Everyone Loves the Alpha, But He’s Not Interested [Transmigration] - Chapter 97

Yu Qingxue prepared all the seasonings and mixed them evenly in a large bowl before turning to look at Ning Xi. She saw Ning Xi’s delicate and smooth profile, her eyes fixed on the radish, her red lips slightly pursed as if she were handling some grand tasks.

With such concentration, the radish strips might end up more uniform in size than if Yu Qingxue had cut them herself.

Feeling reassured, Yu Qingxue went to find the pickling jar for the radishes. She had asked the staff earlier, there was one in the kitchen, though she wasn’t sure which cabinet it was in.

After searching around, she finally found a jar of the right size in the bottom corner of the lowest cabinet. Yu Qingxue lifted the several-pound jar, placed it in the sink to rinse it clean, then sterilized it with boiling water.

By then, about twenty minutes had passed since she had handed the radishes to Ning Xi. Knowing Ning Xi was a beginner and would work slowly, Yu Qingxue thought it would be good if she had managed to finish two radishes.

But when she walked over, she found Ning Xi still carefully measuring the width as she cut the second white radish. She hadn’t mixed the ones she had cut with Yu Qingxue’s but had placed them in a separate bowl.

“…Twenty minutes, and you’ve only cut one?” Yu Qingxue couldn’t help but say, watching Ning Xi take forever just to make a single cut.

Hearing this, Ning Xi set down the knife and turned around, wiping a drop of sweat from her temple. “Has it really been twenty minutes?” she asked, puzzled. Without waiting for an answer, she eagerly picked up the bowl beside her and showed it to Yu Qingxue. “Professor Yu, look at the radish strips I cut aren’t they perfect?” Her dark eyes sparkled as she gazed at Yu Qingxue, her face full of anticipation for praise.

Yu Qingxue picked up two strips and examined them. The height, width, and length were indeed identical. She looked up, meeting Ning Xi’s eyes, and felt a faint warmth in her chest. “Yes, they’re perfect.”

“But…” Yu Qingxue placed the strips back. “They are good, but you’re too slow. By the time you finish three radishes, I might have already cooked dinner for tonight.”

“Forget it, you should go wash the vegetables instead. Wash three potatoes, two green peppers, and one head of cabbage over there.”

Ning Xi reluctantly glanced at the radishes. “Professor Yu, don’t mix the ones you cut with mine.”

“Why?” Yu Qingxue picked up the knife and started cutting swiftly.

“Because the ones I cut, I only want you to eat them.”

Yu Qingxue paused mid-cut and turned around, her red lips curving slightly, her light-colored eyes shimmering with emotion. “Only for me?”

Ning Xi, though shy under Yu Qingxue’s direct gaze, didn’t look away. “Mm. Professor Yu, do you have an extra pickling jar?” she asked.

Yu Qingxue studied her for a few more seconds with a smile before pointing to the other side. “In the third cabinet from the left, second shelf from the bottom, there’s a small jar just the right size for your radish strips.”

Flustered, Ning Xi went to find the small jar. Once she had it, she didn’t need to be told, she immediately took it to the sink to wash it clean.

Yu Qingxue quickly finished cutting the remaining two radishes. Just as she was about to remind Ning Xi to sterilize the jar with boiling water, she turned and saw Ning Xi already doing it.

Watching Ning Xi finish sterilizing the jar and put the kettle back, Yu Qingxue asked leisurely, “How did you know to use boiling water?”

Ning Xi said, “I just saw Teacher Yu get scalded.”

“Teacher Yu, you’ve finished cutting already?” Ning Xi exclaimed in surprise at the full basin of radish strips behind Yu Qingxue.

Yu Qingxue chuckled lightly, “Because I’m not like someone who watches others while cutting radishes.”

Yu Qingxue sprinkled salt over the radish strips, mixed them evenly, and set them aside before starting to prepare other dishes.

Not only had Ning Xi washed the potatoes, but she had also peeled them all. The round potatoes lay in the water without any discoloration.

“I learned this from a video. Potatoes oxidize and change color when exposed to air, so after peeling, they need to be submerged in water to block the air,” Ning Xi explained.

After checking the bell peppers and Chinese cabbage, Yu Qingxue found them thoroughly cleaned. The bell peppers had their tops and seeds removed, and the cabbage was halved with the core taken out.

“You did well,” Yu Qingxue finally praised.

Ning Xi’s lips curled up swiftly. “I’m so glad I could help Teacher Yu.”

Around six o’clock, the other three couples finally rested enough and remembered to come help in the kitchen.

