A Recipe for Retribution

‘Hmph.’ This truly was an unprovoked calamity.

Qing Zixi swore in her heart that she truly hadn’t meant it. However, her opponents clearly had no intention of letting her off the hook.

“Brother Ba, I don’t think this newcomer respects you at all. Why don’t we wait until no one is around and teach her a harsh lesson…”

One of his lackeys leaned in, whispering flattery into Wang Ba’s ear, subtly reminding him that they weren’t alone. Wang Ba’s lips curled into a high, disdainful sneer as he let out a cold snort.

“Hmph, not bad. Remember my name, Wang Ba. From now on, when you see me here, you call me ‘Brother.’ Understand?”

“Understood.”

“Now scram.”

Qing Zixi ignored their provocations. She wasn’t here to argue. Besides, she had seen plenty of delinquents like them in school; paying them any mind would be a complete waste of time.

Unbeknownst to her, her very presence was like a walking embodiment of mockery.

Just as Qing Zixi prepared to enjoy her dinner, the three men brazenly squeezed in. They set their plates down, the one with yellow hair taking the seat beside Qing Zixi, while the other two positioned themselves directly opposite her.

“Why aren’t you pouring Brother Ba a glass of water, newcomer?”

The lean, tall man across from Qing Zixi wore a cunning grin, but Brother Ba merely waved a dismissive hand.

“Can’t I pour my own water? Honestly, she was clearly about to do it for me. She’s not some brainless fool with no emotional intelligence, unable to read the room. Your reminder just makes me look like I have no magnanimity.”

The two men engaged in a synchronized display of passive-aggressive mockery. Qing Zixi, however, simply kept her gaze lowered, eating in silence. Then, echoing Wang Ba’s own words, she quietly replied:

“Exactly. Your Brother Ba has hands and feet; he can pour his own water. Why do you need to add fuel to the fire here?”

Her silence had been innocuous, but her words ignited a spectacular array of emotions on Wang Ba’s face. Even the tall, thin man’s lips began to twitch uncontrollably.

‘You, you, you, you utterly worthless piece of trash! How dare you ride on Wang Ba’s coattails and turn his own words against me, scolding *me*!?’

The two, who had been so perfectly in sync moments before, were utterly flustered by Qing Zixi’s single retort. The tall, thin man, in particular, felt his composure shatter. He had always been the lackey, suffering under Wang Ba’s whims, and his sole pleasure lay in leveraging Wang Ba’s name to bully the weak.

This was a privilege he had painstakingly earned through years of biting his tongue, yet now, this small figure before him was weaponizing it against him!

“Oh dear, look how thin our little sister is. You must eat more to build yourself up! Here!”

Wang Ba, with a flourish, used his chopsticks to forcefully press the leftover bones from his plate into Qing Zixi’s rice. The fat man chuckled, his jowls quivering with the movement, and, mimicking the tall, thin man’s earlier actions, he too crammed bones into Qing Zixi’s rice.

“Exactly, exactly! Come on, eat up!”

Wang Ba chuckled, looking at the pile of bones growing on Qing Zixi’s plate.

“What status do you have to be worthy of eating the same food as us, living in the same dorm, or playing the same games? Go on, lick your own bones.”

“Exactly. Don’t imagine that having connections makes you exceptional. If you’re so skilled, why didn’t you just join Lan Mengyao’s team directly? And living in a dorm all by yourself… surely you’re not engaging in some sordid dealings outside to make money, are you?”

Qing Zixi gave a light cough. She picked up a piece of potato that had, for now, escaped contamination, and chewed it with narrowed eyes.

“You can call me weak, point to replays and criticize my misplays, or my poor decisions – I can accept all of that. In esports, skill speaks for itself. But resorting to personal attacks? That’s entirely unnecessary…”

She had always held the deepest contempt for people who were intellectually deficient and illogical. Her ‘idiot-phobia’ was flaring up.

While she held no particular disdain for those who mocked and cursed others, she believed such criticisms should at least be pertinent. These irrational, purely vexatious attacks, in Qing Zixi’s eyes, were simply pathetic.

‘Allow this young lady to teach you what true aggression is.’

She sharply lifted her head, looking at the three, and continued.

