CHAPTER 24

Ye Chengxing couldn't help but think that the early-stage villainess was really like a little white rabbit.

Strange and pitiful, yet strangely adorable.

After thinking this way, she felt even more pity in her heart.

Originally, she thought that the actions between them and Li Jia today were a bit inappropriate, but seeing Li Jia's reaction made her feel that it was not a big deal.

Li Jia probably just saw her as an older sister, which was why she was so close to her. Now Ye Chengxing could truly feel that Omega's body was not as guarded and tense as before when facing her.

This was a good thing, symbolizing that their relationship was getting better and better.

So Ye Chengxing smiled, allowing Li Jia to cuddle into her embrace. She also reached out and gently rubbed Omega's hair. At the same time, she silently vowed in her heart that she would be a good sister and take good care of Li Jia, who was still so innocent and adorable.

Li Jia was still holding onto her, but because of the overflowing pity in Ye Chengxing's heart, she indulged her completely and let Li Jia embrace her.

Li Jia rested her head beside Ye Chengxing's chest and wrapped her hands around the Alpha's waist.

Her posture was so innocent and gentle that it melted Ye Chengxing's heart. She completely ignored the strength in Li Jia's embrace around her waist, not paying much attention to it.

But even if she had noticed, she wouldn't have felt that anything was wrong. After all, the Omega was so endearing that even if she held too tightly, it was only because she was feeling insecure. What bad intentions could she have?

This embrace was a little longer than before.

Li Jia felt satisfied as she embraced Ye Chengxing, holding her a little tighter and quietly burying her face in the Alpha's neck, feeling the pheromones emanating from her.

Even though she had already gotten closer and had more intimate contact compared to before, she should be satisfied, but... now she felt even more difficult to control herself. There was a faint blush at the corners of her eyes.

Their breaths intertwined in the air, and the lingering aroma of oolong tea surrounding her seemed to envelop her completely.

She smelled so good, so fragrant. Their skins were only separated by a thin towel. With a slight turn of her eyes, she could meet Ye Chengxing's gaze, which held nothing but gentleness for her.

Unfortunately, despite embracing each other for a long time, she knew very well that the scent of Ye Chengxing clinging to her would dissipate quickly, just like before. But... what if it was pheromones? If it was pheromones, would they linger a bit longer?

Li Jia was tormented by her own thoughts.

If it was pheromones, that would be great. If it was pheromones, they would definitely last a long time, filling her with her scent, even when sleeping, surrounded by her pheromones.

Li Jia's breath hitched, her thoughts making her breath grow hot.

It's really... just thinking about it makes one unable to suppress the excitement.

Her body even trembled slightly with excitement.

Ye Chengxing gently stroked her hair, providing her with the most soothing comfort without realizing anything.

They were so close to each other.

She really wanted to...

In the bathtub earlier, it wasn't apparent since there was still water covering them, so no one could tell. But now, without that cover, certain things became more evident.

When Ye Chengxing lowered her gaze, she noticed a few crystal-like droplets falling, like morning dew, onto the floor beneath the Omega's feet, leaving transparent traces of water.

Seeing this, Ye Chengxing couldn't help but feel puzzled. Could it be that she didn't dry her properly just now? But she should have, right?

Unable to figure it out, Ye Chengxing directly asked, "Li Jia, did I not dry you properly just now? There's so much water dripping down..."

Hearing her voice, Li Jia's heart was filled with wild thoughts, but her expression remained unchanged. She still had that innocent and sweet look on her face as she said, "Yes, sister, there's too much water. What should we do about the wet floor?"

Their bodies were still pressed tightly together. Li Jia lifted herself slightly from Ye Chengxing's embrace, and the scent of the Alpha's pheromones remained faint in her nose. She couldn't help but softly murmur, "What should we do, my sister..."

Hearing Li Jia's words, Ye Chengxing thought that her own words had made Li Jia nervous, thinking that she was being blamed. She quickly reassured her, "It's alright, it's alright. The bathroom floor was already wet to begin with. I was just worried that you might catch a cold if you're not dried properly."

After saying that, she tightened the towel around Li Jia's body.

Li Jia listened to Ye Chengxing's words, and the corners of her upturned eyes twitched slightly.

Compared to the Ye Chengxing of her previous life, the one in front of her was so sincere, dull, and innocent, making her unable to resist wanting to see other reactions from her.

But Ye Chengxing seemed to genuinely treat her as a younger sister, without any ambiguous intentions. 

The physical reactions in her body became increasingly unbearable, but Li Jia's expression remained unchanged. She held Ye Chengxing tightly and greedily sniffed her scent, saying, "It's okay, I'll take care of it myself later... Bur speaking of which, Sister, you must have things to do in the afternoon, right?"

