Sigh, why so quiet today? I lay on the green grass beside the Baishao River, gazing at the clear sky. Usually, girls follow me everywhere. Rare to have such free time. A cool breeze gently caressed my cheeks. Might as well nap. I closed my eyes. So, what are the girls up to?

At the Linjian Household, several girls unusually gathered today. The chestnut-haired, freckled girl spoke: "Though Senior has a harem, he isn’t trying to win anyone over. To boost his favorability, we need a plan." Causing chaos was Rika’s nature.

Nanami Hayashi, the Linjian Household’s young lady, felt slightly shy but didn’t object. "Um, Mom said to win a man’s heart, win his stomach."

Mingzi Baishi, a tall beauty with a frivolous expression, covered her chin. "Nana-chan’s right. But since our junior is Chinese, we’ll capture him through Chinese cuisine."

Even the single-ponytail girl Chiling Xi Qiu Kui and the expressionless porcelain doll Iris agreed. "Then, Operation Boost Senior’s Favorability begins!" Rika Dojima declared enthusiastically.

First, understand Chinese culinary culture. Nana opened her laptop; the girls crowded around. She typed "eight major Chinese cuisines." Results appeared:

Sichuan, Shandong, Cantonese, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, and Anhui are China’s eight major cuisines. They evolved from regional food cultures and are traditional staples.

"Rika-chan, your drool’s dripping on me!" Mingzi Baishi pushed Rika’s head aside, avoiding a soak. Rika Dojima wiped her mouth. "These pics look delicious! Chinese culture is so profound."

"You’re naive," Chiling said mockingly. "Check the next entry." Their eyes shifted to "China’s Ninth Major Cuisine."

China’s Ninth Major Cuisine—School Canteen Cuisine. Unaware, Nana looked impressed. "Amazing! Even tasteless school canteens spawned a cuisine. It represents China’s trendiest food culture."

Blonde, blue-eyed Iris stated flatly, "Traditional food is great, but Chinese cuisine now focuses beyond color, aroma, and taste. Human nutrition is the new goal."

Rika Dojima jumped up. "Fair competition! Each makes one Chinese dish to move Senior’s heart." Mingzi Baishi glared gloomily. "Little Rika, give up. Your flat chest has no chance." Sparks flew between them.

Nanami Hayashi looked determined. "I won’t lose either." Chiling Xi Qiu Kui smiled faintly. "In cooking, I won’t lose to anyone here." Iris tried a cheer gesture—it looked unchanged. "Iris will cook too."

They agreed to make dishes separately, hiding recipes. "Meet at Nana’s before dinner. Settled."

I woke from a peaceful nap, stretched, and sat up. My phone showed 2 PM. Time to head back. But an unread text from Nana said: "Don’t come home before dinner!"

What? Nana rarely jokes. I’ll obey. But three hours till dinner—where to go?

At 4 PM, the girls arrived at Nanami Hayashi’s house, each carrying an exquisite food box. Rika Dojima stared curiously at Mingzi Baishi. "Senior, what’d you make?" "Secret," Mingzi Baishi replied mysteriously. Rika Dojima frowned and tsked.

Nanami Hayashi said, "We all want to show our dishes when Cold Creek returns." They nodded.

Twenty minutes passed. Rika Dojima drooped her eyes at Nana. "This waiting’s boring. Let’s show each other." Nanami Hayashi glanced around. Chiling smiled. "I don’t mind." Iris simply said, "Okay." Mingzi Baishi finally agreed.

"First, my masterpiece—ta-da!" Rika Dojima childishly added sound effects, revealing "Orange Stir-Fried Ribs." "I researched it. This canteen-cuisine starter exists due to mass popularity. Senior will love it."

Mingzi Baishi scoffed. "Childish." She opened her box: "Braised Pig Nipples." "This dish is novel and fully stimulates male desire." She gazed痴迷ly at the ceiling.

Chiling Xi Qiu Kui presented "Corn Stir-Fried Grapes." "My family values presentation. This is the only decent-looking dish."

Iris calmly unveiled "Steamed Chocolate Cream Eggplant." "As a French person, I added Western flair." All eyes turned to Nanami Hayashi.

Nana chuckled awkwardly, shyly showing "Strawberry Stir-Fried Fish Balls." "I just added Japanese flair to canteen food."

"Has anyone tasted their dish?" They shook heads. Rika Dojima’s eyes sparkled. "Such sacred food—Senior must be first taster!" Nana dry-laughed. "True."

After wandering all day, dinner time came. "I’m back." Everyone was here. "Why’s everyone here?"

Rika Dojima rushed into my arms, rubbing against me. "We made dishes for you to taste!" Their eager faces were hard to refuse. I walked to the table.

My face turned green. "Are these legendary canteen-cuisine dishes?" They smiled and nodded. "A surprise for you, Cold Creek. We worked hard."

Damn, this could kill me. Even death beats humane destruction! "I have errands. I’ll go out." I tried to escape.

"No!" Senior White Stone glared gloomily. "Eat first, then leave." I swallowed hard. "Must I?"

"Yes!"

"I choose death."

"Sorry, not an option. Eat!"

Someone save me!