Chapter 8: Would You Like Some Water

Lin Chao was somewhat afraid to hear her response.

In his heart, he regarded her as his first true friend. Yet he knew he was overly sensitive if she showed even the slightest hesitation, he would distance himself immediately, parting ways right then and there.

Inferiority was like an invisible carving knife, etching a clear boundary between him and her.

All he remembered was how gentle the breeze felt that day, and how he held his breath the moment she turned to look at him.

Luo Shisi tilted her head slightly, her gaze resting on him as a light, relaxed smile gradually warmed her eyes.

“Family… isn’t something we get to choose…”

She stuffed her hands into her pockets, her eyes drifting into the distance as a trace of melancholy crossed her face. “Like my mom drinking, stock trading, jumping off a building…”

“Everything just spiraled toward the worst possible outcome…”

“But you have to keep your head up when you walk, or you’ll miss the view ahead. Don’t you think?”

These painful memories where things Luo Shisi had never shared with Lin Guizhi or the others. Instead, she poured them all out to Lin Chao.

She had grown up too soon. At her mother’s funeral, and throughout that year her mother ended her life, her younger self had wept and pleaded, only to be met with gossip and ridicule behind her back.

From then on, she understood no one could truly feel your helplessness. They would only offer pity with a smile.

And Lin Chao now reminded her so much of herself back then.

She looked at him and shifted her tone: “But friends… those we choose for ourselves.”

Lin Chao froze.

Luo Shisi stood facing him, leaning forward slightly. Strands of hair fluttered by her temples as she looked into his eyes and smiled:

“They say close friends share their secrets with each other~”

“So now…”

“Are we friends?”

Lin Chao couldn’t answer. His breathing quickened, and his vision seemed to narrow until only her bright, shining eyes remained.

Her… friend?

A long moment passed before Lin Chao heard himself whisper, “Yes.”

As if the word “friend” were as delicate as a dandelion puff speak too loudly, and it might scatter and drift away from him.

Luo Shisi found him utterly endearing and couldn’t resist ruffling his fluffy hair. “Mm, you’re such a good boy~”

So big.

That was Lin Chao’s first thought upon seeing Luo Shisi’s family villa.

It was at least ten times larger than his grandmother’s house, and the decor exuded the profound aesthetic elegance inherent in Chinese culture white walls, dark tiles, waterside pavilions, and winding corridors.

Through the latticed windows in the outer wall, he glimpsed an artificial hill and pond, a small arched bridge over flowing water, and the graceful shadows of bamboo.

Such scenes were rare even in big cities.

Lin Chao hesitated, his perception of Luo Shisi’s family wealth suddenly renewed. For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether he should step inside.

“Come on, there’s nothing special to stare at. I’ll take you to try some delicious snacks we’ve got Osmanthus cake, donkey-hide gelatin, spicy strips, potato chips… you name it…”

His friend was clearly modest.

But his eyes lit up at the mention of spicy strips… He’d been craving them.

His father never allowed him to eat spicy strips, calling them junk food and warning that he’d end up like the neighbor’s child who developed purpura incurable, gone too soon.

That had scared Lin Chao away from them entirely.

Now, as they walked, he couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t… aren’t you afraid of getting purpura?”

Luo Shisi turned back to him and laughed:

“Not at all. The spicy strips at my house are made by my dad. He loves them but was worried about store-bought ones, so he learned to make them himself. Guaranteed delicious, with no additives~”

Qing was eating in the pavilion with her mother. Neither of them cared much about the setting, and when she looked up, she saw Luo Shisi bringing a boy inside, her smile stretching almost to her ears.

She never smiles like that for her own father except when she’s asking for money. He Qing raised his eyebrow slightly.

He picked up his glasses and took a closer look before realizing it was the boy from the clinic the other day. Understanding dawned, and he withdrew his gaze, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

He Jianhua had long grown accustomed to Luo Shisi returning home with a bunch of kids in tow, but He Qing’s expression seemed different this time. Curious, she asked:

“Notice something?”

