Chapter 24: Wilt in a Day? (Bonus)

Chapter 24: Withered in a Day? (Bonus Update)

So that's what he was waiting for!

Song Shimu finally understood why Qin Xu had accepted his request so readily.

After changing his shoes, Song Shimu looked up in disbelief. "Wasn't that just a rumor?"

Qin Xu made no attempt to hide his deliberate difficulty. "Not today."

"...Then can I cook for you tomorrow?"

Qin Xu crossed his arms. "Sure, but you'll have to reimburse me for the groceries."

"Your vegetables wilt in a day?"

"Not exactly. It's just that my assistant didn't tell the whole story—I dislike eating food that isn't fresh."

"......"

There was no doubt about it: this was the man himself, personally spreading rumors about himself.

"Whatever, let's just get this done so we can eat sooner." Song Shimu walked further into the apartment, asking as he went, "Where's the kitchen? Do you have any food allergies?"

Song Shimu convinced himself: cooking was cooking, eating was eating. As long as it wouldn't kill anyone, matters of taste should always take a back seat to good food.

In simple terms: I'll cook what you like, but if there are ingredients you don't like in the dish, you'll have to pick around them yourself.

"Over there." Qin Xu pointed in a direction. "No food allergies."

Song Shimu nodded and headed where he'd pointed. "No allergies, meaning you can eat anything, right?"

"......" Qin Xu remained silent, leaving Song Shimu to figure it out himself.

Song Shimu didn't bother guessing. He opened the refrigerator and decided what to cook based on the ingredients inside.

"Go do what you need to do. I'll call you when it's ready." Song Shimu scanned the meat and vegetables in the fridge, already forming an idea.

Qin Xu leaned against the doorway, hesitating. "You've been in a kitchen before, right?"

In their previous life, Song Shimu barely ever stayed home, only returning during holidays or major events, and even then, never for long—coming and leaving on the same day was the norm.

Their parents couldn't even get through to him to try mending their relationship, and Qin Xu's hands-off attitude meant he knew very little about Song Shimu.

In their past life, Song Shimu had never cooked in front of him, nor had he ever mentioned knowing how to cook.

Moreover, looking at Song Shimu's hands—pale, slender fingers like tender scallions, with soft palms and not a single callus—it was clear he'd been well protected, the type who'd never lifted a finger.

Now, letting Song Shimu into the kitchen, Qin Xu admitted there was an impulsive element to it. He mainly wanted to see Song Shimu struggle, but if that struggle led to a kitchen explosion or a fire, it would be not worth the risk.

While Qin Xu was still weighing the pros and cons, Song Shimu had already responded.

"Don't worry. I can't guarantee you'll like it, but when I'm done, the kitchen will be exactly as it was." Song Shimu took out the ingredients he needed, washing them while familiarizing himself with the kitchen layout.

Qin Xu stood quietly in the doorway, observing Song Shimu's movements.

He was fluid and efficient. Aside from not knowing the kitchen layout, he worked with impressive skill. His chopping and stir-frying movements didn't resemble a novice at all but rather an old pro.

"Did you used to cook often?" Qin Xu asked.

Song Shimu mentally reviewed the original story, confirming there were no mentions of culinary skills or cooking at home, then nodded. "Yeah."

"I never saw you cook before," Qin Xu said.

"Aunt Sun's cooking was so good, I couldn't compete," Song Shimu said with a laugh.

But would a regular cook's hands be that soft?

Qin Xu leaned lazily against the doorframe. "Besides cooking, what else can you do?"

Song Shimu stirred the dish while joking around: "Smoking, drinking, getting into fights."

Qin Xu's lips twitched. He was about to end the conversation and leave when something suddenly occurred to him.

He turned back and asked, "You quit smoking?"

"Yeah, quit," Song Shimu said naturally.

In the original story, the protagonist smoked from beginning to end. It wasn't clear if he was addicted, but Song Shimu seemed to be.

But Qin Xu himself had never smoked. During his school years, when everyone was following trends, all the boys around him were smoking. Song Shimu didn't smoke because he didn't have the money for it.

Because of this, he was often left out by the popular kids in his class.

But Song Shimu was busy studying and working part-time, with no time to worry about their opinions. He vaguely remembered one person who'd excluded him for a whole semester, trying to make a scene by bringing others to corner him at the end of the term, only to be totally thrown off by Song Shimu's question: "You are?"

"When?" Qin Xu raised an eyebrow slightly. In their past life, Song Shimu's smoking habit had persisted until Qin Xu's death.

"I'd been wanting to quit for a while. When I broke my arm, my parents came every day, and I felt too embarrassed to smoke. Gradually, the craving went away," Song Shimu explained.

Qin Xu watched Song Shimu thoughtfully. Just off work, he was still wearing his sharp suit, with a simple apron tied over it.

From the side, Song Shimu's proportions were strikingly good—slim waist, long legs, the suit cinched perfectly at the back to highlight a toned and defined curve.

Song Shimu was very fair, the light casting a soft glow on him. His jawline was clear and smooth, and paired with his light-colored hair, he looked like a pretty boy from an anime.

Compared to their previous life, it was the same person, but his personality and habits were completely different...

"Song Shimu, you—"

"How did you know I used to smoke?"

By now, Song Shimu had finished stir-frying a vegetable dish. Sensing Qin Xu's growing suspicion, he cut him off.

"Asked one of your former subordinates," Qin Xu made up an excuse.

Song Shimu nodded, not digging deeper, and changed the subject. "Didn't know you cared so much about me."

"......"

Qin Xu gave Song Shimu a deep look, then turned and walked toward the living room.

