Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 37

The next morning, Song Yi woke up early once again. However, she wasn’t quite as excessive as before; she rose at seven, moving slightly faster than Zhou Zhou.

Remembering that Zhou Zhou had an injury on her hand, she took it upon herself to go downstairs and prepare breakfast. Inside the refrigerator, there was a package of handmade dumplings with a label that read: “Pork and Corn Filling.” Zhou Zhou must have prepared them yesterday.

 

This saved her a lot of trouble; all she had to do was boil water and drop the dumplings into the pot. There were thirty-six dumplings in the box, just enough for three people.

 

While the water was boiling, Song Yi didn’t rush to add the dumplings. Instead, she took out her phone to message You Xuechu, asking if she was coming over. You Xuechu didn’t reply—she was likely still asleep—but Song Yi added all thirty-six dumplings to the pot anyway. She boiled them until they were plump and floating; the internet said that meant they were cooked. Song Yi didn’t fish them out immediately. On a sudden whim, she decided she wanted a more balanced meal, so she steamed three small bowls of egg custard as well.

 

When Zhou Zhou came downstairs, she saw Ms. Song busy in the kitchen, having already prepared nearly the entire breakfast. She hurried over to help, feeling a sense of guilt as if she had neglected her duties.

 

Sensing her mood, Song Yi spoke while busy carrying the dumplings out. “Zhou Zhou, could you help me warm up three glasses of milk?”

 

“Okay.” Zhou Zhou immediately set to work, pouring fresh milk from the fridge into glass cups and placing them in the microwave to heat for one minute.

 

Just as everything was finished, You Xuechu entered the villa, timed perfectly.

 

“Morning, Zhou Zhou,” You Xuechu said with a smile, greeting Zhou Zhou while ignoring Song Yi entirely.

 

Seeing You Xuechu, Zhou Zhou froze for a moment before realizing that since Ms. Song was cooking, it was only natural for Ms. You to come over for breakfast. “Good morning, Ms. You,” Zhou Zhou replied with a smile.

 

Song Yi set out three portions of food and looked up at You Xuechu. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

 

“I wasn’t going to, but I didn’t want food to be wasted because of me.” You Xuechu tilted her chin up and looked at the breakfast on the table. She was quite satisfied; it was rich in both staples and protein. “No fruit?” she asked Song Yi.

 

At this, Zhou Zhou took the initiative to ask, “Would cherry tomatoes be alright?”

 

“That works.”

 

You Xuechu noticed that the gauze on Zhou Zhou’s hand had been removed. She watched as Zhou Zhou walked into the kitchen, followed immediately by Song Yi.

 

You Xuechu: “…”

 

The way they couldn’t stand to be apart for even a second—and yet they still stubbornly insisted they didn’t like each other.

 

“Let me do it.” Zhou Zhou had just taken out a box of bright red cherry tomatoes when she heard Ms. Song’s voice rise tenderly behind her. “It’s better if your hand stays away from water for now.”

 

Zhou Zhou turned around hesitantly and handed the box of tomatoes to Ms. Song, not daring to meet her eyes. Song Yi didn’t notice this subtle awkwardness; she simply turned to the sink to wash the tomatoes.

 

Zhou Zhou took a fruit bowl from the cupboard and placed it by her hand. Song Yi turned her head and asked with a smile, “Should I pluck all these green stems off?”

 

Averting her gaze and looking at the sink, Zhou Zhou answered, “You can pluck them as you eat.”

 

Song Yi nodded and didn’t make an effort to remove them.

 

When the two of them finished washing the fruit and walked out, You Xuechu looked at them resentfully. Song Yi said, “Eat.”

 

You Xuechu was the first to start eating without ceremony. She was here for breakfast, after all, and to check if Song Yi was acting normally.

 

After breakfast, Song Yi looked at You Xuechu and said, “You’re free to do as you please now. I’m taking Zhou Zhou out for a while.”

 

You Xuechu’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Where are you going?”

