Phoenix A has Gone Viral Across the Entire Internet! - Chapter 19

Nightfall gradually descended, with a few faint stars scattered across the horizon. Accompanied by the low hum of the engine, rows of streetlights flashed past, casting flickering glows through the car window onto the face of the Omega sitting in the back.

The slightly yellowish light waxed and waned with the road conditions, reflecting the murky, indecisive light in Jiang Zhiwan’s eyes.

The driver, Li Zhou, had worked for the Shen family for over three years. He drove quickly yet steadily, ensuring the passenger in the rear felt almost no vibration. Remembering the musical preferences of each employer in the Shen household, he had played soothing music from the moment Jiang Zhiwan entered the car to help her relax and relieve her fatigue.

In such a comfortable atmosphere, Jiang Zhiwan gradually forgot the slight frustration that had accumulated earlier at the Li residence.

It wasn’t until her phone vibrated that she was pulled back from her empty thoughts. Although the text came from an unknown number, Jiang Zhiwan recognized the sender instantly from the content.

[As long as you can help Li Yuling get into Yuemo, I can return the ring Jiang Yunjin left for you.]

After reading the message, Jiang Zhiwan raised an eyebrow, a flash of contempt crossing her face. Li Wancai certainly didn’t mind the trouble; as long as he needed something from her, he would simply switch to a new number no matter how many times she blacklisted him.

The ring mentioned in the text was originally sent by Jiang Yunjin as a gift for Jiang Zhiwan’s eighteenth birthday. However, because of its high value, Li Wancai had used various excuses to keep it for himself. For Jiang Zhiwan, Li Wancai’s sudden initiative to return it was for the best; it saved her the trouble of demanding it from him later.

Li Wancai was so preoccupied with his precious Alpha daughter’s affairs that he likely never imagined that the mother-daughter duo would never be satisfied with the meager “warmth” he offered. Nie Lan had not been idle over the years; she had been collaborating with several major shareholders of the Li Group to hollow out Li Wancai’s shareholdings.

Jiang Zhiwan had little interest in the Li family’s assets. She hadn’t cared in her past life and remained disdainful of interfering now. Besides, she calculated that before long, that family would have no energy left to focus on her.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiwan gave a cold smile and slowly leaned her elbow against the car window. She turned her head to look out, seeing only a blur of light and shadow as the landscape retreated in a fleeting rush.

The journey was smooth, with almost no red lights. Li Zhou accelerated on appropriate stretches, eventually delivering Jiang Zhiwan home safely.

Jiang Zhiwan unlocked the door with her fingerprint. As she passed the living room, she glanced toward the sofa, thinking that Shen Nian would usually be huddled there playing games at this hour. However, it was quiet tonight; the Alpha was nowhere to be seen.

Nanny Wu heard the movement and walked out from the outer hall. “Oh, Miss Jiang, so you are the first one back.”

She smiled warmly, returning a drained robot vacuum to the corner to charge before continuing, “I thought it was the Eldest Miss. I was just wondering if I should go to the kitchen to prepare something.”

Jiang Zhiwan caught the implication: Shen Nian had gone out and had not yet returned. This was a problem, as she had something to discuss with her tonight.

Nanny Wu was observant. Seeing Jiang Zhiwan’s expression, she guessed that she was looking for the Eldest Miss. Coincidentally, she knew where she was and volunteered the information.

“Miss Shen actually went out with friends. She hasn’t been gone long, but she mentioned she would be home by 10:00 PM and asked me to prepare a midnight snack for her.”

At this, Nanny Wu couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh. Having cared for the Eldest Miss for so many years, she noted that her habits hadn’t changed at all. As an Alpha, she strictly avoided staying out all night, showing much more discipline than the younger generation in her own family.

No matter how late she stayed out, she always came home. Having lived through two lifetimes with her, Jiang Zhiwan understood this principle of Shen Nian’s. Before the Alpha had exposed her true nature, she had once explained the reason: the Shen family rules were strict, consisting of dozens of items shown to every younger member. “No staying out overnight” was one of them.

Jiang Zhiwan thought that waiting until 10:00 PM was manageable. The matter regarding Li Yuling needed to be handled while the iron was hot.

She looked up and said to Nanny Wu, “Shen Nian won’t be back until late, and waiting up will be tiring for you. Why don’t you go rest first? I will prepare the midnight snack for her.”

Nanny Wu thought this was a viable idea primarily because it might help improve the relationship between the two, so she agreed. Since Miss Jiang hadn’t spent much time in the kitchen since moving in, Nanny Wu felt slightly uneasy and listed several small details before leaving.

“The salt is in the second compartment of the seasoning box. The sugar is two compartments away. Don’t mix them up.”

“If you need chicken essence, I’ve tucked it into the third cabinet above. Last time I put it a bit far back, so you’ll have to reach in deep.”

It took three or four minutes for Nanny Wu to go through the locations of the common seasonings. Realizing this, she felt a bit embarrassed. “Oh, I am so sorry, Miss Jiang. Am I being too long-winded?”

She was getting older and had a habit of worrying, resulting in a long list of instructions. She only hoped Miss Jiang wouldn’t find her annoying.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhiwan showed no sign of impatience. “Not at all. Thank you for telling me, Nanny Wu, or I would have spent a lot of time trying to tell them apart.”

Only then did Nanny Wu feel truly at ease. Within a few minutes, she had changed her clothes and taken a car home.

Little did she know that as soon as she left, Jiang Zhiwan walked straight into the kitchen, opened the packed refrigerator, and precisely pulled out several vegetables stored on the bottom shelf.

The “green” ingredients she retrieved without a second thought happened to be the exact items Nanny Wu had just mentioned twice, the ones Shen Nian refused to even touch once cooked. To an insider, it would be hard to deny that Jiang Zhiwan’s actions were intentional: she was specifically making exactly what the Alpha disliked.

Consequently, “dark cuisine” like stir-fried celery with chili and matcha egg custard were proudly featured on the Omega’s planned menu.

Thanks to a previous web drama she filmed about food, Jiang Zhiwan actually knew how to cook, and she found it difficult to make food taste bad. Therefore, to satisfy her own whims while ensuring the Alpha coming home would receive a “delicious” snack, she could only focus her efforts on the ingredient pairings.

After placing the prepared dishes in the microwave to keep warm, Jiang Zhiwan washed her hands and took a single portion of a properly made strawberry pudding back to her room.

This was for the little bird that visited occasionally. Looking out at the night sky, Jiang Zhiwan wondered if the greedy little bird would return tonight.

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