CHAPTER 52

Ye Chengxing looked at the message sent by Li Jia, her fingertip pausing for a moment.

She typed a line of text but felt it wasn't quite appropriate after typing it, so she deleted it.

In the end, only one sentence remained after all the deletions: [Of course, you can come.]

After sending this message, Ye Chengxing typed another line and sent it: [I'll come to pick you up this Sunday.]

Two seconds later, Li Jia replied with a cat nodding emoji: [Okay, that's settled then.]

.......

Time flew by quickly when she was busy, and in the blink of an eye, a few days had passed, reaching Sunday.

After receiving the message from Li Jia, Ye Chengxing immediately drove over.

When she arrived, Li Jia was already waiting by the roadside. Ye Chengxing could see the Omega's figure from afar, but Li Jia seemed to be holding some beautifully packaged gift bags.

Ye Chengxing parked her car next to Li Jia without honking the horn. She directly opened the door on Li Jia's side.

Noticing the gift bags in Li Jia's hand, Ye Chengxing asked, "What's this...?"

Li Jia lightly shook her hand and squinted her eyes, saying, "These are gifts for them. It's our first meeting, so I prepared a little something."

Ye Chengxing blinked.

So, she even prepared gifts.

Ye Chengxing agreed and reached out to take the bags from Li Jia to put them in the backseat. However, just as she raised her hand, Li Jia avoided her action. The Omega's words carried a hint of a smile, but the rejection was quite thorough. "It's alright, Sister. I'm not incapable of carrying something as light as this."

Ye Chengxing's hand paused in mid-air for two seconds before retracting.

Strange... Why did it feel like Li Jia was avoiding her?

There was also a sense of indescribable distance in the atmosphere, but it couldn't be described as cold. However, seeing Li Jia getting into the car, Ye Chengxing had no choice but to temporarily set aside her thoughts and return to the other side to sit back in the car.

"It ended quite early today." The weather had started to cool down recently. Ye Chengxing handed the hot milk tea she made before coming to Li Jia.

After multiple experiments and ingredient substitutions, she successfully made sugar-free milk tea that didn't compromise on taste and texture, so it wouldn't be too burdensome to drink.

Li Jia took the cup of milk tea, feeling its warmth. Her slightly chilly hands instantly felt much more comfortable.

She held the milk tea and explained, "Actually, it wasn't supposed to end this early. We were supposed to have a scene together today, but the actor I had a scene with had some issues with the director a few days ago, and they had a falling out. The director decided to replace them, but they haven't found a suitable replacement yet, so it was put on hold for now."

After saying this, Li Jia inserted a straw and took a sip of the milk tea. The taste of the milk tea was to her liking, and her whole being seemed to warm up along with it.

Li Jia blinked her eyes and subconsciously had something to say, but she held it back just as she was about to speak, turning it into a polite compliment instead. "The milk tea is delicious and warm."

Ye Chengxing responded with a nod and discreetly glanced at Li Jia through the rearview mirror, but this time, she didn't meet the Omega's gaze.

After Li Jia finished her sentence, she quietly held the milk tea and occasionally glanced at her phone.

...Who is she chatting with?

Well, it's impolite to stare at someone's phone, so Ye Chengxing focused on driving instead.

The place where Ye Chengxing arranged for them to stay wasn't on a bustling street with a lot of people. After all, sometimes it's not very convenient when there are too many people, and it could be a bit troublesome considering Xi Yue and the others' situation.

When they arrived at the location, Ye Chengxing stopped the car and looked at Li Jia, gesturing, "We're here, let's get out."

Before coming, Ye Chengxing had already informed Xi Yue and the others that she would be bringing her sister, but when they saw that the sister was Li Jia, they made some unexpected sounds.

Especially after Li Jia handed each of them the prepared gifts.

Fu Tao, when expressing her thanks, was so nervous that she almost stuttered, and Wen Zhiyu's face turned red as she awkwardly accepted the gift bag. "Thank you."

After expressing her gratitude, Xi Yue rubbed her sister's hair and said, "Xiaoran, remember to say thank you to your sister."

Xiaoran looked at Li Jia, blinked her eyes, and after saying "thank you," she whispered, "Sister, you're so pretty."

