PANT - Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The moment she stepped inside, Shi Ning looked around the room.
Although it was in an old residential complex, the interior was quite nice. The decor was new, not the dilapidated “Syrian style” Shi Ning had imagined, but rather had a Japanese aesthetic—all wood, very simple and elegant.
Su Tianxue bent down and got her a pair of slippers.
“They’re new,” she said.
Shi Ning stared at the slippers, which had pink bunny ears. “Su Tianxue, are you doing this on purpose?”
Su Tianxue said, “If you don’t like them, you don’t have to wear them.”
Shi Ning replied, “Actually, I’ve always had the heart of a young maiden.”
She slipped on the pink bunny-ear slippers and stared at her feet for a long time. She had to admit, they were pretty cute. Pink is a must-have for tough guys; there was something to it.
“Sit wherever.” Su Tianxue glanced at Shi Ning. “Where’s your luggage?”
Shi Ning wiggled her slippered feet. “Wife, you bought slippers, but nothing else for me?”
“You even prepared shoes for me. Are you that excited to live with me?”
Su Tianxue said, “They were buy-two-get-one-free downstairs yesterday. Yours was the free one.”
Shi Ning wasn’t discouraged. “Even a free gift from my wife goes straight to my heart. You’re so good to me.”
Su Tianxue couldn’t take it anymore and turned to leave.
Shi Ning asked her, “Wife, where are you going?”
Su Tianxue snapped back, “To cook!”
Shi Ning shot up. “Wife, I’ll keep you company.”
Su Tianxue stopped in her tracks, standing by the kitchen counter. She turned to Shi Ning and asked, “Can you please not call me Wife?”
Shi Ning tilted her head. “Why not?”
Su Tianxue’s face was cold. “We’re only in a contractual marriage, not real partners. It feels very awkward when you call me that.”
Shi Ning said, “I’m a law-abiding woman. The law stipulates that you are now my wife. I can’t help it.”
“I could use a different name,” Shi Ning mused. “My lady, my dear, wifey—”
For a moment, Su Tianxue wanted to grab a kitchen knife.
She resisted.
“Just stick with Wife,” she said, defeated.
Shi Ning played dumb. “What did you say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”
Su Tianxue raised her voice. “I said, Wife!”
Shi Ning beamed like a flower. “Yes, I’m here.”
“This is the first time you’ve called me Wife. I have to remember this.”
Talking to such a shameless person who spouted nonsense, Su Tianxue felt like she was going to die of anger. She shot Shi Ning a glare, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to cook. Shi Ning stood behind her, watching the back of her neck turn red, not bothering to hide her triumphant smile.
What could she do?
She was just that wicked. She loved to annoy Su Tianxue, to see her shed her icy exterior and show a little temper. It was so full of life, and so beautiful.
She liked the way Su Tianxue looked when she was angry, and she liked the way she looked in bed, holding back tears and refusing to beg for mercy.
Both were beautiful, and both made her heart itch.
“Help me with something.” Su Tianxue was washing some tomatoes she’d bought earlier. Without turning around, she said to Shi Ning, “Hand me the apron.”
Her intention was for Shi Ning to pass her the apron so she could put it on herself. Who knew Shi Ning would wrap her arms around her waist from behind, startling her so much that the tomato in her hand slipped and rolled back into the sink.
Washed for nothing.
Su Tianxue was angry. “What are you doing?”
Shi Ning said matter-of-factly, “Putting the apron on for you.”
Her hands moved to the front of Su Tianxue’s waist, pulling the two apron strings apart. Then she reached up and hung the neck loop around Su Tianxue’s neck. She adjusted the size, then reached out and gently pulled Su Tianxue’s long hair out from under the strap.
“Do you need to tie your hair up?”
Su Tianxue squeezed the tomato, her fingertips feeling a little hot.
“Hm?”
Shi Ning was waiting for her answer.
Su Tianxue lowered her head. “Yes.”
“Give me your hair tie,” Shi Ning said.
Su Tianxue raised her hand, revealing the black hair tie on her wrist. Shi Ning’s fingertips brushed against her skin, and Su Tianxue’s heart began to beat a little faster. She couldn’t help but think of what this person had done to her when they first met.
She pressed her lips together tightly.
This person was truly infuriating. Just as infuriating now as she was at first sight.
