Chen Qiyun, fifteen years old, a junior high school student.
Although she had inherited the Old Chen family’s decent talent for studying, she was a massive slacker who merely coasted along. Her grades were strictly average—at least compared to her older sister, she was miles behind.
In her father’s words, "It’ll be a miracle if she even manages to finish high school."
Because she was a picky eater and didn’t like having proper meals, her height was a pitiful 1.49 meters.
However, she was a master at games like *Honor of Kings*, *Sky: Children of the Light*, *Dream Star*, and *Identity V*. Her classmates considered her a gaming expert, making her quite popular in class.
School had just let out, and she was packing up her things, ready to leave.
Her Okii smartwatch suddenly buzzed, showing a new WeChat message. Chen Qiyun tapped it open. It was from her older cousin.
"Pick something up? Pick what up?" she wondered.
Although she didn’t know the specifics, she agreed anyway. After all, apart from occasionally acting like a preachy, greasy middle-aged man, this cousin of hers was pretty great most of the time.
"Sister Yun, I’ve lost five matches in a row. When are you going to carry me up the ranks?" a chubby little boy ran over and asked pitifully.
"We’ll talk about it this afternoon!"
Chen Qiyun tossed her small ponytail, slung her little pink backpack over her shoulders, and walked out of the classroom.
The chubby boy wasn’t angry at being rejected. Instead, he stared after Chen Qiyun’s departing figure with adoring eyes. In his view, this was exactly how a true expert should act. Besides, Little Douding looked so cute, but she was actually a tough, unapproachable boss lady—wasn’t that contrast incredibly charming?
Three days later. (Scene transition)
In front of outsiders, Chen Qiyun had always been a girl of few words. She had to maintain her persona as a cool, aloof boss.
Two other girls from her village were already waiting for her outside the classroom. Seeing her emerge, they immediately started chirping away, excitedly recounting all the funny things that had happened in their classes that morning.
Chen Qiyun walked between them, gripping her backpack straps with both hands. She kept up her cool expression, only occasionally offering a brief comment. To others, her demeanor was polarizing—some thought she was being pretentious, while others thought she was super cool. She couldn’t care less about what outsiders thought or said.
"I’ll allow you to casually joke around with me, but if you dare touch my reverse scale, I’ll show you what true darkness is. I have never lacked ruthless methods, nor a compassionate heart. I hold both a demon and a Buddha in my heart, but for the sake of world peace, I have sealed the demon away. If certain people insist on unsealing the demon within me, I would have to ask—can you bear the consequences of such karma?"
This was Chen Qiyun’s life credo.
On the short walk from the classroom to the school gate, she frequently ran into classmates who greeted her, all calling out, "Sister Yun! Sister Yun!"
She simply offered them a slight nod in acknowledgment.
That was right! There could only be one Sister Yun in the Old Chen family, and that was her, Chen Qiyun!
As for Chen Xiuyun?
"Hmph, a married daughter is like spilled water; there’s no place for her in this house anymore!" she thought.
Of course, she would never dare say that to her older sister’s face. After all, her clothes, her shoes, and even the Okii smartwatch on her wrist were all bought by Chen Xiuyun.
"Just you wait. This is merely a temporary submission," she thought. Her teachers had always said that one must be flexible in life and not be too rigid! Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
At the village entrance.
After parting ways with her two friends, Chen Qiyun headed toward her own house. She first stopped in front of Chen Jingle’s door.
"Brother Le, I’m here!"
Hearing her voice, Chen Jingle walked out from inside the house.
"Hold on a sec," he said, bringing out a small rice cooker inner pot from the kitchen and handing it to Chen Qiyun. "I made a bit too much potato and beef stew for lunch. Take some back to eat."
As for why Chen Jingle didn’t deliver it himself? Let’s just say every family has its own difficult problems.
"Oh." Chen Qiyun took it and blinked. "Are you sure it’s good?"
Questioned about his cooking skills, Chen Jingle cast a sideways glance at the pipsqueak. "If it’s not good, just don’t eat it."
Chen Qiyun pouted and popped the lid right in front of him. She wanted to see how much was inside and what it looked like; if it looked unappetizing, she would pass.
But as soon as she opened it, a rich, savory aroma immediately wafted up to her face.
GULP.
