"You really don't need help?"
“Really not necessary!”
He casually took off Dong Chengling's apron and pushed her out of the kitchen. Then Ren Suo slammed the door shut and said, "Sit down and wait to enjoy my cooking! I've eaten your meals so many times, it should be my turn this time!"
Dong Chengling knocked on the kitchen door and said with a smile: "Then we can do it together..."
"No, today is special."
"Why?"
“Because… because…” Ren Suo tried desperately to find an excuse: “Because today is the winter solstice… because my parents are here this time… because this meal contains all my gratitude towards you, so I don’t want you to help.”
Dong Chengling was slightly startled, then suddenly smiled and said, "Suo, is all your gratitude only worth a meal?"
Ren Suo was stunned for a moment, and immediately responded: "Of course it's not just..."
"Next time, Suo, you have to cook for me alone." Dong Chengling smiled and left, returning to the living room.
Ren Suo blinked in the kitchen. This was a problem. His cooking skills were only at the master level of instant noodle master. It was impossible for him to cook by himself... Even if he had a clone, it would not work because the clone's knowledge and skills were no different from his.
It's impossible for him to summon the cook to cook every time.
Do you really want to learn how to cook?
But then again, Ren Suo always felt that Dong Chengling seemed to have changed slightly recently.
If we say that Dong Cheng Ling was a tree that kept trying to grow its roots and upwards, not caring about anything outside, then after Ren Suo established a bond with her, the big tree of Dong Cheng Ling slowly grew branches and leaves, came into contact with the outside world, and took the initiative to bathe in the air, rain, dew, sun and moon, and began to enjoy interpersonal communication and beautiful things. And now, Ren Suo feels that Dong Cheng Ling is like a spring breeze that has suddenly come overnight, and thousands of trees are in bloom. She is now not only a tree that is trying to grow and seek the truth, but also a young woman in full bloom.
In simple terms, he became a little irritable and would act out, for example, asking Ren Suo for the keys and asking Ren Suo to cook for him next time...
However, Ren Suo had no complaints about this, instead he thought it was pretty good.
In fact, the previous Dong Chengling, who was selfless, meticulous and considerate, was even more difficult to please - or rather, the way to please her was to spend more time with her, which took a lot of time, there was no shortcut, and it was difficult to improve the level of the bond.
The bond needs some special events to be upgraded quickly. For example, this time Ren Suo helped Gu Yueyan beat her brother and resolved her emotional issues. After the spiritual conversation in the kitchen just now, the bond between Gu Yueyan and Ren Suo was finally upgraded to level 4.
Of course, Ren Suo felt that Gu Yueyan's promotion to the second level was also an important key to the improvement of the bond. After all, the bond ability was the ability "lent" to Ren Suo by the bonder, which meant that if the bonder's ability was not strong, even if Ren Suo had a good relationship with the bonder, the bond would most likely not be able to improve.
Only the strong can become Ren Suo's important friend!
The exception is Zhao Huo, who is an important subject of observation.
In addition, Gu Yueyan's level 4 bond derivative ability always made Ren Suo feel weird.
"Gu Yueyan, level 4 bond, bond ability 'Evanescence': consumes own energy to create moonlight, which can be transformed into different forms such as rays, slashing waves, defensive shields, and light robes.
Derived Ability: Light and Shadow: In a moonlit environment, you can use the moonlight to observe and listen from a distance, with a high degree of stealth and difficulty to be discovered. The maximum distance is 2080 meters, and it can only take effect in a space that can be penetrated by moonlight.
Needless to say, the effect of "The Waxing and the Crescent" has great potential for development, and in the future it will surely form a magic combat system with no shortcomings. But as for this "Light and Shadow"... Logically speaking, the bonder must be proficient in the bond ability.
In other words, Gu Yueyan sometimes peeks from a distance at night?
Is it possible that she could spy on me...
Ren Suo thought about it and quickly gave up the idea.
How is that possible? Gu Yueyan is not a pervert. He doesn't need to target me if he wants to practice magic.
Moreover, when I play games, I always pull down the curtains and summon my clones to give me massages and do housework. I also pull down the curtains so that if someone really peeks at me, they will definitely not be able to see anything.
Only the night of my birthday was lively...
All in all, the road to improving bonds is long and arduous.
Now Dong Chengling hadn't even eaten yet, but she had already booked the next meal with him. Ren Suo naturally wouldn't let go of such an opportunity and began to think about the possibility of cooking for himself.
