After Wang Qiqi finished the last drop of hot water in her teacup, she stood up, intending to rinse it before heading home; arriving home in half an hour by foot was perfect, and she hadn't exercised today because she had been making sushi.

Shi Man also packed up her schoolbag. Most of today’s assignments were complete; as for the remaining problems, they would have to wait until tomorrow, though whether she would even come tomorrow was questionable.

While packing her things, Zhu Lina debated whether she should ask about coming tomorrow. If she didn't, there were still so many things she didn't understand. Would she have to rush to school Monday morning just to copy notes? Although she could borrow someone's notebook, Zhu Lina really wanted to understand the reasoning behind the problems herself. But the more she thought about it, the less she knew how to ask.

Wang Qiqi washed her cup and tucked it into her bag. "Let's go. We’ll meet here at the usual time tomorrow." Although she wasn't deeply familiar with Zhu Lina, her performance today was good. Forget it—since she needed to avoid her aunt and the others anyway, she might as well play nice. Besides, going to Shi Man's house was something Wang Qiqi was rather unwilling to do.

Hearing that they would be coming again tomorrow, Zhu Lina looked up in surprise. "Really? May I come too?"

Shi Man glanced at the slightly dazed Zhu Lina and snorted. "If we told you not to come, would you actually stay away?" Honestly, she was dense. Moreover, if she truly didn't want to see her, there would have been no need to say anything like that. "I just don't want to see any boring people other than you."

Zhu Lina naturally understood this. She nodded. "I know, I know. I’ll bring some delicious pastries tomorrow." From their chats during the lunch break, Zhu Lina knew that to save time, even if she offered to treat them to a meal, Wang Qiqi and Shi Man wouldn't agree to go out to eat. Besides, they didn't want to be seen by classmates at school; Zhu Lina knew that Gao Kai’s group occasionally came here to study as well.

Zhu Lina was aware of the relationship between Wang Qiqi and Gao Kai, but she couldn't figure out why Qiqi’s connection with Gao Kai hadn't been as close since she returned to school after taking a half-month leave. Even when Gao Kai humbled himself to approach Qiqi in class, she acted as if she hadn't seen him. Zhu Lina truly didn't get it. Some people speculated they might have moved their relationship "underground," which she had initially believed. But now, it seemed everyone’s guesses were wrong; Qiqi must genuinely have a poor relationship with Gao Kai.

"Fine. Bring more good food tomorrow. Skip the chocolates and such; bring more fruit. As for me, I’m just coming for the free food—don't expect me to bring anything," Shi Man said bluntly. Of course, only she could speak to Wang Qiqi this way; if it were Zhu Lina saying it, she wouldn't have the standing to do so, and Shi Man certainly wouldn't hold back.

Wang Qiqi looked at the unapologetic Shi Man, speechless, and didn't bother engaging with her. "I seem to recall someone brought something smelly and delicious, yet now you’re reluctant to share?"

Shi Man heard this and remembered—oh, right, she had brought durian. Of course, she wouldn't admit that she had planned to take it home to savor slowly if no one else remembered it. Despite the terrible smell, it tasted good. "Qiqi, you really won't eat any? Aren't you someone who eats stinky tofu?"

Shi Man pulled out a lunchbox from her bag. The moment she opened it, several boys sitting slowly nearby immediately scurried away, though not before pinching their noses to see what was inside that possessed such devastating, foul power.

Wang Qiqi watched the boys quickly retreat and inwardly chuckled. If she had known durian was this potent, she would have brought it out sooner.

Shi Man, faced with such a feast, paid no mind to the reactions of those around her. "Lina, have some. It’s really good."

Zhu Lina was equally unreserved, picking up a piece and eating it. "Not bad, quite good. I think I have another durian at home; I’ll bring some over tomorrow." She hadn't known Shi Man liked this before; otherwise, she would have brought some to share much sooner. Too bad Wang Qiqi didn't like it, but that was fine; she also loved stinky tofu. "Qiqi, I know a place that sells excellent stinky tofu, especially the sauce—it’s absolutely amazing."

Zhu Lina loved durian, so Wang Qiqi figured the chance of her liking stinky tofu was high. It seemed her assumption was correct. "Great! Is it from that stall run by the middle-aged couple in the small alleyway?"

Zhu Lina was surprised that Wang Qiqi knew that place too. She had only discovered it by chance when passing by once. "Yes, that’s the one. Qiqi, you've eaten there too?"

Wang Qiqi nodded, excitedly detailing to Zhu Lina how delicious the stinky tofu from that stall was. Shi Man looked from Wang Qiqi to Zhu Lina with a touch of displeasure, feeling as if the two of them were excluding her. "Qiqi, how come I never knew about that stinky tofu stand?" She liked it too; how could Qiqi never have taken her there even once? That was too much.

