In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

Yuan Qianye did as she was told and handed over the schoolbag. Sensing what she was about to do, he quickly turned his gaze to the window.

Shika stuffed her underwear and over-the-knee socks into her schoolbag, and then naturally put on her school uniform and pleated skirt.

When Yuan Qianye half-squatted down beside the hospital bed, she looked at her younger brother, who was only in the sixth grade of elementary school, and hesitated for a moment.

"Qianye, why don't you help me? I'm not completely unable to walk."

"It's alright, it's okay. It's good that you chose to trust me, Sister Shihua."

Yuan Qianye's attitude was uncompromising, and Shihua had no choice but to go along with him, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck, slowly pressing herself against his back.

Yuan Qianye reached his hands behind him, and felt an extremely soft touch in his palms.

He deliberately held onto Shihua's skirt to prevent her from being exposed.

He stood up steadily and walked out of the infirmary.

Shihua, who was clinging to his back, spoke up again: "If you feel tired, you can put me down anytime. Don't force yourself."

These were meant to be kind and gentle words, but to the listener, they were interpreted quite differently.

Barely? I think you have absolutely no idea how amazing I am!

Perhaps because he had been a child for so long, he would occasionally suddenly have a childlike mentality.

As he descended the stairs, he leaped down the last three or four steps.

Takanashi Touka was clearly startled by his sudden, large movement. Although she didn't let out a scream, her hands and legs did indeed clench tightly in that instant!

"You childish brat." Toka belatedly realized that the reason Gen Chiya did this was probably to refute her pointless words of concern.

Gen Chiya, having successfully pulled off his prank, smiled happily: "Sorry, Toka-nee, it was so easy carrying you that I could barely feel any weight, so I subconsciously used my usual way of going downstairs."

Shihua's lips curled up slightly: "If you're really that good, just carry me back like this."

"It's a bit of a stretch now, but it should be about right in a few years."

The two chatted idly along the way.

This was the first time they had such a long, continuous conversation since becoming a family, which unconsciously brought them much closer.

Takanashi Touka sat on the back of the bicycle, her arms around Minamoto Chiya's waist, feeling the gentle breeze on her face. For some reason, she felt extremely cheerful, and even the pain in her injured ankle had subsided considerably.

My new younger brother, although he is not very old and sometimes seems a bit mature and arrogant, is unexpectedly very reliable.

"Qianye, Mom and Uncle don't know I'm injured, right?"

"Ah."

"Then don't tell them about this. It's not a serious matter. Don't let them worry."

"It's easy to hide it from Aunt Runzi while she's away on a business trip, but Dad will eventually find out that you hurt your ankle when he gets back."

"My uncle's schedule is completely opposite to ours, so if we're a little careful at home, he probably won't notice."

"Okay, I got it."

What do you want to eat when you get home tonight?

"Alright, Sister Shihua, you're injured, so don't worry about making dinner anymore."

"Want to order takeout? That's fine too."

Before leaving on her business trip, Takanashi Junko slipped some money to Toka, asking her eldest daughter to take care of the others while she was away.

She injured her foot today and couldn't stand for long periods, so ordering takeout for a meal was perfectly understandable.

However, she should feel better tomorrow, so we can't just make do with dinner tomorrow, since she and her younger siblings are still growing.

"No, I meant you should get some rest. I'll prepare dinner."

What Yuan Qianye said was perfectly reasonable.

During this period, Aunt Runzi has taken very good care of everything at home.

Having lived a life of being waited on hand and foot for so long, it's certainly comfortable, but sometimes I do miss the days when I could cook for myself.

I haven't cooked for a while, so I don't know if my cooking skills have deteriorated.

Takanashi Touka thought about what she had just experienced, but still didn't voice her doubts.

Afterwards, she was glad that she hadn't questioned it.

When she got home, she walked to the kitchen doorway, leaning against the wall with some worry, thinking that she would be able to take timely action in case something unexpected happened.

However, to her surprise, her younger brother was not only reliable in his dealings with people, but also seemed to be an expert in cooking.

His movements when cutting vegetables with a knife are clean and efficient, and his movements when stirring with a wok and ladle are also very skilled.

Occasionally, the wok is flipped in mid-air, and the ingredients are flipped again before falling back into the wok without touching the ground. The whole process is quite pleasing to the eye!