In fact, learning to cook is quite good. In the future, you won't have to let your clone go out for midnight snacks. You just need to buy the ingredients and tableware. When Ren Suo wants to eat barbecue, he can have barbecue at home. When he wants to eat seafood, he can eat seafood. He can even request "peel all the shrimps", "remove all the bones from the fish", "pick out all the snail meat", "pick out all the crab roe and crab paste", and other thoughtful services that even restaurants don't provide.
And even if there was no bond, Ren Suo would definitely not refuse Dong Chengling's request to him. It can even be said that Dong Chengling's behavior made Ren Suo happy.
Boom boom!
Ren Suo opened the kitchen door and saw Qiao Muyi standing at the door in casual clothes. He asked, "You don't want to help, do you?"
Qiao Muyi blinked at him, revealing a little charm, and said softly: "I just came back from the spa with my aunt... You should thank me at least, right?"
"...Thank you. Please take a seat. I will cook for you..."
"I want to watch from the side."
"What's so good about cooking? I'm not a food video creator. I'm just doing it casually. And you put on makeup, lipstick, eyeliner, a skirt, and stockings today... It's not good if they get dirty."
Qiao Muyi couldn't help but chuckle when she heard that. She turned around slightly, and her black fishtail skirt fluttered. She asked with a smile, "So you can see it?"
"I'm not blind." Ren Suo felt puzzled.
Qiao Muyi nodded her red lips, looked at Ren Suo and hesitated for a moment, then said: "If you don't let me see it this time, then next time you want to go out with me... Well, then accompany me to have a spa!"
"Can men and women go together?" Ren Suo blinked.
"The club I went to was a regular one, so of course men and women can go together... Xiao Suo, have you ever been to an irregular one?" Qiao Muyi narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Ren Suo seductively, but there was a hint of danger in her tone.
"No, the only massage service I've ever enjoyed in my life was braised pork with rattan sticks (being beaten by my parents)," Ren Suo shook his head repeatedly: "But we are monks, how can ordinary people massage us..."
"Yes, what you said makes sense," Qiao Muyi nodded. Just when Ren Suo thought he had dispelled Qiao Muyi's idea, Qiao Muyi suddenly changed the subject: "Why don't you give me a massage?"
"Huh?" Ren Suo blinked. He never expected that he would hit his own foot.
Wait, aren't Dong Chengling and the three female students the only ones who know about learning massage? Why is Qiao Muyi also...
"Just now Zhao Huo said in the living room that you learned his family massage technique from him. I'm very curious... Although it's definitely different from the regular ones, I don't mind it too much..."
Qiao Muyi twisted her shoulders and pretended to have back pain: "Actually, I also feel that ordinary people's massage has no effect on me. This matter still needs the help of a monk... It just so happens that you are here, Xiao Suo!"
Ren Suo sighed: "Actually, I haven't learned it yet..."
"You can't learn because you don't have a chance to practice." Qiao Muyi didn't give him any chance to back down. She leaned against the door frame and said, "Of course, I won't let you work in vain. I'll also take this opportunity to learn some massage techniques. It shouldn't be that difficult. You can be my first practice partner next time, and I'll be your practice partner too... I can book a room in the club, and we can come by ourselves. The club will help us prepare incense and essential oils and other things. It's a deal!"
With that, Qiao Muyi left in a hurry, and Ren Suo didn't even have a chance to refuse.
Unlike Dong Chengling who had no requirements, Qiao Muyi had too many requirements - Ren Suo didn't hate it, and he felt happy to go out and play with Qiao Muyi, but he always felt that sleeping and practicing at home was the best for him.
He was the kind of person who subconsciously resisted change, didn't like going out, and didn't like trying new things (unless they were new games). He didn't change his personality and habits because of Qiao Muyi, but he felt that the feeling of being led by Qiao Muyi was... not bad.
I've made a lot of sacrifices to improve our bond, Ren Suo thought.
Boom boom!
Ren Suo opened the door and saw Xiao Jiu, Lin Xianyu and Ren Xingmei all came.
"Can I try some?" Xiao Jiu and Lin Xianyu, two foodies, tried to peek into the kitchen by climbing over Ren Suo's body.
"It's not done yet. I have some ginger that looks a lot like chicken legs. Do you want some?" Ren Suo said unhappily, waving his hand to signal them to go back.
Xiao Jiu and Lin Xianyu walked away disappointed, but Ren Xingmei didn't move. She asked a question that Ren Suo had heard several times today: "Brother, do you need help?"
"I remember you can't cook." Ren Suo smiled.
"That's right..." Ren Xingmei seemed a little unhappy, lowering her head and said, "Do you think I should learn how to cook too?"
