Good Food is Worth the Wait

The night was silent, as if time had slowed down at this moment. The hustle and bustle of the school was shrouded by an invisible curtain.

The moonlight flowed like water, spilling across the ground, draping the world in a mysterious silver veil.

On the bed, Shu Yunyi was sleeping soundly, her breathing steady.

As usual, she had drunk herself into a stupor, finding solace only in the haze of alcohol to sleep peacefully.

Suddenly, she awoke from her slumber for no apparent reason.

Her eyes opened wide, staring straight at the ceiling.

"An unfamiliar ceiling..."

Her thoughts were chaotic, a tangled mess of countless fragments that refused to form a coherent thread. Everything around her felt strange, and her head throbbed painfully.

"Where is this? Didn’t I die?"

Shu Yunyi sat up, closed her eyes, and pressed her hand to her forehead. After a while, she opened her eyes again.

She looked around, stunned.

"This... what is this?"

Scattered clothes lay on the floor, overturned bottles of alcohol everywhere, and the room was pitch dark, save for a faint sliver of moonlight seeping through the curtains.

"Wait, isn’t this my home?"

She remembered. This was her home, the apartment building at Jingyuan University.

She slipped on her slippers and stood up slowly. Her smooth nightgown flowed like liquid mercury as she felt a parched dryness in her throat, desperate for a drink of water.

Stumbling, she kicked over a few glass bottles but paid no mind. She reached the table in the living room and picked up a glass, ready to drink.

The liquid inside swirled, and as she brought it to her nose, a strong smell of alcohol hit her, making her recoil.

"Crash!"

The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

The intense smell of alcohol rushed into her nostrils, churning her stomach. She hurried to the bathroom.

Bursting through the door, she leaned over the sink.

"Ugh..."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Shu Yunyi vomited repeatedly over the sink, but her stomach was empty except for alcohol, leaving her only able to retch up saliva.

The violent physical reaction brought tears to her eyes, and she coughed incessantly.

After a while, she turned on the faucet, rinsed her mouth, and splashed water on her face, gradually sobering up from her drunken state.

A flood of fragmented memories rushed into her mind as she stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

Her fair skin, bloodshot eyes, and disheveled hair framed a face that was still strikingly beautiful.

So mature and lovely... yet so utterly disheveled.

Water droplets formed and rolled down her round cheeks, but the reflection in the mirror smiled.

"Sss..."

"Whoosh..."

The showerhead turned on, and Shu Yunyi stepped in, tiptoeing as she let her nightgown fall to the floor.

The warm water cascaded over her body, and she ran her hands over her smooth, firm skin.

"So good, so good, this is wonderful..."

Tears mingled with the steam, evaporating as an overwhelming sense of joy swelled in her chest.

Before her death, she had harbored endless regrets, silently vowing to the heavens that if there were a next life, she would cherish it. And now...

It seemed the heavens had heard her plea and granted her wish.

This wasn’t a dream. She had truly returned.

No wrinkles, no age spots, just slender arms, long legs, and a youthful, elastic body.

"Ah Yi..."

Shu Yunyi whispered softly, her hand resting on her chest, as if in a dream.

After her shower, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and stepped into the living room, still damp.

She frowned at the chaotic mess around her—scattered bottles, jars, and clutter everywhere.

Shu Yunyi couldn’t understand how she had tolerated this in the past, but now she couldn’t stand it.

She went into the bedroom, changed into comfortable clothes, and tied her hair up with a hairband.

Feeling refreshed, she bent down and started picking up the scattered clothes.

She tossed the dirty laundry into the washing machine and stripped the bed of its sheets and covers.

Returning to the living room, she cracked her knuckles and decided to embark on a late-night cleaning spree.

...

Cheng Jun paced back and forth in front of Shen Yi’s door.

She wasn’t usually one to hesitate, but when it came to matters of the heart, even she couldn’t remain composed.

People are like that—the more they care, the more they fear losing.

She finally stood still in front of the door, mustering the courage to knock, only to see the door open from the inside.

Shen Yi, fully dressed and ready to head out for dinner, was surprised to find Cheng Jun standing there with her fist raised.

"What’s this?"

Shen Yi looked at her, puzzled.

Cheng Jun awkwardly lowered her arm. Since they had run into each other, she decided to be straightforward.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you’ve had dinner yet."

"Not yet. I was just about to go out and eat."

"That’s great... I mean, I made too much food for dinner, and I can’t finish it all by myself."

Her eyes darted around as she spoke, her words not quite matching her true intentions.

"If you don’t mind, would you like to come over and try some?"

She stepped aside, and Shen Yi caught a glimpse of the steaming dishes on the table across the hall.

"..."

As Shen Yi sat down across from her, Cheng Jun couldn’t help but smile.

She handed him a clean bowl filled to the brim with rice.

The excuse of making too much food was just a pretense. Her real goal was to have him taste her cooking and hear his thoughts.

She had spent hours learning how to cook, all for Shen Yi.

The memory of that steak during the apocalypse had left her deeply regretful. Back then, she had wanted to make up for it, but they had reached a point where eating was no longer necessary.

The table was laden with four dishes, clearly prepared for two.

There was scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried pork with garlic shoots, steamed sea bass, and braised tofu.

Simple, home-cooked meals, none of which were particularly difficult to make, even for a novice like Cheng Jun, as long as she followed the steps.

As Shen Yi picked up a piece of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and took a bite, Cheng Jun watched him expectantly.

After chewing for a moment, Shen Yi’s eyes lit up, and he nodded.

"Not bad, this is really good!"

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes could be made sweet or savory, and Cheng Jun’s savory version happened to be Shen Yi’s favorite.

He took another bite of rice, not stopping his chopsticks.

Cheng Jun’s lips curved into a smile, a small thrill of joy bubbling up inside her.

Auntie Zhang, who had taught her to cook, had praised her repeatedly, but none of that compared to the simple compliment from Shen Yi.

That was the difference between caring and not caring.

"If it’s good, then eat more."

Cheng Jun dipped her chopsticks into the sauce and tasted it, feeling content. Regardless of the actual flavor, Shen Yi’s enthusiastic response was more than enough.

As Shen Yi ate, he commented on each dish.

The stir-fried pork with garlic shoots was perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. The steamed sea bass, as long as the fish was fresh, was always a safe bet.

The braised tofu received Shen Yi’s highest praise—rich, savory, and incredibly satisfying with rice.

And Shen Yi wasn’t just paying lip service. He genuinely cleaned his plate.

By the time he reached for his third bowl of rice, he had even poured the remaining tomato and tofu sauce over it, eating with gusto and no hint of restraint.

Cheng Jun rested her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkling as she watched Shen Yi quietly.

It was as if everything had returned to how it used to be.