Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 67: Do I look like I joke?

Haoyu let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders as he checked his system interface.

Survival Points: 400

Stats Gained: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Stamina, +1 Dexterity

Not bad. He was making progress, even if it was just the basics.

[Lotus: You didn’t completely embarrass yourself. Small victories.]

Haoyu snorted. "Thanks for the high praise."

[Lotus: You’re welcome. Now, are you ready for the next task?]

His gaze flicked to the remaining mission.

⸻

Task 3: Meal Preparation (Self-Sufficiency Training)

• Cook a balanced meal using available ingredients

Rewards: +1 Survival Instinct, +50 Survival Points

⸻

Cooking, huh? That one didn’t seem too bad—until he remembered Qingran’s kitchen and the silent warning in her eyes when she told him not to burn it down.

"...This better not be another strength test."

[Lotus: That depends. Do you know how to cook?]

Haoyu hesitated. He could cook, technically. He knew how to make basic dishes—nothing fancy, just enough to survive. But he hadn’t touched a proper kitchen in years. During the last timeline, most of his meals had been canned food, stolen rations, or whatever he could trade for.

[Lotus: If you poison yourself, I take no responsibility.]

"...You’re really motivating, you know that?"

[Lotus: I try my best.]

With a sigh, Haoyu made his way back to the apartment. His muscles ached slightly from the training, but it was a good ache—the kind that reminded him he was actually doing something instead of just wasting away.

Tang Haoyu stretched his arms, feeling the lingering soreness from the previous training.

His body was still catching up to the physical demands, but he wasn’t about to quit now. With two tasks down, that left the last one—cooking a balanced meal.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he made his way back inside. The apartment was quiet, just as Qingran had left it. He glanced toward the kitchen, eyeing the neatly organized shelves and refrigerator.

[Lotus: You’ve managed not to collapse so far. Impressive.]

Haoyu scoffed, opening the fridge. "What, did you think I’d pass out midway?"

[Lotus: Wouldn’t have been surprised.]

Haoyu ignored the jab, scanning the ingredients available. Eggs, vegetables, some frozen meat.

His hand hovered over a pack of noodles before hesitating. He could whip up something quick and simple, but that felt like cheating.

The task was to make a balanced meal, not instant ramen.

He sighed, rolling up his sleeves. "Fine, let’s do this properly."

He started by washing and chopping the vegetables, moving with ease. Cooking wasn’t foreign to him—he’d had to make food for himself plenty of times before.

It was just that compared to professionals, his skills felt lacking. Still, he had the basics down.

Heating the pan, he sautéed the vegetables first, adding in some seasoning before moving on to the meat.

The scent filled the kitchen, and for a moment, he felt oddly at ease. It was different from the intensity of training. Calmer. Familiar.

[Lotus: You’re surprisingly competent at this.]

"Shut up."

[Lotus: Touchy.]

Once the meat was cooked, he plated everything neatly, adding a side of rice to complete the meal. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was well-balanced and smelled good. He took a seat, poking at the food before taking a bite.

"...Not bad."

It wasn’t until he had nearly finished eating that he noticed a new notification.

[Task Completed: Meal Preparation]

[+1 Survival Instinct, +50 Survival Points]

Haoyu leaned back in his chair, exhaling. Three tasks done. His body ached, but it was a satisfying kind of exhaustion. He was making progress.

Still, his gaze drifted toward the door.

Qingran wouldn’t be back until late.

He wondered if she’d even notice if he made food for her too.

Tang Haoyu stretched as he stood up, rolling his shoulders. His body ached from training, and he was definitely sweating more than he liked.

A shower was non-negotiable at this point.

He grabbed a towel, ready to head to the bathroom, when he paused, looking at the gym clothes Lotus had given him earlier.

Those were fine for working out, but he couldn’t exactly keep wearing them all day.

And he definitely wasn’t about to put Qingran’s pajamas back on. That was just embarrassing.

Sighing, he sat back down and pulled out his phone, scrolling through an online shopping app. He didn’t have much money, but he had enough to get some basics—T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, and jeans. Nothing fancy, just things he could actually wear without looking ridiculous.

Clicking purchase, he watched his balance drop painfully low.

[Lotus: Wow. Look at you. Spending money like a responsible adult. I might cry.]

Tang Haoyu scoffed. "Shut up."

[Lotus: No, really. I’m touched. Now, since you’re in such a productive mood, let’s talk about your bonus task.]

Tang Haoyu frowned. "What bonus task?"

A familiar screen popped up.

[Bonus Task: Expand Your Social Circle]

[Objective: Have a meaningful conversation with Qingran (or attempt to)]

[Rewards: Increased favorability with Qingran (???)]

He stared at it blankly. "...You’re joking."

[Lotus: Do I look like I joke?]

"You don’t look like anything."

[Lotus: Exactly. Now stop arguing and get it done.]

Tang Haoyu pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don’t see why this is necessary."

[Lotus: Because you’re socially incompetent. And considering you live in her apartment, at least pretend you belong here.]

He groaned. "Fine. Later."

[Lotus: Define ’later.’]

"...When she gets home?"

[Lotus: Bold of you to assume you won’t chicken out by then.]

Tang Haoyu decided he was done with this conversation. He tossed his phone onto the bed and headed straight for the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the small bathroom as Tang Haoyu stepped into the shower, letting the warm spray ease the tension in his sore muscles. His arms ached, his legs felt like lead, and his stomach was starting to remind him that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

As he rinsed the sweat from his hair, his mind wandered back to the bonus task. A ’meaningful conversation’ with Qingran? What did that even mean? They’d already talked, hadn’t they? She told him to eat, not burn down the kitchen, and that she’d be back late. That counted as a conversation, right?