Running a Food Stall to Support My Deceptive Omega - Chapter 31.1

Mu Jinyu sat dazed on the stone bench, staring at Rong Heng for a long time. It took a good while for her brain to process what Rong Heng meant by the word “Passable.”

It must mean “delicious.”

It turned out Rong Heng had said her cooking was delicious yesterday. She just hadn’t known and had been troubled by it for so long.

Mu Jinyu turned her head to the side and chuckled, secretly marveling at how much she cared about Rong Heng’s opinion. She stood up, reaching her long arm across the stone table to land on top of Rong Heng’s head, unceremoniously rubbing it back and forth a couple of times.

“In the future, speak clearly. Don’t just pop out words one by one, alright?”

The hair that had been neatly combed and hadn’t come loose through an entire night of busyness was now ruffled by Mu Jinyu.

Rong Heng looked up slightly. “Do you still want your hand?”

At those words, Mu Jinyu’s eyes widened slightly. She found it hard to believe that Rong Heng could say something so blunt. She pulled her hand back and told Rong Heng not to speak like that, or she wouldn’t make her anything good to eat tomorrow.

She even muttered under her breath, “How are you becoming more and more like that Rong Heng?”

This earned a side-glance from Rong Heng, who became even more certain that Mu Jinyu had met her former self. However, Mu Jinyu didn’t notice that Rong Heng had excellent hearing and simply sat beside her, waiting for her to finish eating.

When Rong Heng finished her fourth meal of the day, the two washed up together and lay down in bed. This time, Rong Heng didn’t drive Mu Jinyu away like before. She waited until Mu Jinyu fell asleep the moment she hit the mattress, then sat upright in bed, watching the sleeping person intently.

She couldn’t sleep; she didn’t know when she would lose her memory again or when it would return. She could only persist like this, making herself stay in the moment for a few more hours.

Mu Jinyu’s sleeping posture was very orderly—lying flat and straight, hands folded over her stomach, with the blanket pulled up to her shoulders. She didn’t cross any lines.

Rong Heng watched for a long time. Finally, unable to resist, she reached out and brushed the back of her hand against Mu Jinyu’s cheek. The skin felt delicate, like a bead of jade that had been polished until it was smooth and warm.

Then, her fingertips slid from Mu Jinyu’s temple down her face, following the clear jawline to the chin. She pinched Mu Jinyu’s chin and lifted it, making the other’s rosy lips even more visible.

Inside the room, the oil lamp held up a single, slender flame. The warm yellow light illuminated only half of Rong Heng’s face; the other half was hidden in darkness, staring eerily at the defenseless, sleeping person.

She pressed her finger against them, pushing the full lips inward until the color deepened into a dark red, looking almost blood-stained. She rubbed her finger back and forth, eliciting a soft “ungh” from the sleeping Mu Jinyu, whose brows knitted slightly in discomfort.

Rong Heng wasn’t afraid of waking her. She knew that even if Mu Jinyu woke up, she wouldn’t blame her. On the contrary, she would only wrap herself in the quilt, face flushing red, and hide to the side. Perhaps she would stammer and tell her not to do that.

In reality, the other woman couldn’t resist her at all. She could only let her do as she pleased.

Quite cute, actually.

As her fingertip pressed slightly into Mu Jinyu’s mouth, the sleeping woman became more uncomfortable, her head trying to turn away. The weak struggle was like an ant trying to shake a giant tree.

After watching for a while, Rong Heng let her go. Her fingers moved to pinch the full cheeks instead, tugging several times and leaving two red finger marks behind.

“You’d better keep rejecting the version of me that loses her memory.”

Her dark eyes lingered on Mu Jinyu’s neck. It was so slender she could choke it with one hand.

“Otherwise…”

You’ll die.

Her hand was too cold. When it landed on the slender neck, it caused Mu Jinyu to shiver slightly.

The oil in the lamp gradually decreased. When it reached the bottom, it made a faint crackling sound, as if the heat were scorching the base of the bowl. The flame, which had been burning fiercely to give off its light, now became insignificant, no different from the glow of rotting grass.

Rong Heng’s shadow was projected on the wall—huge, twisted, and somewhat… grotesque.

The oil lamp flickered out, plunging the room into darkness. The strange shadow vanished. She leaned down, resting her head on Mu Jinyu’s chest, her pitch-black hair spreading over her back like black silk. Her finger kept drawing circles over Mu Jinyu’s heart.

Round and round. Round and round. Like a tiny person dancing in the night.

Finally, the finger stopped. Her palm rested over Mu Jinyu’s heart. Rong Heng closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

The next day, bright and warm sunlight streamed through the window, shining on their faces. Mu Jinyu’s face felt hot from the sun. She frowned, wanting to lift her arm to cover her eyes and block the light.

