Unforgettable Pressure

"Hm? I just finished right now. I accidentally fell asleep earlier because I was so tired. How long did I take?" Lin Ke asked.

"H-h-h-huh? N-not long at all!" Lia squeaks. "A-A-About an hour."

Lin Ke finally notices Lia's expression. She's looking off to the side, not daring to meet Lin Ke's eyes for some reason. She's holding the tongs close to herself and squirming around uncomfortably. Her red face, her expression, her actions as well as the apron she was wearing made her look extremely cute in Lin Ke's eyes.

Curiously, Lin Ke glances at Lily for a hint as to what happened.

Lily looks at him with a big mischievous smile on her face. Silently in Lily's head, she's laughing her head off. However, she doesn't say anything as she wants to see how this scene plays out. To Lily, this was like a drama show unfolding right in front of her, so of course she wouldn't interrupt it.

Lia looks around for a way out of her position and finds one. Turning back towards the stove, Lia focuses her full attention on finishing up her cooking.

"Lia? Are YOU okay? You look awfully red… Do you have a fever?" Lin Ke asks. He holds a hand up to her forehead to feel her temperature.

Lia, who had just barely managed to get her thoughts under control, felt an electrifying sensation on her forehead.

Frowning a little, Lin Ke murmurs. "Hmmm. It doesn't feel too hot… Even though it's a little bit hot, I don't think it's at a fever level yet. Do you have a thermometer?"

Lia, after standing frozen in place for a few moments, suddenly leaps back almost ten feet, letting go of the tongs.

"Ah!" She yelps in surprise, her reaction long overdue. It was as if she lagged for a moment, and only processed the information until a few seconds later.

"Woah!" Lin Ke quickly catches the tongs before they fall, and looks over at Lia, who was currently trying to drown herself in the kitchen sink.

"Lia? Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you're just tired from all the work you did today…" Lin Ke suggests. "I think I can help you finish cooking this… You can just sit down and take a break."

"Wghghghghgh…" Lia mumbles out, her head still submerged into the pool of water.

Lin Ke takes that as a yes and turns to the meat. Lia had already cut the meat into a few large, steak sized pieces, and had already seasoned them quite well, leaving almost nothing left to be done.

After letting the 'steaks' sizzle for a while longer, Lin Ke used the tongs to drag the off the stovetop. On the table to the side of the stove, where Lily was standing, there was a stake of different types of tableware. These included forks, knives, chopsticks, plates, bowls, and many more.

Placing a steak on three separate plates, Lin Ke brought it over to the dining table. Looking around, Lin Ke sees that Lia had stopped attempting to drown herself, and was currently wiping down her wet hair with a towel.

"Lia? I think it's done." Lin Ke says.

Lia takes a deep breath before nodding and walking over.

WIth them all seated, they each dug into their meal.

Lin Ke, after slicing a piece of the meat with his knife, sees the warm, delicious juice flowing out from the steak, couldn't hold himself back anymore and puts it into his mouth. Of course, the flavor of the steak didn't disappoint at all, causing Lin Ke's face to put on an expression of pure bliss.

In no time, Lin Ke finished his meal. Laying back on his chair, Lin Ke breaths out in satisfaction.

"Thanks for the meal. It was great!" Lin Ke says.

"Mmmm. I'm glad." Lia mumbles as she puts down her fork and knife.

For a while, awkward silence reigned.

Lin Ke, still curious as to why Lily was acting the way she is, decides to ask Lily.

"Lily, do you know why Lia is acting like this?" Lin Ke asks curiously out loud.

Lily quickly glances at Lia, who meets her eyes. Lia seemed to be pleading with Lily, begging her not to talk about what happened. Of course, this only makes Lin Ke even more curious as to what happened.

Lily thinks for a moment, deeply contemplating whether or not she should tell Lin Ke. In the end, she looked over at Lia, then down at her scrumptious dinner, and decided against talking.

She couldn't risk Lia never cooking for her again or something. It just wasn't worth it.

Lily turns to Lin Ke. "Nope! No clue why! Maybe you should try to ask her yourself again."

Lin Ke feels like he ran into a brick wall. Why were the two of them so confusing? What was there to hide??? Shaking his head, Lin Ke steps outside the cave-house-room-thing to take a breather.

Night had already fallen when Lin Ke stepped out. The stars were shimmering in the sky, and the waning moon was casting its bright white glow across the darkened landscape. Sighing deeply, Lin Ke stood there, peacefully looking up at the sky.

As the crickets chirped and the winds blew, Lin Ke felt at peace, silently marveling at the beautiful night sky. On Earth, due to the insane amount of light pollution caused by all the cities around the globe, Lin Ke rarely got to see such a clear picture of the night sky.

Of course, the lax times didn't last. Interrupting the silence and peace of the night was an overwhelming wave of pressure. Lin Ke suddenly felt his throat constrict. There was an immense wave of pressure barreling down on him, causing him to be unable to breath. The aura was awfully familiar, too familiar, and was not one Lin Ke wanted to encounter again.

With sweat running down his forehead, Lin Ke forcefully cranes his neck up to see someone who he will never forget.