After saying that, she shyly hid behind Xi Yue, secretly looking at Li Jia.

As Xiaoran's words fell, Li Jia gently curved her eyes and smiled.

Seeing her smile, Fu Tao suddenly exaggeratedly realized something in her heart, causing Wen Zhiyu to quickly support her and mutter, "Oh my god, I must have seen a fairy. She's so beautiful."

While still feeling amazed, Fu Tao suddenly bounced up and landed right next to Ye Chengxing. "Boss! Why didn't you bring your sister earlier to introduce her to us? Ahhh, I'm really going to be overwhelmed by her beauty! Even though I like an Alpha, for a moment, I thought B.O. [Beta-Omega] love wouldn't be bad either..."

Ye Chengxing knew that Fu Tao often spoke without thinking and tended to blabber, but it was limited to her words. Upon hearing this, she immediately extended a finger and pushed away Fu Tao, who had bounced over, expressing her disgust. "What B.O. love? You're just a beauty-chaser. Just a few days ago, you were talking about wanting B.B. [Beta-Beta] love."

Noticing the interaction between Ye Chengxing and Fu Tao, Li Jia's gaze followed, her lips still carrying a smile, but her eyes darkened.

Seeing Fu Tao like this, Xi Yue, who was originally laughing and wanted to make a joke, also stopped her words when she raised her eyes and noticed Li Jia's gaze.

In that instant, her body almost immediately generated an inexplicable intuition of warning.

Xi Yue had avoided many dangers in the past relying on this kind of intuition.

... What's going on?

Before she could think about it, Li Jia seemed to sense her gaze and turned her attention towards Xi Yue's direction.

In that split second of eye contact, Xi Yue felt a sudden stiffness throughout her body, and even her hair stood on end.

She parted her lips and then heard Ye Chengxing say something, followed by the Omega in front of her immediately curving her eyes and smiling in response.

Although that feeling had already dissipated, the initial intuition wouldn't be wrong.

Xi Yue's gaze shifted between Ye Chengxing and Li Jia several times, and suddenly, she felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.

Ye Chengxing often came over here to teach them how to cook.

Previously, Ye Chengxing had mentioned the existence of her sister, Li Jia, in front of them. Every time she mentioned her, her tone was very gentle. Although she hadn't mentioned Li Jia's name to them, Xi Yue remembered the adjectives Ye Chengxing used to describe her.

Various adjectives flashed through her mind at this moment, but none of them matched the Omega in front of her.

Although she didn't know why the other person would pretend to be this way, Xi Yue understood what kind of gaze Li Jia had cast upon her. It was like a gaze filled with desire and determination, willing to do anything to obtain it given the chance.

...It's like she's raised a wolf by her side, thinking it's an innocent lamb.

Perhaps that's why Ye Chengxing would think this person is harmless.

No, wait a minute.

As Xi Yue thought this, her gaze numbly swept over the other people present.

Except for her, the rest of them didn't sense anything at all. They were all talking to Li Jia, their faces flushed, almost dizzy.

Xi Yue: "..."

If only she hadn't noticed, then it would be fine. If she didn't know anything, she could join them now. But unfortunately, she noticed.

And not only did she notice, but the other person also realized that she had already noticed.

So, why was she so sensitive?

Painful mask.jpg

.......

Originally, today was supposed to be like usual, teaching Xi Yue and the others how to cook.

But seeing everyone so excited, Ye Chengxing thought it would be okay to chat for a while before starting. After all, they usually worked hard, so it could be considered a combination of work and rest.

In the end, even Li Jia's contact information was pried out by Fu Tao.

Seeing Li Jia becoming somewhat embarrassed, Ye Chengxing couldn't help but pull Fu Tao aside. "You're being overly enthusiastic, don't scare my sister."

Xi Yue, who was drinking water on the side, almost sprayed it out when she heard what Ye Chengxing said. Fortunately, she managed to hold back and not spit out the water directly, but she ended up choking on it, coughing violently.

Her reaction was quite noticeable.

Ye Chengxing looked at her upon hearing the cough.

She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt that Xi Yue was acting strange today. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but it was different from her usual behavior.

Seeing Xi Yue coughing so severely, Ye Chengxing instinctively took another bottle of water and handed it to her. "Are you okay?"

