If there was one biggest victim today, it would undoubtedly be Chu Shen.
Yuan Ye’s internal social death stemd more from the fact that his friends had discovered he was a cross-dressing enthusiast.
Especially at the dinner table, when his roommates all revealed knowing expressions, Yuan Ye’s heart shattered.
He had always thought he hid it so well!
Were these straight guys really that perceptive? Or had he slipped up too many tis?
Still, at this mont, he couldn’t help but feel grateful in his heart—he had ended up with such good roommates, such great bros.
"So, Boss Chu, how exactly did you figure it out by looking at hands?"
Now that the al was over, Yuan Ye was still baffled.
Yan also glanced over curiously. While Brother Xiao’s ability to read bone structure was sowhat understandable, Chu Shen recognizing soone by their hands was completely unexpected.
Chu Shen had just begun recovering from the ruin of his "clean reputation."
Hearing his friends’ questions, he imdiately spoke up.
"Everyone, hold out your hands."
The group huddled together and obediently extended their hands as Chu Shen pointed at each one in turn.
"As a chef, of course I don’t know palmistry."
"But for soone like —constantly flipping woks, kneading dough, chopping ingredients, handling knives—my hands accumulate a lot of marks."
"The thickness of fingers, the size of knuckles, the presence of calluses in different areas—each of us is unique."
"For example, Brother Fan—I think he must have been a top marksman back in the military. I’ve noticed the gun-handling calluses on his hands."
"But look at Brother Jue—he also shoots, but his calluses aren’t as pronounced."
"Out of the six of us in the dorm, everyone’s hands have distinct features… except Brother Ye’s," Chu Shen explained.
"So mine have no features at all? And you still recognized ?" Yuan Ye was stunned.
"Uncle Xiao has a doctor’s hands, mine are a chef’s hands. Have you ever noticed Ping An’s? I suspect it’s because he does livestreaming—he’s always holding that tool. He’s on the thinner side, and there’s a slight protrusion on a bone in his right hand."
Yuan Ye examined his own hands. "So I’m just… featureless."
Chu Shen nodded. Truthfully, it wasn’t just about observing hands. Back when his grandfather ran the shop, he used to do howork at one of the tables, interacting with all kinds of custors. Now, whenever new people ca into the shop, a quick glance at their attire and physical traits often gave him a rough idea of their personality.
The only exceptions were the young couple. They did have their own distinctive traits—clearly from well-off families, cheerful personalities, the kind of people who had been popular their whole lives.
But why their favorability was so hard to raise remained an unsolved mystery in Chu Shen’s heart.
Though he had nearly given up on winning the couple’s approval, he still couldn’t help but wonder—why did Yan and Zhu Jue only give his fried rice four stars?
Had they eaten better versions? The price of his fried rice, while not cheap, certainly wasn’t the most expensive. He’d once looked up a high-end hotel that charged 888 yuan for a serving, so he wondered if they’d had a more refined version elsewhere.
Now, Chu Shen casually asked, "If you were to rate this restaurant’s dishes on a five-star scale, what would you give?"
With his chef’s discerning palate, he knew this old establishnt was good by ordinary standards, but far from top-tier. He wanted to know how Yan and the others would judge it.
"Boss Chu, scouting the competition?" Yuan Ye chuckled.
After a mont’s thought, he said, "Honestly, every dish was decent—no major flaws. The ambiance and service were good too. I’d give it four stars overall."
Xiao Qingnang nodded. "The seasoning was a bit heavy. Three and a half."
Since arriving in this world, he’d been bombarded with unfamiliar seasonings and synthetic additives, overwhelming his taste buds. Still, he preferred the natural flavors of ingredients and simple seasoning.
Yan tapped her chin. "Three stars for the food, plus half a star for the ambiance, service, and nostalgia—three and a half total."
After a pause, she added, "In our standards, three stars ans a tasty restaurant. Four stars is for sothing truly outstanding, sothing that wows you. Five stars… I’m saving that for the future, as sothing to look forward to."