Ye Chengxing hadn't been aware of passage of time, but upon hearing Li Jia's words, she suddenly realized that a considerable amount of time had already passed. Their washing process had indeed taken longer than usual.

Due to the overwhelming demand for her culinary creations in the morning, she had planned to prepare more for a second round of sales in the evening, but time didn't seem to be pressing at the moment.

Ye Chengxing shook her head and replied, "No rush. Let me dry you first, and then I'll check if your wound got wet."

Even though she had been the one doing the washing the entire time, it couldn't guarantee that Li Jia didn't get wet at all. After all, the bathroom was a wet and watery place. Li Jia's palm wound had already worsened once before and couldn't afford a second time.

The Omega was still nestled in her embrace, and Ye Chengxing took the opportunity to grab a towel and intended to help Li Jia dry herself further.

The water from earlier must have dripped down along her legs, and Ye Chengxing guessed that she might not have dried them completely, especially around the thighs.

Despite having already said many embarrassing words just now, Ye Chengxing still felt a bit embarrassed when she spoke again, her voice low, "Li Jia, I might need you to open your legs a bit more."

The Omega obediently opened her legs wider, and Ye Chengxing folded the towel into a smaller size, gently wiping the skin near Li Jia's thighs.

The texture of the towel was slightly rougher, and as it passed over her skin, Ye Chengxing seemed to be checking if it was dry, using her fingertips to lightly stroke over the area. This gentle touch on Li Jia's tender thighs caused a shiver to run through her.

Unaware of the effect her touch was having, Li Jia involuntarily tightened her grip on Ye Chengxing's neck, squeezing and releasing, leaving a few faint wrinkles on the towel draped around her.

"Alright, now you're really dry." Ye Chengxing smiled and let go of Li Jia, placing the towel in a self-cleaning device nearby.

During this moment when she turned to tidy up, she didn't notice that the area of Li Jia's legs she had wiped didn't become dry but instead became even moist.

.......

After coming out of the bathroom, Ye Chengxing checked Li Jia's palm wound again.

The carefulness in the bathroom had paid off, as not a drop of water had touched the wound in the palm of Li Jia's hand.

Ye Chengxing gave a few more instructions and noticed that Li Jia had already taken out the clothes she was going to change into. Understanding her intentions, Ye Chengxing considerately left Li Jia's room.

Although it wouldn't have been excessive to take a bath together earlier, there were certain circumstances that led to it. Now that Li Jia was going to change clothes, it would be better for her to leave for a while.

However, just as Ye Chengxing was about to get up, she heard Li Jia's voice, "Sister, can I ask you to help me wash my hair and freshen up these next couple of days? Yesterday, when I did it myself, the wound worsened..."

Ye Chengxing's expression froze upon hearing her words.

She suddenly remembered that she had only learned about Li Jia's worsening wound caused by her own actions but had unreasonably concluded that Omega was self-harming without asking for the reason.

Now, hearing it like this, which part of freshening up doesn't require the use of hands?

She must have misunderstood Li Jia.

Li Jia felt embarrassed to ask for her help, and after jumping to that conclusion and even spanking her, scolding her so seriously...

"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you earlier," Ye Chengxing pursed her lips, stopping her motion to leave and feeling even more apologetic. "You can always rely on me for these things, it won't be a bother at all. You've never been a burden."

Upon hearing her apology, Li Jia didn't turn around to accuse her of being too hasty or show any signs of grievance. Instead, she wore a mature smile, her beautiful eyes curved like the moon in the sky. "Sister, you don't have to apologize to me. It's okay, I know you're doing it for my own good. You're just taking care of me, and I couldn't be happier."

Listening to Li Jia's words, Ye Chengxing felt overwhelmed with guilt.

She couldn't help but once again marvel at how the villainess could be such an ultimate little angel. Even though she was the one who misunderstood, Li Jia didn't blame her at all. Instead, she understood that Ye Chengxing was just concerned about her.

How wonderful and kind-hearted she was, how heartwarming it was.

With these thoughts in mind, the guilt and tenderness in Ye Chengxing's heart surged like waves, completely engulfing her. "Li Jia, you don't have to be so polite with me. You're still a patient, and I've allowed you to call me 'sister.' Taking care of you is something I should do, so there's really no need to be polite."

Li Jia raised her eyes to meet Ye Chengxing's gaze, her amber pupils glistening like water. "Is that really true, sister?"

Ye Chengxing nodded, her voice becoming even softer. "Of course it's true."

"Sister, you're really kind," hearing her say this, Li Jia lowered her gaze, and Ye Chengxing noticed a hint of moisture at the corners of Omega's eyes. "No one has ever been so good to me... I can't imagine a life without this ray of sunshine."

