Vol2 Chapter 1: Cooking

June 28, 2010—Lu Mingfei stood at his aunt’s doorstep again.

Since Bai Ci booked his ticket right after exams, he’d returned early.

“Mingfei’s back?
Perfect, go buy—”
His aunt’s face lit up, only to freeze when she saw he wasn’t alone.

“Hello, Auntie.”
Bai Ci bowed respectfully, forcing a standard smile and handing over a large plastic bag filled with fruits, vegetables, wine, salt, and soy sauce.

“Oh, you didn’t need to bring gifts!”

Despite her words, his aunt swiftly took the bag, glanced at its contents, and headed to the kitchen.
“You two sit on the sofa.
I’m making dumplings.
Mingfei, come help chop carrots!”

Lu Mingfei instinctively darted over, grabbing the knife before it hit him—damn it!
He was half a success now, and he still had to chop carrots?
These hands had helped save the world at the Three Gorges a few months ago, and now they were back to slicing vegetables?

But seeing his aunt’s face, he couldn’t protest.

He was about to subtly share his year in America when she spoke first.
“Mingfei, let me ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

Lu Mingfei nodded confidently.
With a year’s growth, handling this middle-aged woman should be a breeze.
What hadn’t he seen in America?

“You’ve been in the States a year—saved any scholarship money?”

“Uh…”

On paper, he was rich, but the college’s rules were strict: scholarships required passing tests, timely papers, and stellar grades.
Except for one practical course, Lu Mingfei’s marks were awful.
He’d only claimed four months of his twelve-month scholarship, and his credit card was overdrawn by thousands.
His bravado faded—he was less flush than the girl watching TV on the sofa.
Her scholarship had come through in spades.
So… he chopped carrots with extra effort.

Seeing him silent, his aunt’s lips curved slightly.
“They say American girls are pretty open.
Found a girlfriend yet?
Or is Bai Ci your girlfriend?”

Lu Mingfei’s head drooped.
That question stung.
How to put it?
He had the heart, but she didn’t.
Every time he tried to get closer to Bai Ci, either the Student Union or damn Lionheart had something going on.
She was a big shot in Lionheart now, second only to Susie, making him feel like some creepy stalker.
Still a lonely bachelor.

“Seen your parents?”

His head sank lower.
Honestly, he could barely remember their faces.
In a whole year, he’d only gotten two letters from his mom, Giovanna.
When filling out “emergency contact” at enrollment, he’d listed his uncle and aunt.
His flashy, free-spirited, busy parents—supposedly so loving—were off fighting dragons to save the world, too busy to visit.

Lu Mingfei went quiet, his knife hitting the cutting board with hollow thuds.

His aunt’s smile grew, unstoppable.

“Lu Mingfei’s exceptional—a Student Union mainstay and the designated next president,” a voice cut in.
“In one event, he outdid both the current president and Lionheart’s Chu Zihang.
He’s also the principal’s favorite.
Besides the college’s $36,000 scholarship, the principal personally grants him $50,000.”

“And… a Russian girl’s got her eye on him.
The college is buzzing with rumors.”

“Though Uncle Lu and Aunt Giovanna haven’t visited due to work, they write often.
They care deeply about him.”

Bai Ci walked over, smiling faintly at his aunt.
“Auntie, let me help knead the dough.”

Her fingertips worked the dough gently, long lashes fluttering in the steam.

“What’s with this Russian girl?
Name?
Family background?”
His aunt turned, eyes gleaming.

Lu Mingfei’s knife nearly nicked his finger.
He suddenly missed school—at least monsters didn’t pry into his love life.
Bai Ci glanced at him, her glass-like eyes rippling subtly.

“Her name’s Zero,” Lu Mingfei said dryly.
“Just a classmate.”

“Russian girls age fast, don’t they?”
His aunt’s eyes sparkled.
“I think local girls are better.
What’s her major?”

“Electronic Maintenance Design (Magical Machinery Design),” Bai Ci chimed in.
“She’s skilled with various equipment and repair techniques.
We’re roommates.”
She looked up, flour-dusted lashes like snow on butterfly wings.
“But she does know ballet.”

Lu Mingfei’s mouth twitched, glancing at Bai Ci.
A year in Lionheart, and she could lie so smoothly?
Her words weren’t wrong, though.
He’d seen that Russian loli wield everything from pistols to machine guns to RPGs…

As for a girlfriend, he didn’t dare dream.

Zero was too dazzling, like a perfectly cut ruby—beautiful, cold.
Everyone admired her from afar, but she wasn’t his.
Holding her would be like gripping ice, suffocating.
So Zero stayed alone, a lofty, beautiful ruby.

Lu Mingfei didn’t mind.
Everyone outshone him—he was used to being the loser.
So when tiny Zero hung out with him, it didn’t seem odd.
It felt… oddly harmonious.

He couldn’t define their relationship.
Friends?
Dance partners?
Late-night snack buddies?
That didn’t quite fit, though they often ate together in the cafeteria.

What, like “Stands attract each other”?

Too absurd.

Zero started joining him for snacks after he accidentally singed her hair with a blowtorch in chemistry class.
Panicked, he’d compensated with shrimp.

Since then, they’d eaten together often—two quiet roommates, a chatterbox loser, and sometimes an F-rank dropout who couldn’t graduate.

Pretty funny, really—the college’s worst newbie hanging out with its top students for late-night snacks.