Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

When Qiu Yingying got home in the evening, she changed her shoes in the entryway and hung up her bag. The house was quiet, with only the soft hum of the refrigerator. She glanced at the clock in the living room; it was almost eight o'clock.

Today was her first day after her promotion, and she was still immersed in a light, excited feeling. But this excitement wasn't restless; rather, it was a grounded feeling of being recognized. She knew she deserved it and was very grateful to the system for its continued support and guidance.

She kicked off her high heels, and her fluffy slippers stepped onto the floor, gradually dispelling her fatigue.

She didn't start cooking right away. Instead, she went to the living room, put her phone on the coffee table, and then slumped into the sofa and closed her eyes.

It takes her three minutes to switch herself from "Deputy Manager Qiu" back to "Qiu Yingying".

She first called her parents to tell them she'd been promoted. They were overjoyed and invited her friends over for dinner that weekend. She'd recently bought her dad a Wuling Hongguang minivan and her mom a car. Her parents, always eager to work, had recently found their dad a car mechanic job nearby and their mom a kitchen helper at a restaurant. Qiu Yingying invited her friends over for dinner that weekend, and they happily accepted!

In the years since her rebirth, she has maintained this habit. By day, she's the decisive and authoritative project manager at work; by night, she becomes another version of herself—continuously learning within the learning system, quietly chopping vegetables, seasoning, and mastering cooking techniques in the kitchen while working as a food blogger, editing videos, and interacting with her fans. Every day, she's thinking about what to learn.

What keeps her improving her culinary skills is the encouragement from the virtual chefs in the system. At first, they taught her home-style dishes and desserts, and now she is learning more complex imperial dishes.

The system's learning space is like a secret base for her. She can freely build a kitchen within it, choose any ingredients, and try any cooking method without waste, failure, or making a mess. More importantly, the system provides highly accurate feedback based on her actions, such as "the oil is too hot" or "the stir-frying is uneven." This feedback is more rigorous than any teacher's and more intuitive than any video tutorial.

The complexity of imperial cuisine far exceeded her expectations. It wasn't the sheer number of steps that made it difficult, but rather the absolute perfection required for each one. For instance, the thickness of the sliced ​​vegetables had to be uniform to the millimeter, the heat control to the second, and even the angle of the plating was crucial. A virtual "imperial chef" in the system would watch her work, pointing out even the slightest deviation without hesitation.

"The knife work is not even enough."

"The heat has been exceeded."

"This plating is completely haphazard."

At first, she was so discouraged that she questioned her existence. But the more she was discouraged, the more determined she became. Every day, she would practice in her study space until she felt completely exhausted before going to sleep.

Gradually, she found that her hands became more and more steady, her perception of the heat became more and more acute, and even the flavors she prepared became more and more delicious.

The jade shrimp balls she's making today are a dish she practiced in the system for a whole month before finally reaching the "qualified" level.

Thinking of this, she opened her eyes, sat up from the sofa, and took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's get started."

She got up and went to the kitchen.

Her kitchen was impeccably tidy. A cutting board and knives sat on the left side of the counter, while the stove and sink were on the right. Hanging on the wall were various small spatulas and spoons she had collected, all different colors but meticulously clean. Rows of glass jars, filled with her spices, lined the spice rack.

She opened the refrigerator and took out the ingredients she had bought that day: shrimp, broccoli, carrots, egg whites, starch, and a small jar of chicken fat.

She arranged the ingredients one by one, and then turned on the live streaming equipment.

Her livestreaming equipment is simple: a tripod, a mobile phone, and a warm yellow fill light. She adjusts the angle to ensure that the camera only captures her hands, the ingredients, and the work surface, without showing her face.

Her online name is "Yingying Loves to Eat," and she has been consistently avoiding showing her face since she started live streaming recently. She doesn't want her real life and online world to overlap too much; she just wants to quietly share her food experiences.

She pressed the "Start Live Stream" button.

The screen lit up, and the comments section quickly started scrolling.

"Yingying Loves to Eat is online!"

"What delicious food are you making today?"

"Checking in from the front row!"

"The ingredients look so fresh!"

Qiu Yingying's voice came from off-camera, gentle and with a hint of laughter: "Hello everyone, today I'm going to make a dish that I've been practicing for a long time—Jade Shrimp Balls."

Her hands appeared in the frame, fair and slender, moving cleanly and efficiently. She first placed the shrimp on the cutting board and gently pounded them with the back of a knife. This action seems simple, but the force must be controlled just right; too much force will crush the shrimp, while too little force will not achieve the desired springy texture.

She practiced this move in the system for a whole week.

"When patting the shrimp, you need to apply even pressure," she said as she patted. "You can't use too much force, and you can't just pat the surface. You need to make the shrimp meat slightly separate, but still keep it intact."

The comments section started flooding with messages.

"Yingying's knife skills are getting better and better!"

"This gesture is so therapeutic!"

"Looks very professional!"

She smiled and continued processing the shrimp. After tenderizing them, she made a small cut along the back of each shrimp and removed the vein. Her movements were incredibly precise, each cut perfectly executed.

