On the evening of October 7th, just before the 11 PM curfew at Bin University's dormitory, Chu Bingbing and Gu Jiasui rushed back to their room, dragging their suitcases behind them.
"Whew! Made it! I'm exhausted," Chu Bingbing exclaimed as she pushed her suitcase into the room and collapsed onto her office chair, letting out a deep sigh.
Gu Jiasui, moving gracefully, also took off her coat, revealing a slight sheen of sweat on her neck.
"Glad you're both back. Hurry up and wash up—don't you have early classes tomorrow?" Yi Zhi called out to them.
Yan had returned in the afternoon, and although Ding Ling had stayed on campus during the holiday like her, she was often elusive, disappearing at random times. The two of them rarely crossed paths in the dorm.
Yi Zhi herself had been out and about quite a bit. She had to admit, the fried rice made by Chu Shen's roommate was truly exceptional. Even someone like her, who usually just eats to fill her stomach, couldn't resist visiting Chu's little restaurant several times.
Yan poked her head out from behind her bed curtain to greet the two, then flopped back down. She and Zhu Jue had slept in at the hotel, used the laundry facilities to wash and dry some clothes, and didn't return to campus until after dinner.
After unpacking everything from her hiking bag, Yan felt completely drained. She sprawled out on her bed, which she had only been using for less than a month, but already felt a sense of comfort. There's nothing like your own bed!
After days of continuous traveling, Yan felt like she needed this week to recover and recharge. Right now, she was just feeling a bit sluggish.
Chu Bingbing, after catching her breath, started unpacking with Gu Jiasui.
"The capital was so crowded. I even bravely tried some fermented bean juice—what a unique flavor," she complained while placing the souvenirs she and Gu Jiasui had bought on the shared table.
"I got some pastries. They're delicious, but a bit too rich if you eat too much. Since they have a short shelf life, I figured we should eat them tonight so they don't go bad," Chu Bingbing said. Instead of buying the typical touristy "Beijing Eight Delicacies" gift box, she had brought back some pastries she had tried at the hotel—hawthorn cakes, yam rolls, and the like.
"I bought some bookmarks from the Forbidden City," Gu Jiasui added, also presenting her souvenirs.
Yan, lying on her bed, slowly lifted her head. Oh no, she had forgotten to bring back any local specialties.
The thing was, the places she had visited didn’t really have anything worth bringing back. One was a remote mountain village, and the other was a desert town—both places were barely developed as tourist spots. She couldn’t exactly bring back a jar of sand.
Ding Ling rushed back just one minute before curfew, carrying a large assortment of mooncakes in various packaging.
"Little Ding Ling, where did you get all these? Did some mooncake shop have a clearance sale?" Chu Bingbing asked, watching as Ding Ling dumped the pile onto the table and let out a sigh of relief.
"Nope," Ding Ling replied, wiping away imaginary sweat. "A friend had too many and asked me to take them."
In truth, these mooncakes—ranging from cheap to high-end brands—were a mix of gifts from the Special Case Team for the Mid-Autumn Festival and offerings sent by the school's Mingzhi Hall. Senior Shen Hui and others had claimed they were tired of eating them and didn’t want them to go to waste, so they gave the extras to Ding Ling.
"Mid-Autumn Festival is over, and now no one wants to eat mooncakes. How long are we going to be stuck with these?" Chu Bingbing shook her head. She had never been a fan of mooncakes—too oily and sweet. She rarely ate them as a kid and even less so as an adult.
"They can be breakfast or a snack when you're hungry. Mooncakes are pretty filling," Ding Ling said.
She could sense Yan's presence in the room, which inexplicably made her feel at ease.
Meanwhile, Yi Zhi had already started digging into a small salted mooncake. "Sweet and salty—delicious," she said, giving it a thumbs-up.
Foods like this, high in calories, would have been a godsend during the apocalypse. Even old mooncakes could provide a lot of energy, making them highly sought after.
After finishing the mooncake, Yi Zhi opened one of the pastries Chu Bingbing had brought back. "This hawthorn cake is tangy and sweet—it really whets your appetite."
Seeing Yi Zhi enjoy the food so much, Yan was eventually coaxed out of bed to join in.
"I really didn’t find anything worth bringing back from the places I went. I’ll make it up to you all next time," Yan said apologetically.
"Don’t worry about it," Chu Bingbing waved her off. Yan had been on official business, after all. Who would go to such remote places for fun?
