Studying at Western University starts with a knife-forging competition

"Let's talk about it after I pass the preliminary rounds."

"That's for sure—"

"What if I don't pass?"

"I'll buy it anyway," Matt said. "But I'll buy it anyway. You cook so well, you deserve a workshop. It has nothing to do with whether I win the competition or not."

Lin Yuan was amused by his words.

"Your logic is flawed."

"My logic is simple." Matt stood up, walked to the refrigerator, opened the door, glanced at the Wagyu beef inside, nodded in satisfaction, turned back to Lin Yuan with a grin, "You let me eat well, and I'll let you forge good iron. A win-win situation."

"It's forging."

"Forging," Matt repeated, his pronunciation slightly off, but his tone serious. "Alright, enough talk. Make braised pork tomorrow, don't forget."

Lin Yuan didn't say anything more and lowered his head to continue watching the video. But his mind was already on the workshop.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from Matt; he was in the next room and was still insisting on communicating via text message.

"Don't forget the braised pork tomorrow."

Lin Yuan typed: Got it. Go buy some pork belly with the skin on.

"What time is it?"

"Do you have class tomorrow?"

"No. I don't have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"...You only attend classes two days a week?"

"Good choice. Don't interrupt, what time?"

"Eleven o'clock."

"Okay. Oh, right, there's one more thing."

"What?"

There was a one-minute pause, then a long message came through.

"My sister is going to volunteer at the community relief center this Saturday to distribute food to the homeless. I'm really worried about her going to such a place alone. Could you go with her? It's just for one morning, it won't take too long."

I know you're usually at the workshop on Saturdays, but I'm begging you. I have a group discussion that day and I really can't get away.

Lin Yuan looked at the screen and thought for a moment.

He had met Matt's sister, Emily, about three or four times. She had black hair and black eyes, and a clean-cut appearance; she was the kind of girl who made people feel comfortable even without makeup. She spoke softly and slowly, as if she had thought through each sentence before uttering it.

He is the complete opposite of Matt—one is sophisticated chaos, and the other is an innate sense of order.

The first time they met was last year when Matt moved. After moving the last box, Matt pulled him aside, his expression unusually serious.

There's something I need to clarify first.

"Um?"

"My sister. Don't even think about hitting on her."

Lin Yuan paused for a moment, then laughed. "I didn't—"

"I know you didn't mean to. But I have to get this straight." Matt paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "She's religious, a real believer. It's not just about going to church on the weekend. When she's with someone, it's basically with marriage in mind. And you—"

He glanced at Lin Yuan.

Do you seem like someone who wants to get married right now?

Lin Yuan didn't answer. Because he really didn't seem like it. A twenty-year-old international student who didn't even know where he would be two years from now, what was he talking about getting married for?

From then on, he maintained a polite but distant distance from Emily. They would greet each other, exchange a few pleasantries, and then go about their own business. Emily seemed to have gotten used to this way of interacting, always being friendly to him, but always keeping a polite distance.

Now Matt wants him to accompany Emily to the relief center.

Lin Yuan typed: Okay. I'll go.

"Thanks, bro. Really. I'll treat you to dinner sometime."

"You do it?"

"Michelin three stars, book in advance, and we guarantee your taste buds won't be disappointed."

"Never mind. Send me the address."

"Saturday morning at eight o'clock. I've already arranged with her, she'll come to pick you up."

"it is good."

Lin Yuan put his phone next to his pillow and turned over.

The system panel flashed briefly before he closed his eyes.

[Side Quest Triggered: Do a Good Deed Today. Objective: Accompany Emily on her volunteer work at the community relief station. Reward: To be unlocked.]

He was too lazy to look and went straight to sleep.

-----------------

At 7:50 a.m. on Saturday, Lin Yuan waited downstairs at the dormitory building.

It was still a bit chilly on a March morning in South Carolina. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt, his hands in his pockets, leaning against a roadside utility pole, lost in thought. The sky was already bright, and the air smelled of freshly cut grass—someone must have mowed the lawn yesterday.

A white Toyota Camry was parked on the side of the road. The window was rolled down, revealing a clean-looking car.

Emily Wayne.

Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail. She wasn't wearing makeup and was dressed in a light blue cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms. She smiled at Lin Yuan, a smile that was very measured—friendly, but not overly enthusiastic.

"morning."

"Good morning." Lin Yuan opened the car door and got into the passenger seat.

The car was very clean. Not the kind of clean that's just been washed, but the kind that's been maintained for a long time. There was a canvas bag on the back seat, and through the open opening, you could see several bottles of water and some individually wrapped biscuits inside. Next to the dashboard hung a small wooden cross, strung on a thin leather cord, which swayed gently with the vibrations of the car.

"Matt said you like sweets." Emily started the car and turned the air conditioning down a notch. "There are cookies in the bag; help yourself if you're hungry."

Thanks.

The car drove out of the campus and onto the main road leading to the city. There wasn't much traffic on Saturday morning, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the roadside trees, casting patches of light on the windshield. Emily drove slowly, one hand on the steering wheel, the other occasionally brushing a strand of hair that had been blown in front of her head by the wind.

Lin Yuan leaned against the car window, barely speaking. Emily didn't try to start a conversation either. This silence wasn't awkward—it was more like an unspoken understanding. They'd known each other for quite some time, but there had always been a polite distance between them, and there was no need to force it.

"You go every week?" Lin Yuan asked first.

"Hmm." Emily's gaze was fixed ahead. "It started in my sophomore year, almost two years ago."

Matt said you're religious.

"He tells you everything." Emily smiled, not in a blaming tone, but more like a helpless confirmation of her brother's situation. "Yes. But going to the relief center wasn't entirely for religious reasons."

"What is that?"

Emily was silent for a few seconds. The car reached a traffic light, and she braked, stopping at the crosswalk. A young mother pushing a stroller walked across the road.

"The first time I went was for a church event. When I got there, I found that the people who came to collect food were different from the 'poor people' I had in mind. They had jobs, some even worked two jobs, but their wages were too low and their rent was too high, so at the end of the month they didn't even have enough money for food."

The light turned green, and the car started moving again.

"I got used to it after a while. I don't know if it has anything to do with my faith, I just felt I should go."

Lin Yuan glanced at her. Her expression was calm as she spoke, without any self-satisfied air of "I'm doing something amazing," simply stating a fact. This reminded him of Robert's tone when commenting on the knives he made—not praising, but simply confirming.

The car turned into an old street. The road surface became uneven, and the buildings on both sides changed from neat detached houses to drab apartment buildings and convenience stores with iron railings. There was graffiti on the walls, repeatedly covered up, layers of colors blending into a blurry gray.

"We're almost there," Emily said.