After all, leaving Yu Qingxue, a delicate omega, to prepare meals for eight people alone was indeed a challenging task.

Wang You and Wei Nian arrived first. Without needing to ask, Wang You glanced around and said, “You’ve almost got everything ready. Let me help you fry the fish.”

Fortunately, the kitchen had multiple stoves, allowing several dishes to be cooked simultaneously.

Wei Nian walked over to Ning Xi and, seeing her squeezing the radish strips, said knowingly, “You’re making pickled radish, right? I do this often, I’m quite skilled. You’ll get to taste my handiwork later.”

“Teacher Yu has already prepared the seasoning. We’ll try your skills tomorrow,” Ning Xi replied, quickly finishing squeezing all the radish strips and pouring Yu Qingxue’s seasoning into the basin to mix them evenly.

“Wei Nian, could you bring me those two jars over there?” Ning Xi tilted her chin toward the jars nearby.

Wei Nian dutifully carried them over one by one and asked curiously, “I was wondering earlier these could easily fit into one jar. Why are you using two?”

Ning Xi smiled faintly. “The smaller jar is for Teacher Yu, just for her to eat alone.”

Wei Nian: “…” Sorry for interrupting.

Why did I rush over here just to be fed dog food???

A while later, all eight people gathered in the kitchen, severely affecting Yu Qingxue’s cooking efficiency. She ended up shooing Ning Xi and the others, who weren’t much help, to the living room for tea.

“Teacher Yu, let me stay. What if I can help?” Ning Xi didn’t want to leave.

She was here to date on the show. Without Yu Qingxue in the living room, was she supposed to watch the other three couples drink tea?

Yu Qingxue said, “Then find a spot to sit and don’t disturb me.”

The implied meaning: Not disturbing her was help enough.

Ning Xi wasn’t the least bit bothered by Yu Qingxue’s slightly dismissive tone. She grabbed a stool, found a spot to sit, propped her chin in her hands, and stared unblinkingly at Yu Qingxue’s back as she cooked.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm, soft glow over Yu Qingxue, firmly holding Ning Xi’s gaze.

Yu Qingxue checked the fish soup it was almost done. The milky broth bubbled as she added cubes of tofu, covered the pot, and let it simmer.

Braised pork, stir-fried potato shreds with green peppers, stewed cabbage with meat, and shredded pork with green peppers, Yu Qingxue had used all the simple ingredients available. Though the variety wasn’t extensive, the portions were generous.

“Ning Xi, help me carry the dishes to the table.”

Ning Xi immediately stood up and walked over to Yu Qingxue. “The aroma is irresistible, it must be delicious.”

Yu Qingxue laughed at Ning Xi’s remark. “At least wait until you’ve tasted it before giving your honest opinion.”

With the last dish, fish soup, placed on the table, everyone sat down to eat. Suddenly, Ning Xi stood up and said, “We’re missing one more dish.”

“You mean the pickled radish? I’ll go with you to get it,” Wei Nian offered, standing as well.

The two went to the kitchen and opened the sealed jars. Wei Nian scooped out a bowl from the large jar, while Ning Xi carefully took a small plate from a separate, smaller jar.

“…” Wei Nian felt like he had already been force-fed so much “dog food” that he couldn’t eat dinner anymore.

Ning Xi carefully resealed the small jar and returned to the living room with Wei Nian.

Wei Xinran chuckled. “This bright red pickled vegetable is definitely Qingxue’s handiwork, she loves spicy food.”

Wei Nian placed his bowl of pickles in the center of the table, while Ning Xi set her small plate directly in front of Yu Qingxue.

Curious, Wei Xinran asked, “Why does Ning Xi have a separate plate of radishes?”

Seeing someone else eager to witness the “dog food” moment, Wei Nian quickly answered, “That plate was specially made by Ning Xi for Teacher Yu, only she gets to eat it.”

“…” The table fell silent for three or four seconds.

“Let’s eat. Try my cooking,” Yu Qingxue said calmly, though her cheeks held a faint flush. “I’ll taste the radishes Ning Xi prepared.”

“…” Double kill!

Yu Qingxue picked up a piece of radish, ate it, then took another strip and nodded. “Cutting them to the same size does make them taste better.”

“Thank you, Ning Xi.”

Ning Xi’s dark eyes sparkled. “As long as you like it, Teacher Yu.”

The rest of the meal left the others struggling to swallow, even the usually talkative Wei Xinran burying himself in his rice.

Having shared the “dog food” burden, Wei Nian was finally less stuffed and ended up enjoying the meal the most.

