Beauty Snake - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Passing Out Doesn’t Matter, Let’s Meet Again in Dreams~

Knock, knock, knock—

The knocking rang out again, and Ji Yunfei hurried to open the door.

“CEO Xie… it’s quite late. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Ji Yunfei leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, looking at Xie Yin with a playful, half-smile.

“Ahem. Since it’s not too late yet, I thought I’d pay a visit to my new neighbor. Is that not allowed?” Xie Yin kept her hands behind her back, her expression slightly awkward. But seeing Ji Yunfei’s look, she raised an eyebrow and straightened her posture, speaking with sudden confidence.

“Neigh…bor?”

Now it was Ji Yunfei’s turn to be stunned. Xie Yin never mentioned that this apartment was right next to hers!!

“Exactly. Why, are you unhappy about it?”

“Haha… no, no, how could I be…” On the surface, Ji Yunfei was all smiles, but inside she was screaming:

Wait, what kind of person wants to live next door to their boss AND their creditor?!

But after the initial internal scream, Ji Yunfei thought about it more calmly. It wasn’t like she was losing out on anything. Fine, Xie Yin doesn’t actually act like a boss or a creditor outside of work. Having her as a neighbor isn’t so bad.

Noticing Ji Yunfei’s glazed-over eyes, Xie Yin let out a soft laugh and waved a small takeout container of wontons in front of her.

“I figured you’d be too busy moving all day to eat. I happened to order an extra portion. Want some?”

“Ah… th-thank you.” Ji Yunfei took the container; it was still hot.

“Wait, CEO Xie…” Seeing Xie Yin turn to head back to her own place, Ji Yunfei’s face filled with conflict. After a moment’s hesitation, she called out to stop her.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Are you free Friday night? If it’s convenient, would you like to come over for dinner?”

“I… don’t overthink it. You’ve helped me so many times, it’s only logical that I treat you to a meal to show my gratitude…” For some reason, Ji Yunfei felt inexplicably guilty, but she tried to act nonchalant and expressionless. However, if one looked closely, they could see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

“Since you’re being so sincere, how could I refuse? But if you want to thank me, it has to be a home-cooked meal.”

“Yes… yes! Understood!” Hearing Xie Yin’s confirmation, Ji Yunfei felt a wave of relief. After exchanging goodnights, she went back inside and savored the steaming wontons. Mmm… so warm.

Time flew by, and soon it was Friday afternoon. Ji Yunfei finished her work early and sat waiting to clock out. Of course, she couldn’t just sit there doing nothing, so she stealthily opened her chat with “Snake-Scorpion Beauty”.

FFF: “Is there anything you particularly like to eat, CEO Xie? Any dietary restrictions? I’m going shopping right after work.”

The reply came almost instantly:

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “Slacking off during work hours? Well, since you’re asking about my preferences, I’ll let it slide.”

Snake-Scorpion Beauty: “Wait for me downstairs after work. Instead of me telling you, why don’t we go to the supermarket together? ^v^”

FFF: “Understood!”

FFF: [Fatty_at_your_command.jpg]

“10.. 9.. 8… 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..” “Off work!”

The moment the clock hit 5:30 PM, she packed her things and sprinted downstairs.

Honk, honk—

A car horn sounded. Ji Yunfei looked up to see a white BMW stopped in front of her. As the window rolled down, it revealed Xie Yin’s exquisite and cold face in the driver’s seat.

“What are you standing there for? Get in.”

Seeing Ji Yunfei dazed, Xie Yin couldn’t help but chuckle and waved her over. Ji Yunfei snapped out of it, realized she had been staring at Xie Yin’s face again, and climbed in, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

In the car, Xie Yin played some soothing instrumental music. A cool breeze drifted through the window. Ji Yunfei relaxed, half-reclining in the seat, and stole a glance at Xie Yin. The black eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses were focused on the road, her brow slightly furrowed. Her black hair flowed loosely, dancing in the wind.

So beautiful… she really does look like the ‘beauty snake’ from my dreams…

Ji Yunfei was entranced, completely unaware she was staring.

“Am I that good-looking?”

“Yes…”

“Wait, no!!! I mean—”

The car had already stopped, but Ji Yunfei hadn’t noticed until Xie Yin spoke with a grin. Realizing she’d been caught daydreaming again, Ji Yunfei felt her face burn. I’m really not a perverted creep!