He Qing refilled her cup with a little more wine, lifted his eyes to meet hers, and said teasingly, “Shisi has never taken anyone to her secret hideout before.”

“That place is full of her treasures~ She won’t even let Aunt Zhang clean it insists on tidying it up herself~”

He Jianhua took a sip from her cup and smiled without saying a word, then tapped her thumb-sized glass. “Fill it up. This isn’t even enough to wet my lips.”

He Qing smiled faintly and put the wine away. “Mom, the doctor said your blood sugar is high. That sip just now is your quota for the whole week.”

“That old quack you’ll believe anything she says? She also said you should find someone new. Why aren’t you listening to that?”

He Qing had a rebellious streak too, but he didn’t show it outright. Remaining composed, he feigned indifference. “Fine, I’ll go find someone in their twenties tomorrow. I like them young.”

“Young people are all talk and no backbone. What can they handle when things go wrong?” He Jianhua didn’t agree with her generation’s views on relationships.

“Oh, Luo Anru is older what has she ever handled? Responsibility has nothing to do with age…”

Just hearing that name made He Jianhua’s temper flare. She waved a hand irritably. “No more! No more drinking!”

At least Shisi hadn’t turned out like her mother. Though she had a slick tongue, she handled things methodically and never dabbled in anything shady.

In that way, she took after He Qing, but she’d also inherited his stubbornness to the core.

Once she set her mind on something, she’d charge ahead even if it meant breaking through a wall headfirst.

He Qing could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her. He removed the wine glass from her reach. “In everything, you should reflect on your own role. Without you, there’d be no me; without me, there’d be no her…”

Jianhua shot him a glare, feeling that today’s meal was utterly bland without wine. “Stop with the tongue twisters I don’t get it! Who tortures their own mother like this every day?”

She glanced at the crispy fried pork and fish-flavored shredded pork in front of Qing, then pointed at her own coarse grain rice and greens, her face falling into a sullen pout. “Bland rice! Bland vegetables!”

He Qing looked at his mother, who only acted like a child around him, and smiled helplessly.

Alpha… forever a child at heart.

But she was the “old child” he respected and cherished most.

Meanwhile

Luo Shisi led Lin Chao to the northeast corner of the yard. Behind the small pond stood a sunroom the only structure in the entire Chinese-style villa with a different architectural style.

As they approached, they could see the beautifully designed glass room.
Luo Shisi unlocked the door with her fingerprint and let Lin Chao enter first.

Lin Chao had only seen houses like this on TV. For a moment, he felt awkward and unsure which foot to step forward with.

Luo Shisi noticed him staring blankly at her feet and chuckled, pulling him inside with the wrist.

Lin Chao, having been laughed at, felt the temperature in his face instantly rise, his fingertips tightening around the hem of his clothes.

“No need to be nervous. You can sit on the sofa or the bed wherever you like,” Luo Shisi said as she brought him in, then turned to close the door.

Lin Chao sat on the sofa, legs pressed together and hands resting on his knees, sitting upright and proper, yet his eyes couldn’t help but wander around the room’s decor.

The sunroom wasn’t large, only about ten square meters.

The sofa he sat on was opposite the door, a small one that could only fit two people. In front of it stood a small round table with a glass top, holding a fruit basket filled not with fruit, but with spicy strips and pistachios.

Against the south wall stood a five-tiered wooden shelf packed with small potted plants, including several succulents glistening with dewdrops.

To the left of the plant shelf was a computer desk. Unlike typical desktop setups, her computer had a curved, oversized screen, and the mechanical keyboard glowed with a constant stream of blue and purple light quite beautiful.

To the north, which was to his right, was Luo Shisi’s bed, about one and a half meters wide and two meters long, covered with dark blue sheets and a duvet set printed with yellow stars.

It was very tidy, quite different from Lin Chao’s impression of most Alphas.

While fetching water, Luo Shisi noticed his gaze and felt relieved that she had made her bed and swept the floor that morning…

She couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but Luo Shisi also found it novel. She had never brought anyone here before and felt unexpectedly a little nervous.

