It wasn't just Wang Qiqi who had this thought; Zhu Lina and the others felt the same way. Everyone was holding back, their dissatisfied gazes flying directly towards Shi Man. Among the guys, there was an added thought: people truly are deceptive. They hadn't expected the Dork's cooking skills to improve so drastically after getting a girlfriend.

Gong Junyu kept stroking his chin, thinking he needed to make the Dork cook more often in the future. However, this guy was truly going too far. He always claimed he had no talent for cooking and couldn't do it, but look at him now. What an absolute friend-forsaker, prioritizing romance over friendship.

"Dinner is ready," the Dork and Lu Qiaowei brought out all the ingredients for the hot pot. As for the broth, they used spareribs and chicken, first pressure-cooked, then simmered on low heat. So even though the time was a bit short, the flavor had developed. The Dork poured this soup into the hot pot and carried it out himself.

"Hey, my dear brother and sister, you guys really do nothing and let us do all the work." Gong Junyu shot him a sidelong glance. "Perform well, and remember to clean up after dinner." As punishment for the Dork's failure to report his hidden cooking talent (though the Dork completely forgot that making hot pot is something even a slightly diligent person can manage), Gong Junyu decided to teach him a profound lesson. He wanted the Dork to understand that while one must be good to one's girlfriend, brotherhood also matters. Regarding Gong Junyu's suggestion, Shi Man was an absolute supporter, and Wang Qiqi certainly didn't object.

Zhu Lina, however, felt quite embarrassed. "We'll wash them; the Dork has done quite a lot today." Ever since meeting the Dork and getting to know him better, she knew this kid was genuinely lazy. He even threw his summer clothes into the washing machine. One can imagine how lazy he is.

Getting him to prepare so many vegetables and meats today was already a feat; if they made him wash the dishes too, Zhu Lina worried the guy would throw a tantrum, and her own cutlery would suffer the consequences. Shi Man glared at the unsupportive Zhu Lina. "Dork, what about these dishes..." If the guy dared to refuse to wash the dishes, hmph, she'd have to teach him a lesson later. Hadn't they washed the dishes fewer times for him before?

Why hadn't anyone shown her any sympathy back then? Seeing Shi Man's fierce look, the Dork hastily nodded. "It's just these dishes, I'll wash them. Right, Weiwei, don't do any work after we finish eating.

Rest a bit; I'll handle all this." The Dork couldn't bear to let his girlfriend's hands touch dish soap. He had heard Han Tao mention that the stuff was damaging to the skin. If he hadn't seen Wang Qiqi with Han Tao, he was certain Han Tao would be the one washing the dishes. Otherwise, how would Qiqi have such fair and tender hands?

Back then, the Dork resolved that once he got a girlfriend, he would treat her just like Han Tao treated his, never letting her hands become as aged and lusterless as his own mother’s. Gong Junyu and the others dared not speak at that moment, worried that any word might incur the resentment of Shi Man or the Dork, forcing them to help with the dishes. But they hadn't expected the Dork to agree to wash them all and even forbid his woman from helping. This stunned them.

When did the Dork become so diligent? Do people really change so much after falling in love? If every man in love behaved this way, Gong Junyu and the others thought perhaps they should just forget about it; the kitchen was no battlefield fit for a gentleman. Lu Qiaowei initially thought she had a decent grasp of Wang Qiqi and the others, but Gong Junyu and the guys?

Too bad. They hadn't shown up for yesterday's dinner, and today she had only managed to exchange greetings while helping in the kitchen. She had assumed they were all refined people, but when she saw the boisterousness at the dinner table—how they could resort to pouting, playing, and throwing tantrums just for a bite of food—Lu Qiaowei felt foolish. Refinement and ladylike behavior seemed like old myths.

The Dork watched the lively scene at the table, then looked at his girlfriend’s wide-open mouth. He unceremoniously snatched a piece of food and placed it in her bowl. "Eat, don't be polite. Eating at home is all about fighting for it." Hearing the Dork, Shi Man remembered there was an extra guest today.

While snatching food, she told Lu Qiaowei, "The stuff you fight for is always tastier. And don't be polite; we got close by fighting over food like this." Lu Qiaowei was still a bit uncomfortable with this method of snatching food. She felt awkward, as they fought because they were close, but if she joined in, should she steal from their chopsticks or offer her own for them to snatch? In short, it just didn't suit her.

Shi Man noticed Lu Qiaowei’s reserved expression and shrugged; well, she'd go back to snatching food. Whose girlfriend was whose responsibility. The Dork noticed his girlfriend’s hesitant expression and whispered near her ear, "Don't be polite; muster up some courage. If you're too polite, they’ll actually think you’re..." Lu Qiaowei watched their fierce competition, noticing how the plentiful vegetables, meat, and mushrooms were visibly diminishing at an alarming rate.

Having skipped breakfast and worked half the day, Lu Qiaowei got angry. This was too much! All thoughts of reserve and leaving a good impression on her boyfriend’s friends vanished. Isn't eating the most important thing in the world?

