This girl, who didn't seem to have any scholarly achievements, actually scored first place in the entire school. And it was in a key high school among the top ranks in Yanjing. This was simply unacceptable.

"Don't look at me like that. The students in the genius classes at Tsinghua University and Beijing University are much stronger than me. I'm just an ordinary, cat-loving girl."

TSK TSK...

Lin Xu was about to say she wasn't being modest when he saw Yue Liyue get up and run to Dundun, pressing his forehead to Dundun's head without explanation, and turning to ask Geng Lele, "What's the Spell again?"

"That's a sacred phrase from our Meow Meow Sect, and since you're not part of the Meow Meow Sect, you can't use it," Geng Lele, the High Priest of the Meow Meow Sect, said seriously.

"Can I still join now?"

"Sure, just kiss Dundun's right front paw, and you'll become a member of our Meow Meow Sect."

All for the sake of drawing cards!

Yue Liyue, with a look of righteousness, grabbed Dundun's right front paw and kissed it.

"And then?"

"Then you hold Dundun's right front paw and recite the sacred phrase with me."

"Why are you pressing your forehead against it?"

"Because I am the Meow Meow Sect's High Priest, and I have the privilege... Are you ready?"

"Ready!"

Lin Xu watched the two fools earnestly, laughing so hard his stomach hurt.

In fact, it was enough to simply touch Dundun; there was no need for such a hassle.

After a series of complicated and ritual-free procedures, Yue Liyue took out his phone to draw a card.

"This is the last card. If I don't draw the Phoenix, I'm deleting my account!"

He tapped the card draw page in the game. The card spun twice. Then the animated effect of the Phoenix appeared on the phone screen.

"Wow, damn! I actually drew it!" Yue Liyue was thrilled.

He hadn't expected that praying to Dundun would actually work. In his urgency, he too wanted to kiss Dundun's head like Geng Lele, but the little guy disdainfully dodged and then leapt into Song Tiantian's arms.

"Hey, hey, hey, why won't you let me kiss? Playing favorites?"

Geng Lele rubbed Dundun's head and said, "Our Dundun is a boy. Would you like being kissed and touched by another guy?"

Yue Liyue: "..."

It seemed there was some logic to that.

He continued to eat. But in his mind, he had already made a decision. The next time he drew cards, he would definitely come over and touch Dundun's right front paw again before drawing.

And so, Dundun gained yet another devout follower.

The black bean sauce steamed chicken introduced today was very popular. More than twenty portions of chicken sold out in less than half an hour. There was even a customer who paid in advance for tomorrow just to taste the chicken but was refunded by Song Tiantian. The restaurant did not engage in prepaid orders, nor was there any need for such measures. They would always sell out anyway; first come, first served, fair and square.

At eight o'clock in the evening, when business in the store was winding down, Lin Xu made sure everyone tidied up the kitchen utensils and took Dundun home from work early. Tonight, he had a date with Shen Jiayue, so he left a bit earlier.

After placing Dundun at home, he strolled with Shen Jiayue hand in hand along Yingchun Street. Now that their relationship was public, there was no need to hide it any longer.

Shen Jiayue had come back home after working out and showering, her body smelling sweet. Smelling her fragrance and then his own scent of cooking fumes, Lin Xu regretted not showering before coming out.

"Why aren't you talking?" Shen Jiayue's voice came from beside him.

He remembered when they were in school, they often went running on the track. Back then, both Lin Xu and Shen Jiayue seemed to have endless topics of conversation, talking about games, classmates, rumors about roommates, and so on. Now that they were together, he somehow didn't know what to say.

Lin Xu said with a smile, "I'm afraid this is a dream and that I'll wake up as soon as I speak."

Huh... He's actually flirting with me! Do you think I'll fall for it?

Shen Jiayue, with her arm through Lin Xu's, said, "Don't worry, it's not a dream, and even if it were, I'd still be right here with you because you are my Xu Bao, and I won't let go of you."

As they walked along, the two arrived at the prestigious high school where Geng Lele studied. There was a Shengjian Bun shop near the school gate. It wasn't very big, but there was still a line at this hour, indicating the food must be good.

"You must be tired from working out, want to eat something?"

The reason Lin Xu gave left Shen Jiayue with no comeback. "Okay, let's just buy a little to taste. I actually prefer the food you make. It might not be as delicious as yours."

How could it be delicious if I can't even make it...

Just as Lin Xu thought of this, he suddenly remembered he still had an Excellent Level Cooking Learning Card.

Since Shen Baobao wanted to eat his cooking, why not just learn the Shengjian Bun technique?

He said, "Then I'll sneak a peek for a bit and see if I can learn it. If I can, I'll make it for you tomorrow."

"Okay, okay, thank you for being so good to me!" Shen Jiayue rested her head on Lin Xu's shoulder, feeling incredibly happy.

As their turn was approaching, Lin Xu focused his gaze on the master making the Shengjian Buns.

He silently mused to himself, "Use the learning card!"

The system's notification immediately sounded in his mind: "Learning target: Wang Ziqiang. Current Skill: Shengjian Bun Technique, proceed with the learning?"

Oh? Success on the first try?

Lin Xu immediately chose to learn.

"Consumed one Excellent Level Cooking Learning Card, acquired Excellent Level Cooking Technique—Shengjian, congratulations to the host."

Technique acquired.

But Lin Xu did not immediately leave. Instead, he bought a serving of Shengjian Buns to taste. The Shengjian Buns were delicious, soft on the outside with a crispy, flavorful crust underneath. Biting into them, the hot and fragrant soup squirted out, nearly splashing onto him.

"Wow, it's truly delicious, no wonder people are queuing up to buy them!"

After tasting a couple, Lin Xu found them quite delicious. He was just about to send Geng Lele a message, asking her to pick up a serving from the shop tomorrow. Then, he suddenly remembered he had already learned the technique. He might as well make them himself.

It would be a good chance to compare with the shop's and gauge Master Wang's skill level.

This made him yearn for that special item called the Eye of Discrimination. If he had the Eye of Discrimination, the levels of these Shengjian Buns would surely be clear at a glance. In the future, whether buying ingredients or snacks, he would never be deceived again. It was just that earning 1,880,000 points wasn't so easy. He could only continue to work hard to earn money.

After finishing the Shengjian Buns, the two of them went to a nearby dessert shop and each bought an ice cream, strolling around until nine o'clock before returning to the shop front. By this time, Niu Chuan and the others had long since locked up and left. Lin Xu watched as Shen Jiayue drove away, and he himself went upstairs to rest.

「The next day.」

After coming back with groceries, Lin Xu was just about to make some Shengjian Buns to try his hand when the owner of the neighboring supermarket, Uncle Yu, suddenly burst in: "Boss Lin, there's trouble! A mysterious tycoon is buying up all the shops around you, it seems they're up to no good!"

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