Chapter 9: Lin Yifeng

"Lin Yifeng, if you're sick, don't go around spreading your illness!"

Seeing the man, Xiao Ruyi immediately pulled Qiao Xin behind her.

The pale young man stood up straight with an innocent look, gazing at them with a pitiful, aggrieved expression. "Sister Ruyi, I was just hungry. You know how hard it is for me to eat anything. It was a rare treat to be full today. Who is this little sister? She smells so good~"

"Brother Feng, this is where you're in the wrong! How can you just touch my cousin like that? A girl's reputation is not something you can trifle with!" He Qing immediately stepped beside Xiao Ruyi to make his stance clear.

Lin Yifeng tilted his head, blinking his eyes like a well-behaved puppy. "I can marry her, as long as she gives me food to eat~"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Aside from Xiao Ruyi, who covered her face in embarrassment, both He Qing and Qiao Xin were choked by his words.

What kind of man offers to marry himself off just for a bite of food?

"Big brother, you can buy food with money; I'm not marrying you..." Qiao Xin finally regained her composure. She was only sixteen in this world, having just reached the age to test for innate talent; she wouldn't be an adult for another two years!

"Marrying me comes with a lot of money~" Lin Yifeng’s deep voice carried a lingering allure. A blush stained his pale cheeks, and his slender frame seemed to sway in the wind, his messy hair fluttering slightly. The exquisite, seductive charm of the sickly youth left both Qiao Xin and He Qing stunned.

"Lin Yifeng, that’s enough! Act normal!" Xiao Ruyi, who knew him well, roared directly.

"Sister Ruyi, this is just how I am~" Lin Yifeng continued to feign grievance and innocence. He didn't dare go too far while in someone else's home, trying to get close to the fragrant young woman. However, he knew that oblivious women usually liked his delicate and pitiful appearance.

Qiao Xin felt goosebumps rise and poked her head out. "Big brother, you really should just act normal. I don't really like men who act coquettish..."

As a normal woman raised under the red flag, she preferred manly men; she truly couldn't accept the delicate, fragile type.

Lin Yifeng: "???"

Him, acting coquettish? Wasn't he just feigning frailty?

Beside them, He Qing heard the word "coquettish" and was already trembling with laughter. If Qiao Xin hadn't pointed it out, he truly wouldn't have noticed. After all, Lin Yifeng was like this all the time. Everyone who knew him was aware he was "sick," so they subconsciously assumed he was just weak. But he was actually an S-class wind-element ability user!

"Pfft..." Xiao Ruyi couldn't hold it in; the look of being struck by lightning on Lin Yifeng's face was simply too funny. He was naturally frail due to his inability to eat, and he liked to play the victim, so he and those around him never realized there was an issue. Now, with Qiao Xin’s interpretation, and thinking back on his past behavior, it was truly earth-shattering.

A grown man acting coquettish—aside from his elders, his admirers, and the men who couldn't stand him... thinking about it made it a dark history!

Qiao Xin looked from one to the other. Did she say something wrong? Why were their expressions so strange?

"Congratulations to the host for triggering the plot: The Starving Genius. Lin Yifeng is a genius researcher in interstellar nutrient solution improvement. Perhaps out of jealousy, Heaven struck him with a rare eating disorder two years ago. In the original plot, he would have starved to death in a month, but by eating the food you made, his destiny has been changed!"

"Please work hard, Host, to completely cure his anorexia. The nutrient solutions he improves will save many more people in the interstellar space!"

Little i suddenly jumped out excitedly, "Special character, special mission. Upon completion, you may choose one item from the mall!"

Qiao Xin was instantly excited. "Can I choose a protective talisman?"

"Yes!"

Receiving an affirmative answer, Qiao Xin ran out from behind Xiao Ruyi and excitedly extended her light-brain. "Big brother, I'll give you food even if I don't marry you. I'll provide for you for a lifetime!"

Saving him meant saving her parents—buy one, get two. She was making a killing on this deal!

Lin Yifeng's beautiful eyes widened slightly. He had thought she didn't know his identity or understand his situation, but now he realized she sincerely just wanted to feed him, without any ulterior motives, even filled with gratitude! He was eating her food for free, yet she was the one thanking him? Why?

His brain stalled a bit. Even as that fragrant scent drifted to the tip of his nose, he didn't dare lean in anymore. It felt as if his casualness was a profanation of her.

He opened his light-brain to add her as a contact, then ran off as if the house were on fire. Qiao Xin only felt a gust of wind, and then he was gone.

Xiao Ruyi finally reacted, poking Qiao Xin's forehead, and said fiercely, "Xin-xin, why are you so soft-hearted? A person like him deserves to starve!"

"Cousin, he didn't do anything unforgivable; he just wanted to eat. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Your cousin here has no talent, so building up some good karma is a good thing!" Of course, Qiao Xin couldn't say that saving him was saving her own parents. No one would believe something that hadn't happened yet!

"Ugh, I suppose so. I was just too angry to think straight." Xiao Ruyi patted her own forehead. It wasn't a secret that Lin Yifeng was a nutrient researcher. Although he was a bit "off," one couldn't deny his contributions. As Qiao Xin said, he just wanted to eat and hadn't done anything excessive. In fact, the Lin family had sought out many nutritionists for his illness, and even those who didn't succeed were given compensation, unlike some people who refused to pay and even bit back!

"You! Not everyone is as easy to deal with as Lin Yifeng. Keep your wits about you!" Xiao Ruyi had come to terms with it, but she still gave a word of caution.

"I know, Cousin! I only did it because I saw you were close to him!" Qiao Xin smiled and shook her arm. Coquetry was not awkward at all when she wanted to do it! If Little i hadn't said it was a special mission, she wouldn't have bothered with him!

A problem that would take half a year could be solved in a month; naturally, she had to treat this mission target well! A perfectly fine person starving to death—if she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed it could happen in the interstellar age. In her world, those who starved to death were few and far between.

"Alright, hurry and help me pack. I don't know if I can finish before I leave tomorrow!" Xiao Ruyi was instantly appeased and returned to worrying about her food.

Stir-frying took fifteen minutes; four of the seven dishes were stir-fried, so that was one hundred and twenty portions for a month... She couldn't finish just by stir-frying! So, she chose to only stir-fry the meat dishes.

Qiao Xin couldn't stand watching, and with the special mission involving Lin Yifeng, she bought ten more production machines. Each cost ten points of favorability, and the favorability contributed by everyone today was enough!

When the machines arrived, Xiao Ruyi was overjoyed and wanted to transfer money to Qiao Xin, but Qiao Xin only accepted the processing fee. The machines could be used indefinitely and might even become tools for her to make money; how could she let her pay?

With eleven production machines each making one dish, her ingredients were quickly turned into finished products. Xiao Ruyi happily packed them away, then saw Qiao Xin buying low-grade ingredients, and said speechlessly, "You don't really intend to make food for that kid, do you?"