My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

"We can have a midnight snack after we take a shower," Lin Jiu said with her back to Wang Yuting.

"Good~"

Wang Yuting responded, put the lunchbox on the table, and then ran off to the bathroom.

As the footsteps faded away, Lin Jiu glanced back and breathed a sigh of relief.

"...But I'm a boy."

Lin Jiu squatted down, her face flushed, and drew circles on the floor with her finger.

It would be too much to ask him to have no reaction at all after being touched for so long.

Lin Jiu took longer than usual to control his recoil this time, and he finished preparing the midnight snack just as Wang Yuting finished showering.

"dumpling!"

Wang Yuting came out of the bathroom, drying her hair, and her eyes lit up when she saw the steamed dumplings on the table.

The frozen dumplings you buy in the supermarket are different from the dumplings you make yourself; no matter what, the latter tastes better.

Since arriving in the southern city, Wang Yuting hasn't eaten dumplings she made herself, as she doesn't know how. After Wang Yuting perfectly cracked the eggshell into the egg mixture, her father decisively gave up on teaching her to cook; all she had to do was eat.

Lucky girls always have men to help them make dumplings.

"I learned this from the class monitor's dad. You should try it."

After leaving Ning Yueyao's house, Lin Jiu went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for making dumplings. He worked on it from 8 pm until 11 pm, spending three hours making the dumplings. Considering Wang Yuting's appetite, these dumplings probably wouldn't last until the third day. Steamed dumplings, boiled dumplings, pan-fried dumplings—different ways of making dumplings, paired with different seasonings, can give you completely different tastes.

"He seemed like a wealthy, middle-aged man who could even make dumplings?"

Wang Yuting remembered Ning Yueyao's father; at first glance, she thought she was meeting a company leader. Even when he was standing still against the wall in a corner, he unconsciously exuded an aura and a sense of pressure.

"Yeah, but he doesn't wrap dumplings as well as I do."

"As expected of my Lin Jiu!"

Wang Yuting sat down in the chair and took the chopsticks that Lin Jiu handed her.

The condiments are chili oil and aged vinegar, along with a small dish of minced garlic and peanut sauce.

Wang Yuting is used to rinsing her mouth after meals and brushing her teeth before bed, so she doesn't have to worry about having bad breath.

"I'll eat first!"

Wang Yuting dipped a dumpling in the chili oil sauce, popped it into her mouth, and blew on it because it was hot. Her facial expression was so funny, like she was performing a skit, that Lin Jiu couldn't help but laugh.

"Yay, so delicious!!"

Thin-skinned and generously filled, with vibrant colors and delicious flavor. It's mouthwatering and leaves a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth.

The chili oil wasn't very spicy; it didn't mask the original flavor of the dumplings, but rather enhanced their taste and stimulated the appetite.

Wang Yuting was a little excited, and her eyes felt hot.

This is the taste of home.

The taste of home.

Some northern-style dumpling restaurants located in southern cities are completely unpalatable to northerners because these restaurants make adjustments to cater to the majority of southerners. Wang Yuting only ate there once and never went back, feeling cheated.

As Lin Jiu watched Wang Yuting devour her dumplings, a warm feeling slowly crept into his smile.

Yesterday afternoon, Lin Jiu sent a message to Wang Yuting's mother on a chat app, asking if Yuting had any particular favorite foods.

Mo Xiao thought about it for a long time, and she even asked the child's father. It took her a long time before she sent a message to reply that Wang Yuting liked to eat curry.

This is how the parents understand their child's past; they remember Wang Yuting always finishing her curry. But what they don't know is how much their daughter misses the taste of home while she's alone in another city, having not returned for a year.

"Eat slowly, don't rush, you won't go hungry."

Lin Jiu smiled and suddenly felt that going to the class monitor's house today was the right thing to do.

Even if Uncle Ning couldn't help him, it didn't matter. At least Lin Jiu learned how to make dumplings, which made Wang Yuting happy.

Lin Jiu felt it was worth it.

"Jiu'er, why are your dumplings so delicious?"

Wang Yuting slumped into her chair, feeling all the fatigue of the day dispelled by the garlicky dumplings. Garlic is a good thing, it can give you energy, the only downside is that the flavor is too strong. The chili oil, vinegar, and peanut sauce were still fine, but the dish of minced garlic on the table was completely wiped clean, it looked like she was about to eat a whole clove of garlic.

Lin Jiu thought for a moment and replied, "When I was learning to make dumplings, Uncle Ning told me that making dumplings requires a soul."

"What soul?" Wang Yuting looked at him, puzzled. "The MasterChef Junior?"

