Chapter 33: Qin, the Overconfident Simp, the Disappointing Man, Luo

"One person left."

"What did Qin Luo make? I didn't pay attention just now."

"Looking at it, it seems to be... potato chips?"

"..."

Under the gaze of others, Qin Luo transferred the contents of the pan into a plate bit by bit, finally sprinkling on some seasoning to complete the dish.

Everyone looked closely and realized that it was indeed a plate of potato chips!

"It actually smells quite good."

"It looks pretty good too, golden and crispy."

"I just don't know how it tastes. Is it as good as the ones sold in supermarkets?"

The others stared at the plate of chips, itching to try them, but no one dared to be the first to reach out with chopsticks. Everyone naturally assumed that Qin Luo would offer the first bite to Chu Sijin.

However, Qin Luo proceeded to fill several more plates with chips and distributed them across the tables. Only after doing so did he carry the final plate over to Chu Sijin.

"Here, eat up."

Qin Luo placed the plate of chips in front of Chu Sijin.

Chu Sijin had been craving them for a while. On one hand, she was curious about Qin Luo's culinary skills and wanted to taste his cooking; on the other hand, the fact that he had made her favorite snack—potato chips—made it impossible for her to resist.

Without even using her chopsticks, she reached out, pinched a chip, and popped it into her mouth.

With a crisp "crunch," the chip shattered, and the flavor of the seasoning mixed with the earthy taste of the potato spread across her palate.

Chu Sijin's eyes lit up instantly. As she chewed, she exclaimed, "Delicious! It tastes completely different from the store-bought ones!"

Freshly made, warm potato chips are inevitably different from store-bought ones, both in texture and flavor.

Qin Luo had a foundation in cooking; his mother was from Sichuan, and by the age of eight, he could stand on a small stool and stir-fry a plate of twice-cooked pork that drew praise from his parents.

Now, with his system, he had gained [Culinary Arts +1] from today's weekly check-in. While it wasn't a massive improvement overall, making a simple plate of potato chips was hardly a challenge.

While Chu Sijin was busy stuffing her face with chips, the others had already polished off the other plates, all while offering compliments.

"It's delicious; these chips are surprisingly good."

"The taste is different from the ones I buy at the supermarket, but it's really great."

"I can't really judge, since my taste buds are still paralyzed from that mustard earlier."

"You're lucky. Look at that guy who ate the large intestine; he's still over there rinsing his mouth..."

"..."

With the unanimous agreement of his classmates, Qin Luo's dish—seemingly whimsical but actually quite serious—received a high score of 48, ranking first in the room.

The only two who didn't score him were still rubbing their noses or rinsing their mouths.

Yu Tao was dissatisfied with this result and asked, "Is this appropriate? Can potato chips even count as a stir-fry?"

The "Shrimp Girl" smacked her lips and retorted, "A loss is a loss. Don't be a sore loser."

Yu Tao turned red. "It's not about being a sore loser. I just feel... these chips don't count as a proper dish!"

The others shrugged. Qin Luo smiled and asked him, "This is a food event, after all. There's no rule saying you must make a stir-fry. As long as what you create is good food, isn't that enough? Does it really matter if it's a 'proper' dish?"

Just as Yu Tao was about to argue further, the Shrimp Girl walked over and said earnestly, "President, let me tell you: food is created by chefs, but it is defined by those who eat it. As long as the diner thinks it's delicious, what does it matter if it's a formal dish?"

She gestured toward Chu Sijin with her chin. "Look at little Jin. She's eating so happily—happier than she was with anything else today."

Yu Tao instinctively looked at Chu Sijin and saw that she was indeed enjoying herself thoroughly. Her small hands and rosy lips were glistening with oil, and she had polished off a large plate of chips in no time.

She even looked like she wanted to lick the plate. Finished, she looked up at Qin Luo with big, watery eyes and said, "I haven't had enough. I want more."

This scene struck Yu Tao like a bolt of lightning. He swayed, then slumped heavily into a chair nearby.

His expression shifted from confusion to enlightenment, and his gaze grew firm. He declared sonorously, "I understand now. Only food that makes one feel deeply satisfied from the heart is true food. This is... the ultimate way of gastronomy!"

What kind of abstract nonsense is this...

Yu Tao's statement was so embarrassing that Qin Luo tried to hold back, but he couldn't help himself; his toes curled inside his shoes, digging hard into the soles.

But unfortunately, Yu Tao wasn't the only one acting strangely.

"Oh! President, you've finally attained enlightenment!"

"Enough already. The previous stuff was one thing, but even I think this is getting a bit too 'chuunibyou'."

