This was likely one of the very few dinners that had truly left a mark on Jiang Zixuan in his entire life.

The top side of the chicken breasts looked decent—golden, tender with a hint of char, actually pretty tasty. Too bad the other side was nearly burnt to a crisp.

After setting all the dishes on the table, Shu Yuxin tried two pieces of chicken, then immediately pulled the potato slices close and refused to let go. Seeing her tense, defensive posture, Zixuan seriously weighed the near-impossible task of snatching food from her—and gave up on the potatoes.

*Serves me right,* he thought. *A rich kid like me skips fancy restaurants just to taste this kitchen disaster.*

He was already considering grabbing late-night snacks downstairs.

“Um… I actually think this crispy-charred texture isn’t bad,” Yuxin said cautiously, stealing a glance at Zixuan before lowering her eyes back to the blackened meat. “If you don’t like it, pick the less burnt bits—just pretend you’re eating guoba.”

Zixuan blankly plucked a piece, tossed it in his mouth. A series of crunches later, he shoveled in a bite of rice. “You try. It’s not bad.”

“I’ll pass. Not in the mood for meat tonight.”

“Tsk,” Zixuan chuckled. “At least you didn’t turn the rice into porridge. I’m already grateful.”

Yuxin kept her head down, shoveling rice. “First time! Mistakes happen. And you distracted me—it’s not all my fault.”

“…*I* distracted you?”

“Weren’t you?”

“Weren’t *you* the one who started talking? So now it’s my fault for replying?”

“Exactly!” Yuxin suddenly grew bold. “If you’d ignored me, none of this would’ve happened.”

Zixuan stared at her for three seconds, sighed. “Fine, fine—my bad. Let’s eat.”

In the end, the grilled meat stayed unfinished. Zixuan forced down a third; the rest vanished into the kitchen trash.

Post-dinner time was usually cozy. Earlier, they’d swung by Yuxin’s dorm to collect her remaining things. Tidying the room took little effort. After this brief walk, they collapsed together onto the living room sofa.

An anime Zixuan had been watching played on TV. Starting mid-series, Yuxin had zero context—and felt thoroughly uninterested.

As mentioned before, Yuxin’s parents once wondered if she had ADHD. One reason? Their daughter—the story’s heroine—fidgeted whenever idle, bored, off her phone, or stuck in place. Around strangers, she hid it well. With people she trusted? Total fidget-mode activated.

At the seven-minute mark, Yuxin slumped sideways, leaning on Zixuan’s shoulder. By minute nine, she restlessly propped both legs atop his thighs—a pose demanding serious flexibility, utterly uncomfortable… yet she didn’t care. Honestly, once Yuxin’s fidgety side kicked in, no pose was too weird or awkward.

At fifteen minutes, boredom struck again. She pressed her hands on Zixuan’s shoulders, kneading slowly. Chin resting on her knuckles, her head nearly touching his, she counted the few white hairs near his ear.

Her breath tickled his ear. Zixuan leaned forward slightly, glancing sideways. “Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“Nah, comfy! Wanna try?” Yuxin chuckled mischievously.

“Tsk. You really might have ADHD,” Zixuan muttered, giving up. “Press harder. Knead deeper.”

Yuxin froze—then realized he meant the “massage.” She lifted her head and wrapped both hands around his neck. “How’s *this*?”

“…Too deep. Move out a bit.”

“Ugh, so picky. Massage yourself.” She tapped the back of his head lightly, flopped backward onto the sofa, and murmured, “Speaking of which… classes start tomorrow. Real college life begins, huh.”

Zixuan nodded. “Heard Software Engineering has heavy coursework—but still easier than high school.”

“Obviously.” Yuxin paused. “Wait, what’s your major again?”

“Landscape Architecture. Design-related, I guess.”

“Landscape Architecture?” Yuxin repeated instinctively. She’d never heard of it—but that didn’t stop her brain from conjuring an image. With her uniquely wired imagination, the first thing that popped up was… a cemetery.

You know—the lush public kind, trees and vines everywhere, where a single plot costs a house down payment.

…Actually, it *does* have scenery and gardens. Right?

She blurted out without thinking: “So… you design cemeteries?”

Zixuan: “…Huh?”

“Landscape Architecture—isn’t that, like, cemetery design?” Yuxin asked with dead seriousness.

Zixuan’s expression twitched. *She seriously misunderstands landscape architecture. Why cemeteries…? Parks would be the obvious guess.*

“Ahem. Cemetery design *is* technically part of the field,” he said carefully after a beat. “But it’s not the whole scope. Graduates don’t *only* design cemeteries.”

“So you *are* planning to design cemeteries?!” Yuxin lit up.

Zixuan: “….”

*When did I ever say that?*

“Awesome! Cemetery design’s lucrative! Plots cost more than apartments!” Yuxin sat up, slapping his shoulder like a buddy. “If I can’t find work later, I’m counting on you—free hanger-on, no charge!”

“Even if *you’re* not tired, *I* am. Figure it out yourself,” Zixuan said, nudging her legs off as he stood to power on the PS4.