Romance Allergy [Book Transmigration] - Chapter 14

“Actinomycetes spores? Feels weird?”

The elegant smile on Chi Xueqing’s face stiffened for a split second.

What kind of rejection reason was that?

It sounded utterly absurd, yet she couldn’t find a way to argue with it. In fact, why did she suddenly feel like the other person’s reasoning was grounded in solid science?

Shouldn’t people think the air after rain is refreshing and heart-clearing? “Feels weird”? What was weird about it? Was it weird because you were inhaling the offspring of Actinomycetes?

…Thinking about it that way, it actually did feel a bit weird.

Chi Xueqing opened her mouth, but for someone usually so silver-tongued able to strike up a conversation with anyone regardless of status, she was actually at a loss for words in this moment.

Meanwhile, Wen Zhixin, whose back was turned toward the dining room, inexplicably curled her lips into a tiny smile after hearing Dou Anyao’s answer. After a thought, she added another half-spoon of sugar to Dou Anyao’s coffee.

She remembered she used to love lollipops, so she probably preferred things on the sweeter side.

After politely declining Chi Xueqing, Dou Anyao fell silent as well. Just as it seemed the three were about to sink into an awkward, silent atmosphere, another set of footsteps sounded from the stairs, breaking the fragile peace.

The Seaside Cottage was decorated in a rustic style, with raw wood-colored floors in the rooms and wooden stairs; every step made a distinct pitter-patter sound.

Dou Anyao was still propping up her face, staring at Wen Zhixin’s back in the distance, eagerly awaiting her coffee. She was thinking that since she’d come down right after waking up, her mouth felt a bit bland—when was her sweet, fragrant coffee coming… She didn’t notice the footsteps behind her at all.

Yu Xi, with her hands tucked into the large pockets of her pinafore dress, skipped over as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She spoke in a lively, sugary tone, “Wow, it smells so good! Coffee and sweet bread! What delicious things did you make?”

There was no trace on her face of the fearful and aggrieved look she had shown Dou Anyao upstairs; it was as if nothing had happened. However, she stole a secret glance at Dou Anyao.

Finding that the other woman didn’t even spare her a glance out of the corner of her eye, Yu Xi bit her lip. She then walked directly into the kitchen area, pretending to be curious about what Wen Zhixin was doing.

Chi Xueqing had been wondering how to move past the awkwardness of being rejected by Dou Anyao, so Yu Xi’s arrival was a perfect out. She followed Yu Xi’s lead and replied, “We also made egg tarts. They’re almost ready.”

Saying this, she stood up and walked toward the oven. “The timing is about right; we can add the fruit now.”

Wen Zhixin gave an acknowledging hum. After telling Yu Xi to pour her own coffee, she picked up a small tray and brought Dou Anyao’s coffee over.

Placing the coffee carefully in front of Dou Anyao, Wen Zhixin said, “I thought having something sweet right after waking up might feel better. I added some milk and white sugar to this cup for you. If you find it too sweet or too bitter, I can add more coffee or sugar.”

Dou Anyao shook her head. She looked up at Wen Zhixin standing beside her and curled her lips into a smile. “Thank you, Zhixin. You’re so thoughtful. It’s fine, I like it sweet.”

Wen Zhixin instinctively lowered her eyes to avoid her gaze. The face that had just cooled down couldn’t help but begin to heat up again. “You… try it first.”

Dou Anyao gave an “Mhm.”

The coffee was still a bit hot, so Dou Anyao took a shallow sip.

Feeling the mellow, slightly sweet coffee swirl in her mouth before sliding down her throat, warming her body and soul, Dou Anyao let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. She said softly, “It’s sweet and very delicious.”

Seeing that she truly seemed to like it, Wen Zhixin finally breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you like it. There’s plenty more; I’ll pour you another when you’re finished.”

The feeling of having a cup of hot coffee in an air-conditioned room after waking up was just too good. Dou Anyao didn’t hold back her praise. “It’s so fragrant. You’re really amazing; the coffee is wonderful.”

She was like a different person, almost as if she were coaxing a child. The words of praise, which Wen Zhixin had never heard before, came one after another. Even though Wen Zhixin tried to tell herself these things were nothing special, a few hints of joy involuntarily touched her eyes and the corners of her mouth.

