The originally pure air seemed to grow thick and viscous.
For a moment, no one spoke. Both of them pretended to be casual, yet in reality, they had already noted down exactly where the other’s chopsticks were currently lingering.
They were both waiting for the other to speak first, wondering why the person who usually talked so much was uncharacteristically silent.
Wen Xiaoyue: Isn’t she the one who loves to spout nonsense the most? Why isn’t she continuing to ramble?
You Xinghai: Shouldn’t the eldest young lady take advantage of the fact that no one is around to fiercely mock me? Why is she still picking up food?
Could it be that she really just loves eating that much?!
This stalemate of an atmosphere persisted until the server entered the private room to present them with a complimentary dish.
Wen Xiaoyue rotated the lazy Susan, spinning the “Oreo Cream Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork” right in front of You Xinghai. “If you’re not full, eat more. Fu Dongxue left, so the two of us probably won’t be able to finish this table of food anyway.”
You Xinghai smiled slightly. “I didn’t expect Miss Wen to have such a strong sense of conservation.”
Wen Xiaoyue answered rather indifferently, “I am no ‘eldest young lady.’ I was just born with a bit of filthy lucre, that’s all. Whoever wants the title of ‘eldest young lady’ can have it.”
You Xinghai shook her head inwardly. That is hardly up to you; it is just a matter of a single sentence from the author.
Thinking about it this way, fate was truly a difficult thing to break free from.
She could only consider herself lucky that she had transmigrated into the body of someone who was doing reasonably well.
“You,” Wen Xiaoyue paused, opening her mouth with some hesitation. “Do you usually eat out with other people?”
Huh?
You Xinghai did not understand why she would suddenly ask this question. Treating it as mere small talk, she replied, “It’s alright, I guess. I occasionally eat with friends.” Though, those were all friends from her past life.
Wen Xiaoyue lowered her head, glanced casually at the food again, and then looked up at the oil painting on the ceiling.
You Xinghai watched her series of fake maneuvers with amusement, only to see the other person finally raise her head bashfully, a faint rosy cloud drifting across her supple face.
“Actually, this is my first time coming out to eat with a friend.”
The eldest young lady only had enemies and pursuers; she had never had friends with whom she could clink glasses and share a meal.
If it had not been for this opportunity to express her gratitude for the help of those two, she might never have come out to eat with them alone.
An outstanding Omega should not show her face in public too often, nor should she have too much contact with other Alphas.
But Wen Xiaoyue had actually been looking forward to this meal very much. She had not fallen asleep until very late last night, wrapped in her blanket thinking about this and that, and had bounded right out of bed as soon as the sun rose this morning.
She had stuffed herself into her wardrobe, rummaging through it for a very long time. She tried on every single complex, beautiful, and exquisite dress, but in the end, she chose the most casual and inexpensive style.
These kinds of simple, ordinary clothes, which could be seen anywhere, were something she had never worn out before.
Playing around freely like a normal girl was not something a perfect eldest young lady was supposed to think about.
Thinking up to this point, Wen Xiaoyue felt even more ashamed. First, she felt that she was actually worrying over such boring, trivial matters; second, she dared not admit that she actually felt joy in this kind of situation, a joy that bewildered her and that she had not felt in many years.
You Xinghai stared blankly at her vivid expression. Before she even realized what she was doing, she suddenly spoke up, “Then, how about we go somewhere to play after we finish eating?”
The moment the words left her mouth, even You Xinghai herself was a little surprised by her own initiative.
She was someone who enjoyed solitude and took avoiding trouble as her creed in life. There was no reason for her to go out of her way to look for trouble.
You Xinghai regretted it slightly, wanting to retract her words before Wen Xiaoyue could respond.
However, in the very next second, the other person raised her head. Her originally pitch-black eyes were now sparkling brightly, as if they had completely absorbed the multicolored brilliance of the magnificent chandelier above.