 

“Is it a date?” she asked gossipily.

 

“No, Ms. You, please don’t misunderstand,” Zhou Zhou explained quickly, terrified that Ms. Song and Ms. You would argue over her again. She was just a transparent little butler; she wasn’t worth fighting over.

 

“Oh…” You Xuechu drew out the syllable, smiling at Zhou Zhou, clearly not believing her.

 

Zhou Zhou looked at Song Yi anxiously. “Ms. Song, please explain it to Ms. You!”

 

Song Yi only gave You Xuechu a look and offered no useless explanation. “Let’s go. The driver is waiting outside,” Song Yi said to Zhou Zhou.

 

Zhou Zhou was stunned. Was Ms. Song intentionally pretending not to care?

 

Song Yi knew at a glance that Zhou Zhou’s little brain was imagining plots that didn’t exist. She smiled helplessly and directly took Zhou Zhou’s wrist to lead her out.

 

“Have a nice date! Have fun!” You Xuechu called out happily from behind as she watched their retreating backs. Soon, however, she fell into a sense of solitary loneliness. She didn’t leave; instead, she sat down on Song Yi’s sofa and started playing a chess game on her phone.

 

Outside the villa, Zhou Zhou looked back as she was being pulled along by Song Yi.

 

“Ms. Song!” she called out urgently.

 

“What is it?” Song Yi turned her head in confusion.

 

“Aren’t you afraid Ms. You will misunderstand if you don’t explain?” Zhou Zhou asked worriedly.

 

“I’m not afraid.” Song Yi shrugged indifferently.

 

Zhou Zhou grew even more confused. Could this be… Ms. Song’s tactic? Did she want to make Ms. You jealous and then use the opportunity to reconcile?

 

“Get in the car.”

 

Song Yi opened the back door, protecting the roof with her hand as she let Zhou Zhou enter first. Zhou Zhou leaned over to get in, and Song Yi noticed that she was dressed somewhat formally today. It was the kind of outfit her former executive assistant used to wear—a white chiffon blouse and a pencil skirt. As she leaned over, her graceful curves were fully revealed.

 

Once Zhou Zhou was in and sat down while smoothing her skirt, Song Yi also got in and sat beside her.

 

Zhou Zhou had thought today’s outing was work-related, so she had chosen a mature-looking skirt from the wardrobe that could pass as professional attire. The driver drove quietly in the front while Zhou Zhou sat in the back with Ms. Song, equally silent. She was extremely nervous.

 

To this point, she still didn’t know the specific details of today’s work. She felt uneasy, fearing she wouldn’t know how to handle things and would embarrass Ms. Song. Thus, she braced herself and asked, “Ms. Song, what is the work schedule for today?”

 

Hearing this, Song Yi slowly turned her head. “Today is Saturday. We aren’t working.”

 

“Huh? Then where are we going?” Zhou Zhou asked in shock.

 

“To the mall first.”

 

Zhou Zhou had a realization. Ms. Song must have things to buy. Perhaps there were unfamiliar household items she wanted to ask about, and having Zhou Zhou there would help with carrying things. This task didn’t seem too difficult; Zhou Zhou felt relieved.

 

“It will take some time to get to the mall. You can rest for a bit,” Song Yi said.

 

Zhou Zhou nodded. “Rest assured, Ms. Song.”

 

Song Yi leaned back and slowly closed her eyes. She actually suffered from motion sickness. She was fine when driving herself, but she was afraid that driving for a long time would cause fatigue and affect her state while accompanying Zhou Zhou.

 

Zhou Zhou, on the other hand, didn’t get motion sickness and had rested well last night. It was just past nine in the morning. Outside the window, the sun was brilliant, and rows of lush, leafy trees lined the streets. Light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled, beautiful shadows across Ms. Song’s face. Zhou Zhou’s gaze lingered on Ms. Song’s face for a long while before she slowly looked away to watch the scenery outside her own window.

