Chapter 49: The Omega Abandoned After a One-Night Stand (6)
Su Mingxiu placed the private restaurant’s menu in front of Chu Ruan, saying, “Order whatever you like,” then took her phone, opened the wooden door of the small courtyard, and walked to the osmanthus tree outside to make a call.
Chu Ruan, who had no appetite and absolutely no desire to dine with Su Mingxiu, flipped through the menu listlessly. She was about to randomly pick a few dishes when her eyes caught sight of “Spicy Rabbit.” The picture showed red and green peppers that looked like they would set her stomach on fire—
She suddenly remembered what the Chu family had diligently inquired about regarding Su Mingxiu’s taste preferences.
Of course, Chu Ruan had no interest in pleasing this pervert. But she couldn’t help her excellent memory, and those words “Loves sweet and sour, doesn’t eat spicy” were vividly imprinted in her mind.
The injured kitten, curled up on the cushion, had been listless. But now, holding the pen, a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes as she glanced at the figure outside through the frosted glass door. A sly smile curved her lips as she checked off all the spicy dishes on the menu, even adding a note: “Extra extra extra spicy, make it insanely spicy!”
Sensing the gaze behind her, Su Mingxiu paused mid-sentence, her voice silencing as she turned to look back at the room. Apart from the delicate, focused face by the table, she didn’t notice anything unusual.
The person on the other end of the call asked in time, “Wouldn’t such low rent in that area be suspicious? If she asks, how should we explain it?”
Su Mingxiu looked at the delicate and innocent face, her gaze lingering for a long moment before she replied slowly: “She’s naive, she won’t suspect anything.”
After hanging up the phone, she was about to go back inside when another call came in. Su Mingxiu had to stop and look at the osmanthus tree in front of her.
The golden osmanthus, which usually bloomed in late autumn, was already in full bloom in this early chilly season. Under the lush green leaves were clusters of fragrant blossoms, their sweet scent refreshing and calming.
The caller was her assistant from the hospital, asking if she wanted to attend a neurosurgery academic forum in the neighboring city next week. The assistant mentioned that the invitation had already been sent via email and listed the names of the renowned experts attending…
Su Mingxiu, who was playing with a golden osmanthus flower, paused. A deeper smile appeared in her eyes, and her expression even showed a hint of delight.
“Of course I’ll attend, it’s a good learning opportunity,” she replied. “Help me close the online appointment system, there’s no need to release any appointments for next week.”
After briefly browsing through some work emails forwarded by her assistant and researching the academic forum, Su Mingxiu opened the frosted glass door again. A mouthwatering aroma, mixed with a spicy kick, hit her senses.
Her gloved right hand still on the doorknob, Su Mingxiu looked at the large pot bubbling merrily on the small stove on the table. Tender meat with bones trembled slightly in the red broth, the fresh green peppercorns and fiery red chilies in the center particularly eye-catching.
She took two steps into the room and closed the courtyard door behind her.
After sitting down across from Chu Ruan, Su Mingxiu picked up the menu and saw the checked “Spicy Rabbit.” Her lips curved upwards slightly as she looked down. “Such a strong taste?”
Chu Ruan had been feeling a bit guilty, not daring to meet Su Mingxiu’s gaze until now. But being asked like this, she straightened her back and raised her head, her voice even louder than when answering questions in class: “Yes!”
Heh.
Although Su Mingxiu didn’t know Chu Ruan’s taste, she quickly scanned the menu: Spicy Rabbit, Stir-fried Beef with Wild Chili Peppers, Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili Peppers, Hot and Sour Cabbage… Even the cold dishes weren’t spared from the spiciness. She shook her head slightly, put the menu aside, and leaned back in her chair, waiting for the dishes to arrive.
She even had the leisure to savor the tea provided by the restaurant.
Seeing her so unfazed, Chu Ruan couldn’t help but feel anxious, fidgeting in her chair. She comforted herself, Su Mingxiu was the one who asked her to order the food, and she could actually handle spicy food, so it wasn’t like she was deliberately trying to mess with her!
The dishes arrived quickly. By the time the air in the room was filled with the spicy aroma of the rabbit, Su Mingxiu finally picked up her chopsticks unhurriedly.
Chu Ruan couldn’t even focus on picking up food herself, her attention completely on the tip of Su Mingxiu’s chopsticks.
