CHAPTER 26

The photos and videos of those foods were uploaded to the StarNet not long ago, and Ye Chengxing received many messages from people who wanted to pre-order. If it weren't for the fact that she made much more food this time compared to the last time, plus the limited number of pre-order slots, she probably wouldn't need to take them to the store and they would be sold out through pre-orders.

She took pre-orders for a batch, and the remaining food was quickly sold out as well.

However, despite the fast-selling speed of the food, due to her cautious nature, Ye Chengxing took a bit of time on her way back, driving carefully. Especially in this world where the culinary industry was rather barren, the food she sold was, to be honest, quite extravagant. It couldn't be described as just being extravagant, to give an appropriate example, her food was like using a smartphone while others were still using letter-writing.

Therefore, although the sales were booming and the money was rolling in, Ye Chengxing became even more cautious. Sometimes, being too flashy and eye-catching wasn't a good thing. Who knows, maybe someone was observing her in the shadows. So, as time went by, when Ye Chengxing returned home, it wasn't considered early anymore.

Ye Chengxing glanced at the time. At this hour, the tutoring session should have ended. The car hadn't reached the villa yet, but it wasn't far away. She looked up and it was already within her field of view, but there was no light. It appeared as a dark patch from afar, without a single hint of light.

Especially when she got closer, the entire villa was pitch-black and silent.

Ye Chengxing furrowed her brows.

Something seemed off.

...Could Li Jia have gone out?

But as soon as Ye Chengxing thought of this possibility, she dismissed it. It was unlikely at this time.

So, did she take a rest? But Li Jia didn't seem to sleep at this time... but then again, there was no certainty in these matters.

With these thoughts in mind, Ye Chengxing's actions of opening the door became much lighter. She even spoke softly when communicating with Xiaobai, and she adjusted Xiaobai's volume to be lower. When she took off her coat, she did it with great care, almost without making any noise.

After roughly tidying up, Ye Chengxing was about to go upstairs to see if Li Jia was resting when suddenly an Omega's voice came from beside her.

It was somewhat gentle and caught her off guard.

Although Ye Chengxing had a good mental composure, she was still startled for a moment. But then she realized that the one making the sound was Li Jia, so she couldn't help but smile and speak, "I thought you were sleeping. I was going upstairs to check, but it turns out you're not asleep. But why is it so dark? It's too dark."

After saying that, she didn't wait for Li Jia's reply and prepared to turn on the light. "By the way, have you had dinner?"

However, as her hand reached out, the light didn't turn on. Another Omega's hand directly held her hand and pressed it against the wall.

In the darkness, she felt a warm and gentle breath sprinkling on her neck, almost scorching.

Her body was pressed against the wall, giving Ye Chengxing an inexplicable feeling of being restrained.

She instinctively tried to move, but she felt the Omega's strength increase. This slight movement seemed to make Li Jia misunderstand it as struggling or an attempt to escape, so Li Jia tightly held her hand.

"I saw that the store was closed, and Sister didn't send any messages or come home. I thought you wouldn't be coming back tonight, so I didn't turn on the lights..." After a long pause, Li Jia's soft voice came in the pitch-black darkness.

Although thoughts surged in Ye Chengxing's mind, she couldn't discern any emotions from the Omega's voice.

There were still many unspoken words, but they were all swallowed back.

In fact, it wasn't her concern whether Ye Chengxing came back or not. What reason did she have to care about where the other person went or whether they would come back home at night? She had no reason at all.

Perhaps this home was just a place of rest for Ye Chengxing.

But for her, what kind of home would it be without Ye Chengxing? It was the same for dinner. She would be eating alone, sitting at the dining table by herself. Without Ye Chengxing's presence, it seemed like it didn't matter whether she ate or not.

Wherever she was absent, turning on the lights and illuminating the room would only make it more unbearable, more empty, and more unsettling.

Initially, Ye Chengxing found it somewhat strange to be pressed against the wall like this. Especially being held like this as soon as she came back, it seemed as if she had done something wrong. But hearing Li Jia's words, it was clear that Li Jia was just worried about her. Ye Chengxing's heart eased slightly. After all, she would usually send a message to the other person no matter what she was doing. Today was just too busy and chaotic, and when she came back, she had to remove her disguise and take various detours, so she didn't have the chance to send a message. Li Jia must be very concerned, right?

In those few seconds of contemplation, Ye Chengxing didn't respond.

In the darkness, Li Jia's voice sounded again, "So... where did Sister actually go?"

As she spoke, the Omega discreetly sniffed her neck.

Perhaps what could still calm her down now was that there was no scent of anyone else's pheromones on Ye Chengxing's body.

Although she knew that the Alpha in front of her was not the same as the Ye Chengxing from her past life, she still found it difficult to control her anxious speculations and thoughts.