Xi Yue, who was still coughing, waved her hand and gestured that she needed to step out for a moment while coughing.

Ye Chengxing found it even more strange. "What's wrong with her?"

The few people who were often with Xi Yue couldn't quite figure it out either. Li Jia smiled and said, "Maybe she wants to wait until she recovers before coming back."

Ye Chengxing didn't think too much about it and waited until Xi Yue returned after a while.

Seeing Xi Yue coming back, Ye Chengxing glanced at the time and realized it was about time to start. She called them into the kitchen to get busy with the actual cooking.

After deciding on the dishes, Ye Chengxing looked at Li Jia. Before she could speak, Li Jia said, "Sister, can I come in with you?"

Ye Chengxing was initially planning to ask if Li Jia wanted to come in and watch. She smiled when she heard Li Jia's words. "Of course you can, and I actually wanted to ask you as well."

She never had the intention to hide anything from Li Jia, just like when they first opened the restaurant. She never thought of keeping anything from her.

Li Jia also smiled and didn't move. Her gaze suddenly fell on Ye Chengxing's neck as she asked, "Sister, why do you not wear the necklace outside anymore?"

"Oh, about that," Ye Chengxing tapped the butterfly pendant through her clothes, "although this spot might not get splashed, it feels more reassuring to keep it close to me."

Li Jia softly murmured an "ah" in response. "I thought Sister thought it was troublesome, so you put it inside. It's good that it's not the case."

"How could that be," Ye Chengxing carefully hooked the necklace out with her fingertips, took a look, and put it back in place, "this is such an important item, and I will always cherish it."

After saying that, Ye Chengxing looked at Li Jia. "Most importantly, it's a gift from Xiaoli, so I will treasure it dearly."

After Ye Chengxing finished speaking, her gaze didn't move away from Li Jia's face. Although she was the one observing, she also felt nervous.

There was no significant change in Li Jia's expression as an embarrassed Omega nodded. "I'm already deeply moved that Sister is willing to wear this necklace."

Ye Chengxing listened to Li Jia's words and made a thoughtful sound.

That faint sense of distance, which she had felt before, reappeared.

It didn't reach the point of being cold, but it could even be described as a literal closeness.

But during this period of time, their interactions were much closer than they are now. Just a few days ago, it didn't feel like this at all. It was more like the time when they were just getting to know each other.

Could it be that filming has been too busy and exhausting these past few days?

Her thoughts became muddled and reflected in her expression, which appeared somewhat dazed.

After responding, Li Jia didn't speak further. Seeing that Ye Chengxing hadn't moved, she slightly shifted her gaze and hesitantly asked, "Sister, aren't you going into the kitchen? Or is there something else...?"

Ye Chengxing snapped out of her daze upon hearing Li Jia's words. "I spaced out for a moment. Let's go in now."

"That's good." Li Jia replied lightly with a smile, still carrying an air of cheerfulness.

At first glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong, but...

Ye Chengxing concealed her jumbled thoughts and decided to go into the kitchen with Li Jia first. Xi Yue and the others were probably almost done cooking.

She should check the dishes they made, offer some suggestions, and listen to any issues they encountered during the cooking process.

But even though she thought rationally, her emotions couldn't help but circle back to the situation outside the kitchen just now.

Why did Li Jia suddenly ask her about the necklace? Was it just to avoid an awkward silence and find a topic to talk about?

Ye Chengxing glanced at Li Jia's figure, tangled for a moment, then withdrew her gaze. She fished out the butterfly necklace from her clothes and placed it outside.

.......

After teaching Xi Yue and the others to cook as usual, the sky had darkened. Today, they chatted a bit longer before starting, so they were leaving later than usual.

The one who seemed reluctant to leave this time was Li Jia.

After Li Jia bid each of them goodbye with a smile, Fu Tao wiped the non-existent tears from her eyes.

She was the type of person who could have a lively time by herself, so she immediately put on a devastated expression and blinked at Li Jia, saying, "You're welcome to come and play with us again next time, little sister."

Ye Chengxing happened to drive the car from the parking spot to the front of the villa. She got out of the car and looked at Li Jia, then let out a long chuckle: "Are you capable of calling me 'little sister'?"