Gu Jiasui, who had flown back with Chu Bingbing and was also feeling a bit hungry, skipped the mooncakes and instead picked up a piece of kidney bean cake, eating it slowly.
She glanced at Yan but decided not to voice her questions just yet. She would find a way to subtly probe Yan tomorrow when they went to class together.
Unaware of Gu Jiasui's thoughts, Yan was about to go to bed when Yi Zhi suddenly announced some good news to the group.
"Chu Shen said he can bring fried rice tomorrow morning. Who wants some?"
"Me!" Chu Bingbing immediately signed up.
"All of us! And don’t forget the side dishes," Yan chimed in.
"Count me in," Ding Ling and Gu Jiasui quickly followed.
They hadn’t had Chu Shen's fried rice in over a week. If the chef was offering to deliver, why wait?
"Chu Shen said okay. He’ll bring enough for two dorms. I’ve already transferred him the money, and I’ll send a group payment request later," Yi Zhi explained.
"Yi Zhi, how many times did you go eat there?" Yan asked curiously. She had seen the photos Yi Zhi posted of the restaurant during the holiday, and it was clear Yi Zhi had become quite familiar with Chu Shen.
"Ahem, just six days," Yi Zhi admitted, a little embarrassed. Except for the days she had to deal with the gold shop, she had made a point to stop by Chu's little restaurant early each morning.
Honestly, if she hadn’t been so confident in herself and sure that Chu Shen's fried rice didn’t contain anything unusual, she might have thought she was under some kind of spell.
Yan gave a thumbs-up from her bed. "Impressive. Has he come up with any new dishes?"
The fried rice was great, but she was curious about trying something else.
"Nope. Just the fried rice, and the place is packed every day," Yi Zhi said.
"Okay, okay, let’s not talk about fried rice anymore. I’m starting to drool and feel hungry again. I definitely can’t eat anything else tonight," Chu Bingbing quickly cut in.
If they kept talking, they’d all be craving fried rice and unable to sleep.
Yi Zhi hadn’t just been going to Chu's restaurant for the fried rice. Every time she ate there, she confirmed that Chu Shen's dish was made with top-notch ingredients and skill. Based on the restaurant's popularity, she was considering whether she could collaborate with Chu Shen on sourcing ingredients.
She had a lot of ingredients stored in her space!
Especially after depositing some of the gold bars she had exchanged into the bank and transferring the rest to her space, her little pocket dimension had started upgrading again—and it still wasn’t finished.
Yi Zhi was starting to wonder just how big her space would become. Her own capacity to cultivate the land was limited, and the black soil seemed endless—she couldn’t possibly plant everything!
She had been racking her brain trying to figure out how to offload some of the ingredients stored in her space, but with Chu Shen only serving fried rice, it was proving to be a challenge.
The next morning, as Chu Shen was walking into campus with a massive backpack after getting off the subway, he ran into Yi Zhi, who was waiting for him.
"You’re up early?" he asked, surprised to see her.
"I go for a run every morning. Just give me the food for our dorm—no need to deliver it," Yi Zhi said, taking two three-tiered pink lunch boxes from Chu Shen, identical to the ones Yan had brought back before.
She effortlessly carried the boxes and started jogging. "They won’t leak, right? I’ll hurry back while they’re still warm. Everyone’s waiting."
Chu Shen wanted to say something more, but the sight of the athletic young woman sprinting off with the food left him speechless.
She was clearly in a hurry to dig in.
Chu Shen adjusted his now lighter backpack and tried to jog like Yi Zhi, but after a few steps, he decided to walk instead. He sent a quick message in the dorm group chat, telling the guys to come down and get their food.
He had been carrying that heavy backpack all the way on the subway—he was tired too!
In Room 320 of the girls' dormitory, five girls were happily eating fried rice. Chu Bingbing, with a gentle demeanor, was lightly massaging Yi Zhi's shoulders.
"You've worked hard, Zhi Zhi," she said.
Although it was the first day back after the holiday, everyone felt a renewed sense of hope after eating the fried rice.
Meanwhile, in Room 414 of the boys' dormitory,
The roommates who had received fried rice from Chu Shen were transferring money to him. Even though Chu Shen's family ran a restaurant, no one wanted to freeload, not even for a small portion of fried rice.
Ye Ping'an looked at Chu Shen's half-empty backpack with surprise.