After several slices of just-cooked mutton were intercepted from her, Lu Qiaowei saw Shi Man successfully snatch a piece of mutton from Wang Qiqi’s chopsticks. She swiftly made her move, grabbing a piece and tossing it directly into her mouth. Shi Man had been preparing to show off how she finally managed to snag something good from Wang Qiqi’s chopsticks, but unexpectedly, an unexpected contender popped up. "Ah, Weiwei, you..." The Dork cheered for his girlfriend’s aggressive style.

"You’re only allowed to snatch from others? Weiwei, don't hold back. If you see something you like, strike! If you aren't fierce, they’ll just think you’re weak, not that you’re letting them have it." Shi Man looked at her close friend, who was saying one thing while giving her a look that said, you are useless, and almost choked in frustration.

"You’re ruthless, truly ruthless." What followed at the dinner table was a lively back-and-forth of eating. Everyone thought they wouldn't be able to finish so much food, but unexpectedly, everyone displayed their full potential and cleared the plates. Wang Qiqi was semi-reclining on the sofa, patting her full stomach and letting out a satisfied burp. She instantly felt like even her exhalations smelled like hot pot.

"I'm not eating anything tonight." It was already two in the afternoon; she definitely wouldn't be able to eat dinner. She'd just bring a package of instant noodles onto the train for dinner and a late-night snack. Shi Man rested her head on Wang Qiqi’s shoulder and hummed in agreement. At first, there were faint sounds of talking, but soon Wang Qiqi heard Shi Man’s soft snores.

Wang Qiqi turned and found the girl already asleep. "Eat and sleep, sleep and eat—a typical little pig." Wang Qiqi didn't have the energy to carry her back to the room, so she carefully made space for Shi Man to sleep and went inside to get a blanket to cover her. Dai Lijun noticed Wang Qiqi covering Shi Man with a blanket and spoke up without hesitation. "Hahaha, Manman is becoming more and more like a pig.

Did she not rest well yesterday?" If Lu Qiaowei hadn't been present, perhaps everyone would have joked around more freely. But since she was there, everyone felt a bit constrained. After some light conversation and laughter, Gong Junyu and the others withdrew. As for the unfortunate Dai Lijun, he was left alone in the kitchen wrestling with the pile of dishes.

Lu Qiaowei felt like helping, but Dai Lijun righteously refused. "Washing dishes ruins your hands; I'll do it." Lu Qiaowei froze when she heard Dai Lijun say that. She had considered various reasons why Dai Lijun wouldn't let her help with the dishes, but none involved this. She was stunned.

She had been washing dishes since she was little; her mother never told her to take care of her hands like this. Moreover, she had noticed yesterday how fair and tender Wang Qiqi’s hands were, soft to the touch—clearly the legendary wealthy person's hands. Although Wang Qiqi wasn't exactly fat, her hands were plump, making them what one might call hands of white jade. Wang Qiqi ushered Lu Qiaowei to the bathroom to wash her hands, then handed her a tube of hand cream brought back from abroad.

"Apply this often; your hands will become fair and bright too." Wang Qiqi had noticed the envious look in her eyes yesterday. Honestly, Wang Qiqi was very satisfied with her hands. She felt that hands were just as important as one’s face for presentation, so she had always told Han Tao how crucial a woman’s hands were. She never expected Han Tao to turn around and pass this theory on to the Dork.

Wang Qiqi thought Lu Qiaowei was truly a lucky, blessed child. After washing her hands, Lu Qiaowei took Wang Qiqi’s hand cream. Seeing all the English writing, her first thought was that this must be very expensive. She concluded that maintaining beautiful hands was indeed a costly endeavor.

However, when she squeezed out a bit of cream, the scent was truly lovely. "Rose scented?" When she rubbed it in, it felt moisturizing and not at all greasy. Wang Qiqi hummed in affirmation. This brand of hand cream was something Wang Qiqi had specifically bought during her last trip to France.

Her colleagues in her previous life often used this brand, saying it was incredibly moisturizing. At that time, Wang Qiqi couldn't afford it, but after her rebirth and finally having money, she discovered this brand hadn't even been distributed in China yet. Lu Qiaowei thanked her, then sat beside Wang Qiqi to chat. Although she didn't ask the price, she figured it wouldn't be cheap.

She decided she’d just buy some hand cream domestically. Whether it was the telepathic connection between lovers or a sudden thought, the Dork poked his head out from the kitchen. "Weiwei, how does Qiqi's hand cream feel? If you like it, I'll ask Han Tao to bring some back from America." Although it was a bit expensive, the Dork, now able to earn money, felt the cost was no issue.

Furthermore, he always believed that anything Wang Qiqi thought highly of must be good and certainly suitable for his own girlfriend. Hearing the Dork say that, Lu Qiaowei quickly waved her hands, signaling she didn't need it. "It just so happens Han Tao is going over there soon; I’ll ask him to buy a few extra tubes. Don't worry, your man has money." Wang Qiqi immediately pulled Lu Qiaowei into an embrace and made the final decision.

Zhu Lina also looked up from her pile of documents. "It is quite effective. A woman's hands are her secondary face." 【Empress of the Flourishing Age】 Just Love Melon Seeds Synopsis: A white-collar elite transmigrates into the Hesheli clan and begins a brand new life.