Shi Ning took the hair tie, then ran her fingers through Su Tianxue’s long hair to smooth it before gathering it up. She was actually quite meticulous and gentle; the pressure she used to tie the hair was just right, and she even asked if it was too tight or if it needed to be loosened.
Su Tianxue’s mind was buzzing, unable to speak.
After all that, just when Su Tianxue thought that someone with a personality as wicked as Shi Ning’s would tease her or do something else, Shi Ning obediently let go and stepped back.
“All done,” she said. “Now Chef Su can show off her skills, right?”
Su Tianxue grunted in acknowledgment and focused on the tomatoes.
Shi Ning leaned against the counter, watching, and the longer she watched, the stranger it seemed.
She saw the once-plump tomato become a bizarrely shaped object in Su Tianxue’s hands after its skin was torn off.
Shi Ning couldn’t help but speak up. “Wife, your skills…”
Su Tianxue said stubbornly, “Tomatoes are soft fruits, so it’s hard to apply force. The skin sticks, so it’s normal for it to be difficult to peel.”
Shi Ning asked, “Are you making scrambled eggs with tomato?”
Su Tianxue was silent for a long moment before replying, “Maybe.”
Shi Ning: “…”
She sighed softly. “Let me do it.”
Su Tianxue was skeptical. “Do you know how?”
Shi Ning raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like the situation can get any worse.”
Slightly indignant, Su Tianxue tossed her apron to Shi Ning and stood to the side, crossing her arms. Her gaze seemed to say: Fine, let’s see what you’ve got.
Shi Ning had never actually cooked before, but even if you’ve never eaten pork, haven’t you seen a pig run?
She used to watch her mother cook at home all the time.
There seemed to be a trick to peeling tomatoes.
Relying on her memory, Shi Ning used a knife to score a cross on the bottom of the tomato, then placed it in boiling water to scald it for a moment. When she picked it up again, her fingertips were a little hot. She brought them to her lips to blow on them, then licked them with the tip of her tongue, which made it feel better.
Annoyed by this person’s provocative behavior again, Su Tianxue let her hair down to cover her slightly warm ears, then handed the hair tie to Shi Ning. “Here.”
Shi Ning was in the middle of peeling. “You do it for me.”
Returning the favor, Su Tianxue tied up Shi Ning’s long hair. As she lowered her head, she was surprised to see that the tomato that had been so difficult to peel just moments ago was now yielding smoothly in Shi Ning’s hands. With a gentle pull, the skin came right off.
Su Tianxue was so surprised that she didn’t notice how close she was, her body pressing against Shi Ning’s as she murmured, “You can do it like that?”
Shi Ning found her adorable like this and couldn’t resist. While still working on the tomato, she turned her head and placed a light kiss on the top of Su Tianxue’s head. “Mhm. You can do it like this.”
Su Tianxue immediately became wary. “What are you doing?”
Shi Ning replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Kissing my wife.”
Su Tianxue said, “We’re in a contractual marriage, so this isn’t necessary.”
Shi Ning pouted. “If we don’t act a little more loving now, what will we do when the inspectors really show up and we look like complete strangers? I’m just preparing for a rainy day.”
After she said that, Su Tianxue seemed to take it to heart. The next second, with a cold expression, she leaned over and kissed Shi Ning on the cheek, even asking, “Like this?”
Shi Ning hadn’t expected this turn of events. She instructed, “You need to kiss more gently. You were too cold just now.”
Su Tianxue clenched her fists, endured it, and forced a smile as she leaned in for another kiss. “Is that okay?”
Shi Ning laughed at her. “Forget it, Wife. You’d better not smile. If you don’t smile, I can just explain that you have facial muscle necrosis. But when you smile, I suspect the inspectors will think we’re enemies.”
Su Tianxue got angry, glared at her, and walked away.
Shi Ning burst out laughing. She finished preparing the tomatoes, then took out her phone and started searching for recipes.
She glanced at the ingredients in the kitchen. She had just enough to make scrambled eggs with tomato, and she could use salted duck eggs to make a dish of mock crab roe. Two dishes, an all-egg feast, both zeros, a perfect match for two ones like her and Su Tianxue.
Shi Ning used to hate cooking.
She felt it was a waste of time.
As a lawyer, she was always racing against the clock. She could barely squeeze out enough time to eat each day, let alone cook.
On the rare occasions she had time off, Shi Ning was even less willing to spend it in the kitchen.
