"This is my thank-you gift for today."
Lin Qianqian took out the box of treats.
The familiar box immediately brought back some unpleasant memories for Zhou Fan.
He still remembered the pitch-black treats Lin Qianqian had taken out of that box yesterday.
They had nearly scarred him for life.
"We're classmates. You don't have to be so formal," Zhou Fan politely declined.
Lin Qianqian could read his expression at a glance.
Those treats yesterday must have made him think today's would be just as bad.
So she opened the box and showed him the cookies inside.
"Don't worry. Today's cookies taste better than yesterday's. Take a look if you don't believe me."
Still skeptical, Zhou Fan glanced at them and found that today's cookies really weren't charred black like yesterday's.
They certainly looked much more normal, like ordinary cookies... Yes, "ordinary" was already high praise at this point.
After all, what Lin Qianqian had brought yesterday had been pitch-black lumps.
Today's were completely different.
"Looks like you finally figured it out. Buying them from a store is perfectly fine. There's no need to make them yourself."
Zhou Fan picked up a cookie and popped it into his mouth.
The taste... It tasted like an ordinary cookie, nothing special.
It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either.
"I made these myself too." Lin Qianqian felt a little annoyed.
Just how much did this guy hate the cookies I made yesterday?
"Huh? You made these too?" Zhou Fan was a little surprised.
"How come today's taste completely different from yesterday's? You didn't make these, did you?"
"I did! Well? Pretty impressive, right?" Lin Qianqian lifted her snowy-white chin slightly, looking proud.
Although she hadn't willingly made cookies for Zhou Fan,
having him see her improvement still made her feel at least a little happy.
It gave her a sense of accomplishment.
Even if she had done it willingly.
She had still put in the effort.
No matter who they were, anyone who put in effort hoped to reap the rewards and gain recognition from others.
That brought a sense of accomplishment and made people feel good all over.
"If you know how to make cookies, why did you bring such awful ones yesterday? Was it on purpose?" Zhou Fan asked.
Lin Qianqian: "????"
Seriously, even if I were trying to pick a fight, I couldn't come up with something like that!
Wasn't a normal person supposed to praise my improvement at a time like this?
Even if he wanted to nitpick, he could at most find fault with the taste or something else.
Yet Zhou Fan had actually managed to come at it from that angle.
"I spent most of today learning how to make these cookies."
"I've improved a lot, okay!" Lin Qianqian's chest heaved with anger.
She really had no idea how this guy's brain worked.
How could a man be this clueless?
He was driving me crazy!
"You only spent today learning how to make them?"
"Then compared to those treats you made yesterday, you've improved a lot. It's pretty surprising," Zhou Fan said.
He was telling the truth.
Judged normally, these cookies were merely average, with nothing special about them.
But if Lin Qianqian really had only learned to make them today,
then compared to yesterday's pitch-black treats, her improvement was enormous!
In that case, Zhou Fan could still give her a fairly good assessment.
"It's not like I wanted you to praise me..."
Lin Qianqian had been furious.
But that one remark from Zhou Fan somehow eased some of her anger.
Looks like this guy wasn't completely lacking in emotional intelligence.
At least he knew what to say!
Tomorrow would be the last day.
Once she finished tomorrow's task, she would never have to force herself to make treats for Zhou Fan again.
It didn't suit her image at all!
The next day.
Once again, Lin Qianqian prepared to visit Zhou Fan in the early evening.
She had already finished making the cookies.
She had tasted them herself too, and they were pretty good.
Today was the third day, the final day of her punishment task.
Once she completed this last task, she would never have to come to Zhou Fan for advice or make treats for him again!
The thought alone made her feel lighter all over.
"Today's the last day. Come on, Lin Qianqian, you can do this!"
She headed out with the box of treats.
She walked toward Zhou Fan's home.
"Huh? Isn't that our famous Campus Belle Lin?"
"It really is. Looks like she's carrying a lunch box too."
"Where's she going? Isn't her house in the other direction?"
"No idea."
Quite a few newly awakened students from Tianhai No. 1 High School had also returned from hunting outside the city and happened to spot Lin Qianqian.
As the prettiest and most popular campus belle at Tianhai No. 1 High School,
wherever Lin Qianqian appeared, she became the center of attention, turning heads at a rate of ninety-nine percent.
Her appearance drew plenty of gazes that kept following her.
"That doesn't look like the way out of the city either. Is she going shopping?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Besides, there aren't any shops to browse on this street."
"Look, look! She stopped."
Unable to contain their curiosity, a few people followed her and saw Lin Qianqian stop in front of a house.
Then they saw a young man open the door for her.
Lin Qianqian walked inside as naturally as could be.
The young man closed the door.
The onlookers were dumbfounded.
"Am I seeing things? I think I just saw Lin Qianqian go into a man's house."
"Then I must be seeing things too. Was that guy Zhou Fan?"
"Holy shit! Those two are on a date!" the third person shouted.
"Good thing I just recorded it on my phone. This is absolutely huge news!"
Inside the house.
Zhou Fan and Lin Qianqian had no idea what was happening outside.
"Are you planning to practice Taijutsu again today?" Zhou Fan asked.
He didn't really understand why Lin Qianqian only came in the early evening each day.
But she had come three days in a row now.
That persistence certainly deserved recognition.
At first, Zhou Fan had thought Lin Qianqian was joking or had some other motive, such as losing a dare to someone.
That would explain why she was acting so out of character.
Now it seemed he had been overthinking it.
Lin Qianqian genuinely wanted his advice.
So he actually admired her quite a bit.
Despite possessing an S-rank superpower, she had none of the arrogance that came with it. She wasn't ashamed to ask someone less gifted and sought advice humbly.
With that quality, she could succeed at anything she did in the future!
Since she was so serious and sincere, Zhou Fan was willing to teach her everything he knew!
Lin Qianqian looked at him and said,
"I'm not practicing Taijutsu today."
"Zhou Fan, today I want to fight you with everything I've got!"
Today would be their final match.
After today, she wouldn't come to see Zhou Fan again.
So she wanted to challenge him one more time!
She had improved quite a bit over the past two days too.
That was why she wanted a proper, fair match against Zhou Fan.
She would see which of them was stronger!
Before you continue