Rather Than Arsenic, I Prefer Aphrodisiacs

Two days of school had passed, and the system remained quiet.

In the blink of an eye, it was already Sunday.

As usual, Shen Nian got up early to exercise, his lungs stinging slightly from the effort.

That's how it is, taking big gulps of air on a cold day.

The usual old man wasn't there today. Shen Nian didn't speak to anyone, heading straight to the nearby market after his workout.

Only having time on Sundays, he decided to try out his newly acquired survival skill, [Cooking Mastery].

Shen Nian rarely cooked. He only knew how to make simple things like fried rice with eggs and would help with prep work. With Chen Minyue guiding him from the side, he could also produce dishes that looked quite presentable.

After all, when to add seasonings and how much always required Chen Minyue's reminders; he was more like an emotionless stir-frying machine.

He didn't know how to fish before either, but the [Fishing Mastery] skill had turned him into an expert angler. Perhaps [Cooking Mastery] could also transform him into a master chef.

How come others had to work so hard and study for so long to master culinary arts, while he could achieve it in a single day?

At this early hour, both Shen Yue and Xia Yanchun were still asleep. They were in for a treat, lucky enough to taste a breakfast personally made by this master chef—his first attempt, no less.

Thinking this as he walked, Shen Nian ended up buying just a small piece of pork and half a raw chicken. He was truly a bit impoverished when it came to cooking; even wanting to make something delicious, he wasn't sure what to make.

He washed the rice and started cooking porridge. Shen Nian specifically looked up a tutorial online. He minced the pork into ground meat, added it to the porridge, and cooked a pot of lean meat porridge.

On a cold day, lean meat porridge is particularly fitting. Chen Minyue loved making it for Shen Nian, and influenced by her, lean meat porridge was also the first thing Shen Nian thought of when it came to cooking porridge.

He remembered his mom saying that lean meat porridge really warms the body, but she would still bundle up in thick layers after eating it every time. She'd still feel cold, and her hands would remain icy even with gloves on.

Perhaps the whole "warming the body" thing was more of a psychological effect, giving a very cozy feeling.

Just like how Grey Wolf thought Red Wolf's egg fried rice was the best in the world.

Xia Yanchun's hands and feet were always cold. If possible, he hoped the lean meat porridge could help warm her up too.

He garnished it with a sprinkle of chopped green onions. It looked pretty good. Shen Nian served himself a bowl and tasted it, but it didn't seem particularly delicious.

It even tasted a bit fishy.

Weird.

Wasn't it supposed to become delicious just by casually making it?

Setting the lean meat porridge aside, Shen Nian started washing the chicken. He heated oil in the wok, waited for it to get hot, added a bit of garlic and ginger, and then tossed in the chicken.

He was following the tutorial step by step.

Shen Nian stared at the motionless chicken pieces in the wok, deep in thought.

Hey, Chicken Bro, why aren't you flipping yourself over?

Guess I gotta do it myself.

Shen Nian flipped the chicken, stir-frying it back and forth, tossing the pieces every which way.

It was getting a bit burnt.

That half chicken had grown up for nothing, ending up in Shen Nian's hands.

The final product couldn't be called unsightly, but it was a bit ugly and didn't look appetizing.

Shen Nian refused to believe it and tried a piece himself.

Ugh, why is it so fishy? He forgot to add cooking wine while stir-frying.

Perfect to give to Haki Chun to eat.

Shen Nian was disappointed.

The meat didn't even flip itself in the wok. [Cooking Mastery] couldn't produce tasty food. What's the point of having it?

Probably hearing the commotion from the kitchen, Shen Yue, who usually loved sleeping until noon, emerged from her room.

"What are you making? There's a weird smell."

"I made breakfast. Come have some."

"You actually know how to make breakfast?"

"Absolutely."

Shen Yue forced herself to be alert, glanced at the unappealing-looking chicken, then at the decent-looking lean meat porridge, and turned to go brush her teeth and wash her face.

She absolutely couldn't let her younger brother's good intentions go to waste.

Shen Nian, breaking all precedent, actually made breakfast for her—for her, his top-tier, number-one best sister in the world, a 985 graduate working at a state-owned enterprise, the ultimate corporate drone who cooks delicious food, is beautiful, kind-hearted, long-legged, and even gives her little brother money—she was moved to tears.

They should just nominate Shen Nian for China's Top Ten Most Touching Figures right now.

Shen Yue sat on the chair, served herself a bowl of porridge, and took a small sip.

Hmm...

"Not as good as... Shen Yue's."

"Hey, mine is at least edible. Is the stuff you make even edible?" Shen Nian broke into a cold sweat.

"What do you mean? Is that how you've always thought of my cooking?"

"Pretty much."

"..."

It was like a thunderbolt striking down. Shen Yue's world collapsed.

My proud culinary skills, and you compare them to something even a dog wouldn't eat?

Shen Nian wasn't like this before. How did that adorable little Shen Nian turn out like this, showing such disrespect to his elder sister!

This damn monster dares to impersonate my brother!

Girls, any methods for disposing of a 1.8-meter-tall monster's body? Seriously asking for advice online.

"Ahem, just joking. Don't take it so seriously, Sis. Actually, your cooking is... passable."

"Resorting to calling me 'Sis' to beg for mercy? I'm telling Mom about you staying up until two or three every night during summer break. Just wait for Mom's criticism!"

"Uh, no need. I don't stay up late anymore."

"Who are you kidding? As if I haven't seen the light in your room at two or three in the morning."

Shen Nian facepalmed.

Crap, no way to explain this.

Even if he really was studying, in Shen Yue and Mom's eyes, it was still staying up late.

Besides, a high school student studying until two or three every morning and still getting up early... the credibility was really low. Probably in the whole world, he was the only one daring to sleep just three or four hours a day.

Shen Yue ranted and raved a bunch, and Shen Nian didn't know how to respond, just letting her vent to her heart's content.

Although she cursed a lot, Shen Yue still finished her bowl of porridge, ate two pieces of chicken along with it, and then went back to her room with a very, very sour expression, not even washing her bowl.

Hehe, pretending to be angry to get out of washing dishes.

One can only say it's getting harder and harder to be a younger brother these days.

Shen Nian went back to his room and played a bit of Sanguosha, also trying his luck with some card draws.

Luck +5 couldn't help him defy fate; it was money down the drain.

Do you really need a loli girl to come along to restore the Han dynasty?

The sky had just shed its deep ink, the soft morning light of eight o'clock falling gently.

Shen Nian checked his bank card. Adding last time's 50,000 gold coins, his savings had reached six figures.

Awesome. After graduation, he'd use this money to travel across the country with Chun Bao, dropping in wherever they pleased.

He wondered if Chun Bao was awake yet.

Shen Nian lay on his bed, legs crossed, and poked Chun Bao's QQ avatar.

[You poked Xia Yanchun's red packet and said, "Hello, Mommy."]

Damn, still using this weird poke reminder since Spring Festival. She hasn't changed it.

Shen Nian was just about to change his own poke message to something flirtier when Xia Yanchun sent back a question mark.

[Shen Nian]: I thought you weren't up yet.

[Xia Yanchun]: Just woke up. Being annoying or is there something? If you're just being annoying, I'm going back to sleep.

[Shen Nian]: Made some porridge. Do you want some?

[Xia Yanchun] replied after more than ten seconds: Did you make it or did your sister?

[Shen Nian]: Me.

[Xia Yanchun]: Will I die if I eat it?

[Shen Nian]: You won't die, Chun Bao. Compared to arsenic, I prefer aphrodisiacs.

[Xia Yanchun]: ......You're insane.

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