Chapter 24: Little Chef

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Little Chef

A One-Day Travel Voucher?

Lin Shen had reason to suspect that this GoGo Maps app was monitoring his life.

Not only were the missions it issued for places he was about to visit, but even the items it provided were perfectly suited to his current activities.

Could it be that even a pirated app had built-in user data analytics?

It was the only explanation Lin Shen could think of.

"Brother-in-law!"

Just as Lin Shen was lost in thought, Gu Wanqing, not far away, suddenly waved at him, then skipped over and said with a playful pout.

"We’re out to have fun, so stop looking at your phone! Isn’t it better to enjoy the scenery?"

"Mm."

On the surface, Lin Shen offered a gentle smile, but inside, he felt a sense of melancholic loss.

He had been to these spots with Gu Wanting before, and every corner was filled with memories he couldn’t let go of.

It was as if they had been hidden away in the folds of time, slowly fermenting, only to startle him with their potency when he examined them too closely.

Lin Shen walked slowly around the Wukang Building. The road was lined with lush plane trees, and the air was filled with a refreshing, sweet fragrance.

There were many tourists, all laughing and looking for the best photo spots. Their voices were boisterous, but it didn’t stop Lin Shen’s thoughts from drifting away.

He took a deep breath, and after feeling a faint numbness spread from his heart throughout his body, he inexplicably relaxed and smiled.

Fighting poison with poison might be a good way to heal a broken heart.

"Brother-in-law, let’s take some pictures!"

Gu Wanqing was very clever; seeing Lin Shen’s spaced-out expression, she understood everything.

He must be thinking about her sister.

So, Gu Wanqing quickly changed the subject.

"Go stand under that tree."

"..."

Seeing how excited Gu Wanqing was, Lin Shen didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm for the outing.

So he did as she asked, leaning against the tree trunk with his left hand and subconsciously flashing a peace sign with his right, which earned him a round of complaints.

"Brother-in-law! Is flashing a peace sign the only pose you guys know? Try something else!"

’That roast was savage!’

Lin Shen felt a little offended but was powerless to refute it. So, he just shoved his hands in his pockets, leaned against the tree trunk, tilted his chin up slightly, and gazed at the sky.

It was a standard "brooding heartthrob" pose, which made him feel a bit embarrassed when people started watching.

’So embarrassing!’

CLICK—!

"Now that’s more like it!"

Gu Wanqing walked up to Lin Shen and showed him the photo she had just taken.

Even though she was using an old phone, everything from the composition to the parameter adjustments was perfect.

"Not bad!"

Lin Shen gave Gu Wanqing a thumbs-up.

"You’re really good at taking pictures!"

"Well, I did my homework before I came."

Gu Wanqing said with a grin, then handed the phone to Lin Shen.

"Brother-in-law, can you take one of me, too?"

"Okay."

Unlike Gu Wanqing, who switched to a professional camera mode, Lin Shen only knew how to use the camera’s standard mode.

He also had no idea how to frame a shot, so he could only snap pictures randomly.

But Gu Wanqing clearly didn’t mind, and even praised Lin Shen’s photography skills.

This made him blush a little.

He was well aware of his own capabilities—or lack thereof.

Back when he was still with Gu Wanting, they would fight every single time they went on a trip because of this very issue—taking pictures.

It got to the point where Lin Shen even started to dislike going out.

But Gu Wanqing was different.

Not only did she not complain about anything, she even provided tons of emotional support.

Lin Shen found it incredibly refreshing.

’Having a supportive travel buddy is really important!’

And so, the two of them went on, snapping photos all the way. Following the itinerary Lin Shen had planned, they ambled over to the City God Temple, grabbing some desserts like ice cream and bubble tea along the way.

"Brother-in-law, try some of mine!"

"You must be hot, Brother-in-law. Here’s a tissue to wipe your sweat."

"Brother-in-law, look! Foreigners! I’m going to go say hi and practice my spoken English, hehe."

