Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 16

Zhou Zhou drowsily finished a stick of candied hawthorns from Song Yi’s hand before she could even fully wake up. Then, Song Yi divided the takoyaki and sushi into two portions, handing one to her.

“Just something to tide you over,” Song Yi said with a faint smile, completely unaware that her care for Zhou Zhou was, in a way, crossing certain boundaries.

Zhou Zhou took it and ate on her own this time, feeling much less embarrassed than before.

These were just ordinary snacks sold outside the high school gates, but Zhou Zhou had never bought them before. The school subsidies and social aid she received were strictly limited, covering only basic necessities. Aside from essential daily items, she only ever topped up her meal card. The school cafeteria food might not have been as tasty as outside options, but it was cheap.

She picked up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks and took a bite. Suddenly, she understood why everyone disliked the cafeteria food and why boarding students would sneak out using day students’ IDs to buy snacks.

But what she didn’t quite understand was why someone as wealthy as Miss Song could also eat with such relish. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Miss Song smiling, her eyes occasionally widening in delight, eyebrows lifting as if genuinely surprised by the humble street food.

In her original world, when Song Yi’s parents were still alive, they had been extremely strict about her diet. She mostly ate meals prepared by the family housekeeper nutritionally balanced dishes or dined at high-end restaurants. Street food had never been an option.

After her parents passed away one after another, no one controlled her anymore. She spent most of her time buried in work, battling the scheming old foxes in the company, often skipping meals or eating irregularly just enough to survive. When she craved something, she would buy a pile of cherries from the fruit store, popping them one by one for comfort and flavor. The consequence was developing stomach problems at a young age.

Now, sitting in the car with Zhou Zhou, eating random street snacks, Song Yi felt an unusual sense of fulfillment.

So, eating wasn’t just a meaningless chore for survival after all.

This simple meal, if it could even be called a meal left Song Yi oddly moved. She finished her portion contentedly.

She decided then that she would start eating properly from now on. She didn’t want to suffer from stomach pains again like before.

After finishing, she rubbed her stomach. She didn’t feel full, but the hunger was gone.

Zhou Zhou ate more slowly, seemingly lost in thought as she chewed. Song Yi remembered Zhou Zhou mentioning earlier that she still didn’t know where to stay and began considering inviting her back to the villa.

But how could she phrase it in a way that Zhou Zhou would accept her offer?

Song Yi had no clue. After all, Zhou Zhou had been in such a hurry to leave after just one night together.

She waited quietly until Zhou Zhou finished eating before asking, “Zhou Zhou, do you know any good restaurants around here?”

Zhou Zhou paused, then nodded. “There’s a stir-fry place across from the school that’s pretty popular.”

She had never eaten there herself, but she’d overheard classmates praising the home-style dishes. The menu changed daily, depending on what the owner bought at the market in the morning. Usually, there were six dishes to choose from, each costing six yuan, with free rice.

Why was Miss Song asking about this? Zhou Zhou was puzzled. She thought they had already eaten.

“Take me to eat. I’m still hungry, and I’m curious about what the food near your school tastes like,” Song Yi said with a smirk, her usually sharp and cool eyes softening with warmth.

The moment their gazes met, Zhou Zhou was the first to look away.

Her right hand slipped silently into her pocket, fingers brushing against a few rough, worn-out bills. She still had a few dozen yuan left, and the thought gave her a bit of confidence. Lifting her eyes again to meet Song Yi’s amused gaze, she said, “Alright, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Song Yi was slightly taken aback by the latter half of Zhou Zhou’s sentence but soon relaxed, chuckling, “I have a big appetite.”

“Then you should eat more later,” Zhou Zhou replied with a smile, feeling a sense of relief as she turned to open the car door.

Song Yi followed her, a gentle smile lingering on her lips.

The shop was the second one to the right, directly across from the school gate. By now, the crowd had thinned most of the remaining customers were students from No. 2 High School. Given the intense pressure of senior year and the approaching finals, meals were practically a race against the clock.

Stepping inside, Song Yi took in the cramped space smaller than one of her rooms packed with eight square tables, each accompanied by four long benches.

Some customers had already left, their bowls and chopsticks still uncleared on the tables. Song Yi glanced at them and noticed every plate had been scraped clean, a good sign that the food must be decent.

“Miss Song, let’s sit here,” Zhou Zhou said, finding a clean table.

Song Yi walked over and sat down on the old wooden chair, which let out a faint creak under her weight.

Zhou Zhou looked embarrassed, but Song Yi only found it amusing. Adjusting her seat, she said, “I don’t know what’s good here, you order. And don’t get too much.”

Zhou Zhou hurried to the kitchen to place their order. The owner, a middle-aged woman, was expertly flipping a wok over the flames. “What would you like, little miss?”

Zhou Zhou glanced at the baskets of ingredients nearby and said, “One plate of each of the six dishes, for two people.”

“Got it,” the owner replied warmly. “Go take a seat, it’ll be ready soon.”

Before returning to the table, Zhou Zhou double-checked that she had enough money to cover the meal, then rejoined Song Yi.

At that moment, Song Yi was fiddling with a waist-high electric fan, struggling to stop its rotation.

Zhou Zhou noticed a bead of sweat trickling down Song Yi’s cheek and stepped forward to help. Song Yi moved aside, watching as Zhou Zhou pressed a small protrusion at the back of the fan with her thumb, bringing it to a halt.

After adjusting the fan, Zhou Zhou sat down across from Song Yi. Song Yi realized the breeze was now blowing against her back, shielding Zhou Zhou from the wind. She turned to readjust it, making sure Zhou Zhou could feel the cool air too, before settling back into her seat.

Soon, the owner arrived with their dishes. Zhou Zhou stood up, and Song Yi followed suit. Zhou Zhou walked over to a large rice cooker, scooping rice into a bowl. Halfway through, she turned and asked, “Miss Song, is this enough?”

Song Yi, unused to such small portions, replied without much thought, “Add another scoop.”

Zhou Zhou turned back, pressing her lips together as she added another spoonful.

By the end of the meal, Song Yi was completely stuffed so full that she felt heavier, as if she’d never eaten this much in her life.

Zhou Zhou went to pay while Song Yi waited, deliberately not asking about the cost. Keeping things natural would make Zhou Zhou feel more at ease.

As they stepped out of the small eatery, Song Yi turned to Zhou Zhou with a smile. “Thanks for the treat. That was the most satisfying meal I’ve ever had.”

Zhou Zhou’s mind overheated and crashed completely, taking a long moment to reboot.

She stared at Miss Song’s face, trying to determine whether this was just polite conversation.

Song Yi continued, “I can’t tell if it’s because the food here is truly exceptional, or because I have you here with me.”

A sudden gust of wind swept through the sweltering noon, stirring up dust and fallen leaves along the roadside.

Playful leaves tumbled across the white canvas of Zhou Zhou’s sneakers.

Zhou Zhou found herself holding her breath.

Miss Song gazed at her with a smile. “Zhou Zhou, if you haven’t found a place to stay yet, how about coming home with me?”

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