Oh no, the aloof school beauty has been reborn too!

Liu Chunmei handed a bag of salt to the customer, settled the payment, and then rubbed her frozen fingers.

"Splash..."

The roller shutter closed, she locked the door, and then pulled her scarf tighter around her neck.

Lu Shoucheng usually gets off work late at the factory, so she usually comes home early to cook dinner.

It's getting cold, and the wind on the street feels like knives slicing your face.

She left in a hurry, thinking that when she got back she would first cook the rice and then stir-fry some cabbage.

My daughter said she wanted to drink soup today, and I had half a radish in the fridge, so I decided to make a pot.

One of the motion-activated lights in the building's hallway is broken.

As Liu Chunmei went upstairs, her footsteps echoed on the cement steps.

Her fingers were so cold that they were a little stiff, and it took her a couple of tries to insert the key into the lock.

As soon as she pushed the door open, the cold wind rushed into the room along with her.

But the next second, Liu Chunmei was stunned.

The kitchen light was on, and the faint sounds of running water and pot lids being put down could be heard.

Liu Chunmei stood in the entryway, still carrying groceries, and didn't react for a moment.

"Ningning?"

She called out instinctively.

The figure in the kitchen paused for a moment, then poked half of their body out.

"mom."

Lu Xing was holding a bunch of green vegetables in his hand, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and a smile on his face.

When Liu Chunmei saw that it was Lu Xing, she was stunned for two seconds, and then her eyes lit up.

"Oh, you're back?"

She didn't even bother to change her shoes before grabbing the groceries and heading straight to the kitchen.

"When did you get home?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

Lu Xing put the vegetables into the colander and said with a smile:

"I just wanted to give you a surprise."

"What's there to be surprised about?"

Although Liu Chunmei said this, she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

She put the bag in her hand down by the stove and glanced at the rice cooker.

"Is the rice all washed?"

"Yes, it's just been cooked."

"Did you wash the vegetables too?"

"I've washed half of it, but I haven't touched the radish yet. I don't know if you want to use it tonight."

Liu Chunmei looked at the neatly arranged vegetables and then at the clean basin in the sink.

She felt a little out of place.

Before Lu Xing went to university, the most he did at home was help take out the trash.

As a result, after only one semester, she came back and had tidied up the kitchen quite nicely.

She felt both happy and a little bittersweet.

"You silly child."

Liu Chunmei wiped her hand on her apron and looked around at Lu Xing.

"It's so tiring to come back, and it's not a short walk from the station to home."

"If you had told me sooner, I could have picked you up after closing the shop."

"I'm not tired at all."

Lu Xing said helplessly:

"I'm not a child anymore."

"To me, you're still a little kid no matter how old you get."

As Liu Chunmei spoke, her gaze fell on Lu Xing's face, and her brows furrowed slightly.

She leaned closer, looked at his face carefully, and then reached out to pinch his arm.

"Have you lost weight?"

Lu Xing froze.

"No, right?"

"not yet?"

Liu Chunmei immediately raised her voice.

"Look, her face has become so much sharper!"

"Didn't you tell me to eat well at school?"

"Do you complain that the cafeteria food is bad and you always just grab something quick and easy?"

"No, there really isn't..."

Lu Xing was both amused and exasperated.

Not only did he not go hungry at school, but thanks to Shen Qingyi's frequent feedings, his meals were much better.

However, since he has military training this semester and also maintains a regular exercise routine, he naturally looks much more agile.

But in a mother's eyes...

If a child isn't fat, then it's equivalent to them being thin.

Lu Xing thought for a moment, shook the water out of his hands, and bent his arm hard.

"Look."

Liu Chunmei was stunned.

"What are you looking at?"

"Muscles~"

Lu Xing held his arm straight out in a serious manner:

"I've been exercising regularly, so I've become more toned, not thinner."

The bright white light from the kitchen ceiling shone on his forearm.

While it's far from being considered muscular, it's definitely much firmer than before.

Liu Chunmei stared at it for two seconds, then couldn't help but laugh.

"You call that muscles?"

"Why not?"

Lu Xing tensed up again, still unwilling to accept it.

"Look, isn't it rock hard here?"

"Okay, okay, it's sturdy now."

Liu Chunmei gave a perfunctory reply, but she felt slightly relieved.

She could tell that Lu Xing's spirits were indeed much better than before.

His eyes brightened, and his face no longer carried that burdened look.

This change made her happy, but it also made her feel somewhat unfamiliar with it.

It seems that the child started to change from the first day of school.

"Alright, go play somewhere else."

Liu Chunmei opened the vegetable bag.

"I'll hurry up and cook, your dad will be back soon."

Lu Xing, however, did not leave.

He stood by the stove, his fingers rubbing against the hem of his clothes, looking somewhat hesitant.

Liu Chunmei picked up the kitchen knife and turned to look at him.

"What are you still standing here for?"

Lu Xing coughed.

"Mom, I want to learn how to cook."

"oh."

Liu Chunmei subconsciously responded, and was just about to ask him to get the ginger when she suddenly stopped.

She slowly turned her head, her gaze landing suspiciously on Lu Xing's face.

"What did you say?"

Lu Xing tried to remain calm:

I said... I want to learn how to cook.

Liu Chunmei narrowed her eyes.

"Something's wrong with you."

"What's wrong?"

Something's not right.

Liu Chunmei placed the cleaver on the cutting board.

"Someone who finds cooking instant noodles too troublesome is now telling me they want to learn how to cook?"

She stared at Lu Xing for a few seconds, then suddenly lowered her voice:

"Did you have a girlfriend in college?"

Lu Xing's heart skipped a beat.

However, he felt it was too early to introduce Shen Qingyi to his parents now.

It's not because I'm not serious...

