Falling Into the ABO World, I Tamed the Obsessed Alphas - Chapter 98

When Shen Yuqing arrived at Song Wangzhuo’s home, he rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

He used his iris to unlock the door and stepped inside, only then hearing noises from the kitchen likely the sound of the range hood.

After changing his shoes, Shen Yuqing walked over and saw Song Wangzhuo standing by the stove, cooking something.

As if sensing his presence, Song Wangzhuo glanced back and, upon seeing him, said, “The milk tea is in the fridge.”

Shen Yuqing blinked, then opened the refrigerator door. Sure enough, there were two identical cups of milk tea inside the strawberry milk tea he had specifically requested.

After staring at them for a moment, he closed the fridge.

Song Wangzhuo asked, “Not drinking it now?”

Leaning against the fridge door, Shen Yuqing replied, “I’ll have it later with you.”

He peered into the pot. “What are you cooking?”

“Spare ribs,” Song Wangzhuo answered. “Plum-flavored spare ribs. Do you like them?”

Shen Yuqing nodded. “I do.”

Noticing that both burners were occupied with simmering dishes, he remarked, “I thought we agreed on just ordering takeout. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“Homemade food is healthier,” Song Wangzhuo replied, stirring the ribs in the pot before setting the spatula aside and covering it to let it braise.

He had bought all the ingredients at noon. Initially, he had considered doing as Shen Yuqing suggested just ordering takeout to make things simple. But the more he thought about it, the more it felt disrespectful.

Shen Yuqing had helped him tremendously yesterday. If he just served him takeout, he’d be a complete jerk.

So, he decided to cook himself.

After years of living alone, cooking was no challenge for him.

The real difficulty lay in figuring out what Shen Yuqing liked to eat.

Though Shen Yuqing claimed he wasn’t picky, people’s tastes were always changing. How could anyone truly not be picky? Even Song Wangzhuo had foods he disliked, let alone the pampered young master Shen.

So, during his free time that morning, he had browsed numerous posts about hosting meals and picked a few classic, universally liked dishes.

While lost in thought, Shen Yuqing had already leaned in to sniff the aroma. “Smells great. What’s in the other pot?”

“Fish,” Song Wangzhuo snapped back to reality. “Steamed fish.”

Shen Yuqing gave a thumbs-up. “Both are my favorites.”

He seemed genuinely pleased, which eased Song Wangzhuo’s mind a little. “Go work on some problems first. I’ll call you when the food’s ready.”

After washing his hands, Shen Yuqing said, “It’s not that urgent. I can help you prep.”

Song Wangzhuo glanced at his hands. If this young master helped, he’d probably blow up the kitchen.

“No need. Since I’m the one treating you, it wouldn’t make sense to have you lift a finger. Go study.”

Was there a chance Shen Yuqing just wasn’t ready to dive into the sea of learning yet?

But after Song Wangzhuo repeatedly refused his help, Shen Yuqing had no choice but to leave the kitchen.

As he approached the desk, he noticed a plate of cut fruit likely prepared by Song Wangzhuo for him.

Shen Yuqing glanced back toward the kitchen, though from this angle, he couldn’t see Song Wangzhuo.

Turning back, he speared a piece of mango with a fork.

Sweet, with the distinct fragrance of mango. Really good.

Picking up his pen, Shen Yuqing thought to himself Song Wangzhuo was unexpectedly considerate.

Shen Yuqing was genuinely a bit hungry. He worked on problems while eating, unsure how long he’d been at it when he heard the range hood in the kitchen turn off.

Soon, Song Wangzhuo’s voice came through: “Shen Yuqing, dinner’s ready.”

Shen Yuqing set down his pen, shuffled over in slippers, and helped set out the bowls and chopsticks. Song Wangzhuo brought out the final dish, a plate of seasonal vegetables.

As Shen Yuqing sat down, he noticed Song Wangzhuo fetching strawberry milk tea.

“I bought milk tea, so I didn’t make soup,” Song Wangzhuo explained.