…

That evening, the production team arranged only a small activity recording their first impressions of their assigned partners and their feelings after the day’s interactions.

Yu Qingxue finished recording first and went straight to her room to rest. Ning Xi was second to last, finishing close to nine.

After exchanging a brief farewell with Wei Nian, the last to record, she returned to her room and immediately picked up her phone to message Yu Qingxue.

There were two red notifications on Yu Qingxue’s profile. Opening them, Ning Xi saw two messages:

Yu Qingxue: I’m a bit tired today, so I’m going to sleep early.

Yu Qingxue: Goodnight. Don’t forget to take your suppressants tomorrow morning.

A soft warmth flickered in Ning Xi’s dark eyes.

Ning Xi: See you tomorrow. Goodnight~

The next morning, Ning Xi woke to her alarm. After washing up, she took her suppressants. The moment the liquid slid down her throat, she felt the restless tension in her body fade proof that the suppressants were working.

She had no idea what tricks the production team had in store today, but there was no denying that yesterday’s shared “ordeal” had visibly brought the couples closer.

Dressed in a white shirt and a brown fuzzy jacket, Ning Xi’s damp, raven-black hair clung to her porcelain cheeks, accentuating her flawless complexion.

Leaving the room and entering the living room of the love cottage, the staff member was momentarily stunned by the sheer beauty that confronted them, blushing before pointing to the kitchen and mentioning the prepared breakfast inside.

“Thank you,” Ning Xi said before heading into the kitchen. She noticed steam rising from the bamboo steamer on the stove. Using two cloths to protect her hands, she lifted the lid, releasing a burst of fragrant heat.

Inside the steamer, rows of plump, adorable little soup dumplings sat neatly. Ning Xi took an entire tray, carefully replaced the lid, and returned to the living room.

Seeing how many she had taken, the staff member quietly reminded her, “Teacher Yu, the dumplings will get cold if you can’t finish them.”

Ning Xi replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll finish them.”

The staff member: “…” Who knew a female actress could eat so much? What if they hadn’t prepared enough breakfast?

While Ning Xi ate, the staff member quickly contacted Director Han to report the situation. Director Han responded, “Why bother asking me? It’s normal for late risers to miss breakfast. If they want to eat, they can make it themselves or see if their partner will help.”

On camera, Ning Xi slowly and elegantly finished the tray of soup dumplings, brewed herself a cup of tea, and then went outside for a short walk to aid digestion. By the time she returned, the others had gradually emerged.

Yu Qingxue was the last to appear, finding only two cold dumplings left on the table.

She still seemed half-asleep, her long lashes drooping lazily as she walked over. Ning Xi stood up to guide her to the sofa.

Shen Runxin and Zhou Jianbai looked apologetic. “Sorry, Teacher Yu, we forgot to save you some breakfast. The dumplings are cold now…”

Wei Xinran offered, “I can make something for you. What would you like?”

“A full imperial banquet,” Yu Qingxue said without hesitation. “One of each dish, please.”

Wei Xinran: “…”

Ning Xi stood up with a smile. “I’ll handle it. Teacher Wei can make breakfast for Teacher Shen next time.”

“Teacher Yu, how about an egg pancake?”

Yu Qingxue lazily yawned, her light-colored eyes glistening. “Mmm, anything you make is fine.”

The others: “…”

What’s going on with these two? Didn’t they already feed us enough dog food yesterday???

By the time Yu Qingxue finished Ning Xi’s lovingly made egg pancake, it was exactly nine o’clock.

A staff member announced, “This morning’s activity is strawberry picking. We’ll be heading to a nearby strawberry farm by car soon.”

After the announcement, everyone got up to leave for the vehicles.

This time, the cars weren’t separated by gender. The production team generously arranged four cars, one for each couple each equipped with a GoPro.

Ning Xi opened the car door for Yu Qingxue, letting her enter first. As Yu Qingxue approached, Ning Xi raised a hand to cushion the doorframe, ensuring she wouldn’t bump her head. Once Yu Qingxue was seated, Ning Xi bent down to get in herself and closed the door.

The SUV’s spacious interior left a comfortable distance between them, but with a GoPro positioned close to each of their faces, even the finest details of their skin were visible.

Yu Qingxue gazed out the window at the scenery, while Ning Xi watched Yu Qingxue.

After a quiet moment, Yu Qingxue glanced at Ning Xi’s reflection in the window before turning to her with a playful smile. “I think the view on your side is much nicer. So why have you been staring over here the whole time?”

Support