Gong Junyu initially paid no mind to the knocking, assuming perhaps the wrong door had been disturbed. Besides, he thought, there were four other people here. But after waiting a long moment with no one rising to open it, just as he himself was about to move, he finally saw a gaze shift away from a computer screen. "Go open the door."

Daili Jun didn't react immediately to the knock, but then he recalled Han Tao mentioning as he left that Qiqi would come over to cook dinner. Although her culinary skills weren't superb, they were infinitely better than the cafeteria food. For Daili Jun, who had been eating boxed meals for days, Wang Qiqi's cooking currently held the status of a grand imperial feast. "We're having something good to eat tonight."

Daili Jun shot up in excitement and rushed to the door. His enthusiasm and exaggerated movements snapped the other three, deeply immersed in their computers, back to reality. Ni Guangxin adjusted his glasses. "The dummy's gone mad again." What good food? It was still so early for food delivery, and it must be exceptionally tasty for the dummy to be so energized.

Gong Junyu signaled that he didn't know, but soon a clear female voice drifted from the doorway. "Dummy, you're moving too slowly. Don't you know it’s chilly outside? Alright, I’ve brought her over, and I’ve brought the groceries. I need to go back to studying. Remember to help Qiqi with the work."

Shi Man knew that if she lingered, she'd inevitably be roped into doing chores. So, Shi Man swiftly dumped the groceries into the kitchen area and vanished. Her speed was so startling that Wang Qiqi didn't even have time to react. Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man to move that fast; such a helpful pair of hands had just bolted. Wang Qiqi suppressed the urge to chase after Shi Man—partly to maintain her demure disposition, and partly because she knew Shi Man fleeing meant she wanted no part of the housework.

"Little Dai classmate, I’ll have to trouble you in a bit," Wang Qiqi said, lifting the bag she held.

Daili Jun looked at the many bags in Wang Qiqi's hands, then at the considerable pile of bags already in the kitchen. "I only know how to wash and trim vegetables." He made it clear that any task requiring higher skill was off-limits to him.

Wang Qiqi was fine with just those tasks for Daili Jun; even if Shi Man had stayed, those were the only jobs she’d have done anyway. "Thanks, this is enough."

Wang Qiqi pulled out the vegetables and directed Daili Jun to start working, while she began washing the chicken and ribs thoroughly to put them on to boil, then started stewing the beef. Wang Qiqi had been deliberating between stewing lamb or beef when she suddenly recalled she could make Cumin Lamb, which would help mask any gaminess.

Wang Qiqi efficiently placed the ribs and chicken into the largest pot and got to work, then found a medium-sized pot to stew the beef. "This pot belongs to the landlord?" Wang Qiqi had worried about pot availability, but hadn't expected the landlord to be so accommodating, providing a full set of cookware. Naturally, Wang Qiqi washed everything again before using it and then sterilized the pots with boiling water.

Daili Jun worked beside Wang Qiqi in the kitchen. Though he remained silent, his behavior left Gong Junyu and the others staring in disbelief. Good heavens, when did the dummy develop such qualities of a model house-husband? "Is that his girlfriend?" At this, everyone remembered the rumors circulating around school. But the dummy had insisted the rumors were false, and they had agreed, thinking few girls would fall for the dummy's personality. Yet the reality proved they had been mistaken, and had underestimated the dummy.

Daili Jun was oblivious to what his seniors were thinking; his entire focus was on finishing the prep work quickly so he could get back to his own tasks. Once he had finished trimming the vegetables, he said, "Qiqi, you wash the vegetables; I need to go handle the program." With that, Daili Jun hurried back to his computer to get busy.

Gong Junyu and the others were stunned by Daili Jun’s sudden dedication. My god, this wasn't the dummy they knew; how quickly had he managed to completely charm this beauty? But the guy was something else; he didn't seem to appreciate such a good girl.

Gong Junyu walked over to Daili Jun, coughed a few times to get his attention, and asked, "Is that girl the famous 'Library Girl' from all over the campus?"

Daili Jun was momentarily startled that Gong Junyu had coughed so persistently just to ask such a rudimentary question. He grunted an affirmative, immediately refocusing on the computer, eager to finish writing while the flow of his logic was still active.

Gong Junyu was dumbfounded by Daili Jun’s nonchalance. Alright, even though they all loved computers, this was a major development concerning a close friend, yet he acted completely unconcerned. "Your girlfriend is great; you better treat her well. Such a wonderful girl—if you manage to anger her until she cries, you’ll have hell to pay." Gong Junyu had dated before, but his previous girlfriends were incredibly demanding—one minute asking him to do this, the next minute that; even attending a classmate’s birthday party required him to be present and in a good mood. As for housework, Gong Junyu had long given up hope, but this junior was so lucky to snag such a find—she greeted them at the door and immediately started working diligently in the kitchen, the epitome of a virtuous homemaker.