He even inserted the straw for Shen Yuqing, displaying exceptional attentiveness.

“Thanks,” Shen Yuqing said, eyeing the spread on the table. “This is already more than enough.”

Though there were only two of them, the portions looked like they could feed another person.

Picking up his chopsticks, Shen Yuqing declared, “I won’t hold back then.”

He grabbed a piece of spare rib he’d been craving it since it was cooking, and it looked delicious.

It tasted just as amazing as he’d imagined!

Shen Yuqing raised his brows and gave Song Wangzhuo a thumbs-up. “This is really good. I had no idea you were such a great cook.”

Praise brought a faint smile to Song Wangzhuo’s lips. “Thanks.”

Before Shen Yuqing, he’d never cooked for anyone else. For himself, he’d always settled for just getting by.

He hadn’t realized how rewarding it could feel to have someone appreciate his efforts.

Song Wangzhuo took a bite of the spare rib himself. Somehow, it did seem tastier than usual.

Shen Yuqing sampled all three dishes, giving enthusiastic feedback for each.

[Blackening Value: 35 | Favorability: 5] Wow!

Shen Yuqing doubled down on the compliments!

Not only did he get a meal tonight he’d also scored an unexpected bonus!

Bombarded by this flattery, Song Wangzhuo grew slightly flustered. He turned his head and coughed lightly. “Just eat properly.”

Shen Yuqing eagerly shoveled down two more mouthfuls.

So good, so good!

After such a busy, exhausting day, everything in this moment boiled down to one word worth it!

Watching Shen Yuqing devour his food, Song Wangzhuo added, “If you like it, you can come over often.”

Shen Yuqing blinked. So, favorability turning positive really made a difference!

Misreading his hesitation, Song Wangzhuo quickly backtracked. “I was just saying if you don’t want to…”

“I do!” Shen Yuqing hurriedly replied. “I just didn’t expect it.”

If someone had told him back when he first transmigrated that he’d one day share a meal with Song Wangzhuo cooked by the man himself, no less and even receive an open invitation.

He would’ve laughed in their face.

Yet here they were.

Shen Yuqing’s eyes curved into crescents, and Song Wangzhuo’s lips quirked up in response. “Mm. If there’s anything you’d like to eat, just let me know.”

If he didn’t know how to make it, he could always learn.

“Sure,” Shen Yuqing agreed readily.

After eating for a while, Shen Yuqing asked, “You’re really skilled at cooking did you train somewhere?”

“Before coming to Silino, I worked as a waiter. I picked it up watching the chefs there,” Song Wangzhuo answered.

Shen Yuqing chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. Tentatively, he ventured, “Speaking of the planet you were on before was so far from Silino. How did you even get here?”

Seeing Song Wangzhuo remain silent, Shen Yuqing thought this inquiry would be fruitless again. Just as he was about to steer the conversation elsewhere, Song Wangzhuo spoke up: “After getting into Silino, the academy provides transportation subsidies.”

That actually sounded pretty good.

Song Wangzhuo continued, “Getting here isn’t the hard part the real challenge is surviving here.”

Silino had always been generous toward outstanding, talented students. Since enrolling, Song Wangzhuo had barely paid any tuition or miscellaneous fees. Thanks to his excellent grades, he even received a decent scholarship. Combined with the money he saved from working part-time, he managed to live comfortably.

Shen Yuqing recalled Song Wangzhuo’s relentless work schedule. He vaguely remembered Song mentioning before that he was paying off a debt.

But how had he ended up in debt in the first place?

Shen Yuqing took a sip of his milk tea and asked, “I remember you once said you were repaying a debt. How much do you owe?”

Song Wangzhuo picked up a spare rib with his chopsticks and, upon hearing Shen’s question, placed it into Shen’s bowl instead.

“Guess,” he said.

Shen Yuqing froze this was an answer he hadn’t anticipated at all. He looked up at Song Wangzhuo, who seemed completely unfazed as he continued eating.

Shen bit into the rib with a frustrated chew.

Bro, your character’s totally crumbling here, he grumbled inwardly.