Zongman, Rebirth of the Heaven-Defying Kirito

Asuna suggested, "By the way, since we have plenty of time today, I'll make a cake!"

After saying that, without waiting for anyone's reaction, he turned around and walked into the open kitchen, his movements swift and decisive.

Looking through the kitchen's glass window, Xiaoxing saw Asuna skillfully taking out ingredients such as flour, eggs, and chocolate, and quickly getting busy.

Kirito leaned back on the sofa and smiled at the two children, saying, "Let's just take today as an opportunity to observe Sachi's condition and relax completely. We'll continue with the training tomorrow."

Yui immediately pouted, exposing his little scheme: "Papa just wants to slack off, doesn't he?"

Kirito, having his secret exposed, didn't argue, but just gave an awkward smile.

Since there's an excuse to rest, what's wrong with that?

Then Yui smiled and moved closer to Koyuki: "But it's nice to be able to eat cake. Eating sweet cake can make any worries disappear. Koyuki-neechan thinks so too, right?"

"I guess so..." Xiaoxing paused for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "But why do you call me 'older sister'?"

They are about the same age.

Yui tilted her head back naturally: "Because Koyuki-neechan is taller now!"

Xiaoxing looked down at herself, then at Yui, whose clothes only reached her chest, before belatedly realizing what was happening.

I didn't realize I was already this tall; I definitely look like an older sister to Yui.

Although she felt a little embarrassed by being addressed that way, Xiaoxing didn't object.

In the kitchen, Asuna was happily busy.

Although SAO's cooking system has built-in auxiliary functions that can simplify many steps, she specifically chose a secret recipe this time, which is much more complicated than the steps for making a regular cake.

Separate the egg whites and yolks, whisk until fine foam forms, mix with flour and knead into a dough... finally, bake quickly in a high-temperature oven.

Time passed slowly, and a sweet aroma filled the entire wooden house.

Every few minutes, Yui would run to the kitchen door to peek inside and observe what was happening.

Finally, it was noon.

Asuna carried a round cake out of the kitchen and carefully placed it on the dining table.

Xiao Xing leaned closer for a look and saw that the cake was entirely dark black, large enough for four people, but judging from its appearance alone, it was really not very appealing...

Seeing the somewhat indifferent expressions on everyone's faces, Asuna deliberately kept them in suspense: "You don't think this is just an ordinary chocolate cake, do you?"

Xiaoxing was startled. Could it be that her mother could read minds?

Without much thought, Kirito immediately commented, "Isn't that right? It doesn't even look as good as a regular chocolate cake..."

He didn't mean anything by it; this was just an objective assessment.

Xiaoxing thought to herself, "This is bad! Why did Father ask me so directly?"

No matter what, it was made by my mother over half a morning. Even if it looks ordinary, she should at least be more tactful.

In fact, Xiaoxing had long admired Asuna.

After spending the last two days together, she discovered that Asuna was not only beautiful, elegant, gentle, and generous, but also an exceptional cook.

In her heart, her mother was almost the epitome of perfection.

So when she saw that the cake looked ordinary, she even thought: Even the most perfect person has their shortcomings. Perhaps her mother is not quite at the level of a chef when it comes to desserts?

But thinking about it is one thing, saying it out loud would be too rude!

She glanced at Asuna furtively, afraid that the other woman would be hurt by her father's words.

But to Xiaoxing's surprise, Asuna's smile widened even more.

She picked up a knife, which gleamed with a magical light, and gently sliced ​​into the center of the cake.

With a "snap," the hard chocolate shell was split in two, instantly revealing the contents inside.

Kirito was somewhat surprised; did this really require the use of a skill?

He was stunned when the inside of the cake was revealed.

Unlike the deep black outer layer, the inside of the cake features alternating black and white layers. The fluffy white cake body encases a rich, dark, molten chocolate filling. The moment it is cut open, the molten filling slowly overflows, creating a beautiful interplay of black and white.

It is both harmonious and exquisite, which contrasts sharply with its plain appearance.

"I made this especially for you," Asuna explained proudly. "Sachi likes black, so I made the outer layer black to suit your taste without making it too plain. What do you think?"

Kirito immediately clapped his hands, praising without reservation: "Wow! That's amazing!"

Father has changed so quickly!

However, Xiaoxing was also stunned: "It is indeed amazing...it is simply a work of art."

That's right, with Mother's culinary skills being so high, how could she make ordinary cakes?

Her romantic feelings for Asuna deepened.

Asuna blushed a little at the praise: "It's too kind of you to call it an artwork~"

Kirito was already drooling with envy, but he said seriously, "But no matter how good it looks, it's just appearance. In the end, the taste is what matters most in a dish!"

As he spoke, he picked up a knife and cut himself a piece.

"Wait!" Asuna immediately stopped her. "The children are watching. Are you sure you want to eat first?"

Seeing the other person's stern gaze, Kirito paused in his actions, then pushed a freshly cut piece of cake in front of Sachi.

He cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "I think Asuna is right!"

Seeing Kirito's instantly changed expression, Xiaoxing couldn't help but laugh.

So this is the side of Father that Mother has.

Asuna smiled and cut a piece for Yui, who had been waiting impatiently, and handed her the plate: "Alright, Yui, try some too~"

"Thank you, Mama!" Yui immediately picked up her small fork, scooped out a small piece, put it in her mouth, and her eyes lit up instantly. She mumbled, "So delicious~"

Xiaoxing also picked up a fork and took a small bite.

Inside the hard, dark chocolate shell are tiny bits of nuts, making each bite incredibly crunchy and flavorful;

The white cake inside is soft and sweet, wrapped around a silky dark chocolate filling that is sweet but not cloying.

The two textures blend together in your mouth, and a feeling of pure bliss instantly spreads across your taste buds.

This is exactly what Yui meant when she said, "Eating a sweet cake will make all your worries disappear," and Sachi truly experienced that at that moment.

The confusion about memories and the fear about the future seemed to melt away with this sweet taste, leaving only pure joy and warmth.

The four of them enjoyed the cake together in a warm and cozy atmosphere.

......

As night deepened, it was time for the four of them to prepare for bed.

Kirito skillfully picked up Yui, who was already yawning, and gently placed her in the middle of the bed, carefully tucking the blanket around her.

Xiaoxing followed along easily and lay down next to Yui.

Standing at the foot of the bed, Asuna, dressed in white pajamas, was still hesitating.

Xiaoxing peeked out from under the covers, tilting her head to look at Asuna: "Mother, aren't you coming?"

Yui rubbed her sleepy eyes and chimed in, "Mama, aren't you coming?"