Running a Food Stall to Support My Deceptive Omega - Chapter 14

At this moment, Mu Jinyu was feeling quite conflicted. After all, the two of them were living under the same roof; she simply could not avoid Rong Heng.

Having no other choice, she stood up and leaned toward the window, pricking up her ears to listen carefully to the movements outside.

She didn’t hear any sound.

Could it be that Rong Heng had already returned to her room?

If she had returned to her room, things would be easier to handle. She could prepare the food and then eat separately from Rong Heng, avoiding the other woman to the greatest extent possible.

Mu Jinyu took a deep breath and pushed open the door with both hands. Just as she was about to step out, Rong Heng, who had been sitting leaning against the door, fell backward without any defense.

She happened to bump right into Mu Jinyu’s legs.

Mu Jinyu never expected such a development. Her entire body froze instantly; she could neither retreat nor step forward.

What was Rong Heng doing at her door?

Blocking her?

Rong Heng’s reactions were slow. After falling against Mu Jinyu’s legs, she didn’t seem in a hurry to leave. Instead, she tilted her head up to look at her.

By the light of the cold, clear moon, Mu Jinyu could see that Rong Heng’s face was pale, her chin was sharp, and even her frame was thin and weak.

She looked utterly listless.

Could she be on the verge of fainting from hunger?

A faint sense of guilt emerged in Mu Jinyu’s heart. She could neglect her own body because she was busy, but she couldn’t neglect Rong Heng’s body.

Carefully moving her legs away, she said to Rong Heng, “Sit properly. I’m going to cook.”

In truth, she didn’t know what kind of attitude to use when facing Rong Heng.

Too much trust might lead to being harmed by Rong Heng, but staying constantly vigilant seemed overly harsh toward the amnesiac Rong Heng—and it would be exhausting for herself as well.

Mu Jinyu didn’t quite dare to stay in the same space as Rong Heng for too long. She stole a glance at the other woman and quietly slipped along the edge of the door toward the stove.

Rong Heng didn’t seem to notice her evasion at all. Instead, like a little tail, she followed behind her to the stove side.

This made Mu Jinyu afraid to look at her. Keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead, she lit the fire in the stove, intending to cook with the only remaining lettuce.

She also placed two sweet potatoes at the very edge of the hearth, ensuring they wouldn’t be scorched while still being easy to cook through.

There was too little food in the house. No matter how much she searched, there were only these few bites to eat.

It seemed she would have to set aside some copper coins tomorrow to buy some food to keep at home.

At the very least, she needed to have rice and eggs.

While waiting for the water in the pot to boil, Mu Jinyu placed the pot she had used to boil the Fish Bone Noodles on the counter.

She had already poured out the fish head and bone soup, leaving only some remnants. She hadn’t known where to discard them on the Night Market Street, so she had brought them back.

Now, she would pick off the fish meat, rinse it with water, and give it to that little colorful leopard cat later.

While Mu Jinyu was busy, Rong Heng did just as she had yesterday—squatting opposite her, resting both hands and her chin on the edge of the stove, watching her movements.

Being stared at made Mu Jinyu feel uncomfortable, and she couldn’t help but lean her body away.

Once the water in the pot boiled, she threw the lettuce in, blanched it for a few moments, and then scooped it out into a basin.

Mu Jinyu minced some ginger and garlic, then mixed them with salt, Sichuan peppercorns, black pepper, and soy sauce into the basin, stirring everything evenly.

The dish of cold-dressed lettuce was finished.

By then, the sweet potatoes roasting in the stove were also ready. Mu Jinyu used tongs to pull them out and placed them before Rong Heng.

After some thought, she couldn’t help but offer a reminder: “Be careful, it’s hot.”

The skin of the sweet potatoes was charred black, but the inside was soft and golden. Accompanied by the slightly pungent yet refreshing taste of the lettuce, it was enough to fill their stomachs.

After finishing this late dinner and no longer feeling the emptiness in her stomach, Rong Heng finally felt much more comfortable.

