**At the Dining Table**

"The food is truly delicious. Thank you for the wonderful meal!" Qinmu said cheerfully as she sampled every dish on the table.

‘Who would’ve thought my senior’s cooking would outshine mine? He’s incredible—I guess it’s true that there’s always someone more skilled out there. I should learn a thing or two from him. If I can improve my cooking, my sister will praise me even more.’ Qinmu thought gleefully, smiling to herself. She became so absorbed in her thoughts that she accidentally spilled soup onto the table.

Yufei Han immediately wiped up the spilled soup and carefully checked her fingers. “Did you get burned? If you did, you have to tell me right away. Burns need to be treated promptly!”

Qinmu smiled faintly, “I’m fine.” In truth, she knew Yufei’s concern was mostly for show.

Han Yunze came out of the kitchen, carrying the last dish—a plate of stir-fried green beans. He placed the dish beside Qinmu’s bowl and chopsticks while it was still steaming hot, saying confidently, “Qinmu, give it a try. It should taste pretty good.” Cooking was something Han Yunze took great pride in.

Picking up a few beans with her chopsticks, Qinmu tasted them and commented, “These are really tasty! The seasoning is spot on, perfectly balanced and refreshing. Senior, your culinary skills are so exceptional you might as well be a head chef at a five-star hotel!”

“Brother, Qinmu loves the food! Give her more rice; I don’t think she’s full yet,” Yufei said warmly.

“Got it! Keep eating! If you’d like, Qinmu, you’re welcome to stay for dinner as well.” Yunze chuckled good-naturedly.

“It seems my brother reserves all his enthusiasm for cooking—he’s got far less for anything else,” Yufei remarked with a sigh.

“That’s not so bad,” Qinmu replied. “I enjoy cooking for my sister at home, too. She really likes it when I prepare meals well. Seeing her happy always makes me happy.”

“Your sister? Oh, is that your twin sister? She’s out of the hospital now, right? How’s she doing?”

“She’s much better, but she still struggles to walk properly. She’ll need to rest for a while longer.”

Han Yunze, who had just come back from the kitchen, overheard Qinmu talking about her sister. “I didn’t know you had a sister, Qinmu. Does she attend Jingtang School too?”

“Yes, she’s a second-year student at Jingtang as well. Her name is Nangong Huixiang, and she’s my twin sister.”

“A twin sister? Wow, that’s some good fortune—to have a sibling who looks exactly like you—you wouldn’t even need to use a mirror!” Yunze laughed, the awkwardness from their morning meeting having dissipated completely now.

It was true, Qinmu thought to herself with some amusement. What was Huixiang doing now? She should be eating already, right?

---

**At Qinmu's Home**

"Hey Sister, is the pizza here yet?" Huixiang asked lazily, sprawled on the bed with a look of utter boredom.

"Not yet; I only called to order it a little while ago. They’re probably still on their way," Qingyu replied.

Not having to cook today was a relief for Qingyu, who rarely excelled in culinary matters. When Qinmu was around, good meals were almost guaranteed.

“Ugh, I’m so hungry! Sister, is there anything left in the fridge? Just grab me something, will you?” Huixiang implored.

“I’ll check.” Qingyu swung open the double-door fridge, surveying its contents—fresh ingredients everywhere but nothing ready-to-eat.

“Nope, there’s nothing. You’ll just have to wait a little longer—it shouldn’t take much longer,” Qingyu called out indifferently. She wasn’t particularly hungry herself, likely because she’d slept in and eaten breakfast late.

“This is taking forever! I’m starving!” Huixiang slapped the blanket on her knees, voicing her endless complaints.

Moments later, the knock on the door came. Qingyu hurried to answer and, to Huixiang’s relief, the delivery boy stood there holding the box. Qingyu placed the pizza on the living room table and called out, “The pizza’s here. Stop sulking; I’ll cut it up for you.” She grabbed a knife and portioned the pizza into neat slices, placing them on a plate.

When Huixiang saw Qingyu bringing the pizza into her room, her mood brightened instantly. “Thanks, Sis!”

“Is that gratitude I’m hearing? What happened to all the grumbling you were doing earlier?” Qingyu teased with a smile.

