The Obsessive Beauty’s White Moonlight - Chapter 5

Leaving the biting winds behind, Su Niannian took a deep breath as they took their seats in the small private booth Qi Ning had selected.

She hadn’t noticed it much before, but now, with the aroma of food wafting through the air, she suddenly realized her stomach was aching with hunger.

“Do you have any dietary restrictions, Miss Su?” Qi Ning pushed the menu toward her, gesturing for her to order first.

Her attention captured by the dishes, Su Niannian reflexively replied, “No onions, no garlic, no cilantro, leeks, or celery. I also don’t eat.”

Halfway through, she realized she sounded a bit too picky and shot a quick look at Qi Ning.

Qi Ning was watching her intently, clearly committing every word to memory.

The spite Su Niannian had been nursing vanished, replaced by a sudden wave of fluster. She lowered her head sheepishly, awkwardly trying to reciprocate the kindness. “W-what about you? Anything you don’t eat?”

After stammering through the question, Su Niannian buried her head again, annoyed with herself. Why do I always act so pathetic in front of this woman?

“I eat everything,” Qi Ning replied, sounding a little surprised by the question. “Just order whatever you like.”

“Oh.”

Struggling to ignore her burning cheeks, Su Niannian quickly selected a few dishes and pushed the menu back.

Qi Ning scanned the menu, checking for Su Niannian’s approval. “How about the Matsutake Chicken Porridge?”

“Sure.”

“And the King Prawn Dumplings?”

“I’ll eat those too.”

Seeing that Qi Ning was about to keep going, Su Niannian quickly stopped her. “If we order too much, we won’t finish it.”

“Fair enough,” Qi Ning smiled. She added two more dishes and pressed the call bell for the server. “We can always order more if it’s not enough.”

Su Niannian glanced at the menu and fell silent. Nine dishes for two people, how could it possibly not be enough?

However, it didn’t take long for Su Niannian to put down her chopsticks and pat her barely-full stomach, realizing it really might not be enough.

The food was delicious, but the portions were tiny. In her starved state, she hadn’t paid attention and had already polished off most of the dishes, while Qi Ning had barely touched a thing.

Su Niannian looked guiltily at the woman across from her, only to lock eyes with Qi Ning, who had clearly been watching her for some time.

“Is it good?” Qi Ning asked, propping her chin on one hand with a beaming smile.

Unaware that her eyes had been sparkling while she ate, Su Niannian played it cool. “It’s alright, I guess.”

As she spoke, Su Niannian’s earlobes turned a lovely shade of tender pink. The sight made Qi Ning’s heart skip a beat, and her own appetite finally stirred.

The earlobes are so round, they look soft and easy to pinch. No piercings, but long earrings would definitely suit her.

Qi Ning’s gaze was so fixated on her earlobes that even Su Niannian, who wanted to keep eating, noticed.

“Stop looking.”

“Hmm?”

“I said eat your food. Stop staring at me!”

Flustered and annoyed, Su Niannian widened her eyes. “What is there to look at? What are you even thinking about?”

From the earlobes to the eyes, every bit of you is beautiful, Qi Ning thought. But out loud, she said something entirely different: “I was wondering if you were still angry with me.”

“Oh,” Su Niannian blinked. She had been enjoying her meal so much she had almost forgotten their earlier friction. “I’m not angry anymore.”

She had already rationalized it in her head; perhaps Qi Ning was simply so confident in her riding skills and so used to high speeds that she hadn’t taken the protest seriously.

“I was trying to test you back then.”

The unexpected honesty made Su Niannian pause. “What?”

“Because you were so nonchalant about the attack, I wanted to see if you were naturally desensitized to fear or if you had some special connection to the case. That’s why I pretended not to hear you. I’m truly sorry.”

Su Niannian thought she would be angry, but surprisingly, she preferred the truth over a sweet lie. It made her expression soften.

“Next time, you can just ask me directly,” Su Niannian muttered, poking a piece of rice cake with her chopstick. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t slept well lately. My head wasn’t clear, so the whole thing didn’t feel real enough to be scary.”

Qi Ning stared at her moving lips, slightly dazed. Initially, she had planned to brush it off with a random excuse, but when she met Su Niannian’s eyes, the lie simply wouldn’t come out.

This reaction made Qi Ning feel like a stranger to herself.

To hide her thoughts, she turned her attention to the table, naturally changing the subject. “Don’t like crab?”

The crab was a dish Qi Ning had added later, and Su Niannian hadn’t touched it.

In truth, Su Niannian usually avoided shelled food in public because it was too much trouble, but she just nodded. She was the type of person who wore her heart on her sleeve, so Qi Ning saw through the white lie instantly.

Even her awkwardness is cute, Qi Ning thought, a smile dancing in her eyes.

“Here, open up.”

Su Niannian: “?”

Su Niannian looked up from her porridge to find a large spoonful of golden crab roe right in front of her.

Qi Ning had the crab-shucking tools laid out beside her; the bowl was already filled with perfectly extracted crab meat. She held the spoon, waiting for Su Niannian with an expectant gaze.

“No need!” Su Niannian was stunned. “Eat it yourself.”

Qi Ning shook her head. “The crab here is excellent, especially the roe. I want to share it with you.”

“But—”

The moment the refusal started to leave Su Niannian’s mouth, she saw Qi Ning’s eyes drop, looking dejected. At the sight, she had no choice but to change her tune. “Fine, th-thank you.”

Damn it. I feel like she’s starting to use that expression on purpose to get her way.

Su Niannian reached out to take the spoon, but Qi Ning didn’t budge. She held her position, showing no intention of handing it over.

Surely, she isn’t. Su Niannian’s face instantly caught fire. “I can eat it myself.”

Qi Ning blinked innocently. “Hmm? Are you shy about being fed? It’s alright. It’s just the two of us here; no one will see.”

The golden crab roe was piled high on the spoon, its tempting oily sheen and savory aroma making Su Niannian’s throat itch.

“Eat it quickly, or it’s going to fall off,” Qi Ning said leisurely. Her smile was languid, like a big cat swishing its tail while waiting for its prey to take the bait.