Chapter 31: Bride Price? (Please Follow!)

Li Luo was busy preparing ingredients in the kitchen.

Just as he was about to stir-fry, he realized the kitchen had run out of salt and immediately shouted for Zhao Rongjun to go downstairs and buy some.

Zhao Rongjun, who had long been silent within the female domain, heard Li Luo's voice and instantly felt as if he'd received a royal pardon—he bolted downstairs without hesitation.

After buying the salt and returning, Zhao Rongjun seized the opportunity to stay in the kitchen and assist Li Luo.

"When are you going to fix this habit of never talking to girls?"

"I can talk—I just don't want to," Zhao Rongjun insisted.

"Then let me ask you a question," Li Luo said, stirring the wok. "Answer me honestly."

"Go ahead."

"Suppose," Li Luo asked, "you got a girlfriend, and when it came to marriage, her family demanded thirty thousand yuan as bride price. Would you pay it?"

"Thirty thousand?!" Zhao Rongjun's expression startled, blurted out, "Is she robbing us?"

"So what's your answer?"

"I'm not crazy enough to give her thirty thousand," Zhao Rongjun shook his head vigorously. "Why doesn't she just rob a bank?"

"Good!" Li Luo clapped him on the shoulder. "Remember what you said today—eat more later."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zhao Rongjun frowned suspiciously. "Why ask such a random question?"

"Yeah," Li Luo rolled his eyes. "It is pretty random. You get it. Pass me the soy sauce."

"Oh, okay."

"Light soy, not dark soy—you grabbed the wrong one."

"Is there a difference?"

"One's for seasoning, one's for coloring. Learn a little more."

……

At six-thirty in the evening, a full table of dishes was brought out to the living room dining table, steaming and fragrant.

Zhao Rongjun stared, wide-eyed—he never expected Li Luo could actually cook up such a feast.

Xu Youyu was equally astonished, occasionally glancing at the calm Li Luo, thinking this guy wasn't just a great writer—he could cook exceptionally well too.

Besides instant noodles, she had never cooked a single meal herself.

Ying Chanxi, however, was already used to it.

After tasting Li Luo's fried noodles and learning that the dishes served on her father's return day were all made by him, Ying Chanxi had formed a clear understanding of Li Luo's culinary skills.

At this moment, Ying Chanxi calmly fetched bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen, distributed them to Xu Youyu and Zhao Rongjun, then sat beside Li Luo and called out, "Everyone, let's eat."

The four of them sat down to eat—it was, undeniably, a strange feeling.

After all, they were all fifteen or sixteen-year-olds, three of them first-year high school freshmen.

Even Xu Youyu, the oldest, was merely a Gao Er girl—her mindset still far from mature.

Living alone in a rented apartment, she hadn't felt this deeply before.

Now, sitting together at the dining table, eating with peers, with no adults present, it felt strangely wonderful—and even a little beautiful.

Like sneaking into your father's suit or slipping on your mother's high heels—there was a fresh thrill in mimicking adult maturity.

It was just like the childhood game of pretend, except now it was the teenage version.

"So delicious," Xu Youyu tasted the Maple Tofu, her eyes instantly lighting up.

It was her favorite dish—and made by Li Luo, it tasted nearly identical to her mother's, utterly delicious.

Hearing Xu Youyu's praise, Li Luo smiled silently.

Tonight's six dishes and one soup included Coke Chicken Wings and Tomato Scrambled Eggs—both favorites of Ying Chanxi.

The two dishes closest to Xu Youyu—Maple Tofu and Green Pepper Shredded Pork—were, in Li Luo's memory, her most beloved.

The remaining two—Potato Stewed Beef Brisket and Bean Sprouts with Vermicelli—were Zhao Rongjun's favorites.

He'd gotten his fair share.

Zhao Rongjun had initially looked puzzled, wondering if Xu Youyu's reaction was really that strong—could the food really be that good?

But after taking a single bite of Li Luo's cooking, he froze in shock.

"Tastes just like restaurant food," Zhao Rongjun couldn't help saying. "Where did you learn this?"

Hmph.

Li Luo chuckled inwardly, thinking: Did he spend two and a half years in vocational school earning his chef's certificate for nothing?

But aloud he said nothing truthful: "Taught myself. Self-taught genius."

"Like I'd believe that," Zhao Rongjun said flatly.

But then he reconsidered—he thought of Li Luo's high school entrance exam scores, and the hidden effort the guy must've put in—and suddenly, learning to cook didn't seem so impossible for Li Luo.

"Did you never cook here before, Senior Xu?" Ying Chanxi asked curiously while eating.

"I don't have that skill," Xu Youyu shook her head. "I usually eat at school. On weekends, I either go home for meals or grab something from a small restaurant downstairs."

"Is your home close to the school?" Ying Chanxi blinked, asking again.

"Very close," Xu Youyu nodded, pointing northwest. "It's in the Qianjiang University staff housing."

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi paused. "Then why rent an apartment? Qianjiang University is also near Fuyi High School."

"Ugh, living at home is so annoying," Xu Youyu waved her hand. "My parents nag me about everything—living alone in a rental is just for peace and quiet!"

Li Luo glanced at Xu Youyu—he understood her reasoning.

One reason was avoiding parental nagging, but Li Luo also knew clearly: Xu Youyu didn't want her family to find out she wrote Online Novels.

Especially since her father was a renowned professor in Qianjiang University's Literature Department, and her mother came from a scholarly family.

Raised in an environment steeped in literature, Xu Youyu feared her parents would punish her severely if they discovered her writing Online Novels in high school.

Unlike Li Luo, who could just bluff a little—his mother, Lin Xiuhong, thought writing Online Novels was some highbrow novelist's pursuit.

Thinking of this, Li Luo couldn't help smiling.

Xu Youyu noticed his smile and asked, "What about you? Why did you move here?"

"Because it's closer to Fu Yi High School," Ying Chanxi said. "But someone probably moved here just to play computer games more conveniently."

Saying this, Ying Chanxi turned to look at Li Luo and smiled slightly, warning, "I'll reset the computer password later. I have to monitor you every day to make sure you sleep on time, or I won't be able to explain to your uncle and aunt."

"Does it have to be this strict?" Li Luo said, unimpressed. "I have great self-discipline."

"If you have great self-discipline, then one more password won't hurt, will it?" Ying Chanxi tilted her head and smiled. "Or should I call your aunt to check?"

"No need for that," Li Luo waved his hand generously. "Set whatever password you want. I don't play much anyway."

Xu Youyu watched all this, silently chuckled in his heart, thinking: Is that really what you call playing computer games?

Aren't you just secretly writing novels every day?