Ye Chengxing finally snapped back to reality upon hearing those words.

The Omega's breath continued to warm her ear.

The surroundings were too dark, making her feel somewhat uneasy. However, Ye Chengxing blinked her eyes and tried to focus on Li Jia, who appeared blurry in the dim light. She started by sincerely apologizing and, after apologizing, continued speaking with a tone filled with remorse: "I'm fine, and I didn't go anywhere. I was just worried about being discovered on my way back, so I took a detour. From now on, I'll tell you everything I do... But you don't have to wait for me to have dinner. Your health is the most important, so make sure to eat on time."

As her words fell, Li Jia didn't respond immediately. Instead, she asked again, "Eating on time? Will Sister come back on time?"

Ye Chengxing was momentarily stunned but quickly connected it to the previous incidents when her original self didn't come home at night. She realized what Li Jia was implying and nodded hastily, "Unless something unexpected happens, of course, I'll come home on time."

As Ye Chengxing spoke, she felt that her assurance sounded a bit strange. However, as soon as Li Jia turned on the lights after hearing her explanation, she didn't find it strange anymore, facing the Omega's upturned eyes. As long as everything was clarified, it didn't matter.

The strange feeling from before in the darkness was hard to describe, even giving her a sense of danger and hostility.

But now that the lights were on and the room regained its brightness, the sense of danger on the Omega disappeared without a trace.

Li Jia smelled the soft fragrance emanating from Ye Chengxing's body and looked up, locking eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly, her tone lowered with a hint of apology, and she still hadn't let go of Ye Chengxing, although her actions were less obvious than before in the darkness. It had transformed into a harmless sense of intimacy. "I'm sorry, Sister. I didn't mean to interfere with your private life. It's just that I couldn't control my thoughts when I remembered some things from before..."

Ye Chengxing had just thought of this and quickly shook her head. "I forgot to tell you, and besides, you were worried about me. There's nothing wrong with that."

The strange feeling from the darkness completely dissipated, and Ye Chengxing felt that she must have misjudged.

Li Jia still appeared as gentle and obedient as before.

Most likely, the feeling was a result of being in the dark, causing her senses to be distorted.

Ye Chengxing didn't dwell on what happened in the darkness. Although Li Jia's actions always made her feel subtly off, she knew it was probably due to concern.

She had Xiaobai bring out the dinner and sat Li Jia down at the dining table, smiling as she spoke, "Alright, let's have dinner first."

The dinner had been stored in the smart storage room earlier, and it was still steaming hot when brought out.

Ye Chengxing picked up a custard bun and handed it to Li Jia. "By the way, how do you find the taste of the food I make? Is there anything that doesn't suit your palate? If there is, let me know, and I'll make adjustments."

Upon hearing Ye Chengxing's question, Li Jia paused with her chopsticks and looked up, meeting her gaze. "The food Sister makes is always delicious."

Although Ye Chengxing knew that Li Jia's response would likely be in this direction, being affirmed so sincerely still made her a little embarrassed.

She coughed slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy. "It's not that good... But if there's anything you want me to cook, just let me know." Considering the culinary level of this world, she should be able to fulfill any requests Li Jia made. With that in mind, Ye Chengxing's tone became more certain.

Upon hearing Ye Chengxing's words, Li Jia's gaze slightly intensified.

...She can ask Ye Chengxing to do anything?

Because of what Ye Chengxing said, Li Jia paused briefly, then quickly understood that Ye Chengxing was just talking about food. It meant that she could cook whatever Li Jia wanted to eat, not just what she had imagined.

Realizing this, Li Jia lowered her eyes, hiding the subtle meaning in them and smiled in response, saying, "Okay, I'll let you know if I have any ideas."

Her pause wasn't too long, and the transition was handled naturally, so no one would sense that something was off or that her hidden desires were almost revealed.

Ye Chengxing smiled and thought about the day's sales at the food shop, happily sharing the news with Li Jia.

There was nothing she needed to hide from Li Jia.

In fact, she felt completely unfamiliar in this world and lacked a sense of belonging. Many nights, she would toss and turn, but Li Jia was the only person she felt close to in this world. She was the only one... she could trust and was willing to trust.

She could speak to Li Jia without any worries about the things she didn't know, and the thoughts she couldn't share with anyone else.

Li Jia listened attentively, taking her words seriously. "Sister, you're amazing."

Ye Chengxing had almost gotten used to Li Jia's positive and affirming responses after saying something, but being listened to and affirmed so seriously not only made her happy but also warm inside.

She curved her lips.

However, sharing this wasn't just about spreading joy. The main point was something else.

She wanted to prove to Li Jia that she could rely on her, that she was a trustworthy presence. She would strive to make their life better and better.

"So, Xiaoli, from now on, don't be afraid. Whatever happens, we'll face it together, rather than you facing it alone."

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