Chapter 111: Just Eat It

Late at night, the Lian Ye Squad returned to Konoha Village.

"You've worked hard these past days; go home and rest well," Lian Ye told the two, then each went back to their own home.

When he got home, he found the house shrouded in darkness.

Obviously, Qianshou Feijian the old kid was still busy in the Hokage Office at that moment.

Lian Ye didn't bother to disturb him; he was exhausted in body and mind and needed a proper sleep.

He placed the book beside his pillow and fell asleep peacefully.

That night, he finally had a long‑awaited dream.

Only this time it wasn't the previous laboratory; he dreamed of himself mastering the Flying Thunder God and freely racing through the Ninja World.

When Lian Ye woke up the next day, recalling the dream's scene instantly sparked his motivation.

He sat up immediately, grabbed the Theoretical Book on the desk, and studied earnestly.

Since his talent fell short, he would make up for it with effort and perseverance!

Thinking of the scene where he mastered the Flying Thunder God made his reading even more vigorous.

Time slipped by unnoticed until noon, and Lian Ye had already read most of the book in his hands.

"Is it already noon?"

Gazing at the sunlight outside the window, he slowly closed the book and, feeling weary, rubbed the bridge of his forehead.

Lian Ye rolled over, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom to wash up.

Studying is a high‑intensity mental exercise, so at noon he must treat himself to something tasty.

Moreover, having been on missions constantly, eating Soldier's Ration Pills day after day almost made him vomit, so he truly needed some delicacy to soothe his battered stomach.

With that thought, after finishing his wash, he headed to the kitchen.

Lian Ye entered the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and began bustling about.

He first arranged the fresh ingredients neatly on the cutting board, took out a sharp kitchen knife, and with practiced skill diced the vegetables into uniform pieces, cutting the meat to an even thickness.

He rinsed the rice, placed it in a pot to steam, and at the same time set a cast‑iron wok on the stove, pouring in gleaming oil.

As the oil heated, the aroma of scallion, ginger, and garlic sizzling spread rapidly.

He slipped the marinated fish slices into the pan; the fish sizzled in the oil and soon turned golden.

Next, he brought water to a boil in another pot, added the noodles, and gently stirred with long chopsticks.

He then added the side dishes in order; the pink of the shrimp, the emerald green of the vegetables, and the amber of the ancient mushroom intertwined in the pot, and the broth gradually became thick, fragrant, and savory.

Before long, a spread of delicacies filled the stove area.

Red‑glossy sweet‑and‑sour pork ribs, aromatic seafood noodles, and fresh, crisp stir‑fried seasonal vegetables.

Lian Ye sat at the table, ladled a heaping bowl of rice for himself, picked up a rib, and when he bit into it, the crispy crust enveloped the tender meat, instantly awakening his palate.

He ate heartily, fully enjoying the flavor of his own cooking.

This time he didn't, as usual, finish the dish and immediately send it to Qianshou Feijian.

He couldn't help it; the aroma was too fragrant to resist.

After a month of eating Soldier's Ration Pills, he was almost sick of them.

Finally seeing a normal person's meal, who could hold back from eating?

As for Qianshou Feijian?

He'll deal with him after he's full…

Anyway, that old kid is in Konoha every day, so he never lacks good food.

Qianshou Feijian couldn't possibly ignore the village's delicacies and keep eating Soldier's Ration Pills like him, right?

After the meal, Lian Ye reclined on the tatami, patted his slightly bulging belly, and, disregarding decorum, let out a satisfied belch.

Though he hadn't cooked for a long stretch, his skill remained solid, and the feast wiped away a month's fatigue.

Only scattered sauce and stray bones remained on the table.

He rose leisurely and pulled a Food Box from the cupboard.

"I ate a bit too much, unintentionally."

Lian Ye looked at the leftovers on the table, awkwardly scratching his head.

He couldn't help but wonder in his mind, would that old kid even want to eat something with such a presentation?

If he remembered correctly, Qianshou Feijian is very particular about food plating.

Needless to say, the guy has obsessive‑compulsive tendencies.

Lian Ye initially thought of making another portion, but it was already late, and preparing another would definitely take a lot of time.

By then, Qianshou Feijian would have already had his lunch, most likely.

That would make his effort wasted, wouldn't it?

Thinking that, Lian Ye dismissed the idea of cooking again.

"Fine, eat it if you like, or not."

He shoved the leftover stew and rice into the Food Box in one go; the sticky sauce from the sweet‑and‑sour ribs smeared the box walls, the wilted stir‑fried vegetables piled on the side, and the broth from the seafood noodles soaked the noodles, making them swell.

Seeing the terribly presented lunch, Lian Ye twitched his mouth and silently sealed the Food Box.

"Never mind, that guy never gets picky anyway."

If he's picky, just pretend he never said anything; the presentation truly is awful.

He could already picture Qianshou Feijian fuming in frustration…

———————

Hokage Office.

Qianshou Feijian was handling the documents on the desk, glancing now and then at the wall clock, unable to stop muttering.

It's already this time, why hasn't that kid brought the food over yet?

He, being the Hokage, naturally knows that Lian Ye went back to the village last night.

But during this period he has been busy handling frontline paperwork, with no time to go home, so he can only rest in the office.

I originally thought Lian Ye would, as before, bring me a meal, but after all this time, that kid still hasn't arrived.

Qianshou Feijian couldn't help but wonder whether Lian Ye had forgotten.

You should know, he deliberately skipped breakfast while waiting for Lian Ye to bring the meal, hoping to keep his stomach ready for the delicacy…

But now, Lian Ye hasn't come; he must have forgotten about it.

"That kid really is something, not even knowing to bring me food," Qianshou Feijian shook his head, opened a drawer and took out a Soldier's Ration Pill.

He had just shoved the Soldier's Ration Pill into his mouth when he sensed Lian Ye's chakra drawing ever closer.

Qianshou Feijian showed no hesitation, spat the Soldier's Ration Pill from his mouth into the trash can at his feet, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

It seems that kid hasn't forgotten.

Truly, his years of careful guidance were not in vain…

He began to pretentiously handle the paperwork, his mind pondering what delicious dish that kid had prepared for him.

Come to think of it, it's been a long time since he last ate food cooked by Lian Ye.

Qianshou Feijian had almost vomited from the Soldier's Ration Pill, and now he could finally have something good to eat.

At that moment, the office door was pushed open, and Lian Ye entered carrying a Food Box.

"Uncle, I've brought you the food."

"This Bento is half an hour later than the previous one," he said, his pen never stopping, Qianshou Feijian not even lifting his head.

Only no one noticed that his peripheral gaze was fixed straight on the Food Box in Lian Ye's hands, his Adam's apple subtly bobbing.

Hearing that, Lian Ye, with an expression unchanged, calmly explained, "I've been training and didn't notice the time."

He placed the Food Box on the desk, slowly opened the lid, and said, "Time was short, so I just threw something together; let's make do for now."

At first, Qianshou Feijian didn't pay any attention to those words.

But when he lifted the Food Box, his expression instantly froze.