I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 46

The morning meal was a bowl of vegetable porridge. It wasn’t made with fresh vegetables, but with frozen vegetable dices that were dumped into the pot after the water boiled, along with rice and salt. Everything cooked together, white and gooey, ready to eat when done.

Mang Ke stared at the vegetable porridge, which tasted horribly, and looked at the woman opposite her with difficulty.

“Don’t you think this tastes awful?”

Xun Fangyun was silent for a moment. She couldn’t very well admit that she couldn’t cook, could she? That would make her seem useless.

“It’s fine.”

Xun Fangyun lied.

Mang Ke assumed it was just her own problem. She lowered her head and put a spoonful of the slippery, sticky porridge into her mouth. The texture of the frozen vegetable dices was poor; they were hard when frozen, and disintegrated into mush when boiled, tasting like a piece of waterlogged steamed bun sprinkled with carrot powder.

In short, it was very unappetizing.

After eating one or two spoonfuls, Mang Ke finally gave up.

She put down the spoon and said helplessly to Xun Fangyun, “Let me cook. What do you have at home?”

Xun Fangyun looked up at her, thought about what was in her refrigerator, and replied, “I can’t recall.”

Mang Ke didn’t mind. She opened the refrigerator and searched through it. Probably because the owner didn’t cook often, the fridge was packed with frozen dumplings and sweet rice balls (tangyuan). Even instant noodles and river snail rice noodles (luosifen) were tossed in there. The colorful packaging filled every shelf.

After much effort, she managed to find two spring onions and some Shanghai bok choy deep inside, along with a few pieces of cured meat and a small bag of frozen shrimp.

She decided to make a vegetable seafood porridge, similar to Xun Fangyun’s idea.

It sounded unconventional, but given the ‘barren’ state of the refrigerator, Mang Ke felt this was the simplest breakfast possible.

She sliced the spring onions, washed the Shanghai bok choy, and diced the cured meat to be set aside with the thawing shrimp.

She turned on the gas and placed a pot of water on the stove. After about five minutes of boiling, she added the rinsed rice and the cured meat and shrimp, covered the pot, and waited for time to pass.

Perhaps because cooking rarely happened in the house, the orange cat sat on top of the refrigerator, watching Mang Ke efficiently prepare the meal, its small eyes full of curiosity.

Meat needed to be cooked a little longer for flavor. Since the cured meat was already somewhat salty, Mang Ke lifted the lid, stirred the porridge with a spoon, and took a small taste.

It was quite bland, but that was okay. Mang Ke sprinkled a small pinch of salt into the porridge.

Finally, she tossed in the long-ignored Shanghai bok choy and chopped spring onions. Two minutes later, she served a bowl to Xun Fangyun and one to herself.

Although it was also porridge, it smelled and looked much better than the one Xun Fangyun had cooked earlier.

“Try it,” Mang Ke boasted. “There weren’t many special ingredients, so I just stewed everything together. I secretly tasted it just now, and it’s quite good.”

Without a word, Xun Fangyun scooped a spoonful and took a sip. The flavor was rich with the scent of rice and the taste of cured meat.

The saltiness was just right, and the texture of the shrimp elevated the overall flavor of the porridge, which was both soft and firm, full of layers.

After a moment, Xun Fangyun finally said, “It tastes very good.”

Mang Ke sat smugly in her chair, swinging her feet. “Heh, I think it tastes good too! If you had some other things at home, I could have added more.”

Listening to Mang Ke chatter about how to cook and admonishing Xun Fangyun to eat less frozen food, the atmosphere at the dining table was harmonious.

Xun Fangyun felt she hadn’t experienced such a warm morning in a long time. Surprisingly, she kept quiet, just listening silently to Mang Ke’s persistent warnings about eating less frozen food.

After finishing breakfast, Mang Ke looked up and realized it was already 8:30 AM. She was surprised that despite getting up early and dragging her feet, it was still not time to go to work.

“Should we leave now?”

Seeing Xun Fangyun start to change clothes, Mang Ke said, “It only takes ten minutes to get from your house to the company, right? Isn’t it too early to go now?”

Xun Fangyun buttoned up her trench coat and said calmly, “Going early means we can start working early.”

“But starting work early doesn’t mean leaving work early, so what’s the loss?”

“…At least you won’t lose your full attendance bonus.”

Mang Ke rested her cheek on her hand and laughed: “My full attendance bonus is gone this month anyway, so I don’t care about the deduction.”

Xun Fangyun couldn’t help but smile: “You certainly take things in stride.”

The two smiled at each other. Xun Fangyun suddenly noticed something was amiss, quickly wiped the smile from her face, and turned away from her.

Mang Ke felt that when this person smiled just now, she looked exactly like Xun Fangyun. Yet, she constantly repeated that Mang Ke had mistaken her for someone else, confusing Mang Ke so much that she started to genuinely doubt if she had made a mistake.

She felt a floating sensation, thinking that if everyone said she was wrong, she would start to suspect her own conviction.