After saying that, without waiting for Fu Tao to respond, Ye Chengxing planned to open the passenger door. However, her hand froze for two seconds, hesitated, and then she nonchalantly and naturally smiled and added, "You're even younger than me."

Fu Tao couldn't help but exclaim, "Boss, why are you teasing me like this today?"

"Is that so?" Ye Chengxing opened the passenger door, helped the Omega fasten her seatbelt as soon as Li Jia sat inside, then smoothly closed the door. "My little sister and I are going home. Bye, see you tomorrow."

After Ye Chengxing finished speaking, she waved to them and then got into the driver's seat.

Li Jia lightly brushed her fingertips against the seatbelt she was wearing. "It feels so lively when I'm with them."

Just as they sat in the car, Ye Chengxing heard Li Jia say this.

Was she feeling sentimental?

So Ye Chengxing nodded and sighed, "They are indeed quite lively. It hasn't been easy for them to come this far with all the ups and downs."

The car started moving.

After hearing Ye Chengxing's words, Li Jia continued to absentmindedly rub her fingertips against the seatbelt.

During the previous explanation, Ye Chengxing told her how they encountered Xi Yue and the others.

Li Jia didn't see the scene herself, but based on Ye Chengxing's description, she could roughly imagine the situation: sobbing sounds, hushed conversations, a sense of helplessness mixed with resentment towards the cooks who bullied them, and someone getting injured without the means to afford medical treatment, leading to the idea of resorting to high-interest loans just to heal their hand.

One could easily sense that it was a very sad scene without even seeing it.

So...

In her mind, she recalled the Alpha's expression when she spoke about it, her gentle tone filled with warmth: "I just wanted to help if I could. After all, it's not something difficult for me to do, and it would be great if I could assist them."

So, it was normal for Ye Chengxing to help them.

Just like how she initially helped Li Jia.

Because she was inherently a good person.

She was so gentle and kind, completely different from Li Jia.

Just like now, she knew there was a reason why Ye Chengxing helped Xi Yue and the others, and they had their own factors that required assistance. Li Jia shouldn't have any other emotions about it.

But even though she knew, deep down in her heart, she wanted Ye Chengxing to only be good to her.

To only treat her well.

She was greedy and selfish. Being favored by Ye Chengxing wasn't enough for her. She didn't want to see Ye Chengxing smiling at them, and she certainly didn't want Ye Chengxing to be good to them. Those gentleness and kindness should only belong to her and make her feel slightly satisfied.

Unconsciously, the Omega gripped the seatbelt tightly with her fingertips.

Li Jia lowered her gaze.

...It's so annoying.

How can she make Ye Chengxing only see her in her eyes?

Can't she stop paying attention to those people?

Just like in the beginning, where her heart and eyes were filled only with her, worrying and feeling sad for her, caring and focusing on her for a long time.

After Ye Chengxing finished speaking and waited for a response from Li Jia, she remembered that today Li Jia had also been unusually distant and didn't hold her hand.

The Omega still smiled, but there was a subtle, indescribable feeling.

With these thoughts in mind, Ye Chengxing spoke again, "By the way, Xiaoli, is filming too tiring for you? Be sure to take care of yourself and get enough rest."

The Alpha's words still carried that familiar concern and worry. When Li Jia heard her voice, the gloomy expression in her eyes faded significantly.

For a moment, she wanted to force Ye Chengxing to only have her by her side and make Xi Yue and the others disappear.

But if she did that, Ye Chengxing would be in great pain, right?

She still remembered a few days ago when Ye Chengxing excitedly talked to her about her ideas for the food street, her eyes shining brightly.

It made Li Jia want to breathe as quietly as possible, as if afraid of disturbing something fragile and beautiful.

So, no, she couldn't do that.

She couldn't make Ye Chengxing suffer. Her most fundamental desire was actually for the other person to be happy and have a good life.

After Ye Chengxing asked again and didn't get a response from Li Jia, she glanced sideways in the gap between sentences. After seeing clearly, if they weren't on a busy road, she would have slammed on the brakes right there.

But even though she held the steering wheel steady, she urgently asked, "Xiaoli, are you feeling unwell? Your complexion looks really bad."

Li Jia raised her eyes and met her gaze in the rearview mirror. "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong."