As the sound of footsteps faded, Song Shimu glanced in the direction Qin Xu had left and muttered, "001, my cover's blown soon."

001: "......"

"How do you know?" 073 asked, bewildered.

"Just a hunch." Since it was already confirmed that Qin Xu had been reborn, he would inevitably wonder why Song Shimu hadn't built a company to take on Qinfeng as in their previous life. Combined with day-to-day signs, it was hard not to guess that the person in Song Shimu's body had changed.

Qin Xu himself experienced rebirth and reads novels, so he firmly believes he has electric powers. It's clear that Qin Xu isn't big on scientific theories, making it easy for him to guess and conclude that someone else is in this body now.

"The Romance Specialization System only handles the love storyline. As long as he doesn't stop you from dating, it's fine," 001 said.

"What if he finds out I'm not the original and goes crazy because he's lost his target for revenge, then fixates on taking it out on me?" Song Shimu posed a hypothetical.

"Then we can just end the mission and go back," 001 replied.

Song Shimu raised an eyebrow. "If I reveal myself and provoke Qin Xu, could I leave tonight?"

001 fell silent for a moment. "Do you think Qin Xu would hurt you?"

"……"

Song Shimu didn't think so.

Qin Xu was far softer-hearted than he had imagined.

"……Just focus on the love storyline," 001 said.

"An arranged marriage is worse than killing me," Song Shimu complained.

001 reassured him, "Once you complete the mission, you'll get the money. Just think of it as dating and marrying the money."

"……Genius!" With that from 001, Song Shimu was sold.

"Do well, and after you return, you can do whatever you want with your tens of millions," 001 said.

For now, Song Shimu held an absolute advantage—whether he completed the mission or not, he'd have money, and not doing it would actually net him more.

If he could awaken Song Shimu's conscience to not use the original person's money for the mission, the demanding work schedule of the mission would crush that conscience right back. Plus, since the mission would hurt Qin's parents, and given Song Shimu's relationship with them, the main storyline mission would be impossible to carry out.

The only hope lay in the love storyline, using penalties and persuasive tactics to awaken Song Shimu's conscience.

"Alright," Song Shimu agreed readily and focused on cooking.

"It's done. Help me bring the dishes to the dining room," Song Shimu called out to Qin Xu from the living room.

"Mm," Qin Xu set down his laptop, stood up, and followed Song Shimu to the kitchen.

"Mud carp soup, salt-baked prawns, beef stir-fried with cucumber shoots, spinach scrambled with eggs—three dishes and one soup, three meat and one vegetable. Satisfied?"

After placing all the dishes on the table, Song Shimu stood beside it, introducing them one by one.

His expression held a particular excitement.

This was the first time he had cooked for someone else, and his culinary skills were being evaluated for the first time. He felt a bit nervous, but more than that, he felt something special.

Qin Xu examined the dishes for a while, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but his tone was cold. "They look good, but I wonder if it's all show and no substance."

Song Shimu had expected Qin Xu to be stubborn and said leisurely, "Whether it's all show or not depends on your standards. If you compare me to Auntie Sun, then I have nothing to say."

Qin Xu picked up a spoon and began serving the soup. "You overestimate yourself. My only requirement for you is not to blow up my kitchen."

Song Shimu's eyes curved into a smile. "Such low standards? You're spoiling me too much."

"……" Qin Xu paused, then said quietly, "Let's not say cheesy lines while eating."

Song Shimu tilted his head and laughed. "You eat, you eat."

The bowl was filled with a milky-white broth, pure in color. The porcelain spoon seemed to blend into it. With a gentle stir, the aroma of the fresh, tender soup instantly intensified, and the floating scallions swayed, adding to the appetite.

Qin Xu took a sip, and his mouth was immediately filled with the rich, savory flavor of the fish broth. The taste was far more delicious than he had imagined.

To be honest, Song Shimu was being modest. With this bowl of fish soup alone, he could easily rival Auntie Sun.

"How is it?" Song Shimu asked, widening his amber eyes.

Qin Xu looked up, and the surprise in his eyes, which he hadn't yet concealed, was instantly caught by Song Shimu. Song Shimu felt reassured and grew happy.

"Not bad," Qin Xu said reservedly.

"Huh……?" Song Shimu hadn't expected Qin Xu to praise him. He froze for two seconds before exclaiming, "You actually know how to compliment people!"

"……"

Qin Xu gave him an exasperated glance, took two more sips of the soup, and said, "Compared to compliments, I'm better at insults. Want to try?"

Song Shimu shook his head and inadvertently revealed his true feelings. "Actually, this is my first time... cooking for someone else."

Qin Xu noticed Song Shimu's expression. "Want to be praised?"

"No, it just feels really strange..."

It was like a long time ago, during the first few days after he was adopted, when his foster parents fussed over him and took care of him meticulously, slowly making him feel at ease.

Qin Xu watched Song Shimu. The soup bowl wasn't large, and now the fish soup was nearly finished. Qin Xu simply picked up his phone, took a photo of the dishes on the table, and sent it to the family group chat.

On a flight abroad, in first class.

Tan Manjin was still replying to emails when a message suddenly popped up at the top of the screen. Tan Manjin glanced at it and froze.

The family group chat had come back to life?

Tan Manjin paused for half a second before tapping into it, only to find that the message was from Qin Xu—a picture full of delicious-looking food.

Following that was Qin Xu's message: "Made by Song Shimu."

Tan Manjin: "?"

Qin Song, who had also been handling work, saw the message and frowned. "Is Qin Xu forcing Shi Mu to cook? Is he provoking us in the family group?"