After Wang Qiqi finished the last sip of hot water in her teacup, she stood up, intending to rinse it before heading home. It was just the right time to walk home in half an hour, and since she hadn't done any exercise today due to making sushi.

Shi Man also packed up her school bag. Most of today’s tasks were done; the remaining problems would have to wait until tomorrow, although whether she'd even be here tomorrow was questionable.

While tidying her things, Zhu Lina debated whether she should ask about tomorrow. If she couldn't come, there were still so many concepts she didn't understand. Would she have to wait until Monday morning to copy notes at school? Although she could borrow someone's notebook, Zhu Lina really wanted to grasp why the problems required those specific steps herself. She mulled it over and over, unsure how to bring it up.

Wang Qiqi washed her cup and tucked it into her bag. "Let's go. Let's meet here at the usual time tomorrow." Although she didn't know Zhu Lina deeply, her performance today was quite good. What the heck, she needed to avoid her aunt and the others anyway, so being nice wouldn't hurt. Besides, the thought of going to Shi Man’s house wasn't appealing to Wang Qiqi.

Upon hearing they would meet here again tomorrow, Zhu Lina looked up in pleasant surprise. "Really? Can I come too?"

Shi Man glanced at the utterly clueless look on Zhu Lina’s face and snorted. "If we told you not to come, would you actually stay away?" Honestly, she was dense. Furthermore, if she didn't want to see her, there would have been no need to say that in the first place. "I just don't want to see any other boring people besides you."

Zhu Lina certainly understood that. She nodded. "I know, I know. I'll bring some delicious pastries tomorrow." From their chat 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. Besides, they didn't want to be seen by classmates at school; Zhu Lina knew that Gao Kai’s group sometimes came here to review their lessons too.

Zhu Lina was aware of the relationship between Wang Qiqi and Gao Kai. What she couldn't figure out was why Qiqi’s connection with Gao Kai seemed to have soured after she returned from her half-month leave. Even when Gao Kai stooped to look for Qiqi in the classroom, she acted as if she hadn't seen him. Zhu Lina truly didn't understand this. Some people speculated they had simply taken their relationship to a deeper level, which she had initially believed too, but now it seemed everyone’s guess was wrong; Qiqi must genuinely not be on good terms with Gao Kai.

"Fine, bring lots of tasty things tomorrow. Forget those chocolates; bring more fruit. As for me, I'm just coming for the free food—don't expect me to bring anything," Shi Man stated without ceremony. Of course, only she could speak to Wang Qiqi this way; if it were Zhu Lina, she wouldn't have the standing to say it, or Shi Man wouldn't be so polite.

Wang Qiqi looked at the completely unapologetic Shi Man and felt speechless, not wanting to engage with her. "I seem to recall someone bringing something both stinky and delicious here. Why are you suddenly unwilling to share now?"

Shi Man’s eyes lit up when she heard that. Right, she had brought durian! Of course, she wouldn't admit that her private plan was to take it home to savor slowly if no one else remembered it. Despite the truly awful smell, the taste made it worth it. "Qiqi, you really won't eat any? Aren't you the one who eats stinky tofu?"

Shi Man pulled a lunchbox from her bag. The moment she opened the lid, several boys sitting slowly nearby immediately bolted away. They couldn't resist pinching their noses while glancing back to see what was in the box that possessed such destructive power in terms of odor.

Wang Qiqi watched the boys quickly retreat and couldn't help laughing internally. If she had known durian was this effective, she would have brought it out sooner.

Shi Man was focused on the feast before her, unconcerned with the reactions of those around them. "Lina, you eat some. It’s really good."

Zhu Lina wasn't reserved either; she picked up a piece and ate it. "Not bad, it’s quite good. I think I have another durian at home; I'll bring some over tomorrow." She hadn't known Shi Man liked this fruit before, or she would have brought it to share ages ago. It was a pity Wang Qiqi didn't like it, but that was fine; Zhu Lina also enjoyed stinky tofu. "Qiqi, I know a place that has excellent stinky tofu, especially the sauce—it’s absolutely amazing."

Zhu Lina loved durian, so Wang Qiqi figured the chance she'd also like stinky tofu was high. Her intuition proved correct. "Okay, is it that stall run by the middle-aged couple in that small alley?"

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

Wang Qiqi nodded, excitedly recounting to Zhu Lina just how delicious the stinky tofu from that stall was. Shi Man looked back and forth between Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina, feeling a slight displeasure, sensing they were somehow excluding her. "Qiqi, how come I never knew about that stinky tofu stand?" She liked it too, so why had Qiqi never taken her there even once? It was too much.