"Of course, personally, premium ingredients don’t necessarily elevate a dish for . The flavors I grew up with at ho? Those are an automatic five stars."
Hearing Yan’s explanation, Chu Shen finally understood. It wasn’t that his skills were lacking—it was just that the couple’s standards were strict, with a touch of sentintality.
After the al, Chu Shen checked his phone again. Even if he posted on social dia declaring himself a straight-as-an-arrow guy, he knew it would only co across as overcompensating.
Chu Shen: "......"
"I can’t possibly hire a lawyer over this, can I?" He rubbed his temples.
He could already picture it—once winter break ended and he reopened his shop, instead of pretty girls coming by for extra servings, he’d be sward by cross-dressing guys.
The re thought made him shudder.
"If you don’t get a lawyer, get a girlfriend," Yuan Ye said dryly.
Really, whose fault was this whole ss? Bla the heavens, bla the earth, bla the universe.
Chu Shen sighed. "Girlfriends aren’t that easy to find. If I got one just to debunk rumors, what kind of person would that make ? It’s got to happen naturally."
His youthful heart still yearned for sweet romance, but he couldn’t just find a girlfriend for this purpose—it’d be too transactional, like using her as a prop.
Having known the couple for half a year, Chu Shen had grown even more convinced of pure love in this world.
One day, a girl would see past the rumors and ride in on a rainbow to rescue him.
By the ti they finished eating, it was already past four. Dinner was skipped—just a late-night snack would do.
Brother Xiao headed ho, Yuan Ye went back to his hotel to drop off his things, leaving only the idle Chu Shen to follow Yan and Zhu Jue to their place.
Chu Shen ntally rehearsed how to greet their parents a few tis and planned to buy so fruit on the way.
But when Yan ntioned that Yi Zhi had sent over two crates of fruit, Chu Shen had no choice but to abandon his plan.
What fruit could possibly compare to what the big sister sent? Better not embarrass himself!
This was Chu Shen’s first ti visiting the Ning University faculty housing. The old buildings didn’t surprise him—this was the capital, after all. Newer developnts were all in the outer rings.
Following Yan and Zhu Jue upstairs, he was about to cheerfully greet their parents the mont the door opened—
Only to freeze when he saw a teenage boy and girl standing there instead.
"Brother, sister, you’re back," the twins said in unison.
Yan blinked. "You’re here already?"
Da Bao and Xiao Bao had been busy with the company's annual lottery event and had been out all day these past few days. Today, they unexpectedly ca back early.
"Is this Brother Chu Shen? I’ve heard my brother and sister ntion you for ages," Xiao Bao said, eyeing Chu Shen with curiosity.
"Ah, hello," Chu Shen replied.
They stepped aside to let him in. After changing his shoes, Chu Shen followed them into the living room and sat on the sofa, clasping his hands over his knees, his expression slightly nervous.
He didn’t see Yan or Zhu Jue’s parents, which eased his mind a little. The two younger siblings in front of him seed to be high schoolers—at least with them, there wouldn’t be much of a generation gap.
But the mont he sat down, the two younger siblings brought over fruit, snacks, and drinks, leaving Chu Shen flattered.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao were genuinely curious about this "Boss Chu." They’d long heard that one of their brother’s roommates in Bin City ran a restaurant and was legendary for his fried rice.
Now that this chef was in their ho, they had to treat him well.
As everyone knew, diners should never offend a chef—otherwise, where else would they get delicious als? And if the chef was cooking for free, that was even more reason to be extra nice.
At ho, no matter who cooked, the rule was simple: just praise it. As freeloaders, they had to provide the right emotional encouragent—otherwise, how else would the cook stay motivated?
Even though Boss Chu was just here on vacation and staying at a hotel, what if he got so happy that he decided to whip up a plate of his famous fried rice? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
"Brother Chu, besides fried rice, can you make other kinds, like Yangzhou fried rice?"
