How come you're also my ex-girlfriend?

Jiang Yiyao said that she and Xiao Lili were going home on the same route, so they took the bus together.

Ugh, I kind of hate twin tails.

Once home, there was no need to greet anyone as I passed the third-floor entrance, so I went straight upstairs.

"came back?"

Father Xu Jia'an was already dressed in his pajamas, watching "The Search for Love" with Mother Wang Hui.

Xu Yan really wanted to complain. This thing had been on since he could remember. How come it's still going on after all these years? He had no TV to watch at night and had to watch this thing with his mother. Sometimes his mother would even secretly wipe away her tears.

In hindsight, Xu Yan realized that everyone probably has some masochistic tendencies, knowing they will get hurt but still unable to resist getting involved... Yes, he was one of them.

"Yes, you guys are still awake?"

"I'm waiting for you." Xu Jia'an said irritably, and then Wang Hui slowly got up. "I've noticed you've been eating quite a lot at night lately, and you even had a late-night snack yesterday. Are you hungry? I'll make you a late-night snack."

Xu Yan thought about it and realized that he had indeed been eating a lot lately. He didn't know if it was because he was getting older or because of the improved physique he had received as a system reward.

But as he watched his mother get up, he suddenly remembered something: hadn't he just been rewarded with the title of master of cooking?

So he threw his schoolbag on the sofa and then stopped Wang Hui.

"I can do it myself. Are you hungry? I'll make some for you."

Wang Hui stood there stunned. Xu Jia'an immediately cut off the Douyin app, and the once lively living room fell into an eerie silence.

The two exchanged a glance in silence, and Wang Hui finally spoke up, "Why don't we go back to our ancestral graves and burn some more? Something really isn't right."

Xu Jia'an sighed deeply, "I suggest you just create a new account."

Xu Yan: ?

Wait, how come you two are even more resourceful than my buddies? How about I let you have the living room and we can start a game right away?

Xu Yan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "It's just making a late-night snack, why are you all reacting so strongly?"

"You've never cooked before, yet you're making midnight snacks? Tell me the truth, are you short of money? If you are, just say so. There's no need to make your parents risk their lives to test the poison."

Xu Yan rolled up his sleeves and headed straight for the kitchen.

"Looks like I can't prove it to you without showing off my skills. Do you have any leftovers? I'll start by making three bowls of fried rice with eggs."

Xu Jia'an said worriedly, "Why don't we just forget about it? Your Highness, we really don't have any family business for you to inherit, there's no need to rush."

"How can I not be anxious when you're about to create an alternate account? This has always been the case in the struggle for the crown prince position!"

"Hey, you little rascal!"

The moment Xu Yan stepped into the kitchen, that peculiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[If you could go back to your youth, the thing you'd regret most is probably not spending enough time with your parents. At thirty-eight, still unmarried and without a family, you've caused them a lifetime of worry. Yet, you struggle to even provide basic companionship, indulging in a fabricated sense of freedom and completely forgetting that there's a beacon called 'home' in some direction.]

This time, you've decided to cherish all the important people in your life, most importantly your parents. Don't let future regrets replace the companionship and effort you can give now, and don't let those late-night concerns become an excuse for your impatience.

[Task: Make a late-night snack for your parents. Task Reward: Perfect Sleep.]

……

Chapter 14 is good as it is.

Leftovers can be reheated; Xu Yan isn't that fussy, with no particular quirks about not eating leftovers.

On the contrary, Xu Yan felt that many authentic home-style dishes in Liangcheng tasted better when heated up, so that the oily and smoky flavors could be fully absorbed.

Making fried rice with eggs isn't difficult either; you can just watch a short video for a quick one-minute tutorial.

Moreover, with the added advantage of being a skilled cook, it becomes even easier.

When an undeniable aroma wafted from the kitchen, the couple outside also became puzzled.

This kid is really good at it!

Xu Yan didn't spend much time serving the food. The elderly couple examined it repeatedly and finally confirmed that there was nothing strange in the food.

Taking a bite brought an unexpected and delightful taste sensation.

"This fried rice is pretty good... When did you learn my cooking method?"

Old Xu can speak fluently without hesitation.

"At your age, have some shame! When have you ever cooked a meal in this house?"

Empress Dowager Wang immediately shut Old Xu up, then looked at Xu Yan with satisfaction, "Not bad, you have this skill, so we can go to bed and rest earlier from now on."

"There was no need for them to wait for me so late. I could have bought something to eat on the way if I got hungry. It's not like I don't have the money."

Xu Yan said this.

Where did you get the money?

"I saved some of my New Year's money."

"Didn't you use it all to buy keyboards and mice?"

"Then I'll use my new keyboard and mouse to boost people's ranks, and occasionally play games with them."