Unfortunately, when she moved her arm, it was pinned down by a weight, and she couldn’t lift it as she wished. She looked to the side, and when she saw the person lying in her arms, her confusion and sleepiness vanished instantly.

She was startled awake!

Too—too close!

Rong Heng was leaning so close to her; they had never been this intimate before! The other woman was curled up entirely in her arms, her arm pressing under Mu Jinyu’s chest, holding her quite tightly.

She tried to pull away, but she couldn’t break free. She couldn’t break free at all!

Did they sleep like this last night?

Mu Jinyu had fallen asleep too quickly yesterday and had no memory of what happened afterward. She had no idea how Rong Heng ended up in her arms. Her eyes widened, her face filled with panic.

She moved her body slightly, trying to carefully rescue herself from Rong Heng’s grasp. But with every movement, Rong Heng hugged her tighter, burying her head deeper into her chest, refusing to let her escape.

Heavens.

Mu Jinyu lifted her other arm and pressed a finger against Rong Heng’s head, trying to push her away. But before she could apply any force, Rong Heng looked up dazed, her eyes half-open as she stared at her. She seemed unable to understand why she had been woken up.

Now that Rong Heng was awake, things were easier. Mu Jinyu quickly said, “Time to get up. Let go of me first, I’ll make you something to eat.”

Rong Heng was so tired, it was as if she hadn’t slept at all the night before. Her thoughts were sluggish and she couldn’t think. Although she knew Mu Jinyu was speaking, the words flowed away like water, never making it into her head.

After staring blankly at Mu Jinyu for a few breaths.

Flop!

She buried her head back into Mu Jinyu’s chest, nuzzled a few times, and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

“Don’t—don’t sleep.” Mu Jinyu reached out, wanting to stop her.

But why would Rong Heng care? Once she was down, she was down. Her arms even tightened, afraid the soft pillow would leave.

Mu Jinyu: “…”

By the time the two finally got out of bed, it was already noon. Mu Jinyu didn’t have time to go out and buy groceries, so she had to make do with what they had.

Having slept her fill and expecting something delicious, Rong Heng’s eyes dropped in disappointment. She looked pitiful.

Seeing this, Mu Jinyu immediately looked away from the pouting face, her own face flushing red. She said, “You clung to me for too long, that’s why there’s nothing new to eat.”

Then, afraid she wouldn’t be able to resist making something new if she kept looking at Rong Heng’s aggrieved expression, she hurried to the stove.

She planned to make egg and vegetable fried rice and a warm flour congee (mian hulu).

Over the past few days, they had been eating quite oily food, and Rong Heng was eating four meals a day. She was worried their stomachs would be burdened. The flour congee was warm, soft, easy to digest, and absorb—a perfect way to let the stomach rest and recover.

It was simple to make: add the right amount of water to flour and stir until it forms a slurry. Boil water in a pot, and when it’s warm, pour in the flour-water mixture. Once it boils, the mixture turns into a translucent, milky-white paste. Then it’s ready!

Both the fried rice and the congee were simple and fast. When they were served, it was actually earlier than their usual mealtime.

The two sat at the stone table.

Today’s Rong Heng was much cuter than yesterday’s. Even though there was no “new” food, when she saw the large bowl of golden fried rice and the bowl of snow-white congee, she couldn’t help but look at Mu Jinyu with sparkling eyes.

She said, “Smells good.”

Even such simple dishes could be made so delicious by Mu Jinyu; she really was amazing!

Rong Heng took a spoonful, took a sip of the congee, and then, feeling it wasn’t enough, she picked up the bowl and gulped it down. She finished the whole bowl in one go!

And she didn’t stop there. she picked up the bowl of fried rice and began scooping rapidly with her spoon. Her eating speed was very fast, not at all like the slow, careful chewing of yesterday.

Watching her eat was truly satisfying. Whether it was a feast of meat or simple stir-fried vegetables, Rong Heng ate with great relish, every mouthful packed full. It was genuine enjoyment, with no hint of forcing herself.

Furthermore, Rong Heng had a large appetite. Every time, she finished everything Mu Jinyu made. For a cook, this was the ultimate compliment.

Mu Jinyu watched Rong Heng eat with a smile for a long time before she started eating herself.

She really had misunderstood Rong Heng yesterday. How could Rong Heng not like her cooking? She loved it to death! It was just that the other woman had used a more “reserved” way of expressing it yesterday, and she hadn’t caught on.

It was all her own fault. And she had doubted herself yesterday too. She was always serious when she cooked and never treated it casually; how could she doubt herself? It was just unnecessary worry.