"Did you deliver some to the girls' dormitory first?"
He wondered if Chu Shen had gone to Zhu Jue's crush again on his own initiative.
Chu Shen rolled his eyes at the question. "What are you thinking? I just entered the school gate, and Yi Zhi was already waiting there. That strong girl ran faster than me with her lunchbox in hand."
"Judging by her speed, only Fan Ge in our dorm could keep up with her."
"Yi Zhi? Oh, I know her. She's from Yan's dorm, right? She's the all-around warrior from the Agricultural College who became famous during military training, almost hitting perfect scores in shooting," Ye Ping'an said, well-informed as always.
"I heard her family is from the military. Isn't that right, Zhu Jue? Didn't you and your crush make it to the military skills finals too?" Ye Ping'an added casually.
From the military? Lin Fan's ears perked up. A fellow comrade! During military training, he had kept a low profile, but he had heard about this fierce female freshman. He wondered which military region she was from.
"I'm not too sure," Zhu Jue shook his head.
"Jue Ge's brain can only store information about his crush. Asking him is useless," Yuan Ye teased.
"I think it's true. Yi Zhi has this strong presence. She's been coming to the restaurant these past few days, and last night she asked if I could deliver food. I didn't dare refuse," Chu Shen said with a bitter smile.
He could usually be indifferent to other customers, but Yi Zhi's presence was overwhelming. It was hard to describe, but even though he hadn't done anything wrong, he felt that refusing her request would somehow be dangerous.
And... Yi Zhi ate at the restaurant with such relish, so seriously, as if she cherished every bite.
While other customers did the same, Yi Zhi stood out. It felt like she had been starving for a long time, and it wasn't just because the fried rice was delicious. She seemed to treasure every kind of food.
"I think Shen Ge is starting to have a crush," Ye Ping'an joked.
"No, no, don't say that. Don't tarnish her reputation. She's the type of person who exudes strength, tall and handsome like a warrior. I just want to kneel and call her 'big sister.' I like sweet girls," Chu Shen quickly clarified, trying to shut down the conversation.
When guys talk about girls, it's easy for the conversation to turn romantic. But Yi Zhi wasn't his type, and she probably wouldn't be interested in an ordinary guy either. It was better not to let the topic escalate, lest the roommates start teasing and cause misunderstandings.
Seeing Chu Shen's reaction, Ye Ping'an stopped joking. However, Yuan Ye, curious after hearing about her, searched the school's official account and found photos of the so-called "handsome sister" Yi Zhi in the military training section.
"Regardless of anything else, she really is handsome," he said, holding his phone. The military training section had several solo shots of Yi Zhi showcasing different skills—shooting, first aid, CPR—and group photos. Even in the group photos, where everyone was wearing the same military training uniforms, her upright posture and spirited demeanor made her stand out.
Apart from Chu Shen and Zhu Jue, who had seen Yi Zhi in person, the other roommates gathered around to look at the photos.
"Jue Ge, your crush's dorm seems to be full of interesting people. There's the military training all-rounder and even a big celebrity," Ye Ping'an remarked.
Zhu Jue thought to himself that his roommates weren't exactly ordinary either, but he simply replied, "Bin University has a good student pool. Everyone here is outstanding, selected from the best in each city. It's normal."
Xiao Qingnang, who had been silent until now, gave him a thumbs-up, complimenting everyone with that one statement.
While they talked, none of them forgot to eat. Chu Shen quietly checked the system notifications.
Chu Shen: !!!
It's going up!
Zhu Jue and Yan's favorability points increased again!
As expected, he had guessed that after not having his fried rice for over a week, eating it again after the holiday would boost their favorability!
Another five points, bringing each of them to ten points now.
Heaven and earth, please don't let it drop suddenly like a rollercoaster!
At that moment, Chu Shen looked at Zhu Jue with gratitude in his eyes.
Good brother, this proves that the fried rice delivery strategy works! It's something that can be consistently applied! Keep it up!
Deliver! Keep delivering!
Yuan Ye noticed Chu Shen's gaze and felt a bit uneasy. If Chu Shen hadn't said he liked sweet girls, such an intense look at a guy could easily be misunderstood!
"Descendant of the Culinary God, special mission favorability progress has reached 10. You may now activate the stage-based reward system. Would you like to proceed?"
The Culinary God system suddenly spoke in Chu Shen's mind, startling him. Stage-based rewards? Is that how it works?