She was usually wound so tight that on her days off, she just wanted to have some fun—whatever was exciting, she’d do it.
But now, standing in the kitchen, feeling the gentle breeze, slowly preparing the ingredients, watching them change state and become a delicious meal under her hands… hmm, it seemed pretty good too.
It was her first time cooking, so Shi Ning wasn’t exactly a natural. She spent forty minutes in the kitchen before she was done. When she brought the dishes out and placed them on the table, she felt a small sense of accomplishment.
Su Tianxue thoughtfully proposed, “I’ll do the dishes later.”
Shi Ning had no objections.
They had to divide the labor somehow.
After they sat down, Shi Ning took out her hair tie and gathered her long hair. “How is it?” she asked. “Is it good?”
Su Tianxue said, “It looks good.”
Shi Ning said expectantly, “Try it.”
Su Tianxue nodded and took a spoonful of the scrambled eggs with tomato. It was sweet and sour, perfect with rice. Then she tried the mock crab roe; the flavors of ginger and vinegar blended together, and it did have a hint of crab’s texture.
“It’s very good,” Su Tianxue said earnestly.
Shi Ning said, “They say the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach. So, Miss Su, have you fallen in love with me?”
“…” Su Tianxue pointed at the rice. “It’s just that the rice is a bit raw. It’s not fully cooked.”
Shi Ning: “…”
Su Tianxue delivered a cool counterattack. “Keep up the good work.”
Not to be outdone, Shi Ning retorted, “Actually, I did that on purpose.”
Su Tianxue: “?”
Shi Ning explained, “This bowl of rice implies we’re still a little ways off from turning raw rice into cooked rice. Why don’t I cook it again, and we can try again, too.”
Su Tianxue said helplessly, “Are you always this improper?”
Shi Ning took the bowl of rice from in front of her and said with a smile, “Have you not seen me when I’m being serious?”
Su Tianxue thought about it. The most serious this person had ever been was that day in bed when she said to her, Miss Su, watch closely. I’m going to fuck you with a toy.
……
“I’d rather not have that kind of seriousness.” After speaking, Su Tianxue lowered her head and quickly ate a few more bites of the other dishes.
Only after the rice went back into the pot and was properly cooked did the two of them finish their meal. As promised, Su Tianxue went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Shi Ning sat on the sofa, looking at her phone and handling some work matters.
Being a CEO was actually quite enjoyable. The people under her were all incredibly competent. Even with an imposter like her at the helm, no one noticed anything amiss, probably because the character in the novel was tailor-made for her—personality, appearance, even family were all the same.
Shi Ning didn’t need to micromanage every detail. She just had to make judgments on major issues, make decisions, and guide the direction.
And that was exactly what she was good at.
After communicating with her secretary, Shi Ning heard the sound of the front door unlocking. She looked up, puzzled, and her eyes met a pair of bewildered ones.
The girl was fair-skinned, petite, and cute, wearing a pink dress and slippers that also had bunny ears.
Shi Ning recognized her instantly. This was the novel’s protagonist, Su Wanxing.
Su Wanxing was stunned. Shi Ning greeted her.
Su Tianxue hurried out, a little confused by this unexpected development. “Wanxing, why are you back?”
Didn’t she say she was going traveling for three months?
“I…” Su Wanxing looked at Shi Ning blankly. “Sister, who is she?”
Shi Ning stood up, walked over to the Su sisters, and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Shi Ning.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Shi Ning felt something was wrong.
She frowned, smelling an overwhelmingly rich strawberry scent.
She bit her lower lip and took a step back, putting distance between herself and Su Wanxing.
Her alpha instincts told her that the omega in front of her was in heat. Although she had been temporarily marked, she could still affect other alphas.
Shi Ning forced herself to calm down and tugged on Su Tianxue’s sleeve.
Su Tianxue immediately understood Shi Ning’s situation. She didn’t have time to deal with Su Wanxing. After a quick word with her sister, she pulled Shi Ning into the bedroom and, with a click, locked the door.
Su Wanxing stood outside the door, utterly confused. Why was Shi Ning in her house?
And why was she with her sister?
According to the plot, wasn’t this woman supposed to be in love with her, Su Wanxing? To be infatuated with her, go crazy for her, and bang her head against a wall for her? How did she end up with her sister?! Aren’t they both… alphas!
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