Despite Li Jia's words, Ye Chengxing still felt uneasy. She changed the route on the spot and drove directly to the nearby hospital.

Li Jia's physical condition was already not great, and when Ye Chengxing thought about how she had been unusually quiet today, she couldn't help but blame herself for not observing more closely. She shouldn't have overlooked it.

After a few sentences, Ye Chengxing drove the car to the hospital. After a moment of hesitation, Li Jia couldn't help but chuckle. "Sister, I really don't have any issues. It was probably just the lighting."

Ye Chengxing shook her head, her expression more serious. "Still, let's get it checked. Your complexion really doesn't look good." And... you look so fragile, like a dandelion that could be blown away by a gust of wind, a sense of fragility that could shatter at any moment.

At this time, there weren't many people at the hospital. After parking the car, Ye Chengxing held Li Jia's hand and went to register.

A smile played at the corner of Li Jia's lips, almost uncontrollable.

Ye Chengxing held her hand a little tighter and looked into the Omega's eyes. After two seconds of eye contact, Ye Chengxing spoke softly, "Your daily routine is quite chaotic, especially since you joined the filming crew recently. If there's anything wrong with your body, you tend to neglect it. I'm really worried about you... So, let's get a check-up, okay?"

The hospital's interior was incredibly bright, allowing her to see clearly. The Alpha's pupils were solely filled with her figure at that moment, a gaze full of concern and attentiveness. Even every word and sentence carried a strong sense of care.

The suppressed restlessness along the way was instantly soothed, dissipating in an instant. Moreover, her heart was beating vigorously due to the joy she felt.

The smile at the corner of Li Jia's lips became more evident, and her gaze was filled with compliance and docility as she nodded to Ye Chengxing, "Okay, I'll listen to sister."

......

The examination was completed quickly.

Ye Chengxing looked at the test results.

In fact, from the results, there was nothing wrong with Li Jia's body. It might be related to not getting enough rest. The doctor advised her to pay more attention to rest as her body was a bit weak. Although there was nothing serious this time, she had a constitution prone to illness and needed to be more careful.

Seeing these results, Ye Chengxing breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that nothing is wrong.

She was aware of the need for extra attention to the weakness in Li Jia's body. However, she would definitely be more attentive in the future. Previously, Li Jia was always by her side, and it was easy to take care of her since she could see her no matter what. But now, things were different. Li Jia had to go to school and be on the film set. She would have to go to more places in the future, so Ye Chengxing needed to be more meticulous.

Especially that moment earlier in the car when she glanced at Li Jia. Her complexion was really bad at that time.

Ye Chengxing rubbed Li Jia's hair and, after seeing the examination results, felt a bit relieved. However, she still advised Li Jia, "If you feel any discomfort, remember to tell me. If there's anything bothering you mentally, tell me as well. Sometimes, it's better to speak it out instead of keeping it to yourself." She knew that many actors faced a lot of mental pressure, and if possible, she wanted to help Li Jia relieve those emotions.

Li Jia felt the gentle force transmitted from above her head, and she comfortably narrowed her eyes. She agreed to Ye Chengxing's words.

The problems that had troubled her along the way suddenly became clear in an instant.

She looked at Ye Chengxing.

She liked the way Ye Chengxing cared for her, but she also didn't want to see her suffering.

Although she had promised Ye Chengxing not to do such things before, looking at it now, the most effective method was still that.

Ye Chengxing put away the examination results, held Li Jia's hand again, and smiled, "Then let's go home now."

Li Jia also smiled and replied. When Ye Chengxing turned her gaze away, her own gaze secretly fell on the hands they were holding.

... It's okay. It was because she had been too careless before, and not only were her actions too obvious, but she also seemed too eager. That's why Ye Chengxing noticed. But starting from this time, she would be more cautious and pay attention to details. She would do it perfectly. As long as it was convincing enough, fake injuries could become real injuries.

In the end, it didn't matter as long as Ye Chengxing couldn't tell.

As long as Ye Chengxing couldn't tell, then she wouldn't be going against what she said before. After all, those were "real" injuries, not something she made up.

In that case, Ye Chengxing could once again focus on her like she did just now, and her eyes would only see her.

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