Once she figured it out, Mu Jinyu’s mood became excellent. She felt the breeze was gentle, the sun was warm, and the grass smelled sweet—everything was wonderful.

After finishing lunch, they sat together to count copper coins. Mu Jinyu specifically set aside the earned coins and told Rong Heng that they had earned them together. If she wanted to eat or use anything, just tell her, and she would use this money to buy it.

Rong Heng tilted her head slightly, looking at the blue sky as if thinking. But after a long while, she hadn’t thought of anything to buy.

She cleverly tugged on Mu Jinyu’s sleeve, shaking it, and looked at her with bright eyes.

“Shopping. Let’s go shopping!”

She wanted to walk side-by-side with Mu Jinyu on the street again, listening to her explain what the little carts by the roadside were selling. She found it very interesting. Thinking of this, Rong Heng began to sway her body, her joy evident.

“Alright, alright, I’ll take you.” Mu Jinyu had developed a “disease” where she couldn’t help but smile whenever she saw Rong Heng. Her cheeks were stiff from smiling.

“Then, are you going to comb your own hair today, or should I do it?”

Rong Heng didn’t even think before saying, “You do it.”

She liked the feeling of Mu Jinyu’s fingers moving through her hair. The movements were gentle and didn’t pull, and sometimes she would tenderly untangle the knots.

“Okay.”

Mu Jinyu agreed and brought out a comb. It was only because she had to take Rong Heng out these past few days that she started combing her hair.

Combing someone else’s hair involved many worries. Worrying if her movements were too slow, if she was making the person uncomfortable, or if she would pull the hair.

Mu Jinyu carefully gathered Rong Heng’s smooth hair into her palm. Truthfully, there wasn’t much to comb. Rong Heng’s hair quality was excellent, as shiny as silk. The comb passed through without meeting any tangles.

But Mu Jinyu still meticulously combed through all of it. Once it was smoothed, she thought about tying it all together like she usually did for herself.

But then she remembered that Rong Heng didn’t like it that way yesterday. Instead, she had tied a bun at the back and left half of it hanging down.

She knew how to tie a bun, of course, but she was afraid she wouldn’t do it well. Her long, slender fingers moved through the black hair, grabbing half of it and trying to twist it.

After finally forming a bun, Mu Jinyu felt it wasn’t as good as when Rong Heng did it herself. So she let the hair down and tried again. She did this four or five times, feeling something was wrong every time.

Moreover, she was afraid of hurting Rong Heng, so her movements were very light. Her fingers became stiff, and the resulting bun was loose and not very pretty.

Mu Jinyu let go of Rong Heng’s hair in frustration, rubbing her fingers. Normally when she cooked, she could make the ingredients look however she wanted without any difficulty. Why was Rong Heng’s hair so hard?

Hearing Mu Jinyu’s sigh, Rong Heng, who was sitting on the stone bench playing with the little tricolor cat using a persimmon branch, looked up at her.

From this angle, Rong Heng’s face was upside down. Her chin looked sharper, her eyes rounder. Even though she had no expression and was just blinking, Mu Jinyu found the look incredibly cute.

It felt like she was acting spoiled.

Struck by the cuteness, Mu Jinyu took a step back. She felt she wouldn’t be able to handle it if she didn’t put some distance between them. She would sink into it. She looked away, not daring to meet Rong Heng’s round eyes.

Seeing Mu Jinyu retreat, Rong Heng didn’t understand why. With a hint of curiosity on her face and a couple of blinks, she lifted the branch in her hand and poked at Mu Jinyu.

However, when looking at someone upside down, one’s vision and movements often have a slight discrepancy. The branch didn’t poke Mu Jinyu but passed right by her head, the tips of the leaves brushing against her cheek and ear.

For some reason, that tiny touch made Mu Jinyu’s face and ears burn. A faint memory flashed through her mind—of a pair of soft, white hands rubbing and pinching her cheeks and ears.

She immediately recognized them as Rong Heng’s hands. But Rong Heng had never touched her like that.

It must be a dream…

Perhaps it was a forgotten dream from some night.

Mu Jinyu felt incredibly embarrassed. Lately, her dreams were all about Rong Heng, and that wasn’t good. She reached out and grabbed the branch Rong Heng was poking with. The two of them remained in that position, staring seriously at each other.

The breeze and the sun were warm. It felt as if a few tiny spring insects had landed on Mu Jinyu’s heart, crawling and making it itch.

One breath, two breaths… the gaze lasted longer and longer, and everything around them seemed to stop. The clouds being blown about by the wind seemed to still, the swaying trees stopped moving, and even the lingering scent of grass disappeared.

Mu Jinyu couldn’t feel anything else, only the person in front of her.