“Alright, I’m done teasing. Let’s go.” Seeing Ji Yunfei’s cheeks about to catch fire, Xie Yin suppressed the urge to push further, telling herself not to be too impatient. She kept a calm smile and led Ji Yunfei into the store.

“CEO Xie, do you like fish? How about I make my specialty, Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, for you?” Ji Yunfei pushed the shopping cart toward the seafood section, looking at the plump fish bubbling in the water. She was ready to roll up her sleeves and show off.

“Since you’ve recommended it so highly, I have to try it, right?”

“Hehe, let’s go! Tell me whatever else you want to eat, CEO Xie. As long as I know how to make it, I’ll satisfy all your cravings!”

Ji Yunfei was all smiles as she picked out the freshest fish. Then she led Xie Yin through every aisle, meticulously selecting ingredients. Before they knew it, the cart was a small mountain, with a bottle of red wine being the most prominent item.

“Phew—!”

“Just put the bags on the table. Make yourself at home; I’ll handle the rest!”

Back at the apartment, Ji Yunfei ushered Xie Yin to the sofa and dove into the kitchen. She washed the fish, laid it flat on the cutting board, and with practiced ease, removed the spine and bones before carving a diamond pattern into the meat. She marinated it with cooking wine and salt, coated it in starch, and shook off the excess.

“Hehe, let’s start the fire!”

The stove flared to life. Tomato sauce and water hissed in the pan, dancing with sugar and vinegar. Ji Yunfei stirred the sauce constantly until it reached the perfect consistency with a dash of starch.

Next, she heated oil in another wok. She rolled the fish meat to shape it into a “squirrel” form, holding it in place with chopsticks for a few seconds before letting it fry. The fish turned golden-brown, and the aroma filling the kitchen was mouth-watering.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel around her neck, then quickly stir-fried some shrimp, bamboo shoots, and garlic before pouring the thick sweet-and-sour sauce over the crispy fish.

Sizzle— The acidic and sweet aroma exploded. The glistening sauce over the golden, crispy fish was a masterpiece.

“Phew—perfect!” Ji Yunfei felt incredibly proud. This was her best work yet.

“Hmm? Why are you standing at the door? Come, sit, try this while it’s hot!” Ji Yunfei saw Xie Yin leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

“Wipe your face first. You look like a silly calico cat.” Xie Yin stepped forward with a wet wipe and cleaned a smudge of starch from Ji Yunfei’s cheek.

Too close…

Xie Yin’s proximity made Ji Yunfei nervous. At this distance, she could smell that faint narcissus scent again. It was so familiar… and inexplicably calming.

“There, all clean. I’ll carry the dishes out.”

“Oh.. oh.. okay..”

With the main dish done, Ji Yunfei quickly finished five more home-style dishes. Xie Yin was already at the table, pouring two glasses of red wine.

“Here, try the fish first.” Ji Yunfei placed a choice piece of the fish belly into Xie Yin’s bowl and waited expectantly for her reaction. If Ji Yunfei had a tail, it would be wagging at high speed.

“How is it? How is it?”

“Hmm… it’s delicious.”

Seeing the spark of genuine surprise and delight in Xie Yin’s eyes, Ji Yunfei felt even more energized, constantly piling more food into Xie Yin’s bowl. “Eat more if it’s good, hehe!”

Perhaps because Xie Yin was such a supportive audience, Ji Yunfei felt like she was floating. She was ready to crown herself the God of Cooking!

As they toasted back and forth, the dishes were nearly empty—but the bottle of wine had emptied even faster.

“Mmm… Xie Yin… I want to th-thank you…” Ji Yunfei’s eyes were hazy, her cheeks a deep, drunken crimson. She wobbled to her feet, raising her glass.

“You… h-helped me… so.. so many times…”

“This glass… is for you…”

The alcohol had completely taken over. Her brain was on the verge of shutting down, and the only way she could think to thank Xie Yin was the classic “bottoms up” approach.

“Ji Yunfei… you’re drunk again…”

“I am not! I’m very sober… hehe…”

“Then tell me, who am I?”

“You’re… you’re the beauty snake… no… you’re Xie Yin.. wait, why are both answers wrong…?”

Ji Yunfei’s vision blurred. The single figure of Xie Yin split into two ghostly images. Before she could sort out her thoughts, the world spun. Her consciousness plummeted into darkness.

Just before everything went black, she heard a woman’s voice whisper softly in her ear:

“See you in the dream, A-Fei.”

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