Why bother with dating when you already have a cat?

“Okay.” Yao Qiang washed her hands, wiped them on her apron, and then, seeing Xiao Yu walk in again, she smiled and waved to her, “Xiao Yu, come here.”

"Hmm, what's wrong, Auntie?" Little Fish obediently ran up to Yao Qiang and stood up straight.

Yao Qiang took off her apron and put it on Xiaoyu, carefully tying the straps for her: "I'm going to the supermarket. You stay here and help Grandma. Your clothes are so nice, don't get them dirty."

"Oh, oh... thank you, Auntie." Xiaoyu looked down at her apron, then at Yao Qiang in front of her, feeling like she had turned into a kitten again.

Grandma and Mom were still as gentle as ever, helping her put on her apron by hand, just like before when she would curl up on Yao Qiang's lap and let her stroke her.

But after becoming human, this was the first time anyone other than Ai Qing had treated her so gently.

This feeling is quite peculiar.

Like...home?

Little Fish doesn't really understand what home feels like.

But for no reason, this word just popped into my head.

Yao Qiang whispered in her ear, telling her to be careful and not to get hurt in the kitchen.

Yao Qiang then left the kitchen and headed towards the supermarket.

Only Xiaoyu and Lang Xiangying were left in the kitchen.

"Can you chop vegetables?" Without Yao Qiang in the kitchen, Lang Xiangying would definitely be a bit overwhelmed, so she turned to Xiaoyu and asked.

"Mmm!" Little Fish nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, Grandma, what vegetables do you want to chop?"

"Slice some meat into strips and marinate it briefly."

"Ok."

The two of them busied themselves in the kitchen.

Lang Xiangying glanced at Xiaoyu's knife skills with some surprise. She hadn't expected that this young girl could cut vegetables so skillfully at such a young age. She really knew how.

She was worried that Xiaoyu was being stubborn, but after watching for a while, Xiaoyu had already cut the meat into shreds and skillfully added seasonings such as soy sauce and cooking wine. After kneading the shredded meat evenly, she set it aside to marinate.

This person clearly cooks a lot.

This immediately increased Lang Xiangying's fondness for Xiaoyu.

Although Xiaoyu's cooking skills are nothing compared to Lang Xiangying's when she was young.

But in this day and age, Lang Xiangying is very clear about it.

I've noticed from dancing in the square with my girlfriends that these days, very few young women can cook. If they can make instant noodles or boil dumplings, that's considered pretty good.

If you ask her to chop some vegetables, forget about whether she's willing or not. Even if she gets into the kitchen, picks up a knife, and makes a couple of cuts, the people around her have to beg her to put the knife down.

It's rare to see someone with such skillful knife work as Xiaoyu.

"What dishes can you make? Do you know how to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes?" Lang Xiangying stir-fried a plate of dried tofu, celery, and shredded pork, then asked Xiaoyu, "Want to try making a plate yourself?"

"Eh? Well... I would like to try more of Grandma's cooking." Little Fish said hesitantly, "But my brother said that Grandma's cooking is especially delicious, and I want to try more of Grandma's cooking."

"What nonsense is that kid talking about?" Lang Xiangying rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile on her face.

However, she still pulled Xiaoyu to the pot and said, "Come on, I'll teach you how to make tomato and egg stir-fry even better. When it's done, don't tell that kid. Ask him if it's good."

"Haha... Well, little fish, give it a try."

Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh out loud, but then she immediately restrained herself and obediently followed Lang Xiangying's steps to cook the dish.

To be honest, it's just a few minor differences.

But after it was cooked, Lang Xiangying picked up a piece of egg and put it to the little fish's mouth. The little fish opened its mouth and tasted it carefully, and its eyes lit up.

"Wow! It really tastes better now, Grandma is amazing!" Xiaoyu couldn't help but exclaim. "I wish all my cooking was this delicious."

"You can come often in the future, and I'll teach you everything." Lang Xiangying looked at Xiaoyu with a smile, and at this moment, she found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

The initial slight sense of unfamiliarity has completely dissipated as we spend time together in the kitchen.

At this moment, Yao Qiang also returned.

The three of them took out all the dishes they had prepared.

Ai Lisong also asked his old friend to check on the supermarket. He strolled back from the supermarket and didn't forget to steal a bottle of liquor from the warehouse.

"Ai Qing! What kind of drink does Xiao Yu like?" Ai Lisong asked Ai Qing, who was sitting on the sofa, as he stood at the door.

"Cola, please." Ai Qing stood up and ran over, and together with her grandfather, they got some drinks from the warehouse and put them on the dining table.

Meanwhile, Ai Zhongguo was still sitting on the sofa, engrossed in reading his son's novel.

He had never read online novels before, and his impression of novels was still based on classic masterpieces.

Even the martial arts novels of the last century, which are closest to online novels, do not have the straightforward language of today's online novels.

But it must be said that Ai Zhongguo is at least somewhat accepting of it.

Although I'm not particularly interested in the romances of young people anymore, it would be quite interesting to see the protagonist be my own son.

It's like reading a romance novel about raising a child.

Moreover, the idea that the female lead can turn into a cat is something A Jong-kook has never really seen before.