Girlfriend? Daili Jun was genuinely startled by Gong Junyu's words. He stopped working on the computer; this was crucial stuff, people’s lives were at stake! "Qiqi isn't my girlfriend; don't scare me." Although Wang Qiqi appeared ladylike, Daili Jun had spent enough time talking with her to know from her tone that she wasn't meekly gentle; she actually possessed a streak of aggression. "She has a boyfriend! Don't scare me; I plan on living a few more years." He also remembered Wang Qiqi's boyfriend, Han Tao, who, despite appearing refined, was also quite calculating.

Has a boyfriend? Gong Junyu considered that it was perfectly normal for such a beautiful and capable girl to have a boyfriend. "Well, you've known her for so long, and someone else beat you to it."

Daili Jun mumbled, "She’s from the same hometown and a neighbor. They’re obviously childhood sweethearts. Where do I stand?"

Hearing Daili Jun’s explanation, the others fell silent; there was no point trying to compete with that history. But Ni Guangxin raised a valid point: "If she has a boyfriend, why is she coming here? Does her boyfriend live here?" A girl with a boyfriend—even if she was close with Daili Jun—wouldn't just casually wander into a place dominated by guys, especially if it could cause misunderstandings?

As soon as Ni Guangxin voiced the question, they exchanged glances, and one name surfaced simultaneously: "Han Tao?"

They all felt a pang of jealousy towards Han Tao for finding such a capable and virtuous girl. "No wonder he said he was making hot pot today and told us not to bother preparing food."

Huang Junze was concerned about the taste. "I wonder how her cooking is. Daili Jun, have you tried it?" Not many girls knew how to cook well, and he hoped she hadn't ruined the ingredients only for them to feel obligated to eat it.

"It's good, better than the cafeteria. Though a bit short of a professional chef's skill," Daili Jun commented. "Actually, you should have gone to help earlier; you could have discussed recipes with her."

Discuss recipes? Huang Junze waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. A gentleman stays far from the kitchen; I cannot betray the words of Master Confucius."

Shi Zhengwei, standing nearby, bluntly exposed him. "You're just afraid she’ll actually make you cook."

Huang Junze wasn't offended; his culinary skills were indeed poor, so there was nothing to be angry about. "At least I can discuss cooking verbally, unlike some people who can't even manage a verbal discussion." Humph, talking about him. Never mind that.

Since she was Han Tao's girlfriend, the group discussed it briefly before returning their focus to the computers.

Wang Qiqi caught snippets of their conversation, but as they spoke softly, she couldn't exactly stand at the kitchen doorway listening. However, feeling the warmth inside the room and becoming thirsty, she was just about to ask Daili Jun if he had a cup when Han Tao opened the door and walked in.

"Qiqi, did you get the groceries? Do you need me to do anything?" Han Tao peered in and found no one in the kitchen, while his five housemates were glued to their monitors. This displeased Han Tao slightly—what did this mean? They weren't even helping out a little.

Wang Qiqi tugged at Han Tao's sleeve and shook her head at him. "Dummy helped me trim the vegetables just now; I'm just chopping them in the kitchen. Could you pour me a glass of water?" If Han Tao picked a fight with them now, it would be a huge loss. "It’s fine, go get back to your work. I can manage alone."

Han Tao’s annoyance subsided upon hearing that Daili Jun had helped trim vegetables. He knew his roommates only possessed that level of domestic skill; washing and trimming were possible, but anything more complicated was out of the question. "Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"I can manage, but I’m only responsible for the cooking. I'm not doing the dishes," Wang Qiqi stated, hating washing dishes, especially with this much food being prepared today, which meant plenty of dirty tableware.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry, we'll wash the dishes," Gong Junyu said, suddenly remembering something important. "Also, Sister-in-law, how much is the food today? We’ll pay you."

"It’s fine; Han Tao already gave me money to buy the vegetables as thanks for your help to him." Wang Qiqi wouldn't accept payment; it wasn't that much money anyway.

Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi quizzically; when had he given her money? Still, he didn't speak up, took his own cup, poured Wang Qiqi a glass of water, chatted with her briefly, and then, urged by her, went to work on the computer.

When Gong Junyu and the others saw Han Tao arrive and Wang Qiqi head back into the kitchen, they all gave Han Tao a thumbs-up. "Brother, you're formidable; you snagged such a virtuous wife."

"Cherish a good girl."

"Sigh, when will I find such a good girl?" Huang Junze sniffed the faint scent of roasting meat drifting in the air. Even before tasting it, the aroma suggested it would be worth looking forward to.

"Find a cook, or go digging around to see if you have a childhood sweetheart," Shi Zhengwei remarked. Shi Zhengwei was Huang Junze’s fellow townsman and high school classmate, privy to some of his history.

Hearing Shi Zhengwei mention his so-called childhood sweetheart, Huang Junze shuddered. Why was there such a massive difference between his childhood sweetheart and theirs? (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe and tip at Qidian Mobile Network (qidian.cn). Your support is my greatest motivation.)