"When removing the shrimp vein, the knife should be inserted at an angle," she explained. "This way, it can be removed cleanly without damaging the shape of the shrimp. Imperial cuisine is very particular about 'form,' so every step must be taken seriously."

After preparing the shrimp, she began marinating them. She first added a little salt and cooking wine, then gently mixed it with her hands. Next, she added an egg white and two tablespoons of starch, stirring in one direction.

"The direction of stirring is very important," she said. "You have to keep stirring in one direction so that the shrimp can be better coated with the batter and will be tender when stir-fried."

Her voice was gentle and patient, completely different from the decisive and capable Deputy Manager Qiu she was at work.

"Yingying is in a great mood today!"

"You can tell from her voice that she's very happy!"

"Is there some good news?"

Qiu Yingying couldn't help but laugh: "Yes, I have good news today. I got promoted."

The live chat exploded with comments.

Wow! Congratulations, Yingying!

"A promotion and a raise! That's awesome!"

"Well deserved!"

"Sister Yingying is amazing!"

Her heart was warmed: "Thank you everyone. Actually, whether it's work or cooking, I believe that as long as you do it seriously, you will definitely reap the rewards. I will post the video after the live stream so everyone can learn how to cook it."

She set the marinated shrimp aside and began preparing the broccoli. She cut the broccoli into even florets and soaked them in lightly salted water for ten minutes. Then she boiled water, added a little salt and oil, and blanched the broccoli in the boiling water.

"The blanching time must be precise," she said. "It's very important to pay attention to the color. If you blanch it for too long, the broccoli will turn yellow and won't look as 'jade' anymore."

She stared at the broccoli in the pot, and as soon as the time was up, she scooped it out, drained the water, and then arranged it neatly around the plate.

Next, she started frying shrimp balls.

She poured a suitable amount of chicken fat into the wok. As the chicken fat melted, it released a unique aroma. She then gently slid the shrimp into the wok and stir-fried them lightly with a spatula.

The shrimp slowly curled up in the oil, turning a translucent white. Her movements were light and rhythmic, each stir-fry perfectly timed.

"When stir-frying shrimp, the heat shouldn't be too high," she explained. "The shrimp need to be heated slowly to keep them tender."

After stir-frying the shrimp until they changed color, she added a little salt and white pepper to taste, then thickened it with a light cornstarch slurry. The sauce slowly thickened, evenly coating each shrimp ball.

Finally, she placed the shrimp balls in the center of the plate, arranged them in a circle of broccoli, and decorated the sides with small flowers carved from carrots.

A plate of exquisite jade shrimp balls is ready.

Wow! It's so beautiful!

"This color is amazing!"

"It looks delicious!"

"Imperial cuisine is truly exceptional!"

Qiu Yingying looked at her work and smiled with satisfaction.

"I practiced this dish for a long time," she said, "and failed many times. But every time I failed, I would start over until I found the problem. Actually, cooking is a lot like work. As long as you are willing to spend time and refine your skills repeatedly, you will definitely be able to do it well."

She picked up a shrimp ball and took a small bite. The tender texture melted on her tongue, carrying the aroma of chicken oil and the sweetness of shrimp.

After the live stream ended, she turned off the equipment and let out a long sigh of relief.

She brought the finished jade shrimp balls to the living room, served herself a bowl of rice, and began to eat slowly.

The shrimp balls were especially delicious today, maybe because I was in a good mood, or maybe because I've really made progress.

After finishing her meal, she cleaned up the dishes and tidied the kitchen. Then, she returned to the living room, sat on the sofa, and took out her phone.

She habitually scrolled through her WeChat Moments.

A notification popped up.

It was Meng Yanchen.

The photo shows the signing ceremony; he is standing on the stage, holding documents, with a faint smile.

The caption reads: "Pleasant to cooperate."

Qiu Yingying looked at the photo, and a strange feeling stirred in her heart.

She remembered the occasional glances he cast at her in the meeting room, his words "Take care and get some rest," and his "You've worked hard" at the end of his presentation.

Those images flashed through my mind.

She shook her head, trying to banish those thoughts.

They only have a working relationship; they are simply client and contractor.

But that inexplicable flutter in my heart, like spring grass, quietly sprouted.

She picked up her phone and sent Li Ran a message:

[Manager Li, congratulations on the successful signing of the project contract. Our team will provide full support during the subsequent execution process.]

After sending the message, she tossed her phone aside.

Not long after, the phone lit up.

This is Li Ran's reply:

[Congratulations! Congratulations on your promotion too. General Manager Meng is very happy for you.]

Qiu Yingying was stunned when she saw those words.

Meng Yanchen...is he happy for her?

It felt like something had gently bumped into her heart.

She hesitated for a moment, then replied:

Thank you, Manager Li, and thank you, General Manager Meng, for your concern.

She put down her phone, leaned back on the sofa, looked at the starry sky outside the window, and felt a sense of anticipation.

In her work, she took an important step.

In her personal life, she is also gradually getting better.

As for feelings, as for Meng Yanchen...

She didn't know what the future held.

But she knows that no matter what happens, she will face it bravely. She now has the confidence, the ability, and the resources to protect herself, so she can face anything bravely.

Because this is the life she wanted, her freedom has returned, and she has the right to choose everything.