Having returned to her previous seat, Wen Zhixin almost buried her face in her own coffee, showing only her reddened earlobes.

The two didn’t lower their voices, so the other two in the kitchen area heard every word.

One was pouring coffee and adding sugar and milk, while the other was adding the prepared fruit pulp to the egg tarts. No one knew what they were thinking, but they both worked in silence, not saying a single word.

After pouring her coffee, Yu Xi looked at the dining table and chose to sit next to Chi Xueqing.

By the time Chi Xueqing brought over eight egg tarts and all four were seated at the long table, the atmosphere became instantly subtle.

Wen Zhixin was originally sitting across from Chi Xueqing. Since Dou Anyao had arrived, she had taken a single seat at the head of the table, leaving two empty seats between her and the others.

Since Yu Xi had later sat on the other side of Chi Xueqing, it now looked like three people were sitting together in a lively group, while Dou Anyao was solitary, “far from the clamor.”

It felt a bit like she was being isolated.

Wen Zhixin noticed this almost immediately after Chi Xueqing sat down. She looked up at Dou Anyao, opening her mouth to ask if she wanted to move closer, but Chi Xueqing across from her was faster.

“Anyao, the egg tarts are ready. Come sit closer and let’s eat together.”

As soon as Chi Xueqing spoke, the bulleted comments from viewers who had witnessed everything began frantically praising her for being magnanimous or a truly good person.

[Xueqing, I’m literally crying for her!]

[Xueqing is just too good! She kindly invited her to the backyard earlier and got rejected by that ungrateful thing, yet she still invited her to eat egg tarts without holding a grudge. She’s so attentive and gentle!]

[If it were me, I wouldn’t care about her at all. Hmph.]

[I was just about to say Dou Anyao would be embarrassed by the seating, and Chi Xueqing noticed. So thoughtful.]

[A beautiful woman who is talented, gentle, and kind—I’m going to love her to death, okay!]

Dou Anyao actually didn’t feel anything was wrong. She didn’t believe being “far from the crowd” meant being out of place; in fact, she was afraid that sitting too close to others might cause the system to mistake it for flirting!

Was that just a matter of misunderstanding? That was a matter of life and death!

Thinking this, Dou Anyao suppressed her craving for the egg tarts and said without changing her expression, “Thank you, I’m not hungry yet.” After speaking, she showed no intention of moving; she even picked up her coffee and took another sip.

Rejected twice in a row, Chi Xueqing stared at Dou Anyao for a moment, then gave a slight smile and sat back.

She appeared to be generous and completely unbothered, but her fans and those who disliked Dou Anyao couldn’t tolerate it.

Thus, Dou Anyao successfully hit the “Hot Keywords” list because of the phrase “Thank you, I’m not hungry yet.”

Soon, the hashtag #WhyDoesDouAnyaoThinkSheCan# hit 9th place on the trending search list. Clicking into the tag revealed nothing but insults calling her ungrateful.

[Dou Anyao, the woman who rejected Chi Xueqing twice within ten minutes.]

[I really feel that with DAY’s reputation, she should be grateful anyone is even being nice to her, okay? How does she have the nerve?]

[I’m truly curious, though. What exactly did she do? She just went to a dating show and slept for almost an hour. Why did Yu Xi run up to find her, Wen Zhixin personally pour her coffee (and not Yu Xi), and Chi Xueqing invite her out?]

Dou Anyao didn’t care at all how people online couldn’t figure it out or how they criticized her actions.

Because she didn’t know.

If you don’t know about something, it’s the same as it not existing.

The four drank coffee and ate egg tarts. Yu Xi offered all sorts of sweet praises, saying the coffee was mellow and delicious and the egg tarts were crisp and fragrant. Then she mentioned whether only four guests were coming today; if so, how would the sleeping arrangements be handled tonight?

There were three rooms in the Seaside Cottage, each with two beds. Yu Xi guessed, “So does this season only have six guests in total?”

Although everyone had their own bed, resting in the same room could easily create an “ambiguous” atmosphere.

In the previous season, several guests had been making eyes at others and were about to settle on someone, only to wake up and say, “Sorry, I just realized I have more in common with my roommate.”

“If we don’t change locations, it might be like that,” Chi Xueqing speculated.

Wen Zhixin was more concerned about another matter: “Then how are our rooms arranged for tonight? Do we choose for ourselves?”

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