“I,” she wanted to agree, yet she hesitated.
You Xinghai watched as the fireworks in those beautiful eyes extinguished bit by bit, just like a fiery red sunset being swallowed by the dark night.
“The people protecting me are still downstairs. I cannot leave.”
A stretch of silence ensued.
Wen Xiaoyue kept her head down, eating as if nothing had happened.
You Xinghai stared at the serving plate in front of her.
The chef looked as if they had done advanced studies at an art academy, carving the already rare ingredients into lifelike shapes. However, they cared about quality over quantity; the large expanse of empty space on the plate faintly reflected You Xinghai’s dazed face.
She suddenly felt like she had lost her appetite. What was she thinking? She actually wanted to lead the eldest young lady astray.
You Xinghai felt guilty for the fact that, for a split second, she had actually entertained the thought of taking that person and jumping out of the window to escape.
Although Wen Xiaoyue was not the protagonist of the novel, she was still an important character with a first and last name. She had her own story, her own world, her own romance line, and her own career arc.
You Xinghai believed that she should not disrupt Wen Xiaoyue’s plotline just because of some inexplicable emotions.
As “You Xinghai,” it was already a stroke of luck that she had not ruined her own reputation by bitterly pursuing Guan Yinqi. There was no reason for her to barge into the lives of other important characters and plunge herself into an uncontrollable situation once again.
As a piece of cannon fodder, she ought to keep a clear line of demarcation between herself and characters like Wen Xiaoyue.
You Xinghai gripped her chopsticks tightly, dark clouds swirling in the depths of her eyes. Even though she thought that way, it did not resolve the knot in her heart; instead, it grew more and more twisted.
It was like a rope tied into a dead knot; trying to break it open with brute force only wound it tighter.
By the end, although they were still laughing and talking merrily on the surface, her heart was clenched tight.
Why is this? Who turned me into this? Who taught me this dark, gloomy emotion?
She had no answer.
The matter of going out to play after the meal was dropped. Time seemed to suddenly accelerate, and the dining portion quickly came to an end.
The two of them did not have much else to talk about either. After exchanging a few casual pleasantries, they prepared to pack up their things and head back to their respective homes.
Before leaving, Wen Xiaoyue needed to go to the restroom. You Xinghai rubbed her round, full belly and waited for her outside the private room.
Standing by the window of the high-rise building, she looked out at the steel forest below, feeling sentimental in her heart. How great would it be if this were all my territory? She did not want to be a nouveau riche anymore; she wanted to be a little emperor.
As she was admiring the view, a flurry of footsteps suddenly came from the corridor behind her.
“I am sorry, Miss, our top-floor private rooms are already fully booked.”
“Is there any reason for a room that this young lady wants to book to be given up to someone else? Move aside! Do you know who I am? Is this how you treat a Diamond Member?”
“I am truly very sorry, but the top floor requires an advance reservation.”
Hearing this highly typical dialogue, You Xinghai silently turned around, preparing to shrink back into the private room before anyone noticed.
“You! Stop right there!”
Don’t come over, don’t come over, I do not want to add any more scenes to my script!
However, the Diamond Member did not let her off. She even shouted out loud, “You Xinghai! It’s actually you!”
You Xinghai was speechless. Having her full name called out on the spot, there was no way out of it now.
You Xinghai crept out sluggishly, looking at the woman who was rapidly approaching her like a high-speed spinning top: Du Na!
Once she was close, Du Na stopped her pacing, placed her hands on her hips, and said high-and-mighty, “Could it be that you booked this private room?”
You Xinghai thought of the wide-mouthed Popo Cat meme, trying her best to suppress her urge to laugh. “It was not me.”
Her originally somewhat downcast mood felt a whole lot better upon encountering a brainless antagonist. It always felt as if the moment she entered their line of sight, the relevant plot would automatically trigger, just like an NPC.