Seeing the rosewood chopsticks picking up a piece of tender rabbit meat, her eyes lit up, waiting to see this hateful person being taught a lesson by the chilies, crying and sniffling—
But the chopsticks paused in mid-air.
Su Mingxiu seemed to have suddenly remembered something. She pressed the bell and called the waiter outside, whispering something. Soon, a large white porcelain bowl filled with hot water was placed in front of her.
She meticulously dipped the rabbit meat, which was coated in red oil, into the bowl of water a few times before pairing it with the white rice and eating it gracefully.
Chu Ruan: “…”
After taking a few bites, Su Mingxiu finally looked up at her, as if only now noticing her gaze. She asked with feigned surprise: “Why aren’t you eating? Isn’t this all your favorite?”
Plan failed.
Chu Ruan cursed inwardly, calling Su Mingxiu cunning. She picked up a piece of fish with a disappointed expression and put it in her bowl. After putting the meat into her mouth, the Omega’s expression froze.
A wave of fire surged from the tip of her tongue, all the way to her throat!
For a moment, Chu Ruan thought she could perform fire-breathing at a circus.
… How could it be so spicy?!
Su Mingxiu, seeing the sweat on Chu Ruan’s forehead, guessed the truth. She said unhurriedly: “I forgot to mention, the chefs in this restaurant are all top chefs from all over the country. The ingredients are all freshly delivered and authentic. How about it, is the spiciness authentic enough?”
The Omega, her face flushed red, couldn’t speak and could only nod with difficulty.
Chu Ruan watched as Su Mingxiu’s porcelain bowl was replaced with clean water again and again. While she was suffering in a world of extreme spiciness, the Alpha had already finished her meal leisurely. Chu Ruan hadn’t even finished a layer of her rice.
The translucent rice grains in her bowl were covered in red chili oil.
Hearing Su Mingxiu put down her chopsticks, Chu Ruan also slammed her chopsticks on the table impatiently. “I’m done!”
The beautiful eyes across from her glanced at her bowl, then at the dishes on the table that she had barely touched. The smile in her eyes deepened. “So fast?”
Chu Ruan nodded forcefully.
Su Mingxiu didn’t know where this little fool had learned this self-destructive tactic. She said with amusement: “But we can’t waste so much food. Since you love spicy food so much, why don’t you take it home?”
“Uh…!” Chu Ruan, who had developed a psychological trauma from chili peppers, froze.
Su Mingxiu, finally unable to hold back her laughter, chuckled, her shoulders shaking. Before her amusement subsided, she called the waiter again and ordered a plate of osmanthus cake as dessert.
Layers of milky white coconut milk and golden osmanthus juice alternated, forming diamond-shaped cakes arranged on dark green bamboo leaves. They even jiggled slightly as they were presented on the table.
Chu Ruan’s gaze was immediately drawn to the dessert. Just as she was about to reach for it, a quarter of the cake was suddenly snatched away: “Like it?”
Su Mingxiu took a bite and looked at her with a smile.
The person who had wanted to eat it immediately turned her head away and denied it vehemently: “No! I hate sweets!”
“Hmm, I was going to say that this osmanthus cake is sweet but not greasy, very delicious—but since you hate sweets, forget it.”
Saying this, Su Mingxiu, right in front of Chu Ruan, slowly finished the entire plate of osmanthus cake.
Chu Ruan, whose stomach was burning with spiciness, felt a pang of pain in her stomach from anger.
***
Back in the car, seeing Su Mingxiu return with two large bags of takeout boxes, Chu Ruan turned her head away angrily, refusing to look at the person in the driver’s seat. She was afraid she would lose control and attack this pervert.
But the Alpha didn’t let her off the hook. She tapped the screen of the car’s navigation system: “Enter your school address.”
Chu Ruan, with a sullen face, quickly typed in the address, but halfway through, remembering her mother’s phone call, she deleted everything and entered a different address.
Su Mingxiu noticed that the destination wasn’t Willowleaf University. She glanced at it but didn’t ask, acting as a quiet driver.
When they arrived, she found it was a messy alley, with illegally built private buildings of varying heights, the kind of cheap housing preferred by migrant workers.