Wang Qiqi paused, realizing she had forgotten that she only got to know about that stinky tofu stall during her third year of high school, a time when her relationship with Shi Man wasn't nearly as close. "I stumbled upon it accidentally. I was planning to take you, but unfortunately, that's when my parents had their accident..."

Shi Man, who had been unhappy that Wang Qiqi hadn't brought her along for a good thing, immediately forgot her grievance upon hearing the reason. She hastily said, "It's fine, it's fine. We'll go eat there when we have time later. How about we go today?" The weather was nice today, perfect for eating out. Moreover, they had spent the entire day diligently studying at the library, having far exceeded their goals; a little snack outing was definitely deserved.

Going today? As a foodie, Zhu Lina naturally agreed. Honestly, she hadn't been there in a while either, but she knew it ultimately depended on Wang Qiqi’s consent.

Wang Qiqi was on her own; no one would press her about when she went home, and she wasn't intensely craving stinky tofu. However, after the detailed descriptions, the craving bug had certainly been activated in her stomach. "Agreed, but it seems a bit far. Maybe we should just have dinner out instead?" By the time they went all the way over there for stinky tofu and then ambled home, it would be almost 6:30. It was better to make it livelier and eat dinner together. "Xiao Man, Lina, are you two okay with that?"

Zhu Lina was indifferent; her parents were rarely home anyway. "I just need to call back and let them know."

Good, one down. The remaining issue was whether Shi Man had the time. It wasn't that the Shi parents were overly strict with Shi Man; rather, they were busy with work and hoped for full attendance when they did manage to have a family meal together.

Shi Man nodded. "I was planning to figure out my own food today; there's no meal waiting for me at home." She was supposed to eat with her family tonight, but there was a last-minute engagement, and her parents had to go entertain guests. They had considered bringing Shi Man along to meet some elders, but Shi Man politely declined, citing her need to study.

"Perfect, the three of us foodies are officially formed. Let's go," Wang Qiqi declared with a sweeping, manly gesture.

"Great, we're going to feast on several stalls today," Shi Man had long wanted to try more delicious street snacks but had never found the opportunity. Today was the chance to indulge, and with three people, they could order one of everything and try many more items.

"Yes, we must eat until we burst this time," Shi Man stated with great resolve.

Zhu Lina chimed in continuously, listing the snacks she deemed delicious. She made Shi Man incredibly eager, and even Wang Qiqi started feeling hungry. She was surprised Zhu Lina knew so many specialty snacks, especially ones from super remote corners. It would be a pity if she didn't become a culinary expert in the future. Besides, this era lacked the developed internet and easy transportation of later times, making knowledge of such obscure places hard to come by. It showed how much time the girl had invested in this pursuit.

Shi Man looked at Zhu Lina with deep envy. After a long sigh, she let it out. "I’m so jealous. Your parents are so wonderful; they don't constantly pressure you to study hard." Her own parents always frowned when looking at her grades, saying they weren't good enough. While they were kind and provided plenty of money, the key issue was that she hadn't had such a leisurely time going out just for the sake of food in ages.

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

Zhu Lina smiled faintly. "It's alright." They were indeed very good to her; they gave her whatever she liked and took her traveling. But they were simply too busy. "Okay, should we take a taxi or walk there?"

"Taxi," Shi Man interjected quickly. She remembered the place with the stinky tofu seemed quite far from here; how long would it take to walk?

Wang Qiqi didn't agree. "I remember several places Lina just mentioned are on the route to the stinky tofu stall. How about we walk there, eating as we go?" This way, they could get exercise and eat good food simultaneously.

Shi Man was decidedly unhappy at the prospect of walking, knowing it would involve covering a lot of ground. How could someone who lacked exercise manage that?

"Let's go. You’ll get to eat plenty of good food. Didn't you hear what Lina just said?" Wang Qiqi prodded Shi Man again.

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi, then at the somewhat plump Zhu Lina, thinking she certainly couldn't lose a walk to a chubby person. "Deal. But I absolutely must eat lots and lots of delicious things."

Wang Qiqi gave an OK sign. She was determined to let loose today. Since coming back to this life, Wang Qiqi had been constantly tense. If Shi Man hadn't occasionally provided comic relief, she might have forgotten her own age.

"Don't worry. Actually, there are a few nice little shops along the way, and a couple of foreign trade stores with some really interesting items," Zhu Lina admitted, happy to share these little secrets with Wang Qiqi and Shi Man.