“I figured it would not be you,” Du Na gnashed her teeth. “This place is not somewhere you can just book casually just because you have money. You also need status and reputation. I suppose you were fortunate enough to be invited here for a meal by someone. I will not make things difficult for you.”
Saying this, she took another step forward. “Tell me, who is the one who booked this private room? Go tell them for me to get the hell out and give up the room. Consider it a smart move on your part, and I will not make trouble for you in the future!”
You Xinghai thought, “Ah, this. If I really go and say that, I am afraid Wen Xiaoyue will make things difficult for you!”
The server next to them obviously knew who had booked this private room as well, beads of sweat breaking out on their forehead. “Miss, please be mindful to keep your voice down. The person inside really is a major client.”
This sentence obviously provoked greater fury from Du Na. “A major client? Is there any client larger than me? Fine, I already know how your establishment treats its guests. Just you wait, I will expose your behavior and practices to the people in our circle later. Let’s see which young lady will ever come to your establishment for a meal in the future!”
You Xinghai wondered if she was about to write a mini-essay to post on her WeChat Moments.
Du Na swept a glance at the server’s and You Xinghai’s unmoving feet, so angry she was practically spinning in place. “What are you standing there dazed for? Go on, hurry up!”
After saying that, she added to You Xinghai, “I am telling you, it is your good luck to be able to see me here today. Smooth things over and please me properly, and I will bring you here to eat often in the future. Be grateful for my charity!”
You Xinghai thought it was just a single meal, and it was not like people could not afford to eat it. She could hardly listen to any more of this. Just as she was about to pull Du Na aside to quietly tell her the truth, she heard a cool, crisp voice come from behind her.
“Who is making a racket outside?”
Hearing the voice, Du Na froze instantly. Having previously replayed Wen Xiaoyue’s speech videos countless times to listen to as sleep-aid music, she could naturally recognize whose voice this was in an instant.
Du Na’s face turned pale in a flash, and she said tremulously, “Wait a minute, who is inside? Is Xiaoyue inside?”
Before You Xinghai could speak, Wen Xiaoyue walked out elegantly, her cold eyes sweeping over the two people who had suddenly arrived at the doorway.
“I thought I vaguely heard someone saying they wanted to throw me out just now? Was that you, Du Na?”
The server glanced at the stammering, silent Du Na, instantly knowing which way the wind was blowing. She immediately performed a Sichuan opera face-change and leaped straight into Wen Xiaoyue’s camp.
“I am terribly sorry, Miss Wen. This customer did not know that the private room had already been booked and disturbed your meal.”
“Oh?” Wen Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow. “What, am I not allowed to book it?”
Faced with the questioning of her crush, Du Na was instantly scared out of her wits, her voice trembling. “Ah, of course you can. I did not know you were inside, Xiaoyue. Please forgive me for making such a racket.”
She suddenly noticed You Xinghai standing to the side, eating melon seeds and watching the drama unfold, and realized something was wrong. Why was You Xinghai at the doorway of Wen Xiaoyue’s private room? Could it be that she and Xiaoyue were eating together?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could this nouveau riche, who had neither family background nor refinement, sit at the same dining table as Xiaoyue! Even using ten pairs of serving chopsticks would not be enough to keep the stench of money on her body at bay!
Thinking up to this point, she immediately felt that she could drag You Xinghai down with her, and hurriedly stepped forward. “Xiaoyue, do not just focus on blaming me first! It is all You Xinghai’s fault! She stood right here and misled me!”
That’s right! You Xinghai must have caught wind of Xiaoyue’s location and deliberately camped out at the doorway, even putting on an act as if she had been treated to a meal. Anyone would know how a nouveau riche like her could never have the opportunity to be invited up to the top floor!
The gazes of all three people moved in unison to land upon her. You Xinghai blanked out, finding it utterly baffling. “Why can’t I stand here? I came out to catch some breeze after finishing my meal. Is there a problem with that?”