Chapter 31: The Innocent Boy and the Sloppy Neighbor.

As the security door swung open, a sharper burnt smell hit Lu Zhao, making him grimace.

The apartment’s layout mirrored his own, so he quickly spotted the kitchen, faint black smoke drifting out.

“What’s this guy up to?”

He started to step inside but stopped short—the place wasn’t just messy; it was a disaster.

He’d thought the three women who grabbed him were sloppy, but his neighbor across the hall was on another level.

You just moved in not long ago, right? How did it get like this?

Lu Zhao tiptoed like he was navigating a minefield, avoiding beer bottles, soda cans, empty snack bags, takeout boxes, and…

A chaotic mix of colorful clothes, underwear, stockings, shoes, and unidentifiable bottles and jars.

As expected, when women let themselves go in this world, men couldn’t compete.

After a struggle, he reached the kitchen doorway and saw what was happening.

“Alright, next step: prepare the sauce…”

A cooking tutorial video played from a phone.

Lu Zhao glanced at the smoking pan, its contents blackened into an unrecognizable mess.

A string of complaints lodged in his throat, but he didn’t know where to start.

Can’t you watch the whole video before you start cooking?!

He touched his chest, feeling a phantom pain at the wasted ingredients.

Yu Baiwei stood with her back to the door, the stove to her left.

Probably because she was home alone, her outfit was beyond casual.

Her hair was tied in a messy bun, and she wore nothing but an apron up top, her smooth, pale back fully exposed.

Below, she had on thin black shorts, her long, fair legs unconsciously rubbing together.

From Lu Zhao’s sharp-eyed observation, underwear didn’t seem to exist on her.

Shy? That was for men in this world. Why not enjoy the free show?

Feasting his eyes, Lu Zhao didn’t forget why he was here.

“Miss Yu, could you check the pan?”

His sudden voice startled her, but she instinctively looked over.

“Ah! What happened?!” She scrambled to turn off the heat.

Relieved, she patted her chest and turned to Lu Zhao.
“Thanks! If it weren’t for you, this pan would’ve been toast too.”

What does that mean? Not just ingredients, but pans as consumables too?

To spare her some dignity, Lu Zhao kept his thoughts to himself.

“Uh, maybe change into something else?” He averted his gaze slightly.

Her reaction made Yu Baiwei realize her state—and the room’s chaos.

A flush spread from her neck to her ears.

Not from shyness, but embarrassment at her appearance and the mess.

“Uh… uh! Stay here, don’t move. I’ll… I’ll clean up!”

She stiffly pushed Lu Zhao into the kitchen and shut the door.

Outside, clattering and pained whimpers followed.

“Sigh, this woman…” Lu Zhao shook his head with a soft sigh.

It was because of Yan Qingxin that he’d come in at all.

With that outfit, any other guy might’ve landed in a classic plotline.

A shy, naive college boy and the sloppy, energetic, leggy older sister next door in a trash heap… doing this and that.

He’d seen that movie.
Every world has its selling points.

“Let’s see what she’s making.” Lu Zhao peered into the blackened pan.

His mouth twitched—it was impossible to tell; it was just a charred lump.

Dumping it out and cleaning the pan, he surveyed the kitchen’s ingredients.

“You eat their food, you owe them. Might as well cook her a meal.”

Seeing Yu Baiwei jogged a memory of something he’d wondered about.

He wanted to ask why she and Yan Qingxin seemed off, like Yu Baiwei didn’t want to see her.

From Yan Qingxin’s behavior and stories, they should have a good elder-junior relationship.

But Lu Zhao’s observations suggested Yu Baiwei had some grudge against her.

Why? Because of Yan Ruyue?

Possibly.
With that woman’s personality, offending someone unintentionally wasn’t surprising.

As the saying goes, to win a woman’s heart, start with her stomach.

Lu Zhao wasn’t after Yu Baiwei’s heart—just what was on her mind.

Checking the ingredients, he picked a few dishes and got to work in the kitchen.

Before his rebirth, they said men should learn to cook to find a wife.

After rebirth, they said men should learn to cook to get married off.

“Hiss…”

The thought made him suck in a breath, his knife pausing as he muttered:

“Cooking everywhere I go? Did I reincarnate for nothing?”

The synchronicity was eerily terrifying.

About half an hour later, the kitchen door creaked open.
Yu Baiwei had changed.

But “changed” was generous—she’d just thrown on a top, and it was somehow more eye-catching than the apron.

Whether intentional or not, she wore a tight yellow Pikachu T-shirt.

Pikachu’s face was stretched wide, its red cheeks slightly raised.

So, this world’s Pokémon fans are like you?

“What… are you doing?”

Her face still held some embarrassment, but her eyes lit up seeing Lu Zhao cook.
She still remembered the taste of his hangover soup.

The sweet-sour flavor made her mouth water.

She peeked into the pan beside him, her eyes full of admiration.

“Smells so good! What’s this? Is it for me?”

Lu Zhao shifted his gaze from Pikachu’s face.
“Yeah, I figured if I didn’t step in, you’d waste more ingredients.”

“Uh…” Her expression stiffened at his blunt words, then she laughed.
“Heh, I’m just starting out. Those were tuition fees.”

“Your learning method…” Lu Zhao didn’t elaborate.
“Go wash your hands. It’s almost ready.”

“Yes!” Food was king, and his words were practically a decree.

Stepping out, Yu Baiwei froze at the sight of the tidied living room, no longer a chaotic mess.

“Pretty quick work.”

“Ahem.” She coughed awkwardly.
“I didn’t know you’d come over. I’m not usually like this. Some friends came over last night.”

Lu Zhao gave her a skeptical look but didn’t call her out.

“Alright, come try it.”

“Okay!”

Yu Baiwei eagerly picked up chopsticks, popping a piece of meat into her mouth.

“Mmm! So good!”

Lu Zhao smiled at her reaction.
Hard to imagine what she usually ate—his was just home cooking.

As if she hadn’t had a proper meal in ages, Yu Baiwei devoured it, chopsticks a blur.

“Eat… you too.”

She gestured for him to join while stuffing her face.

Lu Zhao took a few bites, then asked, “Miss Yu, do you… dislike Qingxin?”