Chapter 26
Since returning to Song Corporation, Song Jinzhi had been perpetually busy, making days off a rare luxury. She planned to carve out some time to buy daily necessities. In the Song household, tasks like these were typically delegated to servants, but Song Jinzhi disliked the idea of personal items passing through someone else's hands. She got up, drank a cup of coffee, tidied herself, and went downstairs.
Gu Sijiu was as usual sprawled on the sofa watching TV dramas. Song Jinzhi had noticed that the series were all incredibly boring and melodramatic, yet this person watched them with rapt interest and sometimes grumbled for ages if she missed an episode. Since the pool incident, their relationship had thawed a little over the past few days, though they still hadn't exchanged a word. Song Jinzhi wanted to resolve this stalemate; after all, Gu Sijiu's mother's birthday was only a day or two away, and she would inevitably have to put on a show with Gu Sijiu. But how to swallow her pride and apologize, Song Jinzhi truly couldn't figure out a good approach.
"I'm going to Lingxi Mall. I won't be home for lunch or dinner. No need to have the servants prepare my meals."
Song Jinzhi thought for a moment and finally spoke the first words she had initiated in days. She carefully observed Gu Sijiu's expression and saw the other's ears twitch slightly at the mention of Lingxi Mall. Gu Sijiu then turned to glance at her, a faint glimmer of light in her eyes. Seeing that she wanted to go, Song Jinzhi internally laughed at how Gu Sijiu's face could never hide anything. She felt this might be the turning point to somewhat ease the tension between them.
"There are quite a few things I want to buy. It'll be inconvenient to carry them alone. Would you like to come help?"
Song Jinzhi swept her hair back and spoke softly. She was not skilled at initiating invitations, especially with Gu Sijiu, which made it all the more awkward. Yet if she didn't take the first step, the cold war would likely be hard to end. Outwardly, Song Jinzhi appeared calm and unruffled, but inwardly, her thoughts churned. She both feared Gu Sijiu's refusal and worried the other might say something to make the atmosphere even more frigid.
"Oh, I see. Then I'll go with you." Hearing Song Jinzhi invite her of her own accord, Gu Sijiu was secretly over the moon. Lingxi Mall was huge, with both clothes and food. Gu Sijiu loved shopping and had always wanted to go, but never really had the chance. Now that Song Jinzhi had extended the invitation, she decided to temporarily set aside their cold war. She wasn't a petty person; a simple quarrel wouldn't have made her lose her temper. She was only bothered by Song Jinzhi's attitude towards her. The words she'd said that day had truly been hurtful.
Once Gu Sijiu agreed, Song Jinzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She sat to the side and waited for Gu Sijiu to freshen up and dress. An hour later, the two finally got into the car. Song Jinzhi activated the autopilot and began reading the holographic book she had previously recorded. Gu Sijiu fiddled listlessly with a game she had long tired of. They traveled the entire way in silence.
Upon arriving at Lingxi Mall, Gu Sijiu seemed to suddenly come alive, her eyes gleaming at the sight of the clothes and bags in the display cases. Song Jinzhi watched from the side as Gu Sijiu looked ready to charge in, feeling somewhat bewildered. She understood that an inclination towards dressing up and shopping was part of every Omega's nature, but wasn't Gu Sijiu, an Alpha, a little too obsessed with her appearance?
Standing not far away, Song Jinzhi watched as Gu Sijiu selected several dresses, most of them sexy and alluring, the kind that even many celebrity Alphas rarely wore. Yet Gu Sijiu bought them without a moment's hesitation. Seeing her in a red backless dress, standing before the mirror and adjusting her pose, Song Jinzhi observed her twist her waist and arch her hips. She suddenly noticed that Gu Sijiu had a slender waist and an exceptionally curvaceous rear, she really did pull off that dress perfectly.
"Do I look good?" Gu Sijiu admired her beautiful reflection, getting carried away and even forgetting their cold war. Song Jinzhi caught the shop assistant's amused expression and felt an indescribable flicker of embarrassment mixed with awkwardness. Yes, she had overlooked one thing: she was an Omega, and Gu Sijiu was an Alpha. Going out shopping together like this was practically a date.
"Mm, passable." Song Jinzhi gave a perfunctory reply. Gu Sijiu was entirely absorbed in her own stunning image and didn't notice the trace of red at Song Jinzhi's ear. Gu Sijiu bought all the clothes, shoes, and bags she fancied, happily handing several shopping bags to the AI robot for home delivery. Once she'd had her fill of shopping, Song Jinzhi finally led her to the general goods section, an area specializing in daily necessities and the freshest ingredients. Song Jinzhi purchased most of her household essentials here.
"I'll go buy some daily necessities. Is there anything you want?" Song Jinzhi asked Gu Sijiu. In her view, since their relationship had slightly eased, it was only polite to inform the other when they split up, regardless of their personal dynamic. Gu Sijiu glanced towards a less crowded area and spotted fresh groceries and the like.
"Is that the ingredient section?" Gu Sijiu pointed. Song Jinzhi nodded at the question, though she didn't quite understand what Gu Sijiu wanted there; she assumed Gu Sijiu wouldn't have any interest in ingredients.