How could she keep this wonderful person by her side for a long time?

She had to be more cautious and restrained, she couldn't let herself lose control like she did in the bathroom today. If she were to be discovered... Ye Chengxing would definitely be scared and start to hate her.

After all, she was just taking care of her like a sister, while Li Jia had already developed different feelings for her, even just because of the ordinary touch that came from her.

Li Jia looked into Ye Chengxing's eyes.

She was so gentle, so kind, her body was soft, and her embrace was warm, even her hair carried a faint fragrance.

It was as if she shouldn't exist in Li Jia's life, as if she was someone who shouldn't have any connection with her.

But now, this person was smiling at her, telling her gently that all of this was true.

She couldn't help but doubt, even for a moment, how could there be someone like Ye Chengxing in this world? She couldn't help but recall the words she had said, "I came for you."

Everyone else in this world remained the same as in the previous life, but the Ye Chengxing in front of her was different, unique among them all.

Li Jia no longer wanted to ponder where she came from or why she came. Right now, she only wanted to think about how to stay by her side or how to keep her by her side for a long time.

In her heart, Li Jia thought about it and smiled innocently, speaking in a well-behaved manner, "I understand. Sister, go and attend to your work. I'll find you later in the evening. It's not good for me to keep occupying your time like this."

The more she said this, the more Ye Chengxing felt heartache and pity. "It's alright, you can call me anytime if you need anything. But first, change your clothes so you don't catch a cold."

After saying this, Ye Chengxing gave a few more reminders before leaving Li Jia's room.

Li Jia had suffered too much damage, and it couldn't be healed completely in one go. At the moment, she was just doing what a person with basic empathy would do, and yet she was so grateful and moved by it...

Her life had been so bitter, but even after experiencing so much hardship, when someone treated her kindly, she didn't become extreme. Instead, she would still think of expressing gratitude.

Ye Chengxing sighed and remembered the conversation they had in Jiang Lulu's office before.

The contract signed between Li Jia and Star Flash Entertainment was technically not in accordance with legal requirements, but the person who signed the contract with her was Lin Que—

Someone who had numerous financial and influential backers and could already disregard the law.

As long as those people wanted to protect Lin Que, this contract could become insignificant.

That's why she currently didn't plan to alert Lin Que. The other party hadn't noticed her actions yet, so they were completely unguarded. If they became aware, it wouldn't be as easy anymore. She needed to gather more evidence and understand who was behind them.

The current situation was like calm waters hiding a deep whirlpool. The deeper she went, the more darkness she would encounter.

The image she was creating in front of those friends was that of someone who temporarily focused on her lover. After all, those people would never believe that she could truly change for the better. But this also worked to her advantage. If those friends thought that way, Lin Que would also think that way, and her situation would be much safer.

As for the Ye family, they were like a ticking time bomb. Being a powerful and influential family, it was strange for them to leave their mentally ill daughter alone in a villa. If they truly cared for and doted on her, it wouldn't be like this. They were probably carefully sheltering her, afraid of any mishaps. Therefore, Ye Chengxing had very little trust in the Ye family.

This is also why Ye Chengxing wanted to open a food shop. In her original life, she had no freedom in the Ye family. Everything was controlled by the Ye family, which made her very uneasy.

But when she thought about the food shop, Ye Chengxing couldn't help but think about the food she would prepare for the evening.

The variety of dishes she could make wasn't extensive, but it was enough for this world. Tea eggs and braised chicken with rice were selling well for lunch, but she didn't plan to sell them again tonight. Instead, she wanted to prepare some other dishes.

The reputation of Risheng food shop was still not high enough at the moment, only creating a small ripple on the Star Network. However, she had no intention of being modest or low-key. The fact that she could cook delicious food in this world was already high-profile enough. If she wanted to be modest, she wouldn't have opened a food shop in the first place. Since she did, she wanted to make a big name for herself.

With this in mind, Ye Chengxing decided to make some sweet soups, custard buns, and shrimp dumplings for the evening.

After making this decision, she began to prepare.

She had bought a lot of ingredients before, and although she had spent a lot of money, it allowed her to make whatever she wanted without worrying about running out of ingredients.

Being the purebred second-generation rich girl in the original setting actually had its advantages. She was now free to do whatever she wanted without any forced plot lines or obligations. This gave her plenty of time and freedom.

Ye Chengxing took out the ingredients for making sweet soups from the smart storage room. When she opened it, she noticed the ingredients she had bought earlier to make amber crystal candy for Li Jia. However, because she was in a rush, she had temporarily forgotten about them after storing them in the smart storage room.

Now that she saw them, she took out those ingredients along with the ones for making the amber candy. She planned to make the candy first and then send it to Li Jia once it was done.

