The white-haired school beauty sighs every day, yet he keeps getting stronger.

Kitchen on the first floor.

Zhang Ziyang had an apron tied around his waist, holding a kitchen knife in one hand and pressing down on several freshly peeled carrots with the other while cutting them into chunks.

The stove next to it was already lit, and the red flames licked the bottom of the pot, bringing the water, which contained ginger slices, scallions, and cooking wine, to a boil.

Chunks of beef brisket, their color faded by the heat, were bubbling inside, releasing plumes of steam.

Huangfu Yue, dressed in casual clothes of shorts and a t-shirt, with an apron tied around her waist, stood gracefully to the side, holding a long-handled ladle in her slender hand and watching the pot, occasionally skimming off the foam with the ladle.

The two worked together, and seemed closer than usual.

Amidst the rising steam, the white-haired girl reached out and tucked a few stray strands of hair, damp with mist, behind her ear, her ethereal almond-shaped eyes occasionally glancing at the handsome young man beside her.

Zhang Ziyang's brows were full of seriousness. After cutting the carrots into pieces, he took a knife and put them into an empty bowl next to him.

Then I took out two fist-sized potatoes, peeled and cut them into chunks, placed them in a bowl and rinsed them under the tap.

After doing all this, he suddenly turned his head to look at her.

"That's about it. Take them out, rinse them with hot water, put them in a bowl, and leave the rest to me."

"okay."

Huangfu Yue did as instructed, then untied her apron and hung it on the hook on the wall. She glanced back at Zhang Ziyang's busy figure before leaving the kitchen.

The girl didn't go upstairs; instead, she sat down on the fabric sofa, her fair and delicate legs pressed together.

She didn't turn on the TV, her gaze kept drifting backward, and her slender white fingers were fiddling together, making her seem somewhat absent-minded.

How did things turn out like this?

Time goes back to ten minutes ago.

……

"what?"

Huangfu Yue was struck dumb when she learned that her parents were going out for a romantic evening.

She's not a mama's girl who can't live without her mother.

Speaking of wielding swords and spears, practicing martial arts, and slaying demons and monsters.

She's good at all of these things.

But when it comes to managing household chores and cooking, that's a real challenge for her.

From childhood to adulthood, Huangfu Yue has only ever been good at two types of dishes.

One method is to boil water and soak the instant noodles in a container.

Secondly, boiled eggs and corn, etc.

Anything more complex, I simply couldn't do.

Years ago, Zhao Rouyun celebrated her birthday.

Huangfu Yue suddenly had the urge to cook a meal to honor her mother, so she went to the market early to buy fish, meat and vegetables.

After that, he worked alone in the kitchen.

result……

Because the oil was poured into the iron pot before the water vapor had evaporated, the oil and water splattered, and the flames at the bottom of the pot shot up half a meter high.

After a flurry of activity, the fish and meat were all burned to a crisp, and pots and pans were scattered all over the floor.

Thick black smoke billowed out, choking people and causing them to tear up and cough.

After that incident, Huangfuyue consciously stopped going into the kitchen, lest she unintentionally make things worse...

Noticing Huangfu Yue's appearance, Zhang Ziyang suggested:

"Aunt Zhao transferred the money for the meal, how about we go out to eat?"

Huangfu Yue shook her head and refused:

"It's rush hour right now, and most of the good restaurants are packed. If we go out now, we'll probably have to wait for a table for ages. It's too time-consuming to go back and forth, and eating out isn't very hygienic."

After the three-day penalty period, a new round of comparisons begins.

She just wants to seize every second to cultivate and widen the gap between herself and Zhang Ziyang as soon as possible.

I really don't want to waste too much time on eating and drinking.

Zhang Ziyang thought this made sense and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a cooing sound coming from in front of him.

Looking down, I saw Huangfu Yue with her head down, her hands covering her stomach, not saying a word.

Although her expression was not clearly visible, her reddened earlobes clearly revealed the girl's true condition.

Zhang Ziyang's expression was strange, and he hesitated before guessing:

"You...you didn't have lunch, did you?"

Huangfu Yue didn't answer; her swan-like neck and ears were flushed red, and she wished she could dig a hole in the ground and disappear into it.

Zhang Ziyang smiled and offered a solution:

"I was just about to order takeout, but then I thought it might not be very hygienic. It's still early, and I see there's plenty of food in the fridge, so why don't we cook for ourselves?"

"can you cook?"

The white-haired girl raised her head, her ethereal silver eyes looking at her with a hint of curiosity.

As far as she could remember, she had never seen him cook.

Zhang Ziyang waved his hand and laughed:

"I'm not an expert, but I can manage to cook a few simple dishes to be self-sufficient. Wait here in the room for a moment, and I'll come and get you when I'm done."

After he finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Huangfu Yue reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"I'll help too."

Although she's not very good at cooking, she can still manage to cook rice and wash vegetables without any problems.

"it is good."

……

There are plenty of vegetables in the refrigerator, but the only meat I have is beef brisket, which has been thawed and is kept in the crisper drawer.

Seeing that there were still curry cubes left, Zhang Ziyang decided to make a curry rice with carrots, potatoes, and beef brisket.