Does this mean he's completed 10% and can receive a reward?
"Activate. What's the stage-based reward?" he couldn't help but ask.
Was it because this pair was so hard to win over that the special mission had been upgraded to a long-term one? Without some kind of reward, he might have really given up.
"The River of Culinary Arts is now open. The Descendant of the Culinary God may enter parallel dimensions to learn from masters."
Chu Shen was stunned by the system's words.
"The River of Culinary Arts? Learning from masters? Are you saying I can enter the world of 'Cooking Master Boy'? Or go back thousands of years to learn from Pao Ding, the legendary butcher?"
"The Descendant of the Culinary God may travel through the historical River of Culinary Arts to refine their skills. Fictional worlds are inaccessible."
"So... this is like time travel? Can I go to the Song Dynasty to learn Dongpo Pork from Su Dongpo? Or learn Mapo Tofu from the original Mapo? What about my identity?" Chu Shen muttered to himself.
"The Culinary Arts dimension is exclusively for the Descendant of the Culinary God to hone their skills. You will be provided with a reasonable identity in that dimension. Whether you learn anything depends on your own efforts."
So... soul transmigration?
"When can I enter the Culinary Arts dimension? Tonight?" Chu Shen was eager to try it out.
"The River of Culinary Arts space is a stage-based reward. Please continue to work hard, Descendant of the Culinary God."
Chu Shen was immediately frustrated. It was only unlocked but not usable yet? Did this mean he had to keep working on Zhu Jue and Yan's favorability?
Such an important feature, such a special space, was locked behind this special mission, bit by bit.
Chu Shen felt restless, as if the system had dangled a carrot in front of him just to keep him grinding favorability points.
It had already been so hard to earn these ten points. When would he ever reach the next stage and enter the River of Culinary Arts?
...
Yan and Gu Jiasui walked together to the teaching building for class. Yan had only found time the previous night to catch up on the latest news in Bin City.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the grand birthday banquet of the Lu family's patriarch in Bin City had gathered many elites. Gu Jiasui had presented "Lan Mo" as a gift, delighting both the grandfather and grandson. Lu Jianian's photos from the banquet had sparked heated discussions online, with fans calling her the "Lu family heiress." However, since the banquet photos showed the elderly Lu couple holding hands with Gu Jiasui in the center, another wave of controversy erupted online, with Lu Jianian's fans accusing the elders of favoritism.
This had happened almost a week ago, so Yan was late to the news. At the time, she had been in the desert observing Xu Jiaojiao, sending daily updates, and with poor signal, she hadn't paid much attention to online news. But looking at Gu Jiasui now, she seemed completely unaffected.
Last night, when Chu Bingbing and Gu Jiasui returned together, Yan suddenly remembered that Chu Bingbing had donated a Zhou Dynasty imperial scroll to the Palace Museum.
But when Yan searched for information last night, there was nothing. It wasn't until this morning that official announcements and morning news reported it. During breakfast, Yan noticed that the news had already made it to the trending topics.
#A Woman Donates National Treasure-Level Zhou Dynasty Imperial Scroll to the Palace Museum# was sparking heated discussions across platforms.
"Handwritten letters from three emperors and one princess! Oh my, when will it be exhibited? I need to see it immediately!"
"Please exhibit it soon! Make sure it's well-protected. Thank you to the woman who shared such a treasure with the public. I hope the Palace Museum will be generous and not keep it locked away."
"Ahhh! Jia Ning script! Another authentic piece! I can't wait to see it!"
At Chu Bingbing's request, the press release did not disclose any personal information about her.
"Yan." As they walked, Gu Jiasui suddenly called her name. Yan turned her head to the side, "What is it, Suisui?"
Gu Jiasui's tone was unhurried, as if she were casually asking, "I noticed you practice calligraphy and painting. Do you like the Jianing style?"
Yan's mind instantly sharpened. Why was Gu Jiasui suddenly asking her this question?
She... wasn't she Jianing herself? Although Yan wasn't a hundred percent sure, in her heart, it was almost certain.
Facing "Princess Jianing" herself, she definitely couldn't say she didn't like it.
"I do," Yan replied with a smile. "Who among those who practice calligraphy doesn't like the Jianing style?"
Gu Jiasui smiled at her response. "I thought you didn't like it. You gave me the chance to go to the Forbidden City with Bingbing. It's such a rare opportunity to see the emperor's scrolls up close."
