AnnouHey everyone! If you’re enjoying the story, please leave a rating and review on Novel Updates!

  Join my Discord: https://disc/SZBqtJxcyd

  Thanks for your support!

  Chapter 169: The Joy of Taking Shortcuts

  TL: Etude

  On the day of the winter solstice.

  Early in the m, snowfkes fell, deepening the chill in the air.

  Ren Ziqiang sprang out of bed, excited about the cafeteria selling dumplings today, and called the entire dormitory to go eat together.

  Jiang Qin had scheduled the dumpling and hot pot feast for Room 208 for tonight, but they couldn’t skip meals during the day. Besides, he felt quite hungry, so he decided to join them.

  However, the taste of the cafeteria’s dumplings was indescribably bad.

  Oe revealed an overp st of spices, yet the meat fvor was absent. The filling was juicy, but the greasiness somehow spoiled the texture.

  “Ugh, even dogs wouldhis. Is this just frozen stuff? And they dare call these handmade dumplings?”

  Cao Guangyu dropped his chopsticks, his face full of disdain.

  “Bro Cao, if you find it disgusting, just say so. Why say even dogs would it?”

  Zhou Chao, with a half-eaten dumpling in his chopsticks, looked as gloomy as the bottom of a pot.

  “It’s good enough to have something to eat. With so many students at Lin Uy, the cafeteria aunties would he arms of a Qilin to make you purely handmade dumplings. But teically, hand-cooked be sidered handmade, a cssic marketing strategy.”

  Jiang Qin revealed the truth, nontly stuffing two more dumplings into his mouth, uerred by Cao Guangyu’s sarcasm.

  He wasn’t overly picky about fvors, thinking that filling the stomach was enough. Someone as fussy as Old Cao was either spoiled from childhood or just a ipiner.

  This problem could be easily fixed – a few days of hunger in the mountains would do the trick.

  After emptying the pte of dumplings, Jiang Qin turo look at the snowfkes fluttering outside the window. Instead of fog on the few snowfkes, he saw several girls from the Finance Css 3 approag.

  Leading the group were Song Qingqing, Jiang Tian, and Jian , the three beauties, followed by Pan Xiu and Liu Xiaojun, the supp green leaves.

  Last in line was Zhuang , carrying bags and milk tea.

  Whewo groups met, except for Ren Ziqiang and Pan Xiu, who had goheir separate ways, the remaini greeted each other naturally.

  “Have you noticed? Our fuys from the css seem to have turned into aloof male gods.”

  Liu Xiaojun found a seat and whispered.

  Song Qingqing’s eyebrows shot up: “Jiang Qin has always been a male god. Does he eveo ge?”

  “Cao Guangyu seems to have found someooo, a senior from the Medical Department.”

  Zhuang showed off his gossip knowledge, skillfully shifting the topic away from Jiang Qin.

  “Zhou Chao hasn’t ged, just getting fatter.”

  “Ren Ziqiang has also bee aloof, not eveing us just now…”

  As the words fell, everyone involuntarily g Pan Xiu, who pursed her lips, looking aggrieved.

  Si month, Ren Ziqiang had stopped paying her any attention. Whether in css or by ters, he acted like a strao her.

  Pan Xiu didn’t uand what she did wrong. After days of inquiries, she got no response.

  Unlike her, who had fewer admirers due to her beauty, losing one made a signifit differeo her. So now, whenever she heard Ren Ziqiang’s name, her mood soured.

  “Speaking of making dumplings, do you think Jiang Qin could have a solution?”

  Just when everyone was silent, Jian , who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up.

  Jiang Tian blihen brightened up, “You’re right! If it’s him, he’ll definitely have a way!”

  “Why would he? He’s not a magi, capable of doing everything?” Zhuang couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark.

  Jian ignored him and turo Jiang Tian, “Tian Tian, why don’t you ask him?”

  “Why don’t you go?”

  “Jiang Qin probably dislikes me, if I ask him, he surely won’t agree.” Jian ’s eyes dimmed slightly.

  Just then, Jiang Qin, having finished eating, was heading to the tray return area when Jiang Tian called out to him, “Jiang Qin, could you please help us with something?”

  “What do you need?”

  “We’re looking for a pake dumplings.”

  Although the winter solstice wasn’t a legal holiday, it held signifit weight in Lin traditions; otherwise, the school cafeteria wouldn’t have closed five windows just to sell dumplings.

  Of course, many students wao make dumplings with friends to celebrate the winter solstice.

  Unfortunately, the dormitories at Lin Uy only had power sockets with limited capacity. Making dumplings was feasible, but boiling them would trip the circuit, and even a transformer wouldn’t help due to the power limit. It would probably take all night to cook them.

  Jiang Qin pondered for a moment, “Actually, the cafeteria’s dumplings are quite good. Just make do with those.”

  “We want to make some ourselves, not just for us but also to give to Grandma Liu at the fruit stand.”

  Jian couldn’t help standing up to add, her voice tensely nervous, “I… I bumped into her st time, and she didn’t bme me. I want to do something I , as she’s busy with her stall and taking care of her son, leaving her no time to make dumplings.”

