"Why did you make so much?! You make me try it, and I''m nauseous. Now I have to finish it all?! You''re so incompetent yet so playful!!"

    "I... I... Errrrr..."

    Seeing Ye Wan Ning becoming embarrassed and angry, growling like an angry dog, the two poised as if for a duel, Zhu Haomiao quickly stood up to mediate.

    "How about I do it, I''m pretty decent at cooking."

    Thanks to the culinary skills he honed during his previous life''s study abroad, Zhu Haomiao was somewhat confident.

    At least the food he makes doesn''t cause stomach issues...

    Opening the bags upon bags of ingredients brought back by his senior sister, Zhu Haomiao skillfully sorted them, preparing to wash and marinate them.

    Seeing him this way, the two who were earlier on the verge of fighting exchanged looks and embarrassedly gathered around.

    "Uh... how about I do it?"

    Seeing the rare shyness in Ye Wan Ning, Zhu Haomiao smiled and shook his head.

    "You two can help out; it''ll be faster this way."

    Without hesitation, he assigned tasks to the two and checked around, discovering this huge open kitchen had everything, including dozens of different knives, and an uncountable variety of pots and pans.

    "..." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Indeed, the worse the student, the more stationery they have...

    Lips pressed together, Zhu Haomiao picked up a kitchen knife, hefting it a couple of times, the vague familiarity from his past life surged within him.

    Just as he was about to slice the meat, suddenly a fluffy white little creature rushed in, taking out a wet carrot from its cheek pouch, holding it up proudly like a treasure.

    "Chii~"

    Looking at Diao Chan''s sparkling expectant eyes, Zhu Haomiao glanced at the saliva-glossed carrot, his brow involuntarily twitching.

    Thank you for your filial piety, but I really can''t accept it...

    "Be good, you eat it yourself, we''re not using this."

    Patting Diao Chan''s little head, Zhu Haomiao chuckled dryly and nudged it aside, watching it stuff the carrot back in!

    "..."

    Suddenly, he thought of how Diao Chan occasionally shared its food with him before, and Zhu Haomiao immediately wore a tortured expression.

    No wonder the food it offered always felt slimy!!

    Damn, from now on, anything this guy gives me is off-limits!

    Who knows if it took it out of its mouth!

    Suppressing the tumult in his stomach, Zhu Haomiao took a deep breath, forcing himself to shift focus.

    Just as he was heating oil and sautéing the garlic, ginger, and onion, a fleeting dark green divine light shimmered in his eyes.

    [Gluttony]!

    By a stroke of fortune, Zhu Haomiao felt the flow of time slowing, his senses becoming sharper, able to accurately capture every chemical reaction in the frying pan, and inherently knowing how to maximize the nutrition and flavor of the ingredients!

    His eyes slightly brightened, Zhu Haomiao picked up the spatula, gently stirring, letting the garlic, ginger, and onion fully react with the hot oil, while silently invoking the authority of [Gluttony], infusing the food with supernatural and mystical attributes.

    Then, he poured the marinated meat slices into the pan, in a fierce sizzle, the young man flipped the pan and wielded the spatula, the surging flames seemed to turn into obedient spirits under his hands, merging with the hot oil in the pan, instantly locking in the moisture of the meat slices and extracting a rich and enticing aroma.

    Gulp~

    The alluring scent tantalized their nostrils, and the two bystanders swallowed simultaneously, looking at each other in surprise.

    The little guy has been hiding this skill?

    There''s more than meets the eye!

    Unseen, examining the young man''s sleek movements, being someone whose cooking talent far exceeds her eating desire, Ye Wan Ning seemed to see the ideal version of herself, a flicker of longing admiration in her eyes.

    "Cangcang, don''t you think Shui looks kinda cool when cooking?"

    Ye Wan Ning''s big watery eyes blinked eagerly, eager to share her revelation with her friend.

    Li Cang pressed his lips together, unable to voice "you''re truly just hungry" no matter what.

    Even he had to admit, in this state, Zhu Haomiao indeed exuded a unique charm.

    That natural confidence and ease, the smooth and skilled technique, without a single superfluous movement, like a master with decades of culinary expertise, each gesture and motion imbued with an indescribable elegance, it didn''t seem like cooking at all, more like performing a piece of art, just watching him was a delight!

    When he was serious and focused, it was as if the entire kitchen became his domain, and he the ruler of this realm, openly displaying a mature and confident allure!

    Even though... his face still held traces of youth...

    Watching the young man''s focused profile, a strange sense of contrast made Li Cang''s heart skip, causing him to awkwardly avert his gaze.

    Noticing the subtle change in her friend''s mood, Ye Wan Ning kept her eyes on the young man, her beautiful bright eyes shimmering with watery waves, yet the corners of her mouth faintly curled upward.

    Dozens of minutes later, after transforming most of the ingredients into a dazzling feast, Zhu Haomiao withdrew from the mystical state, noticing the adoration on Ye Wan Ning''s face beside him.

    "Senior Sister?"

    The gentle call snapped Ye Wan Ning from her reverie, she withdrew her gaze, secretly swallowing, and invited Zhu Haomiao to sit down.

    "Shui, thank you for your hard work."

    "No, it''s nothing."

    Since neither of you can eat much anyway, this is really all for myself!

    With a light laugh, he shook his head, looking at the tableful of finely crafted, subtly extraordinary dishes, his mouth watered.

    Though it hadn''t reached a glowing level, it indeed brushed the threshold of supernatural cuisine, and this was in the real world!

    If things turn south, opening a restaurant could make a fortune!

    Flashing impractical thoughts through his mind, Zhu Haomiao picked up his chopsticks, about to start, when he noticed someone missing.

    "Where''s Li Cang?"

    "Cangcang went upstairs to grab some drinks, will be right down."

    Upon hearing that, Zhu Haomiao felt a twinge in his heart, took the chance, and leaned close to Ye Wan Ning, whispering a question that had long bothered him.

    "Senior Sister, tell me honestly, is Li Cang male or female?"

    "Hmm?"

    Blinking, Ye Wan Ning looked at Zhu Haomiao quizzically.

    "I told you before, he''s a guy."

    But his frame is so delicate, no Adam''s apple, smooth skin without a trace of hair...

    Frowning, Zhu Haomiao was a little troubled, covering his mouth in contemplation for a few seconds, continuing to ask.

    "Then why is he living with you?"

    "We''re good friends, isn''t it normal to be roommates?"

    Watching Ye Wan Ning''s matter-of-fact expression, Zhu Haomiao hesitated, and hesitated again.

    What normalcy!

    A single man and woman living together, even as good friends, shouldn''t be like this!

    In ancient times, this would warrant being dunked in a pig cage!

    Immoral!

    Shameless!

    Noticing Zhu Haomiao''s nuanced jealousy, Ye Wan Ning playfully curled her lips, a sly glint flashed in her crescent-shaped eyes.

    "What? Do you have a thing for Cangcang?"