Xun Fangyun drove Mang Ke to the company. The result of leaving 20 minutes early was that there was no line at the elevator.

Mang Ke subconsciously looked at the elevator that was broken yesterday; it seemed to be fixed and was currently showing normal operation.

When both elevators opened simultaneously, Mang Ke tugged on Xun Fangyun’s sleeve, pointed to the other elevator, and said, “Let’s take that one.”

Although Xun Fangyun was puzzled, she didn’t refuse, and the two stepped into the adjacent elevator.

As the elevator slowly ascended, Mang Ke leaned against the corner wall, feeling the quietness of the car.

She looked at Xun Fangyun standing beside her, who was wearing a khaki trench coat, a white shirt, and a small leather skirt today. Mang Ke looked down at herself, still in the same jacket, jeans, and canvas shoes from yesterday.

A bit shabby.

Mang Ke shifted her feet, waiting for the elevator to ascend floor by floor.

Just before reaching the company floor, Xun Fangyun suddenly spoke.

“You go in first later.”

Mang Ke puffed out her cheeks, feeling a little angry, and said while looking down, “Got it, General Manager Yu.”

Xun Fangyun was startled. She looked back at the girl, finding her glaring angrily at her own feet, only presenting the top of her head to Xun Fangyun.

‘Ding—’

The elevator opened. Mang Ke lifted her head and walked out, heading toward the company without looking back.

Xun Fangyun paused, then stepped out before the elevator doors closed. The two walked about three or four meters apart.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Mang Ke guessed who it was and deliberately quickened her pace.

If she doesn’t want to be involved with me, then don’t walk together.

I’ll go back when I feel like it. Her life or death is none of my concern.

I really don’t understand why I cried so sadly back then. Xun Fangyun is nothing special; I must have been blind to fall for her.

They say beautiful women are heartbreakers. Next time I look for a girlfriend, I need to open my eyes wide, lest I be fooled again.

Muttering and grumbling to herself, Mang Ke hurried toward the office, but just as she rounded the corner into the office area, she bumped right into someone’s arms!

“Oof—!!!”

Mang Ke was walking fast and lost her balance. She immediately staggered back a few steps after the collision, nearly falling to the ground.

Just then, she felt a pair of hands reach out from her shoulders, holding her tightly.

“Why are you walking so fast?”

A familiar voice came from above her head. Jia Yun laughed softly, looking down at Mang Ke, and asked, “Is someone chasing you?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xun Fangyun walked around the corner.

She saw Jia Yun embracing Mang Ke, and her eyes instantly darkened. But in the next moment, her usual composure returned. She paused for just a second before continuing to walk forward.

Jia Yun naturally saw her but chose not to greet Xun Fangyun. She continued to hold Mang Ke, saying, “I didn’t manage to pick you up yesterday, and I was worried you’d be late for work. I already told the HR department not to schedule your overtime so late.”

Mang Ke felt Jia Yun’s black hair brush against her earlobe, making her feel ticklish.

“Ah… I thank you on behalf of our department.”

“Don’t be shy. Since everyone knows you’re my girlfriend now, let’s not be so formal.”

“Um, I…”

“Shhh.”

Jia Yun leaned closer, whispering within a foot of Mang Ke, “Although it’s still very early for work, if you want to thank me, I hope you wait until after work.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xun Fangyun walk past them without expression. Jia Yun happily poked Mang Ke’s nose with her finger and said, “Stay at my place tonight. Your home is so far away, and commuting to the company must be troublesome.”

Mang Ke blushed. She looked at Jia Yun and said with some difficulty, “It’s fine for me to go home alone, honestly, don’t bother yourself.”

Jia Yun chuckled softly, leaned down, and gently kissed Mang Ke on the forehead.

Mang Ke: “!!!!”

Jia Yun smiled and said, “Xiao Ke, you’re so sweet~”

Meanwhile, the assistant, walking out of the office holding documents, greeted the entering Xun Fangyun enthusiastically: “General Manager Yu, why are you here so early? You… what’s wrong? Your face looks terrible?”

Xun Fangyun felt her legs go weak and her vision blur. She reached out and leaned on her assistant’s shoulder, covering her chest with her other hand.

The assistant was terrified. He quickly supported Xun Fangyun and asked anxiously, “General Manager Yu, General Manager Yu, what’s wrong? Are you alright? Should I send you to the hospital?”

“No need… Pfft—”

Xun Fangyun was about to say no, but unexpectedly, she coughed up a mouthful of blood onto the assistant’s suit and shirt, staining his chest bright red.

Subsequently, Xun Fangyun’s vision went black, her legs gave out, and she fainted directly.

The assistant, who had just been splattered with blood on his face, was stunned. After a long pause, he shouted, “Ah, ah, ah! Someone help! The General Manager is spitting blood! Call an ambulance quickly!!!”

Before losing consciousness, Xun Fangyun finally understood what it meant to be so angry that you vomit blood!