What was it like teaching a Kaslana to cook?
Once upon a time, Liang Wu had heard rumors about the Kaslana family’s kitchen genes.
It was said to be a family with an innate 100% incompatibility with kitchens.
But today, Liang Wu decided to defy that belief.
He refused to believe that under his hands-on guidance, someone could actually set the kitchen on fire.
Originally, that was indeed what Liang Wu thought.
“…I’ve already emphasized this several times.
As a beginner, if you don’t curl your fingers like a cat’s paw when cutting, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
But the moment those words left his mouth,
“Hiss—!”
A thin line of blood appeared on Kiana’s finger.
Liang Wu: “…”
Alright.
That slap in the face came fast enough.
He had wanted to say a few more things, but seeing Kiana’s stiff hand position, he knew this outcome was inevitable.
“See?
I told you your form was wrong.” Liang Wu sighed.
“Does it hurt?”
“…It doesn’t hurt.” Kiana turned her head away, a bit embarrassed.
That made sense.
As a Valkyrie, a small cut from chopping vegetables would hardly cause real pain.
But that raised another question.
As a Valkyrie, Kiana had definitely handled real blades before.
Yet even so, she still managed to cut herself while chopping vegetables?!
This Valkyrie was a bit too incompetent.
“…Maybe we should stop.
Don’t push yourself.
Let me take over today?”
Liang Wu was worried that if he kept teaching her, they would not eat until sunrise the next day.
However, those words struck a nerve in Kiana like a needle.
“No!” She spoke almost immediately, with an unusual urgency.
“You said before that all us Kaslanas are kitchen menaces, and I don’t accept that.
Today I’m going to prove you wrong!”
After all, according to Kaslana family records, there were indeed some prodigies who had managed to refine their cooking skills to an edible level through sheer perseverance.
If others could do it, why couldn’t she?
Liang Wu was silent for two seconds: “…But you just cut yourself.”
“Besides, you’re really a Valkyrie?
How did you manage to cut yourself?”
“That was an accident!” Kiana’s cheeks puffed up slightly.
“Give me one more chance.
I promise I’ll be careful this time!”
After saying that, as if words alone were not enough, she stepped forward, looked up at Liang Wu, and resembled a small animal begging for something.
“Really, just one more chance.”
“Please…”
At this point, Liang Wu finally had a chance to properly take in Kiana before him.
For today’s cooking session, Kiana had specially put on the light blue apron that Liang Wu usually kept hanging in the corner of the kitchen, tying a crooked bow behind her back.
Her long white hair was tied up high at the back of her head, revealing the clean, graceful lines of her nape that were usually hidden.
A thin layer of sweat glistened on her brow under the light from the tension of chopping earlier.
At this moment, she stood before Liang Wu, looking up with slightly pursed lips, a defiant stubbornness in her eyes.
Yet beneath that defiance lay a subtle unease, as if she were worried she might actually be turned down.
“Hmph, isn’t our Kiana adorable?”
“After all that, how can you bear to refuse her?” The ghost senior began her commentary again.
Liang Wu naturally chose to ignore her.
“Really not okay?” Kiana asked again, her voice a little softer this time.
Her tone rose slightly at the end, carrying an ambiguous emotion.
“…Fine.” Liang Wu finally surrendered.
“Really?
That’s great!” Kiana reacted almost immediately, bouncing on her heels, her whole being radiating pure joy.
Liang Wu looked at her like that and could not help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He turned his face away, suppressing the smile.
But Kiana still noticed the subtle movement.
And she quickly realized how exaggerated her own reaction had been.
Kiana froze on the spot, the heat spreading across her cheeks.
She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously clutching the edge of the apron, as if trying to hide herself in the pale blue fabric.
Seeing her flustered and embarrassed, Liang Wu decided not to tease her further.
“Alright, since you insisted so much, I’ll give you one more chance.”
He stepped forward, standing beside Kiana again, and picked up the neglected kitchen knife on the cutting board: “But this time, I’ll demonstrate first.”
Kiana looked up and watched him grip the knife with practiced ease, slice downward, and cut the carrot into even slices.
Her gaze lingered on his smooth movements for a long moment.
“…Did you often cook alone before?”
“Yeah.” Liang Wu did not turn around.
“If you live alone and can’t cook, you’ll starve.”
Kiana was silent for a while, then let out a soft “Mm” and said no more.
Just then, a voice that only Liang Wu could hear sounded in the small kitchen.
“Ah…
how wonderful.”
Cecilia had floated between them at some point, her hands clasped over her chest, a look of relief in her eyes.
“My Kiana…
finally has someone willing to cook for her, willing to teach her how to cook.”
“As her mother, I can finally rest easy…”
Liang Wu pretended not to hear, “You’re cracking the eggs too hard.”
Kiana: “…Eggshells are edible, right?”
…
Dinnertime.
After Liang Wu and Kiana’s combined efforts, a simple but filling meal was laid out on the table.
Kiana sat across the table, eating her meal in small bites.
Though her movements were still somewhat reserved, she was noticeably more relaxed than the first two days.
Just as Liang Wu was about to say something, the phone on the table vibrated.
He picked it up and saw a text from an unknown number.
[Wu, good evening!
This is Elysia!
I know we just exchanged contact info this afternoon, but I couldn’t help wanting to send you a message!]