Chu Ruan quickly opened the door and got out, even throwing a line at Su Mingxiu: “This is where I get off. Goodbye, don’t bother seeing me off.”
Looking at her retreating figure, Su Mingxiu didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she got out of the car and walked towards a nearby chain pharmacy with a faded yellow sign.
Inside the rented apartment—
Chu Ruan was packing her and her mother’s belongings under the landlord’s watchful eyes. Although she hadn’t found another place to stay yet, she had already decided to ask the other tenants if she could find a cheap place to live on her own.
In any case, she would never go to Su Mingxiu’s place and throw herself into the lion’s den.
Bending down to zip up the nylon bag, Chu Ruan was still lost in thought when she suddenly heard the landlady approach her warmly: “Xiao Chu, I’m really sorry, but the agency offered a higher price, and I’m a bit tempted. But I’ve seen your character, and I feel bad for kicking you and your mother out.
How about this, my niece’s apartment in Shanglinfang is also looking for a tenant. I can introduce you to her and give you a family discount.”
The little Omega suddenly looked up. “Huh?”
But she quickly remembered where Shanglinfang was. It was a prime commercial area with high-end properties. The rent there was beyond her reach, even with a full-time job, let alone her part-time work.
So Chu Ruan shook her head sadly.
The landlady, however, quickly waved her fan in front of her. “Don’t reject so quickly! My niece is very strict about her tenants. She requires them to be Omegas, clean and tidy, with no bad habits.
Because she’s an Omega herself, she’s afraid of conflicts with tenants who are unreasonable… And she’s very particular about first impressions. She’s not short of money anyway, the rent is only this much—”
“Don’t say that Auntie doesn’t take care of you. You know the average rent in Shanglinfang. Whether you live with your mother or alone, wouldn’t it be safer to live there than in this area?”
Chu Ruan… Chu Ruan’s resolve was crumbling.
Her eyes lit up with joy, but she tried to suppress it and only said: “Then… can I go take a look?”
“Of course!”
The landlady was very generous. “I’ll give you her contact information. She’s very straightforward. If she thinks you’re suitable, she might even sign the contract with you today.”
***
Chu Ruan, who was about to go check out the apartment and then come back to move, went downstairs and saw that Su Mingxiu’s car hadn’t left yet.
She was stunned for a moment, then tried to casually walk past Su Mingxiu towards the intersection. But the other party reached out a hand from the car. Even the black silk glove couldn’t hide the slender fingers. She heard a snap.
Chu Ruan, with a sullen face, slowly moved towards the car, deliberately asking coldly: “What else do you want?”
She couldn’t possibly be asking her to help deliver those things that fell out of the package, right?!
Seeing the vigilance in the Omega’s big eyes, Su Mingxiu didn’t mind. She casually pointed towards the back seat. “Did you forget something?”
Chu Ruan followed her gesture and saw the two large paper bags.
—They probably contained the takeout food from earlier.
She felt her stomach start to ache again. She chanted a few times to herself to calm down before opening the back door of the car. She reached out to grab the two bags, then heard the person in front remind her: “The one closer to the door is your favorite, don’t take the wrong one.”
Chu Ruan: “…”
Hmph!
Who cares!
She wished she could eat less of those life-shortening spicy dishes. She angrily grabbed a bag and turned around, slamming the car door shut behind her.
Su Mingxiu looked at her rapidly retreating figure with a meaningful smile. After a while, she sighed helplessly, restarted the car, and was about to leave when she received a voice message.
“Miss Chu is already on her way to discuss the lease. Dr. Su, should I sign the contract with her?”
She picked up her phone, looked at the message, and couldn’t help but curse inwardly, Little fool. She replied with a simple “Yes.”
Soon.
Chu Ruan, waiting for a ride by the road, opened the paper bag in her arms, thinking about how to make those dishes less spicy when she brought them home tonight. But when she looked inside, she saw the osmanthus cake that she had wanted to try but didn’t get to eat.
The translucent, jiggly cakes, their sweet fragrance wafting from the box.
And beside the box, there was also a box of stomach medicine.
Chu Ruan: “!”
She was stunned for a moment, then heard the little voice in her heart laughing triumphantly: Ha! Su Mingxiu must have dementia! She even got the food wrong!
Score!
Let that hateful Alpha taste the joy of chili-infused water tonight!
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