“嗯？想学就学呗，不学的话也没关系，学校里面有饭堂，学校外面有外卖。”任索耸耸肩，假如他没遇见东承灵，他基本就会按照这个策略来进行觅食了。
“也是……哥，你觉得我要学什么？”任星美抬起头，看着任索的双眼问道。
“你要学什么，问我干什么。”任索笑道。
“你可以向我提一下要求嘛。”
“你说反了吧。”任索摸了摸妹妹的脑袋，笑道：“应该是你向我撒娇才对，虽然你也过了向哥哥撒娇的年龄了……我对你没什么要求，你比我聪明多了，反倒是你想要什么，尽管跟我说。唉，我上学的时候也希望有个要什么给什么的哥哥，可惜的是我是长子。不过，我当不了被宠爱的弟弟，当宠爱妹妹的哥哥也不错，也算是圆梦了。”
任星美闷闷嗯了一声，说道：“那我想要你用一下我的生日礼物。”
生日礼物？
任索想了想，回忆起那几张「妹妹陪旅游券」「妹妹帮采耳券」，一脸蛋疼地说道：“有机会的话，会用的，会用的。”
“那就这样说好了。”任星美拿开任索的手，说道：“你弄乱我头发了。”
“啊，抱歉……”
“说起来，哥你也好久没帮我梳头了，下次我在你这边睡的话，你早上要帮我梳头。”任星美理了理自己的头发，调皮地往任索笑道：“你还记得麻花辫的八种绑法吗？”
任索耸耸肩，关上厨房门，忽然回忆起小时候——小时候妹妹像个小仙女一样，他放学之后都得帮忙照料妹妹，扎辫子翻花绳这些不在话下。
不知道是什么时候开始，妹妹和他一起开始玩游戏，而且玩得比他还好，然后妹妹就逐渐变得跟他哥们似的，长大之后也像是假小子，直到这几个月才迟迟迎来‘女大十八变’这个固有剧情。
回忆结束，是时候开始做饭了，这下子应该——
咚咚！
任索打开厨房门，看见白忌捧着一个雪糕桶站在外面。
白忌笑道：“我觉得你应该用的上，当饭后甜点的话。”
任索接过：“谢谢。”
“要帮……”
“不用帮忙，谢谢。”
火速解决最后一位来客，任索深呼吸一口气，摸了摸左手无名指上的青色印记，默念一句。
一秒，两秒，三秒，任索听到咔擦一声，柜台下面的空柜子忽然打开，黑发黑眸的‘收集者’厨娘从里面走出来。
她一出现就意识到自己要做什么，干脆利落地拿过旁边的围裙围上，环视一周厨房里的食材，笑问道：“多少人吃饭？”
“15个，14个大人1个小孩。”
“欲望够了吗？”厨娘又问道：“都是做欲望美食吗？”
在所有聚餐者里，任索、林羡鱼、古月言、东承灵、乔木依、小玖（小玖在纽约吃过）六人是吃过欲望美食的，他们想要再吃，就得点价值10万份欲望的欲望美食2.0，其他人只需要1万份欲望的欲望美食1.0.
任索之前早就算好了：“够了，全部人都上欲望美食。”
厨娘：“你出去看一下他们，欲望美食是需要别人的情报才能进行准确调味，我没见过他们，看不到她们的欲望。你戴着「清泉流响」瞄了一下他们，我就能大约感知到她们的欲望了。”
之前任索玩《深夜走鬼》的时候，需要听到食客们的回忆才能调味，现在厨娘只需要看一眼就能针对调味，已经是简单化步骤，任索自然允诺。
任索从厨房里探出头，蹲下来悄悄过去瞄了一眼客厅。
于匡图和赵火这两家伙居然在阳台聊天，惊了，总感觉聊的不是好事；
黎丹和白忌居然意外地合得来，坐在一旁聊天；
小孟在和乔木依聊天，也是神奇的组合；
东承灵、古月言、林羡鱼、秦涟似乎在聊修炼上的事；
老妈抱着小玖，老爸在询问妹妹学习的情况；
任索这时候才意识到：他邀请这么多人一起吃饭已经够蠢的了，但他们居然都应诺而来，更是蠢上加蠢……但他们居然都能轻而易举地融入各自的圈子里，不至于有人被冷落，倒也让任索松了口气。
回到厨房，任索看见厨娘已经开始把锅烧热，准备辅料和进一步处理食材。
“如果有我能帮忙的，尽管说。”
