirit doesn't necessarily have to be about punches to the flesh."

If anyone else had said that, Qianjie would have slapped them across the face long ago, but since it was Ryan who said it, he subconsciously thought about it for a moment.

"Boring, I don't have time to play house with you."

He turned and left, but after a few steps he came back, having unknowingly changed into an apron with a bear pattern.

"But since you've issued the challenge, I have to accept it!"

What a tough guy! But could you be any more stubborn? You're really going to stick to your guns, aren't you?

Ryan stared in disbelief, and Qianjie growled, "What are you looking at? You really think I'd lose to you at something this trivial?!"

No, I just think the little bear pattern on your chest is quite cute.

Ryan didn't want to spoil the fun, so he quickly made a 'please' gesture, and then he saw that Qianjie wasn't bragging, he really was good at it.

Holding the cleaver, with a 'swish swish swish' of the blade, carrots, celery, and green peppers were all cut into uniform pieces. The leftover rice from last night was put into the pot, and with a skillful tossing of the wok, each grain of rice was separated.

"Very professional."

"I never boast!"

Qianjie scoffed dismissively, flipped the pan over, plated the food, and finished the task with a skillful ladle.

He stood ramrod straight, holding a ladle like a swordsman, glancing sideways at Aponia and Padofelis who had just come out of the house, and flicked his wrist.

Swah——

The creamy soup and fried rice flew onto the table without spilling a single drop.

Is it really necessary to be so handsome just to cook a meal?

Ryan was somewhat speechless. He had to admit that although Qian Jie was a bit irritable, he still possessed considerable masculine charm. He coughed lightly and said:

"You two be the judges and see which tastes better, my cream soup or Qianjie's soy sauce fried rice."

"Uh, can I choose to abstain?" Pado weakly raised her hand, clearly sensing the danger.

"You can try." Qianjie crossed his arms and stared at her coldly.

Soon, Pado was already sitting at the table, her hand trembling as she tasted it all. She first showed a look of surprise, then became conflicted.

They're both delicious! One's sweet and savory, the other's sweet and salty—both are much better than canned food.

Having rarely eaten a normal meal since childhood, Pado had never experienced such treatment. She was already grateful that her clothes didn't rip off on the spot, but the heavy fighting spirit in the room made it impossible for her to enjoy herself properly.

"Brother Qianjie, can we tie this?"

"No, there's no such thing as a draw in a battle; it's a fight to the death!"

“Okay, then you win.” Pado gave him a thumbs up without hesitation, showing a strong will to survive.

What a rebellious disciple! Acting so arrogantly on the spot, huh? Fine, I just wanted Qianjie to vent his anger a little anyway.

Ryan rolled his eyes, silently noted the score, and then turned to look at Aponia.

There was a hint of surprise in her eyes, but she was much more composed than Padofelis. She propped her head up and looked back and forth between Qianjie and Ryan with a compassionate gaze.

"Aponia, I told you not to look at me like that. Even if I lose, I don't need any pity!" Qianjie seemed to hate this pitying look and simply clenched his fist.

"No, Qianjie, you won."

"I won?"

“Yes, you are indeed a bit stronger than Ryan in this area. Even if the difference is negligible, you still won.” Aponia spoke slowly, and Qianjie’s eyes showed a hint of joy.

Fighting and killing are for the purpose of winning. Now that killing is no longer possible, we have to use other things to replace it, but the concept of 'winning' will not change.

“I won.” He turned to look at Ryan, though he was still quite wary of the man, which was why he was so eager for victory.

"Well, congratulations. Not many people have beaten me in this area." Ryan nodded solemnly, having roughly understood how to suppress Qian Jie's madness.

Reasoning with him and appealing to his emotions isn't very effective; you have to keep feeding him carrots to gradually satisfy his fighting spirit, and I'll also retaliate in small ways.

"Then let's do it this way: I'll buy the groceries, and you'll cook."

"Why!?"

"This is the responsibility and glory of the victor."

“Responsibility and honor? I don’t need such boring things.” Qianjie sat down silently, tore off pieces of bread and mixed them with the thick soup, stuffing them into his mouth in big mouthfuls. “Besides, it was already agreed that these boring things are your job.”

"But I think I'm getting a little interested, so I'll see how I feel tomorrow."

Ryan was about to berate the man for being shameless, but upon hearing the last sentence, his eyes softened, and he pulled out a chair to enjoy his dinner under the soft light.

One of the guidelines for dealing with Qian Jie is to stroke his fur in the right direction.

Chapter 251 What is the meaning of hidden sullenness?

The four of them had been traveling together for almost half a month, and the initial estrangement and apprehension had gradually disappeared. Even Padofilis was no longer so afraid of Qianjie.

Of course, she still sat in the place furthest away from Qianjie; the clever little cat wouldn't put herself in danger.

Dinner was relatively harmonious. Paddo would occasionally tell a joke she had just heard, and Ryan and Aponia would laugh along, then defuse the sarcastic remarks of Thousand Tribulations with a nonchalant air.

Everyone has gradually gotten used to this kind of life, carefully maintaining boundaries, and so far there haven't been any unpleasant incidents.

Qianjie is undoubtedly a troublemaker; he's crazy, but he's not stupid. As long as Ryan keeps his promise, he doesn't object to this kind of life.

As the city lights began to twinkle and dinner ended, Ryan took a chair to the balcony and sipped his coffee.

Looking out, you can see the lights of Rome's countless homes, and faintly hear the melodious sound of violins, making you marvel at how this city truly deserves its reputation as an art capital.

In addition, as the headquarters of the Church of the Cross and with a very low frequency of collapse, it is also known as the Holy City or the City of Divine Blessing, which gives it a certain spiritual pillar quality.

Looking inside, Padofelis was sprawled out on the sofa, swinging her slender legs and touching her round belly, her face radiating happiness.

It was supposed to be her turn to wash the dishes today, but she kept delaying, saying she was too full, and in the end, Aponia helped her out.

The nun, who had a rather charlatan-like air about her, was standing by the sink, clumsily wiping the dishes. She stood on tiptoe, placing the clean bowls into the cupboard above her head.

'Aponia doesn't do much housework, but she still has a very wifely feel to her.'

Ryan turned his head slightly and saw Qianjie standing straight next to the sofa with his arms crossed, staring intently at the TV, his wrist occasionally twitching.