“Three meals a day?” Shu Yuxin blinked in surprise, then broke into a teasing smile. “Huh? So it’s like being a maid?”

“A maid does way more than just cook,” Jiang Zixuan said with a shrug. “Think of it more like a housekeeper—except you won’t need to clean or anything. Just cook meals, that’s all.”

His words piqued Shu Yuxin’s curiosity. “So I just cook, and in return, I get free rent? Are you seriously overestimating my cooking skills?”

“Actually, it’s a fair price,” Jiang Zixuan said earnestly. “Hiring a proper housekeeper these days usually costs at least 3,000 to 4,000 yuan a month. Paying you just 1,000 is practically a steal—you’d be losing out.”

For some reason, his serious expression made Shu Yuxin want to burst out laughing. She held it back and said playfully, “Then why not consider giving me a little extra allowance?”

“Sure! How much do you want?”

“…Hey, you can’t be serious, right?”

“I *am* serious,” Jiang Zixuan nodded firmly. “I’m not joking. I really can’t stand eating out anymore—all those restaurant meals just don’t sit right with me. Plus, we’ve got a kitchen in the apartment, so buying groceries and cooking at home would taste better and save money. The place is also close to campus, making it convenient for you. Think about it—how about some extra pocket money on top? Kind of like a part-time job. What do you say?”

Shu Yuxin stared into his eyes for ten full seconds.

“Okay! I’ll be your… maid—oops, housekeeper!” she said with a light nod, her expression brightening with excitement. “But I’ll pass on the extra allowance. Just so you know, though—the last time I actually cooked anything myself was back in sixth grade…”

“No problem,” Jiang Zixuan replied cheerfully. “If you’ve done it before, it’ll come back to you quickly with a bit of practice.”

“Then… should I start calling you ‘master’?” she teased.

“Of course—ugh, no! Definitely not!” Jiang Zixuan nearly choked on his words, caught off guard by her sudden shift in tone. After a moment, he glanced at her mischievous smile and added almost instinctively, “Although… if you *really* wanted to, I wouldn’t exactly mind…”

“Ha!” Shu Yuxin laughed. “‘Four Study Rooms Steamed Goose Heart.’*”

Jiang Zixuan: “….”

And just like that, a verbal—and completely legally non-binding—“indenture contract” was sealed between them in a few playful exchanges. The prospect of living rent-free in such a nice place lifted the heroine’s spirits immensely—so much so that she nearly wanted to lean over and give Jiang Zixuan a grateful kiss.

Of course, she wasn’t naïve enough to believe Jiang Zixuan’s stated reasons—“can’t get used to restaurant food” and “want to save money”—were the real ones. Both of them knew the truth, even if neither said it out loud. She certainly wasn’t ungrateful—far from it. In fact, she felt deeply moved. Ever since middle school, Jiang Zixuan had quietly supported her in countless ways, yet she’d rarely been able to reciprocate. Sometimes, even Shu Yuxin herself wondered if having a friend like him was karma from some past life’s good deeds.

“Alright then,” she said, picking up her shopping bag with a light laugh, “I’ll move my stuff in tomorrow. Brace yourself—my ‘dark cuisine’ awaits!”

“Wait,” Jiang Zixuan called out again, grabbing his car keys from the coffee table. “It’s still early—why not move in right now? I’ve got the car; it’ll make transporting your things way easier.”

Shu Yuxin turned back and raised an eyebrow. “Are you really… *that* eager to meet your doom?”

“Have a little faith in yourself,” Jiang Zixuan sighed. “It actually takes talent to make genuinely terrible food.”

It was only 7:30 PM. Nanhú College dorms didn’t lock until 11:30 PM, so there was plenty of time to move a few things. After thinking for a few seconds, Shu Yuxin nodded. “Alright, let’s go!”

The Weyers Apartment building had an underground parking garage. The landlord’s family owned a parking spot there, which Jiang Zixuan now conveniently used—at a small additional rent, of course. Since the semester began, he’d rarely driven the car. Although Minghai University did provide open-air parking lots for students and faculty, leaving a vehicle there long-term was practically asking for it to get battered by the elements. That was actually one minor reason he’d decided to rent an off-campus place.

But the real catalyst had been his dorm roommate. During the latter half of military training, one of his roommates had brought a toy poodle into the dorm…

Jiang Zixuan didn’t dislike dogs—in fact, he liked these loyal companions quite a bit. Unfortunately, he was allergic to dog hair.

Normally, that wouldn’t have been a big deal—as long as the dog and its surroundings were kept clean, cohabitation would’ve been possible. But his roommate had zero experience with pet care and naively believed that feeding and sheltering the dog was all that was needed. He never bathed the dog or cleaned up properly. And since toy poodles are naturally energetic, the result was predictable: Jiang Zixuan spent the entire second half of military training stuck with what everyone assumed was a lingering cold—but was actually nonstop allergy symptoms.

Hearing this explanation, Shu Yuxin laughed all the way in the car.

“Hahaha! Honestly, your roommate’s a real genius—keeping a poodle in the dorm? Wasn’t he scared of getting… *violated* in his sleep or something?”

“How should I know what they were thinking,” Jiang Zixuan sighed, turning the steering wheel lightly as he entered through Nanhú College’s main gate. “Anyway, those three seemed to be having a blast.”

“So your school actually allows pets in the dorms?”

“Officially, no—but as long as it doesn’t disturb others’ routines, the dorm supervisors usually turn a blind eye. The school tacitly permits it too.”

“How nice,” Shu Yuxin leaned back in her seat with a sigh. “Guess that’s the privilege of a tier-one university. At my school, they’re strict—even hamsters aren’t allowed. Just the other day, a girl in the dorm across from ours secretly kept a hamster. Someone reported her, and the next day, student union officers and teachers came and confiscated it.”

“‘Reported’?” Jiang Zixuan chuckled. “Sounds less like a pet issue and more like interpersonal drama.”

He paused, then suddenly asked, “By the way… are you getting used to living in the girls’ dorm?”

“Eh… it’s fine, I guess,” Shu Yuxin answered, her expression turning odd as she thought of her roommate Cheng Xiaonan. “It’s just… I really can’t figure out what’s going on in their heads…”

Jiang Zixuan glanced sideways at her, then pulled over in front of the inner gate. “Girl dynamics are way more complicated than guys’. If you can’t keep up, just don’t get involved.”

Shu Yuxin opened her mouth to reply, but Jiang Zixuan had already stepped out of the car and headed into the security booth nearby.

“I wasn’t planning on getting involved anyway…” she murmured softly, shifting restlessly in her seat.

— Author’s Note —

Hmm… just signed the publishing contract.  
Finals are coming up, so I don’t have much time to write. I’m trying to stockpile some chapters in advance so I can show off when/if the story gets featured someday.  
For now, I’ll be updating once a day. Thanks for your understanding!  

\* “Four Study Rooms Steamed Goose Heart” (四斋蒸鹅心) is a playful reference to a classic Chinese literary puzzle or wordplay, often used humorously to imply cryptic or overly dramatic phrasing. Here, it's likely Shu Yuxin poking fun at Jiang Zixuan’s awkward romantic implication by quoting something overly flowery or archaic.