After pouring water, she asked Lin Chao, “Do you like lemon water? I have lemon slices here, soaked in honey. It’s really tasty.”

Hearing her speak, Lin Chao, as if caught red-handed, stopped looking around and simply shook his head. “Thank you, plain water is fine for me.”

“Are you allergic to lemons?” she asked.

Lin Chao shook his head.

Hearing this, Luo Shisi placed a lemon slice in the cup, bent down, and set it on the coffee table in front of him. “Then give it a try. Don’t miss out when you have the chance~”

Luo Shisi had a fondness for uniquely shaped items, finding them cool. Her favorite was a black crystal skull-shaped cup, which she had unconsciously grabbed.

But as she placed the cup in front of the young boy, she realized it might be inappropriate Omegas tended to be easily frightened. Would this scare him?

Even if it didn’t, Omega often differed from Alphas’.

Would he think her sense of style was lowbrow?

Especially since this skull, with blood-tear streaks in its eyes and a lemon slice floating inside, contrasted sharply with the boy before her well-behaved in movement, soft-haired, and sitting so properly… The styles just didn’t seem to match.

After three silent “has,” Luo Shisi slapped her forehead, squeezed her eyes shut, and felt she must have lost her mind.

When she opened her eyes again, she decided that if he didn’t like it, she would just get him a different cup.

Luo Shisi opened the drawer, only to tragically discover that her other cup was shaped like a big-eyed little girl holding a “water gun” with both hands pointing downward.

What had she been thinking back then?

She wished she could travel back in time and strangle herself.

Anything would be better than this social embarrassment.

Lin Chao, however, had no thoughts about the steaming cup in front of him; he simply found it novel.

Glancing over, he noticed Luo Shisi standing in a daze by the water dispenser near the cabinet and couldn’t resist asking, “Um… aren’t you going to drink?”

Hearing his question, Luo Shisi’s hand resting against the drawer edge stiffened slightly, her facial expression shifting through a kaleidoscope of emotions.

Some water didn’t necessarily have to be drunk.

Pursing her lips, she said dryly, “I’m… not thirsty…”

Author’s Note:

———————-

Dear Reader: Not thirsty, Shisi?

Shisi’s stubbornness is already showing hints.

The draft box is empty – red alert!

Upcoming Novel: “Childhood Betrothal (GB)”

Female Alpha x Male Omega, mutual pampering, double virgins.

After Xu He was presented as an Omega at age ten, his parents made a childhood betrothal arrangement with their neighbors, pairing him with Song Zhimu.

Out of curiosity, he went to see her.
Song Zhimu had been quiet since childhood. Even when he spoke to her, she wouldn’t respond, just watched him.

Xu, He found her too boring and never went to play with her again.

Childhood betrothals were mere playful words anyway. Soon after, his family moved away from Rucheng, and the matter was forgotten.

Seventeen years later, Xu He is 27. After working several consecutive overtime shifts, he developed inflammation – a swollen gum that forced him to see a doctor.

After registering and waiting for his number to be called, he entered the dental clinic.

The doctor was a Female Alpha, young and handsome, belonging to the cool, aloof type. From the moment he entered, she hadn’t glanced at him.

Only when he sat down did he hear her voice: “Patient’s name?”

Xu, He glanced at the name on the doctor’s badge and replied, “Xu He.”

Song Zhimu? Why does this name feel so familiar? It must be an illusion.

Upon hearing his name, the pen in the doctor’s hand fell to the ground, creating a clatter of noise.

Ever since Song Zhimu first met Xu He as a child, she found him special.

Especially noisy, especially good-looking.

Unlike her quiet self, he was terrifyingly active, like a ball of fire.

She would occasionally hear stories about him… like how he was often late… or how he made the school bully cry…

It wasn’t until he graduated from university that Song Zhimu’s world finally quieted down.

She always thought they would never cross paths again, but the moment she saw him in the examination room, she felt… their childhood betrothal should be put on the agenda.

Quiet, sharp-tongued, jealous Alpha × Thick-skinned, pretty, tsundere puppy Omega