"We once had Yangzhou fried rice in Yangzhou City—it cost over 400 yuan! There was also this truffle fried rice that went for 2,000 yuan, but honestly, it wasn’t that much better," Xiao Bao asked.
ntioning fried rice instantly perked Chu Shen up.
When it ca to fried rice, his egg fried rice was already flawless. But sothing like Yangzhou fried rice, with its variety of ingredients and more complex preparation, was another matter. He hadn’t unlocked the recipe in the Chef God System nor practiced it in the Chef God Space.
"What ingredients does it usually have?" Chu Shen asked.
"Yangzhou fried rice has a ton—shrimp, ham, green peas, corn kernels, bamboo shoots, mushrooms… The chef even added chicken broth while stir-frying it in front of us," Xiao Bao recalled.
"The truffle fried rice was pretty average, not even as good as the 400-yuan Yangzhou fried rice," Da Bao chid in.
"Yangzhou fried rice is actually pretty good," Yan added, reminiscing.
Just then, a notification from the Chef God System appeared before Chu Shen’s eyes.
[Exploration Mission: Yangzhou Fried Rice (No Recipe)]
[Mission Description: As the heir of the Chef God, you must not limit yourself to fixed dishes. Your egg fried rice has already amazed the world—now, explore and create your own version of Yangzhou fried rice.]
[Ti Limit: Three months.]
[Reward: Determined by the dish’s rating from the Chef God System.]
Yangzhou fried rice? An exploration mission?
Chu Shen froze. This was the first ti he’d seen a mission like this, but it was clearly triggered by their conversation.
Imdiately, he called out to the system in his mind.
"System, does this an I have to figure out the recipe for Yangzhou fried rice on my own and develop my own version? How exactly will the reward be determined?"
"Can I train in the Chef God Space and get a rating there?"
[The Chef God heir may train and experint in the Chef God Space. The Chef God System will provide a rating.]
"And the reward?" Chu Shen pressed.
[No comnt.]
The Chef God System remained as tight-lipped as ever, which didn’t surprise Chu Shen.
His last mission had granted him access to the Chef God Space. This sudden exploration mission slled like sothing unusual.
If before, the system had handed him recipes and told him to practice them precisely, this new mission felt more like a master chef forging his own path.
But the problem was, the number of dishes he’d truly mastered could be counted on one hand—egg fried rice, braised pork with potatoes, Dongpo pork, and Wensi tofu.
Was he even qualified? Chu Shen asked himself.
Still, the mission excited him. The idea of crafting his own Yangzhou fried rice recipe, sothing uniquely his, made his blood rush.
Cooking was fun, especially when the people eating his dishes cleaned their plates. For any chef, that was the greatest satisfaction.
Three months was enough, he thought.
He was a food science major, after all. Since getting the Chef God System, he’d spent his days cooking and his nights in the Chef God Space honing his knife skills, dough kneading, wok tossing, heat control, seasoning, and other fundantals.
If he could figure out Yangzhou fried rice and earn a high rating, wouldn’t that prove he wasn’t just so lucky guy coasting on the system?
Right now, Chu Shen had already shoved the embarrassnt from earlier that day to the back of his mind. His thoughts were consud by Yangzhou fried rice.
He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. Three months was plenty of ti—no need to rush. He could experint in the Chef God Space tonight. For now, he should enjoy his ti with friends.
Since the parents hadn’t returned yet, Chu Shen was invited to the twins’ place downstairs to play video gas, cards, and mahjong.
Chu Shen was thrilled. But after a few rounds of cards and mahjong, he started to notice sothing odd.
Wait… why hadn’t he won a single ga?
"Don’t newbies usually get beginner’s luck?" Chu Shen muttered in disbelief.
"How have I not won even once?"
With five players, Zhu Jue had stepped aside to teach Chu Shen the rules.
Chu Shen’s hands were decent, but he just couldn’t win—not a single round.
His eyes darted between the three of them, but he couldn’t spot any cheating.