 

When they arrived at the large shopping mall, the driver parked the car. Zhou Zhou decided to wake Ms. Song.

 

“Ms. Song, we’re here.” Zhou Zhou raised her hand and placed it gently on Ms. Song’s shoulder, shaking her lightly.

 

Song Yi woke up with a frown and quickly opened the door to get out. Zhou Zhou’s hand was left hanging in the air, so she also hurried out of the car to stand by Ms. Song.

 

“Ms. Song, are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine.” Song Yi rubbed her temples with her right hand. “Just a bit of motion sickness.”

 

She couldn’t stand the smell of cars, but traveling without one was inconvenient. In her original world, she had someone custom-make car perfumes. Since arriving in this world, she had only driven twice; driving yourself made you less sensitive to the smell than sitting in the back, so she hadn’t had time to put ordering custom car perfume on her schedule.

 

Zhou Zhou saw a fruit shop on the first floor of the mall. “Ms. Song, wait for me for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

 

Although she didn’t know what Zhou Zhou was doing, Song Yi nodded in agreement. Zhou Zhou jogged over and soon came out with a plastic bag containing three bottles of room-temperature mineral water and some small tangerines.

 

“Drink some water and eat some tangerines; it should help.” Zhou Zhou handed the water to Song Yi and peeled a small tangerine for her, not forgetting to hand a bottle of water to the driver still in the car.

 

Song Yi felt better after drinking half a bottle of water. “Thank you.”

 

Zhou Zhou handed her another peeled tangerine. Song Yi took it; it was small, so she popped the whole thing into her mouth. The texture was soft and sweet, and the discomfort from the motion sickness was mostly dispelled. She suddenly realized that tangerines were actually quite delicious.

 

Seeing that Zhou Zhou was going to peel more for her, Song Yi said, “I’ll do it myself.”

 

Zhou Zhou handed the rest of the tangerines to her. Song Yi took them with a smile, peeling them as they walked and occasionally feeding one to Zhou Zhou. Both their looks and attire were extraordinary, attracting many glances on the street. The only thing out of place was the red plastic bag of tangerines in Song Yi’s hand, which gave off a sort of affordable, everyday romance.

 

“This shop looks nice.” Song Yi stopped outside a clothing store. Most of the clothes inside were brightly colored and well-styled—comfortable yet sweet and playful, perfect for a female university student.

 

“Let’s go in and look.” Song Yi entered the shop first, with Zhou Zhou following behind. Song Yi suddenly turned and said to Zhou Zhou, “Keep an eye out for anything you like.”

 

Zhou Zhou nodded blankly. Did Ms. Song mean she wasn’t just here to accompany her, but could shop for herself too?

 

Song Yi continued further into the store. The interior was much larger than it looked from the outside. It was a well-established brand, and there were quite a few customers. A sales assistant followed Song Yi, and seeing that she had already picked out several sweet-styled dresses that didn’t suit her own image, she tried to offer help: “Miss, would you like me to introduce some styles that would suit you?”

 

Song Yi politely declined. Holding the dresses, she went back to find Zhou Zhou, wanting her to try them on. As she walked back, she heard a commotion and saw a crowd of onlookers gathered in the distance.

 

Zhou Zhou was at the center of the confrontation. She had run into a high school classmate who had disliked her since they were students. Back then, if Zhou Zhou rejected a confession, the girl would say she was playing hard to get; if her grades were at the top of the class, the girl would spread rumors that she sneaked looks at the test papers while visiting the teacher’s office. Once, she even framed Zhou Zhou for stealing her designer lipstick, though luckily the homeroom teacher found the truth and cleared her name.

 

Zhou Zhou knew the reason Chu Weiwei targeted her was that the person Chu Weiwei liked had once confessed to Zhou Zhou. Chu Weiwei mistakenly thought Zhou Zhou was competing with her, and explanations were useless.