“I made a mistake, okay? I’m digging in now!” Huixiang said eagerly, spearing a slice of pizza with her fork and biting into it. “Umm, yummy! This is amazing—just what I needed.”

“You enjoy that. I’m heading to the living room to eat mine. Let me know if it’s not enough,” Qingyu said with a chuckle before leaving Huixiang to her meal.

---

**A Sunny Day**

"Yue Yang! Hurry up, catch up!" Yin Wenqi pedaled her bike, leaving Yue far behind.

Today marked their cycling trip together, heading out to the Haishi Forest Park on the outskirts of Jiangzhou City. The weather was a blessing—the heavy morning fog had dissolved, leaving the sun shining brightly overhead, providing plenty of warmth and light.

"I'm already pedaling as fast as I can!" Yue yelled back, straining against the pedals, but no matter her efforts, her speed was still a far cry from Wenqi’s.

"You call that fast? At this rate, we won’t even make it there by this afternoon! Push harder; show me some determination!" Wenqi shouted over the distance between them.

"Alright, alright, I’ll try harder!" Yue gritted her teeth and picked up speed, though it seemed like her energy might give out at any moment.

They were riding along a quiet, deserted highway on the city’s outskirts, surrounded by vast factories and rows of roadside trees stretching endlessly into the horizon.

Seeing how much Yue was struggling, Wenqi slowed her pace, allowing her friend to catch up.

Panting hard, Yue finally reached her. "You’re too fast. Can’t you slow down a little? If we keep going at your pace, I’ll keel over!"

Wenqi laughed lightly, glancing at her fatigued friend from the saddle. "Come on, ‘Miss Gorgeous.’ You're clearly not used to this—you don’t do chores at home, barely exercise at school, and now a long ride like this is too much for you, obviously!"

“So, you tricked me into coming along for this, didn’t you?” Yue retorted, pouting.

“I didn’t force you to come, did I? But seriously, you do need more exercise. You know, you even gained a little weight at the start of the semester.”

“Gained weight? What? Really?! I didn’t notice!” Yue quickly scanned her figure but couldn’t find any obvious changes.

Of course, you wouldn’t notice. Go weigh yourself later; then you’ll see for sure!” Wenqi teased.

“Pfft, whatever. I don't believe you. I’m one of those ‘eat anything but never gain weight’ people!”

“Keep telling yourself that, ‘Miss Gorgeous.’ Here’s the truth—if you don’t start losing some weight soon, your ‘Prince Charming,’ Nangong Qinmu, might just lose interest in you!”

The thought hit Yue like a brick. It couldn’t be true—after all, they were both girls. Why would she care about Yue’s looks or weight? But what if Qinmu *was* the type who cared about appearances? The idea made Yue’s heart sink and a wave of panic washed over her. No, she couldn’t let that happen! Suddenly, her attitude toward Wenqi shifted entirely.

“Alright, tell me—what’s your secret to losing weight?” Yue asked fervently.

“There you go! That’s more like it. If you really want to know, I don’t mind sharing. Run around the track every day, eight to ten laps. Eat more vegetables and less meat, snack on fruits. Stick to it, and you’ll be in perfect shape in no time.” Wenqi spoke with the confidence of a fitness guru, leaving Yue no choice but to reluctantly nod along.

“Eight to ten laps? That sounds insane. Wouldn’t I pass out from exhaustion?” Yue’s jaw dropped, staring in shock.

“That’s nothing—just three to four kilometers. Heck, we’re cycling over twenty kilometers round-trip today. Compared to that, this is child’s play.”

“Ugh, isn’t there a quicker way to get results?” Yue pleaded desperately.

"Sure—you can hit the gym or try aerobics. It’s all the same principle: eat less, move more. Got it, Miss Gorgeous? Want me to teach you step by step?"

“No thanks! I get it now!”

“Well then, let’s get going. At this pace, we won’t reach the park before noon!”

By now, the sun had climbed higher in the sky—it was already past 8:30—and the road ahead still stretched long and winding through the Jiangzhou landscape. The sky was radiant and blue, birds chirped crisply in hidden woods, flowers and leaves shimmered with life. Everything seemed to embody the perfect vision of beauty and wonder.