If Li Jia liked sweet things, she probably wouldn't dislike sugar cubes.

With this thought in mind, Ye Chengxing focused on making the candy.

Making amber crystal candy wasn't difficult for her. When she was studying abroad, she had immersed herself in learning everything edible. She had become so engrossed in it that she even enjoyed the process of making food. As a result, she later took cooking classes specifically to learn more, thinking it wouldn't hurt to have more knowledge. You never know when it might come in handy.

Speaking of which, one thing Ye Chengxing liked about this ABO world was that the technology here was truly advanced. Just talking about some of the utensils in the kitchen, many things that would take a long time to make in her previous world could be done quickly with the help of these tools.

For example, the amber crystal candy she was currently making. In her world before transmigration, it would need to be left in a cool place to rest for two to three days after being made. But in this world, she could accelerate the process, thanks to the convenience of the tools.

As for the process of softening the agar strips in water and then boiling them until completely melted, it was completed quickly with the acceleration function.

It wasn't the first time Ye Chengxing used the acceleration function, but every time she couldn't help but marvel at how convenient it was. It not only improved efficiency but also prevented her from getting too tired to some extent. After all, making things could be exhausting at times, especially when constantly adjusting and cooking various ingredients. However, in this world, she could completely avoid that.

After silently appreciating the wonders of advanced technology once again, Ye Chengxing took out a sift and carefully strained the agar water. Then she poured it into the sugar and started to simmer it slowly.

For some reason, whenever Li Jia was involved, she wanted to do everything to the best and make it perfect.

But at this point, Ye Chengxing suddenly became worried.

She didn't seem to know what colors Li Jia liked.

Ye Chengxing looked at the syrup, which was almost ready but lacked the color. She pondered for a moment.

Since she didn't know what color to make, why not create a rainbow gradient? She could make it with multiple colors, transitioning row by row.

With this idea in mind, the next steps became easier, especially with the acceleration function. In no time, she had made beautiful, amber crystal candy.

The colors were all adjusted with pure fruit juice, although it was a bit troublesome, the taste would be sweeter.

The color was a low-saturation cream gradient. At a glance, it looked beautiful and appetizing.

Ye Chengxing was very satisfied. She was about to pick it up and bring it to Li Jia when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw that it was Li Jia.

The Omega had changed her clothes. There was a hint of pale pink around her eyes. Whether it was Ye Chengxing's illusion or not, she vaguely felt that the peachy scent of Li Jia's pheromones was richer than usual.

It was as if... something had just happened.

But immediately, Ye Chengxing shook off that thought from her mind.

Besides the heat period, the only time Omega's pheromones would suddenly intensify was usually after physical comfort, and the most common cause was marking.

Li Jia was just fine upstairs, and there was no one else in the room except for herself. It was probably just her imagination that the pheromones seemed stronger.

This idea came and went quickly. Ye Chengxing brushed off her previous thoughts and looked at Li Jia with a smiling gaze. She said, "You came just in time. Taste this."

The plate of amber crystal candy was so eye-catching and beautifully colored that Li Jia couldn't possibly miss it.

Meeting Ye Chengxing's smiling eyes, Li Jia gently curved her lips and asked, "It's so pretty. Are you planning to sell them tonight?"

Ye Chengxing didn't hide the fact that she had opened a food shop from Li Jia. She even actively shared the news with her and sought her advice on the interior design style.

"No." Ye Chengxing shook her head upon hearing Li Jia's question.

Her hands were freshly cleaned, and she reached out her fingertips to pick up a piece of amber candy and fed it to the corner of Li Jia's lips.

Just as Li Jia was about to respond after hearing Ye Chengxing's "No," her mouth was unexpectedly filled with a piece of candy.

Her lips were brushed by the warm and soft fingertips, creating a tingling sensation.

After feeding Li Jia the piece of amber candy, Ye Chengxing faced the slightly bewildered eyes of the Omega. The smile in her eyes became more evident, like a gentle April breeze brushing lightly across her face. She said softly, "Savor it."

The sweet flavor of the amber candy bloomed in her mouth, and Li Jia gazed at Ye Chengxing, who was smiling, becoming even more mesmerized.

Seeing that Li Jia was still in a daze, Ye Chengxing couldn't help but laugh.

How could she be stunned after being fed a piece of candy?

She had to explain with a smile, "I'm not taking them out to sell."

At this point, Ye Chengxing felt that her implication wasn't clear enough, so she added again in a tender voice.

The Alpha's voice was so gentle, yet it instantly made Li Jia's heart beat chaotically, thumping irregularly—

"These were all made specifically for you."

"They... are only for you, Xiaoli."

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