Do you understand what "superb teenage voice" means, Lao Deng?

Old Xu thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Yan seriously, "Now you're a senior in high school, and we haven't put too much pressure on you academically..."

"I know the most important thing is to focus on studying and make sure you don't have any regrets about the college entrance exam, right?"

Xu Yan interrupted Old Xu.

Old Xu didn't nod. After pondering for a moment, he said, "What I mean is that you basically control your own New Year's money. Other parents require their children to hand over their New Year's money. Since you're using the money we invested to make money, doesn't that mean we also get a share of the investment? How about I take 50%?"

"Are you running a paid gaming service here?!"

[Task complete. Reward: Perfect Sleep.]

[Perfect sleep: Let all those sleepless nights from your past life become beautiful dreams you never want to wake up from.]

[Effect: Prevents insomnia when trying to fall asleep, provides a high-quality sleep, and significantly restores lost energy, like a fully charged phone. Cooldown: 24 hours.]

After returning to the room following the late-night snack, the reward arrived.

Young Xu Yan didn't understand the importance of sleep. He just wondered if normal sleep would really be a luxury in the future. This could be considered a reward... but it came easily, and since there were no negative effects and it restored his energy, it was like getting something for free. He might as well take advantage of it first.

Xu Yan couldn't remember when she fell asleep, only that when she woke up in the morning, her vital signs were all normal, and she was even more awake than ever before. She felt as refreshed as if her whole body had been rebooted, without any discomfort or the urge to stay in bed.

I had a strange feeling that I had really been reborn. Could it be that I had actually lost some memories, like that everything was just a fantasy on the bus and that I had actually been in a car accident?

That's still too melodramatic; this kind of plot is getting a lot of flak.

With only one day left before the diagnostic test, my studies are progressing well. At least I've almost memorized all the vocabulary words in Jiang Yiyao's notebook. With some review tonight, I should be able to improve my English score significantly. As for Chinese, it depends on luck, such as what kind of questions will be asked in the composition and reading comprehension sections.

I wouldn't say I was completely confident, given that I've wasted too much time. But progress is certain; it's just a matter of how you define it.

Xu Yan didn't feel much pressure anyway.

The first period in the afternoon was physical education class, so after lunch, Xu Yan simply found a place on the playground to cool off.

Although it's already September, the weather in Liangcheng is like this; it won't cool down until mid-to-late October.

I was leaning against the shade of a tree looking at my phone when I suddenly felt a shadow cover the screen. When I looked up, I saw bright light.

The girl had her hands behind her back and was looking at him with a big, smiling eye.

"Cod burger?"

Xu Yan blurted out, and at the same time, instantly locked the screen.

"I already said it's not a cod burger!"

Wen Xueyu glared at the boy.

The golden afternoon sun shone on the girl's long hair, each strand reflecting the light, making her seem like a saint descended to earth. Xu Yan even wanted to pay her respects.

"Okay, cod burger. What's up?"

Wen Xueyu couldn't help but roll her eyes, too lazy to correct her, "Class is about to start, why are you still here?"

"Going to PE class."

"Then why are you all alone here?" the girl asked curiously.

This question almost silenced Xu Yan. He could only answer awkwardly, "That's what it's like to not have friends. Haven't you seen me eating alone?"

Wen Xueyu looked puzzled. "You're a pretty... nice person, how come you don't have any friends?"

Xu Yan, who had unknowingly been given a "nice guy" card, didn't react much and just sighed.

"There's no way around it, geniuses are always lonely, you know? Because being too outstanding arouses the jealousy of others, so naturally you have no friends."

"Pfft... You're really joking."

Wen Xueyu couldn't help but laugh out loud. Her innocent and genuine laughter slightly dampened Xu Yan's spirits.

Sure enough, she doesn't understand her own abstract concepts and just thinks she's stupid.

"Then why are you alone?"

Xu Yan countered with a question.

Wen Xueyu blinked. "Our class was gathering over there, and we saw you alone. We thought you were skipping class."

"So you're here to arrest me?"

Huh? So, my buddy got arrested too?

"Just came over to say hello, okay, I'm off now~"

The girl smiled at Xu Yan, then turned and quickly walked away towards the other side of the playground after a short while.

Looking at that pretty and lively figure from behind, Xu Yan couldn't help but think of the clues in the mission prompt.

What kind of scumbag will I be in the future? To actually find a girlfriend like that, and then end up as her ex... unbelievable.

I lazily got up, put away my phone, and started walking towards the direction where my class was gradually gathering. But halfway there, I ran into two faces that I didn't really want to see.

Xiao Yujie and Lin Jia happened to be walking from the side, and their paths crossed the moment they entered each other's line of sight.