"Don't worry about the details. Let's throw a food party to celebrate!"

"Lord Luo! Please, fry another batch of chips!"

"Where's the dessert guy? Bring out another round of your Michelin-level treats! One for everyone! Otherwise, the Anime Club next door will think we can't afford to eat!"

"..."

Amidst the cheers, Yu Tao suddenly walked up to Qin Luo and said with a complex expression, "I lost. I accept it wholeheartedly. Now, I must admit that you are the man more suited for Chu Sijin than I am... Go, work hard for my share as well. You must be happy with Chu Sijin, you enviable bastard!"

Stop, please stop. I beg you, stop talking, or I'm going to die of embarrassment right here...

Qin Luo felt his scalp tingle with awkwardness, and his molars began to ache.

Fortunately, the guy didn't continue his madness. After speaking to Qin Luo, he responded to the crowd's call, and they held an impromptu food party on the spot.

The members of the Gourmet Club pitched in, preparing various snacks and cooking dishes on the fly. Qin Luo was pushed into the fray and had no choice but to make a massive pile of chips for them.

Amidst the laughter filled with the scent of youth, Chu Sijin ate her chips silently, her gaze constantly fixed on Qin Luo... For some reason, she suddenly wanted Qin Luo to feed her, just like he had in the infirmary.

...

It was already dusk when Qin Luo stepped out of the Gourmet Club's territory.

Beside him, Chu Sijin patted her noticeably rounder belly, burping occasionally, her face radiating happiness and satisfaction.

Not only that, her pink bag contained, in addition to the chips Qin Luo had bought her earlier, two unlabeled transparent bags filled to the brim with the chips Qin Luo had made at the club. She also had an invitation voucher from the club tucked into her pocket.

Looking at her, Qin Luo couldn't help but tease, "It's quite a miracle that someone like you has lived this long without being lured away by a bag of snacks."

Hearing this, Chu Sijin suddenly stopped in her tracks, and the happy expression on her face dimmed.

"I wouldn't be lured away easily, because..."

She hesitated, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't finish.

Qin Luo noticed that her eyes looked a bit dull, as if the topic had touched upon some painful memory.

Could it be? Had she actually been lured away by food before?

Qin Luo raised an eyebrow but decided not to pursue the topic. Instead, he asked, "Did you have your fill?"

"Mhm, I'm stuffed." Chu Sijin nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Qin Luo. "You didn't just help me today; you bought me snacks and made so many delicious chips for me to take home. I never realized before that you were such a good person!"

"This is all it takes to be a 'good person'?" Qin Luo was amused. "What did you think of me before?"

Chu Sijin touched her lower lip with one finger and thought for a moment. "Xu Ke said you were a 'self-righteous man,' Yanyan said you were a 'little simp,' and Tang Yu said you were a 'disappointing man'... Liunian and I didn't really have an opinion, we just knew you liked Xu Ke a lot..."

Before she could finish, Qin Luo interrupted, "Shouldn't Tang Yu be calling me a 'smelly little brother'?"

Chu Sijin was stunned. "No? Why would she call you that?"

Oh? It seems the young lady hides her true colors very well.

Qin Luo smiled and didn't answer Chu Sijin's question.

Chu Sijin looked confused and seemed about to press further, but suddenly remembered something. "By the way, do you still like Xu Ke?"

Qin—Self-Righteous—Simp—Disappointing Man—Luo silently looked at Chu Sijin for two seconds before replying, "This is the third time I've heard this question recently. The first two times, people from your dormitory were asking me. What? Did you all conspire to take turns asking me?"

Chu Sijin sensed that Qin Luo was annoyed, so she shook her head quickly and explained, "No, no! I didn't even want to ask. It was Xu Ke who told me to ask you. She wants to know if you still like her."

"Then why doesn't she ask me herself?"

"I... I don't know..."

Chu Sijin looked conflicted and hesitant. "Xu Ke has been acting a bit strange lately. She spaces out constantly and keeps arguing with Yanyan. Last time, she even argued with Tang Yu, which was really scary. Tang Yu is the gentlest person in our dorm, and everyone likes her. Even though Xu Ke often bickers with Yanyan, she's never fought with Tang Yu before."

"Although I thought Xu Ke looked a bit scary when I first met her, I realized she was actually quite gentle after we became friends. She's not like that at all now."

"I feel like the problem must be with you, but I can't figure out why. Liunian says she doesn't get it either... Ugh, I've never been in a relationship, but it feels like your stuff is so complicated..."

She mumbled a whole lot, then looked up at Qin Luo and asked weakly, "So, do you really not like Xu Ke anymore?"