 

Zhou Zhou hadn’t expected to meet her here, and Chu Weiwei hadn’t expected to see Zhou Zhou anywhere but at school. At first, she thought she had misseen, but she would never forget the face that always stole her spotlight. Now that she had seen her, she wouldn’t let her go. Even though Zhou Zhou was dressed beautifully, Chu Weiwei simply thought she was “slapping her face to look fat” (putting on a front) and that the money likely came from unsavory means.

 

“Oh, Zhou Zhou. Are you here just to feast your eyes?”

 

“It’s okay if you can’t afford it. We’re old classmates; I wouldn’t want to see you fall into depravity for the sake of a pretty outfit. I can buy one for you today.”

 

Chu Weiwei looked left and right, then said regretfully, “What a shame, it seems nothing in here suits you. Why don’t I take you to a wholesale market instead?”

 

Zhou Zhou just bit her lip and maintained her politeness. “No, thank you.”

 

Chu Weiwei blocked her path. “Don’t be a stranger with me.”

 

“Staff!” Chu Weiwei waved haughtily at the sales assistant. “These, these, and those—I want them all.”

 

Because Chu Weiwei had been frustrated in love because of Zhou Zhou, she was determined to win a round here. She wanted to see Zhou Zhou humiliated. But Zhou Zhou still acted as if she didn’t care. Chu Weiwei watched her provocatively, seeing how long she could hold her composure.

 

As it turned out, it wasn’t Zhou Zhou who broke first.

 

“I’m sorry, Miss, but every piece of clothing in this store has already been purchased by Ms. Zhou.” A sales assistant walked up from behind. Thinking of how she had just witnessed a wealthy lady spend a fortune without even blinking while swiping her card, she was beyond excited. A smile bloomed on her face; this one transaction was enough to meet her entire year’s sales target.

 

“What did you say?” Chu Weiwei’s eyes widened in exaggerated disbelief. She must have misheard. Zhou Zhou was so poor; she always wore her school uniform and was a recognized “poverty student.” Saying she bought out the whole store was more like a joke meant to tease her.

 

“You heard correctly. All the clothing in the shop has been purchased by Ms. Zhou Zhou.” The assistant looked at Zhou Zhou with a warm gaze. “Ms. Zhou, packing will take some time. Would you like to wait in the store or browse elsewhere first?”

 

Standing nearby, Chu Weiwei was about to explode. Realizing that the new styles she had her eye on were now owned by Zhou Zhou, she couldn’t take it anymore and stormed out in a rage. The other customers looked on with envy in their eyes and voices.

 

Zhou Zhou herself was equally shocked. She looked around the crowd and, for a split second, her eyes met Ms. Song’s. Ms. Song smiled at her, and she suddenly understood: Ms. Song had quietly bought everything in her name.

 

Once most of the customers had left, Zhou Zhou walked to Song Yi’s side. Song Yi led her to a sofa in the lounge area and asked in confusion, “Why aren’t you happy?”

 

Zhou Zhou shook her head gently. “I’m not unhappy.”

 

“Then why the long face?” Song Yi asked softly. That money was nothing to her.

 

But Zhou Zhou was pained by the cost, her brows furrowing. “Ms. Song, wasn’t buying everything a waste of money?”

 

The corners of Song Yi’s mouth curved slightly as she raised her hand to press her finger against the space between Zhou Zhou’s brows. “I bought them for you. It’s not a waste.”

 

“And besides…” Song Yi added with a smile, “The tangerines were very sweet.”

 

Zhou Zhou’s heart trembled. How could a bag of tangerines compare to a whole store’s worth of clothes?

 

The sales assistant then brought over two cups of freshly brewed coffee, smiling as she invited the VIP guests to taste them. Song Yi took a sip, already considering setting up a separate walk-in closet for Zhou Zhou; otherwise, the wardrobe in the bedroom wouldn’t be able to hold this many clothes.

 

Zhou Zhou held the coffee in her hands, her mind filled only with Ms. Song’s words: “The tangerines were very sweet.”