Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

The evening breeze carried the aroma of cumin from the barbecue stalls in the alley, mixed with the smell of bone broth wafting from the ramen shop, gently wafting into their nostrils. Qiu Yingying and Guan Juer walked ahead, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights, growing closer and closer as they walked side by side.

"On my first day of internship, I was so nervous that my palms were sweaty," Qiu Yingying said, shaking the shopping bag in her hand, which contained Guan Juer's newly bought shirt. "I even said the wrong thing during the meeting, and I still feel embarrassed when I think about it now."

Guan Juer smiled, revealing a pair of shallow dimples: "I'm scared too. All the emails in our department are in English. I was memorizing business English vocabulary yesterday."

"Then you've come to the right person!" Qiu Yingying's eyes lit up, and she patted her chest, saying, "I've been studying business English materials for ages. I'll organize my notes for you later, and I guarantee you'll understand them after reading them!"

Guan Juer's eyes widened in surprise, her pupils sparkling behind her black-rimmed glasses: "Really? Thank you so much, Yingying!"

"Don't mention it!" Qiu Yingying waved her hand, then leaned closer and lowered her voice, "By the way, you're staying in the master bedroom. If you're afraid of the dark at night, just knock on my door. I have a nightlight in my room."

Guan Juer felt a warmth in her heart and nodded heavily.

Following behind, Fan Shengmei listened to the two girls' chatter, and a smile never left her lips. Carrying the toiletries Guan Juer had bought, she followed at a leisurely pace, the evening breeze ruffling her hair and dispelling some of the fatigue from work.

Back in 2202, Qiu Yingying first led Guan Juer into her second bedroom. The small room was filled with wooden bookshelves, and the purple bedding set exuded warmth. The green ivy on the windowsill grew lush and green.

"Look, this is my new bedside lamp, it's easy on the eyes," Qiu Yingying pointed to the lamp and opened the wardrobe door. "I have lots of clothes here, feel free to borrow them anytime if you think you don't have enough!"

Looking at the dazzling array of clothes in the wardrobe, from work clothes to casual wear, each piece was exquisite and beautiful, and Guan Juer couldn't help but exclaim, "Yingying, you have so many clothes!"

"I saved it all up slowly," Qiu Yingying said with great enthusiasm, then took out a few bags of nuts and handed them to her, "These are delicious, you can take them as snacks."

Fan Shengmei also came in carrying things and put the toiletries on the table: "These are all commonly used items. You can use them first, and let us know if you need anything else."

Guan Juer looked at the two people in front of her, and her eyes welled up with tears again. She had never left home before and thought that coming to Shanghai would be lonely and difficult, but she didn't expect to meet such good neighbors on her very first day.

"Thank you," she said softly, but with sincerity. "I...I will work hard in the future."

"That's right!" Fan Shengmei ruffled her hair. "To make it in Shanghai, all you need is resilience. With us here, you don't need to be afraid."

That night, the three of them snuggled up on the sofa in the living room and chatted until late. Qiu Yingying talked about the funny things that happened at work and complained about how crowded the subway was during rush hour. Fan Shengmei shared her survival tips for the workplace and taught her how to read the unspoken meanings of customers' words. Guan Juer listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words about embarrassing things that happened to her in school.

The warm yellow light shone on the three of them, and the small rented room was filled with the lingering aroma of food and laughter.

The next morning, Qiu Yingying was awakened by Guan Juer's cautious knocking on the door. When she opened the door, she saw Guan Juer wearing a newly bought white shirt and holding a glass of warm milk.

"Yingying, good morning. I made some milk, shall we drink it together?" Guan Juer's voice was soft, carrying the sweetness of the morning.

Qiu Yingying smiled as she accepted the milk, feeling a warm glow inside.

As the days went by, Qiu Yingying and Guan Juer became inseparable best friends. They took the subway to work together, ate dinner together at a ramen shop, and stayed in their room together studying English and revising copy. Qiu Yingying would hand Guan Juer her well-organized business English notes, and Guan Juer would help Qiu Yingying check the English grammar in the copy. The two encouraged each other and made rapid progress.

Watching the two girls get along, Fan Shengmei felt a sense of satisfaction. She was still busy screening resumes and mediating employee disputes every day, but she was no longer fighting alone. When she returned home in the evening, the living room was always filled with warm light and the two girls' cheerful laughter, making even the cramped cubicle seem a little gentler.

On weekends, the three of them would go to the supermarket together. Qiu Yingying would push the shopping cart, Guan Juer would carefully select vegetables, and Fan Shengmei would meticulously choose pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat in the fresh produce section, preparing to make twice-cooked pork for dinner. Sunlight streamed in through the supermarket's glass windows, falling on the three of them, creating a warm and happy atmosphere.

On a weekend morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The living room of apartment 2202 was devoid of the usual rush to catch the subway, replaced by a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Fan Shengmei, unusually free from overtime, leaned back on the sofa flipping through fashion magazines, occasionally offering her comments on outfits. Guan Juer sat on a small stool next to her, engrossed in an English novel. Qiu Yingying, wearing an apron, bustled about in the kitchen, the clatter of pots and pans creating a clattering sound.

"Yingying, what delicious food are you making today?" Guan Juer put down her book and looked curiously into the kitchen. They had offered to help, but Qiu Yingying had pushed them out.

Qiu Yingying peeked out, her face dusted with flour, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "It's a secret! You'll find out soon enough, I guarantee you'll be amazed!"

Fan Shengmei put down the magazine and joked, "Little Earthworm's cooking is delicious."

"Don't worry, Sister Fan!" Qiu Yingying patted her chest and turned to go back into the kitchen. She picked out some fresh ingredients from the system's inventory and, relying on her proficient cooking skills, began to work methodically.

The sounds of chopping and stir-frying filled the air, and a rich aroma gradually wafted from the kitchen, permeating the entire living room. Guan Juer's nose twitched slightly, and she couldn't help but swallow hard: "It smells so good, it tastes delicious!"

Fan Shengmei also put down the magazine, her eyes full of anticipation.

Not long after, Qiu Yingying came out carrying plates of dishes. The golden, crispy squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was sweet and sour; the tender and smooth stir-fried bamboo shoots with shredded pork had a fragrant aroma; and there was a bowl of braised rice with cured pork, each grain of rice distinct and soaked in the meaty flavor—it looked incredibly appetizing. Finally, she also served a refreshing cucumber salad to cleanse the palate.

"Dinner's ready!" Qiu Yingying took off her apron and greeted the two of them with a smile.

Fan Shengmei and Guan Juer quickly gathered around the dining table, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the table full of dishes.

"My goodness, Yingying, your cooking is amazing!" Fan Shengmei picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, and put it in her mouth. The crispy outside and tender inside, paired with the sweet and sour sauce, instantly won over her taste buds. "It's even better than the ones in restaurants!"

Guan Juer also picked up a bite of the stir-fried bamboo shoots with shredded pork. The tenderness of the bamboo shoots and the smoothness of the shredded pork blended perfectly, making her squint her eyes in delight: "Yingying, you're amazing!"

Watching the two of them eat with relish, Qiu Yingying felt a great sense of accomplishment: "Eat more if you like, there's still plenty left in the pot."

The three sat around the dining table, enjoying a delicious meal and chatting. Qiu Yingying talked about the interesting things that happened at work, Guan Juer shared her small gains from her internship, and Fan Shengmei shared her workplace experience with the two of them.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the smiling faces of the three people on the dining table, creating a warm and beautiful scene. The small rented room was filled with the aroma of food and laughter, making one feel that having such a group of friends in this vast city was the warmest thing ever.