“You, who are supposedly professional players like myself, wouldn’t happen to be utterly devoid of game understanding, completely clueless about game mechanics, would you? You’re not the type who gets utterly decimated in every training match, then sits speechless during post-game reviews, unable to offer a single coherent thought? The kind who gets verbally thrashed, unable to retort, bottling up all that frustration with nowhere to release it, ultimately resorting to bullying newcomers for a fleeting sense of psychological gratification—the sort destined never to make it past the minor leagues in your entire lives, are you?”

…

Accuracy, or lack thereof, is the difference between butchery and surgery.

The air was terrifyingly silent.

Qing Zixi mused that, given the constantly shifting, vivid expressions on their three faces, being professional players was truly beneath them.

They should be actors!

With such facial transformations, even Zi Yun’ai would have to respectfully call them ‘Master’ and learn a few tricks.

Watching the three still frozen in a daze, Qing Zixi stood up.

She daintily lifted a foot, clambered onto the stool, then ascended to the tabletop. From her elevated position, she then tipped her plate, pouring the bone-laden rice directly into Wang Ba’s own.

“With a life already so utterly pathetic, wasting food on top of that would surely condemn you to hell.”

—Bang.

Qing Zixi returned to her dorm and closed the door.

‘Ah! That last part was so lacking in gravitas!’

Qing Zixi shyly covered her little face.

She had originally envisioned a dramatic, forceful toss of the contents, but quickly realized her petite stature rendered such a high-difficulty move impossible.

‘Grrr…’

Amidst her bashfulness, Qing Zixi’s stomach began to rumble.

‘Seriously, I didn’t eat enough.’

‘I should have gotten another serving of food and hurled a few more insults before coming back.’

Qing Zixi sat on her bed, her brow furrowed in a frown. Suddenly, she recalled the small cake she had eaten earlier at Zi Yun’ai’s residence.

Truth be told, it had been exquisitely delicious—the subtly sweet fruit, the rich aroma, the fresh cream, and the wonderfully soft, fluffy cake.

She opened her phone’s contact list, intending to ask Zi Yun’ai where those small cakes were bought, so she could order some for herself.

–Do you wish to call Zi Yun’ai?

–Confirm.

–Are you sure you want to call Zi Yun’ai?

–Confirm…

–Are you not considering canceling the call to Zi Yun’ai?

–Confirm!

–Are you really not considering canceling?

‘You’re surprisingly considerate!’

After countless taps, Qing Zixi finally managed to dial the number. Seeing Zi Yun’ai’s name displayed on the screen, Qing Zixi felt a pang of nervousness.

‘Will I be disturbing her…?’

“Xi’er! Are you missing me? You actually called me first! I’m so happy~”

“Eh, you picked up so, so quickly. Aren’t you busy, Sister Yun’ai?”

“No matter how busy I am, Xi’er is more important! What is it~?”

“No, nothing major. I just wanted to ask, Sister Yun’ai, where did you buy that delicious little cake we had before?”

“Pfft, craving it, are we? I made that myself; you can’t buy it anywhere…”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’ve disturbed you, Sister. Please continue with your work.”

After hanging up, Qing Zixi rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

‘I had assumed she’d possess the culinary prowess to conjure only ‘dark cuisine,’ yet for an idol to bake such delectable little cakes—she truly is remarkably skilled and clever.’

Whether she was ‘clever’ in spirit, Qing Zixi couldn’t say, but her dexterity was undeniably real.

She had already tested it with her own body.

Just a few minutes after hanging up the phone, Qing Zixi heard a commotion outside. Numerous footsteps echoed in the corridor. Being naturally curious, Qing Zixi also pushed open her door and followed the stream of people.

“I’m here because~ I had a sudden idea to do a show, so borrowing your kitchen shouldn’t be a problem, right~?”

“I’ll also randomly pick someone to assist me. If anyone is inconvenienced, you can raise your hand now to avoid being chosen~”

This sweet, familiar voice, like a bird’s song…

Qing Zixi looked at the slender, pale finger pointing directly at her.

“It’s you~”

The purple-haired girl smiled sweetly.

–Daily Question– After Qing Zixi woke up, she found her entire body covered in unintelligible writing. Who was responsible~?