It's a way of being lazy and taking the easy way out.

Huangfu Yue left the kitchen and waited in the living room for nearly half an hour.

The aroma of curry wafting from the kitchen grew stronger, whetting the appetites of those in the kitchen.

The sun had completely set outside the window.

The sky darkened, and the stars and moon gradually became visible.

With nothing to do, the girl got up and turned on the light.

Then, Zhang Ziyang's loud shout came from the kitchen.

"The food is ready!"

Huangfu Yue blinked and quickly got up and went into the kitchen.

Zhang Ziyang had already turned off the range hood. He took two bowls and plates from the cupboard, filled a small bowl with rice, pressed it down with a wooden spoon, and then turned it upside down onto the plate. The loose rice was then rolled into a nice hemispherical shape.

"Let me do it!"

Huangfu Yue walked to his side and called out softly. Zhang Ziyang nodded, handed her the bowl and rice spoon, and then turned around and picked up the porcelain plate to the stove where the fire had just been turned off.

The beef brisket, cut into small pieces, has been braised in the iron pot until tender.

The potatoes were bright yellow, and the carrots were red and tender, all coated in a rich, fragrant curry broth.

The residual heat caused the broth in the pot to simmer and bubble slightly; a gentle fan filled the room with its aroma.

Zhang Ziyang looked satisfied. He scooped up some soup with a ladle and poured it into the plate. Just as he turned around, he saw Huangfu Yue standing to the side.

The girl's beautiful eyes were fixed on the plate, almost completely ignoring him.

The boy chuckled and handed her the bowl of food first.

"Here you go. If it's not enough, get more from the pot. There's plenty more."

"it is good."

Huangfu Yue gladly accepted it, but stopped at the kitchen door and looked back.

"I'll wash the dishes after we finish eating, so don't do it yourself."

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Zhang Ziyang nodded in agreement.

"it is good!"

……

We enjoyed our dinner to the fullest.

Zhang Ziyang was initially worried that his cooking skills had declined, but the girl's act of eating two plates of rice immediately dispelled his doubts.

After this meal, the girl's gaze towards Zhang Ziyang was less cold and more peaceful than usual.

The distance between the two of them narrowed a little more.

After the meal, Huangfu Yue kept her promise and went to wash the dishes.

Zhang Ziyang sat on the living room sofa, drinking freshly brewed tea and scrolling through his phone.

The moonlight outside the window was enchanting, with the occasional chirping of insects.

It truly is a time of peace and tranquility.

After a moment, Zhang Ziyang put down his phone and then remembered the mission.

I opened the task panel and took a look.

There's less than an hour left until the deadline.

Zhang Ziyang turned his head and glanced at the kitchen.

The door was tightly closed, and the girl's slender body curves could be vaguely seen through the frosted glass.

He scratched his head, sighed, and decided to accept his fate.

"never mind!"

This task was never going to be completed.

That damn system is clearly making fun of him!

There's no point in getting anxious and upset about something you can't get anyway.

When the thought of giving up comes to mind, I suddenly feel that the world is wide!

Zhang Ziyang composed himself and leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought.

Now that we have plenty of crystal cores, there's no need to go to the arena to earn money anymore.

I'll go back to my room to continue my training later tonight, and practice basic combat skills for the next two days.

crunch~

Huangfu Yue pushed open the door and came out, wiping her hands with a dry towel.

Seeing Zhang Ziyang's troubled expression, he casually asked a question.

"what happened to you?"

"It's nothing, just some things that are bothering me."

Zhang Ziyang didn't explain much.

Little did he expect that his words would make the other person nervous.

Huangfu Yue stood there, stunned, as a few drops of water dripped down her snow-white arm and onto the ground.

Are you having some worries?

This is not possible!

If this guy is sentimental, he'll be melancholy all night.

How can she then coax him into bed and fall asleep?

If the mission fails, the quality of the Soul Card will be reduced to the lowest level.

Huangfu Yue was absolutely unwilling to accept this.

This must be avoided!

Having considered this, Huangfu Yue put down the towel and gracefully moved to sit down next to Zhang Ziyang.

Zhang Ziyang sensed that something was wrong.

Why did she sit down here out of the blue?

Huangfu Yueyu placed her hands on her knees, her two fair and delicate legs crossed and placed diagonally, sitting expressionlessly, as if she was thinking about something great.

The two were very close, and Zhang Ziyang could even smell the girl's delicate fragrance.

The living room was extremely quiet; no one spoke.

His motionless sitting posture made it seem as if he was playing the game of "Red Light, Green Light".

Time passes minute by minute.

The deadline for the mission is fast approaching.

Zhang Ziyang couldn't sit still any longer and was about to say goodbye and go upstairs when the girl next to him suddenly turned her pretty face to look at him.

Under the lights, Huangfu Yue's white hair shimmered and swayed like a swimming fish.

Even more dazzling than that were those magnificent eyes.

"that……"

The white-haired girl spoke first, breaking the silence.

"Would you like to lie down on my lap and rest for a while?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ziyang's brain instantly went blank.

After a moment, he managed to open his mouth and utter a single word.

"what?"