Yan's internal alarm bells went off. So that's what this was about! Gu Jiasui was testing her with her words.
Her expression remained calm as she blinked her eyes. "I've already seen them before. That time we went to the auction with Bingbing, I got to see the emperor's scrolls up close. Besides, I have plans during the holiday, so the timing doesn't work out for me. You've given me calligraphy and paintings that are clearly modeled after the Jianing style, and they're so well done that if the ink weren't so fresh, they could almost pass as originals. It's obvious you've been practicing for years."
"Compared to my not-so-exclusive interest, it's clearly better for you to have this opportunity."
Yan answered with complete composure. Regarding her speculation about Gu Jiasui's identity, she concluded that Gu Jiasui was either Princess Jianing or a fan of Princess Jianing who had also come from ancient times.
Either way, the chance to see the Zhou dynasty emperor's scrolls was more meaningful for Gu Jiasui, whether she wanted to see her own old possessions or the authentic works of her idol. Yan thought it was better to give her the opportunity.
"Besides, there's that cultural program Lin Lu mentioned. If you go, it'll kill two birds with one stone," Yan added confidently.
Gu Jiasui was momentarily stunned. The two reasons Yan gave were so perfectly logical that a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. So that's how it was?
Her tone carried a touch of helplessness. "You did such a good deed, yet you didn't say a word about it."
If Yan hadn't mentioned it to Chu Bingbing, Chu Bingbing would never have known about the underlying complexities.
Yan casually scratched her chin. "The opportunity was Bingbing's to begin with, so it didn't really have anything to do with me. Besides, I thought it would be a nice surprise for you. Surprised? Unexpected?"
She suddenly extended her right hand, waving it in front of Gu Jiasui's eyes like a magician revealing a trick.
Gu Jiasui couldn't help but shake her head and laugh at Yan's childlike antics. "You... I thought..."
Yan's ears perked up, and her heart skipped a beat. What did she think? Did Gu Jiasui mistakenly believe that Yan knew her true identity?
Yan continued to play dumb. "Thought what?"
Gu Jiasui looked at her, the confusion in Yan's eyes making her shake her head gently. "It's nothing."
She must have been overthinking it.
Yan... what could she even say about her? Doing good deeds without seeking recognition, giving favors without a second thought—such a carefree and unpretentious personality could only have been nurtured in the modern era.
In her past life, Gu Jiasui had carefully combed through her memories, but she couldn't recall any noblewoman in the capital with such an endearing personality.
She had rarely interacted with others back then. Whenever she attended a banquet, the room would be filled with flattery directed at the princess. Even the young ladies who played in the gardens would adopt a dignified and graceful demeanor in her presence, striving to emulate the princess.
Thus, Gu Jiasui couldn't recall anyone from her past who resembled Yan in temperament. If they had only crossed paths briefly at a few banquets, poetry gatherings, flower-viewing parties, or boat excursions, it was even harder to know.
During the morning class, Gu Jiasui couldn't quite reconcile her thoughts. She quietly set aside some of her suspicions, though there was also a small, unspoken sense of disappointment.
Though they sat together, their minds were elsewhere. Yan appeared to be paying attention to the lecture, but in reality, she was frantically replaying and analyzing the conversation she had with Gu Jiasui earlier that day.
Had she slipped up? Were her responses flawless? Had Gu Jiasui's doubts about her been dispelled?
The day was packed with classes, and it wasn't until after dinner, during their evening stroll, that Yan finally had a chance to catch up with Zhu Jue. She whispered the day's developments to her.
Yan patted her chest. "That scared me. Another day saved by my flawless acting skills. I almost thought I'd been exposed."
She and Jue went over the logic of what she had said to Suisui that morning. It was airtight, a perfect explanation.
"It should be fine," Zhu Jue said.
Yan and Zhu Jue walked hand in hand, chatting as they strolled along the familiar campus path. Yan looked up and saw two figures approaching.
One was a very familiar, graceful figure with an almost halo-like presence—it was Gu Jiasui, whom they had just been discussing. Beside her, maintaining a respectful distance, was a man in a suit who also looked familiar.
Yan was momentarily stunned. "Gu Jiasui and... Professor Su?"
Wasn't he the one she had jokingly complained about stealing the "hero saves the beauty" moment from her?
What were these two doing together?