...

Watching the lively and active Gu Wanqing, Lin Shen felt as if he had been infected by her energy, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

To be honest, ever since he started working, he rarely felt any passion for life.

Every day was a monotonous line between two points, his days passing in a dull haze with nothing to look forward to.

Even with the system, Lin Shen always felt like something was missing.

It wasn’t until today, seeing Gu Wanqing, that he suddenly understood.

It was passion!

A passion for life!

Maybe he should try to rediscover the hobbies that had been worn smooth by work.

Lin Shen felt as if he’d had a sudden epiphany, and a sense of ease washed over him.

’What should we eat for dinner?’

The sunset was fading, and twilight was settling in.

6:30 PM.

The daytime hustle and bustle gradually faded away. Lin Shen sat on a roadside bench, watching pedestrians hurry past and the endless stream of traffic on the street.

He began to consider what to have for dinner.

He had taken Gu Wanqing for Hunan cuisine near his home for lunch, simply because he was afraid she wouldn’t be used to Modu’s local food, and because he hadn’t had time to plan.

Now that they had been out all day, it was time for him to fulfill his duties as a host.

However, Gu Wanqing’s answer was completely unexpected.

"Let’s go to the supermarket, get some groceries, and cook at home."

Gu Wanqing’s profile seemed to be coated in a soft halo by the sunset, her long eyelashes fluttering, making her look exceptionally cute.

"The restaurants around here look so expensive."

"You can cook?"

Hearing the surprise in Lin Shen’s voice, Gu Wanqing tucked a strand of hair the breeze had blown loose, turned her head, and gave him a very sweet smile.

"Of course! At home, I’m always the one who cooks for my grandma!"

"You’re a senior in high school, isn’t it a busy year? You have time to cook?"

"It’s manageable."

Gu Wanqing looked at Lin Shen, her eyes full of expectation.

"I want to cook for you!"

"Why?"

"Geez, Brother-in-law! Why do you always have to ask why?"

Gu Wanqing was getting a little dizzy from Lin Shen’s barrage of questions.

"Just tell me if you want to eat it or not!"

"I do."

To be honest, besides his parents, Lin Shen had never really eaten a home-cooked meal made by someone close to him.

He was always the one who cooked at home; Gu Wanting rarely set foot in the kitchen.

He never expected Gu Wanqing to offer to cook.

"Then you’re in luck!"

Gu Wanqing said with a grin, which made Lin Shen smile in spite of himself.

"Alright."

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The two took the subway away from the bustling center of Modu and arrived in the slower-paced suburbs.

Once they were back near his apartment, Lin Shen took Gu Wanqing to the supermarket, where they went on a shopping spree.

Besides the ingredients for dinner, he also grabbed a pack of Coca-Cola and lots of chips and snacks.

’If we’re going to indulge, we might as well go all out!’

’I might be past the age of enjoying junk food, but Gu Wanqing isn’t!’

"Thanks, Brother-in-law!"

Seeing Lin Shen carrying several large and small bags, Gu Wanqing took one from him, her expression full of gratitude and joy.

"You’re too nice! I really don’t get why my sister had to break up with you."

"You’d have to ask her that."

Lin Shen could now face reality with composure.

After they got home, Gu Wanqing changed into some casual clothes and dove right into the kitchen.

Lin Shen had originally planned to help, but she forcefully pushed him out.

"Brother-in-law! Just go sit on the sofa and wait!"

’This girl!’

Lin Shen gave a helpless smile and watched Gu Wanqing from afar.

After putting on an apron, she tied up her hair and transformed into a little chef, her movements as she handled the ingredients extremely practiced.

You could tell she was a seasoned pro at a glance.

Most of Lin Shen’s worries dissipated, and then a startling thought suddenly popped into his head.

’Compared to Gu Wanting, maybe her younger sister, Gu Wanqing, is better girlfriend material...’