So, that lingering feeling that there was still something left undone was simply because her stomach was empty.

She propped her chin in her hands and leaned against the stone table. While recalling that sensation, she etched it into her heart.

Meanwhile, Mu Jinyu picked up the prepared fish meat puree and placed it under her bed.

She wasn’t in a hurry to make the little leopard cat eat immediately; once it got hungry, it would naturally feed itself.

Afterward, she went to the storage room to see if there was any bean oil. She found none, so it seemed there was one more thing to buy tomorrow.

After washing up with Rong Heng and returning to her room once more, Mu Jinyu carefully closed the door and leaned against the bed, feeling drowsy.

It was nearly midnight, and having been busy all day, she could no longer hold out.

But she felt as though she had forgotten something?

What was it?

Mu Jinyu’s body slowly slid down. The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep, though her consciousness remained somewhat flighty.

What was it?

It seemed to be…

…

…

It seemed she had forgotten to change Rong Heng’s bandages!

With such thoughts at night, one is destined to sleep poorly.

Mu Jinyu woke up with a start, her amber pupils shrinking. In the darkness, she abruptly locked eyes with a pair of even darker eyes.

The shock made her gasp, her entire body lunging backward into the bed, nearly screaming “Ghost!”

It was Rong Heng.

It was Rong Heng!

Rong Heng had come to kill her!

No, no, no! She wouldn’t!

Rong Heng just didn’t want to stay in her own room, so she came to find her. She wasn’t here to kill her.

Don’t worry, don’t worry.

Mu Jinyu clutched her hand over her heart in lingering fear.

She could clearly feel her heart thumping wildly inside, as if it were about to jump out of her chest.

She then used her hand to soothe her chest, trying hard to calm herself down.

Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, nothing will happen.

“Can’t you sleep?” she asked, her voice sounding a bit weak.

Rong Heng gave a response, nodding her head, her eyes fixed steadily on Mu Jinyu.

It was a bit eerie.

Mu Jinyu closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her temples for a long while before opening her eyes as if resigning to fate. “Sit down first.”

She got out of bed, looked at the closed door, and moved inconspicuously to open it before saying to Rong Heng, “I’ll change your dressing.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the blank expression on Rong Heng’s face immediately turned into one of unhappiness and reluctance.

Seeing Mu Jinyu actually take out that familiar wound medicine, Rong Heng stood up swiftly and bolted.

“Hey!”

Watching Rong Heng’s figure run into the courtyard, Mu Jinyu raised her hand halfway in a gesture to stop her, then let it drop.

It was a good thing that Rong Heng left on her own; otherwise, the pressure would have been too much for her.

But according to her usual self, she should be chasing after Rong Heng now, forcing her to let the medicine be applied.

However, right now, she was a bit afraid to give chase.

Mu Jinyu clutched the medicine in her hand and sat back on the bed. The door was wide open, but she didn’t look at Rong Heng in the courtyard.

She sat there, head lowered, agonizing over it.

She even tried lying down on the bed again, attempting to go back to sleep.

But the moment her eyes closed, they snapped open again. She simply couldn’t sleep with a clear conscience.

She couldn’t get past the hurdle in her own heart; even just neglecting the other’s injury felt like she was playing the villain.

Mu Jinyu sighed and sat up, resigning to her fate, and locked eyes with Rong Heng, who was standing in the courtyard watching her.

Rong Heng, in the courtyard, had also thought Mu Jinyu would chase her like yesterday to change her dressing. She hadn’t expected the other woman to do nothing at all and even lie back down as if to sleep.

Rong Heng was somewhat bewildered, feeling conflicted in her heart—should she take the initiative to walk to Mu Jinyu’s side?

One moment she felt Mu Jinyu was a good person, and the next she felt Mu Jinyu was a bad person. Her mind went back and forth, unwilling to compromise easily.

Locked in a gaze, Rong Heng tilted her head, looking away.

She cast aside all the thoughts in her mind. She would just stay there quietly and wait for Mu Jinyu to come find her.