  After a moment of thought, Jiang Qin spoke up, “Why don’t you just find a i?”

  “We tried, but the study rooms are occupied, the lecture halls are locked, and the small s are risky. Plus… the cadres just sent out a notice, strictly forbidding students from cooking dumplings or having hotpot in s.”

  “…”

  “We won’t take too much time.”

  Jiang Tian’s implication was to ask if they could use Room 208, hoping that if Jiang Qin agreed, she could also let him taste the dumplings she made herself.

  Jian , although trying hard not to think about it, couldn’t help but feel excited at the thought of Jiang Qiing the dumplings she made.

  Unfortunately, Room 208 was also making dumplings, and with over a dozen people, it was already chaotiough, not to mention Professor Yan and the others.

  Not wanting t in more people to add to the chaos, Jiang Qin took out his phone and called Zhu Feng to ask if they could borrow a to cook some dumplings.

  After a while, he hung up and spoke again.

  “Our college has a craft club in B704. It was just celed retly, and its activity room has beey. You use that pce. Zhu Feng will leave the key on the windowsill ter.”

  “Oh, and make sure to be careful with electricity. Unplug everything when you’re done, and up before you leave.”

  “Also, could you do me a favor? Prepare a portion of dumplings for Zhu Feng and Old Lu. I’ll give you another address. Deliver a portion to Principal Zhang at the school offid tell them I made them. If they’re not there, just leave it.”

  After giving instrus, Jiang Qin put away his phone and heard Cao Guangyu calling him from behind. He then turned ahe cafeteria.

  Jian and Jiang Tian exged gheir breaths slightly hitched.

  Oh my God, the person who just announced in the group that students are forbidden to cook dumplings or have hotpot in s was Zhu Feng herself! She said that in previous years, students who thought they were above the rules would get caught, not only losing points but also being fined. She wouldn’t spare anyone!

  Jiang Qin directly asking her for a to cook dumplings was like walking into the lion’s den, a Zhu Feng agreed?

  “ we really cook dumplings in a ?”

  “That’s impossible, Zhu Feng just sent out a notice!”

  “Let’s stop eating and go check it out?”

  After a while, they arrived at B704, nervously touched the window, and indeed found a key.

  Knowing it was left by the student cil president, they still felt like thieves, barely making a sound as they cautiously opehe door aered without a noise.

  Just then, footsteps approached from outside the door, causing everyone’s hearts to leap into their throats.

  Zhu Feng arrived expressionlessly at the doorway and gnced inside, sg Jiang Tian and the others so much they hardly dared to breathe.

  “Do you have a pot?”

  “We haven’t… bought o.” Jiang Tian answered truthfully.

  Zhu Feng coughed softly, l her voice, “I have aric cooker in my office, usually used for heating food. If you want, you e with me to get it.”

  Jian , stunned for a moment, regained her posure, feeling uedly honored, “I’ll go with you to get it, thank you, senior.”

  “o thank me. If it weren’t for Jiang Qin specifically calling me, I would never allow such a thing. When you go back, don’t mention it to anyone, and be careful when you’re cooking.”

  “Okay, senior. We’ll make sure to keep the door closed and not make a sound.”

  Jian followed Zhu Feng out of the , and halfway through, she couldn’t help but ask, “Senior, isn’t it a rule that if caught, there are penalties and fines? Won’t this cause trouble for you?”

  Zhu Feng g her, “During the debate petition, I owed Jiang Qin a favor, but he didn’t have anything for me to help with. sider this as returning the favor. Remember to tell him.”

  “Okay, senior.”

  Zhu Feng pursed her lips, adding, “Make sure to tell him, aion that I lent you the electric cooker.”

  “Okay.”

  Later, Jian returo B704 with the electric cooker, leaving everyone inside exging bewildered looks.

  This was the influence of Jiang Qin.

  Just a call and he had secured a for a strictly forbidden activity, even arranging for a pot. It was incredibly cool.

  Remembering how Jiang Qin had made the call with an expressionless face, it truly embodied the persona of a cool and reserved male god who spoke little.

  “Dude, when Zhu Feng came, I was so freaked out. Who knew she was just asking if we needed a pot?”

  “Jiang Qin really lives up to being my idol. Taking shortcuts is truly joyful!”

  “I’ve never seen Zhu Feng give face to anyone like that…”

  Hearing everyone’s amazement, Zhuang in the back felt a mix of emotions.

  Jian ’s wish, which he couldn’t fulfill, was easily managed by another man, making him feel ie. And indeed, he felt powerless.

  If…

  Just if.

  If he had been the one making the call, what would Jian think?

  “Zhu Feng, this is Zhuang . Prepare a for me. I o cook dumplings. Yes, right away, and bring a pot too!”

  “Jian , I’ve arranged everything. Let’s have a delightful winter solstice tonight!”

  Zhuang , after fantasizing, felt a tingliement, even imagining Jian looking up to him in admiration.

  But back to reality, he felt a void.

  Turning to look at Jian again, she was sharing her versation with Zhu Feng with Jiang Tian, her face wearing a toug smile.

  EtudeTranstions