After all, my father isn't a fan of anime or manga, and he doesn't usually watch those kinds of domestic romance dramas.

My understanding of this is limited.

This is my first time encountering this kind of subject matter, so it feels somewhat novel.

But Ai Qing couldn't stand her dad's antics. She put her drink on the table, walked over to Ai Zhongguo, and whispered to him, "Dinner's ready. Can you stop looking?"

"Okay, okay, I'll finish this chapter soon." Ai Zhongguo waved his hand impatiently, then spent another minute reading the last bit of the chapter before turning off his phone. "It was quite interesting."

"I thought someone your age wouldn't be able to understand it," Ai Qing muttered under her breath.

"You look down on me, don't you?"

"I don't mean to look down on anyone, but this book is written for young readers."

"Ha, you don't understand the joy of an old father."

"Then don't tell anyone else later."

"I know, I definitely won't tell."

Ai Zhongguo patted his chest and guaranteed it.

"What are you two doing over there?" Yao Qiang, sitting at the dining table, looked at the father and son with a suspicious expression. "What are you talking about so enthusiastically?"

"It's nothing, let's eat." Ai Zhongguo got up from the sofa, patted his bottom and walked to the dining table. "Sit down, sit down, I'm starving, Xiaoyu, sit down too."

After Ai Lisong and Lang Xiangying sat down, Ai Zhongguo and Yao Qiang also sat down at the table.

Before sitting down, Yao Qiang held Xiao Yu's hand and asked her to sit next to her.

So Ai Qing sat on the other side of Xiao Yu.

"How come you two got so close after just spending a little time in the kitchen?" Ai Qing glanced at Xiao Yu and her mother and asked immediately.

After sitting down, the little fish activated its warm current, put away its cat ears, and then took off its hat and placed it on its lap.

Upon hearing Ai Qing's words, Xiao Yu immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.

Yao Qiang, who was standing next to him, rolled her eyes at him: "Xiao Yu is more sensible than you. At least she knows to come and help in the kitchen."

"Three people are enough in the kitchen, why would I go and join in the fun?"

Across from him, Ai Zhongguo glanced at Xiaoyu's snow-white hair, which was tied into a bun. He already knew that Xiaoyu had long white hair, so he didn't say anything.

Yao Qiang didn't say anything, but started to greet them, saying, "Let's eat first, it won't taste good if it gets cold. What does Xiaoyu like to eat?"

"Ai Qing, try this." Lang Xiangying pointed to the plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and said, "Isn't this your favorite?"

"Okay, okay, don't rush." ​​Ai Qing picked up a Coke and poured drinks for everyone except her grandfather and father before picking up her chopsticks and eating a piece of egg.

After chewing a few times and swallowing, Ai Qing gave her grandmother a thumbs up: "Grandma's tomato and egg stir-fry must taste amazing."

"Pfft... um..." Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered her mouth, glanced at Yao Qiang embarrassedly, then exchanged a glance with the smiling Lang Xiangying, and then laughed silently.

"What are you doing?" Ai Qing asked, bewildered. "What's so funny?"

“This dish was made by Xiaoyu,” Lang Xiangying said. “I didn’t make it.”

Ai Qing: "...Are you all ganging up on me? Grandma, when did you become so close to her?"

This is the first time the little fish has come to visit as a human, okay?

Is it really that likable?

He even came up with many methods to let Xiaoyu try more things so that her family could better accept her.

I never expected that just by entering the kitchen, I could manage to take care of both my mom and grandma.

"This is so delicious." Xiaoyu picked up a piece of braised crucian carp, couldn't help but squint her eyes, and said to Lang Xiangying, "Grandma's fish is so tender. I always feel like I can't get it right when I make it."

Lang Xiangying smiled broadly, clearly pleased.

Apart from Ai Qing, the others were already used to the taste and wouldn't praise it.

At this moment, she was actually enjoying the pleasure of cooking, which was a rare treat for her.

Across from him, Ai Zhongguo poured a small glass of baijiu for his father, then poured one for himself. After clinking glasses, they took a small sip and then asked, "Xiaoyu, do you usually cook?"

"Mmm." Little Fish nodded. "I usually cook if I don't go out to eat, but it's not as delicious as Grandma's."

"It's not as bad as you say," Ai Qing said. "Anyway, the dishes you make now are much better than what I used to make."

"What? You two live together? You can still taste the food Xiaoyu makes?" Yao Qiang asked curiously.

"Cough...we do live together."

"No wonder." Yao Qiang smiled and glanced at Xiaoyu, then at her son. "It's good, but you can't just let that young lady cook for you all the time. That's too tiring."

"Not tired at all." Before Ai Qing could even speak, Xiao Yu waved her hands repeatedly, "Cooking is a lot of fun, and I'm happy to cook for my brother too."

As soon as he said that, Ai Qing winked at her parents.

Yao Qiang rolled her eyes at him.

Ai Zhongguo scoffed, "Remember when your mom first came with me, it was the same..."

"Shut up." Yao Qiang stuffed a large piece of braised pork into Ai Zhongguo's hand. "Eat yours."