"Then I'll go take a look at the ingredients," Gu Sijiu said, her eyes sparking again at the mention of food. She walked over with an auto following shopping cart and was greeted by a dazzling array of exquisite ingredients. She didn't know how many years separated this world from her own, but she could confidently say that the quality of ingredients here was absolutely unmatched by anything from her previous life.
The vegetables had superb color, and the fresh produce and meats were all top tier. Looking at the ingredients, Gu Sijiu finally felt that her recently dismal appetite might be saved. Gu Sijiu's outward presentation was highly deceiving; she didn't look like someone who could cook. In truth, her culinary skills surpassed those of many hotel chefs.
Gu Sijiu had a cleanliness obsession, which extended not only to past lovers and daily habits but also to food. She never ordered takeout, because she simply couldn't trust food prepared by others and found it unpalatable. Under those circumstances, she had no choice but to learn to cook herself, and later even deliberately studied knife skills and formal culinary techniques.
Since arriving in this world, Gu Sijiu had yet to eat anything truly satisfying. The rapid advancement of technology here had led humans to discard many basic desires, and the pleasure of eating was among them. With great satisfaction, Gu Sijiu selected some ingredients, planning to make a delicious meal tonight to treat herself. She was so absorbed in her selection that she didn't even notice Song Jinzhi approaching.
Standing at a short distance, Song Jinzhi watched Gu Sijiu bend her head, comparing two different cuts of meat before placing her chosen one into the cart. She didn't understand why Gu Sijiu was buying so many ingredients, but the focused expression on Gu Sijiu's face was something she had never seen before. Her profile, half lit and half shadowed under the supermarket lights, was striking. Every now and then, she would brush back her hair, and a wave of her pheromones would drift over.
It was a pleasant, reassuring scent, Gu Sijiu's pheromones, the very scent Song Jinzhi insisted she hated but secretly couldn't resist. Subconsciously, Song Jinzhi stepped forward, wanting to draw a little closer. At that moment, Gu Sijiu looked up and smiled at her. Her peach blossom eyes, crinkled in a smile, carried a seductive charm. Song Jinzhi stared blankly, utterly unaware that her mind had wandered while gazing at Gu Sijiu.
"Are you done? Where do we go next? I'm feeling a bit hungry." Gu Sijiu rubbed her stomach; feeling her abdominal muscles through the dress made her briefly lightheaded. Hearing her mention hunger, Song Jinzhi also felt like eating something. She had originally planned to dine at the newly opened restaurant upstairs after shopping, so the timing was perfect.
"Let's go to the restaurant upstairs. A friend told me that the new place here is quite good." After Song Jinzhi finished speaking, she took the lead. Gu Sijiu, hearing about a good restaurant, couldn't help but feel curious about what the flavors would be like. The two went upstairs and headed directly to the entrance of the new establishment. Upon seeing them, the waiter immediately smiled and ushered them inside.
Only after entering did Song Jinzhi realize that this was apparently a high end restaurant specifically designed for couples. Besides a central shared area, the restaurant featured private booths. The entire restaurant was suspended at the very top of Lingxi Mall, with a glass floor that revealed the night view below and a ceiling that simulated the full starry sky. Each booth had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the nighttime scenery outside. The ambiance was lovely but entirely unsuitable for herself and Gu Sijiu. Alas, since they were already here, Song Jinzhi couldn't very well propose leaving now.
"Ladies, please order. This is our newly launched couple's set menu, perfectly suited for an Alpha and Omega pairing. The sets are divided into three options: Passionate, Sweet, and Intense."
The server approached as soon as they were seated and enthusiastically recommended the menu. Hearing the names of the sets, Song Jinzhi felt a surge of embarrassment, inwardly cursing Jing Yu for recommending such a ridiculous restaurant. Gu Sijiu, meanwhile, was studying the three sets with keen interest, curious to know what exactly was in the "Passionate" one.
Both of them had their own secret preoccupations. Song Jinzhi wanted to simply order a standard meal, but alas, this restaurant carried no non couple's menus. Pressing a hand to her forehead, Song Jinzhi resignedly pointed to the "Sweet" set, only to see Gu Sijiu's gaze lingering on the "Passionate" one with an eager, itching to try it look on her face. To forestall disaster, Song Jinzhi hastily dismissed the server.
"I think 'Passionate' would've been better. Why didn't you pick 'Passionate'?" Gu Sijiu asked with blissful obliviousness. Song Jinzhi couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge her. Passionate? What was there to be passionate about? No way was she going to be "passionate" with Gu Sijiu. And even if the other two options, "Sweet" and "Passionate", were just as nauseating, at least they were better than "Intense." A short while later, the server Song Jinzhi had sent away returned. Beaming at them both, he delivered a statement that left the two of them utterly dumbfounded.
"Congratulations, ladies. You are the 99th couple to dine with us today, making you our lucky couple. We're running a special promotion: if you share a passionate kiss for 9 minutes, you'll receive your entire meal free of charge."
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