Smelling that fragrance, Chen Qiyun swallowed hard on instinct, her eyes widening.
"Wow, it smells so good!" she thought.
She had never smelled a dish this fragrant before; not even her favorite KFC combo meal smelled this delicious! Thank goodness she hadn’t rejected it earlier, or she would have regretted it to death.
When she looked up, a cheeky grin was plastered across her face. "Thank you, big brother!"
Chen Jingle looked at her with a faint, knowing smile.
Such arrogance followed by immediate flattery—it was truly laughable. Whatever, there was no need to bicker with a kid.
He waved his hand. "Go on home. Just remember to bring the pot back when you’re done."
"Got it."
Holding the rice cooker pot, Chen Qiyun pumped her short little legs, sprinting all the way home with a WHOOSH. She couldn’t wait to taste it.
Returning home.
Her grandmother happened to be sitting under the longan tree by the front door, cooling off in the shade. Seeing her, she immediately asked, "Whose pot did you bring back?"
Chen Qiyun answered honestly, "Brother Le gave it to me. It’s potato and beef brisket stew."
Hearing this, her grandmother wasn’t pleased. Instead, her face fell, and she complained, "Beef is tens of yuan a pound! It’s ridiculously expensive. Couldn’t he have bought something else?"
Her grandfather stepped out of the house. Catching the remark, he just chuckled dryly and said nothing more. Neither of them ate beef. They believed it caused internal heat and was bad for the body.
"He can buy whatever he wants to eat. It’s not like he bought it for you," she thought. "Besides, if you won’t eat it, I will. It’s best if I eat it all by myself."
She dropped her backpack and ducked straight into the kitchen to start chowing down. It was just the three of them at home for lunch. As for Chen Qiyun’s parents, they ate all three meals at their workplace cafeteria.
Wow!
This potato and beef brisket stew didn’t just smell amazing—it tasted absolutely phenomenal! The meat was tender and practically melted in her mouth, yet it perfectly retained its shape. With a single bite, her mouth was flooded with savory, meaty goodness.
This was the first time she realized beef could be cooked so deliciously!
Unlike the beef her dad made, which was always so rock-hard it could break a tooth. And then he had the nerve to call her a picky eater! Was she really picky? No, his cooking was just terrible!
"If only I could have potato and beef brisket stew this good every day," Chen Qiyun couldn’t help but fantasize.
Halfway through her meal, her grandfather peeked into the kitchen. "It certainly smells good. Wonder how it tastes, though."
He grabbed a pair of chopsticks, speared a chunk of potato, and tasted it. He let out a noncommittal hum, making it hard to tell whether he approved or disapproved.
Chen Qiyun, who usually had a tiny appetite, managed to polish off three whole bowls of rice for lunch just by pairing them with the half-pot of stew. There was still a little left, so she scraped it all out onto a small dish. That way, she could eat another bowl or two with it for dinner.
Afterward, she washed the pot clean and carried it back to Chen Jingle.
Chen Jingle placed the pot in his kitchen and casually asked, "Finished it all?"
"There’s still a bit left. I saved it for dinner."
"Did it taste okay?"
"It was delicious!"
Chen Jingle chuckled softly. "Alright, come on in and take a seat. There are grapes and snacks—just grab whatever you want."
Chen Qiyun didn’t stand on ceremony. Although she was already full from lunch, she could still make room for a couple of grapes. Suddenly, something came to mind, and she asked, "Brother Le, why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?"
Hearing this, Chen Jingle’s face darkened. "What does a little brat like you know! I heard your dad say that your class ranking dropped to the middle-lower tier. Have you given up on getting into college?"
Chen Qiyun wore a thoughtful expression. "Sister Xiu has been married for two years. Why don’t you even have a girlfriend yet?"
"If you don’t know how to speak, keep your mouth shut!" he snapped. "Little brats are so annoying," he thought.
"Do you want me to ask my literature teacher for you? She doesn’t seem to have a boyfriend, and I think she looks decent."
"One more word, and you’re out of here!" He was on the verge of exploding.
Chen Jingle instantly regretted everything. That pot of potato and beef brisket stew was completely wasted on her.
Chen Qiyun popped a few more grapes into her mouth, then stood up. "Wait for my good news."
Chen Jingle was left speechless.
This little brat was getting way out of hand.