It took about half an hour for Yuan Qianye to serve the steaming hot three dishes and soup on the table.

Toka and Rokka exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and uncertainty in each other's eyes.

The two women had limited knowledge of Yuan Qianye and were completely unaware that he had been taking on the role of a stay-at-home husband since the first grade of elementary school.

"Let's eat! Don't be shy. If there's anything you can't do, let me know and I'll improve it next time."

Since Gen Chiyo had said so, Toka and Rokka naturally stopped being reserved.

Shihua took a bite of Mapo Tofu, and just that one bite made her eyes widen instantly!

It's all Mapo Tofu, but the stimulating taste that's initially spicy and then turns into a slightly numbing sensation is different from what I've had at my mom's or other restaurants!

Shihua had little appetite today because of her injury, but for some reason, this bite was very appetizing.

She now feels like she could devour a whole bowl of rice with just the broth from Mapo Tofu!

"How is it?" Yuan Qianye asked with concern. This was the first time he had cooked for the Takanashi sisters to taste, and he didn't know if it suited their preferences.

"It's delicious!" Shihua nodded, then scooped up another spoonful of tofu, blew on it, and eagerly put it in her mouth.

As for Rikka, she had just taken a big bite of hamburger patty and was currently taking small sips of hot air, unable to give a reply for the time being.

…………

026: Uncontrollable Primordial Power

Thank you for your hospitality.

The Takanashi sisters, each holding a cup of hot tea after their meal, seemed a little awkward with each other.

The two of them ate a lot today; they usually eat one bowl of rice, but today they managed to finish two.

It's no wonder they were so flustered; Gen Chiyo's culinary skills far exceeded their expectations.

Not to mention that he made some extremely appetizing and delicious dishes today!

"I'll go wash the dishes, you guys take a break."

Yuan Qianye tidied up the table and went to the kitchen.

Shihua has difficulty walking, but she also has a younger sister.

In the past, Rikka would go straight back to her room after dinner because she didn't know how to face Minamoto Chiyo, her nominal new brother.

However, since she had accepted the favor, she felt obligated to reciprocate without doing anything in return, taking the kindness for granted.

So, following her sister's signal, she rolled up her sleeves and ran to the kitchen.

"Um... I'd like to help too. Is there anything I can do?"

She was petite; even with her hair sticking up on her head, she could barely touch Yuan Qianye's shoulder when she stood next to him.

Yuan Qianye was somewhat surprised. He hadn't originally planned to ask her for help, but then he thought that in all these days, it was Rikka who had taken the initiative to interact with him.

I might be able to improve my relationship with her by taking this opportunity.

After all, living under the same roof and seeing each other all the time, the two of them would definitely feel more comfortable together once they got to know each other.

"Then could you wipe the plates clean and put them in the cupboard?" Yuan Qianye found an easy task for her to do.

Rikka Takanashi nodded, stood beside him, and took the plate he had washed to start wiping it.

They couldn't just sit there awkwardly, heads down, working in a dull atmosphere, so Chiya took the initiative to start a conversation. "Is Rikka settling in well at the new school?"

"Yes, I was a little lonely at first, but I've made friends now."

"Is that so? That's good."

"Ah."

"If anything happens at school, you can come to Class 4 to talk to me. It's right next to your class."

"Ok."

"..."

Oh no, why is our conversation getting drier and drier?

Just as Chiyo was racking her brains for an interesting topic to use at this moment, Rikka spoke up: "Thank you for picking up my sister today."

Yuan Qianye paused for a moment, then replied, "Don't worry about it. We're family, so it's only right that we look after each other in every way."

We're family...

Rikka was slightly touched: "And dinner tonight was delicious too, thank you."

"There's no need to keep saying thank you. We're the same age, and I think we can be more casual with each other."

"Just be casual..."

"Well, you don't need to treat me like your brother, and you don't need to call me that. Let's just treat each other as friends. Speaking of which, I saw that Rikka had Shonen Jump in your bag before. You like manga, right?"

"Ok!"

When talking about the things she likes, Rikka suddenly becomes quite talkative.

Indeed, for children at this stage, it is best to use their interests and hobbies as bait to put them at ease before slowly and subtly approaching them.

Yuan Qianye was somewhat annoyed that he hadn't realized it sooner.

However, it's not too late now.