CHAPTER 158: CHAPTER 55 PAN-FRIED BUNS (MIDDLE)_2

Du Xixi held a strainer in one hand and the pot’s liner in the other. Without needing Ke Lian’s help, she deftly filtered the soup. She put down the liner, looked at the clear and slightly oily soup in the glass bowl, and her eyes twinkled with satisfaction.

The next step was to leave everything to time. The cooled soup needed to be placed in the fridge to freeze, ready for use whenever needed.

This waiting time didn’t require Du Xixi and Ke Lian’s attention. Du Xixi instructed 2569, who was diligently chopping vegetables on the side, to put the soup in the fridge once it had cooled, then left with Ke Lian.

Outside, the three of them, led by Chen Yin, had already finished off the egg rolls and were leisurely chatting on the couch. Chen Yin was the first to notice Du Xixi and Ke Lian leaving the kitchen, and he greeted them with a laugh: "Oh, the young couple finally came out, sister, come sit by your brother!"

Saying this, Chen Yin patted the empty spot beside him on the sofa, clearly wanting Du Xixi to sit next to him. It’s worth mentioning that Chen Yin was sitting on a two-seater sofa that couldn’t accommodate a third person—namely, Ke Lian.

As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details." Chen Yin wanted Du Xixi and Ke Lian to sit separately, but Ke Lian had his own solution. He glanced lightly at Chen Yin, then turned to Miao Miao and said, "Miao Miao, you go sit next to Your Majesty!"

Miao Miao was an obedient and well-behaved child, always listening intently to Du Xixi, followed by Ke Lian and Ke Xing.

As soon as Ke Lian spoke, Du Xixi was momentarily dazed. During her distraction, Miao Miao mistakenly thought this was Du Xixi’s intention too, so she nodded and moved to sit next to Chen Yin.

Thus, outsmarting Chen Yin, Ke Lian happily pulled Du Xixi down to sit beside him, throwing a mocking glance at the visibly surprised Chen Yin across from them.

Du Xixi had already started to ignore the ongoing rivalry between Chen Yin and Ke Lian. As long as Du Xixi was Chen Yin’s sister and Ke Lian’s wife, the two would never truly coexist peacefully.

She had tried to persuade them and even attempted to intervene, but when all efforts failed, Du Xixi decided to simply ignore it.

As a father, Ke Xing was clearly used to the discord between his son and His Majesty, having observed it for so many years. Watching it play out a few more times today, Ke Xing felt it didn’t matter much.

He looked at the tired expression on Du Xixi’s face and smiled, saying, "Xixi, I’m leaving for a trip the day after tomorrow and plan to return a month before your due date. If you need anything, contact me and Ah Lan through the Light Computer."

Originally, Ke Xing intended to leave tomorrow, but since Chen Yin had come, how could he comfortably travel with His Majesty lounging in his home?

So, after some thought, Ke Xing decided to leave the day after tomorrow, the first day after Chen Yin’s departure.

"Dad, feel free to go. I’ll be at home, and nothing will happen," Du Xixi said, understanding that Ke Xing was concerned about her and the twins Yiyi and Er Er in her belly. She smiled to reassure him to go on his trip at ease.

Hearing this, Ke Xing chuckled warmly, holding a cup of tea he’d been sipping for who knows how long, and said, "It’s a pity, though, that I won’t be able to enjoy the delicious food you make while I’m away."

Since Du Xixi was only six months along, according to the plan, Ke Xing would return in three months for Du Xixi’s labor, missing out on her or 2569’s cooking for the whole three months—a regrettable situation indeed.

It’s like a cat accustomed to receiving delicious treats from its owner every day, only to be told that it can’t have any for a long period—undoubtedly a cruel fate.

In response, Du Xixi waved her hand and smiled, saying, "I’ll make some tasty snacks, plenty of them, for you to take on the road to satisfy your cravings. If there’s not enough, just send the nearest address to me and Ke Lian, and I’ll make some more to send over."

"That sounds great!" Ke Xing immediately laughed with joy, as if he’d been waiting for Du Xixi to say just that.

In the Star Era, there were already Space Buttons capable of storing items, as well as super-fast courier services, so ensuring Ke Xing had delicious food during his travels wasn’t that difficult.

However, preparing regular gourmet dishes for him to take away as he left was certainly challenging for Du Xixi and 2569. With only one person and one robot, working tirelessly day and night for just two days and nights, how much could realistically be made?