Gritting his teeth, he refused to accept that he, a Bin University student, could lose so badly to his younger siblings. Determined, he wiped his face and kept playing.
After ten rounds, Chu Shen set down his cards and paced around Da Bao and Xiao Bao’s living room.
"I give up. This is destroying my confidence. How are you guys this good?"
Yan smiled without a word. Finally, soone else understood their pain. Seeing her expression and Zhu Jue’s knowing look, Chu Shen suddenly realized sothing was off.
Wait… what was that?
When he first entered, he’d noticed the display cabinet filled with certificates, dals, and trophies but hadn’t looked closely.
Now, his eyes locked onto two IMO gold dals inside.
"No freaking way! You two tricked !"
With IMO gold dalist siblings, of course they crushed him like ants. Not losing would’ve been the real miracle.
At this mont, Chu Shen’s gaze at the two younger siblings turned to one of pure awe.
To the average person, Chu Shen was already a genius. But in the presence of these prodigies, he finally understood what true brilliance—true overwhelming superiority—looked like.
Chu Shen’s gloominess vanished in an instant. He was talented, but the twins before him were geniuses. There was simply no comparison between talent and genius—losing to them was completely normal.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao grinned mischievously. They had considered going easy on him but worried it might be too obvious. For them, morizing cards or strategizing wasn’t even a thing—they just glanced at the ga, and their brains instantly calculated the outco.
"Brother Chu, would you like to try solving a couple of problems?" Tan Da Bao extended the invitation again.
Chu Shen glanced at the young couple sneaking closer to each other.
Well, now he understood why he’d been dragged along.
So you two suffered so blows before, and now you’re making go through the sa thing, huh? You brought here just to be your playmate!
Chu Shen silently grumbled to himself, swearing he wouldn’t endure this tornt alone. Brother Ye, Uncle Xiao, and Ping An—when are you guys showing up?!
After solving two Olympiad-level math problems with them, Chu Shen felt like the nutrients in his brain were rapidly depleting. Thinking so hard was downright exhausting.
"No more, no more. I’m getting hungry."
"There’s leftover rice at ho," Zhu Jue chid in.
"And eggs," Yan added.
"We’ve got scallions too," Xiao Bao raised her hand.
Chu Shen gave them a long, knowing look. So this was all preditated.
When they went upstairs to the Zhu family’s place, Chu Shen stared silently at the stainless steel basin full of cold rice.
Huh. So they invited on a "trip," but the real plan was to make cook fried rice, huh?
Zhu Jue tried to help in the kitchen, but Chu Shen firmly refused—he had his own system.
The clatter of pots and pans soon filled the kitchen, followed by an irresistible aroma. By the ti the five parents returned ho, they found the five kids at the dining table, shoveling spoonfuls of fried rice into their mouths.
"Just egg fried rice? And this whole basin? Did you make too much rice? And this must be Xiao Chu—why didn’t you order so proper dishes? You kids really cut corners," Madam Yu fretted, eyeing the stainless steel basin of fried rice.
"Not even a single slice of ham in the fried rice—ah, honestly!" She smacked her thigh in frustration.
"Mom, stop talking and just try a bite first," Yan said, shoving a spoonful into her mother’s mouth.
Three seconds later, Madam Yu swallowed the mouthful, strode straight to the table, and started serving herself a bowl.
The five adults took their seats one after another, and after the first bite—silence.
"Xiao Chu, why stay at a hotel? Auntie’s got plenty of space here—treat it like your own ho. Move your things over; we’re all family here," Madam Yu said, looking at Chu Shen as if he were her own child.
"This fried rice isn’t dry at all. Simple egg fried rice, yet perfectly moist without being greasy, just the right tenderness—impressive." Both Father Yan and Father Zhu gave thumbs-up.
Chu Shen smiled. "I’m glad you like it, uncles and aunts."
Seeing the system notification confirming seven special diners’ praise, he grinned in satisfaction.
Seven. A full seven!
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