“嗯……那你就帮一下忙吧。对了，我再问一次，你真的要给他们做欲望美食？”厨娘再次向任索确认一遍：“欲望美食的效果是，食用后可完美解决心理问题并且获得欲望效果增强。”
“是啊，怎么了？”任索点头，“反正欲望美食是可以加强资质和提升觉醒法术效果的吧？”
“的确是有两个效果……你确认就好。还有，刚才好像有只猫在外面窗户飞过，它应该是看见我了，这没问题吧？”
任索微微一怔：“那只猫脖子挂着铃铛吗？”
“好像是。”
“那就没问题了……对了，再加一份欲望美食1.0，做成猫食。”
厨娘转过头，看着任索微微皱眉：“……你难道连猫都……”
“嗯？”任索歪歪脑袋。
“算了，没什么。”
……
20分钟后。
当任索将最后一碟蛋豆腐牛肉饭放到于匡图面前，于匡图忍不住问道：“这真的是你做的？而不是什么速食饭包吗？”
其他人虽然没问，但脸上隐隐也有些异样。
他们还以为这次聚餐是中餐式的，也就是上好几碟菜，然后大家伸出筷子分而食之，但没想到任索居然弄出了西餐分盘式，不仅仅将食物分成15份，而且每一份的菜类都略有不同，有盖饭，有炒饭，甚至还有汤泡饭……
于匡图都怀疑这是淘宝上的速食饭包了，就是将做好的饭菜真空长期保存，有需要就打开加热变成热腾腾的饭菜——据说有不少快餐店会使用这种饭包来做盒饭。
任索拿着猫饭打开门，没好气说道：“你们吃吃就知道了，要是饭包能做得那么好吃，我就买几百箱屯着！我下去喂猫，你们先吃吧。”
这可是女食神亲自做的饭，做一次得花十几分钟，任索也舍不得吃。别看这些饭菜其貌不扬，而且不会发光，吃了之后多半也不会爆衣，但保证他们每个人都会说出一句‘真香’！
看着任索离开，任妈率先说道：“大家起筷吧，不用等他了。这孩子，也不知道哪里学会这样做饭……”
小玖和林羡鱼非常擅长揣摩领导精神，任妈一说话，她们两个马上就开吃！
刹那间，她们两个眼睛忽然全身颤抖，热泪盈眶起来，嘴巴都开始小心翼翼地咀嚼，仿佛在延缓这份美味的消逝时间！
这么好吃吗？
看见这两位吃货的表演，其他人也略感好奇，品尝起任索这份冬至大餐。
……
……
“别睡啦，起床吃饭饭啦！”
任索走到楼下，喊了一声黑铃铛，将那碟猫饭放到黑铃铛面前。
黑铃铛瞥了他一眼，又看了看猫饭，凑过去嗅了嗅，然后将身子移动到任索的正对面，才开始进食。
任索砸吧砸吧嘴——这猫真是的，吃个饭都得正面对着我，难道我还会趁你吃饭的时候撸你五六七八把吗？
不过，女食神做的猫饭的确非常好吃，黑铃铛吃得贼快，不一会儿就吃完了，甚至意犹未尽地舔了舔盘子，看起来十分可爱。
任索拿过碟子，准备回去：“这次是节日大餐，以后还是辣鱼仔……嗯？”
任索一站起来，就发现黑铃铛走到他脚边，并且它还开始用毛茸茸的脸庞蹭他的鞋子。
任索有些惊讶，蹲下来试探性地摸了摸黑铃铛，黑铃铛没有丝毫反抗，甚至还直接躺下来，露出毛色雪白的肚子，发出轻声的喵喵声，扭动起身子，仿佛很希望任索摸摸它。
任索从善如流地撸了它好几把，挠它的下巴，看得出黑铃铛十分舒服，眼睛都彻底眯起来，猫须一颤一颤的，非常亲近任索。
这猫饭，这么厉害？厨娘没在里面下什么电子配件吧？
当任索停下手的时候，黑铃铛还颇为不舍地喵了几声，跟着任索走到门口，在外面驻足目送任索离开。
任索都开始期待起来：猫吃了都这么愉悦，人吃了岂不是更爽？
当任索回到家，便看见饭桌上呈现这么一幕：
于匡图和秦涟在耳语厮磨，一边吃饭一边说笑；
黎丹趴在桌子上假寐；
赵火在玩手机，小孟坐在一旁，双手捧着下巴看着他；
任爸任妈在聊天，但跟日常反过来了，任爸笑得很开心，任妈看起来有点生气；
林羡鱼在舔盘子；
而就在任索进门的时候，东承灵、乔木依、任星美、古月言……这几个人瞬间用炙热的视线死死盯住了任索！