Shen Qianqian knew the two people were busy in the kitchen.
So when Shen Yiyue was just about to reach the kitchen door, she ran over and opened it.
Sure enough, Ji Mengyao and Wu Di were standing outside.
Unusually, Ji Mengyao wasn't wearing her baseball cap today, probably because she was coming for dinner, though she still had her signature golden braids.
She wore a white tank top and light blue shorts, exuding a youthful and lively energy.
Surprisingly, Wu Di wasn't wearing his eternal suit either, but had changed into fresh, casual clothes and was sporting rose-gold rimmed glasses.
He looked refined yet boyish, though unfortunately maintained his poker face.
It reminded one of those gloomy top students who spend all day buried in their studies.
"We're here~~"
Ji Mengyao cutely made a 'Y' sign with her hand, greeting Shen Qianqian at the door and Shen Yiyue at the kitchen entrance.
"Please have a seat, we're still preparing!"
Shen Yiyue greeted them before turning back to help Ning Yu with the cooking.
"Hello, big brother and sister!"
Shen Qianqian also politely greeted the two.
"Are you two a couple? You look so good together!"
She blinked her innocent eyes, looking at the man and woman who had just entered - one pretty and cute, the other handsome albeit a bit stiff.
The two seemed quite familiar and close with each other.
"C-c-c-couple?"
Ji Mengyao had just brought in her private collection of drinks and beverages when she was suddenly ambushed by Shen Qianqian's question.
Her face turned bright red and she started stammering.
Seeing Ji Mengyao's reaction, Shen Qianqian realized she might have said something wrong.
"Ah! Never mind! Please come in~~"
She hurriedly started looking for slippers for them, acting as if nothing had happened.
Ji Mengyao glanced at Wu Di, who maintained his innocent, expressionless face.
"Hey, dummy, you're blocking my way."
She poked Wu Di in embarrassment, urging him to put on the slippers and go in.
"Hold these!"
She shoved the plastic bags with drinks into Wu Di's hands and followed him inside.
Wu Di quickly walked over and started arranging the various drinks they brought on the dining table.
His movements were precise and mechanical, like a bartender.
As Ji Mengyao had mentioned earlier, they brought low-alcohol, visually appealing sparkling drinks.
The colorful array made for a beautiful display on the dining table.
Shen Qianqian was immediately drawn to the colorful "drinks" on the table and called out to the kitchen:
"Sister!! Can I drink those?"
"No! Children aren't allowed to drink alcohol."
Shen Yiyue's merciless rejection came from the kitchen, instantly deflating Shen Qianqian's excited expression.
"Do you need any help?"
Ji Mengyao curiously asked the two busy people in the kitchen.
"No need~ We can't have guests helping out."
Ning Yu, wearing an apron and marinating meat, turned around and smiled at her.
"OK~"
"Hmm... I thought Shen Yiyue would be the head chef, didn't expect it to be Ning Yu..."
She nodded and mumbled something as she walked out.
Shen Yiyue heard this and could only smile awkwardly, then looked at Ning Yu who was still focused on preparing ingredients.
She went over and thoughtfully tucked a few strands of Ning Yu's hair behind her ear to keep them from falling into the food.
Then she stood beside her and asked softly:
"Ning Yu... could you teach me how to cook sometime?"
Ning Yu was surprised by this sudden request and turned to look at her:
"Sure, but why are you asking this all of a sudden..."
"Not telling!"
Having gotten Ning Yu's agreement, Shen Yiyue just smiled and turned back to continue helping with the preparations.
......
The dining table was now laden with an impressive spread - appetizing cold dishes, simple vegetable dishes, and several main courses.
Everything was impeccably presented in terms of color, appearance, and aroma, perfectly arranged in a circle on the table.
The five of them sat around the table ready to eat. Everyone except Shen Qianqian, who had orange juice, was drinking the alcohol Ji Mengyao had brought.
Ning Yu's glass contained a light red drink - she had specifically chosen the strawberry passion fruit flavor.
"Cheers!"
Everyone except Wu Di had bright smiles as they clinked their glasses together.
The scene before them felt not like the apocalyptic world they lived in, but rather like a normal, pleasant gathering at a friend's house for a party.
"Mmm!! This is delicious!!!"
Ji Mengyao's eyes widened as she exclaimed after putting a piece of braised pork in her mouth.
"I had no idea Ning Yu was such a good cook! Whoever marries her will be super lucky~"
She couldn't help but sigh in appreciation.
Faced with such direct praise, Ning Yu could only smile shyly, not knowing what to say.
She had never experienced anything like this before - sitting together with close friends, sharing a meal.
Everyone was drinking, chatting, and gossiping, enjoying a wonderful and lively evening.
For a moment, she seemed to fall into a kind of trance.
She wondered if she could have lived like a normal person all along?
This kind of happiness had seemed so out of reach that she had never even imagined it, yet here it was happening right before her eyes.
Ning Yu was struck by a surreal feeling: what if everything happening right now was just a dream?
Would she wake up tomorrow back in her cold hideout apartment, waiting for the organization's next orders?
If that were true, was she dreaming about Shen Yiyue and Ji Mengyao, or were they dreaming about her?
Would this dream... ever end?
"Ning Yu? Ning Yu?"
Shen Yiyue, sitting next to Ning Yu, noticed that her silver-haired companion had fallen into some kind of daze.
She picked up some braised pork and vegetables, placing them in Ning Yu's bowl.
Then she waved her hand in front of Ning Yu's eyes, trying to snap her out of it.
"Sister, you're playing favorites! Why are you only getting food for Ning Yu and not me! Am I not your sister anymore..."
Beside them, Shen Qianqian puffed her cheeks while drinking her orange juice, protesting against her sister's apparent favoritism.
Shen Yiyue turned her head and glanced at Shen Qianqian:
"I told you, you're temporarily expelled from sisterhood!"
Ji Mengyao was also whispering something to Wu Di, seemingly complaining:
"Look at Ning Yu, and then look at yourself - all you can make is instant noodles! And you always add too much seasoning!"
Ning Yu suddenly snapped out of her reverie, taking in the warm scene before her:
Everyone joking with each other, the warm lighting over the dining table filling the nighttime apartment with a cozy, homey atmosphere.
She quickly ate the food Shen Yiyue had placed in her bowl, then returned the favor by picking out some dishes for her.
Shen Yiyue looked at Ning Yu with surprise, as if seeing a different person.
Only Ning Yu knew how precious these moments of normalcy were to her, even if they were brief.
If this really was a dream,
She hoped she would never wake up.
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