"...I'm still the legendary chef, Little Fu Gui!"

Lin Jiu rolled her eyes at her.

"Hehe, I won't interrupt anymore, go ahead and say it." Wang Yuting scratched her head, indicating that she knew she was wrong.

He said…

Lin Jiu was about to speak when she suddenly realized that this was a very embarrassing thing, and her face turned red instantly.

"Making dumplings should be done with love."

How could anyone say such a thing!

How did Ning Yuan manage to say that to his wife?

An old married couple?

So what if you're an old married couple?

An old married couple is truly remarkable!

Despite holding a high position, Ning Yuan never harbored any ill intentions and treated his wife and daughters very well.

Half a lifetime has passed just like that. It's truly remarkable that we've been able to support each other and walk hand in hand to this point.

Of course, it's possible that Ning's mother is too good at judging people; if Ning Yuan dared to cheat, she would definitely arrest him on the spot.

"...I won't tell you."

Lin Jiu silently picked up the plate and walked towards the kitchen.

"Hey! Stingy!!"

Wang Yuting muttered something at first, then suddenly realized that this might be a good opportunity to tease Lin Jiu. There must be some reason why he wouldn't say. Wang Yuting quickly followed and clung to Lin Jiu, circling around him and just watching him.

She didn't say anything, just looked at him with a kind smile.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you..."

Lin Jiu found that being stared at by Wang Yuting was even more embarrassing than saying it aloud, so he had no choice but to confess honestly.

Wang Yuting listened attentively, then nodded in sudden understanding.

"No wonder these dumplings are so delicious."

"I knew these dumplings smelled amazing."

"Oh my god, these are the best dumplings I've ever eaten."

Wang Yuting spoke repeatedly in Lin Jiu's ear, as if she were publicly executing him.

The gist of it is that Lin Jiu poured her love into the dumplings, which is why they tasted so good.

The more Wang Yuting praised the dumplings, the deeper Lin Jiu's love for her became.

Lin Jiu blushed, overwhelmed with shame, and stammered for a long time before finally saying, "I need to wash the dishes, move aside, move aside."

“No, that won’t do. I have so much to say about dumplings. By the way, I can write a 2,500-word paper and make a PPT, following the format of a graduation thesis. I’ll give you the presentation after you finish washing the dishes.” After saying that, Wang Yuting immediately turned and left the kitchen, took out her laptop in the living room, and started typing.

Lin Jiu thought she was joking, shook her head and continued washing the dishes, then put the wrapped dumplings into the refrigerator.

After Lin Jiu came out of the kitchen, Wang Yuting took his hand and helped him sit on the sofa, and prepared a glass of water for him.

"Are you serious?"

Lin Jiu suddenly had a bad feeling.

"When have I ever lied about anything concerning you?"

Wang Yuting smiled, her eyes narrowing. She connected the projector to her laptop and projected her prepared PowerPoint presentation onto the wall. Not only that, she also put on a uniform jacket and glasses, giving her an intellectual look.

Judging from her upper body alone, she is undoubtedly the perfect career woman, but her lower body is dressed in shorts and slippers.

To be honest, this feeling is surprisingly quite nice.

It gives off the feeling of a career woman taking off her skirt when she gets home.

Lin Jiu was unaware of what awaited him next.

Wang Yuting opened the first page of the PowerPoint presentation, and what greeted her eyes was...

Why is Lin Jiu so cute? Part 1

"Why is Lin Jiu so cute? Before discussing that, I'd like to talk about where other boys fall short compared to Lin Jiu. First of all—"

Wang Yuting's speech was well-paced and engaging, full of emotion and highly infectious.

Lin Jiu initially missed her chance to escape.

As he listened, he felt so ashamed that he felt he could dig out the graduation project of an architecture student with his toes.

After about ten minutes, Wang Yuting finally stopped her eloquent speech.

Just as Lin Jiu finally breathed a sigh of relief...

Wang Yuting turned to the next page using the remote control.

Why is Lin Jiu so cute? Part 2

Wang Yuting continued, "In the first part, we discussed the shortcomings of the other boys compared to Lin Jiu and the crimes they committed. Now, let's talk about why Lin Jiu is so lovable, why he stands above the other boys, and what virtues he possesses that we can learn from. First and foremost is Lin Jiu's loyalty—"

"Will this ever end?!"

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Can I sleep with you tonight?

"The Third Family Meeting is hereby convened!"

Lin Jiu listened to Wang Yuting's speech for nearly half an hour, and finally, she finished speaking.

To be honest, Lin Jiu was so ashamed that her whole body was burning up.