Wang Qiqi was momentarily stunned. She had forgotten that she only got to know that particular stinky tofu stall during her third year of high school, a time when her relationship with Shi Man wasn't as close. "I stumbled upon it unintentionally. I meant to take you, but unfortunately, that’s when my parents had their accident..."

Shi Man, who had initially been upset that Wang Qiqi hadn't included her in good things, immediately dismissed her displeasure upon hearing the reason for the exclusion. She stopped eating and hastily said, "It’s fine, it’s fine! We’ll go eat it when we have time later. How about we go today?" The weather was nice today, perfect for eating out. Besides, they had spent the entire day diligently studying at the library, exceeding their quota. Going out for a snack was deserved.

Going today? As a foodie, Zhu Lina certainly agreed. Honestly, she hadn't been there in a while either, but she knew Wang Qiqi needed to agree first.

Wang Qiqi was on her own; no one would question when she got home, and frankly, she wasn't intensely craving stinky tofu. However, after the detailed descriptions, the craving bug had definitely been triggered. "Deal. But it seems a bit far. How about we just eat dinner out instead?" By the time they ate stinky tofu there and wandered back, it would be past 6:30 PM. It was better to make it lively and eat dinner together. "Xiao Man, Lina, are you both okay with that?"

Zhu Lina was indifferent; her parents rarely came home anyway. "I'll just call back and let them know."

Good, one down. The remaining one depended on whether Shi Man had time. It wasn't that Shi Man's parents strictly controlled her; rather, they were busy with work and hoped everyone could be present when the three of them had time to eat together.

Shi Man nodded. "Today, I was planning to sort out my own food anyway; there's no meal for me at home." She was supposed to eat with her family today, but there was a last-minute dinner engagement; her parents were going out to socialize, and while they had wanted her to join them to meet some elders, Shi Man had politely declined, citing her need to study.

"Perfect! Our three-person glutton squad is temporarily formed. Let’s move out," Wang Qiqi declared in a very 'MAN' fashion, waving her hand.

"Great! Let’s hit several stalls today," Shi Man had long wanted to try more local snacks but never found the opportunity. Now, taking advantage of this chance, they could eat more. With three people, if they ordered one serving of everything, they could taste multiple dishes.

"Right! We must eat until we burst this time," Shi Man stated with great ambition.

Zhu Lina kept listing the snacks she considered delicious, making Shi Man drool, and even making Wang Qiqi feel a little hungry. She hadn't expected Zhu Lina to know so many specialty snacks, especially those in super obscure corners. It would be a shame if this girl didn't become a food expert later on. Moreover, this era wasn't like the future with developed internet and convenient transportation; knowing these places now wasn't easy, showing how much time this girl had invested in this pursuit.

Shi Man looked at Zhu Lina with envy. After a long moment, she sighed. "I’m so jealous! Your parents are wonderful; they don't constantly pressure you to study." Her own parents often frowned when looking at her grades, saying they weren't good enough. While they treated her well and gave her plenty of money, the key issue was that she hadn't had such a leisurely time going out just for food in ages.

Wang Qiqi also nodded. "Zhu Lina, your family is really good to you."

Zhu Lina smiled faintly. "It's alright." They treated her very well; they would give her whatever she liked and take her traveling. But they were truly too busy. "Okay, should we take a cab or walk over there?"

"Take a cab," Shi Man interjected quickly. She remembered that the place selling stinky tofu was quite far from here; who knew how long it would take to walk?

Wang Qiqi didn't agree. "I remember several places Lina just mentioned are along the route to the stinky tofu place. Why don't we walk and eat along the way?" That way, they could get some exercise and eat delicious things.

Shi Man wasn't too happy at the thought of walking, knowing it meant covering a lot of ground, something the out-of-shape Shi Man might not handle well.

"Let's walk. You’ll get to try plenty of great food. Didn't you hear what Lina just said?" Wang Qiqi provoked her again.

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi, then at the slightly chubby Zhu Lina, thinking she couldn't possibly be beaten by a 'fatty' in a walk. "Fine. But I absolutely have to eat lots and lots of good stuff."

Wang Qiqi gave an 'OK' gesture. She also planned to let loose today. Since being reborn, Wang Qiqi had been wound tight constantly. If Shi Man hadn't occasionally lightened the mood with her antics, she might have forgotten her own age.

"Don't worry. Actually, along this route, there are a few nice small pastry shops, and a few foreign trade stores that have some really interesting things," Zhu Lina added, happy to share some of her little secrets with Wang Qiqi and Shi Man.