It is precisely because I take things so seriously that I don’t want to be hasty.

These thoughts flashed through my mind in just a second or two.

Lu Xing remained outwardly calm, a helpless smile on his face.

"Mom, you're overthinking it."

"With my looks, what girl would want me?"

He said it so naturally, as if it were the truth.

Liu Chunmei was somewhat fooled by him.

Lu Xing continued:

"I'm just tired of eating at the school cafeteria."

"Sometimes I don't want to go downstairs on weekends, or I'm hungry at night, so I can cook myself a little something, right?"

"Besides, having more skills means having more options."

Liu Chunmei raised her eyebrows.

"Can we cook in the dorm?"

"There's a communal kitchen."

Lu Xing spoke without changing his expression.

"It's okay to use it occasionally."

Liu Chunmei felt something was off, but Lu Xing's words also made some sense.

As college students, we need to learn to take care of ourselves when we're away from home.

Being able to cook is never a bad thing.

She stared at Lu Xing for a while, then finally snorted.

"Don't just stand there, peel and slice the radish, be careful not to cut your hand."

"Yes, ma'am!"

In the kitchen that followed, the aroma of cooking slowly began to rise again.

The tap was running, and the cleaver clattered on the cutting board.

Liu Chunmei stood in front of the stove heating the pot, while Lu Xing peeled radishes beside her.

His movements were a bit slow at first, but he quickly found his rhythm.

"Slice them thinner, and the soup will cook faster."

"so?"

"Slant it a little more, yes, like that."

While giving instructions, Liu Chunmei couldn't help but mutter to herself.

This child learns things really quickly.

Just because you didn't do it before doesn't mean you can't.

Now that I'm serious, I can grasp the nuances of cutting vegetables and the amount of seasoning almost instantly.

She would say it once, and Lu Xing would remember it the next time, and would even wash the bowl after using it.

How did you become so amazing?

……

The kitchen was steaming, and a thin layer of white mist condensed on the window.

When Lu Shoucheng returned from get off work, he heard the sound of a key turning at the door.

He pushed the door open and came in, his shoulders radiating cold air, and his jacket cuffs still smelled of engine oil.

As I was changing my shoes, I looked up and saw Lu Xing carrying a plate of shredded pork with green peppers out of the kitchen.

The father and son exchanged a glance.

Lu Xing greeted him with a smile:

"Dad, you're back."

Lu Shoucheng was clearly taken aback.

He glanced at Lu Xing, then at the vegetables in his hand, before nodding slowly.

"Um."

"When did you get back? You must have taken a lot of buses back from the station, right?"

Lu Xing placed the dishes on the table, his tone relaxed.

"It only involved two bus transfers."

He laughed as soon as he said that.

After starting work in his previous life, he visited many unfamiliar cities.

The high-speed rail station at 5 a.m., the airport bus at 11 p.m.

Unable to hail a taxi in the torrential rain, I could only drag my suitcase along the flooded roadside and wait for the bus.

Once, while I was on a business trip, the thunder sounded like it was crashing down from above.

Rainwater streamed down the umbrella ribs and into my shoulders; my phone battery was down to single digits, but calls from clients kept coming in.

He stood at the transfer station platform, so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to curse.

Compared to all that, taking two buses is really not much trouble.

Lu Shoucheng was unaware of what his son was thinking and remained silent for a moment.

"If you're tired, take a rest."

"I'm not tired at all."

Lu Xing laughed:

"I even helped my mom cook."

Liu Chunmei came out of the kitchen and took over the conversation:

"He was really capable today."

Lu Shoucheng changed his shoes, hung his coat behind the door, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Dinner was quickly served.

Because Lu Xing was going home, Liu Chunmei added two more dishes on the spot.

The dining table was piled high with food.

The stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork were glistening with oil, the scrambled eggs with tomatoes were vibrant, the garlic-flavored cabbage was steaming hot, and the braised tofu was coated in sauce.

In the middle was a large bowl of radish and pork rib soup, with some finely chopped scallions floating on top of the noodles.

So hungry...

Lu Ningning followed the scent and crawled out of the room.

She was wearing fluffy pajamas, and her hair was casually tied up in a bun.

As he sat down, his eyes swept across the table, and he immediately exclaimed in surprise:

"Holy crap, is it Chinese New Year today?"

Liu Chunmei patted her on the shoulder.

"Your brother's back, but that still can't shut you up."

The rising steam from the dinner table softened the faces of the family.

Lu Xing was very considerate with every bite he took.

"Wow, this stir-fried shredded pork smells so good."

"The soup tastes so good..."

"Home-cooked meals are still the best; the school cafeteria is nowhere near as good."

Liu Chunmei was so flattered that her lips never left her mouth, but she pretended to be indifferent.

"You're so good at talking..."

"Eat more if it's delicious."

"It's delicious."

Lu Xing picked up another piece of cabbage with his chopsticks.

"This cabbage really has that wok-fried aroma."

"Still trying to capture the 'wok hei' (wok aroma)..."

Lu Ningning was gnawing on ribs next to him when she couldn't help but look up at him.

"Brother, why are you talking so eloquently now?"

Lu Xing calmly took a sip of soup.

"I'm a university student now, my vocabulary has improved, you know?"

Lu Ningning frowned and began to seriously examine him.

She felt that something was wrong.

Although Lu Xing used to talk at home, he mostly just lazily lounged on the sofa.

She answers every question with a single sentence, and I often find her annoying.

But this time when he came back, he not only helped with cooking, but also praised the dishes in a variety of ways, and even his conversations with his parents were much more natural.

Lu Ningning bit her chopsticks, finding the situation increasingly suspicious.

"elder brother……"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Why do you seem so much more lively after you went to university?"